1. Radiohead – The King of Limbs
To anyone that has ever met me in
real life this should come as no surprise whatsoever. I am somewhat of a fan of
Radiohead, and for their new album to be anywhere other than number one would
just be worrying. Thankfully though, I can say that The King of
Limbs definitely deserves its place at
the head of the list
2. 65daysofstatic – Silent
Running
Originally conceived as a one-off
show for the Glasgow film festival, 65daysofstatic’s rescoring of Douglas
Trumbull’s 1972 movie Silent Running gathered so
much interest that the band put out the message that if they could raise enough
to cover it, they would record it for a proper release. With over $27,000
pledged (that would be just under $20,000 more than the original goal of
$7,500) here we are. Being written as a soundtrack has imbued Silent
Running with a feel unlike any of their
previous albums, taking the 65 we know and somehow sounding even more epic in
scope, playing as one grand piece of music ebbing and flowing through the
movies narrative.
3. Polinski – Labyrinths
Following on from 65daysofstatic
comes the solo record released by member Paul Wolinski (as Polinski) – Labyrinths.
Ditching the traditional instrumentation of 65 has transformed a
familiar sound into something new, taking on a more dancey electronic edge to
it. To try and find a reference point, imagine a point halfway between
65daysofstatic and Daft Punk and you have a fair enough place to work from, and
an absolutely stunning album.
4. Frank Turner – England Keep My
Bones
The latest work from former
Million Dead frontman Frank Turner must be one of his best yet, continuing his
tales of life in England and time as a musician, brilliantly backed by his band
the Sleeping Souls. One of those albums packed full of tracks you can’t help
but sing along to, and that just sounds utterly British…
5. Moby – Destroyed
An album billed by Moby as being
created at 2am when the world is asleep and you seem to be the only person
alive, this seems to sum up Destroyed’s place perfectly
– a brooding album of electronics and laid back sounds, and the ideal
accompaniment to late nights.
6. Chemical Brothers – Hanna OST
This is the second soundtrack on
this list; this one being the Chemical Brothers’ score for 2011 movie Hanna. As seems to be common with many single
artist soundtracks, Hanna takes the
well known sound of the Chemical Brothers and twists it around, forcing it to
adapt to the ebb and flow of a film and into one coherent piece rather than a
selection of individual tracks. Hanna
does also seem to have allowed the band to stretch out a bit more into
uncharted territory for themselves, and has resulted in a fantastic album.
7. Death Cab for Cutie – Codes
and Keys
I will have to admit that this
album is my first foray into the music of Death Cab for Cutie, and one of those
‘why have I never listened to this band before?’ moments. A fantastic indie
album full of beautiful melodies and fantastic vocals you can just immerse
yourself in.
8. Harmonious Bec – Her Strange
Dreams
This is one of those albums that
appeared from nowhere and took me by surprise. Included as a free promo with a
record I had pre-ordered, I had no idea who or what it was until I stuck it in
the stereo. What I heard was the Japanese duo Harmonious Bec and an album of brooding,
twisted electronics swirling around: at points raw and noisy, at others
brooding and quiet, and the rest of the time anywhere in between.
9. Mogwai – Earth Division EP
Probably the most well known band
on this list after Radiohead, their newest release the Earth
Division EP sticks to the sound of
previous albums with four new tracks blending together slower violin and piano
pieces with noisy guitars and the slow gradual build Mogwai are known for.
10. Maybeshewill – I Was Here For
A Moment, Then I Was Gone
Last, but by no means least, come
Maybeshewill with their album I was Here For A Moment, Then I Was Gone, another album following in the vein of
(mainly) instrumental bands such as Mogwai and 65daysofstatic, combining piano
with loud distorted guitars to great effect. Compared to their contemporaries
on this list, Maybeshewill have much more of a ‘rock’ sound to them,
interspersed with moments of calm and a great alternative to the above.
DL
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