Albums of the Year 2009

The art of list making is what separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom (imagine manatees debating the top 10 sexiest videos of the noughties) and with that in mind here’s my choice of the 20 best albums of 2009 (plus the five worst). Discuss away...  

The Top 20

1.    Japandroids – Post Nothing (Polyvinyl)

Scuzzy and fuzzy with lyrics that border on both childlike simplicity and swooning genius (the closing refrain of ‘Wet Hair’ proclaims, “Let’s get to France/So we can French kiss some French girls” – how great is that?), Japandroids’ debut hits top spot for just being so exquisitely tilted between garage messiness and perfect pop melodies that I’ve listened to it nearly every day since its release.

2.    Future Of The Left – Travels With Myself And Another (4AD)

Riffs capable of levelling entire cities, basslines so full of dirty funk they’ll give you STDs and filthy synths straight from the bowels of a debauched hell. That’s enough to justify its placement before you even get to the lyrics. Album number two from the Cardiff based punks takes the blueprints laid down with previous band Mclusky and the critically acclaimed debut ‘Curses’ and ramps everything up to deliver a set of tunes to rival the best of Shellac, Pixies and Nirvana.

3.    Dananananaykroyd – Hey Everyone (Best Before)

Let’s start with the name. Some love it, some hate it – me, I think it’s fucking genius but I never type the right amount of ‘an’ when I try to spell it which is really annoying. The music sits alongside Johnny Foreigner and Los Campesinos! in the sense that it originates in twee but manages to be punk as fuck whilst also being a guaranteed highlight on any indie dancefloor. In at number three mainly for the brilliant opening to ‘Watch This’.      

 

4.    A Place To Bury Strangers – Exploding Head (Mute)

They’ve been called “the most ear-shatteringly loud garage/shoegaze band you'll ever hear” which was good enough for me to be positively dripping with excitement when a copy turned up in the office. It’s all very Jesus and Mary Chain (although that’s obviously no bad thing) and reawakened my love of all things melodic but noisy just when I thought the rest of ’09 was going to be drowning in electronica.

5.    Pissed Jeans – King Of Jeans (Sub Pop)

Love Flipper, The Jesus Lizard or Tad? Then Pissed Jeans are the band for you. This is sludgy, riff laden rock that pummels your skull like a punk rock pneumatic drill. Sound unlistenable? Well, you’ll be surprised because underneath the toffee-like layers of noise lurk nuggets of pure melody that lift ‘King Of Jeans’ into the upper echelons of rock godliness.

6.    The Horrors – Primary Colours (XL)

There has been a tendency to treat The Horrors like a joke but despite the “look” the music was always fantastic and their influences immaculate.  I was looking forward to their sophomore effort but I didn’t expect the stylistic shift towards My Bloody Valentine territory that marked this as one of the finest albums to emerge from the UK in recent years. Atmospheric, noisy yet full of cracking tunes, ‘Primary Colours’ was the perfect response to the doubters.  

 

7.    Part Chimp – Thriller (Rock Action)

I’d seen (and loved) these guys live a couple of times before but never totally believed in their recorded output. This all changed as soon as ‘Thriller’ hit the stereo: a stoner rock masterpiece that owes a debt to Sabbath whilst never descending into pastiche. It wasn’t a hard rock covers album of the Wacko classic though, sadly.  

8.    Passion Pit – Manners (Columbia)

Having swooned to the gorgeousness of ‘Sleepyhead’ late last year, anticipation for Passion Pit’s debut full lengther was pretty high, but it wasn’t until seeing them live that I truly fell for this stunning band. A bit Flaming Lips, a bit euphoric dance and a whole lot fucking ace, ‘Manners’ marks the emergence of one of the best new bands in the world today.

9.    The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (Fortuna Pop)

The lush noise-pop of ‘Come Saturday’ hooked me initially but over the course of the year I came to fall in love with the entire Jesus And Mary Chain-meets-My Bloody Valentine (them again!) indie of this stunning debut album. As fuzzy, shoe-gazey pop returned to the hearts of music lovers everywhere in 2009, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart swayed beautifully at the top of the tree.

10.    Daniel Johnston – Is And Always Was (Feraltone)

The real Daniel Johnston (not that godawful name stealer on X Factor) has never quite reached the level of public adoration that his beautifully simple tales of love and loss deserve despite a critically acclaimed documentary and the patronage of Kurt Cobain. However, on ‘Is And Always Was’ Johnston roped in ex-Jellyfish man and Brendan Benson collaborator Jason Falkner to bring an extra sheen and the results are one of his most accessible albums yet. Let’s hope the public finally takes notice.

11.    Dinosaur Jr – Farm (PIAS)

One of my favourite musical stories from this year was the announcement that the new Dinosaur Jr album had been mastered too loud which was, considering how fucking loud the band are anyway, both hilarious and ironic. Did I send my copy back in exchange for one without ear-bleeding levels of feedback, did I fuck...the louder the better. Another masterclass in guitar noise and cracking tunes ‘Farm’ is a classic from the Mascis/Barlow stable. 

 

12.    Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications (Rough Trade)

Geek king of Britpop ropes in the geek overlord of US alt-rock and the finished article is nothing short of remarkable. Jarvis is on top form throughout singing his unique tales of sexual longing and mid-life fantasy over some of the punchiest tunes in his repertoire. It’s a far cry from the days of Pulp and arse wiggling at the Brits and all the better for it as ‘Further Complications’ establishes Cocker as one of the brightest jewels in the British indie crown.  

13.    Sonic Youth – The Eternal (Matador)

Sixteen albums and no signs of mellowing from NYCs premier art-rockers. After the commercial frills of 2006’s ‘Rather Ripped’, ‘The Eternal’ saw a return to the more challenging tunes of albums past yet still retained a pop sensibility that is rarely glimpsed in bands of such experimental leanings. ‘The Eternal’ also saw the band leave the relative safety of major label Geffen to take up refuge with indie titans Matador, hinting that there’s still a lot of life in the old dogs yet.

14.    The Juan Maclean – The Future Will Come (DFA)

The point at which The Human League meet LCD Soundsystem, The Juan Maclean’s second album ‘The Future Will Come’ is a supersonic ride through squelchy electro, retro disco and anthemic dancefloor mayhem. 12 minute+  closer ‘Happy House’ is so monumental it should come with a national preservation order attached.  

15.    Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport (ATP)

The authoritative stamp of producer Andrew Weatherall is all over this album and the result is a stylistic leap forward from ‘Street Horrrsing’,  the Bristol duo’s critically acclaimed debut. A leap which essentially makes ‘Tarot Sport’ sound a bit ‘Screamadelica’, but a leap nonetheless. Huge washes of sound soak the listener with aural beauty creating a sea of magnificent noise that you’ll want to dive into like a pig in shit. Awe inspiring stuff.

16.    Brendan Benson – My Old, Familiar Friend (Echo)

The greatest songwriter of his generation (my opinion, but I’m right) returned with a fourth album of McCartney-esque alt-pop after the slight creative misstep of 2005’s ‘Alternative To Love’. In the interim he’d become a full on rock god as part of Jack White’s Raconteurs project and the effects on his latest solo outing were obvious. The songs here have a bulkier feel and the delivery is one of confidence and swagger suggesting Benson may be ready to step out of White’s shadow to become a legend in his own right.  

17.    Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career (4AD)

Glasgow’s finest exponents of twee indie reached album number four whilst delivering two of the most gorgeous slabs of pure pop in ‘French Navy’ and ‘The Sweetest Thing’ not privy to a Phil Spector production. A band so heartbreakingly lovely that listening to them will make you want to hug all the breath out of the world before reviving it with tender kisses. Even for a miserable old punk lover like me this is pretty irresistible.

18.    Cougar – Patriot (Ninja Tune)

From the furious opening salvo of ‘Stay Famous’ you’ll get sucked into this astonishing record of instrumental post-rock from  Wisconsin’s Cougar. References to Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai are relevant but underneath the sweet guitar noodling and crunchy riffs lurks a percussive beast that takes cues from the likes of Four Tet and sees them more akin to bands like Battles.  Beats the crap out of most po-faced post rockers more interested in beard stroking than rocking out.

19.    La Roux – La Roux (Polydor)

I tipped La Roux right at the start of the year and having seen them perform live at a Universal new music event back in February I held firm with my opinion despite a bunch of industry bleaters telling me that the other acts that night (Gary Go (who?), Noisettes (what?), Melody Gardot (why?) and I Blame Coco (fuck off Sting)) were all more destined for stardom. Despite the hair, despite the hype this album shone through as a pinnacle of where pop music can go in the 21^st Century. Daring, exhilarating and damn-fucking-danceable.

20.    Vetiver – Tight Knit (Bella Union)

Devendra Banhart cohort Andy Cabic dropped this fourth album of laid back West Coast folk back in March but it has rarely been far from the stereo ever since. ‘Tight Knit’ is groovy yet lazy, funky yet half asleep but in amongst these contradictions lies an album of sublime craftsmanship and undoubted beauty.

Bubbling Under

Big Business - 'Mind The Drift' , Vivian Girls - 'Everything Goes Wrong' , Maps - 'Turning The Mind' , Alice In Chains - 'Black Gives Way To Blue' , Tom Morello/Boots Riley - 'Street Sweeper Social Club' , NASA - 'The Spirit Of Apollo' , Kong - 'Snake Magnet' , Grizzly Bear - 'Veckatimest' , Lily Allen - 'It's Not Me, It's You' , Telepathe - 'Dance Mother' , Cate Le Bon - 'Me Oh My' , Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard - 'Em Are I' , Manic Street Preachers - 'Journal For Plague Lovers' , Lovvers - 'Ocd Go Go Go Girls' , Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - 'Beware' , Howling Bells - 'Radio Wars' , Animal Collective - 'Merriweather Post Pavillion' , Eels - 'Hombre Lobo' , The Thermals - 'Now We Can See' , Empire Of The Sun - 'Walking On A Dream' .

The Worst 5

There's been a plethora of shit this year and I almost made this a top 10 (Alphabeat would have featured but the album isn't out until next year). However, 5 is enough for any man to have to revisit so here we go.... 

1. The Living End - White Noise

Lyrically banal and musically inept. Provoked endless laughing in the office even after we turned it off.

2. Kasabian - West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum

Oasis-lite dress up like extras from a Blackadder episode and attempt to go psychedelic. Results are a bit like watching someone pretend they are on acid when, in fact, they've only swallowed a stamp.

3. Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts

Dropped once then re-signed by the same label on the strength of one single. Single is a massive hit after huge advertising campaign. Album fails to deliver follow-up. My spider sense suggests another dropping is on the cards. This sums up why the music industry is up shit creek without a paddle.

4. Hollywood Undead - Swan Songs

Rap-metal, how very ten years ago. Now fuck off back to your mum's and get on with playing Warcraft. Twats. 

5. Reverend And The Makers - A French Kiss In The Chaos

No doubting the validity of the man's politics but musically the good ol' Rev just doesn't cut it. We've given you a couple of goes now Rev - stick to what you're good at (shouting your mouth off) and leave the music to the professionals.  

Opinions? Comments? - let me know your highs and lows of 2009.....

take it easy

Steve

 

Recordstore’s Rated & Slated #2

November brings five more personal highlights that have got me smiling like Simon Cowell’s bank manager and five low points that are making me as glum as Rafa Benitez when he’s filling out his team sheet.

Rated

1.    Jedward    Every...single...fibre...of my being says I should hate X-Factor for its dumbing down of the creative process, the lack of credibility, the sheer shittyness of the whole thing. It’s a cancerous growth on the arse of the music industry but one that refuses to be nullified by the chemotherapy of good taste. But Jedward, the very antithesis of everything I hold dear, are just so fucking watchable. Enjoying their bumbling village idiot shtick makes you feel as guilty as Pete Townsend doing online “research” and should probably result in social exile but just like Craig Charles after a drug bust you forgive them because of that cheeky charisma.

2.    Season 6 of Lost  Rumours, gossip and mis-directions litter the web as the countdown begins towards the finale of one of the most innovative, exciting and downright odd shows on TV. What is the smoke monster? Will Claire return? Is the Island actually the Garden of Eden? And how the fuck does Alan Dale get a part in every single US drama series that needs a nefarious patriarch...when he’s from New Zealand? All will be revealed....I’m so excited I would happily listen to every single Robbie Williams album in all their mediocre, smug twat glory...twice over... just to get the series moved forward a month.

3.    Flight Of The Conchords   Album number two has been keeping a permanent smirk on my face for the last couple of weeks with classic lyrics like: ”Make sure you know before you go/The dance floor bro-hoe ratio/Five to one is a brodeo” and “Chillin' in my store, doing my thing/When in walks a guy with his dick in a sling/I'm like, "holy shit, what happened to you?"/He said, "how much will you give me for the family jewels?"/I said, "ten bucks"/He said, "no way"/"Ten bucks and frisbee?"/He said, "okay"/And I took his sugalumps and put them up in a display/And sold them as hacky sacks later that day”. Whether they can sustain it for album/series number 3 remains to be seen (unless, of course, they put a whole lot more Murray in) but until then, sit back, relax and let those New Zealand minstrels keep you warm this winter with tales of cross-eyed girls, epileptic dogs and hurting the feelings of rappers.

4.    The Thick Of It  The only show so beautifully obscene they hire a swearing consultant returns after the big screen shenanigans of ‘In The Loop’. Political satire has never been so deliciously nasty and in Malcolm Tucker they have the most perfectly formed anti-hero in the history of television.   “I'd use the carrot and stick approach. Take the carrot and shove it up his ass, followed by the stick, followed by a nobblier carrot...” – poetry. But where the fuck is his untethered Rottweiler Jamie (“SHUT IT, Love Actually! You want me to hole-punch your face”)? The angriest man this side of The Hulk after he’s had his balls removed, covered in wire wool and stuffed inside his own foreskin. Seethy....

 

5.    End Of Year Polls    I love this time of year, not because of the Xmas cheer that is cautiously entering the public consciousness or the chilly winter evenings that demand the cosy decadence of log fires and steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Not even the magnificently hilarious sight of people slipping over on icy streets. No, I just love the publication of ream after ream of end of year lists. Favourite albums, movies, TV moments whatever the list I’m hooked in. Until, that is, I realise that Kasabian have topped everyone’s album lists and I have to leave the country in disgust.

Slated

1.    Spotify  I recently received an email from Spotify letting me know that the new Robbie Williams album was available on their service. Now, I’m not normally one to complain about unwanted emails as a) I have the use of all my fingers b) I have a workable delete button and c) I have a fucking life. But shit – I don’t even have a Spotify account (the whole concept just doesn’t do it for me) and I really fucking hate Robbie Williams. So all this experience has done has consolidated my loathing for one of the most overrated “entertainers” in Britain and ensured that I’ll never use Spotify in my life (although if they last another 6 months I’ll be surprised anyway).

2.    Giving up the booze  I spent the last month on the wagon after a particularly heavy night (details are sketchy and not for family consumption) and was subjected to so much abuse from those close to me (ranging from “what next? meat?” to “I’m not speaking to you again until you have a beer” ) that I felt like a plague victim in the 14^th Century ringing a bell and shouting “sober, sober stay away from the bloke who can string a sentence together and walk in a straight line”. Despite saving so much cash I felt like Steve Jobs wiping his arse with fifty dollar bills and feeling healthier than I have since I was 10 I only lasted a month because  peer pressure, even in your 30s, it’s still a powerful thing and, to be honest, drinking is bloody ace.

3.    DJing with iTunes   if you’re going to show off that you have a better taste in tunes than anyone else then at least have the decency to do it with proper records (or at least CDs – they’re easier to carry).  Djing with your Mac is like driving a Smart Car – it gets the job done but you look like a cunt.

4.    Famous People at Gigs  I was lucky enough to watch Biffy Clyro last month at the Kentish Town Forum (a great little venue apart from all the corporate HMV bollocks plastered everywhere) and whilst visiting the loo (complete with HMV logo) noticed three rather miniscule but instantly recognisable characters at the bar oblivious to the fact a gig was going on the other side of the doors. Now, they must have got in for free and have therefore taken up valuable space that could have been allocated to proper paying fans but the most galling thing was the lack of respect they were giving the band by completely ignoring their set.  These three “stars” – Matthew Horne, Dave Berry and the Stereophonics’ Kelly Jones – should be ashamed of themselves.

5.    Andy Parsons   the Mock the Week panellist has been getting on my tits for a couple of years now but my loathing of this man has now reached a point where even looking at his face makes me want to grab him by his ridiculous little beard and force feed his head up his own arse. The stupid comedy walk, the inability to tell jokes that haven’t already been done better by the rest of the guests and the way he starts every sentence with “well, yes, the thing is you see” etc just make him the most loathsome television “personality” since Peter Andre returned to our screens....whilst I’m here Gina Yashere can fuck off too

Until next time

Steve

 

The Curious Case of Devendra Banhart

The first time I laid eyes on Devendra Banhart was back in my teens when coming back from the local half cut and hoping to catch a bit of Jools Holland. The cheeky chap Holland was waltzing around the floor like he usually does, squeekily enthusing over each act. The show then cut to the middle of the stage floor, Holland promising "a wondering, beautiful, psychedelic minstrel". Despite looking like the evil witch girl from 1973 film Don't Look Now, Banhart performed Sight To Behold on some sort of Aladdin style persian rug, surrounded by candles and an entranced audience. 

Alas I was late to the phenomenon that was/is Banhart. Back in 2004, America became obsessed with him and a new genre, dubbed Freak Folk. The New York Times published an article, describing Banhart as "the most prominent of a highly idealistic pack of young musicians whose music is quiet, soothing and childlike, their lyrics fantastic, surreal and free of the slightest trace of irony." It is also interesting to read that they portray him as some sort of Charles Manson (a thought never lost on me) who has his own harem of musicians including Animal Collective, The Dodos and Vetiver.

After becoming the poster boy for a new but slightly rehashed genre and releasing two albums in a year, the American/Venezuelan became rankled with the press attention and retreated for another year. Whilst he was away, the US market was still keen milk the new found fame, Orange using "Little Yellow Spider" in their ads and the Hollywood remake of The Hills Have Eyes II eerily channeling "Insect Eyes" in the trailer .

The past few years have expectedly been no different, releasing solo albums such as Cripple Crow, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon and readying What Will Be Will Be. Back in 2004, the music press wrote that musicians flocked to him, now it seems it is the other way round. Banhart has lended his talents to the Megapuss album, remixed Oasis and Phoenix tracks and performs regularly on Beck's Record Club. Just last week, papers, magazines and blogs were rife with rumours that he and Wu-Tang legend The GZA were going to record an album out of the fact GZA remixed Banharts new single, "Baby". 

Released on October 26th, What Will Be Will Be is his debut release for a major label, Warners. Banhart himself joked "it was shocking that a major would want anything to do with me". Reading press for the new album, he has been his usual verging on the insane self. Snippets include telling Uncut that he'd "like to own Paul McCartney's foreskin" and that "Michael Jackson belongs to the same race of 'future' people who built the pyramids and Stonehenge". It is clear listening to the new tracks such as "Baby" and "Angelika" that he has shed his rustic sheen and is easily his most polished record to date. Unsurprisingly and unfortunately there is a couple of 'filler' tracks that have always followed Banhart's career but "What Will Be Will Be" is a reassuring case that he is America's most creative and curious artist.

Martin

Recordstore's Rated & Slated

Every month I’ll be letting you know what’s getting me all lathered up in a frenzy of excitement and what’s making me more miserable than Robbie Williams with a fistful of prescription meds.

Rated

1.    Part Chimp – Thriller Check out the front cover for a start: zombie arms, space soldier, laser gun – and that’s fucking amazing enough without even listening to the sludgy genius that lurks within. If you buy one heavy rock album this year make it this one.

 

2.    James Buckley playing a young Del Boy. The foulmouthed, sex starved star of The Inbetweeners is playing the sixteen year old Derek Trotter in a new Only Fools And Horses. Lovely jubbly!

 

3.    Flashforward  - will it replace Lost? Who knows, but after 2 episodes full of cracking dialogue, stunning visuals and a delectable premise (can you change a future that you’ve already seen?) this could be the most discussed show on the ol’ goggle-box for some time.

 

4.   Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 – I’m not a massive gamer but this is just too much fun to ignore. Take control of a bunch of Marvel superheroes in this updated Streets Of Rage style beat ‘em up that involves hours of button bashing but a satisfying sense of achievement every time you kick someone’s butt. My preference is to play as The Hulk – hilarious dialogue and maximum devastation.

 

5.   DIY gigs – why pay through the nose to see a second tier indie band fail to sparkle in Brixton Academy when you could head down to your local boozer and catch a plethora of hip young things plying their trade for less than the price of a pint? No booking fees, no rip off merch and no sound problems – rock’n’roll as it should be heard.

Slated

1.   People who bring their bike on the train. For fuck’s sake either ride the thing or get public transport don’t do both. You look all smug in your lycra get-up and your little helmet pretending you're super fit when in fact you cycle 2 mins to the station and 2 mins to your office (the same distance the rest of us WALK!)  and your bike takes up valuable space on the train that the rest of us could use for little things....like breathing.

 

2.   Lil Wayne’s appearance in the new Jay Sean video. a) Jay Sean is utter shite and b) Lil Wayne turns up looking like some weird amalgamation of a high school nerd and an alien who hasn’t quite worked out how to look completely human yet (like that fella in Men In Black)...and then he raps.....badly.

 

3.   NME’s dead Rock star issue. With a new editor I mistakenly thought we might be in for really exciting changes in the UKs favourite (only) indie weekly. Sadly, the “New” in the title has been completely ignored in favour of a whole issue dedicated to “Old” music. If I wanna read about a load of forgotten heroes I’ll read Mojo, stick to your remit NME and tell me about someone I haven’t already heard of.

 

4.   The filesharing debate. Bored now. People have been illegally sharing music for ages (I’ve still got loads of tapes made by my mates from when I were a nipper) and they’ll continue to do so. There will always be people who want to own and collect music (my flat looks like a record shop it’s so packed with records) and meanwhile there will always be people who want it for free (whether that be listening to the radio, copying CDs, illegally downloading or filesharing). The fact is the music industry had a lovely time for a while whilst everyone wanted CDs and sales rocketed. Now it faces the reality that there isn’t a universal format that people want to pay for anymore. Deal with it and move on.

 

5.   Kids wearing glasses with no lenses in them. I’m not having this new fashion for being a spectacles wearer. I’ve worn glasses since I was 4 ‘cause my eyes are fucked. I was called ‘four-eyes’ and ‘speccy’ as a kid and quickly moved onto contact lenses as soon as I could. Now it seems that glasses are fashionable...so much so that kids are wearing them without any  bloody lenses in them  - what the hell is that all about? If you’d spent your formative years with the nickname Joe90 you wouldn’t find them so pissing cool now....you cunts.

until next time

Steve

 

 

Dead Men Do Wear Plaid: An Essential Guide To Grunge

There’s been very few scenes during my lifetime that have had a huge impact on my life, ‘Britpop’?, as much as I loved Oasis and Pulp, it was horribly obsessed with its own Britishness and I’ve never been one to toe the flag-waving line of our motherland, ‘trip-hop’, too middle-class and cosy, ‘big-beat’ – too fucking dumb, ‘grime’ – give me a break....I was never a Goth, never baggy and never a skate-punk.  But, when it came to grunge I was hooked.

I was 16 when the sludgy guitars and plaid shirts of Seattle first started to take root in the lives of British teenagers and now some seventeen years later I still return to Cobain, Vedder, Corgan et al with ardent regularity. Records like 'Ten', 'Nevermind', 'Dirt' and 'Dust' kick started my adoration of all things heavy that continued into the discovery of post-hardcore heroes At The Drive-In and Fugazi, the drone of Sunn O))) and Boris, Queens Of The Stone Ages’ stoner genius or the new wave of hardcore exemplified by The Bronx and Fucked Up. To put it another way, without grunge I might be listening to the latest pile of unimaginative dross from Kasabian (its music for thick people, we all know it) right now rather than loving the gorgeous fuzziness of Japandroids or the brutal noise of Pissed Jeans.

So, why the nostalgia you may ask? Well, the end of 2009 is looking a bit like a grunge revival with Pearl Jam returning this week with their ninth album 'Backspacer', Alice In Chains (with a new singer and a distinct lack of lyrics about smack) unleashing 'Black Gives Way To Blue’ (their first new material in 14 years) and Nirvana finally releasing a live document of their legendary Reading festival show from 1992. Sources say that Smashing Pumpkins (or what’s left of them since they keep losing members faster than the Sugababes) have a new album in the pipeline (I’m betting on a collaboration with Keisha Buchanan) and Foo Fighters (the last credible band to emerge from grunge’s shadow) have racked up enough killer singles to release a ‘Greatest Hits’ in November.  There’s even a bunch of grunge nights popping up in the capital (and maybe somewhere near you) prompting scores of 30-somethings to dress up like lumberjacks and sway mournfully across the dancefloor.

With that in mind I thought it was an apt time to highlight the finest 25 albums that grunge gave the world (or the 25 that don’t include 'Nevermind' as everybody owns that....you don’t? What the fuck is wrong with you?). So here, in no particular order (they’re all awesome – just buy them) are my choices for the 25 finest grunge albums of all time:

 

Various Artists – Sub Pop 200: the compilation that started it all drawing together early tracks from Nirvana, Mudhoney and Soundgarden (‘Sub Pop Rock City’ is a mini classic). For a snapshot of what grunge is about this is the best place to start.

Green River – Dry As A Bone/Rehab Doll:  a bit Stooges a bit hard rock – featuring future members of Pearl Jam and Mudhoney, Green River were the genesis of the scene. They split up over the classic “musical differences” but their minimal output set the blueprint for what was to come.

Mother Love Bone – Mother Love Bone: not strictly speaking grunge but Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament laid the template of what would later become the grunge sound epitomised by their next band, Pearl Jam. A bit glam for some tastes but still a phenomenal record.

Temple Of The Dog – Temple Of The Dog: following the death of Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood this Soundgarden/Pearl Jam supergroup produced a classic tribute. Chris Cornell takes lead vocals but new boy Eddie Vedder turns up to lend his distinctive vocal to the brilliant ‘Hunger Strike’.

Mark Lanegan – The Winding Sheet: early appearance of Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic on Lanegan’s version of ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’ – which Nirvana later covered during their ‘Unplugged’ show. Lanegan has become a legend of the genre having also been a member of Screaming Trees, The Gutter Twins and Queens Of The Stone Age.

Dinosaur Jr – Bug: features the track ‘Freak Scene’ which (alongside ‘Touch Me, I’m Sick’) can pretty much be described as one of the ultimate alt-rock anthems. Again not strictly grunge but the distorted guitars and lyrical content were a huge influence on the Seattle sound.

Mudhoney – Superfuzz Bigmuff: features ‘Touch Me, I’m Sick’ – one of the most important singles in grunge history. They also sampled Peter Fonda’s famous dialogue from ‘The Wild Angels’ on ‘In ‘N’ Out Of Grace’ before Primal Scream lifted it for ‘Loaded’. Play it at your local indie night and look at the confusion on the faces of the crowd.

Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger: Soundgarden would become more psychedelic and overblown on later releases, but here they sounded like the coolest metal band on the planet. ‘Rusty Cage’ and ‘Jesus Christ Pose’ will get you channelling your inner rock god every time they’re played.

Afghan Whigs – Congregation: again not strictly grunge, but this Cincinnati band found a home on grunge label Sub Pop with their uniquely soulful take on heavy alt-rock. Not as good as the album ‘Gentlemen’ but that’s not available anymore (find it on eBay – you’ll love it).

The Jesus Lizard – Liar: a major influence on many grunge bands including Nirvana who released a double a-side single with The Jesus Lizard featuring this album’s ‘Puss’. This set was also produced by Steve Albini who went on to take control of ‘In Utero’.

Melvins – Lysol: another huge influence on Nirvana, drummer Dale Crover even played with them before Dave Grohl joined. This is one of their better early albums but their later heavier records are career highlights.

Alice In Chains – Dirt: one of the most intense albums from the scene. Singer Layne Staley would eventually succumb to the drug addiction he documented so vividly here leaving an engaging statement of one man’s struggle. A dark, unforgiving record but totally essential as part of the grunge lexicon.

Nirvana – Incesticide: odds and sods that bridge the gap between the heavy sludge of ‘Bleach’ and the pop perfection of ‘Nevermind’. Single ‘Sliver’ remains a high point of the band’s career but there are also some stunning covers including The Vaselines’ ‘Son Of A Gun’ and ‘Molly’s Lips’.

Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream: another band who rode on the coat tails of the Seattle scene although these Chicago natives produced their own unique take on the alt-rock sound of the early 90s which has never been matched. ‘Today’ pretty much became an anthem for the disaffected youth of America in the early 90s (along with Radiohead’s ‘Creep’).

Stone Temple Pilots – Core: written off, unfairly, as mere Pearl Jam copyists, this debut has remained a classic example of the grunge sound. Originally called ‘Shirley Temple’s Pussy’ the band were forced into a name change when they signed to a major but retained the initials STP.

Various Artists – Singles Soundtrack: a grunge movie directed by Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) featuring cameos from Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. The soundtrack is a stunning reminder of how exciting the Seattle scene was and features Pearl Jam (with the magnificent ‘State Of Love And Trust’), Screaming Trees and Alice In Chains as well as tracks from former Replacements singer Paul Westerberg and Seattle legend Jimi Hendrix.

L7 – Bricks Are Heavy: When not throwing bloody tampons on Channel 4 yoof shows, L7 produced some of the finest girl-grunge of the era. Alongside Hole, Babes In Toyland and the female-centric Riot Grrrl movement L7 rebranded women musicians as dangerous, sexually liberated and a match for any of the boys.

Sonic Youth – Dirty: this New York art band made better albums (Evol, Daydream Nation, Goo) but this is the record that saw them take to their role as grunge mentors with the anthemic singles ‘100%’ and ‘Swimsuit Issue’. They took the relatively unknown Nirvana on tour with them in 1991 (documented in the film ‘1991: The Year That Punk Broke’) and were instrumental in Cobain ditching Sub Pop in favour of the marketing muscle of Geffen for the release of ‘Nevermind’.

Earth – Earth 2: Their leader Dylan Carlson may be most famous for buying the gun that helped Kurt Cobain end his life but his band Earth, along with Melvins, produced some of the best experimental drone metal to emerge from the Seattle scene.

Nirvana – In Utero:  ‘Nevermind’ may be the album that turned the music scene on its head but purists will always highlight this as the band’s finest moment. Produced/Engineered (for the most part) by Steve Albini, ‘In Utero’ consolidated Cobain’s desire to make searing punk rock with a commercial edge.

  

Pearl Jam – Vitalogy: Released after the death of Kurt Cobain, Pearl Jam’s most ambitious and uncompromising album is seen by many as a direct response to their rival’s suicide. Lyrics bemoaning the pressures of fame and weird stripped down punk workouts make the album an ideal companion to ‘In Utero’ marking the two artistic highlights of the entire scene.

Hole – Live Through This: released just four days after Cobain’s body was found, ‘Live Through This’ will forever be linked to the Nirvana frontman. Rumours have always circulated that Cobain had a hand in writing the songs that feature here but whilst these remain unsubstantiated it is clear that Courtney Love was heavily influenced by her more talented partner resulting in her finest work to date.

Screaming Trees – Dust: the final release from Mark Lanegan’s psych-grungers and widely regarded as their best. Lanegan’s deep roar was always one of the most distinct voices in the grunge scene and here he really lets loose on tracks like ‘Halo Of Ashes’ and ‘Dying Days’.

Babes In Toyland – The Best Of Babes In Toyland: there’s not much available from this Minneapolis all girl band so we’ll have to make do with this best of which covers all the highlights plus some of lead Babe Kat Bjelland’s solo work. Interestingly, Courtney Love was once their bass player.

Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters: and finally.....Dave Grohl, having written a host of songs during his time in Nirvana, found himself without a job following the death of Cobain and entered a studio to record his debut album as Foo Fighters (he played and sang everything himself – except one guitar part from the Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli). The result was one of the few post-grunge albums that could be seen to rival the classic albums of the Seattle scene.

So there you go, a few notable mentions must go to Tad’s ‘Inhaler’, Paw’s ‘Dragline’, Brad’s ‘Shame’ and the ‘Hype!’ soundtrack which all would have featured alongside the aforementioned ‘Gentlemen’ by Afghan Whigs if they were still available (come on labels, how about some deluxe editions of all five?) but what you have there are 25 stone cold classics of one of the most influential eras in modern music.

Have I missed anything out or picked the wrong album by your favourite grungers? Let me know – just don’t try to put up a case for Bush or Collective Soul – you’ll get abused more viciously than Chris Cornell’s collaboration with Timbaland.

I’m off to go find my DMs

Later

Steve

 

September

I couldn't quite decide what to write about today. I've got a couple nice things in the oven but finally decided you can't go wrong with a good ol' playlist. September is a strange beast, it almost seems like were stuck in some strange purgatory waiting for the hell of winter.

Nevertheless, it has brought some alltogether fresh and exciting albums tagged alongside some well deserved reissues/remasters. So in no particular order, I present to you the month of September. 

1. Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man

2. Lemonade - Big Weekend - Lemonade 

3. U Roy - Stick Together - I Am The Originator LP 

4. Girls - Lust For Life 

5. Get Back Guinozzi - Low Files Tropical 

6. The Cribs - We Share The Same Skies - Ignore The Ignorant 

7. Richard Hawley - Open Up The Door - Truelove's Gutter 

8. VHS Head  - Starring - Video Club 

9. Curtis Mayfield - Freddie's Dead - Can You Dig It? The Music And Politics Of Black Action Films 1969-75 

10. The Big Pink - Dominos - A Brief History Of Love 

11. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - Song For Jesse - White Lunar 

After much deliberation there you have it, my first xi of slick september tunes.

RIP Keith Floyd

Martin