2009 Best Albums #25: Passion Pit

Jan 052010


#25: Passion Pit – Manners

Oh, the sound of 2009′s summer of dampness! Not quite as psych as MGMT, not quite as preppy as Vampire Weekend, yet still eminently danceable Passion Pit brought some true anthems to the festival circuit this year. Debut album Manners is stuffed to the gills with indie-slash-electro tunes, each one borrowing from a thousand bands previous and still sounding fresh as a daisy. Even when listening back in the dank recesses of a London winter the album still evokes memories of the summer, only a tad faded – something that previous ‘summer’ albums have never managed for me. Picking a standout isn’t easy but I’d probably plump for the hugely catchy Little Secrets - which adequately sums up what you can expect from this album. Suspend your seriousness for a while, sit up and embrace the fun.

Passion Pit – Little Secrets (mp3)

Passion Pit – The Reeling (video)

Passion Pit Myspace

Buy Manners

Photo: Kate Millet @ Phoenix Theatre, Toronto, Canada, 08/09

2009 Top Tracks: #26 Annie

Jan 052010

#26: Annie – Songs Remind Me Of You

Annie hasn’t had too much luck so far, despite a clutch of superior pop tunes. Songs Remind Me Of You and parent album Don’t Stop follow several years after her glorious full-length debut, Anniemal. It wasn’t supposed to be so long; her old record company got cold feet and Annie was dropped. Despite this setback her new clutch of sparkly tunes still shine, none more so than this bittersweet beauty. Sleek, catchy and effective – after all there’s not much worse than hearing “your song on the radio” after a break up is there?

Just a quick afterthought; does anyone else hear the beat to 80s smash Japanese Boy in this? No? Just me then.

Annie – Songs Remind Me Of You (mp3)

Annie – Songs Remind Me Of You (video)

Aneka – Japanese Boy (video)

Annie Myspace

Buy Don’t Stop

2009 Best Albums: #26 Gossip

Jan 042010


#26:  Gossip – Music For Men

Much has been made of Beth Ditto’s dominance of The Gossip, her media presence dwarfing that of the other members. Fact is, it’s with very good reason. Her voice is one of the decade’s most distinctive; a cross between Dolly Parton’s country warble and Tina Turner. Married to lyrics that blur so many boundaries it may as well be Kashmir and barnstorming disco backing and it’s a tremendously potent weapon. Music For Men followed the band’s huge success of Standing In The Way Of Control (album, but single in particular) and much was expected of it. A lot of what it contains borrows from the same base materials, the exception seemingly a much wider canvas for Ditto to paint her tales of lust and lust all over. What separates this new record from the last is the changes of pace in the music;  but also an increased subtlety in the voice – less clarion call and more siren song, but with enough kink to keep things interesting. An excellent step forward for an ever-improving band.

Gossip – Love Long Distance

Gossip Myspace

Buy Music For Men

Photo: Mic Wernej @ Koko, London, 11/06

2009 Top Tracks: #27 Little Boots

Jan 032010

#27: Little Boots – New In Town

One of the standout pop tunes of 2009 from one of the year’s big breakthroughs, Victoria Hesketh aka Little Boots. Kicking off her chart career with this stomping tune resulted in a first top 20 hit, although maybe not a huge suprise – she was named as top choice in the BBC’s Sound of 2009 chart. As with her other cracking singles, Earthquake and top-10 smash Remedy, New In Town is a heady mix of thumping bassline and distinctive vocals. In a year that saw a string of British women scale the charts, Hesketh shone brightly in the crowd with her synth led style and infectious tunes. The only slight taint on the glimmering pop sheen was that the attendant album, Hands, couldn’t quite last the pace set by this blistering opener.

Little Boots – New In Town (mp3)

Little Boots – New In Town (video)

Little Boots Myspace

Buy Hands

Photo: Linda Flores @ SXSW, Austin TX, 03/09

2009 Best Albums: #27 Asobi Seksu

Jan 032010

#27 – Asobi Seksu – Hush

Following up 2006′s acclaimed-from-all-quarters Citrus was never going to be easy for Asobi Seksu. Good thing, then, that Hush doesn’t try to imitate the success or sound of Citrus. Instead they’ve sailed into somewhat dreamier waters, more Cocteau Twins than My Bloody Valentine. Whilst the noisier side of the band is missed, what they’ve replaced it with works too, especially on tracks like In The Sky, Mehnomae and single Me & Mary. Yuki Chikodate’s vocals definitely seem to fit with this style – a cross between Liz Fraser and Kazu Makino, still sultry yet with more restraint than before. A great dreampop addition to their repetoire.

Asobi Seksu – In The Sky

Asobi Seksu Myspace

Buy Hush

Photo: Oliver Lopena @Maxwells, NJ, 08/06

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