All text by Jude Clarke, except where italicized: by Adam Elmahdi.
Photography by Leah Pritchard (LP) and Ama Chana (AC).

Pretty much any ATP Festival is cause for celebration. How much more so, then, was this, the last one of 2009, what with it being an actual proper birthday celebration shindig, in honour of the ten years of existence of these mighty and wondrous events.  That’s ten years of chalets, twee, noise, doom, drone, and every other kind of alternative and leftfield music you could hope to encounter, or at least a significantly larger proportion of consistently interesting stuff than that on offer by any other UK-based franchise.

Rather than being overseen, as is more usual, by a guest curator, this weekend was essentially a revisiting of some of the finest acts to have played, or indeed curated, previous festivals. There was maybe a danger that this could have lead to a stale, samey or predictable line up but hey:  this is ATP remember, no need to worry on that score. What emerged was, instead, perhaps the finest distillation of “essence of ATP” to date, that magical alchemy that manages to draw together a wide and varied mix of bands, musicians and artists and create something wonderfully special. Continue Reading

Broadcast have released a new video as well as a distinctly unseasonal story by Johnny Trunk as an accompaniment to their current release Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of The Radio Age.

This is the second psychedelic video in a series of collaborative works between Broadcast and Julian House (aka The Focus Group), soundtracked by ‘I See So I See So’ from their critically-acclaimed mini album. Unfortunately, only Pitchfork have access to the video at the moment, so pop along here to witness its glory.

As for the “unseasonal” story… Broadcast and The Focus Group also recently commissioned cult soundtrack impresario and Trunk Records founder, Johnny Trunk to write a literary companion to ‘… Witch Cults…’ :

‘Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of The Radio Age’

Some party. I only realised that the punch had been spiked when I started laughing at things that weren’t funny. I staggered out into the mansion’s highland gardens to get some air and to try and get some kind of peace and quiet in my busy head, but it was no use. Even outside everything around me became louder, weirder, brighter, darker, I just couldn’t seem to get a hold on anything normal at all. The warm night’s breeze seemed to blow me towards a dimly lit path that led me to a large, ancient walled garden. And right in the middle of this walled square sat a huge black cube, which seemed to be making peculiar disjointed twinkling sounds. I looked around and I swear that all the plants and herbs and everything planted was watching, listening and moving about to the sounds this giant cube thing was making. I remember thinking it was all quite enchanting but in the wrong sort of way.

After sometime (but I don’t know how much) I turned and left the walled garden and headed back towards the mansion. From a distance it looked very alive, all its windows full of light and moving colours. I wandered past a derelict swimming pool with no water and a broken springboard. I only recall this as I narrowly missed falling right into it. Eventually I found myself at the back of the grand house, where I stumbled in though large open double doors. It was the old meat store; a bright blue light was on and I can remember the cold, the dead hares, pheasants, grouse and a deer swinging from hooks above me. The pungent smell of death was almost as confusing as the dark and sticky floor. I moved on and into the heat of the vast ancient Kitchen. It was busy. There was a raging fire and a pig was roasting and crackling over the flames. Cooks were frantic. I was hurried on my way. I followed the throbbing of the walls and movement of other guests into the old panelled ballroom where the evening festivities had originally begun. This time it was different, much darker, people everywhere were wearing hats or masks or costumes. Out of the strobing lights ahead I could make out a pair on the stage, a man, a woman and an old tape machine. This was Broadcast. They were making rhythms and sounds I had not experienced before but they all somehow seemed in tune with the noises my mind wanted to hear. The crowd seemed to move and sway as one – I’d read about these kinds of “happenings” before, now I was in the middle of one. We were all under some kind of spell, entranced by whatever we’d unknowingly consumed and what peculiar vibes the house, the band and the people inside it could stir up. I’m convinced halfway through this performance everything started to go backwards.

The house was so big I wanted to see more. I found old libraries, smoking rooms and more oddness. There was nudity, cavorting, collapsing everywhere. One room I found had nothing inside except for white walls, caged birds and a grey parrot which made a funny ticking noise. Eventually I joined a cue of conscious revellers making their way up the large oak staircase. “What’s up here” I asked the cat in a cravat and shades in front of me. He turned and told me “use your key man, use your key”. It was then I remembered that the party invitation was a key, but only now I realised why.

Nothing on this first floor would open for me and my key. I carried on searching for my door, up another smaller flight of stairs and along corridors with walls covered in paintings of burning landscapes. Higher and deeper into the house I walked, losing all sense of where I was or how long I’d been there.

I can’t even remember finding my door, but clearly recall unlocking and walking into a candlelit room with a circular table and six or seven people sitting there waiting for me. I took my seat and the girl next to me whispered “this is The Focus Group…join hands”. The scene conjured up images of dead magicians, devil worship and something of my grandmother. And then the sounds started. It was like hearing a wireless being tuned into my life, as though someone was cutting up all the music I knew about and was giving it back to me but as a puzzle I couldn’t work out. I closed my eyes and saw my past and my future all drifting before me, memories of old friends, enemies, laughter, love and a touch of fear. I could see orchards, ships, graveyards and picnics. I was floating, swimming in sound and divine thought.

I have no idea of when, where or how I left the mansion or even got home. All I have of the evening are these rapidly fading recollections, the key and an unusual bruise on my left thigh. I’d like to go back again. But wouldn’t drink the punch next time.

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Originally we intended to run this as a grand finale to our Bella Union week last week, but due to being hit by terminal server issues which caused the entire site to die we had to postpone.

But, like a phoenix from the flames we’re back, and to conclude the amazing run of content from last week we’ve come up with something rather special. Who better to interview the man behind one of the countries most respected labels than you, the general record buying public…

When we first put the word out that we wanted your questions for Simon Raymonde we were literally inundated. From old skool fans of Simons old band the Cocteau Twins to folk who discovered Bella Union via the mainstream success of Fleet Foxes – it’s fair to say we had a mixed and varied bag. Graciously, Simon answered each question one by one, and here we’ve hand picked the highlights. Continue Reading

There’s pretty much one thing you need to know about Canada’s The Most Serene Republic: they’re signed to Arts & Crafts. A&C, for those not in the know, is the record label founded by Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew, essentially for the purpose of putting out his and his bandmates’ material, whether central to the BSS canon or side-projects. Cue early releases from Leslie Feist, Brendan Canning, Stars and naturally, Kevin Drew himself. In 2003, The Most Serene Republic became the first band not directly connected with the “BSS Massive” (as I believe is the name of their tentative hip-hop vehicle) to sign for the label. The lack of direct connection, though, didn’t prevent many – albeit justified – direct comparisons. Their debut album Underwater Cinematographer took way too much unjustified criticism, for sounding just like a Broken Social Scene record. Like that could ever really be construed as a bad thing. Continue Reading

Prego

Hinterland Festival is not a new concept – a multi-venue festival, where one wristband allows you access to hundreds of bands, art events and other goodies. Camden Crawl has been following this blueprint for over 10 years now. However, the concept seems strange and new to the people of Glasgow who had not experienced something on quite this large a scale before. True, there was Tryptich and now Stag & Dagger has made it’s way to the home of the brave, but Hinterland Festival is big, bold and ambitious, especially in these economically trying times

A few weeks before Hinterland is set to hit Glasgow’s most prestigious, cool and underground venues, there’s news that Homecoming Festival has been cancelled. The industry’s been wobbly for a while and it remains to be seen whether Hinterland will triumph.

Thursday 30^th April 2009
Thursday day, the box office is running slightly behind and Hinterland’s organisers are scurrying around, organising last minute guestlist changes and other bits and pieces. From around 12 noon, press and ticket holders dribble-in and by 1pm, there are huge queues as people hit the ticket exchange in the early afternoon. You can start to feel the buzz now as the kids don their shiny wristbands and head out into Glasgow’s grey urban wilderness.

As the evening skies descend upon Hinterland’s venues, you can almost smell the eager anticipation in the air. The bands and punters alike seem a little tense, this being Hinterland’s first year. Who knows what to expect?

We head down to The Classic Grand. The venue looks a little dilapidated from the outside but it holds two floors of music and dancing till the wee hours. London promoters and PRs, A Badge of Friendship, host downstairs events boasting a alt-rock line-up with Sucioperro, Brigade, Geordi La Force and 85 Bears. Upstairs, This Is Music, showcase sets from Fanfarlo, Meursalt, Orphans & Vandals and Trailer Trash Tracys. So that’ll be alt-rock goodness downstairs with hip ‘n’ trendy indie upstairs – sounds good to me, a bit of variety.

The venue is mostly empty as doors open, both upstairs and down. However, as 85 Bears hit the stage, folk seem to be coming in out of nowhere. 85 Bears mesmerise the crowd with their hypnotically addictive loops and melodies. They’re really revving-up the audience, showing these gig-goers that instrumental music can have a groove and a bit of bite.

Meanwhile, upstairs is a little empty with Trailer Trash Tracys bringing their own brand of “trendy” post-rocking music mastery to the fore. It’s a little like a watered-down My Bloody Valentine, boring in parts, nice in others. There’s not much of a buzz and maybe not the best choice for a first-on slot but they play reasonably well, nothing spectacular.

Geordi la Force

And so downstairs for Geordi La Force; no one really knows what to make of this one-man-one-laptop performance. The mistake that people often make is believing Geordi will either bless us with ambient electro musings or go down the Aphex Twin route. However, he sticks two fingers up at that notion and plays lightning fast riffs over grooving rock melodies. The music is highly technical but really listenable. There are also some really gorgeous introspective moments during the set too, good to see some variety during the set. The visuals that accompany GLF are a must. The “man of mystery” proclaims, two songs in: “The laptop is now going to read your minds…” and so in between each song is a random, yet highly comedic, set of clips form Robbie Williams falling on his arse on stage to Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers. By the end of his set, Geordi La Force has amassed quite a crowd. Love him or hate him, he’s definitely a boundary pusher and one to watch on the alt-rock circuit.

We unfortunately miss Orphans & Vandals for Geordi La Force. Seemingly, it’s still a little quiet upstairs, which is a shame as Meursalt take the stage. However, people are slowly flooding into the 550 capacity room but the buzz is lacking. Perhaps This Is Music’s bands would have been better in a smaller venue.

Next-up, Brigade, a London band featuring Will Simpson. Funnily enough, Will’s brother, Charlie (Fightstar) is playing a gig down the road at the ABC tonight and his younger brother, Edd (Prego) is due to play Hinterland the next evening – it’s definitely a family affair! It’s a little sparse as Brigade burst onto the stage with their explosive sounds. When you say “rock band”, Brigade really fit the bill. They try and mix up interesting melodies with huge walls of noise. The boys seem to be enjoying the night and eventually, a few hardcore Brigade fans make their way to the front and it’s not long before others follow.

We nip upstairs quickly for Fanfarlo. These Londoners play to quite a good crowd, despite the poorer turnout at the beginning of the evening. The music is gorgeous and it puts a smile on everyone’s faces. We’re also starting to hear reports from friends who’ve been hoofing it around Glasgow, visiting Hinterland’s other venues

Friends tell us that there’s a huge queue outside Nice N Sleazy to see Desalvo and The Fall, naturally, it’s just about at capacity. The Invisible are playing to a huge sweaty audience, Metronomy are becoming one of the highlights of Hinterland’s debut evening of musical delights, Cassidy opened Pivo Pivo to a full-on crowd and played a great set and folk are impressed and mystified by Edie Sedwick.

Orphans & Vandals

And so to the final band of the evening - Sucioperro. Sucioperro’s Dragon also features in Marmaduke Duke, Simon Neil’s (Biffy Clyro) latest musical incarnation. Dragon and The Atmosphere (Simon Biffy) are steadily gaining success with their new musical adventure as Marmaduke Duke, however, Sucioperro are not to be ignored. These boys play great, complicated, heartfelt rock. They are tight, succinct and have attracted a solid crowd tonight singing along with most of the band’s hits.

Sucioperro have rounded-off our evening perfectly. All the bands are milling about afterwards; chatting to each other, fans, press and the general consensus is this has been the perfect Hinterland opener. As A Badge of Friendship hit the decks, the revellers hit the dance floor to Max Tundra, Public Enemy and a little Soundgarden. We can’t wait for Friday!

Friday 1^st May 2009
It was a long night last night but bleary-eyed gig goers are not deterred by this at all. Another busy day at the box office it seems for staff means a night of good vibes ahead.

There’s an air of real excitement tonight as some quality bands finish Hinterland’s first year with a bang – Jeffrey Lewis, Sons & Daughters, Broken Records and This Will Destroy You are all firmly placed on punters’ agendas tonight so it seems.

First-up over to King Tut’s, hosted by A Badge of Friendship again, for Elks. The venue is really dead as the band start their set but they seem to win over the audience as they hit their stride around four songs in. Heads are bobbing, feet are tapping and, looking around the room, it’s evident that folk are really impressed with Elks’ honest, sincere and in-your-face approach to indie-rock that’s missing from the genre.

We quickly run up to The Art School, where Gigwise are hosting the proceedings, as London band, Phantom grace the Art School’s stage. They’ve been described as many things – Tarantino-esque, sweetly sinister, likened to Ennio Morricone – but I’d say they are simply perfection. The first aspect that strikes us is their perfect appearance, retro, glamorously classy but the music is simply divine. Their set is filled with a modern film noire themed quality to the music. Crystal clear guitars and haunting female vocals over firm beats really pound into the very heart of your soul. Beautiful.

We quickly run back to Tut’s where the venue heaves with Jeffrey Lewis fans. As Jeffrey hits the stage, the venue stops letting people in. It’s so great to see Jeffrey Lewis and his band The Junkyard, play a smaller venue like this, which actually suits his music so much better. His honest lyrical style and music bring such a cheer to the venue tonight. I’m almost dancing with happiness; this is definitely my Hinterland highlight so far.

It’s over in almost a flash, I enjoyed the set so much I hardly notice the time and we stay for Dinosaur Pile-Up. Dinosaur Pile-Up are part of the amazing Leeds music seen that has nurtured bands such as Sky Larkin, Wintermute and These Monsters amongst others – an all of whom are playing Hinterland too. These guys make quite a racket. There’s something almost early Melvins about this band and that is never a bad thing. The venue is not as busy as it was for Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard but for a band of this nature, there are still a fair few people here, at least 150 – not bad for a Leeds band in Glasgow town.

We Were Promised Jetpacks

Tut’s finishes relatively early so it’s aftershow time! The Fruitmarket is the place to be for all Hinterland partygoers. As we arrive, Alex (Skulljuice) is already deep in tune “spinnage”. Hinterlanders seem to love the odd noises and dance-based beats. Not really our thing, we do a bit of people watching for a while until The Count & Sinden come one. As this DJ duo hit the decks, everyone is really revved up and, of course, Simian Mobile Disco’s DJ set round-off a perfect two days of music, art, clubs and fun!

Having experienced many a festival in my time, Hinterland was very well organised. Despite the price, which may change next year if the promoters take note, many people I talked to had the chance to see at least six, if not seven bands per evening. There were queues at some venues but the waiting times weren’t long and buzz bands like Glasgow’s We Were Promised Jetpacks, were always bound to attract a huge crowd in their hometown.

The idea of smaller bands having their time to shine amongst the big boys is a great idea. It’s also good to see a blend of genres from rock, doom and indie to dance, experimental music, electro and a plethora of DJ sets around the city. Hinterland should definitely be an example to all multi-venue festivals – defiant in the face of “selling out”.

The organisers brought a little cheer to a usually dreary Glasgow and, more importantly, Hinterland brought bands, musicians, labels, A&Rs and thousands of people to a small city in a time of economic crisis. We should all support independent events in the hope of boosting our local economy, discovering a new band or two and bringing a little cheer in what seems like a serious time for all of us. Hinterland is shining the light, let them lead the way!

Photographs courtest of Heidi Kuisma

(Last update: 28th May)

Ah, the great British festival. Pay over the odds for a ticket, camp on a damp incline in a field that turns brown at the first sign of drizzle, clump what seems like miles between stages past people who still think loon pants and glowsticks are fashionable, get fleeced for drinks and listen to a clodhopping post-landfill indie band through a murky sound system. Can’t beat it.

This is TLOBF’s list of every festival this summer in the UK worth bothering with. All prices given are for full weekend camping tickets and all details are correct at time of going to press.

We will update this as and when new acts get confirmed making it (hopefully) your one stop shop for all Festival shenanigans.

Continue Reading

Explosions In The Sky

Fleet Foxes and Explosions In The Sky have been confirmed for headline slots at the End of the Road Festival 2009, with other confirmations including Okkervil River, Magnolia Electric Co, The Broken Family Band, The Acorn, The Dodos and Mumford and Sons.

Little need be said here about Fleet Foxes except that it’s hard to think of a better place to see them play than the leafy Garden Stage, with a glass of local cider and a peacock meandering about nearby. They’ll be headlining on the Saturday, with fellow Bella Union label mates Explosions in the Sky taking the Friday slot.

In alphabetical order, the full list of artists announced today is as follows: Continue Reading

Essentially, Our Broken Garden is Anna Brønsted, a Danish singer-songwriter. Together with her band, she becomes Our Broken Garden and her first full-length release consists of this, When Your Blackening Shows. It’s the most boring album I’ve ever heard.

Be careful not to read too much into that. The property of being boring is as subjective as any other we talk about, and I can definitely see a small minority of people getting some, even a lot, of enjoyment out of it. The trouble is, this album is likely to be far too lo-fi, incessantly slow, and bloated for the vast majority of listeners to glean anything significant from it. Continue Reading

Bella Union are at it again – having recently signed The Acorn, Abe Vigoda, Fleet Foxes and Our Broken Garden, the influential London based label have just secured a deal with American born but Denmark based multi instrumentalist Peter Broderick. His new album Home will be released on 20th October which the label pitch as “a record of quietly breathtaking beauty, a gentle and subtle record which reveals its magic gradually over the course of many listens”. Judging from the tracks up on his myspace page we could be in for some what of a treat. ‘Below It’, the only track available to preview from the album, begins with a wistfully picked acoustic guitar with layers of multi-tracked vocals that eventually build into something quite wondrous.

Born in 1987, Peter has already played and toured with numerous groups in Portland and has established himself as a regular session musician for many recording studios, adding violin, banjo, musical saw, mandolin to M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel’s recent She & Him album. Broderick also guests on M. Ward’s new as yet untitled record. In mid 2007, Peter was invited by the Danish ensemble Efterklang, to move to Copenhagen and join their live band. He thus dropped his entire life in Portland, Oregon and moved across the world, spending much of the past year on the road with them.

Peter will be in the UK in September as opening act for the incredible Wildbirds and Peacdrums. Sure to be a great show – Wildbirds.. are one of the best live acts I’ve seen in a long time. Those dates for your diary are:

September
8th – Deaf & Dumb Institute, Manchester
9th – Pavilio, Belfast
10th – Crawdaddy, Dublin
11th – Brudenells Social Club, Leeds
12th – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
13th – Cube, Bristol
15th – Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London
16th – The Albert, Brighton

Recent Bella Union signee Our Broken Garden is primary singer/composer Anna Brønsted supported by a host of other musicians. Brønsted is a member of Efterklang’s live set-up, and it could be said that this EP carries a similar feel to that band’s work, but Our Broken Garden is certainly a different entity, with it’s own sound. Continue Reading

It’s been a pretty good year so far for London based label Bella Union. Not content with putting out what is surely to be one of the finest records of the year with Fleet Foxes‘ Ragged Wood, they have just signed Denmark solo artist Anna Broensted, aka Our Broken Garden. Comparable to Portishead, Our Secret Garden mix handmade electric sounds with organic instrumentation to create a deeply graceful, down-tempo style of music, with Anna’s angelic vocals as the focal point.

Our Broken Garden will be supporting Efterklang across their UK/Irish tour, including a performance at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Wednesday 26 March – SOUTHAMPTON – Talking Heads
Thursday 27 March – BIRMINGHAM – Hare and Hounds
Friday 28 March – SHEFFIELD – Corporation
Saturday 29 March – DUBLIN – Button Factory
Tuesday 1 April – MANCHESTER – Ruby Lounge
Wednesday 2 April – LONDON – Queen Elizabeth Hall
Thursday 3 April – BRIGHTON – Pressure Point

Look out for an exclusive interview with Anna coming soon.

Aqualung, a.k.a. UK multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Matt Hales, is garnering a lot of comparisons with his new album Memory Man. Coldplay, Thom Yorke, Keane, Travis, Snow Patrol U2… some of these comparisons are well-deserved, though others are completely out of left field. Not all piano-rock is created equally; Aqualung is not nearly so boring as Keane, not nearly so pervasive as Coldplay, not nearly so preachy as U2… Well, you get the picture.

It’s best to cast aside the comparisons and listen to the album for what it is. And there’s a lot to hear on Memory Man: layer upon layer of Hales’ instrumentation, percussion and impressive vocal range. Hales is a talented musician, with more tricks up his sleeve than his prior albums might suggest. Cinderella opens the album with a tinkling piano that promptly explodes into cacophonous guitars then ebbs back to fuzzy vocals and angelic chorus. The five subsequent tracks follow similar structure, particularly album standout Vapour Trail, with musical ebb and flow, catchy hooks and lyrics that worm their way into your head.

The second half of the album sees the rock toned down a bit, and the “Aqualung” sound more prominent. The Lake is mysterious with airy piano, hymnal chorus and Hales’ breathily delivered vocals. Something truly special is delivered on Garden Of Love when the song comes to a near complete halt about halfway through and the lead vocals are taken over by Paul Buchanan (The Blue Nile). Broken Bones wraps the album up just as it opened, with fuzzy vocals and plinky piano.

My first take on Memory Man was that it was quite bland and generic. Continued listening, however, has unearthed quite a gem of an album that has something new to enjoy with each listen. In spite of the comparisons he attracts, Hales has managed to create a work of moody yet exhilarating pop.
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Links
Aqualung [official site] [myspace]

Its that time of year again when the best of lists come out. Bloggers and critics from around the globe spend far too much time contemplating what should go in the top spot. Does it really matter? Probably not. But I care and to start things off here is my top 25 of the year.

The Line Of Best Fit Top 25 from 2006

25. Loose Fur – Born Again In The USA
24. The Rapture – Pieces Of The People We Love
23. What Made Milwaukee Famous – Trying To Never Catch Up
22. Stars Of Track And Field – Centuries Before Love And War
21. Mystery Jets – Making Dens

20. The Dears – Gang Of Losers
19. My Morning Jacket – Okonokos
18. The Futureheads – News & Tributes
17. DFA – The DFA Remixes: Chapter Two
16. CSS – Cansei De Ser Sexy

15. Belle & Sebastian – The Life Pursuit
14. Fionn Regan – End Of History
13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
12. My Latest Novel – Wolves
11. Brakes – The Beatific Visions

10. Loney, Dear – Sologne
9. Howling Bells – Howling Bells
8. Bob Dylan – Modern Times
7. Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out Of This Country
6. M Ward – Post War

5. Band Of Horses – Everything All The Time
4. Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat
3. The Brother Kite – Waiting For The Time To Be Right
2. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
1. Midlake – The Trials Of Van Occupanther

Other albums id like to give an honourable mention to are:
The Early Years – The Early Years
TV On The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain
Josh Ritter – The Animal Years
I’m From Barcelona – Let Me Introduce My Friends
Tim O’Reagan – Tim O’Reagan
Ben Kweller – Ben Kweller
The Elected – Sun, Sun, Sun
Calexico – Garden Ruin
Sound Team – Movie Monster
Portastatic – Be Still Please
My Brightest Diamond – Bring Me The Workhorse
Tapes n’ Tapes – The Loon
Dirty On Purpose – Hallelujah Sirens
The Pipettes – We Are The Pipettes
Centro-Matic – Fort Recovery
The Kooks – Inside In/Inside Out
Beck – The Information
Metric – Live it Out
Forward Russia – Give Me a Wall
Lilly Allen – Alright, Still
Amy Millan – Honey From The Tombs
Cat Power – The Greatest
The Spinto Band – Nice and Nicely Done
Jarvis Cocker – Jarvis
The Strokes – First Impressions Of Earth
Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
Drive By Truckers – A Blessing And A Curse
The Velvet Teen – Cum Laude
Amy Millan – Honey From The Tombs
Snow Patrol – Eyes Open
Be Your Own PET – Be Your Own PET
Fields – 7 From The Village
Golden Smog – Another Fine Day
Grizzly Bear – Yellow House
Secret Machines – Ten Silver Drops
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Ballad Of The Broken Seas
Johnny Cash – American V
The Hazey Janes – Hotel Radio
Thom Yorke – The Eraser
Peter Bjorn And John – Writer’s Block
The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers
The Charlatans – Simpatico
Sufjan Stevens – The Avalanche
Voxtrot – Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives EP
Wolfmother – Wolfmother
Yo La Tengo – I Am Not Afraid Of You And Will Beat Your Ass
Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
The Magic Numbers – Those The Brokes
The Album Leaf – Into The Blue Again

Phew!, what a year. Really any of the albums between 1 and 6 could have been my favourite. All six of them are very very special records that, if you havent already checked out you must do so and quickly!

Some other year end lists from around the globe…..
[I will edit this as more lists are released]

To start things off here is the link for Pitchforks top 25 music videos of 2006. Some pretty great ones are included such as Lilly Allen, CSS, Emily Haines and ofcourse the video that im sure will scoop lots of awards next year Ok, Go.

Watch them here

Some other year end lists worthy of posting:

Amazon.com top 100 of the year
NME top 50 albums
NME top 50 singles
More Cowbell Top 20
Bridgets’ Blog Top 50
Richard Hughes of CD Times top albums of the year
Muzzle Of Bees Favourites of the year