Fantasy Shuffle Selection: Twenty Tracks From 2011

As the final part of my review of the year, my annual 'fantasy shuffle' selection. Again I tried really hard to whittle my ipod down to a varied selection of twenty-odd tracks that were released during 2011.

So here goes, in no particular order :-

Coming Down - Dum Dum Girls
Mongk II - British Sea Power
Roads - Chapel Club
Monday Morning - Death Cab For Cutie
A Heavy Abacus - The Joy Formidable
Aberdeen - Cage The Elephant
Sick - The Twilight Sad
Black and Blue - The Tamborines
Norgaard - The Vaccines
Face In The Crowd - Cat’s Eyes
Georgia - Yuck
Redemption - Frank Turner
Endless Blue - The Horrors
That's Where You're Wrong - Arctic Monkeys
Sunday - The View
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
The Great Pan Is Dead - Cold Cave
Are You Who You Think You Are? - Spook School
Cheap Gold - Frightened Rabbit
Hello Sadness - Los Campesinos!

Favourite Albums Of 2011

Third part of my review of the year, the oddball selection of my favourite ten albums of the past year. Not one of the the better years I don't think and the lack of albums I bought probably reflects this.

10. Skying - The Horrors

Not for me anywhere near as good as 'Primary Colours' but it has its moments.

9. What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? - The Vaccines

A right mishmash but again it has it's moments.

8. The Big Roar - The Joy Formidable

This 'debut' album borrowed heavily from their previous 'debut', which apparently now wasn't an album at all but an 8 track EP..., without which it probably wouldn't have made this list. A band stuck in a bit of a rut.

7. England Keep My Bones - Frank Turner

Excellent as ever but not as excellent as his past efforts.

6. Thank You Happy Birthday - Cage The Elephant

Discovery of the year for me. They're trying so hard to be the Pixies. 10/10 for effort.

5. Palace - Chapel Club

Judging by what they already had in the public domain this was bound to be excellent and was.

4. Suck It And See - Arctic Monkeys

I love a good story and Alex Turner gets back to telling them. His solo 'Submarine' effort was pretty useful too.

3. Hello Sadness - Los Campesinos!

More stories and I could listen to Gareth from LC! telling them all day long. An acquired taste but I have that taste.

2. Yuck - Yuck

1990's throwback maybe but something else taht is to my taste. They're awesome live too.

1. Valhalla Dancehall - British Sea Power

Not everyone's cup of tea of course but BSP can do no wrong for me. As good as everything else they've done.

Fantasy Shuffle Selection: Twenty Something Tracks From 2010

As the final part of my review of the year, my second annual 'fantasy shuffle' selection. Again I tried really hard to whittle my ipod down to a varied selection of twenty-odd tracks that were released during 2010.

So here goes, in no particular order :-

Surfacing - Chapel Club
The Wrestle - Frightened Rabbit
I Don't Want To See You Like This - The Joy Formidable
Ready To Start - Arcade Fire
Lights - Interpol
The Boy Who Cried Wolf - Futures
Here It Comes - The Sunshine Underground
Bastard - Babybird
Bury Parts 1 and 3 - The Fall
Post Break Up Sex - The Vaccines
Renegades - Feeder
Bad Blood - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Palm Road - Wolf Parade
Brian Eno - Mgmt
The Weekenders - The Hold Steady
Sorrow - The National
Straight In At 101 - Los Campesinos!
I Don't Bite - We Are Scientists
The Lost Estate - Delays
Say No To Love - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
Chemistry - Detroit Social Club

Ok, so that's twenty one and as I'm getting carried away, here's three more, ones that I should be ashamed of... a festive one, a guilty pleasure and a cover version. Two of which are 80's retro!

Christmas Was Better In The 80's - Futureheads
The Only Exception - Paramore
Not In Love - Crystal Castles featuring Robert Smith