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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 5, 2008 14:36:48 GMT 1
33 Idlewild 'Hope Is Important' (1998) The Scottis rockers debut album. Although I don't think it's their best work I do think it has some of their finest moments on it, 'When I Argue I See Shapes' is rightly regarded as being about their best song. Although I hadn't heard of them until their third album I still find int interesting to see how they progressed throughout their career. I still hope they make more albums... When I Argue I See Shapeswww.youtube.com/watch?v=LGJ6bU2BPi8Everyone Says You're So Fragilewww.youtube.com/watch?v=wcU2c-0rSoc
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 5, 2008 14:43:54 GMT 1
32 Blur 'Parklife' (1994) Although this album contains my least favourite Blur song ('Girls & Boys') it doesn't stop this album from being truly great as it also contains most of they're underrated gems, the likes of 'This Is A Low', 'End Of A Century' and moreso 'To The End' are amongst their very best work yet are too often overlooked. To The Endwww.youtube.com/watch?v=RvCIPpWFo7YThis Is A Lowwww.youtube.com/watch?v=otzdBww47XQ
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 5, 2008 14:49:07 GMT 1
31 Simian Mobile Disco 'Attack Decay Sustain Release' (2007) The second of five albums released last year to appear. This one took a while to grow on me but now there's not a single track on it I don't love. I still think it possibly gets better with every listen. I was never particularly fussed with Simian, the indie band the two SMD members were part of, however I think they make far better dance music. It was great to see 'I Believe' come second for Serge in the recent Havenvision contest, if only he'd entered one of their better songs. Hotdogwww.youtube.com/watch?v=06wVVoA2yFYHustlerwww.youtube.com/watch?v=qzNTCxOJK3g
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 5, 2008 14:54:55 GMT 1
30 Oasis 'Definitely Maybe' (1994) Rather pleasingly, this was my first album, at the age of just 6! Even as a kid I would rather listen to stuff like Oasis, Blur or The Verve, I did seem to be about the only person though... It's by far my favourite Oasis album, 'Morning Glory' has its moments and the rest are complete rubbish really. Only 'Songbird', 'Let There Be Love' and 'The Importance Of Being Idle' from their work since I have any real time for... Even though this album is great I still feel it's a tad overrated, are songs like 'Married With Children' and 'Columbia' really worthy of being of one of the best few albums of all time? Live Foreverwww.youtube.com/watch?v=_9GiLnZyUgMRock & Roll Starwww.youtube.com/watch?v=h5CVCUmd5rw
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 5, 2008 14:58:54 GMT 1
29 Goldfrapp 'Felt Mountain' (2000) Their debut album and, IMO, their finest work. Although I think all their work is pretty fabulous this album is the only one that never gets weak at any point, it would probably be a fair bit higher if it weren't the style of music it was. I tend to find this album is suited to a certain place, time and frame of mind. As a result, I listen to it nowhere near as much as I possibly should. Utopiawww.youtube.com/watch?v=dmnlZXuSte8Lovely Headwww.youtube.com/watch?v=krqoPTTDhjA
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 5, 2008 15:11:32 GMT 1
28 The Hold Steady 'Boys And Girls In America' (2006) I didn't discover these unti llast year with the release of the single 'Stuck Between Stations'. Its classic rock sound wasn't something I'd normally listen to however there was something that just clicked. I've since bought alll their albums and think they're all great, however this is the only one to make this countdown. They're superb live. Stuck Between Stationswww.youtube.com/watch?v=Isvn_Dsj2bAChips Ahoy!www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOFeaedv3Uc
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 5, 2008 15:16:46 GMT 1
27 Idlewild '100 Broken Windows' (2000) Their second entry and with their second album. They took the sound from their debut and made it slightly more refined, a bit more accessible but still with the edge that made their debut so good. A more consistant album means it's a few places higher. These Wooden Ideaswww.youtube.com/watch?v=0U573b653SgLittle Discouragewww.youtube.com/watch?v=gz484LzSFz4
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 5, 2008 15:33:35 GMT 1
26 Maximo Park 'A Certain Trigger' (2005) I'm named after them so it was obvious they'd appear at soe point. I don't love this album as much as I used to but it is still great. The second album was fairly awful and it certainly put me off them, however listeing to this still brings back great memories of 2005. Apply Some Pressurewww.youtube.com/watch?v=zx00NuMSipcThe Coast Is Always Changingwww.youtube.com/watch?v=O7Do5QBtuJU
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Smurfie
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Post by Smurfie on Sept 5, 2008 19:12:45 GMT 1
37 The Knife 'Deep Cuts' (2003) Splendid choice. I rather like this album, much better than Silent Shout, but then SS is not without it's charms either.
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 7, 2008 12:29:02 GMT 1
I would agree. I really like the four singles and 'Neverland' off 'Silent Shout' but I've never been able to get into the rest of it...
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 7, 2008 12:33:07 GMT 1
25 The Pipettes 'We Are The Pipettes' (2006) Pure pop at its very finest. With insanely catchy songs and great voices I never understood why this album was never any bigger, the likes of 'Dirty Mind' and 'Pull Shapes' are about the best pop songs of the decade. It does get a bit filler with a couple of songs but most is brilliant. Dirty Mindwww.youtube.com/watch?v=KuP4kwEcKFkPull Shapeswww.youtube.com/watch?v=wy7SvZQfeBM
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 7, 2008 12:40:25 GMT 1
24 Sufjan Stevens 'Illinois' (2005) Probably the most bizzare album in the countdown is this wonderful mix of folk, indie and oddpop. The one thing I love about Sufjan most is that his sound is so unique. Originally planned as the second of 50 concept albums, one for each state of the USA. It's been scrapped now but he's still going to release stuff... Also I think the longest album of the 50 at just over 74 minutes, the Superman was never allowed to be printed on the cover due to copyright issues. 22 tracks, though quite a few are interludes and many with really long and weird titles such as 'The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience but You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I Have Fought the Big Knives and Will Continue to Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands!' and 'They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!'Chicagowww.youtube.com/watch?v=rDRrqcZbdPUCome On! Feel The Illinoise!www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TboOfiTjhU
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 7, 2008 12:46:14 GMT 1
23 Kings Of Leon 'Because Of The Times' (2007) I never really bothered fully with this band until I bought this album in the sale right at the beginning of this year, I was completely overwhelmed at how good it was considering how average I'd always thought they'd been. Of the three singles released I'd only put 'Fans' as among the albums highlights, though the other two are good. The onyl bad track on it is 'The Runner', where they just ramble about Jesus.... It's now sold getting on for half a million copies in the UK which I think is a fantastic achievement considering it was released when this 'sound' started to lose popularity and it's not the most mainstream of albums. It's still selling strong and I think their forthcoming album will be even bigger, and if the lead single and free giveaway are anything to go by, better as well. Knocked Upwww.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mzklb9nkXMTrue Love Waywww.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp2KNuntzEQ
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 7, 2008 12:52:04 GMT 1
22 The Shins 'Wincing The Night Away' (2007) The second highest album from last year... The Shins hadn't been a band I'd really paid attention of until this album, but buying this made me glad I did. It's and so varied, whether it being indie pop made to be big such as 'Turn On Me' or 'Australia' or the more mellow tracks as 'Sea Legs' or 'Split Needles'. I do think the opener 'Sleeping Lessons' would be one of my favourite songs ever if it went on a couple of minutes more, I love the way it builds and builds but then just seems to stop. Sleeping Lessonswww.youtube.com/watch?v=UoNtIkRm1HETurn On Mewww.youtube.com/watch?v=bIRmyfKOAfM
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 7, 2008 12:55:41 GMT 1
21 Blur '13 (1999) Often regarded as their finest album I don't quite agree, though it's not far off... I do think this probably has their best work on it though, the likes of 'Bugman', 'Caramel' and singles 'Tender' and 'Coffee & Tv' are fabulous. I do think some of the songs go on a tad too long though.... Tenderwww.youtube.com/watch?v=G7snNE_RBMsCoffee & TVwww.youtube.com/watch?v=kWUil383us4
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Smurfie
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Post by Smurfie on Sept 7, 2008 14:16:56 GMT 1
25 The Pipettes 'We Are The Pipettes' (2006) Excellent choice. This would be high up in my favourite albums of all time as well - it is pop brilliance. My favourite would be the opener "We Are The Pipettes" They are also a surprisingly good band live.
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 8, 2008 14:42:00 GMT 1
20 The Go! Team 'Thunder, Lightning, Strike' (2004) When I first heard 'Bottle Rocket' I was amazed, amazed at how different this band were. I bought this album fairly soon after and it continued my pleasant surprise. Its heavy use of samples, chants and mixture of genres. It remains one of the most unique albums I own and one I still listen to a lot! It fits most moods. Bottle Rocketwww.youtube.com/watch?v=1v9VIm2hQkkThe Power Is Onwww.youtube.com/watch?v=YtZAVBY2lAg
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 8, 2008 14:46:28 GMT 1
19 Stereophonics 'Word Gets Around' (1997) An album which was once by far my favourite I owned. It's not so much that I like it less, I just like the band less. Both of their first albums were really good and I just continued to stick by them even though they only ever really released junk since. I always listen to this to remind myself how great they once were, songs like 'Local Boy...', 'Looks Like Chaplain' and 'More Life In A Tramps Vest' still sound so fresh compared to a lot of their recent stuff. Local Boy In The Photographwww.youtube.com/watch?v=yGKRxiffhSgTrafficwww.youtube.com/watch?v=OnThBUXwxFw
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 8, 2008 14:51:59 GMT 1
18 Stellastarr* 'Stellastarr*' (2003) A band who were introduced to me by a former Haven poster... You can tell they're from New York and from the same scene that's given us the likes of The Strokes, Interpol and The Walkmen. Their sound is similar to those whilst at the same time being different enough to stand out. The contrast of female and male vocal throughout the album is fantastic, shame they never really made it anywhere. Somewhere Across Foreverwww.youtube.com/watch?v=97TfWw4ElwEMy Coco (if only for it having a watchable video...) www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZKGC5cjWX4
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 8, 2008 15:02:28 GMT 1
17 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 'Howl' (2005) Although their first two albums 'BRMC' and 'Take Them On, On Your Own' have always been the ones which have recieved the best reception from both critics and fans I've always thought this was by far their best album. It takes a different direction to their previous work whilst still managing to be unmistakably them. Gone was the heavier, garage-rock sound which they'd previously enjoyed success with, it was replaced with an album which used country, blues and gospel influences from the first to last minute of the album. I don't really own anything else like it although I'm not sure I'd want to, it wouldn't be as good. Howlwww.youtube.com/watch?v=PdgswSjYhMwShuffle Your Feetwww.youtube.com/watch?v=aVAiF15vV6c
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