2008 -The best so far?

Another, oh five months or so, and everyone’ll be making their lists of the best of the year.

As 17 Seconds progresses, I have heard about seventy new albums this year alreadt, as well as masses of tracks, and face the task of trying to put it all in order for the end of the year. It does feel like it’s been a good decade for music so far, in fact; BTW did the nineties ever go through a phase of being out or was it accepted that it had been pretty good overall? There have been one or two rubbish albums -I never want to hear the Black Mountain album again, frankly, but there has been some great stuff.

Anyway, this is a Top 10 tracks of the year so far for me:

1. Wedding Present – ‘The Trouble With Men.’ mp3
2. MGMT – ‘Time To Pretend.’ mp3
3. Santogold – ‘My Superman.’ mp3
4. Jamie Lidell -‘Another Day.’ mp3
5. Kills -‘Cheap and Cheerful.’ mp3
6. Dom DeLuca -‘Birds Of Worry.’ mp3
7. Hayman Watkins Trout and Lee -‘Sly and the Family Stone.’ mp3
8. Vampire Weekend -‘The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance.’ mp3
9. Neon Neon -‘I Lust U.’ mp3
10.Rustie -‘Mic Of The Year.’ mp3

See what you make of it, comments welcome, but do not assume that it will be the same come December. Oh, and anyone who thinks that there is only ever white middle class indie boys with guitars on this blog is not paying attention!

Hope things are drier wherever you are than they are down here…

Bluesgrass from East London

…Indeed, just as it says, bluessgrass from east London. Featuring darren hayman, once of Hefner with Dave Watkins on Banjo, Dan Mayfield on Violin, and Dave Tattersall on guitar are Hayman, Watkins, Trout and Lee.

Darren Hayman is still obsessed with girls’ shoes, although he doesn’t seem to be writing Hymns to things he loves, at the moment at any rate.

Their debut single is free for download below, but despite the name, it bears nothing to do with the legends of funk and soul that were Sly and the Family Stone. Don;t let that put you off; this has shaken up my top tracks of 2008 list quite severely after three plays in the last half an hour alone. A five star song.

Hayman, Watkins, Trout & Lee -‘ Sly and the Family Stone.’ mp3

Their mini-ste can be found here while their mySpace is here