Turn Your Tide

theperksofbeingahallflower:

Leaks, Rumours, Headliners, Wish Lists, Surprises, Dream Line Ups, etc.

DISCUSS…. I want your opinions too either at the bottom of this message or in my ask box!

Personally I’m pretty sure all the leaks are fakes seeing as the majority seem to have surfaced from e-festival forum member predictions but they are probably along the right lines.

The Cure, Foos and Kasabian seem to be the headliners. At least that’s the general consensus.

Florence & The Black Keys sub headliners. Both pretty good moves really. Leaving one spot left. Will it be the return of Bloc Party? I think they’ll play next year instead. I can’t see them subbing again so I think headlining in 2013 is more likely. But we’ll see. 

The Gaslight Anthem better be announced or I’ll genuinely cry. Hoping Mumford play in a nice main stage slot too. They could easily sub such is their popularity. Considering they only have one album (maybe two by the time Reading happens) it’s a bit of a risk and unlikely but it wouldn’t surprise me too much. They were brilliant in 2010 and the tent was overloaded with people. But will Florence supposedly subbing I doubt they would have another band in a very similar position career wise.

Maccabees are surely dead certs to headline the NME, TDCC will be high up too on that stage I’m sure. Foster The People, Tribes, Howler & Dry The River will most likely/hopefully play the NME too. Enter Shikari have been rumoured a lot to be headlining one night of the NME too. I’m a fan but not overly fussed if they aren’t there. They subbed the NME in 2010 didn’t they? I know they released an album this year but it would be nice if it was more of a surprise move. Lost Prophets will probably be another uninspired selection too I assume appearing like 4 down on the main stage.

It seems that Refused and At The Drive-In are both going to be announced if only for the fact I think I’ve seen them on pretty much every leak so far. They are both reforming bands playing Coachella which I’m going to. Just thought I should get that in there.

Whatever the line up is I’m pretty excited. I think all the leaks are lies (at least of the ones I’ve seen!) unlike the real leak from last year! The real line up will no doubt disappoint on first glance as it did last year but most likely as last year it won’t be quite as bad as we first think.

I can’t get my ticket tomorrow as my card got swallowed earlier this week and I’m waiting for my new one to come through in the post (unless it comes tomorrow that is). So I’m really hoping it doesn’t sell out straight away. Last year they announced that it sold out but tickets were still available on the day so I find that highly unlikely! On that basis you’d say that they won’t sell out for a while but with no Glasto this year and considering that Reading has sold out on the day in the previous 4-5 years before that (I believe) you just don’t know. No Frank Turner it seems this year which is probably for the best as he is always there but I’ll miss him anyway. That secret set last year on the Lock Up was fantastic!

If you’re going too, whether to Leeds or Reading perhaps like this post and we can have a little chat about it all. If you’re going to Reading you can come be my friend there or just warn me in advance that I’m not allowed to stalk you whilst in the Festival grounds.

The Festival Republic stage will no doubt be where myself and Emily find the greatest pleasure throughout the weekend too. So I’m looking forward to seeing if they announce who is headlining that tomorrow night!

Finally, Please, please, please, let me, let me, get what I want… and let Gasilght play. Preferably 4th down on the main so they get a half decent set to play. I’m still in a highly damaging state of depression thanks to not being able to get a ticket for the Koko gig. (Someone sell me one!?)

The only bright bit of news I have right now is that Stevie bought us tickets to go see Alabama Shakes again so I’m psyched for that! Oh and Man United are finally top of the league!

My voice has been silent on this blog for a while now and I do apologise. December and Jan were a little quiet for me on the gig front but coming up in the next month or two I’ll be seeing The Maccabees, Lana Del Ray, Howler, Dry the River and The Chapman Family and hopefully Spector and Ghostpoet so should have plenty to post about soon!

For now I’ll be reblogging some posts from my personal blog; written pieces about my highlights of 2011.

Happy gigging,
 - Emily

10. JAMES BLAKE // JAMES BLAKE

In terms of originality and creativity this is hands down the best album of 2011. Unfortunately my top 40 is judged very differently but James still makes a solid entry at number 10. The BBC Sound of 2011 runner up, Mercury nominated and apparently Enfield born (same hospital of birth woo!) boy wonder has taken the world, literally the world - Bon Iver did a song with him for gods sake - by storm these last 12 months. My friend Emily absolutely adores him and it’s far from the conventional music that I’d expect her to enjoy. I also had the pleasure of seeing him live a few weeks ago and after two songs my exact thoughts were, “what a load of crap this is…”. By the end of the show, I couldn’t get enough of it.

Favourite Track: Lindisfarne I & II

9. ALL AT ONCE // The Airborne Toxic Event

One of my favourite bands and their second album didn’t disappoint. Even my mother and sister love them. I don’t understand quite why this band haven’t taken off as much as they should. Their first album was great and had a fantastic lead song in Sometime Around Midnight and while the second record isn’t quite as punchy or heavy as it’s predecessor, but it’s a better quality record for sure. One of, if not my most played album of the year. All I Ever Wanted is fantastic, the anti-war song The Kids Are Ready To Die is engaging and passionate. Numb & Changing have awesome intros (Numb stays awesome, Changing doesn’t) and songs like All For A Woman & The Graveyard By The House show off their smoother more poignant side.

Favourite Track: All I Ever Wanted/Numb

8. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT FROM THE VACCINES // The Vaccines

When The Vaccines were on the BBC Sound of 2011 & MTV Brand New For 2011 polls I stood up and took note. Who were this new band. I listened to Post Break Up Sex and enjoyed it. I could relate to it and I was excited to see what else they had to offer. I heard a few more songs of theirs and wasn’t that excited. The songs seemed quite different and a bit more edgy but I had liked their original sound that I had first come across and so though still enjoying their music, I wasn’t too enthralled at the prospect of seeing them like in June supporting Arcade Fire at Hyde Park. However, it turned out I just hadn’t quite “got it” yet. At Hyde Park I did. And co-incidently since then the band have gone from strength to strength headlining sold out shows, playing the set of Reading Festival 2011 (if NME are to be believed) and wowing crowds all over the nation. The album itself is wonderful, I haven’t mentioned it once so far in this piece but that’s all you need to know. Make sure you buy it, make sure you see them live. Believe the hype.

Tracks: All In White, Wreckin Bar (Ra Ra Ra), Wetsuit

7. BLISS RELEASE // Cloud Control

This album was officially released in 2010 though it came out in the UK in 2011 (plus I only got into them post Reading Festival this year) so it counts. My friend Emily (as with The Vaccines & James Blake) was a big fan of this band and dragged me along at Reading to see them. I’ve now seen them twice since and they’ve impressed every time. The Australian band (the first of two Aussies in the top ten) make fantastically catchy indie rock music. They remind me of a heavier Two Door Cinema Club, though each song is actually different unlike Two Door (not saying I don’t like TDCC, I really do but it’s true). I must admit I have a bit of a crush on the female member of the band too. I love the way she loses herself in the music while on stage as they all seem to. If you haven’t listened to them, seriously check them out. They supported Foo Fighters on tour last year and have won numerous awards in 2011. The album itself is full of super tracks. Gold Canary & There’s Nothing In The Water We Can’t Fight are particular highlights but the album just rolls along with great song after great song, especially for the first 6 tracks. A band sure to take 2012 by storm here in the UK if they get a good break.

Favourite Track: There’s Nothing In The Water We Can’t Fight

6. EVERY KINGDOM // Ben Howard

The best effort of the British contingent comes from the wonderful Ben Howard in at number 6. I found it hard placing this album. Firstly because the deluxe version is better than the original (which do I count!?) and secondly because I think he’s a lot better live than on record. That’s not to say he’s bad on record, because if he was then he certainly wouldn’t be at number 6! Every Kingdom is a breathtaking debut album. The Fear is one of my favourite songs this year and Keep Your Head up was a great lead single. One of the great things about Ben is that he seems to great every song very carefully. He works very hard on giving it a good intro and even more so a memorable outro, as his live shows prove. I think a lot of unfair hate is placed upon Ed Sheeran from cynics who seem to hate him because he’s so huge now and they don’t really know why. The thing is Ed is very talented but there are better singer/songwriters out there right now and perhaps the best of all in this mould, and one man who should and most probably will recieve all this attention is Ben Howard.

Favourite Track: The Fear

5. PRISONER // The Jezabels

The strangest thing about this album is that I haven’t actually had the chance to listen to it properly as an album. it’s not on Spotify, I can’t find it in shops, it’s ridiculously expensive on Amazon and so I’m sitting here putting an album in the Top 5 that I haven’t even listened to “as an album”. Having said that, each YouTube clip for every song has taken a battering in views this year and those songs that are on Spotify are definitely amongst my most played. The Jezabels, led by the very interesting Hayley Mary are a band to watch. Hailing from Australia where they have already been critically acclaimed, won awards and had their debut album go Gold they’re making indie/rock music as good as anyone right now. There is a distinct bit of pop in there too especially in some of their more commercially friendly tracks but that makes them no less brilliant. Songs like ‘Endless Summer’ & ‘A Little Piece’ will be very high up in my songs of the year chart for sure. In Hayley Mary they have a fantastic front woman who I fancy like mad even though I don’t actually find her all that attractive. Having already done fantastically well in Australia, The Jezabels should find that 2012 proves to be the year that the rest of the world takes notice.

Favourite Track:Endless Summer/Prisoner/Trycolour

4. BURST APART // The Antlers

I’ll be honest the first time I listened to this album I was a little under-whelmed. I didn’t really see the buzz. I hadn’t listened to The Antlers before so this was all pretty new to me. I guess I was waiting for the big choruses and catchy hooks to kick in and woo me. That wasn’t going to come, and it was only on the second, third or maybe fourth listens that I realised the true beauty of their music. They’re like if Bon Iver went rock. Nothing’s over the top and you just drift to the music, nod your head and appreciate how beautiful the music they are making, actually is. And seriously it is something special. Peter Silberman’s voice is absolutely amazing and they are fast becoming one of my favourite bands. I saw them last night for just the second time but I know there’s many, many more to come.

Favourite Tracks: Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out/Putting The Dog To Sleep

3. BON IVER // Bon Iver

Probably the most anticipated album of my life. It may have been a far cry from his first release in that cabin. Infact it couldn’t have been further. I’d say it was over produced and far from perfect but in that voice, and the mastery that goes on in Justin Vernon’s mind he could make any song a great one. Had the unbelievable cover of Bonnie Raitt’s ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ been on the album then maybe it would have made it to number one but third is not a bad place. And I’m pretty sure he’s going to top a hell of a lot of other year end lists this Christmas. Nominated for Four Grammy’s Bon Iver has become the biggest non mainstream artist on the planet right now and this album confirmed it. Nothing he makes will most likely ever better ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ but as long as he keeps making music as good as this I can live. I remember hearing the intro snippet of “Perth” and genuinely thinking it was the most beautiful piece of music I had ever heard. It was about 50 seconds long and I must have listened to it about 100 times in the wait for the album to leak.

Favourite Track: Perth/Holocene/Hinnom, TX

2. THE FEAR OF HIBERNATION // Youth Lagoon

One of the latest entries to this list, but definitely one of the best. The best find of the year and one that’s gone pretty much under the radar - though it has been appreciated in some end of year lists. A 22 year old guy named Trevor Poers from California made this album in his bedroom. It’s astounding. From the very first listen I was hooked and I haven’t stopped listening since. There’s a moment just after the 2 minute into the first track, ‘Posters’ where the song just kicks right in and it’s amazing. I get a little feel of euphoria, a little buzz and from the second I heard that for the first time I knew I was listening to something special. It’s the arrangements that make it so good. Each song is like a journey and each one has a crescendo that never fails to engage and captivate me. He’s playing at a little venue in March in London and I doubt 2012 will be a year to remember for Youth Lagoon, however if he manages to create another masterpiece like this I’m pretty sure the world will soon sit up and take notice.

Favourite Track: 17/Afternoon/Bobby

1. ELSIE // The Horrible Crowes

An album that has undeservedly been ignored by most critics lists but that doesn’t mean it’s not the best of the year! Brian Fallon strikes again and I wonder if it’s possible for him to even make bad music. Drawing on from all sorts of influences including Tom Petty, Nick Cave, The National, and even The (recently reformed) Afghan Whigs, Fallon set out to make a new record differing from his typical punk-rock Gaslight exploits. Well it didn’t disappoint. There’s not a bad song on Elsie, only shining points and then even shinier points that outshine those that you thought shone before. I remember when the ‘Black Betty and The Moon’ snippet was released I expected a classic, and we certainly got it. The best songwriter on the planet right now. One that I hope keeps making music for many years to come.

Favourite Tracks: Black Betty and The Moon/Sugar/Behold The Hurricane

Top 40-31

Top 30-21

Top 20-11

Top 10-1

20. TORCHES // Foster The People

Foster The People were the soundtrack to my summer. Pumped Up Kicks was one of the anthems of the year. And I’m so, so glad that the rest of the album proved they were more than just one song. Yes, they may never make a track as good or catchy as that again. But with Helena Beat, Houdini, Call It What You Want and a few others they are making valient efforts. Foster The People were a Reading Festival highlight and Torches was a great debut album.

Favourite Track: Pumped Up Kicks

19. WOUNDED RHYMES // Lykke Li

A more assured, darker and heavier album than her debut. Wounded Rhymes is a fantastic album that may of scored higher in my list had of started actually listened to it when it came out (March) and not a month ago. First heard of her from the fantastic remix of my favourite Kings Of Leon song ‘Knocked Up’ and she continues to impress.

Favourite Track: Love Out Of Lust

18. THE BIG ROAR // The Joy Formidable

My year’s first great album. I have a lot of time for this band who seem to make fantastic catchy pop music and give it a masterful heavy rock. The brilliant 78 minute track Whirring being a grand example of that. Dave Grohl himself said it was the track of the year on his twitter. If that’s not enough to tempt you in, I don’t know what will.

Favourite Track: Whirring/I Don’t Want To See You Like This

17. THE ENGLISH RIVEIRA // Metronomy

I dismissed this album at first completely but the Mercury nomination was fully deserved. I remember loving their remixes a few years ago, especially one of Kate Nash’s Foundations but this record proved they were much more than that. The intro and beat to The Bay is simply awesome and with other standout songs like The Look, Everything Goes My Way and Some Written it could be a big 2012 for this band. I’m still need to see them live! Announced for Field Day 2012.

Favourite Track: The Bay

16. The Rip Tide // Beirut

It may not have a song as great as Nantes on it but this album oozes class and beauty. It flows delightfully from start to finish and is Beirut’s most accomplished record yet. I do love the story behind this Eastern European but American led band; and I wish I was half as talented as Zach Condon. Announced for Field Day 2012.

Favourite Track: East Harlem

15. CREEP ON CREEPIN’ ON // Timber Timbre

The latest entry into the Top 40 this year. Seriously, I only started listening to this band about 4 hours before I finalised my list having accidently stumbled upon them on Tumblr. But boy am I glad I did. They are supporting Laura Marling next year and this Canadian band are quite something. They remind me of Ryan Gosling’s fantastic side project Dead Man’s Bones but a more polished bluesy folk version. Creep On Creepin’ On (Timber Timbre’s fourth album) is a wonderful record and with the coverage they will get from supporting Laura and from being nominated for 2011’s Polaris prize (for the second time) they could be one to watch in 2012.

Favourite Track: Black Water, Creep On Creepin’ On

14. SBTRKT // SBTRKT

One of the years genre defining breakthrough’s. SBTRKT look set to become household names next year after their excellent debut album. The masked men behind SBTRKT are creating music that I find hard to compare to anyone out there right now, perhaps James Blake in terms of it’s originality. Described as post-dubstep/electronic/soul (what are these genre’s anymore), whatever it is, it seems to be reaching out to quite a rather wide audience - fans of all genres -- and with this fantastic self-titled debut album pleasing the critics there’s no telling what the future may hold. Very much looking forward to seeing them live in March. Announced for Field Day 2012.

Favourite Tracks:Wildfire/Right Thing To Do

13. ENGLAND KEEP MY BONES // Frank Turner

Frank Turner is an extremely intelligent and well educated man and yet an extremely lovely and humble one who has a passion for music like few others. His patriotism, capped with his respect for music, friendliness and fantastic approach to life reminds me of a certain Brian Fallon. Perhaps that’s why I love the two of them so damn much. England Keep My Bones was a great record from Frank that saw him return to the form of ‘Love, Ire & Song’. Not many people can get away with writing an anti-religion worshipping and rejoicing song but it seems Mr Turner can do anything these days. Selling out Wembley Arena included (well almost)…

Favourite Track: Glory Hallelujah/I Am Disappeared

12. HURRY UP, WE’RE DREAMING // M83

I first saw and heard of M83 when they supported Kings Of Leon back in 2008 at The O2 Arena. I didn’t think too much of them on that occasion though the fact they aren’t exactly too similar to KOL. For a few years I saw their name in shining lights amongst critics and the odd blogger but took little notice until seeing their new album had dropped in October time. Slight skeptically I approached it one night and was pleastantly surprised to say it grabbed me from the first listen. The biggest hit on record Midnight City will probably go down as one of the records of the year but other fantastic tracks like Wait & Reunion 2012 could be a huge year for this critically acclaimed French band. I’m personally gutted that their next London date is sold out.

Favourite Track: Wait/My Tears Are Becoming A Sea

11. SIMPLE MATH // Manchester Orchestra

I was recommended Manchester Orchestra by my friend Catrina (a great source of music for me) and in 2011 they really have cemented themselves as one of my favourite bands. Simple Math, MO’s third album release impressed me greatly especially live on their recent tour. Often mistaken for an Orchestra based in Manchester when I tell my friends to listen to them.

Favourite Track: Virgin/April Fool

Top 30-21

Top 40-31

30. CODES AND KEYS // Death Cab For Cutie

Another solid effort from The OC championed ‘emo-but-not-really-emo-at-all’ rockers. Had the pleasure of seeing them live recently and playing a fair few tracks from the classic Transatlanticism and my views of them have definitely heightened. Talking of this album, You Are A Tourist was one of the best songs of the year.

Favourite Track: You Are A Tourist

29. STRANGE MERCY // St. Vincent

I, like I’m sure many people did, fell in love with St. Vincent (or at least became more interested) when she was on the Twilight soundtrack collaborating with Bon Iver on the fabulous track ‘Rosyln’. A great album which will hopefully see her get the credit and attention she deserves.

Favourite Track: Cruel

28. HELPLESSNESS BLUES // Fleet Foxes

This album is one of those that I’m putting in because I have to rather than because I necessarily want to champion it. I mean I don’t know why but for some reason I’ve never really got hugely into Fleet Foxes. I enjoy their music don’t get me wrong but it just hasn’t quite clicked for me. Again perhaps a band I really need to see live. I prefered their self titled debut too. The title track Helplessness Blues is fantastic though and I loved Grown Ocean but I just didn’t get as excited about everyone else about it I’m afraid. I’m sure one day this album will warrant it’s place and higher in this list.

Favourite Track: Helplessness Blues

27. THE WHOLE LOVE // Wilco

Wilco are a band who seem to regularly appear high up in these end of year album lists and yet until about 3 weeks ago I had never listened to them other than the odd song here and there. I’m glad I have as this album is sounding really good so far. It didn’t immediately take me aback but with each listen certain songs are growing and I can see myself becoming a big fan of the band. I feel bad for not having ever really listened to them seeing they’ve been about for years but with so much music about these days it’s really hard to listen to everyone and to filter out the crap so you get to listen to talented artists.

Favourite Tracks: Whole Love/Art Of Almost

26. A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIX ;; Bombay Bicycle Club

I don’t think I’ve quite listened to this album as much as it’s deserved but what a great third album it is. This band who seem to be the spearhead of the word Indie right now continue to develop their song and keep it fresh. I can’t wait to hopefully see them live next year at Ally Pally or more than likely at a Festival as I still haven’t seen them in the flesh!

Favourite Tracks: Shuffle/Lights Out, Words Gone

25. FOOLS AND WORTHLESS LIARS // Deaf Havana

A band really growing on me at the moment. At first they were a band I wanted to like rather than really did because they’re probably the only band on this list I have an actual personal connection with seeing as a friend of mine dates the lead singer (who from what I’ve gathered when I met him is a lovely bloke). This album is one of my better purchases this year and with their mellowing sound and ever growing fan base 2012 is set to be a huge year for them. I also enjoyed the fact that Portia Conn was randomly featured on the end of Little White Lies.

Favourite Track: The Past Six Years/Hunstanton Pier

24. PASSIVE ME, AGGRESSIVE YOU // The Naked And Famous

I fell in love with Punching In A Dream early last year when Spotify rambled on about how great it was in the endless adverts between songs. Young Blood never appealed to me until I saw it live but I was definitely excited for their debut album to drop. The New Zealander’s didn’t disappoint. I doubt it will go down as a classic but it definitely had some major highlights scattered through. The band have a fantastic atmospheric sound - best featured on songs like No Way & Girls Like You. The latter of which is one of my favourite tracks of the year.

Favourite Tracks: Girls Like You

23. THE KING IS DEAD // The Decemberists

I found this band on Tumblr after seeing a few people endless post up their songs. I heard The Crane Wife 3 and instantly fell in love. One of the years earlist entries and while it’s not my favourite album by them it still got a fair few rotations in the early part of 2011.

Favourite Track: Don’t Carry It All/This Is Why We Fight

22. A CREATURE I DON’T KNOW // Laura Marling

Out of her three albums I think this is the worst. But bad Laura is still better than 90% of all the music out there. A supremely talented and beautiful young woman. Just 21 years and she’s got three high class albums out that belie her age. I have a bit of an personal issue with her first album in that it brings back a strong connection I had with my ex a few years ago but I still can’t stop myself from listening to it’s magical nature. As a side note and reminder I need to remember to get tickets for her Hammersmith show when they go on sale on Friday!

Favourite Track: I Was Just A Card/The Beast

21. RESOLUTIONS // Dave Hause

One of the real pleasant surprises of the year for me. I hadn’t heard of Dave Hause until I saw the line up for this year’s Revival Tour - headlined by the wonderful Brian Fallon. I wasn’t familiar with Dave Hause but listened to a few of his songs with his band The Loved Ones. I wasn’t blown away but I was interested. It wasn’t until I discovered he was releasing a solo album and I listened to it that I noticed quite how great he was. My friend Ellie also commented - and I completely agreed - that he really did steal the show at Revival too (well as much as you can steal a show from Mr Fallon). The albums great, I highly doubt Dave Hause will become a household name but if you give him a listen, you won’t be disappointed.

Favourite Tracks: Resolutions/Time Will Tell

When I look back at 2011 it’s been the year I’ve followed music the most. I remember this time last year (and 2009) making lists of top 10 albums and favourite songs and so on but never really having that much material to choose from. In the last 18 months my music taste has branched out a fair bit and these days I’ll give anyone a chance to surprise me. I go to about 5x the gigs I went to previously and with Spotify I can find all sorts of similar artists (some good, some not so) to the ones I actually enjoy and listen to on a regular basis.

As well as this I’ve used Tumblr a lot more in 2011 and the music scene on here, at least in terms of the people I follow and the things they post up is quite fantastic. Thanks to Tumblr I’ve been introduced to bands like The Antlers, The Jezabels, The Decemberists, Blind Pilot & many more. I’ve also made some music buddies through Tumblr, in particular my gig buddy Emily who herself has got me into some fantastic bands like Cloud Control & Daughter this year. Music has become a huge part of my life in the last two years and perhaps something I would like to get into in the future in some form; despite my lack of talent and technical knowledge! It’s taken over sport (mainly Football) as the prominent stage for me to write and express my feelings. There’s nothing quite like hearing a new band for the first time that blow you away, being able to connect an emotional song to a beautiful or dark time in your life or best of all, being at a gig seeing your favourite band play your favourite song.

So anyway, I took on the challenge this past month of expanding my usual list from “a casual top 10 of biased favourite artists” to making “a well thought out top 40 album list”. I’ve also been working in tandem on my Top 50 songs of the year list too; but you’ll have to wait a week or two for that.

Before I go into the Top 40 a bit of backstory on how I went about it. Until probably yesterday the list itself was taking a very different shape. I was trying to be as unbiased as possible in my judgements, inclusions and rankings in an attempt to make it as professional and accurate to all as possible. But then I re-considered. At the end of the day this is just another list like the hundreds and hundreds that will no doubt appear online this month. The vast majority will be much more important than my own and if I conform to try and fit in with the other Top 40’s then it really is just another list. The fact a Top 40 is biased is what makes it personal and your own. It’s the way your music taste and what you really loved this year is going to be reflected and so I altered positions and thoughts and I finalised my judgements about 20 minutes agon with a much more personal touch! One album was only discovered about 3 hours earlier, while one of the top 5 has only been known of for about a week. But that’s the brilliance of music, you have your nostalgic bands, current favourites, the world beaters, the mainstream, the complete opposite of mainstream, there’s the ones you over-hype, the ones your best friend likes but you can’t get into, the ones you hate for no reason and then you have ones that come along every so often that are like little lovely discoveries. You listen to the song the first time and even with just one or just a few hearings of a track/album you just know they are something special.

Two honourable mentions for the top 40 would be Adele’s 21 and City & Colour’s Little Hell. I couldn’t quite fit Little Hell in while Adele’s album recently became the best selling album of the 21st century. Some feat indeed and congratulations to her. I have no doubt about the quality of the album itself I just had a hard time really connecting to it on a personal level. Perhaps it was just the fact that I heard the songs on the radio every two minutes but I could never really listen to it as a whole. Two albums that weren’t included cause I haven’t actually listened to yet would be The Black Key’s new album and Rebecca Ferguson’s debut. Both I have high hopes for.

So anyway, let’s actually get on with the Top 40 itself and see if it matches up at all with any of yours;

40. BELONG // The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

It didn’t have a song as great as Young Adult Friction but an assured second album nonetheless from the New Yorkers.

Personal Favourite Track: Heart In Your Heartbreak

39. CAMP // Childish Gambino

Pitchfork slated it but it was one of the more refreshing albums of the year. The comedian/writer/actor/rapper has been gaining a lot of hype for sometime and he delivered with a decent album in Camp. Bonfire & Outside being particular highlights.

Favourite Track: Bonfire

38.  CIRCITUAL // My Morning Jacket

I’ve got to admit I’ve always liked My Morning Jacket but never really got into their music. I’ve prefered them for their fantastic covers (Rocketman/Suspicious Minds). In terms of original work I found Jim James “supergroup” project Monsters Of Folk more appealing but probably because Conor Oberst was in it! However Circitual was the first album I really found some replay value in. Made me want to go see them live and hopefully sometime soon I will.

Favourite Track: Circitual

37. ALEXANDER // Alexander

I’ve been a fan of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros for quite sometime ever since hearing the absolutely fantastic Home. What I didn’t know until quite recently was that Alex Ebert (the lead singer) had released his own solo project. There’s some filler tracks on there for me and part of Alex’s charm is fronting a huge bunch of mad hatters however there’s easily enough quality in songs like Truth, A Million Years, In The Twilight and a few others to suggest this is much better than just a time filler between regular band duties.

Favourite Track: A Million Years

36. IN THE MOUNTAIN IN THE CLOUD // Portugal, The Man

I’m pretty sure someone on Tumblr recommended me this band and I’m very glad. The American psychedelic rock band have been going some 7 years but  finally got their break after signing to a major label last year. The album following this deal didn’t disappoint and they even bagged a spot on the Fifa 2012 soundtrack which pleased me as I look forward to it every year!

Favourite Track: All Your Light (Times Like These)

35. BARTON HOLLOW // The Civil Wars

I’ve only been to four gigs at the fantastic Union Chapel but just one of them drew the crowd to a standing ovation afterwards. That one was from boy/girl duo The Civil Wars. An American band who came to prominance after hit song “Poison & Wine” was featured on Grey’s Anatomy. They released their first album Barton Hollow in Febraury spending 9 days at number 1 in the US iTunes chart. Okay, so nothing on the album quite matched Poison & Wine but it was still a solid effort and the duo are hugely talented indeed.

Favourite Track: Poison & Wine

34. DAYS // Real Estate

Yet another American band on the list, Real Estate’s debut album has made a few Best lists this year and was loved by the ever opinionated Pitchfork. One I need to give more of a listen to but impressed so far with what I’ve heard.

Favourite Track: Green Aisles

33. FATHER, SON, HOLY GHOST // Girls

Okay, first things first, I’ll be honest, I don’t quite get why this album has been so well hyped/received amongst critics. I think it’s a great album sure, and perhaps I need to listen to it more. Sometimes an album/band doesn’t resonate with you for some reason and everyone has different tastes. I think I need to see them live to maybe get it. That’s not to disrespect Girls (made up of two guys) as a band. They certainly have a huge future and I highly enjoy the music they make. Both albums that they’ve released have now been critically acclaimed and adored and who knows where such praise will take them in 2012.

Favourite Track: Vomit

32. MONA // Mona

When Mona won last year’s MTV Brand New for 2011… it seemed as if they were set for superstar status this year. Unfortunately most of the other acts on that list have done a lot better. Jessie J, Wretch 32, Labyrinth, The Vaccines, Far East Movement & Jamie Woon have all had more successful years. Even Willow Smith waved her hair back and forth for longer in the spotlight. That’s not to say they didn’t deserve the win. The band released their first album this year and while it wasn’t astounding it certainly had it’s high points and on a personal level was one of my most listened to.

Favourite Track: Lean Into The Fall

31. TAKE CARE // Drake

The actor turned rapper has helped to re-invent the face of hip hop along with artists like Kanye West in the last decade. The upbringing of a rapper no longer seems to be an issue and suddenly some of the brashness and thuggery of rap music has disappeared. Whether it’s good for the music industry or not is debatable when acts like Soulja Boy are making it into the big time but I say keep it coming if we get albums like this. It may not be as good as his first album but in terms of artistry and development in quality of music Take Care is a step forward for the Canadian Grammy nominated rapper.

Favourite Track: Crew Love (featuring the fantastic The Weeknd)

In the next few weeks TurnYourTide will be posting our BEST (and worst) of year awards. There will be all sorts of categories so keep a watch out as they pop up every few days throughout the month of December. Albums, Festivals, Gigs, Songs and more will be covered.

Both Emily and myself will be putting up own seperate views and top 10s and we would love to hear any from you guys too!

The Airborne Toxic Event + The Chevin - Shepherds Bush - Sat 5th Nov

I never know whether it’s a blessing or a curse to have one real big hit song and be known for it wherever you go. I suppose in essence it’s a mix of both and at least the song in question - Sometime Around Midnight - is not a guilty pleasure but an epic track that oozes intensity and engages the audience/fan for the full duration despite not being conventional in terms of it’s appeal. A song that has no chorus and an extended violen intro isn’t one you’d expect to break airwaves and change the world - at least their world. In my view one of the best songs of the last ten years and live it’s just as magical. When Anna Bullbrook breaks into that violin intro there is no better feeling in the world. The song builds and builds from there and by the end everyone is just screaming their heads off none more wonderfully as Mikel himself who even 3-4 years on manages to display great passion on a song despite it being a bit of a touchy subject for him. I was on top of the world at that moment though it wasn’t all that way. 

Opening up 4 relatively new and slow tempo numbers the crowd looked a little anxious and weren’t exactly blown away in the opening moments. I should also at this point also note that the support act - the very much unknown The Chevin - had put on a fabulous show and left TATE fans very expectant. It was only when the opening notes of Wishing Well played that you could really feel that something special might be going on tonight. A song that is very similar in it’s nature to Sometime Around Midnight though not quite as good. It’s still a song that really takes you on a journey and by the end of it the crowd were ready to really have a good time. Numb is a song that I very much didn’t really warm to on record; however live it’s a completely different story. Much like Changing it’s got a fabulous intro and unlike Changing the rest of the song doesn’t let you down!

It wasn’t until the halfway mark that the show really came into it’s own. Another note about Airborne is that while the second album may be better on record the energy of their debut effort always trenscends much better on stage. I’ve always found songs like Gasoline, Does This Mean Your Moving On? and Happiness Is Overrated really come to life when they are played live. And on this occasion tonight they were very much alive. The crowd were going mad for the band by the latter stages of the gig. I had some horrendously brilliant dancing going on from men and woman around me and it seemed as if everyone was in their comfort zone, just really enjoying the show.

The band ended with Sometime Around Midnight followed by my favourite song off of All At Once which is All I Ever Wanted. It was a good way to go out but the crowd wanted more and of course, they were going to get it. Strangely enough the band decided to do two encores which I found a little odd. Firstly they returned to play the very lengthy but always fantastic Innocence. Then after leaving the stage very briefly again a second encore was in the offing.

Missy has become a favourite of the bands to end on - at least when I’ve seen them live. Mikel likes to talk a bit and during this moment he thanked the fans and got band members to do bass/drum solos… This all In the middle of Missy, as well as what has become customary where Mr Jollett likes to break off into cover songs and we weren’t disappointed on this occasion. Mikel went on to do not one, not two but three covers to round up a fantastic set and to pay tribute to not only his influences as a singer, not only the bands influences but those that lots of the older fans will have grown up on themselves. As he sung classics by The Clash (I Fought The Law), Bruce Springsteen (I’m On Fire) & Johnny Cash (Folsom Prison Blues) I stood and looked up and felt as though I was in the presence of greatness. I felt as though Mikel and the band could one day be the artists being covered themselves by the new pretenders. Yet for some reason or another this band just don’t seem to quite be making the moves in the industry that they seem to warrant. were rung out brilliantly before returning to finish Missy in what was about a 15 minute song by the end of it. The crowd loved it and cheered TATE off for a third time and louder than ever.

I also should mention that Mikel did some great crowd surfing during one song, that Anna was on fantastic form (and beauty) throughout and Noah played four different instruments in the first four songs. And so, the last few years have been a bit of a rollercoaster journey for TATE. After releasing their debut album to - mostly (see Pitchfork) - critical praise they returned with a solid and rather different second album. The traditionally difficult album number two was averted and in promotion of that album they did five dates in London (yes five!?). SIX months later and they were returning for one more here at Shepherds Bush and it didn’t disappoint in the slightest - despite not selling out.

However I really do wonder how a band can sell out five dates in one place and then half a year later struggle to sell out one… Perhaps they won’t ever make it to the top of festival bills or headline Wembley but one things for sure, this band are not only a very nice bunch of people but an extremely talented one too.

Complete Gig List
BEN HOWARD + DRY THE RIVER - Rough Trade East, 04.10.11
CLOUD CONTROL + BIG DEAL - Scala, 12.10.11
JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW - Rough Trade West, 18.10.11
CHAPEL CLUB + OTHER LIVES - Scala, 18.10.11
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB + DRY THE RIVER - Brixton Academy, 19.10.11
BON IVER + KATHLEEN EDWARDS - Hammersmith Apollo, 24.10.11
BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH + DAUGHTER - Union Chapel, 26.10.11
BEN HOWARD + LUCY ROSE - Scala, 27.10.11
TRIBES + DOG IS DEAD - Electric Ballroom, 28.10.11
ARCTIC MONKEYS + THE VACCINES, 29.10.11

A post packed with my Best of October Awards and Upcoming Gigs and Releases for November.

Best Gig —-BON IVER - Hammersmith Apollo, 24.10.11
The only one to bring me close to tears, exceeding the others in every way!

Proudest Moment —- BEN HOWARD playing two sold out nights at Scala
Was great to see one of my favourite artists of the last six months get the recognition he deserves. Bearing in mind he’s only got one album, an hour and a half set is very commendable.

Biggest Disappointment —- BEN FRANCIS LEFTWICH - Union Chapel 26.10.11
Really don’t get the fuss over this guy. Unaffecting, lacking in balls, emotionless. And I chose this ahead of Laura Marling in a Cathedral, gutted

Most Frustrating Missed Gig —- Florence - Hackney Empire, 25.10.11
I was so close to getting tickets but I sadly missed her only gig this year and the first with new material. Also the first of its kind to be streamed live on the internet, at a price…

Best Support Act —- OTHER LIVES
One of the best ways to scout out new bands is to get to the gig early and catch those all important support acts! A darker Fleet Foxes or Band of Horses, Other Lives were really impressive supporting Chapel Club at Shepherds Bush. Second album Tamer Animals is out now. 

Best Event —- MUSICIAN PORTRAIT, exhibition by JOE SIMPSON 
Truly spectacular life-like musician portraits, this exhibition ran from 14th-30th Oct and was a must for any art fans out there! Joe approached and painted everyone from The Vaccines to Iron & Wine to David Gray. 

Best Random Find —- JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW on the LoveFilm ad
You might have seen the current UK LoveFilm advert and wondered what beauty was playing over the top. My bad, I did at first think it was one of Justin Vernon’s various side projects but alas, James Vinnie McMorrow delivers us yet another great cover with Steve Winwood’s Higher Love.

Best Jools Holland —- CAMILLE - Mars is No Fun
Honourable mentions to Laura Marling, The Horrors and Lana Del Ray but it’s gotta be Camille for being so surprising and bizarre. She gets this if only for the brilliantly odd line And spend all afternoon in the shopping mall of Milton Keynes and closing vocal round of dang-dang-a-dang-dang-dong

Best News Story —- John Lennon’s Tooth to be auctioned.
Reserve price of £10,000, best get your bids in now guys!

———————————————————————————————————-

Currently Planned Gigs
MY MORNING JACKET - Roundhouse, 07.11.11
TOM VEK - Shepherds Bush Empire, 16.11.11
GUILLEMOTS - Koko, 17.11.11
THE NAKED AND FAMOUS - Cambridge Junction, 20.11.11
WILD BEASTS - Shepherds Bush Empire, 23.11.11
JAMES BLAKE - The Forum, 30.11.11

An array of talent and innovation here and all excellent live performers, I couldn’t possibly pick just one gig to tell you about so thought I’d list them all!

Upcoming Album Releases
BBC RADIO 1’S LIVE LOUNGE - Volume Six
FLORENCE & THE MACHINE - Ceremonials
MY MORNING JACKET - Circuital (Double Version)
MANIC STREET PREACHERS - National Treasures (Complete Singles)
RA RA RIOT - The Orchard
SUMMER CAMP - Welcome to Condale

NOEL GALLAGHER - Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
SIGUR ROS - Inni
TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN OST [Love/hate, the soundtracks are excellent!]

SEASICK STEVE - Walkin’ Man: The Very Best Of

I’ll have to go with Summer Camp for my most eager CD purchase, been waiting on their album for an age.

Happy November music lovers! Have a loud one x

ARCTIC MONKEYS + THE VACCINES - 02 Arena, Sat 29th Oct 2011

Way way up in the sticks (way up) the band still managed to get everyone on their feet and involved in a good old-fashion boogie and indie sing-a-long, something I’ve been missing my whole week. A greatest hits set tonight and far better than the last two times I saw them, now I guess I finally know why they’re set to be the biggest band of our generation. Alex Turner must feel like the coolest guy in the world. But no Leave Before the Lights Come On?

TRIBES + DOG IS DEAD - Electric Ballroom, Fri 28th Oct 2011

I’d forgotten what it’s like to have beer thrown in my eyes, I’ve been to that many folk gigs lately. These guys are indie-rock at it’s finest, a Pixies for the accessible modern age and it was great to end my week of gigging on some rock n roll. Coming of Age has every potential to be the next anthem for the unsure youth.

“Oh no stranger you’re just like me, these happen, we were children in the mid-nineties”. Indeed most of the crowd tonight were exactly that, or younger! The band sung to their peers with stories of going out, getting drunk and growing up. Many a crowd-surfer, many young-love socialites and many a drink thrown in the air, tonight was everything you could want from a gig in Camden. Simply young, fun and indie, soundtracked by next year’s band of the Summer.

Sadly I can’t give the same praise for main support Dog is Dead, another name getting a lot of press in recent months. They seemed even younger than most of the crowd and maybe with a few more years under their belt their songs will become more worthy. There were glimmers, don’t get me wrong, they reminded me of the vastly underrated Rumble Strips and the layered vocal featuring every member was quite distinctive, not dissimilar to that of The Beach Boys.

When My Day Comes and Sappho both came early in the set though this needn’t matter, it appears tonight’s young crowd knew all the words and die hard fans have already appeared. Finishing on We Were Children Tribes played a triumphant homecoming in the very short forty minutes they were on stage, giving us a brief and succinct preview of what’s to come.

VERY BRIGHT LIGHTS. Even for strobes. 

Coming of Age was the definitive climax of a night like this. The lights were dimmed, everyone but the singer left the stage and out came the acoustic guitar. I wanna stay up in your room late at night. I wanna watch my world, grow old and die. I wanna get drunk, leave my brain outside. I wanna make friends with people I don’t like. Coming of Age now. Are there any words more perfect for a night like this?

BEN HOWARD + LUCY ROSE - Scala, Thurs 27th Oct 2011

An exciting future lays ahead for this bright young talent. That unique voice combined with a multi-dimensional mix of songs is sure to bring him into the mainstream very soon. He’s got Damien Rice romance and faster and catchier songs in equal measure, hell that last one was even a funk number. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a crowd roar that loud. Congrats Ben, tonight proves you’ve made it.

Lucy Rose is very nice, isn’t she? She began proceedings tonight coming highly recommended from many people who say her music’s in the same vein as “all the other folk-y acts you like”. This gig would be the second time I’ve seen her now and I was eager to give her another chance after failing to leave a mark last time. Improve she had, benefitting from a backing band rather than sitting alone on the stage just her and a guitar, but I’m still to see what the all the fuss is about. She played an inoffensive set. Not particularly moving but nice enough. I don’t want to compare her songs to Benjamin Francis Leftwich because she does possess proper talent, but like his tonight the songs never strayed far from the path, her soft sweet tones often drowned out by the (rather good) percussion.

If it wasn’t obvious enough before now, Ben is more than your average singer/songwriter. For a start, you’ve gotta commend a guy who can play an hour and a half on one album. Kudos. He’s got long intros and improvised outros coming out of his ears with tales of love, loss and moments gone not only oozing from his vocal but buried in the guitar he strums, taps and bangs to the beat. 

Ben came on to some of the biggest screams I’ve ever heard, not seizing throughout the gig. One girl in front of us was even crying by the end of it. Heart-throb, good-guy, songwriter - Ben’s got it all. With talent but also huge accessibility, he’ll without a doubt be one of the biggest artist of 2012.

Highlights: The Wolves, Black Flies, Move Like You Want

This is a feature we will do at the end of each month and is just a kind of summing up of what’s been going on in our lives musically. You’ll hear about a range of categories relating to this past 30 days or so. It will most likely be a pretty brief summary building to the epic Best (and worst) of the year awards. So epic that we get excited just thinking about who we are going to name and shame!

Best Gig - Bon Iver // October 24th, Hammersmith Apollo

Gig of the year contender for me. Fuck it, it’s a gig of my life contender…

Worst Gig - Benjamin Francis Leftwich // October 26th, Union Chapel

The only contenders are this and Miles Kane and I think I was still hungover on Bon Iver love to judge them both fairly. However while Miles gave it his all and just didn’t quite engage me, Benjamin failed to capture the imagination at all in what was an assured but ultimately very bland set.

Bargain Gig Of The Month - Ben Howard & Dry The River // Rough Trade

Technically I shouldn’t give this award to a free gig but seeing two bands for the price of none is bargain hunting at it’s best. Especially when the two are highly rated, up and coming and damn right beautiful sounding. You could have watched them for free on October 4th this month. You’ll be watching them on TV screens over the Festival season next year instead no doubt.

Album of the Month - Ben Howard // Every Kingdom (released 3rd October)

Fabulous debut album from a man with a huge future. Says a lot about an artist when your single is arguably one of your weaker tracks and still helps you gain you a cult following.

Single of the Month - Lana Del Ray // Video Games

I was quite tempted to give this to Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls for the continued re-entry to the chart every year that X Factor plugs it but I feel it’s only fair to give it to someone new. Great Jools Holland performance. Top 10 in the chart. Prompted numerous Live Lounge covers already. Interesting to see where she goes from this.

Biggest Music News - The Stone Roses Reform

The rumours were brewing and eventually it all came out. Three dates sold out already in their native Manchester and a world tour (& Festival season) to come. Some very happy parents looking forward to reliving their teen years I’m sure!

The Rebecca Black Award - Jason Derulo // It Girl

I feel like with the garbage in the chart these days they deserve an accolate to strive for too. This month’s effort comes from Jason Derulo. Props (and hate) to you if you sung that as you read that name. His effort It Girl was technically released in September but still lingers about the top 40 as though it actually has a purpose. Okay, I have a bit of a personal vendetta against the man but seriously, this song is pants. And I should know, I have to bloody live through it every Thursday when I go out to my local club.

That band you used to like award - Blind Pilot // 3 rounds and a sound

(We always rediscover old tracks that we used to love. Whether a year ago or 5. I think there should be an award each month to my favourite re-discovery.)

Blind Pilot can be seen as a little bland by some. But this song is anything but that. One of my most played in late 2009, I stumbled upon it again last night and it’s back on my playlists.

Band to look out for - Brother & Bones

I may have only caught about 3 songs of this set but this much hyped about act (at least according to the flier) were really quite fabulous. Rich Thomas possesses a fabulous voice and shows great emotion on the stage. One to watch out for next year for sure.

When I go to write a review - or even just a general article as this has turned out to be - I try to do it in a certain way. I have a writing style that’s quite specific and noticeable and I try to speak my opinion but in such a way that it comes across as fact. I want the reader to believe what I’m saying but I’ll try and tell it in a way that people can relate to so it’s as though they are choosing to believe what I’m saying rather than me trying to force them to. That may sound like absolute jargon rubbish to you perhaps, but it’s how I usually write and how I always think. I want the article not to be personal but to have a emotional touch. It has to keep a professional state and so I try to incorporate my opinions with those of the world or with the real facts themselves. I will also try to always show two sides to an argument and point out where my beliefs could be seen as wrong and any flaws in my views. The person may agree or disagree with what I’m trying to tell them but the more important matter is that I want the person reading to think “oh, I like this person’s writing or style to the point where I want to believe what they are saying is right”. I don’t want to come across as self indulgent; especially since I’m often reviewing an artist and not my personality or frustrations at life but at the same time I want to be noticed so people come back and read more or find it memorable. I realise me writing this at the start of a Bon Iver review is pretty self indulgent in itself since I’ve wasted your time telling you only about the much less important me thus far. But I have a point to all this I assure you.

The reason I say all of this is that when it comes to reviewing what I saw last night the rules of my writing go to shreds. Firstly, in this article what I’m telling you is all personal; because that is the only way I could write this review.Secondly it is all opinion; because I am going to be as biased as possible for the next 5 minutes of your reading time - hopefully you’re just as biased and will agree too. And finally, what I’m saying in this review I truly believe. There is no middle ground of me trying to make a fair point or showing the other side to a story. It’s all right and valid - at least in my deluded head anyway.

I’m not really sure how to talk about the support act on a night like this. I will say that Kathleen Edwards - Justin Vernon’s other half - showed that she possesses a lot of talent. She left me in a state of feeling both jealously and sorrow for her. I felt envious of the fact that she dates Justin and got to open this beautiful night. And sorry because no matter how great she performed she would be long forgotten come 11pm. She may have a promising future; or she may just end up being that girl “Bon Iver” dated as he was taking it to the next level. I’m not sure just yet but there’s definitely potential there. She tours in the new year and Justin is playing a part in producing her new album so it will be interesting to see where it goes. You could definitely feel a vibe that she’s been influenced by Justin’s work. For now though, or at least last night she just felt like a hinderence in my life. A nice, witty, hinderence with a lovely voice.

At around 9:15pm, half hour after Kathleen had vacated the stage it was finally time. The lights dimmed and 9 piece band waltzed onto the stage. The crowd went wild for them all but in particular the bearded man in the middle. Justin Vernon had arrived. Now could be perform? Stupid question.

The first three songs rolled along flawlessly. Perth, Minessota, Wi and Towers in a row; just as on the new album. They were beautifully performed and any skepticism I had of the 9 piece band taking away the beauty of Justin’s voice and stage presence were quickly diminished. It was as Towers ended and Mr Vernon picked up his Acoustic guitar for the first time that I really started to feel as though I was witnessing something really special. Something I’d never forget. As he strummed the first few chords for For Emma, Forever Ago opener ‘Flume’ my body and mind went into some sort of other worldly state. I didn’t really know what to do with myself. I was entranced and mesmerized and felt the emotion dying to pour out of me. At that moment I could have burst into tears of happiness. I seriously almost did!

It was amazing to see such a respectful crowd. They lapped up everything he did and showed all sorts of appreciation. Some musicians have to politely (or not) ask the fans to remain quiet for some songs. At Bon Iver, it’s just the norm to be as silent as possible for every one. Everyone holds their breath and just takes as much as they can for that 90 minutes. There wasn’t even as many distracting cameras as I expected. I think a lot of people genuinely felt rude to even record in his presence. I don’t think the Hammersmith Apollo is particularly built for events like this but Bon Iver could probably play in a brothel and turn it upside down making it seem like a pretty charming and soothing place.

As the set wore on the hits kept coming. One of the things i loved about this tour is that Justin has re-worked his old tracks into it. Some of them perhaps wouldn’t necessarily work with the full band under their previous arrangement but he brings in extra layers to the song and makes it sound as if it’s new and fresh again. TakeBlood Bank for instance. I mean in terms of Bon Iver’s early work that was a relatively up tempo track but he took it even further last night. It had a long saxophone intro and then turned into what can almost be described as a rock song! It was brilliant. And while the re-arrangements didn’t always work as well as I’d hoped I love that he’s always looking to change and develop as an artist. For Emma, Forever Ago will always remain a better album then the self-titled follow up in my opinion but you’d have to say he’s a much more accomplished artist now than he was back when cabin fever hit. You could accuse Bon Iver (the album) of being over produced and over done and to be honest I’d agree with that but on the live stage it comes to life and it works quite magnificently.

Just a side-note to show the real difference between those two albums take the album credits for example.

For Emma, Forever Ago

• Justin Vernon - engineering, guitar, vocals

Bon Iver

• Justin Vernon -banjo, bass, choir, chorus, composer, cymbals, drums, ebow, engineer, finger cymbals, guitar, baritone guitar, electric guitar, nylon string guitar, hands, Korg M1, mixing, piano, record producer, synthesizer, tremolo, vocals

And that’s not including all the other talented instrumentalists helping out on the album.

After Blood Bank which was around the mid point the hits kepts on coming. The set was still pretty heavy on new material but Creature Fear and Re:Stacks coming after one another sent the crowd into a mad frenzy. The latter, Re:Stacks being performed by just Justin Vernon alone which just added to the already momentous occasion. Calgary sounded unbelievable and even “the Phil Collins hit” Beth/Restcame to life in this live setting. I should also mention at this stage that the lighting and stage setup was fantastic. It wasn’t anything too wild or flashy, that’s not what Bon Iver’s about. But it worked, it fit with the context of the music and looked lovely. Especially when Justin was singing on his own. I thought Beth/Rest was going to be his last song fitting with the theme of the album but no, Justin had more in store for us. Rallying the crowd together for what was described as people singing together (and NOT a sing-a-long) he played the now famously brilliant live song The Wolves (Act I & II). I mean if you go to see Bon Iver for one song alone it surely has to be this. The passion with which it buildsand the fact that the crowd can involve themselves within the song - Skinny Love being the only singing fan friendly alternate - means it just plays like a dream. 6 glorious minutes of our life that wewill re-live to the point were it feels more like 6 days. And when as the building crescendo reaches it’s climax, Justin’s screams are just as beautiful as his singing. Everyone watches in awe of the man, lot of people cheer and scream back at him in appreciation, and some even cry at the overwhelming nature of it all.

Had he ended there, even without the now X Factor famous Skinny Love I would have been more than satisfied. But luckily an encore was still to come and two more songs for us lucky folk who had forked out our hard earned money - which now felt like loose change.

Justin returned to the stage and sung the song that usually hits me the most emotionally, “For Emma”. When I found out about Bon Iver and that flawless debut album I was in a relationship and as that came to an end it was probably my most played record around that time. The girl I was with was incidently called Emma so the album sort of became something I’d associate with her. When it was playing tonight I suddenly felt quite sad, and despondent. It brought back some bad memories for me but in a strange way I liked it. It just felt like all part of the highs and lows of the evening. I knew if he played that song, it would almost hurt, yet I wanted to hear it. I wanted to really feel the pain of the song live and in that respect it didn’t disappoint.

Luckily, Skinny Love was the first track (like most people) that I heard from this world class act. And despite the over-playing and over-covering of it, it does remain my favourite song of his. Most singers have a stand out track and Justin is no different. What separates him from the rest is that the stand out song is one of the best of the decade and the rest aren’t far behind. Very few fillers, and it’s as though he has all sorts of stand out songs, and then a stand out from the stand outs. Skinny Love is just that. We all knew it was his last song and no-one wanted it to end. The crowd were so engaged and by this point singing their hearts out just as passionately as the man himself. And that is no mean feat!

I stood there throughout the gig with the question “Is this really better than Arcade Fire!?” running through my mind. As I came out at the end, I knew the answer. An emphatic yes. And so Justin left the stage, and we (or at least I!) wondered when we would see him next. Does a festival season beckon or will he keep us waiting until another tour!? As much as I love seeing my favourite acts all the time, there was something that little bit more special about this night knowing that Bon Iver isn’t going to be in your hometown all that often.

If you were there too at the Hammersmith Apollo, you could hopefully relate to a lot of the things I’ve said. As I stated at the top of this article, this was not a review of a professional nature. It was not a review of me telling you about a band or an artist and giving a mannered thought out piece of work. This was just me, telling you how I felt when I was there. Hopefully if you weren’t there, you’ve got a taste now and next time he does tour you’ll make sure you’re in my position.

Perhaps the strangest thing I find about this man is that most of us don’t even know what he’s saying half the time. I sit there and listen to him at least once a week. I must have heard For Emma, Forever Ago hundreds of times and yet I only fully know the words to Skinny Love and maybe one or two other songs. It’s sometimes hard to distinguish what he is saying and usually I’d find that frustrating in a singer. But that’s not the true beauty of Bon Iver. Yes the lyrics are great but the true beauty is the instrumental arrangement, the unbelievable high falsetto that Justin possesses in his vocal locker, the original nature of his song writing and the sheer passion that goes into the music itself. The true beauty is that this man has affected so many people in his short career. I know fans of Bon Iver who are only into mainstream chart hits, classical music or even heavy rock and yet he seems to be able to strike a chord with so many people because of the way his music is delivered. When reading Emily’s - much more professional - review she put it very well when saying that ‘you never hear someone tell you that Bon Iver is over-rated.’ And if you do, then anything else that comes out of their mouth after that is pretty much invalid!