2008 end of year review

I’ve always loved a good list. Here is my best and worst of 2008 (please feel free to leave your own lists in the comments section):TOP 10 ALBUMS
1. The Felice Brothers THE FELICE BROTHERS (above)
2. Fantasy Black Channel LATE OF THE PIER
3. Alas, I Cannot Swim LAURA MARLING
4. Dog House Music SEASICK STEVE
5. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS
6. Twenty One MYSTERY JETS
7. Alphabutt KIMYA DAWSON
8. Sixes & Sevens ADAM GREEN
9. Only By The Night KINGS OF LEON
10. Sunday At Devil Dirt ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN

TOP 5 SINGLES
1. I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You BLACK KIDS
2. Sex On Fire KINGS OF LEON
3. Paris Is Burning LADYHAWKE
4. Young Love MYSTERY JETS
5. American Boy ESTELLE

TOP 5 ARTISTS
1. Kimya Dawson
2. Angus & Julia Stone (read my bio of them here)
3. Ladyhawke (above)
4. Laura Marling
5. Late Of The Pier

TOP 10 GIGS
1. Kimya Dawson, Manning Bar
2. Arcade Fire, Big Day Out
3. Angus & Julia Stone, Enmore Theatre
4. Adam Green, Oxford Art Factory
5. Bridezilla, Annandale Hotel
6. SoKo, Oxford Art Factory
7. Rage Against The Machine, Big Day Out (below)
8. Cassette Kids, Oxford Art Factory
9. Cat Power, Enmore Theatre
10. Kate Nash, Oxford Art Factory
TOP 3 RADIO SHOWS
1. Mark Kermode’s Film Reviews, BBC Radio Five Live
2. Ricky Gervais podcast
3. BBC Radio Five Live football podcast

TOP 5 ONLINE DESTINATIONS
1. Youtube
2. Surf The Channel
3. Owl and the Grapes
4. Facebook
5. Myspace

THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES AWARD (MOST OVER-HYPED)
Australian TV show Underbelly about Melbourne gangsters. It was based on truth but played out like a high-school production of The Sopranos. Everyone went mad for it though. “OMG, have you seen Underbelly?” they would enthuse. “Yes,” I would respond. “But I wish I hadn’t because it’s shit.”

HIGHLIGHT(S) OF THE YEAR
Well, the sky-blue leather jacket (above) I picked up in Vinnies for $10 was a pretty seminal moment in my year but, in terms of worldwide ramifications, I suppose it comes a close second to Obama’s victory.

QUOTES OF THE YEAR
“Sorry.”
"I try really hard actually." Michael Cera speaks for all indie boys when Juno tells him he's cool without even having to try.

TOP FILMS
1. Juno
2. Young At Heart
3. No Country For Old Men
4. The Dark Knight

WHAT’S THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING SOMEONE WILL BLAME ON THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN DURING 2009?
The titanic flop that will be Jet’s third album.

PREDICTIONS FOR 2009
The Smiths to reform.

2008 IN REVIEW
It’s been an interesting year over here in Sydney. The world went into financial meltdown, Sydney brimmed with nuns for World Youth Day, everyone (deservedly) went crazy for a little film about a pregnant teenager, the NSW Government imploded and America surprisingly got it right with its Presidential election.
Musically, a look at my top ten suggests many of the big-hitters failed to perform this year, but, more positively, lots of up-and-coming Sydney acts – including Ghostwood, Mercy Arms and Angus & Julia Stone – have represented Australia well overseas. A big disappointment was the cancellation of The Great Escape Festival. This is a wonderful event, so if it returns next year, buy your tickets early to avoid the same thing happening.

Interviewing my old mate Kimya (above) was a lovely moment for me, as was interviewing another couple of heroes of mine, Adam Green and Albert Hammond, Jr. Seeing Kimya play twice in one day was great, and watching two of my dearest friends fill the Enmore two nights running made me brim with pride.

Anyway, Happy New Year. I hope the credit crunch doesn’t hit you too harshly in 2009. I doubt it will affect me, as I never had any money in the first place.

Late Of The Pier - Fantasy Black Channel

LATE OF THE PIER
Fantasy Black Channel

I know, I know. You’ve had your fill of English indie/dance bands. Admittedly, there has been an influx of them desperately trying to ride on Klaxons’ coattails over the past couple of years, and many of them have been pretty poor (Hadouken! anybody?), but your faith is about to be restored by four guys from Nottinghamshire.

Helped in no small part by (seemingly omnipresent) dance producer Erol Alkan sprinkling his magic over it, Late Of The Pier’s debut album is equally slick and ramshackle, yet always exciting. Along with its chunky synths and catchy riffs, standout track Space and The Woods gives a big wink to Gary Numan, while space-opera Focker sounds like Klaxons having a fight with Muse on the Death Star. Elsewhere, things go even crazier, with the woozy guitar of Broken making way for a techno madness outro. Similarly, Random Firl feels like it could fall apart at any moment until the vocal reigns it back in.

The only time things take a downturn is with The Enemy Of The Future, which, despite a fun karaoke Bowie vocal, slows the pace and feels slightly lumbering in contrast to the rest of the songs. However, things instantly pick up with the last two tracks, especially the sweary, Sparks-esque insanity of album-closer Bathroom Gurgle.

It is testament to Fantasy Black Channel’s production, construction and inventiveness that, while it is fast, loud and often completely barmy, it’s never inaccessible or self-indulgent. What we have here is a perfectly-judged, well-executed, fearless and, most importantly, utterly thrilling record.