:m23: I am compiling the annual Festive Cock 50 for all stormcockers: basically just email me your top albums of the year before 29th December (top 3 or top 5 or top 10)and I will compile them into a chart... they can be new albums or rereleases so long as they were released in 08. I think this year has been amazing for new music... although none from Nick or Roy - still lots to vote for. Please email me at; jfel2@yahoo.co.uk I look forward to hearing from you james PS Out of interest this is last year's chart: FESTIVE COCK 50 2007 (well top 30) 28= Grinderman - Grinderman 28= Seasick Steve - Doghouse Music 28= Patti Smith - Twelve 27 Matt Churchill - Blue Stars 22= Acoustic Ladyland - Skinny Grin 22= Ray Davies - Working Man's Cafe 22= Hawkwind/Man/Brinsley Schwarz etc - Greasy Truckers Party 22= Awkward Annie - Kate Rusby 22= Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade 21. Julie Fowlis - Cuilidh 20. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible 19. John Martyn - Live in Concert 18. Tinawiren - Aman Iman 17. Om - Pilgrimage 14= Lucinda Williams - West 14= Springsteen - Magic 14= Radiohead - In Rainbows 11= Julian Cope -You Gotta a problem with me 11= Kevin Ayers - The Unfairground 11= Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II 10. Robert Wyatt - Comic opera 8= Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart 8= Joni Mitchell - Shine 7. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog 5= Martin Simpson - Prodigal Son 5= The National - Boxer 4. Roy Harper - (Remastered Version) Stormcock 3. Richard Thompson - Sweet Warrior 2. Plant/Krauss - 'Raising Sand' 1. Nick Harper - Miracles for Beginners
Here's what I've enjoyed this year (In descending order). Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid. An excellent album this one, that will stand the test of time me thinks. Despite it driving Mr Percy crazy with the vocal affectation noise the lead singer makes. Or is it a dentistry defect? who knows it doesn't bother me. Jeff Beck - Performing This Week… At Ronnie Scott's. I nabbed this off BBC iPlayer as I enjoyed it so much when I saw it and then discovered only last Friday that there was an official release on iTunes so I bought that. The iTunes version doesn't have the Imogen Heap song but that's not the end of the world. Being a guitar player I was blown away by this album / prog Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes. Found out about these guys whilst watching The Late show.CSNY meet the Beach Boys lovely sound they make. Will they sustain it for a second album? Donna Maciocia - Demo-A-Week. I'm not sure if this complies with your requirements but Donna has been releasing individual songs with the aim of releasing one a week on her website for free. Any road up she writes thoughtful little pop songs and lately has been composing most of them with a Uke so that gets a big vote in my book. Sadly she has been through a bit of emotional turmoil with a recent relationship break up and so she has only managed to release four so songs so far. Lawson/Dodds/Wood - Numbers. One of Steve Lawson's best collaborations with some excellent beautifully put together improvs Nils Lofgren - The Loner: Nils Sings Neil. Completely unexpected this and found out about it via Mr Bill's cd. Nils does an excellent deftly simple job. Julia Nunes - I Wrote These. Again another Uke player, this is her second CD and a much more polished effort but maybe not quite there yet but watch this space. Sandy Denny - The Best of the BBC Recordings. What can I say Sandy Denny does no wrong. Some of the recording quality is a tad ropey but who cares it's Sandy what matters.
Please everyone contribute to this as much as possible. James did a brilliant job last year and made me aware of plenty of music I didn't know about, which was wonderful. P.
I just wish I could remember everything that's been out this year! Off the top of my head I'd choose these for sure: KINGS OF LEON - Only By The Night TEDDY THOMPSON - A Piece Of What You Need TOM BAXTER - Skybound THE VERVE - Forth LEVELLERS - Letters From The Underground TOM JONES - 24 Hours
I haven't got round to buying the Levellers or Tom Jones latest cds but they are on my list of CDs to get. The Tom Jones one I will get first as that will suit my eldest to a tee for Crimbo but don't tell her ok
30 new CDs, only 3 new this year The Raconteurs The Rolling Stones/"Shine A Light" (DVD and CD versions), and EPICYCLE/"Jingo Jangle" (which technically was free, but my childhood best friend's latest release with his bro). I think all my other new music is old Harper.
Glenn Hughes - First Underground Nuclear Kitchen Dream Machine - The Castle Of A Thousand Universes The Levellers - Letters From The Underground Ozric Tentacles - Sunrise Festival :confused1: released this year I think that is about it :confused1:
:m9: Steven Wilson - Insurgentes Bass Communion - Pacific codex Scrapomitic - Sidewalk ceasars David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk Fleet Foxes- Fleet foxes re-issue of the year Graham Nash - Songs for beginners
Copied from my email submission ... ... just to jog a few thought processes. "Ziggurat" - Steve Tilston "Lau Live" - Lau "Before the ruin" - Drever, McCusker, Woomble "Dual" -Julie Fowlis/ Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh "This Earthly Spell" - Karine Polwart "Ships in the forest" - Karan Casey "Trespasser" - Chris Wood Is canvassing like this allowed? Too late.
im pretty out of touch musically, and only got a few new albums from this year. i did like: Josephine Foster - This Coming Gladness. Christina Carter - Texas Working Blues Christina Carter - Original Darkness Christina Carter seems to be at a bit of a peak these days, her singing and playing sound stronger than ever to me.
Festive 50 cock-thought I have often wondered whether I should give a bit of a running commentary about what has been voted for so far... but in the end I decided not to - as it may get people voting for ones they see when they wouldn't have voted for them originally? But I can't stop anyone else posting their choices.... Also I like making criptic comments, such as.... '2 debut albums with an amazing amount of votes so far' and 'mmmmm.... a lack of votes for the big rereleases so far...' PLEASE KEEP THE VOTES COMING IN! I've had almost as many votes already as so far as I got in the whole of last year... Jx
My 2008 Top 10 James, Firstly thanks for doing this ... it’ll be interesting to see what the cockers have been into this year .... even more surprised if any of my choices make the “real” top 10 !?!? 1.Modern Guilt by Beck 2.Icarus by Icarus 3.Glory by Modern Eulogy 4.Live in Japan by Rodrigo Y Gabriela 5.St. Jude by The Courteeners 6.The Armada by Jeff Martin 7.System of Strings by Tucan 8.Wagonwheel Blues by The War on Drugs 9.The Wire: And All the Pieces Matter -- Five Years of Music from The Wire ( Soundtrack by Various Artists ) 10.Same Old Man by John Hiatt Cheers, Chris.
Having looked at The Times and OMM's list of their Top 50 today, it's reminded me of all those I'd missed completely this year (ie Bon Iver, whom I shall start taking in), those I'd never even heard of and one I'd forgotten and would be on my list (Duffy - Rockferry). So, as I haven't done a full 10, Jim, I will complete my list before 2009 for ya!
adding songs :m14:No problem anyone who wants to add songs up to a max of 10 over the next 2 weeks feel free to do so the more votes the better I think....
Off the top of my head my long list is... The Levellers: Letters from the Underground Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago Teddy Thompson: A Piece Of What You Need Rodney Crowell: Sex and Gasoline Lucinda Williams: Little Honey Alison Moorer: Mockingbird Antony and the Johnsons: Another World Seasick Steve: I Started Out with Nothin' And I Still Got Most Of It Left Paul Weller: 22 Dreams Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes Emmylou Harris: All I Intended To Be Bob Dylan: Tell Tale Signs Joe Bonamassa: Live From Nowhere In Particular Randy Newman: Harps and Angels (thanks Mr Bill!) Calexico: Carried To Dust John Martyn: Ain't No Saint Steve Earle: Copperhead Road (Deluxe Edition) Bo Diddley: Greatest Hits Ry Cooder: I, Flathead Martha Wainwright: I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges Orchestra Baobab: Made In Dakar (was that this year or last?) Free: Fire and Water Deluxe Edition Kossoff: Back Street Crawler Deluxe Edition Duffy: Rockferry Van Morrison: loads of remastered reissues but especially Wavelength Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree Wishbone Ash: Argus Deluxe Edition Steve Miller: King Biscuit Flower Hour Still a bit of whittling to get that lot down to 10! Bob
Ah, Bob, I see you and I are on a similar wavelength! (Can't tempt you with The Twang, can I?!:biggrin. You've mentioned Bon Iver too. I caught him doing the Black Cab session, then sort of put him to one side. Is the album a good 'un then? Please take a listen to Tom Baxter, if you haven't already. I think you may well like him.
1. Eliza Carthy. Dreams of Breathing Underwater 2. Christy McNamara. The House I was Reared In 3. Beck. Modern Guilt 4. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Dig! Lazarus Dig!
I've not come across The Twang or Tom Baxter. I'll look them up. The Bon Iver record has a wonderful haunting sound to it. A bit samey across the whole record at one sitting but if you get one track pop up on the iPod it's wonderful - any track. Bit like Nick Harper in that respect (not that Nick is samey but I prefer him in small doses). Bob
My final Top 10 (in no particular order). KINGS OF LEON - Only By The Night TEDDY THOMPSON - A Piece Of What You Need TOM BAXTER - Skybound THE VERVE - Forth GLASVEGAS - Glasvegas LEVELLERS - Letters From The Underground DUFFY - Rockferry FRIENDLY FIRES - Friendly Fires TOM JONES - 24 Hours THE SCRIPT - The Script
