This Year So Far, The Years Gone By

I thought it was about time for a catch-up, and an announcement. First up, the best music that has been piped through the ship’s tannoy over the last few months, and because it’s so good, will probably still be on the autochanger at the end of the year.

The return of the Super Furry Animals, following a couple of solo projects from Gruff Rhys and Cian Ciaran, has delighted these old ears. I loved 2003′s Phantom Power, but the recent Dark Days/Light Years could be even stronger, if not their best yet. Wit, invention, a sense of fun, tight pop songs with fuzzy psych edges, every one a winner.

Don’t take my word for it., officially download the motorik Krautrock-meets-the-daffodils ‘Inaugural Trams’ here, then run out and grab the CD. There’s lovely, isnit.

Some cracking bands coming out of Australia these days. I covered Adelaide’s Leader Cheetah in the previous post, but there’s more. How about An Horse? The best of the lot might just be The Drones.. their ‘Havilah’ album is a grower (get a free download from it here).

The Phantom Band have been elusive in the past, but seem now to have settled on a name that describes their previous shifty nature. Any road up, their ‘Checkmate Savage’ album is very nifty: diverse, dark, fulfilling. The band’s Andy Wake: “The Phantom Band are the most self-destructive, directionless, negative collection of argumentative individuals I know, who go out of their way to mess up anything that might be working in their favour. As Walt Disney once said, “we have met the enemy and he is us.” – well, Andy, if you’re all pulling in different directions, it came together nicely on tape. Thanks for the music, it’s wonderful. They’re on Chemikal Underground, and they fit right in.. fans of Mogwai and Arab Strap will have checked out this band before now. And so should you. Hell, it’s been out since January.

From last year.. I’m still enjoying The Airborne Toxic Event and their self titled debut. Don’t listen to Pitchfork – TATE might not be the second coming but it’s hard to name a more consistently enjoyable record from 2008. Which I neglected to listen to last year: more fool me.

Here they are on Letterman – the grizzled old smirker himself pops up at the end but I think he’s had fun..

And finally, Cyril..  I’ll shortly be putting together a series of ten articles entitled ‘Looking Back’ – unless I (or you?) can think of a better title. I’m going to write about ten records released in my life time, I went out and bought them pretty much on the day, and they changed my life and musical direction. The first one will be from 1973.. stay tuned. Yes, I am that old.

Plus – this blog will change appearance shortly. I’m going to get a bit radical. Fear not.