Thursday 31 December 2009

Twenty divided by ten

Lists? You want lists? Okay, you can have ruddy lists.

Top 20 albums of the last decade, in no particular order:

Bearsuit - Cat Spectacular
It might have a few duff tracks on it, but the really ace ones still make me squeal. Where are they these days anyway?

Black Box Recorder - Passionoia
Sexiest album of the decade. And I don't use the 's' word lightly. Not these days.

Chris TT - London is Sinking
I literally played this until it stopped working. I don't think I've heard it since 2004, but it's about the only thing that ever made me want to live in London.

Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die
The soundtrack to the perfect summer of 2005. Shame they went so shit

The Lucksmiths - A Little Distraction
It could've been any Lucksmiths record, but this one just edges it for having 'After the After Party' on it.

Slipslide - The World Can Wait
Grown up indiepop? You bet. Made me feel sophisticated in poverty.

Pipas - A Cat Escaped
Just pips (ho, ho) 'Chunnel Autumnal' for being so crazily ramshackle and cute.

Pocketbooks - Flight Paths
I refer the honourable indiepop fan to the answer I've been giving all year.

The Guild League - Private Transport
A travelogue with a musical background. What more could you want? Jet, set... go!

Lovejoy - Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Glacial, clean, shining pop from Brighton. Got me through many a solitary bottle of wine.

Tender Trap - Film Molecules
Sassy and confident, Film Molecules remains a sort of lost indiepop treasure of the last ten years.

Harper Lee - All Things Can Be Mended
"Never matter how much things are going your way, or whether you’re enjoying life to the full, there’s always Harper Lee to bring you down," I wrote in 2004.

Milky Wimpshake - Lovers Not Fighters
Not many people like Milky Wimpshake. But then not many people deserve them.

Comet Gain - Realistes
If there was any justice in the world then Comet Gain would take up all 40 places of the ...ermm... Top 40. Pray for the day.

The Pines - It's Been a While
So what if it's a compilation? Makes you wonder why Pam Berry doesn't get her finger out more.

Afternoon Naps - Parade
Noob alert. I think "noob" is a internet youth word. This Afternoon Naps lp makes me feel YOUNG AND ALIVE.

MJ Hibbett and the Validators - We Validate!
Almost like a greatest hits album. But with greatest misses. Hibbett was a constant source of joy in the second part of the decade.

Beulah - The Coast is Never Clear
Was this really 2001? An album I can still listen to ten times in a row and can still sing along like a wounded parrot to.

Mascot Fight - Pantomime Hearse
When you think about all the praise heaped on certain bands from big cities who get their arses kissed constantly for producing such mediocre pap, then it's a wonder Mascot Fight ever had the energy to produce such a stunning record. That they had to release it themselves is doubly shocking, but makes the triumph all the more sweet.

The Positions - Bliss
Perfect pop to make you happy. Sometimes less is more, and who needs complications when you have something as pure as this.

8 comments:

a fog of ideas said...

sellout!

if ever there was one person who I'd put money on to stay true to their word it was you, comrade metcalf!

lists indeed!

what next? what next?

an end of year poll?

A layer of chips said...

But I've reviewed each album in the style of a tweet. Surely that's worth forgiveness?

a fog of ideas said...

I'm a little late in my 'horrified reaction', I see you've already done an end of year review...

a fog of ideas said...

twaat, morelike

no, well done, you've been very 'meta'

or is it 'meme'?

NoRecords Records said...

Hi,

if I can allow myself, here's two french bands that I like,
some kinda power pop & psychedelic stuff, that maybe be you'll enjoy !
have a nice time and a good year
;)...jm



morning favorites : the five red flags (2010)

here :

http://rapidshare.com/files/328881106/Morning_Favorites_-_The_Five_red_flags_-_2010.rar



-----------------------------


eveden : violent derby (2009)

here

http://rapidshare.com/files/328850008/eveden.rar

or there

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6LA577F9

String Bean Jen said...

This list is SO Sam and thus SO great. I agree with quite a lot of it. What taste.

(The only thing tarnishing this is the spam comment above mine. Grrr.)

Anonymous said...

The list is very well done, I like every one of the bands and I think they are rather old and need to be using sildenafil :)

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