Blog

So here we are, as Bloc Party would sing... The end of the year... The end of the decade... The end of an era... The fucking end of it all!!!! Seriously, this year has been the most horrid one so far for me personally; this journal has kind of been one of the only things keeping me sane and with-it, so for those patient enough to read through it, thank you! And for those who've commented, thanks for your feedback! This will be one of a handful of entries for me this month, it being The End and everything, so keep 'em peeled for some more chart/award-based malarkey. But I digress, without further ado, let's crack on with December...

I Dreamed A Dream by Susan Boyle
Like quite a few UK TV viewers and YouTube subscribers, I got caught up in the whole Susan Boyle farrago in the early months of this year; the first time I saw her audition on Britain’s Got Talent, I too was quietly overwhelmed at the emotional turnaround that a humble, lonely woman achieved in the face of a viewership of millions, who were ready to scold her only to end up on their feet cheering for her still-stirring rendition of I Dreamed A Dream. A good part of a year later, Boyle and her team have finally dropped her debut album in time for Christmas, to the tune of record-breaking first-week sales, seemingly taking the time to prepare it with carefully chosen favourites for Boyle to sing. And whilst at least a couple of choices offer some moving moments (found on her polarising cover of Wild Horses and her rather lovely version of You'll See), the majority of the album’s songs bear the hallmarks of various Reality TV competition winner debuts masterminded by Simon Cowell, with most songs feeling cynically-engineered as to manipulate more suggestive listeners inescapably taken in by gospel choirs and syrupy crescendos. For some it will most likely do a disservice to Boyle’s enigmatic presence, her ardently religious nature in particular exploited rather ruthlessly on How Great Thou Art and Silent Night.

Graffiti by Chris Brown
Sure, given that his past efforts have never really struggled past the most general standards of mediocre R&B pop aside from his duet with Jordin Sparks, Brown’s third album was probably never going to break through to a new audience, but it still held a certain semblance of morbid curiosity following his arrest and resultant probation and community service for beating up his then-girlfriend, global R&B starlet Rihanna. Would it reveal something a little deeper about the man who once implored us to ponder whether we can breathe without oxygen, why his good-kid next door image was suddenly soiled by a moment of violent rage or if he could deliver on his promise of a genre-blending record reminiscent of his heroes, Prince and Michael Jackson among them? In a word: No. Though his songs feature some wonderful production by illustrious deck hands such as Swizz Beatz and Brian Kennedy (the latter sampling Eric Prydz’s Call On Me for some serious guilty pleasure on Pass Out featuring Eva Simons), Brown himself is distinctly devoid of charisma as a vocalist, and it doesn’t help that the songs are either pungently sex-obsessed (check out the passion-killer groaning on Take My Time) or find the poor star moaning about being famous (key offender being Lucky Me). It’s everything his ex’s new record isn’t...

For Your Entertainment by Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert at once represents everything that should be right and wrong with gay politics in celebrity culture. Unashamed, defiant and in possession of an undeniably powerful voice, there’s no doubt that the man fans like to call Glambert did well to avoid catcalls from the blogosphere and tabloid print media regarding his sexuality with a classy “go figure” attitude whilst performing on American Idol, where he finished as runner-up and capped off the contest performing a duet with KISS, of all music outfits. Unfortunately, his performance on this year’s American Music Awards revealed Lambert to be just yet another so-called music artist relying on controversy surrounding an over-sexed, über-decadent persona and the tired old adage of violent sexual dry-humping to get his point across, even if the fallout surrounding it provided plenty of food for thought regarding conservatism in media coverage around the world. It’s a shame because, when he isn’t shrieking about how horny he is with such flagrant petulance (as on the title track), Lambert is still a phenomenal vocalist, proven on this debut disc with next single Whataya Want From Me and the rueful A Loaded Smile, though he is prone to overegging the key-vaulting on certain tracks (such as 2012 ballad Time For Miracles).

Out Of Ashes by Dead by Sunrise
A sort-of solo project for Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington alongside Orgy members Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck, Dead By Sunrise plays a lot like Linkin Park with the hip hop/dance influence completely removed and replaced with a more traditional hard rock perspective, with Bennington’s enormous vocals more than taking up the whole of centre stage. There’s enough raucous screaming guitars and grandiose walls of noise to fill several stadiums, and Bennington’s vocals are never less than passionate, particularly on opener Fire; but it all amounts to little more than what Linkin Park have ever already done before now. It’s interesting as the same problems befall Derakh and Shuck’s Julien-K album, though both are working within different sub-genres of rock music; the formula starts off pleasurable enough, but grates too much in the long going and provides little in the way of imagination and versatility to keep the listener interested. In spite of Bennington’s still-impressive caterwauling, all the while you’re waiting for a breakbeat, distorted sample or Mike Shinoda himself to pop up and lay down some rhymes. You can find out how Derakh and Shuck’s own such project fared futher down the journal...

Kaleidoscope by Tiësto
This year has positively bristled with songwriter/producers keen to seemingly out-glamour their peers with the amount of star wattage permeating throughout their own personal releases, be it within the hip hop dancehalls (see N.A.S.A.’s The Spirit of Apollo), the urban-glitter dance clubs (hear Simian Mobile Disco’s Temporary Pleasure) or even out-of-leftfield alternative electronica (the quite brilliant effort from Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse that will never see official release). What surprises on Tiësto’s latest release though is not so much the amount of guests on his effort, but the seemingly-loftier profiles of some of them; what could Jónsi of Sigur Rós, Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke and Emily Haines of Metric possibly be doing on a cheesy Eurodance album? Still, it’s a good thing that the Dutch DJ/producer has managed to coral these disparate names into the mix, otherwise there would be nothing of keen interest to recommend on his fourth LP, which is prone to lapsing into the kind of grating cheesiness that has given dance music a more questionable profile from some music fans (though truth be told it never plumbs depths further than the likes of Scooter). Highlights here include Priscilla Ahn’s appearance on I am strong and Kele’s duet It's Not The Things You Say (as ever though, avoid the Calvin Harris track).

Death To Analog by Julien-K
Beginning life in 2003 when Orgy members Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck developed a side-project concentrating more on electronic rock music than their previous ventures, Julien-K’s debut album release arrives not just after several well-received DJ sets and assignments for computer-game scores, but also amidst a 2009 resurgence in electro-clash that has seen similarly themed releases from the likes of Fischerspooner, Peaches, Jeffree Star and many others this year. Though it leans a lot more heavily on hard-rock noise than the aforementioned artists' releases, Death still tries to straddle the line between Marilyn Manson-esque hard rock metal and ‘80s dance-pop signatures with a liberally swathed influence of Depeche Mode (frontman Shuck giving his best Dave Gahan impression on the enjoyably sleazy Systeme de Sexe in particular). It’s not nearly as revolutionary and kick-ass as the official website proclaims it as though, proving more of a guilty pleasure of bleak keyboards and guitars as opposed to the kind of grand opus the revolutionary-themed promotional prose would want you to believe, and by halfway through even that feeling starts to wear off as Derakh and Shuck insist on punching the same production buttons relentlessly, offering little respite or changes of scenery amidst the sullen goth-electro rock.

Broadcast and The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age by Broadcast and The Focus Group
What with the Birmingham-based duo having enchanted ardent fans with their brand of psychedelic indie pop for the good part of fifteen years and graphic designer/composer Julian House’s sycophancy for archived sounds and ditties from ‘70s British TV and radio bordering on Father Dougal-style delirium, Broadcast and The Focus Group couldn't appear to be better matched in aesthetics and moods when it comes to their music. And this collective tumble through at-times gorgeous, sweetly-disturbed psychedelic bucolia doesn’t offer anything less than beguiling results, the trio working together quite so well that it is hard to discern where Broadcast end and House begins. Essentially it finds them performing their way through a horror story with ominous supernatural trimmings, evidenced already by the titles but also drenched in the kind of distorted, reverb heavy miasma made eerily alarming by muffled voices and jolt-inducing sound effects (not to give anything away, but there are at least several in the divinely sinister a seancing song). The main niggle though is that these pieces for the most part are incredibly short, the trio seemingly eager to move into the next room of the haunted house ride they’ve created; still, it’s a ride any horror movie/alternative music fan should get themselves on at least once.

Til The Casket Drops by Clipse
Finally released from their contract at Jive Records after causing friction amidst claims of being overlooked in favour of more pop-friendly acts, Virginia Beach’s hip hop duo’s fourth album (their third to actually see release) arrives via their own Re-Up label working in conjunction with Chad Hugo and Pharrell’s Star Trak Entertainment. The Neptunes’ presence on the album isn’t as galvanising as the duo’s previous work though, with Malice and Pusha T actually working with a couple of different collaborators this time around, the most welcoming being the ruminative, almost downbeat sounds laid by Sean "P Diddy" Combs and LV on opener Freedom and Never Will It Stop. That’s not to mention some great guest spots from the likes of Kanye West, Keri Hilson, Kobe and Kenna (how’s that for hip hop/R&B artist allitteration!), and Pharrell can’t do well to keep away either, featuring on four out of eight of the cuts produced by himself and Hugo. Whilst not as rapturously received as their last LP Hell Hath No Fury, Clipse still do enough to cement their status as one of the more high profile acts in hip hop working in the world today, be they rhyming with Cam'ron about the haters on Popular Deman (Popeyes), flirting with disaster on Counseling or looking to the future on Footsteps.

Jukebox by Priscilla Renea
The second track on YouTube star Priscilla Renea’s debut album, Lovesick, opens with a pop platitude of the most risible order (“If loving you is wrong/I don’t want to be right...”); yet Renea manages to turn this into something cute by following it up with a wink and a nudge as she admits “I bet y’all knew I was gonna say that... But it’s true!” It’s this self-effacing charm that permeates throughout Jukebox, featuring production wares from established hitmakers such as Soulshock & Karlin and Power Entertainment, and also what helps her transcend her hip pop sound into something tangibly her own rather than blandly anonymous. On first listen, Dollhouse and Pretty Girl sound like little more than knock-offs of Katy Perry and Jordin Sparks, but Renea sells them with a unique enough charm for the listener to appreciate them as pop hits in their own right. It may be a little too winsome and cute for some (particularly on the absurdly cute Mr. Workabee and it’s dog-whistle pitched intro), but it is nice to hear someone trying to make a pure pop record that is light, lithe and not especially up on being salacious and raunchy, whilst still summoning up enough likeability so as not to sound overly preening to the kiddie crowd.

No Ceilings by Lil' Wayne
The big winner at the year’s Grammy awards (four including a mention for his featured spot on Swagga Like Us), you can forgive Lil’ Wayne for being in more than a good mood on this fourth mixtape collection, rapping over tracks first brought to life by Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Black Eyed Peas and Kid Cudi, smoking blunts continually throughout and prone to exclaiming that his state of mind and profile in the rap world as of now knows no limits, even if it’s obvious that this compilation (his first such work without the aid of DJ Drama) was signed, sealed and delivered before he pled guilty to attempted criminal possession of a firearm in October, which may see him do time before his rock album ReBIRTH drops next year. Offering witty retreads of D.O.A. (Death of Autotune) and I Gotta Feeling as well as making way for some new MC’s to ply their wares (star among them Shanell, featured here on That's All I Have and Wayne On Me), it’s not hard to hear why even Barack Obama himself has been prattling on about his skills as an MC; sure, his songs concern themselves with typical hip hop macho tropes of guns, bitches and self-aggrandising, but Wayne doesn’t just shoot them through with enough wit and cadence to make them listenable, but also to make listeners sit up, take notice and enjoy the show.

Gorilla Manor by Local Natives
For fledgling artists and bands, the pop world can be a dangerously anonymous place, the latest would-be casualties being this charming five piece from Los Angeles, already pegged as this year’s Fleet Foxes, just because they sing alt-pop-folk songs with a particular penchant for lovely harmonies. Now, not only does this statement give the inkling that Fleet Foxes are either a) a venerable enough institution in the world of rock to be compared in cornerstone terms to a new band or b) are already after a year so past it that the latest model has come to usurp their Next Big Thing crown (which are both, in fact, very wrong) it also robs these lovely fellows of any defence against being written off as cynically introducing themselves as soundalike noiseniks with nothing new to add... That may very well be true, but at least they have more than a few good tunes with which to back the yeasayers up, certainly being a couple of notches above the morbid gorgeousness of Foxes’ debut in terms of elation, stand outs being the rabble of Camera Talk and the warmly inviting harmonies of World News; or rather, an introduction to a band who need a fair bit more credit than lazy plaudits will strictly allow.

Real Estate by Real Estate
Some soothing, spaced-out surf rock now courtesy of these New Jersey natives, another indie act to capture a Next Big Thing plaudit courtesy of the ever-elusive Best New Music tag from buzz-tracking critics site, Pitchfork. Thankfully, there are enough whimsical melodies drifting throughout this debut disc to provide a justifiable inkling as to what should surely turn into something of a minor hit over the next few months; nothing strictly new or revolutionary going on here, but effortlessly keyed in to the kind of timeless indie rock that boozy nights in with recreational substances seem to be made for. A lot keener than most bands of their ilk to let the instrumentation do most of the talking before lead singer Martin Courtney’s vocals soothingly moan away in a woozy haze (the best example being the six minute Suburban Beverage), their eponymous premier work is one where all of the elements flow accordingly thanks to the emotional synchronicity of each of the members, bereft of the isolating grandstanding that normally occurs when lesser bands wish to draw attention to themselves. A worthy first effort from a band to most certainly catch live before the future reveals the promises made by that ever-increasing buzz...

Glee: Season One - The Music, Volume 2 by Various Artists
The second soundtrack compilation for this breakout comedy/musical TV hit to see release in as many months, the second volume of Glee’s first season’s music should feel a little thin on the ground with regards to the amount of quality arrangements, given that it covers half of the amount of episodes that the first collection did. Fortunately, that’s not the case, not only because the last four shows were seemingly crammed-to-bursting with so many performances from its robustly talented cast anyway, but also due to the shrewd choices made by the music supervisors with regards to the pieces chosen. Even the obvious selections (John Lennon’s Imagine and Dreamgirls anthem And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going among them) are simply performed with too much pep and good feeling to instantly dismiss. This disc features a few more welcome lead vocals from the supporting cast (from Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz in particular), but much like last month’s release, this show belongs to Lea Michele, who powerhouses as if her life depended on it on Barbara Streisand-standard Don't Rain On My Parade only to follow up with as much prodigious likeability on Rolling Stones classic You Can’t Always Get What You Want. And anyone who doesn’t even smile at the kids’ version of Van Halen’s Jump is officially dead inside, is all I’ll say!

Central Market by Tyondai Braxton
Having been propelled into indie-rock stardom with his bandmates from Battles after their rapturously received debut Mirrored was unleashed in 2007, Braxton has been said to have had more than a few reservations with regards to how well his sophomore solo effort would be received, given his background in avant-garde classical/jazz music was characterised by sounds and pieces quite different from the muscular avant-rock of the supergroup’s work. However, Central Market does well to marry both the classical and avant-rock genres to give a unique bent on Braxton’s loop-heavy symphonies, marrying orchestral scores with bewildering samples and effects that often sound like Looney Tunes scores at their most darned weird (specifically that episode where Porky Pig flew across the world to find the last Dodo!), whilst also suggesting just how overt an influence his work was on the math-rock collective; key pieces here that suggest Braxton’s influence on Battles was certainly more than a factor include the tumultuous Platinum Rows and the wild peaks and valleys ravaged through on closer Dead Strings. It may be a little too idiosyncratic for some Battles fans, (The Duck and The Butcher is just yearning for a Tom & Jerry style music video though), but it’ll certainly sate the appetite before the band’s return next year.

The Fame Monster by Lady GaGa
It says a lot about a pop star’s ascendancy in the international consciousness when, after less than a year, you honestly couldn’t tell what the rest of the months past would have been like without them. 23 year-old Stefani Germanotta (,’:^/) can pretty much claim 2009 as her year, starting out with a golden bullet of a debut single and supporting New Kids on the Block for their reunion tour and finishing up a world tour of her very own, five Grammy nominations, unit-shifts in their millions and a knowing sass that has defiled the umbrage from even the most snooty music fan (even if her attempting to out-glam Beyoncé in their new video together falls down epically flat!) Either as a triumphant riposte to those who doubted her pop authority or as a gracious kiss to those who’ve helped her achieve global pop infamy, GaGa has bestowed her own gift for Christmas in this mini-album, which would normally reek of cynical cashing-in if the songs weren’t actually better than anything on The Fame (yes, even Just Dance or Paparazzi!) Monster and Dance In The Dark are the kind of fool-proof disco hits that would get anyone spinning on the tiptoes and, with Speechless, Germanotta gives us her most tantalising taster for the future; a semblance of empathetic soul... A very dramatic turnaround from January, certainly!

Rated R by Rihanna
Her first album out of the gate following the intense publicity surrounding former beau Chris Brown’s attack on her, 21 year-old Robyn Fenty was faced with what would surely be the most critically-scrutinised work of her already-prolific career, most keen to find out the of the album’s overall mood and emotional pull as well as whether or not it contained hits to rival Good Girl Gone Bad’s Umbrella and the underrated Take A Bow. A sigh of relief must be felt then because Rihanna belies her years with an album so consistent, assured and even impressive in its intensity and emotional shades that it will mark a turning point in her development as an artist as opposed to just a singer. Gamely breathing in her darker hues from the likes of The-Dream, Ne-Yo and English producers Chase & Status, with critic-baiting allusions to violence, gore and gun culture, it’s an album steeped in regret, anger and wounded pride, grandly giving those interested in her private life food for thought and then plenty more (even the upliftingly arranged Fire Bomb is strewn with more than its fair share destructive imagery and Russian Roulette is one of the most legitimately distressing singles to see release this year); in short, it’s more daring, emotional and crystal clear in its motives and darkness than any hip pop princess album has any right to be.

The Element Of Freedom by Alicia Keys
Not that we needed any more proof as to how awesome she indeed is, but with the assistance of the Jiggaman himself Jay-Z, Alicia Keys arguably gave 2009 its finest single with Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys); what a fabulous, stirring surprise then that her own solo version Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down that closes her fourth album trumps even that, Keys sounding more alive and in rapturous love with her city and its inspirations than she probably ever has done. And up until that beautiful moment arrives, the rest of Keys’ LP still stands as a finely made, elegant and sexy piece of work in its own right, the title being particularly apt in that Keys hasn’t sounded so confident and serene, especially captivating moments being found on the lovely Doesn't Mean Anything and her collaboration with Drake, Un-thinkable (I'm Ready). As ever, she’s best when behind the piano tinkling away as the production hitmakers mix their state-of-the-art beats underneath as she softly sings above it all, key collaborators this time around including Jeff Bhasker (fresh from his work with Jay-Z and KiD CuDi) and the seemingly ubiquitous Swizz Beatz, who whips Keys and a certain global superstar of the moment into a sultry pout-fest on Put It in a Love Song (feat. Beyoncé).

Warm Heart of Africa by The Very Best
One of the most enjoyable mixtapes to be released last year was from this exultant trio, comprised of brother dance DJ outfit Radioclit and singer/songwriter Esau Mwamwaya, one which saw them tackling on hits of Vampire Weekend, M.I.A., Akon and Michael Jackson with a truly lovely bent on Afrobeat mixed with the finest studio effects today’s pop music can offer (their version of Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa in particular is something of joyous wonder). Now on their own with original material, The Very Best have one heck of a namesake to prove to their listenership, and its a minor shame that Warm Heart Of Africa doesn’t quite reach the heights of their earlier doodling; truth be told though, it still knocks several shades and teeth out of most pop music around today, infusing the warm harmonies and buoyant instrumentation and arrangements found in Mwamwaya’s traditional Malawi roots with beauteous pop hooks and effects to make a truly refreshing combo. Highlights on here include the sun-drenched Mfumu, the gorgeous opener Yalira and the childrens choir backing of Nsokoto; not to mention a couple of high profile alt-pop celebrity guests from the Western world to help stir things up. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more uplifting record this year, that’s for sure...

Number Ones/The Best by Janet Jackson
Though her later career has been relatively quiet compared with the success enjoyed in the late ‘80s and all of the way through the ‘90s, one need only to glance over the track list of this latest compendium of her hits to be reminded of just how impressive her work has consistently been for over twenty years; granted, most would have been thinking about her dearly departed brother in one way or another this year certainly, but it’s not taking anything away from Michael’s star when merely suggesting that Janet is an icon in her own right also. Numbers Ones, or The Best as those residing outside of North America would know it to be (especially in the UK, where she has never actually had a number one at all), not only gives an overview of an accomplished body of work, but perhaps most impressively, sees Janet portray a degree of versatility, sexiness and strength no matter what genre she decides to tackle, be it the friendly R&B pop of The Best Things In Life Are Free, the dirty rave-up of Go Deep or the slow-burn swoon of That's The Way Love Goes. Granted, the most recent work doesn’t register quite as strong (particularly the duet with Nelly), but as proven with new song Make Me, Janet may yet have a few more surprises up her sleeve in the next few years.

Seek Magic by Memory Tapes
And it’s back over to New Jersey for another debut album, this time from electro musician Dayve Hawk, who has also been enjoying a steady head of hype over the past year thanks to his well-received remix assignments and independently released singles. Like the better debut releases to see light this year, Seek Magic is one that is at once completely cohesive in its vision and signature sound, but doesn’t do well to sit still in just one designated genre, taking in light guitar-led indie pop, ambient electronic sequences and moments of gossamer-light pop mastery, often within the same song, the best example being the disturbed disco-based slow-build of Stop Talking, which deals with a particularly acrimonious break-up. It’s a lovely, ruminative, serene and spiky record that always manage to offer up something new every time that you listen to it and an immensely accomplished debut from a singer/songwriter/producer who defies the blogpop generalising afforded by so many solo-producer albums with assured talent and credibility.

And that is why Seek Magic is my Album Of The Month For December...

So, 2009 is approaching a close; for those who've bothered to read all of the way through this and are interested enough to maybe read a little bit more (you masochists, you!), I will be putting up my Top 100 albums of 2009 very shortly over the next couple of days, as well as the final part of my Best Of 2009 CD set and a few other knick-knacks... Don't say I don't spoil you!!!

Until then, Merry Christmas (FFS!!!!) and Happy New Year... I can actually safely say that without fear of how horrible next year would be because, seriously, IT CAN'T GET ANY WORSE!

On that note... Keep listening! xxx

Why you (people of Britain) should buy Rage Against the Machine's Killing In The Name.
(part I of IV)

I've heard a lot of bullshit about this, so it's time for a rant.

Lesser of two evils you fools! I already owned that song twice over thanks to the album itself and the GTA:SA soundtrack and I still bought it again. The fact that it's not their best song or even if it's not a good song is irrelevant.
I would honestly rather have "The Crack-head Children's Choir sings the best of Barbra Streisand" as number one than Joe Mcdilberry's take on a "Miley Cyrus Classic"* (Oxymoron alert).

That shit is wrong on so many levels. While the "Part I of IV" subtitle at the top was technically my facetiousness getting the better of me, I could probably do four parts to this journal without running out of things to say.

I fucking hate Billy Ray Cyrus man. His songs suck. His shitty album stopped a good album like Countdown To Extinction by Megadeth getting to number 1. His name makes him sound like the inbred love-child of two members of the Tennessee State Sodomy Club. He fucking looks like the inbred love-child of two members of the Tennessee State Sodomy Club as well. I'll give it to Cyrus that the dance he did at the end of Achy Breaky Heart wasn't the most terrible thing in the entire world. This is semi-irrelevant, but the point is nothing good could possibly come from ol' Billy Ray.

So his daughter Miley Cyrus. You can tell she is his daughter because she has that little bit of an inbred overbite that her dad has.** Now if you remember the quotation I put earlier, some poor fool reckoned that Miley Cyrus not only produced a good song, but that it was in fact good enough to earn the term "classic". Excuse me for a minute, I need to take a very deep breath.

FUCKING MORON!

That's all that needs to be said there.

And now the X-Factor Finalists 2009 and "Mr"*** Joe McElderry. Yeah, so I noticed Michael Jackson died earlier this year. Apparently so did X-Factor and thought "Hey, what's popular enough for us to do for a charity song". By "do" in that previous sentence I mean "ruin". I would rather (and did) give £10 to said charity than pay £4 for that shit. Hell, I would rather pay £40 to charity just to avoid hearing it. Well while we're at it, I'd pay the charity all the spare money I have for a year if they ran over Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole in a steam roller.

...Well it is for a good cause.

Speaking of Cheryl Cole, I've heard Girls Aloud via radio, via looking up music videos to wank off to, via television etc. etc. At least two of the girls can sing in that group. Cheryl Cole is NOT one of them. She can't sing for shit. Back up singer material for sure. Furthermore, she was pretty hot when they did The Show's music video, but I dunno what happened, she doesn't look quite as nice anymore.

Right, so Joe McElderry. Terrible, awful, terrible, shit cover of Don't Stop Believin' by Journey. When I heard someone on X Factor did a cover I stopped believing in many things... The innate goodness of mankind, a good and/or holy God and McElderry's ability to maintain an erection.

Now I can't maintain an erection either, I caught my wife sleeping with another man and I feel like a woman trapped in a man's body... I CAN'T GET OUT!

For the record, The Climb was shit before he covered it. He failed to give it new life. It is still shit.

Not just any shit either. Eoghan Quigg's dysentery shit.****

Last but far, far, far from least, Rage Against the Machine. They're not my favourite band. They're not my second favourite band. They're not even on my top eight, ten, twenty or fifty. I have their first two albums Rage Against the Machine and Evil Empire. I also have the song in question Killing In The Name on the soundtrack to Grand Theft Auto. So I have it twice already.

I still bought it online.

Let me show you some things I know:
1) Rage Against The Machine have several better songs
2) Rage Against The Machine are on the Sony Label,***** the same label Simon Cowell is tied to.
3) Rage Against The Machine talk about anarchy and not doing what people tell you and yet in bringing them to number 1 and buying the song you are in fact conforming and doing what people are telling you.
4) Rage Against The Machine promised not to swear on Radio Five and then swore anyway.******
5) Tom Morello is a bit of a boner.

All of those things (except arguably 5) are 100% true.
Does that mean you shouldn't buy it?
NO IT FUCKING DOESN'T YOU STUPID FUCKING MORON!
WERE YOU NOT FUCKING READING WHAT I SAID ABOVE!?

It's pretty fucking clear what is the much, much, much, much lesser of two evils here.
Do the right fucking thing and buy Killing In The Name, it'll cost you next to nothing, it WILL annoy Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and McDilberry and it would be 900%******* less shit. Don't be a Tool.



Thank you and good night.


*Actual Quote
**I know this because I too, am inbred.
***Not sure if you're supposed to put this in front of a person who appears to be a man, but doesn't seem to have a penis. Dictionary wasn't entirely clear.
****Click the word dysentery for further details of this reference.
*****I bet the guys who started this campaign up were working for Sony, you know. Conspiracy to make as much money as physically possible.
******Presumably causing six elderly ladies to suffer heart attacks and/or severe strokes from the shock of hearing the word "fuck" so early in the morning.
*******MATHEMATICAL ERROR!!!!

Jeu 17 déc. – Shoot the Pianist

Concert exceptionnel, ce soir, à la pharmacie de garde ou "PDG+"; nom de mauvaise augure, avouons-le.

Et les augures se confirmèrent, car l'attente fut fort longue; car la décoration fut fort laide; car le patron fut fort antipathique; car, surtout, il fallut en attendant que les musiciens soient prêts à jouer, supporter la musique du peu regretté Michael Jackson. Pis fort en plus. Si fort que, à la demande suppliante de mes oreilles sensibles, je dû partir avant même le début de ce concert qui, par conséquent, mérite bien le qualificatif d'exceptionnel que je lui attribuai un peu plus tôt.

Après je suis allé jouer au basket. Mais il a plu.

Soirée de merde?

Que nenni! Parce qu'à 19h, la foule déchaînée, et dont j'étais, avait pu acclamer Frànçois et ses montagnes Atlas, entassées dans un coin à Total Heaven. Défiant l'infection, le courageux saintongeais sut faire taire les miasmes qui l'infectaient, pour nous gratifier d'au moins 5 ou 6 chansons ; ce qui n'est pas peu pour un homme qui eût dû, à cet instant, se trouver dans son lit de douleur, si une conscience aigüe de son devoir ne l'avait empêché d'annuler la représentation.

Bon, en vrai on était pas nombreux, mais c'était chouette quand même. Zavez eu tort de pas venir.

Well 2009's not quite over yet, but I probably won't get a chance closer to New Year's to do this, so here ya go. And yes, this took forever. I don't mind though ^__^ Means I had something to do whilst scrobbling! \:D/

So here we go, my top 40 most scrobbled artists of the year, accompanied by their most scrobbled albums and tracks. Knock yourselves out xD


DNC = "Did not chart"
NTY = "New this year"
IC = "Incomplete" i.e. I don't have the full album yet. This is usually because I've downloaded two or three songs so that I can listen to them a fair few times before deciding whether or not to buy the full album. If I just research on youtube, I wouldn't be giving a band enough time to grow on me (or to grow old, in fact!)

Chart positions determined 5:30 p.m., Thursday 17th December 2009. As if that matters xDD


=#40 - Circa Survive (103 plays)
> One of the best bands I've listened to. They're just not my genre xD
Top Album of 2009: On Letting Go (#75, 57 plays)
> An almost flawless album
Top Track of 2009: DNC

=#40 - Genesis (103 plays)
> Grew up with these guys, one of the only bands that both my parents like xD
Top Album of 2009: We Can't Dance (#136, 28 plays)
> The final track, Fading Lights, is just pure amazingness
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#39 - Depeche Mode (112 plays)
> They seem to have inspired everyone somewhere along the lines, and for good reason xD DM are one of the main reasons for English pride!
Top Album of 2009: Playing The Angel IC (#101, 38 plays)
> A superb album, really superb :)
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#38 - Amorphis NTY (114 plays)
> Initially interested, I slowly realised that it all sounded the same ¬__¬
Top Album of 2009: Silent Waters NTY (#84, 49 plays)
> What a disappointment. It's so mediocre, easily my worst buy of 2009.
Top Track of 2009: House of Sleep NTY (#105, 36 plays)
> See, this was interesting. It's just that the rest is either boring or a boring clone >__>

#37 - 下村陽子 NTY (121 plays)
> Because I like the Kingdom Hearts game >w<
Top Album of 2009: KINGDOM HEARTS Original Soundtrack COMPLETE [Disc 1] NTY (#121, 31 plays)
> Same as above, really xD
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#36 - Metallica (130 plays)
> The influence of the great 'Tallica just can't be ignored, nor escaped :)
Top Album of 2009: S&M (#97, 41 plays)
> The first time I heard a proper orchestra used in metal - in other words, the set-up for Nightwish ;)
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#35 - Korpiklaani NTY (135 plays)
> A pure last.fm discovery, this was. My first taste of folk metal too, I think.
Top Album of 2009: Korven Kuningas NTY, IC (#62, 76 plays)
> I still want to buy this at some point...
Top Track of 2009: Kipumylly NTY (#94, 38 plays)
> I love this song! I even learned the Finnish lyrics, though I forgot them before too long... xD

#34 - Indica NTY (138 plays)
> I got into Indica because they were one of the support bands for the Nightwish gig. They're a pretty fun little group ^__^
Top Album of 2009: Valoissa NTY, IC (#71, 60 plays)
> Ah, the infamous Tuomas-produced album. If I ever buy an Indica album, it won't be this one xD
Top Track of 2009: Vuorien taa NTY (#100, 37 plays)
> Easily the best out of the few I know. Jonsu's fiddle *makes* it :)

=#32 - Deadlock (144 plays)
> I've known about them for ages but last.fm rekindled my drive to investigate their music :) and MAN they're good! :D
Top Album of 2009: Manifesto NTY, IC (#82, 52 plays)
> Getting this album for Christmas :D It was a hard choice which to get, though, this or Wolves...
Top Track of 2009: Martyr To Science NTY (#206, 25 plays)
> What a great track @__@ I'm not sure you can get much better than this, the guitars are great and Sabine's voice... wuaaah!

=#32 - Evanescence (144 plays)
> This artist had the single greatest influence on my musical (and personal, thinking about it) life. Evanescence showed me that I liked rock/metal combined with classical styles, which has paved the way for the vast majority of what I listen to today. And they're still fun to listen to occasionally, even after six years x) (Feels like longer...!)
Top Album of 2009: The Open Door (#108, 36 plays)
I actually prefer this to Fallen, I really do. Fallen is too boring and samey - there's some fail on The Open Door but there's much more win too to make up for that.
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#31 - Kate Bush (157 plays)
> Probably one of the greatest solo artists ever. She's just amazing @__@
Top Album of 2009: Aerial: A Sky of Honey NTY (#130, 29 plays)
> Easily, *easily* my favourite Kate Bush album. The way it just flows as if it's just one massive, chaptered song... amazing, and so calming to listen to ^__^
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#30 - For My Pain... NTY (162 plays)
> I listened to these guys because of Tuomas being in the band and to be fair, I do like their music, but... it's just so incredibly emo!! @___@ And emo in a very unemotional way, which is... just weird xD
Top Album of 2009: Fallen NTY, IC (#42, 129 plays)
> I nearly bought this. I'm glad I didn't xD Though maybe one days... *shrugs*
Top Track of 2009: My Wound Is Deeper Than Yours NTY (#214, 24 plays)
> Not my favourite FMP song xD It's good, but not the best :P

#29 - Green Day (165 plays)
> I got really fond of these guys again during the summer x)
Top Album of 2009: International Superhits! (#89, 46 plays)
> It's my top album mostly because it has the most tracks xDD
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#28 - Eluveitie NTY (172 plays)
> Another last.fm discovery. I really love their brand of folk metal, especially since they're not afraid to put down their guitars and stuff and just play pure folk.
Top Album of 2009: Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion NTY, IC (#69, 62 plays)
> This is probably the album I'd buy, if I get round to it. Like I said, the "pure folk" element is what makes me respect Eluveitie the most...
Top Track of 2009: Bloodstained Ground NTY (#177, 27 plays)
> ...even though what made me fall for them was the combination of metal and folk on this here track x) Bloodstained Ground is pretty close to perfect :P

#27 - Galneryus (173 plays)
> Shock horror! A Japanese band that I discovered, not my sister! xD I really want to buy some albums of theirs but you know... postage from Japan is a killer T^T
Top Album of 2009: One For All - All For One NTY, IC (#82, 52 plays)
> When I eventually buy a Galneryus album, this is the one I want most!
Top Track of 2009: Cause Disarray (#118, 33 plays)
> My first Garu track :3 It struck me as similar to Sonata, and that was enough to investigate them further x3

#26 - Jamiroquai (182 plays)
> Aww, Jamiroquai :D *smiles at them in fondness* They were my favourites for a long, long time back at school and college, and I'll always have a soft spot for them :)
Top Album of 2009: The Return of the Space Cowboy (#97, 41 plays)
> THE best Jamiroquai album. There's no question - greatest sound, greatest consistency, just a great funk album :)
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#25 - The Gathering NTY (191 plays)
> They make very nice, calm music, but that's the problem xD It's so nice and calm that I got bored of it very quickly ^__^;; Still, it's good for relaxing every now and then :)
Top Album of 2009: The West Pole NTY (#31, 179 plays)
> A good solid album, if you don't mind music that doesn't really pack a punch.
Top Track of 2009: The West Pole NTY (#94, 38 plays)
> The song that made me pay attention to The Gathering, and probably still my favourite. It just transports you to another world~~

#24 - Sydänpuu NTY (192 plays)
> *flails arms in totally fangirly way* I love Sydänpuu!! \:D/ I got into them because I found out that Jani Liimatainen (ex-guitarist of Sonata, of course) does everything but drums for this project. I listened, not seriously expecting anything of Jani's voice, and OH MY GOD. BLOWN AWAY @___@ Jani, stop messing around with Cain's Offering and get your butt back to Sydänpuu! This project shows so much promise!!
Top Album of 2009: Sydänpuu NTY (#29, 192 plays)
> Well, it's not really an album xD It's six demo tracks, the only Sydänpuu stuff we have ;____; In a way that makes it more precious but at the same time I WANT MORE DANGIT!
Top Track of 2009: Hautaa Minut Tänään NTY (#33, 53 plays)
> The first track I listened to, the one that made me fall in love with Jani's voice, and I still can't get enough of it. REPEATREPEAT.

#23 - Michael Jackson (204 plays)
> Believe it or not, most of those scrobbles were from before his death. I've always loved this guy, for my whole life; a great man and a great musician. Rest in peace, dearest, rest in peace. *moonwalks*
Top Album of 2009: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I Disc 2 (#84, 49 plays)
> Bad is actually my favourite album, but this one has more tracks so it gets more scrobbles :P
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#22 - Finntroll NTY (250 plays)
> Got into these guys because of the Nightwish-Tapio Wilska-Finntroll connection x3 Just gotta love the sound they create, trolls partying into the night x)
Top Album of 2009: Nattfödd NTY (#52, 94 plays)
> I finally bought this at Halloween, and it's absolutely perfect for that time of year x) And, oddly, Christmas xDD (don't know how that works... O.o)
Top Track of 2009: Hel Vete NTY (#108, 35 plays)
> This was my self-righteous anger song at some point, and I really don't know how I got that from the song xD It's great, in spite of my odd usage of it :P

#21- Elias Viljanen NTY (259 plays)
> Yeap, Sonata Arctica's current guitarist! I've only discovered his solo stuff really recently but OH MY GODD I absolutely adore his work!! @__@ Ahh, so amazing... Elias' music is just so great to listen to, because even though he's a fantastic guitarist, the album isn't just one long solo - he really thinks about the music. It's so heartfelt, and so uplifting, there's almost nothing that's better to listen to! :P
Top Album of 2009: Fire-Hearted NTY (#20, 259 plays)
> Got this for my birthday just over a week ago and it's already my third favourite album for this year :3 I could listen to it all day and night; I know I wouldn't get tired of that warm fuzzy feeling ^w^ And it doesn't hurt at all that this album features my two favourite male singers of all time, Tony Kakko and Marco Hietala :P
Top Track of 2009: Kiss of Rain NTY (#2, 101 plays)
> The song that features Tony Kakko x) For about a month or two, this was the first song I listened to when I woke up and the last song I listened to before I went to sleep. My god, it just doesn't get better than this. This is my official song of 2009 :)

#20 - Dark Moor NTY (295 plays)
> Since my sister's friend Harry is addicted to Dark Moor, I ended up inheriting seven albums at once xD It was pretty difficult to get my head around at first, and I was very scathing for a long time, but I'm at last enjoying and appreciating their somewhat... "not-perfect" style of symphonic power metal xD
Top Album of 2009: The Gates of Oblivion NTY (#76, 56 plays)
> Definitely one of my favourites. Elisa's great here, and the instrumentation is better than on post-Elisa albums, I think.
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#19 - Machinae Supremacy NTY (297 plays)
> I got these beauties from Chris x) They're good fun but to be honest the guy's voice kind of bugs me, which is why I'm not listening to them as much as I used to.
Top Album of 2009: Overworld NTY (#28, 194 plays)
> I actually like this pretty much the same as Deus Ex Machinae, but I got Overworld earlier.
Top Track of 2009: Violator NTY (#206, 25 plays)
> I still love this song :D It's one of those where the guy's voice doesn't annoy me, and I love the lyrical content >w<

#18 - Patrick Doyle (317 plays)
> Paddy! \:D/ Actually I'm in a bit of a rut with him - at one point he was my favourite Harry Potter composer and now he's my least favourite ^__^;; His themes are okay, but... not *Harry* enough I guess :P
Top Album of 2009: Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (#16, 317 plays)
> Correction: ONLY album of 2009 xDD
Top Track of 2009: Harry in Winter (#177, 27 plays)
> I do still love this one :) Learned to play it on the piano, too!

#17 - 北出菜奈 (327 plays)
> Yay for Nana! \:D/ Probably my favourite solo singer (we'll have to see how Anette can do, hmm? x3) although I don't listen to her so much.. She was also the first step into the world of Japanese music for me and Chrissi, so we'll always be grateful to her for that :)
Top Album of 2009: BONDAGE NTY (#52, 94 plays)
> This new album is easily Nana's best. Sophisticated but fun at the same time. Hopefully if Loveless (her new project) sounds like any of her solo albums, it'll sound like this one :)
Top Track of 2009: 鏡の国のアリア NTY (#409, 16 plays)
> Easily, easily the best song Nana has produced. Now why the hell didn't you put it on an album, eh? This is too good for a b-side!!

#16 - Tarja (338 plays)
> The bitch is back! \:D/ Okay, I don't really mean that, it's a reference to a Sinergy song, but the point is that Tarja's back in my good books again (about time!). In fact, right now, she's my favourite female singer to listen to, which is JUST WEIRD xD (I phase with her like you wouldn't believe!! @__@) Looking forward to What Lies Beneath anyways! :3
Top Album of 2009: My Winter Storm (#19, 260 plays)
> Such a hit-and-miss album, and again I phase with it constantly, but I'm enjoying it for now :)
Top Track of 2009: Our Great Divide (#230, 23 plays)
> Yey! \:D/ My favourite song, at least from MWS - "sounds of waves" indeed, and I can't help but think it's about the friendship lost between her and Tuomas... It feels like we're actually seeing *Tarja*, rather than her "brave face" or her "ice queen" mask.

#15 - Stewart Copeland NTY (339 plays)
> HELL YEAH!! >8D Well, it says "new this year" but that's only in terms of scrobbles. I've actually been listening to Stewart Copeland for about two-thirds of my life since he made the.greatest.soundtrack.of.all.time for the original Spyro the Dragon game :P It's still my favourite game and the music has a huge part to play in that :3 And unlike most soundtrack music, it actually passes for popular music too, instrumental-style. The only reason he's not my highest soundtrack artist is because the Harry Potter OSTs are Harry Potter, I mean, what do you expect? ;D
Top Album of 2009: Spyro The Dragon OST - Disc 1 NTY (#32, 176 plays)
> ... which just means that I play the first half of the OST more than the second, which I guess makes sense. After all, Magic Crafters homeland is in the first half, and ALL the Magic Crafters levels have good music :D
Top Track of 2009: Ice Cavern NTY (#290, 20 plays)
> You can't really pick a favourite track from this OST but this is definitely one of the strongest ones :3

#14 - My Dying Bride NTY (342 plays)
> Oooh, dour and gloomy! I went and found MDB because Tuomas loves them, and I'm glad I took the effort. They're easily one of the most mature bands I've listened to. Their music is elegant and yet very rough at the same time. I can't listen to them for long periods of time, not because they're depressing but because I get a little bored, and that's why they don't have more scrobbles. (Plus that their songs are ridiculously long @__@)
Top Album of 2009: Like Gods of the Sun NTY (#40, 145 plays)
> The first of the two albums I've bought so far. There are a handful of really great tracks but the rest I can kind of overlook without even the slightest feeling of guilt .___.
Top Track of 2009: Catherine Blake NTY (#127, 32 plays)
> It would probably actually have been For You if it wasn't for the fact that For You was mistagged originally. But Catherine Blake deserves this spot, because it was the song that made me fall for MDB. And Aaron's voice @__@ Aaron's VOICE!

#13 - In Flames (343 plays)
> I listened to these guys loads when I first came to last.fm, I think because I wanted to boost scrobbles of such a non-mainstream band. I lol at my innocence back then xD I don't listen to them so much these days simply because they're a little *too* heavy for my tastes.
Top Album of 2009: A Sense of Purpose (#29, 192 plays)
> Of course, the trve fans hate this album. I care not. It's good ^w^
Top Track of 2009: The Chosen Pessimist (#167, 28 plays)
> Easily the best In Flames song. It shows such maturity, skill and emotion.

#12 - John Williams (359 plays)
> And the magic that is Harry Potter returns! :3 Johnny is the classic sound of HP :) I have mixed feelings about this guy coming back for the last two movies, though... on the one hand, Philosopher's Stone is my favourite HP score, but on the other, Prisoner of Azkaban was just two and a half hours of WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!
Top Album of 2009: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone NTY (#25, 213 plays)
> *The* Christmas album :D I love this so much, and it would be higher in the charts but the scrobbles are split because I had it mistagged initially ;____;
Top Track of 2009: Leaving Hogwarts (#177, 27 plays)
> This track always makes me want to cry xD Seriously, if they end the final movie with this piece, I will absolutely fall apart in the cinema. I promise ;D

#11 - HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR (379 plays)
> I am AMAZED that Haikara got that many scrobbles this year @__@ I've been a fan of them for a long time but I really hit a wall with them this year; I haven't got anything out of listening to them for ages now. They put on a good live show, though, I enjoyed watching the latest DVD :)
Top Album of 2009: ROCK PIT (#54, 89 plays)
> Yeah, this is my favourite, I think. I mean, it has MEKIMEKI. What more do you want? \:D/
Top Track of 2009: DNC

#10 - Nicholas Hooper NTY (392 plays)
> And thus completing the Harry Trinity of composers! \:D/ Nicky did the score for the most recent two movies, and whilst I was unimpressed by Order, Half-Blood was AMAZINGsauce. One of my favourite movie scores of all time! \:D/
Top Album of 2009: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince NTY (#12, 367 plays)
> Freakin' love this xD It's so good. I could listen to it for years but I'd miss my other music xD
Top Track of 2009: Fireworks NTY (#214, 24 plays)
> Ironic, then, that my most played track is not from Half-Blood xD Well, actually it is, because they re-used it but didn't put it on the HBP OST. So there! :P

#9 - Pain NTY (444 plays)
> These guys also supported Nightwish and man were they amazing! \:D/ Such a good live band, and I totally fell in love with Peter's voice. I plan to go right through the back catalogue eventually :)
Top Album of 2009: Cynic Paradise NTY (#22, 256 plays)
> A good, solid album :) For some reason it's really good music to listen to when you're cleaning ovens O_o Anyway, it's the only album I have at the moment but that'll change! :D
Top Track of 2009: Play Dead NTY (#23, 62 plays)
> This is easily, easily my favourite Pain track. In fact, it's one of my favourite songs everever! :D I was so surprised when I found out it was a cover, but both this and the original are amazing pieces of music, and the way that Peter altered it to suit his own voice and style whilst keeping all the best parts of the original... just perfect evidence of his genius! \:D/

#8 - Versailles NTY (519 plays)
> Definitely my favourite new discovery this year :D No thanks to me though ^__^;; I got the free download from last.fm and didn't really think much of it... THANK GOD Chrissi picked it up herself and decided to investigate them further or we would have missed out on one of the greatest bands of all time @__@ They haven't put a foot wrong so far so I can't wait to see what comes next with Jubilee. And it's important to mention the sad loss of Jasmine You (rest in peace, you crazy witch, rest in peace ;___;) and the unbelievable strength the other members have shown in the wake of his passing. I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for those guys T^T
Top Album of 2009: Noble NTY (#17, 294 plays)
> The only full-length album so far. I actually prefer Lyrical Sympathy, but hell no am I complaining, because Noble is awesome as well :D
Top Track of 2009: SUZERAIN NTY (#118, 33 plays)
> This ends up being quite random because when a Versailles song comes up, I just can't skip it, ever xD They're just all so good and we have so terribly few! @__@

#7 - Dir en grey NTY (734 plays)
> The second-best new discovery of the year, and again it's thanks to Chrissi :D I used to think Diru were a complete waste of space before she came across the DOZING GREEN PV on youtube. Now I absolutely love this band! Kyo may be a bit (a lot xD) masochistic but if he wasn't, we wouldn't have Dir en grey. He's like a martyr for the exorcism of our darkest feelings >3
Top Album of 2009: UROBOROS NTY (#11, 378 plays)
> By far and away my favourite Diru album so far. It's pretty much perfect (aside from STUCK MAN and the incomprehensible decision to make the album versions of GLASS SKIN and DOZING GREEN in English) and it's my third favourite album by anyone at the moment :)
Top Track of 2009: GAIKA, CHINMOKU GA NEMURU KORO NTY (#88, 39 plays)
> This was the song that really made me fall in love with Dir en grey, and it's still one of my favourites ^__^ Although it's hard to pick favourites with Diru... they're just not a "this is my favourite song!" kind of band! ^__^;;

#6 - Kamelot NTY (746 plays)
> It's thanks to Cerefi that I went and looked up this band, and I'm glad I did. I was wayy over-obsessed with them when I bought my first albums from them, but thankfully a period of really not liking them calmed all that down, and now I'm enjoying them at levels I consider appropriate xD Musically, I love 'em, but Khan, not so much. I seem to be the only person who thinks this besides my sister, however @__@ (Also: Boo at Glenn leaving! :( I loved Glenn...)
Top Album of 2009: The Black Halo NTY (#14, 326 plays)
> Hands down the best. Best quality, best consistency, best album feel. And Khan's voice is sometimes very nice. O.o
Top Track of 2009: When the Lights Are Down NTY (#52, 47 plays)
> Not my *favourite* (that's Serenade) but one of my "preview" songs for Kamelot, which is why it's so dominant in the charts.

#5 - Tarot NTY (749 plays)
> I literally looked these guys up the very first day I got last.fm :D I actually love Marco more in Tarot at the moment than in Nightwish, he just seems more at home here. And I'm really getting fond of Zachary too, which is cool :)
Top Album of 2009: Suffer Our Pleasures NTY (#9, 390 plays)
> One of my favourite albums ever (it's just full of so much win) which leads me to wonder what the hell went wrong when they made that hit-and-miss oddity, Crows Fly Black o_O
Top Track of 2009: Tides NTY (#7, 76 plays)
> Haha xD Shall I tell the story of its dominance? I think I shall. It was one of my preview songs but more than that I listened to it about 30 times in one night when I was writing my Marco/Tuomas fanfic :P It really helped get the mood for that last scene, and also helped me get into Marco's head more. Add that to the fact that it is, of course, one of the greatest Tarot songs. Marco's voice is truly beautiful on it *__*

#4 - Fightstar (776 plays)
> In my opinion Fightstar is the one of the best English bands we have right now :) I really haven't listened to them that much recently (about half these plays probably came from the new album and when I wrote my Fightstar fanfic) I guess because they're not heavy enough, but I'll always support these guys. I love 'em so much, I shall always be a fan! >w</~~
Top Album of 2009: Alternate Endings (#27, 197 plays)
> I kind of wish my top album wasn't a collection of b-sides, but hey xD It can't be denied that many of the best Fightstar songs come from this collection :)
Top Track of 2009: The English Way NTY (#118, 33 plays)
> ENGLISH PRIDE!! \:D/ This song appeals to my patriotism and it is just raw awesome anyways :)

#3 - Within Temptation (802 plays)
> It's a miracle these guys hung onto third place, what with the fact that I'm... well... completely and utterly bored of them at the moment @__@ They're good (that's why they were my third favourite for about half the year) but there's just not enough substance to them. However, I'll always stay fond of them since they were part of my original eurometal trinity that started everything x)
Top Album of 2009: The Heart of Everything NTY (#24, 222 plays)
> The scrobbles for this are actually split because I had the album mistagged for ages before I actually did something about it and fixed it :P It's technically the best WT album in my opinion, but not always the most enjoyable to listen to.
Top Track of 2009: Sounds of Freedom NTY (#136, 31 plays)
> Mwahaha, I am unusual! \:D/ I just loved this song when I first got it, listened to it over and over again ^^ It made me feel like I could do anything >w<

#2 - Sonata Arctica (3,457 plays)
> Holy.... right, I'm going to have to be really careful not to talk forever about these guys. Because, over the course of this year, Sonata Arctica have truly earned the right to be called my favourite band :D Along with WT and Nightwish, they formed my original eurometal trinity but they always played second fiddle to Nightwish. Living in their shadow, they gradually grew on me more and more. Earlier this year I fell in love with them properly, but it was only with the release of Flag in the Ground video and the anticipation of The Days of Grays album that I realised the truth - Sonata were displacing Nightwish as my favourite band. I resisted the change at first, claiming they were equal favourites, but now Sonata is so far ahead Nightwish doesn't even figure. The simple fact is that I enjoy Sonata's music over and above everyone else's! And of course seeing them live earlier this month merely intensified my love for Sonata Arctica :) Five magnificent musicians (eight, including old members) and a ridiculously impressive back-catalogue of sensational music covering the whole spectrum of life... for me, right now, it just doesn't get better :)
(I didn't do very well at not writing much xD)
Top Album of 2009: Unia NTY (#2, 775 plays)
> This is the album that really made me fall in love with Sonata :) I was ridiculously late buying it but I'm actually really glad I waited. If I hadn't, I might have reacted like a lot of other Sonata fans and hated it. Instead, it became my favourite on the first listen :) It's second favourite now, after The Days of Grays, but seriously, by about *this* much *demonstrates tinytiny distance with fingers*
Top Track of 2009: In Black and White NTY (#6, 80 plays)
> Holy crap @__@ Could there *be* a more deserving top Sonata track? This song is the reason I bought Unia and thus really it's this song that made me fall in love with Sonata properly. When I first heard it my only thought was, "Why the hell do people hate Unia so much? THIS IS FUCKING GENIUS!!!" I listened it over and over again before I got my paws on the album and it still hasn't been beaten from the top spot :) Add to that that they used it as an encore song at our gig and oh my days, I can't help but say that this is one of my favourite songs of all time! :3

#1 - Nightwish (3,670 plays)
> What a surprise to see you here! */sarcasm* Until these last few months when Sonata displaced them, Nightwish were my most favouritest and bestest band of all time from the moment I first heard them :D That means two solid years at the top of my favourites list which, for someone as fickle as me, is really saying something @__@ I had a low with them recently, poking them and shouting at them, "WHY AREN'T YOU BETTER? DX" Mostly I was annoyed with Tuomas (he's suffered from negative comparison with Tony Kakko :P) which obviously meant that I was unable to help passing that annoyance on to the music. But thankfully (partly due to getting From Wishes to Eternity DVD for my birthday! thanks Chrissi! \:D/) I recovered my love and affection for that most magnificent of bands, Nightwish - I just don't love them *quite* as much as I did before. But you know what? I'm cool with that :) It was high time things changed around here :)
Top Album of 2009: Dark Passion Play (#1, 900 plays)
> The whole time that Nightwish were my favourite band of all time, this was my favourite album of all time. Now that Nightwish are less stable, so is DPP (Wishmaster and Oceanborn are fighting with it for first place) but all things told, I think I will still say that Dark Passion Play is my album of the decade. It just changed so much of the way I thought about music and really, despite currently boring me in places, it's a masterpiece of modern popular music. Let's see how the next album fares!
Top Track of 2009: The Poet and the Pendulum (#1, 110 plays)
> And all the time Nightwish were my all-time favourite band, Poet was my all-time favourite song. And just like DPP, with Nightwish being less stable, Poet has been displaced by Last of the Wilds and Over the Hills and Far Away. Nonetheless this is still one of the greatest songs ever written. This musical acheivement is something that I'll always, always respect Tuomas for :)


Finally, some predictions for 2010:
> Sonata Arctica for #1
> less symphonic metal, more power metal
> older Nightwish albums to become more dominant
> less listenings of old favourites and "classic" bands
> less listenings of British and American bands
> an even higher bias in favour of Finland xD
> fewer new discoveries. I'm taking a well-earned break ;)



If you read all that you deserve a medal @__@ And unfortunately I don't have any medals so you'll just have to make do with this virtual cookie. Don't eat it all at once now! \:D/

The same procedure as every year!!! ^^
My personal TOPs and FLOPs of 2009, and other musical things that got my attention....

TOPS:
Apoptygma Berzerk - Rocket Science (Great mixture of old and new style)
Arch Enemy - The Root Of All Evil
Cassandra Steen - Darum leben wir
Deathstars - Night Electric Night (My first Highlight of 2009)
Delain - April Rain (Symphonic Metal at its Best)
Elis - Catharsis (My favorite Female fronted Metal album 2009)
Epica - Design Your Universe (My 2nd best Female fronted Metal album 2009)
Jennifer Rostock - Der Film
Lady GaGa - The Fame Monster (Without a doubt: The new Pop-Queen)
Leaves' Eyes - Njord (Definitely their best album so far)
Marilyn Manson - The High End of Low (His best since Mechanical Animals)
Peter Fox - Stadtaffe
Placebo - Battle For The Sun
Rammstein - Liebe ist für alle da (Here it is: MY ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2009)
Silbermond - Nichts passiert
Stream of Passion - The Flame Within (Still great, even without Arjen Lucassen)
The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die


Neither TOP nor FLOP:
Autumn - Altitude
Cinema Bizarre - Toyz
Eisblume - Unter dem Eis
Immortal - All Shall Fall
Sandra - Back To Life


FLOPS:
Krypteria - My Fatal Kiss
Lacuna Coil - Shallow Life (Their worst album and my FLOP of the year 2009)
Sylver - Sacrifice


Other releases that should be mentioned (Live albums, Best Ofs, etc.):
Children of Bodom - Skeletons in the Closet
Enya - The Very Best Of Enya
Rosenstolz - Die Suche geht weiter - Live
Within Temptation - An Acoustic Night At The Theatre


Great albums not released in 2009 but worth a mention, because I bought them this year (just a little selection):
ABBA - The Definitive Collection
Ayreon - The Human Equation
Ayreon - 01011001
Beyoncé - I Am... Sasha Fierce
Delain - Lucidity
Dolly Parton - Ultimate Dolly Parton
Epica -The Divine Conspiracy (My Flop of 2007, but now I like it)
In Extremo - Sängerkrieg
Lady GaGa - The Fame
Michael Jackson - Dangerous
Michael Jackson - HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I
Michael Jackson - Bad
Michael Jackson - Invincible
Michael Jackson - Off the Wall
Michael Jackson - Thriller (25th Anniversary Edition)
Mylène Farmer - Point de suture
Rosenstolz - Nur einmal noch
Rosenstolz - Mittwoch is' er fällig
Rosenstolz - Soubrette werd' ich nie
Rosenstolz - Die Schlampen sind müde
Rosenstolz - Kassengift
Rosenstolz - Macht Liebe
Rosenstolz - Objekt der Begierde
Rosenstolz - Zucker
Rosenstolz - Herz
Rosenstolz - Das grosse Leben
Rosenstolz - Die Suche geht weiter
Sarah Connor - Sexy as Hell
Schandmaul - Narrenkönig
Schandmaul - Mit Leib und Seele
Wir sind Helden - Die Reklamation
Wir sind Helden -Von Hier An Blind
Wir sind Helden - Soundso


My discoveries of the year:
1. Rosenstolz
2. Delain
3. Michael Jackson
4. Ayreon
5. Dolly Parton

Ranta's MiXmas Tapes: Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sugar Plums?
This one is a brain melting trip through various interpretations of traditional holiday forms, melodies, and instrumentation. At times, it's funny, scary, camp, and abstract.

Androids:
01. Scariest Night Of The Year [Intro]
02. Tipsy - XXXmas [Roman Catholic Mix by Antimatter, 2002]
03. Odd Nosdam - Untitled feat. Jessica Bailiff [2008]
04. Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid - Greensleeves [2007]
05. Wisp - God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen [2007]
06. Bruce Haack - I Like Christmas
07. Doctor Octoroc - Ryu, The Red Nosed Ninja [2008]
08. The Beatsquad - X-Mas Breaks
09. DJ Flack - O Chanukah Dubstep Bassline Remix [2008]

Dream:
10. Tipsy - XXXmas [2001]
11. Xahdrez - Little Donkey [2005]
12. Mrs. Jynx - I Saw 3 Ships [2007]
13. Porn Sword Tobacco - Giftwrap Yourself, Slowly [2007]
14. Quelles Paroles - In The Ghetto
15. Dntel - Everything's Tricks
16. Nathan Fake - Silent Night [2005]

Electric Sugar Plums:
17. The Pastels - Winter Driving [2003]
18, Mike Ladd - Nancy And Carl Go Christmas Shopping [2005]
19. Grandaddy - Alan Parsons In A Winter Wonderland
20. Wounded Knee - Cold Enough To Snow [2007]
21. Lambent - Winter Berlin [2005]
22. Kid606 - Xmas Funk [2005]

Listen To It Here
----------------------------------------
[img*Image Not Appropriate For A Mass Audience*/img]
Ranta's MiXmas Tapes: XXXmas
This is the one you definitely do not want to play for your children, at least until they are old enough to vote.

Fear & Loathing At Christmas:
01. Lewis Black - Xmas Half-Time [2008]
02. Corky & The Juice Pigs - Christmas Dreams [1995]
03. Radio Free Vestibule - Christmas On Acid [1994]
04. Jacob Miller & Ray I - All I Want For Ismas
05. David Peel & the Lower East Side - Joints To The World [2008]
06. Willie Nelson - Little Dealer Boy feat. Stephen Colbert [2008]
07. Aimee Mann - I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up For Christmas [2005]

SeXmas Fantasies:
08. Lewis Black - Xmas [2008]
09. Martina Topley-Bird - Snowman [2008]
10. Meiko - Maybe Next Year [2008]
11. Pansy Division - Homo Christmas [1992]
12. Johnny Legend - Nutmeg feat. Stephen Colbert [2008]
13. Caetano Veloso - In The Hot Sun Of A Christmas Day [1971]
14. Joy Zipper - Christmas Song [2004]

Something Is Amiss This Christmas
15. Patton Oswalt - My Christmas Memory [2004]
16. Giant Sand - Thank You Dreaded Black Ice, Thank You
17. AKIM & The Teddy Vann Production Company - Santa Claus Is A Black Man
18. Bob Rivers - The Chimney Song [1994]
19. Ben Folds - Bizarre Christmas Incident [2003]
20. Exuma - Oh Silver Sleigh [1971]
21. The Very Foundation - All Lit (Up For Christmas) [2009]
22. Primus - Hail Santa [1993]
23. Cheech & Chong - Santa Claus And His Old Lady

Listen To It Here
----------------------------------------

Ranta's MiXmas Tapes: Family Funk
This one should be good to go for everyone's enjoyment. And I didn't just dump all the lame tracks from there other two mixes here; there are still some great tracks on this one.

Section Fun:
01. Kermit & Tiny Tim - Christmas Scat [1992]
02. Blitzen Trapper - Christmas Is Coming Soon
03. Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra - Carol Of The Bells [2007]
04. Bela Fleck & The Flecktones - Jingle Bells [2008]
05. The Flaming Lips - Christmas At The Zoo [1995]

Section Foo:
06. Holiday Greetings From Lou Reed
07. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Hwiangerdd Mair
08. Sonny Bradshaw Seven - Peace & Love (Little Drummer Boy)
09. Porky Pig - Blue Christmas
10. Pee Pee Dynamite - Groovy Christmas & New Year
11. The Children of the University of Michigan Children's Psychiatric Hospital - Good King Wenceslas [1978]
12. Dimentia 13 - Snow is Falling [1985]
13. Pee Wee Herman - Don't Drink and Drive, Duh [1988]
14. El Perro del Mar - You Can't Steal a Gift [2008]

Section Free:
15. Cocteau Twins - Winter Wonderland [1993]
16. The Granville Williams Orchestra - Santa Claus Is Ska-ing to Town
17. Alton Ellis & The Lipsticks - Merry Merry Christmas
18. Otis Redding - White Christmas
19. Eels - Christmas Is Going To The Dogs feat. Michael Jackson
20. Burl Ives - We Are Santa's Elves

Section Four:
21. Ella Fitzgerald - Jingle Bells
22. Dinah Washington - Make Me a Present of You
23. MoonGlows - Just a Lonely Christmas [1996]
24. Holiday Greetings From Stevie Wonder [1995]
25. Van Morrison - Glad Tidings [1970]
26. Holiday Greetings From Pee Wee Herman [1988]
27. The Who - Christmas [1969]
28. Booker T & The MGs - Jingle Bells

Listen To It Here

I don't love live albums. Somehow the shriek of ecstatic fans just make me all the more aware that I have missed out on yet another musical opportunity. It grates on my nerves and takes away from any shreds of enjoyment that I may have derived from the music itself - with two exceptions only:
Jimi Hendrix Live at Monterey and Morrissey live at Earles Court.
Those two have enough charisma and talent to shine through the fans noisome pestilence, to take me out of my pathetic disappointment and back into the songs. The fact that they sound even better live is a rarity in the few live recordings I have given any time to and as such, justify what I would otherwise class as a waste of time. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the live music experience itself, just the recordings.
I think live music is absolutely a spectrum of wonderfuls - and endless possibilities for amazing polaroid like moments to relive for years to come. The thing I love the most about it is the fact that people gather together , traveling great distances sometimes to leave their differences at the door - their race, religion, postcodes, likes, dislikes... They willingly share a room with a bunch of strangers and their sweat to bond over their common appreciation for a band or artist. Then they share hours in this haze of enjoyment and music and lights and they each have their own unique experience - so all at once, in this room/hall/stadium there are hundreds/thousands of universes just registering their own little nuances and moments whilst enjoying the same beats and sounds simultaneously, and yet taking something different away from it all at once. It's incredible. Perhaps they don't all think as deeply on it as I do - but no live show is ever going to be exactly the same, regardless of the set list. And the chances of the crowd on any one particular night, ever managing to meet all under the same roof again are unlikely to say the least. Music unites the people. I'm sure I've said it before. It brings us together, we just don't always realise it. It's our glue.
Yes, I'm the wide eyed freak gazing around hopelessly looking narcotized but buzzing purely off the romantic notion of being IN the moment. Ugh.
I think the idea of recording these moments is futile and the wonderment of the original and precious minutes during and between songs can never be translated through any other medium than the present. It's just an inappropriate and poor second option to experience it recycled in time. It's not just because I feel I've missed out, it's in respect to the music. We all know we can't have the same euphoria that the moment and the music grants to the fan in the crowd - so why try? We should just make more of an effort to not miss out. We all know what happens when we try to relive Woodstock (= colossal failure).
So in the spirit of live music and my opposition to live recordings here is my list of the top 5 artists I would happily gnaw off my arm to see live but for a myriad of possible reasons, have not yet done so:

1. Kate Bush - she's amazing. She's fearless in her music and her art and the craft of self expression. I'm in awe of her.
2. Sonic Youth - blow my mind continually, via recordings. I can only imagine their energy live. Plus the bragging rights would give way to street cred I've only ever dreamed about.
3. David Bowie - because I love him. For the music.
4.Tom Waits - the man is intense and irrevocably intriguing. and a musical genius. And he growls like an unearthly mystical creature of the night.
5. Jimi Hendrix - the obsession never fades. He was my first real music infatuation and he opened up my mind, musically.

Special mentions go to the following:
Weezer - because I know I could sing along with the best of them and I'm certain at a Weezer show I could make at least 5 new friends.
Joni Mitchell - because no one can write a song like she can.
Morrissey - needs no explanation.
Stevie Wonder - the man is Love and so is his music.
Oh Mercy because I only just discovered them and am subsequently in love with. Can't stop playing the album Priveliged Woes

I could gladly go on but I'd like to make it clear that there isn't' any music that I love, which I wouldn't want to see live. Or music which I don't love that I wouldn't be open to seeing if money and time were no factor. Although I would never EVER go to see Empire of The Sun live, even though I rather like the album Walking On A Dream. Because Luke Steele is just... well, he's an absolute toss.


Disclaimer: All lists are subject to change with varying hormonal levels, general moodiness, new cd purchases and the such, as I feel it is certainly my right to do so, and as author of this journal entry, I of course get to make the rules. I'd also like to mention that I would have loved to have added Mr Michael Jackson (may he rest in peace) but did not want to desecrate his memory by jumping on the ever popular and rather heavy posthumous bandwagon.