Albums
You Say Party! We Say Die! - Lose All Time
What starts as a Groundhog Day of competent but prosaic indie punk takes a few interesting turns too far down the tracklisting and then unexpectedly ends with a hidden fifteen-minute soundscape.
Justice - † (Ed Banger)
It was only a matter of time before someone in France did what LCD Soundsystem have been doing in New York - flip a bunch of different influences into a mutant and very modern form of dancefloor-destroying party music.
Von Südenfed - Tromatic Reflexxions (Domino)
A collaboration album between The Fall’s caustic frontman Mark E.
DJ Kentaro - Enter (Ninja Tune)
Superbly skilled Japanese producer whose early tracks and mixes suggested he might steal DJ Krush’s crown - but he hasn’t delivered with his debut album.
Various Artists - Mute Audio Documents (Mute)
One of them whopper box sets (four double CDs) that you can’t digest quickly but rewards handsomely if nibbled at over time.
Holly Golightly & The Broke Offs - You Can’t Buy A Gun When You’re Crying (Damaged Goods)
More of a duet record than queen of British rock’n’soul Holly Golightly fronting a band, because The Broke Offs is in fact just Texan singer-songwriter Lawyer Dave.
Kings of Leon - Because of The Times (Columbia)
A grand move forward into a stadium rock sound by this still super young family band from Tennessee and a largely successful one, mostly because the balance across the record is perfect: the songs are big, but the production is raw and simple.
Electronicat - Chez Toi (Disko B)
Electroclash may be as accepted these days as hanging out near children with a zoom lens, but France’s Electronicat doesn’t care: seven albums in and he’s still got that 2002 sound. Sort of.
