Sorcha bought me a harmonica for Christmas

I may have to recruit for a harmonica band.

How do I feel about 2009? Apart from seeing it in with a "Teach Yourself Harmonica" guide for this new instrument, kinda scared. Mainly because 2008 was probably the best year in existence, and who gets two really good years in a row? 

It kinda concerns me and I have no idea why. Probably because of this terrible new haircut.

I'm so kablamo with a MarioKart blog ...

So when I had my Gamecube, there was one game which always was more superior to the others. This one.

You can imagine my joy when back around this time last year, I found out there were plans to make a version of MarioKart for the Wii, I was thrilled - but when the end of April came around I was pretty much penniless. I wasn't penniless the whole year up until yesterday, but yesterday's when I finally got it.

Obviously I haven't finished it yet, although I've pretty much kicked ass on 50cc and unlocked all the cups. But I have obviously realised that, despite the inital getting used to using a steering wheel (I held it the wrong way at first and therefore started shouting "THIS IS A JOKE" at no-one in particular), this game is so much better than its predecessor.

 ESPECIALLY AS THIS HAS A COURSE WITH A WATERFALL. YEAH MAN. Having looked it up on Wikipedia (AND MARIOWIKI. YES, SUCH A THING EXISTS), I

 found that there were courses taken from not just DoubleDash but older games too. Of course, I totally disagree with the choice of course taken from DoubleDash. If I'd made it, here's the four I'd be reviving ...

Wario Colosseum

By far my favourite course of DoubleDash, this two-lap course commences the Special Cup. Filled with twists and turns such as the challenging corkscrew, it's pretty much essential to play with a Baby Kart if you d

on't want to continually fall off. A challenging course, but brilliant to play.

 

Daisy Cruiser

Ultimately the gayest of MarioKart courses, this Flower Cup course takes place on the Daisy Cruiser and really it's its environment which makes it so cool to drive in. Like the ultimate Summer course, Daisy Cruiser manoeuvers you through moving tables and giant booster fans. Yeah, this course is awesome. And gay. The awesomest gay racetrack.

Mushroom City

Mushroom City sees your Kart battling rush hour traffic to get to the end of the course, contending with congested roads, Bob-ombs and a choice of roads and shortcuts. It is the second race in the Star Cup, probably one of the best graphically and the nighttime setting looks pretty awesome. 

Bowser's Castle

The third race in the special cup and by far one of the most difficult, this course is absolute hell for a beginner, even at 50CC. And also? It's fucking awesome. The even more challenging Wii version is based on this one, with the threat of Thwomps throughout. But there is one important factor adding to the scary tension of the course, and that's the music. A villainous scary course, and by far more challenging than Rainbow Road which follows.

So yeah, those are my favourite four MarioKart courses. I can't believe I just wrote a blog about them - and I'll totally write another one too once I've got the hang of the shortcuts and driving the Wii ones.

This stupid countdown is at its end

Here's some random sentences to keep you from seeing who the #1s are on that updates bar. BTW, I HATE MY LAPTOP? Never try and stream Twilight online, because my laptop has paid the price.

How about the new layout btw? Good? Bad? Downright disgraceful? 

So yeah, anyway

SONGS

1. MGMT - Future Reflections

So Bathroom Gurgle and Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks were admittedly above this in the first draft of my list, until I decided that they don't really count as 2008 songs. As a result, this has been left as my somewhat surprising favourite song of the year (AND DON'T EVEN START WITH THAT WHOLE "MGMT IS 2007" SHIT YEAH?), the album closer on the refreshing Oracular Spectacular. Can't really think of much in the way of description because it's getting oh so late, but the euphoria of the last minute of the song is exactly why this is so deserving of top place. One of many reasons. Others being that it does sound a bit Arcade Fire-ish at the beginning and basically that it's just fucking beautiful.

Oh, and speaking of MGMT ...

ALBUMS

1. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

I know, I totally sound like I'm MGMT's bitch even though they are in no way my favourite band. However, there is not one imperfection on this album - it's truely flawless. From the familiar opening intro of Time to Pretend to the beautiful last minute of Future Reflections, they just don't put a foot wrong. And I know a lot of people think a lot of the album's filler, but when the worst song on your album (in my opinion, Electric Feel) is one of their most well-known and loved you know you're doing something right. Whether it be the insanity of 4th Dimensional Transition or the instantly memorable The Handshake, MGMT have provided an album of ten four minute masterpieces and is by far the Funeral of this year. 

I'm guessing the majority of people reading this probably get that Funeral reference, and I can't be arsed explaining so whatevzzz ...

K'bye

TWO

And srsly, how did you not see this one coming?

2. Late of the Pier - Fantasy Black Channel

In the middle of last year, this band came onto my radar after I heard the demo of Space and the Woods somewhere, and after seeing them open for Hadouken! (yeah, I know) last November it only cemented my like for them. This was around the same time I heard Bathroom Gurgle for the very first time, the nu rave Bohemian Rhapsody which rounds out this album.

But let's start from the beginning, as Hot Tent Blues welcomes us into Fantasy Black Channel like a grand entrance into some sort of epic football game which leads into the frantic 80sish combo of Broken and Space and the Woods. The Bears are Coming sounds like the sound effects of some sort of alien computer game mixed with ... well, a backing beat. Yeah, I can't think of a good way to end that simile so just deal with it. And so it continues with what is by far the best indiediscostyleee album of the year, whether it be the sheer tempobusting-ness of Whitesnake, the mindtrip that is Focker or the slower six-minute almost Bowie-esque The Enemy Are The Future. Bathroom Gurgle and hidden track No Time see the album out in a euphoria/comedown contrast.

In fact, the only reason this isn't the number one album of the year is the fact that the majority of the album is reworked demos. Otherwise, it'd definitely be top. And I keep being told that my choice for #1 is from last year anyway. So really, this is kinda top?

THREE

Lazy lazy lazy ...

3. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster

Am I in a minority in finding this album, their debut, so much better than their second? It would appear so, which is like well bad cos it is like YEAHHHH. This whole album thing has been such a fucking chore ... YES THIS ALBUM'S BRILLIANT COS IT HAS SWEET DREAMS SWEET CHEEKS ON IT!

I'm so over this whole countdown, I should've just done it all at the same time ...

FOUR

Yeah, I've been lazy ...

4. Elle Milano - Acres of Dead Space Cadets

JOB SATISFACTION! Elle Milano obviously can't get no more seeing as they're all like split up now and everything - but complete satisfaction they delivered with their first and unfortunately only album. From tough as nails album opener Laughing All The Way To The Plank, Elle Milano rarely put a foot wrong with this - and it really says something when the leading track off the album (Meanwhile, In Hollywood ...) is far worse than all the other tracks, especially when wedged between Plank and the brilliant My Brother, The Astronaut. Elle Milano offer their brilliant perspectives on the music industry (Curiousity Killed The Pop Star) and ... other things. I'm tired. Yeah man . Oh ok, yeah back to the point - The Nightclub is Over. offers a slower side to the album, and a darker song talking about masturbation, and once that's finished Wonderfully Wonderful (All The Time) takes over and makes you insane in the membrane.  This Is How It Ends is kinda shit to end it with. 

The reason this is so low is that even though it is brilliant, the earlier demos and some B-sides would've been so much better on here as well. Topping Believe Your Own Hype. Always as a song was always going to be difficult ... and it hasn't been

OK, whatevzzz.

Here's the rest of the songs ...

mainly cos I can't be arsed continuing with talking about them as well as the albums.

8. Be Your Own Pet - Becky

7. Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

6. Late of the Pier - The Enemy Are The Future

5. Florence and the Machine - Kiss With a Fist

4. Lightspeed Champion - Midnight Surprise

3. Elle Milano - Wonderfully Wonderful (All The Time)

2. MGMT - Time To Pretend 

WHAT IS NUMBER ONE? Who cares, really? I've stopped caring. I need to pack a shitload of stuff anywayss

FIVE

ALBUMS

5. Foals - Antidotes

Has an album this year divided as much opinion? The majority of Bands To Look Out For in 2008 fans featured this band, an Oxford math rock quintet who released their debut album in March. Veering away from their fastpaced abrupt demos, they omitted their biggest song Hummer from the album in the place of slower, dreamier songs filled with cryptic lyrics and complex guitarwork. The French Open opens proceedings with its tale of tennis followed by Cassius, arguably the most radio-friendly song on the album but of course brilliant. Fans were most likely disappointed because of the complete change in pace in the album (and admittedly this album did have to grow on me -the first listen was disappointing), as it's not until the last chorus of Two Steps Twice - the eighth track on the album - that the tempo really begins to speed up again. But that's not to say the rest of the album's filler ... it's a calm riot of an LP which firmly cements Foals as one of the best bands of 2008.

[PHOTO NOT INCLUDED COS I CAN'T BE ARSED]

SONGS

10. Los Campesinos! - All Your Kayfabe Friends

Album-closer on WAB,WAD, this song is a nice slice of twee brilliance most reminiscent of their first album. The last lines are really good.

YEAH, I'M TOTALLY TIRED AND DIDN'T I LIKE WRITE ABOUT THIS SONG LIKE A FEW DAYS AGO? SHEESH.

9. Foals - The French Open

I totally didn't realise I'd be writing about this at the same time as I'd be writing about their album ... so firstly I'd just like to proclaim that a song which incorporates tennis into its lyrics is automatically brilliant.  The opening beat is funky as fuck, before Yannis and co. storm in "UN, PEU, D'AIR SUR LA TERRE! D'AIR SUR LA, D'AIR SUR LA, D'AIR SUR LA TERRE!" This song was just magical at Reading with like a hundred million people shouting it out (although with many different interpretations ... my friend Sorcha's was pretty much "eh eh, eh eh eh ehhhh"). By far the best on the album. 

More tips for next year ...

And to be honest, isn't she on everybody's list?

This year former Lightspeed Champion back-up singer Florence Welch, or as she's more commonly refered Florence and the Machine has slowly been digging her way into the hearts and minds of teenage indie posergirls who've been all like "YEAH MAN, I WAS WELL LISTENING TO FLORENCE YARR, KISS WITH A FIST YARR". Not that I can really talk seeing as I absolutely adore all of her demos. If you haven't been hit by the brilliance that is Kiss WIth a Fist (living under a rock much?), then give her a look on MySpace and listen to Bird Song first - and you'll be hit by the ferocious voice hidden underneath her quirky fashion and sweet exterior.

I can't be bothered linking so yeah...

SIX

Just to get back to the whole point of this whole advent calender thing ...

ALBUMS

6. Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

Second albums are dangerous territory. You can be like The Long Blondes and wait a while to make a total disappointment of a record - or in the case of this band, you can give it 8 months before releasing your second LP. Yeah, that's what Los Campesinos! did with WAB,WAD in October - very much the Sunday morning to the wild Saturday night of Hold On Now, Youngster. It kicks off with "Ways To Make It Through The Wall" which links beautifully into "Miserabilia" - the middle of the album is much calmer and arguably maturer than that of their debutbefore rounding out the album with the brilliant "All Your Keyfabe Friends". Still the perfect match between pretentious and pop.

AND BEST PACKAGING EVAAA

SONGS

12. Elbow - Grounds for Divorce

"I'VE BEEN WORKING ON A COCKTAIL CALLED GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE ... WHOA-AAh-OOH-OO ..." yeah you get the picture. Mercury Prize winners Elbow served this up, the leading single from their Seldom Seen Kid LP. Admittedly found through Desperate Housewives adverts on e4, it's the middle chorusy bit that makes it for me - a castle-stormer of a riff. It's got soul.

11. Estelle featuring Kanye West - American Boy

IF YOU JUDGE ME FOR THIS I'LL BREAK YOU. Because didn't this song break its way into the heads of everyone in Britain this Easter? It reminds me of the way in which I completely fell in love with "One Thing" by Amerie. A really awesome r'n'b song hidden in the middle of all the awful stuff that genre seems to have produced - it's so perfectly simple and so infectious, you just can't get bored with it. Despite the fact that Estelle appears to have given up on the hip hop style she began with, she's certainly had more success with this - one of the most iconic songs of the year. 

The "would have been number ones" of years past

CAN YOU TELL I TOTALLY CAN'T BE ARSED TO FINISH THIS COUNTDOWN? Thought so.

Which is why I'm writing another filler post about what would have been my number one song of 2006. And it would've been this one ...

Because ohmygod, what a song it is. From the beginning "bam chicka bam chicka boom boom boom" you're hit with a complete monster (heh) of a song which has you in complete moshout mode from start to finish. Emily Haines has never sounded better (or in fact sexier) in this, shouting over the roaring guitar "I fought the war, I fought the war but the war won". This is just the absolute most kickass song in the world, and the video is probably the best of 2006 too with its reminiscience of 60s horror movies. Class. And way better than its MSTRKRFT remix.

SORRY, YOU'RE NOT A WINNER

And this is where all Enter Shikari referencing in this blog will end ...

2008 saw the release of many wonderful albums, and I've already counted down 4 with six moremusucal marvels left to write about. But there are some albums which I really think deserve a mention even though they didn't quite make the cut for my Top 10 of the year.

Early September saw the release of a long-awaited LP from dancefloor fiends Metronomy, who were expected to produce an album full of indie floorfillers. That's probably not the best way to describe Nights Out.

Misleading name aside, the introduction to the album is a slow three-minute drumroll which doesn't exactly inspire a lot of hipswinging - until it launches into The End Of You Too, a terrifyingly good instrumental reminiscient of their previous demos. It then reels through its three fantastic released songs Radio Ladio, should-be classic My Heart Rate Rapid and leading single Heartbreaker.

And then it falls a bit flat. On The Motorway is a speedy instrumental which would probably sound amazing live but feels a tad out of place on the album, followed by Side 2 which is just really dull. Holiday goes on a bit too long, and most recent single A Thing For Me is pretty strong but can't really make up for its surrounding tracks.

Basically, a brilliant first half and a lacklustre second half kept this album out of my Top 10. And with all this being said, it's still an album I listen to often - it was just a bit of a disappointment in the aftermath of their Pip Paine EP boasting brilliant instrumentals such as the seriously brilliant You Could Easily Have Me and Are Mum's Mates

Judge for yourself ...

You Could Easily Have Me

My Heart Rate Rapid 

two thousand and nine

Is next year.

Yes, instead of continuing my countdown today I'm gonna do some kinda regular interruptions about tips for next year, to be continued when I can't be arsed writing loads. There'll be other such treats too.

One band I'm tipping for next year is Kingston post-punk band Tubelord, who've been together for three years and have been playing the London circuit for the majority of that time. What they play is brilliant, although at some points the vocals verge on being a bit whiny. Still, Propeller is brilliant. Just to name one ...

So I'm totally regretting committing to this Advent Calender system

ALBUM

7. Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off The Lavender Bridge

Is it Dev Hynes' fault that indie kids are now wearing lens-free glasses and those koala hat things? This could be likely, as his quirky style choices have been replicated all over the country. This time last year this man was somewhat of an obsession to me, but since then my interest in him and his music has faded somewhat. Still, he made a fantastic debut album full of ambitious folk using every instrument in the book. An introduction into Galaxy of the Lost opens up probably the calmest album musically on my list - but Dev's lyrics offer his somewhat dark perspectives on living in London ("Everyone I Know Is Listening to Crunk"), losing your virginity ("I Could Have Done This Myself"), and being sick in your date's mouth ("Galaxy of the Lost") amongst others. A stellar songwriting achievement.

TRACKS

14. MGMT - The Handshake

A nice little slice of psychadelia, apparently you have to listen to it stoned to love it or something. Whatever, shut up druggies. I could listen to this song for hours if it wasn't surrounded by such other gems on MGMT's album. Don't really have much else to say ... there's an awesome part near the middle where it goes all weird. Probably the most trippy part.

13. Metronomy - The End of You Too

I totally didn't like this at first, seeing as it's such an odd second track following the slow opener on their Nights Out LP. On future listening and when it comes up on random on my media player, it's actually the best song album. Instrumental songs like this seem to be what Metronomy excel in and while it's still not a patch on early demo You Could Easily Have Me, it's brilliant for if you just want something to dance your arse off to. When the synths kick in at 1:20 ... a masterclass in electro. 

EIGHT

ALBUM

8. Blood Red Shoes - Box of Secrets

Last year this delicious pairing of Steven Ansell and Laura-Mary Carter came storming into my heart like being knived in prison (but good ... if such a thing can be good. No? I need to devise better similes) and gave me my personal favourite song of 2007. And boy, did they deliver. Launching into 11 furious mindswelterers with Doesn't Matter Much, a brilliantly produced album completely captures the essence of their live shows. Highlights include the last minute of probably the slowest song This Is Not For You and some kickass harmonising on Take The Weight. Despite the reworking of It's Getting Boring By The Sea, this album mostly hits all my right notes. And from the sounds of their new live stuff, it can only get better ...

SONGS

16. Los Campesinos! - Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats

ONE! TWO THREE FOUR! ONE! TWO THREE FOUR! ONE! TWO THREE FOUR! nuh nuh nuh ... uhm yeah OK, so this is completely amazing and probably my highlight of Los Camp!'s live sets and the Hold On Now, Youngster album. SO IMAGINE HOW GUTTED I WAS WHEN THEY NEGLECTED TO PLAY IT IN CARDIFF! Terrible. Gareth has some brilliant delivery in this, and then when it's live and then he and Neil (*swoons*) are all over each other ... faints. Yeah, so I've barely discussed the song - it's really rather good. I will never make it as a music journalist. OK yeah, moving on ...

15. Late of the Pier - Space and the Woods

Intergalactic noise welcoming you in to a monster of a beat irresistible to the feet. I guess with this you could also play a game of "which version is he talking about?" seeing as this year the song was re-released for the third time with a fourth newer version of the song, faster and more dangerous than the previous three. There's a reason this song has taken over indie dancefloors all over the country (and apparently my media library seeing as last.fm lists it as my most played song). Is it because of the weird lyrics? Could be. The face-melting space fury beginning at 2:27? Largely. Perhaps just for the fact it's completely fucking awesome. Yeah, that'll be it.

NINE

Album

9. Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up 'Til It Was Light

Birmingham trio Johnny Foreigner released their debut album in June of this year, delivering 13 three-minute hot buttered crumpets of Brum indie gems. Alexei and Kelly's vocals play off each other in a boy-girl-boy-girl Los Camp!y sort of way, probably one of the reasons the band are compared to LC! - who they also toured with this year - so often. At times some lyrics are completely illegible but it kinda works. At three times, they're probably one of the bands I've seen most this year - once as a support to LC!, once at Reading and then at Cardiff Barfly in September. Highlights include Yes! You Talk Too Fast just generally, and the tune of I Dream of Jeannie to lead into Cranes and Cranes and Cranes and Cranes.

Songs

18. Slow Club - Me and You

Again, I can't really be sure of whether this is 2007 or 2008 but Slow Club are a cool little twosome I discovered this year - so this year they shall be. This song was probably the first I'd heard from them too, and it's just magical twee goodness. The last chorus in particular incorporates a sing-along of sorts which just sounds amazing. The perfect accompaniment to a warm Summer's day

17. Why? - The Hollows

Another discovery I've made this year despite Alopecia being their third LP released in May. An experimental mix of hip hop and indie, The Hollows is haunting from the start as its ... oh fucking hell, whatever. It's good ok? Am I seriously gonna have to write about songs every day? Why did I commit to this? Blaady hell. But yeah, goooood song. With just a slight jingle of pocket change pulsing.

TEN

OMG IT IS OFFICIALLY DECEMBER! 25 days until Christmas when we wake up on Christmas morning to find presents under the tree, have a few mince pies and some wonderful turkey, and in the case of my family celebrate my sister's birthday in the evening (my sister's a total Christmas miracle what with being rather premature and my family's love of Christianity and everything - she's 15 this year).

I don't have an Advent Calender this year until I decide to buy one on the 13th or something. My blog's going to act as one though, with an album of the year and two songs of the year until ... well, the 10th. Whatever, that doesn't matter. 

albums of the yr

10. Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward

2008 saw the end of riotous Nashville rockers Be Your Own Pet as they decided to call it a day in August last year after 2 LPs and new members. The latter of their two albums, Get Awkward, was released in March of this year and delivered some punk gems - notably the high school homicide tale Becky which borrows riffs from The Locomotion. While fans continue to argue over whether their debut LP was better (I personally think their debut LP was better too), Get Awkward definitely shows some maturity in the way they play and write - and then they remind you that they're still oh so young with 51 second stormer Food Fight and Zombie Graveyard Party, a song about ... well, you do the math.  One thing's for sure, Be Your Own Pet will never release a duff album - this is just awesome if you need something to kick some ass to.

Tracks of The Yr

So I guess this'll be an odd list ... my original top two tracks are actually from last year but were released from albums last year. I didn't know whether to include them or not. I've chosen not to, but I'm gonna write a bit about both of them when I've finished the list just cos they're both so crazy fantastic.

20. White Lies - Death

Smallville adverts made bearable! Late last year White Lies formed from the ashes of Fear of Flying to go from indiebopping Maccabees co-horts to Joy Divisionesque maturer musicmakers. Death, while not being the happiest of song titles (and songs - it's about fear of dying ... I think), doesn't exactly have the most depressing use of guitar in the world and the synths are awesome. Definitely a band to watch for next year. 

19. Late of the Pier - Hot Tent Blues/Broken

Technically this could be cheating seeing as it's two songs, but for me it acts as one song. The opener on the brilliant Fantasy Black Channel album, Hot Tent Blues opens as an 80s glam keyboard introduction meshing into a Death From Above-style ending which leads perfectly into Broken. A song which is simply wonderful, and perhaps with the exclusion of Heartbeat the most 80s influenced song from the album. The guitar solo from 2.55 to 3.19 is probably one of my favourite bits from their album. It also leads beautifully into Space and the Woods, but more about that song in a few days time ...