17 Seconds’ Top 75 albums of the year

p-j-harvey-let-england-shake

1. PJ Harvey Let England Shake
2. Gang Gang Dance Eye Contact
3. Kate Bush Fifty Words For Snow
4. Kurt Vile Smoke Ring For My Halo
5. Rob St. John Weald
6. Bon Iver Bon Iver
7. Battles Gloss Drop
8. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat Everything’s Getting Older
9. Cocknbullkid Adulthood
10. Rayographs Rayographs
11. J Mascis Several Shades Of Why
12. Bjork Biophilia
13. Wilco This Whole Love
14. Asa Beautiful Imperfection
15. Cure Bestival Live 2011
16. Damon & Naomi Broken Horse
17. Kate Bush Director’s Cut
18. Butcher Boy Helping Hands
19. Anna Calvi Anna Calvi
20. Shona Foster The Moon And You
21. Birdengine The Crooked Mile
22. She’s Hit Pleasure
23. Mogwai Hardcore Will never Die But You Will
24. Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers Luck
25. Clean George IV God Save The Clean
26. St. Vincent Strange Mercy
27. Thurston Moore Demolished Thoughts
28. Moth and the Mirror Honestly, This World
29. Ghost Poet Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
30. John Maus We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves
31. King Creosote and John Hopkins Diamond Mine
32. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Mirror Traffic
33. King Post Kitsch The Party’s Over
34. Fucked Up David Comes To Life
35. Found Factorycraft
36. Adele 21
37. Tom Waits Bad As Me
38. M83 Hurry Up We’re Dreaming
39. Sonic Youth Simon Werner A Disparu
40. Shonen Knife Free Time
41. White Heath Take No Thought For Tomorrow
42. We Were Promised Jetpacks In the Pit Of The Stomach
43. Justice Audio, Video, Disco
44. Jay-Z & Kanye West Watch The Throne
45. Wild Flag Wild Flag
46. Gary Numan Dead Moon Rising
47. Oneohtrix Point Never Replica
48. Josh T. Pearson Last Of The Country Gentlemen
49. Milk Maid Yucca
50. Seafieldroad Seafieldroad
51. Cat’s Eyes Cat’s Eyes
52. Lil Daggers Lil Daggers
53. Benjamin Francis Leftwich Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm
54. Metronomy The English Riviera
55. Horrors Skying
56. Trips and Falls People Have To Be Told
57. Kode 9 & Space Ape Black Sun
58. Toro Y Moi Under The Pines
59. Vaccines What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?
60. Panda Bear Tomboy
61. War On Drugs Slave Ambient
62. Micachu & the Shapes and the London Sinfonietta Orchestra Chopped and Screwed
63. Le Reno Amps Appetite
64. Jeffrey Lewis A Turn In the Dream Songs
65. Wake The President Zumutung!
66. Esben and the Witch Violet Cries
67. Unknown Mortal Orchestra Unknown Mortal Orchestra
68. June Tabor Ashore
69. Rustie Glass Swords
70. Pyrolator Neuland
71. Shivers More
72. Sons & Daughters Mirror Mirror
73. Prurient Bermuda Drain
74. Noah and the Whale Last Night On Earth
75. The Fall Ersatz GB

17 Seconds Records’ Top 75 Albums Of the Year 2009

Well, here it is folks…my Top 75 albums of the year.

DISCLAIMER: Please note: due to having a)an opinion of my own; b) a limited number of hours in the day (still only 24, despite my requests for more) and c) having to do other things from time to time other than listening to music, it has not been possible to listen to every single album released this year. I have listened to about 180 plus compilations, re-issues etc..so I have done my best. By all means agree, disagree but be respectful.*

Top 75 albums of the year 2009

broken-records

1.Broken Records Until The Earth Begins To Part
2.Telefon Tel Aviv Immolate Yourself
3.The Very Best The Very Best
4.Luke Haines 21st Century Man
5.Mono Hymn To The Immortal Wind
6.Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion
7.Darren Hayman & The Secondary Modern Pram Town
8.The Gothenburg Address The Gothenburg Address
9.There Will Be Fireworks There Will Be Fireworks
10.Fuck Buttons Tarot Sport
11.Blueflint High Bright Morning
12.The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
13.Paul Haig Relive
14.The Pastels/The Tenniscoats Two Sunsets
15.Phantom Band Checkmate Savage
16.The Horrors Primary Colours
17.Sonic Youth The Eternal
18.Nathan Fake Hard Islands
19.Money Can’t Buy Music The Universe For Beginners
20.St. Vincent Actor
21.Do Make Say Think Other Truths
22.King Creosote Flick The Vs
23.TV21 Forever 22
24.Sunn O ))) Monoliths & Dimensions
25.Super Furry Animals Dark Days/Light Years
26.Bike For Three More Heart Than Brains
27.James Yorkston Folk Songs
28.Horace Andy/Ashley Beedle Inspiration/Information 2
29.The B of the Bang Beginning. Middle. End
30.Girls Album
31.Six Organs Of Admittance Luminous Night
32.Cave Singers Welcome Joy
33.Cheval Sombre Cheval Sombre
34.Morrissey Years Of Refusal
35.Malcolm Middleton Waxing Gibbous
36.Zoey Van Goey The Cage Was Unlocked All Along
37.Times New Viking Born Again Revisited
38.Yo La Tengo Popular Songs
39.Jesus H. Foxx Matter
40.Malcolm Ross and the Low Miffs Malcolm Ross and the Low Miffs
41.Camera Obscura My Maudlin Career
42.Wake the President You Can’t Change That Boy
43.Franz Ferdinand Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
44.Bricolage Bricolage
45.Idlewild Post Electric Blues
46.Julian Plenti Julian Plenti is…Skyscraper
47.Wojtek Godzisz Wojtek Godzisz
48.Lord Cut-Glass Lord Cut-Glass
49.New Model Army Today Is A Good Day
50.Future Of the Left Curses!
51.Trashcan Sinatras In the Music
52.Raveonettes In and out of control
53.Muse The Resistance
54.Liam McKahey and the Bodies Lonely Road
55.Aidan Moffat and the Best-Ofs How To Get To Heaven From Scotland
56.Le Reno Amps Tear It Open
57.John Parish and PJ Harvey A Woman A Man Walked By
58.We Were Promised Jetpacks These Four Walls
59.Yeah Yeah Yeahs It’s Blitz!
60.Neon Indian Psychic Chasms
61.39 Steps Coming Clean
62.Brakes Rock Is Dojelick
63.Vivian Girls Everything Goes Wrong
64.HEALTH Get Color
65.Cuddly Shark Cuddly Shark
66.Zu Carboniferous
67.Placebo Battle For The Sun
68.Peaches I Feel Cream
69.Pet Shop Boys Yes
70.Flowers Of Hell Come Hell Or High Water
71.My Latest Novel Deaths and Entrances
72.George Pringle Salon Des Refusés
73.Subway Subway II
74.Indigo Girls Poseidon and the Bitter Bug
75.Florence and the Machine Lungs

Re-issues and compilation chart to follow.

A selection of LEGAL mp3s relating to the album chart:

Broken Records -‘If The News Makes You Sad, Don’t Watch It.’ mp3

Blueflint -‘High Bright Morning.’ mp3

Jesus H. Foxx -‘I’m Half The man You Were.’ mp3

St. Vincent -‘Actor Out Of Work.’ mp3

Mono -‘Follow the Map.’ mp3

Yo La Tengo -‘Nothing To Hide.’ mp3

Vivian Girls -‘Can’t Get Over You.’ mp3

HEALTH -‘Die Slow.’ mp3

Neon Indian -‘Should have Taken Acid With You.’ mp3

Camera Obscura -‘French Navy.’ mp3

Girls -‘Lust For Life.’ mp3

Money Can’t Buy Music -‘Love Will Break Your Heart.’ mp3

* Frequent grumps…

Q: Why is there not any dance or electronica? It’s all indie!

A:Telefon Tel Aviv, Fuck Buttons and Animal Collective are in the Top 10 alone.

Q: Why is it all just British and American groups?

A: Bike for Three are a Belgian/Canadian collaboration, Mono and The Tenniscoats both come from Japan, Zu are Italian and The Raveonettes are Danish for starters…

Q: You’ve just focused on new bands – why have you forgotten about more established acts?

A: Franz Ferdinand, Morrissey, Horace Andy, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, PJ Harvey…

Q: Did you not hear the Grizzly Bear album, Vecktamest?

A: I did. I bought it. Played it a few times, including yesterday. There are at least eighty albums better than that this year.

Q: Why have you not supported scottish acts? You’re a scottish blog, after all…

A: Go back and check the list. Starting with the #1 album…

17 Seconds’ Top 75 Albums of the Year

Lord knows this has been a very difficult list to compile, but thank you everyone for the love and support you have shown this week.

1. Cave Singers Invitation Songs
2. Santogold Santogold
3. Benga Diary Of An Afro Warrior
4. Jaguar Love Take Me To The Sea
5. Meursault Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues
6. The Bug London Zoo
7. The Cure 4:13 Dream
8. Shearwater Rook
9. Hanggai Introducing Hanngai
10. Fuck Buttons Street Horrrsing
11. Fleet Foxes Sun Giant
12. Escape Act Loosely Based On Fiction
13. Crystal Stilts Alight Of Night
14. Coldplay Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
15. Antony and the Johnsons Another World
16. Earth The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull
17. HK119 Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control
18. James Hey, Ma
19. Jamie Liddell Jim
20. Boris Smile
21. Melvins Nude With Boots
22. Neon Neon Stainless Style
23. Mogwai The Hawk Is Howling
24. Jason McNiff In My Time
25. Matmos Supreme Balloon
26. Presets Apocalypso
27. Spiritualized Songs in A & E
28. RTX JJ Got Live RaTX
29. Sunn o))) Domkirke
30. Times New Viking Rip It Off
31. Dark Captain Light Captain Miracle Kicker
32. Cat Power Jukebox
33. Beatglider Witches
34. Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend
35. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
36. Fucked Up The Chemistry Of Modern Life
37. Baby Dee Safe Inside The Day
38. Giant Sand Provisions
39. Lambchop OH (Ohio)
40. Ladyhawke Ladyhawke
41. Elbow The Seldom Seen Kid
42. Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
43. Yo Majesty Futuristically Speaking…Never Be Afraid
44. Mark Stewart Edit
45. Stereolab Chemical Chords
46. Sons and Daughters This Gift
47. British Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music?
48. Martina Topley-Bird The Blue Bird
49. Tricky Knowle West Boy
50. Residents The Bunny Boy
51. Dom DeLuca Birds Of Worry
52. Chris Bradley Voices
53. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Real Emotional Trash
54. Dengue Fever Venus On Earth
55. Errors It’s Not Something But It Is Like Whatever
56. Free Kitten Inherit
57. David Grubbs An Optimist Notes the Dust
58. Half Man Half Biscuit CSI: Ambleside
59. Hair Police Certainty Of Swarms
60. Rose Kemp Unholy Majesty
61. The Kills Midnight People
62. The Fall Imperial Wax Solvent
63. Lightspeed Champion Falling Off Lavender Bridge
64. William Parker Double Sunrise Over Neptune
65. Primal Scream Beautiful Future
66. Religious Knives Resin
67. Rosie Taylor Project This City Draws Maps
68. Magnetic Fields Distortion
69. Amplifico See Heart See Muscle
70. Cut Copy In Ghost Colours
71. Goldfrapp Seventh Tree
72. Sonic Youth J’accuse Ted Hughes
73. Blow Monkeys Devil’s Tavern
74. Long Blondes Couples
75. Roots Manuva Slime And Reason

Top 10 Re-Issues/Compilations

1. John Baker The John Baker Tapes (Trunk)
2. Various Artists From Dancehall To Grime (Soul Jazz)
3. Mogwai Young Team (Chemikal Underground)
4. Various Artists Dancehall The Rise Of Jamaican Dancehall Culture (Soul Jazz)
5. The Smiths The Sound Of The Smiths (Rhino)
6. Jay Reatard Matador Singles ’08 (Matador)
7. Yazoo In Your Room (Mute)
8. Hear, O Israel: A Prayer Ceremony In Jazz (Trunk)
9. Various Artists The First Chapters (XL)
10. Various Artists Give Me Love: Songs Of The Brokenhearted, Baghdad, 1925-1929
(Honest Jon’s)

So there we have it. I will update this list with various links (and um, check the comments bit as well. Just saying…)

And, as always, for anyone who thinks this blog is just indie indie indie…umm, there is perhaps a bigger proliferation of Jazz, Reggae, Hip Hop, Electronica and World/Global than ever before. So if you think it’s all indie…maybe YOU need to investigate more.

17 Seconds’ Top 75 Albums of the Year

Well, after humming and hawing about the order, what to include and not, and panicking about all the records on other people’s lists that I just hadn’t got round to hearing, to hell with it, here is the 17 Seconds’ Top 75 albums of the year 2007.

For what it’s worth, here goes:

1. Burial Untrue
2. Penny Century Between One Hundred Lies
3. Emma Pollock Watch The Fireworks
4. iLIKETRAINS Elegies To Lessons Learnt
5. Malcolm Middleton A Brighter Beat
6. Wiley Playtime Is Over
7. Arcade Fire Neon Bible
8. Dizzee Rascal Maths + English
9. Commander Keen My Tascam Dreams
10.Radiohead In Rainbows
11.Ringo Death Starr Ringo Death Starr
12.M.I.A. Kala
13.!!! Myth Takes
14.Shins Wincing The Night Away
15.The Good, The Bad And The Queen The Good, The Bad And The Queen
16.Wilco Sky Blue Sky
17.Morning Bride Lea Valley Delta Blues
18.Timbaland Timbaland Presents: Shock Value
19.Battles Mirrors
20.Von Sudenfed Tromatic Reflexxions
21.Justice
22.PJ Harvey White Chalk
23.Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare
24.Wounded Knee Wounded Knee
25.The National Boxer
26.LCD Soundsystem Sound Of Silver
27.Super Furry Animals Hey Venus!
28.New Pornographers Challengers
29.King Creosote Bombshell
30.Electrelane No Shouts, No Calls
31.Kaiser Chiefs Yours Truly, Angry Mob
32.BMX Bandits Bee Stings
33.Bloc Party A Weekend In The City
34.Babyshambles Shotter’s Nation
35.Bat For Lashes Fur And Gold
36.The Coral Roots And Echoes
37.New Young Pony Club Fantastic Playground
38.Twilight Sad Fourteen Summers And Fifteen Winters
39.Amateurs Hongu Kongu
40.Biffy Clyro Puzzle
41.Feist The Reminder
42.Kate Nash Made Of Bricks
43.Klaxons Myths Of the Near Future
44.Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Baby 81
45.Fall Out Boy Infinity On High
46.Idlewild Make Another World
47.Bjork Volta
48.Manic Street Preachers Send Away The Tigers
49.Air Pocket Symphony
50.Angels Of Light We Are Him
51.My Teenage Stride Ears Like Golden Bats
52.Port-Royal Afraid To Dance
53.1990s Cookies
54.Boy Omega Hope On The Horizon
55.Robert Wyatt Comicopera
56.Ash Twilight Of The Innocents
57.Dinosaur Jr. Beyond
58.Shitdisco Kingdom Of Fear
59.Swimmer One The Regional Variations
60.Brett Anderson Brett Anderson
61.Maximo Park Our Earthly Pleasures
62.Descent This Violent Reality
63.The Fall Reformation Post-TLC
64.Editors An End Has A Start
65.The View Hats Off To The Buskers
66.Rufus Wainwright Release The Stars
67.Tracey Thorn Out Of The Woods
68.Thurston Moore Trees Outside The Academy
69.Thrushes Sun Come Undone
70.Siouxsie Mantaray
71.Go! Team Proof Of Youth
72.Simian Mobile Disco Attack Decay Sustain Release
73.The Royal We The Royal We
74.Mark Ronson Version
75.To Rococo Rot ABC123