Screenaged Kicks is a veritable treasure trove of media criticism, political commentary and creative ennui; an intellectual's wet dream, if you will, the sort of blog that asks only the most pressing questions and discusses only the most important issues. Like Elijah Wood's butt. Or something.
50. EUGENE McGUINNESS: The Invitation to the Voyage
49. BENJAMIN GIBBARD: Former Lives
48. DJANGO DJANGO: Django Django
47. THE CRIBS: In the Belly of the Brazen Bull
46. PAUL BANKS: Banks
45. DIRTY PROJECTORS: Swing Lo Magellan
44. BETH JEANS HOUGHTON & THE HOOVES OF DESTINY: Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose
43. PROPAGANDHI: Failed States
42. BLOOD RED SHOES: In Time to Voices
41. MINUS THE BEAR: Infinty Overhead
40. CAT POWER: Sun
39. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS: Transcendental Youth
38. CLOUD NOTHINGS: Attack on Memory
37. STARS: The North
36. OFF: Off!
35. BAND OF SKULLS: Sweet Sour
34. GRAHAM COXON: A+E
33. SLEIGH BELLS: Reign of Terror
32. MAPS AND ATLASES: Beware and Be Grateful
31. THE MAGNETIC FIELDS: Love at the Bottom of the Sea
30. HERE WE GO MAGIC: A Different Ship
29. THE MENZINGERS: On the Impossible Past
28. GRIZZLY BEAR: Shields
27. BILLY TALENT: Dead Silence
26. TAME IMPALA: Lonerism
25. ALABAMA SHAKES: Boys and Girls
24. JACK WHITE: Blunderbuss
23. FANFARLO: Rooms Filled with Light
22. HOT WATER MUSIC: Exister
21. TOY: Toy
20. TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB: Beacon
19. FUTURE OF THE LEFT: The Plot Against Common Sense
18. SUCIOPERRO: Fused
17. GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR: Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
16. THE CAST OF CHEERS: Family
15. SILVERSUN PICKUPS: Neck of the Woods
14. THE VACCINES: Come of Age
13. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Wrecking Ball
12. MARK LANEGAN BAND: Blues Funeral
11. PERFUME GENIUS: Put Your Back N 2 It
10. TITUS ANDRONICUS: Local Business
9. JIM LOCKEY AND THE SOLEMN SUN: Death
8. METRIC: Synthetica
7. PULLED APART BY HORSES: Tough Love
6. DRY THE RIVER: Shallow Bed
5. JAPANDROIDS: Celebration Rock
Certainly the shortest record of the bunch,
Japandroids' 'Celebration Rock' could well be their magnum opus, an
unforgiving beast of an album that pummels away at your eardrums and worms
its way ever-so-pleasantly into your subconscious before you've really
had time to let it all sink in. A thrilling listen and one that firmly
cements the band as masters of their deliciously visceral art.
4. BLOC PARTY: 4
And the award for 'Most Pleasant Surprise of
the Year' goes to the return of Bloc Party, who pulled the wool over
everyone's eyes and released a record that's more Biffy Clyro than
Bearstronaut. While 2009's 'Intimacy'
veered more towards half-arsed electronica, and Kele's solo album even
more so, '4' takes its influences primarily from Gordy and Russell's
between-album projects (Young Legionnaire and, um, Ash respectively) and
just fucking rocks. While it retains the angular indie sensibilities of
their earlier records - particularly evident on first single 'Octopus'
and 'V.A.L.I.S' - it also offers heady treats like 'Kettling', '3x3' and
the really bloody mad 'We Are Not Good People'. Thank the Lord they got
'Mercury' out of their system, eh?
3. ADMIRAL FALLOW: Tree Bursts In Snow
Containing both the most uplifting song of the
year - stand up 'Isn't This World Enough?' - and probably the most
beautiful (the title track will make you cry, promise), Admiral Fallow's
second full length is a treasure trove of greats that just improves
with each and every listen. Yet another incredible Scottish band to add
to your collection.
2. THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM: Handwritten
Brian Fallon and the Gaslight Anthems prove,
once again, that they just cannot write a bad song; 'Handwritten'
contains some of the finest music and lyrics of their career. The influences
of The Horrible Crowes are felt throughout the record, Fallon adopting a
more reflective, soulful stance... and, crucially, he gets his anger
back. There are delectable hooks ('45', 'Handwritten'), powerful ballads
('National Anthem') and crushing rock behemoths (the 'Keepsake'/'Too
Much Blood' duo is probably the best combination of songs in their
arsenal). A tremendous record by any standards.
1. THE MACCABEES: Given to the Wild
Talk about a game changer. 'Given to the Wild'
doesn't just prove that The Maccabees are more than a first rate indie
outfit with a knack for a good hook, it rewrites
their own personal rulebook and forces you to completely re-evaluate
your preconceptions about this most quietly brilliant of bands. The
catchy melodies are still there, of course, but they're steeped in
gorgeous instrumentation, couched in cascading guitar riffs and ethereal
piano solos, reworked in ways you never quite expect. There's a
delicate beauty about this LP, a lush melancholy that burrows its way
into every track and transforms the album into something gorgeous. More
than any other release this year, 'Given to the Wild' is a record made
to be listened to in one sitting; while it is possible to dip in and out
and the tracks stand proudly alone (just listen to 'Forever I've
Known', 'Go' or 'Grew Up At Midnight' and tell me this isn't
stupendous), it's the whole that makes for the most rewarding
experience, the journey that reveals the greatest riches. In years to
come, 'Given to the Wild' will be considered a pivotal turning point in
The Maccabees' career, and we'll all still be trying to figure out
exactly how they managed to make something so darn beautiful.
Okay,
listen. Being the unashamedly crass hacks that we are, it's all too
tempting to draw parallels between the conditions inside tonight's
pressure cooker of a venue and those outside; to make the oh-so-cliched
observation that, while the first, really rather heavy, snows of the
season are tumbling down upon a bitterly cold York city centre, within
these four walls, the atmosphere couldn't be any warmer (and that's not
just because the heating's been cranked up to the max). And yeah, it's
painful just typing that, but you know what? It's bloody true. The sold
out crowd packing themselves into Fibbers treat tonight's headliners
like long-lost family, welcoming the band with open arms, lovingly
embracing each track with their vocal chords and, crucially, hanging on
every word they say.
Dry the River are probably used to all of
this by now; playing sold out shows up and down the country (and across
the oceans, natch) to ever-increasing audiences may make the reverence
on display this evening seem par for the course. The supports may not be
accustomed to such reactions, however; and while the standing ovations
and passionate singalongs may be reserved for later in the evening,
there is, nevertheless, a politely attentive, and appreciative, mood in
the air during both Last Winter Dance Party's half hour of wonderfully
epic alt folk (check out the addictive 'Dawn Chorus' now... free
download on their Facebook!) and the abrasive guitar assaults of
Kingston's brilliant Arcane Roots who almost, almost, upstage their
successors tonight in the intensity stakes. It's certainly refreshing to
be part of a crowd that's genuinely interested in the music as opposed
to chugging down the next pint while chatting idly to one another, and
when this filters through to the support slots too, well, everyone's a
winner.
To be fair to DtR, mind, it's virtually impossible not to
keep your eyes permanently glued to the stage during their suitably
colossal 60 minutes. Naturally, there's the much-touted audio-visual
dichotomy of five relatively scrawny, tattooed-to-fuck former hardcore
kids making such heartwrenchingly tender and beautiful music which, in
itself, is enough to send a dozen or more jaws dropping to the floor
every time Peter opens his mouth and THAT angelic voice comes spilling
out... but that's only part of the story. Fact is, these guys know how
to put on a show, when to let the tunes speak for themselves and when to
let loose and unleash holy hell on their instruments.
So there
are moments of unrelenting beauty: an achingly expansive 'Demons', the
acapella opening to 'Weights and Measures', doused with enough
melancholy to make even the most steadfast among us shed a tear or two,
every solitary second of 'Bible Belt' and, lest we forget, the inspired
decision to close the encore with an acapella rendition of 'Shaker
Hymns'... in the middle of the crowd. And then there are the gargantuan
numbers: the impassioned choruses of 'No Rest', the anthemic 'New
Ceremony' and the piece da resistance, the six minute behemoth that is
'Lion's Den', which builds and builds into a climax of unfathomable
proportions, each member of the band drawing deep to give us every ounce
of energy they can possibly muster. It's a thrilling experience,
leaving lumps the size of golfballs in the throats of every stunned
spectator in the building.
And that's pretty much the go-to
response for tonight's performance. With only 9 songs, no shoes and a
few Maryland cookies (no, we don't know either), Dry the River blow
every expectation out of the water, demonstrating their consummate
skills as musicians but, more importantly than that, delivering
something genuinely emotive and real. The passion, energy and intensity
on display tonight is what live music was made for and it's brilliantly
invigorating. Hats off to DtR then; there's absolutely nothing cold
about this evening's show. Sorry... couldn't resist.
