// Johnny’s Top 10 Albums of the year.//

I’d more or less got this down by November, last year I did a Top 5 which, if your interested, you can find here, this year having to pick TEN was a bit more of a challenge. So here is my list, if I had to write this again I’d probably switch the entries around, but I think the top, say, 3 are probably concrete. Anyway:

1. Delphic - Acolyte

Despite being released in January of this year I am yet to hear an album as solid as Acolyte, even with releases from some of my favourite bands Delphic is still my album of the year. Mixing Europhic techno sweeps with dancefloor house music, whilst maintaining all the appeal and cult of a British Indie band, Acolyte, and by association Delphic, was a total breath of fresh air for me and seemed to be a real head and shoulders above other Synthesizer Indie fusion bands that have sprung up recently.

2. Bombay Bicycle Club - Flaws

Last year I couldn’t say enough good things about ‘I had the blues…’ This year, Flaws doesn’t disappoint. In being almost the comparative opposite to it’s Electric predecessor but still maintaining enough individual appeal to be considered an independent record. It really takes Bombay Bicycle Club to a whole next level, beyond being a sticky dancefloor academy “NME” band and into the realms of being one of the great British bands of history, for me it takes a special kind of band to produce a real quality acoustic album and not many bands have managed to pull it off. Bombay have executed it perfectly and only on their second record.

3. Foals - Total Life Forever

When I first heard this record I wasn’t sure how to interpret it, that being I suppose, because I fully expected “Antidotes II” but instead TLF is a totally different record in a brave new direction which can either transform a band into super rock stardom, or leave them totally exposed. TLF works because Foals are truly talented musicians and although it didn’t completely blow my mind when I first heard it, a few listens will teach you to appreciate it for what it is. It really demonstrates a band developing from their houseparty dancefloor indie club roots into a fully fledged alternative rock powerhouse.

4. Blood Red Shoes - Fire Like This

Probably the most, underrated band in recent history (since the sad demise of Hell Is For Heroes). I just don’t see enough Blood Red Shoes hype in magazines or on TV on on the radio, and wrongfully so because they are AWESOME. Fire Like This is nothing short of outstanding. Each track is perfect crafted musicianship and the BRS combination of alternative rock with a DIY punk ethos is so appealing it’s hard to dislike them. Possibly the most hardworking band (second to perhaps Frank Turner!) in terms of touring schedule they have been on a Euro British American tour for about the past 4 months!

5. Colour Revolt - The Cradle

For a little while it looked like Colour Revolt we’re finished. after losing 3/5ths of the band they went quiet for a little while and had seemingly vanished. Then I suddenly discovered they we’re putting out a new record so of course I immediately pre-ordered it. The Cradle is probably my favourite indie record of the year. More or less totally self produced and distributed it is almost a complete change in sound, a given since that only Jesse (vox, guitar, keys) and Sean (vox, guitar) are the original members, but if this was a debut record it would be something special. A real bounce back to form given that I wasn’t too impressed with Plunder, Beg & Curse, The Cradle is a real solid effort.

6. Klaxons - Surfing The Void

Another album that seems to have slipped beneath the radar, so to speak, is Klaxons. Myths of the Near Future was a pretty exciting release back in 2007, and speaking from personal experience after the abrupt split of Test Icicles it was hard to find a band that could carry their mantra, but Klaxons pulled it off. So when I heard about Surfing The Void it sparked my curiosity, would it be able to live up to the expectations and hype that it’s predecessor had set before it, and the short answer is yes, it does. Could easily be higher up my list had it not been for more quality releases this year.

7. Axwell presents: Axtone Vol 1

I’ll make no secret of the fact that I love House music. When I was a kid in school I basically listened to nothing except Alice in Chains, Metallica and Nirvana so when I first started at college I needed something different. I got into Axwell when I heard ‘I Found U’ and I don’t even care to look how many years ago that was released! Nowadays Dance music charts are awash with House music and techno producers and it’s difficult to find the ‘needle in the haystack’ but for me Axwell as always been consistent and one of the few producers you can rely on to put out a quality record. Axtone is easily my favourite dance record this year and in my opinion is a better collection than Until One by Swedish House Mafia, if you need to choose between the 2, pick Axtone. All day long.

8. Tokyo Police Club - Champ

I nearly missed this record, which would have been disappointing since Elephant Shell is still one my favourite albums. Champ is a little different from that it seems, taking a bit of a break from the quirky pop sound that has come to define TPC and instead focusing on a much more… bohemian (for want of a better word) style of music. The apparent TPC sound is still there but it seems to have grown older and matured. Champ is still a good record, still has all the sing-a-long appeal of the older releases and is brave enough to take things in a new direction. If ‘Bambi’ is anything to judge the direction of thier next recordings TPC could become a real huge band.

9. Ellie Goulding - Lights

Lights was an interesting record for me, it was good purely for the fact that it was personally forfilling just to finally get a full length record out of Ellie Goulding, and for a little while I would have ranked this about 3rd or 4th on my top 5 but in comparison to Foals and Bombay it just doesn’t quite make the cut. It’s a good record though, if your into EG you will love it.

10 Deftones - Diamond Eyes

I’d pretty much written Deftones off as a casualty of the ‘Nu-Metal’ crisis which essentially saw Limp Bizkit and Korn fall from grace quicker than an Usain Bolt 100m sprint, and I will confess that I didn’t pick Diamond Eyes up and give it a listen until I heard ‘You’ve Seen The Butcher’ on TV. It is a real bruteforce album, not quite ‘White Pony II’ but still a great stand alone record and a solid record from one of Post Hardcore’s pioneers.

This was hard and took me ages :/ but it’s done! Sorry if it’s a little long and wordy but I hope you all found it interesting!

xjw.