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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 8, 2008 15:16:44 GMT 1
16 Idlewild 'The Remote Part' (2002) This was the first Idlewild album I ever bought and has always remained my favourite. Unlike other albums it manages to mix their previous edgy, rockier sound ('I Am What I Am Not', 'You Held The World In Your Arms') and and their more mellow sound ('American English', 'Live In A Hiding Place') perfectly. Its swansong (and my favourite song of all time), however, is the closing track 'In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction'. A song of two halves, the first a beautiful love song, the second an equally beautiful poem read by Edwin Morgan. In Remote Part/Scottish Fictionwww.youtube.com/watch?v=3QOBOss-nEUAmerican Englishwww.youtube.com/watch?v=QpYvsyxid28
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 11, 2008 20:00:48 GMT 1
15 The Futureheads 'The Futureheads' (2004) I never in a million years thought that a cover version would lead to me loving a band so much. As soon as I heard 'Oh oh, oh oh oh' for the first time I was hooked, I still don't think there's ever been a better cover version than 'Hounds of Love'. The rest of the album ain't bad either, full of short catchy songs with brilliant hooks and dual vocals. Second album was good if a little patchy, this years third a true return to form and early promise. Hounds Of Lovewww.youtube.com/watch?v=amh8V-MopUIDecent Days And Nightswww.youtube.com/watch?v=bfJMqUN0FCE
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 11, 2008 20:09:19 GMT 1
14 Blur 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' (1993) My favourite album from my favourite act of all time. It was their second album and before they'd really become a band of much stature. Neither the albums or singles from it were great successes but it remains my favourite. The less polished more raw sound of them is what I love more, though all of their work since has been very good. Songs like 'For Tomorrow', 'Villa Rosie', 'Chemical World' and even the interludes are amongst their finest work. Chemical Worldwww.youtube.com/watch?v=cCp9G2Cy2QkAdvertwww.youtube.com/watch?v=DEuAVvyr4T0
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 11, 2008 20:17:08 GMT 1
13 M.I.A. 'Kala' (2007) This was my album of last year and still is. Her music isn't really the type of thing I'd listen to often or look for and I wasn't fussed with her first album or lead single 'Boyz' either, however I bought this as an impulse buy and it was one of the best I've ever made. Apart from 'Boyz' (which is good) and the dross with Timbaland this album is full of gems. Featuring various samples and styles the album is incredibly varied, at times being really commercial ('Jimmy') and at others being hard to get into ('Mango Pickle Down River'). 'Paper Planes' spent four weeks at the top of my chart in January/February this year, I don't need no film to make me like it! Paper Planeswww.youtube.com/watch?v=7sei-eEjy4gBamboo Bangawww.youtube.com/watch?v=h8bV2hu3bME
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 11, 2008 20:26:08 GMT 1
12 Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins 'Rabbit Fur Coat' (2006) One day when I was bored I randomly decided to get myself onto Soulseek and illegally download this album. As lead singer of Rilo Kiley I'd always been interested and liked her stuff though from lead single 'Rise Up With Fists' was never sure if I'd like an album of this. It turned out to be about the weakest track though and it didn't take long for its gorgeous mix of folk, acousitc and country to win me over, despite none of them being things I'm fussed with. An album which never really has one 'highlight', it changes with about every listen, one of them certainly being the cover of The Travelling Wilbury's 'Handle With Care', featuring Conor Oborst of Bright Eyes, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and M. Ward - a lineup made in heaven! The highest album to be sung mainly by a female, though 5 of the top 10 do feature female vocals! You Are What You Lovewww.youtube.com/watch?v=1H5yOfRG-REMelt Your Heartwww.youtube.com/watch?v=AMwHeFJSyAYwww.youtube.com/watch?v=AMwHeFJSyAY
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 11, 2008 20:29:51 GMT 1
11 Pixies 'Doolittle' (1989) I first got into this band when I heard a clip of 'Debaser' on the Channel 4 'Best Ever Albums' list... I soon downloaded it and then bought its parent album not long after. It's really great and I can see why they're still so highly regarded today and why this album was so influential. I've not been quite so bothered with their other material, though it is all good, just not as good. Debaserwww.youtube.com/watch?v=2mCoOlUjhlcHere Comes Your Manwww.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvi4iA3PnKE
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 11, 2008 20:39:50 GMT 1
So, just the top 10 to come with albums spanning each of the last three decades and acts made up from three different continents and atleast 6 different countries. Of the 10 albums 3 have never made the UK top 40 and none have been number one, the highest was a number 2. Like 'Doolittle' one of the albums I discovered from Channel 4's best of list. Just one of the 10 albums wasn't a debut album (though two are only albums)! One act has released an album this year, one is soon to. One album is by an artist no longer with us and one by someone who many people wouldn't care if they were no longer with us...
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Smurfie
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Post by Smurfie on Sept 11, 2008 20:40:31 GMT 1
Two more fine choices there Mark. Both 12 and 11 would be in my all time favourites as well.
I will show my Rilo Kiley ignorance by saying I had not heard of them until I bought Jenny Lewis, and it's purchase was when I was going through my "buy one album a month of someone I've never heard of before", and really bought it because I liked the CD cover! But it is a lovely flowing album, and my only criticism is that it's too short and over too quickly.
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 12, 2008 15:33:28 GMT 1
Yay! Good to see another fan of 'Rabbit Fur Coat'. It is a great cover. New album released in about a fortnight, supposedly more country though without the help of the Twins...
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 12, 2008 15:40:33 GMT 1
10 The Libertines 'Up The Bracket' (2002) I'm a strong believer in listening to music without opinions of who's made it get in the way. It certainly something that I'm glad I did with this album, Pete might be a Class A pr**k but he managed to help make a wonderful debut album. Filled with killer tunes and fantastic lyrics this album has always been a favourite of mine, though it'd be higher if it included 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun' and 'What A Waster'. It's more varied than you might think too, songs like 'The Good Old Days' and 'Begging' are quite different from what you'd expect. As Pete himself once said 'what a waster, what a f***ing waster, you've p*ssed it all up the wall'. One of three top 10 albums from 2002, It's a shame virtually everything he's been involved in since has been pretty substandard, much like another act still to come..... Time For Heroeswww.youtube.com/watch?v=VwhHdeHJ1YkI Get Alongwww.youtube.com/watch?v=f13-zUVriSA
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 12, 2008 15:46:14 GMT 1
09 Jeff Buckley 'Grace' (1994) The most beautiful album in the countdown. I've never been that into singer songwriters but I've loved Jeff Buckley since I first heard of him, thanks to that C4 program. Hearing his story and tragic suicide made me want to check out his music and I was glad I did, it's a stunningly gorgeous album. Often regarded as one of the finest songwriters ever I've always found it a tad ironic that his best known song ('Hallelujah') is a cover! Lover, You Should've Come Overwww.youtube.com/watch?v=uMxKB4_wfGALast Goodbyewww.youtube.com/watch?v=hm8JoMhgjRw
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 12, 2008 15:53:45 GMT 1
08 Guillemots 'Through The Windowpane' (2006) In the summer of 2006 I couldn't wait for 'We Are The Pipettes' to come out. When it did I bought this (released the week before) at the same time and it completely blew my mind, not what I was expecting at all. Singles 'Made Up Love Song' and 'Trains To Brazil' I'd loved over the 12 months prior and I was expecting an album of similar sounding stuff. I didn't get it then, instead I got a mix of so many different styles and instrumentation and some gorgeous ballads. The albums higlight though is without doubt the 12 minute closer 'Sao Paolo', an epic which just builds and builds to a grand finale played by what's described as a 'very big orchestra'. Sao Paolo (it's the best youtube has to offer...) www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei3ZJJ9zqOYTrains To Brazilwww.youtube.com/watch?v=X_aHlHc_Vb4
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 12, 2008 16:03:41 GMT 1
07 The Streets 'Original Pirate Material' (2002) He may have produced almost nothing but utter dross since this album but I've always adored this album, some of the greatest 'hip-hop' lyrics I know of and from a genre I'm far from being a fan of. There's a certain charm about it that has drawn me in. The albums highlight is, for me, 'The Irony Of It All', a track with a message if ever there was one, one about the irony of the way drug and alcohol use and effects are so different... The Irony Of It Allwww.youtube.com/watch?v=gwDRBm-qbQIWeak Become Heroeswww.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z1kRhiPE0E
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 12, 2008 16:12:25 GMT 1
06 The Arcade Fire 'Funeral' (2004) A band and album I never really bothered with until I heard the fourth song from them/it ('Rebellion') which completely drew me in and made me buy the album. It took quite a while for it to grow on me and click and realise just why it had received such universal praise. Quite varied and unique it was another album which I'd not really heard much, if anything, like before. Rebellion (Lies)www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNfWC4SgkcsIn The Backseatwww.youtube.com/watch?v=LpikhegY-Vs
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Post by Doctor Blind on Sept 12, 2008 16:41:57 GMT 1
Some excellent choices included in this list Mark, and a few I've not heard but will definitely investigate further. From the last batch I own and love 'Funeral', 'Through The Windowpane' , 'Up The Bracket', 'Kala' and 'The Remote Part'. Not sure what's to come, I think the debut album might be 'Turn on the Bright Lights' but I'm not certain and the 2008 album might be Los Campesinos.. but then probably not as that was a debut album too!? Anyway, I'm prepared to be impressed and probably shocked!
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 16, 2008 19:33:34 GMT 1
Thanks Danny! Though I'm not sure if it was how I worded it or a misunderstanding I said only one album isn't a debut (yet to come) and one act from the top 10 have released this year (Guillemots). The guess of 'Turn On The Bright Lights' could be correct....
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 16, 2008 19:40:58 GMT 1
05 Air 'Moon Safari' (1998) The highest album from the '90s! I hadn't really ever heard much from Air apart from 'Sexy Boy' and 'Alpha Beta Gaga' when I bought this album for less than a fiver about 2 years ago. I was instantly hooked. Chillout/ambient music isn't something I'm particularly fond of but I adore this album throughout, particularly the instrumentals. It's the first album in the countdown from a French act, but not the last! Sexy Boywww.youtube.com/watch?v=BHq7HepMNpUCe Matin Lawww.youtube.com/watch?v=NsJfEcIzAhULa Femme d'Argentwww.youtube.com/watch?v=VH5bL_XbO64
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Post by Maximo Mark on Sept 16, 2008 19:50:06 GMT 1
04 The Postal Service 'Give Up' (2003) I first became aware of this band in early 2005 through their song 'Such Great Heights'. I was going looking at Audioscrobbler (now last.fm!) and wondered what this song was considering it had been in the top 10 for months on end (it didn't fall out until 2007 when the whole of 'Neon Bible' entered). I downloaded it and was amazed and what I heard. I'd not really been exposed to any 'indietronica' before so was a very fresh sound. I bought the album later in the year and none of it disappoints, Ben Gibbards vocals I think are far better suited to this than they are to Death Cab For Cutie's. It's been one of my favourite ever albums ever since and whilst others have come and gone from the very top this has always stayed there. It's one of few albums I can listen to in any mood, time or place and still adore. I wish they'd make another album. Such Great Heightswww.youtube.com/watch?v=hMOkfI7wCrIThe District Sleeps Alone Tonightwww.youtube.com/watch?v=2o7k3ZUjkMIRecycled Airwww.youtube.com/watch?v=xksp5K_2ojA
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Post by Doctor Blind on Sept 17, 2008 22:32:15 GMT 1
Thanks Danny! Though I'm not sure if it was how I worded it or a misunderstanding I said only one album isn't a debut (yet to come) and one act from the top 10 have released this year (Guillemots). The guess of 'Turn On The Bright Lights' could be correct.... It's not your wording at all, it's my complete inability to read. It's been a constant in letting me down over the years no matter how many times the lecturer has said 'read the question carefully'. Sorry Mark! I don't own your #5 but I do love the singles from it - I should probably definitely purchase that one I think next time I'm down the shops. Your number four is brilliant, I've actually got "Such Great Heights" on single, but I don't think it ever charted on the UK singles chart. The album is of consistent high quality throughout and will quickly become a 2000's classic IMO. Can't wait for your Top 3!
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