Top 100 songs from BBC 6music listeners – 2009

Far from perfect but a much more palatable list than the one provided by listeners of the admittedly-not-for-very-long-but-still-once-great XFM. This was a list voted for by listeners to BBC 6music, although admittedly from a shortlist of 100 songs, so it must be a real bugger if you came in at no 100. It’s clearly a tribute to how well fans of the Basildon boys managed to organise themselves as they got four times as many votes as second-placed Muse. (originally posted 7/1/10 on my old blog)

1. Depeche Mode – Wrong
2. Muse – Uprising
3. Julian Casablancas – 11th Dimension
4. Morrissey – I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
5. Florence And The Machine – Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
6. Jay Z ft Alicia Keys – Empire State Of Mind
7. Dizzee Rascal – Bonkers
8. Kasabian – Fire
9. Frank Turner – The Road
10. Lily Allen – The Fear
11. Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
12. Pet Shop Boys – Love Etc.
13. Placebo – The Never-Ending Why
14. Camera Obscura – French Navy
15. Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man
16. M83 – Kim & Jessie
17. Arctic Monkeys – Crying Lightning
18. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero
19. Echo And The Bunnymen – Think I Need It Too
20. La Roux – In For The Kill
21. Calvin Harris – I’m Not Alone
22. Wintersleep – Weighty Ghost
23. Bad Lieutenant – Sink Or Swim
24. Prodigy – Omen
25. Patrick Wolf – Hard Times
26. Fleet Foxes – Mykonos
27. Royksopp – Happy Up Here
28. Animal Collective – My Girls
29. Green Day – Know Your Enemy
30. Jamie T – Sticks ‘N’ Stones
31. Biffy Clyro – That Golden Rule
32. Foo Fighters – Wheels
33. Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream
34. Mariachi El Bronx – Cell Mates
35. Bat For Lashes – Daniel
36. Doves – Kingdom Of Rust
37. Them Crooked Vultures – New Fang
38. White Lies – Farewell To The Fairground
39. Fanfarlo – The Walls Are Coming Down
40. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
41. Idlewild – Readers & Writers
42. Wild Beasts – Hooting & Howling
43. Ash – True Love 1980
44. Simian Mobile Disco – Audacity Of Huge
45. Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses
46. Big Pink – Dominos
47. Richard Hawley – For Your Lover Give Some Time
48. Radiohead – Harry Patch (In Memory Of)
49. Deadmau5 – I Remember
50. Editors – Papillon
51. XX – Islands
52. Little Boots – New In Town
53. Cribs – Cheat On Me
54. Manic Street Preachers – Jackie Collins Existential Question Time
55. Airborne Toxic Event – Sometime Around Midnight
56. Phoenix – Lisztomania
57. Bloc Party – One More Chance
58. Vampire Weekend – Laughing With
59. Joy Formidable – Whirring
60. Eels – The Look You Give That Guy
61. Pearl Jam – The Fixer
62. Noah & The Whale – Blue Skies
63. Madness – Dust Devil
64. Dead Weather – Treat Me Like Your Mother
65. Ian Brown – Stellify
66. Maccabees – No Kind Words
67. Death Cab For Cutie – Meet Me At The Equinox
68. PJ Harvey And John Parish – Black Hearted Love
69. Golden Silvers – True Romance
70. Friendly Fires – Kiss Of Life
71. Passion Pit – The Reeling
72. Miike Snow – Animal
73. Super Furry Animals – Inaugural Trams
74. TV On The Radio – Dancing Choose
75. Horrors – Whole New Way
76. Basement Jaxx – Raindrops
77. Jarvis Cocker – Angela
78. Wilco – You Never Know
79. Gossip – Heavy Cross
80. Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin The
81. Silversun Pickups – Panic Switch
82. Amadou & Mariam – Masiteladi
83. Jack Penate – Tonight’s Today
84. Mos Def – Quiet Dog
85. Justice feat. Uffie – Tthhee Ppaarrttyy
86. Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros – 40 Day Dream
87. Vampire Weekend – Horchata
88. Metric – Sick Muse
89. Dinosaur Jr – Over It
90. Drums – Let’s Go Surfing
91. Reverend And The Makers – Silence Is Talking
92. Flaming Lips – Silver Trembling Hands The
93. Maximo Park – The Kids Are Sick Again
94. Monsters Of Folk – Say Please
95. Sonic Youth – Sacred Trickster
96. Very Best – Warm Heart Of Africa The
97. School Of Seven Bells – My Cabal
98. Speech Debelle – Spinnin
99. A Camp – Stronger Than Jesus
100. Alessi’s Ark – Over The Hill

XFM “greatest” 100 songs ever or something equally unbelievable

Once upon a time there was a station called XFM. And it played great alternative music that you couldn’t hear anywhere else.

Sadly that doesn’t make anyone any money and those days are long gone, as can be reflected in XFM’s Greatest Songs Ever listeners’ poll which took place at the end of 2009.

The Killers at no 1? 9 from Oasis? 4 from Kasabian? Are there really only four songs in the world better than Sex On Fire? Did XFM twin itself with Nuts or Zoo or something and I didn’t even notice? Oh why oh why am I even typing this. (originally posted on my old blog 4/1/10)

1. Killers - Mr Brightside
2. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor
3. Oasis - Live Forever
4. Muse - Knights Of Cydonia
5. Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire
6. Elbow - One Day Like This
7. Oasis - Wonderwall
8. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
9. Muse - Plug In Baby
10. Oasis - Don’t Look Back In Anger
11. Ian Brown - F.E.A.R.
12. Libertines - Don’t Look Back Into The Sun
13. White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
14. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
15. Coldplay - Yellow
16. Muse - Hysteria
17. Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
18. Killers - All These Things I’ve Done
19. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
20. Libertines - Can’t Stand Me Now
21. Stone Roses - I Am The Resurrection
22. Oasis - Champagne Supernova
23. Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
24. Muse - Supermassive Black Hole
25. Strokes - Last Nite
26. Kasabian - Club Foot
27. Libertines - Time For Heroes
28. Clash - London Calling
29. Smiths - How Soon Is Now
30. Muse - Time Is Running Out
31. Smiths - This Charming Man
32. Radiohead - Paranoid Android
33. Stereophonics - Dakota
34. Who - My Generation
35. Blur - Song 2
36. Stone Roses - Fool’s Gold
37. Kasabian - L.S.F.
38. Queens Of The Stone Age - No One Knows
39. Pulp - Common People
40. Radiohead - Creep
41. Muse - Starlight
42. Beatles - Hey Jude
43. Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
44. Arctic Monkeys - Mardy Bum
45. Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
46. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
47. David Bowie - Life On Mars
48. Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down
49. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
50. Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
51. Killers - When You Were Young
52. Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil
53. Doves - There Goes The Fear
54. Snow Patrol - Run
55. Jam - A Town Called Malice
56. Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent
57. Coldplay - Fix You
58. Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness
59. New Order - Blue Monday
60. Kasabian - Fire
61. Killers - Somebody Told Me
62. Beatles - A Day In The Life
63. Oasis - Slide Away
64. Foo Fighters - The Pretender
65. Oasis - Supersonic
66. Elbow - Grounds For Divorce
67. Jam - Going Underground
68. Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
69. Kooks - She Moves In Her Own Way
70. Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
71. Arctic Monkeys - A Certain Romance
72. Foo Fighters - Everlong
73. Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
74. Undertones - Teenage Kicks
75. Coldplay - Clocks
76. Bloc Party - Helicopter
77. Oasis - The Masterplan
78. Who - Baba O’Riley
79. Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody
80. Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life
81. Kasabian - Empire
82. David Bowie - Heroes
83. Stone Roses - She Bangs The Drums
84. Green Day - American Idiot
85. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
86. Oasis - Cigarettes And Alcohol
87. Stone Roses - Waterfall
88. Jam - That’s Entertainment
89. Feeder - Just A Day
90. Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure
91. Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again
92. Coldplay - The Scientist
93. Who - Won’t Get Fooled Again
94. Keane - Somewhere Only We Know
95. Oasis - Rock ‘N’ Roll Star
96. Bloc Party - Banquet
97. Doves - Pounding
98. MGMT - Time To Pretend
99. Athlete - Wires
100. Kings Of Leon - The Bucket

More end of year lists: my last.fm charts

Been listening to music a lot more on my iPod this year, and the scrobbling software isn’t always very accurate.

Nevertheless a list is a list and I can only assume it’s rightish!

All of these charts reflect the last 12 months.

Most played artists:

1. Franz Ferdinand – 101
2. They Might Be Giants – 72
3. Blur – 71
4. The Joy Formidable – 52
5. Hafdis Huld – 41
6. Starsailor – 27
7. Pop Will Eat Itself – 24
8. Patrick Wolf – 21
9. Elastica – 20
9. Kaiser Chiefs – 20
9. The Lovely Eggs – 20
12. British Sea Power – 18
12. Brownies – 18
12. Buzzcocks – 18
12. Super Furry Animals – 18
12. The Duke Spirit – 18
17. Hyperbubble – 17
17. Kate Bush – 17
19. Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine – 15
19. Yes – 15
21. Genesis – 14
21. Richard Cheese – 14
21. Saint Etienne – 14
24. Charlotte Hatherley – 13
24. Resque – 13
24. Therapy? – 13
27. Art Brut – 12
27. Radiohead – 12
27. Sultans of Ping F.C. – 12
27. We Were Promised Jetpacks – 12
31. Katie and the Ayres – 11
31. Space – 11
33. Baddies – 10
33. Maxïmo Park – 10
33. The Divine Comedy – 10
33. The Mighty Roars – 10
33. The Trash Can Sinatras – 10
38. Everything Everything – 9
38. The Duckworth Lewis Method – 9
38. The Others – 9
38. Tom Allalone & The 78s – 9
42. Baïkonour – 8
42. Be Your Own Pet – 8
42. Bloc Party – 8
42. Focus – 8
42. Hatfield and the North – 8
42. Rage Against the Machine – 8
42. Spoon – 8
42. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – 8
42. The Cardigans – 8
42. The Fighting Cocks – 8
52. Eliza – 7
52. Gestir – 7
52. Madness – 7
52. Metric – 7
52. MJ Hibbett & the Validators – 7
52. Pale – 7
52. Placebo – 7
59. A House – 6
59. Cerys Matthews – 6
59. Department S – 6
59. Fiona Bevan – 6
59. FM Belfast – 6
59. Graham Coxon – 6
59. Half Man Half Biscuit – 6
59. Jarvis Cocker – 6
59. Marc Almond – 6
59. Mew – 6
59. Monocle Rose – 6
59. Pink Floyd – 6
59. Plus-Tech Squeeze Box – 6
59. Senseless Things – 6
59. Senser – 6
59. Spongebob Squarepants – 6
59. The Young Knives – 6
76. ¡Forward, Russia! – 5
76. Bad Manners – 5
76. Broadcast – 5
76. Elvis Costello – 5
76. Kasabian – 5
76. Mascot Fight – 5
76. Miike Snow – 5
76. My Life Story – 5
76. Mystery Jets – 5
76. Rulers Of The Planet – 5
76. The Boxer Rebellion – 5
76. The Hot Puppies – 5
76. The Jam – 5
76. The Rakes – 5
76. The Robocop Kraus – 5
76. Trash Monroe – 5
76. White Rose Movement – 5
76. XTC – 5
94. A – 4
94. A Place to Bury Strangers – 4
94. Ace Out – 4
94. Alexei Sayle – 4
94. Amiina – 4
94. Battles – 4
94. Bis – 4
94. Black Moth Super Rainbow – 4
94. Bleech – 4
94. Blizzards – 4
94. Botnleðja – 4
94. Coldplay – 4
94. Dodgy – 4
94. Future of the Left – 4
94. Kenickie – 4
94. Lush – 4
94. Mark Ronson – 4
94. Prodigy – 4
94. Queen – 4
94. Rose Elinor Dougall – 4
94. Severe – 4
94. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – 4
94. Starts – 4
94. Stuart James – 4
94. Swell Maps – 4
94. Ten Tigers – 4
94. Test Icicles – 4
94. The Chalets – 4
94. The Dead 60s – 4
94. The Stone Roses – 4
94. Ultra Vivid Scene – 4
94. Ungdomskulen – 4
94. Untitled Musical Project – 4

The most played tracks were:

1. Franz Ferdinand – No You Girls – 14
2. Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses – 9
2. The Joy Formidable – The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade – 9
2. The Lovely Eggs – I Like Birds But I Like Other Animals Too – 9
2. The Mighty Roars – Elvis Lives And He Drinks Sake – 9
6. Everything Everything – Photoshop Handsome – 8
6. Franz Ferdinand – Katherine Kiss Me – 8
6. Franz Ferdinand – Twilight Omens – 8
6. Patrick Wolf – Hard Times – 8
6. The Joy Formidable – Cradle – 8
6. The Joy Formidable – Whirring – 8
6. The Lovely Eggs – Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordion? – 8
13. Art Brut – Alcoholics Unanimous – 7
13. Blur – Pressure On Julian – 7
13. Franz Ferdinand – Send Him Away – 7
13. Radiohead – These Are My Twisted Words – 7
13. The Joy Formidable – While The Flies – 7
18. Blur – Turn It Up – 6
18. Blur – Villa Rosie – 6
18. Department S – Wonderful Day – 6
18. Franz Ferdinand – Turn It On – 6
18. Hafdis Huld – Ski Jumper – 6
18. Monocle Rose – Alley Cat – 6
18. Saint Etienne – Barnyard Brouhaha – 6
18. The Joy Formidable – The Last Drop – 6
26. Blur – Advert – 5
26. Fiona Bevan – The Balance – 5
26. Franz Ferdinand – Backwards On My Face – 5
26. Franz Ferdinand – Dream Again – 5
26. Franz Ferdinand – Katherine Hit Me – 5
26. Hafdis Huld – Diamonds On My Belly – 5
26. Metric – Gold Guns Girls – 5
26. Starsailor – Good Souls – 5
26. The Duckworth Lewis Method – The Age Of Revolution – 5
26. The Joy Formidable – 9669 – 5
26. The Joy Formidable – Ostrich – 5
37. Alexei Sayle – Web User Advert Mar 2001 – 4
37. Baïkonour – Look… Wa! – 4
37. Battles – TRAS 3 – 4
37. Be Your Own Pet – Food Fight – 4
37. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Born On A Day The Sun Didn’t Rise – 4
37. Blur – Blue Jeans – 4
37. Blur – Chemical World – 4
37. Blur – Colin Zeal – 4
37. Blur – For Tomorrow – 4
37. Blur – Miss America – 4
37. Blur – Oily Water – 4
37. Blur – Star Shaped – 4
37. Blur – Sunday Sunday – 4
37. Franz Ferdinand – Be Afraid – 4
37. Franz Ferdinand – Die On The Floor – 4
37. Hafdis Huld – My Heart Beats – 4
37. Hafdis Huld – Tomoko – 4
37. Hyperbubble – I Like Birds But I Like Other Animals Too – 4
37. Placebo – For What Its Worth (Radio Edit) – 4
37. Rose Elinor Dougall – Start/Stop/Synchro – 4
37. Spoon – Everything Hits at Once – 4
37. Swell Maps – Mining Villages – 4
37. The Duke Spirit – Love Is An Unfamiliar Name – 4
37. The Joy Formidable – Austere – 4
61. Alexander Rybak – Fairytale – 3
61. Bad Manners – Cider Drinker – 3
61. Baddies – Holler For My Holiday – 3
61. Baikonour – Oben Beg mk3 CBC theme – 3
61. Bleech – Is It True That Boys Don’t Cry – 3
61. British Sea Power – Carrion / All In It (Pressbutton remix) – 3
61. British Sea Power – Men Together Today – 3
61. Brownies – Dance Romance – 3
61. Brownies – It Kills – 3
61. Charlotte Hatherley – White – 3
61. Cherbourg – Man – 3
61. Codeine Velvet Club – I Am The Resurrection – 3
61. Elastica – Annie – 3
61. Elastica – Generator (Peel Session 22 Sep 1999) – 3
61. FM Belfast – Lotus (Killing In The Name Of) (Clean) – 3
61. Focus – Anonymus II – 3
61. Franz Ferdinand – Bite Hard – 3
61. Franz Ferdinand – Can’t Stop Feeling – 3
61. Franz Ferdinand – Feel The Envy – 3
61. Franz Ferdinand – Live Alone – 3
61. Graham Coxon – This House – 3
61. Hyperbubble – Non Biodegradable Hazardous Waste Disposal – 3
61. Katie and the Ayres – Pop Song (live mix) – 3
61. Katie and the Ayres – Sorry In Japanese (live mix) – 3
61. Killed by 9V batteries – this city is lit when you’re on top of it – 3
61. Maxïmo Park – Wraithlike – 3
61. Pale – Stop It I Might Like It – 3
61. Period Pains – Spice Girls who do you think you are – 3
61. Peter Bjorn and John – It Don’t Move Me – 3
61. Pop Will Eat Itself – Shortwave Transmission On ‘Up To The Minuteman Nine’ – 3
61. Prodigy – Omen – 3
61. Rage Against the Machine – Renegades of Funk – 3
61. Richard Cheese – Hate to Say I Told You So – 3
61. Ropes – I Stand For Nothing – 3
61. Senser – Resistance Now – 3
61. Severe – Stop The Cavalry – 3
61. Spongebob Squarepants – SpongeBob SquarePants – 3
61. Spongebob Squarepants – Theme – 3
61. Starsailor – Alcoholic – 3
61. Starsailor – Alcoholic (Glastonbury 26-06-2004) – 3
61. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – Around the Bend (radio edit) – 3
61. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – The Golden Age – 3
61. The Dead 60s – Riot Radio – 3
61. The Fighting Cocks – (tea break) – 3
61. The Jam – News Of The World – 3
61. The Pan I Am – Fire Dance – 3
61. The Robocop Kraus – Sometimes I wonder if you’d been a dog in a previous life – 3
61. The Trash Can Sinatras – Obscurity Knocks – 3
61. The Trash Can Sinatras – One at a Time – 3
61. The Trashmen – Surfin’ Bird – 3
61. They Might Be Giants – Robot Parade – 3
61. They Might Be Giants – Shoehorn with Teeth – 3
61. They Might Be Giants – Ten Mississippi – 3
61. Tom Allalone & The 78s – Sign On You Lazy Diamond – 3
61. We Were Promised Jetpacks – It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning – 3
61. White Rose Movement – Cigarette Machine (Club Mix) – 3

The most played albums were:

1. Franz Ferdinand – Tonight: Franz Ferdinand – 67
2. Blur – Modern Life Is Rubbish – 58
3. Joy Formidable – A Balloon Called Moaning – 52
4. Hafdis Huld – Dirty Paper Cup – 37
5. Franz Ferdinand – Blood – 21
6. Brownies – Ourknife Yourback – 18
6. Buzzcocks – Singles Going Steady – 18
6. Duke Spirit – The Duke Spirit – 18
6. Kaiser Chiefs – Off With Their Heads – 18
10. They Might Be Giants – Here Come The 123s – 17
11. Yes – Going for the One – 15
12. Patrick Wolf – The Bachelor – 14
13. Resque – Life’s A Bonus – 13
13. Super Furry Animals – Dark Days/Light Years – 13
13. Therapy? – Crooked Timber – 13
13. They Might Be Giants – No! – 13
17. Katie and the Ayres – All Souls – 11
18. Hyperbubble – Candy Apple Daydreams – 10
18. Mighty Roars – Elvis Lives – Single – 10
18. Pop Will Eat Itself – This Is The Day…This Is The Hour…This Is This! – 10
18. They Might Be Giants – Lincoln – 10
18. We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls – 10
23. Charlotte Hatherley – New Worlds – 9
23. Elastica – Elastica – 9
23. Lovely Eggs – Blalock’s Indie/Rock Playlist: August (2009) – 9
23. They Might Be Giants – Apollo 18 – 9
23. Tom Allalone & The 78s – Major Sins Pt. 1 – 9
28. Baïkonour – Your Ear Knows Future – 8
28. British Sea Power – The Decline of British Sea Power – 8
28. Everything Everything – Photoshop Handsome – 8
28. Focus – Focus 3 – 8
28. Hatfield and the North – Hatfield and the North – 8
33. Fighting Cocks – Music For Lapdancers – 7
33. Space – Spiders – 7
33. Starsailor – Boy In Waiting EP – 7
36. A House – I Am The Greatest – 6
36. Blur – Parklife – 6
36. Cerys Matthews – Don’t Look Down – 6
36. Half Man Half Biscuit – Back in the Dhss/the Trumpton Riots Ep – 6
36. Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications – 6
36. Metric – Fantasies – 6
36. Mew – No More Stories Are Told Today, I’m Sorry, They Washed Away – 6
36. Others – The Others – 6
36. Pale – Proper Order – 6
36. Pink Floyd – Meddle – 6
36. Plus tech squeeze box – Cartooom! – 6
36. Saint Etienne – Foxbase Alpha – 6
36. Saint Etienne – Up the Wooden Hills – 6
36. They Might Be Giants – Flood – 6
36. They Might Be Giants – They Might Be Giants – 6
51. Art Brut – Playlist March 2009 – 5
51. Bad Manners – Ska Party – 5
51. British Sea Power – Man Of Aran – 5
51. Kasabian – The West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum – 5
51. Kate Bush – Aerial – A Sky Of Honey – 5
51. Mascot Fight – Pantomime Hearse – 5
51. Miike Snow – Miike Snow – 5
51. Pop Will Eat Itself – The Looks or the Lifestyle – 5
51. Sultans of Ping FC – Teenage Drug – 5
51. They Might Be Giants – The Spine – 5
51. Trash Monroe – Shooting from the Lips and Other Crimes of Passion – 5
62. A – A vs Monkey Kong – 4
62. Ace Out – Ace Out – 4
62. Amiina – Kurr – 4
62. Baddies – Do The Job – 4
62. Battles – B EP – 4
62. Be Your Own Pet – Get Awkward – 4
62. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Eating Us – 4
62. Cardigans – Acoustic on KCIW 24/05/2005 – 4
62. Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine – 30 Something – 4
62. Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine – Post Historic Monsters – 4
62. Chalets – Check In – 4
62. Franz Ferdinand – Blood – sampler – 4
62. Gestir – Burtur Frá Toftunum – 4
62. Graham Coxon – The Spinning Top – 4
62. Hot Puppies – Under The Crooked Moon – 4
62. Mark Ronson – Version – 4
62. MJ Hibbett and the Validators – We Validate! – 4
62. Mystery Jets – Making Dens – 4
62. Pop Will Eat Itself – Cure for Sanity – 4
62. Pop Will Eat Itself – The Cure For Sanity – 4
62. Queen – A Night At The Opera – 4
62. Richard Cheese – The Sunny Side of the Moon – 4
62. Richard Cheese – Tuxicity – 4
62. Rulers Of The Planet – Disco Boogie For Death Rockers – 4
62. Severe – The Punk Rock Advent Calendar – 4
62. Space – Tin Planet – 4
62. Stuart James – Phoenix FM session 28-04-2007 – 4
62. Swell Maps – Jane From Occupied Europe – 4
62. Test Icicles – For Screening Purposes Only – 4
62. They Might Be Giants – The Astoria – London, UK 09/09/04 – 4
62. Ultra Vivid Scene – Mercy Seat 12” – 4
62. Ungdomskulen – Bisexual – 4
62. Untitled Musical Project – Untitled Musical Project – 4

Originally posted to my old blog on 1/1/10

Singles and albums of the decade

After much procrastinating I’ve compiled my favourite singles and albums from the 00s.

Singles:

1. Art Brut – St Pauli (2007)
2. Cardigans – I Need Some Fine Wine, And You, You Need To Be Nicer (2005)
3. Others – Stan Bowles (2004)
4. (International) Noise Conspiracy – Capitalism Stole My Virginity (2001)
5. Bellatrix – Jediwannabe (2000)
6. Amanda Palmer – Leeds United (2008)
7. Hot Puppies – The Girl Who Was Too Beautiful (2006)
8. Samurai Seven – Lucky Pierre (2002)
9. Coldplay – Shiver (2000)
10. Avalanches – Frontier Psychiatrist (2001)
11. Manda Rin – DNA (2008)
12. Everything Everything – Photoshop Handsome (2009)
13. Mystery Jets – You Can’t Fool Me Dennis (2005)
14. New Young Pony Club – The Bomb (2007)
15. Sons and Daughters – Darling (2008)
16. FM Belfast – Lotus (Killing In The Name) (2008)
17. Young Knives – Counters (2008)
18. Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip – Thou Shalt Always Kill (2007)
19. Art Brut – Nag Nag Nag Nag (2006)
20. Maximo Park – Apply Some Pressure (2005)
21. Senser – Resistance Now (2009)
22. Madness – Drip Fed Fred (2000)
23. Dead 60s – You’re Not The Law (2004)
24. Data Panik – Cubis (2005)
25. Mclusky – To Hell With Good Intentions (2002)
26. Radiohead – Jigsaw Falling Into Place (2007)
27. Hera Hjartardottir – Feels So Good (2008)
28. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out (2004)
29. WigWam – WigWam (2006)
30. Royksopp – Eple (2001)
31. Mighty Roars – Elvis Lives (2009)
32. Robocop Kraus – Fashion (2003)
33. Hafdis Huld – Ski Jumper (2005)
34. Hot Hot Heat – No Not Now (2003)
35. Rakes – Retreat (2005)
36. British Sea Power – Lights Out For Darker Skies (2008)
37. Kaiser Chiefs – Never Miss A Beat (2008)
38. Long Blondes – Giddy Stratospheres (2007)
39. Maximo Park – Our Velocity (2007)
40. Doves – There Goes The Fear (2002)
41. Charlatans – Blackened Blue Eyes (2006)
42. Young Knives – The Decision (2005)
43. Bloc Party – Banquet (2005)
44. Silt – In Line (2002)
45. Mike Flowers Pops – Talk (2007)
46. British Sea Power – No Lucifer (2008)
47. Soundtrack Of Our Lives – Heading For A Breakdown (2005)
48. Muse – Time Is Running Out (2003)
49. Fiona Bevan – Moths (2009)
50. Mark B & Blade – Ya Don’t See The Signs (Grant Nicholls remix) (2001)
51. Camera Obscura – French Navy (2009)
52. Kate Bush – Mrs Bartolozzi (2005)
53. Baikonour – Oben Beg mk3 CBC theme (2008)
54. Sultans of Ping – Girlwatchin’ (2007)
55. Silver Sun – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (2003)
56. Do Me Bad Things – Time For Deliverance (2004)
57. Spoon – Everything Hits At Once (2001)
58. Foals – Red Socks Pugie (2008)
59. Madness – I Chase the Devil AKA Ironshirt (2005)
60. Rosie and the Goldbug – War Of The Roses (Because You Said So) (2008)
61. Aberdeen City – God Is Going To Get Sick Of Me (2005)
62. Foals – Cassius (2008)
63. Feeder – Buck Rogers (2001)
64. Dandy Warhols – The Legend Of The Last Of The Outlaw Truckers AKA The Ballad Of Sheriff Shorty (2008)
65. Franz Ferdinand – Darts Of Pleasure (2003)
66. Young Knives – Weekends and Bleak Days (Hot Summer) (2006)
67. They Came From The Stars, I Saw Them – The Unstoppable Kite (2007)
68. Klang – L.O.V.E. (2003)
69. Metric – Poster Of A Girl (2006)
70. Art Brut – Direct Hit (2007)
71. Brownies – Dance Romance (2009)
72. Manic Street Preachers feat Nina Persson – Your Love Alone Is Not Enough (2007)
73. Art Brut – Alcoholics Unanimous (2009)
74. Cursor Miner – Library (2004)
75. Gemma Hayes – Hanging Around (2002)
76. Ting Tings – Great DJ (2008)
77. Courtney Love – Mono (2004)
78. Feeder – Just A Day (2001)
79. White Rose Movement – Girls In The Back (2006)
80. Dub Pistols Feat Terry Hall – Problem Is (2003)
81. Animalhouse – Small (2000)
82. Tahiti 80 – Soul Deep (2003)
83. Goldfrapp – Strict Machine (2003)
84. Kirsty MacColl – In These Shoes? (2000)
85. Foo Fighters – Breakout (2000)
86. Joy Formidable – The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade (2009)
87. Jenny Owen Youngs – Hot In Herre (2008)
88. Super Furry Animals – Ysbeidiau Heulog (2000)
89. Cardigans – For What It’s Worth (2003)
90. Girls Against Boys – Basstation (2002)
91. Fighting Cocks – The Little Goats’ Big Night Out (2007)
92. Hot Puppies – Clarinet Town (2008)
93. Rulers Of The Planet – Backbencher (2005)
94. Tunng – Bullets (2007)
95. Hives – Hate To Say I Told You So (2002)
96. Metric – Gold Guns Girls (2009)
97. Fischerspooner – Emerge (2002)
98. Boys In A Band – Black Diamond Train (2008)
99. múm – A Little Bit, Sometimes (2007)
100. Blood Arm – Suspicious Character (2006)

Albums:

1. British Sea Power – The Decline Of British Sea Power (2003)
2. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm (2005)
3. Radiohead – In Rainbows (2007)
4. Young Knives – Superabundance (2008)
5. Robocop Kraus – They Think They Are The Robocop Kraus (2005)
6. Kate Bush – Aerial (2005)
7. Others – The Others (2005)
8. Gestir – Burtur Fra Toftunum (2006)
9. Cardigans – Long Gone Before Daylight (2003)
10. Long Blondes – Someone To Drive You Home (2006)
11. British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music? (2008)
12. Rulers Of The Planet – In 30 Minutes We Destroy The Earth (2005)
13. Young Knives – Voices Of Animals And Men (2006)
14. Art Brut – Bang Bang Rock ‘n’ Roll (2005)
15. Cardigans – Super Extra Gravity (2005)
16. Brownies – Ourknife Yourback (2009)
17. Younger Younger 28s – Soap (2000)
18. Foals – Antidotes (2008)
19. Franz Ferdinand – Tonight (2009)
20. Keane – Hopes And Fears (2004)
21. Couse and the Impossible – The World Should Know (2006)
22. Kaiser Chiefs – Employment (2005)
23. Divine Comedy – Victory For The Common Muse (2006)
24. Maximo Park – A Certain Trigger (2005)
25. Hot Puppies – Under The Crooked Moon (2006)
26. Frank and Walters – Glass (2000)
27. Chris T-T – 9 Red Songs (2005)
28. Abdoujaparov – Air Odeon Disco Pub (2002)
29. Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand (2004)
30. A – Hi-Fi Serious (2002)
31. New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom (2007)
32. Chris T-T – The 253 (2001)
33. Hybrasil – The Monkey Pole (2007)
34. Art Brut – It’s A Bit Complicated (2007)
35. Kaiser Chiefs – Yours Truly, Angry Mob (2007)
36. Jarvis – Jarvis (2006)
37. Elíza – Empire Fall (2007)
38. Abdoujaparov – Cycle Riot History Gang (2007)
39. Franz Ferdinand – You Could Have It So Much Better With (2005)
40. Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City (2007)
41. Lemon Jelly – lemonjelly.ky (2000)
42. Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
43. Senser – How To Do Battle (2009)
44. Joy Formidable – A Balloon Called Moaning (2009)
45. Cerys Matthews – Don’t Look Down (2009)
46. They Might Be Giants – The Spine (2004)
47. Bis – Music For A Stranger World (2001)
48. Fighting Cocks – Come And See (2004)
49. My Life Story – Joined Up Talking (2000)
50. Echobelly – Gravity Pulls (2004)
51. Coldplay – Parachutes (2000)
52. Aberdeen City – The Freezing Atlantic (2005)
53. Futureheads – Futureheads (2004)
54. Lovely Eggs – If You Were Fruit (2009)
55. Sigur Ros – Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (2008)
56. Frank and Walters – Souvenirs (2005)
57. Stereolab – Chemical Chords (2008)
58. Art Brut – Art Brut vs Satan (2009)
59. Paddy McAloon – I Trawl The Megahertz (2003)
60. (International) Noise Conspiracy – The Cross Of My Calling (2008)
61. Therapy? – Crooked Timber (2009)
62. Divine Comedy – Regeneration (2001)
63. Soft Cell – Cruelty Without Beauty (2002)
64. M J Hibbett and the Validators – Shed Anthems (2004)
65. British Sea Power – Open Season (2005)
66. Samurai Seven – Le Sport (2002)
67. Ting Tings – We Started Nothing (2008)
68. Kaiser Chiefs – Off With Their Heads (2008)
69. Chris T-T – Capital (2008)
70. Mystery Jets – Twenty One (2008)
71. Blur – Think Tank (2003)
72. múm – Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy (2007)
73. Fields – Everything Last Winter (2007)
74. Mark Ronson – Version (2007)
75. Jim’s Super Stereoworld – In A Big Flash Car On A Saturday Night (2002)
76. Dead 60s – Dead 60s (2005)
77. MJ Hibbett and the Validators – We Validate! (2006)
78. Others – Inward Parts (2006)
79. Fighting Cocks – Music For Lapdancers (2007)
80. Mystery Jets – Making Dens (2006)
81. Bravery – Bravery (2005)
82. Ooberman – Carried Away (2006)
83. Grates – Gravity Won’t Get You High (2006)
84. Madness – The Dangermen Sessions Vol 1 (2005)
85. Untitled Musical Project – Untitled Musical Project (2007)
86. They Might Be Giants – No! (2002)
87. Twang – Love It When I Feel Like This (2007)
88. Duckworth-Lewis Method – The Duckworth-Lewis Method (2009)
89. Gorillaz – Demon Days (2005)
90. Maximo Park – Our Earthly Pleasures (2007)
91. VHS Or Beta – Night On Fire (2005)
92. Stereolab – Margerine Eclipse (2004)
93. ¡Forward, Russia! – Give Me A Wall (2006)
94. Elastica – The Menace (2000)
95. Kasabian – Kasabian (2004)
96. Pure Reason Revolution – Amor Vincit Omnia (2009)
97. B-52’s – Funplex (2008)
98. S*M*A*S*H – Icon (2007)
99. Divine Comedy – Absent Friends (2004)
100. iLiKETRAiNS – Elegies To Lessons Learnt (2007)

This post was originally put up on my old blog on 1st Jan 2010. Ten days later I had a message from the singer ofThey Came From The Stars, I Saw Them ... "hey there. i just discovered that my pop group made it onto this list. you’re right of course, only trouble is that you are pretty much alone in your faulty thinking, which is why we’ve pretty much given up ;o( Almost everyone else on your list has had at least some sort of success, but we never had any at all. ah well, thanks anyway – yours sadly – from the stars x" The nicest and saddest feedback all in one post I think I've ever had.

The Noughties – what a rather shit decade for UK radio

… according to PPL. These were the most commonly played songs on the radio in the UK over the last 10 years:

1. Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars (2006)
2. Take That – Shine (2006)
3. Scissor Sisters – I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ (2006)
4. Feeling – Love It When You Call (2005)
5. Sugababes – About You Now (2007)
6. Take That – Rule The World (2007)
7. James Blunt – You’re Beautiful (2004)
8. Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict A Riot (2004)
9. Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (2001)
10. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy (2006)
11. Razorlight – America (2006)
12. Thin Lizzy – The Boys Are Back In Town (1976)
13. Gwen Stefani featuring Akon – The Sweet Escape (2006)
14. Stereophonics – Dakota (2005)
15. Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) (2000)
16. Take That – Patience (2006)
17. Nelly Furtado – Say It Right (2006)
18. Mika – Grace Kelly (2006)
19. Natalie Imbruglia – Torn (1997)
20. Candi Staton – Young Hearts Run Free (1976)
21. Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love (2007)
22. Stranglers – Golden Brown (1981)
23. Outkast – Hey Ya! (2003)
24. Keane – Somewhere Only We Know (2004)
25. Duffy – Mercy (2007)
26. Toploader – Dancing In The Moonlight (2000)
27. Modjo – Lady (Hear Me Tonight) (2000)
28. Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby (2006)
29. Police – Every Breath You Take (1983)
30. Scissor Sisters – Filthy/Gorgeous (2003)
31. Pink – Who Knew (2006)
32. Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z – Crazy In Love (2003)
33. Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse – Valerie (2007)
34. U2 – Beautiful Day (2000)
35. All Saints – Pure Shores (2000)
36. Stereophonics – Have A Nice Day (2001)
37. Stealer’s Wheel – Stuck In The Middle With You (1972)
38. Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way (2006)
39. Robbie Williams – Rock DJ (2000)
40. Onerepublic – Apologize (2007)
41. Barry White – You’re The First, The Last, My Everything (1974)
42. Feeling – Fill My Little World (2005)
43. Abba – Dancing Queen (1976)
44. Bon Jovi – Livin On A Prayer (1986)
45. Elvis Presley – A Little Less Conversation (1972)
46. Pink – Trouble (2003)
47. Daniel Powter – Bad Day (2004)
48. Fergie – Big Girls Don’t Cry (2006)
49. Orson – No Tomorrow (2006)
50. Aretha Franklin – I Say A Little Prayer (1968)

Of course this list will ignore the playlists of many community and RSL stations up and down the UK who don’t have to list every single song they pay to PPL, paying a blanket fee instead. Actually with some of the community station’s I’ve heard (outside the Brentwood area of course) Take That might have even more songs in there if you include those.

Singles and albums of the year – 2009

Back to the present at last, 10 years of charts posted up in the last 2 days, so now I can get working on my songs and albums of the decade!

A really strong line up this year, but I love the prog rock of Everything Everything, wrapped up in no pomp at all and for all the world just coming out like a regular bit of indie that we all know and love.



The Mighty Roars single is just such a great feel-good song too, and a nice video too.



After the suprising amount I played Franz Ferdinand during the first half of the year, it was edged from being the best album by some foul-mouthed young ladies from Norwich, the Brownies. Caught them live twice this year and while not groundbreaking, the music and energy is mightily refreshing.



Singles

1. Everything Everything – Photoshop Handsome
2. Mighty Roars – Elvis Lives
3. Senser – Resistance Now
4. Lovely Eggs – I Like Birds But I Like Other Animals Too
5. Brownies – Dance Romance
6. Fiona Bevan – Moths
7. Camera Obscura – French Navy
8. We Are The Physics – Goran Ivanisevic
9. Art Brut – Alcoholics Unanimous
10. Joy Formidable – The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade
11. Metric – Gold Guns Girls
12. Ash – Return Of White Rabbit
13. Tom Allalone and the 78s – Sign On You Lazy Diamond
14. Hafdis Huld – Kongulo
15. Rose Elinor Dougall – Start/Stop/Synchro
16. Lovely Eggs – Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordian
17. Cerys Matthews – It’s What’s Left (That Makes It Right)
18. Baikonour – Oben Beg mk3 CBC theme
19. Cheek – Hung Up
20. Senser – Brightest Rays
21. Prodigy – Omen
22. Soft Toy Emergency – Critical
23. Kovak – I’ll Be Good To You
24. Hjaltalin – Traffic Music
25. Cerys Matthews – Arlington Way
26. We Were Promised Jetpacks – Quiet Little Voices
27. Future Of The Left – Arming Eritrea
28. Joy Formidable – Whirring
29. Skunk Anansie – Tear The Place Up
30. Friendly Fires – Skeleton Boy
31. Franz Ferdinand – Can’t Stop Feeling
32. Choppersauraus – Boy Recesson
33. Duckworth-Lewis Method – The Age Of Revolution
34. Good Shoes – The Way My Heart Beats
35. Super Furry Animals – Inaugural Trams
36. Killed By 9V Batteries – This City Is Lit When You’re On Top Of It
37. Radiohead – These Are My Twisted Words
38. Robocop Kraus – Sometimes I Wonder If You’d Been A Dog In A Previous Life
39. Department S – Wonderful Day
40. Death Of The Elephant – Trypticon
41. Silversun Pickups – Substitution
42. Surfquake – Surf And Destroy
43. Eliza – Hopeless Case
44. WeirdGear – Game
45. Hickey Underworld – Mystery Bruise
46. Everything Everything – My Keys, Your Boyfriend
47. MJ Hibbett and the Validators – My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once
48. Therapy – The Head That Tried To Strangle Itself
49. Ungdomskulen – Idunno
50. White Rose Movement – Cigarette Machine (club mix)
51. Monocle Rose – Alley Cat
52. Bleech – Is It True That Boys Don’t Cry
53. Pet Shop Boys – Love etc
54. Madness – Idiot Child
55. Pale – Stop It, I Might Like It
56. Miike Snow – Silvia
57. Maximo Park – Wraithlike
58. Pan I Am – Fire Dance
59. Delphic – Doubt
60. Muse – Uprising
61. Sicknurse – Sheepnesting
62. Le Corps Mince De Francoise – Something Golden
63. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Born On A Day The Sun Didn’t Rise
64. Grave Architects – The Bike Song
65. Polly Scattergood – Please Don’t Touch
66. Rakes – 1989
67. Royksopp – Happy Up Here
68. Baddies – Holler For My Holiday
69. Maximo Park – Questing Not Coasting
70. Patrick Wolf – Hard Times
71. Helmholtz Resonators – Choc’ Full of Chix
72. Pure Reason Revolution – Les Malheurs
73. Simian Mobile Disco – Audacity Of Huge
74. Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications
75. Blizzards – Trust Me I’m A Doctor
76. Trash Monroe – Love Dysmorphia
77. Kabeedies – Petits Filous
78. Silversun Pickups – There’s No Secrets This Year
79. Boxer Rebellion – Evacuate
80. Charlotte Hatherley – White
81. Animal Kingdom – Tin Man
82. Simple Minds – Rockets
83. A Camp – Stronger Than Jesus
84. Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing
85. Japanese Voyeurs – Dumb
86. Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard – Roll Bus Roll
87. Florence And The Machine – Rabbit Heart [Raise It Up]
88. A Place To Bury Strangers – In Your Heart
89. Esser – Work It Out
90. Andy J Gallagher – Faster
91. Angry Vs The Bear – I Am Electric
92. Charlotte Hatherley – Alexander
93. Violet Violet – C-C-C-Cat
94. Editors – Papillon
95. I, Ludicrous – We’re The Support Band
96. Client – Can You Feel
97. Asteroids Galaxy Tour – The Golden Age
98. Le Monnier – Save Yourself
99. Empire Of The Sun – We Are The People
100. Milk Kan – Don’t Panic

Albums

1. Brownies – Ourknife Yourback
2. Franz Ferdinand – Tonight
3. Senser – How To Do Battle
4. Joy Formidable – A Balloon Called Moaning
5. Cerys Matthews – Don’t Look Down
6. Therapy? – Crooked Timber
7. Art Brut – Art Brut vs Satan
8. Lovely Eggs – If You Were Fruit
9. Pure Reason Revolution – Amor Vincit Omnia
10. Duckworth-Lewis Method – The Duckworth-Lewis Method
11. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
12. Baddies – Do The Job
13. Madness – The Liberty Of Norton Folgate
14. Metric – Fantasies
15. Future Of The Left – Travels With Myself And Another
16. Super Furry Animals – Dark Days/Light Years
17. Boxer Rebellion – Union
18. Frank Turner – Poetry Of The Deed
19. Tom Allalone and the 78s – Major Sins pt 1
20. MJ Hibbett and the Validators – Regardez, Ecoutez et Repetez
21. Maximo Park – Quicken The Heart
22. Baikonour – Your Ear Knows Future
23. Hjaltalin – Sleepdrunk Sessions
24. Miike Snow – Miike Snow
25. Pale – Proper Order
26. Franz Ferdinand – Blood
27. 9bach – 9Bach
28. British Sea Power – Man Of Aran
29. We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
30. Trash Monroe – Shooting From The Lips And Other Crimes Of Passion
31. Hickey Underworld – The Hickey Underworld
32. Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications
33. Charlotte Hatherly – New Worlds
34. Violet Violet – The City Is Full Of Beasts
35. Ungdomskulen – Bisexual
36. Trashcan Sinatras – In The Music
37. A Camp – Colonia
38. Client – Command
39. Florence and the Machine – Lungs
40. Editors – In This Light And On This Even
41. Patrick Wolf – The Bachelor
42. Polly Scattergood – Polly Scattergood
43. Sean Taylor – Calcutta Grove
44. Human Foals – Antidotes
45. Graham Coxon – The Spinning Top
46. Kasabian – The West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
47. White Lies – To Lose My Life
48. Mika – The Boy Who Knew Too Much
49. Asteroids Galaxy Tour – Fruit

Singles and albums of the year – 2008

I originally wrote both of these lists in December 2008.

I still can’t split number 1 and number 2 – I think I tossed a coin and I still would now.

Can’t really argue very much with the general order right now. I think I might have put Lights Out For Darker Skies a bit higher.

Hera Hjartardottir’s Feels So Good is just a beautiful pop song. I was in Reykjavik in the summer when the thermometer was touching a ridiculous 29 deg C (84F). She sang this song in the main park outside the Town Hall, which was full of sunbathers, and it was shown on the evening news programme which I watched while drowning myself in Icelandic beer which I had to buy from a special shop (there is only two places in the whole city where you can buy alcohol).



There’s one other Icelandic band – FM Belfast – who I didn’t discover until 2009. Their June 2008 release “Lotus” – a cover version of Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name” – has to be one of the best covers of all time. Here’s a clip of the song performed live at the Sirkus club, al fresco. (Or just Google their Myspace to hear the whole track).



One other song I didn’t find until 2009 which should have been in this list – Baikonour’s excellent Oben Beg mk3 CBC theme. I think that just means a version of “Oben Beg” recorded for CBC in Canada. Mr Baikonour himself isn’t from the old Soviet space launchpad from whence he is named, but a French guy living in Brighton (where else).

The British Sea Power album was a big breath of fresh air. I think it might have been the last CD I bought in a record shop too, two years ago now! Pretty harsh to keep an excellent album from Young Knives from the top.

Singles

1. Sons and Daughters – Darling
2. Manda Rin – DNA
3. Kaiser Chiefs – Never Miss A Beat
4. Hot Puppies – Clarinet Town
5. Rosie and the Goldbug – War Of The Roses (Because You Said So)
6. Amanda Palmer – Leeds United
7. Foals – Red Socks Pugie
8. Hera Hjartardottir – Feels So Good
9. Robots In Disguise – We’re In The Music Biz
10. Young Knives – Counters
11. Ladyhawke – Paris Is Burning
12. Late Of The Pier – Heartbeat
13. Boys In A Band – Black Diamond Train
14. Dandy Warhols – The Legend Of The Last Of The Outlaw Truckers AKA The Ballad Of Sheriff Shorty
15. Absent Kid – Retaliate First
16. B-52’s – Funplex
17. Das Pop – Underground
18. Ting Tings – Great DJ
19. Fields – Are You Ready Yet
20. British Sea Power – Lights Out For Darker Skies
21. Your Friends Are Architects – Figure
22. Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses
23. Future Of The Left – Manchasm
24. Foals – Cassius
25. Housse de Racket – Oh Yeah!
26. Ida Maria – I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked
27. Friendly Fires – Paris
28. We Are Scientists – Chick Lit
29. Prince Edward Island – It’s All Over Bar The Shouting
30. Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man. – Fatherhood
31. Jenny Owen Youngs – Hot In Herre
32. Chris T-T – Where Were You?
33. Scenario Rock – Skitzo Dancer (Part 1)
34. Ipso Facto – Six & Three Quarters
35. British Sea Power – No Lucifer
36. Beck – Gamma Ray
37. Automatic – Steve McQueen
38. Asobi Seksu – Me & Mary
39. Sigur Rós – Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur
40. Utah Saints – Something Good 08 (Van She tech remix)
41. Matt Trakker – Hypathetic
42. Howling Bells – Into The Chaos
43. Future Of The Left – The Hope That House Built
44. Bloc Party – Halo
45. Parlotones – Here Comes The Man
46. Prince Edward Island – Partlife
47. Stars and Sons – In The Ocean
48. Vicky Pollard – Tender Demand
49. Bloodgroup – Hips Again
50. Asteroids Galaxy Tour – Around The Bend
51. Dirty Royals – I’m In Love
52. Long Blondes – Century
53. Mystery Jets – Hand Me Down
54. Nancy – Keep Cooler
55. Frank Turner – Reasons Not To Be An Idiot
56. Chris T-T – This Gun Is Not A Gun
57. British Sea Power – Canvey Island
58. Bertrand Soulier – L’ABCD
59. Stereolab – Fractal Dream Of A Thing
60. Ten Tigers – Superlucky
61. Glam Chops – Tell Us Are You Ready Eddie
62. Candy And The Raincloud – In It
63. Jyrojets – Dead On Arrival
64. Fight Like Apes – Something Global
65. Landon – Only 20
66. Poppy and the Jezebels – UFO
67. Vileevils – Fucking & Fighting
68. (International) Noise Conspiracy – I Am The Dynamite
69. Charlatans – Oh! Vanity
70. I, Ludicrous – Argument In The Laundrette
71. Kaiser Chiefs – Good Days Bad Days
72. Thirst – My Everything
73. Pigeon Detectives – This Is An Emergency
74. Ra Ra Riot – Suspended In Gaffa
75. Jessica Fletchers – Downtown
76. Colin MacIntyre – Stalker
77. Coldplay – Violet Hill
78. Choir Of Young Believers – Action/Reaction
79. Yeasayer – 2080
80. Jameson – Small Terraced Town
81. Last Shadow Puppets – Standing Next To Me
82. Crystal Castles – Courtship Dating
83. Futureheads – Radio Heart
84. Jake Shillingford – You Can’t Uneat The Apple
85. Sara Bareilles – Love Song
86. Rosalita – What Would Your Mother Say
87. Serj Tankian – Empty Walls
88. Grenville Harrop – Make Believe
89. Does It Offend You, Yeah? – Epic Last Song
90. Dan Le Sac v Scroobius Pip – Look For The Woman
91. Subways – Alright
92. Neon Neon – Dream Cars
93. Lionheart Brothers – 50 Souls And A Discobowl
94. Beautiful Life – Ritalin Boy
95. V Major – Filth
96. Detektivbyran – Partyland
97. Cling – Groovyshoes
98. XX Teens – Only You
99. dEUS – Slow
100. Grates – Burn Bridges

Albums

1. British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
2. Young Knives – Superabundance
3. Foals – Antidotes
4. Chris T-T – Capital
5. Ting Tings – We Started Nothing
6. Sigur Ros – Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
7. Stereolab – Chemical Chords
8. Kaiser Chiefs – Off With Their Heads
9. Bloc Party – Intimacy
10. Jake Shillingford – Written Large
11. Choir Of Young Believers – This Is For The White In Your Eyes
12. Charlatans – You Cross My Path
13. Hot Puppies – Blue Hands
14. Thirst – On The Brink
15. Coldplay – Viva La Vida
16. Long Blondes – Couples
17. Los Campesinos – Hold On Now, Youngster
18. Mystery Jets – Twenty One
19. (International) Noise Conspiracy – The Cross Of My Calling
20. Subways – All Or Nothing
21. B-52’s – Funplex
22. Forward Russia – Life Processes
23. Robots In Disguise – We’re In The Music Biz
24. Neon Neon – Stainless Style
25. Detektivbyran – Wermland
26. Fireman – Electric Arguments

Singles and albums of the year – 2007

I originally wrote the singles lists in December 2007 and I am sure I did an albums list at that time too but I can’t find it so I’ve done it again. (That was in Dec 2009, when I wrote this page for my old blog).

A great top 10 but I might have been able to squeeze some more songs into it if 10 wasn’t a finite number – songs like these:

11. Maximo Park – Our Velocity
12. Metronomy – Hear To Wear
15. Art Brut – St Pauli
16. Dead 60s – Stand Up
17. Detektivbyrån – Nattöppet
18. They Came From The Stars, I Saw Them – The Unstoppable Kite
19. Mike Flowers Pops – Talk
21. Long Blondes – Giddy Stratospheres
22. múm – A Little Bit, Sometimes
23. Hot Puppies – King Of England
24. James Yuill – This Sweet Love
30. Chumbawamba – Add Me
31. Tunng – Bullets
35. Bird and the Bee – Again & Again
37. Fighting Cocks – The Little Goats’ Big Night Out
49. Marc Almond – Kitsch
50. Art Brut – Direct Hit

Art Brut quite possibly would be in my top 2, not hindered by a nice trip to the football stadium and a drinking session in the Jolly Roger pub (a bar for old punks) that I enjoyed in St Pauli in June 2009.



Radiohead’s return to excellence is well documented and I feel mightily aggrieved for volunteering four squid of my valuable coinage to pay for the download.

Singles

1. Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip – Thou Shalt Always Kill
2. Radiohead – Jigsaw Falling Into Place
3. Young Knives – Terra Firma
4. New Young Pony Club – The Bomb
5. Blood Red Shoes – It’s Getting Boring By The Sea
6. Bloc Party – Flux
7. Sultans of Ping – Girlwatchin’
8. Baddies – Battleships
9. Twang – Wide Awake
10. Manic Street Preachers feat Nina Persson – Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
11. Maximo Park – Our Velocity
12. Metronomy – Hear To Wear
13. Turin Brakes – Stalker
14. Pigeon Detectives – I’m Not Sorry
15. Art Brut – St Pauli
16. Dead 60s – Stand Up
17. Detektivbyrån – Nattöppet
18. They Came From The Stars, I Saw Them – The Unstoppable Kite
19. Mike Flowers Pops – Talk
20. Operator Please – Leave It Alone
21. Long Blondes – Giddy Stratospheres
22. múm – A Little Bit, Sometimes
23. Hot Puppies – King Of England
24. James Yuill – This Sweet Love
25. Cerys Matthews – Awyrennau
26. Pony Up – The Truth About Cats And Dogs (Is That They Die)
27. Bat For Lashes – What’s A Girl To Do
28. Mark Ronson – God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
29. British Sea Power – Atom
30. Chumbawamba – Add Me
31. Tunng – Bullets
32. Asobi Seksu – Thursday
33. Koopa – The Crash
34. Untitled Musical Project – The People Versus Michael Miller
35. Bird and the Bee – Again & Again
36. Fields – Charming The Flames
37. Fighting Cocks – The Little Goats’ Big Night Out
38. Minus the Bear – Knights
39. Editors – The Racing Rats
40. New Young Pony Club – Get Lucky
41. Ash – You Can’t Have It All
42. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Catch You
43. Hives – Tick Tick Boom
44. Jakobinarina – His Lyrics Are Disastrous
45. Babyshambles – Delivery
46. Twang – Either Way
47. Fratellis – Baby Fratelli
48. Kate Nash – Foundations
49. Marc Almond – Kitsch
50. Art Brut – Direct Hit
51. Eliza – Change My Name
52. Tim Ten Yen – Girl Number One
53. Dinosaur Jr – Crumble
54. Kaiser Chiefs – The Angry Mob
55. Milk Kan – Here You Come Again And Again
56. Silversun Pickups – Lazy Eye
57. Idlewild – No Emotion
58. Julian Cope – You Got A Problem With Me
59. Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby
60. Clean George IV – Wasted On The Radio
61. Client – Drive
62. iLiKETRAiNS – The Deception
63. Rosie Oddie and the Odd Squad – Genni’s Song
64. Gallon Drunk – Grand Union Canal
65. We Start Fires – Play You
66. Charlatans – You Cross My Path
67. Maccabees – Precious Time
68. Beatsteaks – Jane Becomes Insane
69. Republic Of Heaven – West Country Witch
70. Cribs – Our Bovine Public
71. Feist – 1234
72. Good Shoes – Never Meant To Hurt You
73. Kate Nash – Mouthwash
74. Maximo Park – Girls Who Play Guitars
75. Brakes – Beatific Visions
76. Bees – Who Cares What The Question Is
77. Editors – The End Has A Start
78. Hoosiers – Goodbye Mr A
79. Kat Frankie – The Tops
80. Reverend & The Makers – He Said He Loved Me
81. Robocop Kraus – Waiting Above The Ocean
82. Wojtek Godzisz – The Moon And The Yew Tree
83. Soft Hearted Scientists – Eyes
84. Rakes – When Tom Cruise Cries
85. Electric Soft Parade – Appropriate Ending
86. Pigeon Detectives – Take Her Back
87. Sohodolls – Right And Right Again
88. Headlines – Takeover
89. Meat Puppets – Disappear
90. MJ Hibbett – My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once
91. Bjork – Earth Intruders
92. Fast Computers – Sweden Hasn’t Changed, You Have
93. Polly Scattergood – Nitrogen Pink
94. Liars – Plaster Casts Of Everything
95. Cymbient – Dress The Salad
96. Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip – The Beat That My Heart Skipped
97. Envelopes – Life On The Beach
98. Belisha – Who’s A Clever Boy
99. 12 Stone Toddler – Candles On The Cake
100. Battant – Kevin (1989)

Albums

1. Radiohead – In Rainbows
2. New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom
3. Art Brut – It’s A Bit Complicated
4. Untitled Musical Project – Untitled Musical Project
5. Twang – Love It When I Feel Like This
6. Maximo Park – Our Earthly Pleasures
7. Hybrasil – The Monkey Pole
8. Kaiser Chiefs – Yours Truly, Angry Mob
9. Elíza – Empire Fall
10. Abdoujaparov – Cycle Riot History Gang
11. Fighting Cocks – Music For Lapdancers
12. Fields – Everything Last Winter
13. Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City
14. Mark Ronson – Version
15. múm – Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy
16. S*M*A*S*H – Icon
17. iLiKETRAiNS – Elegies To Lessons Learnt
18. Minus The Bear – Planet Of Ice
19. Robocop Kraus – Blunders And Mistakes
20. Jakobínarína – The First Crusade

Singles and albums of the year – 2006

I originally wrote both singles and albums lists in December 2006.

As we get nearer the current day I’ve got less room for maneouvre regarding changing the order of the songs. I was, however, a bit gutted that Alex James and Betty Boo’s WigWam never really took off. Here’s the video to the song, unsuprisingly produced by Dom Joly:



On the album front it was brilliant to see Dave Couse back with his best work since A House’s 1991 classic “I Am The Greatest”. The new band pretty much sounds like A House too, double bonus mega win!



Singles

1. Art Brut – Nag Nag Nag Nag
2. Metric – Poster Of A Girl
3. Young Knives – Weekends and Bleak Days (Hot Summer)
4. New Young Pony Club – Ice Cream
5. Long Blondes – Weekend Without Makeup
6. Charlatans – Blackened Blue Eyes
7. Blood Arm – Suspicious Character
8. Automatic – Recover
9. Hot Puppies – The Girl Who Was Too Beautiful
10. Rakes – All Too Human
11. White Rose Movement – Girls In The Back
12. CSS – Let’s Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
13. Feeling – Fill My Little World
14. Mystery Jets – Diamonds In The Dark
15. MJ Hibbett and the Validators – The Gay Train
16. Mama Shamone – Over
17. Young Knives – Here Comes The Rumour Mill
18. Grates – 19-20-20
19. WigWam – WigWam
20. Modern – Industry
21. Celeste – Nothing In The Sky (With Diamonds)
22. Long Blondes – Once And Never Again
23. Feeling – Sewn
24. Divine Comedy – Diva Lady
25. Mystery Jets – The Boy Who Ran Away
26. Peter, Bjorn and John with Victoria Bergstrom – Young Folks
27. Divine Comedy – Lady Of A Certain Age
28. Lostprophets – A Town Called Hypocrisy
29. Snow Patrol – You’re All I Have
30. Automatic – Monster
31. Divine Comedy – To Die A Virgin
32. Feeling – Never Be Lonely
33. Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control
34. Larrikin Love – Happy As Annie
35. iLiKETRAiNS – Terra Nova
36. Vatican DC – Wow
37. Franz Ferdinand – The Fallen
38. Others – The Truth That Hurts
39. LT United – We Are the Winners
40. Be Your Own Pet – Adventure
41. Fields – Song From The Fields
42. A-Ha – Analogue
43. Pink Grease – Carlights
44. iDou – Perfect Hands For Basketball
45. Ooberman – Crashing Ellipticals
46. Crimea – Lottery Winners On Acid
47. Young Knives – She’s Attracted To
48. Boy Kill Boy – Suzie
49. Cardigans – Don’t Blame Your Daughter (Diamonds)
50. Kasabian – Empire
51. Fratellis – Chelsea Dagger
52. Camera Obscura – Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken
53. Sugababes – Easy
54. Polysics – Electric Surfin Go Go
55. Data Panik – Rulers and the States
56. Subliminal Girls – Burn Koko
57. ¡Forward, Russia! – Twelve
58. Upper Room – All Over This Town
59. Dirty Pretty Things – Wondering
60. Sigur Ros – Hoppipolla
61. CSS – Alala
62. Frank and Walters – Miles and Miles
63. Jim Noir – Key Of C
64. Boy Kill Boy – Civil Sin
65. I’m From Barcelona – We’re From Barcelona
66. Shut Your Eyes And You’ll Burst Into Flames – Signal Noise
67. Keane – Is It Any Wonder?
68. Sparks – Perfume
69. Hard-Fi – Better Do Better
70. Kaiser Chiefs – Modern Way
71. S*M*A*S*H – All By Myself
72. Sean Lennon – Dead Meat
73. Futureheads – Area
74. Rifles – Repeated Offender
75. Flaming Lips – Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
76. Belle and Sebastian – Funny Little Frog
77. Coldplay – Talk
78. Queens Of The Stone Age – Burn The Witch
79. ¡Forward, Russia! – Eighteen
80. Editors – Munich
81. Kooks – Naïve
82. Protocol – Where’s The Pleasure?
83. Automatic – Raoul
84. Juliette and the Licks – Hot Kiss
85. Keane – Crystal Ball
86. Lostprophets – Rooftops (Liberation Broadcast)
87. Muse – Supermassive Black Hole
88. Supergrass – Fin
89. Hope Of The States – Sing It Out
90. Delays – Valentine
91. Editors – Blood
92. Imogen Heap – Headlock
93. Knife – Silent Shout
94. Zutons – Valerie
95. Bluetones – My Neighbour’s House
96. Futureheads – Skip To The End
97. Howling Bells – Setting Sun
98. Hybrasil – When I’m Yawning
99. Sunshine Underground – Commercial Breakdown
100. Sunshine Underground – I Ain’t Losing Any Sleep

Albums

1. Long Blondes – Someone To Drive You Home
2. Young Knives – Voices Of Animals And Men
3. Couse and the Impossible – The World Should Know
4. MJ Hibbett and the Validators – We Validate!
5. Divine Comedy – Victory For The Common Muse
6. Others – Inward Parts
7. Mystery Jets – Making Dens
8. Ooberman – Carried Away
9. Hot Puppies – Under The Crooked Moon
10. ¡Forward, Russia! – Give Me A Wall
11. Grates – Gravity Won’t Get You High
12. Fratellis – Costello Music
13. Simple Kid – SK2
14. Jarvis – Jarvis
15. Easy Star All*Stars – Radiodread
16. Keane – Under The Iron Sea
17. Feeling – Twelve Stops And Home
18. Delays – You See Colours
19. Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit
20. Automatic – Not Accepted Anywhere

Singles and albums of the year – 2005

I originally wrote both singles and albums lists in December 2005.

Possibly the best year of the decade, a lot of really strong singles showing and all 20 of the albums listed could have been in any other year’s top 10. Good year for music all round as one of the impossibles was achieved, the reformation of the Sultans of Ping in November, and what’s more they played in Grays, just down the road to me! And what’s MORE, I MADE IT HAPPEN (yadda, yadda, true).

One of the great little gems of the year was from an unsigned Boston band who winged a CD my way, Aberdeen City.



Really hard for me to jiggle the places around with one obvious exception, this song (and video!) should have been much nearer the top.



Singles

1. Mystery Jets – You Can’t Fool Me Dennis
2. Bloc Party – Banquet
3. Maximo Park – Apply Some Pressure
4. Robocop Kraus – Small Houses Odd Cars
5. Futureheads – Hounds Of Love
6. Others – Lackey
7. Young Knives – The Decision
8. Rakes – Retreat
9. MJ Hibbett and the Validators – Never Going Back To Aldi’s
10. Kate Bush – Mrs Bartolozzi
11. Data Panik – Cubis
12. Kaiser Chiefs – Modern Way
13. Rulers Of The Planet – Backbencher
14. Arcade Fire – Rebellion (Lies)
15. We Are Scientists – Great Escape
16. ¡Forward, Russia! – Thirteen
17. Soundtrack Of Our Lives – Heading For A Breakdown
18. Madness – I Chase the Devil AKA Ironshirt
19. Gorillaz – Dare
20. Aberdeen City – God Is Going To Get Sick Of Me
21. Franz Ferdinand – Do You Want To?
22. Beauty Shop – Monster
23. Test-Icicles – Circle Square Triangle
24. Rakes – 22 Grand Job
25. British Sea Power – It Ended On An Oily Stage
26. Cardigans – I Need Some Fine Wine, And You, You Need To Be Nicer
27. Komakino – Say Something
28. Franz Ferdinand – This Boy
29. Others – William
30. Art Brut – Emily Kane
31. Kooks – Sofa Song
32. Arcade Fire – Power Out
33. Bloc Party – The Pioneers
34. Data Panik – Sense Not Sense
35. Jegsy Dodd and the Original Sinners – Grumpy Old Men
36. Chris T-T – A Plague On Both Your Houses
37. El Presidente – Rocket
38. Chalets – Sexy Mistake
39. We Are Scientists – Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
40. Foo Fighters – DOA
41. Starsailor – In The Crossfire
42. Rulers Of The Planet – Nandrolone
43. Nine Black Alps – Just Friends
44. Futureheads – Area
45. Be Your Own Pet – Fire Department
46. Robocop Kraus – After Laughter Comes Tears
47. Dead 60s – The Last Resort
48. Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc
49. Maximo Park – Going Missing
50. Coldplay – Talk
51. Rulers of the Planet – Jesus Freak
52. Abdoujaparov – Ultra Cool
53. Charlotte Hatherley – Bastardo
54. Idlewild – Love Steals Us From Loneliness
55. Art Brut – Good Weekend
56. Robocop Kraus – You Don’t Have To Shout
57. Jacksonswarehouse – Hotel By The Sea
58. Long Blondes – Separated By Motorways
59. ¡Forward, Russia! – Nine
60. Duke Spirit – Lion Rip
61. Nine Black Alps – Shot Down
62. Arctic Monkeys – I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor
63. Sons and Daughters – Taste The Last Girl
64. Hybrasil – God Bless The Devil
65. Bravery – An Honest Mistake
66. Days Of Worth – Ladies And Gentlemen
67. Aberdeen City – Sixty Lives
68. Supergrass – Low C
69. Bloc Party – Two More Years
70. LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
71. Kaiser Chiefs – Every Day I Love You Less And Less
72. Babyshambles – Fuck Forever
73. A – Rush Song
74. Dead 60s – Ghostfaced Killer
75. Gorillaz – Dirty Harry
76. VHS Or Beta – Nightwaves
77. Editors – Bullets
78. Frank and Walters – You Asked Me
79. Thrills – Irish Keep Gate Crashing
80. Clor – Love & Pain
81. Hot Hot Heat – Goodnight Goodnight
82. Bloc Party – So Here We Are
83. Beck – E-Pro
84. Nizlopi – JCB Song
85. Burningpilot – You Can’t Kid A Kidder
86. Maximo Park – Graffiti
87. Hybrasil – We Got Music
88. Elbow – Forget Myself
89. Doves – Black And White Town
90. Subways – No Goodbyes
91. Chemical Brothers – Galvanize
92. Madness – Shame And Scandal
93. Duke Spirit – Cuts Across The Land
94. Stereophonics – Dakota
95. Jose Gonzalez – Hand On Your Heart
96. 65daysofstatic – Drove Through Ghosts To Get Here
97. Soulwax – NY Excuse
98. Feeder – Shatter
99. Manic Street Preachers – Empty Souls
100. Boxer Rebellion – All You Do Is Talk

Albums

1. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
2. Robocop Kraus – They Think They Are The Robocop Kraus
3. Others – The Others
4. Rulers Of The Planet – In 30 Minutes We Destroy The Earth
5. Kate Bush – Aerial
6. Kaiser Chiefs – Employment
7. Maximo Park – A Certain Trigger
8. Art Brut – Bang Bang Rock ‘n’ Roll
9. Franz Ferdinand – You Could Have It So Much Better With
10. Frank and Walters – Souvenirs
11. British Sea Power – Open Season
12. Madness – The Dangermen Sessions Vol 1
13. Aberdeen City – The Freezing Atlantic
14. Chris T-T – 9 Red Songs
15. Cardigans – Super Extra Gravity
16. Bravery – Bravery
17. Dead 60s – Dead 60s
18. VHS Or Beta – Night On Fire
19. Gorillaz – Demon Days
20. Coldplay – X & Y

Singles and albums of the year – 2004

I originally wrote the singles list in December 2004, but I didn’t list the albums so I did this in December 2009.

Much better year for music than 2003. I saw Franz Ferdinand live at the Astoria while touring the first album, and that was a good night out indeed as they were supported by Fiery Furnaces and Sons and Daughters who both went on to release some great stuff. I also saw the Dead 60s live a couple of times before their split at the start of 2008. On occasion it was in a half-empty new bands tent at the V Festival in Chelmsford – you’ve never heard a sound system so good as that one that day at a festival anywhere.



I may well have put the following in my top 10 today, although I know with the existing songs there might not have been enough room for them all:

11. Do Me Bad Things – Time For Deliverance
12. Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – I Could Be An Angle
13. Cursor Miner – Library
16. Others – Stan Bowles



Good to see the live version I recorded getting 8 times more views on Youtube than the original. QPR, nineteen seventy fourrrrrrrrr …!!!

18. Fiery Furnaces – Single Again
21. Stereolab – Margerine Melodie
22. They Might Be Giants – Experimental Film
24. Ikara Colt – Modern Feeling
26. Divine Comedy – Come Home Billy Bird
28. Trashcan Sinatras – Weightlifting
34. Art Brut – Formed A Band
40. Von Bondies – C’mon C’mon

The top two albums couldn’t be more different. I’m unashamedly keeping Keane’s debut up there, I played it to death and it has some great songs on there. As for the Fighting Cocks, how could I leave off Essex’s finest gypsy hardcore punks?



Singles

1. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
2. Dead 60s – You’re Not The Law
3. Client – In It For The Money
4. Keane – Bedshaped
5. Courtney Love – Mono
6. (International) Noise Conspiracy – Black Mask
7. Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict A Riot
8. Charlotte Hatherley – Kim Wilde
9. Hope Of The States – Nehemiah
10. Killers – Somebody Told Me
11. Do Me Bad Things – Time For Deliverance
12. Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – I Could Be An Angle
13. Cursor Miner – Library
14. MJ Hibbett and the Validators – Things’ll Be Different (When I’m In Charge)
15. They Might Be Giants – Au Contraire
16. Others – Stan Bowles
17. U2 – Vertigo
18. Fiery Furnaces – Single Again
19. Razorlight – Golden Touch
20. Vines – Ride
21. Stereolab – Margerine Melodie
22. They Might Be Giants – Experimental Film
23. Kasabian – L.S.F.
24. Ikara Colt – Modern Feeling
25. Snow Patrol – Run
26. Divine Comedy – Come Home Billy Bird
27. Keane – This Is The Last Time
28. Trashcan Sinatras – Weightlifting
29. Thrills – Whatever Happened To Corey Hain?
30. Franz Ferdinand – Michael
31. Reuben – Freddy Kreuger
32. Death From Above 1979 – Romantic Rights
33. Keane – Everybody’s Changing
34. Art Brut – Formed A Band
35. Jim Bob – My Face Your Arse
36. Morrissey – First Of The Gang To Die
37. Interpol – Evil
38. Franz Ferdinand – This Fire
39. Muse – Butterflies and Hurricanes
40. Von Bondies – C’mon C’mon
41. Britney Spears – Toxic
42. Client featuring Carl Barat – Pornography
43. Morrissey – Irish Blood, English Heart
44. Delays – Lost In A Melody
45. Kings Of Leon – The Bucket
46. Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done
47. Client – Radio
48. Girls Aloud – Love Machine
49. Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – Mister Mental
50. Go! Team – Ladyflash
51. Gear – Self Security
52. Lostprophets – Last Train Home
53. White Stripes – The Hardest Button To Button
54. Franz Ferdinand – Matinee
55. Wonder Stuff – Better Get Ready For A Fist Fight
56. Bloc Party – Helicopter
57. Carina Round – Lacuna
58. Futureheads – Decent Days and Nights
59. !!! – Hello Is This Thing On?
60. Radio 4 – Party Crashers
61. Beats For Beginners – Kill All DJs
62. Bloc Party – Little Thoughts
63. Rooney – I’m Shakin’
64. Damien Rice – Cannonball
65. Libertines – Can’t Stand Me Now
66. Hope Of The States – The Red, The White, The Black, The Blue
67. Dresden Dolls – Girl Anachronism
68. Belle and Sebastian – I’m A Cuckoo
69. Stills – Lola Stars and Stripes
70. Josh Rouse – Come Back (Light Therapy)
71. Ben Kweller – The Rules
72. Kasabian – Cutt Off
73. Muse – Sing For Absolution
74. Stills – Still In Love Song
75. Futureheads – Meantime
76. Auf Der Maur – Followed The Waves
77. Embrace – Ashes
78. Charlatans – Up At The Lake
79. Keane – Somewhere Only We Know
80. Silver Sun – Bubblegum
81. Blankket – Hey Ya!
82. Graham Coxon – Bittersweet Bundle Of Mystery
83. Duke Spirit – Cuts Across The Land
84. Stills – Changes Are No Good
85. Departure – All Mapped Out
86. Embrace – Gravity
87. Mull Historical Society – How ‘Bout I Love You More
88. Snow Patrol – Spitting Games
89. Graham Coxon – Freakin’ Out
90. Mansun – Slipping Away
91. Pet – Yes No Yes
92. Eastern Lane – I Said Pig On Friday
93. Biffy Clyro – My Recovery Injection
94. UNKLE and Ian Brown – Reign
95. Fiery Furnaces – Tropical Ice-Land
96. Modest Mouse – Ocean Breathes Sally
97. Phoenix – Run Run Run
98. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Y Control
99. Rakes – Strasbourg
100. Koreans – Still Strung Out

Albums

1. Keane – Hopes And Fears
2. Fighting Cocks – Come And See
3. Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand
4. They Might Be Giants – The Spine
5. Echobelly – Gravity Pulls
6. M J Hibbett and the Validators – Shed Anthems
7. Stereolab – Margerine Eclipse
8. Futureheads – Futureheads
9. Divine Comedy – Absent Friends
10. Kasabian – Kasabian
11. Lambchop – Aw Cmon/No You Cmon
12. Bjork – Medulla
13. Delays – Faded Seaside Glamour
14. Morrissey – You Are The Quarry
15. VHS Or Beta – Night On Fire
16. Cake – Pressure Chief
17. Johnny Domino – Solid Ground
18. Killers – Hot Fuss
19. William Shatner – Has Been
20. God Is An Astronaut – All Is Violent, All Is Bright

Singles and albums of the year – 2003

I originally wrote the singles list in December 2003, but I didn’t list the albums so I did this in December 2009. I managed to find 17 albums that I wanted to stick in the list.

Not sure I would have stuck with Muse as my number 1 now, it wasn’t the best year of the decade for music but it was OK. There’s still quite a bit of rock and punk (newer style American punk and pop punk stuff, not the traditional stuff). I was influenced by a now defunct TV channel called p-rock.tv which explains the presence of bands like Tsunami Bomb, Tuuli, Farse and [spunge].

I may well have put the following in my top 10 today:

15. Junior Senior – Move Your Feet
16. Asian Dub Foundation – Fortress Europe
17. Dub Pistols Feat Terry Hall – Problem Is
19. Klang – L.O.V.E.
23. Cardigans – For What It’s Worth
34. Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks – Dark Wave
36. Silver Sun – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head

Plus the unlisted Radiohead – A Wolf At The Door which is the best song they released between Kid A and In Rainbows.

Not to be confused with a slightly rubbish BBC3 comedy programme, K.L.A.N.G. was the new band from Donna Matthews from Elastica, a more lo-fi version of the original band but with a fantastic charm all the same. Sadly, and well documented now, Donna has given up music and turned to God, which is definitely music’s loss.

I could only find one of their songs on Youtube:



The top two albums, British Sea Power’s debut and the Cardigans, are head and shoulders ahead of everything else on the list, even Blur which I wasn’t able to get into the same way I had managed with all the others.

Singles

1. Muse – Time Is Running Out
2. Hot Hot Heat – No Not Now
3. Franz Ferdinand – Darts Of Pleasure
4. Tahiti 80 – Soul Deep
5. Robocop Kraus – Fashion
6. Tsunami Bomb – Take The Reins
7. Goldfrapp – Strict Machine
8. British Sea Power – Carrion/Apologies To Insect Life
9. Tuuli – Who’s The Fool Now
10. Libertines – Don’t Look Back Into The Sun
11. Outkast – Hey Ya
12. Turin Brakes – Pain Killer
13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps
14. Scissor Sisters – Laura
15. Junior Senior – Move Your Feet
16. Asian Dub Foundation – Fortress Europe
17. Dub Pistols Feat Terry Hall – Problem Is
18. Mew – Am I Wry No
19. Klang – L.O.V.E.
20. Blur – Out Of Time
21. Aqualung – Brighter Than Sunshine
22. Distillers – Drain The Blood
23. Cardigans – For What It’s Worth
24. Radiohead – 2+2=5
25. Tim Burgess – Only A Boy
26. Ween – Transdermal Celebration
27. Thrills – One Horse Town
28. Nu – Any Other Girl
29. Transplants – Diamonds And Guns
30. Electric Six – Dance Commander
31. Belle And Sebastian – Step Into My Office Baby
32. Travis – The Beautiful Occupation
33. Longview – Further
34. Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks – Dark Wave
35. Futureheads – First Day
36. Silver Sun – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head
37. I Am Kloot – Life In A Day
38. Placebo – This Picture
39. Foo Fighters – Times Like These
40. Rem – Bad Day
41. Erlend Oye – A Sudden Rush
42. Postal Service – Such Great Heights
43. Stellastarr* – Jenny
44. Josh Rouse – Love Vibration
45. Bridge And Tunnel – City Rules
46. Electric Six – Gay Bar
47. Hot Hot Heat – Oh, Goddamnit
48. Coldplay – Clocks
49. Ok Go – Don’t Ask Me
50. Mull Historical Society – The Final Arrears
51. Bis – Today Of All Days
52. Liz Phair – Extraordinary
53. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Fortune Faded
54. Queens Of The Stone Age – Go With The Flow
55. Killers – Mr Brightside
56. Muse – Hysteria
57. Placebo – The Bitter End
58. I Am Kloot – Untitled No 1
59. Rocket Science – Being Followed
60. Interpol – Obstacle 1
61. Rapture – House Of Jealous Lovers
62. Goldfrapp – Twist
63. Hot Hot Heat – Bandages
64. Athlete – El Salvador
65. Ima Robot – Dynomite
66. Ok Go – Get Over It
67. A – Good Time
68. Cardigans – You’re The Storm
69. Easyworld – Second Amendment
70. Farse – Hopscotch
71. Travis – Re-offender
72. Ladytron – Evil
73. Johnny Cash – Hurt
74. Desert Sessions (P J Harvey And Josh Homme) – Crawl Home
75. Halfcocked – Drive Away
76. Inspiral Carpets – Come Back Tomorrow
77. [spunge] – Ego
78. Burn – Big Blue Sky
79. Blondie – Good Boys
80. Happylife – Breathe For Me
81. Strokes – 12:51
82. White Stripes – 7 Nation Army
83. Bluetones – Liquid Lips
84. Simian – La Breeze
85. Supergrass – Rush Hour Soul
86. Cerys Matthews – Only A Fool
87. Skin – Trashed
88. !!! – Feel Good Hit Of The Fall
89. Mull Historical Society – Am I Wrong
90. Futureheads – A To B
91. Super Furry Animals – Golden Retriever
92. Elbow – Fallen Angel
93. M J Hibbett And The Validators – You Will Be Hearing From My Solicitor
94. Star Spangles – I Live For Speed
95. Webb Brothers – Ms Moriarty
96. Inme – Crushed Like Fruit
97. Zwan – Honestly
98. Coral – Pass It On
99. Violent Delight – I Wish I Was A Girl
100. Razorlight – Rip It Up

Albums

1. British Sea Power – The Decline Of British Sea Power
2. Cardigans – Long Gone Before Daylight
3. Blur – Think Tank
4. Paddy McAloon – I Trawl The Megahertz
5. Belle and Sebastian – Dear Catastrophe Waitress
6. Goldfrapp – Black Cherry
7. Radiohead – Hail To The Thief
8. Libertines – Up The Bracket
9. Liz Phair – Liz Phair
10. Client – Client
11. Chris T-T – London Is Sinking
12. Jim Bob – Goodnight Jim Bob
13. I Am Kloot – I Am Kloot
14. Marc Almond – Heart On Snow
15. Senor Coconut – Fiesta Songs
16. Easy Star All Stars – Dub Side Of The Moon
17. Botnledja – Iceland National Park

Singles and albums of the year – 2002

I originally wrote the singles list in December 2002, but I didn’t list the albums so I did this in December 2009. Interestingly I picked 66 singles at that time but can only find 10 albums now that I want to list.

The Samurai Seven track is a brilliant piece of pop and it would still be my number one today. But consistency is NOT my watchword. WTF did I put U2 in my top 10 for? I thought, oh maybe I wasn’t being a music snob, it might actually be good. But I’ve listened to it again and it ain’t good, it SHITE.

Deprived of a deserved place in my top 10 today are:

11. Mclusky – To Hell With Good Intentions
21. Parva – Good Bad Right Wrong
26. Distillers – The Young Crazed Peeling
27. Gemma Hayes – Hanging Around
52. Jack – The Emperor Of New London
64. Girls Against Boys – Basstation

Parva, of course, became the Kaiser Chiefs later in life.



Albumwise I was still loving the rock and A’s Hi-Fi Serious is a great bit of powerpop. I saw them live a couple of times when they were touring this album and they were a top quality act. Apparently they’ve got back together again, lead singer Jason Perry clearly getting tired of making oodles writing songs for Busted and McFly.

No 2 and 3 respectively are the first solo efforts from Fruitbat and Jim Bob of Carter USM. They’re both very different albums but if you fuse the songs together you’d probably get a classic Carter LP.

Here’s one of the more-folky, less-punky Abdoujaparov songs which I appear to have recorded myself and put on the Youtubes:



Singles

1. Samurai Seven – Lucky Pierre
2. Hives – Hate To Say I Told You So
3. Fischerspooner – Emerge
4. Coral – Dreaming of You
5. Toktok vs Soffy O – Day Of Mine (Ludicrous Idiots)
6. Doves – There Goes The Fear
7. System Of A Down – Toxicity (Version 7.0)
8. Deadbeat Radicals – Little Yellow Mini (Fruitbat remix)
9. Harry – So Real
10. U2 – Electrical Storm
11. Mclusky – To Hell With Good Intentions
12. Badly Drawn Boy – You Were Right
13. Libertines – Up The Bracket
14. Richard Ashcroft – Check The Meaning
15. Nu – Disco Hurts
16. Athlete – You Got The Style
17. H-Blockx – The Power
18. Puddle Of Mudd – Blurry
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers – By The Way
20. Supergrass – Grace
21. Parva – Good Bad Right Wrong
22. Seafood – Pleasurehead
23. Coral – Skeleton Key
24. Jim’s Super Stereoworld – Bubblegum
25. Haven – Til The End
26. Distillers – The Young Crazed Peeling
27. Gemma Hayes – Hanging Around
28. Queens Of The Stone Age – No One Knows
29. Ladytron – Seventeen
30. Idlewild – American English
31. Soft Cell – Monoculture
32. Division Of Laura Lee – Need To Get Some
33. A – Something’s Going On
34. Abdoujaparov – Emergency Medical Hologram
35. No Doubt – Hella Good
36. Inme – UnderDose
37. Interpol – PDA
38. Hundred Reasons – If I Could
39. Desert Hearts – DSR
40. Budapest – Is This The Best It Gets
41. Doves – Pounding
42. Gemma Hayes – Let a Good Thing Go
43. Coldplay – In My Place
44. Aqualung – Strange And Beautiful (I’ll Put A Spell On You)
45. Alien Ant Farm – Attitude
46. Lostprophets – The Fake Sound Of Progress
47. Ash – Envy
48. White Stripes – Fell In Love With A Girl
49. Hell Is For Heroes – I Can Climb Mountains
50. David Bowie – Slow Burn
51. Sum 41 – What We’re All About
52. Jack – The Emperor Of New London
53. McAlmont and Butler – Falling
54. Gomez – Shot Shot
55. Lemon Jelly – Spacewalk
56. Eminem – Without Me
57. Filter – Where Do We Go From Here
58. Missy Elliott – 4 My People (Basement Jaxx Remix)
59. Pretty Girls Make Graves – Speakers Push The Air
60. Tenacious D – Tribute
61. The Music – The People
62. Koop feat Yukimi Nagano – Summer Sun
63. Elviss – SKP
64. Girls Against Boys – Basstation
65. Liam Lynch – United States Of Whatever
66. Asian Dub Foundation – Fortress Europe

Albums

1. A – Hi-Fi Serious
2. Abdoujaparov – Air Odeon Disco Pub
3. Jim’s Super Stereoworld – In A Big Flash Car On A Saturday Night
4. They Might Be Giants – No!
5. Soft Cell – Cruelty Without Beauty
6. Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head
7. Samurai Seven – Le Sport
8. Focus – Focus 8
9. Doves – The Last Broadcast
10. Sugarcoma – Becoming Something Else

Singles and albums of the year – 2001

I originally wrote the singles list in December 2001, but I didn’t list the albums so I did this in December 2009.

I think I would still put the Avalanches as the top single. On the rare occasion that I come across the video it still captures my attention.



You will see I had a bit of a rock fixation in the early 00s where my preference today is a bit more quirky. I mean, Sum 41 at number 3!! It’s alright but it’s no number 3. And Nickelback? I remember playing this to death at the time, and thinking how original it was, but luckily the doctors found the problem and managed to remove it with hammers. You know, like in Mitchell and Webb.

The songs that I’d probably put in today’s top 10 might include:

12. Bjork – Pagan Poetry
14. Charlatans – A Man Needs To Be Told
16. Ash – Burn Baby Burn
20. System Of A Down – Chop Suey!
23. Feeder – Buck Rogers
27. Mark B & Blade – Ya Don’t See The Signs (Grant Nicholls remix)
38. Human League – All I Ever Wanted

Yeah, a few loud ones in there still, oh well!

Albumswise, I caught Chris T-T live for the first time in March 2002, supporting Carter USM leadman Jim Bob at the Garage in Highbury. Most of the album was played during his set. Here’s a song from The 253 recorded live in 2008:



Chris still makes music and also writes now for the Morning Star.

Singles

1. Avalanches – Frontier Psychiatrist
2. Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood
3. Sum 41 – Fat Lip
4. Feeder – Just A Day
5. Nickelback – How You Remind Me
6. Spoon – Everything Hits At Once
7. Depeche Mode – Free Love
8. Strokes – Hard To Explain
9. New Order – Crystal
10. Royksopp – Eple
11. P J Harvey – This Is Love
12. Bjork – Pagan Poetry
13. Radiohead – Knives Out
14. Charlatans – A Man Needs To Be Told
15. Gorillaz – 19/2000
16. Ash – Burn Baby Burn
17. Straw – Sailing Off The Edge Of The World
18. Stephen Malkmus – Jo Jo’s Jacket
19. Papa Roach – Between Insects And Angels
20. System Of A Down – Chop Suey!
21. Coral – The Oldest Path
22. Starsailor – Good Souls
23. Feeder – Buck Rogers
24. Turin Brakes – Underdog (Save Me)
25. Divine Comedy – Love What You Do
26. Pulp – Sunrise
27. Mark B & Blade – Ya Don’t See The Signs (Grant Nicholls remix)
28. Papa Roach – Last Resort
29. Turin Brakes – Mind Over Money
30. Basement Jaxx – Where’s Your Head At?
31. King Adora – Suffocate
32. Utah Saints – Lost Vagueness
33. Big Dog – Raise The Alarm
34. They Might Be Giants – Man It’s So Loud In Here
35. Mull Historical Society – I Tried
36. Cake – Short Skirt Long Jacket
37. Shea Seger – Clutch
38. Human League – All I Ever Wanted
39. U2 – Walk On
40. Electric Soft Parade – Empty At The End
41. Alien Ant Farm – Movies
42. Sum 41 – In Too Deep
43. 54-40 – Casual Viewin’
44. Ian Brown – F.E.A.R.
45. David Kitt – Song From Hope Street
46. They Might Be Giants – Boss Of Me
47. Seafood – Cloaking
48. Cooper Temple Clause – Let’s Kill Music
49. Electric Soft Parade – There’s A Silence
50. White Stripes – Hotel Yorba

Albums

1. Chris T-T – The 253
2. Divine Comedy – Regeneration
3. Bis – Music For A Stranger World
4. Gorillaz – Gorillaz
5. King Adora – Vibrate You
6. Royksopp – Melody AM
7. Hives – Your New Favourite Band
8. Echobelly – People Are Expensive
9. Mull Historical Society – Loss
10. Radiohead – Amnesiac
11. Desert Hearts – Let’s Get Worse
12. Electrelane – Rock It To The Moon
13. Marc Almond – Stranger Things
14. Turin Brakes – The Optimist LP
15. Sing Sing – The Joy Of Sing Sing
16. Elbow – Asleep In The Back
17. System Of A Down – Toxicity
18. My Vitriol – Finelines
19. Daft Punk – Discovery
20. White Stripes – White Blood Cells

Singles and albums of the year – 2000

I originally wrote the singles list in December 2000, but I didn’t list the albums so I did this in December 2009.

Out of the singles, I would probably still go for Shiver being near the top as it’s Coldplay’s finest hour – they’ve had lots of crappy hours since then. There’s very little to choose between the top four. I would stick with the Offspring one for sentimental values – it’s the first song my son (then three years old) learned the words to!

If I was doing the chart today these would certainly end up in the top 10:

11. Animalhouse – Small
18. Sing Sing – Feels Like Summer
24. Bellatrix – Jediwannabe



This is probably my new no 1 if I revised the original list. Bellatrix were known in Iceland as Kolkrassi Krokarandi (that’s from memory so it’s probably wrong!) which translates as Black-arsed Motherfuckers. The band are no more but lead singer Eliza Newman had a number 1 in Iceland this year and is still churning out some great solo stuff.

And finally 34. Super Furry Animals – Ysbeidiau Heulog.

Of the albums, I really do miss the Younger Younger 28s. I saw them live once supporting My Life Story at the Colchester Arts Centre (a deconsecrated church, if you’re not familiar with it) and their set was nothing short of captivating.



Singles

1. Coldplay – Shiver
2. Foo Fighters – Breakout
3. Madness – Drip Fed Fred
4. King Adora – The Law
5. Offspring – Original Prankster
6. Idlewild – Roseability
7. Kirsty MacColl – In These Shoes?
8. Soulwax – Too Many DJs
9. Finlay Quaye – When I Burn Off
10. Lauren Laverne – I Fell Out Of A Tree
11. Animalhouse – Small
12. Eminem – Stan
13. Badly Drawn Boy – Disillusion
14. P J Harvey – Good Fortune
15. King Adora – Smoulder
16. Mint Royale – Don’t Falter
17. Tahiti 80 – Yellow Butterfly
18. Sing Sing – Feels Like Summer
19. Eels – Mr E’s Beautiful Blues
20. My Life Story – Walk Don’t Walk
21. U2 – Beautiful Day
22. Tea Party – Walking Wounded
23. At The Drive In – One Armed Scissor
24. Bellatrix – Jediwannabe
25. Moloko – The Time Is Now
26. Raissa – How Long Do I Get
27. REM – The Great Beyond
28. Wannadies – Yeah
29. Spiller – If This Ain’t Love
30. Dandy Warhols – Bohemian Like You
31. Our Lady Peace – One Man Army
32. My Vitriol – Cemented Shoes
33. Sigur Ros – Sven-G-Englar
34. Super Furry Animals – Ysbeidiau Heulog
35. Len – Steal My Sunshine
36. Manic Street Preachers – Masses Against The Classes
37. Air – Playground Love
38. Eels – Flyswatter
39. Barenaked Ladies – Pinch Me
40. Le Hammond Inferno – Easy Leasing Superstar

Albums

1. Younger Younger 28s – Soap
2. Frank and Walters – Glass
3. Lemon Jelly – lemonjelly.ky
4. Radiohead – Kid A
5. My Life Story – Joined Up Talking
6. Coldplay – Parachutes
7. Elastica – The Menace
8. Shampoo – Absolute Shampoo
9. Stereolab – The First Of The Microbe Hunters
10. Super Furry Animals – Mwng
11. Broadcast – The Noise Made By People
12. Plus-Tech Squeeze Box – Fakevox
13. Nozh Dlya Frau Muller – Dreams
14. Idlewild – 100 Broken Windows
15. Barenaked Ladies – Maroon
16. Senor Coconut – El Baile Aleman
17. Pizzicato Five – The Fifth Release From Matador
18. P J Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
19. Moloko – Things To Make And Do
20. Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
21. Asian Dub Foundation – Community Music