Bobbysix.com's End of Year Review 2011 - Andy James

Continuing our series of End of Year Reviews from our contributors, culminating in a grand announcement of overall winners later in the week, Andy James gives us his top albums, song, tv shows and gigs:

1. The Whole Love - WILCO
The Whole Love weaves together great pop songs and alt-country in a real return to form for Wilco. From the opening electronic beats of Art of Almost to the 12-minute acoustic closer One Sunday Morning it’s a belter.
2. Let it Beard - BOSTON SPACESHIPS
A double album with little in the way of fat - a testament to Robert Pollard’s knack for never letting a song overstay its welcome. A guest appearance from J. Mascis is just the icing on the cake as the Boston Spaceships checked out on a real high.

3. Ashes & Fire - RYAN ADAMS

Having ditched the Cardinals somewhere on route, the lovely and restrained Ashes & Fire features some of Ryan Adams’ best material since Heartbreaker and The Suicide Handbook - and that voice just gets better and better with age.

4. Lord of the Birdcage - ROBERT POLLARD
Like much of Robert Pollard’s vast back catalogue, Lord of the Birdcage isn't immediate but grows on you with every listen. As his 4,537^th release is unlikely to win over hipsters or mountains of new fans - but like the Boston Spaceships’ effort it's a fine record nonetheless.

5. Smoke Ring For My Halo - KURT VILE
Philadelphia singer-songwriter Kurt Vile returned with a beautifully layered record which touches on slacker rock, Americana and psychedelic folk. A bourbon-drinking, Marlboro red-smoking gem.

Top 10 Songs
1.Tourist UFO - BOSTON SPACESHIPS
2. Art of Almost - WILCO
3. Defeatist - CAMERAS
4. Curtailed Dream - NICK WEBB
5. In a Circle - ROBERT POLLARD
6. Calgary - BON IVER

7. It's Real - REAL ESTATE
8. Runner Ups - KURT VILE
9. Benediction - THURSTON MOORE
10. Taken for a Fool - THE STROKES

Top 5 TV Shows
1. This is England '88
The second spin-off series from the 2006 film This Is England seemed more relevant than ever. Shit-awful Tory-led government running the show? Check. Disaffected youth? Check. Over-hyped England football team? Check.
2. The Killing
Far-fetched plot twists aside, when it comes to Danish-language police dramas with added knitwear, The Killing was in a league of its own. 
3. Match of the Day
More metrosexual banter and perma-tan tension than the average Channel 5 reality show. Not even a 0-0 at the Britannia or Lawrenson's gloom could take the shine off Shearer's shirts. 
4. PMQs
At times it seemed like Ed would never land a blow, but at least Cameron's own backbenches gave him the occasional kicking.
5. Treme
You don't have to be a lover of jazz to enjoy David Simon's Treme. The Wire creator's drama explored the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on the working-class residents of New Orleans.

Top 5 Gigs
SUFJAN STEVENS - The Dome, Brighton
GARY PAGE - The Lamb, Eastbourne
EELS - The Dome, Brighton
NICK WEBB - The Lamb, Eastbourne
STOP THINKING RECORDS X-MAS SHOWCASE - Bibendum, Eastbourne

2011 in Words
Geopolitical turmoil and economic meltdown aside, on a personal level 2011 didn't feel all that remarkable and certainly wasn't a vintage for new music. Going back through my most listened to albums and tracks of the year it was amazing how few of them were released in the last 12 months. 2012 is already shaping up to be a better one - the first three months of the year see releases from Craig Finn, Guided By Voices, Nada Surf and Lambchop, plus there's the fourth season of In The Loop to look forward to. What else? Well, getting kicked into touch was the catalyst for living like a student again and I've spent more hours sitting around in my pants watching football than is healthy for any thirty-something. I didn't do enough travelling either - although crossing over the Bosphorus from Europe into Asia felt special (albeit with a driver determined to play Bruno Mars on loop). Lots of other high points though, not least spending a lot more time with close friends and family, and an office crush which saw me through the last few months. All in all, life's pretty good.


Andy James - Contributor
Englishman Andy has an impressive knowledge of indie bands that you have probably never heard of and can tell you quite a bit about football too.

David Ford's Milk and Cookies at The Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne

BobbySix.com braved the snow with camera in hand to attend David Ford's Milk and Cookies gig in Eastbourne last weekend. Check the video below:

Eastbourne resident David Ford has, for a decade, been finding time within his busy recording and touring schedule to orchestrate and perform a series of charity gigs, entitled Milk and Cookies. Having raised thousands upon thousands of pounds, Milk and Cookies turned ten-years-old on Saturday night. To celebrate, Ford played a show at the Royal Hippodrome Theatre in his home town.

While the event was sold-out, the fact that England's roads/trains seem to come to a complete standstill with the slightest peppering of snow means that a couple of hundred punters failed to make it. While this was a shame, the event was also live-streamed around the world, so those who were unable to attend could at least enjoy it from the warmth of their living room.

What they would have seen was the usual mix of Ford's solo songs and unexpected covers and rarer treats. Within three hours of terrific entertainment, highlights included a duet with former Easyworld band-mate Jo Taylor-Jones, a turn from Frances Law and a magnificent barber shop quartet featuring Max Arnold from The Late Greats, Neil Martin from Billy and the Fingers and Gary Page. As the gig drew to a close, certain representatives of BobbySix.com made up part of the choir that provided vocals on Bowie's Young Americans, Springsteen's Hungry Heart and John Farnham's You're The Voice.

Ford's music has yet to receive the recognition it deserves and so his life as a troubadour is hardly the most profitable. Therefore, for him to dedicate weeks and weeks of every year to work on this charity project illustrates what a fine chap he is. And the sheer entertainment that was on offer on this cold December evening in a dilapidated old theatre in Eastbourne cannot be argued with. A winning night all round.

This year's very good cause was the Tuesday O'Hara Fund.

Getting To Know... Gary Page

In the latest in the Getting To Know... series, singer/songwriter Gary Page emerges from the back of a tour bus to talk about making music using a hatstand and about how his life resembles Summer Heights High:

I would describe my music as simple but effective verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus with a tune you can hum. The intention is to try and express myself positively without sounding like a happy clapper.

Music makes me feel like a human being. There's nothing better than writing a song and then someone will have a connection with it, even if it's just a handful of people it makes me smile.
There's also nothing better than discovering a band and finding yourself compelled to buy their entire back catologue.

As well as being a solo artist, I play in David Ford's big band. I have, in my time, played percussion on a hatstand, a suitcase and a metal clanger as well as your more conventional percussion, guitar, keyboard, bass and mandolin. Whatever he asks me to do, within reason, I'll do it as I'm up for a challenge.

Touring is a bubble. I've been lucky to tour with people I love but I can imagine if you're stuck with people you don't get on with it could be hell. I've been to some of the most exciting cities in the UK and Ireland but only experienced it in the back of a van and a small venue. There's nothing better though than seeing smiling faces after a gig and feeling like you've been a part of it. I've also met some wonderful people and sometimes they invite you back to a random house party in Galway, Ireland! The first few days back home are truly awful but you quickly adjust back to life.

If I could only listen to three albums for the rest of my life, they would be:

Radiator - Super Furry Animals
Together Alone - Crowded House
Afraid of Sunlight - Marillion

Certainly not the coolest albums you're likely to own but they have a special place in my heart.

Aside from music, I work in an Inclusion Department (think Gumnut College in Summer Heights High and you get the idea) of a college in Sussex, England. Some of the kids I work with have troubles that make school work seem insignificant. It's rewarding though. In my short time there I have supported an autistic lad who has gone on to receive an outstanding achievement award and I've helped make a cracking rasberry cheescake with a partially sighted child who's an amazing kid. If you knew what he goes through day to day you'd never complain about your life.

To listen to some of Gary's charming music, visit his Myspace page.

Gary Page - Folk Devils and Moral Panic

Having been doing the live circuit for a while now, as well as performing as part of David Ford's live band, Eastbourne's Gary Page releases his debut album of classically structured, largely acoustic pop songs.

With guest appearances from Ford, The Late Greats' Max Arnold and Stacey Pottinger from Hiding With Girls/District, the self-recorded and produced Folk Devils... is lyrically intelligent in a colloquial way, mixing introspective musings (Easily Unimpressed) with conspiracy theories (Fake Lunar Landing) and pot-shots at New Wave-loving scenesters (In Love With York). What is most impressive though is the way in which Page unlocks the songs with such utterly accessible tunes. You won't find the unexpected here - no ten-minute jazz noodling or mad acid house outros (which is perhaps surprising considering his adoration of Super Furry Animals) but you will get grown-up, acoustic indie-pop influenced by a love of the likes of Crowded House and Teenage Fanclub.

The quality of the record is such that standout live-favourite, the singalong anthem Breathing In, is not the obvious jewel in the album's crown. However, tucked away without fuss or fanfare at track three, it is still a pleasing end to an opening trilogy of pop songs. Next up, Portland Sky is the real gem on Folk Devils..., a nicely understated tribute to Elliot Smith with a sweet, gentle melody tiptoeing through delicate keys. This is indicative of Page - his songs - even the ones with the big Beach Boys choruses - have a pleasingly ruminative, slightly downbeat tone to them.

If you like your music with zero pretence but with plenty of honesty, then you should give Folk Devils and Moral Panic a listen. The good news for you is that you can download the whole thing for free by clicking on this link. And no, that's not me encouraging you to illegally download (especially after that chick got fined about $2m for uploading a handful of Beyonce tracks), but a free download link straight from the artist himself.

Gary Page plays at Funktion Fest

Eastbourne singer/songwriter and sometime David Ford backing musician, Gary Page, recently performed at Funktion Rooms as part of the rather ill-advised and ridiculously expensive Funktion Fest.However, while the afternoon session of the festival was painfully poorly attended, Gary’s gig was certainly a success, as he belted out his familiar brand of accessible guitar pop with confidence and gusto. Considering my previous gripe about the appalling sound in the venue, the PA in the Penthouse Room was actually very good as Gary played a collection of his own compositions, the pick of which being Breathing In, as well as covering Pet Shop Boys’ Rent and The Shins’ New Slang.

Following on from Gary were another local band, Barrier Dutch, who were similarly entertaining. One senses they might have listened to Arcade Fire a couple of times in their lives as well.