THe embodyment of 2009, Barack Obama - From www.badpaintingsofbarackobama.com

You may have managed to work your new fangel wireless devices that you got for Christmas to listen to BCB to catch our music review show for 2009… It’s been a funny old year in music and personally I am of the opinion not a massive triumph. Don’t get me wrong there has been a massive range of fantastic new albums but the whole year just seems to have been a little slow, I have spent more time looking into musical archives this year seeking out wonderful little gems….

The big populist theme of the year has clearly been “birds in music”. But to be honest I felt most of the stuff that turned up was alright to listen to, but will we really be listening to la roux next year? Incidentally The Show’s co-Host Katie listed the aforementioned self titled album as her rib eye steak album of the year (she is vegetarian).

As we mention during the review show The XX turned up with a massive fan fair then everyone forgot about them in about a week. The album is great though and made a worthy Christmas present for a friend of mine, possibly some of the most interesting sounding new music appeared was on that disc, I am not sure in what way the XX will evolve their sound, and it’s nice to find a band that seems quite so unexpected and unpredictable as them.

THe XX Don't sound like "My ChEMicaAL Rom@Aance!!!111!"

I am not going to talk about Grizzly Bear because it’s dull dull dull (everyone’s allowed there own opinions; its just that mine are right) but apparently some people thought it was alright. I say this as as Albo (editor of this blog) took it upon himself to look over the draft of this post and e-mail me saying…”Grizzly Bear aren’t shoegazers”.  Anyhow to celebrate this fact here is a video of them NOT SHOE GAZING.

Everyone fell head over heals in love with electronic minimalist extraordinaire Fever Ray, and indeed with good reason. To me it still sounds alot like The Knife but a little more personal and stripped of the glamour. I can see why it appeals to so many people and feels very confident in its production.

The intrepid shivering Monkeys of the Arctic turned up with a 3rd offering, abstractly named Humbug. I had not much time for this but recently gave it a few more listens and found the lyrics as entertaining as ever.  For instance:

“Outside the café by the cracker factory, You were practicing a magic trick”

I laughed so much that I made the glass of milk I was drinking at the time come out of my nose!

In the summer I visited the mighty festival known as Crusty Moor Fest this year and saw that folksy local talent is still as strong as ever. I also did some reporting on behalf of BCB at the mighty juggernaut known as the Leeds festival. I only just realised as well that I interviewed the UK’s current number five in the charts (eh?) band 3Oh3. Anyhow, dig around on this site and you can find some audio from these encounters. Also because I don’t think I mentioned it enough times, my iPhone got pickpocked! The festival itself seemed to be charactised  by massive disappointments with lacklustre  performances, crime, bottles of wee and rain been thrown at me from all angles. Although the mighty crystal castles did not let me down, hopefully they might have some new material this coming year.

In the world of music that actually bought by the public there has been the Lady (ALLEGEDLY!) GaGa. It would be very easy to dismiss this as awful manufactured pop, indeed it is (I cannot stand the music ). However I will not dismisses the fact that there is in fact art and craftsmanship here, I  have been fascinated by the construction of her performance that seems to have grown from the new york burlesque revival. The acts who produce the music I like could learn alot form ‘the Gagas’ use of performance  and new ways of  delivering her music to audience with her pop electo opera (and she could probably use some help with song writing).  Also in the world of bought music was Dizzy Rascal who made a bid for prime minster (was interviewed on news night by Packsman who kept calling him ‘Mr Rascal’) and managed to bust onto the covers of NME even though he was not  holding a guitar!

On the topic of increasingly less fashionable guitar bands we have my album of the year. The delightful Two Dancers by Wild Beasts will make you twist, shiver, laugh and cry. The sound unique voices slightly toned down for the second album, but possibly better for it. I have alot of time for this band despite the fairly muted critical response.

I could write for many paragraphs more but I think I will leave it at this for now as I am sure most people will have plenty to contribute to on the topic of 2009!

Can you deep fat fry eyes?

TRACKS!

1) Andriod with a heart – The Horn Blower Brothers
2)Working Day and Night – Micheal Jackson
3)French Navy – Camera Obsura
4)Dance Wut Me – Dizzy Rascal
5)This Red Mist – Theoretical Girl
6)VCR – The XX
7)Wide West – Freyed Knot (BCB session)
8)Crying Lighting – Arctic Monkeys
9)Modern Men – The Dead Shores
10) Warm Heart Of Africa – The Very Best Of
11)The Girl from Tiger Bay – Shirley Bassey
12)Quicksand – La Roux
13)When I grow up – Fever Ray
14)Spinning – Speech Debelle
15)Because he was a bonne lad – The Unthanks
16) I am Leaving – Blue Roses
17)Love Game – Lady GaGa
18)Track Four – Echo and the Bunnymen
19)Coast on by – King Creosote (BCB session)
20)All the kings men – Wild Beasts