Category Archive for: ‘Music’

Courtesy of Last.fm, here’s what I’ve been mostly listening to during the last year:

Artists:

1. Mogwai
2. Manic Street Preachers
3. R.E.M.
4. Arcade Fire
5. British Sea Power
6. Belle and Sebastian
7. Morrissey
7. The National
9. The Beautiful South
10. Gene

Albums:

1. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
2. Belle & Sebastian – Write About Love
3. R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now
4. The National – High Violet
5. Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
6. The Twilight Sad – Forget The Night Ahead
7. The Decemberists – The King Is Dead
8. Manic Street Preachers – Lipstick Traces
9. Britiish Sea Power – Valhalla Dancehall
10. Manic Street Preachers – Send Away The Tigers

Tracks:

1. The National – Conversation 16
1. Belle & Sebastian – I Can See Your Future
3. Håkan Hellström - En vän med en bil
4. Elliott Smith – Angeles
4. The Shins – Turn On Me
4. The Temper Trap – Down River
7. Benoît Pétré - Trouble Maker
7. The National – Anyone’s Ghost
9. Stephen Malkmus – Jenny and the Ess-Dog
9. Jack – Lolita Elle
9. Maxïmo Park - Questing, Not Coasting
9. The Decemberists – June Hymn

Some observations:

1. The three artists I listened to most during the last year were also three of my favourite artists when I left university, fourteen years ago.
2. The two albums I listened to most during 2011 are identical to those I listened to most during 2010.
3. Perhaps I should make better use of my Spotify subscription to discover shiny new music, rather than simply listening to the same old stuff I’ve been enjoying for decades.
4. The shiny new music that I have stumbled upon during the year has generally reached my ears via personal recommendation on Spotify/Twitter/FaceBook (thanks @rgarner, @johnconners!) or by computerised recommendation algorithms (thanks Spotify, Last.fm!) rather than through traditional sources (sorry, radio!)
5. I do like my melancholy songs, and/or those that tell a story.
6. Mogwai have still got it. With every record, they get better at being Mogwai.

Courtesy of Last.fm, here’s what I’ve been mostly listening to during the last year:

Artists:

1. Manic Street Preachers
2. The Divine Comedy
3. Arcade Fire
4. Belle and Sebastian
5. British Sea Power
6. R.E.M.
7. Hole
8. Morrissey
9. Florence and The Machine
10. The Like

Albums:

1. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
2. Belle and Sebastian – Write About Love
3. Manic Street Preachers – Postcards From A Young Man
4. Hole – Nobody’s Daughter
5. The Divine Comedy – Victory For The Comic Muse
6. Florence and The Machine – Lungs
7. The Divine Comedy – Bang Goes The Knighthood
8. The Like – Release Me
9. The Pretty Reckless – Light Me Up
10. The Temper Trap – Conditions

Tracks:

1. The Temper Trap – Down River
2. Florence and The Machine – Cosmic Love
3. The New Pornographers – Sing Me Spanish Techno
4. The Divine Comedy – At The Indie Disco
5. Jack – Lolita Elle
6. Foo Fighters – Wheels
7. Miley Cyrus – Party In The U.S.A.
8. Nada Surf – Enjoy The Silence
9. Lena – Satellite
10. The New Pornographers – Graceland

Here’s what’s been on heavy rotation on my iPod this year:

There are only six albums which really rocked my world this year. But since I know that most of you 21st-Century iTunes-lovin’ kids don’t buy whole albums these days, I’ve tried to also identify one stand-out track from each, in case you only have 79p to spare.

	Arcade Fire – Neon Bible Creating a worthy successor to 2004′s anthemic Funeral should, by rights, have been a near impossibility, but somehow Montreal’s finest have managed it, creating an opus that justly rode high in all the end-of-year polls. The sentiments expressed in Neon Bible are by turns deep, dark, desperate, moody, brooding, and achingly painful – occasionally melancholic, but never simply throwaway pop. On the face of it then, it should be a tough listen, but somehow it is impossible not to get wrapped up in their bleak vision, and rallied by the passion and triumphant orchestrations. Even merely on TV, their Glastonbury set was something to behold, and I confidently predict that this magnificent album will be leaking out of somebody’s late-night headphones for many decades to come. Stand-Out Track: Intervention (especially the crescendo between 3:24 and 3:52).
	Kings Of Leon – Because Of The Times Kings Of Leon’s third album echoes some of Neon Bible‘s feelings of melancholy, brooding, and introspection, but does so with a southern garage rock feel and a vocal buried deep in the mix in a manner reminiscent of The Joshua Tree. Play loud, preferably whilst driving a Chevy Camaro across the Mojave. Great things surely beckon. Stand-Out Track: On Call (especially the bit at 1:46 when the music pauses and Caleb’s vocal soars to the top of the mix).
	Manic Street Preachers – Send Away The Tigers It seems like every Manics LP for the last decade has been preceded by PR trying to convince us of a return to form. With Send Away The Tigers, there can be no doubt that the boys from Blackwood still have a gift for intelligent, passionate, gutsy rock songs. Yes, it may only stick around for 38 minutes and consist of a mere ten songs, but every one is a gem worthy of inclusion on Generation Terrorists, with no dead-time or filler to be found. Stand-Out Track: Autumnsong (especially the chorus beginning at 1:57)
	Maximo Park – Our Earthly Pleasures Did someone mention intelligent rock songs? Maximo Park’s follow-up to debut A Certain Trigger has them in spades. A spiky, energetic post-punk sound collides will staggeringly erudite and literate lyrics that are (when you really get down to it and look behind the facade) love songs, lamentations of sorts, oozing with melancholy, introspection and heartbreak. It takes a special kind of genius to write something so achingly beautiful and cover it in such wiry, furious, guitar-driven melodies to which we can sweatily dance in tiny beer-drenched venues. Stand-Out Track: A Fortnight’s Time (especially the bit at 0:45 where the lyrics so bemused me for the first time)
	The Proclaimers – Life With You Twenty years since Craig and Charlie first burst into the charts with Letter From America, the twins from Auchtermuchty provided 2007 with such a consistently high-quality album that it’s difficult to believe they suffered from long-term writer’s block during the latter half of the 1990s. Life With You offers a fine diet of intelligent, witty lyrics blended with the folk-rock tunes we have come to expect. Moreover, the always plain-spoken twins now seem less concerned than ever about upsetting potential listeners, penning some scathing songs on such diverse subjects as the honours system, Tony Blair, the war on terror, misogynistic gangster rappers, and "new" religions. Plus, of course, the occasional heartfelt love song. Stand-Out Track: New Religion (especially the couplet at 0:48 – "evidence of a new religion / some hippy with a gripe / strikes a blow with his census form / by summoning Star Wars tripe")
	The Shins – Wincing The Night Away "You gotta hear this one song, it’ll change your life, I swear!" Thus spoke Natalie Portman’s character in Zach Braff’s 2004 movie Garden State as she set The Shins’ New Slang playing. I say – right band, wrong song. Maybe Zach Braff was ahead of his time, but for me it wasn’t until 2007′s deliriously addictive Turn On Me that The Shins really became impossible to ignore. Taking a wider view, Wincing the Night Away offers subtlety and complexity that I have yet to fully explore – lush jangly guitars and melodies make the listening experience too easy, but I know there’s more lurking under the surface if I can just take the time to listen more carefully. This beautiful album will be offering up new listening pleasures for many years. Stand-Out Track: Turn On Me (especially the first "fond of Y-O-U" at 0:42)

And honorary mentions must go to these other fine opuses:

• Air – Pocket Symphony
• Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
• Art Brut – It’s A Bit Complicated
• Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City
• Brett Anderson – Brett Anderson
• Bright Eyes – Cassadaga
• Emma Pollock – Watch The Fireworks
• Explosions In The Sky – All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
• Hilary Duff – Dignity
• Idlewild – Make Another World
• Interpol – Our Love To Admire
• Joss Stone – Introducing Joss Stone
• Newton Faulkner – Hand Built By Robots
• Rilo Kiley – Under The Blacklight

Previous Years: 2006, 1998

As the excitement mounts, we’ve just voted:

• I voted for Hungary
• Jocelyn voted for Georgia

and we placed some bets with Ladbrokes:

• for the Ukraine to come in the top 5 (decimal odds 1.45)
• for the UK to come 21st-24th (decimal odds 2.00)
• for the UK to get nul points (decimal odds 6.00)

Let the scoring commence!

[23:21] – well, I made a nice profit on two of my bets, and if it wasn’t for our chums in Ireland and Malta voting for the UK, the third one would have come in too! Is it just me, or is the block voting from the Balkans and the Baltics really beginning to make a mockery of the whole thing?  It must say something when the two countries with the biggest music industries come bottom of the pack, and the four countries who bankroll the EBU fall within the bottom six.  *sigh*

Music + Coffee = Lots of code crafted

06:38 – Scott Hanselman and Carl Franklin – “Building 42/Polita Paulus” (Hanselminutes, 2007)
06:44 – Spiritualized – “Let It Flow” (Indie Top 20, Vol. 21, 1995)
06:48 – Joss Stone – “Bruised But Not Broken” (Introducing Joss Stone, 2007)
06:53 – Joss Stone – “Tell Me What We’re Gonna Do Now (Feat. Common)” (Introducing Joss Stone, 2007)
06:58 – The Beta Band – “Dr. Baker” (The 3 E.P.’s, 1998)
07:20 – Holly Valance – “Hush Now” (Footprints, 2002)
07:25 – British Sea Power – “Oh Larsen B” (Open Season, 2005)
07:29 – Paul Anka – “The Way You Make Me Feel” (Rock Swings, 2005)
07:34 – Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint – “Six-Fingered Man” (The River In Reverse, 2006)
07:38 – Feeder – “Turn” (The Singles, 2006)
07:44 – Depeche Mode – “Clean” (Violator, 1998)
07:48 – Good Charlotte – “Beautiful Place” (Good Morning Revival, 2007)
07:53 – Muse – “Invincible” (Black Holes & Revelations, 2006)
07:56 – The Shins – “Girl Sailor” (Wincing the Night Away, 2007)
07:59 – Brett Anderson – “Intimacy” (Brett Anderson, 2007)
08:21 – Gwen Stefani – “Long Way to Go” (Love angel music baby , 2004)
08:25 – Franz Ferdinand – “Do You Want To” (You Could Have It So Much Better, 2005)
08:29 – Arab Strap – “the shy retirer” (Ten Years of Tears, 2006)
08:32 – Kings Of Leon – “Charmer” (Because Of The Times, 2007)
08:36 – Elvis Costello – “Shabby Doll” (Imperial Bedroom, 1982)
08:42 – David Bowie – “Oh! You Pretty Things” (Hunky Dory, 1971)
08:45 – Cat Stevens – “Morning has broken” (The Very Best Of, 1972)
08:49 – Louis Armstrong – “We Have All The Time In The World” (Love Is…The Album, 1969)
08:54 – Just Jack – “Starz In Their Eyes” (Overtones, 2007)
08:59 – David Bowie – “Five Years” (The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, 1972)
09:06 – Elvis Costello – “Blame It On Cain” (My Aim Is True, 1977)
09:23 – The Fray – “Fall Away” (How to Save A Life, 2006)
09:29 – The Aliens – “I Am The Unknown” (Astronomy For Dogs, 2007)
09:34 – Gwen Stefani – “Yummy” (The Sweet Escape, 2006)
09:39 – Jimmy Cliff – “Wild World” (1970)
09:51 – Hilary Duff – “Dangerous To Know” (Hilary Duff, 2004)
10:01 – The Feeling – “Blue Piccadilly” (Twelve Stops And Home, 2006)
10:06 – The Magic Numbers – “Love Me Like You” (The Magic Numbers, 2005)
10:10 – Hilary Duff – “Fly” (Most Wanted, 2005)
10:14 – U2 – “Pride (In the Name of Love) [Live]” (Rattle and Hum, 1988)
10:16 – Kelly Jones – “Misty” (Only the Names Have Been Changed, 2007)
10:21 – Kelly Jones – “Suzy” (Only the Names Have Been Changed, 2007)
10:25 – Departure – “Changing Pilots” (Dirty Words, 2005)
10:32 – Hilary Duff – “Happy” (Dignity, 2007)
10:40 – Madonna – “Hung Up” (Confessions On A Dance Floor, 2005)
10:42 – The Beatles – “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)” (Rubber Soul, 1965)
10:48 – Keane – “Broken Toy” (Under The Iron Sea, 2006)
10:52 – Art Brut – “Moving To L.A.” (Bang Bang Rock And Roll, 2005)
10:57 – Katie Melua – “On the Road Again” (Piece by Piece, 2005)
11:00 – The Rakes – “Time To Stop Talking” (Ten New Messages, 2007)
11:05 – Dido – “Who Makes You Feel” (Life for Rent, 2003)
11:49 – Nine Days – “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” (The Madding Crowd, 2000)
11:53 – The Shins – “A Comet Appears” (Wincing the Night Away, 2007)
11:57 – The Smiths – “Never Had No One Ever” (The Queen Is Dead, 1986)
12:01 – The Stills – “Lola Stars And Stripes” (Logic Will Break Your Heart, 2003)
12:06 – Editors – “Camera” (The Back Room, 2005)
12:11 – The National – “City Middle” (Alligator, 2005)
12:16 – The Sundays – “Cry” (Static And Silence, 1997)
12:19 – Belle & Sebastian – “Piazza, New York Catcher” (Dear Catastrophe Waitress, 2003)
12:23 – Manic Street Preachers – “I Live to Fall Asleep” (Lifeblood, 2004)
12:27 – Just Jack – “Glory Days” (Overtones, 2007)
12:31 – Interpol – “Leif Erikson” (Turn On The Bright Lights, 2002)
12:34 – James – “She’s A Star” (Best Of James, 1998)
12:39 – Air – “Night Sight” (Pocket Symphony, 2007)
12:55 – Neil Young – “It’s A Dream” (Prairie Wind, 2005)
13:01 – Neil Young – “Let’s Impeach The President” (Living With War, 2006)
13:04 – Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint – “Freedon For The Stallion” (The River In Reverse, 2006)
13:08 – Lemonheads – “It’s a shame about Ray” (It’s a Shame About Ray, 1992)
13:12 – Cheap Trick – “Surrender” (At Budokan: The Complete Concert, 1998)
13:19 – Pink – “Stupid Girls” (I’m Not Dead, 2006)
13:28 – Extreme – “Seven Sundays” (III Sides To Every Story, 1992)
13:36 – Charlotte Hatherley – “Be Thankful” (The Deep Blue, 2006)
13:39 – Fall Out Boy – “Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner” (From Under The Cork Tree, 2005)
13:46 – Explosions In The Sky – “So Long, Lonesome” (All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, 2007)
14:56 – The Lightning Seeds – “Change [7" Radio Edit]” (Change, 1995)
15:01 – Depeche Mode – “Personal Jesus” (Violator, 1998)
15:07 – Metallica – “Enter Sandman” (Metallica, 1991)
15:10 – Gwen Stefani – “The Real Thing (Bonus)” (Love angel music baby , 2004)
15:13 – Just Jack – “Untitled  (Hidden Track)” (Overtones, 2007)
15:18 – Kings Of Leon – “Ragoo” (Because Of The Times, 2007)
15:19 – Pin-Ups – “Pin-Ups Go Go Go” (And The Rest Is History, 1997)
15:22 – Elvis Costello – “Stranger In The House” (My Aim Is True, 1977)
15:25 – The La’s – “There She Goes (Session)” (BBC In Session, 2006)
15:32 – David Bowie – “Be My Wife” (Low, 1977)
15:37 – Duran Duran – “Union of the Snake” (Duran Duran – Greatest, 1998)
15:52 – The Shins – “Turn On Me” (Wincing the Night Away, 2007)
15:56 – Throwing Muses – “Firepile” (Sharks Patrol These Waters, 1995)
16:01 – The Arcade Fire – “Woodlands National Anthem” (Arcade Fire, 2002)
16:08 – Bright Eyes – “I Must Belong Somewhere” (Cassadaga, 2007)
16:11 – Hot Hot Heat – “Running Out Of Time” (Elevator, 2005)
16:11 – Panic! At the Disco – “Introduction” (A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, 2005)
16:54 – Departure – “Time” (Dirty Words, 2005)
16:57 – David Bowie – “Velvet Goldmine” (The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, 1972)
17:01 – Fleetwood Mac – “Rhiannon” (Fleetwood Mac – Greatest Hits, 1988)
17:04 – Kelly Clarkson – “Since U Been Gone” (Breakaway, 2005)
17:10 – Bright Eyes – “If The Brakeman Turns My Way” (Cassadaga, 2007)
17:14 – Holly Valance – “Send My Best” (Footprints, 2002)
17:19 – The Beautiful South – “You Can Call Me Leisure” (Painting It Red, 2000)
17:22 – Hilary Duff – “Dignity” (Dignity, 2007)
17:25 – Kings Of Leon – “Camaro” (Because Of The Times, 2007)
17:31 – The Fray – “How To Save A Life” (How to Save A Life, 2006)
19:23 – Gwen Stefani – “Bubble Pop Electrinic Feat Joh” (Love angel music baby , 2004)
19:28 – Manic Street Preachers – “Yes” (The Holy Bible, 1994)
19:33 – Electronic – “One Day” (Raise the Pressure, 1996)
19:38 – Guillemots – “Blue Would Still Be Blue” (Through The Window Pane, 2006)
19:40 – Elvis Costello – “Jump Up” (My Aim Is True, 1977)
19:43 – Automatic – “On The Campaign Trail” (Not Accepted Anywhere, 2006)
19:47 – The Smiths – “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” (Hatful of Hollow, 1984)
19:50 – Arab Strap – “where we’ve left our love” (Ten Years of Tears, 2006)
19:53 – Bright Eyes – “Cleanse Song” (Cassadaga, 2007)
19:58 – Talking Heads – “Once in a Lifetime” (The Best of Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime, 1992)
20:02 – Jarvis – “baby’s coming back to me” (Jarvis, 2006)
20:06 – Charlotte Hatherley – “Behave” (The Deep Blue, 2006)
20:11 – Cracker – “Shake Some Action” (Clueless, 1994)
20:13 – Hot Hot Heat – “Ladies And Gentlemen” (Elevator, 2005)
20:18 – Counting Crows – “Hard Candy” (New Amsterdam: Live At Heineken Music Hall, 2006)
20:23 – Funeral For A Friend – “Drive” (Hours, 2005)
20:28 – The Long Blondes – “Weekend Without Makeup” (Someone To Drive You Home, 2006)
20:32 – Deacon Blue – “Fer
gus Sings the Blues” (Our Town: Greatest Hits, 2000)
20:36 – The Bees – “Stand” (Octopus, 2007)
20:38 – Kaiser Chiefs – “Thank You Very Much” (Yours Truly, Angry Mob, 2007)
20:42 – Gene – “Speak to Me Someone” (Drawn to the Deep End, 1997)
20:45 – Billy Bragg – “Like Soldiers Do” (Back to Basics, 1987)
20:50 – My Life Story – “Sparkle (Concert Hall)” (Sparkle, 1996)
20:54 – Lily Allen – “Take What You Take” (Alright, Still, 2006)
20:57 – The Fratellis – “Whistle For The Choir” (Costello Music, 2006)
21:02 – Damien Rice – “The Blower’s Daughter” (O, 2003)
21:05 – Deacon Blue – “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” (Our Town: Greatest Hits, 2000)
21:10 – U2 – “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (The Joshua Tree, 1987)
21:13 – David Bowie – “Always Crashing In The Same Car” (Low, 1977)
21:17 – Good Charlotte – “Something Else” (Good Morning Revival, 2007)
21:19 – Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins – “You Are What You Love” (Rabbit Fur Coat, 2005)
21:24 – Air – “Left Bank” (Pocket Symphony, 2007)
21:27 – Brett Anderson – “Love Is Dead” (Brett Anderson, 2007)
21:32 – Baby Bird – “Aluminium beach” (Fatherhood, 1996)
21:34 – Sons And Daughters – “Medicine” (The Repulsion Box, 2005)
21:38 – KT Tunstall – “Another Place To Fall” (Eye To The Telescope, 2004)
21:41 – Gene – “Her Fifteen Years” (Sleep Well Tonight, 1995)
21:45 – The Bangles – “Walk Like An Egyptian” (Greatest Hits, 1990)
21:49 – Bright Eyes – “Four Winds” (Cassadaga, 2007)
21:52 – Maximo Park – “The Unshockable” (Our Earthly Pleasures, 2007)
 

Over the course of the weekend I’ve listened to the new Maximo Park album (“Our Earthly Pleasures”) around four times, and I’m really liking what I hear – the winning formula from the first album remains, but the lyrics have become even smarter.  My favourite couplet so far is “Five times five equals twenty five – don’t you know your times tables by now?” on A Fortnight’s Time.  Fun though it is, I haven’t got the foggiest what he’s on about, so I did a quick Google search in the hope of shedding some light.  The only result I turned up was this album review which cites the same lyric as an example of “just the right amount of humour and subtlety” – hmm, it’s perhaps a little too subtle for me, but I’ll happily sing along!

If you subscribe to my combined RSS feed (and even if you don’t), then you may have seen this story in The Guardian about Morrissey being in talks to offer his services for this year’s Eurovision song contest in Finland.  "How good would this be?!" I excitedly emailed to my old friend Jammy.  The prospect of El Moz taking on (and, naturally, conquering) all comers on a European stage.  For too long the UK has repeatedly despatched a succession of no-hopers to represent this fine nation, whilst simultaneously producing some of the best music and musicians anywhere on earth – it just didn’t add up.

So, fast-forward a couple of weeks, and imagine my disappointment at learning of the six shortlisted acts competing for the honour of representing us in Helsinki this May:

• Scooch (self-proclaimed "this generation’s Bucks Fizz")
• Liz McClarnon (ex-Atomic Kitten, and former Celebrity Love Island castaway)
• Hawkins & Brown (ex Darkness lead singer and friend)
• Brian Harvey (ex East 17 singer who managed the astonishing feat of falling under the wheels of a Mercedes which he was driving at the time).
• Cyndi (no idea)
• Big Brovaz (I didn’t even realise they were British!)

Is this really the best that we can do?  This nation that gave the world The Beatles, The Delgados, The Libertines, and British Sea Power?  My mind, it boggles.  I emailed the disappointing news to Jammy (who writes about pop music for money, incidentally).  His reply came speeding back over the ether:

"what a bunch of once-former-also-rans!

The talentless, most oikish, one out of East 17, the sub-Steps, the Scooby Doo singers…. gosh, we sure know how to represent ourselves well.

Spect your money’s on Hawkins? The great British public (and I, just for chance to get her back on TV) could favour kitten queen! And just who, who, is Cyndi? There’s only one Cyndi I know spelt that way.

Pshaw is about the only thing I can say on the matter!!"

Pshaw indeed!  My money’s on Ireland.

“Regard art critics as useless and dangerous” – Manifesto of the Futurist Painters

With that stark warning ringing in your ears, here’s my list of the best albums I’ve heard during 2006:
 

	Neil Young – Living With War If I had to pick one person to write a protest album about the Iraq war, it would definitely be Neil Young.  I blogged about this scathing and visceral attack on the Bush administration back in October, and my opinion of it hasn’t diminished over the past couple of months.  It remains a strong collection of work with an energy and quality that has been lacking in Young’s work since, ooh, at least 1994′s Sleeps With Angels.
	Snow Patrol – Eyes Open Just a few albums ago Snow Patrol were indie plodders putting out the kind of records that would only be bought by people like me.  Now they’ve broken into mainstream by releasing anthemic radio-friendly tracks such as Chasing Cars, You’re All I Have, Set The Fire To The Third Bar, and (my personal favourite), It’s Beginning To Get To Me. And look who they namecheck:  “Put Sufjan Stevens on, and we’ll play your favorite song, Chicago bursts to life in your sweet smile remembers you”  …which brings me on to…
	Sufjan Stevens – Illinois I realise that this was released back in 2005, but I didn’t get round to hearing it until early this year!  This is the second in Sufjan Steven’s grand plan of releasing an LP for every state in the US, and it’s an absolute corker.  Beautiful, melodic piano-led tunes that will be seeping out from my late-night headphones for many years to come.
	Belle And Sebastian – The Life Pursuit Belle And Sebastian never fail to deliver the goods, and this Tony Hoffer-produced follow-up to 2003′s Dear Catastrophe Waitress is no exception.  Brilliant lyrics once more from Stuart Murdoch and the band are sounding tighter than ever, combining to make a deliciously upbeat seventh album.
	Pipettes – We Are The Pipettes The Pipettes are on a mission “to turn back the clock to a time before The Beatles ruined everything”, and their weapons of choice are polka-dot dresses and mesmering hand-jives.  I’m a sucker for female-fronted bands singing bubblegum pop songs about love and disco dancing, so there was never any doubt that this would end up on my favourite LPs list.
	Long Blondes – Someone to Drive You Home Hooray, another female-fronted pop band!  And they hail from Sheffield!  And quote Morrissey!  How could I resist their charms?
	Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out Of This Country Camera Obscura are a Glaswegian indie who came to my attention when I heard their fantastic single Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken (an answer song to Lloyd Cole’s 1984 (Are You) Ready To Be Heartbroken?).  The video to that single is quite cute too – check it out on YouTube.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the entire album (their third!) is of a similarly high quality.
	Guillemots – Through The Windowpane The Guillemots’ album makes it onto my list primarily because it includes my favourite track of 2006, Trains To Brazil.  The title is a reference to the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, and the subject matter of the lyrics concerns the ongoing spate of terrorist attacks, suggesting that we should “live and be thankful we’re here” whilst we have the chance.  Soulful vocals and decorative horns help to make this the most joyous, life-affirming pop song I’ve heard in many a long year.

Honorary mentions to the following other fine opuses:

• Aim – Flight 602
• The Automatic – Not Accepted Anywhere
• The Beautiful South – Superbi
• Be Your Own Pet – Be Your Own Pet
• Delays – You See Colours
• The Flaming Lips – At Home With The Mystics
• Isobel Campbell – Milk White Sheets
• Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Ballad of the Broken Seas
• Jarvis Cocker – Jarvis
• Keane – Under The Iron Sea
• Razorlight – Razorlight
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium Arcadium
• Zutons – Tired of Hanging Around