20: Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
19: Beck - Sea Change
18: Johnny Cash - Solitary Man
17: Cat Power - The Greatest
16: Rufus Wainwright - Want
15: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues
14: TV on the Radio - Dear Science
13: The White Stripes - Elephant
12: Antony and the Johnsons - I am a Bird Now
11: The National - Alligator
10: Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
9: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
8: P.J. Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
7: The National - Boxer
6: The Arcade Fire - Funeral
5: The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
4: The Strokes - Is This It
3: Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
2: Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
1: Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
Thursday 31 December 2009
Olly Wehring
10: Clarkesville - Evergreen
9: P.J. Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
8: The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
7: Rufus Wainwright - Want One
6: Feeder - Comfort in Sound
5: Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
4: Keane - Hopes And Fears
3: The Streets - Original Pirate Material
2: Radiohead - In Rainbows
1: Radiohead - Kid A
9: P.J. Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
8: The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
7: Rufus Wainwright - Want One
6: Feeder - Comfort in Sound
5: Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
4: Keane - Hopes And Fears
3: The Streets - Original Pirate Material
2: Radiohead - In Rainbows
1: Radiohead - Kid A
Tuesday 22 December 2009
Joe Ayling
10: Coldplay - Parachutes (2000)
This was Coldplay before Chris Martin started getting carried away with himself. The band emerged as reluctant heroes at the turn of the century, with Martin's voice on Yellow unique, but intriguing. Quite a varied and accomplished album, and Coldplay's most open and emotive.
9: Oasis - Don't Believe The Truth (2005)
Best Oasis album since Morning Glory. A band that is easy to criticise and hate, and one that ended the decade whimpering out. However, this album delivers the mixture of live gems (Lyla, Meaning of Soul, The Importance of Being Idle) and standalone tracks (Guess God Thinks I'm Abel, Keep the Dream Alive) that blindly loyal fans were waiting for. Will stand tall in the Oasis legacy when all is said and done.
8: Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid (2008)
I think the uncomfortably loud intro to track one of this album makes the rest of it sweeter. One Day Like This is massive, but the rest of the album has some great lines too, like "out of the doorway the tentacles stretch of a song that I know, when the world moves in slow mo, straight to my head like the first cigarette of the day" on The Bones of You.
7: Stereophonics - You Gotta Go There To Come Back (2003)
The band's best album behind Word Gets Around in my eyes, with standout tracks including Maybe Tomorrow, Madame Helga and I Miss You Now. Quite a nostalgic and honest style to the songwriting and Kelly Jones' voice suits the soulful rock sound of it.
6: Athlete - Vehicles and Animals (2003)
Easily the most worn out CD case/cover I have. Sounds like feel-good pop listening back now, but the lyrics are strong and imaginative. Quite a mellow listen and a sound that the band never reproduced. One of the most uplifting and experimental albums I've chosen, albeit due mainly to a cheap Casio keyboard.
5. Jet - Get Born (2003)
Not bad for an Aussie group, and there are shades of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles on this album. 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' was the big hit but my personal favourite was a ballad - 'Move On'. The band were still naive at this point, but really edgy and extremely cool. Unfortunately, they took a long break and lost some of that edge, sound a bit manufactured now but still a tight live act.
4: The Libertines - Up The Bracket (2002)
Up The Bracket bottles up all the positive energy and euphoria that The Libertines first brought to the table. Pete Doherty and Carl Barat link up seamlessly and Time For Heroes signals a real high for the band - before the mother of all lows descended. Tell The King is also an epic track and to think Don't Look Back Into The Sun didn't make it on. The Libertines had the same swagger as the Sex Pistols, but also the same tendencies. As Barat says on Tell The King "you know that I feel out of place if I'm not levered off my face".
3: The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
Marked the arrival of a top band, and one cool and moody enough to draw a line under Britpop. The best tracks included Someday, Last Nite and New York City Cops, which was later taken out in the aftermath of 911. I remember Last Nite being one of the few indie songs that transcended into playlists on a night out, which were mainly dominated by dance music at the time.
2: The Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
The sheer ingenuity of these songs make this my favourite debut album. It's very wordy and full of funny one liners, but there's also a message to each song and a cynical undertone that I really like. Some first class Alex Turner one liners include "all the weekend rock stars are in the toilets practising their lines" on Fake Tales of San Francisco, "she doesn't do major credit cards I doubt she does receipts" on When The Sun Goes Down, and "how come it's already £2.50 we've only gone about a yard".
1: Kings Of Leon - Youth & Young Manhood (2003)
This album is off the wall, completely chaotic, wild and uncontrolled. The most exciting album I've ever heard at the time and although the band has since distanced itself from the country hillbilly image, I preferred it when they were less manufactured and polished personally. Red Morning Light, Joe's Head, Happy Alone, Holy Roller Novocaine are standout tracks, but the album must be listened to in its entirety to do it justice.
This was Coldplay before Chris Martin started getting carried away with himself. The band emerged as reluctant heroes at the turn of the century, with Martin's voice on Yellow unique, but intriguing. Quite a varied and accomplished album, and Coldplay's most open and emotive.
9: Oasis - Don't Believe The Truth (2005)
Best Oasis album since Morning Glory. A band that is easy to criticise and hate, and one that ended the decade whimpering out. However, this album delivers the mixture of live gems (Lyla, Meaning of Soul, The Importance of Being Idle) and standalone tracks (Guess God Thinks I'm Abel, Keep the Dream Alive) that blindly loyal fans were waiting for. Will stand tall in the Oasis legacy when all is said and done.
8: Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid (2008)
I think the uncomfortably loud intro to track one of this album makes the rest of it sweeter. One Day Like This is massive, but the rest of the album has some great lines too, like "out of the doorway the tentacles stretch of a song that I know, when the world moves in slow mo, straight to my head like the first cigarette of the day" on The Bones of You.
7: Stereophonics - You Gotta Go There To Come Back (2003)
The band's best album behind Word Gets Around in my eyes, with standout tracks including Maybe Tomorrow, Madame Helga and I Miss You Now. Quite a nostalgic and honest style to the songwriting and Kelly Jones' voice suits the soulful rock sound of it.
6: Athlete - Vehicles and Animals (2003)
Easily the most worn out CD case/cover I have. Sounds like feel-good pop listening back now, but the lyrics are strong and imaginative. Quite a mellow listen and a sound that the band never reproduced. One of the most uplifting and experimental albums I've chosen, albeit due mainly to a cheap Casio keyboard.
5. Jet - Get Born (2003)
Not bad for an Aussie group, and there are shades of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles on this album. 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' was the big hit but my personal favourite was a ballad - 'Move On'. The band were still naive at this point, but really edgy and extremely cool. Unfortunately, they took a long break and lost some of that edge, sound a bit manufactured now but still a tight live act.
4: The Libertines - Up The Bracket (2002)
Up The Bracket bottles up all the positive energy and euphoria that The Libertines first brought to the table. Pete Doherty and Carl Barat link up seamlessly and Time For Heroes signals a real high for the band - before the mother of all lows descended. Tell The King is also an epic track and to think Don't Look Back Into The Sun didn't make it on. The Libertines had the same swagger as the Sex Pistols, but also the same tendencies. As Barat says on Tell The King "you know that I feel out of place if I'm not levered off my face".
3: The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
Marked the arrival of a top band, and one cool and moody enough to draw a line under Britpop. The best tracks included Someday, Last Nite and New York City Cops, which was later taken out in the aftermath of 911. I remember Last Nite being one of the few indie songs that transcended into playlists on a night out, which were mainly dominated by dance music at the time.
2: The Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
The sheer ingenuity of these songs make this my favourite debut album. It's very wordy and full of funny one liners, but there's also a message to each song and a cynical undertone that I really like. Some first class Alex Turner one liners include "all the weekend rock stars are in the toilets practising their lines" on Fake Tales of San Francisco, "she doesn't do major credit cards I doubt she does receipts" on When The Sun Goes Down, and "how come it's already £2.50 we've only gone about a yard".
1: Kings Of Leon - Youth & Young Manhood (2003)
This album is off the wall, completely chaotic, wild and uncontrolled. The most exciting album I've ever heard at the time and although the band has since distanced itself from the country hillbilly image, I preferred it when they were less manufactured and polished personally. Red Morning Light, Joe's Head, Happy Alone, Holy Roller Novocaine are standout tracks, but the album must be listened to in its entirety to do it justice.
Scott Harrison
10: Ryan Adams - Gold
9: The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
8: Biffy Clyro - Puzzle
7: The Gaslight Anthem - Sink or Swim
5=: Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows / The Remote Part
4: The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
3: Arcade Fire - Funeral
2: The National - Alligator
1: Green Day - American Idiot
9: The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
8: Biffy Clyro - Puzzle
7: The Gaslight Anthem - Sink or Swim
5=: Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows / The Remote Part
4: The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
3: Arcade Fire - Funeral
2: The National - Alligator
1: Green Day - American Idiot
Dean Best
10: Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of The Bewilderbeast
9: The Streets - Original Pirate Material
8: The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
7: The Rifles - No Love Lost
6: Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
5: Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
4: Arcade Fire - Funeral
3: The Strokes - Is This It
2: The National - Boxer
1: Doves - Lost Souls
9: The Streets - Original Pirate Material
8: The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
7: The Rifles - No Love Lost
6: Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
5: Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
4: Arcade Fire - Funeral
3: The Strokes - Is This It
2: The National - Boxer
1: Doves - Lost Souls
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