Black Lips @ the Junction 2 (the Shed), Cambridge, 11.05.08

Openers White Williams sound and look as if they've been asked to perform at one of their parents' wedding anniversaries. Their music is lustreless, their performance listless. Attempts at spicing up the dull glam-pop with randomly thrown in digital sound effects are ill-advised and the entire performance falls flat on its face as everyone in the room and on stage, including Williams himself, simply looks bored. In short: a spectacularly strange and failed choice of opening band.

It's a good thing, then, that garage punks Black Lips are more than ready to bring some buzz into the Shed – expectations are running high as these boys have gained quite a reputation for themselves with their often rather raucous live shows and stage antics.

As the opening notes to I Saw A Ghost (Lean) sound out the air is suddenly crackling with energy and it doesn't take long for the first drink to get thrown (in a positive sense). From scenester stillness to head-bopping and foot-tapping, from swing dancing to the obligatory group of crazy teenage boys jumping around and taking down anything in their way: every possible audience reaction is represented – the common denominator being enjoyment of the show.

Slight technical problems involving the bass drum somewhat interrupt the performance early on, but the Lips have brought along a repertoire of samples, jams, and witty banter to seamlessly patch over the bumps (good thing, too – read on!).

Anyone who has ever been to the Shed knows that it's not usually a space made for rock gigs. Yes, the central area of seating has been removed and turned into a standing area, yes, a stage has been erected, but no, no barriers have been put up. During the initial stages of the show, a lonely Junction employee stands on his own against the knot of bodies moshing around and slamming against the front monitors (there are even some attempts at crowd-surfing in a 'crowd' hardly dense enough to be called such).

The situation escalates as the Black Lips launch into their new single Bad Kids and a full-blown stage invasion runs its course. The Junction security man doesn't even attempt to get the dozen or more young boys off the stage, realizing that his endeavours would most likely be fruitless. There is much jumping about, dancing, and getting tangled in leads but the Lips play on bravely – even as half the drum kit (including the bass drum) ends up being thrown into the audience (I know. Wow.) and only cease when the PA system is cut in an attempt to restore some order amidst the madness. The above-mentioned filler is put to good use as kids are unceremoniously returned to the audience, equipment is returned to the stage, a short search for the bass drum pedal is undertaken, and the drum kit is reassembled. Everyone always says the Black Lips go crazy on stage, but there's just the slightest possibility that the Lips have been beaten at their own game tonight. As singer/guitarist Cole Alexander would later say - “Man, we were singing a song called Bad Kids, we couldn't really turn around and tell them to stop.” Some of these crazy kids even showed up in a big white limo.

The show must go on, and after what seems to be every Junction staff member on duty that night is called in to act as a human barrier the Lips resume their performance. Despite some of the audience members' most valiant attempts, the Junction staff manage to prevent any further major stage invasions (though once or twice a particularly resourceful individual manages a victorious few skips on the stage). Even a rather small and frail looking girl complete with flower in her hair is among the Junction employees now standing in front of the stage, but the kids are respectful enough not to slam into her – instead Cole takes the opportunity to crouch down behind her mid-performance and give her a kiss on the cheek.

Other stand-outs of the show include a smashing performance of Cold Hands, as well as the fantastic Hippie Hippie Hurrah whose whooshing noises are always good fun, particularly as the boys like accompanying them with ominous arm motions and finger-waving almost as if attempting to cast a spell over the crowd (which they do).

Drummer Joe Bradley’s faces are a sight to behold, guitarist Ian St.Pé's trademark gold teeth glint in the stage lights, bassist Jared Swilley's moustache is reaching impressive proportions, and Cole enjoys pulling his spit-in-the-air-and-try-to-catch-it stunt – basically, the Lips are on top form. Sharing vocal duties they seem to be having a blast on stage, and the fun is infectious.

What is remarkable about their performance is that despite their (admittedly recently toned-down) antics, they manage to pull together and slam home a set that is musically impressive and instrumentally quasi-flawless (disregarding technical issues). In short, the Black Lips are definitely a band to be seen should the opportunity ever present itself – you'll be sure to get a memorable night all around.

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The (improvised) set list was comprised mostly of material of the two most recent studio albums (Let It Bloom 2005, Good Bad Not Evil 2007) with a few other tracks thrown in.

(Not complete, and definitely not in order):

Hippie Hippie Hurrah
Cold Hands
I Saw A Ghost (Lean)
O Katrina
Buried Alive
Juvenile
Boomerang
Bad Kids

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(left to right: Cole, Jared, Joe, Ian)

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(the reviewer apologizes for any mistakes that may have inadvertently been made courtesy of useless memory, esp. re. setlist)

Something Old, Something New, Something To Look Forward To (May)

The second of my regular installments to this blog: in turn, a golden oldie, a recent release and a forthcoming work worth getting your teeth into.

Something Old: Wire-Pink Flag

Released in 1977, and like last month’s recommendation, Guided By Voices’ Alien Lanes, Wire’s debut is an example of how the saying “less is more” doesn’t always ring true, at least in terms of the number of songs: Pink Flag packs 21 into 36 minutes. Unlike the gleeful mess of Alien Lanes however, Pink Flag is a lesson in economy: songs are short, sharp and very much to the point, never stretching an idea beyond its worth, and every bit as minimalist as its cover art might suggest. A post-punk monument (and the first of a stunning trio of albums which would include Chairs Missing and 154 within just two years), this was/is a massive influence to so many artists, with Elastica being the most famously indebted band to Wire’s work (listen to Connection next to Pink Flag’s Three Girl Rhumba. Hmmmm, similar, non?).

If you like this try: Mission Of Burma: Signals, Calls, and Marches EP (1981), Elastica: Elastica (1995)

Something New: {{{ SUNSET }}}-Bright Blue Dream

I’m not quite sure where this band has arisen from, and bar their myspace, there seems to be precious little information available on them. What I do know is that with Bright Blue Dream, they’ve put together what will remain one of the most beautiful, albeit unsettling, albums of the year. The collection of sounds is wide-ranging, from the funereal drones of Moebius, the melancholy piano of Golden Reverie, the krautrock influences of Diamond Studded Caskets, to the oddly affecting country of Old Sandy Bull Lee: every track throws up something different, and yet the album works best as a near-seamless whole. The centrepiece is the stately 14-minute title track, which evokes the comparison of Pink Floyd at their most human. Perhaps not to be listened to if you’re down in the dumps, but listen to this sombre masterpiece late at night (or at sunset perhaps?) with headphones, and it will really get underneath your skin.

If you like this try: Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here (1975), Deerhunter: Cryptograms (2007)

Something To Look Forward To: My Morning Jacket-Evil Urges

The Arcade Fire’s Funeral aside, Z, My Morning Jacket’s masterpiece-to-date was my favourite album of 2005 (Funeral really came out in 2004 in any case). Z expanded their reverb-drenched (the stock phrase for describing MMJ) alt-country rock and folk and took it successfully in a wide range of directions. Evil Urges, scheduled for release in early June, should see the band expand their sound further, with several new tracks played at their recent SXSW performance taking a more R’n’B and soul slant, allowing Jim James’ already wonderful voice to hit new heights. The band are playing a number of UK dates in the summer, including a performance at Glasto: I hope to catch them in July at the London Forum. You’d be mad to miss them: one check of their performances from their Okonokos set should confirm MMJ as one of the finest live acts around, and up to now they’ve certainly delivered on CD too.

If you like their earlier work, try: Fleet Foxes: Sun Giant EP (2008)

CUR1350 meets Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Does It Offend You, Yeah?, fresh off the NME tour, are one of the hottest new bands. CUR1350 chats to Morgan Quaintance, guitarist and singer to find out more about them and what they’ve been up to…

The Klaxons were said to have invented new rave, a term they disavow. Electro-meets-punk-meets-indie-meets-rock outfit, DIOYY? are also not too fond of the label. Comment on guitarist/singer Morgan Quaintance’s multicoloured shoes as “very new rave” and he’ll tell you off, and that wearing colours does not amount to “new rave.”

As for the music? The label “new rave” works in terms of covering the repetitive aspect of DIOYY?’s more electronic-sounding songs, such as “Let’s Make Out” and “With A Heavy Heart.” But it doesn’t explain how live this is music which people can mosh to as much as rave, as the sweaty, heaving crowd, spilling over onto stage only too well demonstrated this evening at Bournemouth ibar. As Morgan explains after much deliberating in response to “define yourselves”, they make electronic music with guitars.

After the show, CUR1350 catches up with Morgan Quaintance to find out a bit more about the band…

CUR1350: Tell me briefly how it all started.

Morgan: Basically Dan [synths] and James [bass/vocals] started the band in their bedrooms and decided to make some sort of electro music. And then bizarrely, they got signed. It’s like some sort of Pinnochio-fairytale existence. They got signed straight away…About a few weeks after that, I met them in a club, and we were talking – “We got signed” “Oh that’s cool” – and then we just hung around for about year. And then they were like “We’re gonna do a band, and we need people to join.” So I decided to join. Basically, Dan and James started it first, and then me and Rob [drums] came in and got involved.

So do you have a main songwriter or do you share songwriting duties?

The main songwriter for this project [Does It Offend You, Yeah?] is James, really. My main focus is arranging and organising the live setup. So when you see us live….I sorta coordinate the show and direct it. It sounds so like a production of The Lion King or something – I direct how it’s supposed to go!

So where does the name Does It Offend You, Yeah? come from?

The name of the band comes from, they were watching the Office or something, and they were looking for a name for the band, and then Ricky Gervais said “Does it offend you, yeah? My drinking?” so they were like “OK, put “Does it offend you, yeah?” and cut out “My drinking?” It’s really strange cos loads of magazines are having a go at us for being pretentious.


Ricky Gervais is from Reading and you’re from Reading, so there’s a connection there.

I’m not personally from Reading – I live in London. But the other three are from Reading.

So are you the oddball?

Oh no, I’m just the coolest one out of them.

London tops Reading, doesn’t it?

Of course, yeah! Sorry Reading people!

How is your throat after that gig?

It’s all right, not bad, it’s holding up. Basically, what happened, when we played South By South West, we played six gigs in three days, I think.


That must have been intense. How did it feel to play it though? Was it an achievement to go out there?

Yeah it was amazing. But kinda annoying. Cos we f***ing smashed South By South West. We f***ing smashed it, man! But there were no f***ing camera crews, nobody checked us out, nobody was like “does it offend you?” And it was just sometimes – oh I don’t wanna get on my high horse – but, yeah, it did offend me. We f***ing worked our f***ing arses off, man. We went to a lot of shows and people were just f***ing standing there. We did shows like that every day but more intense than that, but I dunno. Whatever though. Cos the people who were there saw it, and that’s what counts.

So how did it feel to play the NME tour? Was that like a landmark moment?

Yeah, it was like a landmark. It was like our first big, mature step into professionality or whatever. We did a month’s worth of gigs. We got better at playing as a band, and we got better at handling hangovers!

How have you found the reactions to your album? Have you read a lot of reviews?

We’ve read a lot of reviews. And they’re split really. Some say it’s good, some say it’s shit. To be fair, I don’t really give a f***.

Isn’t it good to get a reaction?

Yeah, it’s good to get a reaction. And also it doesn’t really matter what journalists say. It just matters that people turn up to see what you do and see what you play. I think journalists have their own kind of agenda which is outside the arena of music. Which is like when you read a review, they’re really communicating with other journalists, and perhaps their employers and perhaps – I’m going to get in a lot of trouble [laughs] – and perhaps, it’s a dialogue with other journalists to show how much they know and how much better they are and how much they need to keep their job. Music is really something you come to see and experience, it’s not something you read about. I’m guilty of reading about it though; I buy the NME, I buy Mojo. I love those magazines… I don’t think we’re too fussed about reviews. Obviously, if they’re really bad…I don’t mind what anyone says but if they’re personal, it’s not very nice.

Yeah, when it goes beyond the music. Just to conclude – plans for the future? What’s happening the next two months? Busy schedule? You’re playing a few festivals, aren’t you?

We’re touring, touring constantly. We’re finishing here, then we tour Europe, then we tour America with Yo Majesty. Then we come back, we do Coachella festival, Reading festival, Glastonbury , Lollapalooza, Summersonic in Japan. Just constant touring. Gatecrasher Summer Soundsystem. We’re just trying to play as many shows as we can.

Last question. What is with the anime theme on your drum kit and the Pikachu on your guitar?

Basically, I bought that Pikachu on my guitar about 8 years ago. I don’t know if that’s good or not, but I bought it before Pikachu was famous…

That’s good. It makes you the trendsetter…

…or the weird guy who likes anime. The Japanese thing on our kickdrum is….we went to Japan a few weeks ago to do a couple of shows out there, and our record company in Japan designed the Does It Offend You logo in Japanese. And we were like “Wow, amazing!” so we got it printed. It’s awesome.

Thanks for chatting to CUR1350.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Ibar - 22.03.08

With an inventively named line-up consisting of George Pringle, Cut Off Your Hands and of course, headliners, Does It Offend You, Yeah? it looked as if the night was to be an interesting one. Which indeed it was.

First up, George Pringle turns out to be a girl. Unfortunately for her and the audience, technical difficulties – namely a dodgy mic – means she spends the majority of her set slagging off the soundman. Maybe her Mike Skinner-esque rapping over music from an ipod was actually good, but nobody heard it nor cared after the on-stage saga.

Moving swiftly on, Cut Off Your Hands prove to be a lot more fun. Lead singer Nick immediately launches himself into the audience, who obligingly bop along. In fact, it’s hard to resist their catchy powerpop, especially as the band are so enthusiastic. Albeit their songs all began to sound pretty similar but they serve their purpose perfectly as a warm-up for Does It Offend You, Yeah?

For those familiar with DIOYY?’s single “We Are Rockstars,” you will know that it is the dance-rock tune of the moment, with vocoder-galore and a great big dirty bass line. Now imagine this in a tiny, underground room, a foot-high stage, no barrier and one hundred people ready to rave their asses off. A recipe for mayhem? You betcha.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? get up there on stage and ferociously play their instruments with wicked glee, singer and guitarist Morgan Quaintance bouncing around on stage. And the audience respond just as energetically by….er, not exactly dancing – impossible in the crowded conditions – but moshing. It would seem that DIOYY? have succeeded in creating what Morgan describes as “electronic music with guitars.”

The repetitive “With A Heavy Heart (I Regret to Inform You)” with semi-shouted lyrics builds the atmosphere to a near frenzy when the song reached its crescendo. Instrumental “Battle Royale” is also clearly popular, complete with all the brrrps an electro fan could want. In a similar vein, “Attack of the 60ft Lesbian Octopus” could actually be off the “Return to the Forbidden Planet” soundtrack as it musically narrates the exact subject of the title.

“Let’s Make Out,” a particular crowd favourite, is delivered with full power high-pitched yelps from Morgan, despite him expressing concern about his voice. But nothing matches the reaction for finale “We Are Rockstars.” Bassist James Rushent and main songwriter, dressed in a bright green hoody, delivers vocals whilst staring trance-like into space. It’s a sharp contrast to the exuberant, forever-grinning Morgan, who earlier in the set, stripped his top off whilst singing Nelly’s “It’s Getting Hot In Here.” It’s an odd pair of frontmen. Yet the evident energy that all four members put into the show is what makes Does It Offend You, Yeah? one of the best live experiences of the moment.

Crystal Castles-Crystal Castles

I have been waiting for this album for over a year, not for lack of material posted on the interenet: Crystal Castles is truly a band of the Myspace generation, but more for a definitive collection of their work. The album ‘Crystal Castles’ is a success in this sense: 16 tracks of unadulterated electronic bleeps, but to me its the linking of each singularly awesome track together that lets it down. Crystal Castles as an act need to decide whether they are the kind of band that produces 3 minute or so gems of songs clearly definable from one another or if they are DJs, mixing them together to make a cohesive whole. In some cases, links between songs are more than tenuous: between Crimewave and Magic Spells, both of which are great songs comes a noise that sounds like a bin falling down the stairs: not good. Links aside, each tune on the album is great: ranging from chilled out ambience (Good Time and Magic Spells), to angst ridden, noisy electro (Alice Band Love and Caring and Xxzxcuzx Me). How do you sum up the sound of Canadian electro-rockers Crystal Castles? To me, their music evokes the sound your computer would make if it were alive, in the manner of the Transformers and the like: bizarre and robotic.
Stand out tracks: Alice Band, Crime Wave and Knights.
www.myspace.com/crystalcastles
If you like what you hear, they’re going on tour courtesy of NME and Topman in May.

Something Old, Something New, Something To Look Forward To: April

I’ll try and update this at least monthly, but here’s the format: I’ll post three alternative/leftfield album recommendations, one past classic, one new release, and one forthcoming release to anticipate. Also included are further recommendations by different artists, should you like these choices, or need some kind of reference point.

Something Old: Guided By Voices: Alien Lanes

It’s hard to believe that something this lo-fi sounding could’ve been recorded in 1995, especially when it is so steeped in 60’s brit psych-pop and 70’s metal and FM rock influences. But Guided By Voices were famed for this sort of thing, and while the shabby home production lends this a certain charm, these songs could’ve been recorded in any form and would still sound great. At 28 songs and 41 minutes (many songs don’t even hit the minute mark) it’s not an album that allows you to get comfortable, but more songs just means more great pop hooks, and when they’re as strong as the ones on Game Of Pricks, Motor Away, My Son Cool, My Valuable Hunting Knife etc. etc. that can only be a good thing. Alien Lanes is an album that seems to hit upon a brilliant tune almost by accident, only to discard it and immediately find another equally brilliant one to replace it. If you dig this, be sure to check out its even more stunning predecessor, Bee Thousand.
If you like this try: Times New Viking: Rip It Off (2008), Pavement: Slanted & Enchanted (1992)

Something New: Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band: 13 Blues For 13 Moons
Starting off as just the trio A Silver Mt Zion almost a decade ago, as the band has swelled in members and sound, its name has followed suit. Lead-member Efrim Menuck was the guitarist for the Canadian post-rock titans Godspeed You(!) Black Emperor(!), and his strained, off-key shrieks might make you wish he’d stuck to the instrumental rock of his old band. If you can overcome this barrier though, you’ll find that Efrim’s unabated vocal stylings are well suited to the apocalyptic drama offered here. 13 Blues is the band’s heaviest, most ferocious album to date, four quarter-hour songs that pound and grind away with visceral guitars and equally visceral cellos for the album’s first half, before moving into shuddering noise (Black Waters Blowed/Engine Broke Blues), and an unexpectedly uplifting finale with BlindBlindBlind. The songs have been honed over recent live performances, and as a result, the album is best enjoyed as a whole. The band are playing two consecutive nights in early April at the London Scala: I’ve got my ticket and if you like this album, I strongly advise you get one too.
If you like this try: Godspeed You Black Emperor!: F♯A♯∞ (1997), Arcade Fire: Funeral (2005)

Something To Look Forward To: The Microphones: The Glow Part 2 Reissue
Okay, so this isn’t exactly a new release: The Glow Part 2 was originally released in 2001, but is being re-released in April with a bonus cd of extra material. This is something I would normally be cynical of, but The Glow Part 2 is one album deserved of more recognition. In short, a cult classic: a startling mixture of achingly pretty indie-folk, crushing distortion (just listen to Samurai Sword), a wide range of other instrumentation, and Phil Elverum’s plaintive vocals which at certain points can make the hairs on your neck stand on end. Sonically, there are very few albums that can match this, its incredibly bare production make it one of the most stunning headphone albums ever conceived, and the opening salvo of I Want The Wind To Blow, the title track and The Moon are nothing short of mind-blowing. If you’re unfamiliar with the Microphones, this is a great place to start, and probably their definitive release, and if you like this, the album’s narrative continues into the band’s final release Mount Eerie (also the name of Elverum’s subsequent project).
If you like this try: Neutral Milk Hotel: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (1998)

Daunting horrible subjective lists:1 , Chiara:0 (a.k.a. The Top 10s of 2007)

I was almost hoping Sandy wouldn't be doing any of this "Top of 2007" stuff because it kind of forces me to, too. And I find it a very daunting task. Where did 2007 even start? I have awful medium-term memory and the years blend together. Not to mention it'll still take at least until this summer, maybe longer, before I get a chance to properly listen to all the things I want to that have been released in this past year. Who can keep up with all this, anyway? I need a little dark room with awesome sound equipment, the only disturbances CD- and occasional food deliveries. And throw in a far better memory for good measure.

Right. Enough of the whining. Count to three hold your breath one two three - BUT 1) I refuse to give useful descriptions for most of these as they're my top 10 and I don't feel like ripping into them critically and I also don't feel like trying to describe them for the sake of assigning pretty words - good music refuses to be written down, so just go listen to it, will you? 2) I refuse point-blank to order mine, thus, in no particular order (except alphabetical) - here goes:

*Note: artist names link to myspace pages because I am efficient like that and like to make life easier for you.
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CHIARA'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2007:

Amy Macdonald - This Is The Life (Vertigo)
What a talent. This girl, her smoky voice, insightful lyrics and haunting pop-folk tunes perfectly combine underlying melancholy with an often (but not always) upbeat glazing. Not to mention the production and layering is flawless.
Standout tracks: Youth of Today, This Is The Life, Poison Prince





Blonde Redhead - 23 (4AD)
This album had me from the first time I ever heard it. A surreal dreamscape constructed of ethereal sounds that flit away before you can really grasp them, leaving a soft aural glow in their wake.
Standout tracks: The Dress, 23, Top Ranking, Spring And By Summer Fall






Bright Eyes - Cassadaga (Saddle Creek)
I didn't like this album when it was first released: I felt that Conor Oberst does tortured introspective better than political protest or anything moving beyond the scope of just him. I've since changed my mind - while it's far from my favourite Bright Eyes album, it certainly delivers. The American folk roots take up an ever greater and more obvious space - hints have always been there, and the full-out expression of them on certain of these tracks is like magical release that has been waiting for years. Conor's voice remains melancholic and heartfelt as ever. If you didn't like Bright Eyes before, you won't like them any more after this album; but if you did, then this is a worthy addition to any record collection. Just pretend the track 'Make A Plan To Love Me' doesn't exist.
Standout tracks: No One Would Riot For Less (this is the track that convinced me to give the rest of the album another try), If The Breakman Turns My Way, I Must Belong Somewhere, Middleman

Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta (SideOneDummy)
"Gypsy punk"! - faster, stronger, crazier, more energetic than previous works. The added excitement comes at a price: there are fewer anthemic songs on here than there were on 'Gypsy Punks - Underdog World Strike' or 'Multi Kontra Cult Vs. Irony' , in part due to the lesser Gyspsy influences (there is also less singing in Eugene Hutz's trademark mixture of Ukrainian/Romani/Russian/insert any other language here) - but not to worry, there are plenty of other spices thrown into the mix, from traditional italian music all the way to dub. Leaving racing hearts and sweaty bodies, the entire album barely leaves room for breathing - except the ode to 'Alcohol' that leaves you just enough time to indulge in the song's subject. Party.
Standout tracks: Tribal Connection, Super Taranta!, Forces of Victory, Wonderlust King

Interpol - Our Love To Admire (Capitol)
This is as polished a masterpiece as has been created this past year. Songwriting as tight as this is difficult, but Interpol have managed to beautifully assemble elaborate aural constructions in which not a single note is out of place. Some of their previous works ultimately failed, trapped in the claustrophobic quagmire of an OCD sufferer's sock drawer. Instead, 'Our Love To Admire' easily soars above all this with the ability to both fill large empty spaces as well as seep into the tiniest cracks in the world's fabric.
Standout tracks: Pioneer To The Falls, Rest My Chemistry, Pace is the Trick, Mammoth, The Lighthouse

Lovers Electric - Whatever You Want ( - )
Most of the tracks on this album are remakes of previously released songs - remakes that are fuller and more elaborate than the previous stripped down keyboard-guitar-voice arrangement. Combining pop sensibility with a well-crafted repertoire of electronic sounds and singer Eden's stunning voice, this album will tear your heart out. I'm ignoring the technicality that the album is only available as online pre-release for the time being.
Standout tracks: Honey, Morning Sun, Whatever You Want, Love Waits, Could This Be, Stay Awhile, Closer........

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (Epic)
This album will never ever bore you, moving smoothly between soft crooning and loud aural attacks without stopping to take breaths inbetween - there is something pure and raw about this album and its energy; this is chaos with purpose that strikes hard. Enough said.
Standout tracks: Florida, Spitting Venom, Fly Trapped in a Jar, March Into The Sea



Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero (Interscope)
Trent Reznor did desolation best, now he does apocalyptica and dystopia best. It is difficult to keep up a consistent level of quality throughout a concept album, but NIN have certainly managed (I'll accept criticism that says the album doesn't quite reach the same level of intensity as older works, but what can you do? It's still more than anyone else has given us in the past few years in that area). Chaotic electrical noise, anxiety-inducing beats and entrancingly interweaving guitar is overlayed with the occasional glints of hopeful beauty in a note or melody here or there to form an industrial soundscape made up of sharp corners and edges of glass glittering softly in cold light; Reznor's voice is as loaded full of poison and sex as ever.
Standout tracks: In This Twilight, The Great Destroyer, My Violent Heart, Capital G, The Good Soldier

Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet (Roadrunner)
I said I wouldn't name a number one on this list, but this may well be it. Putting words to this would be a futile exercise.
Standout Tracks: all of them.








Ok, that was the first 9. For the 10th, pick any of the following:

Bedouin Soundclash - Street Gospels (SideOneDummy)
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup (Ba Da Bing!)
Fanfare Ciocarlia - Queens and Kings (Asphalt Tango)
Oi Va Voi - Oi Va Voi (V2)
Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position (Loog)
The Scare - Chivalry (Below Par)
Shellac - Excellent Italian Greyhound (Touch and Go)

Other Mentions:

DeVotchKa - How It Ends (ANTI-) -- for finally getting its European release this year.
Tina Dico - Count To Ten -- this hasn't been released in the UK yet (only her native Denmark), so I'm saving it for next year's list.

Things That Would Probably Make It Onto The List Once I Get A Chance To Properly Listen To Them:

Tegan & Sara - The Con (London)
Jason Webley - The Cost Of Living (11)

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CHIARA'S TOP 10 EPs AND SINGLES OF 2007:

Aqualung - Cinderella (Epic)
Aqualung prove once more that they do 'beauty' like no other. (And for once, a single edit beats an album version.)

Beirut - Lon Gisland EP (Ba Da Bing!)
Zach Condon's drawl and the masterful instrumentation of this is like a post-rain day in the countryside, dancing around in still-soaked grass. Or maybe an evening walk through the dimly lit streets of an old town in a music box.

The Blood Brothers - Set Fire To The Face On Fire (Wichita)
Masterful chaos with no barriers in sight? You know it makes sense.

Channel One - Permissions EP (SFR)
Dark, apprehensive, fervent, manic tension woven into an electronic soundscape with threads of breathy vocals that runs smoothly into aural explosions before stripping down to nothing... and back again. Side-effects may include accelerated breathing or no breathing at all as well as a feeling of anxiety.

The Killers ft. Lou Reed - Tranquilize (Mercury)
Why I would suddenly take a liking to the Killers was a mystery to me until I realized it was far more Lou Reed than Killers even style-wise. This song makes me alternately melt and shake. It's almost disappointing that they didn't collaborate for more tracks. This might be number 1 on this list.

Laura Marling - My Manic and I EP (Virgin)
I kind of want to avoid saying anything about her age - it seems to be the fate of young artists to get "they sound great despite their age" reviews - but, well, despite her age Miss Marling could easily keep up with some of the most accomplished female folk singers, and she does it with a freshness and charm that is inescapable.

Manu Chao - Rainin in Paradize (Because)
Reminiscent of his earlier Mano Negra days, this track is upbeat, bouncy, energetic, driven, fun, smoothly combining various influences into a colourful patchwork soundscape as only Manu Chao can do.

Oi Va Voi - Yuri (V2)
Combine Klezmer and electronica, screw together using plenty of musical talent, spatter some humour on top and fire off into space.

My Passion - BooMan ( - )
Punk, disco, 80's synths, a healthy dose of hairspray and you'll be ready to dance the night away.

Queens of the Stone Age - Make It Wit Chu ( Polydor)
Few people do sexy as well as this. Note that strictly speaking the single version of this would probably go under the honourable mentions, and only the album version (the guitar solo is the key point) would actually make it into this top 10. Details.

Honourable Mentions:

Battles - Atlas (Warp)
Editors - The Racing Rats (Sony BMG)
Evelyn Evelyn - Elephant Elephant EP (11) -- so, it's Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley, in one. Enough said.
Marcus Mumford - Feel the Tide Turning ( - ) -- not technically a single release (yet?) or any release at all, but a massive talent.
Mark Ronson ft. Lily Allen - Oh My God (Columbia) -- for being the track that has probably gotten stuck in my head the most times this year.
The Outside - Something Urgent EP ( - ) -- Ok, so I like 90s alternative rock with an occasionally raw grungy element, and these kids have just brought it to the future. Particularly the intricacy of the drumming deserves pointing out, as does the emotional capacity of singer Tree's voice. Track Gravity Never Buckles, The End Is Always Near is another contender for this year's number 1 spot. [see, this is where I messed up. This was actually a 2006 release, but since I wrote all that I decided it deserved a spot here].
Silversun Pickups - Pikul EP (Dangerbird) -- this was released a while ago in the US but only just got a UK release. Fantastic.
The Smashing Pumpkins - Tarantula (Warner) / Doomsday Clock (Warner/digital release only) -- the former for being elaborate and wonderful and showing the kids of today how it's done; the latter for being as good as anything the Pumpkins have ever released. Neither are in the top 10 because I hold a personal grudge against them for raising my hopes as regards the rest of the album.
Stateless - Bloodstream (K7)

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No, Radiohead is not on this list.

Conclusions:
+ 2007, despite pro-offering a few gems, was overall not a great year for music. The upside to this is of course that I had a lot of time to delve back and seek out older things.
+ Sandy and I, while we can co-exist quite peacefully, really don't have all that much in common when it comes to the fundamentals of our music taste.

So, what am I anticipating most about 2008?
Amanda Palmer's solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer? of course.

Chiara over and out
lovelovelove