My initial response to Franz Ferdinand’s third album, titled perversely (for a non-live album) Tonight: Franz Ferdinand was tempered by the pre-release press and band statements that suggested a major sea-change for the band. Lo and behold, on first listen there are some departures but this is very recognizably the work of the Scotsmen who [...]
25.Black Francis – Bluefinger Reviving the Pixies seemed to re-spark a hunger for Black Francis (aka Frank Black) so much so that he reverted to his previous moniker and dropped a blazing solo record that was the equal of his best work solo or otherwise. This is no Pixies self-imitation though – Black uses all [...]
50. Girls – Album Girls marvelous debut album is reminiscent of Pavement’s Slanted and Enchanted in how it transmutes standard indie sounds into something irresistibly their own through sheer talent and force of will. 49. Outkast – Stankonia Outkast spent much of the decade bidding to be the new Prince, or at least Andre 3000 [...]
75. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular Working with Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann initially tagged these Brooklyn dwellers with a junior vibe to the venerable Oklahoma City band. The slow-building success of this album and the audaciousness of the songs inside though proved that MGMT were doing their own thang – from the 80s pop sounds [...]
100. Regina Spektor – Begin To Hope Regina Spektor continues to stride the fine line of what radio programmers call AAA (alternative for old folks) and quirky indie – ans she never did it finer than on this record which coupled poppy keyboard driven tunes with weird New York boho lifestyle observations. 99. Deerhunter – [...]
The Twitters