Another Lonely Soul by Novastar
A Belgian band led by a man with a golden voice and in most of the tracks this golden voice is an asset to their already good quality. The best track is Never Back Down and the album goes from the 66th to the 50th rank.
I really enjoyed this! It taps into the same part of my brain that makes me like Marshall Crenshaw
I'm sure I would have never found this on my own. Thanks for including it in your diary.
Waiting For The Sirens' Call by New Order
This album is much better than would assume for a latter day album. OK there is no new Blue Monday here but nearly all the tracks feel very fresh and interesting. While on previous albums they might have lost it a bit, they certainly didn't on this one with the title track and Krafty as the better tracks. The album moves up from the 58th to the 47th rank.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Axes by Electrelane
What a pleasant surprise this album was. Most of the album is motorik Krautrock which invariably builds up to a chaotic ending but the instrumentation is so varied that it really can be described as a style in its own: sometimes with very interesting piano playing, sometimes a tango which completely derails and sometimes the cover of a great artist they completely deconstruct: The Partisan by Leonard Cohen. Although I don't agree with their final conclusion I like the description by Allmusic: (they) often sound like a chamber music group playing forgotten Sonic Youth compositions. That's why it's such a pity that the general flow of the album is dragged down by two meant-to-be experimental but completely stupid tracks: I Keep Losing Heart and especially Business Or Otherwise. So the album only enters at the 50th rank but I strongly advise you all to listen to it.
Zeroes And Ones by Eleventh Dream Day
I only had three tracks of this album on my playlist so don't know why I wouldn't have listened to the full album but now I did. And as this band is one of my favorites of course I liked this one as well. New Rules is the best track with Lately I've Been Thinking and From K to Z as good seconds. The album enters my year chart at the 11th rank.
Shine by Sarah Bettens
This is not the correct artist name anymore. Sarah Bettens formed together with her brother Gert (who also had his own band Woodface, a completely underrated powerrock band, also in Belgium) K's Choice, which had a major hit I think a bit everywhere in the world, I'm Not An Addict. Here on this solo album, Sarah hinted at some issues and that became completely clear a bit later when she outed herself as transgender and changed her name to Sam. So this particular album is a bit of a bridge between her/his two worlds and in general it's a fairly satisfying one but still with a lot of links with her former band. Anyway: goes from the 44th to the 32nd rank.
And an album on my wishlist:
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We Walked In Song by The Innocence Mission
Although not as good as some of their other albums, they always seem to create a special atmosphere with the very particular voice of Karen Perris and the way the band seems to be able to blend their different instruments to something special. This album enters my top chart at the 39th rank.
Brighter Than Creation's Dark by Drive-By Truckers
Not a bad album but it's simply too long and they are not all of the same quality as 3 Dimes Down or Self Destructive Zones. Nevertheless rises from the 74th to the 56th rank.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Magnificent Fiend by Howlin' Rain
For me their album ten years later was one of the best albums of the year. This one is very different and is very much indebted to the sixties. The songs are good and the guitars are great but The Alligator Bride it ain't. Nevertheless good for my 2008 year chart at the 30th rank.
After a three weeks holiday in Central America, these are the two albums of 2009 I listened to:
First an album I already known/own:
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In This Light And On This Evening by Editors
After two darker albums inspired by but not completely Ian Curtis, this one is much different and more focused on synths and in my opinion also of less quality. Of course Papillon is good but overall the number of good tracks is fairly sparse. The album moves from the 70th to the 42th rank.
Innerspeaker by Tame Impala
Maybe lacking real good songs but the overall atmosphere of the the album is a plus. Stays a 59th rank.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Future Weather by The War On Drugs
A mini album before they became very famous. This one is certainly decent especially with Baby Missiles and Comin' Through. Enters my 2010 year chart at the 50th rank.
Build A Rocket Boys! by Elbow
A band that I start to appreciate less and less and also this album is not filled with great tracks. But The Birds is a good track and together with some other ok songs, the album remains in my year chart and goes from the 74th to the 63rd rank.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Mikal Cronin by Mikal Cronin
A bit of Ty Segall, his former band member, a bit of the sixties, a bit of Jesus & Mary Chain and certainly also a bit of his own because he is certainly a good songwriter. I knew the albums after this but not this one and it was a pleasant surprise. Good for the xth rank on my 2011 year chart.
And btw, because of the re-release of this album (the re-assemble edition) from 2004:
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How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb by U2
I listened to it again which reminded me what a good album this actually is, so good it goes from the 40th to the 28th rank of 2004.
Ugly by Screaming Females
The songs are not bad but I don't really like the screaming of the singer of this screaming Screaming Females. So for me only an OK album which moves from the 53rd to the 44th rank on my year chart.
And an album from my wishlist:
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Year Of The Tiger by Fucked Up
Over the years, Fucked Up, one of my favorite contemporary bands, released a series of EP's on the Chinese horoscope and this one the Year of the Tiger only containing two but long tracks. The first track is classic Fucked Up: a good melody with the coarse voice of Damian Abraham. The second is not really the usual stuff: an instrumental mesmerising drone which actually is very good. So all in all a worthy addition to the Fucked Up legacy and entering my year chart at the 33rd rank.
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dihansse
Fischman
