Christian Hardy's (The Leisure Society) albums of the decade
I found this really hard as it seems most of my favourite records were made in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s... Ho Hum - these are, probably, my top ten for the noughties with some rambling justifications. There seem to be no female artists, which I guess is a result of Joni and Carol not making any albums I liked in the last 10 years.
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I was given this at a gig by a friend who runs a record label and our drummer Bas and I listened to it twice through on the way home in the car. I had no particularly strong love of the first two records but the clunkiness of the drum loops, the rawness of the live instruments and the majesty of the singing and the arrangements drew me in totally. I really am quite obsessed with the song The Rip and I think this is sort of a perfect record.
This was the first Radiohead record I've had a genuinely emotional reaction to since 'OK Computer' came out when I was a teenager. 'Nude' reminded me of obsessively watching their 'Meeting People Is Easy' documentary and 'All I Need' and 'Jigsaw Falling Into Place' are just brilliant songs. Plus on the bonus disc - '4 Minute Warning' is one of the best things they've ever recorded, and 'Down Is The New Up' is really great sounding - I'm still trying to get a piano to sound like that.
I know it's very power poppy but 'Either/Or' and 'XO' were released too early for me to include them and I prefer this one to the From A Basement stuff. Anyway its a great record that I come back to time and again, especially 'Stupidity Tries' - I love that song.
Nick brought this round and we sat and listened with bug smiles on our faces. I think Daniel Rossen has one of the greatest voices in music at the moment. He almost reminds me of Roy Orbison the way he can keep total control whilst sounding so emotive. Herringbone is definitely one of my favourite songs ever.
I think possibly Loney, Noir is a superior record overall but there's something or other about his last one that I prefer. Possibly it's the more prevalent synths or possibly it's that I got to play harmonium on some of the songs live with him last year. 'I Was Only Going Out' and 'Violent' are quite special live.
When 'Kid A' came out when I was a penniless student and I listened to it every night for months. If I put 'Everything In Its Right Place' on the stereo I get taken straight back to my small room and the mixed emotions I had at the time. 'OK Computer' was SUCH a big part of my youth that when this came out it affected me quite deeply, I sort of hated it at first, then I caught up and started to get it and love it. It was an intellectual love though, it never got my heart.
I fucking love this band. I sort of equally adore 'Wild Mountain Nation' too but this one has 'God & Suicide' and 'Furr' on it and they're my two favourite Blitzen Trapper songs.
I was busy being Christian Silva when Funeral came out and I was obsessed with scale and grandeur and huge emotional outpourings, then I heard this and I felt like an idiot. There's something very basic about the recordings and the performances that makes this a special record.
I never listen to this anymore but there's no denying that when it came out I listened A LOT and absorbed all those phenomenal arrangement and melody ideas like a sponge. I'm interested that he thinks the traditional 'Album' has become an anachronism, I suspect he may be right.
I got into this record after hearing Micah's 'Yard Of Blonde Girls cover on the Dream Brother album that Full Time Hobby put together in 2005. This was during the period Nick and I were sharing my tiny bedroom and we were both really taken with this track. I bought the album and it stayed on our stereo for months. Its funny that we've ended up on the same label but I haven't met him yet.
Other artist's top tens
All these lists were compiled into one Artist's top ten albums of the decade poll. But here are all the individual lists that went into it...
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