The Black Keys - El Camino

El Camino is the seventh album from The Black Keys released in December on Nonesuch Records, and is co-produced by Danger Mouse.
Brothers, although I didn’t mention it in my Top 10 of 2010 has grown to be one of my favourite albums of all time and I couldn’t wait to hear El Camino when it came out and although it’s a real good album, it’s not quite on par with Brothers but I might change my mind after I’ve played it a few more times.
Everything has pretty much been done right with this record, the songwriting is spot on and every song, pretty much like it’s predecesor, has the ability to carry it’s own as a single and it’s for this reason I decided to pick it as my number 1.

Favourite Songs: Gold On The Cieling, Little Black Submarines, Sister, Hell Of A Season & Nova Baby

Foster The People - Torches

Torches is the debut record from Foster The People released on Columba Records in the UK. Arguably the best album released this year the band, initially a solo project of Mark Foster, has developed into something between an indie rock and a synth pop dancefloor band and their sound is quite difficult to pigeon hole.
Pretty much the entire world has heard Pumped Up Kicks which was also the first song I heard (in Topman!) which lead me to listen to the album on Spotify, and it was that good I brought it on CD more or less within a week of first hearing it.
For a very long time I had this down as my album of the year. It’s such a good album. Extremely catchy songs, and although most people will have heard Pumped Up Kicks, it’s about the most down tempo song on the album and the rest of the record it’s much more upbeat.

Favourite Songs: Helena Beat, Call It What You Want & Houdini

Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind Of Fix

‘Fix’ is the third album from Bombay Bicycle Club, and if you’ve been following me for the past 3 years you’ll know how much I like them. Their debut was my favourite album of 2009 and the second album, the acoustic record was my number 2 (topped only by Delphic’s debut). Their 3rd record represents yet another transition and although is a return to the electrical guitar based sound on the first record, it’s definitely a development.

Instead of the guitar riff sound on the first album, the presence of synthesizer and pedal loops is much more prevalent on this record as is the inclusion of Lucy Rose on backing vocals, who only serves to strengthen BBC’s sound even further. She made Flaws the record that it was and she also makes ‘Fix’ the album that it is. Her voice perfectly compliments Steadman’s on backing vocals and elevates the record to the next level. Although at times it is easy to get lost in the album, it’s a record that only gets better as you become more familiar with it. Lights Out, Words Gone is easily a contender for song of the year.

Favourite Songs - Lights Out Words Gone, Shuffle, Leave It, What You Want, Still

Thrice - Major / Minor

If Beggars represented the completion of Thrice’s transition into an Alternative rock band, then Major / Minor exists to complete that legacy. An extremely solid album that in my opinion, lacks slightly in lyrical content when compared to it’s predecessor but makes up for it with extremely tight songwriting. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to listen to this as much as I’d like to because I haven’t been able to pick up a copy but thanks to Spotify I’ve been able to hear it before I buy it and it’s definitely on my shopping list for 2012.
This album also marks what could possibly be the end of Thrice as a “full time band” following a statement from Dustin on Thrice.net that the band wasn’t breaking up but taking a break…

Favourite Songs - Yellow Belly, Cataracts & Call It In The Air

The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar

The Big Roar is the debut album from Welsh band, The Joy Formidable and released at the start of the year on Atlantic Records.
When I first heard this record I thought i’d already heard the album of the year. It’s an alternative heavy guitar based record that isn’t afraid to deviate at times into a progressive rock behemoth and for a debut record, there is a showcase of musical talent and experience on display.

Although this clocks in at number 5 in my lost, a nod of mention should go to Friendly Fires - Pala, Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones, Metronomy - The English Riveria & She & Him - A Very She & Him Christmas which are all great albums but haven’t made it into my top 5.

Favourite Songs: The Magnifying Glass, Austere, A Heavy Abacus & Cradle

Bombay Bicycle Club - I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose

I’ve already vented how I feel about this album quite alot already, which you can read here so I’ll avoid going over old ground…

This for me was the best record of 2009 for the following reasons:

1. The entire album flows perfectly from the opening song to the closing. At no point does the record die off, even at ‘Always Like This’ which in comparison with the rest of the record, bar the final track, is one of the slower ones.
2. This was the most refreshing and uplifting sound I had heard in a very long time. The whole ‘nothing new’ argument could still apply because of the “jingly jangly” guitar riffs mixed with good old fashioned indie rock riffing, but Jack’s vocals are amazing, and it seems to knit everything together perfectly making the whole record sound fresh and original even if it does take shades from other bands
3. Every single track has the ability to carry it’s own as a single release. There seriously isn’t a weak song, or a filler song on the entire album. Even the closing track ‘The Giantess’ which is a slower, live session recording could hold it’s own.

I could probably go on, if I sat here all day and thought of things, but I think I’m in danger of waffling on too much.
I cannot stress how good a record I think this is, it seems to have captured perfectly the live spirit of the band and produced the most catchy, enjoyable album I’ve heard in a very long time. I hate it when reviewers compare bands to other, more established acts, but there’s shades of Bloc Party, Editors, Interpol perhaps even early Libertines-ish guitar work in here, but instead of churning out the same old Brit-Pop sound, B.B.C. seem to have re-invented it and injected it with a youthful exuberance and made an outstanding debut record in the process.

Favourite Tracks: Lamplight, Dust On The Ground, Cancel On Me, The Hill

Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone!

Probably one of the most amusing and entertaining live bands to come around for a while, Scottish six piece Dananananaykroyd, who take their name from the actor of the same uh… name, released their debut full length in April on Best Before (records). There’s already been shit loads of reviews, hype, and stuff about this already so to be honest it’s difficult to think of something to say that hasn’t been said already over and over and over and over.

It’s an unrelenting punk rock attack at times evolving into early 90’s grunge, and peppered with sassy hardcore influences drawing comparisons to The Blood Brothers. To be honest, that’s why I got into them, coz I loved The Blood Brothers.
The whole album is so full of fizzy hyperactivitity it’s impossible not to enjoy yourself listening to it, however underneath all of the fun and fucking around there exists a much experienced and intellectual voice pitching this miles and miles away from just another party album by the likes of, oh say, Andrew W.K. Also the rehashing and re-recording of earlier songs like ‘Pink Sabbath’, ‘The Greater than Symbol…’ and ‘1993’ all sound so polished and perfected it’s amazing. I think this was in my car stereo for about 2 weeks…

This record is just awesome, basically.

Favourite Songs: The Greater Than Symbol & The Hash, Totally Bone, One Chance, 1993

Florence & The Machine - Lungs

The hotly anticipated debut from Florence Welch et al was released in 6th July 2009, same week as Bombay Bicycle Club and both of Island Records. The record builds on the anthemic and euphoric sound first debuted on early single releases of ‘Dog Days Are Over’ and ‘Rabbit Heart’, however it is taken to a wholly impressive new level and is at it’s strongest point on tracks such as ‘Howl’ and ‘Cosmic Song’. It’s hard to “pigeon hole” the sound of Florence & The Machine, being somewhere between Soul, Baroque and at times a more expressive kind of Indie Pop… I hate putting things into Genres anyway… You have probably heard the cover of ‘You Got The Love’ which features as the last song on the album, and if you were lucky enough to get the 2 disc limited edition release you were also treated to ‘Bird Song’ which should have taken the place of ‘You Got The Love’ on the album in my opinion, but before ‘Blinding’ so that would be the last song…

Easily one of the best records of the year, peaking at number 2 in the UK Charts (Not that that is important!) and taking ‘Florence Robot Is A Machine’ (Thanks Wiki!) from underground indie cult Heroine to mainstream media Princess.

Favourite Songs: Girl With One Eye, Howl, Hurricane Drunk, Drumming Song

Frank Turner - Poetry Of The Deed

Sometimes when a band or musician release an album almost 18 months after their previous album, it sets alarm bells ringing. Luckily, this is the exception to the rule. Poetry Of The Deed is the first record by Frank recorded with a ‘full band’ written of the strength of an extensive UK, European and American tour, and it is clear by the album’s sound that Frank and has grown from strength to strength, leaving behind the ‘Acoustic Troubadour’ tag he had been associated with and produced a record more akin to a “folk rock” records. The Frank Turner songwriting is still prevalent, especially in ‘Try This At Home’, ‘Sons Of Liberty’ and ‘Journey Of The Magi’ however, it is now reinforced with both the creative input and influence of the rest of his band and it brings a conclusion to the direction that began with ‘Love, Ire & Song’.

Having followed Frank from his humble acoustic beginnings, posthumously from his split with Million Dead (I remember the 4 track bedroom demos!), it’s exciting to see the mainstream culture starting to acknowledge how talented Frank is, with ‘The Road’, first single from the album enjoying extensive radio airplay.

Favourite Songs: Live Fast Die Old, Isabel, Sons Of Liberty, Richard Devine

The Cribs - Ignore The Ignorant

I could never really get into The Cribs, I liked ‘Men’s Needs’ the track, but I gave the album a listen and it just didn’t work for me, I found them a bit awkward and truth be told I just thought they were an average rock band… and I forgot about them. Then I was watching MTV2 and ‘Cheat On Me’ came on, and I couldn’t get over how much of a good song it was. The rest of the album follows in pretty much the same suit, with jangly guitar work courtesy of Johnny Marr (who is know with The Cribs full time for the time being…) and outstanding, catchy sing-a-long lyrics provided by Gary and Ryan Jarman, the whole record is a solid effort and easily one of the most enjoyable and listenable Indie Rock albums to be produced within the last 3 years. Whether it’s the sound of a band who have matured to mainstream culture without (!) forgetting their DIY roots or maybe it’s just because Marr’s catchy guitar work reinforces The Cribs already prevailing sound, it makes for a very entertaining record and a shining example of the British Indie Rock scene.

Favourite Songs: Hari Kari, Nothing, Victim Of Mass Production