It's end-of-year-list time again, and this year it's been particularly tough to round up a top ten. There were plenty of great albums out there, but there also seemed to be a big gulf between the few truly amazing records and the far more populated category of 'pretty good'. Find out what's made the cut in the readmore.

10. Simon Bookish - Everything/Everything

This year saw classical composer-come pop genius Leo Chadburn release his most accomplished album to date under the Simon Bookish moniker. Everything/Everything is elaborately & impeccably orchestrated, while at the same time being lyrically fantastic. It the kind of album that's strongest point is how damned interesting it is- strange arrangements will come out of nowhere, making you sit up and take notice. That said, at the end of the day it is a pop record, so all that aside, the songs are still enjoyable as hell.

Listen:

Simon Bookish - The Flood


9. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

The second album from canuck supergroup Wolf Parade is a thoughtful, rich affair. A fine follow-up to 2005's 'Apologies to the Queen Mary', it has shades of everything from Britpop to Bonnie Prince Billy. All made nice'n'hooky by the distinctive guitar of former Hot Hot Heat mastermind Dante DeCaro.

Listen:
Wolf Parade - Soldier's Grin



8. Santogold - Santogold

Fusing hip-hop, punk rock, and a whole lot more, Santogold's debut is nicely bold in the realm of pop. LES Artistes was one of the songs of the year for me, and the album contains a handful more gems. Expect huge success in the next year.


Listen:
Santogold - I'm A Lady


7. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Another indie debut made good, this album soundtracked the summer as MGMT went stellar. Though marred slightly with a bit of filler, you can't argue with awesome singles like Kids, Time To Pretend & Electric Feel.

Listen:
MGMT - Kids



6. The Faint - Fasciinatiion


I love The Faint. This is fairly clear. So with their return after a four year absence I was pretty happy to say the least. Fasciinatiion is a touch more dancy & electro than the band's previous offerings, and has all the class that made them one of my favourite bands in the first place. One of the highlights of my musical year was when I first got hold of 'The Geeks Were Right', the first track released off the album. There was a touch of ceremony about going to a quiet room, getting 'the good headphones' and sitting down to really listen to it. It didn't disappoint.

Listen:
The Faint - Forever Growing Centipedes.


5. Story of Hair - Cheap Rate

In a year which had a crazy amount of quality Irish albums (in fairness, we could probably populate this whole list with Irish acts), this one stands out for me. Being a fan of the Hair's live show, a lot was expected of this debut LP, and I was by no means let down. From maniacally happy to reassuringly pensive, the band barely put a foot wrong in these fourteen tracks. Being the pop-whore that I am, getting an album with as many shamelessly feelgood tracks as this feels like heaven. It's also great to see a set of quality tracks actually being realised impeccably on record. It sounds like a simple thing to do, just put a mic up and press record, but it doesn't always work out that way and something gets lost (for me, this is the reason the excellent Fight Like Apes aren't quite making this list). The song below is also undoubtedly one of the songs of the year.

Listen:
Story of Hair - Unsteady


4. Why? - Alopecia

I am a relatively recent convert to Why? (thanks, Ste), but this album wholly converted me. On paper it really shouldn't work. Alt-rap, folk-hop, whatever you want to call it... it seems like a fusion doomed to failure. But it works. It hella works. Alopecia is one of those albums which stayed in my stereo for months, each and every song growing on me in turn. It's got so many elements in it that there's something for everyone- and for all that quality hip-hop to suddenly break into an metal-sounding guitar riff is something so insane it's brilliant.

Listen:
Why - The Hollows


(This is where it gets very hard. I've spent weeks trying to separate these top three entries, and have decided it's just impossible. So first place is a three-way tie).


=1. Jape - Ritual

This was another much anticipated album, one which any attendee of Jape's legendary live shows will have been expecting to be filled with greatness. And it was. Taking indie electro by the horns Richie Egan & Co. got everyone dancing, and grounded the party with what are some undeniably great songs. From the frenetic I Was A Man to the now legendary ode to Phil Lynott, every track on the album is fantastic. It makes me want to buy a synth or two. And possibly grow a moustache.

Listen:
Jape - Strike Me Down


=1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

This is one of those out-of-the-blue masterpieces that so perfectly defines the musical year. Justin Vernon's tale of woe and redemption through music plays out in magnificent lo-fi, and it couldn't have worked better any other way. The album's circumstance has already become the stuff of legend, with the story behind it's conception becoming almost as enduring as the music itself. As for the songs- with only nine tracks there's not much room for filler, and every song justifies it's place completely (OK, with the exception of Team, which I'm assuming is merely an extension of Creature Fear). I've always been a fan of the ol' acoustic album, and this is by far the best of it's kind in many a year.

Listen:
Bon Iver - The Wolves (Acts I & II)


=1. TV On The Radio - Dear Science


I'll admit straight off that I have a tendency to get very excited about certain bands, and in the process heap so much praise upon them that it could be considered by some as somewhat of an exaggeration. That said... TV On The Radio are probably the greatest band in the world today. Dear Science is another stage in evolution for a band that had already completely won me over, and with this stage they flex their pop muscles while still maintaining their distinctive production and powerful energy. At times during Dear Science one would be forgiven for thinking that the band are channeling the souls of some of Motown's greatest stars. Guitar licks like those on lead singles Dancing Choose & Golden Age are made for dancing, and dancing with soul. The album's masterstroke, however, comes with the understated Love Dog, which is an astonishing recording where not a single note is wasted, and every subtlety is hugely effective. There's so much to enjoy here, and given that at this stage TVOTR have officially 'lived up to the hype', there's so much to be excited about the future for.

Listen:
TV On The Radio - Love Dog

Honorable Mentions:

First one has to go to Passion Pit, who's Chunk of Change EP is one of the bast things I've heard all year, and would have made it very, very high up this list if only it had had a couple of more tracks on it and actually qualified as an album. I can imagine they will probably be featuring on this list next year.

As for the others... Hot Chip's 'Made In The Dark' ('Shake a Fist' was definitely one of the songs of the year)... Tokyo Police Club's 'Elephant Shell'... Elbow's 'Seldom Seen Kid'... Department of Eagles - In Ear Park... The Most Serene Republic - Population... Irish favourites included Adebisi Shank, Fight Like Apes & Queen Kong/ You're Only Massive...

continue reading>>

So despite having a wretched year in 2006 and complete avoidance last year I found myself once again in the Irish answer to the Calcutta slums, that is Oxegen, for one reason and one reason only. Rage Against the Machine. Naturally a whole day can't be spent in complete anticipation of this awesome band so to pass the time other bands were viewed.

Click below for a belated account of stuff.



Arrive to what turns out to be far too bloody early and continue drinking until a state of almost complete inebriation is reached by the time the gates open (12.00). Decide that there's fuck all on of interest so wander to campsite red to find compadres that are unfortunate enough to have spent the weekend there. Turns out the campsite has changed not a jot since the last time I was there which is very much a bad thing. The smell of decay is in the air.




Onwards to first band time who luckily happen to be Does it offend you, yeah? I haven't been bigging up this band for a while for no reason at all. They are actually shit cool and they put on a great fucking show. Its a shame that a) "the company" have chosen to once again hold the Dance 'tent' in that big sweatbox of a warehouse and b) that the sun is splitting the sky outside and even in that dank place the bright light permeates, ruining the effects of the lightshow somewhat. The chaps do their best however and wisely keep their rocking stuff until last where the crowd have reached the peak of their (possibly drug-aided) frenzy.

Does it Offend You, Yeah? - Dawn of the Dead




Finding one with a loss of anything in the way of good stuff to watch its decided to have a curious gander at We Are Scientists. Luckily that we're far enough away that we can ignore them because of all the boring shite that I've seen at various festivals over the years this is certainly up there. Such a promising band that three years ago brought out a quirky little rock tune (The Great Escape) has now been reduced to samey boring muck. Raised slightly in estimation by ending the set with the aforementioned classic.

We Are Scientists - The Great Escape





Indie's bright shining new stars MGMT are being viewed for the third time in as many months by yours truly and are now at the stage where I'm starting to not give a fuck about them anymore. They come out with their silly little bandana's and seem completely underwhelmed by the rapturous reception that they receive. All songs are played well but with the degree of don't-give-a-fuckness that make you want to hit the cunts. At one point the crowd gets to the stage of excitement that people are hanging off the pillars supporting the tent. While this initially receives much cheering from the crowd the tables are quickly turned when it transpires that the band aren't allowed to play anymore unless people get the fuck down. One stupid bint ignores the hoots and hollers from the crowd and proceeds to climb all the way up to the top of the pillar and through the hole in the tent. Cheers luv. One less song for us to hear. Spa. With barely any time left to play the band come on and finish with their trio of known songs, Electric Feel, Time to Pretend and Kids. The last song being where my largest bone of contention lies with the band. That everytime they play this song its as if they are doing Karaoke. I fail to believe that its not possible to reproduce this song live as other bands have done better with less. I predict this song being dropped from the set before long if it can be helped as their discomfort with performing it clearly betrays that this may be their Bohemian Rhapsody or Teen spirit.

MGMT - Electric Feel





You don't need me to tell you that Fight Like Apes are rising up the scene quicker than one of my belches after downing a nasty pint and they do certainly know how to perform live, that much is certain. The between song banter is infectious and gives off the impression that they are very much at ease with playing live and songs are short enough not to overstay their welcome. To be watched.

Fight Like Apes - Lightsabre Cock-Sucking Blues





So finally the hour comes. One that I've been waiting for for 15 years. Rage Against the Fucking Machine. I don't think I can possibly describe how much I enjoyed this gig. Not quite as well as Nialler does in his review anyway but suffice to say that after it ended I had bruises all over me and the next morning all my joints were stiff. It was great to find a mosh pit that was not only huge but violent (in that good way) and untainted by the thugs and oafs that "the company" likes to hire as security.

Every possible song is cranked out and it all ends too bloody fast. A big "Fuck you" goes out to the guy who couldn't fix their sound, which kept cutting out every now and then but apart from that little glitch they made it worth taking the trip to Punchestown for what will hopefully be the last time.

Rage Against the Machine - Bulls On Parade (DJ Kue Remix)


Cheers to James Goulden at State.ie for unwittingly supplying me with photo's

continue reading>>

MGMT are returning to these shores yet again, this time for a show in Dublin's Ambassador theatre. The band play the venue (which is presume is no longer being turned into a library?) on November 3rd. Tickets are priced 24.50 and on sale this Thursday here.

Check out this nifty remix of MGMT's Electric Feel by James Rutlege AKA London based producer/remixer Pedro.

MGMT - Electric Feel (James Rutledge Remix)

And for those who may have been sleeping, here's Justice's take on the same track:

MGMT - Electric Feel (Justice Remix)

Check out James 'Pedro' Rutledge on myspace here, where's he's got a few more kickass remixes, including tracks by Bloc Party & The Whip.

continue reading>>

Turns out the version of MGMT's Electric Feel as imagined by the undisputed gods of the remixing universe, (Justice) which we posted earlier this week..... was a sham, a fraud, or possibly just a working copy.

But never fear- the real (and much better) version is below. Enjoy.



Click for mp3

continue reading>>

For all of you who I have disputed this with I would ask you to cast your eyes and ears to the video below (oo:37 seconds in to be precise).



I can't think of anything else to say except: "Laughed at".

continue reading>>

According to the new video for the excellent 'Electric Feel', MGMT throw really weird parties.



If you haven't done it yet, I recommend you check out their album, Oracular Spectacular, which is quite badass. Read the egoeccentric review here.

continue reading>>

SO just how good are MGMT? Well the last time they played here two months ago I was reminded over and over again how good a gig it was by all my friends who had been there and it had been pointed out to me many times since then that I am less of a man for missing it. Oh well what can I say? This time however I will not miss it and I will enjoy it despite the fact that "Kids" has me driven demented thanks to that arsehole Sinister Pete who plays it incessantly on Phantom each morning. Clearly they are as sick of it as I am because instead of actually playing the song live they do a karaoke rendition of it to a backing track as their opening song. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that this is actually their mindset because the first thing I said was "What the fuck is this shit?".

After that its down to business and they actually pick up their instruments to play a fairly short and predictable set. They don't seem to be loving it but then again when you are the opening band and your set is hampered by dodgy sound then there really isn't much you can do. Great tunes and doesn't take away from enjoyment of the album.

The Futureheads however can go suck it. Barely watched their blah blah indie punk silliness.


CSS however prove once again that they're a live force to be reckoned with. Not content with playing Ireland seemingly every second month, they also seem to want to play every venue in the country as well. Perhaps the Academy is too small for them. Perhaps not. Either way they make it their own and show us all how to have a good time in the hot humid town by looking like a band who enjoy playing music with each other just as much as we love hearing it. The chemistery between band members is awesome and they come across as genuinely fun people that one may want to have a beer with. Or, lets be honest, sleep with.

The songs from their forthcoming album sound great and make up for the lacklustre first single and the set pretty much covers everything from their first album (except for "Fuck off is the only thing you have to show" which I love) including the wretched "Alcohol" before finishing with a kick-ass "Lets make love and listen to Death From Above"

Worth checking out at the summer festivals? I think so.

continue reading>>

Influences aplenty in the debut LP from the psychedelic pop-rockers.

Pros:

• Some tracks (eg: Weekend Wars) strangely reminded me of The Beatles. What a compliment.
  
• Seriously good singles. Time to Pretend= great. Kids= super great.
• Funk & falsetto (Electric Feel) is a winning combination.
• Draws so well from eras gone by that it could feasibly have been released in the 60s, 70s and at times 80s.
  
• They know how to get folk singing along.
  
• Happy things are fun.
• The lyrics for Time to Pretend.
  

Cons:

• The "That's good but what else have you got?" curse raises its ugly head, resulting in a considerable amount of filler.
  
• Hence, they're pretty much a singles band.
  
• It might just be me, but they may be overdoing the 'lets be weeeird' thing a bit. Some perfectly good songs go unnecessarily crazy.
  
• There's a slight touch of Spinal Tap to some of the mysticism.
  
• As with any artist drawing so heavily from retro influences, sometimes things go too far and get a bit wince-inducing (Of Moons, Birds & Monsters).

When it's good it's really, really good; when it's not... it's a bit meh. Generally solid thumbs up though- Prepare to be hearing Kids played in clubs for years to come.

Listen:
Electric Feel


Click for mp3

continue reading>>

..is from MGMT, who support CSS & the Futureheads in the Academy in May 7th.

This is 'Time to Pretend':

continue reading>>

Wow, they just keep coming.

I'm just gonna put one on the front, if only just to give The Beacon an oppertunity to cream himself:

Neil Young
Malahide Castle, June 29th.
Tickets 81.25, on sale Monday.

More gigs after the jump..

Lou Reed
Performing Berlin in full, with a choir & orchestra.
The Marquee, Cork, June 23rd. Tickets ?? euro, on sale next Wednesday.

Crystal Castles
Andrews Lane Theatre, April 22nd.
Tickets 15 euro, on sale Friday.

God Is An Astronaut
The Academy (this is the last time I'm gonna call it 'formerly Spirit'), May 24th.
Tickets 22 euro, on sale Friday.

The Zutons, One Night Only, The Script
The Academy, May 6th.
Tickets 25.50, on sale Friday

CSS, The Futureheads, MGMT
The Academy, May 7th.
Tickets 25.50, on sale Friday

Gemma Hayes
Tripod, April 29th
Tickets 22.50-27.50, on sale Friday.



I reckon I will be going to at least... (hmm..) three of these shows.

continue reading>>