JammyB

A very predictable DiS list, but then this is the DiS site and what with the recent turmoil I'm not going to slag it off for that. I think it very fairly represents what most people listen to here, so why complain, anyone who reads DiS should know what to expect. I disagree on one aspect though: I think this has been a fantastic year for music, just as long as you aren't stuck to a narrow range of guitar based indie, rock and folk.

I was very surprised not to see Errors on there though. They're young and hip, and I'd have thought would fit the DiS demographic perfectly, but for once actually having the substance to go along with it.

Some other notable omissions:
Grails - Take Refuge In Clean Living and Doomsdayer's Holiday
Bohren & Der Club of Gore - Dolores
Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull
Koen Holtkamp - Field Rituals
James Yorkston - When the Haar Rolls in
Squarepusher - Just a Souvenir
Fennesz - Black Sea
5ive - Hesperus
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band - 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
Peter Broderick - Home and Float
plenty more...

It was a fantastic year of music for anyone adventuring a little (only a little!) further afield than the usual garage and 80s guitar bands.

Does anyone else find it a bit rich that the BPI don't like 'freetards' stealing from their members, but they're very happy to lobby parliament to extend copyright and steal away music that rightfully belongs in the public domain? Holding hands with Cliff Richard, Disney and the Church of Scientology, the BPI are determined not to allow music that should rightfully enter the public domain to do so.

If the BPI are successful, the end result is two-fold:
- The public will be deprived of recordings that would rightfully have expired in copyright, after record labels have had 50 years to make their vast profits
- The record labels can continue to lock away artists backcatalogues, leaving them unheard and unavailable, whilst continuing to charge extortionate prices for re-releases of old material.

It's a shame that the record industry can't be put to a slow death on better (non-illegal) terms, but it's hard to feel sorry for these "creative people" (haha) who have spent the last few decades screwing over the consumer at every money-grabbing opportunity.

*and when I'm done with the violin perhaps the BPI could help to lock away my recording for the next 95 years.

It looks like a recycled show reel. It's fantastic animation of course, but doesn't seem to connect to the song in any serious way, or make use of the source files that Radiohead released.

I'm sure the artist is pleased with the money and publicity but £5k is a ridiculously cheap price for this kind of work and I think it reflects very badly on Radiohead that they're so tight towards fellow creatives. I wonder what they paid for the Pyramid Song video; I bet it wasn't anywhere near as low as that.

I wasn't taken at first with it but it's definitely a grower. I agree with the review that 'The Sun Smells Too Loud' should have been a b-side, it just goes on for too long for what it is. Just going to watch the DVD now.

PS. Go and check out the Mogwai/Fuck Buttons tour CD from the usual places, it's pretty nice.

This is easily the best festival lineup this summer. Can't wait.

If Radiohead aren't happy about this then perhaps they shouldn't have signed away their rights to the songs? I'm so sick of bands complaining about this kind of thing after taking all the benefits of the corporate record deals.

Anyway, they are easily one of the greediest bands in the country today, a proper bunch of businessmen, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if they really had asked for £10m. After scamming fans on the new album with 160kbps mp3s, then trying to scam people into remixing their single, they have little sympathy from me. They're a great bunch of musicians but they have no sympathy from me, and they can piss off for trying to milk their fans so frequently and so cynically.

Why the hell doesn't DiS let you edit posts...
Here's a link anyway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV83U4CDAx4

I love Foals but this is the laziest video ever. The nuclear bomb montage has been done ad nauseum and often better than this (check out some of the fan-made Godspeed - Moya videos on YouTube). Not only is it a lazy concept but it's completely misjudged for this song. If this is their regular video guy who made this then I'm shocked, and if it's the record label then I'm disappointed. I know a lot of people hated their previous videos but at least they're a bit original and quirky, this is very uninspired.

Matt Bellamy :rolleyes:

..this album confirmed my doubts that they lack depth. I also don't think any of the songs needed to be rerecorded - you can really feel the fingers of the record label here turning that compression dial up and it's totally unncessary. Still, they're young and have potential, I wouldn't write them off. 5/10 for me.

They also ripped off a cellular biology film from Harvard (very poorly, I heard), and I read that they have already budgeted to defend against the inevitable lawsuit. Slimey and dishonest group of people this, but who would expect anything more from creationist nutters.

Bands who don't dress like me are so shit am i rite!!

They said that their support slot for Stars of the Lid would be their last one, they looked pretty torn up about it. I'm not sure if I could listen to a whole album much but I'm glad they're carrying on, they're pretty unique and their gigs are rather absorbing.

They certainly haven't destroyed me, and I'm a huge fan of the genre. I don't mind them but I hear records like this on a weekly basis and they rarely stay on my hard drive for long.

I don't think it is; I read in an interview that they made it up. Source?

It doesn't matter what Kraftwerk have written on their records. They have only asserted the trademark of "klingklang", which clearly the band are not in breach of.

Decent of the band to be so honest about it. I can't say it surprises me at all, surely every band on here has read Steve Albini's article about all this? The sad thing is that if you don't take that contract, some other suckers are going to. On one hand I want to say that E+OS can't complain after living by the sword, but I feel a lot of sympathy for them. They clearly care a huge amount about getting their music heard - uncontaminated by the filthy little fingers of major label motherfuckers - and at least they seem to be achieving this to some extent. Good luck to them.

... but does that justify jumping in bed with an organisation who are linked to the ALF and responsible for many acts of animal cruelty? Peta are absolute wankers and, despite having good intentions, these bands aren't helping anyone.

http://www.peta-sucks.com/main.htm

Transgressive are a major label?

There's only one website I see who constantly derides the post-rock genre to start each review, and that's DiS. I never hear this attitude from any of the other music places I frequent. There's undeniably a lot of copycat shite on Myspace but that's no different to any other genre, and who cares anyway, there's plenty of good stuff around even if people can't be bothered to look.

I'd also say that at least most post-rock bands, even the dull ones, probably draw their inspiration from more sources than most other bands discussed here. For many of the guitar bands featured on here, it sounds like they have literally never heard any records before other than Turn On The Bright Lights, Is This It? and Up The Bracket. Post-rock is no more homogenised than any other genre, and at least when dull it's generally tolerable if nothing else!

Regarding the lack of post-rock in the top 50, why should anyone care what makes this list or not? Whether the average DiS reader recognises it or not, myself and probably many others have been enjoying plenty of great post-rock music released in 2007:

Do Make Say Think
Explosions In The Sky
Grails
Souvaris
Mick Turner
Earth
Port-Royal

(I don't care to dispute whether this stuff is really post-rock or not, hence why I left off Battles, Stars Of The Lid etc.)

I disagree about Apple's iTune profits, they're certainly not receiving a 'very high' cut. They don't make much profit at all from their store (relatively) - the main reason for its existence is to drive iPod sales. At work so I can't go hunting for sources but it has been commented on in numerous articles over the last few years, the figures should be out there.

Ugh yuk.

I'll get right on this as soon as I finish my latest 'citizen journalism' report for the BBC.

Everyone hated poor John and wouldn't pass him the ball :'(

.. and it was exactly like this. We thought it was just the roadies setting up and background music playing for the first 15 minutes of their act.

I think Errors were touring with Underworld so that's unfortunate for them.

Surely a paradox; sounds like these lads need to spend the money on an education.

Seriously what's up with the Skins appearances? Yannis is spot on in this interview but the Skins stuff just seems a bit contradictory. I've only seen clips but it seems like such a stupid, patronising programme, I can't see why they'd want to be associated with it.

Excellent interview anyway. This is easily my most anticipated album now, I really can't wait. I want the Ed Fitz comp too :(

and there seems to be a big problem with companies, especially those in media, expecting us to do so just because they're in a "cool" industry and "hey it'll look great in your portfolio". Don't forget you'll be competing against hundreds of other designers, so if you're after a printed portfolio piece there are many better places to expend your creative juices.

That said, this band do seem genuine and I don't think this is anything like some of these bigger bands/companies trying to get free design work and videos. Good luck to anyone with enough time on their hands to enter!

..this song is incredibly dull, as is nearly everything I've heard from them since Hurrah (which I couldn't turn off for months when I first got it). It's hard to believe this is even the same band judging by this mp3. I know I'll get slagged off for posting this but surely I'm not the only one seeing what a backwards leap they've taken with this new sound.

I absolutely love their album but they were a huge disappointment live. The entire set was drowned in a tide of distortion and fuzz and I could barely believe this was the same band I've been listening to for the last month. I don't know if it was just poor sound in that venue or what but you couldn't hear the keys or the singer whatsoever.

Mogwai weren't as good as usual but it was still fantastic. Shame about no Satan or Helicon but we got Small Children In The Background which I'd never heard before, along with a lot of Mr Beast stuff.

Why no mention of Tunng? I've never enjoyed the little I've heard of them before but I'm a new convert thanks to their performance on Saturday. They were enjoyable, unprentious and a nice break from all the doom and gloom of that place.

I've not heard the song and don't intend to, but this is some of the most hideous cover art I've seen in a long time. Please tell me the band designed this themselves, I can't bear to think that someone was paid to come up with that. It looks like someone has typed "free fonts" into Google, grabbed the first one and plonked it on a blank page in MSPaint. An affront to design.

Well good songs this.

DiS says: "saying that the 'Smile' singer has only made it to where she is 'cause of her dad."

and here's the actual quote: "just 'cause her dad's famous, [she] doesn't have to work as hard as someone like me."

Needs less shit stirring exaggeration.

Well observed. When I read this review I felt a sense of deja vu, and I realise it's just a longer version of what was written about the God Is An Astronaut EP in August: http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/7891

I think it's pretty lazy to start a review like that, and certainly quite ironic. It's true that there is a lot of uninspired post-rock flying about, but compared to DiS' favourite genres of indie rock and cute twee guitar pop (don't spare the handclaps!) I hardly think it's worth criticising the whole genre in every review.

The Mogwai joke was very good however. As is this album.

I don't like what I've heard of her music and until now thought she was another manufactured pop idiot, but I'm full of respect for her after reading this and the Pitchfork interview.

Lily Allen has a greater independent mindset than 95% of bands covered on this site. Good on her.

I get the impression Bellamy is one of those people who just believes anything they hear. Saying that he's "well read" doesn't mean anything when your main source of info are 16 year old rage against the machine types on internet message boards and X-Files: The Annual. What a fucktard.

Can't find a website foo the label and HMV are saying it comes out 11th Sept. I really like the b-side, but will this be in my local record shop?

PETA kill vast amounts of animals themselves after "liberating" them and also associate with terrorist groups such as the ALF. Don't be fooled by this organisation.

http://www.peta-sucks.com

Christ on a bike, people take the internet far too seriously around here. Loving the ironic comments about loners sitting behind their screens laughing at this, coming from nerds getting their panties in a twist about comments on a messageboard.

Back on topic: well, the topic is bollocks isn't it. Sad news but this has nothing to do with music. Beating the shit out of people is never cool, unless you're John Prescott.

I went to Truck last year and my car was damaged to the tune of £80 by fucking chavs on the last night. Don't kid yourself that the place is filled only with decent people, there are plenty of wankers about who're there to shit things up for everyone else.

My perfect festival would be Truck if it had a decent lineup (not the same bands each year for a start, and how about some more serious bands that aren't just what's featured in DiS, The Fly, Sandman and the NME). Really though it needs to be abroad in some country where it doesn't rain whenever outdoor fun is planned.

I could have sworn their album came over a year ago.

With the exception of Isobel Campbell I can't agree with a single nomination on this list. It's as if they've just picked the top selling (and most heavily promoted) albums from Play.com and made a list for the most part.

Yep I read this a few days ago on the BBC and was pretty surprised not to it reported on this site. I realise DiS has to keep good relationships with the big indies but these bully boy tactics adopted by the indies really needs as much exposure as possible.

This is the best single released this year. Show me one other band do anything half as original as this. There isn't one, none of that subpar-Mogwai stuff on Try Harder even comes close.

Dunno what the review is on about with the production. This is about as polished as I'd want it to get for this sound. The Ed Fitz always had the DIY, recorded in the kitchen sound, and I'm glad they've continued.

Going to see them today and can't wait, yes!

Love the album but what's up with the shitty cover art?

I've been saying since the summer, MSTU are the best band in Sheffield by a long way. It has the odd duff song and is a bit unpolished but it's a decent, unpretentious album and is a breath of fresh air in my opinion.