Albums Of The Decade

My favourite albums of the past decade. It's really hard to rank albums and really every one is interchangeable because each has meant something special to me or been something of an obsession over the past decade at different times. It's also interesting to see since starting this blog how a lot of the albums on my end of year lists are now rarely listened to by me and some almost completely forgotten (I really don't think I've thought about Yuck, for instance, since 2011 but they are there on my list that year). These were chosen for a combination of most listens and the memories they bring back. I'm sure I've missed out some good ones though.

My Favorite Albums Of 2018

There have been some years while I've been writing this blog where I have struggled to come up with even 10 albums I've loved released in the previous 12 months. This year though has had so many I've loved instead it's been hugely difficult to whittle it down to just 10. There were two EPs in particular that wowed me that didn't make the list simply because they weren't long players: Alison Sudol, formerly A Fine Frenzy, making her debut as a solo artist with the dreamily atmospheric Moon EP and the brilliant "super-group" Boy Genius, combining the talents of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. I hope we'll get proper albums from both of them.

Best Gigs Of 2017

Out of all the shows I went to this year the two most memorable were touched by death and that's what will forever define them in my mind. There was the first night of Eddie Vedder's two shows at Hammersmith where Chris Cornell's death hung over everything like a huge black cloud. Cornell's suicide affected me more deeply than other celebrity deaths for many reasons so to experience that shared grief with other fans and also to witness Vedder's first public acknowledgement of it was very moving and cathartic and I will never forget it.

First Aid Kit at Shoreditch Town Hall

First Aid Kit

Van William

Shoreditch Town Hall, 1 November 2017

I've never been to Shoreditch Town Hall before but it's a beautiful place not far from Old Street station that normally hosts plays and orchestral concerts. It's not the smallest place I've seen First Aid Kit play but it's certainly the loveliest. The last time was back in 2014 before their third album Stay Gold was released and, true to form, this intimate show also precedes a new album, Ruins, which is out in January.

My Favourite Albums Of 2014

As the years go by I do seem to be more and more drawn to female artists but I do think that the girls of late have been releasing records way more innovative and musically interesting than the boys. Not that there hasn't been amazing records from male artists too.

Best Gigs Of 2014

I think all I need to say here are two rather lovely words: Kate Bush. That's because, gig-wise, 2014 will always be the year I finally got to see Kate live and wow, what a show: it was certainly worth the long wait. How lucky am I to have been among the few who got to see one of these special shows. Of course I got to go to lots of other concerts which together would easily make up a great year of gig-going, in particular Janelle Monáe's Prince-esque party at Brixton Academy, First Aid Kit's joyful small pre-album launch at Islington Assembly Hall and the graceful and wonderfully intimate Vashti Bunyan show at the tiny St Pancras Old Church but Kate overshadows them all. No guessing where she places on my list of my 10 favourite shows this year...

10. Angel Olsen at Dingwalls 

9. Marianne Faithfull at the Royal Festival Hall

8. The Afghan Whigs at the Electric Ballroom 

7. Cat Power at the Union Chapel
 
6. Minor Alps at The Islington 

5. Antemasque at the Electric Ballroom

4. Vashti Bunyan at St Pancras Old Church 

3. First Aid Kit at Islington Assembly Hall

2. Janelle Monáe at Brixton Academy

1. Kate Bush at Hammersmith Apollo

First Aid Kit at Islington Assembly Hall

First Aid Kit
Jo Rose
Islington Assembly Hall, 15 May 2014

With their third album, Stay Gold, due in less than a month it was a truly lovely surprise when First Aid Kit announced a smallish gig at the Islington Assembly Hall. Not surprisingly, given they are big enough to announce a date at the Royal Albert Hall in September since, it sold out pretty much straight away but lucky for me I managed to get one of the coveted tickets for the show. I had never been to Islington Assembly Hall before but it's actually one of the nicer venues I've been to in a while, just up the road from my current favourite, the Union Chapel, With a small standing area in front of the stage and a seated balcony, it's probably between the size of the much missed Astoria and the Scala in King's Cross, but the look of Bush Hall. Unlike some of the recent venues I've visited for the first time recently, this is one of the few that I'm keen to return to.

My Favourite Albums Of 2012

I had a really difficult time this year whittling down my favourite albums of the year to just 10, there were so many I really loved: so I decided to make it 11. There are others I really loved too like Ryan Bingham's brilliant hard rock meets traditional country Tomorrowland, The Mars Volta's underrated Noctourniquet and Kathleen Edwards' lovely follow-up to Asking For Flowers, Voyageur, but these are the records that ultimately made the cut.

Best gigs of 2012

This year I seem to have been revisiting my youth as I saw more reunited bands than ever and my summer was like a big flashback to the early 90s. But it wasn't all nostalgia as I got to experience some great new bands too as well as a few legends I had never experienced before, like Mike Nesmith, who was back on these shores for a solo show for the first time in 38 years! I feel pretty lucky to have seen him, as different and quirky as his show was.  I also spent two days standing in the rain and mud in order to see Soundgarden and Bruce Springsteen, both of which were worth it but I don't know if I have it in me to do again. Still there's part of me that is sad that the Hard Rock Calling concerts will longer be taking place in Hyde Park, I definitely had some good times at those events over the years. Also sad was Cat Power cancelling her December show at the Roundhouse due to illness. I was really looking forward to that one but hopefully she'll be back next year to make up the dates. So anyway, with all that said, here's my list of my favourite shows this year:

10. Eddie Vedder at Hammersmith Apollo

9. Bat For Lashes at The Forum

8. Anaïs Mitchell at Camden Dingwalls

7. Bruce Springsteen at Hyde Park

6. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at Royal Albert Hall

5. First Aid Kit at Shepherd's Bush Empire

4. Sharon Van Etten at the Scala

3. Wild Flag at the Electric Ballroom

2. Soundgarden at Hyde Park

1. Afghan Whigs at Koko

First Aid Kit at Shepherd's Bush Empire

First Aid Kit
Idiot Wind
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 20 November 2012

With their second album, The Lion's Roar, First Aid Kit have made, for me at least, maybe the album of the year. Full of swirling harmonies and with deep roots in the very best of Americana music, it's hard to believe that something so authentic sounding was created by two Swedish siblings, one still in her teens. Yet the Soderberg sisters, Klara and Johanna, have done just that and maybe they know how unlikely it sounds because they actually introduce themselves tonight by telling us "Hello, we're First Aid Kit. We're two Swedish sisters from Stockholm".