This lot brainwash rubbish journos like me who in turn brainwash you the readers into buying their rubbish bands. Here’s what they thought was really good in 2010.
James Heather: Ninja Tune, Big Dada & Counter Records
James had an eventful 2010 by getting run over by a bus. Or at least I think that was 2010, it may have been 2009, I’m sure he’ll remember better than me. Either way, kinda like that dude in UNKLE‘s Rabbit In Your Headlights video, the bus was worse off than James after he’d finished with it.
The remainder of the year saw him taking it easy; wrestling bears in an illegal Peruvian bloodsport ring, basejumping in South East Asia and retain his title as Celebrity Total Wipeout king. Meeting Richard ‘Hamster’ Hammond, (who himself is no stranger to defying death) was, James concedes, ‘probably a career highlight – I just love the way his hair exists.‘
Top 5 Albums:
1. Wiley: Zip Files
2. Huskey Rescue: Ship Of Light
3. Gorrilaz: Plastic Beach
4. Bonobo: Black Sands
5. Max Richter: Infra
James’ tip for 2011: ‘Anything by Adele, or maybe Jamelia – her time is so now.‘
Nita Keeler: Gold Star PR
Nita spent much of 2010 on the phone to me from her kitchen. Having developed OCD in the autumn of 09, she subsequently wasted most of her days re-wiping worktops, polishing taps until the chrome wore thin and emptying the bins – even when long-suffering husband, Simon, insisted they were empty.
Away from the kitchen, devout catholic Nita, welcomed the Pope’s visit, tackled a supermarket thief which led to her local rag championing her a ‘Have-A-Go-Hero’ and continued to listen to far too much Mudhoney.
She also sorted out this Yeasayer interview for me which was a personal highlight of the year.
1. Yeasayer: Odd Blood
2. Swans: My Father Will guide Me Up a Rope TO The Sky
3. Heads: Relaxing With
4. Wooden Wand: Death Seat
5. Fresh & Onlys: Play it Strange
6. Sharon Van Etten: Epic
7. Woods: At Echo Lake
8. Carlton Melton: Pass It On
9. Francis Harold And The Holograms: Who Said These Were Happy Times?
10. Male Bonding: Nothing Hurts
Nita’s tip for 2011: ‘Probably Brother, I’m a huge Oasis fan, so anything that recaptures that snarling, footie lout attitude suits me fine.‘
Zuri Maria DaiÃÂ: Stars & Heroes
Berlin-based Zuri chats to me on Facebook in the early hours of some Sunday mornings. Usually after we’ve both necked half a packet of Largactil.
This year, from what I can make out, Zuri’s fostered a dog, rebuilt her extension to house her ever-expanding library of romantic fiction and watched Tiesto nine times in concert.
An avid follower of Everton Football Club, she tells me she’s coming over to stay in 2011 when she hopes to meet her hero Tony Hibbert.
1. Shangaan Electro: New Wave Dance Music From South Africa
2. Shed: The Traveller
3. Caribou: Swim
4. Reuber: Ring
5. Roman: Roman
Zuri’s tip for 2011: ‘La Roux, she will be hot for 2011 – she’s like the xx but way more out there.‘
James Heward: Pomona
James still hasn’t forgiven me for reporting inaccurately that he gave up his family’s fishmonger’s business to join the regional press empire that is Pomona in last year’s round up.
‘How do you mistake ironmongers for fishmongers,’ he rattled down the blower. I can only hold my hands up and take this opportunity to apologise.
In other news James became a dad three times in 2010 – and I know what you’re thinking, this isn’t possible, you’ve messed up again, Guy. Well, I haven’t – James is the proud father of three Romanian orphans he collected in a shoe box appeal. Nice one, kidda!
1. Beach House: Teen Dream
2. The National: High Violet
3. Tamaryn: The Waves
4. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
5. John & Jehn: Time For The Devil
6. O. Children: O. Children
7. Rose Elinor Dougall: Without Why
8. Twin Shadow: Forget
9. Groove Armada: Black Light
10. Wild Nothing: Gemini
James’ tip for 2011: ‘Beady Eye, bet everyone’s picked them, right?‘
Ed Pearson: Co-Op/V2
Ed describes the last 12 months as one of them‘ – ie: he didn’t do anything. He was a bit miffed after the fox hunting ban in 2009, and was completely abhorrent when Parliament banned MCat, resulting in two of his beloved pursuits consigned to the bin marked ‘illegal.’
Much deliberating, and 365 days later, he’s still sitting in the Co-Op office, starring at his colleagues Craig and Johnny, masterminding his getaway.
‘I’d like to take on the role of Jason what’s-his-face in that movie where he can’t slow his heart-rate down and has to live life on the edge,’ said Ed. ‘I’m gonna make it happen, just you see.’
1. Four Tet: There Is Love In You
2. Caribou: Swim
3. Tame Impala: Innerspeaker
4. John Grant: Queen Of Denmark
5. Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles II
Ed’s tip for 2011: ‘Lauren Hill. Forget Pulp. This is THE reformation of 2011.‘
Paul Jones: Rough Trade
I only met Paul for the first time in October of 2010, when Liverpool raconteur Stevie Law introduced us at the Shipping Forecast.
We had a right ol’ laugh – or at least those two tall bastards did as I struggled to strain my neck to hearing level. Think they were discussing the cultural impact of Big Brother‘s final series.
Splitting his time between signing breaking new bands like Belle & Sebastian and his beloved pig farm in Somerset, Paul’s ‘relentless’ year has been ‘hard work’ – but ‘satisfying,’ he told Getintothis, while chewing on a Monster Munch and salad cream sandwich.
‘Those pigs won’t roll around in the shit without encouragement‘, Paul added.
1. Warpaint: The Fool
2. Tame Impala: Innerspeaker
3. Gold Panda: Lucky Shiner
4. Caribou: Swim
5. Best Coast: Crazy For You
Best Of:
Wooden Shjips: Vol 2
EPs/Singles:
1. Wu Lyf: Heavy Pop
2. Vondelpark: EP
3. James Blake: CMYK
4. Sufjan Stevans: All Delighted People
5. DJ Nate: EP
Paul’s tip for 2011: Kasabian.
Ben Wileman: Wichita
It was a bad year for Ben. Roadie and part-time rider-assistant for Dirty Pretty Things, the inevitable reformation of The Libertines, meant life on the road was over and he had to console himself with a pitiful office job writing releases on the likes of Best Coast, Les Savy Fav and Los Campesinos!
‘It wasn’t too bad, I saw it coming, and now I get to spend more time with Thumper, my Netherland’s dwarf rabbit,’ said Ben.
In better news, Ben has won awards for his services to the haircut industry, most notably maintaining The Cribs’ Jarman brothers’ bangs for over a decade.
‘I’m so ahead of the game, I come full circle,’ Ben mused.
1. William Basinski: Vivian & Ondine (2062)
2. Black Breath: Heavy Breathing (Southern Lord)
3. Retribution Gospel Choir: 2 (Sub Pop)
4. Thee Oh Sees: Warm Slime (In The Red)
5. Woods: At Echo Lake (Woodsist)
Ben’s tip for 2011: ‘Maybe something on DFA. Like DFA 1979.‘
