The High Llamas, Rough Trade East, 12/04/11

The High Llamas played an in-store show at Rough Trade East on Tuesday to coincide with the release of their new album 'Talahomi Way'. It is an excellent album (you can read my review for musicOMH here).

I arrived at RTE expecting to hear a short set taken entirely from the new album. The first sign that this may not necessarily be the case came when the band played a lovely instrumental version of 'Three Point Scrabble' during the soundcheck. When they came on to the stage Sean announced they would be playing both old and new songs. Excellent news. The set was as follows:

Harpers Romo
Berry Adams
Three Point Scrabble
Take My Hand
Triads
Woven And Rolled
Rollin'

I think I may have said elsewhere how much I adore 'Harpers Romo' and it sounded as wonderful as ever last night. Jon Fell helped out with some vocals after Sean seemed to forget some of the lyrics midway during the song. 'Three Point Scrabble' and 'Triads' also sounded as good as ever. I'm going to try to make their forthcoming show at the Purcell Room (despite it coming during a particularly busy time for gigs).

After the show I bought the new album by  King Creosote & Jon Hopkins after hearing it played in store. A beautiful record. On the way back home I listened to the new album by Low. Another beautiful record.

London Sinfonietta: Xenakis – Architect Of Sound, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Saturday 2nd April 2011

In ‘The Rest Is Noise’, his wonderful book on classical music in the twentieth century, music critic Alex Ross includes a comment from Iannis Xenakis about his music.

“The listener must be gripped and – whether he likes it or not – drawn into the flight path of the sounds, without a special training being necessary. The sensual shock must be just as forceful as when one hears a clap of thunder or looks into a bottomless abyss.”

The physicality hinted at in the above quotation was on full display in the concert by the London Sinfonietta on Saturday evening at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which attempted to show the influence that architecture played in the music of Xenakis. His avant-garde, unashamedly intellectual music can be heard frequently in the concert halls of London and is still an undeniably relevant force in the musical landscape of today. The Southbank Centre dedicated two days of their current Ether Festival to the work of this visionary musical figure.

This concert focused on three of his chamber pieces and one of his electroacoustic compositions. The first piece played was ‘Eonta’ for piano and brass quintet. It began with pianist Rolf Hind playing irregular, complex patterns on the piano, his hands darting back and forth across the keys as he tried to recreate the challenging lines that had originally been created by Xenakis on a computer during the 1960s (this compositional technique demonstrated Xenakis’s interest in the mathematical theory of stochasticism, which revolves around probabilities and randomness).

Some moments later the brass quintet supplied a dissonant, jarring backdrop to the piano. Throughout the piece the quintet moved their positions on stage on five occasions. By the end all five were playing whilst walking individually around the stage, the seemingly random directions they chose coming across as a visual representation of Xenakis’s interest in stochasticism. The polarised blocks of sound gradually began to overlap and intertwine, before ultimately merging together.

The second piece was ‘Kottos’ for solo cello, performed tonight by Tim Gill. He began by playing a series of deep, grinding, abrasive notes. As the piece unfolded, the sound became more contorted and stretched. In some ways it seemed to resemble a cello sonata that had been left to corrode and disintegrate over a long period of time.

The final chamber piece performed this evening was ‘Phlegra’ for small ensemble, arguably being the best example of Xenakis’s meticulous sonic constructions. Sharp, sliding strings were aggregated with exacting, stringent brass. As with a lot of his musical compositions this was heavily inspired by Greek mythology. The programme notes spoke of the “melodic arborescence” of the piece.

After the dense, pressurised, smaller compositions of the first half the second half contained one extended piece, ‘La Légende d'Eer’ for electroacoustic tape. The stage was empty, lit only with an unchanging crimson/orange light. It began with a simple fluctuating frequency, suggesting a kind of microtonal, electronic birdsong (in some ways recalling the music of Xenakis’s teacher, Olivier Messiaen). It then grew into a sprawling, pulsating sea of electronic sound that resonated around the hall. Industrial, mechanical noises were integrated alongside esoteric, abstract disturbances to absorbing effect. By the close, the music had returned to how it started, minimalistic high frequencies, then silence.

Ostensibly ‘La Légende d'Eer’ sounded more ‘contemporary’ compared to the earlier chamber compositions. Yet, paradoxically it was maybe not as radical as these chamber pieces, due to the familiarity and preponderance of dark ambient/drone/experimental music released by labels such as Miasmah, Touch and Type. 

However, the showcasing of both styles, brilliantly performed by the London Sinfonietta and conducted by André de Ridder, proved that the brutal, visceral music of Xenakis should not just be listened to but should be felt and experienced in full.

Back in 2009 I also saw the BBC Symphony Orchestra play a programme of music by Xenakis at the Barbican. You can read my post on that concert here.

Iron & Wine, The Roundhouse, 08/03/11

If you read an article on Iron & Wine these days it is more than likely that at some point it will remark on the progression in sound from the hushed, warm, lo-fi acoustic folk of the earlier albums to the expanded, fuller ‘alternative rock’ sound of the later albums. Personally I am a fan of all of his albums and generally find that there is something quite pleasing about witnessing a band develop their sound from album to album whilst retaining certain traits (Mercury Rev’s gradual career transformation is another notable example that comes to mind). Last night at the Roundhouse Sam Beam and his band played a set comprising material from all periods of his career but in the end I found it quite a disappointing show in many respects.

After arriving on stage Beam explained to the audience that he had been suffering from a cold and urged everyone ‘to get through this together’, possibly not the most promising beginning to a show. They started with ‘Boy With A Coin’ from 2007’s ‘The Shepherd’s Dog’ album. Shortly after they played ‘Wolves (Song Of The Shepherd’s Dog)’, the first of several re-worked tracks that we would hear throughout the evening, this particular version featuring a slightly puzzling extended mid-song instrumental jam.

It was followed by more loose re-workings of older material, ‘Lion’s Mane’ and ‘Cinder And Smoke’ both sounding quite airy and underwhelming. The emotion and poignancy of the recorded versions was sadly absent. It was a trend that reoccurred throughout the show. There seemed to be a lot of ‘space’ between the sound of each instrument, with the constituent parts of the band rarely merging together cohesively. This struck me as especially strange given the size of the backing band – 7 players in total including two drummers. For me, the attempts at casting jazzy, soulful textures on to the older songs wasn’t a particularly successful move…

The five tracks played from new album ‘Kiss Each Other Clean’ sounded a lot better. ‘Tree By The River’, arguably the best track on the new album, injected some much needed positivity to the gig, the sunny harmonies sounding just as good live as on record. They also played ‘Walking Far From Home’, ‘Me And Lazarus’, ‘Big Burned Hand’ and finished the main set with the slow-burning ‘Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me’.

‘House By The Sea’ appeared late in the set, borrowing some mildly-Afrobeat drumming and featuring some slightly jarring saxophone solos. ‘Peace Beneath The City’ fared slightly better – the noisy, not-quite-jazz outbursts sitting alongside quiet passages and half-whispered vocals.

The highlights of the show were when Beam was left to the fore with his acoustic guitar and the band took a backseat. ‘Swans And The Swimming’ and ‘He Lays In The Reins’ provided some (all too rare) moments of handcrafted beauty. One final such moment arrived in the encore with the tender ‘Naked As We Came’. I had been hoping to hear ‘Carousel’ (just one of several Iron & Wine songs containing beautiful, richly allegorical lyrics) but this didn’t materialise. I think I would have enjoyed his solo show at Union Chapel last year much more.

I don’t think the big venue particularly helped and judging by the regular apologies offered to the audience you could infer that Beams knew this wasn’t one of his greatest gigs. His voice may not have been at its strongest but the alternative arrangements were a source of far greater weakness in my opinion.

So, very much a hit and miss show (a view also reflected by several comments on Twitter). My next visit to the Roundhouse should (hopefully) be a lot different – Mercury Rev playing the exquisite ‘Deserters Songs’ in its entirety…

Jonny, Water Rats, 19/01/11

I made a rare visit to Water Rats in Kings Cross last week to see Jonny, the new project featuring Norman Blake from Teenage Fanclub and Euros Childs formerly of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. The prospect of seeing two of my favourite music people on stage together was quite exciting...

Support came from Baltimore indie rock duo Wye Oak who played a very good short set which recalled some of the noisier moments of Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth.

Despite featuring additional members on the album tonight Jonny were just Euros on guitar/keyboards/drum machine/vocals & Norman on guitar/laptop/vocals. Euros began by introducing the band ("We are Jonny, err, without the H"). They started with 'Bread', very much a Euros Childs composition, being quite similar in style to a lot of his recent solo material (the show generally confirmed my prior belief that Jonny was a project largely led by Euros). They opted to play 'Candyfloss' early in the set. It is a brilliant, catchy song which combines their respective melodic, harmonic and lyrical talents and I would encourage you to watch the video by clicking here. They also played the album opener, 'Wich Is Wich'.

Other tracks which stood out were 'Waiting For You', which was quite old-school rock'n'roll in sound and the pretty 'I Want To Be Around You'. After listening to them on the album I found them both surprisingly Beatlesy. 'Cave Dance' was another highlight, a stomping, high tempo track which almost strays into glam-rock territory before it closes with an noisy, instrumental keyboard ending. Again, the recorded version sounds even stronger. 'The Goodnight' and 'English Lady' sounded like late period Gorky's, quite folky and melancholic, especially the latter. 'I'll Make Her My Best Friend' had a strong country feel, and ended with a nice guitar sign-off from Norman. They also played 'Gloria' and 'Michaelangelo' from the free EP.

Coming back on for the encore Norman announced they would play one of his songs, one of Euros' songs and a cover. They proceeded to play a lovely acoustic version of 'I Don't Want Control Of You' (seeing Euros provide backing vocals on a Teenage Fanclub song was a real highlight of the night). They followed this with a version of 'Ursula's Crow', a song which doesn't feature on the album but is something they have played together before. They finished with an a capella version of 'Sky Man' by Geoff Goddard.

It was pretty clear that tonight was the first gig of the tour. There were a few nerves on show and the sound was a little rough around the edges. However, the collective goodwill of the crowd seemed to carry them through, ensuring the gig was a success despite some errant drum machines, occasional problems tuning guitars and misplaced lyrics. I'm sure the shows will become more polished the longer the tour goes on.

After the show I bought a copy of the album  from Euros in the bar area (two weeks before it is released). I was hoping to be able to have a little chat, and possibly ask him if he has any plans to release 'Spin That Girl Around' (a brilliant song he has played at his solo shows but up to now has not recorded). You can see a video of him playing this at the Roundhouse here whilst supporting Yo La Tengo, (a show that I was at). Sadly I didn't get a chance to talk as people scrambled around to pick up a copy of the CD and catch a few seconds with Euros. In the end all I did was thank him for a great show. The Jonny album is very good, a lot stronger than the live show and I fully recommend it to you.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Troxy, 13/12/10

Due to a combination of being busy with work, the demands of fatherhood and the Christmas/New Year period I have struggled to update this blog despite having done quite a lot in December. I’m writing this entry based on memories of the show and some notes I made immediately afterwards…

So - back in December I went to The Troxy in Limehouse for the first time to see Godspeed You! Black Emperor. On the whole I liked the venue, similar in size/layout to, say, the Kentish Town Forum. It had a special, limited-capacity, segregated section at the front but I arrived too late to gain entry so had to stand approx half way back, resulting in a less-than-brilliant view. Oh, and it is carpeted which is a bit unusual…

I had seen Godspeed You! Black Emperor twice shortly after arriving in London. The first time was in 2000 at the Scala in Kings Cross which remains one of the best gigs I have ever been to (shortly after ‘Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven’ was released, a time when I was obsessed with the band). The drummer left the stage at one point and walked through the audience beating a drum strapped to his front. Amazing. In 2002 I then saw them play Ocean in Hackney. The band then kind of dissolved and went their separate ways, until the magnificent All Tomorrow's Parties persuaded them to curate one of their festivals and also play some shows around the UK.

At The Troxy they opened with a 20 minute, low drone which gradually increased in volume, getting progressively more abrasive. One word - a scratchy, flickering ‘HOPE’ was projected on to the stage backdrop. They then played ‘Gathering Storm’, the first of many pieces taken from ‘Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven’ that were played. I thought the drums initially sounded a little muffled, lost in the guitars and violin. Thankfully, this improved later. The latter section sounded excellent, intense and powerful and moving (just as it did in 2000). Any fears that the momentum may have fallen away after this proved false and some of the crescendos that followed from then on were just so intense and beautiful. In amongst the sublime strings and ascending peaks it is sometimes easy to forget just how heavy and brutal their guitars can be.

One new element (I think) was that the spoken word parts featured on the recorded versions of several tracks were also relayed live, which added further power, emotion and pathos to the show (and is not something I remember happening on previous two occasions I saw them live). The opening to ‘Monheim’ by Murray Ostril as he reminisces about Coney Island was particularly moving. And the final track played tonight, ‘BBF3’, never gets any less affecting no matter how many times you hear it, whether live or on record. ‘Rocket Falls On Rocket Falls’ from their last album ‘Yanqui U.X.O’ sounded staggeringly good. The only (tiny) disappointment was the omission of ‘Moya’ from the setlist. I really expected them to play that one…

Projections on to the back of the stage continued throughout, taking in scenes of revolution, destruction, nature as well as text and abstract imagery. They really add an extra dimension to the show. I don’t know why other bands don’t do likewise…

Setlist (taken from Songkick)

1. Hope Drone

2. Gathering Storm

3. Monheim

4. Albanian

5. Chart #3

6. World Police and Friendly Fire

7. Dead Metheny

8. Rockets Fall on Rocket Falls

9. BBF3

(I later learned that they played a different set on each of the three nights they played at The Troxy)

Teenage Fanclub, Electric Ballroom, 08/12/10

I was at the Electric Ballroom last night to see Teenage Fanclub. I think it was the 14^th time I was seeing them play live. The show had originally been scheduled for the Kentish Town Forum but was moved to the Electric Ballroom at a later stage. Support was from Yuck and I thought they were very good in a kind of early 90s, noisy guitar, Sonic Youth way…

It was another excellent show by Teenage Fanclub. They played a fairly ‘solid’ set containing all of the live favourites and some of the best moments from their latest album ‘Shadows’. It was good to see ‘Mellow Doubt’ restored to the set after recent omissions and ‘What You Do To Me’ also got a rare outing. I wrote in more detail earlier in the year when I saw them play at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

Here are a few random thoughts that came to me on the way home:

• ‘Sweet Days Waiting’ by Gerard Love from latest album ‘Shadows’ is a very pretty and tender song indeed.
• ‘Sometimes I Don’t Need To Believe In Anything’ and ‘Ain’t That Enough’ are two of Gerard’s best songs and almost seem to be musical siblings (if that is possible with songs). Lyrically they are quite similar, both finding solace and comfort in the natural world, looking beyond human relationships, beliefs etc. Heart-warming stuff.
• ‘About You’ is by far Raymond’s best song.
• The regular omitting of ‘Neil Jung’ from their live set is slightly puzzling. The opening 5 songs from ‘Grand Prix’ get played at almost every show. You would think that every now and again ‘Neil Jung’ may feature, especially as it was a single and is such a brilliant track…(I’m biased as it is one of my favourites).
• I love the audience reaction to Norman’s whistling on ‘Mellow Doubt’ and glockenspiel solo on ‘Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From’.
• I wonder when we will next hear a track from ‘Thirteen’ played live? I would love to hear ‘Radio’ or ‘The Cabbage’ again…
• Restoring ‘The Concept’ to the end of the set was a very good move and seems a lot more natural than when it has been previously played mid-set.

Here is tonight’s set list in full:

Start Again

Sometimes I Don’t Need To Believe In Anything

The Past

It’s All In My Mind

Don’t Look Back

Baby Lee

Verisimilitude

Star Sign

I Don’t Want Control Of You

About You

Mellow Doubt

Ain’t That Enough

When I Still Have Thee

I Need Direction

What You Do To Me

Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From

Sparky’s Dream

The Concept

Sweet Days Waiting

Can’t Feel My Soul

Everything Flows

The High Llamas, Arnold's, 03/12/10

The High Llamas played their annual London show last Friday at a new venue near Fleet Street called Arnold’s.

It is a relatively small, downstairs venue with seating at the back and a large standing area by the bar. The stage was in the far corner but was quite small, which looked a bit odd. It is always good to have new small venues in London however (especially after the terrible news that the Luminaire is going to close) and my initial impressions were quite positive. However, during the High Llamas’ set it became obvious that the layout was encouraging people to talk in the seats/at the bar and at times this really impacted on the sound. There were also quite a few instances of people taking ridiculous amounts of photographs/videos during the set which forced me to move position twice. Grrrr….The venue reminded me in some ways of the Spitz (another excellent London live music venue which was forced to close a few years ago).

Anyway, on a more positive note it was the fifth time I was seeing The High Llamas after previous gigs at Dingwalls (2000), the Whitechapel Art Gallery (2007) and the Luminaire (2008 & 2009). I later learned that they had played a show at the Hayward Gallery in 2006. Can’t understand how I missed that one…

Overall, it was a good show. They played a few of my personal favourites (specifically ‘Harper’s Romo’, ‘Triads’ and ‘Three Point Scrabble’) and also played material from most of their albums. As usual tracks from ‘Snowbug’ dominated the set. We didn’t get any tracks from the forthcoming new album (which I was expecting).

I left feeling that it was a slightly unadventurous gig in some ways, largely I think due to the fact that I had heard every song played tonight during a previous show. The set list was almost identical to the shows I saw them play at the Luminaire over the recent years, although it was still a very enjoyable gig.

They played a single track from both ‘Hawaii’ and ‘Gideon Gaye’ and while the songs are undoubted High Llamas classics (‘Nomads’ and ‘Track Goes By’) I sometimes feel it would be nice to hear some others from those brilliant albums. One day I may even get to hear ‘Dressing Up The Old Dakota’ live. ‘Doo-Wop Property’ was also cut from the set, sadly. Before the gig I had posted on the High Llamas web forum asking if the band would be interested in performing any of their albums in full live (as made popular by the excellent All Tomorrow’s Parties organisation). No reply as yet…

One memorable moment from tonight however was when Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab joined the band onstage to sing a lovely version of ‘Cookie Bay’. She looks so different now to what I remember…

The set list was as follows:

Bach Ze

Harper’s Romo

Glide Time

Leaf And Lime

Rollin'

Triads

Three Point Scrabble

Nomads

Go To Montecito

Old Spring Town

Calloway

Cookie Bay

Cove Cutter

Rotary Hop

Track Goes By

Janet Jangle

Sun Beats Down

During the gig Sean mentioned how they hope to play more shows in 2011 in support of the new album and that is excellent news. There is no question that I would still go to see them play whenever they are in London. Maybe it was my excessive High Llamas iPod listening beforehand that contributed to the feeling of over-familiarity. I really must re-instate the rule of not listening to a band on my iPod when I am due to see them play live in the evening…

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Festivall Hall, 24/11/10

I was at the Royal Festival Hall on Wednesday to see the London Philharmonic Orchestra play an all Russian programme conducted by Vasily Petrenko.

The opening piece was Stravinsky’s ‘Scherzo Fantastique’, a brief, fairly restrained piece which I was hearing for the first time. It was quite serene and calm for Stravinsky I thought. Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 was the second piece played. I enjoyed it very much despite the pianist apparently losing his way towards the end (which I read about on the Artsdesk website later). It is quite a moderate, concise concerto but is full of Prokofiev-esque lyricism, turns of phrase and musical motifs.

The final piece was Shostakovich’s magnificent Symphony No. 11, one of my favourite classical pieces. It is such an epic, explosive symphony describing the Russian Revolution of 1905 (which was appropriate in some ways, given that London had witnessed large demonstrations against the government’s proposals on higher education funding during the day). The LPO played it superbly, the melodic themes strong throughout with the brass and percussion on particularly fine form. The second movement was especially dramatic, as was the final fourth movement which features repeated orchestral climaxes. Spine-tingling, powerful music, containing everything a symphony should.

Murcof & Francesco Tristano, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 16/11/10

When I bought my ticket for this concert earlier in the year I had initially thought it was going to be a Murcof solo show. I had always wanted to see him play live after really enjoying his albums. Pianist Francesco Tristano was later added to the bill and the gig was grouped as part of the London Jazz Festival (although probably the least ‘jazz’ of all concerts in the festival). The improvised collaboration that was to follow was quite special.

Before Murcof & Tristano came on stage however we had The Hidden Orchestra in support. They are a five piece from Scotland, comprising cello, violin, keyboards, electronics, bass and (two sets) of drums. They played a set of slow-building, cinematic tracks, containing hints of jazz, modern classical and electronica.

Murcof assumed a position behind his laptop and Tristano was on the other side of stage at the piano. They played a set consisting of three pieces. The first piece started slowly, Murcof creating a still, sonic vacuum into which Tristano dropped isolated piano notes. It was 15 minutes before we saw the emergence of any kind of beat, corresponding with a slight increase in the stage lighting. Tristano soon began intermittently leaning into the piano, producing abstract sounds and muffled knocks. He then started to feed these sounds through a laptop, creating a secondary layer of electronics to complement those already being produced by Murcof. The second piece was where they came closest to occupying a similar musical terrain, the electronic ambience and piano lines merging cohesively. The final piece was the highlight of the set, featuring probing piano chords which gradually developed into an extended, pulsating rhythm which were enveloped in Murcof’s opaque, cosmological soundscapes. By the end of the set these had reached a hypnotic, breathtaking climax.

My Favourite Albums Of 2010

Over the last two months I have gradually compiled a list of my favourite albums of 2010. What started out as an idea to pick my favourite 10 albums quickly grew into a top 30 before finally reaching 50. I could have made room for even more, such was the excellent standard of albums released this year. 

Here are my favourites...

(50) Alasdair Roberts & Friends ‘Too Long In This Condition’

2010 saw Alasdair Roberts consolidate his position as one of the best contemporary folk musicians with ‘Too Long In This Condition’, an accomplished collection of traditional songs delivered in his soft, lilting Scottish accent. He is even better live where his vocals are sound little more skewed and oblique.

(49) Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics ‘Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics’

A collaboration between American jazz musician Lloyd Miller and UK jazz outfit The Heliocentrics. Miller brings his love and vast knowledge of Middle Eastern music to the album but it does not dominate the sound. His role is to add splashes of colour to the jazz rhythms laid down by The Heliocentrics. It is a more discreet album than The Heliocentrics collaboration with Mulatu Astatke from last year, featuring more in the way of subtlety and restraint, but it proves equally as enjoyable. They should have left off the slightly embarrassing spoken word track 'Lloyd's Diatribe' though...

(48) The Besnard Lakes ‘The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night’

2010 was a year in which loud guitar albums took something of a backseat for me personally. However, I did enjoy the third album by The Besnard Lakes – quite epic in scale and featuring some heavy guitar riffs and lovely vocals from husband & wife duo Jace Lasek & Olga Goreas (particularly dreamy on stand out track ‘Albatross’). At times they are reminiscent of Low.

(47) Pausal 'Lapses'

A transporting, slowly evolving album of lush, deep ambient.

(46) Kairos 4tet ‘Kairos Moment’

A vibrant debut album from contemporary jazz ensemble Kairos 4tet, full of lyricism, melody and colour.

(45) Field Music 'Measure'

'Measure' was another intelligent, carefully structured album of effervescent, left-leaning rock from Field Music. The guitar riffs were harder on ‘Measure’ but the album retained the interesting chord progressions and tempo changes of previous albums. I saw them play a gig at the Scala back in March.

(44) Neil Cowley Trio 'Radio Silence'

Another enjoyable album of fluid, expressive modern jazz from the Neil Cowley Trio.

 (43) Midlake ‘The Courage Of Others’

Midlake returned with their third album ‘The Courage Of Others’ and while it may not have reached the heights of 2006’s ‘The Trials Of Van Occupanther’ it still contained some lovely widescreen moments as well as a beautiful consistency of pace. Definitely an album to live with and get to know over time. I saw them play a few tracks from it at Rough Trade East back in February.

 (42) Marconi Union ‘A Lost Connection’

‘A Lost Connection’ was originally released as a download only album in 2008 but got a CD release this year (which is when I discovered it) so I’m going to slightly awkwardly include it in my top albums of 2010 list. It is another beautifully immersive album, coming close to pinpointing the very moment where quiet post-rock meets ambient electronica. I saw them play an excellent set during the daytime at the Union Chapel earlier in the year.

(41) Hauschka ‘Foreign Landscapes’

On ‘Foreign Landscapes’ German musician Volker Bertelmann moves away from his experimentation with prepared pianos and delivers an album that places greater emphasis on string based compositions. The results are just as complex and layered however, and tracks such as ‘Alexanderplatz’ and ‘Snow’ would not sound out of place on an album by The Penguin Café Orchestra.

(40) Woodpigeon 'Die Stadt Musikanten'

I was introduced to Woodpigeon after hearing their track 'Woodpigeon vs. Eagleowl' on one of the Word Magazine compilations. They make infectious indie-guitar-pop full of melodic hooks and glowing boy-girl harmonies. They remind me at different times of Elliott Smith, Iron & Wine and Sufjan Stevens. I saw them play a show at the Union Chapel earlier in May earlier this year.

(39) Richard Skelton ‘Landings’

It is not easy to write about ‘Landings’ partly due to its serious origins (the death of Skelton’s wife in 2004 provides inspiration for much of his music) and partly due to the actual sound being quite difficult to pin down. The album contains a series of interweaving, meditative arrangements for violin, occasionally recalling the bare, intimacy of Arvo Pärt and at other times drifting away into a gentle ambient drone. Brief recordings of the natural world appear occasionally throughout, adding texture to the album and resulting in quite a poignant, involving listen.

(38) Gold Panda 'Lucky Shiner'

An excellent album of heady, illuminating, beat-laden electronica, best demonstrated on the glorious 'India Lately'.

(37) Philip Jeck 'An Ark For The Listener'

Dark, textured soundscapes. Cascading waves of esoteric sound. Abstract sculptures of extraneous noise. Pioneering sound artist Philip Jeck returned with another album containing all of these in abundance.

(36) Caribou ‘Swim’

An enjoyable album of beatific, detailed electronica. Dan Snaith’s vocals float over the album while synths and beats ricochet around underneath. I imagine it sounds just as good in a club as it does on headphones. One of those albums that encourages you to look deeper inside, revealing new discoveries on each listen.

(35) Pantha Du Prince 'Black Noise'

An album of warm, involving electronica coated by a sheen of clicks, glitches and crisp beats. Noah Lennox from Animal Collective/Panda Bear provides vocals on ‘Stick To My Side’. Excellent.

(34) Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal 'Chamber Music'

A beautiful album of intricate musical interplay between Malian kora virtuoso Ballake Sissoko and French cellist Vincent Segal. 'Chamber Music' sounded irresistibly fresh and slowly revealed its melodies over the course of the album, the unusual combination of kora and cello working perfectly. I heard the album on the excellent Late Junction programme on BBC Radio 3.

(33) Greg Haines ‘Until The Point Of Hushed Support’

A collection of wintery, plaintive modern classical pieces which deserve to sit alongside contemporary composers such as Arvo Pärt, Peteris Vasks & Andrzej Panufnik.

(32) Food 'Quiet Inlet'

An excellent album of sparse, spectral experimental post-jazz from Scandinavia.

(31) Goldmund 'Famous Places'

Another album of beautiful, poignant solo piano vignettes from Keith Kenniff under his Goldmund guise. As with his previous releases ‘Famous Places’ contained a real purity of sound.

(30) Alva Noto 'For 2'

‘For 2’ is a collection of Alva Noto’s music from 2003-2008 with each track being dedicated to a particular person. A series of frozen, sonic micro-landscapes, with some glitch detailing. ‘Argonaut’ was my favourite track.

(29) Loscil 'Endless Falls'

Another excellent album by Scott Morgan (aka Loscil). The album opens to the sound of rainfall and gradually drifts off into a calm sea of ambient sound. The final track featuring spoken word for the first time works really well (which I don’t usually find to be the case on these albums). Lovely.

(28) Walls 'Walls'

An elliptical, woozy amalgam of electronica, guitar and ambient effects.

(27) Holy Fuck ‘Latin’

A heady, visceral album of guitar-heavy electronica and intense percussion. ‘Latin America’ was one of my favourite tracks of the year.

(26) Marcus Fjellström ‘Schattenspieler’

Marcus Fjellström’s first release on the excellent Miasmah label was a darkly atmospheric synthesis of modern classical and nocturnal ambient. 

(25) Funki Porcini 'On'

An excellent album of disparate, cut-and-paste, leftfield electronica with subtle trip-hop/jazz inflections.

(24) Celer 'Engaged Touches'

I have listened to a lot of ambient albums this year but few elicited the emotional response that ‘Engaged Touches’ by Celer did. At times it was almost symphonic in sound and, although entirely instrumental, you can sense that a story was being told. It was made even more moving by the inclusion of occasional found-sounds and field recordings. Ambient music, but with a heart.

(23) Brian Eno ‘Small Craft On A Milk Sea’

Those albums released later in the year don’t always get the place in end of year lists they fully deserve and I suspect this may apply to ‘Small Craft On A Milk Sea’. It is an album of contrasts, opening with some pristine ambient pieces before harsher, jarring textures take over. This may possibly be the influence of Jon Hopkins (I saw him play a pretty brutal, uncompromising set at Kings Place earlier in the year). As with other great instrumental albums released this year, there is a kind of musical narrative going on. Moments of stillness and calm return later on and by the album’s end any tension of the middle section has been resolved.

(22) ISAN 'Glow In The Dark Safari Set'

I have really enjoyed the last few albums by British duo ISAN and 'Glow In The Dark Safari Set' sees them deliver another serene album of oscillating, bubbling electronica. At times they come close to matching the melodic brilliance of early Boards Of Canada and also periodically recall 1990s Warp act Plone.

(21) Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate ‘Ali & Toumani’

Released posthumously after the death of Ali Farka Toure in 2006, ‘Ali & Toumani’ continued where 2005’s ‘In The Heart Of The Moon’ left off. Lilting guitar and dazzling kora combine to spellbinding effect, best shown on ‘Sabu Yerkoy’. Really beautiful, joyous music.

(20) Ametsub 'The Nothings Of The North'

Ametsub (an anonymous Japanese electronica artist) released possibly the best electronica album of 2010 in my opinion. Opening track 'Solitude' contains hints of Boards Of Canada and the rest of the album is equally as good - nuanced glitch melodies aligned with layered atmospherics. 'Faint Dazzlings' is particularly absorbing (one of many tracks introduced me by Stuart Maconie on his excellent Freakzone programme on BBC 6 Music).

(19) Barn Owl 'Ancestral Star'

'Ancestral Star' was a brilliant album of arid, smouldering electric guitar. For me, it almost represented a new kind of post-rock, or avant-Americana even, evoking the sounds and atmospheres of a barren, scorched landscape. Closing track 'Light From The Mesa' was a highlight, a perfect exercise in controlled tension.

(18) Nina Nastasia 'Outlaster'

2010 saw American singer-guitarist and John Peel favourite Nina Nastasia return with a long overdue new album, 'Outlaster'. The barren, lo-fi arrangements of previous albums remained in place but now sound reinvigorated and warmer, with strings featuring more prominently in her sound.

(17) Amiina 'Puzzles'

Another organic, miniature acoustic tapestry of an album from Icelandic quartet Amiina. Their second full length album differed to previous albums & EPs in that it featured vocals on several tracks (which made them sound like fellow countrymen Múm). I do prefer their purely instrumental music but 'Puzzles' still contained more than enough moments of delicate, star-lit beauty to justify inclusion in my top 50.

(16) Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra 'Kollaps Tradixionales'

A beautifully ragged, incendiary album of post-apocalyptic-rock. 'Kollaps Tradixionales' had some brilliant moments of escalating tension and Efrim Menuck's cracked, raw vocals added real emotion to the music. The album also had some brilliant track names - ‘I Built Myself A Metal Bird’ is followed by ‘I Fed My Metal Bird The Wings Of Other Metal Birds’. I saw them play a great show at the Electric Ballroom in Camden in March.

(15) Beach House 'Teen Dream'

‘Teen Dream’ saw Beach House perfect their shimmering, dreamy alternative guitar pop. Victoria Legrand’s distinctively ethereal vocals were complemented by hazy guitars and keyboards and made me think of late period Cocteau Twins at times (a very good thing indeed).

(14) Joanna Newsom 'Have One On Me'

Exquisite, arch, beautiful, fluttering, cryptic, Joanna Newsom’s triple album was all of these and more. In some ways I still don’t think I have fully got to know the album such is the scope and ambition. I still hear new things each time I listen…

(13) Ólafur Arnalds '...And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness'

An engaging collection of piano and strings led modern classical from Ólafur Arnalds but what sets it apart is his use of drums which animate the album, occasionally positioning it closer to post-rock outfits such as Explosions In The Sky. The use of horns on last track recalls fellow Icelandic countrymen Sigur Rós.

(12) Sufjan Stevens 'The Age Of Adz'

I don’t think 'The Age Of Adz' was as radical a departure as we had been led to believe in the press leading up to its release. The album still showcases Sufjan’s love of complex arrangements, albeit this time augmented by a more electronic, experimental, glitch aesthetic. However, the orchestral flourishes remain as do the melodies and harmonies as well as arguably his biggest strength, his voice.

(11) Tindersticks 'Falling Down A Mountain'

'Falling Down A Mountain' saw Tindersticks continue to move in a more soulful direction, allowing chinks of light to fall on their crepuscular sound. I think it is probably their best album since 2000's 'Simple Pleasure' and it contained some of their most accessible moments to date. ‘Harmony Around My Table’ featured some of Stuart Staples best lyrics & vocals for many years. I saw them play two great shows in both London (at the Shepherd's Bush Empire) and Paris (at Le Bataclan) in support of the album.

(10) Flying Lotus 'Cosmogramma'

Another impressive album of pioneering, sample & effects laden, psychedelic electro-dub by Steven Ellison (a.k.a Flying Lotus). Distorted basslines, disarmingly beautiful vocals, submerged electronic melodies and scattershot beats all featured. ‘Cosmogramma’ possessed a dizzying variety of sounds but everything still sat together cohesively.

(9) Emeralds 'Does It Look Like I'm Here?'

Stretches of astral ambience sat alongside tunnelling, psychedelic synths on Emerald's first full length album. At times it sounded like a heavier Tangerine Dream, rebooted and relaunched for the twenty first century. Excellent.

(8) The Flashbulb 'Arboreal'

A fantastic plurality of styles and sounds were showcased on the excellent ninth(!) album by The Flashbulb (a pseudonym used by American musician Benn Jordan). Even after repeated listens it is an album that proves difficult to classify - a sort of downtempo, progressive electronica featuring layers of guitar, rapturous beats and fragments of melody. Stand out track 'Dreaming Renewal' possessed a beautiful vocal melody and even finished with a lovely piano jazz flourish. A perfect soundtrack to an imaginary late night journey.

(7) Phosphorescent 'Here's To Taking It Easy'

I came to this album fairly late in the year but soon knew it would be high on my end of year list. A really enjoyable, beautiful album of sun-kissed Americana, full of warm harmonies, radiant guitars & great storytelling vocals. I think there is something wonderfully evocative about lyrics on alt-country albums that reference places in America and Alabama, Los Angeles & New York all get a mention here. The album has an overridingly positive mood to it, almost as if bathed in sunlight, and as the title suggests a relaxed feel permeates the album.

(6) Jaga Jazzist 'One Armed Bandit'

An album of superlative, skyscraping, avant-electro-jazz from Norway. Imagine amplified, turbo-charged versions of some of Steve Reich’s minimalist compositions dominated by over-arching horns, dynamic beats and searing guitars.

(5) Max Richter 'Infra'

Another year, another excellent Max Richter album featuring in my end of year list. ‘Infra’ featured ruminative piano arrangements alongside elegiac strings and electronics, periodically broken up with the sound of shortwave radio static. It was released during summer but seemed to have a distinct wintery feel to it. As the year progressed I found the colder weather and darker nights provided a more suitable backdrop to the listening experience. Lovely.

(4) These New Puritans 'Hidden'

These New Puritans' second album was an ambitious melding of classical instrumentation, primal rhythms and stark percussion. The sound of knives being sharpened on several tracks added a darker, slightly menacing feel. However, brief woodwind passages adorn the album and cast light on it, as does the presence of a choir on some tracks. 'Hidden' can sound quite confrontational at times but remains hugely listenable throughout as seen on tracks such as 'Hologram' and 'White Chords'. A really intelligent, forward-thinking album.

(3) Jóhann Jóhannsson 'And In The Endless Pause Came The Sound Of Bees'

Another excellent album from Icelandic player-composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. Strings, piano, electronics and brief choral interludes establish themes which are propagated and re-presented over the course of the album. The result is a characteristically cinematic and beautiful soundtrack, full of light and shade. I think it had my favourite cover artwork of the year also. I saw him play a show at St-Giles-in-the-Fields in May.

(2) Teenage Fanclub 'Shadows'

Anyone who has read my blog or my Twitter timeline probably will be aware of how much I love Teenage Fanclub so the release of a new album is always an exciting moment. 'Shadows' contains all you would expect from a new Teenage Fanclub album - brilliant songs full of chiming electric guitars, impeccable melodies and rich vocal harmonies. I saw them for I think the 13th time at Shepherd's Bush Empire in June.

 












I think 'Shadows' is probably their best album since 1997's 'Songs From Northern Britain' and includes several tracks which would comfortably feature in any playlist of their best material. As usual Norman Blake and Gerry Love provide most of the album's highlights - 'Sometimes I Don't Need To Believe In Anything', 'Baby Lee' and 'When I Still Have Thee' all stand out - but Raymond McGinley's tracks are the strongest he has delivered for many years ('The Past' is particularly good). 'Dark Clouds' is another beautiful track, helped by backing vocals from ex-Gorky's Zygotic Mynci frontman Euros Childs (foreshadowing the arrival of Jonny, the collaboration between himself and Norman Blake). In some ways it is a surprise how it did not claim top position in my list, which leads me nicely on to.........

(1) Laura Veirs 'July Flame'

A beautiful, mellifluent collection of pretty indie-folk-guitar songs. An air of wistful melancholy drifts through most of the album, best demonstrated on tracks like ‘I Can See Your Tracks’ and ‘Little Deschutes'. The unbridled, sunny optimism of ‘Summer Is The Champion’ provides some optimism. I saw her play a great show at the Camden Jazz Cafe in August. 'July Flame' was a really intimate, affecting album that rewarded repeat listens and is the album I have returned to most throughout the year. I have loved it from the first listen and it is fully deserving of the number one spot.