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Album Details  :   Mercury Music Prize 2005 - 09     Reviews: 

	Album: 1 of 58 Artist:  KT Tunstall Title:  Eye to the Telescope Released:  2004-12-13 Tracks:  12 Duration:  45:03 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2005	1   Other Side of the World  (03:33) 2   Another Place to Fall  (04:11) 3   Under the Weather  (03:36) 4   Black Horse and the Cherry Tree  (02:52) 5   Miniature Disasters  (03:31) 6   Silent Sea  (03:48) 7   Universe & U  (04:01) 8   False Alarm  (03:50) 9   Suddenly I See  (03:21) 10  Stoppin’ the Love  (04:02) 11  Heal Over  (04:27) 12  Through the Dark  (03:47)
Eye to the Telescope : Allmusic album Review : Perhaps its inevitable that K.T. Tunstalls Eye to the Telescope will draw initial comparisons to Dido, since theyre both female adult alternative singer/songwriters who bear a certain similarity in their vocal timbres. But as Tunstalls debut starts to unfold, those superficial connections fall away, as she reveals herself to be a soulful vocalist, a restless musician, and a serious songwriter. At times, she may be on the verge of being a little too serious, as her songs are tightly wound and earnest, two qualities that can seem slightly stuffy when her production has a glossy veneer, as it does on opening songs of the album. These cuts, while accomplished and enjoyable, paint Tunstall as a good but ordinary songwriter, halfway between Didos elegantly sleepy soundscapes and Sheryl Crows tuneful craft, which is an inaccurate impression, as the album quickly proves. About a third of the way in, the album kicks into gear and Tunstall is revealed as a kindred spirit of such eccentric contemporaries as Fiona Apple and Nelly Furtado. Shes more straightforward than either Apple or Furtado, partially due to the albums overly slick production, but also in her sober, uncluttered songwriting, yet her musical instincts, along with her impassioned vocals, edge her out of the mainstream. Slower songs like "False Alarm" arent sleepy; they have the lazy, jazzy undercurrents of Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, while faster cuts like the single "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" or "Suddenly I See" have an urgency that makes them compelling, despite the shiny production. But that production is the only drawback on Eye to the Telescope -- it certainly sounds good, it certainly sounds professional, but it may keep some listeners at a distance, since it requires that they look hard to find the unique songwriter beneath the glistening surface. And if they spend the time to really hear whats going on in Eye to the Telescope, theyll find a promising, satisfying debut.
	Album: 2 of 58 Artist:  Seth Lakeman Title:  Kitty Jay Released:  2004-05-10 Tracks:  11 Duration:  36:39 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2005	1   John Lomas  (03:52) 2   The Bold Knight  (03:51) 3   Fight for Favour  (04:03) 4   Kitty Jay  (03:12) 5   Farewell My Love  (02:22) 6   Blood Upon Copper  (03:04) 7   Henry Clark  (03:02) 8   The Storm  (02:41) 9   Cape Clear  (04:20) 10  The Ballad of Josie  (03:25) 11  The Streamers  (02:43)
	Album: 3 of 58 Artist:  The Go! Team Title:  Thunder, Lightning, Strike Released:  2004-09-13 Tracks:  11 Duration:  35:45 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2005	1   Panther Dash  (02:50) 2   Ladyflash  (04:12) 3   Feelgood by Numbers  (01:56) 4   The Power Is On  (03:14) 5   Get It Together  (03:28) 6   Junior Kickstart  (03:32) 7   Air Raid GTR  (00:39) 8   Bottle Rocket  (03:42) 9   Friendship Update  (04:00) 10  Huddle Formation  (03:11) 11  Everyones a V.I.P to Someone  (04:58)
	Album: 4 of 58 Artist:  Maxïmo Park Title:  A Certain Trigger Released:  2005-05-16 Tracks:  20 Duration:  1:02:05 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2005	1   Signal and Sign  (02:25) 2   Apply Some Pressure  (03:19) 3   Graffiti  (03:05) 4   Postcard of a Painting  (02:14) 5   Going Missing  (03:42) 6   I Want You to Stay  (03:44) 7   Limassol  (03:42) 8   The Coast Is Always Changing  (03:19) 9   The Night I Lost My Head  (01:51) 10  Once, a Glimpse  (03:03) 11  Now I’m All Over the Shop  (02:23) 12  Acrobat  (04:42) 13  Kiss You Better  (02:05) 1   Signal and Sign  (02:49) 2   The Coast Is Always Changing  (03:27) 3   Graffiti  (03:04) 4   I Want You to Stay  (03:43) 5   Limassol  (03:41) 6   Once, a Glimpse  (03:15) 7   Kiss You Better  (02:26)
A Certain Trigger : Allmusic album Review : While Maxïmo Park might be relative latecomers to the post-punk/new wave revival, their debut album, A Certain Trigger, stakes out their own distinctive territory within that sound. Sonically speaking, the Newcastle bands mix of wiry guitars, sharply punctuated rhythms, and atmospheric keyboards is nothing new, even when compared to their fellow revivalists. What makes Maxïmo Park, and A Certain Trigger, special is the way the band captures the joys and frustrations of being young and cooped up in a small town -- theyre bittersweet, angry, thoughtful, and funny, often within the course of the same song. Singer/lyricist Paul Smiths witty, occasionally poignant observations, coupled with his strong (and endearing) Geordie accent, add to the bands earnest, angry-young-man appeal. Indeed, Maxïmo Park are so good at writing anthems for love-lorn underdogs that they almost feel more akin, spiritually at least, to Pulp than to some of their contemporaries. Similarly, some of Smiths more quotable lyrics, such as "Postcard of a Painting"s "I wrote my feelings down in a rush/I didnt even check the spelling," recall those other Smiths, and the songs jaunty melancholy is more than a little reminiscent of "This Charming Man." Several of A Certain Triggers best songs were already released as singles, but when the songs are this good, its hard to complain that they sound familiar. "Apply Some Pressure" is just as addictive and smart within the albums context as it was on its own; as it begins with spiky guitars and turns itself inside out with a synth-driven middle section, Smith hopes to get caught stealing and wonders if hell even be alive next year, but boils it down to whats most important by the end of the song ("I hope that I will live to see you undress"). The boldly romantic "Graffiti" is very nearly as good, while "The Coast Is Changing" is sweet and soaring -- even the slightly cringe-inducing couplet "I am young and I am lost/You react to my riposte" underscores its heartfelt, if somewhat awkward, exuberance. Most of A Certain Triggers album tracks sound like singles waiting to be discovered -- like their friends the Futureheads, a big part of Maxïmo Parks appeal is hearing them pack so many musical and lyrical ideas into songs that rarely pass the three-and-a-half-minute mark, like the wonderfully agile "Now Im All Over the Shop" and "Kiss You Better." On the other hand, "Acrobat," a bittersweet, largely spoken word ballad propelled by chilly drum machines and synths, is a standout because its so expansive and languid. Now that some of the novelty of Warp signing a post-punk-inspired band has worn off, its easier to hear why they did: A Certain Trigger is a remarkably fresh-sounding debut album, with more than enough personality to transcend its retro leanings.
	Album: 5 of 58 Artist:  M.I.A. Title:  Arular Released:  2005-02-22 Tracks:  13 Duration:  41:50 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2005	1   Banana Skit  (00:36) 2   Pull Up the People  (03:45) 3   Bucky Done Gun  (03:46) 4   Sunshowers  (03:15) 5   Fire Fire  (03:28) 6   Dash the Curry Skit  (00:40) 7   Amazon  (04:16) 8   Bingo  (03:12) 9   Hombre  (04:02) 10  One for the Head Skit  (00:29) 11  10 Dollar  (04:01) 12  U.R.A.Q.T  (02:55) 13  Galang / M.I.A.  (07:21)
Arular : Allmusic album Review : A cursory listen to Arular makes one wonder how it could generate so much heated, in-depth talk, as it did well before its official release. This is very direct and physical party music, with lots of slang-filled phrasings that might not have any more meaning than "The roof is on fire!" or "Dizzouble dizzutch!" to Americans. Its music that is conducive to dancing or doing other carefree things in the sunshine, rather than what you should hear most often through feeble computer speakers in dimly lit rooms. So why bother discussing it at all? Well, below the surface is a lot more than anyones basic idea of a good time. The blend of styles -- a dense, often chaotic collage of garage from the U.K., dancehall from Jamaica, crunk from the Dirty South, electro and hardcore rap from New York, and glints of a few others -- is unique enough to baffle anyone who dares categorize it. Beats crack concrete in whomping blasts and scramble senses in exotic patterns; flurries of percussive noise, synthetic handclaps, and synth jabs add chaos; exuberant vocals are delivered in a manner that will be frequently unintelligible to a lot of ears. More importantly, once all the layers of rhythm and accents are peeled away, youll hear that Maya Arulpragasam -- the London-based woman of Sri Lankan origin who, along with a host of fellow producers, is behind the album -- has a lot more on her mind and in her past than fun, even when shes only alluding to the violence and strife her people have endured. The images that adorn the cover of the album arent present merely for the sake of design, either; the tanks arent a nod to the No Limit label. (Enter 10,000-word history of pre-tsunami Sri Lanka here.) The one key definite about Arular is that its the best kind of pop album imaginable. It can be enjoyed on a purely physical level, and it also carries the potential to adjust your world view.
	Album: 6 of 58 Artist:  Lou Rhodes Title:  Beloved One Released:  2005-12-05 Tracks:  10 Duration:  46:11 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2006	1   Each Moment New  (03:39) 2   Tremble  (02:54) 3   Treat Her Gently  (04:10) 4   Fortress  (04:11) 5   No Rerun  (03:19) 6   Beloved One  (05:43) 7   Save Me  (03:20) 8   Inlakesh  (03:57) 9   To Survive  (04:03) 10  Why  (10:50)
	Album: 7 of 58 Artist:  Richard Hawley Title:  Coles Corner Released:  2005-09-05 Tracks:  11 Duration:  46:07 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2006	1   Coles Corner  (04:48) 2   Just Like the Rain  (03:16) 3   Hotel Room  (03:42) 4   Darlin’ Wait for Me  (03:53) 5   The Ocean  (05:36) 6   Born Under a Bad Sign  (03:41) 7   I Sleep Alone  (03:45) 8   Tonight  (04:32) 9   (Wading Through) The Waters of My Time  (03:48) 10  Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet?  (04:08) 11  Last Orders  (04:58)
	Album: 8 of 58 Artist:  Kaiser Chiefs Title:  Employment Released:  2005-03-07 Tracks:  12 Duration:  44:16 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2005	1   Everyday I Love You Less and Less  (03:37) 2   I Predict a Riot  (03:53) 3   Modern Way  (04:03) 4   Na Na Na Na Naa  (03:01) 5   You Can Have It All  (04:35) 6   Oh My God  (03:35) 7   Born to Be a Dancer  (03:30) 8   Saturday Night  (03:27) 9   What Did I Ever Give You?  (04:09) 10  Time Honoured Tradition  (02:45) 11  Caroline, Yes  (04:11) 12  Team Mate  (03:24)
Employment : Allmusic album Review : Inspired by that moment sometime in the late 70s when punk gave birth to new wave (and looked back to the heyday of 60s mod for inspiration), the Kaiser Chiefs debut, Employment, expands on the sharp, sussed sound of their singles in surprising ways. A look at British life and its discontents, Employment is a remarkably ambitious debut album that aspires, right down to its cheeky liner notes and graphics, to be the Parklife or All Mod Cons of the 2000s. While it doesnt quite reach those heights, it does have its fair share of memorable songs. Chief among them is the one-two punch of "Everyday I Love You Less and Less," a tightly wound "get lost" song that seamlessly mixes the bands punky guitar-bass-drums attack with synths and drum machines, and their signature single, "I Predict a Riot," another prime example of the bands barbed, pissed-off pop. "Saturday Night" is another standout; with its brassy stomp and lyrics like "watching the boys on their motorbikes/I want to be like those guys," its a Quadrophenia-like understanding of what it is to be lonely in a crowd. On songs like moody-yet-stylish "Modern Way" and the cheeky, contradictory "Na Na Na Naa," the Kaiser Chiefs sound so effortlessly "on" that its something of a surprise when Employment begins to lose momentum. Despite its pretty 60s pop melody, "You Can Have It All" drags a bit, while the vaudeville-tinged "Time Honoured Tradition" and "Born to Be a Dancer" are too precious and theatrical for their own good. Although its not among their best songs musically, and its Beach Boys piss-take title is a little annoying, "Caroline, Yes" is one of the Kaiser Chiefs more interesting bits of songwriting: on the surface, the narrator is upset because the other guy took Caroline away from him, but what really gets him is that the other guy is "everything I want to be in my life." Likewise, Employment ends with "Team Mate," a tantalizingly short character sketch that is also the bands best ballad. The Kaiser Chiefs ambition is a double-edged sword: its admirable that they wanted to branch out in so many directions on their first full-length, but it might have been a better -- or safer, at least -- move to stick to the amazing rockers that made their name in the first place. Employment is an uneven but still very promising debut that suggests that one day the Kaiser Chiefs will pull off something even more ambitious.
	Album: 9 of 58 Artist:  Polar Bear Title:  Held on the Tips of Fingers Released:  2005-03 Tracks:  9 Duration:  42:17 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2005	1   Was Dreaming You Called You Disappeared I Slept  (02:08) 2   Beartown  (05:56) 3   Fluffy (I Want You)  (05:18) 4   To Touch the Red Brick  (02:51) 5   Held on the Tips of Fingers  (05:15) 6   Argumentative  (04:08) 7   The King of Aberdeen  (05:55) 8   Your Eyes the Sea  (03:17) 9   Life That Ends Too Soon  (07:25)
	Album: 10 of 58 Artist:  Antony and the Johnsons Title:  I Am a Bird Now Released:  2005-02-01 Tracks:  10 Duration:  35:27 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 2005	1   Hope Theres Someone  (04:21) 2   My Lady Story  (03:33) 3   For Today I Am a Boy  (02:36) 4   Man Is the Baby  (04:09) 5   You Are My Sister  (03:59) 6   What Can I Do?  (01:40) 7   Fistful of Love  (05:51) 8   Spiralling  (04:25) 9   Free at Last  (01:36) 10  Bird Gerhl  (03:14)
	Album: 11 of 58 Artist:  Zoe Rahman Title:  Melting Pot Released:  2005-11-07 Tracks:  9 Duration:  52:31 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2006	1   Camel  (06:14) 2   JBerg  (07:01) 3   Shiraz  (08:33) 4   The Calling  (05:00) 5   Red Flower  (03:17) 6   Last Note  (06:09) 7   No One  (05:54) 8   Ill Think About It  (05:08) 9   Muchhe Jaoa Dinguli  (05:15)
	Album: 12 of 58 Artist:  Bloc Party Title:  Silent Alarm Released:  2005-02-02 Tracks:  13 Duration:  50:38 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2005	1   Like Eating Glass  (04:21) 2   Helicopter  (03:40) 3   Positive Tension  (03:55) 4   Banquet  (03:21) 5   Blue Light  (02:47) 6   She’s Hearing Voices  (03:29) 7   This Modern Love  (04:25) 8   The Pioneers  (03:35) 9   Price of Gasoline  (04:19) 10  So Here We Are  (03:52) 11  Luno  (03:57) 12  Plans  (04:10) 13  Compliments  (04:42)
Silent Alarm : Allmusic album Review : Much more polished, serious, and straight-ahead than their initial EPs suggested, Bloc Partys debut album, Silent Alarm, reveals them as a band equally informed by taut art-punk and the grand gestures and earnestness of groups like Coldplay and U2. Though theyre not quite as stadium-sized expansive as either of those two bands (yet), Bloc Party sound a lot more comfortable making proclamations like "Positive Tension"s "Something glorious is about to happen/A reckoning!" than contemporaries like Franz Ferdinand or the Futureheads would be. Silent Alarm is also more varied than Bloc Partys early work indicated it might be, spanning edgy pop, atmospheric ballads, and angular, percussive tracks that are all served well by the albums big, layered production. The great single "Banquet" and even better opening track, "Like Eating Glass," put Bloc Partys heart-on-sleeve emotions in the service of tight, energetic songwriting that makes their earnestness a little easier to swallow. The gorgeous ballads also make the most of Bloc Partys emotional directness: "Blue Light," "This Modern Love," and "So Here We Are" are some of Silent Alarms finest moments, with a tension and impact that show how powerful even their softest songs can be. As both the band and albums names imply, Silent Alarm is an overtly political album. Bloc Party fare better than many other bands that dip into that fray, but the results are still mixed: the well-intentioned no-blood-for-oil sentiments of "Price of Gas" are heavy-handed, but "Helicopter"s Bush-bashing and the antiwar "Pioneers" ("We promised the world wed tame it/What were we hoping for?") are relatively subtle, and work fairly well as political pop manifestos. As dynamic as Silent Alarm is, its not perfect: Kele Okerekes yelpy vocals get a little grating on the less melodic songs, and the second half of the album doesnt quite sustain the momentum it had at the beginning, although the bonus remixes of "Plans" by Mogwai, and "Pioneers"" by M83 help make up for this. Although it wouldnt hurt if there were more "party" (the celebratory kind, not the political one) in Silent Alarm, its still a fine debut album with a lot of passion and polish; its hard not to respect, if not fully embrace, the intensity and integrity of Bloc Partys music.
	Album: 13 of 58 Artist:  Hard‐Fi Title:  Stars of CCTV Released:  2005-06-27 Tracks:  11 Duration:  45:05 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2005	1   Cash Machine  (03:42) 2   Middle Eastern Holiday  (03:44) 3   Tied Up Too Tight  (04:48) 4   Gotta Reason  (02:49) 5   Hard to Beat  (04:13) 6   Unnecessary Trouble  (03:44) 7   Move On Now  (05:07) 8   Better Do Better  (04:37) 9   Feltham Is Singing Out  (04:36) 10  Living for the Weekend  (03:42) 11  Stars of CCTV  (03:58)
Stars of CCTV : Allmusic album Review : Naturally, NME called Hard-Fis debut album, Stars of CCTV, "the album of the year" upon its U.K. release in 2005. A year later, the Staines, England, foursome had a Mercury Music Prize nomination under its belt as well as two Brit Awards nods and a U.K. number one album. Those following the buzz on the other side of the Atlantic finally got their wish with the domestic release of Stars of CCTV in mid-March. With the popularity of Franz Ferdinand, Kasabian, and the Kaiser Chiefs simmering down around this time, Hard-Fi stepped into the American pop conscience when they were supposed to. While their spark and spunk are near matches of those aforementioned acts, Hard-Fi delivers more of an angst kind of performance. Frontman Richard Archer is fueled by Tony Blairs England. After all, these are four friends from a southwest London town. They sound like a garage band while delving into the monotony of everyday suburban life, referring to their small town upbringing. Thus a raw kind of work ethic gradually emerges on Stars of CCTV. Their formula of snappy choruses and tight guitar hooks, particularly on "Middle Eastern Holiday" and "Gotta Reason," captures Hard-Fis youthful presentation. Archers boyish vocals switch off between gritty and playful. If "Living for the Weekend" does not convince you of Hard-Fis anxious effort in getting you to ease up on the ho-hum of working for a living, the fresh disco beats of "Hard to Beat" surely will. Hard-Fis desire to create something solid enjoyable in the midst of everyday monotony is what makes Stars of CCTV an enjoyable first effort. Whether they are singing about having little money, unexpected pregnancy ("Cash Machine"), or a war-torn world ("Felthams Singing Out"), Hard-Fi looks for something positive. Stars of CCTV offers a reason to look for something positive, too.
	Album: 14 of 58 Artist:  Editors Title:  The Back Room Released:  2005-07-25 Tracks:  11 Duration:  43:45 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2006	1   Lights  (02:31) 2   Munich  (03:46) 3   Blood  (03:29) 4   Fall  (05:06) 5   All Sparks  (03:33) 6   Camera  (05:02) 7   Fingers in the Factories  (04:14) 8   Bullets  (03:09) 9   Someone Says  (03:13) 10  Open Your Arms  (06:00) 11  Distance  (03:38)
The Back Room : Allmusic album Review : Before issuing their debut, The Back Room, in August 2005, Editors were immediately compared to the dark, brooding sounds of Interpol as well as the post-punk brashness of Echo & the Bunnymen. Singles such as "Blood" and "Bullets" quickly put Editors in the elite crowd of those to watch that year. The band -- Tom Smith (vocals/guitar), Chris Urbanowicz (guitar), Russell Leetch (bass), and Ed Lay (drums) -- compose a tight rock sound thats both raw and defined, particularly on album opener "Lights." Editors are an anxious, frantic, and passionate group, and the album is done with taste from the start. Smith is vocally passionate without being too steely, unlike Interpol frontman Paul Banks, as he exclaims, "Ive got a million things to say," while his bandmates add to the songs rushing intensity. From there, the blistering "Munich" and the more luxurious, danceable "Blood" are the standout moments of this 11-song set. "Munich" is one of The Back Rooms especially stylish numbers, thanks to the matching guitar work of both Smith and Urbanowicz. The surging storm that is "Bullets" is further proof that from the first note, The Back Room lunges at you with a dynamic thats fierce, wiry, and slightly fashionable. Alternative rock hasnt seen anything like this since the release of Turn on the Bright Lights.
	Album: 15 of 58 Artist:  The Magic Numbers Title:  The Magic Numbers Released:  2005-06-08 Tracks:  12 Duration:  1:04:41 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2005	1   Mornings Eleven  (05:34) 2   Forever Lost  (04:11) 3   The Mule  (05:11) 4   Long Legs  (03:22) 5   Love Me Like You  (04:50) 6   Which Way to Happy  (04:27) 7   I See You, You See Me  (05:59) 8   Don’t Give Up the Fight  (02:59) 9   This Love  (05:40) 10  Wheels on Fire  (04:03) 11  Love’s a Game  (04:48) 12  Try / Hymn for Her  (13:32)
The Magic Numbers : Allmusic album Review : Every three years or so, the British music press touts another band as the Next Big Thing, or at least the antidote to the trend the press kick-started a couple years back. Some of these bands -- whether theyre Suede, the Strokes, or Franz Ferdinand -- are quite good, even excellent, and sometimes theyre merely average; it all depends on what trend the bands supposed to bring to end and what fad theyre supposed to kick-start, since the quality of the music almost always takes a back seat to the demands of fashion. This kind of hyped-up transience is one of the great things about pop music -- not only is it supposed to exist in the moment, sometimes great pop music only sounds great within its given moment, whether its Whigfield or Crazy Frog -- but that doesnt mean that the trends are always fun, and one of the more inexplicable British-driven fads of the 2000s is the Magic Numbers, whose eponymous debut album was hailed as an instant classic in many quarters upon its early-summer release in the U.K. in 2005. Comprised of two sets of brothers and sisters, the quartet sings soft, gentle sunshine pop with vaguely rootsy underpinnings. Because of this slightly folky bent and clear reverence for 60s pop, they were positioned as the return of the real as compared to the new wave of new wave, which encompassed anyone from Interpol to Franz, and even the neo-garage rock revival of the beginning of the decade -- after all, by the summer of 2005, it was clear that the White Stripes were too arty and obstinate to qualify as a roots band. While The Magic Numbers is as dippy as any number of harmony-laden folk-rock groups that arrived in the wake of the Mamas & the Papas, their cutsey navel-gazing is most decidedly a product of its time. So are the simpering schoolboy vocals of lead singer Romeo Stodart, whose thin, squeaky earnest mewling makes Coldplays Chris Martin sound macho and distracts from whatever pleasures that can be gleaned from the harmonies of his sister Michele and their colleague Angela Gannon. Romeo Stodarts voice and his mopey lovelorn lyrics are clear outgrowths of late-90s indie pop, picking up on the tweeness of Belle & Sebastian but discarding their clever literary bent, not to mention their songcraft, in favor of simple-minded confessionals spiked by the occasional naughty word ("Im a no-good used-up bruised-up f*cked-up boy," he unconvincingly croons), alternating between singalong happy tunes and slow, sleepy crawls. Its all pleasant enough on the surface and since it self-consciously recalls classic rock -- not only in sound but in titles that recall songs of the past ("Wheels on Fire" is a riff on Bob Dylan & the Bands "This Wheels on Fire," "Hymn for Her" is close to the Pretenders "Hymn to Her" and it also shares a name with an Ides of March song, but thats probably not a deliberate move) -- some listeners will be inclined to give them a pass, since its kind of familiar in feel while sounding different than a lot of guitar-based rock and pop in 2005. Yet if The Magic Numbers is judged against the standards of second-tier 60s folk-pop -- forget the Beatles and Beach Boys or even the Mamas & the Papas or Donovan or Lovin Spoonful, but against legions of soundalikes like Rose Garden -- the groups music is not as well written or melodic or as interesting, nor does it hold up well to late-90s indie pop from Belle & Sebastian to Elliott Smith, and it lacks the conviction of freak folk, since their aw-shucks, lovey-dovey pose feels contrived. Nevetheless, the quartet is much easier to listen to than Devendra Banhart -- sunny tunes and smooth surfaces do indeed help -- and they have a certain veneer of mature, classy respectability that means this can appeal to everyone from baby boomers to echo boomers. It all glides by easily enough on its surface, but dig a little deeper and The Magic Numbers reveals itself to be not just a crashing bore, but an irritating one since it not only lacks one song with an undeniable, memorable hook, but the self-satsified vibe of the band combined with Stodarts reedy whine makes the Magic Numbers feel not just less real than the groups theyre allegedly an antidote to, but more disingenuous as well.
	Album: 16 of 58 Artist:  Amy Winehouse Title:  Back to Black Released:  2006-10-30 Tracks:  13 Duration:  46:20 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   Rehab  (03:34) 2   You Know I’m No Good  (04:17) 3   Me & Mr Jones  (02:33) 4   Just Friends  (03:13) 5   Back to Black  (04:01) 6   Love Is a Losing Game  (02:35) 7   Tears Dry on Their Own  (03:06) 8   Wake Up Alone  (03:42) 9   Some Unholy War  (02:22) 10  He Can Only Hold Her  (02:46) 11  Rehab (Hot Chip remix)  (06:58) 12  You Know I’m No Good (remix)  (03:22) 13  Back to Black (The Rumble Strips remix)  (03:48)
Back to Black : Allmusic album Review : The story of Back to Black is one in which celebrity and the potential of commercial success threaten to ruin Amy Winehouse, since the same insouciance and playfulness that made her sound so special when she debuted could easily have been whitewashed right out of existence for this breakout record. (That fact may help to explain why fans were so scared by press allegations that Winehouse had deliberately lost weight in order to present a slimmer appearance.) Although Back to Black does see her deserting jazz and wholly embracing contemporary R&B, all the best parts of her musical character emerge intact, and actually, are all the better for the transformation from jazz vocalist to soul siren. With producer Salaam Remi returning from Frank, plus the welcome addition of Mark Ronson (fresh off successes producing for Christina Aguilera and Robbie Williams), Back to Black has a similar sound to Frank but much more flair and spark to it. Winehouse was inspired by girl group soul of the 60s, and fortunately Ronson and Remi are two of the most facile and organic R&B producers active. (They certainly know how to evoke the era too; Remis "Tears Dry on Their Own" is a sparkling homage to the Motown chestnut "Aint No Mountain High Enough," and Ronson summons a host of Brill Building touchstones on his tracks.) As before, Winehouse writes all of the songs from her experiences, most of which involve the occasionally riotous and often bittersweet vagaries of love. Also in similar fashion to Frank, her eye for details and her way of relating them are delightful. She states her case against "Rehab" on the knockout first single with some great lines: "They tried to make me go to rehab I wont go go go, Id rather be at home with Ray" (Charles, that is). As often as not, though, the songs on Back to Black are universal, songs that anyone, even Joss Stone, could take to the top of the charts, such as "Love Is a Losing Game" or the title song ("We only said good bye with words, I died a hundred times/You go back to her, and I go back to black").
	Album: 17 of 58 Artist:  Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan Title:  Ballad of the Broken Seas Released:  2006-01-30 Tracks:  12 Duration:  42:49 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2006	1   Deus Ibi Est  (02:51) 2   Black Mountain  (03:10) 3   The False Husband  (03:53) 4   Ballad of the Broken Seas  (02:42) 5   Revolver  (02:40) 6   Ramblin Man  (03:29) 7   (Do You Wanna) Come Walk With Me?  (03:27) 8   Saturdays Gone  (04:37) 9   Its Hard to Kill a Bad Thing  (02:53) 10  Honey Child What Can I Do?  (03:44) 11  Dusty Wreath  (03:44) 12  The Circus Is Leaving Town  (05:35)
Ballad of the Broken Seas : Allmusic album Review : Its tempting to say something facile like "beauty meets the beast" in writing about this collaboration between former Belle & Sebastian member Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, best known for his work with Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age. After all, Campbells voice is all sweet angelic whisper while Lanegans whisky-and-nicotine rasp sounds like the product of ten thousand nights in a barroom, but somehow these sweet and sour elements come together with striking and impressive results on Ballad of the Broken Seas. It helps that musically these two are not far away from the same page; the ghostly blues-based structures of Lanegans Whiskey for the Holy Ghost and The Winding Sheet may be starker than Campbells stuff with Belle & Sebastian or her solo set Amorino, but they both appear to revel in the sort of glorious sadness that draws beauty from melancholy, and they find a dark and lovely common ground on this set of songs. Campbell produced the album and wrote the bulk of the material (though Lanegan wrote one song, the moody and satisfying "Revolver"), and while its no great surprise that she comes up with superb material for herself, she also knows what to make of Lanegans expressive rasp ("The Circus Is Leaving Town" is as good a performance as hes ever recorded), and their numbers together (especially "The False Husband" and the cover of Hank Williams "Ramblin Man") recall what one hoped Nick Cave and Kylie Minogues duets on Murder Ballads would sound like. Ballad of the Broken Seas is a superbly crafted bit of late-night introspection that brings out the best in both Lanegan and Campbell and adds new and unexpected facets to their impressive repertoires.
	Album: 18 of 58 Artist:  Bat for Lashes Title:  Fur and Gold Released:  2006-09-11 Tracks:  12 Duration:  48:48 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   Horse and I  (03:04) 2   Trophy  (04:00) 3   Tahiti  (03:38) 4   What’s a Girl to Do?  (02:58) 5   Sad Eyes  (04:16) 6   The Wizard  (04:16) 7   Prescilla  (03:34) 8   Bat’s Mouth  (04:25) 9   Seal Jubilee  (04:44) 10  Sarah  (03:56) 11  I Saw a Light  (06:24) 12  I’m on Fire  (03:31)
Fur and Gold : Allmusic album Review : With Fur & Gold, Bat for Lashes -- aka Natasha Khan -- brings a fairytale quality and air of mystery to her music, performing a delicate balancing act between everyday emotions and the power of fantasy. As the title suggests, theres something gorgeous but raw about her songs, which fly from spare British chamber folk to shades of lavish rock, pop, and dance as she throws herself into stories that update the traditions of other iconic female artists. Shes a warrior princess of the moors with only her steed to keep her company on "Horse and I," a song whose dramatic sweep would do Kate Bush proud; on the fable-like sensual duet "Trophy," Khan sings "creatures of mercy/shoot them down and set me free" with Björk-like urgency. Despite Fur & Golds unabashedly mystical vibe, Khan emphasizes the reality in her magical reality, whether she makes it sound like its perfectly natural to sing "drink his blood and hes our leader" on "The Wizard," or crafts strong heroines on songs such as "Prescilla"s urban folk or "Sarah"s surprising rock. The most remarkable thing -- out of a lot of remarkable things -- about Fur & Gold is the emotional power of Khans songs. "Whats a Girl to Do?" might be decorated with beautifully ghostly girl group beats and harmonies, but the pain of falling out of love is palpable. Best of all is "Sad Eyes," a love song so warm and fragile that the way it cuts to the quick when Khan sings "trying to keep it together/keep my love as light as a feather" is breathtaking. As far flung as these songs can be, they never sound scattered, and only rarely overdone: the thunderstorm-laden ballad "I Saw a Light" is the only moment that feels close to over the top. Fortunately, the final track, a soaring cover of Bruce Springsteens "Im on Fire" that shows off Khans vulnerable, old soul voice to its finest, more than compensates. This is a vivid, accomplished, transporting debut.
	Album: 19 of 58 Artist:  Fionn Regan Title:  The End of History Released:  2006-08-07 Tracks:  12 Duration:  49:38 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   Be Good or Be Gone  (03:19) 2   The Underwood Typewriter  (03:02) 3   Hunters Map  (03:08) 4   Hey Rabbit  (03:32) 5   Black Water Child  (03:00) 6   Put a Penny in the Slot  (04:02) 7   The Cowshed  (03:31) 8   Snowy Atlas Mountains  (04:14) 9   Noah (Ghost in a Sheet)  (03:40) 10  The End of History  (04:39) 11  Abacus  (02:35) 12  Bunker or Basement  (10:51)
	Album: 20 of 58 Artist:  Thom Yorke Title:  The Eraser Released:  2006-07-05 Tracks:  9 Duration:  41:01 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2006	1   The Eraser  (04:55) 2   Analyse  (04:02) 3   The Clock  (04:13) 4   Black Swan  (04:49) 5   Skip Divided  (03:35) 6   Atoms for Peace  (05:13) 7   And It Rained All Night  (04:15) 8   Harrowdown Hill  (04:38) 9   Cymbal Rush  (05:15)
The Eraser : Allmusic album Review : The Eraser, Thom Yorkes first album away from Radiohead, is intensely focused and steady. It doesnt have the dynamics -- the shifts of mood, tempo, volume -- held by any Radiohead album, and its predominantly electronic, so its bound to rankle many of the fans who thought Kid A was too unhinged from rock & roll. Its definitely not the kind of album you put on to get an instant shot of energy, and at the same time, it doesnt contain anything as sullen as "How to Disappear Completely." Since it is so balanced, it might initially seem unwavering, but the details that differentiate the songs become increasingly apparent with each successive listen. Despite a reliance on machine beats and synthetic textures, Yorkes untouched, upfront vocals and relatively straightforward lyrics should be enough to bring back some of the detractors; he would have no trouble taking these songs on the road with a piano and an acoustic guitar. "Black Swan," the standout, comes across as a less guitar-heavy and more subdued version of Amnesiacs "I Might Be Wrong." Peek beneath the surface and youll see that theres a lot more seething involved: "You have tried your best to please everyone/But it just isnt happening/No, it just isnt happening/And its f*cked up, f*cked up." The opener, the title track, asks the albums first set of probing questions, including "Are you only being nice because you want something?" Along with the thoroughly sweet "Atoms for Peace," it vies for the albums prettiest-sounding five minutes, elevating into a chorus of hovering sighs as Yorke projects lightly with a matter-of-fact tone, "The more I try to erase you, the more, the more, the more that you appear." On the explicitly political end is "Harrowdown Hill," anchored by a snapping bass riff and percussive accents that skitter and slide back and forth between the left and right channels. Yorke defeatedly states, "You will be dispensed with when you become inconvenient," and asks "Did I fall or was I pushed?" referring to Dr. David Kelly, a whistle-blowing U.N. weapons inspector whose death -- which took place following a sequence of events that led to a testimonial before a parliamentary committee -- was ruled a suicide. Its no shock that the album entails some heavy subject matter and sounds as close to a version of Radiohead minus four of its members as one can imagine. What distinguishes The Eraser from the Radiohead albums, beyond the aspects mentioned above, is its ability to function in the background or as light listening without the requirement of deep concentration. The constant stream of soft, intricately layered sounds, while not without a great deal of tension in most spots, can be very comforting. Yorkes assertion that the album isnt truly a solo release is accurate. Producer Nigel Godrich, whose relationship with Radiohead exceeds a decade, played a major role, contributing arrangements, "extra instruments," and enough influence to guide the album into its tight song-oriented structure. Without him, the well-executed album wouldve likely sounded a lot closer to the kind of stray-idea patchwork experiment that so many other long-boiling side projects resemble. And, to a somewhat lesser extent, Yorke needed his bandmates as well; some of the sounds were pulled and manipulated from a bank of the bands unused recordings.
	Album: 21 of 58 Artist:  Hot Chip Title:  The Warning Released:  2006-05-22 Tracks:  12 Duration:  52:10 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2006	1   Careful  (03:28) 2   And I Was a Boy From School  (05:19) 3   Colours  (05:28) 4   Over and Over  (05:47) 5   (Just Like We) Breakdown  (04:12) 6   Tchaparian  (03:20) 7   Look After Me  (04:49) 8   The Warning  (04:51) 9   Arrest Yourself  (02:31) 10  So Glad to See You  (04:05) 11  No Fit State  (05:38) 12  Wont Wash  (02:35)
The Warning : Allmusic album Review : Keeping their hot streak of spotting quality artists when they hear them, the good folks at DFA welcomed to their already diverse and talented roster Hot Chip. The "Over and Over" teaser single featured the band in rocking fashion, complete with DFA signature production and a chorus courtesy of Alexis Taylor that sounds hauntingly similar to something Paul McCartney would write had he been paying attention to the music of the youth in his own backyard. A definite departure and a step in the right direction over 2005s inconsistent full-length Coming on Strong, Hot Chips creative maturity is immediately evident in the energetic opening. "Careful," which is laced with punchy, crisp hi hats and snare drums, then gives way to the dramatic "And I Was a Boy from School." Theyve gone beyond the quirky electro-pop into something much more focused and pop friendly (especially with the bands tight vocal harmonies). The title track has production that wouldnt be out of place on I Am Robot and Prouds last few records, or Postal Service outtakes. But like these artists, Hot Chip focuses more on song arrangements and structure rather than technology and programming showmanship. It sums up the core of what made The Warning so accessible and enjoyable right from the onset: its like listening to early New Order records for the first time, waiting for the next one with a little bit of excited anticipation to see whats going to happen next with every new song.
	Album: 22 of 58 Artist:  Sway Title:  This Is My Demo Released:  2006-02-06 Tracks:  14 Duration:  58:40 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2006	1   This Is My Demo  (06:01) 2   Products  (03:31) 3   Hype Boys  (05:08) 4   Little Derek  (05:16) 5   Pretty Ugly Husband  (03:41) 6   Flo Fashion  (03:38) 7   Up Your Speed  (02:56) 8   Download  (04:43) 9   Loose Woose  (04:09) 10  Sick World  (04:03) 11  Still on My Own  (03:11) 12  Back for You  (03:44) 13  Slo Down  (04:49) 14  Month in the Summer  (03:50)
	Album: 23 of 58 Artist:  Guillemots Title:  Through the Windowpane Released:  2006-07-10 Tracks:  14 Duration:  1:09:47 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2006	1   Little Bear  (04:49) 2   Made Up Lovesong #43  (03:43) 3   Trains to Brazil  (04:02) 4   Redwings  (06:02) 5   Come Away With Me  (03:09) 6   Through the Windowpane  (03:38) 7   If the World Ends  (06:22) 8   Were Here  (05:14) 9   Blue Would Still Be Blue  (05:14) 10  Annie, Lets Not Wait  (04:43) 11  And if all...  (01:19) 12  São Paulo  (11:37) 13  Falling Over My Feet  (05:58) 14  Monotonia  (03:52)
Through the Windowpane : Allmusic album Review : With their EP From the Cliffs, the Guillemots introduced themselves as daring, energetic, inventive performers for whom traditional pop notions of harmony and rhythm could be discarded, or at least tweaked, if a better opportunity presented itself. And despite all the warning signs of pretension and inaccessibility, the Guillemots were able to create in From the Cliffs something that was very listenable and fun. Of course, there were problems, but they were problems of over-ambition and -eagerness, and they seemed easy enough to remedy without disrupting the bands rather intricate overall sound. So it comes as somewhat of a surprise that their debut full-length, Through the Windowpane, is a little empty in comparison. Instead of following the lead of the standout EP tracks "Trains to Brazil" and "Made-Up Lovesong #43" (both of which were singles and both of which are among the best cuts on the album), most of the other songs on Through the Windowpane take a slower, more melancholic, and sparser approach, presenting an almost sonically disconcertingly juxtaposition. "If the World Ends," "Redwings," "Little Bear," and "Blue Would Still Be Blue" are all very quiet, relying more on the strength of leader Fyfe Dangerfields voice -- which is often mixed at a very low level -- instead of any kind of instrumental arrangement, and in doing so the albums ignores the strength of the band as a whole and ends up as something fairly ordinary sounding, while letting predictable chords and phrases dictate the tone instead of the bands musical ingenuity. The fact that many of these songs are well over three or even four minutes doesnt help the fact that they seem to drag on without ever doing anything, or going anywhere, or showing us anything we havent seen before. Because the Guillemots are certainly capable of giving us what we havent got. Theyre interested in, even obsessed with, the idea of physical space (particularly through the imagery of a windowpane, which is alluded to numerous times throughout the album) and of making space where there is confinement, but it is these slower, emptier songs that are the most claustrophobic, the most constrained, and the most forced. However, and perhaps this just attests to the talents of the musicians and the arranging skills of Dangerfield, their faster, more complex pieces -- including and even exemplified by the 12-minute cinematic opus "São Paulo," which moves from Morricone to Brubeck to symphonic swells to a Latin groove -- give the feeling of expanse and freedom. Nothing is tied down, everything can move freely and where ever it wants, yet each comes together as part of a very well-constructed whole. Its adventurous but its still accessible, and contrasts sharply with the near stifling silence of the other pieces. But theres still a kind of inconsistency in the development of Through the Windowpane, an inconsistency that cant quite work itself out in sweeping strings and vaguely dissonant chords, and unfortunately, this diminishes the power of what the album really could be.
	Album: 24 of 58 Artist:  The Young Knives Title:  Voices of Animals and Men Released:  2006-07-01 Tracks:  14 Duration:  44:48 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   Part Timer  (02:55) 2   The Decision  (03:24) 3   Weekends and Bleak Days (Hot Summer)  (02:48) 4   In the Pink  (03:15) 5   Mystic Energy  (02:53) 6   Here Comes the Rumour Mill  (03:41) 7   Tailors  (04:03) 8   Half Timer  (01:39) 9   Shes Attracted To  (03:06) 10  Dialing Darling  (02:59) 11  Another Hollow Line  (03:42) 12  Coastguard  (03:01) 13  Loughborough Suicide  (03:56) 14  Tremblings of Trails  (03:20)
	Album: 25 of 58 Artist:  Arctic Monkeys Title:  Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not Released:  2006-01-23 Tracks:  13 Duration:  41:02 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 2006	1   The View From the Afternoon  (03:38) 2   I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor  (02:53) 3   Fake Tales of San Francisco  (02:57) 4   Dancing Shoes  (02:21) 5   You Probably Couldn’t See for the Lights but You Were Staring Straight at Me  (02:10) 6   Still Take You Home  (02:53) 7   Riot Van  (02:14) 8   Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured  (02:23) 9   Mardy Bum  (02:55) 10  Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But…  (04:28) 11  When the Sun Goes Down  (03:20) 12  From the Ritz to the Rubble  (03:13) 13  A Certain Romance  (05:31)
Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not : Allmusic album Review : Breathless, hyperbolic praise was piled upon the Arctic Monkeys and their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Not, an instant phenomenon without peer. Within the course of a year, the band rose from the ranks of an Internet phenomenon to the biggest band in the U.K., all on the strength of early demos circulated on the web as MP3s. Those demos built the band a rabid fan base before the Monkeys had released a record, even before they played more than a handful of gigs. In effect, the group performed a complete run around the industry, avoiding conventional routes toward stardom, which paid off in spades. When Whatever People Say I Am hit the streets in January 2006, it sold a gob-smacking 118,501 copies within its first week of release, which not only made it the fastest-selling U.K. debut ever, but sold more than the rest of the Top 20 combined -- a remarkable achievement by any measure. Last time such excitement surrounded a new British guitar band it was a decade earlier, as Brit-pop hit overdrive with the release of Oasis 1994 debut, Definitely Maybe. All four members of the Arctic Monkeys were a little bit shy of their tenth birthday at the time, a bit young to be sure, but old enough to have Oasis be their first favorite band. So, its little surprise that the Gallaghers laddism -- celebrating nights out fueled by lager and loud guitars -- is the bedrock foundation of the Arctic Monkeys, just the way as it has been for most British rock bands since the mid-90s. Their true ground zero though, is 2001, the year the Strokes stormed British consciousness with their debut, Is This It. The Arctic Monkeys borrow heavily from the Strokes stylized ennui, adding an equal element of the Libertines shambolic neo-classicist punk, undercut by a hint of dance-punk learned from Franz Ferdinand. But where the Strokes, the Libertines, and Franz all knowingly reference the past, this Sheffield quartet is only concerned with the now, piecing together elements of their favorite bands as lead singer/songwriter Alex Turner tells stories from their lives, mainly hookups on the dancefloor and underage drinking, balanced by the occasional imagined tragic tales of prostitution and the music industry. Whatever People Say I Am captures the band mashing up the Strokes and the Libertines at will, jamming too many angular riffs into too short a space, tearing through the songs as quickly as possible. But where the Strokes camouflaged their songwriting skills with a laconic, take-it-or-leave-it sexiness, and where the Libertines mythologized England with a junkie poeticism, the Arctic Monkeys at their heart are simple, everyday lads, lacking any sense of sex appeal or romanticism, or even the desire for either. Nor do they harbor much menace, either in their tightly wound music or in how Turner spits out his words. Also, the dry production, sounding for all the world like an homage to Is This It -- all clanking guitars and clattering drums, with most of the energy coming from the groups sloppy call-and-response backing vocals -- keeps things ever immediate. In a way, Whatever People Say I Am is an ideal album for the age of Information Overload: nearly every track here is stuffed with riffs and words, and just when its about to sort itself out, it stops short. Instead of relying on a digital cut-and-paste clamor, lead singer and lyricist Alex Turner is a natural storyteller, chronicling a very specific time and place. Like Weller or Ian Dury before him, hes captured his era in stark, vivid terms; he may not transcend his time, but he embodies it fully.
	Album: 26 of 58 Artist:  Scritti Politti Title:  White Bread Black Beer Released:  2006-05-29 Tracks:  14 Duration:  50:57 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2006	1   The Boom Boom Bap  (04:18) 2   No Fine Lines  (01:43) 3   Snow in Sun  (03:36) 4   Cooking  (02:44) 5   Throw  (03:20) 6   Dr. Abernathy  (06:33) 7   After Six  (02:13) 8   Petrococadollar  (03:24) 9   E Eleventh Nuts  (02:53) 10  Window Wide Open  (03:12) 11  Road to No Regret  (03:28) 12  Locked  (04:17) 13  Mrs. Hughes  (06:01) 14  Robin Hood  (03:10)
	Album: 27 of 58 Artist:  Basquiat Strings Title:  Basquiat Strings With Seb Rochford Released:  2007-02-26 Tracks:  9 Duration:  40:08 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   Double Dares  (05:27) 2   Bobette  (02:33) 3   Forceful Beast  (05:44) 4   Infant Eyes  (05:43) 5   How Do Birds Hear Music  (05:28) 6   Lonely Woman  (02:49) 7   Junk  (08:05) 8   In a Silent Way  (02:37) 9   Jaci, Jo and Joseph  (01:42)
	Album: 28 of 58 Artist:  New Young Pony Club Title:  Fantastic Playroom Released:  2007-07-09 Tracks:  10 Duration:  39:07 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   Get Lucky  (03:43) 2   Hiding on the Staircase  (03:31) 3   Ice Cream  (03:09) 4   The Bomb  (04:19) 5   Jerk Me  (04:07) 6   The Get Go  (04:29) 7   Talking, Talking  (04:03) 8   Grey  (04:13) 9   F.A.N.  (03:35) 10  Tight Fit  (03:55)
	Album: 29 of 58 Artist:  Arctic Monkeys Title:  Favourite Worst Nightmare Released:  2007-04-18 Tracks:  12 Duration:  37:38 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   Brianstorm  (02:50) 2   Teddy Picker  (02:43) 3   D Is for Dangerous  (02:16) 4   Balaclava  (02:49) 5   Fluorescent Adolescent  (02:57) 6   Only Ones Who Know  (03:02) 7   Do Me a Favour  (03:27) 8   This House Is a Circus  (03:09) 9   If You Were There, Beware  (04:34) 10  The Bad Thing  (02:23) 11  Old Yellow Bricks  (03:11) 12  505  (04:13)
Favourite Worst Nightmare : Allmusic album Review : Breathless praise is a time-honored tradition in British pop music, but even so, the whole brouhaha surrounding the 2006 debut of the Arctic Monkeys bordered on the absurd. It wasnt enough for the Arctic Monkeys to be the best new band of 2006; they had to be the saviors of rock & roll. Lead singer/songwriter Alex Turner had to be the best songwriter since Noel Gallagher or perhaps even Paul Weller, and their debut, Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Not, at first was hailed as one of the most important albums of the decade, and then, just months after its release, NME called it one of the Top Five British albums ever. Heady stuff for a group just out of their teens, and they weathered the storm with minimal damage, losing their bassist but not their sense of purpose as they coped in the time-honored method for young bands riding the wave of enormous success: they kept on working. All year long they toured, rapidly writing and recording their second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, getting it out just a little over a year after their debut, a speedy turnaround by any measure. Some may call it striking when the iron is hot, cashing in while theres still interest, but Favourite Worst Nightmare is the opposite of opportunism: its the vibrant, thrilling sound of a band coming into its own. The Arctic Monkeys surely showed potential on Whatever People Say I Am, but their youthful vigor often camouflaged their debt to other bands. Here, theyre absorbing their influences, turning their liberal borrowings from the Libertines, the Strokes, and the Jam into something thats their own distinct identity. Unlike any of those three bands, however, the Arctic Monkeys havent stumbled on their second album; they havent choked on hubris, they havent overthought their sophomore salvo, nor have they cranked it out too quickly. That constant year of work resulted in startling growth as the band is testing the limits of what they can do and where they can go. Favourite Worst Nightmare hardly abandons the pleasures of their debut but instead frantically expands upon them. They still have a kinetic nervous energy, but this isnt a quartet that bashes out simply three-chord rock & roll. The Monkeys may start with an infectious riff, but then theyll violently burst into jagged yet tightly controlled blasts of post-punk squalls, or theyll dress a verse with circular harmonies as they do at the end of "Fluorescent Adolescent." Their signature is precision, evident in their concise songs, deftly executed instrumental interplay, and the details within Turners wry wordplay, which is clever but never condescending. Indeed, the remarkable thing about the Arctic Monkeys -- which Favourite Worst Nightmare brings into sharp relief -- is their genuine guilelessness, how they restructure classic rock clichés in a way that pays little mind to how things were done in the past, and that all goes back to their youth. Born in the 80s and raised on the Strokes and the Libertines, they treat all rock as a level playing field, loving its traditions but not seeing musical barriers between generations, since the band learned all of rock history at once and now spit it all out in a giddy, cacophonous blend of post-punk and classic rock that sounds fresh, partially because they jam each of their very songs with a surplus of ideas. Some of this was true on their debut album, but its the restlessness of Favourite Worst Nightmare that impresses -- theyre discovering themselves as they go and, unlike so many modern bands, theyre interested in the discovery and not appearances. Theyll venture into darker territory, theyll slow things down on "Only Ones Who Know," theyll play art punk riffs without pretension. Here, they sound like theyll try anything, which makes this a rougher album in some ways than their debut, which indeed was more cohesive. All the songs on Whatever shared a similar viewpoint, whereas the excitement here is that theres a multitude of viewpoints, all suggesting different tantalizing directions they could go. On that debut, it was possible hear all the ways they were similar to their predecessors, but here its possible to hear all the ways the Arctic Monkeys are a unique, vibrant band and thats why Favourite Worst Nightmare is in its own way more exciting than the debut: it reveals the depth and ambition of the band and, in doing so, it will turn skeptics into believers.
	Album: 30 of 58 Artist:  The View Title:  Hats Off to the Buskers Released:  2007-01-22 Tracks:  14 Duration:  40:51 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   Comin Down  (02:57) 2   Superstar Tradesman  (03:13) 3   Same Jeans  (03:34) 4   Dont Tell Me  (03:22) 5   Skag Trendy  (03:00) 6   The Don  (03:09) 7   Face for the Radio  (03:18) 8   Wasted Little DJs  (03:57) 9   Grans for Tea  (02:33) 10  Dance Into the Night  (03:05) 11  Claudia  (02:40) 12  Street Lights  (02:57) 13  Wasteland  (02:26) 14  Typical Time  (00:35)
	Album: 31 of 58 Artist:  Radiohead Title:  In Rainbows Released:  2007-10-10 Tracks:  10 Duration:  42:41 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   15 Step  (03:58) 2   Bodysnatchers  (04:02) 3   Nude  (04:15) 4   Weird Fishes/Arpeggi  (05:18) 5   All I Need  (03:48) 6   Faust Arp  (02:09) 7   Reckoner  (04:50) 8   House of Cards  (05:28) 9   Jigsaw Falling Into Place  (04:08) 10  Videotape  (04:41)
In Rainbows : Allmusic album Review : In Rainbows, as a title, implies a sense of comfort and delightfulness. Symbolically, rainbows are more likely to be associated with kittens and warm blankets than the grim and glum circumstances Radiohead is known for soundtracking. Theres a slight, if expected, twist at play. The band is more than familiar with the unpleasant moods associated with colors like red, green, and blue -- all of which, of course, are colors within a rainbow -- all of which are present, and even mentioned, during the album. On a couple levels, then, In Rainbows is not any less fitting as a Radiohead album title than "Myxomatosis" is as a Radiohead song title. Despite references to "going off the rails," hitting "the bottom," getting "picked over by the worms," being "dead from the neck up," and feeling "trapped" (twice), along with Radiohead Wordplay Deluxe Home Edition pieces like "comatose" and "nightmare" -- in the same song! double score! -- the one aspect of the album that becomes increasingly perceptible with each listen is how romantic it feels, albeit in the way that one might find the bioport scenes in David Cronenbergs eXistenZ to be extremely hot and somewhat unsettling. Surprisingly, some of the albums lyrics are even more personal/universal and straightforward than anything on The Eraser, the album made by Thom Yorke and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. "Im an animal trapped in your hot car," from "All I Need," has to be one of the saddest, most open-hearted metaphors used to express unrequited love. "House of Cards" begins with "I dont want to be your friend/I just want to be your lover/No matter how it ends/No matter how it starts," and the one with the worms includes "Id be crazy not to follow/Follow where you lead/Your eyes/They turn me." This effective weaving of disparate elements -- lyrical expressions commonly associated with the band, mixed in with ones suited for everyday love ballads -- goes for the music as well. The album is very song-oriented, with each track constantly moving forward and developing, yet there are abstract electronic layers and studio-as-instrument elements to prevent it from sounding like a regression. In Rainbows will hopefully be remembered as Radioheads most stimulating synthesis of accessible songs and abstract sounds, rather than their first pick-your-price download.
	Album: 32 of 58 Artist:  Portico Quartet Title:  Knee-Deep in the North Sea Released:  2007-10-10 Tracks:  9 Duration:  50:55 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   News From Verona  (04:24) 2   Zavodovski Island  (04:22) 3   Knee-Deep in the North Sea  (04:52) 4   Too Many Cooks  (05:32) 5   Steps in the Wrong Direction  (06:09) 6   Monsoon: Top to Bottom  (04:14) 7   The Kon Tiki Expedition  (04:29) 8   Cittàgazze  (04:47) 9   Pompidou  (12:02)
	Album: 33 of 58 Artist:  Dizzee Rascal Title:  Maths + English Released:  2007-06-04 Tracks:  14 Duration:  48:53 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   World Outside  (03:08) 2   Pussyole (Old Skool)  (03:28) 3   Sirens  (03:30) 4   Wheres da Gs  (04:54) 5   Paranoid  (02:37) 6   Suk My Dick  (02:59) 7   Flex  (03:31) 1   Da Feelin’  (03:56) 2   Bubbles  (03:29) 3   Excuse Me Please  (03:40) 4   Hard Back (Industry)  (04:11) 5   Temptation  (02:34) 6   Wanna Be  (03:24) 7   U Cant Tell Me Nuffin  (03:31)
	Album: 34 of 58 Artist:  Klaxons Title:  Myths of the Near Future Released:  2007-01-29 Tracks:  13 Duration:  1:00:05 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 2007	1   Two Receivers  (04:18) 2   Atlantis to Interzone  (03:18) 3   Golden Skans  (02:45) 4   Totem on the Timeline  (02:41) 5   As Above, So Below  (03:58) 6   Isle of Her  (03:54) 7   Gravity’s Rainbow  (02:36) 8   Forgotten Works  (03:26) 9   Magick  (03:30) 10  It’s Not Over Yet  (03:35) 11  Four Horsemen of 2012 / [untitled]  (19:42) 12  Hall of Records  (03:58) 13  Atlantis to Interzone (live)  (02:19)
Myths of the Near Future : Allmusic album Review : Breathlessly anointed by the British press as pioneers of the "new rave" movement, Klaxons arent quite as radical on Myths of the Near Future as theyve been made out to be -- but theyre not as grating as the hype around them would suggest, either. Their sound is closer to dance-punk than revamped Madchester giddiness, more like Bloc Party before they got very, very serious than the Happy Mondays or Stone Roses. "Atlantis to Interzone" is the bands most overtly dancey song. Opening with shouts of "DJ!" sirens and guitars that sound sampled, but arent, then segueing to beats and rhythms that soar and plunge like a roller coaster, the song is the closest approximation of what a "new rave" would actually sound like. Fortunately, though, Klaxons dont limit themselves to a strict diet of shouty vocals, angular guitars, and loping basslines (though these are all present and accounted for on less interesting tracks like "Magick" and "Four Horsemen of 2012"). Myths of the Near Futures layered, deep-focus production prevents the bands sound from getting too boxed-in, elevating "Forgotten Works" and "Isle of Her" with choral vocals and a chilly atmosphere reminiscent of Gary Numan, "Ashes to Ashes" Bowie, and the colder side of Wire. Paradoxically, Klaxons more classic leanings are what make Myths of the Near Futures best songs sound fresh. "As Above, So Below," "Gravitys Rainbow," "Golden Skans," and "Its Not Over Yet" range from brisk, witty pop to radiant ballads, but they all boast hooks and melodies that many of Klaxons more straightforward indie contemporaries would be proud to call their own. Its a little uneven and definitely not the reinvention of music as we know it, but Myths of the Near Future is a strong enough debut to survive a level of hype that has crushed other bands, and enjoyable enough to return to when the hype dies down.
	Album: 35 of 58 Artist:  Jamie T Title:  Panic Prevention Released:  2007-01-29 Tracks:  12 Duration:  49:35 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   Brand New Bass Guitar  (02:08) 2   Salvador  (03:33) 3   Calm Down Dearest  (04:40) 4   So Lonely Was the Ballad  (03:50) 5   Back in the Game  (02:29) 6   Operation  (05:48) 7   Sheila  (04:19) 8   Pacemaker  (03:26) 9   Dry Off Your Cheeks  (05:03) 10  Ike & Tina  (03:38) 11  If You Got the Money  (04:03) 12  Alicia Quays  (06:32)
Panic Prevention : Allmusic album Review : Hes either a one-man Arctic Monkeys or an indie Mike Skinner, in training to take over the mantle of the Streets. If his yelping, strangled vocals arent enough of a hindrance to wider fame, then his yobbish subject matter and constant stream of slang should make it a sure bet hell never risk having a hit outside Europe (or the United Kingdom, for that matter). And hes got a thing for his bass. Hes Jamie T., and if its impossible to imagine him getting a release on Virgin before Arctic Monkeys became a sensation, then it still must be admitted that he adds up to a little more than the sum of his parts. He can move, as he does on "Calm Down Dearest," from nakedly delivering a stumbling-drunk line like "Where we going, what we doin this night/I feel drunk already maybe drink got spiked" into crooning romantic reassurances over a sublime dance track. One of the singles, "Sheila," is a well-drawn portrait of an abused woman on the edge of a breakdown (though his syllable-spraying delivery isnt what youd call economical). The production, from Jamie himself as well as friends and partners (including main man Ben Coupland), doesnt use much more than his beloved bass guitar, but makes great use of the spare keyboard and sampler. Still, Panic Prevention isnt much better than its best three or four songs, and its due to Jamie T.s stubborn insistence on being understood only by himself, or perhaps a precious few in his coterie. For instance (and this is only one of many), its hard to dissect the advice he gives on "Back in the Game": "Take your brother down to the sea, have a twos on a cigarette/Young sons mozy it happily, learn facts on the soviets."
	Album: 36 of 58 Artist:  Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Title:  Raising Sand Released:  2007-10-23 Tracks:  13 Duration:  57:27 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   Rich Woman  (04:05) 2   Killing the Blues  (04:17) 3   Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us  (03:25) 4   Polly Come Home  (05:39) 5   Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved on)  (03:34) 6   Through the Morning, Through the Night  (04:03) 7   Please Read the Letter  (05:55) 8   Trampled Rose  (05:34) 9   Fortune Teller  (04:32) 10  Stick With Me Baby  (02:51) 11  Nothin’  (05:35) 12  Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson  (04:02) 13  Your Long Journey  (03:55)
Raising Sand : Allmusic album Review : What seems to be an unlikely pairing of former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and bluegrass superstar Alison Krauss is actually one of the most effortless-sounding duos in modern popular music. The bridge seems to be producer T-Bone Burnett and the band assembled for this outing: drummer Jay Bellerose (who seems to be the session drummer in demand these days), upright bassist Dennis Crouch, guitarists Marc Ribot and Burnett, with Greg Leisz playing steel here and there, and a number of other guest appearances. Krauss, a monster fiddle player, only does so on two songs here. The proceedings are, predictably, very laid-back. Burnett has only known one speed these last ten years, and so the material chosen by the three is mostly very subdued. This doesnt make it boring, despite Burnetts production, which has become utterly predictable since he started working with Gillian Welch. He has a "sound" in the same way Daniel Lanois does: its edges are all rounded, everything is very warm, and it all sounds artificially dated. Sam Phillips "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us" is a centerpiece on this set. It has her fingerprints all over it. This tune, with its forlorn, percussion-heavy tarantella backdrop, might have come from a Tom Waits record were it not so intricately melodic -- and Krauss gypsy swing fiddle is a gorgeous touch. There is an emptiness at the heart of longing particularly suited to Krauss woodsy voice, and Plants harmony vocal is perfect, understated yet ever-present. Its the most organically atmospheric tune on the set -- not in terms of production, but for lyric and compositional content. Stellar. Plants own obsession with old rockabilly and blues tunes is satisfied on the sets opener, "Rich Woman," by Dorothy LaBostrie and McKinley Miller. Its all swamp, all past midnight, all gigolo boasting. Krauss harmony vocal underscores Plants low-key crooned boast as a mirror, as the person being used and who cant help it. Rollie Salleys "Killing the Blues" is all cough syrup guitars, muffled tom toms, and played-in-bedroom atmospherics. Nonetheless, the two vocalists make a brilliant song come to life with their shared sorrow, and its as if the meaning in the tune actually happens from the bitter irony in the space between the two vocalists as the whine of Leiszs steel roots this country song in the earth, not in the white clouds reflected in its refrain. There are a pair of Gene Clark tunes here as well. Plant is a Clark fan, and so its not a surprise, but the choices are: "Polly Come Home" and "Through the Morning, Through the Night" come from the second Dillard & Clark album from 1969 with the same title as the latter track. The first is a haunting ballad done in an old-world folk style that Clark would have been proud of. It reflects the same spirit and character as his own White Light album, but with Plant and Krauss, the spirit of Celtic-cum-Appalachian style that influenced bluegrass, and the Delta blues that influenced rock, are breached. "Through the Morning, Through the Night" is a wasted country love song told from the point of view of an outlaw. Plant gets his chance to rock -- a bit -- in the Everly Brothers "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)." While it sounds nothing like the original, Plants pipes get to croon and drift over the distorted guitars and a clipped snare; he gets to do his trademark blues improv bit between verses. To be honest, it feels like it was tossed off and, therefore, less studied than anything else here: its a refreshing change of pace near the middle of the disc. It "rocks" in a roots way. "Please Read the Letter" is written by Plant, Page Charlie Jones, and Michael Lee. Slow, plodding, almost crawling, Krauss harmony vocal takes it to the next step, adds the kind of lonesome depth that makes this a song whispered under a starless sky rather than just another lost love song. Waits and Kathleen Brennans "Trampled Rose," done shotgun ballad style, is, with the Phillips tune, the most beautiful thing here. Krauss near the top of her range sighs into the rhythm. Patrick Warrens toy piano sounds more like a marimba, and his pump organ adds to the percussive nature of this wary hymn from the depths. When she sings "You never pay just once/To get the job done," this skeletal band swells. Ribots dobro sounds like a rickety banjo, and it stutters just ahead of the bass drum and tom toms in Belleroses kit. Naomi Nevilles "Fortune Teller" shows Burnett at his best as a producer. He lets Plants voice come falling out of his mouth, staggering and stuttering the rhythms so they feel like a combination of Delta blues, second-line New Orleans, and Congo Square drum walk. The guitar is nasty and distorted, and the brush touches with their metallic sheen are a nice complement to the bass drums. It doesnt rock; it struts and staggers on its way. Krauss wordless vocal in the background creates a nice space for that incessant series of rhythms to play to. The next three tunes are cagey, even for this eclectic set: Mel Tillis awesome ballad "Stick with Me Baby" sounds more like Dion & the Belmonts on the street corner on cough syrup and meaning every word. There is no doo wop, just the sweet melody falling from the singers mouths like an incantation with an understated but pronounced rhythm section painting them singing together in front of a burning ash can. This little gem is followed by a reading of Townes Van Zandts "Nothin" done in twilight Led Zeppelin style. It doesnt rock either. It plods and drifts, and crawls. Krauss fiddle moans above the tambourine, indistinct and distorted; low-tuned electric guitars and the haunted, echoing banjo are a compelling move and rescue the melody from the sonic clutter -- no, sonic clutter is not a bad thing. The weirdest thing is that while its the loudest tune on the set, it features Norman Blake on acoustic guitar with Burnett. This is what singer/songwriter heavy metal must sound like. And it is oh-so-slow. The final part of the trilogy of the weird takes place on Little Milton Campbells "Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson," a jangly country rocker in the vein of Neil Young without the weight and creak of age hindering it. Krauss is such a fine singer, and she does her own Plant imitation here. She has his phrasing down, his slippery way of enunciating, and you can hear why this was such a great match-up. The band can play backbone slip rockabilly shuffle with their eyes closed and their hands tied behind their backs, and they do it here. Its a great moment before the close. The haunting, old-timey "Your Long Journey by A.D. and Rosa Lee Watson," with its autoharp (played by Mike Seeger no less), Riley Baugus banjo, Crouchs big wooden bass, and Blakes acoustic guitar, is a whispering way to send this set of broken love songs off into the night. These two voices meld together seamlessly; they will not be swallowed even when the production is bigger than the song. They dont soar, they dont roar, they simply sing songs that offer different shades of meaning as a result of this welcome collaboration.
	Album: 37 of 58 Artist:  Rachel Unthank & The Winterset Title:  The Bairns Released:  2007 Tracks:  15 Duration:  1:05:26 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   Felton Lonnin  (07:19) 2   Lull I  (01:23) 3   Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk  (05:13) 4   I Wish  (06:24) 5   Blues Gaen oot o the Fashion  (04:30) 6   Lull II: My Lads a Canny Lad  (00:23) 7   Blackbird  (02:53) 8   Lull III: A Minor Place  (00:22) 9   Sea Song  (06:19) 10  Whitethorn  (06:04) 11  Lull IV: Cant Stop It Raining  (01:45) 12  My Donald  (08:06) 13  Ma Bonny Lad  (01:57) 14  Fareweel Regality  (06:20) 15  Newcastle Lullaby  (06:23)
The Bairns : Allmusic album Review : This second album from Rachel Unthank & the Winterset, following the groups highly praised debut, is a record that demands several plays to understand. It starts off in uncompromising fashion, as the first verse of "Felton Lonnin" is in Northumbrian dialect so deep as to be virtually incomprehensible to an outsider (and Unthanks wavering vocal isnt exactly embracing). But the song opens up, and it sets the tone well for the rest of the disc. Its very much a folk record -- most of the songs are traditional -- but it takes chances. "Blues Gaen Oot othe Fashion" is a patchwork of snippets taken from several different songs, while "Lull III: A Minor Place" simply uses the chorus from Bonnie Prince Billys song of the same name. There are some contemporary folk songs, one from bandmember Belinda OHooley, but the most ambitious track has to be a cover of Robert Wyatts "Sea Song." Always a very personal piece, its one that doesnt lend itself easily to interpretation, especially by an acoustic group, but Becky Unthank does an excellent job on the vocal, while the arrangement, neatly subdued, is sympathetic and true to the feel of the original. Its rare to hear a folk group where piano stands as the central instrument (the fiddle often feels like its there in a supporting role), but they make it work, and when the sisters harmonize in their singing, it can be quite sublime. Time will shake off the hype thats attended them over the last couple of years, but this is a band with real spark and invention.
	Album: 38 of 58 Artist:  Burial Title:  Untrue Released:  2007-11-05 Tracks:  13 Duration:  50:35 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   [untitled]  (00:46) 2   Archangel  (03:58) 3   Near Dark  (03:54) 4   Ghost Hardware  (04:54) 5   Endorphin  (02:57) 6   Etched Headplate  (06:00) 7   In McDonalds  (02:07) 1   Untrue  (06:16) 2   Shell of Light  (04:41) 3   Dog Shelter  (02:59) 4   Homeless  (05:21) 5   UK  (01:40) 6   Raver  (04:59)
	Album: 39 of 58 Artist:  Maps Title:  We Can Create Released:  2007-05-14 Tracks:  22 Duration:  1:49:06 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2007	1   So Low, So High  (03:57) 2   You Dont Know Her Name  (03:52) 3   Elouise  (05:22) 4   It Will Find You  (05:33) 5   Glory Verse  (05:29) 6   Liquid Sugar  (03:53) 7   To the Sky  (04:16) 8   Back + Forth  (03:42) 9   Lost My Soul  (03:50) 10  Dont Fear  (06:10) 11  When You Leave  (06:07) 12  Start Something  (06:10) 13  The Tonic Girl  (04:26) 14  I Was Born Twice  (05:14) 15  Were Not in Kansas Anymore  (04:43) 16  The Gathering (original mix)  (04:05) 17  It Will Find You (Maps Enlighten mix)  (08:17) 18  To the Sky (The Loving Hand remix)  (04:31) 19  Make Yourself Exist  (03:35) 20  Spark in the Snow  (05:00) 21  Fall Apart  (03:49) 22  In Chemistry (edit)  (07:05)
	Album: 40 of 58 Artist:  Adele Title:  19 Released:  2008-01-27 Tracks:  10 Duration:  35:32 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   Chasing Pavements  (03:52) 2   Melt My Heart to Stone (live at Hotel Cafe)  (03:21) 3   That’s It, I Quit, I’m Moving On  (02:07) 4   Crazy for You  (03:43) 5   Right as Rain  (03:32) 6   My Same  (03:05) 7   Make You Feel My Love (live at Hotel Cafe)  (03:52) 8   Daydreamer  (03:41) 9   Hometown Glory  (03:48) 10  Many Shades of Black  (04:28)
19 : Allmusic album Review : With just a couple of cursory listens to the few tracks that popped up all over the Internet through 2007, comparisons were made between Adele, the much-hyped brassy British songstress, and Amy Winehouse, the...much-hyped brassy British songstress. However, after a solid listen to 19, the first full sampling by the up-and-coming Adele, listeners are forced to throw all comparisons to the wind; Adele is simply too magical to compare her to anyone. Bluesy like its no ones business yet voluptuously funky in a contemporary way, Adele rocks out 19 with a unique voice and gritty sound that dazzle endlessly. Synthesizing blues, jazz, folk, soul, and even electric pop, Adele mystifies through her mature songwriting skills and jaw-dropping arrangements. As the album opens with "Daydreamer," Adeles illusionary instrument -- over minimal sounds -- engulfs the listener with a gorgeous feeling of awe and wonderment. On "Melt My Heart to Stone" and the bona fide hit "Chasing Pavements," Adele allows herself to soar over the strings and power her way through these incredible songs. The upbeat "Right as Rain" is just wonderful, with clear Ashford & Simpson influences speckled all over it in an upbeat set. Nearly all the tracks seem to have been nurtured to glory over months as labors of love. Whats simply awesome on 19 is its capability to capture the listener through mere teasing; Adele doesnt shout for attention, and doesnt rely on anyone but herself to prove shes worth it, in the same vein as Sara Bareilles, another heavily praised artist of 2007. The jazzy "Best for Last" is as retro as the tunes get on the album, yet it still manages to steer away from being boring or old-fashioned. The only awkwardness throughout all of 19 is the overly poppy galactic "Tired," which sounds as though it might have fallen off a Lily Allen track list, something that doesnt suit Adele as a musician. As far as artistic drive goes, it seems as though Adele is hoping to capitalize on the sounds of 2007 by borrowing elements of Feist, Regina Spektor, Norah Jones, and even, yes, Amy Winehouse; yet Adele blends all the artistic pizzazz of all those ladies into her own set of manipulative, glamorous wonder. Plus, as a terrific songwriter at merely 20 years of age, the Brit has so much room to expand her artistic dimensions into a full-fledged artist that its no wonder most critics see her as the top new talent of 2008. This debut isnt an empty promise of a great career; 19 is a fleshed-out stunning portrayal of a young woman with a talent beyond her years who deserves immense credit for a unique style that never fails. A beyond stellar debut in both quality and originality.
	Album: 41 of 58 Artist:  Laura Marling Title:  Alas I Cannot Swim Released:  2008-02-11 Tracks:  12 Duration:  38:29 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   Ghosts  (03:01) 2   Old Stone  (02:59) 3   Tap at My Window  (02:47) 4   Failure  (03:21) 5   Youre No God  (02:27) 6   Cross Your Fingers  (02:23) 7   Crawled Out of the Sea (interlude)  (01:16) 8   My Manic and I  (03:56) 9   Night Terror  (03:09) 10  The Captain and the Hourglass  (03:09) 11  Shine  (02:38) 12  Your Only Doll (Dora) / Alas, I Cannot Swim  (07:18)
	Album: 42 of 58 Artist:  British Sea Power Title:  Do You Like Rock Music? Released:  2008-01-13 Tracks:  12 Duration:  54:44 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   All in It  (02:11) 2   Lights Out for Darker Skies  (06:36) 3   No Lucifer  (03:27) 4   Waving Flags  (04:07) 5   Canvey Island  (03:41) 6   Down on the Ground  (04:23) 7   A Trip Out  (03:16) 8   The Great Skua  (04:35) 9   Atom  (05:38) 10  No Need to Cry  (03:43) 11  Open the Door  (04:56) 12  We Close Our Eyes  (08:04)
	Album: 43 of 58 Artist:  Friendly Fires Title:  Friendly Fires Released:  2008-09-01 Tracks:  11 Duration:  41:17 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   Jump in the Pool  (03:37) 2   In the Hospital  (03:51) 3   Paris  (03:55) 4   White Diamonds  (04:12) 5   Strobe  (03:05) 6   On Board  (03:43) 7   Lovesick  (03:54) 8   Skeleton Boy  (03:33) 9   Photobooth  (03:24) 10  Ex Lover  (03:50) 11  Kiss of Life  (04:09)
	Album: 44 of 58 Artist:  Glasvegas Title:  Glasvegas Released:  2008-09-05 Tracks:  12 Duration:  54:08 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   Flowers & Football Tops  (06:56) 2   Geraldine  (03:45) 3   It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry  (04:25) 4   Lonesome Swan  (02:43) 5   Go Square Go  (03:26) 6   Polmont on My Mind  (03:51) 7   Daddy’s Gone  (04:23) 8   Stabbed  (02:22) 9   S.A.D. Light  (04:00) 10  Ice Cream Van  (06:56) 11  The Prettiest Thing on Saltcoats Beach  (06:24) 12  Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime  (04:53)
Glasvegas : Allmusic album Review : Having ridden a mountain of critical and publicist-generated hype as well as U.K. chart success into the North American market like so many other British bands, Glasvegas offer a bombastic, angsty self-titled debut filled with earnest emotion and pounding Wall of Sound dynamics. And as with so many of their peers, the reality doesnt completely match the hype, as the band sometimes struggle to create anything as vital as the work of the artists that influenced them. Still, theres charm and energy to spare, and some wonderful singles on an album that some might consider overly samey and in some spurts seemingly lazy. Getting past the impressionist black-and-white front sleeve that wrongly suggests another Joy Division tribute band, there might be nothing innovative about the Glasvegas musical style, but at least their influences make for an interesting mix. Though frontman James Allans accent betrays his Scottish nationality, his delivery and the groups anthemic playing immediately and somewhat uncannily recall Cork, Irelands comparatively overlooked the Frank and Walters. Where they lack the wit of that band, for better or worse, they compensate at times with urgency and ample doses of 60s era Phil Spector humming choruses that bring to mind a rocking male version of the Ronettes, thunderous percussion, and stream of conscious lyrics peppered with patches cribbed from the past. Many critics have mentioned a similarity to shoegazer gods the Jesus and Mary Chain, but thats mostly a byproduct of Allan and co-producer Rich Costeys busy production. Album opener "Flowers and Football Tops" is the best example of all these elements, with its Spector-like "woo hoos" and everything but the kitchen sink percussion. There are obvious hints of U2 in the songs anthemic, emotional subject matter and equally colossal production. It relates the sorrow of the family of a young Scottish teenager kidnapped and murdered by a racially motivated gang. Knowing the backstory adds quite a bit of power to a song thats already powerful, and the touching conclusion where Allan sings a considerable passage of "You Are My Sunshine" might seem laughable not knowing the songs origin. A handful of tracks pack a similar power, particularly "Geraldine," with its catchy but sorrowful chorus of "My name is Geraldine, Im youre social worker," and the rushing Brill building-on-steroids of "Go Square Go" with its slightly crude but invigorating repetition of "here we, here we, here we fucking go again." The albums first half has about twice and much energy as its second, and things nearly grind to a halt with the musical misstep of classical piano on "Stabbed," but listening closer to the melodies below the noisy squall reveals songs like "S.A.D. Light" and "Daddys Gone" to be winning growers. The slower moments of these songs are nearly drowned out by the heavy-handed production. Costey knows his way around a studio and how to extract sonic muscle, but theres a sense of grabbing at times as the Spector aping goes over the top. Some might question why so much sonic assault is necessary when the songs are already so strong. The lyrics and song structures are anthemic enough, and the busy production drives some fine, near ballad-like numbers into overwrought territory. The emotional clarity, everyman anthems, and often glorious melodies of Glasvegas suggests Allan and company have a bright future ahead of them with or without the Baroque production.
	Album: 45 of 58 Artist:  Lisa Hannigan Title:  Sea Sew Released:  2008-09-12 Tracks:  10 Duration:  40:16 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   An Ocean and a Rock  (04:21) 2   Venn Diagram  (04:20) 3   Sea Song  (03:23) 4   Splishy Splashy  (03:16) 5   I Don’t Know  (04:56) 6   Keep It All  (04:11) 7   Courting Blues  (04:06) 8   Pistachio  (03:25) 9   Teeth  (04:08) 10  Lille  (04:06)
	Album: 46 of 58 Artist:  Estelle Title:  Shine Released:  2008-03-31 Tracks:  12 Duration:  47:35 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)  (03:41) 2   No Substitute Love  (03:33) 3   American Boy  (04:45) 4   More Than Friends  (04:24) 5   Magnificent  (03:56) 6   Come Over  (03:41) 1   So Much Out the Way  (04:04) 2   In the Rain  (04:08) 3   Back in Love  (04:01) 4   You Are  (03:30) 5   Pretty Please (Love Me)  (03:58) 6   Shine  (03:49)
Shine : Allmusic album Review : The debut album from London native Estelle, 2004s The 18th Day, stalled at number 40 on the U.K. chart. Uneven and tentative but not without a handful of major standouts -- like the wistful and animated "1980," where she displayed her MCing chops, and the Mary J. Blige-worthy slow groove "Dance with Me" -- it wasnt enough to further her labels support. Estelle proposed a John Legend-produced follow-up, which V2 did not approve, so she relocated to the U.S. and secured a deal with Atlantic through Legends Homeschool boutique label. Capping a cunningly punitive turn of events orchestrated by a once-shunned artist (i.e., "How ya like them apples?"), "American Boy" -- a flirty disco-funk track featuring Kanye West and production from will.i.am, who re-heated the beat from his own "Impatient" -- took a swift route the top of the U.K. pop chart. When Shine was released, just after the chart feat, the song had yet to make as much of a splash in the States; regardless of how the single or the album fares from a commercial standpoint, Estelle can at least be proud of having made a second full-length that builds upon and far outstrips her first. Wyclef Jean and will.i.am produce two songs each, while the remainder is divided between a wide-ranging cast including Mark Ronson, Jack Splash, and Swizz Beats, all of whom produce one track. Through it all, Estelle is the main attraction and is never upstaged or out of her depth, whether she is trading lines with Cee-Lo or Kanye West, switching between singing and rapping on "More Than Friends," or swapping out blissful rocksteady reggae for nerved-up glitz-pop. Most impressive is "So Much Out the Way," where she does the work of at least three vocalists of varying modes, all over a Wyclef concoction that alternates between tautly snapping jazz-funk (courtesy of Louis Johnsons bass from Grover Washington, Jr.s "Hydra") and Wall of Sound soul (transformed from Bob Marleys "So Much Things to Say"). Not many vocalists could possibly navigate all this terrain without losing a beat, but Estelle has no trouble pulling it off with her versatility and easy-to-like personality. Her second act is ceaselessly enjoyable, one of the finer R&B albums to be released in 2008.
	Album: 47 of 58 Artist:  Neon Neon Title:  Stainless Style Released:  2008-03-16 Tracks:  12 Duration:  43:04 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   Neon Theme  (02:21) 2   Dream Cars  (03:25) 3   I Told Her on Alderaan  (03:43) 4   Raquel  (05:01) 5   Trick for Treat  (04:44) 6   Steel Your Girl  (03:33) 7   I Lust U  (02:59) 8   Sweat Shop  (03:57) 9   Belfast  (03:08) 10  Michael Douglas  (04:13) 11  Luxury Pool  (03:55) 12  Stainless Style  (01:59)
	Album: 48 of 58 Artist:  The Last Shadow Puppets Title:  The Age of the Understatement Released:  2008-04-16 Tracks:  12 Duration:  34:48 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2008	1   The Age of the Understatement  (03:07) 2   Standing Next to Me  (02:18) 3   Calm Like You  (02:26) 4   Separate and Ever Deadly  (02:38) 5   The Chamber  (02:37) 6   Only the Truth  (02:44) 7   My Mistakes Were Made for You  (03:04) 8   Black Plant  (03:59) 9   I Don’t Like You Anymore  (03:05) 10  In My Room  (02:29) 11  Meeting Place  (03:55) 12  The Time Has Come Again  (02:22)
The Age of the Understatement : Allmusic album Review : Its not that often that side projects are more ambitious than the players main bands, but the Last Shadow Puppets, the collaboration between the Arctic Monkeys Alex Turner and the Rascals Miles Kane, is one of those rare birds. With their day jobs, Turner and Kane are revivalists of different strains of "angry young British man" rock, but with the help of drummer/producer James Ford (also of Simian Mobile Disco), arranger Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy), and the London Metropolitan Orchestra, on The Age of the Understatement they revitalize the lush, symphonic pop of early Scott Walker and David Bowie, when they needed an orchestra to express just how sweeping their feelings were. The title tracks galloping strings-and-timpani drama begins the album, making it readily apparent just how ironic The Age of the Understatements name is, and just how well the Last Shadow Puppets have recaptured that lavish late-60s/early-70s sound. The main update to it comes from Turner and Kanes voices; stark and suave like Walker and Bowie they are not, but thats a good thing -- their boyish, unpretentious voices and brotherly harmonies keep the album from dipping into kitsch. Instead, a surprising urgency runs through The Age of the Understatement, most noticeably on the taut "Calm Like You" and "Separate and Ever Deadly," but also on softer moments like "The Meeting Place" and the extremely Walker-esque "My Mistakes Were Made for You." Whenever the drama threatens to become too monotonous, the band knows when to change things up: "I Dont Like You Anymore" brings in more of the Arctic Monkeys spit and spite, building up to a livid guitar solo that practically shakes with loathing, while "Standing Next to Me" and "Time Has Come" rein in the bombast. Despite all the intensity, the Last Shadow Puppets have a light touch -- their songs are short and dont overstay their welcome, and the whole affair is just arty and indulgent enough to make it special. Its not an overstatement to say that The Age of the Understatement is a likable, accomplished working holiday.
	Album: 49 of 58 Artist:  Elbow Title:  The Seldom Seen Kid Released:  2008-03-17 Tracks:  12 Duration:  56:38 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 2008	1   Starlings  (05:05) 2   The Bones of You  (04:49) 3   Mirrorball  (05:50) 4   Grounds for Divorce  (03:39) 5   An Audience With the Pope  (04:27) 6   Weather to Fly  (04:29) 7   The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver  (05:14) 8   The Fix  (04:27) 9   Some Riot  (05:23) 10  One Day Like This  (06:34) 11  Friend of Ours  (04:38) 12  Were Away  (01:59)
The Seldom Seen Kid : Allmusic album Review : In a world where even the generally mediocre likes of Snow Patrol can have honest to goodness mainstream pop success, it seems peculiar that Elbow have never broken through beyond a devoted cult following. (Admittedly, the fact that their new labels, Polygrams alt rock imprint Fiction Records in the U.K. and Geffen in the U.S., are their fourth and fifth, respectively, after stints on Island, EMI, and V2, may have a lot to do with their lack of mainstream attention.) Exploring the fruitful middle ground between early Radioheads mopey art rock and Coldplays radio-friendly dumbing down of the same, Elbow makes records built on a balance of things not often found together anymore: strange musical textures alongside immediately accessible pop song choruses, or unexpected left turns in song structure paired with frontman Guy Garveys warm, piercing vocals. Its no surprise that Elbow are regularly compared to old-school prog rockers like Pink Floyd and Electric Light Orchestra: theyre proof that records can be cool and commercial at the same time, an idea thats not particularly hip in this day and age. Yet a song like "Grounds for Divorce," which puts a sharp, wryly funny Garvey lyric against a clanging, Tom Waits-like arrangement and throws on one of the albums catchiest tunes for good measure, or "Some Riot," which filters a yearning, lovely melody for guitar and piano through so many layers of effects and processing that it can be hard to tell what the original instruments sounded like, isnt afraid to display its accessibility even on its most experimental numbers. At the albums best, including the spacious, atmospheric balladry of the opening "Starlings" (imagine if Sigur Rós could write a pop song as emotionally direct as Keanes "Everybodys Changing") and the potential radio breakthroughs of the soaring, semi-orchestral epic "One Day Like This" (complete with choral climax!) and the wistful "Weather to Fly," The Seldom Seen Kid is Elbows most self-assured and enjoyable album so far. [The U.K. version added "Were Away" as a bonus track.]
	Album: 50 of 58 Artist:  La Roux Title:  La Roux Released:  2009-06-26 Tracks:  16 Duration:  1:03:27 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   In for the Kill  (04:08) 2   Tigerlily  (03:24) 3   Quicksand  (03:07) 4   Bulletproof  (03:26) 5   Colourless Colour  (03:28) 6   Im Not Your Toy  (03:20) 7   Cover My Eyes  (04:32) 8   As If by Magic  (03:51) 9   Fascination  (03:41) 10  Reflections Are Protection  (04:20) 11  Armour Love  (03:55) 12  Growing Pains  (03:26) 13  Finally My Saviour  (04:21) 14  In for the Kill (Skreams Lets Get Ravey remix)  (05:04) 15  Bulletproof (Tiborg remix)  (03:29) 16  Bulletproof (Zinc remix)  (05:50)
	Album: 51 of 58 Artist:  Florence + the Machine Title:  Lungs Released:  2009-06-13 Tracks:  13 Duration:  46:13 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   Dog Days Are Over  (04:12) 2   Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)  (03:52) 3   I’m Not Calling You a Liar  (03:05) 4   Howl  (03:34) 5   Kiss With a Fist  (02:04) 6   Girl With One Eye  (03:38) 7   Drumming Song  (03:43) 8   Between Two Lungs  (04:09) 9   Cosmic Love  (04:15) 10  My Boy Builds Coffins  (02:56) 11  Hurricane Drunk  (03:13) 12  Blinding  (04:40) 13  You’ve Got the Love  (02:48)
Lungs : Allmusic album Review : Precocious Brit Florence Welch fired a bullet into the head of the U.K. music scene in 2008 with the single "Kiss with a Fist," a punk-infused, perfectly juvenile summer anthem that had critics wiping the names Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, and Kate Nash from their vocabularies and replacing them with Florence + the Machine. While the comparisons were apt at the time, "Kiss with a Fist" turned out to be a red herring in the wake of the release of Lungs, one of the most musically mature and emotionally mesmerizing albums of 2009. With an arsenal of weaponry that included the daring musicality of Kate Bush, the fearless delivery of Sinéad OConnor, and the dark, unhinged vulnerability of Fiona Apple, the London native crafted a debut that not only lived up to the machine-gun spray of buzz that heralded her arrival, but easily surpassed it. Like Kate Bush, Welch has little interest (for the most part) in traditional pop structures, and her songs are at their best when they see something sparkle in the woods and veer off of the main trail in pursuit. "Kiss with a Fist," as good as it is, pales in comparison to standout cuts like "Dog Days Are Over," "Hurricane Drunk," "Drumming Song," "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)," and "Cosmic Love," all of which are anchored to the earth by Welchs knockout voice, a truly impressive and intuitive trio of producers, and a backing band that sounds as intimate with the material as its creator. [Lungs was also released in a Deluxe Edition that included Lungs: The B-Sides, a bonus disc featuring studio tracks like “Swimming,” “Falling,” and “Heavy in Your Arms,” the latter of which appeared on the soundtrack for Twilight Saga: Eclipse, as well as live cuts (“Youve Got the Dirtee Love"), demos (“Ghosts”), and remixes (the "Yeasayer Remix" of “Dog Days Are Over").]
	Album: 52 of 58 Artist:  The Horrors Title:  Primary Colours Released:  2009-05-04 Tracks:  12 Duration:  54:02 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   Mirrors Image  (04:50) 2   Three Decades  (02:49) 3   Who Can Say  (03:41) 4   Do You Remember  (03:28) 5   New Ice Age  (04:25) 6   Scarlet Fields  (04:42) 7   I Only Think of You  (07:06) 8   I Cant Control Myself  (03:27) 9   Primary Colours  (03:01) 10  Sea Within a Sea  (07:58) 11  You Could Never Tell  (03:31) 12  Whole New Way  (04:59)
Primary Colours : Allmusic album Review : A four-on-the-floor beat with a wash of synths isnt exactly the expected way for a Horrors album to begin, but thats exactly how "Mirrors Image" kicks off Primary Colours, which is such a big departure from the bands debut, Strange House, that its fitting its on a different label. Though Strange Houses final tracks suggested that the band was looking for ways to expand on its resurrection of freakbeat and garage rock, very little suggested that its next album would be the triple point where goth, post-punk, and shoegaze met. This time out, Faris Badwan sings more than he screams, Spider Webbs keyboards sparkle rather than stab, and the guitars bend and blur instead of slamming out power chords (Primary Colours out-of-focus cover photo even upholds the rule that shoegaze-inspired albums have to have hazy artwork to match the sounds within). Even their attitude is completely different: rather than dismissing an ex by snarling "She was the new thing," Badwan sighs, "I know youre better off this way." Then again, the Horrors always seemed artier and more ambitious than a lot of garage rock-inspired bands, from their cartoon-goth look to collaborating with visionary director Chris Cunningham. Now, Cunningham acts as one of Primary Colours co-producers, along with Portisheads Geoff Barrow; having masters of sophisticated spookiness like these in their corner helps the Horrors make such a drastic change to their sound convincing. While Strange Houses sound was fun and distinctive -- and that campy glee is occasionally missed here -- it might have also been limiting, something that cant be said of the bands experiments with these songs. The albums epic lead single, "Sea Within a Sea," is also its most stunning track, traveling through a motorik beat, taut keyboards, and massive guitar drones that suggest whale cries before it opens into a sparkling, arpeggiated coda. Several other songs are nearly as exciting, even -- or maybe especially -- when they keep some of the pop structures from the Horrors previous incarnation. The excellent "Three Decades" sounds a little like a song from Strange House being played underwater, with busy drums the only constant as everything else billows and blows around them. "Who Can Say" pays homage to the bands enduring Joe Meek fetish with "Telstar"-like synth tones, and to their fondness for 60s pop in general with a spoken word bridge that puts the lyrics from Jay & the Americans "She Cried" to a Phil Spector-inspired boom-boom-boom-crash! beat. This mix of 60s meets 90s sounds fresher than the moments where the Horrors try to re-create the shoegaze sound more faithfully, as on the title track and "Do You Remember," both of which sound, for better or worse, like the work of one of the many forgotten bands that popped up after Loveless was released. Their forays into post-punk (or maybe post-post-punk) are also mixed: "I Only Think of You" doesnt quite live up to its seven-minute length, but "Scarlet Fields," which sounds like Kevin Shields guesting on an Interpol song, is one of the albums highlights. The Horrors fare better when they bare their teeth on the violent, hypnotic "New Ice Age" and "I Cant Control Myself," a piece of strung-out dream blues that gives Spiritualized a run for their money. As bold and listenable as it is, Primary Colours is occasionally scattered, giving the impression that the band is trying on different sounds for size -- although the fact that most of it works so well is actually more surprising than how different it is from their earlier work. At its best, it shows that the Horrors can do far more than what anyone expected from them.
	Album: 53 of 58 Artist:  Led Bib Title:  Sensible Shoes Released:  2009-05-04 Tracks:  9 Duration:  58:43 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   Yes, Again  (04:55) 2   Squirrel Carnage  (07:10) 3   Early Morning  (07:10) 4   Sweet Chilli  (05:22) 5   2:4:1 (Still Equals None)  (05:56) 6   Call Centre Labyrinth  (07:00) 7   Water Shortage  (07:11) 8   Flat Pack Fantasy  (04:49) 9   Zone 4  (09:07)
	Album: 54 of 58 Artist:  Speech Debelle Title:  Speech Therapy Released:  2009-06-01 Tracks:  13 Duration:  51:15 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 2009	1   Searching  (03:33) 2   The Key  (02:59) 3   Better Days  (04:00) 4   Spinnin’  (03:36) 5   Go Then, Bye  (04:29) 6   Daddy’s Little Girl  (03:52) 7   Bad Boy  (04:19) 8   Wheels in Motion  (03:27) 9   Live & Learn  (03:29) 10  Working Weak  (03:20) 11  Buddy Love  (04:11) 12  Finish This Album  (05:11) 13  Speech Therapy  (04:45)
	Album: 55 of 58 Artist:  The Invisible Title:  The Invisible Released:  2009-03-02 Tracks:  12 Duration:  48:33 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   In Retrograde  (02:41) 2   Constant  (05:11) 3   Passion  (03:56) 4   London Girl  (04:00) 5   Baby Doll  (04:15) 6   Monsters Waltz  (03:49) 7   Ok  (04:15) 8   Jacob & The Angel  (04:51) 9   Climate  (05:08) 10  Tally of Souls  (03:16) 11  Spiral  (03:26) 12  Time Waits  (03:39)
	Album: 56 of 58 Artist:  Sweet Billy Pilgrim Title:  Twice Born Men Released:  2009-03-16 Tracks:  8 Duration:  40:48 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   Here It Begins  (02:34) 2   Truth Only Smiles  (05:03) 3   Bloodless Coup  (05:41) 4   Longshore Drift  (04:59) 5   Kalypso  (06:28) 6   Future Perfect Tense  (04:29) 7   Joy Maker Machinery  (06:53) 8   There Will It End  (04:39)
	Album: 57 of 58 Artist:  Bat for Lashes Title:  Two Suns Released:  2009-04-03 Tracks:  11 Duration:  45:01 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Wikipedia   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   Glass  (04:32) 2   Sleep Alone  (04:02) 3   Moon and Moon  (03:08) 4   Daniel  (04:11) 5   Peace of Mind  (03:28) 6   Siren Song  (04:58) 7   Pearl’s Dream  (04:45) 8   Good Love  (04:29) 9   Two Planets  (04:47) 10  Travelling Woman  (03:46) 11  The Big Sleep  (02:55)
Two Suns : Allmusic album Review : Natasha Khans debut album as Bat for Lashes, Fur and Gold, was so vivid and fully realized that it was a tough act to follow: she found ways to make her wildest flights of fancy into music with the immediacy of pop and the intimacy of a singer/songwriters confessions. It takes a lot of ambition to pull off that kind of alchemy, and that ambition defines Two Suns. Khans sounds and visions are even more widescreen here, full of pristine electronics and heady concepts, and Scott Walker, the undisputed king of high-concept music, duets with her on the ultra-theatrical finale "The Big Sleep." Since Bat for Lashes songs practically burst with characters and ideas, a concept album seems like a logical next step for Khans music, but the magic her songs had previously feels dissipated this time around. Two Suns revolves around Khans "desert-born spiritual self" and her "destructive, self-absorbed, blonde femme fatale" alter ego Pearl as it covers "the philosophy of the self and duality, examining the need for both chaos and balance, for both love and pain, in addition to touching on metaphysical ideas concerning the connections between all existence." Thats a lot to pack into just 11 songs, and its not always entirely clear just what theyre about, despite motifs like "blue dreams" that run through them. Some songs are just plain overdone: "Traveling Woman" and "Peace of Mind," with its tribal rhythms and gospel choir, aim for majesty but end up dragging. Others use the albums posh polish to make an impact, like "Glass" -- on which Khan hits some amazing high notes -- and "Daniel," which nods to the poppier side of her music. The directness that made Fur and Golds modern-day fairy tales so enchanting and moving is often missing, and nothing on Two Suns is as musically or emotionally immediate as "Whats a Girl to Do?" or "Sad Eyes." However, the subtler spells Khan casts with hypnotic tracks like "Sleep Alone" and "Moon and Moon" eventually reveal their beauty. And as Two Suns unfolds, it gradually shifts from overt attempts to dazzle listeners to focusing on Bat for Lashes greatest strengths: Khans voice and her considerable skills at telling a story and setting a mood. Pearl may be the albums dark side, but shes responsible for some of its best songs. "Siren Song" sets her seductive false promises to dramatic pianos, while "Pearl"s Dream," with its battles and kingdoms, is classic Bat for Lashes. "Good Love" reaffirms Khans way with bruised ballads, and "Two Planets" pummeling beats and swirling voices make the mystical power the rest of the album reached for crystal-clear. Ultimately, Two Suns is nearly as graceful and poetic as Bat for Lashes best work; its just that the albums massive concepts and sounds require a little more time and patience to unravel to get to the songs hearts. Its clear that Khans talent and ambition are both huge, and for her to slightly overreach is better than not aiming as high as she can.
	Album: 58 of 58 Artist:  Kasabian Title:  West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum Released:  2009-06-03 Tracks:  18 Duration:  1:49:18 Scroll:  Up   Down   Top   Bottom   25%   50%   75% Spotify   TrackSamples   Allmusic    AlbumCover    Mercury Prize Nominee 2009	1   Underdog  (04:37) 2   Where Did All the Love Go?  (04:17) 3   Swarfiga  (02:18) 4   Fast Fuse  (04:10) 5   Take Aim  (05:23) 6   Thick as Thieves  (03:06) 7   West Ryder Silver Bullet  (05:15) 8   Vlad the Impaler  (04:44) 9   Ladies and Gentlemen, Roll the Dice  (03:33) 10  Secret Alphabets  (05:07) 11  Fire  (04:13) 12  Happiness  (05:16) 1   Live From the Union Chapel for the Little Noise Sessions  (24:18) 2   Live at the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust  (19:44) 3   Vlad the Impaler (video)  (02:10) 4   Vlad the Impaler (the making of)  (04:06) 5   Fire (music film)  (04:43) 6   Credits  (02:14)
West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum : Allmusic album Review : Most Kasabian albums are bloated pieces of work, having been created by some of the most self-assured, loudmouthed rockers since the Gallagher brothers. West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is more demented than outsized, however, replacing the ego rock of Empire with a barmy blend of electronics, acoustics, horror movie ambience, and industrial psychedelia. Producer Dan the Automator adds touches of hip-hop to the mix, too, highlighting the bands rhythmic base by stripping back the layers of guitar and synth samples. The result is an interesting, unexpected piece of work, devoid of a militantly commercial single like Empires self-titled track, and lacking the shaggy Madchester vibes that Christopher Karloff brought to 2004s Kasabian. If the bands eponymous debut was the soundtrack to a drug-filled night in Englands trendiest club, then West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is the soundtrack to the subsequent walk home, when the club has kicked out its last patrons and the streets are dark and forbidding. Theres enough psychedelia here to partially thwart the shadowy electronics -- for every "Vlad the Impaler," theres a trippy counterpart like "Secret Alphabets" -- and Kasabian often augments the new approach with old habits, like the dance-rock chorus that bisects the anxious, minimalist shuffle of "Fire." Most of West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum canvasses unfamiliar territory, however, a wise move for a group has routinely struggled to escape the shadow of its influences.