skinnywhiteboy

Rounder Records have released thier Top 40 for 2007. Bit early, but never mind it's an interesting list...

1. OF MONTREAL - "Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?"
2. JUSTICE - "Cross"
3. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM - "Sound Of Silver"
4. CHROMEO- "Fancy Footwork"
5. KLAXONS - "Myths Of The Near Future"
6. DIGITALISM - "Idealism"
7. MAPS - "We Can Create"
8. INTERPOL - "Our Love To Admire"
9. SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO - "Attack Decay Sustain Release"
10. RUMBLESTRIPS - "Girls And Weather"
11. THE WHITE STRIPES - "Icky Thump"
12. PANDA BEAR - "Person Pitch"
13. JOAKIM - "Monsters And Silly Songs"
14. JAMIE T - "Panic Prevention"
15. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - "We Are The Night"
16. GRUFF RHYS - "Candylion"
17. THURSTON MOORE - "Trees Outside The Academy"
18. GOOD SHOES - "Think Before You Speak"
19. THE MACCABEES - Colour It In"
20. DEVENDRA BANHART - "Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon"
21. THE ARCADE FIRE - "Neon Bible"
22. EDWYN COLLINS - "Home Again"
23. LES SAVY FAV - "Let's Stay Friends"
24. CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH! - "Some Loud Thunder"
25. GRINDERMAN - "Grinderman"
26. MIRACLE FORTRESS - "Five Roses"
27. QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - "Era Vulgaris"
28. WEEN - "La Cucaracha"
29. THE SHINS - "Wincing The Night Away"
30. COMMON - "Finding Forever"
31. LIARS - "Liars"
32. PRINZORN DANCE SCHOOL - "Prinzhorn Dance School"
33. JENS LEKMAN - "Night Falls Over Kortedala"
34. BOXCUTTER - "Glyphic"
35. JEFFREY LEWIS - "12 Crass Songs"
36. LINDSTROM & PRINS THOMAS - "Re-interpretations"
37. ARCTIC MONKEYS - "Favourite Worst Nightmare"
38. PJ HARVEY - "White Chalk"
39. "The Good, The Bad And The Queen"
40. THE TWILIGHT SAD - "Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters"

Come to a talk tomorrow night

Finally found some tickets for a reformed my bloody valentine yesterday. I didn't even know they were playing - and by the time me and Tottenham looked it appeared to have sold out in 10 minutes. But after a couple of hours chasing and searching I got 3 from the Roundhouse even though it said there were no tickets on the website. So if you've given up - don't!

Now only 7 months to wait. Mmmmmm, Fender Jaguars.

Bets are on for who's next to reform. Husker Du, anyone?

The long haired lover from LA was great last night. I mean Devendra Banhart, playing at St George's Church in Kemptown, to a souled (sold) out crowd. The fluffy furry indie and folk kids had been tempted away from their poetry readings to see the freak rock group play one of only two UK dates.

I missed the support act, Laura Marling, but arrived in time for Banhart and his group of uniformly bearded and bootcut male Californians to take the stage. Small nesting birds in the hair, armadillos down the trousers - you know the type. Likely heroin addicts is another description.

They started fairly low key, Spanish guitars, the 'old' Banhart in evidence. Folk, in other words. But as the new material kicked in other influences appeared, and not all good. The Eagles were definitely in evidence - as well as The Doors and I'm afraid to say shades of the Southern Rock That Shall Not Speak Its Name (Lynyrd Skynyrd).

At times - especially the fairly lame 'Shabop Shalom' and 'The Suitcase' - I was wondering whether the 'new' Banhart offered anything that the 70s didn't do. But what rescued it was his voice - what a voice. 'Seahorse' from the new album 'Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon' lifted the roof off. Banhart writhing and wriggling, pointing and conducting himself like the bastard love child of Vashti Bunyan, Iggy Pop and Russell Brand. Twin Les Pauls, rich valve tones, Hammond...high, happy and free, as the song says.

He was confident enough to hold a brief open mic session - filled by a local bloke singing about pretending to be a tailor. It was bland stuff, but allowed the band to refuel on red wine and fitted with the 'happening' vibe Banhart wanted to create.

Finally, shirt open, the showman had fully emerged, and treated us to 'Long-haired Child' and a soaring 'Freely'. I'd go again.

Went to see the Animal Collective on Monday with my friends The Wild Boar, The Honey Buzzard and The Brighton Red. After an excruciatingly art school performance by super pseuds Islaja, the collective blew the place apart. If you thought they were going soft with new album Strawberry Jam (I did) then go seem them live.

They have amps that go to 11. They are not afraid of noise, and lots of it. Peace Bone became a hard-core riot, rather than a jaunty pop tune (I mean by their standards, not Britney's). The Geologist looks like Silent Bob/Kevin Smith with a headlamp. Avery Tare comes on like Ad-Rock, but is a better screamer. Panda Bear's a sort of Steve Malkmus who needs vocal coaching.

The neo-Classical setting of St George's Church did no harm - the acoustics were great, although I got a sore neck from leaning over the balcony. Or was it the head banging?