Top Albums Of T'Thousands 70-61

70. The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee [4AD - 2002]

A couple move into a house on Southwood Plantation Road in Tallahassee, Florida. The house is falling apart, representing their crumbling marriage. So is the premise for one of the most fully realised records John Darnielle has ever written. The rustic nature of the album's setting in the American deep south is clear for all to see through lyrical refrains telling of nature and wildlife in a dilapidated country house. As always, Darnielle is at his best when exploring the relationships between his characters. Singing "Our love is like the border between Greece and Albania" on 'International Small Arms Traffic Blues', Darnielle creates a level of depth and intimacy in his fictional creations that consistently staggers expectations. Listen to this story, and watch a marriage crumble, but still with a small seed of hope barely visible in its centre.

69. My Brightest Diamond - Bring Me The Workhorse [Asthmatic Kitty - 2006]

Shara Worden's world is one of late night art house, candelabra and inner thunder. Her voice is a revelation, the inherent passion in her raw and powerful vocal performances seems to come from the very pit of her stomach. In Bring Me The Workhorse, Worden crafts an enigmatic, female figure equally seductive and fierce. From the delicate imagery of 'Dragonfly' to the sheer belly-fire present in the closing moments of 'Golden Star', Worden shows both sides of an incredibly versatile musical repertoire. At the core of this record, you find her, alone and vulnerable with the music her only protective shell. Worden is an undeniable talent, not only writing but producing the whole album herself. A lyrical maelstrom tiptoeing between dark cabaret and damaged soul singer, mesmerising and intoxicating.

68. Emilíana Torrini - Fisherman's Woman [Rough Trade - 2005]

"I hope again to live this life, to see you once more before I died," these are the words Emilíana Torrini seems to whisper into your ear in the final seconds of 'Snow'. This is delicate Icelandic folk poetry, you can almost hear the wind rustle over these gentle, swaying arrangements. Strange sounds can be heard resting just behind the music lending it a natural and improvised feel, with which the oft-finger picked guitars blend so well. Torrini's voice is constantly lovable, you can just imagine yourself walking out of the cold and into a warm, firelit room to discover Torrini, the fisherman's woman, serenading you, offering you a warm bowl of soup and nursing you away from weariness.


67. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells [Sympathy For The Record Industry - 2001]

Few albums in recent years have had quite the impact that White Blood Cells did on its release in 2001. Along with The Strokes' Is This It, it was largely responsible for the garage rock revival at the turn of the century. And there are plenty of reasons on this record why, 16 reasons to be precise. Across the 16 tracks on this album, Jack and Meg White create some of the most addictive garage and blues-tinged indie rock of recent times. From the country sing-along of 'Hotel Yorba' to the darker, pulsating 'Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground', from indie crossover hit 'Fell In Love With A Girl' to the virtually schizophrenic Orson Welles tribute 'The Union Forever': This is one of the best cover to cover listens of recent times, Jack White's songwriting would never get better.

66. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven [Kranky - 2000]

There aren't many more records more suited to be the soundtrack to the end of the world than Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven. Radio static and sampled distant voices collide with cathartic bursts of noise and marching funeral dirges before falling into drawn out ambient piano figures. The whole spectrum of human emotion is seemingly laid out across this album's overlapping movements. Being more like a symphony than a traditional rock or pop album structurally has somehow allowed this record to become a far more uplifting and massive feat. If this is the music for the end of the world then at least when the rapture does come, there'll be at least one thing I won't have to worry about.

65. Pretty Girls Make Graves - The New Romance [Matador - 2003]

Yet another band to form from the volcanic hotbed of creativity around short-lived Seattle math rock band Sharks Keep Moving, Pretty Girls Make Graves (PGMG) are one of many notable alumni of this most influential of bands. Along with Minus The Bear and The Blood Brothers, PGMG rose from the still smouldering embers of Sharks Keep Moving to leave a distinctive stamp on the indie landscape. With their magnum opus The New Romance, PGMG created a ferocious set of songs which were still incredibly dancey. Andrea Zollo brings a fiery punk attitude to a soundscape of off-kilter drums, interlocking twanging guitars and piercing electronics. Fierce and powerful, they will be missed.

64. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass [Matador - 2006]

There aren't many bands capable of weaving intimate tales like Hoboken alternative legends Yo La Tengo. Yet in recent times, serious questions could be placed over the bands ability to keep things fresh after such a long time together. What I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass did was remind Yo La Tengo's extremely left of centre followers that they were still incredibly relevant and there was definite reason for Matador's unwavering support of the band. Guitar freakout bliss is evident from monumental opener 'Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind.' This is then counter-balanced by wonderful indie pop gems 'Beanbag Chair' and 'Mr Tough', as well as fuzzy ambient sweetness in 'I Feel Like Going Home.' That's just the first four songs, discover the rest and be rejuvenated.

63. Nina Nastasia - Dogs [Socialist - 2000]

Ah, the romance of the struggling musician, saved by their own music. It's a tale that's been being told since folk musicians were wandering here and there with only their trusty acoustic guitars for company. The year is 2000, and Nina Nastasia is a little known New York based singer-songwriter. Her debut record is initially largely unrecognised, that is until a copy finds its way to John Peel, courtesy of Steve Albini. Peel instantly falls in love with the record, describing it as "Astonishing" and repeatedly plays it on his radio show, earning Nastasia countless new fans. The rest as they say, is history. Dogs is an album that deserves every positive accord it receives. Nastasia is one of America's finest songwriters of recent times, from the ice-laden chamber pop of 'Judy's In The Sandbox' to the beautifully detached 'Stormy Weather', this record will haunt you but ultimately become a wonderful friend to you aswell.

62. Built To Spill - Ancient Melodies Of The Future [Warner - 2001]

On first impression, this may seem like standard indie fare. Band with seemingly quirky name release album with incredibly ostentatious title. This is not the case with this record however. From the wonderfully warm intro track 'Strange' which features Quasi's Sam Coomes and his trademark instrument, the Rocksichord, this album never disappoints. It does, to a certain extent, do exactly what it says on the tin. It supplies you with forty minutes of joyous, fuzzy, messy indie rock that is both uplifting and mind-bending. Will these be the ancient melodies that are remembered in the future? The legacy left behind by Built To Spill is already monumental, and if they don't get the recognition they deserve in the future, then I'd rather be ancient and closer to this.

61. Deerhoof - Reveille [Kill Rock Stars - 2002]

Reveille in French means to wake up. It is also the name given to a military bugle call, hence the horns adorning the cover. If any album on this list is going to wake you up this is certainly the one. This is Deerhoof at their very best, disturbing minds and creating some of the strangest musical juxtapositions you'll ever see. Note: The deflated clown horn on 'Sound The Alarm' clashing into the Sonic Youth styled guitars that immediately follow on 'This Magnificent Bird Will Rise'. Over the top is one of the most enduring elements of Deerhoof's work, Satomi Matsuzaki's vocals are playful and shrill, cute and terrifying. Stark extremities are somehow mixed into a sugar-fuelled, hyperactive mess of addictive pop melodies and ultimate noise terrorism. Reveille is certainly an eye-opener and it really ought to wake you up.

Top Albums Of T'Thousands 80-71

80. Film School - Film School [Beggars Banquet - 2006]

Shoegaze is the music of dreams. It is inherent in the DNA of the genre, the ethereal nature of the guitar and vocal sounds just lend to a blurry atmosphere that makes one reminisce of the otherworldly landscapes of their dreams. What Film School did for the shoegaze movement was to drag it kicking and screaming back down to Earth and onto the living, breathing streets of downtown New York. The dreamy nature of the music is still there but it has been ruptured with a sense of urban isolation and paranoid realism that brings modern life to the fore. Lurking around every dark corner of this record is another hook to keep you coming back and roaming these streets at night.


79. Oxford Collapse - Bits [Sub Pop - 2008]

What a shame that Bits, the final release from Brooklyn indie rockers Oxford Collapse, would turn out to be the finest record they'd ever make. After years spent releasing little known gems on a plethora of indie labels, the lo-fi fanatics moved into the big leagues by signing to Sub Pop in 2006. What followed were two albums of sheer, noisy joy, the latter of which, Bits, seemed like the summation of what they were building towards. Thirteen nuggets of messy but mesmerising indie basement rock. Pick up without a second thought and soak up the good vibes they are sadly no longer beaming on out into the world.



78. Feist - Let It Die [Arts & Crafts - 2004]

The first lady of Canadian indie, ladies and gentlemen, Leslie Feist. On her second release Feist mixes elements of indie rock, bossa nova and jazz to create one of the most eclectic records in recent times. The years of experience gained from performing with bands such as Broken Social Scene is clearly noticeable on Let It Die, largely down to the huge jump in quality from 1999's Monarch (Lay Your Jewelled Head Down). Single 'Mushaboom' is undeniably one of the most infectious pop songs you're ever likely to hear. Be warned though, you may just fall in love with this women.



77. Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time [Sub Pop - 2006]

From its very first moments this record crashes its way into your mind, casting aside everything there and replacing it with a childlike sense of wonder. Drums crash and guitars chime building into dense, emotion laden walls of sound that leave nothing behind. The ten songs on this album tell cinematic, picturesque stories of love and loss. It may sound somewhat clichéd but this is just one of those records that deserve these sentiments, it will wrap you up in its frosty sound and imagery and keep you there as long as you please.




76. Portishead - Third [Island - 2008]

This was something I thought I'd never see, Portishead coming back with new material, and whats more, it is consistently enthralling throughout. Beth Gibbons can still lure you in with her distinctively icy yet simultaneously seductive voice, caressing you into a stupor. The dark nature of Portishead's music is still there with a mood of isolation dominating the 50 minutes of the album. This is a record that deserves to be held in as high regard as the band's 90s releases. It is without a doubt one of the most startlingly genuine and original releases of the last ten years.



75. Test Icicles - For Screening Purposes Only [Domino - 2005]

A certain trend-setting indie magazine (read rag) once reviewed this album as "More vital than haemoglobin." Is this statement really apt? Treading a fine line between indie rock, dance punk and robo-metal breakdowns, this is one of the most innovative records you will ever hear. It sounds like the living, breathing embodiment of London teen nightlife at the midpoint of the decade, mashing every edge of the capital's music scene into one big deformity. Like many deformities however, it is strangely beautiful. Thrilling, horrifically original and yes, if you wanted to be hip at the time, "More vital than haemoglobin."



74. TV On The Radio - Dear Science [4AD - 2008]

"Dear Science, please start solving problems and curing diseases or shut the fuck up." So said David Sitek in a note left during the recording of this very album, hence its title. This record really brings the groove to healing vibes. No, it's not a new-age, self help record but a warming reminder of musical creativity at the start of a new century. Dark beats allow slick basslines and fuzzy synths to create an atmosphere of smokey funk that Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malones' vocals just seem to complete. It's otherworldly and alien but ultimately rewarding and heartwarming without losing any of its groove. It won't be curing any diseases but Sitek's technical wizardry is giving science a run for its money.


73. Radiohead - Hail To The Thief [Parlophone - 2003]

2 + 2 = 5? "Freedom is the freedom to say 2 + 2 = 4." Opening with a track loosely based around 1984 by George Orwell seems incredibly fitting for Radiohead. The album's intro comes across as one huge explosion of the sort of angst few can produce like Thom Yorke, and this time it's heading straight at the totalitarian governments of the 21st century. George Bush, terrorism, the Iraq war (see the album cover), all are lambasted here. This is vintage Radiohead from start to finish, following on from the explosive intro, there's the lunar atmospherics of 'Sail To The Moon' through to the dark synth led beat of 'Myxomatosis'. This is a band that truly cannot take a step wrong, proving why they are perhaps the most innovative band of the last decade.

72. Joanna Newsom - Ys [Drag City - 2006]

An undisputedly grand gesture from one of the more interesting female folksters of recent years. Almost an hour long and yet comprising only 5 songs, Ys finds Joanna Newsom creating epic, lush arrangements of the sort of forest folk she is known for. Newsom's trademark harp sound is here for all to see. Only this time it is pitted against a backdrop of numerous orchestral accompaniments. What this does is create a dynamic plateau for Newsom's forest imp like voice to run across, telling stories of pastoral imagery that create a wonderfully rustic but beautiful atmosphere. A truly bedazzling hour of music that will leave you spellbound and running around in mother nature just as you did when you were a child.

71. The For Carnation - The For Carnation [Touch & Go - 2000]

Never judge a book by it's cover. In my mind, this has always been a statement that's been fairly questionable. What are the two primary colours you see on the sleeve of The For Carnation's self-titled LP? Black and blue. This is visually at least, the summation of this record. Black and blue, dark but sombre. Slow grooves unravel themselves over lengthy phrases clouded in a smokey haze. Vocals are whispered (what would you expect from former Slint vocalist Brian McMahon..), arrangements are sparse and the outlook is bleak. This is quiet desperation but also bitter resentment. When McMahon simply says: "My days of seeing you are done." on intro track 'Emp. Man's Blues' you can really feel the man distancing himself from everything and losing himself in the music's dark and haunting undercurrents.

Top Albums Of T'Thousands 90-81

2000-2009: The real countdown continues...

90. Poe - Haunted [Atlantic - 2000]

Not just the accompaniment to the brilliant post-modern novel House Of Leaves but a brilliant record in its own right. From the eerie soundscapes of 'Exploration B' and 'House Of Leaves', through the gothic pop of 'Haunted' and the trip-hop of 'Spanish Doll', this is an emotional rollercoaster into the psyche of a girl who has recently lost her father. Listen to this late at night, and much like the neverending corridors of House Of Leaves you will lose your mind in this record.





89. Stars - Set Yourself On Fire [Arts & Crafts - 2004]

Quite possibly the musical equivalent of a 1930s Clark Gable romantic blockbuster. This is a timeless love story told across 13 indie pop gems. Simultaneously heartbreaking and life-affirming, this album was recorded across one bleak Canadian winter and tells the story of two lovers lives intertwining. Lavish and decadent textures hide the heart-rending drama at the centure of this masterpiece. As the album suggests, this is ageless beauty.




88. The Books - The Lemon Of Pink [Tomlab - 2003]

Electronica, folk and acoustic sampling all collide on The Books' sophomore effort. More developed and consistent than Thought For Food, this is when the NY experimental duo really hit their prime. The incredible amount of samples crammed into the 37 minutes of this record range from timeless and poignant to downright messed up. One thing remains a constant though, and that is the sense of contemplation this record creates. Listen and learn, and as guest vocalist Anne Doerner says "All's well that ends well".




87. Elliott Smith - Figure 8 [DreamWorks - 2000]

The final album Elliott Smith finished before his untimely death makes for particularly poignant listening retrospectively. It marks the final stages of his transition from bedroom songwriter to the creator of more open thinking high-end compositions and shows signs of what he could have become. Though arguably not on a par with his earlier work, what you have here is a portrait of the promise and talent of one of the most accomplished writers of recent times.





36. Vashti Bunyan - Lookaftering [Fat Cat - 2005]

The year is 1970, Vashti Bunyan's debut album Just Another Diamond Day has been released to lukewarm reviews and little success. Heartbroken, Bunyan retreated to the countryside and raised a family. Flash-forward 30 years and this solitary record has generated such a cult following including luminaries such as Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom and Animal Collective that Vashti Bunyan is now labelled as the 'Godmother of Freak Folk'. Her response, she releases an album of timeless elegance and wonderful minimalism. This is folk for rainy days and cold nights, find out what the fuss is about.



85. Death Cab For Cutie - Plans [Atlantic - 2005]

Opening with the lines "If I could open my arms, and span the length of the isle of Manhattan, I'd bring it to where you are." really says all you need to know about this album. It is characterised by its sentimentality, its aspiration to do great things and above all else, its view of the world with a sense of romance. The production is magnificent, a record truly worth listening to through headphones just to appreciate its little intricacies. Rest assured, this is the sort of record that will stay in your mind and follow you into the dark when you sleep at night.



84. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca [Domino - 2009]

Dirty Projectors have always been known for their ability to dismantle the boundaries of experimentalism, pop, indie, etc, and re-arrange them until they are a mutated mish-mash. Much like a frankenstein of indie rock. These songs are joyous, sporadic little ditties that slip in through the ear and dissolve into your subconscious until you find yourself humming them at the most inopportune moments. Listen with caution, this kind of optimism is infectious.





83. Beach House - Beach House [Carpark - 2006]

Dream pop, has been a relatively resurgent genre. Since the 4AD golden years of the mid to late 80s and bands such as the Cocteau Twins, it has seemingly existed in some form or another. What Beach House did for it with this record in 2006 was to reinvigorate it with a sense of lo-fi beauty. What they have brought to dream pop, is that lo-fi fuzz just underneath the surface. Crackles underscore what are already beautiful arrangements and give them a timeless sense of beauty. What links Beach House and their namesake, peace and tranquility, and quite possibly a fleeting sense of beauty. The sea will erode the beach and destroy the beach house, this album will be over in under 40 minutes.

82. Sea Wolf - Leaves In The River [Dangerbird - 2007]

Halloween rendezvous, gypsy women, waterfalls, all bountiful and iconic imagery, throw in Phil Elverum and you've got yourself a regular trek into the dark side of indie folk. This is a bleak record that is somehow simultaneously resplendent in its arrangements, a contradiction of sorts? For some unknown reason this record just clicks, it has a sort of timeless quality to it and is soaked in the sort of storytelling that has made American folk music great.





81. Sonic Youth - Murray Street [DGC - 2002]

A return to form of sorts for the kings of hipper than thou experimentalism. Gone are the art school clichés of A Thousand Leaves and NYC Ghosts + Flowers, and welcomed back into the fold are the alternative anthems of golden era Sonic Youth. These are classic left of centre songs brimming with unbridled joy and an undeniable summerish quality. Peaking and troughing through noisy guitar fuelled explosions and delicate ravines in their very signature wall of re-tuned sound. On their collaboration with peers Borbetomagus, the Youth refer to themselves as 'radical adults', on the basis of this record they are not only still youth but are as vital as they have ever been.

Until next time...

Top Albums Of T'Thousands 100-91

2000-2009: The real countdown begins...

100. Wiley - Playtime Is Over [Big Dada - 2007]

In a constantly evolving UK urban scene, this album still remains fresh, uncompromising and most importantly of all, dripping with attitude. When placed against 2004's Treddin' On Thin Ice, this album emerges stronger and more varied with obvious improvements in Wiley's production and songwriting.

99. Japandroids - Post-Nothing [Polyvinyl - 2009]

How can a two-piece make such a colossal noise? Japandroids can. Think of lo-fi and what do you imagine? An introvert recording his carefully constructed but never fully realised songs on a 4-track? An underground band releasing fuzzy pop gems? Japandroids better the latter with a line-up closer in numbers to the former. This is a punk Boston in a basement, inspirational to DIY lovers everywhere.

98. The Dismemberment Plan - Change [Desoto - 2001]

Will The Dismemberment Plan be remembered for Change, their final outing before parting ways? Probably not, their previous release Emergency & I was somewhat of a cultural zeitgeist of indie rock at the turn of the century, defining the mood of the times but at the same time breaking free of it. What Change marks is a band aware of their abilities, growing older and wiser. More calm and competent than its predecessor, perhaps Travis Morrison really was just a sentimental man at heart. Does it matter if The D-Plan are remembered for Change? Probably not, the music will speak for itself, it's been blown from the face of the Earth.

97. Balmorhea - Rivers Arms [Western Vinyl - 2008]

One of modern music's greatest attributes, and quite frankly, assets, is its ability to be versatile. In terms of style, you will not find a better example of versatility and variation in a record than Rivers Arms. At one moment freak folk ballad, the next an Einaudi-esque lullaby, and that's just the first two songs. An album for contemplation, and celebration of life's little intricacies.

96. Zomby - Where Were U In '92? [Werk - 2008]

Where were u in '92? This is what Zomby asks his listener. Turning from creator of interesting and crowd-pleasing dubstep tunes to full-blown producer extraordinaire in the space of 38 minutes. As the title suggests, this record evokes now distant memories of the late 80s and early 90s rave heyday. Zomby is not afraid to mix things up, no pun intended, listen to this at night, intoxicated, as often as deemed necessary, until you really ARE in '92.

95. Efterklang - Tripper [Leaf - 2004]

An eerie and haunting bundle of IDM meets post-rock flirtations. From the wonderfully understated 'Foetus' to what is arguably the album's focal centrepiece 'Collecting Shields', what you have here is something to cherish for those moments when everything comes together and just feels right. Immerse yourself in their world and chances are you won't want to return.

94. Dappled Cities - Granddance [Dangerbird - 2006]

Dappled Cities Fly, that is what this Australian 5-piece were once called. Well in spite of dropping the fly from their name for this album, they have never truly flown in quite this way, irony much? 'Holy Chord' builds to a tense peak before erupting into all sorts of mess, soaring left, right, and yes, centre. The singles 'Fire Fire Fire' and 'Vision Bell' only begin to scratch the surface of what a hidden gem this record is. Catch them now before everyone and their indie friend called Rain do, and they fly on away into the sunset.

93. Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday [XL - 2007]

If there is any justice in the world this album will one day be truly appreciated. Elvis Perkins, son of actor Anthony Perkins, best known for playing Norman Bates in Psycho is an undoubtedly gifted songwriter. This album is a eulogy to his mother who died in the 9/11 attacks. An album for Wednesday 12 September, the day after Perkins lost his mother and had "Nothing left but ash". While also being a tribute to his father who died on the same day in 1992. Rousing acoustic ballads with lush orchestration, listen to what this man has to say, preferably through headphones and you'll cherish every bittersweet word.

92. The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike [Memphis Industries - 2004]

Imagine, if you will, taking a ridiculous assortment of paraphernalia that has made twenty-first century life fun and carefree, and then put it to music. This is the epitomy of the word party. Playful vocals, danceable rhythms, pop culture samples and Sonic Youth on E guitars. All of these and more are combined into a cohesive whole that will have you frothing at the mouth and in some kind of frenzy.

91. No Age - Nouns [Sub Pop - 2008]

This is lo-fi at its most frenetic and scary. Distorted fuzzy guitars and powerful drumming. And yet, as with the aforementioned Japandroids, they're only a duo! These lo-fi partnerships really are putting serious questions to bands with larger memberships over their inability to create a ruckus quite like this. If two guys can create songs such as 'Teen Creeps' then so help you, the rest of you better get your act together lest they wipe the floor with you.

Next time, the waste of paint continues with numbers 90-81 announced. The next ten in the list include deaths, comebacks and mainstays. In the meantime, parting is such sweet sorrow but sorrow is such sweet inspiration.

Top Albums Of T'Thousands 150-101

Well it's the end of the decade and time to start making ridiculous lists for the sake of retrospect. A lot of deserving albums just didn't make that top 100 so here's a brief list of 150-101 of our top albums of the 2000s. They all deserve credit and a lot of these are under appreciated gems, check them out. Expect more detail and articles for the top 100....


150. Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland
149. Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You
148. Cex - Being Ridden
147. Magik Markers - Boss
146. Distance - My Demons
145. Enon - High Society
144. Shipping News - Flies The Fields
143. Skepta - Greatest Hits
142. Electric President - Electric President
141. Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia... - My Elixir, My Poison
140. The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
139. Flying Lotus - 1983
138. Cansei De Ser Sexy - Cansei De Ser Sexy
137. Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara
136. Aarktica - No Solace In Sleep
135. The Bug - London Zoo
134. Ohbijou - Beacons
133. The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat
132. Ricardo Villalobos - Salvador
131. Storm And Stress - Under Thunder And Fluorescent Lights

130. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Etiquette

129. VHS Or Beta - Night On Fire
128. Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
127. The Young Knives - Voices Of Animals And Men
126. Mclusky - Mclusky Do Dallas
125. Cursive - The Ugly Organ
124. Kanye West - Graduation
123. Aloha - Here Comes Everyone
122. Hot Club De Paris - Drop Till It Pops
121. Shannon Wright - Maps Of Tacit
120. HEALTH - You Will Love Each Other
119. Skream - Skream
118. Korouva - Shipwrecks & Russian Roulette
117. Saul Williams - Saul Williams
116. The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters
115. Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe
114. Erase Errata - Nightlife
113. Calexico - Hot Rail
112. Comets On Fire - Blue Cathedral
111. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight
110. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
109. Low - Things We Lost In The Fire
108. The Decemberists - Picaresque
107. Kode9 & The Spaceape - Memories Of The Future
106. Slavic Soul Party! - Slavic Soul Party! In Makedonija
105. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
104. Headlights - Some Racing, Some Stopping
103. Radiohead - Amnesiac
102. Blonde Redhead - Misery Is A Butterfly
101. Sigur Rós - Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust


Check back here within the next few days for the start of the big countdown of the best albums of the last ten years (according to us)...

Låt Den Rätte Komma In

Late nights, early mornings. A tried and failed combination. Your mind plays tricks on you. Some middle of the night things bound to warp your mind and feelings.




Haunting. Poetic. Chilling, Wonderful.

Recently Elliott has been the man. Been dead for years though, still a man.

Waltz No.2 (XO, 1998)



Twilight (From A Basement On The Hill, 2004)



Roman Candle (Roman Candle, 1994)



It is almost the end of the decade. WE here at Dandelion have been racking our brains over a top records of the decade list, expect part one next week...

Sky Flowers

The saturday after bonfire night. This has always been a day each year that has served me well. Some of my greatest moments have been spent on this night. It holds a certain resonance for me to say the least.

This year has been different. The most remarkable thing to happen this year was. I was walking along the cut this morning at 5 am. A drunken women approached me saying "Who are you?" I didn't know how to respond. As she drew closer she simply said. "Sorry, I thought you were someone, but you're not."

These are things that have made this night special. In my own experience, they matter.

Sigur Rós - Starálfur



Blá nótt yfir mér, horf-inn út um glugann, minn með hendur, faldar undir kinn.
Hugsum daginn minn í dag og í gær.
Wonderful.

This time last year, I spent this night alone for the first time for a long time. Reading On The Road by Anton Chekhov. It really gave off that sense of desolate hope that this time of year brings.

"She was silent. When the sledge started, and had to go around a huge snowdrift, she looked back at Liharev with an expression as though she wanted to say something to him. He ran up to her, but she did not say a word to him, she only looked at him through her long eyelashes with little specks of snow on them.

Whether his finely intuitive soul were really able to read that look, or whether his imagination deceived him, it suddenly began to seem to him that with another touch or two that girl would have forgiven him his failures, his age, his desolate position, and would have followed him without question or reasonings. He stood a long while as though rooted to the spot, gazing at the tracks left by the sledge runners. The snowflakes greedily settled on his hair, his beard, his shoulders. . . . Soon the track of the runners had vanished, and he himself covered with snow, began to look like a white rock, but still his eyes kept seeking something in the clouds of snow."

I'm a sucker for the winter. This made me think of a quote by Whittier: "For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been'."

Stopping writing before this turns into a self-indulgent literary essay. Winter's coming so I'll leave it with these...

Feist + Bon Iver - Train Song (Vashti Bunyan)



Vashti Bunyan - Train Song (Original)



Grizzly Bear + Feist - Service Bell

A Blog To Pass The Time

Boredom is a funny thing. It's also a valuable thing. It's a motivator, leads you to discovery.

One of my favourite performers of all time, Leadbelly, is a man I have a great deal of respect for. Even if he was infamous for his actions. Stabbing. Sung his way out of prison though. Twice if I remember rightly. Talent, you might say.

Back to the point, boredom led me to find this, hardly his most chilling work, give it a look through the keyhole though. Pretty rare to actually see a video of him, enigmatic.



I hear fireworks right now, led me to remember something. Staralfur by Sigur Ros, is that fireworks in the mid section? Look at this, can't recommend Blogotheque enough.




Danielewski - House Of Leaves, read it. Post-modern as fuck but incredibly creative and terrifying. Brooding and sexy too. That's a tale for another day mind. Anything that can get some Dante in has my approval though. Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate.

"No matter where you are, in a crowded restaurant or on some desolate street or even in the comforts of your own home, you'll watch yourself dismantle every assurance you ever lived by. You'll stand aside as a great complexity intrudes, tearing apart, piece by piece, all of your carefully conceived denials, whether deliberate or unconscious. And then, for better or worse you'll turn, unable to resist, though try to resist you still will, fighting with everything you've got, not to face the thing you most dread, what is now, what will be, what has always come before, the creature you truly are, the creature we all are, buried in the nameless black of a name. And then the nightmares will begin."

Danielewskis sister performs under the pseudonym Poe. She released an album that interlinks with House Of Leaves, Haunted. Quality varies throughout but some of the soundscapes are haunting, as the title suggests. She uses a lot of samples of her recently deceased fathers voice, eerie to say the least..

This sound collage gave me shivers the first time I heard it. In my room in pitch black one night late at night. Based on House Of Leaves it was always going to. You must watch this. Art in it's most primordial fearful state.



That is all.

Inauguration

The inaugural post was always going to be a difficult one: is there a theme to this blog? Is it about flowers, towns in Bavaria, baseball players, Boards of Canada songs, a conurbation of all these things.

There's not much that won't be written about in this space so have a gander from time to time, see if you can figure things out. Major stream of consciousness however.

There's a soupy sales in my fly.

Right now I'm listening to these guys, it's a regular Sunday night miracle.



It's kind of like a mournful folkified Interpol record, which I won't argue with.
All gypsy women, halloween rendezvous, hardly mind expanding but comforting indie kid imagery, tried and true, homogenized by every kid in a flannel shirt with an acoustic guitar.

Misty scenes seem the way forward to me at the moment, preferably with foliage. Like these guys

Owen - At Home With Owen

Jennifer Donnelly - A Gathering Light

Aloha - Light Works

Two great records and a superb book, all with great artistic direction.

And one last piece of paraphernalia, great bit of filmmaking, great film in general, awesome soundtrack too. Proper shoegaze/dream pop stuff, Harold Budd, Robin Guthrie, Slowdive, Rush, Cocteau Twins, Sigur Ros.

Think I'm just about out of ink for now, the pot's dried up. Gonna get back to reading Crime and Punishment now, Dostoyevsky is king.

One last thought - the point of doing this blog is still pretty, well, ambiguous.