Our top fifty albums of the past year continues in this penultimate post. We'll wrap this up tomorrow.
Links to the other parts: 50-31 // 30-21 // 20-11 // 10-1
Showing posts with label Kieran Toms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kieran Toms. Show all posts
on Friday, January 06, 2012
Words: Saam Das
Some magazines did their albums of the year list back in November. Albums of the past 11 months, more like. We've decided to take our time, while aiming to be equally comprehensive in the manner of our poll - I asked the FG team for their list of albums of the year and the resulting posts exhibit democracy in action. Further parts are due shortly.
Some magazines did their albums of the year list back in November. Albums of the past 11 months, more like. We've decided to take our time, while aiming to be equally comprehensive in the manner of our poll - I asked the FG team for their list of albums of the year and the resulting posts exhibit democracy in action. Further parts are due shortly.
on Saturday, October 01, 2011
PJ Harvey - 'iTunes Session' (UK Release: 9 Sept '11) // Words: Kieran Toms
This set of PJ Harvey songs is mainly just PJ Harvey doing what she does best which is make lovely, atmospheric, slightly mysterious music. Perhaps there’s a little bit more swagger, with the live spontaneity, but these are pretty faithful interpretations. The differences are subtle, and perhaps most appeal to the loyal PJ Harvey fan rather than a casual listener. Though PJ Harvey is good, so perhaps most casual listeners will soon become fans.
This set of PJ Harvey songs is mainly just PJ Harvey doing what she does best which is make lovely, atmospheric, slightly mysterious music. Perhaps there’s a little bit more swagger, with the live spontaneity, but these are pretty faithful interpretations. The differences are subtle, and perhaps most appeal to the loyal PJ Harvey fan rather than a casual listener. Though PJ Harvey is good, so perhaps most casual listeners will soon become fans.
on Monday, September 05, 2011
Words: Kieran Toms
Professor Penguin come from South London, and are one of the many excellent bands that happen to begin with P who I recently saw at Leefest (the others being Pengilly’s and Public Service Broadcasting in case you were wondering). I’ve no particular opinion on the letter P, it just turned out they were all good bands.
Professor Penguin come from South London, and are one of the many excellent bands that happen to begin with P who I recently saw at Leefest (the others being Pengilly’s and Public Service Broadcasting in case you were wondering). I’ve no particular opinion on the letter P, it just turned out they were all good bands.
on Friday, August 19, 2011
Leefest (12-13 August '11, Highams Hill Farm) // Words: Kieran Toms
I think if you watched the news a lot last week then you might have decided that humanity was doing badly, with all the riots and financial crises. You could have been forgiven for thinking that we were, or are, all doomed or something. Which is maybe a roundabout way of saying that it was lovely to escape to Leefest, which was just a short bus ride from Bromley High Street in South East London, but felt miles from anything negative.
I think if you watched the news a lot last week then you might have decided that humanity was doing badly, with all the riots and financial crises. You could have been forgiven for thinking that we were, or are, all doomed or something. Which is maybe a roundabout way of saying that it was lovely to escape to Leefest, which was just a short bus ride from Bromley High Street in South East London, but felt miles from anything negative.
on Saturday, August 06, 2011
Supernormal Festival (19-21 August '11) // Words: Kieran Toms
It’s not easy to do something that is completely out of the ordinary, yet on your own terms, particularly when creating a festival, where the choosing of bands is often influenced more by financial concerns than artistic integrity. Yet Supernormal Festival seems to have done it.
It’s not easy to do something that is completely out of the ordinary, yet on your own terms, particularly when creating a festival, where the choosing of bands is often influenced more by financial concerns than artistic integrity. Yet Supernormal Festival seems to have done it.
on Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Words: Kieran Toms
I'm leaving Saam to write a more comprehensive festival review (much like I did for Glastonbury 2010) but I've compiled a few of my Glastonbury 2011 highlights - namely the "secret" Radiohead and Pulp sets, as well as the bizarre Rabbit Hole experience.
I'm leaving Saam to write a more comprehensive festival review (much like I did for Glastonbury 2010) but I've compiled a few of my Glastonbury 2011 highlights - namely the "secret" Radiohead and Pulp sets, as well as the bizarre Rabbit Hole experience.
on Monday, June 13, 2011
Pengilly's - Toby's Hill EP // Words: Kieran Toms
"I came to realise how porous I was, breathing the fumes from a car’s exhaust." Amidst eerie, ethereal harmonies, 'Toby’s Hill' (both the EP name and that of the opening track) opens with lyrics of stark sadness. The EP continues the impressive work laid by previous single, 'Ode VIII', which we featured in my Surfacing feature back in January.
"I came to realise how porous I was, breathing the fumes from a car’s exhaust." Amidst eerie, ethereal harmonies, 'Toby’s Hill' (both the EP name and that of the opening track) opens with lyrics of stark sadness. The EP continues the impressive work laid by previous single, 'Ode VIII', which we featured in my Surfacing feature back in January.
on Saturday, January 01, 2011
Words: Saam Das // Photo: sonewfangled
Happy new year everyone! Thanks for sticking with us through 2010. It's been a year of ups and downs and my own personal motto for 2011 is to "whip it real good". I suggest you do the same. On the FG front, we've expanded greatly in terms of writers but I hope you consider them as part of one big family rather than simply mercenaries for hire. A few new faces may also emerge in 2011 contributing quality writing, which will help me and the other writers raise our games.
We're also prepping a redesign and may even be starting a record label in the near future. For real. In the meantime though, here's a collected list (in alphabetical order) of our favourite albums of 2010. If you're too lazy to read through them, then the FADED GLAMOUR album of the year is Jónsi's debut 'Go'. I hope you approve.
Happy new year everyone! Thanks for sticking with us through 2010. It's been a year of ups and downs and my own personal motto for 2011 is to "whip it real good". I suggest you do the same. On the FG front, we've expanded greatly in terms of writers but I hope you consider them as part of one big family rather than simply mercenaries for hire. A few new faces may also emerge in 2011 contributing quality writing, which will help me and the other writers raise our games.
We're also prepping a redesign and may even be starting a record label in the near future. For real. In the meantime though, here's a collected list (in alphabetical order) of our favourite albums of 2010. If you're too lazy to read through them, then the FADED GLAMOUR album of the year is Jónsi's debut 'Go'. I hope you approve.
on Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Words: Kieran Toms
LCD Soundsystem - 'London Sessions' (Release: 9 Nov '10)
These sessions were recorded "live" this summer in South London, just after James Murphy and his gang played Glastonbury. Apparently, until this collection they have not tended to do sessions, in order “to maintain the highest quality of all sonic recordings”. On this showing, such a policy seems a shame as this is a great listen.
LCD Soundsystem - 'London Sessions' (Release: 9 Nov '10)
These sessions were recorded "live" this summer in South London, just after James Murphy and his gang played Glastonbury. Apparently, until this collection they have not tended to do sessions, in order “to maintain the highest quality of all sonic recordings”. On this showing, such a policy seems a shame as this is a great listen.
on Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Words: Kieran Toms
Festival: Offset 2010 (4th-5th September 2010)
Considering Offset is a festival made up largely of hipsterer-than-thou types from hipsterer-than-thou Hoxton, it’s actually got a pretty good atmosphere. Although everyone’s obviously put a lot of thought into making sure they look a different shade of alternative, there is obviously a passion for all sorts of music there, which means that even the stranger sounding bands, of which there are quite a few, attract decent and appreciative crowds.
Festival: Offset 2010 (4th-5th September 2010)
Considering Offset is a festival made up largely of hipsterer-than-thou types from hipsterer-than-thou Hoxton, it’s actually got a pretty good atmosphere. Although everyone’s obviously put a lot of thought into making sure they look a different shade of alternative, there is obviously a passion for all sorts of music there, which means that even the stranger sounding bands, of which there are quite a few, attract decent and appreciative crowds.
on Saturday, June 12, 2010
Live: LCD Soundsystem at Bataclan, Paris (09/05/10) // Words: Kieran Toms
The dynamics of a French show are different. Despite getting in very late indeed my friend and I passed through the crowd with ease and ended up very close to the stage. In Britain standing in front of the stage would lead to a sort of wrestling match as you struggle to hold your position amidst the crush. But here there is room to move and, importantly, dance.
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