another year over

Merry Christmas


ALBUM OF THE DECADE

Adem....Homesongs




























SONGS OF 2009


Jesca Hoop....Four Dreams


Cate Le Bon....Me Oh My


Euros Childs....Shithausen & Gently All Around


Super Furry Animals....Moped Eyes


Withered Hand....No Cigarettes


Broadcast & The Focus Group....To Be The Colony


Spaceships Are Cool....Let Things Go


Alun Tan Lan....Dyma'r Diwedd


Magic Arm....Rested Bones




ALBUM OF 2009


Ambulances....The Future That Was (well what did you expect?)

The albums of the artists who feature in the songs of 2009 list are all excellent and recommended purchases. As well as these I give special mention to The Soundcarriers who have created a terrific album called Harmonium.

*Many of the artists featured on this post feature in a Festive Bestive podcast put together by the ever super Ted over at Cloud Sounds. Ted has incredibly similar taste to myself when it comes to music ie he likes Euros Childs quite a lot.

magic arm

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Just go buy the album Make Lists, Do Something. Wonderful, like The Beta Band & Beck doing McCartney in the best possible way.

*I used to have a magic arm but it's not what it once was. Now it's crab claw.

spaceships are cool

Spaceships Are Cool are cool. Where would you expect to find one of the most inventive bands around? Not in Nottingham. Dreamlike psyche-pop with electronic fidgets.

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*Spaceships are cool. Cooler than dwarves for example although dwarves are big in Japan.

FOUND

Edinburgh artist collective FOUND's star is on the rise. Tommy from the group has made a laptop mixtape available as a kind of christmas gift over at their website. Any mix with Shuggie Otis on is fine by me.

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Have a listen to the talented experimentalists too. They're rather good.

*Members of FOUND recently won a Scottish BAFTA for their autonomous emotional robot band CYBRAPHON.

**A sardine tin lid makes an excellent quiff for a homemade robot. Perhaps I should contact the guys with this improvement suggestion.

sam and the plants

Sam & The Plants come from the north west of England a make, quite simply, gorgeous music. I could go on about pastoral 60s folk and other whimsy but there really is no point. Just listen and tell your friends.

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the beep seals

As the end of the year/decade fast approaches we are constantly reminded of who or what was best and such like over the given period. Or, who'll be missed since they passed on but let's keep this light.

In the spring of this year The Beep Seals decided to call it a day. They leave behind a lovely wee album they recorded with Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake that folks will hopefully stumble upon for years to come. Here's a taster...

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withered hand (free download)

The ever brilliant Withered Hand are giving away a new song for free. Ergo, help yourself to the first gift that keeps on giving from this here site.

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the wellgreen

I can't believe I've not mentioned The Wellgreen until now. Just as well nobody reads this rubbish. Anyway, The Wellgreen, purveyors of fine music from the west coast of Scotland with a debut album imminent.

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*Stuart Kidd from The Wellgreen is also in 9/10 bands based in Glasgow & the surrounding area. Marco Rea from The Wellgreen is in the rest.

jesca hoop

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Jesca Hoop is an American lady living in Manchester. Have a listen to her song Four Dreams. It's one of my favourites this year. She's just released an album called Hunting My Dress too. You might as well just buy it now. It'll save you having to pick it up later.

*Jesca used to be nanny to Tom Waits' children before moving to England. I don't know any children but from what I can remember I'd prefer their company to the perpetual drizzle of Manchester.

alun tan lan

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Alun Tan Lan is amazing. Guitarist in Euros Childs' group and Britains No.1 surf combo Y Niwl, as well as a superfine solo artist to boot.

*I went to school with someone called Alun. He was in a heavy metal band called Rip N' Tear. Must be a very musical name Alun.

eagleowl

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Our final St Andrews day offerings are eagleowl. Beautiful, beautiful slow rolling music from Edinburgh. Their new single is out any day now. Their last single, though sold out, is available to buy as a download. Please go and get both, for your own good.

*I used to work in a shop with Clarissa from Eaglowl many moons ago. It was shit but she seemed thoroughly decent. There were others who seemed thoroughly decent but their bands were pish.

esperi

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Seeing as it's St Andrews day here we have another band from Scotland. On Friday my group had the pleasure of playing on the same bill as Esperi. Although sometimes a full band, this performance was a solo outing for Chris Lee Marr and a magical thing it was too. All manner of instruments were sampled & looped through his trusty pedal, building and building a soft textured breeze of lovingly crafted sounds that would not seem out of place on a Four Tet release.

With Christmas coming, click on the click, & buy your ever lucky family some Esperi. I guarantee they'll thank you more for this than bath salts.

schnapps

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Glasgow's Schnapps make a kind of garage shuffle reminiscent of singer Ian Crawford's previous outfits - Kain and The Gilded Angels. Both of those bands imploded just as it looked like they were about to explode so catch this lot while you can. Music that puts a smile on your face. Sometimes that's all you need.

*If you do need more than this why not drink schnapps. If you've still not got a smile on your face you probably need to lighten up a bit. Have a wank - tickle your balls/ladypart a little, you only live once.

jovenes y sexys

Jovenes Y Sexys are my favourite band this week. Hailing from Caracas Venezuela, this duo are giving away their songs for free. You'd be a mug not to take them up on this kind offer.

*I, like these two, have a cat.

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pascal pinon

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I don't know an awful lot about Pascal Pinon apart from the lovely music they make. From what I can gather they are 4 young sisters from Iceland who might just take over the world.

john stammers

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John Stammers creates beautiful acid folk music. He's released an album on the faultless label Redbricks Recordings. You could do worse than buy everything available from their shop.

colorama

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Colorama are a one(ish) man band affair from the lovely Cardiff. If you only have time to listen to one song today listen to Sound. If you have time to listen to more than one song you might enjoy yourself more than you deserve.

*There's actually 5 in the band with more guesting on some songs but Colorama is the vision of Carwyn Ellis I believe.

**Carwyn also uploads an excellent podcast at the end of every month.

beak>

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Portishead mainman Geoff Barrow has a new project. Beak> were formed in January with fellow Bristolians Matt Williams & Billy Fuller & recorded their self titled debut in 12 days. Dirty psychedelic krautrock. Brilliant.

*Portishead were named after the town in Somerset from whence they came. Luckily then they didn't come from neighbouring Sheepway, Clapton In Gordano or Gooch Slit.

the meek

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The 3rd in a series of beautiful fuck off rock n' roll, 4 if you count The Nihilistic Death Trip Couple. This bunch are from LA & site The Stooges as an influence. All that's needed to feature on this blog is that influence or a Gorky's Zygotic Mynci one. Being brilliant is always good too.

*According to Matthew 5:3-12 "blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth" so if this music lark doesn't kick off - no biggie.

singapore sling

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More magic fuck off rock n' roll, this time from Iceland.

*Singapore Sling were named after a famous cocktail - The Harvey Wallbanger.