http://open.spotify.com/album/0vGbg0W1vcpAefS9yrJ6ZO

http://open.spotify.com/album/68s2yQ7tcehQRrMGfikqER

http://open.spotify.com/album/478UcP3LMJZIxHtZpaYdDy

Joanna Newsom
Janelle Monáe
Belle and Sebastian
Field Music
Avi Buffalo

Haven't really stopped listening to the Strickland Banks album since I got it.

Also Weller's latest has gotten lot of listens.

And coming up close behind, but too soon to call it for sure is the Rose Elinor Dougall album, which is good old fashioned Indie, to sit alongside those Sundays albums.

Then I'll be the first, and almost certainly no the last.

'The Suburbs' by Arcade Fire. I thought I'd gone off them but this has revitalised my interest, plus seeing them at wonderful open air gig in old quarry in Swedish forest called Dalhalla just prior to release of album.

Recommended by someone here, I think. Cracking stuff.

Here is the title track

... as it only came out yesterday, but The Wants by The Phantom Band is aces...

http://open.spotify.com/track/2VtdJjaKcuKXdyWqMGpZbI

Coral
Staples
Stoneking
Black Keys

Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter

This is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

Teen Dream - Beach House

Still some time to go before the end of the year but I've probably played this more than anything else so far in 2010;

Queen of Denmark - John Grant
Alphabet of Hurricanes - Tom Mcrae
So runs the world away - Josh Ritter
I and Love and you - Avett Brothers
Strickland Banks - Plan B
Beachcomber's Windowsill - Stornoway

Special mentions for Cherry Ghost, I am Arrows and Larsen B for albums I've really enjoyed on Napster but haven't shelled out for.

Whilst in HMV to buy the new Charlatans album, I heard and purchased an album by Nathaniel Rateliff and am still raving about it. Nice acoustic and fairly dreamy. Apart from the impulse buy, I've heard nothing from him, so it is also by far the best 'chance' momoment of the year...

So far (and I'm hoping that the new Elvis one might still come out this year) its:
Harper Simon - Harper Simon
Mates of State - Crushes
Elizabeth Cook - Welder
Slow Club - Yeah So

Swans - My Father..
Gil Scott Heron - I'm New Here
Standard Fare - The Noyelle Beat
Kristin Hersh - Crooked
The National - High Violet
These New Puritans - Hidden
Bonnie Prince Billy - The Wonder SHow of the World
65 Days of Static- We were Exploding Anyway
Dan Michaelson and the Coastguards - Shakes
British Sea Power - Zeus (an EP that has two sides that play at 33 and last over 40 minutes...)

very little that is new but

"One Inch/1/2 Mile" by Grasscut blew my socks off on Saturday night
creative,unusual in a melodic Eno-ish way..very very good!

The lovely double album of Jackson Browne's and David Lindley's 2006 tour of Spain. Lovely Hawaiian guitar and fiddle from Lyndley as well as Spanish flavoured instrumentation from local guest musicians. Beautiful interpretations of the best of Browne's songs as well a couple of Lindley favourites ... and a really wonderful recording.

Swim

...so I think it counts as "this year" - The Glare by Michael Nyman and David McAlmont

Grinderman 2
Karnataka - Gathering Light
Jaga Jazzist - One Armed Bandit
Peter Hammill - Thin Air
Cowboy Junkies - Remnin Park

Losing Sleep

Kathryn Williams - The Quickening
Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation
Eels - Tomorrow Morning
Grinderman 2

and probably Costello's newie judging by the live previews

http://open.spotify.com/album/3sABMSTQ11yU48cW0AbPKL

Favourite of all is "The Suburbs" by Arcade Fire.

Second is "High Violet" by The National.

Honourable mentions to "All I Ever Wanted" by The Airborne Toxic Event, "The Family Jewels" by Marina & The Diamonds, and "Grinderman 2" by Grinderman.

LCD Soundsystem's This Is Happening, and the track Drunk Girls is a strong 'video of the year' contender

I also like Strickland Banks, Nightwork (Scissor Sisters), Further (Chemical Brothers), Black Noise (Pantha Du Prince), Legoland (Massive Attack), Queen Of Denmark (John Grant), Plastic Beach (Gorillaz) and There Is Love In You (Four Tet)

Lee "Scratch" Perry - Sound System Scratch

A Certain Ratio - Mind Made Up

Section 25 - Retrofit

King Midas Sound - Waiting For You

Steve Mason - Boys Outside

Feelies - Crazy Rhythms/Good Earth (reissues)

Lee "Scratch" Perry - Sipple Out Deh : The Black Ark Years (reissue)

Desmond Dekker - 007 Shanty Town (reissue)

And the upcoming Chic Organization box set is bound to be the best box set of the year.

John Grant
Midlake
Besnard Lakes
Edwyn
Phosphorescent
Deer Tick
Coral
Harper Simon
Thea Gilmore
Mavis
Bettye
Eels x2
The National
RT
Los Lobos
Josh 's Rouse and Ritter
and a whole load more that'll be off the top of my head tomorrow. And we still have albums to come from Steve Wynn and Bruce Springsteen

By far the best, though I'm not sure if it counts since it seems to come from a parallel universe.

I too loved Stornoway's Beachcomber's Windowsill and John Grant's Queen of Denmark.

Teenage Fanclub's Shadows was a sterling effort, particularly Gerry Love's songs. Midlake were also good and I'm digging the new Belle and Sebastian at the moment.

However, the album which I've played the most by far was/is Been Listening by Johnny Flynn. Just superb and sadly overlooked by a lot of the music press.

Outstanding live too!

Steve Mason's Boys Outside is fantastic.

have a new album out? How did I miss that?

Best Coast

Cathal Coughlan - Rancho Tetrahedron
Anais Mitchell - Hadestown

still unable to get thru Suburbs, very disappointed in it.

As always, in no particular order.

Imelda May - Mayhem

Massive Attack - Heligoland

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

Arcade Fire - The suburbs

Groove Armada - Black light

Plan B - The defamation of Strickland Banks

Re issues

stones - Exile on Main street

Bowie - Station to Station

Fabs - Red & Blue

I am sure there are plenty more

are now 3 shouts for Shelby Lynne and to think it wasn't even going to be released here.
I would throw in Eels, Belle and Sebastian, the new Dar Williams compilation, Drive by Truckers and my favourite compilation of the year Deutsche Elektronische Musik. Oh, and John Grant.

These brought a smile to my face...

Bang Goes The Knighthood - The Divine Comedy
Burning Your House Down - The Jim Jones Revue
Harlem River Blues - Justin Townes Earle
Love And Its Opposite - Tracey Thorn
Paupers Field - Dylan LeBlanc
Boys Outside - Steve Mason
When You Left The Fire - The Wilderness of Manitoba
Isbells - Isbells (was that this year? new to me anyway and brill)
Disconnect From Desire - School Of Seven Bells
Fireplace - The Boy Who Trapped The Sun
Heligoland - Massive Attack
I Speak Because I Can - Laura Marling
Plastic Beach - Gorillaz

I suspect one or two gems may come my way in the next month or so but so far:

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest (a real surprising one, if you think you know this band etc)

Field Music - (Still not got to grips with the great sprawl of a record but thats good!)

Toro Y Moi - Causers of This (Shoegazey dreamy disco pop)

Autechre - Oversteps (A minority of one on this one probably!)

Everything Everything - Man Alive (Gentle Giant meets Underworld?!)

Violens - Amoral (Shoegazey dreamy disco pop again, if you like this check out the guys other band the obscure Lansing Dreiden, even better)

Cursor Miner - Requires Attention (Bonkers noisy techno pop, almost too stupid but not quite)

The Coral - Butterfly House - (never thought these would be in my top 10, but this slice of Mersey Psych is not so much a return to form as a career best).

That'll do for now

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation
Amateur Transplants - In Theatre

Re-Issue
Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street

I have spent most of the year buying "old" - now I will refer to this thread for recommendation/inspiration (which I could've been getting all year, but only Bang Goes The Knighthood has been Spotifyed and is on the 'Stuff To Get' List)

...I think mine all have been said and off the top of my head

Loved:
Janelle Monae
Joanna Newsom
Not Belle and Sebastian yet, but probably by end of the year.
John Grant
Jim Jones Revue
Grinderman 2
Jonsi
Tracey Thorn (despite not being interested in EBTG)
Alela Diane (or was that last year?)
Martina Topley Bird
Junip
Laura Marling
Broken Bells

But I think, plumping for one it's the Laura Viers LP.

Viv(ian) Stanshall - Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead
The Madness catalogue
The Mobile Fidelity reissues of the 1st 3 Costello LPs on vinyl
Nick Cave & Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream
Bowie - S2S (regardless of any extras, the original album has never sounded better)

and I'm sure that the Boss Darkness set will blow my tiny mind

I haven't gopt the Dylan Witmark Demos yet but as a keen bootleg collector they won't be as revelatory to me as they will to others.

by Natalie Merchant seems to be missing otherwise some great recommendations and look forward to checking out the new Shelby Lynne album.

Also, The National and Divine Comedy have been played most chez moi

Again!

Plastic Beach ~ Gorrilaz* (their performance at Glastonbury blew me away)
The Orb featuring David Gilmour ~ Metallic Spheres
apart from those two, a pretty dry year

*Dimian cannot sing and his lyrics are really awful but somehow this album works, probably all the 'special' guests. Everyone I have played this album to has really enjoyed it.

Laura Veirs - July Flame
Bombay Bicycle Club - Flaws
Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More

followed by:
Massive Attack - Heligoland
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate - Ali & Toumani

Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Agnes Obel - Philharmonic
The Roots - How I Got Over
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love
Robyn - Body Talk pts 1&2
Laurie Anderson - Homeland
School of Seven Bells - Windstorm
Sleigh Bells - Treats
Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul
The Fall - Your Future, Our Clutter
Husky Rescue - Ship of Light
Club 8 - The People's Record
Japanther - Rock'n'Roll Ice Cream

Plan B or The Coral both have taken up a huge amount of my listening time.

Justin Curries "The Great War" while excellent didn't completely consume me as "What Is Love For" did so will have to settle for third place. There I've said it!

thanks to albums (in no particular order) from:

Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
Bellowhead - Hedonism
Jim Moray - In Modern History
Massive Attack - Heligoland
Jarvis Cocker's album for the National Trust
Michael Jackson/Fela Kuti - The King Meets The President In Africa
Primas Parade
Lonely Hearts Dub Band - Easy Star All Stars
Tomorrow-Roy Bailey

Best Compilation - Folk Against Fascism

Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep
Galactic - Ya-Ka-May
Darwin Deez - Darwin Deez
John Grant - Queen Of Denmark
Dungen - Skit I Allt
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
Tunng - ...And Then We Saw Land
Ed Harcourt - Lustre
Jónsi - Go
Anaïs Mitchell - Hadestown
Familjen - Mänskligheten
Scissor Sisters - Night Work
Vampire Weekend - Contra
Villagers - Becoming A Jackal
The Black Keys - Brothers
Marc Almond - Varieté ( bonus disc edition )
Beach House - Teen Dream
Micah P. Hinson - Micah P. Hinson and the Pioneer Saboteurs
Robyn - Body Talk Pt. 1
The Ruby Suns - Fight Softly
( = no particular order etcetera... )

And the spectacular 18 CD-box: Africa, 50 Years Of Music And Independence 1960 - 2010.

Reissues:
The Teardrop Explodes
Taj Mahal ( of course... )
and a couple of those nice 5Xoriginal albums in a box; Laura Nyro and Dr John.

( Now imagine how rich I would have been if I had left my money in the bank... )

"Treats" - Sleigh Bells
"Gloves" - Operator Please
"Hidden" - These New Puritans
"Dagger Paths" - Forest Swords
"Crazy For You" - Best Coast
"Grappling Hooks" - North Atlantic Oscillation

The Phantom Band's new one sounds excellent on first listen too.

Hadestown - Anais Mitchell.
Swim - Caribou.
The Suburbs - Arcade Fire.
Leave Your Sleep - Natalie Merchant.
Queen of Denmark -John Grant.
Write About Love -Belle and Sebastian.
Self Preserved While the Bodies Float Up - Oceansize.
Here's to Taking it Easy - Phosphorescent.
Afrocubism.

These off the cuff so there's probably more.A good year so far I think.

My top three for 2010 would be...

Midlake - Courage of Others
Natalie Merchant - Leave Your Sleep
Mumford & Sons - Sign No More

Overall its been a good year - I seem to have bought more CDs this year than in the past couple of years.

but I have bought the Dylan mono box which will probably keep me busy till Christmas. Hadn't realized that Viv's 'Umbrella's' had finally been re-issued...that'll be my next purchase I reckon.

Give him a Hoxton makeover and tonight Matthew, Junior Giscombe is... Toro y Moi!

... and a brilliant one for re-releases.

I know you're all keen to hear which albums are in the running for the coveted duco01 2010 album of the year, so I'll keep you in suspense no longer. with a furlong left to run, the field is headed by...
(in no particular order)

NEW RELEASES:
- Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal - "Chamber Music"
- Richard Skelton - "Landings"
- Ketil Björnstad - "Remembrance"
- Nat Birchall - "Guiding Spirit"
- Joanna Newsom - "Have One On Me"
- Knut Rössler & Johannes Vogt - "Octagon"
- Cheikh Lô - Jamm
- The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble - Miles Away
- Natalie Merchant - "Selections from 'Leave Your Sleep'"

Back soon with the Re-Releases...

Here's my tuppence ha'penny worth of new, in alphabetical order:

Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here? (which some kind soul on this website recommended)
Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner
Holy Fuck - Latin
Mogwai - Special Moves
Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Steps Ahead
Richard Skelton - Landings (which some kind soul on this website recommended - possibly duco01?)

... that likes the Manic Street Preachers album? I think 'Postcards From A Young Man' is rather good.

Also Jenny and Johnny - 'I'm Having Fun Now'. Jenny Lewis can do no wrong.

Matt Schofield - Heads Tails and Aces
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - Pills and Ammo
Joe Bonamassa - Black Rock
Simon McBride - Since Then
Dr John - Tribal
Robert Plant/BOJ - Band of Joy
The Union - The Union

My coat's already on.............

... Deutsche Elektronische Musik - a 1970s Krautrock compilation on the Soul Jazz label.

by the apparent lack of love for Mavis Staples. But reading the other nominations has made me realise how little new music I've bought/heard this year - my only others being Divine Comedy (pretty good on the whole), Massive Attack (a grower) and Belle and Sebastian (too recent to decide)

not mentioned by anybody else.

But my top 5 would be...
Band of Horses
Beach House
Teenage Fanclub
The Avett Brothers (which would be my overall favourite)
Tracey Thorn

one extra... Aberfeldy's new one. It's excellent.

Deer Tick - War Elephant
Caitlin Rose - Own Side Now

This LP was hyped up before its release as the one to put them in the big time (as big as Elbow anyway). I think it only reached 24 in the charts but it's as good as all the others.

John Bramwell sings like he's got his own drizzle cloud following him in a succession of beautiful songs.

http://open.spotify.com/user/marbles22/playlist/5g2BSk24xdPlP3hAfjpVhl

I would be most grateful if others could do the same

Their album just missed out on my top 3 but would have been in my top 5

...for a definitive list, but here's a few that will no doubt be up there.

From the album 'Innerspeaker' by Tame Impala...

From 'Sports' by Weekend (not officially released yet!)...

And probably my number 1 so far, 'Gemini' by WIld Nothing...

The Duke and the King - Long Live the Duke and The King
This is country / soul / whatever takes your fancy - and very good it is too. Spotify / you tube/ download as you will to check it out

The Black Crowes - Croweology or more specifically the tracks Ballad in urgency / Wiser time which segue together.
They've been playing them live this way for some time but on this album it sounds just fantastic - a band completely at ease with what they do and how they do it! Again pick your streaming service of choice and give it a go.

For what it's worth the Drive By Truckers and Gaslight Anthem albums were somewhat underwhelming this year but I'm still looking forward to seeing them live.

EELS - Tomorrow Morning , a gorgeous experience from start to finish]
ARCADE FIRE - The Suburbs - Instant classic

Queen of Denmark is the gift that keeps on giving.

As is High Violet by The National.

Honourable mentions for:

The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever
Beach House - Teen Dream
Gemma Ray - It's A Shame About Gemma Ray
Lauren O'Connell - The Shakes
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (lovely, but miles too long)
Drive By Truckers - The Big To-Do

It's been a very rewarding year on the music front but here's a few of my standouts..

Laura Marling - I speak because I can
Midlake - Courage of Others
Joanna Newsom - Have one on me
John Grant - Queen of Denmark
Divine Comedy - Bang goes the Knighthood
Olof Arnalds - Innundir Skinni
Tracey Thorn - Love and it's opposite

Tracey Thorn - Love and it's opposite
John Grant - Queen of Denmark
Beach House - Teen Dream
High Violet - The National
Peter Broderick - How they are
Larsen B - Musketeer
I am Kloot - Sky at Night
Vampire Weekend - Contra
Laura Marling - I speak because I can
The Acorn - No Ghost

All in all a really good year for music

A couple of days ago I revealed the front-runners in the coveted duco01 Album of the Year stakes, and I'm sure that ever since, the whole Massive has been eagerly awaiting the second list - that of the Reissues of the year. And as you've been so patient, here they are...

1. JAZZ
- Lloyd McNeill Quartet - "Asha"
- P.E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble - "Winter Winds - The Complete works, 1968-70"
- Bobby Jackson - "The Café Extra-Ordinaire Story"
- Kenny Wheeler with the John Dankworth Orchestra - "Windmill Tilter"
- Michael Gregory Jackson - "Clarity"
- Various Artists - "Message From the Tribe"
- Zbigniew Seifert - "Man of the Light"

2. REGGAE
- Various Artists - "A Harder Shade of Black"
- Prince Jammy - "Strictly Dub"
- Lee Perry - "Sipple Out Deh: The Black Ark Years Jamaican 7"s"
- King Tubby & the Agrovators - "Shalom Dub"

Put simply, it has been a VINTAGE year for jazz reissues. The top 3 records in the jazz list are, in my view, sublime, overwhelmingly great five-star albums that deserve a place in any discerning jazz fan's collection.
In particular, I'd draw your attention to the Phil Hewitt 3CD set - the compelling, unearthly sound of a jazz prodigy who made three superb albums while still a teenager in the late sixties ... and has never recorded another note since.

It's gold. Pure gold.

Didn't think much of either of these two on first listen but they've revealed more and more on each listen and are by far the two best albums I've heard all year...

The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

year so far:

- Bonnie "Prince" Billy & the Cairo Gang
- Broken Bells
- John Grant (thanks to many recommendations earlier this year)
- Phosphorescent
- Black Keys
- Tindersticks
- Band of Horses
- Gayngs
- I Am Kloot
- Fight Like Apes
- Lloyd Cole
- Robert Plant

and just getting to grips with Neil Young's "Le Noise"

a thing of great beauty.

Is gonna be getting some stick.

That's just a comment, not an album.

Forgot these earlier
Perfume Genius - Learning
Philip Selway - Familial

My choices, in no particular order would include:

Have One on Me - Joanna Newsom
The ArchAndroid - Janelle Monáe
Bang goes the Knighthood - Divine Comedy
Sky at Night - I Am Kloot
Black Sands - Bonobo
There is Love in You - Four Tet

Most of these have come up before. However, I reckon it has been a very good year as usually I am not enthused enough to participate in any of these Best of Year thingies.

PS. reading through all the lists , I have to agree the Broken Bells album is VG as well.

Nothing really stands out for me at the moment but then all the years start blurring into one so maybe I'm overlooking something.

I seem to be buying more & more old stuff, with The Beach Boys in particular taking over my life recently.

I did enjoy the Fanclub, Band of Horses, Frightened Rabbit & She & Him albums though. Oh, just remembered the El Goodo album, overlooked but imagine would appeal to Coral fans.

Robert Wyatt's collaboration with Atzmon & Stephen is exquisitely beautiful, yet adventurous & daring in its execution. It is probably the album of the decade, not just this year.

Apart form Jonsi's Go & Joanna Newsom, I've been strangely unmoved by this year's releases (Massive Attack's return was also most welcome).

I am particularly disappointed with Janelle Monae. She looks great, moves fluidly and talks the talk but the music is far too derivative. I enjoy watching her videos and look forward to seeing her live but simply listening to her is uninteresting.

I think Joanna newosm might just run away with album of the year; with honourable mentions to Dangermouse Gill Scott Heron... but there have been some good ones late - Belle and Sebastian, Lloyd Cole, Aloe Blacc and The Phantom Band all impress for different reasons.

the correct answer is clearly "The Monitor" by Titus Andronicus:

also honourable mentions for The Gaslight Anthem, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing and Voice Of The Seven Thunders

untainted by Spotify, "not available in your territory":
Massive Attack - Heligoland
Smoke Fairies - Through Low Light And Trees

I've been listening most to are:

Howe Gelb and the Band of Gypseys
Avi Buffalo
Harper Simon
Black Keys
Pernice Brothers
Elizabeth Cook
Head and the Heart
Avi Buffalo
Tracey Thorn

My top 3 of the year so far are:-
Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
Black Keys - Brothers
Neil Young - Le Noise

Bicycle Club yet?
Like Doods, I hit Cheshire Libraries yesterday and got the Weller, National, Fannies, Kloot, Marling, Goldfrapp, and the BBC albums - Flaws, by the Bombay Bicycle Club is as good as any of them.
The best album I borrowed, though, by a long way (so far) is Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks. It is superb - and were it not for mentions here, I wouldn't have given it a second look.

I really wasn't expecting to be the first person to mention what I think is the best album of the year: Mary Gauthier's The Foundling. It's one I imagine I'll still be listening to in my dotage. Others in the top tier:

Love and its Opposite - Tracey Thorn
Queen of Denmark - John Grant
Have One on Me - Joanna Newsom
I Speak Because I Can - Laura Marling
I'm New Here - Gil Scott-Heron

Others I've enjoyed a lot:

Lost Where I Belong - Andreya Triana
Harper Simon - Harper Simon
Don't Look Down - Cerys Matthews
The Courage of Others - Midlake
Vagarosa - CeU

my two songs of the year are On Coming From A Broken Home Part 1 (Gil Scott-Heron) and Mama Here, Mama Gone (Mary Gauthier)

I posted my list a week or so back, but I want to add an album that was given to me recently.

Mumford & sons - sigh no more.

Straight in at number 1 - album of the year - wonderful.

My favourites of the year so far

APPLES IN STEREO "Travellers In Space And Time"
BLACK ANGELS "Phosphene Dreams"
BLACK MOUNTAIN "Wilderness Heart"
Charlotte GAINSBOURG "IRM"
CORAL "Butterfly House"
DEVO "Something For Everyone"
Edwyn COLLINS "Losing Sleep"
EELS "End Times"
EELS "Tomorrow Morning"
HOODOO GURUS "Purity Of Essence"
Jim JONES REVUE "Burning Down Your House"
LEN PRICE 3 "Pictures"
LUCKY SOUL "A Coming Of Age"
OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY "Seemingly Solid Reality"
Paul WELLER "Wake Up The Nation"
Robert POLLARD "We All Got Out Of The Army"
Robyn HITCHCOCK & THE VENUS 3 "Propellor Time"
Roky ERICKSON & OKKERVIL RIVER "True Love Cast Out All Evil"
TEENAGE FANCLUB "Shadows"

A friend knocked me up an excellent compilation last week of some bands that I'd not heard anything by and am now really keen to track down more of their stuff...

If anyone can recommend where I should start with any of these please let me know!
Best Coast, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Band Of Horses, Deerhunter (supberb track!), Crystal Stilts, Cinema Red & Blue, Jay Reatard

Thanks!

Badly Drawn Boy - Its What I'm Thinking (not going to use "a return to form" but its some of his best work for a long while)

The Candle Thieves - Sunshine and Other Misfortunes (Eels\Lightning Seeds pure joyful pop music)

Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love (its a cracker, I prefer the bands later work and this is right up my street. Nice 60's beat combo feel to somke of it.)

Elvis Costello - National Ransom (his best since The Delivery Man and a couple of tracks up there with the best things he's ever done.)

Edwyn Collins album is the next on my list to get hold of.

Pulled Apart by Horses - self titled

Discovered it on Spotify open when it came out and gotta say...thought it was a breath of fresh air...love it!

Afrocubism looks like my favourite of the year, spacious, sparkling, warm. It's a close run thing, because We Are Only Riders - the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions project has been a mainstay of the year's listening,

I've also really enjoyed Deutsche Electonische Musick (Soul Jazz Krautrock compilation )

For what it's worth...

The undoubted winner...
Otis Gibbs "Joe Hill's Ashes"
Extraordinarily good - I'm not sure why this has had so little publicity. Maybe his very long beard has put people off?

And the rest...
Amy McDonald "A Curious Thing"
This may be akin to nominating James Blunt or something, but it's a wonderful pop record - even if it is a little Radio 2-friendly.

Justin Townes Earle "Harlem River Blues"
The title track is a corker; the rest is nearly as good.

Mary Gauthier "The Foundling"
Rightly lauded above.

C W Stoneking "Jungle Blues"
Word hype proven to be fully justified.

Ian McNabb "Great things"
Not wholly good, but at its best it makes up for some of the dross he has churned out over the past ten years. As has always been the way, he is not just doing the same thing over and over again - and that is a Very Good Thing.

Merle Haggard "I Am What I Am"
He's never going to be as embraced as widely as, say, Johnny Cash - but dodgy politics aside, this is as good as anything he has done in years. And much of what he has done recently has been pretty impressive.

black keys
midlake
chery ghost
national
arcade fire
john grant
dylan leblanc
villangers
phosphorcent
karen elson
jjno3
isombel cambel & mark lanegan
avey tare
dead weather

is really warm, likeable, mellow countryrock, very '70s Laurel Canyon.

Well, there's only a week to go until Christmas, so I reckon it's safe to post my 25 favourite albums of the year now. And what a wonderful year it's been - for me, the top 10 or 12 or so of this little list were mind-manglingly brilliant.

duco01 Top 25 Favourite Albums – 2010

1. Knut Rössler & Johannes Vogt – “Octagon”
If they’d had jazz in 15th century Italy, it might’ve sounded a bit like this.

2. Richard Skelton – “Landings”
Mournful cello played al fresco on windy Pennine hillsides.

3. Natalie Merchant – “Selections from Leave Your Sleep”
Poems about childhood set to music. Wonderfully varied styles.

4. Jon Thorne & Danny Thompson – “Watching the Well”
A wonderful suite composed as a tribute to – and featuring – the great double-bass player Danny Thompson

5. Andreas Utnem & Trygve Seim – “Purcor”
Magical Norwegian ambient piano and saxophone duets

6. Joanna Newsom – “Have One On Me”
Some people don’t like Ms Newsom’s music. I do

7. Afrocubism – “Afrocubism”
I’m saying: Better than “Buena Vista Social Club”

8. Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Ségal – “Chamber Music”
Beautiful cello and kora duets

9. Elvis Costello – “National Ransom”
His best record since “Mighty Like a Rose” in 1991

10. Anaïs Mitchell ”Hadestown”
The Orpheus legend adapted and retold in Depression-era USA

11. Charles Lloyd Quartet – “Mirror”
12. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté – “Ali and Toumani”
13. Mary Gauthier – “The Foundling”
14. Teenage Fanclub – “Shadows”
15. Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden – “Jasmine”
16. The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble – “Miles Away”
17. Nat Birchall – ”Guiding Light”
18. Cheikh Lô – “Jamm”
19. Espen Eriksen Trio – ”You Had Me At Goodbye”
20. Mats Eilertsen – “Radio Yonder”
21. Mountain Man – “”Made the Harbor”
22. Trinity – “Paris Eyes”
23. Laurie Anderson – “Homeland”
24. Katell Keineg – “At the Mermaid Parade”
25. Otis Gibbs – “Joe Hill’s Ashes”