Heroes and Villians of indie 2007

Surprises - Dinosaur Jr's frankly amazing comeback album, J, Lou and Murph definitely getting their groove back..... Possibilities of comebacks from My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain for '08..... Dave Gahan's rather excellent solo album "Hourglass" and Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan's rather bizarre, but grows-on-ya side-project Puscifer. Also a pretty damn good solo effort from System of a Down's Serj Tankian.... All good stuff....

Disappointments - Editors' rather disappointing effort, Smashing Pumpkins' underwhelming comeback in stark contrast with Dinosaur Jr..... And the absolute certainty that there will be NO new album EVER from Pixies after Black Francis' statement.....

QUOTE(GRIMLY FIENDISH @ Dec 31 2007, 07:45 PM)

Surprises - Dinosaur Jr's frankly amazing comeback album, J, Lou and Murph definitely getting their groove back..... Possibilities of comebacks from My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain for '08..... Dave Gahan's rather excellent solo album "Hourglass"....

yeah listened to Dave Gahan album the other night. v good innit. should have done much better in the charts.

QUOTE(GRIMLY FIENDISH @ Dec 31 2007, 07:45 PM)

Disappointments - Editors' rather disappointing effort, Smashing Pumpkins' underwhelming comeback in stark contrast with Dinosaur Jr..... And the absolute certainty that there will be NO new album EVER from Pixies after Black Francis' statement.....

the Smashing Pumpkins, was that really a Smashing Pumpkins album?? or just the sophomore session from Zwan (and i'm gonna use that word because they are American and for perverse effect of critic)

actually i suppose they should have called it "Smashing Pumpkins II - the Soph Sesh" as Zeitgeist and printing sentances in German, nobody in mejjawankathonland uses German words no more, thats like so 1990s its all hyphen overload what with their indie-rock, brit-pop and please-sophomore-stop!!!!

OH MY GAWD!!! Shame on me for forgetting - the legendary Siouxsie Sioux's superb comeback "Mantaray".....

QUOTE(tigerboy @ Dec 31 2007, 07:52 PM)

the Smashing Pumpkins, was that really a Smashing Pumpkins album?? or just the sophomore session from Zwan :

Pretty much how I felt tbh... How the hell can it be a Smashing Pumpkins comeback without James Iha and D'arcy ffs....? That's the classic line-up... I mean, could you imagine the Pixies comeback with Black Francis, the drummer and NO Kim Deal or Joey Santiago???? Ummmm, nope... Aint the actual band is it...? It's just Billy, James and a few floating session musos.. It aint Smashing Pumpkins, nor should it be damn well advertised as such....

QUOTE(GRIMLY FIENDISH @ Dec 31 2007, 08:22 PM)

Pretty much how I felt tbh... How the hell can it be a Smashing Pumpkins comeback without James Iha and D'arcy ffs....? That's the classic line-up... I mean, could you imagine the Pixies comeback with Black Francis, the drummer and NO Kim Deal or Joey Santiago???? Ummmm, nope...

not in the same kinda vibe but similar - Crowded House, dont think anybody thought they would have a comeback when the drummers killed himself??? (i dont really know the ins and outs of all the crowded house line ups in the past so i dont know whos who apart from the finn brothers)

possibly most surprising was that they snuck in a chart hit (top 75) with Pour Le Monde on downloads esp when the album could be got for about £4 now. and rubbishing my thought that nobody gives a damn about 3rds or 4th singles/that they never chart in the 75 when this has done and not that far behind the first single from the album

Surprises: (random order)

Radiohead - In Rainbows - amazing new album by this unique band. It grows on you with each listen. Also nice promotion...
Kosheen - Damage - too bad it's quite ignored even it's one of the best of 2007
Garbage - Absolute Garbage - a nice return of my fave band with this greatest hits. Also includes the single Tell Me Where It Hurts; it wasn't a very successful single (just #50 UK) and quite different by other songs of Garbage but still amazing.
The DVD with almost all their clips and a long documentary of band's career worths every cent. It was #1 on Amazon Top 100 Music DVDs
Underworld - Oblivion With Bells - definitelly better than their previous album. Highlights: "Crocodile" and "Beautiful Burnout"
KT Tunstall - Drastic Fantastic - I love it
The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - great follow up to "Funeral"
Jean Michel Jarre - Teo & Tea - unusual album for Jarre: techno beats and catchy melodies but still something is missing. Maybe next time we'll have something as good as "Oxygene," "Equinoxe" and "Chronologie"
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Trip the Light Fantastic - very good from start to finish
Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime - wonderful!
Dave Gahan - Hourglass - better than Paper Monsters
Dolores O'Riordan - Are You Listening? - the ex-Cranberries' singer did a great job with this album. Maybe too Cranberries-style: I expected a different sound


Dissapointments:
Too many bad songs/albums to mention...
Smashing Pumpkins could be on the list
Linkin Park: what you've done? " border="0" alt="wink.gif" />


As for 2008 it seems that Goldfrapp's new album will be a great come back.
Looking forward to Shirley Manson's debut album, the follow-up to "Finally Woken" by Jem, Ladytron's next album, Dido's long awaited album, Elizabeth Fraser's debut album
More: Portishead, My Bloody Valentine, Massive Attack, Depeche Mode, U2, Royksopp
Interested by any new real talent like Duffy, Kate Havnevik


This post has been edited by Alin: Jan 11 2008, 12:48 PM

QUOTE(GRIMLY FIENDISH @ Dec 31 2007, 07:45 PM)

Disappointments - Editors' rather disappointing effort,

Editors' album was in my top 5 of the year - it's an astonishing piece of work - far, far better than their debut. Takes a little time, admittedly - but there's not a single duff track on there.

Surprises -

Tracey Thorn - Out of the Woods.... with Metro Area at the helm, this couldn't disappoint...and it didn't. A must-have album.... but it sold about 3 copies in Britain. Shameful, because it's undoubtedly the album of her career. Grand Canyon's worth the entry price alone - if you haven't already, go check this album out.

Siouxsie Sioux's frankly stunning first soplo album Mantaray - way too intelligent and glorious for the masses - but a classic album all the same.

Husky Rescue - their 2nd album Ghost Is Not Real was even better than Country DFalls, their debut. Criminally underrated.

Bryan Ferry - Dylanesque..... ok, an album of covers by Bob Dylan doesn't sound like a good night in... but Ferry's Dylanesque shimmers... stunning. 'Make You Feel My Love' is jaw-droppingly wonderful.

Alison Moyet's glorious return to form, The Turn. Brilliant songwriting, sounding better than ever and with her usual clever way with words.... but, of course, the UK simply didn't 'get' a Moyet album that challenged them and wasn't top 40-friendly.

Underworld - Oblivion With Bells - hurrah! They've FINALLY gotten round to making the justified, deserved, gorgeous true follow-up to Dubnobasswithmyheadman.... this is as good if not better - a stunning return to form for a band I'd almost given up on.

Nick Drake remasters - the box set was lovingly presented and restored..... an unmissable purchase.

Dame Shirley Bassey - The Living Tree single is right up there with her 007 themes - a classic track that should've seen her back in the top 10. Plus - to have performed a set as downright incredible as she did at Glastonbury at 70 years old (Happy Birthday for today, too... 71 years young)... respect is undoubtedly due.

Disappointments -

Bjork - Volta - however much hype surrounded this album, there's no getting away from the fact that it's an EP with a helluva lot of unlistenable substandard filler - standard fare these days for Bjork, then.

Air Pocket Symphony - stunning artwork, but too wispy by half..... it seems they really have lost their touch.

Groove Armada - same again.... and working with Mutya didn't help. Gone are the glory days of Vertigo, I fear.

Annie Lennox - Songs of Mass Boredom..... ok, maybe I shouldn't be disappointed as the woman hasn't recoded a single thing of any value since Diva... but I held high hopes for this album. They weren't to be met - it's awful, sludgey, AOR/MOR tripe.

Client..... Zerox Machine deserved to be a HUGE hit single.... record company wranglings and a British media that simply aint interested ensured it wasn't. The album Heartland was great, too - definitely worth a tenner of anyone's money.

PJ Harvey - White Chalk.. I can only scratch my head in amazement at the musos who've named this as one of their albums of the year - I have a feeling they'd nominate Polly if she released and album of her farting along to the Goombay Dance Band. This album was bleak, dark and downright depressing... which can be a good thing if you've got the songs to back you up. She didn't.

Looking forward to....

Jamie Hewlett, Damon Albarn's take on Monkey..... from what I've heard, it's going to be pretty incredible. Friend of mine's working on it - Albarn's apparently a total nightmare.

Duffy - she deserves all the success she gets - simply stunning.

Elizabeth Fraser - her first solo album, now just about in the can...and my mate who engineered it says it's her best work to date.... he had goosepimples working on it.... string-laden and not unlike Mezzanine in places, he reckons. CAN'T WAIT!

Portishead album - the world is waiting..... if it's half as great as Beth Gibbons album, we're in for a treat.

Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree - most of us have heard it...and we're all in agreement - it's a groundbreaking, phenomenal and welcome return to the glory days of Felt Mountain. Thank God. Sublime.

Massive Attack - the Bristol contingent are gonna be busy this year - let's hope this is better than the underwhelming 100th Window.

Kate Bush? She shocked us all with Lyra.... could a new Bush album be forthcoming?

QUOTE(russt68 @ Jan 8 2008, 02:07 PM)

Tracey Thorn - Out of the Woods.... with Metro Area at the helm, this couldn't disappoint...and it didn't. A must-have album.... but it sold about 3 copies in Britain. Shameful, because it's undoubtedly the album of her career. Grand Canyon's worth the entry price alone - if you haven't already, go check this album out.

Siouxsie Sioux's frankly stunning first soplo album Mantaray - way too intelligent and glorious for the masses - but a classic album all the same.

Underworld - Oblivion With Bells - hurrah! They've FINALLY gotten round to making the justified, deserved, gorgeous true follow-up to Dubnobasswithmyheadman.... this is as good if not better - a stunning return to form for a band I'd almost given up on.

Nick Drake remasters - the box set was lovingly presented and restored..... an unmissable purchase.

Looking forward to....

Jamie Hewlett, Damon Albarn's take on Monkey..... from what I've heard, it's going to be pretty incredible. Friend of mine's working on it - Albarn's apparently a total nightmare.

Duffy - she deserves all the success she gets - simply stunning.

Elizabeth Fraser - her first solo album, now just about in the can...and my mate who engineered it says it's her best work to date.... he had goosepimples working on it.... string-laden and not unlike Mezzanine in places, he reckons. CAN'T WAIT!

Portishead album - the world is waiting..... if it's half as great as Beth Gibbons album, we're in for a treat.

Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree - most of us have heard it...and we're all in agreement - it's a groundbreaking, phenomenal and welcome return to the glory days of Felt Mountain. Thank God. Sublime.

Massive Attack - the Bristol contingent are gonna be busy this year - let's hope this is better than the underwhelming 100th Window.

yeah agree with a lot you said there mate, tho didnt end up getting the underworld album in the end - ended up getting the best of cheap in tescos instead - tho i've most of their stuff (obv not the squiggly named /dodgy 80s band stuff tho that would be interesting)

would like to hear Siouxsie Sioux's album - had great reviews but not heard anything off it. thorns album should have done more - criminally overlooked 'dance' album - but i suppose cascada will sell all the units - boo!!!

and Nick Drakes boxset is a must thing i gotta buy - thats so cool - i bet the britpop duffy's already got it 9 times over

Arcade Fire's Neon Bible justifibly one of the best albums of the year - but weirdly didnt seem to cross-over into the ubiquious mainstream - maybe this is a good thing - as obv they increased their fan base - sold more units - got the press - but the singles seemed to get lost - and the album was not omnipresent in the top ten like some others we wouldnt like to mention

I forgot about Feist!!
Her album "The Reminder" is wonderful!

Also I should give a try to latest albums of Siouxsie and Tracy Thorn (because I like their previous work)