Gossip's Standing in the Way of Control came out ten years ago today. This band made an instant positive impression on me. Singer Beth Ditto is an impressive performer who blew me away when I first saw a video of her performing the title track from this album. Her voice and delivery are so strong and melodic; she is a force that cannot be ignored.
That same song would go on to become an anthem and rallying cry for gay rights and marriage equality.
Check out my favourite tunes from this powerful band's third album.
Funeral Party's The Golden Age of Knowhere came out five years ago today. Like The Joy Formidable's The Big Roar which I celebrated earlier today, this is another really solid album from five years ago that I don't want to wait another five to celebrate.
This band has so much energy wrapped up in it's unique take on high strung guitar rock. I love it. The amazing mix of frantic yet groovy and danceable drumming along with hooky guitar riffs and agonized, straining yet enjoyable vocals is awesome.
Not really sure what these guys are up to these days, but I'd definitely be up for hearing some more tunes and seeing them live
Five years isn't such a long time in album anniversary timelines, but this album is so special to me that I'll use pretty much any excuse to share its awesomeness with the world. The Joy Formidable is one of my all-time favourite bands, and they're on my photo bucket list since I've never properly shot them.
This album, The Big Roar, came out five years ago today and is so close to perfection with it's mix of raw power and energy, with exquisite melodies and hooks. This album is their début full-length, but it seems like their sound is fully mature at this stage. The band has continued to build on the success of this release and the sound signature forged on The Big Roar on subsequent releases and I look forward to their next album with great anticipation.
Ten years ago today, The Kooks released Inside In Inside Out. It is such a solid album that is still among my favourites when the songs come up on my iPod. The Kooks' début shows them to be a highly accomplished group of musicians with an original yet infectious sense of song. There are influences from generations of guitar rock and pop mixed with danceable beats and delivery with just the right mix of ragged and polished.
Here are my favourite tunes from The Kooks' Inside In Inside Out:
Ten years ago today, Arctic Monkeys released Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. This is one of the most solid albums ever released by any artist. Literally every tune on this album has a five-star rating in my library.
The music is so urgent and passionate, the lyrics are so vivid and alive, and the delivery is so direct and earnest. It was such a breath of fresh air when this album was released. It was just in time for a period of new music discovery in my life and it was one of the two albums that I gave to a friend who was seeking out cool new music from that point of view that "there's no good music coming out any more". The other album was Stars' Set Yourself On Fire.
The album has lasted so well for me, with the songs having not become tired or dated. There are not many albums that come forth from a young band so fully formed and vital. Take a listen to the big singles from the album along with live performances of every song on the entire album. You can see just how close to their live sound Whatever... is when you listen to them live. Awesome.
