In No Particular order:
The Juan Maclean - The Future Will Come
Its taken awhile but this paean to early 80s pop (think Human League's call and response deceit) has finally clicked and now I can't get it off the iPod!
Speech Debelle - Speech Therapy
Starts with an acoustic, brushed drums and a sigh, this mercury winning slice of uk hip hop is a rare find - london grime never sounded so smooth - "when life hits you with issues, and you want to cry, I'm with tissues"
The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
Wayne Coyne just annoys the shit out of me but I keep coming back to this album time and time again. And the menacing cover is a perfect encapsulation of the delicious proginess within. Hate to buy into the hype but Chek it!!
The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
Remember My Bloody Valentine and early JATMC? Well here's their legacy writ large for the iPod age - luscious!
Taken by Trees - East of Eden
Ooh .. a world music resurgence with mazzy star/the sundays style vocals ... yet another 80s rehash ... but oh so pretty ... guilty indie pleasure
The Maccabees - Wall of Arms
Finally a hint that the UK is reversing its creative slump ... and also the return of the album ... no filler here ... guitar driven melodramatic rock ... in all its British glory
Health - Get Color (sic)
Shit! finally something to get really excited about. Its like someone distilled all the "new" elements of electro, dub, noize, lo-fi of 2009 and formed this perfect slice of acetate! Get it now!
Kasabian - West Ryder Paper Lunatic Asylum
why do we h8 on Kasabian? I know they reek pretension & have that derivitive retro sound (hello wolfmother?), but they appropriate with respect!
Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
Is this the summer record for 2009? Perhaps this odd mix of folktronic and rather oldskool 90s techno is the perfect cocktail for balmy nights and ice cold drinks but it also works a treat on wintry days of nostalgic contemplation
Patrick Wolf - The Batchelor
Overwrought, over the top, you can almost see the camp flag waving fringe flipping neck stretching stance as he belts out battle cries in front of the local church choir - a welcome return to form.
Micachu & the Shapes - Jewellry
Bring me the nonsense sound indeed!! Matthew Herbert produced edgy art rock sounding fresh and now - ALBUM OF THE YEAR SO FAR!!!!!
Royksopp - Junior
Shite cover alert!! Remember how Melody AM snuck up on you with its melodic simplicity and bytheway electronics, and how The Haunting was all broody hollywood bravado, well its back to basics melodic fun, robotically chunky and sickeningly hummable!
Röyksopp Feat Robyn - The Girl And The Robot / NEW
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Fever Ray
Challenging, difficult, inscrutable, not words that are going to help sales, but if this slab of dark swedish electronica remains my dirty secret thats fine with me. Approach with caution, but already contender for Album of the Year.
Wavves - S/T
Spotty suburban kids, pedal effects, fuzzbox, reverb, megaphoned vocals, a bunch of sonic youth and surfer rock lps, welcome to 2009!!
The Pains of being pure at heart - S/T
So we've plundered punk, post-punk, electro, high nrg from the 80s, how about some good old fashione indie rock!! Time to rock the loose paisley shirt and shoelace tie!
Beirut - March of the Zapotec
First thing to grab me this year .. still spewing that he cancelled his gig here but the Mariachi band and old skool electronics make up for it tenfold!!
