New Reviews - July 8

Finally... some new material!

Magic Wands - Aloha Moon

Aloha Moon is one of the unheralded finds of 2012. Magic Wands have an electro sound that is vaguely reminiscent of a lot of artists, but really quite unique. The album starts out softly with The title track and Teenage Love, but really kicks up a gear with Kaleidoscope Heart which follows the format of several of the best songs on the album - a basic catchy beat with great riffs, Soft vocals and a huge powerful sound. Warrior, Wolves and Kaleidoscope Heart are probably the biggest sounding tracks on the album, while there are darker tracks that sound kind of like The XX making electro music (Crystals, Space), and also rockier tracks with a little bit of a Ladyhawke / Muse type feel (Black Magic, Kiss Me Dead). This is really simple effective electronic stuff, a short album which delivers throughout - from a 10 track album I originally marked down 7 as standout tracks.. Excellent stuff.

Top tracks: most of them

Sounds like: Ladyhawke, School Of Seven Bells, Muse, The XX

9/10

Graham Coxon - A&E

Since the split of Blur Graham Coxon has gone on to become basically a one-man punk rock outfit, and while Damon Albarn remains in the headlines with acts like Gorillaz, in his own right Coxon has produced some excellent music relatively under the radar. This is slightly more electro than much of his previous stuff, though it is still an album filled with his usual catchy riffs, repetitive lyrics and unmistakable gruff vocals. Highlight tracks for me are 'What'll it take', which is basically a dance track by Coxon standards, and 'Running For Your Life' which is a superb reflection of violent nights out in England, and provides an interesting perspective on the attitude of the youth of the country. An excellent rocker of an album.

Sounds like: Kind of like a punky English Jack White

Top tracks: City Hall, What'll It Take, Seven Naked Valleys, Running For Your Life

8/10

Alabama Shakes - Boys And Girls

The debut album from one of the years most hyped groups, this is very powerful, soulful, bluesy stuff. They have an old school soulful rock sound, the like of which you don't see from many new bands these days. The album itself gets off to a very strong start, and for me it peaks with the third track 'Hang Loose', which has a superb catchy beat and is instantly memorable. After this there is nothing too notable until the album rounds off with a couple of very strong tracks, 'I Ain't The Same' and 'On Your Way'. Is the hype justified? Probably. There is no doubt they have a great unique sound, and they have kicked off with a strong debut album. Based on the power of their music, they are definitely a band to look out for on the live circuit.

Sounds like: Amy Whinehouse, Janis Joplin

Top tracks: Hang Loose, Hold On, I Ain't The Same

7/10

Bear In Heaven - I Love You, It's Cool

When sampling this album I got a distinct feel of new order from Bear In Heaven, which is obviously a huge compliment. However when listening to the songs in full, an electro sound is pretty much all they have in common. This is low-fi electro stuff, they produce a decent sound though the tracks are generally monotonous with little deviation. Their are few highlights to speak of on I love you it's cool, the album passes you by with barely a whimper.

Sounds like: Soft Moon, Tame Impala

Top tracks: Idle Heart, Sinful Nature, World Of Freak Out

5/10

The Chap - We Are Nobody

On this evidence, the chap produce solid organized low-key electronic music, which makes for pleasant listening rather than something that will pick you up and shake you. Many of the tracks are repetitive, and at times the lyrics are delivered in a robotic style. For me the best songs on the album are the less repetitive ones, a couple of which are real standouts. There is some good stuff on We are Nobody, though it is definitely more solid than spectacular.

Sounds like: Metronomy, but maybe a little more disco

Top tracks: Talk back, What Did We Do, This Is Sick

6.5/10

Live Reviews - May 12th

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros – Roseland Ballroom, May 8^th 2012

The first thing you will notice about the Magnetic Zeros is that there are absolutely loads of them, and by god do they know how to make a lot of noise. They are a real quirky outfit, who in many ways produce a quirky sound and show to match. At times they are like a Rockabilly family performing on stage, they seem to genuinely have a good time playing their stuff together. Their sound is obviously influenced by country music, but they carry a much a much wider appeal by mixing it up with other musical styles. I would almost equate them to a country influenced Arcade Fire, with huge epic songs like ‘Carries On’ and ‘Home’ in their locker, both of which were performed superbly on the night. They blooded a lot of new songs throughout the show, some of which had a very country sound, a couple of epic huge sounding tracks and even a few with an almost Hawaiian hula sound. Signs are positive for their upcoming new album. They were supported by the band Fools Gold who offered quirky surfer style rock, and were obviously not influenced (as I had hoped) by the English band who created the song with which they share their name.. Overall this was a great performance and an excellent gig from a band who are worth watching regardless of your musical taste.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Spiritualized – Terminal 5, May 7^th 2012

Although Spiritualized have been around for years, my only previous experience of seeing them live came at a festival in Canada in 2009. This show got off to a pretty low key start, nothing too raucous at all, with a sound I would categorise as epic chill out. The entire gig was a pretty mellow affair, at times they threaten to break out into heavier rock but it never really happens. Their vast array of musical variation was on full display with them going through their repertoire of space age rock, gospel, soulful rock and even a little poppy indie from the new album. They played a long set, and while you could never say they are a massively entertaining band to watch there can be no argument about the quality of the sound produced. I would summarise Spiritualized for the neutral as a great band to see at a festival, a great sound when you are not particularly paying attention, ideally lying on the grass with a pear cider in hand.

RECOMMENDED

Live review

The Vaccines – Webster Hall, April 23^rd 2012

The Vaccines rose to prominence last year with the superb debut ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’, which was hugely popular in England and pretty well regarded on this side of the Atlantic, and expectations were high heading in to this show. This really was a short, sharp, rocking gig, lasting no more than an hour in total, including encore. At the start of the set the band really gave the impression of going through the motions, and not really putting in too much effort, with the lead singer in particularly jovial spirit.. However after a superb delivery of the epic ‘Wetsuit’ the bands performance really kicked up a notch and the crowd were noticeably more into it. With their debut album only lasting 37 minutes a short show was to be expected, and the band mixed it up by going through a number of new tracks which were all rocking with a distinct punky, ramones-esque feel. There wasn’t a lot of banter with the crowd, just delivery of their excellent rocking stuff. This band are undoubtedly talented, produce a great sound, and are excellent live when putting the effort in. They really could be big, if they want to..

RECOMMENDED

New Reviews - April 30th

Of Montreal – Paralytic Stalks

Of Montreal were one of the first bands I discovered after moving to the states, with their superb album ‘Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?’. It was immediately obvious from the song titles and lyrics that they are a very quirky outfit, yet the sound produced was fantastic. Unfortunately Paralytic Stalks doesn’t come close to the heights of Hissing Fauna. There is an element of their funky disco type stuff, with twanging bass and squeaky vocals, however the majority of this is poor. Indeed, some of this is just extended periods of random noise, particularly the last 3 tracks which total 28 minutes and make up over half the length of the album. The first 5 tracks are all what you would call normal length, yet nothing really stands out too much. I’m not sure if this is the direction the group have chosen to go in, but for me Paralytic Stalks sees the band almost trying to be too quirky and weird for their own good.. I would always recommend seeing them live however, you are guaranteed an entertaining show.

Sounds like: nothing else I’ve ever heard..

Top tracks: Spiteful Intervention, Dour Percentage

3.5/10

Grimes – Visions

Grimes seem to produce weird electronic stuff kind of reminiscent of an 80s computer game, with squeaky vocals and barely understandable lyrics.. Visions really is a mixed bag, decent sounding at times and downright weird at others. There are a few notable moments on here though, and for me the album gets better as it goes along with the highlight tracks being on the second half. I’m massively intrigued to see them perform live.

Sounds like: Weirder Bat For Lashes, darker Crystal Castles

Top tracks: Oblivion, Be A Body, Colour Of Moonlight, Nightmusic

5/10

Nada Surf – The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy

Very solid indie guitar stuff, that you could never really describe as heavy. The songs are consistently good throughout, and there are some very likeable tracks on The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy.

Sounds like: A little Idlewild at times, Snow Patrol rockier stuff, British Sea Power

Top Tracks: Clear Eye Clouded Mind, Let The Fight Do The Fighting, No Snow On The Mountain, Jules And Jim

7/10

Miike Snow – Happy To You

As you would expect from a group containing very talented producers, Happy To You is a very well produced electro pop album. They use drums and pianos prominently combined with soft vocals, and although there are some slower middling songs on the album which are no better than decent, the highlight tracks are very strong, and pretty dancy. There are some real catchy tunes on Happy To You, particularly Pretender and Paddling Out, the latter of which must be heard as it is without question one of the best tracks of the year so far. A very good offering from a solid electro group.

Sounds like: M83 / Mark Ronson

Top tracks: Pretender, Paddling Out, Devils work

7.5/10

Civil Twilight – Holy Weather

After listening to the first 3 tracks of Holy Weather I was left thinking this could be a really superb electro rock album, the second and third tracks ‘Holy Weather’ and ‘Fire Escape’ are two huge tunes with a Rapture / Klaxons type of sound. The album gets off to a high tempo start but slows markedly after the first 4 tracks, with the sound moving away from upbeat electro to slower, softer piano based stuff, very reminiscent of a band like Keane. For me this album is really a tale of two halfs, with a very strong start but nothing particularly notable after the first 4 tracks. That said, Civil Twilight clearly are an outfit capable of producing some excellent electro rock music.

Sounds Like: Klaxons, The Rapture, Keane, White Lies

Top Tracks: Fire Escape, Holy Weather, River, Doorway

6.5/10

The Shins – Port Of Morrow

More gentle indie rock from the Shins, Port Of Morrow doesn’t really deviate far from their recent releases. They have been putting out the same brand of softer indie stuff for a good while from what I can tell, and this is sure to be another big seller for them. There are a couple of standout songs on here but for the most part the songs are pleasant enough, though nothing too special.

Sounds like: Soft indie rock

Top Tracks: Simple Song, The Rifles Spiral, September

5.5/10

New Reviews - April 15th

School Of Seven Bells – Ghostory

On this evidence, School Of Seven Bells create an excellent softish electro sound, which approaches beautiful at times. Ghostory is very easy to listen to with strong but soft vocals, and the sound just works well without being poppy or particularly catchy. At times the sound is really like a combination of Ladyhawke and Goldfrapp, and at other times a lot like Bat For Lashes. The album has a very strong start, and in Lafaye the group have created a real highlight which must be one of the best songs of the year so far. There are a couple of slower tracks mid album in Reappear and Show Me Love, but it kicks on again from there and finishes off with a slow builder in When You Sing. Definitely a band to look out for on the live circuit.

Sounds like: Ladyhawke, Goldfrapp, Bat For Lashes

Top tracks: The Night, Lafaye, Low Times, White Wind

8/10

Sleigh Bells – Reign Of Terror

I think I am totally missing the appeal of Sleigh Bells. The music seems to consist of mixing heavy guitar blast noise, drums and chanted lyrics, yet the guitar and background noise pretty much overpower everything else. I thought this may have been a grower and that the sound would improve after a few listens, but it doesn’t really. At times this is just noise, and although there are a couple of decent sounding tracks in here and a few slower songs thrown in, it is fairly difficult to get through. Tough to recommend.

Top tracks: Crush, Comeback Kid

3.5/10

The Ting Tings - Sounds From Nowheresville

It would have been easy for The Ting Tings to take a very poppy route following the success of their debut album, but that seems to be what they have purposely avoided on Sounds From Nowheresville. It is clear from the first track ‘Silence’ that they have developed a darker sound. Don't get me wrong, this is still poppy but of a darker, two tone variety rather than cheesy, and there is nothing on here that would have the mass appeal of a song like ‘Thats Not My Name’. There are a few tracks which have an almost Sugarhill gang sound, notably Hang It Up. The tracks are consistently good, yet the album ends slowly with the 3 overall softest songs; Day To Day, Help and In Your Life. An interesting direction, and ultimately a solid offering.

Sounds like: a darker, two tone version of the Ting Tings, blondie ish

Top tracks: Silence, Hit Me Down Sonny, Give It Back, One By One

7/10

Shearwater - Animal Joy

This is good dark folky rock, Shearwater really have a decent sound. There are a number of tracks on here which are real builders, and If you like Mumford and Sons and also appreciate The National, you will like this.

Sounds like: A darker Mumford And Sons, without the fiddling… a little of The National

Top Tracks: Animal Life, You As You Were, Immaculate, Star Of The Age

6.5/10

Live Reviews

The Naked And Famous – Terminal 5, April 4^th 2012

Having produced one of the best albums of 2011 in ‘Passive Me, Aggressive You’, The Naked And Famous have very much sharpened up their live act to go with their increasing popularity. This gig sold out well before the night, and tickets were being bought way over face value on various exchanges. They have added an impressive light show to the live performance which complements the electronic side of their music perfectly, and seemed to make it easier for the crowd to get into things. 

The support from the Vacationers was solid, they played good softer indie stuff, and its always refreshing to see a band use a full size xylophone on stage.. As well as going through all the major songs from last years album The Naked And Famous played a couple of new songs, which sounded excellent, and some older stuff which was pretty decent and almost comedic. My only slight knock on the band is that perhaps their current sound would not be big enough for venues larger than this, but they are certainly moving in the right direction and this show was a marked improvement on the gigs of 6-8 months ago, which were pretty good to start with.. Impressive stuff.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Pulp – Radio City Music Hall, April 11^th 2012

Growing up in England in the mid 90s means it is almost impossible not to appreciate Pulp, and Jarvis Cocker. Pulp are generally categorised as quintessential britpop, though to me their style was somewhat different to the likes of Blur, Cast, Menswear, Echobelly etc, a little edgier and darker. Regardless, this show really was a blast from the past. The band played for almost 2 hours, and could have got through many more songs than they actually did were it not for Cockers banter and stories between songs. He has fantastic rapport with the audience, and to be honest I would gladly pay just to hear him talk and tell his stories, regardless of music. They opened up with the brilliant ‘Do you remember the fist time?’, and basically played all the greatest hits from their biggest albums ‘His N Hers’ and ‘Different Class’, and a couple of songs from ‘This is Hardcore’. Cocker has certainly not lost any of his signature dance moves and swagger, and the performance was thoroughly energetic and hugely entertaining. Regardless of what you paid for a ticket here, you certainly got your moneys worth. A fantastic show and a real trip down memory lane for a lot of people.

MUST SEE

White Denim – Bowery Ballroom, April 13^th 2012

The first of a Friday night doubleheader, I didn’t know a lot about White Denim before this gig. They are basically a rocking jam band; a little country at times and a little 70s, with some bluesy stuff reminiscent of The Black Keys. This was an impressive performance, they are a tight unit and the singer has a deceptively powerful voice when he gets going. I fundamentally do not understand the popularity of Jam bands and long jamming sessions at the end of songs however, my assumption is the substances taken by the audiences for those types of gigs make you see things in a different light (watching Phish for 3 days solid??).. Id swap for a guitar solo anyday, but I digress..

White Denim are definitely a good time, with a big sound. They are worth watching and would be a great band to see at a festival.

RECOMMENDED

The Cribs – Music Hall Of Williamsburg, April 13^th 2012

The return of the Wakefield Ramones! The Cribs are a proper rocking punk band, and you are always guaranteed an energetic performance at their shows. They went through a mixture of old hits and newer songs, though the performance was notably less disciplined without Johnny Marr. In truth this was probably the smallest crowd I’ve seen the band play to in New York, which I’m assuming is down to Marr no longer being there. Vocals are not really the Cribs strong point, particularly from the secondary vocalists, but the music isn’t really about their voices. The band refuse to do an encore, which I personally think is fantastic but because of this the show was pretty short. This was a decent performance, but for me the removal of Marr from the lineup has definitely had a negative impact.

RECOMMENDED

New Reviews - April 3rd

The Maccabees – Given To The Wild

They have taken somewhat of a different direction with Given To The Wild, but The Maccabees are producing a solid softer indie guitar sound here. The album gets off to a gentle start, both Child and Feel The Follow start softly before getting going into an almost big band orchestral type sound, which is a theme followed throughout the album. At times the music almost feels like it should kick off more than it should, and for me two of the better tracks are the ones that are a little more rocking, Pelican and Unknown. That said this is an album with a good sound (plucking guitars, piano, trumpets) and many building tunes, and fans of Young The Giant style music will most like appreciate this.

Sounds like: Young The Giant, Temper Trap, a little Doves at times

Top tracks: Feel To Follow, Ayla, Pelican, Unknown

7 / 10

The Big Pink – Future This

More electro / indie guitar stuff from The Big Pink. They generally create a good sound and there are some very strong songs on Future This, but at times it is somewhat annoying due to the repetitiveness of some tracks. The album gets better as it goes along and for me the standout tracks on the album are a long way above the others, which are decent for the most part but forgettable at times. This will appeal to many as the singles are undoubtedly strong, and the band certainly have enough about them to make them worth watching live, but this is not the follow up many were hoping for.

Sounds like: Kind of like a slightly annoying version of Kasabian

Top tracks: Jump Music, Stay Gold, Lose Your Mind

6.5 / 10

Django Django - Django Django

This is a new band with a real interesting sound, twanging electro country is about the best way to summarise it. It is chanty, catchy, dancy, foot tapping, and bordering on ridiculous at times. After a steady introduction the album gets off to a huge start with Hail Bop and Default, which are probably the best tracks on the album. Django Django is entertaining throughout, there is a continuous solid beat and at times they really sound a lot like Hot Chip, particularly during instrumental parts of songs (and especially ‘Zumm Zumm’). With barely a dull moment this is a good effort, and I’m massively intrigued by what kind of live show they would put on.

Sounds Like: Hot Chip, Neon Indian

Top Tracks: Default, Hail Bop, Wor

7 / 10

Live Review

Kasabian – Terminal 5, March 22^nd 2012

I’m almost embarrassed to admit that after all the excellent reviews you’ve heard about this band over the years, and the countless gigs and festivals I’ve attended since they emerged on the scene, this was my first ever time seeing Kasabian live. I had missed them by a matter of months when I first arrived in NYC, and unlike most big English bands they hadn’t been back in 6 years. I thought it was never meant to be, and I was 100% certain they'd cancel this gig the day before, but as luck would have it, they didn't.

Kasabian create a huge sound playing live, and I cant help but think they would have been better suited by a bigger venue than Terminal 5. They put on a good mix of the better tracks from their most recent album (Velociraptor) and their older stuff, and even the songs that don’t stand out on the album were excellent when put through their paces live (Switchboard smile springs to mind here).  The majority of the songs they played were upbeat entertainers, and although they did slow it down a touch with Thick As Thieves and Man Of Simple Pleasures, this was probably the most animated I’ve ever seen a terminal 5 crowd, including several attempts at crowd surfing which is generally unheard of on these shores. I suppose with 90% of the audience seemingly being British and mostly intoxicated these things are likely to happen.. Serge played up to the crowd well with decent banter, and it was obvious the band appreciated being in New York City (lost count of the number of times Tom said ‘New York City’ in his between song patter). They appreciated the crowd, and the crowd loved them right back. The finale was ‘Fire’, which is an explosively fitting way to end any gig. This was a fantastic show, and the Black Keys playing the same night at that big venue down the road (Madison Square Garden) would have been hard pushed to put on a better show than this.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

New Reviews - March 25th

Chairlift - Something

After the first listen 'Something' really sounds like a bit of a collection of random noises wrapped around strong vocals and keyboards, but after listening more you find it actually all hangs together pretty impressively. There are some excellent low-key electro chill out tunes on here, combined with more upbeat 70s / 80s sounding stuff. Chairlift have a somewhat unique electronic sound, and overall this is a very solid album with good flow and particularly easy on the ear vocals.

Sounds like: Bat for lashes crossed with Goldfrapp / Ladyhawke

Top tracks: Wrong opinion, Amanaemonesia, Met Before

7.5/10

Guided By Voices – Lets Go Eat The Factory

This album contains 21 songs, yet is only 42 minutes long. You do the math(s). Despite most of the songs being under 2 minutes long, some of the riffs produced here are excellent. Guided By Voices are a proper old school low-fi rock outfit, it’s almost frustrating when some of the songs cut out before they really get going. Some tracks on here are just noise, though its fair to say that there are no tracks here that are long enough to be dull.. This is generally an entertaining album, and I imagine they would put on a good show.

Sounds Like: 60s/70s rock, The Kinks but shorter and stranger.

Top Tracks: Doughnut For A Snowman, God Loves Us, Cyclone Utilities, We Wont Apologise For The Human Race

6/10

Lana Del Rey – Born To Die

You can almost tell how this is going to sound just by the picture on the album cover. Lana Del Rey has an old soulful voice and to me this is very much like a modern indie interpretation of Nancy Sinatra. The music is predominantly dark, rarely upbeat, distinctly trip-hop ish at times, and most of all superbly produced. There is a combination of sounds and a mix of slower songs (Video Games, Blue Jeans) with one or two upbeat tracks (Off To The Races, Diet Mountain Dew).  Born To Die is filled with great tunes, there really are no fillers here. This is a superb album, and an excellent sound overall. It could be a modern classic.

Sounds like: Nancy Sinatra, Jefferson airplane vs zero 7 / tricky

Top tracks: Off To The Races, Born To Die, National Anthem, Radio

9/10

THE BEST OF 2011!

So here it is. The top albums from last year, in my humble opinion..

1) The Black Keys – El Camino

More excellent bluesy rock from The Black Keys, a little dirtier and more up-tempo than their most recent stuff. El Camino is shorter, sharper, and a little more country at times. The album opens up with a huge kickstart in ‘Lonely Boy’ and is full of hits throughout, there are no fillers here. There is real variation in the sound throughout El Camino, ranging from high tempo rock to dirty blues. I would challenge anyone to listen to ‘Gold On The Ceiling’ and not appreciate. This is good old-fashioned rock at its finest, and it is easy to argue that right now the Black Keys are the best rock band in the USA. They have a huge sound, and this is simply one of the most complete albums of 2011.

Sounds like: A more bluesy early Kings of Leon, pre selling out.

Top tracks: Lonely Boy, Gold On The Ceiling, Money Maker, Sister, Stop Stop

2) Holy Ghost! - Holy Ghost!

This is quite simply a superbly produced electro disco party. The beats are very simple but very effective, and after a steady opening track the album really kicks off. Filled with catchy, entertaining keyboard beats, the album plays like a greatest hits collection, which it kind of is considering some songs on here were released as singles as far back as 2007.  The music is upbeat, funky, and very listenable, and there are some huge summery songs on here - Hold On, Hold My Breath and Say My Name being the best of them. Containing some of the most listenable music of the year, this really is a superb summer album.

Sounds like: Basement Jaxx / Crystal Castles / LCD Soundsystem / New Order

Top tracks: Wait And See, Hold My Breath, Say My Name, Hold On, Its Not Over

3) The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines

The Vaccines are one of the most hyped bands of 2011, and this album shows that the hype was totally justified. They produce a great guitar rock sound, reminiscent  of Interpol and The Ramones. What Did You Expect From The Vaccines is a superbly complete album, it is basically great song after great song with no real fillers. ‘Post break up sex‘ is clearly the most publicly acclaimed song on here, and will be one of the most popular songs of the year, but there are plenty of other epic tunes on this album. Without question one of the best of 2011.

Sounds like: A more upbeat version of Interpol or The Editors, The Ramones

Top tracks: If You Wanna, A Lack Of Understanding, Norgaard, Post Break-up Sex, All In White

4) The Kills – Blood Pressures

Blood Pressures is an excellent dirty rock album. The Kills make a huge sound for 2 people, and this album is full of reverberating guitars and catchy hooks. You can probably summarise the Kills sound by saying they are to dirty rock what the Black Keys are to bluesy rock. The songs just work well and the vocals of Alison Mossheart complements the guitar perfectly. There are some huge anthemic tunes on Blood Pressures, which is sure to be one of the very best rock albums of the year.

Sounds like: maybe the White Stripes crossed with Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Top tracks: Future Starts Slow, Heart Is A Beating Drum, Nail In My Coffin, DNA, Baby Says

5) The Naked And Famous – Passive Me, Aggressive You

With a distinctive electro guitar sound, The Naked And Famous have created an outstanding album in Passive Me, Aggressive You. They have a huge sound at times, which I would liken to Arcade Fire using keyboards and synths. There are some real epic tunes on this album, which is generally full of building crescendos and some 80s sounding beats and riffs. The album follows suit of many top albums through the years by starting and finishing with superb tracks in ‘All of This’ and ‘Girls like you’, and if you like Passion Pit I am sure you will appreciate this. Quite simply excellent, I will be surprised if there are many better albums than this in 2011.

Sounds like: Passion Pit, Of Montreal (their best stuff), an electro Arcade Fire

Top Tracks: Punching in a Dream, Eyes, Girls Like You, All Of This

6) The Chain Gang Of 1974 – Wayward Fire

Wayward Fire is a superb electro album. The Chain Gang Of 1974 produce an excellent catchy electro guitar sound, despite the terrible name, and in general the songs here are made up of slowly building beats before kicking off. The Album gets of to a steady start with ‘Stop’, which sounds like it could have been released in 1984. Most of the songs here are long and follow suit with building starts before the lyrics kick in. The music is very listenable, and there are some superb catchy hooks and sequences of bleeps along the way. ‘Hold On’ is probably the best examples of this, and must be up there with the top songs of the year despite being over 8 minutes long. Overall this is a great effort, and a very enjoyable album.

Sounds like: LCD Soundsystem / Clubfeet / New Order

Top tracks: Devil Is A Lady, Hold On, Heartbreakin’ Scream, Matter Of Time

7) Foster The People - Torches

One of 2011 most hyped bands have delivered an excellent debut in Torches. Foster The People make poppy, entertaining, dancy electro music, thoroughly uplifting and very catchy. In ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ they had without question one of the biggest hits of the year. For me there are better songs on the album, but Torches is a very consistent release and is sure to be one of the most popular albums of the year.

Sounds like: Very unique, sort of like a poppier Friendly Fires, mixed with Empire Of The Sun

Top tracks: Helena Beat, Pumped Up Kicks, Don't Stop, Waste, Warrant

8) Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See

In ‘Suck It And See’ the Arctic Monkeys seem to have discovered the higher chords on their guitars. This is a different direction than their previous stuff, it is definitely not the return to their early energetic rock that many had hoped for. In truth this is much in keeping with their live performances, much more chilled out and less energetic. Make no mistake this is a very very good album, lyrically superb, and the sound they produce is excellent with a distinct 70s rock feel. In keeping with what seems to be a band tradition they round off the album with a superb track ‘That’s where you’re wrong’, which is pretty much to this album what ‘A certain romance’ was to their debut. Another excellent album in another direction for the monkeys, who seem like elder statesmen these days despite still being in their mid 20s.

Sounds like: Early Arctic Monkeys crossed with the Velvet Underground

Top tracks: Black Treacle, The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, Reckless Serenade, Suck It And See, That’s Where You’re Wrong

9) Cut Copy – Zonoscope

More electro / dance / keyboard mastery from this very talented group. Zonoscope doesn’t really have the huge kicking off dancy tunes that ‘In Ghost Colours’ had, but there is enough on here to make it a very good album. You get the sense that they are experimenting with a different direction somewhat, and there is a distinct tribal feel to this album. This is a great piece of work, though not necessarily in line with their previous stuff.  And regardless of what they say, the riff for ‘take me over’ really does sound like men at work..

Sounds like: Cut Copy. There is not much like them. Think New Order crossed with Daft Punk or Empire Of The Sun, and then more synths.

Top tracks: Alisa, Take Me Over, Need You Now, Pharaohs & Pyramids

10) Elbow – Build A Rocket Boys!

‘Build A Rocket Boys’ definitely feels a little slower than Elbow’s previous two albums, but it still sees them close to their best with their orchestral building rock style. You probably wouldn’t find many of these songs in the singles chart, but the album flows very well and it really is a beautiful piece of work overall. Elbow are not widely known in the US considering their popularity in the UK, but if you are a fan of bands like The National you should really listen to them.

Sounds like: The National with less guitar, and more pianos and violins. A slower version of the Black Keys slower stuff..

Top tracks: The Birds, Lippy Kids, Neat Little Rows, Open Arms

11) Katy B – On A Mission

The music of Katy B has a distinctive 90s dance feel, combining funky soul stuff with an almost dubstep style beat at times. On A Mission flows brilliantly, with huge variation in the style of the tracks. Dark at times, R&B, soulful and dancy at others, there is a solid storytelling theme throughout. Very difficult to describe, this kind of music really came out of left field and it is a credit to the artist that it is impossible to categorise. Combining all sorts of musical styles that I don’t usually like, this is very much worth exploring. 

Sounds like: ?

Top tracks: Power On Me, Katy On A Mission, Witches Brew, Movement, Lights On

12) Friendly Fires - Pala

More funky, indie, keyboard disco stuff from the Friendly Fires. Pala is a very solid album, consistent songs throughout, a few of which could have been stolen right from the 80s. The bonus edition also contains a superb Depeche Mode cover. Very entertaining, upbeat stuff, Pala is pretty much the only slower track on the album.

Sounds like: Kind of like crossing Depeche Mode with Erasure

Top Tracks: Live those days tonight, Hawaiian air, True love, Chimes, Strangelove

13) Dirty Vegas – Electric Love

Dirty Vegas have a very catchy electro dance sound, and Electric Love is a very consistent album full of good tunes throughout. The album kicks of with the excellent ‘Little White Doves’, and doesn’t really slow down at all until the final track. There are some superb tracks on Electric Love, and it is genuinely one of the most listenable albums of the year.

Sounds like: kind of like Groove Armada’s danciest stuff

Top tracks: Little White Doves, Changes, Electric Love, Never Enough

14) The Sounds – Something To Die For

True to their name, The Sounds really produce a very interesting sound.. At times it feels like it is going to break into heavy warehouse style electro rave, and at others it is punky electro guitar, but the mix works well and ultimately Something To Die For is a very good album. It kicks off with a bang with ‘Its So Easy’ building up to ‘Dance With The Devil’, and the first 6 tracks really are the strongest and most upbeat on the album. Very impressive stuff, Im certain these guys will put on an excellent live show.

Sounds like: sort of like early Muse meets the Yeah Yeah Yeahs..

Top Tracks: Dance With The Devil, The No No Song, Better Off Dead, Something To Die For

15) Theophilus London – Timez Are Weird These Days

This electro rap album seems to have flown under the radar a little, but it is an excellent solid effort. Theophilus London produces a mixed bag of funky rap with a distinct electro influence. Wine And Chocolates is a highlight of the album, and would be up there as one of the best songs of the year. A very strong, entertaining record.

Sounds like: kind of like a dancier, electro version of B.o.B

Top tracks: Wine And Chocolates, Love Is Real, I Stand Alone, Lighthouse

16) Cage The Elephant – Thank You, Happy Birthday

This can be summarised best as energetic, dirty guitar rock. Cage The Elephant perform with huge energy, and this album contains some excellent tracks which are sure to have a big appeal. This album has its softer moments, but they are generally surrounded by heavier yet tuneful guitar riffs. Some very memorable songs on this record, overall it is a very solid rocking album. Listen if you feel like moshing.

Sounds like: A little like Ash, particularly their heavier stuff. With more screaming. And a little Pixies mixed in.

Top tracks: Right Before My Eyes, Shake Me Down, Aberdeen, Flow

17) We Are Augustines – Rise Ye Sunken Ships

We Are Augustines have a very solid, classic indie guitar band sound. Rise Ye Sunken ships contains catchy repetitive songs throughout, with a few real epic tunes thrown in (Headlong into the abyss, new drink for the old drunk). At times the music is reminiscent of The National though We Are Augustines are generally more upbeat, and lyrically the two are very different. A very strong album.

Sounds Like: Somewhere between The National and Snow Patrol, but more rocking.

Top tracks: Headlong Into The Abyss, Book Of James, New Drink For The Old Drunk

18) AWOLNATION – Megalithic Symphony

Energetic, electronic rock music seems to be the staple of AWOLNATION. This album contains a mixture of poppy and angry songs, with a couple of slower ones thrown in, and at times it has a kind of gospel, soulful feel. ‘People’ is probably the song most people will recognise, but the rest of the album has quite a different sound. This is very entertaining stuff, and they definitely have a unique sound.

Sounds like: A little like Beck, but more angry and electro

Top tracks: Soul Wars, People, Kill Your Heroes, Not Your Fault

19) Obits – Moody, Standard and Poor

Obits really could be the offspring of The Hives and The Stooges. This is proper punk rock – short, sharp, direct guitar music. The whole album is only 36 minutes long, and is full of entertaining rocking tunes. Obits have delivered a very good energetic album here.

Sounds like: The Hives, The Stooges

Top tracks: I Want Results, Shift Operator, No Fly List, Naked To The World

20) Teddybears – Devil’s Music

Teddybears  produce a very upbeat, cheesey, dancy sound, which makes Devils Music a highly entertaining and listenable album. They have very high profile collaborators throughout the album, and I imagine their live shows are pretty impressive.

Sounds like: Basement Jaxx versus Mark Ronson

Top tracks: Rocket Scientist, Get Mama A House, Cho Cha, Cardiac Arrest