Listmania

It's getting to that time of year where I announce my much-anticipated albums / songs of the year lists. I know, you've been waiting with bated breath all year, just to find out what could compete with last year's choice selections.

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
For some reason, I decided to only do five top albums last year. Ulp. I will be very brave and try for five here. Ulp ulp ulp. Drum rolls please!

1) Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem. To anyone who knows me, this comes as no surprise. Or who has read this blog in the last month. It was the best album by miles - inventive, sweet, touching, jump up - it had it all. As the Observer put it, too, it sounds even better as a whole album. The tunes don't just stand alone - almost all of them are a 5* on my 'Pod - but as an album it truly shines when listened to in its intended order. That's rare these days, and another reason why I love it so. Also, anyone who can write a song as beautiful as Someone Great about a dead hamster deserves even more credit than I've given James Murphy.

2) Desire - Pharaohe Monch. Although the reviews raved about this album, I only really started listening to it a couple of months ago, ages after purchasing it. And they were spot on. It's funny, gnarls-barkley-ish in places (like Body Baby); in others, like What It Is, it's bleak and sparse, sort of like a much better eminem (I don't like him very much despite acknowledging his talent and the genius of Dre's production). The production values also have the Kanye-influence, and sound much like Common's Be, which was glorious. Excellent from start to finish.

3) Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release - Simian Mobile Disco. Although there was a lot of (rightful) praise for the Justice album, this I think is a better overall album. It is funny, makes me want to dance, and is just excellent all the way through. It's been a good year for them, too, as one of them produced both the Arctic Monkeys' album, and the Mercury-winning Klaxons', too (although I really think they are massively overrated).

4) Kala - M.I.A.. Inventive, unusual, and a banging live show which made me appreciate the variety, musicality and innovation behind this. I think it's even better than Arular, which has grown on me an awful lot over the last year. She's excellent.

5) Experience - Kyza. While it seems wrong to mention him in relation to every UK rapper, I do miss Roots Manuva; for me he was the best by miles. However, I am now a huge convert to Kyza, and have been trying to appreciate more British hiphop. This was funny, wry, well-observed and the tunes were excellent. Big big fan of this. Hope he doesn't go the way of many British rappers and go slowly a bit loopy (Matty from Credit to the Nation, Roots himself). Maybe it's our chronic underappreciation of British hip hop talent that has such a damaging effect on them. That's my theory, anyway.

That's enough for now - I have to go and do something about my tubbiness at the gym. Songs of the year and gigs of the year also coming up at somepoint soon when I need distraction from my Securities Regulation studying (or lack thereof, to be more accurate....).