(if it has an asterisk next to it, it means I’d buy it on CD if I don’t already have it)
First some all-time faves…
1. Coil, Gold Is the Metal (With the Broadest Shoulders) (easily one of my fave bands this year. Never mind that they’re ancient, and no longer exist)
2. Radiohead, The Bends (I usually struggle to choose either this or OK Computer as my fave Radiohead album; at present this loses out slightly but am still pretty bloody obsessed)
3. Pixies, Doolittle (thank you Z, this really rocks)
4. Marie Antoinette soundtrack (thank you Anya!)
5. Bauhaus, Press the Eject and Give Me the Tape (has one of my fave songs ever on it)
6. Radiohead, In Rainbows (CD2’s ‘Down Is The New Up’ rocks)
7. Interpol, Turn On the Bright Lights (also has one of my fave songs ever)
then I moved onto mainly what I’d never listened to before…
8. Late Night Tales compilation – Air* (has an awesome Ravel (!) tune on it!)
9. Malcolm Middleton, Sleight of Hand (he’s better in Arab Strap)
10. The Fall, Slates (extended) (one of my fave albums of the year, despite its age [1981?]! probably going to become one of my fave ever)
11. Dr Horrible soundtrack (Joss Whedon’s therefore ace)
12. Ellen Allien, Sool*
13. TV On the Radio, Dear Science
14. The Trip compiled by Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey (some old croony stuff on this)
15. Y Pants – self-titled*** (amazing!)
16. Cervello Elettronico – Electrophobia* (bit dated, but still ace, haha)
17. Sothis, De Oppresso Liber* (omg I listened to melodic metal and enjoyed it)
18. Echobelly, On (poor man’s Sleeper?)
19. Isis, Celestial*
20. Isis, Panopticon*
21. John Cooper Clarke, Ou est la maison de fromage
(not really music, spoken word, properly)
22. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, self-titled* (best country I’ve ever heard)
23. Lone, Lemurian*** (lush electronica)
24. Love and Rockets, Lift
25. Magnetic Morning EP (very unexciting)
26. Polarkreis 18, self-titled (first half – killed it halfway because wasn’t feeling the love)
27. William Shatner, Has Been (funny covers)
28. Sebatien Tellier, Sexuality (recommended; very good)
29. Rafter, Sweaty Magic (disappointing)
30. Serge Gainsbourg, L’Homme a la Tete de Chou (the hypersexual genre-spanning French crooner – some of his more recent stuff)
31. Thievery Corporation, Radio Retaliation (not too bad but nothing will ever be as good as their The Mirror Conspiracy)
32. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, self-titled* (guilty pleasure)
33. Radiohead, Amnesiac (return to one’s roots is inevitable)
34. Digitalism, Idealism*
35. Metric, Live It Out (bit too pretty for me)
36. Les Georges Leningrad, Sangue Puro*
37. Autodrone mix*** (this is really fucking good but I know nothing about it, or producer…)
38. FabricLive 41 Simian Mobile Disco*
39. Radiohead, OK Computer (probably my favourite album of all time. Lame, I know…)
(the next three are wonderful wind-down albums)
40. Final Fantasy, Plays To Please* (he’s coming to town! whee!)
41. Final Fantasy, Spectrum 14th Century*
42. Max Richter, 24 Postcards In Full Colour
43. Russian Circles, Station* (reminds me of Battles but better perhaps?)
44. Jody Wisternoff October 2008 Intensified (yea, it doesn’t make me sad anymore!)
45. Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Blank Generation
46. Psychic TV, Allegory and Self
47. Psychic TV, Dreams Less Sweet
48. Psychic TV, Toward Thee Infinite Beat (they’re great but this album in particular is ace though quite different from the first two)
49. The Birthday Party, Drunk on the Pope’s Blood
50. Dead Boys, Young Loud And Snotty (wow, older than me! rather melodic punk, too melodic for me)
51. the world on higher downs, land patterns (one of my favourite albums of the year, best played when about to go to sleep)
52. David Lynch & Marek Zebrowski, Polish Night Music
53. Fischerspooner, #1
54. Wire, Object 47 (their latest album)
55. Sunn O))) With Boris, Altar (soundscape/drone stuff. Nice)
56. Rush, Moving Pictures (hehe, really cheesy)
57. New Order, Substance (one of my favourite wake-up albums)
58. Pretty In Pink soundtrack (it’s got OMD on it! whee!)
59. Punkettes compilation (female punk artist comp though to be pedantic some of it sounds post-punk)
60. BIPPP – French New Wave compilation 1979-85 (there is some hilarious shit on this)
61. Joy Division, Live at the Preston Warehouse (a live album, 1980)
62. Liars, Drum’s Not Dead (prefer their older album)
63. Susumu Yokota, Grinning Cat (unbelievably prolific Japanese electronic music artist)
64. Explosions In the Sky, Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place (one of my fave new bands of the year)
65. Swell Maps, A Trip To Marineville
66. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time official soundtrack (I can’t believe my brother actually gave me something he knew I’d like. Weird…)