Happy new year to all our readers! Here's my forty favourite tracks form this year in time-honoured Festive 50 format. The rules are the same as Evlkeith' festive chart with tracks qualifying as long as I purchaesd the CD this year. Hope there's one or two that you enjoy. So let's get started with 40-31 selections...
40 UNKLE - Celestial Annihilation - (Psyence Fiction LP)This just sneaked in to the chart this year. The LP is not a particular favourite, but the DJ Shadow influence means there's a decent bit of hip-hop flavour and I quite like the samples.
40 UNKLE - Celestial Annihilation - (Psyence Fiction LP)This just sneaked in to the chart this year. The LP is not a particular favourite, but the DJ Shadow influence means there's a decent bit of hip-hop flavour and I quite like the samples.
38 Asa - Be My Man - (Beautiful Imperfection LP)Accessible world music for the masses. Wife of Doccortex likes this a lot. For me it's too sugary sweet and sounds like a cross between Kelis and Alesha Dixon which can't be a good thing.
37 Alison Kraus - Paper Airplane - (Top of the World 76)Yee-ha! The first of the Alt-Country entries and it's really grown on me. Singalong bluegrass with beautiful vocals and catchy chorus.
36 Bat for Lashes - Daniel - (Two Suns LP) Not all wilfully obscure stuff! This is the least goth-influenced and dirgey number from the album. It's much better with the video I think.
35 Art Brut - Nag Nag Nag Nag - (It's a Bit Complicated LP)Sounds a bit like the 'talky' bits from Serious Drinking songs. Walks a bit of a tight rope between fun and annoying, but loved the line about 'I'd rather be damp than seen in jeans'.
34 The Fall - Dr. Bucks' Letter - (The Unutterable)No Festive chart is complete without the Fall. The last minute of this is pure quality, with Mark E Smith reading a magazine article about Pete Tong in his own unique style.
33 Forty Thieves Orkestar - Last Band Standing (Top of the World 77)Feel good world music from the Balkans, apparently inspired by jamming with a belly dancing band. Need I say more?
32 Juju - Night Walk - (Top of the World 78)Collaborative fun involving African vocals, fiddles and pounding base rhythms.
31 Nkata Mawewe - Khulumani (Rough Trade Counter Culture 2010)Chiptune meets African wailing in an intoxicating cocktail of contrasting styles.
39 Bob Dylan - Ballad of Hollis Brown - (The Times they are A-Changin LP)My first experience of Dylan and although I respect the concept, I'm still not convinced by the song-writing. Loved the overall atmosphere of 'Hollis Brown' though and his voice is a bit less nasally than on the rest of the album.
From this evening's festivities I really like Asa at the minute for the great guitar bit in the middle. I think I'll get sick of it quite quickly though. Too catchy. Art Brut is not too bad either and is still growing on me.
ReplyDeleteThe Fall - still peddling the same old rubbish.