What a year it has been for the Arcade Fire. First their debut album goes on to become the most talked about release of 2005, then they re-release their ‘Us Kids Know’ EP that bolsters an already indefatigable momentum. Add in some pretty spectacular live shows (the Electric Picnic in mid Ireland was one such) and you can’t help but feel that their hands are full to build on the promise when their new album appears next year. It thus seems entirely appropriate to end their year with one of the brighter moments from the aforementioned EP. ‘Headlights Look Like Diamonds’ possesses all the integral Arcade Fire qualities, quirkiness abounds as a bass blows freely alongside a fluffy guitar riff. Wim and Regine cast their vocals about like falling apples and the music appropriates itself to harness the basket of charms dispelled. With the Arcade Fire there are no rules, a song may begin like a lullaby but could conceivably end up sounding like a fading Katrine. Despite the unevenness the constituent divergences consistently prove the old adage that opposites attract. The world is theirs, how they decide to make it a better place will one of the thrills of 2006. KD

The Arcade Fire - Headlights Look Like Diamonds

Album: The Arcade Fire EP (aka 'Us Kids Know')
Year: 2003
Buy: Arcade Fire EP

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This is as indispensable as the La’s ‘There She Goes’. Only God knows how it has slipped beneath the radar. Everything is in the right place, the chiming guitars are ubiquitous, Guy Chadwick’s voice is velvet soft and the lyrics are lovelorn enough to have 2005’s sorry number one balladeer back in the trenches. But, that was to be the House Of Love’s lot, no matter how many pristine classics they produced the world just shrugged its shoulders and tuned into Right Said Fred. Perhaps the music was just too sexy for the time, and maybe an army of bloggers could have made a difference by extolling its virtues. If this had been the case then daytime radio could rightly be awash with ‘The Girl With The Loneliest Eyes’, ‘Crush Me’, ‘Shake & Crawl’ and ‘The Beatles & The Stones’. The House of Love have just reformed so perhaps faith could yet shine on them. KD

The House Of Love - Feel

Album: Babe Rainbow
Year: 1992
Buy: Babe Rainbow

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Ian Brown may have carved out a moderately successful solo career, Mani may have bolstered an already fine band, John Squire has certainly tarnished his rep and Reni may have disappeared off the face of the earth but all four have little to worry about as their band, The Stone Roses will revered for as long as music is played. The reason is quite simple; their eponymous debut is a perfect example of how a debut album should sound. Over 11 tracks the band arched and looped, swooped and conspired to create a diverse and melodious ramble that is undiminished with the passage of time and repeated listens. The more celebrated tunes can be heard up and down the land on any given weekend but the album has such lofty ambitions that cuts like 'Bye Bye Badman' are nothing less than thrilling. The song initially seeps from the speakers through an abandoned riff that is quickly joined by Brown's refined vocals. As the shifts in tempo are repeatedly introduced and retracted Squires guitar parts reflect Byrdsian nods. Brown delivers a particularly impressive vocal, displaying an elasticity of range that was sadly non-existent during the bands live shows. Wren provides the beats that only a man with 3 arms could aspire to achieving. And it's all over before you can ingest the full extent of the imaginations at work. Let's hope the reunion rumours prove false. KD

The Stone Roses - Bye Bye Badman

Here's a bit of fun for the season that's in it. Imagine Art Garfunkel sitting in midway through the first side of the Stone Roses debut album. You'd think it'd be a mess, what with King Monkey giving it the old Amateur stamp of disapproval. Well against all the odds this mashup is classy enough to be served at any dinner table on New Years Day.

The Stone Roses Vs Simon & Garfunkel - April Waterfall

Album: The Stone Roses
Year: 1989
Buy: The Stone Roses

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Don’t despair Delgados fans, Stars are here to provide plenty of solace. Every inch a doppelganger for the recently departed Scots, Stars have mastered the art of the boy/girl vocal interplay and by the look of their second lp ‘Set Yourself On Fire’ they are not scared to throw in the odd lush string. ‘Ageless Beauty’ is as ethereal as a Cocteau Twins tune played at 78rpm, Amy Millan does her best to sound as fragile as possible amid the volcanic guitar eruptions all around her. Her precious utterings gel seamlessly with instruments that bandy about with all the joy of a freshly dechrysalised red admiral on a summers morn. Yet another affirmation of Canada’s swaggering music industry which made it 2005 most precious source for engaging artists. KD

Stars - Ageless Beauty

Album: Set Yourself On Fire
Year: 2005
Buy: Set Yourself on Fire

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With the backing of U2’s Mother Records and the legendary Steve Lillywhite sitting in on production duties Engine Alley’s debut album was always going to be an interesting affair (Kirsty MacColl guest vocalled). And so it proved when an eclectic sound emerged that balanced the traditional elements of Irish music with a glamtastic ear for quirky melody. The band sported a showy frontman in Canice Kenealy and Emmaline Duffy-Fallon was perhaps the cutest drummer in the history of pop. But sadly despite the crucial factors being in place success never knocked on the bands door outside of their native land. ‘In A Different Kind Of Way’ is taken from one of the bands early releases the ‘Flowerbox EP’ and includes the essential kooky traits. Canice’s vocals engage in their usual flights of fancy while the music loops and soars unevenly in the background like a golden carriage rolling over cobblestones. Add in the immortal line ‘Overdose on alcohol’ and you have a student anthem in waiting, in cold storage you might say for a savvy Ents officer to give it the platform deserves. KD

Engine Alley - In A Different Kind Of Way

Album: Flowerbox EP
Year: 1991
Buy: Engine Alley

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Definitely the hero of the hour from an album of dead ducks ‘Surface To Air’ recalls a time when the Chemical Brothers could satisfy fans of both the indie and dance persuasions. Nothing is forced, the electronic gulping bubbles amiably until a calm precise riff takes you on a fantastical tour. Juddering implosions, robotic interjections and hissing valves fail to detract from the underlying rumble that is as irresistible as a family of Koala bears. It all stems from a steady riff that is gradually augmented by all manner of electronic devices known to the duo. ‘Surface To Air’ proves that the brothers can still work it out and that their predicted exit to planet dust may prove to be a tad premature. KD

The Chemical Brothers - Surface To Air

Album: Push The Button
Year: 2005
Buy: Push the Button

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If you like Christmas music then you'll love the mp3hugger curated Christmas compilation 'An Indiecater Christmas', you can buy it here!

As ever Mike Batt excelled himself in bringing the soundtrack to these children's characters to life. The clunky guitars aside it's hard to believe the song is 30 years old such is its vibrancy. Kudos must go to a wonderful chorus that Brian Wilson himself would have been proud of and then there is the effortless panache in the way the song is delivered. Add in a trumpet or two and lyrics as openly joyful as ‘Under the ground there is the sound of a symphony, The lights are low, the fire is bright, Wombling through, I'll tune into you, you tune into me’ and you’ll have everything you need to waltz merrily through the season of goodwill. KD

The Wombles - Wombling Merry Christmas

Album: The Very Best Of The Wombles
Year: 2005
Buy: The Very Best of the Wombles

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If you like Christmas music then you'll love the mp3hugger curated Christmas compilation 'An Indiecater Christmas', you can buy it here!

Ready for a twinkle twinkle little star kind of song? You could almost bet your house on Teenage Fanclub coming up with the goods on their ode to Christmas. I can think of nothing more perfect than a delicate blend of shimmering riffs and honeyed vocals at this time of year. 'Christmas Eve' is a slight departure for the Glaswegians in that it relies on a flickering chord change rather than a rush of vocals to convey the message. This is as timid and adorable as a child creeping down the stairs at 4am to check if the big man has come up with the goods. The only disappointment is that it seems to end about a minute too early, with the wholesome singing appearing at fade out you feel this particular avenue could have been developed further. But this is only a minor quibble because when 'Christmas Eve' spins nothing will stir, not even a mouse. KD

Teenage Fanclub - Christmas Eve

Album: It's A Cool Cool Christmas
Year: 2000

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You can now buy this song on our 2008 Christmas compilation called 'An Indiecater Christmas' here!

There’s no doubting the copious amounts of aural tinsel that December brings. Venture into any shop and suddenly you’re guest of honour at the most happening elf party in town. Kinda hard to be critical, however, as most of us develop an extra spring in our step once the seasonal bells and whistles start to invade our world. For those at breaking point, however, there is refuge in the form of the slow-core Californians Idaho who have created an anti-Christmas anthem in the guise of a lullaby. Jeff Martin’s voice is coarse yet alluring and the instrumentation is so lo-fi you’d imagine Iron & Wine had lent a hand. Leave this aside for the moment you feel like crashing into Chris Rea on his endless journey back to the black country. KD

Idaho - Santa Claus Is Weird

Album: Levitate
Year: 2001
Buy: Levitate

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With this blog about to go all misty eyed and festive for the next week or so here’s your last chance to grab something fresh and exciting from the Emerald Isle. Yep, there is a definite stirring in the water over here as a new crop of bands like Michael Knight, Pugwash and God Is An Astronaut lead the way in what should be a bright new beginning. Post-Rock has its fair share of champions in Ireland like 66e and the Red Neck Manifesto but neither has quite seized the initiative as imaginatively as God Is An Astronaut. Their second album ‘All Is Violent, All Is Bright’ runs the gambit of post-rock pioneers Sigur Ros, Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky and leaks an ingenious feed from Sonic Youth glorious chord ramblings. ‘Forever Lost’ is a good taster of their talent with its piano led atmospherics segueing into a circular menu of chiming guitars. There is no need for vocal intrusion when soundscapes this enveloping are capable of freeing your imagination quite readily on their own. Watch them soar. KD

God Is An Astronaut - Forever Lost

Album: All Is Violent, All Is Bright
Year: 2004
Buy: All Is Violent, All Is Bright

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While the idea of country music would likely turn most peoples stomachs it's amazing how many of today’s top groups have worked the strain into their output. One need not look further than Wilco, The Dandy Warhols and Ryan Adams to appreciate that the much maligned form has its uses. Beechwood Sparks are of a similar ilk; they may be a cohesive pop group yet there is an undertow that just begs to watch the western sun go down. The poppier elements were always going to boosted anyway when you have a member of the Lily’s (‘A Nanny In Manhattan’ coming soon) sitting in on drums. ‘Confusion Is Nothing New’ breezes into town full of trippy guitar reflections. Then, without notice it develops into a modern day Byrds creation when the pulse quickens and the jaunty playing harbours notions of reinventing the summer of love. This is classic pop that’s raises the hairs on your neck and then makes them sway in unison to the jingle jangle on offer. KD

Beachwood Sparks - Confusion Is Nothing New

Album: Once We Were Trees
Year: 2001
Buy: Once We Were Trees

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If you like Christmas music then you'll love the mp3hugger curated Christmas compilation 'An Indiecater Christmas', you can buy it here!

For some reason I’ve always found ‘Little Drummer Boy’ to be one of the least palatable songs on the Christmas playlist. I dunno it just seemed a little boring and repetitive. It took a dose of the Dandy Warhols to change all that as their angle has the necessary oomph to free up snowed in villages. This is another track from the XFM 'It's A Cool Cool Christmas' compilation of 2000 released on the Jeepster label. The Dandy’s were in the midst of their most creative periods as ‘Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia’ demonstrated that they were capable of producing consistent albums as well as fantastic singles. Their version of the standard pulls all their creative impulses into a daydream packet of yuletide noise. It’s to their credit that could so clinically metamorphose one mans snooze into anothers headbangers ball. KD

The Dandy Warhols - Little Drummer Boy

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Album: It's A Cool Cool Christmas
Year: 2000

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Hard to believe when you look at them now but the Charlatans were once as indispensable as cereal. The tragic loss of Rob Collins, the ravages of the music industry and a gradual slip into comfortable middle age has meant that the latter day Charlatans are about as safe as the Stereophonics (if a lot less nauseating). Their debut ‘Some Friendly’ remains their torchlight and it still has a bombastic charm stocked high with baggy rhythms, keyboard wizardry and vocal melody. The more well known tracks like ‘The Only One I Know’ and ‘Then’ have entered the indie hall of fame but there are other jewels within its grooves. ‘White Shirt’ is one such with trademark swirling organs, bouncing percussion and Tim Burgess’ youthful spontaneity somehow making its way to the microphone despite being held prisoner by an unruly mop of hair. This arrives at full-throttle and maintains a delirious pace throughout. Who needs coffee when a blast of ‘White Shirt’ provides the same kick without the headache? KD

The Charlatans - White Shirt

Album: Some Friendly
Year: 1990
Buy: Some Friendly

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For those who expect to get inside the mind of an artist by means of his ambiguous lyrics you better look away now because these ex-students from Montreal and Antwerp don’t give a diddlysquat for words. What they do care about though is rewriting the gospel according to Jean Michel Jarre and the Pet Shop Boys for the noughties. ‘Folder’ has been floating around the blogs for months now and it seems it finally got its chance to infiltrate the mainstream with its official release at the back end of last month. This is stupendous pop, cleverly rolled out through banks of electronic wizardry. The vocals are robotic Kraftwerk at their best and there is nobody alive who could avoid shaking a leg to its rhythmic dalliances. Expect it to soundtrack your next holiday in the sun. KD

Plastic Operator - Folder

Album: Folder EP
Year: 2005

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Matthew Jay only ever released one album due to his untimely death aged 24 in 2003. If he was still with us he’d probably be a megastar by now and there would be no such thing as James Blunt. Jay had a cast iron talent that saw him wringing haunting melodies in the most unhurried of manners. His family background in folk certainly moulded the young singer and helped turn ‘Draw’ into one of 2001’s most pleasant surprises. Listening to the album ‘Let Your Shoulder Fall’ leaps out immediately if only for the shimmering chord changes at the beginning. The words pour forth from the singer like water from a fountain and even if the message is a little garbled the sentiments are clear. The layered vocals give the song depth and the playing has a pleasing experimental ring to it as evidenced by the slightly hallucinogenic tail off. KD

Matthew Jay - Let Your Shoulder Fall

Album: Draw
Year: 2001
Buy: Draw

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Bell X1 might sweep to victory in the prize for most successful Kildare band ever but back in the 1990’s Whipping Boy tethered on the cusp of world domination. Recrimination, lacklustre sales and a gradual weariness of the music industry meant that the bands main men Ferghal McKee (vocals) and Paul Page (guitar) went 8 years without talking to each other. Thankfully bridges have been mended and we are just a week away from the bands reunion gigs. Whipping Boy burst onto the scene in 1992 with their feedback-laden masterstroke ‘Submarine’. While it may have lacked the production sheen of ‘Heartworm’ the unbridled anger that seeped from the tunes was a joy to behold. Behind the ear splitting noise was an ingrained ability to coin sweet mangled melody. ‘Favourite Sister’ holds a special place in my heart as I first heard it from a drafty lecture hall back in early nineties. Even though the band were playing in a different part of the campus the My Bloody Valentine swathes of noise affected all and sundry. The gig was eventually cancelled after 3 songs because the cleaning ladies were unable to perform their duties such was the intense volume levels. They don’t make them like this anymore, with a bit of luck the reunion gigs will go well and once again no old dear within earshot will be able to carry out her daily rounds. KD

Whipping Boy - Favourite Sister

Album: Submarine
Year: 1992
Buy: Heartworm (Submarine has sunk)

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If you like Christmas music then you'll love the mp3hugger curated Christmas compilation 'An Indiecater Christmas', you can buy it here!

If ever a band deserved to record a seasonal standard then it’s the multi (not santa white I hasten to add) bearded Grandaddy. You see they can throw in all the slush that they want and it’ll still be as magical as fluffy snowflakes on a Christmas morn. Jason Lytle might look like he should have a wood axe permanently in his hand but thankfully he has decided to carve open our hearts by lofty harmonies instead. ‘Alan Parsons In A Winter Wonderland’ is as near a career highpoint as you’ll get. They may be having a laugh and the lines sometimes appear to be about a dozen words too long but the song is imbued with the essence of Christmas. In fact there is such an underlying beauty to this recording it could have the same effect on the mean spirited as three apparitions. ‘Alan Parsons In A Winter Wonderland’ is taken from the rare ‘It’s A Cool Cool Christmas’ compilation, which has left a powerful legacy to forever announce that winter’s here kids. KD

Grandaddy - Alan Parsons In A Winter Wonderland

Album: It's A Cool Cool Christmas
Year: 2000
Buy Songs: It's A Cool Cool Christmas

Fans of Pavement may need to set their sights on David Bazan who is the one-man army that propels Pedro the Lion. He is the creator of the simplest of musical whimsies but his flights of fancy have such a velvet cockpit worth of summery nuances it’s hard not to be taken in. His voice has the requisite morning after drawl and his guitars are characterised by a coterie of sweet riffs. ‘Big Trucks’ is charmingly innocent, impossible to dislike such is its propensity for smiling when a rough shove would probably be more appropriate. Bazan is a devout Christian and while this thought might have you hurtling in the opposite direction there is enough warm unfussy noise around the sermon to provide an able distraction. KD

Pedro The Lion - Big Trucks

Album: It's Hard To Find A Friend
Year: 1998
Buy: It's Hard to Find a Friend

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What a dreamy concoction Stereolab used to be (and to a lesser degree still are). On the one hand you had the frothy vocals supplied by French chanteuse Laetitia Sadier with able backup from Mary Hansen, then there was Tim Gane’s spectral Moog emissions and finally there was the odd dash of Beach Boyesque tinkering from Sean O’Hagan. For a while each new release from the band brought wide-eyed variants in what was an unmistakable Stereolab sound. While the band have consistently inhabited the fringes there is such a wealth of precious recordings in their back catalogue newcomers to the band will be thrilled just by dipping in. ‘Low Fi’ is indicative of the early days when the bands tumbling wall of sound was as vibrant as it was melodious. We’re talking a My Bloody Valentine carpet of sound that is instantly soothed by the vocal interplay between Hanson and Sadier. Hanson simply adds in the standard pop refrain of ba-da-bum while Sadier effortlessly billows plumes of elegance from her lips. It’s not an understatement to say that is one of the most remarkable songs of the nineties. KD

Stereolab - Low Fi

Album: Low Fi EP
Year: 1992
Buy: Low Fi

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Looper was the side project that turned into a full time gig for ex Belle & Sebastian man Stuart David. His exit from the latter certainly changed things and it’s debatable whether his new outfit were worth the schism. That said, Looper periodically throw up perfectly formed electronic pieces like ‘Mondo ‘77’. The song even crept onto the Vanilla Sky soundtrack and stood out imperiously despite the stellar cast around it. ‘Mondo ‘77’ has a frenetic danceability that is aided and abetted by the encouraging catcalls. Think Mylo after 5 rounds of bourbon or the Chemical Brothers were they to dust off their time capsule and be transported back to a more fertile period of creativity. No party should be without this over the next few weeks. KD

Looper - Mondo '77

Album: The Geometrid
Year: 2000
Buy: Geometrid

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Whiteout were a curious act who peddled a unfortunate mix of middle of the road rock with an occasional country edge. Their star ascended for a time in the mid nineties as they secured a deal with the (then) ultra cool Silvertone label who had released the Stone Roses debut. A number of their singles flirted with the indie charts but it was obvious the Scottish band were destined for bargain bin anonymity. The strange thing was that hidden away on their releases were impossibly beautiful tunes bedecked in harmonies that would have given parts of ‘Pet Sounds’ a run for its money. ‘Dee Troyt’ is a b-side from the ‘Detroit’ single and is note perfect heart swelling ear candy. The acoustics are crystal and the crisp production bolsters the dreamy vocals. If they had emphasised this side of their talent then perhaps their label could’ve had another phenomenon on their hands. KD

Whiteout - Dee Troyt

Album: Detroit single
Year: 1994
Buy: Detroit

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If you like Christmas music then you'll love the mp3hugger curated Christmas compilation 'An Indiecater Christmas', you can buy it here!

I’m sure we’ll all agree that the season of goodwill provides a perfect opportunity for the shysters of this world to get us to part from our over eager wallets. The scenario isn’t uncommon in the music industry either with every halfhearted, reindeer bell tacked on, attempt selling bucketloads in the run up to the 25th. Unfortunately I’m a sucker for the stuff, no matter who records a holly jolly effort I’ll be there with streams rolling from my eyeballs. I know you want me this year Mariah but I’ve got to help Kim put up the tree in time for the rockin party she has planned. Of course there are exceptions; from time to time a song appears that can stand up on its own two feet on the 7th of January. As you know Low aren’t your average pop band, they have single-handedly defined the slowcore movement over an engaging career and continue to unearth jaw dropping albums. ‘Just Like Christmas’ is a departure, however, with a deep seethed energy that is usually foreign to the band. The sound of sleigh bells is cleverly manoeuvred into the fabric of the tune (let me finish!) and the recording sounds like it predates ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ yet the honeyed vocals and barnstorming instrumentation would have Ebenezer himself throwing an extra coin into Cratchit’s salary. It’s taken from the otherwise soft spoken ‘Christmas’ EP and from this December forward it will light up your heart like the glow of a yuletide log. KD

Low - Just Like Christmas

More Info: Low
Buy The EP: [UK] Christmas [US] Christmas
Year: 1999

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1) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

An irresistible concoction, bursting at the seams with flavour, yet never too rich or sickly sweet. read more

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - In This Home On Ice

Listen and feel the worms in your gut become butterflies

2) Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

Do believe the hype. The British music press get it right on this fractured, angular, splintered shard of guitar pop. read more

3) Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

2 down, 48 to go, and Stevens is already honing his songwriting technique to the point of perfection. read more

4) Mew - And The Glass Handed Kites

You know the people you meet who are really hard to get to know, but end up being one of your best friends. Well here's the musical equivalent. read more

5) Sigur Ros - Takk

The voice of a generation with nothing to say. read more

6) Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die

Eight Australians launch another jaunty, ADD-friendly attack on the world. Wide-eyed and wonderful.

7) Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary

Yes, they do sound like that other band, but they still have plenty to say, and shout, for themselves.

8) Brakes - Give Blood

16 songs, fast and furious, country punk, sore neck. read more

9) The National - Alligator

A seemingly innocuous incognito that'll lurk in the shadows and will hit you when you least expect it. read more


10) Caribou - The Milk Of Human Kindness

Electronica comes of age, Manitoba who? read more

Best of the rest

11) Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

12) Stephen Malkmus - Face The Truth

Ex-Pavement frontman rediscovers his knack for the shambolic.

13) Michael Knight - Youth Is Wasted On The Young

Ireland finds its own Belle & Sebastian, Beach Boys & South Ambulance. read more

14) Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft

Nine years on, and the Welsh lads still haven't lowered the bar.

15) The Ponys - Celebration Castle

Frenetic guitar onslaughts periodically make way for melodic chorus'

16) British Sea Power - Open Season

At least one thing good came out of the great war. read more

17) Doves - Some Cities

Cemented their reputation as a must-see live act, and at least the first four songs on this record are a must-hear. read more

18) Mercury Rev - The Secret Migration

The old stagers prove that the songs haven't deserted them yet. read more

19) Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger

Spraying aural graffiti inside your head.

Honourable Mentions (in no particular order)

The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike
Willy Mason - Where The Humans Eat read more
The Spinto Band – Nice & Never Done
Elbow - Leaders Of The Free World
Thirteen Senses - The Invitation read more
Boards Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase
The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers
The Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004's winner) read more
Stars - Set Yourself On Fire
Belle & Sebastian - Push Barman to Open Old Wounds (best compilation)
My Morning Jacket - Z
Animal Collective – Feels
Calla - Collisions
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment
The Boy Least Likely To - The Best Party Ever
Editors – The Back Room
Low – The Great Destroyer

indiecater records

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They left themselves with an uphill battle to scale the heights of their defining moment ‘Screamadelica’ yet Primal Scream have retained a dignity long forsaken by many of their early contemporaries. Whatever way you look at it, however, there was never a chance that their indie-dance fusion of 1991 could be have been bettered. With the band about to throw in the towel salvation came by way of dance impresario Andrew Weatherall who proceeded to revitalise a collection of songs that had the necessary class but lacked the killer guile. ‘Higher Than The Sun’ appeared twice on the album and this is the lengthier version with spaced out first half, followed up by a Jah Wobble bass fest that is as chilled as freshly popped ice cube. What else could you expect from a band who poised in various degrees of annihilation after bouts of drinking leaving the tag line ‘Primal Scream, know what I mean’ to explain all. Genius. KD

Primal Scream - Higher Than The Sun

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More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Album: [UK] Screamadelica [US] Screamadelica
Year: 1991

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While their most recent album ‘Some Cities’ hardly set the world alight Doves remain an awesome prospect. They are equipped to follow the easy route and knock off drop dead gorgeous pop anthems (‘Catch The Sun’, ‘Pounding’, ‘Almost Forgot Myself’) but then they’ll likely live more dangerously by dreaming an epic that reveals itself after repeated listens (‘The Man Who Told Everything’, ‘There Goes The Fear’). Coming from a dance background (Sub Sub) gives them an extra edge and helps blunt their Northern miserabilism. ‘Down To Sea’ is an unusual in that it’s an instrumental save for some lavish groans from Jimi Goodwin. Typically it begins with the sound of incessant rain; thankfully the circular soothing chord changes soon follow. After the first 20 seconds you have the tune in a nutshell as the wonderful riffage repeats itself until fade out. Not utterly compelling then, but nice for daydreaming as the winter nights draw in. KD

Doves - Meet Me At The Pier

Album: Lost Sides
Year: 2003
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