IT HAS not been a bad year music wise and there were certainly some great gigs this summer. Here are a few of my top CDs from 2009 that I’m still happily listening away to.
Bell X1 - Blue Lights On The Runway
To be honest I had forgotten how good Bell X1 were until I got hold of their new album and saw them in the Black Box! ‘The Great Defector’ was an instant hit on the air waves with its Lady Ga Ga-esque intro and Talking Heads style vocals. It’s a great song, but only the tip of the iceberg.
Every song on the album offers you something new, something fresh. It’s beautiful and everyone should have Blue Lights On The Runway.
The Enemy - Music For The People
I was disappointed earlier this year when The Enemy cancelled their Galway gig. Not that I’m their biggest fan or anything, but I wanted to see what kind of energy they could bring to a live set now they have two decent albums under their belt.
Their second album is different to what I expected. To be fair they do sound a little more grown up and it certainly seems like they have been looking for inspiration. There are sounds of Kasabian (‘51st State’ ), Verve (‘Last Goodbye’ ), and Pulp (‘Nation Of Checkout Girls’ ). A nice album to have with lots of promise and energy.
Ebony Bones - Bones Of My Bones
If you listen to only one more song for the entire year let that be Ebony Bones’ ‘We Know All About U’.
The start attraction from this year's South by Southwest Ebony Bones is all things amazing. She’s one of the most original artists you will come across this year. The album is fresh, inspirational, and most definitely engrossing. The perfect album to funk up your Christmas party.
And not forgetting...
Skunk Anansie released a lovely best of this year with Smashes and Trashes. Perfect for anyone wanting to relive their grunge days.
Other great sounds from the year include The xx with their debut album xx, so mellow and ghostly, and oozing coolness. Doves also brought out Kingdom Rust this year, and an amazing collaboration from Foos, QOTSA, and that other guy, in the form of Them Crocked Vultures. Is there anything Josh Hommes and Dave Grohl can’t do? Then of course there's also The Dead Weather, Florence and The Machine, and Bat For Lashes. Not forgetting Cheryl Coles’s debut album! Ah no I’m only joking about that last one! Honest!
