Top 10s for 2005: Nick Levine
Top 10 records of the year (in no particular order):
01. The Lovekevins - Blame The English EP
Indie pop that sits just on the right side of twee. The corner solo on "Stop Being Perfect" will make you melt.
02. Lorraine - I Feel It/Saved EP
Norway's answer to The Pet Shop Boys. Electronic music with a heartbeat. Apparently these boys have been knocking about for a while but had a drastic rethink in their songwriting approach. Nice hair too apparently.
03. The Go! Team - Ladyflash
Sure it came out last year but the awesome remixes by Hot Chip and Kevin Shields extended it's shelf life.
04. The Boy Least Likely To - The Best Party Ever
Sometimes great things happen to good people. Pastoral homemade indie pop. BLLT look set to break properly next year.
05. The Pipettes - Dirty Mind
Brighton's answer to The Supremes. The Pipettes finally got their debut single proper out in the autumn, and are already making waves in Sweden.
06. Cut Copy - Bright Like Neon Love
The album I have listened to more than any other this year. That's reason enough to include it right? It was a relief to find someone else citing The KLF as a cultural reference point.
07. The Absentee - Donkey Stock
Only a mini album but one that is definitely moreish. It's miserable and uplifting at the same time, and on the Magic Numbers tour they threatened to steal the show each and every single night.
08. Envelopes - Demon
The best English based Swedish band in the world.
09. Radio Dept - This Past Week
The best band on Labrador by a country mile. The Radio Dept stripped back on the Jesus & Mary Chain fuzz and revealed that there are beautiful melodies underneath.
10. Maps - Start Something/To The Sky
Made by one bloke in his bedroom, in the north of England. Takes all the best bits of Four Tet (before he went rubbish) and Spiritualized and mixes them all together.
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Nick is a regular IAT contributor and one of the gents behind Tack! Tack! Tack!.