Our top 50 singles of 2009

While we’ve given you plenty of editorial on our albums of the year (50-41, 40-31,30-21, 20-16, 15-11, 10-7. 6-4 3-1), we’re keeping it simple with this list of what releases our gaggle of writers collectively voted their singles of 2009. How did we reach this list, I hear you cry? May I hand over to our trusty friend, Excel Guru, who was last seen pre-ambling our top 50 albums end-of-year thingamejig:

“Everyone sent in a top 10 list and the 50 singles with the most nominations were collected; tie-breaks were decided by how high up those lists the songs were. Then everyone chose 10 ordered singles from the list of 50 and they were ranked using the same criteria as the album poll.”

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The Best Albums of 2009: Editor’s Choice

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers

As a companion piece to our 50-1 countdown that hit the internet gradually over the past couple of weeks (check the top three and work backwards), I’ve decided to do this piece on my own personal top 20. First person writing, the chance to eschew writing as voice of a consensus – my very own top albums of 2009 as some sort of deeper representation of what this here site’s all about.

The order is very loose, and I guess based on factors such as how and how much I enjoyed them. I could probably put these albums in a tombola, get them out re-ordered and still call it a fair representation of my year. That said, the top five would have to be the top five, and in that order. They are five incredible albums that have added a next-level fever to this year. … Continue Reading

The Best Albums of 2009: 10-7

We’re into the top ten! Is your favourite here? Are you shocked it’s not been placed higher? Are you outraged by some of our writers’ choices? Tell us. Don’t be a closet whiner.

10) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz! by Rob Hastings

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

It’s been a bumper year for fans of Karen O. Not only can they chirp about her band’s third album being yet another humdinger, but they can also indulge in a debate as to whether her freak-folk soundtrack to Where The Wild Things Are is even better still. Those who plump for It’s Blitz!, however, have plenty of justification. While armies of pretenders continue to squeeze the life out the synth revival, this is an album showing how Korgs really should be used to complement Fenders.

From the moment ‘Zero’ first explodes into full-blown stomping, strobe-lit form, it’s clear Nick Zinner isn’t just lazily following a trend; as the lyric in ‘Heads Will Roll’ goes, the next nine tracks are truly “dripping in alchemy”.

By melding the neon elements of their new sound with their garage origins, YYYs have created an LP that is by turns breathlessly euphoric, profoundly delicate and downright barbaric. … Continue Reading

The Horrors make new song available online

So The Horrors‘ ‘Whole New Way’, which we got told about on the red carpet by the band themselves, is available for you to listen to. Here:

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Quotes and gossip from last night’s Mercury Prize

Mercury Prize

Snippets! Gossips! Rumours? Things. We have them all, or rather we did, last night, from the red carpet and beyond.

Rab Allan of Glasvegas is a very nice chap, and he told us about their plans for next year: “The new album is basically finished, we’ve just got to record it.” This was all as singer (and cousin) James Allan disappeared – Rab told us he was ill but we heard from elsewhere that he’d “gone missing”. Odd. He continued: “We’ve been writing since the Christmas album. It’s being recorded with Rich Costey again, and James has actually just finished some demos. The new album’s a little bit more upbeat – it looks more towards the future, redemption as opposed to looking back.” Good stuff, should be nice.

Sweet Billy Pilgrim recognised us, that was also nice. We saw them at the Union Chapel a little while back so were extra-pleased when they received a nomination – in spite of henchman Tim Elsenburg still holding down his day-job as a service maintenance type man who famously found out about the nomination while fitting a toilet: “We’re going from immortal fear to massive excitement. The nerves have settled after the media run – it’s all so new and exciting to us. I think we’ve plateau’d! Our palms are less sweaty than they were at the beginning.” Bless them. “We got mistaken for our own road crew – we don’t have any. We’re the only band that don’t! The crew here found it hilarious – they said “where are your crew?”, and I said “gather round, lads”. … Continue Reading

The Mercury Prize – in exclusive photos

Setting the scene at London's Grosvenor House...

The first arrival - it's Muso's Guide's very own Catherine Wilson

Followed swiftly by, er, me

THERE WERE LOADS OF PEOPLE WITH CAMERAS

And even though the day was drawing close, they didn't need their flash for Beth Ditto

What the hell are you wearing, mate? (this is La Roux's Ellie Jackson)

A bit of bromance for Led Bib, who also had sexy backs

Cheer up, Kasabian. It might never happen! Oh, wait -

Look, it's Noel Fielding. Not nominated, don't you fret.

Speech Debelle. TEASER ALERT: she won.

The End. More coverage and quotes and gossip to come later, keep coming back!

And the 2009 Mercury Prize winner is…

Mercury Prize

Here we are at Grosvenor House, and they have just announced that the winner of the prize in 2009, and loads more album sales is… (HOLD THAT BREATH)

SPEECH DEBELLE!!!

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Photos from the Mercury Prize

Here are some things we have seen at Grosvenor House:

Florence + The Machine

Friendly Fires

Lisa Hannigan

The Horrors

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Exclusive The Horrors news from the Mercury Prize

Faris Badwan

We’ve got some exclusive news on The Horrors live from the Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2009!

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Live from the Mercury Prize

Here we are at London’s swanky Grosvenor House, watching the events of 2009’s Mercury Prize unfold. And with the help of a bit of clever techery, if you follow the #mercuryprizelive hashtag on Twitter (or just sit here and watch the widget auto-refresh), you can pretend you’re right there with us! We’ll be bringing you gossip from the red carpet, the balcony, the performances, the ceremony and the fag-breaks. Keep tuned… … Continue Reading