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No. 1 Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of The Bewilderbeest |
| Winner of the coveted Mercury Prize:
Select Magazine Album of the Year Badly Drawn Boy, aka Darren Gough, has come up with a killer debut album consisting of some of the best songs I've heard in a long time. |
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No. 6 Calexico - Hot Rail |
| Bears repeated listenings to hear the multitude of influences these two guys have. Initially a side project from long time Americana outfit Giant Sand, Calexico have developed as an act in their right. This their third album is a worthy successor to last year's classic, The Black Light. |
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No. 2 Lambchop - Nixon |
| Uncut magazine's album of the year:
The latest offering from the soul/country outfit, led by Kurt Wagner. This group were still only part-timers when we caught a rare live performance this summer and a memorable one at that. Then right at the end of the year there followed a superb solo show from the main man Kurt himself. |
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No. 7 Radiohead - Kid A |
| Latest offering from Oxford's finest had the critics stumped but there's a lot of good stuff here if you're not looking for another OK Computer or The Bends. |
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No. 3 Steve Earle - Transcendental Blues |
| When they talk about the big names of Americana
they don't come much bigger than Mister Earle. With the gig of the
year 1999 and one of that year's best albums, the bluegrass The
Mountain, could Steve keep up the standards? The answer a resounding
Yes.
This year's Dublin gig with The Dukes back in tow was almost on a par with last year's bluegrass show. As for the album, just go out and buy it. |
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No. 4 Willard Grant Conspiracy - Everything's Fine |
| A late entry to this list, I only purchased the album at their December Dublin gig along with two other mail order only CDs. The gig was absolutely magnificent, almost on a par with Lambchop's. The album is equally worthy of a top 10 accolade. |
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No. 5 Coldplay - Parachutes |
| Hailed by many as the next Travis or the new Radiohead, these guys are actually their own men. With the haunting hit single Yellow, they simultaneously topped both charts earlier this year. Another Mercury Prize nominee. |
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No. 8 Neko Case & Her Boyfriends - Furnace Room Lullaby
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| Again, this album has had to 'grow on me', a haunting collection embracing country, folk, and other influences. Ms Case has the potential to become a major player in the singer/songwriter world. |
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No. 9 Jess Klein - Draw Them Near |
| I had the very good fortune to see this young lady live a few weeks ago when she supported Willard Grant Conspiracy. Her album, purchased on the night, is a late but well deserved entry on this list. |
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No. 10 And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Madonna |
| Difficult to describe these guys. Thrash metal? Punk? Anyway, caught them live a few months back and was still uncertain but repeated listenings to this, their 2nd release, has led to their addition to this elite selection. |
