Better late than never, here is our list of the Top Ten Albums of 2009.
We’ve also included our Top EPs of the year, as well as the full-length records that we really loved and made our shortlist before making the brutal cuts. That said, when it came down to choosing the following ten albums we were surprisingly unanimous… Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest [Warp / Intertia] A beautifully layered and dynamic record - so intimately subtle in parts, and overwhelmingly and explosively orchestral in others, with stunning vocals by Daniel Rossen and Ed Droste. An absolute pleasure that hasn't tired since it's May 2009 release. buy on itunes
Girls - Album [True Panther / Inertia] Forget the hype and screw the back story. Girls served up authentic, sunny, DIY garage-pop that swept us up like a drunken summer romance. buy on itunes
Miike Snow - Miike Snow [Downtown / Intertia] Irresistible melodies, infectious beats, hook after hook of shameless pop joy. The Swedish trio somehow slipped through the cracks and never gained the momentum that they really should have, but the super-clean assured pop sensibilities on which this record is built definitely gave 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix' a run for its money. buy on itunes
The XX – xx [Young Turks] Such a mature and realised record - and the band members were on 19 when they released it. It's scarily good. So spare - and yet every instrument and part feels like it's being used for a reason, and the result: perfection. A mind blowing debut. buy on itunes
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca [Domino Records] With a sound that is completely beyond definition (but let's go for "Art Pop") every moment on the record is a surprising and unbelievably original highlight. The virtuosity of the songwriting and the vocals that would incite jealous rage from a nightingale made this a true standout. buy on itunes
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion [Domino Records] Not as good as 'Feels' we felt, but still... Playful, spontaneous, bold, transcendent. Animal Collective is becoming the indie-pop version of Radiohead: you no longer compare them to other bands - just their own other albums. Pure aural joy. buy on itunes
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career [4AD / Popfrenzy] Beautifully written, gorgeously arranged, immediately crush-worthy pop music by the Glaswegian five-piece. Led by the sweetest voice in indie music (that of lead lady Tracyanne Campbell) there is not a song on this record that isn't absolutely lovely. Disturbingly underrated. buy on itunes
Pains of Being Pure At Heart – The Pains of Being Pure At Heart [Slumberland] Do you miss The Smiths and My Bloody Valentine and The Cure? We did. Now we kind of don't anymore... buy on itunes
Passion Pit – Manners [Frenchkiss Records] Not just another electro-pop record, as we had assumed after hearing the first couple of singles. Unfailingly catchy pop hooks fused with genuine emotion, great lyrics, 80s funk influences and multi-instrumental arrangements all underneath the unmistakable falsetto of Passion Pit's creative heart-and-soul Michael Angelakos. buy on itunes
Songs – Songs [Popfrenzy] It never tried to be, but it became a true love of ours last year. Effortlessly combining a myriad of influences - 70s New York noise, fuzzy garage punk, shoegaze rock, and the Go Betweens... and yet it still managed to sound like nothing else released this year. buy on itunes
Highly recommended – shortlisted for Top Ten Andrew Bird – ‘Noble Beast’ [Fat Possum] Florence + The Machine – ‘Lungs’ [Island] Neon Indian – ‘Psychic Chasms’ [Popfrenzy] Cass McCombs – ‘Catacombs’ [Domino Records / Inertia] Raekwon – ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II’ [EMI] Phoenix – ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ [V2 Records] Silversun Pickups – ‘Swoon’ [Dangerbird Records / Inertia] Memory Tapes – ‘Seek Magic’ [Independent]
Top EPs from 2009 Once we did the maths we realised our decision-making process would be much easier if we made a separate list for our favourite EPs. From the late-in-the-year release of The Drums' jangly-pop-abandon-meets-mopey-shoegaze, to the exquisite melodies of folk outfits The Middle East and Warpaint, here are our picks:
Warpaint - Exquisite Corpse The Drums - Summertime! Washed Out - High Times Washed Out - Life Of Leisure Destroyer - Bay Of Pigs Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind Bon Iver - Blood Bank The Middle East - The Middle East
[Warner Bros: 1984] Once I broke up with a boy because he said he didn’t like Prince. I can’t stand liars.
Prince. He's one of the most prolific cross-over artists and composers in the history of pop music, and now at 49 Prince is still getting his funk on, performing legendary live shows (Coachella), attending Paris Fashion Week and killing on ampersand-shaped guitars. Prince has somehow maintained the extremely rare balance of both critical- and peer-acclaim as well as mass superstardom. He's won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, an Academy Award and was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame the first year he was eligible. He’s not just Prince – he’s rock and roll royalty. In his three decades in the recording industry he has pumped out over thirty records, but his masterpiece is unquestionably Purple Rain.
The diversity of styles and the experimental production of Purple Rain kind of defied critics’ ability to pigeon-hole the record, making it one of the most massive crossover albums of the Eighties - consolidating his funk and R&B sounds, with synthesized pop melodies, industrial funk and even a touch of metal. And lest we forget the shredding! From Hendrix-like wailing to aggressive metal crunching to strutting funk jams. It’s like a lifetime of air guitar opportunities in nine tracks...
Purple Rain was groundbreaking from a musical standpoint, and the themes and lyrics were also considered extremely post-modern at the time. “Darling Nikki”, about a slutty gal named Nikki, had particularly scandalous lyrics and was the catalyst for the Parental Advisory stickers that you see on album covers now. Bad ass. “I would die 4 U” was allegedly written from the perspective of Jesus Christ beseeching a non-believer. “When Doves Cry” is about destructive family relationships and the narrator’s relationship with God. Intense.
But, let’s face it: when it comes down to it, who gives a shit about what it all means? With rad synthesizer solos, a syncopated drum machine beat and Prince’s epic vocal performance, “When Doves Cry” is first and foremost a dance track that never fails to kill on the dancefloor. And then, of course, there's Prince's signature song: “Purple Rain” one of the most ridiculously awesome, sexiest rock n roll ballads of all time.
These days his recordings have gotten a bit stale (last year's LOtUSFLOW3R was pretty unspectacular), and the dude is kind of weird and reclusive... but his live performances and musicianship is virtually beyond compare, he uses a diamond studded sceptre for walking for heavensake (eat your heart out, Puff Daddy) and in 1983 he gave us the crazy awesomeness of Purple Rain. And for that we say thank you, Your Majesty.
Another year ended and a new one began. For Album of the Week 2009 was a pretty amazing year: We danced shamelessly to the wondrous disco strangeness of of Montreal at our beloved home town venue, The Zoo. We teared up during Elbow at the V Festival. We fell in love for the first time (Songs, Warpaint, Girls, Cass McCombs, SeeKae, Air France, Dirty Projectors, Memory Tapes, etc, etc - Romantically fickle, are we not?). We rekindled old flames (Andrew Bird, Edan, The Avalanches… True love never dies). We moved (hello, Sydney!). We mourned (goodbye, Michael). We got super excited (Pavement returns and Wayne Coyne nude at last!). We suffered disappointments (Jane's Addiction's last minute cancellation at Splendour in the Grass). We made a whole lot of mix tapes. We actually got Swine Flu. We 'negotiated' over who did the interviews. We fought over the last beer. … and now we've finally made this list.
Here you are: our favourite songs from 2009. It was a year of amazing new bands, fantastic debut releases and some insanely rad singles, but we've managed to narrow our list down to this - in no particular order:
[vice/shiny: 2004] One night in the early years of the Naughties two guys from Toronto met at a Sonic Youth concert and through the pair's chemistry an intense, sexy fire was ignited. In 2004 that fire capitulated in the form of a single studio record: You're A Woman, I'm A Machine. It's visceral energy - crunching metal-inspired guitars, driving bass riffs, frantic drumming and the untamed vocals of Sebastien Grainger, perfectly captured the essence of the dance-punk movement that became the centre of a scene within which bands like Liars, !!!, the Rapture and Test Icicles emerged. At times terrifyingly brutal on tracks like album opener "Turn It Out", the beauty of the racket achieved by Grainger and bass and synth player Jesse F. Keeler (now, one half of electro-house outfit MSTRKRFT) is in their awesome hooks - the stuff that makes you want to get on the dance floor and take your shirt off and french the nearest person. Album highlight's include "Blood on our Hands", the title track "Your A Woman, I'm A Machine", and album closer "Sexy Results". In 2006 after a hell of a lot of touring and rumours of bad blood between Keeler and Grainger, the band broke up citing creative differences - which is code for they hated each other. I guess you could say that the fire went out. They never released another full-length record.
Happy new year all. Like every other year, 2010 brings with it some stellar music festivals featuring some of yours and our favourite bands. There is something uniquely exciting and primitive about the experience of dancing about a field, beach or privately-owned paddock with thousands of other people, all smiles and personalised dance moves, singalongs, and those 'Moments' that occur every now and then where you just "had to be there". Here we have a pick of some of the best Festivals falling within the next six months. Get your pencils ready, whip out that new calendar, and mark off the dates - it's going to be one hell of a start to the year...
Big Day Out Dates: January 2010 Locations: Auckland, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth The bill: Muse, Lily Allen, The Mars Volta, The Temper Trap, Dizzee Rascal, Peaches, Groove Armada, Devendra Banhart, Tame Impala, Passion Pit, Simian Mobile Disco, Dead Prez, The Decemberists The wrap up: This is without a doubt the biggest, hottest, sweatiest festival in the summer line up and is a rite of passage for many young festival goers. BDO attracts a crowd that is as large and diverse as the bill – so prepare to be smashed by overenthusiastic moshers, pushed by aggressive drunk people, hugged by complete strangers, and surrounded by strange groups of fairies, people painted in green, stilt-walkers, packs wearing lab coats or hospital scrubs, etc. Don’t miss: Devendra Banhart is ten types of crazy so expect the unexpected and get your freak(folk) on. Lose your shit to Dizzee Rascal where we predict a guest appearance by fellow Brit-youth Calvin Harris. And if you've never seen The Mars Volta grab a friend, smoke a joint and have a life changing experience - a legit, mind-blowing musical journey that you'll feel from finger tips to toes. Don't forget to breathe... Avoid: The human Sling Shot ride. Trust me. BDO website
Laneway (**Highly recommended**) Dates: January/February 2010 Locations: Various laneways in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Auckland, Perth The bill: Black Lips, Echo & The Bunnymen, Florence & The Machine, Hockey, Mumford & Sons, Jonathan Boulet, Danimals, Daniel Johnston, Radio Clit, Oh Mercy, SeeKae, the Middle East, The Very Best, The XX, Wild Beasts The wrap up: A fantastic indie festival with a street party vibe, a relaxed crowd and plenty of up-close-and-personal performances - Laneway is AoTW’s pick of the southern hemisphere summer music festivals. There’s room to dance, places to pause for a chat, drink or hot dog, fun randoms wherever you go, cool security guards, and most importantly an emphasis on nothing but stellar music. Don’t miss: So good it almost beggars belief. Don't miss anything. But make sure you most definitely see Florence & The Machine whose live shows are rumoured to be unbelievable, SeeKae - one of Australia's best live bands of the minute, and Black Lips for onstage mayhem and punk madness. Oh - not to mention legends Daniel Johnston and Echo & The Bunnymen… Miss nothing. Avoid: Your ex. As a smaller, more intimate festival, the chances of awkward reunions is dramatically increased. Laneway website
Good Vibrations Dates: February 2010 Locations: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth The bill: The Killers, Friendly Fires, Z-Trip, Basement Jazz, Naughty By Nature, Busta Rhymes, Plump Djs, Gossip, Salt-n-Pepa, Art Vs Science, Armand Van Helden The wrap up: This is definitely a party specifically geared towards getting folks dancing so be prepared for lots of kids on ecstasy. You’ve been warned. There does seem to be a (dare I say it) ‘good vibe’ about this festival with a good time crowd that isn’t overly aggressive or violent (probably because of all the ecstasy), although there's fashion victims aplenty so prep yourself for the cool kids and their designer sunglasses. Don’t miss: You would be a damn fool to even consider going without catching Salt-n-Pepa and pulling out awesome 90s dance moves to 'Push It'. Avoid: Beware Busta Rhymes' mad raps, lest you break ya neck… GVF website
Soundwave Dates: February 2010 Location: Major Australian cities The bill: Faith No More, Jane's Addiction, Eagles of Death Metal, Anti-Flag, AFI, Placebo, Rolo Tomassi, Anvil, Meshuggah The wrap up: Boasting some of the best punk and hardcore acts the world's got on offer, Soundwave promises a day of ear-bleedingly huge riffs, Ben Hur style drum solos and a delicious dash of screamo. The beauty of Soundwave is the crowd is usually made up of genuine fans of bands and tunes, ensuring the vibe is one big chilled out love-in - with a shitload of moshing and tatts. Don't miss: Gosh it's looking good this year. Catch My Chemical Romance for their massive call-to-arms radio hits and pure theatrics; skank out to ska-revivalists Reel Big Fish's brass section; and absolutely do not do not do not miss the big ones: Jane's Addiction - the original line up with the incredible Eric Avery on bass make a welcome return after disappointing Australian fans by pulling out of Splendour In The Grass at the last minute in July. And, of course: Faith No More. Possibly up there as a band you must see live before you die. Mike Patton is untamed charisma personified. Avoid: Eagles of Death Metal. Because Jesse Hughes is so damn fine he'll break your heart into pieces. soundwave website
Bluesfest Dates: 1 - 5 April 2010 Location: Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay, Australia The bill: Crowded House, Jack Johnson, Buddy Guy, Gypsy Kings, Jools Holland & his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Jeff Beck, Matisyahu, Ozomatli, Gogol Bordello, 10CC, Taj Mahal The wrap up: the legendary festival is in its 21st year now. It's famously chilled beach-side atmosphere, relaxed (stoned?) crowds including hip young things, your granddad and babies in prams, and the diverse mixture of artists has made Bluesfest one of the major must-attend events on the festival calendar. Don't miss: Blues guitar legend Buddy Guy, the incredible Cuban outfit Buena Vista Social Club, and reformation of Crowded House who are sure to bring the (crowded) house down. But most of all get yourself to see pioneering New York gypsy-punk band Gogol Bordello, whose live shows are the stuff of legends. Avoid: The Fray. Byron Bay Bluesfest website
Noise Pop Dates: 23-28 February 2010 Location: San Francisco, USA The bill: A Place To Bury Strangers, Cake, Born Ruffians, British Sea Power, Apples In Stereo, Clinic, Cat Power, Cold War Kids, Cloud Room, Beach House, Devendra Banhart, Band of Horses, Black Lips, Crystal Antlers, Blonde Redhead, The Ferocious Few, Fleet Foxes, Flaming Lips, Delta Spirit, Deerhoof, Dirty Projectors, Fuck Buttons, Gutter Twins, The Grates, Grizzly Bear, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Lyrics Born, M.I.A., Neon Indian, Joanna Newsom, No Age, Modest Mouse, Peter Bjorn and John, Plants and Animals, The National, My Bloody Valentine, Sea Wolf, Tortoise, Vampire Weekend, Yo La Tengo, The Virgins, The XX, Xiu Xiu The wrap up: San Francisco’s celebration of indie music, art and film, Noise Pop has become synonymous with bringing exposure to emerging artists and showcasing a ridiculous number of awesome acts (see above for just a small taste) and is kind of like an annual precursor to South by South West. Spread across five days and various venues it requires stamina and can be cold, so rug up. noise pop website
Glastonbury Dates: March 2010 Location: Worthy Farm, Pilton ENG The bill:The only announcement so far has been U2… Reportedly, this the 40th year anniversary will feature a band from every year it has run. Bowie and the Rolling Stones perhaps? The possibilities... The wrap up: There's no explaining it - you have to go at least once it your life. A festival experience like no other. Glastonbury website
All Tomorrow's Parties - curated by Pavement Dates: 14-16 May 2010 Location: Butlin's Holiday Centre, Minehead, UK The bill: Pavement, The Fall, Broken Social Scene, Mission of Burma, Calexico, The Raincoats, The Drones, Atlas Sound, The Walkmen, The Clean, Sic Alps, Blitzen Trapper The wrap up: Not only were we blessed with the reunion of one of the most important American bands of the Nineties, Pavement, but then they were given the curatorial reigns on ATP! ATP festivals have gained a flawless reputation as intimate, fan-friendly affairs, inclusive of every musical genre - and set at a beautiful beachside setting with more leisure activities than a Club Med, you know this one is guaranteed to make for an unforgettable weekend. Don't miss: Pavement, Pavement, Pavement. Avoid: Missing out on a ticket. (TOO LATE - it's sold out!) ATP website
All Tomorrow's Parties - curated by Matt Groening Dates: 7-9 May 2010 Location: Butlin's Holiday Centre, Minehead, UK The bill: Boredoms, The Raincoats, Toumani Diabate, Danielson, Panda Bear, Deerhunter, Broadcast, Daniel Johnston, Amadou & Mariam, Shonen Knife The wrap up: Curated by the genius behind the Simpsons and Futurama, Matt Groening returns for his second outing as selector of ATP artists (he also curated Long Beach ATP in 2003). Don't miss: Of this flawless collection of artists, get thee to afro-beat duo Amadou & Mariam, and don't miss the fuzzed out garage pop beauty of Deerhunter. Avoid: The brown acid ATP website
Primavera Sound Dates: 27-29 May 2010 Location: San Miguel, Spain The bill: The Antlers, The Bloody Beetroots, Delorean, Dr Dog, Dum Dum Girls, Wild Beasts, Wilco, The XX, Japandroids, Here We Go Magic, Pavement, Panda Bear, Orbital, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Pixies The wrap up: With a history of ridiculously good line ups, Primavera is a celebration of Indie music - from the latest 'it' bands to the pioneering visionaries that changed music… Don't miss: Forget the new kids on the block. Gasp in awe at the legends instead: Pavement, the godfather of dub Lee "Scratch" Perry, and - hold your breath: PIXIES. Strap yourself in my friends. Avoid: Any new bands without a good live history. 2009 featured the infamous 'performance' from bloggers' New Favourite Band, Wavves, whose drug-addled onstage blowout was heralded a down right disaster and major disappointment for fans. Primavera sound website
Sasquatch! Music Festival Dates: 29-31 May 2010 Location: The Gorge Amphitheatre, Washington, USA The bill: TBA, but last year's headliners included Animal Collective, Kings of Leon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Devotchka, The Decemberists, Doves, and Bon Iver - to name a few. The wrap up: Set in a breathtakingly beautiful venue, featuring what has historically been an incredibly strong line up, amidst a spacious crowd of laid-back peeps, this is considered the great "undiscovered" festival in the USA. A genius community vibe without pretension and emphasis on the good times and Woodstock-like lovin' is what it's all about. Highly recommended. Sasquatch! Music Festival website
Coachella Dates: April 16, 17 & 18 Location: Coachella, California, USA The bill: TBA, but last year's headliners included an epic set from his majesty, Prince, that was apparently one for the history books, an extraordinarily huge and explosive performance by My Bloody Valentine that allegedly had people weeping, and an emotional Paul McCartney set. The wrap up: With a reputation as being thrilling, exhausting, hot, overrated, electrifying, visceral, exciting and unpredictable, Coachella is often followed by mixed reviews. However, it usually boasts an incredible line up with every night featuring dream acts (see 2009) and - as long as you don't peak too early on the booze - it's a marathon well worth signing up for. Coachella website
[dew process: 2009] London band Mumford & Sons have spent the first 18 months of their brief and youthful career touring like mad, and they are about to embark on another enormous list of dates - including a stop in at Australia's Laneway Festival, a jaunt at some of America's major cities, and then several shows throughout the UK. Just prior to the release of their debut record Sigh No More, Album of The Week spoke to the band's double bass player, Ted Dwane. Ted, whose sister currently lives in the home city of Album of The Week where they'll be kicking off their Australian dates at Laneway, told us how the band formed, the effortless recording process for the album, and his 'bi-curious' urges toward fellow band member, Winston.
It's no secret: Mumford & Sons have been one of the big discoveries of 2009. Their debut album, Sigh No More, has received its share of critical praise, but, to a far greater extent, an overwhelmingly positive response from actual people. In other words, by jove they're POPULAR. Perhaps, after a seemingly never-ending period of British music offering naught but indie madness (varying from very good [Friendly Fires, The Big Pink], indifferently throwaway [La Roux - by far the most overrated act of the year], and disastrous [Bad Lieutenant]) and the odd few dance and hip hop acts, people are relieved to be hearing the unfashionably different folk/country tones that feature dominantly within the Mumford & Sons sound palette. (PS "sound palette" - my apologies: it's the end of the year and we desperately need a holiday.) Upon first listen we had actually assumed the band was American because of the bluegrass, rambling alt-country, mariachi horns and Tennessee saloon-bar sounds. Album of The Week asked Ted about the apparent influence of American music on the band: "Absolutely - I can understand that kind of initial deduction from the record. We definitely have influences that come from every corner of American music - jazz, blues, country, bluegrass… That's not to say American bands or styles are the only type of music that we've been influenced by. When people get "accusing" about the country/bluegrass sound with the banjos and mandolins that we obviously really enjoy and employ throughout the instrumentation on the record, those sounds originally were derived from Celtic folk music - so it's much closer to home… Ha ha! Does that sound a bit too defensive?"
The album was recorded with producer Markus Dravs, the man behind Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible", who the band loved working with. "Markus is an amazing guy, and with Francois Chevallier - our engineer - they made an amazing team. We spent three weeks in the studio with them, during that time we laid down live tracks for all the songs". What was it like for the band to turn their music into an actual record? "The recording process was a really great time for us because beforehand we had toured so hard - over the last 18 months we had done nothing but tour, coming up with a lot of songs while on the road - and everything happened so organically once we had the songs: from the recording to the photos for the album sleeves." Despite the name of the band (the 'Mumford' in the title being lead singer Marcus Mumford), Ted explained the songwriting process is a collective effort. "So far the songs have been written by Marcus mostly but not exclusively. Often Marcus would come to rehearsal with sketches of a song, from their we - the entire band - would build the skeleton and eventually each person contributes to the layers to arrive at, what I think is, the Mumford & Sons sound."
Underneath those layers - the vocal harmonies, the acoustic guitars, sweeping strings and banjos - lies a collection of lyrics almost exclusively driven by romantic afflictions - some desperately lovelorn, some beautifully absent of cynicism - "only love will set you free" Marcus urges in upcoming single "Sigh No More". No doubt everywhere they go, they have crowds of girls swooning. We asked Ted if the sentiments are slightly exaggerated for the benefit of the song, or is Mumford & Sons actually a band entirely peopled by diehard Romantics? "Oh god - unbelievably romantic. I would say we were embarrassingly - tragically - so. Almost to the point of cheesiness. Truly, sometimes I actually pause and wonder whether or not it's an embarrassing quality…" (at which point I strenuously object, having gained a wee bit of a crush). "There are times when Winston [banjo player] will say something or have made some kind of gesture that is so ridiculously romantic that it actually makes me a bit weak in the knees - and I'm a straight, non-curious male."
Ted admitted that the hardest thing about being on tour for all the band members - being shameless romantics - is missing their "gorgeous girlfriends". Aw. What then is the best part about touring? "We've always been a live band first and foremost - we met as part of a little live music community based at Bosen's Locker - a live music venue in London where a lot of great artists - Laura Marling and Noah and the Whale and a lot of other individual musicians - would basically get on stage and perform each others' songs, backing other artists… So, that love of playing live and the passion for being onstage playing music carried over to touring - it's what we love to do. The best parts are meeting people - We've made some pretty incredible friends over the last couple of years touring as a band. I think we're all slightly nomadic as well - we get itchy feet if we go too long without touring. And then, of course, there's that age old ailment: the Post-Tour Blues. Touring continuously helps stave off those Blues.. or at least avoid them as long as possible."
Their reputation as a fantastic live band has been floating around music media for a while now - rowdy, passionate and sincere, and you can certainly hear on the album that the songs will sound great live - probably better than they do as recorded tracks. While this is a very accomplished debut album from a band that only officially got together in 2007, their are a few little irks we have with the record. On the whole, the album seems a bit too polished and controlled - there exists moments in some songs where there's a crescendo of dynamics, but there is something held back about the arrangements that stop them from really taking off. There is also an earnestness about the vocals of Marcus Mumford that border on cringe-inducing at times - although perhaps that's because I've become so accustomed to sarcastic affectations, over-intellectualised metaphor and irony coated in tight jeans from listening to too much indie guitar music? That's not to take away from the good points of Sigh No More. It is quite a lovely listen and the layered instrumentals are really impressive, while the more spare, quiet moments on the record stand out for their understated, quiet longing. So far they haven't achieved the same level of similarly folk-driven bands like Plants and Animals or The Clientele, but their single "Little Lion Man" is easily one of the most singalong-able indie rock songs from the year.
As always we asked Ted was what his Album of The Week is: "I've been listening to The Bowerbirds a lot lately. They have made a beautiful record and the songs are incredible - really gentle." We hear that Justin Vernon from Bon Iver is a massive Bowerbirds fan as well… "That totally makes sense to me. I hear a lot of similarities between their sounds. We played a couple of shows with Bon Iver and Justin Vernon is just the most incredible, gentle, funny guy… I'm kind of thrilled about the Bowerbirds connection!" Mumford & Sons will soon be hitting a stage near you, and we are definitely going to catch them performing at the Laneway Festival in January and see if they live up to their reputation.
Better late than never, here is our list of the Top Ten Albums of 2009.
