JoeRay’s Top Five 2009: Music
Next it is time to present the official Joe Ray music awards! Check the game awards here: http://joerayw.wordpress.com/2009/12/29/joerays-top-five-2009-games/ I’m not so well-educated on the music scene so this top five may disgust some but I loved these five albums like my own imaginary children. Without further ado, lets begin!
5. Pearl Jam – BackSpacer (September 20th 2009)
A 36 minute album which sounds barely anything like their previous stuff, more punk than grunge really. Surely this is no good? But it is good, very entertaining listen with some great new tracks such as ‘Supersonic’ , ‘Unthought Known’ and ‘Force Of Nature’. In retrospect I think the more emotional songs are a little grating but it shows Pearl Jam are far from done and feel more comfortable with their music more than ever! More here: http://joerayw.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/currently-listening-to-pearl-jam-backspacer/
4. Muse The Resistance (14th September 2009)
This seems to get a lot of hate round my parts. No longer rock music, cheesy and the like. I hated it at first too but now I adore it. It has some beautiful moments with the movie soundtrack feel of the last three track medley ’Exogenesis’ and the upbeat ‘Resistance’ and Uprising’ always please my ears. It may not be their best album but I love it for the sheer creativeness of the whole thing and the medley is one of the best things I’ve heard this year. More here: http://joerayw.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/currently-listening-to-muse-the-resistance/
3. Royksopp Junior (March 23rd 2009)
I’m a bit of a fanboy when it comes to Royksopp/The Knife so a new album is always going to soar high into my favorites list. I adore this album so much, every track is brilliant and the new lyric heavy focus has created some incredibly catchy sing a long. Some people found the singing focus a bad thing but there are still a whole bunch of tracks without any in and they too are amazing. ‘Royksopp Forever’ is incredibly epic, I’d love to see it in a movie! More here: http://joerayw.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/currently-listening-to-royksopp-junior/
2. The XX (August 17th 2009)
New fresh talent is always welcome. The debut albums are never this strong and I’m amazed that they are the same age as me roundabouts. It shows I have to make some massive progress next year in my area! But wow, what a debut album. It is a haunting dreamy duet band which I can sleep to in a good way and remain chilled. These guys and girls will be big in a few years just you watch. I’m going to see them in March while they still cost under a tenner to see!
1. Fever Ray (March 18th 2009)
Another debut album but the talent isn’t new. Karin from The Knife goes solo and creates this incredibly creepy album. Think The Knife but without the techno sounds. When I listen to it I feel small, it overpowers me and I like it. Karin’s voice is just wow, it has been tweaked to sound like a woman above her years and the songs are of being trapped, death, daydreaming and motherhood. A must listen if ever there was one. More here: http://joerayw.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/currently-listening-to-fever-ray/
And for the decade, well that is a toughie. Far far more music comes out than games or movies and ten years is a hell of a long time. In fact at the start of this decade I wasn’t even interested in music, it only came about once the teenage blues kicked in. But there is one album released this decade which holds a special place in my heart. It cheers me up, inspires my writing and lives with me almost intertwining with my life.
The Knife Silent Shout (2006)
The most amazing album I’ve ever listened to. This is disturbing, upbeat, funny, twisted, and has a good beat for a party on some tracks. When I walk through Liverpool in the dark with this on it makes the city feel like a different place, like it is just all a big daydream of people moving about like lights. When I write it helps meld worlds to my mind for writing. When I’m down the tracks make me feel that things could be worse, it almost calms me. Silent Shout is an album I’d call perfect, never gets old, no bad tracks and leaves an impression like a stamp leaves a mark on a letter. I can’t think of any other album I admire more than this one. More here: http://joerayw.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/currently-listening-to-the-knife-silent-shout-an-audiovisual-experience/
And 2010 is seeing some exciting music! Albums I know about coming that I want would be the new Gorillaz album Plastic Beach, a new Royksopp album Senior, new Iron Maiden and possibilities of new LCD Soundsystem and Faith No More. Gonna be a good year for music!
With you all the way on silent shout. it insidiously works its way into your brain but in a good way. I do love heartbeats tho!
Yeah all the The Knife albums are amazing. The new opera which came out on CD is also brilliant. But Silent Shout is perhaps one of if not my fave album of all time, so haunting, so beautiful.