a boxing day stroll in queenswood..

lists lists lists lists- -top ten albums of the year- -lists lists lists lists

Ten albums i have enjoyed this year. Not in any particular order, and not necessarily ones i've played lots but ten that i've enjoyed listening to..

ARCTIC MONKEYS - AM
This has grown a little on me. I still maintain that it somehow lacks the bark and bite of their first 2 but definitely with more of a groove to it. Becoming successful is a challenge to bands in terms of where they go next. You've got to say that whilst you might not like the direction they're going in, they're going there in style.

DAFT PUNK - RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES
A bit of catnip here. Lots of hype to this cd. But it has to be said, this was one of the most played cd's in our car stereo this summer. Upfront cheesiness, and disco disco disco, but y'know y'all shouldn't be too queasy bout cheesy. An easy listen and brought back memories of the CFunk days from Leicester.
And I could listen to a whole album of that german bloke going on about his synth and sleeping in cars.

LAURA VEIRS - WARP AND WEFT
I've already mentioned this one. Straight-ish americana but well put together and a good listen all the way through, which stays slightly one step ahead of you.

NILS FRAHM - SPACES
A fairly recent release. Some 'pieces' recorded live. Of all the cd's on this list, this is the one that most relaxes me. I find that I come to the end of listening to this in a bit of a spaced out frame of mind. Polar opposite to the Daft Punk, which is all about toe tapping. This is all about relaxing in some comfortable slippers and soothing away the troubles of the working day.

JOHN HOPKINS - IMMUNITY
Okay, this one was obvious for anyone who's had a conversation with me about music this year. It's the most successful unplanned purchase i've had. It's also what I've been hoping to find every time i stray into the shelves marked dance/electronic. A coherent piece of music that has relaxed nils frahm type moments but also click click faster paced stuff. If I was only allowed one of these CD's to put in a time capsule marked 2013 then THIS WOULD BE THE ONE.

JOHN GRANT - PALE GREEN GHOSTS
I came quite late to this cd. An interesting development from his previous one. The first few tunes are really impressive as are the later tunes. In places it goes away from the squelchy electronic sound back to the sounds of the previous CD, but luckily that isn't a bad thing. Not too sure about the sax solo, though. Fleet Foxes didn't get away with it and neither does John Grant.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND - MODERN VAMPIRES OF THE CITY
I really liked this one. Again it's only something I came to fairly late on, but it's had a lot of play in the kitchen. And it doesn't have a 'blake's got a new face' irritant on it, which helps.

MATTHEW E WHITE - BIG INNER
Not something I've played a lot, but I remember enjoying it right back at the start of the year. It's also one of the few set's that i managed to see in full at this year's Latitude. A tight set, might i say? Along as you don't snigger. Warm and groovy.

NEON NEON - PRAXIS MAKES PERFECT
I always want to like Gruff Rhys' stuff, but somehow I don't quite manage it. This, I did enjoy. Great design for the artwork too. One from earlier in the year. A set I would have liked to have seen at Latitude but somehow it didn't come together.

STEVE MASON - MONKEY MINDS IN THE DEVIL TIME
Why has this list become all about Latitude? Don't know but this is someone I did manage to catch at Latitude. He explained his thinking behind some of the tunes and played well. This is a really varied collection of tunes, different styles and spoken interludes. Angry socially aware stuff, as I picked up from his between song banter at the festival.

So, that's my ten for 2013. Cheers.

bridge over the river wye (remastered HQ), with councillors and camera crew extras.

top to toe in tailbacks...

saints losing three on the bounce, england getting whupped at cricket.....it's enough to get a brother down....

the november 'classic'

Gave; 'Once' by the cast of the film.
Received; 'The Boatman's Call' by Nick Cave.

Nick Cave. I haven't ever bought a Nick Cave CD so Al was on safe territory here with this month's classic. No, tell a lie i bought a 'best of' once but I haven't listened to it yet.

This is from the mid nineties and according to the notes in the cd case it came out after the Murder Ballards album. Of the bits and pieces of Nick Cave's music that i've heard it's been the bad motherfucker stagger lee type tunes that I've liked the best. You know, all that red right hand prophet of doom stuff.

The Boatman's Call is a much more straight set of music. Pared back arrangements and more honest, plaintive themes in the lyrics. A couple of really nice tunes but I think it might have worked a bit better as an EP, I found it went along a little too far in the same direction, which seemed to be that of a sad chap feeling sad. I'm into a bit of morose noodling as much as the next man but I think this cd is quite a hard listen at times. The best tunes are in the first half of the cd. Brompton Oratory, I enjoyed, as I did the first tune.

If it had been more of the bad mother fucking bullets in his mother fucking head shenanigans then this would have been 8 maybe 9 out of 10.

As it is....... 6.