05 Foals 'Total Life Forever'

http://musosguide.com/public_html/musos.wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/51PdaHqoQsL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

 

Foals seemed to have a lot of momentum in late 2007 / early 2008, then they released their debut album and it was a decent album, if slightly disappointingand featured neither of their two best songs. This, their second album, is so much better. I never thought they'd ever make songs as beautiful as 'Spanish Sahara'. 'Blue Blood' is an amazing opener and you can tell from that track it's going to be a fantastic album, 'Black Gold' and the title track are pretty special too. It reminds me in a way of The Horros album 'Primary Colours' from last year, it doesn't sound dis-similar and it's a much better album than I ever thought they could produce.

 

'Black Gold'

 

'Total Life Forever'

I only got the Foals album a couple weeks ago and haven't got eound to listening to it yet :lol:

Intriguing as I've never even heard the Foals album.

 

I do love Spanish Sahara but haven't really paid attention to anything else they've released this year. I may see if I can pick it up cheap somewhere if it's top 5 of the year material.

 

 

edit: Having a listen to the clips you posted and I'm quite liking Black Gold, not as keen on the second one though.

Edited December 12, 201014 yr by Dandy*

04 Robyn 'Body Talk'

http://www.sweetslyrics.com/poze/Robyn%20Body%20Talk.jpg

 

This almost pains me that I only put this at four. I was convinced after 'Part 2' that this would end up as my favourite album of the year, but I really don't think the new songs for the final part are as good as the ones on their predecessors. There's also not the greatest amount of variation and I think that's shown in the singles. Individually I think they're all great but really 'Hang With Me' is a less good version of 'Dancing on My Own' and 'Indestructible' the same, although the two acoustic versions are gorgeous. Having said that this album does include some of the greatest pop songs of recent times, 'U Should Know Better' (with Snoop), 'Fembot', 'Call Your Girlfriend' and especially 'In My Eyes'.

 

'In My Eyes'

 

'U Should Know Better'

I agree about Total life Forever, brilliant album and tops their first by a lot.

03 The National 'High Violet'

http://musosguide.com/public_html/musos.wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/The-National-High-Violet-3-300x300.jpg

 

Again, this is possibly a surprise that it's "only" number three, but it has been beaten by two phenomenal albums. I first found love for the National a couple of years ago when I first heard 'Mistaken for Strangers', and its parent album was also fantastic. But I think this one is better, it's not really particularly different from what they've produced before but it's still very strong. The majority of the album is stunning but nothing is quite as good as 'Conversation 16', a fantastically powerful song capable of bringing out a lot of emotion.

 

'England'

 

'Afraid of Everyone'

I only got the Foals album a couple weeks ago and haven't got eound to listening to it yet :lol:

You should get round to it then! :lol: Do you have their first album?

Intriguing as I've never even heard the Foals album.

 

I do love Spanish Sahara but haven't really paid attention to anything else they've released this year. I may see if I can pick it up cheap somewhere if it's top 5 of the year material.

edit: Having a listen to the clips you posted and I'm quite liking Black Gold, not as keen on the second one though.

:o

 

I thought you would've done, especially as I've seen 'Spanish Sahara' high in your chart. I'm not sure you'd think it would be great, but I'm sure you'd like it.

I will post my top 2 later. I imagine people might know what they are but I wouldn't say it was obvious. Neither act have had a number one in my personal chart beforem but between them they have spent 76 weeks in it this year.

You should get round to it then! :lol: Do you have their first album?

Yes, I've got the first one although I haven't listened to it for a while.

I'm really not totally sure what the top 2 are! :o

 

I was expecting a National victory so it's weird to see them at #3, the album is actually still growing on me as I didn't give it that much attention when it was released - there's just something about it that has felt right to play in the last month. Robyn as high as #4 is good, I knew you liked it but thought you would possibly prefer several other things this year so four will do me! :D

 

02 Bombay Bicycle Club 'Flaws'

http://www.addictmusic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Bombay-Bicycle-Club-Flaws-300x300.jpg

 

The London four piece released their debut album last year, and released this, their second album, pretty much exactly one year later. It's a complete contrast in style, their debut was a strong (but hardly brilliant) punchy indie album. For 'Flaws' however, they've said goodbye to that sound and it's entirely acoustic, creating a fantastic mix of country, blues and folk. It's a collection of new songs, old reworked songs and a couple of covers, John Martyn's 'Fairytale Lullaby' and Joanna Newsom's 'Swansea'. Their transformation is shown fully in that a year ago 'Dust on the Ground' was a

Now it's a

The two covers are both excellent reworkings, and although the two singles ('Rinse Me Down' and 'Ivy & Gold') may feel a bit out of place occasionally as they have a bit more going on in them, they're still brilliant and better than the singles off their debut. The album's highlight, however, is the wonderful 'Leaving Blues', a haunting tale of saying goodbye.

 

'Leaving Blues'

 

'Fairytale Lullaby'

Oooooo, I've only just bought that as it was cheap in Fopp. Listened to it once the other night and thought it was good but I wasn't giving it my full attention so I will give it a few more spins.

Another album I've got but haven't listened to properly. It's generally just been single tracks when putting iTunes on shuffle.

01 Beach House 'Teen Dream'

http://cdn.stereogum.com/img/pe-beach-house-teen-dream.jpg

 

Whereas most of BuzzJack rate 'Teenage Dream' as their album of the year, I plump for the similarly titled 'Teen Dream'. If it has one thing in common it's that it's sang by a female (although we'll gloss over me thinking it was a man for about a month of listening to 'Norway', rather Jonsi-esque). Before this year I'd heard of Beach House, but never heard anything by them, if I had don't it had made no impression on me.

 

Released at the end of January, this was one of the first albums of the year to be hyped up a bit so it was an obvious choice to check out (it worked with 'Merriweather' last year so why not?.) It didn't disappoint but what it has done is continue to grow on me throughout the year. It's a dreamy place to get lost in which sounded great on warm summer nights. It now sounds just as good in minus temperatures. The singles are the obvious highlights although the whole album is pretty stunning, it was the release of 'Lover of Mine' (my album highlight) that made me really take notice of the album, pushing it from a "top 10 possibility" to a contender for album of the year, it's the poppiest thing on here and is one of the years best few pop songs. It's possibly slightly unusual that an album I'd rank album of the year doesn't have the stunning 10/10 songs throughout (infact I'd say LOM is the only one) but it's just so incredibly consistant throughout and everything seems to work better as an album, 'Zebra' being the prime example as it's stunning 30 second guitar intro before some 'ahh's set the album up perfectly....

 

'Silver Soul'

 

 

 

 

'Better Times'

'10 Mile Stereo'

'Real Love'

60 jj 'No.3'

59 Fyfe Dangerfield 'Fly Yellow Moon'

58 RPA & The United Nations of Sound 'United Nations of Sound'

57 Interpol 'Interpol'

56 Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse 'Dark Night of the Soul'

55 Los Campesinos! 'Romance is Boring'

54 Example 'Won't Go Quietly'

53 No Age 'Everything in Between'

52 M.I.A. 'Maya'

51 MGMT 'Congratulations'

 

50 Janelle Monae 'The ArchAndroid'

49 Jonsi 'Go'

48 These New Puritans 'Hidden'

47 Cee-Lo Green 'The Lady Killer'

46 Owen Pallett 'Heartland'

45 I am Kloot 'Sky at Night'

44 Local Natives 'Gorilla Manor'

43 Fang Island 'Fang Island'

42 Shout Out Louds 'Work'

41 Broken Bells 'Broken Bells'

 

40 Magnetic Man 'Magnetic Man'

39 Ellie Goulding 'Lights'

38 Marina & The Diamonds 'The Family Jewels'

37 I Blame Coco 'The Constant'

36 Blood Red Shoes 'Fire Like This'

35 Villagers 'Becoming a Jackal'

34 Best Coast 'Crazy For You'

33 Belle and Sebastian 'Write About Love'

32 Caribou 'Swim'

31 The Drums 'The Drums'

 

30 Detroit Social Club 'Existance'

29 The Naked & Famous 'Passive You, Agressive Me'

28 Band of Skulls 'Baby Darling Doll Face Honey'

27 Kings of Leon 'Come Around Sundown'

26 Ash 'The A-Z Series'

25 Yeasayer 'Odd Blood'

24 The Courteeners 'Falcon'

23 Two Door Cinema Club 'Tourist History'

22 Delphic 'Acolyte'

21 Crystal Castles 'Crystal Castles' (II)

 

20 The Hold Steady 'Heaven Is Whenever'

19 Arcade Fire 'The Suburbs'

18 The Futureheads 'The Chaos'

17 Chemical Brothers 'Further'

16 Wild Nothing 'Gemini'

15 Gorillaz 'Plastic Beach'

14 Delorean 'Subiza'

13 Sleigh Bells 'Treats'

12 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 'Beat the Devil's Tattoo'

11 Male Bonding 'Nothing Hurts'

 

10 Codeine Velvet Club 'Codeine Velvet Club'

09 Vampire Weekend 'Contra'

08 LCD Soundsystem 'This is Happening'

07 Plan B 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks'

06 The Golden Filter 'Voluspa'

05 Foals 'Tota Life Forever'

04 Robyn 'Body Talk'

03 The National 'High Violet'

02 Bombay Bicycle Club 'Flaws'

01 Beach House 'Teen Dream'

Ah, of course!

 

I haven't begun compiling mine yet but Beach House will definitely feature somewhere. It's a great album and one that I often forget was released this year as it seems like ages ago now, I'll have make a point of listening to all of the early 2010 releases again methinks.

 

beach house are magic, pure magic

60 jj 'No.3'

55 Los Campesinos! 'Romance is Boring'

52 M.I.A. 'Maya'

49 Jonsi 'Go'

46 Owen Pallett 'Heartland'

38 Marina & The Diamonds 'The Family Jewels'

37 I Blame Coco 'The Constant'

32 Caribou 'Swim'

25 Yeasayer 'Odd Blood'

22 Delphic 'Acolyte'

21 Crystal Castles 'Crystal Castles' (II)

13 Sleigh Bells 'Treats'

09 Vampire Weekend 'Contra'

05 Foals 'Tota Life Forever'

04 Robyn 'Body Talk'

01 Beach House 'Teen Dream'

 

:wub: These should be on my list as well.

 

Beach House on top. :wub: Incredible. Was just listening to it yesterday to remind myself of its greatness.

beach house are magic, pure magic

'Teen Dream' is stunning, and whilst I like their older stuff, I don't think it's anywhere near as good. :wub: