We’ve spent the last two days unveiling numbers 50-11 in our top 50 songs of 2011, and now the time has come to unveil what Muso’s Guide’s hefty panel of writers nominated as their top 10 songs released this year. It’s been a pretty diverse selection thus far, and the top end of the chart is no different.

10. Wild Beasts – Reach a Bit Further

9. Ghostpoet – Cash and Carry Me Home

8. PJ Harvey – The Words That Maketh Murder

7. Radiohead – Lotus Flower

6. The Horrors - Endless Blue

5. Metronomy – The Bay

4. Yuck - Get Away

3. Metronomy - The Look

2. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

1. Lana Del Rey - Video Games

It got so buried in the sea of ‘is she real, OMG her real name isn’t Lana’ sideshow, that it’s easy to forget how great a song Video Games is. True, it might already have become an albatross around her name, bringing about expectations of her debut album that simply can’t be lived up to, but that doesn’t matter for now. Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly present to you Muso’s Guide’s official favourite song of 2011…

Yesterday we posted numbers 50-21 in our Favourite Songs of the year countdown, and we’re edging ever closer to the Top 10. Today sees us revealing the bottom half of our top 20, which can be enjoyed below, in tantalising reverse order of course.

20. Nicola Roberts – Lucky Day

19. Rihanna feat Calvin Harris - We Found Love

18. Little Dragon - Ritual Union

17. Adele - Rolling in the Deep

16. Ghostpoet – Liiines

15. Bombay Bicycle Club – Shuffle

14. Battles ft Matias Aguayo – Ice Cream

13. M83 – Midnight City

12. Wild Beasts – Lion’s Share

11. Johnny Foreigner - (Don’t) Show Us Yr Fangs

Come back tomorrow when we’ll be unveiling the official Muso’s Guide Top 10 songs of 2011.

PJ Harvey

Welcome to the fifth and final part of our albums of the year countdown – for the rest of the week, we’ll be bringing you our favourite albums of 2011, as voted for by our writers. Earlier this week, we revealed 50-41, 40-31, 30-21 and 20-11. We’ll bring you our favourite songs of the year next week. All in all, 24 lists were totted up by Mitchell Stirling, and votes were cast by Tom Bolton, Paul Brown, Sam Cleeve, Jane Corcoran, Lucy Dearlove, Rosie Duffield, Ben Dufton, Paul Faller, Stephen Ferdinando, Paul Gettings, Alex Kavanagh, Dannii Leivers, Steve McGillivray, Kenny McMurtrie, Jim Merrett, Greg Salter, Natalie Shaw, Andrew Schagen, Harley Sherman, Stef Siepel, Mitchell Stirling, Stephanie Stevens-Wade, Antonio Tzikas, and Russell Warfield. This list, and everything else that we do, would not have been possible without them and all our other writers – thank you!

10. Friendly Fires – Pala

After the sleeper success of their debut, Friendly Fires’ return was anticipated by many, and they didn’t disappoint. Pala is pure escapism – a carnival for a year when you might just have needed some distraction from the real world. The songs came in the colours of the parrot’s feathers on the LP cover – ‘Live Those Days Tonight’ and ‘Hawaiian Air’ in particular sounded like colour and sunshine and, briefly, forgetting everything else.

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9. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise

“Just like space is a vacuum – except for the hulking great lumps of stuff within it, this planet being one of them – Space Is Only Noise is minimal techno in the sense that it’s actually constructed from a chattering web of disparate genres and influences, from Tom Waits to Panda Bear. If nothing else, the Chilean ex-pat should be commended for out Lynching David Lynch.” Jim Merrett

“There’s something about midnight that heightens ones senses, isn’t there? In previous years I have often picked the album I defer to when on the midnight commute to my little ol’ home for the top spot. This album just has that midnight, distant vibe all over it. Emotion through a sense of disconnect, like you are watching events unfold in life as opposed to being part of it. Or maybe I’m just thinking this for the French cinema bits thrown in there. Jaar has this very rare sense of knowing when to use what kind of sound. And in music, that is a gift, and an important one at that. Not to mention that the actual songs that come out of it are tremendous, especially that killer combo smack down in the middle of the album. The songs ‘Problems with the Sun’ and ‘Space is Only Noise If You Can See’ are such great examples of not only Jaar’s musical skills, but also how they can be turned into good songs.” Stef Siepel

“Dance music for people who don’t feel like dancing, would prefer to listen to musique concrete, but aren’t averse to beats that bounce like a giant rubber band. De la bombe!” Tom Bolton

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8. Metronomy – The English Riviera

Joe Mount, with the help of his band of musician, re-imagined his hometown in the south west of England on The English Riviera – it became a place of romantic possibility and summer escape. The appeal came not just from Mount’s tender imagination, but also his band’s patience with a number of elements that could have derailed the whole thing – those liquid basslines are inviting rather than cheesy, and the textures and attention to detail gesture towards ‘70s soft rock without getting mired in pastiche. The English Riviera seems genuinely thoughtful and sincere, as well as featuring the best songs of Metronomy’s career.

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7. The Horrors – Skying

“The Horrors finally find their sound, a great psychedelic album and one that restored my faith in the band.” Antonio Tzikas

“While not the quantum leap forward that 2009′s Primary Colours represented, Skying saw The Horrors consolidate their sonic progression with another fine collection of songs – as well as finally earning a deserved chart breakthrough, (on their own terms, no less). From the driving, look-laiden likes of ‘I Can See Through You’ and ‘Still Life’ to sprawling, brilliant epics ‘Moving Further Away’ and ‘Oceans Burning’, Skying moulds The Horrors’ myriad influences into a sound that is very much their own.” Paul Faller

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6. Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues And Melancholy Jam

“Probably one of the most addictive albums of the year, this took over my life for a little while. A nocturnal soundtrack that had the ability to seep into your mind.” Jane Corcoran

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5. Radiohead – The King Of Limbs

While the release came out of nowhere, the content didn’t. Sitting somewhere between the tenderness of In Rainbows and the crunchy electronica of Kid A, The King Of Limbs was at once a futurology lecture and a Radiohead history lesson. Colder than its immediate predecessor and not the massive paradigm shift of the band’s mid-career albums, this was no less a joy to actually listen to and the only real complaint is its all too brief length. And since when is being left wanting more a bad thing?” Jim Merrett

“Not to everyone’s taste, Radiohead continue to defy expectations. A darker, shorter and more brooding album than In Rainbows, it continues Thom Yorke’s fascination with electronica while keeping a firm grip on their signature sound.” Alex Kavanagh

“A lot was said about Radiohead’s previous album to this, In Rainbows. Was it a return to form after their more experimental phase? While everyone was still figuring this out, along came The King of Limbs. Now nobody was thinking about it as this was most definitely a brilliant Radiohead album – this was Radiohead back to their glorious best.” Steve McGillivray

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4. Wild Beasts – Smother

“The baffling omission of Smother from the Mercury Prize shortlist turned out to be but a minor blip in the continued ascent of Wild Beasts. The band adopted a more pared down, less-is-more aesthetic than on previous records, which has been exquisitely combined with their thought-provoking, intimate lyricism to produce one of the year’s most stunningly beautiful records.” Paul Faller

“The clue’s in the title: smooth, insinuating, sinister, replete with thinly veiled threats sung in unsettling falsetto. Wild Beasts make seriously complex music, but resistance is futile.” Tom Bolton

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3. James Blake – James Blake

“The fact that the record is self titled ought to have provided a clue to the ‘where are the fucking beats?’ naysayers. This isn’t a quasi-sequel to ‘CMYK’ – it’s a standalone artistic statement; an invitation from James Blake for us to re-evaluate his craft with completely fresh ears. Still laced with an incredible – if sparing – sense of rhythm, the album is a fabulous exercise in restraint, of doing more with less, and the possibilities of subtle build and release. Incredibly simple-but-effective shifts in texture frequently push these songs into unduly emotive territories, even when (or especially when) Blake’s vocal is accompanied only by piano, or nothing at all. To get angry that the record didn’t meet preconceived notions of what it would (or should) have sounded like is ridiculous. He can go back to proving himself as an unparalleled dance producer in due course. But for the moment, we’ve been happily introduced to a second Blake – one with an abundance of soulful atmospherics and a keen ear for vocal harmony. There’s more than enough room on my iPod for both Blakes.” Rusell Warfield

“An interesting and at times haunting album that pushes sound in new directions. Blake’s cover of ‘Limit To Your Love’ is undoubtedly a highlight.”  Rosie Duffield

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2. SBTRKT – SBTRKT

“SBTRKT’s debut album was worth the wait – paring down and smoothing out element of grime, techno, dubstep, garage, jungle and, yes, pop, he produced one of the most listenable and coherent album of the year. For a debut, this is no mean feat. Meanwhile the guests shone – Yukimi Nagano makes ‘Wildfire’ her own, Roses Gabor relishes the spotlight on second half highlight ‘Pharoahs’ and Sampha brings a sense of melancholy and sense of self awareness that wins you over from the off. Stunning while also intimate, I’m genuinely excited to see where SBTRKT takes us next.” Greg Salter

“After a string of remixes, the bedroom producer reveals himself, sort of. A tight, poppy debut that owes as much to Detroit techno and Chicago house as it does to south London dubstep. But not even the bassline wobbles are enough to shake off that mask.” Jim Merrett

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1. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

“Believe the hype. PJ Harvey makes what many consider to be her best record yet, a profoundly moving ode to an England that exists only in our imaginations, at once desperately sad and romantic.” Alex Kavanagh

“Clearly deserved (though totally pointless) winner of this year’s Mercury Music Prize, another artist still producing excellent work in her prime.” Kenny McMurtrie

“Objectively speaking, Let England Shake is one of the year’s most outstanding artistic achievements, and I’d personally rank it as the best thing PJ Harvey has ever put her name to. To take on the subject of war without resorting to “WAR IZ BAD” tubthumping is commendable in itself – Harvey takes the far more restrained approach of narrating the horrors of war as seen through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. In doing so, however, she paints a more damning portrait of war than any protest song could ever hope to – and that’s the true genius of Let England Shake.” Paul Faller

“Polly Harvey’s songs are entirely original but sound as though they’ve existed for ever, or at the very least since the 17^th century. Weighed down by history, buoyed up by melody, England all over.” Tom Bolton

Constellations 2011

By Russell Warfield

November 12, 2011

This year’s Constellations Festival was a double-decker treat for me. Not only was it a second straight year of excellent music at Leeds University Union (and only the second year in total, to boot), but it was also the first time that I managed to get back oop n’rth after graduating from the university earlier this year. Gorgeously decorated stages aside, it was a joy to roam around the place, enjoying performances, supping on pints which didn’t require me to sell a kidney to purchase. (Note to self: don’t just turn this into a review of how much you love Leeds)

One of the first major highlights of the day came in the form of Dutch Uncles – playing a handsomely populated Stylus (one of the bigger venues on offer at Constellations), providing a welcome indication that they aren’t staying as under the radar as I supposed them to be. Putting in a typically engaging and tight performance, Dutch Uncles even gave an airing to some promising new material alongside their usual gems of peppy melodies and spitting rhythms.

After that, came the first clash of the day in the form of Islet vs. Summer Camp. Since I’d seen Summer Camp a few times, and Islet only once (and harbouring a suspicion that a second Islet performance was unlikely to feel recycled) I plumped for Islet. Sadly, however, they were marred by the Riley Smith Hall – a vast, husk of a hall within which – wait for it – you were disallowed from taking in alcohol (?!) A major handicap for any daylong festival venue, it ensured that the vast, echoing hall was even emptier than it would have been anyway – a fact which did not well suit Islet, whose eccentric instrument swapping dynamism relies on a certain level of intimacy for its energy. Sneaking out to see the tail end of Summer Camp was rewarding, then, even if essentially a retread of any prior set of theirs.

Another clash then (a lot of them in fact – which is just a good thing as it is bad, in a sense), between Steven Malkmus and Braids. After kindly electing to open with the dirty mouthed new single ‘Senator’ (and sounding a hell of a lot more rockin’ than I expected), I begrudgingly left Malkmus to his own devices for the promise of seeing Braids in the smallest, most intimate venue of the festival. In the event, an absolutely ridiculous overrun of forty minutes for the most over-detailed sound-checking I’ve ever seen meant I could’ve done both – but, not to worry – Braids delivered what I wanted: beguiling, rolling textures taking their sweet time to build and release, fronted by a sensational sweeping vocal.

Perhaps the best set of the day came from the Antlers, who I’ve somehow managed to miss in the live setting on several occasions over the last few years. (So eager I was to see Antlers that I accepted the fate of going into prohibition at the Riley Smith, even at that point in the evening). Drawing mainly upon the new Burst Apart material, the Antlers provided a harder edge to their material than I was expecting, along with a less surprising command of emotive vocal. A very beautiful and transportative hour, leading very nicely into the headline act from Wild Beasts. They seem to headline everything - especially in Leeds – but, every time I think I might give them a miss, they remind me why I never tire of them. A spellbinding set drawing from the old stuff and the criminally underrated Smother, they provided a completely captivating climax to the evening – allowing for loads of space to envelop their crisp, rolling rhythm sections and trademark falsetto vocals. In all – a second triumph for Constellations, putting them at two for two, and providing me with an annual reason to make the pilgrimage back to my musical homeland.

Wild Beasts are to release Reach a Bit Further as the next single from their widely acclaimed top twenty album, Smother. Reach a Bit Further is an exercise in the happy / sad love song built around Benny Little’s exquisite guitars, cathartic call and answer vocals from Hayden Thorpe / Tom Fleming and a distinctive galloping drumbeat from Chris Talbot. The single will be available on 14th November via digital download. Click below for your exclusive listen!

Wild Beasts – Thankless Thing by DominoRecordCo

Wild Beasts are all over the place at the moment, touring behind their widely praised third album Smother. They’ve found time to shoot the video for that album’s next single though – you can watch the performance clip for ‘Bed Of Nails’ below. Meanwhile, check out the band’s tourdates below – they’re being supported by Braids or Dutch Uncles, and they’ve added extra shows in Manchester and London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

Fri 5th Aug The Big Chill Festival
Sat 6th Aug London Victoria Park – Field Day Festival – MAIN STAGE HEADLINE
Fri 2nd September Dorset - End of the Road Festival
Thu 10 Nov Birmingham: HMV Library
Fri 11 Nov Oxford O2 Academy
Sat 12 Nov Leeds Constellations
Mon 14 Nov Edinburgh Liquid Rooms
Tue 15 Nov Aberdeen Lemon Tree
Wed 16 Nov Manchester Cathedral – SOLD OUT
Thur 17 Nov Manchester Cathedral – EXTRA DATE ADDED!
Sat 19 Nov Bristol Anson Rooms
Sun 20 Nov Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Mon 21 Nov Southampton University
Wed 23 Nov London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire – SOLD OUT
Thu 24 Nov London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire – EXTRA DATE ADDED!
Fri 25 Nov Cambridge Junction
Sat 26 Nov Brighton Concorde II – SOLD OUT

At the beginning of April, we brought you our favourite albums of the first three months of the year. Terrifyingly, we’re now halfway through 2011 and it’s time to reveal the records we’ve most enjoyed in the year’s second quarter. These are picked by our editors and it’s a bit of a mixed bunch – there’s one or two albums here you won’t have been able to avoid, many that we’ve already reviewed, and a few that have slipped under the radar. Here’s 11 for the second quarter of ’11.

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Justin Vernon’s second album as Bon Iver is not only a journey for listeners – ebbing and flowing as it does through its ten tracks, with the layers of guitars, vocals, even saxophones giving it an almost ambient quality at times – but it also marks the pinnacle of his journey as a musician so far.

“Despite the much broader scope of the backing instruments it is the voice that dominates Bon Iver. Vernon’s lyrics are often hard to make out exactly, but the tone of fragility and beauty remains constant throughout (almost) the entire album. Occasionally there are phrases that recall For Emma, ‘Did I lose it in the stacks?’ he ponders in ‘Minnesota’. In other places lines that sound quite banal written down, like ‘I could see for miles and miles and miles’ in ‘Holocene’, acquire a poignancy and depth through the tender power of Vernon’s delivery.  Bon Iver constantly makes you realise what a fantastic instrument Vernon’s voice really is; he is surely one of very few artists today who could probably make a decent fist of an a cappella record.”

Clams Casino

Clams Casino – Instrumental Mixtape

Before Mike Volpe’s recently-released Rainforest EP, there was this free mixtapes, which brough together some of his beats for artists like Lil B and Soulja Boy with some unreleased material. These pieces of music are emotive, unique and strangely addictive – hopefully there’s an album on the way.

“Clams Casino has been recognised as part of an ever-growing group of up-and-coming rap producers, steeped in history of rap and hiphop but also open to lifting melodies and sounds from everywhere else – Volpe himself has spoken of his almost random way of selecting samples, where he searches for particular words or phrases on download sites. It’s testament that his skill as a musician that he manages to manipulate these found elements into such impressive shapes… [‘Motivation’ is] all ambience and heavy, looped beats, crashing cymbals and wordless but emotive vocals – it’s an absolute standout amalgamation of hiphop references and up-to-the-minute introspection, like J Dilla filtered through a hypnagogic pop prism.”

Daedelus - Bespoke

Daedelus – Bespoke

Daedelus’ newest album is a welcome return to form – its songs are stitched crudely together, twisting and turning in unique ways while also remaining strangely accessible. Bespoke is one of a number of distinct, strong records – alongside Samiyam’s Sam Baker’s Album and Matthewdavid’s Outmind – to emerge from LA this year.

“Even in its more reflective moments, Bespoke is constantly shifting, constantly layering genres, voices and instruments on top of each other that shouldn’t work, but, more often than not, do. It’s a little like encountering someone who’s wearing four outfits at once. And just as if you’re wearing four outfits at once – or dressed like a Victorian gentleman in LA for instance – you’re likely to stand out from the crowd, it’s also just as likely that no one’s going to be rushing to copy you anytime soon. If anything then, Bespoke confirms Daedelus as the unique artist he’s always been, drawing on sounds and genres few other people consider, even as he pulls an eclectic array of guests in from outside.”

Dutch Uncles - Cadenza

Dutch Uncles – Cadenza

Emerging from a suburb in Manchester, Dutch Uncles really hit their stride with what is officially their second album (a self-titled debut was given a more low key release last year). In amongst the complex time signatures there’s a wealth of ideas as well as a definite pop sensibility.

“In the androit fashion of Everything Everything, Dutch Uncles have perfected the technique of squeezing three songs into one. Take the opening and title track ‘Cadenza’ – apart from being a dead ringer for Phoenix’s ‘1901’ , and being quite possibly the most charming, exuberant bit of guitar pop you’ll hear this year, the amount of pace-changes going on are exhausting. You need your wits about you just to keep up. The following and ridiculously upbeat ‘Fragrant’ starts with Duncan Paton’s vocals just off kilter with spiralling guitar chimes until the chorus comes together in one almighty exalt to the heavens like a sugar-rush to the brain.”

Fucked Up - David Comes To Life

Fucked Up – David Comes To Life

Fucked Up’s follow up to their breakthrough, The Chemistry Of Common Life, looks likely to win them fans across genres as the year continues, far outside of hardcore’s usual reach.

“I hate to be reduced to ending a review on that catalogue of cliches about end of year lists and blah blah blah, but David Comes To Life does everything to deserve them. Restraining myself to my most modest possible endorsements, this album absolutely demands to be part of your mandatory summer listening, and deserves a prime place in your car’s glove compartment for maximum volume listening on blazing drives. It’s a ferocious and engaging beast, as inviting as it is violent, and it takes us one step closer to the day when we can openly embrace brilliant punk music, without having to hide behind mealy-mouthed qualifiers like ‘experimental’, ‘subversive’ or other such non-committal bullshit.”

LV And Joshua Idehen - Routes

LV and Joshua Idehen – Routes

We are yet to review the new LP by LV and Joshua Idehen – partly because it seems to have come from nowhere, catching myself and a few of our writers by surprise. It’s also a thoroughly unique proposition – LV, a London based dubstep trio who have had releases on Hyperdub amongst other labels, come together with poet Joshua Idehen for an album about London and travel. Snippets of Idehen’s words are bent and weaved between into these tracks on Routes, giving a multifaceted picture of London – hunoruous, desperate, sad, lonely, thrilling. The highlight is ‘Primary Colours’, a short day-glo track that reaches towards UK funky and rave.

Marissa Nadler - Marissa Nadler

Marissa Nadler – Marissa Nadler

Marissa Nadler is easily overlooked – the fact she found herself without a record contract after an album like Little Hells is testament to this. On her new self-titled album, her songwriting has grown in quality and, most importantly, confidence, yet again.

“…with the release of her new, self-titled LP, Marissa Nadler has, in a typically quiet fashion, sidestepped a number of other preconceptions. Whereas on previous releases, her songs were presented very much as self-contained narratives, with Nadler explicitly adopting the voices of particular characters, this album includes her most direct – and, you sense, personal – material yet. Funded entirely by fans through the Kickstarter project and released on her own label, Marissa Nadler is the sound of an artist standing head and shoulders above a pretty congested crowd of singer-songwriters.”

The Pattern Theory - The Pattern Theory

The Pattern Theory – The Pattern Theory

We’re also yet to review the debut album by The Pattern Theory, but our live editor Paul Brown describes it as “a Vessels/Explosions In The Sky-ish melodic slab of genius”. The Pattern Theory emerged from Leeds in 2007 but, by the end of 2008, they had relocated to Berlin, which is where their self-titled debut was recorded. Dealing in equal part guitar-based ambience and intricate polyrhythms, this album is complex and carefully paced. The Pattern Theory is a melodic, absorbing listen, and further proof of the creativity coming out of the Leeds (and Berlin) music scene.

Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts

Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts

Thurston Moore, along with other members of Sonic Youth, has always used side projects and solo records as a way of stepping out from his main music project and challenging himself again. After the slightly underwhelming The Eternal, Demolished Thoughts sees Moore embrace folk and step back into adolescence, with touching and occasionally beguilingly awkward results.

“Opener ‘Benediction’ sets the scene for the rest of the proceedings, keeping a good mid-pace throughout and going for the romantic ballad angle with success (along with possibly a nod to masochism). ‘Illuminine’ carries things along in a vein close to a movie version of the music of a medieval court at times (those harps again but also some of the guitar picking) before ‘Circulation’ goes closer than any other of the nine herein to apeing the sound produced by Moore’s main musical effort… Managing to be both relaxing and upbeat then – as well as a welcome chance to hear Moore singing new material – this deserves to do well over the coming months.”

tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L

Tune-Yards – Who Kill

If Birdbrains only hinted at Merrill Garbus’ sonic ambition and songwriting reach, then it was her live shows that raised expectations for Who Kill. While lyrically the album explores the grey areas of living and creating in a globalised society, the music on Who Kill embraces extremes. The sheer energy and inventiveness is almost impossible to resist.

“Put simply: this album is overwhelmingly dazzling, truly something else. It’s the sort of record where you just want to burn it onto a whole pack of CD-Rs, get out on the streets, thrusting it into people’s hands saying “just fucking listen to this”. It’s the sort of record where, on the rare occasions where you force yourself to listen to something else for a while out of a gloomy sense of obligation, everything sounds so yesterday and shit. Why bother listening to anything else?

Wild Beasts - Smother

Wild Beasts – Smother

Wild Beasts built on the expansive, contemplative side of Two Dancers to create Smother – a record that can wash over you at first, but which eventually gets under your skin and refuses to budge. It’s all sex and death – the usual kind of thing – but executed in a mannered, even clinical way. Brilliantly odd.

“While it’s impossibly to deny that toning down Two Dancers’ faintly portentous chiming guitars and lurid flights of lyrical fancy has taken a certain core out of Wild Beasts’ music, it has also freed them to proudly display the hitherto underexposed beauty which has, to an extent, always been present in their work. And, fucking hell, that doesn’t half compensate for the truncation of the pantomime depravity. ‘Loop the Loop’ displays this most eloquently, adroitly summing up Smother’s mission statement with a gracefully undulating melody underpinning a gorgeous lament on the self-destructive nature of the human heart. Similarly, ‘Invisible’ and ‘Deeper’ are further, equally strong examples of how completely the band have completely nailed the art of simple, beautiful songcraft.”

Chances are, you’re probably reasonably familiar with how much of a game-changer Two Dancers proved to be for Wild Beasts. If this isn’t the case, then try tapping the band’s name into the little search box off to the right, and prepare yourself to be thrust headlong into a sea of adoration from various dwellers of Muso’s Towers. Of course, it wasn’t just us for whom 2009-2010 was one long band crush, because it truly felt like the entire world gave their hearts over to the band, culminating in a nomination for The Mercury Music Prize which would, of course, see them defeated by The XX. (Although even as someone who enjoyed xx, I struggle to see how it, or indeed any album on the short list better embodied the spirit of creativity and innovation for which the Mercury apparently stands than Two Dancers, but hey, it’s all (slightly bitter) water under the bridge now).

Wild Beasts - Smother

So then, the depth of feeling reserved for Two Dancers, makes Wild Beasts’ decision to follow it up with Smother, an album which is clearly hugely different in a number of ways, gratifyingly ballsy. Let’s be clear from the outset; if you are expecting, or hoping for, a repeat of Two Dancers’ instantaneous intangible magic, then you’re setting yourself up for quite a fall. And, worse than that, any feeling of disappointment that might come from the quashing of any such aspirations could potentially deprive you of the enormous rewards on offer from Smother, which, although undoubtedly subtler than those of both of its forebears, are (dare I say it) possibly even more plentiful.

‘Lion’s Share’ ushers in the album in appropriately gentle fashion, centring around a disarmingly pretty piano melody and seductive throbbing bass. The interplay between Hayden and Tom, often thrust swaggeringly to the forefront of the the band’s sound, this time feels less ostentatious, although neither of the band’s stunningly distinctive voices sounds any the less arresting for it. The opener sets the scene pretty succintly for what will follow, because much of the rest of Smother is just as uncluttered and musically uncomplicated.

While it’s impossibly to deny that toning down Two Dancers’ faintly portentous chiming guitars and lurid flights of lyrical fancy has taken a certain core out of Wild Beasts’ music, it has also freed them to proudly display the hitherto underexposed beauty which has, to an extent, always been present in their work. And, fucking hell, that doesn’t half compensate for the truncation of the pantomime depravity. ‘Loop the Loop’ displays this most eloquently, adroitly summing up Smother’s mission statement with a gracefully undulating melody underpinning a gorgeous lament on the self-destructive nature of the human heart. Similarly, ‘Invisible’ and ‘Deeper’ are further, equally strong examples of how completely the band have completely nailed the art of simple, beautiful songcraft.

There’s another side to Smother too, though, and it’s perhaps the only feature of the band’s songwriting which has actually been exaggerated rather than pared down compared to previous releases. You see, in spite of the outpouring of loveliness which characterises it, it’s also a pretty bloody randy album too. Of course, Two Dancers was far from a chaste record (who can forget “His dancing cock / Down by his knees”?), but Smother is definitely much more overt when it comes to its handling of sexual subject matter. ‘Plaything’ is the most glaring example of this, with the entire song oozing smut from its very pores, both in Hayden’s especially randy delivery and the single-entendre-laden lyrics (Sample “You know that the second I saw you / I was rendered the very voyeur”). ‘Plaything’ shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, mind you, because earlier in the record, ‘Bed of Nails’ has already hinted at the fetishism which is to follow with the line “I want my lips to blister when we kiss”.

Ultimately, I could go on forever about the innumerable facets lurking beneath the surface which make the record so much more complex than its unembellished musical structures might initially suggest. I mean, I haven’t even touched on the lovely experimental surprise that is ‘Burning’, or the impossibly majestic way in which Smother concludes with ‘End Come Too Soon’, which is one of the most ambitious songs Wild Beasts have yet recorded. And given who we’re talking about here, that’s a pretty bold statement, I know. But, you see, if I kept going for much longer, there’s a danger that we’d end up at a point where reading this review would take longer than listening to the record, and, well, listening to this record is something which you really, really should go and do right now, because it is, quite simply, a marvel.

A selection of our writers recount their Record Store Day experiences – featuring queues, Doctor Who, queues, Jeanie Finlay’s Sound It Out, and queues.

Greg Salter

Since it first launched in April 2008 Record Store Day has grown and grown – in terms of the number of stores taking part,the  number of artists releasing music, and media presence. It seems like in 2011 the yearly celebration of independent record shops is bigger than ever – the build up has been going on for months, and the list of special releases seems never-ending, with some of music’s most high profile acts getting involved.

Radiohead, Interpol, The White Stripes and Franz Ferdinand are among the artists who brought out limited releases and it’s been clear for a while that demand was going to be high. I had planned to head down to Rough Trade East, just off Brick Lane in East London – they were holding instore gigs by bands like Wild Beasts during the afternoon. However, a quick check on Twitter on Saturday morning revealed that people had been queuing since the early hours and, by lunchtime, there were around 1000 people waiting to get into the store. Record Store Day quickly looked like turning into Queuing Outside A Record Store Day.

Kode 9 and the Space Ape - Black Sun

Time for a quick change of plan then -  new Wild Beasts material would have to wait, and I decided to head down to the fantastic Sister Ray on Berwick Street in Soho. No live music maybe, but it offered a better chance of actually getting my hands on some records. The staff at Sister Ray were great – handing out lists to those in the relatively short queue, advising us on what was still available. I arrived at about half one, and was inside within 20 minutes. I heard that earlier they were operating a numbered system in the queue, which allowed people to keep their place if they wanted to grab something to eat – a great idea.

I managed to get my hands on the 25^th anniversary edition of The Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead on 10” (a further investment in the Morrissey-Marr retirement fund from me perhaps, but a great chance to own one of my favourite albums on vinyl); the Wild Beasts ‘Albatross’ 7”, the sleeve of which folds out into a poster; and Kode 9 and The Space Ape’s new album, Black Sun, on vinyl – not a Record Store Day release, but one of the better releases of the year and beautifully packaged.

A decent haul then, but for as many people like me who managed to get what they wanted, there was the same amount of people who were left disappointed – a hefty chunk of those Radiohead twelves went straight on ebay yesterday, which is certainly something the organisers cannot control and didn’t intend. In many ways, Record Store Day suffered a little from its success this year. The sheer number of people descending on independent record shops yesterday was fantastic news and testament both to the organisers’ hard work and the draw of music on physical formats.

However, the bigger crowds need to be accommodated – if the quality of releases remains this high next year, the numbers will continue to grow and it would be something of a disappointment if the day became all about waiting in a line. One of the joys of visiting a record shop is being able to thumb through the vinyl to uncover forgotten LPs, unknowns or curiosities. In many ways, the queues that dominated the day and were replicated across the UK and all over the world are bittersweet – frustrating for music fans who miss out, but a fantastic public advertisement for record stores. Roll on next year and, before then, many more record store visits.

Joseph Rowan

Mastodon/ZZ Top

“I wonder if I’ll run into any DJs at the shop”, I wondered idly to myself as I headed off (relatively) Kingston’s Banquet Records on Saturday morning. Almost two hours into the queue I realised that behind me was Xfm’s John Kennedy, but by that time my back had nearly given out from standing around so long in the blazing sunshine and we were nearly around the corner and thus close to some actual shade. Oh, and the store I guess.

So was my first record store day worth it? I’d definitely say so, even though we travelled a long way from our West Hampstead flat because my other half was under the (as it turned out, mistaken) impression that Banquet had the re-released, 500 copies worldwide Into Battle with the Art of Noise EP – and no, Banquet Records, they are not opera. Instead he got an Emerson, Lake & Palmer bootleg and I got a Mastodon/ZZ Top 7″ and a preview of the new Rush album, thus making us probably the least cool people to feature here. I don’t care, though, I’d have got the Doctor Who OST if I’d found it.

Lucy Dearlove

This Record Store Day, the only thing I bought was a copy of Jeanie Finlay’s documentary Sound It Out. This was partly (entirely) due to a small but devastating alarm clock mishap which meant that most of the precious limited edition plastic in the capital had already been by the time I sweated up on my bike at 11:30. The endless queues at Sister Ray and Rough Trade West gazed at me pityingly, like the RSD amateur I am. But I’m not bitter. (If you’ve got a copy of that Franz Ferdinand covers EP I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT. I do. Really.) I truly believe that if you were to buy only one thing this Record Store Day, it should be this.

Sound It Out is a documentary about a record store of the same name. Based in Stockton-on-Tees, it’s the last surviving record store in the whole of Teesside. The director, who grew up near the shop, spent six months filming Tom, the owner, and his wildly varying customers as they buy, sell and shoot the breeze over his counter. It’s lazily been taglined as ‘High Fidelity with a Northern accent’, and described as a film ‘about music and about men,’ and this much is true.

Image from Sound It Out by Jeanie Finlay

Tom’s customers range from the Meatloaf-obsessed couple who stray in regularly for a copy of what they’ve just heard in the pub, to vinyl obsessive (and arguably compulsive) Chris, with his pristine alphabetised collection reaching into the thousands, to local lad DJs after a hit of maquina (nursery rhyme trance, as Tom himself disparagingly calls it), to metal-head teenagers buying their first records. It is about music, and about men, and about collecting music, but unsurprisingly it’s about so much more than that.

Everyone interviewed actively chooses to buy records at Sound It Out rather than online. They unanimously sing the praises of Tom, his encyclopaedic music knowledge, and the experience of buying records, an experience which cannot be found or replicated on the white pages of Amazon, or in the dark soulless depths of (whisper it) HMV. And this is exactly why Record Store Day exists, to remind people of the excitement music can create, of how discovering and buying music can be an experience in itself.

It’s refreshing, too, to be reminded of what a record store can mean to a community outside of London. While I love Rough Trade East with a passion and am regularly to be found between the racks there, its arty photobooth and excellent coffee are undeniably products of the fact that an impeccable vinyl collection is but one of many essential Shoreditch accessories. Sound It Out is a gentle reminder of what music really means to people, and how independent record shops and music, in some ways being gradually teased apart by HMV, iTunes and Pirate Bay, shouldn’t be separated.

Reading Festival

August 27-29, 2010

When the music at Reading Festival begins on Friday (following a boozy Thursday session in the town centre), a hangover is as welcome as the evacuation of vomit that preceded it (said sickness is still being blamed on an salmonella-friendly campsite BBQ on Thursday night). As the phrase goes, time stands still for no man (even one with a hangover) and a now-successful remedy is to get a cold pint of Gaymers (other ciders are available, just nowhere near the festival site) and head off to see some bands.

The early afternoon begins with Frankie & The Heartstrings, Surfer Blood and New Young Pony Club, and all benefit from a fresh crowd keen to jump around and revel in the weekend. Girls provide a welcome decline in pace, even if the crowd aren’t as supportive, waiting patiently for closer ‘Lust for Life’.

By the time Two Door Cinema Club hit the stage the arena bars have all been located, and the aforementioned hangover is a distant memory, which is lucky as this set was the real surprise of the weekend. Sure, ‘Tourist History’ is a decent album, but to fill out the tent with such an energetic crowd leaves the band looking almost awestruck. Reading regulars Biffy Clyro always draw a big crowd, but lead-singer Simon Neil’s questionable bleach-blonde beard and pink jeans combination is something that can’t be overlooked, no matter how good their set is.

Mumford & Sons draw the biggest non-headline crowd of the day on the NME/Radio 1 Stage; such is the desire to see songs with accordions and banjos that many people are forced to watch on the outside screens, with hoards of punters clamouring to get just a glimpse inside. For some people, there are probably a million better things to do whilst waiting for sub-headliners Phoenix.

Despite not personally watching them, it is almost compulsory to at least make reference to Guns N’ Roses, as (for the wrong reasons) their hour-late arrival is amongst the most notable moments of the entire weekend. Hearing reports from friends and other notable figures on Twitter makes the decision not to buckle to temptation and check them out entirely worthwhile.

LCD Soundsystem and Marina and the Diamonds are the main beneficiaries of the lack of activity on the Main Stage, but James Murphy edges out Ms. Diamantis on the basis that his band’s days are numbered (however much everyone wants another LCD album) and they play out the first day with a superbly well-received set that spans all three of their records so far.

After the shambles that was Axl Rose the night before, Saturday is crammed full of bands eager to announce themselves punctual, or to have a dig. Whilst they are obviously entitled to an opinion, bands without a particularly prominent stature (for example, Hadouken) attempts to gain a quick laugh seemed a little disingenuous…

Besides the promising return of Everything Everything to the festival (after playing the BBC Introducing Stage last year) the day is spent at the Main Stage. This is lucky, as the clouds disperse, making way for welcome rays of sun. Mystery Jets are joined during their set by recent collaborators The Count and Sinden, whose single ‘After Dark’ gets everyone dancing.

The Main Stage is home to some acts that have moved up the festival ranks over time –  The Gaslight Anthem, The Maccabees and The Cribs all show they are willing (but more importantly, able) to showcase their wares to some of the biggest audiences they have played in front of at festivals. For The Maccabees and The Cribs it’s a last chance to perform to festival crowds before heading back into the studio to work on new material.

When it comes to reunions, The Libertines’ set is destined to go one of two ways: either a disjointed mess which would effectively ruin the legacy they had garnered over the last ten years, or a performance worthy of their (rumoured) £1.25m fee which would leave those there desperately wishing for more. What transpires is emotional to watch, and to see Pete Doherty and Carl Barat on stage together again is something that many thought would never happen again.

In terms of Reading/Leeds headliners, Arcade Fire might not be the most obvious choice, but of the three on offer over the weekend, they are the band with the most to gain from the festival, and lead singer Win Butler humbly acknowledges that they didn’t have a hit song, but are just pleased to be playing. A set that comprises of their best work from ‘Funeral’, ‘Neon Bible’ and recent release ‘The Suburbs’ may just about cement their place amongst the festival elite.

As most of the weekend has remained dry, it seems only predictable that Sunday’s weather would not be so generous. Still, this means that heading towards the NME/Radio 1 tent is an even better decision, with sets from The Joy Formidable, personal favourites Los Campesinos! and Mercury Prize nominees Wild Beasts, drawing bigger crowds than they may have initially expected.

A quick wander around the arena leads to the BBC Introducing Stage, where The Drums draw a rather sizable throng for a cynically well-publicised ‘secret’ appearance on Radio 1’s Live Lounge. Whilst their recent single goes down well with those gathered, a ropey cover of Arcade Fire’s ‘We Used to Wait’ is mercifully forgettable and sees the numbers dwindle substantially.

In the Dance Tent we see Four Tet and Metronomy. The former, whilst sounding amazing, isn’t a great visual spectacle – and might as well be dancing round whilst playing ‘Football Manager’ with iTunes in the background . Joseph Mount et al play the majority of their only ‘proper’ album, ‘Nights Out’, throwing in a couple of old tracks for good measure.

Sunday evening is a mixture between musical past and present wth, with Paramore, Klaxons and the supremely witty We Are Scientists, mixed with the likes of Weezer and Blink-182. In a weekend full of reunions and returns, it is only fitting to roll back the years and laugh at jokes about masturbation, giving Barack Obama a blowjob and covering Jedward singles with Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.

With measures taken in the campsite to curb most of the ‘traditional’ anti-social behaviour in the early hours of Bank Holiday Monday, Reading Festival might be returning to the point where the music is more important than rioting – roll on next year!