The first "new" show of the new year : 

Wombats - Jump Into the Fog
Chapel Club - Surfacing

Elvis Costello - (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea (This Year's Model)
Everything Everything - Photoshop Handsome (Man Alive)

Badly Drawn Boy - I Saw You Walk Away (It's What I'm Thinking Pt. 1 - Photographing Snowflakes)

Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street (RIP 1947-2011)

David Bowie - Fame (Young Americans)
Donovan - Hurdy Gurdy Man
Adam Faith - Message To Martha

The Fab Four Freakout : 

Vangelis & the Minis - And I Love Her
Beatles - Oh! Darling (Abbey Road)
Beatles - Please Mr. Postman (With the Beatles)

Joy Formidable - Austere
Biffy Clyro - Bubbles (Only Revolutions)

Clockwise - I Don't Know 

PJ Harvey - Written On the Forehead
Foundations - In the Bad Bad Old Days

...and this week's UK Top 5 : 

5). Jessie J - Do It Like a Dude (new)
4). Katy B - Lights On (re-entry)
3). Black Eyed Peas - The Time (Dirty Bit) (non-mover)
2). Matt Cardle - When We Collide (-1)
1). Rihanna - What's My Name (+1)

TOP 5 ANALYSIS and REVIEW

The doldrums of January were expected to continue to have an effect on the British charts this week, without many new releases. "Next week!" we chart aficionados said. 

But the season starts a little early with a couple of unexpected songs charting higher than had been foretold. Sure, the top of the chart still managed to keep three songs that have been in the top 5 for four weeks or more. But what a nice surprise otherwise!

Jessie J first released "Do It Like a Dude" back in November, but the promotion remained low-key and the song attracted little attention. 

Now the tune takes off, and introduces us to the first new talent of the year. Jessica Cornish (Jessie J) has actually made an impact before this, since she co-wrote Miley Cyrus' "Party In the USA". That song was Miley's biggest hit ever in her home country, but only achieved middling-hit status in the UK. Now we've got Jessie's first proper single, and it's a jokey affair that's not meant to be taken seriously. 

Here's the thing, though - the song has potential to cross over. It's funny, and it's catchy, and it will probably catch the teenage zeitgeist worldwide. Expect to hear it on American radio soon. 

I give Jessie J an 8 on the England Swings scale of 1-10. Give it a listen if you haven't heard it yet. 

Katy B comes back to her highest position this week with "Lights On" clocking in at number 4. Vaguely urban, vaguely techno, and far removed from her dubstep origins, the song is a mishmosh of styles. It sounds a little thin, actually, and reminds me of nothing more than Daniel Bedingfield's homemade "Gotta Get Thru This" from eleven years ago. I give it a 6.5.

The Black Eyed Peas manage to hold onto the number 3 position with "The Time (Dirty Bit)". You'd think that with all the talent in the group, that they could move on from the whole poppin' bottles/I'm in da club kind of subject matter. Is that all they got? Whatever happened to grand themes like in "Where Is the Love?"? 

The song has probably not met their expectations in the USA, although it moved from number 9 to 7 this week. It was only at number 1 in America for a week, and it doesn't seem to want to go back there. Contrast this with "I Gotta Feeling", which was at the top for approximately 8,201,583 weeks last year. It could be that the BEP has worn out the welcome mat. 

This song, while not an abomination, is a waste. I give it a 4 this week. 

Matt Cardle, the 2010 X Factor winner, finally relinquishes the top and slides to number 2 this week. His version of Biffy Clyro's "Many Of Horror", conveniently retitled "When We Collide", is still among the best of immediate X Factor songs. He does an honest and mostly effective job on the vocals, and the arrangement is only mildly cloying. Put this next to Joe McElderry's "The Climb" from last year, and it shows that Simon Cowell and Syco Records have finally smartened up a little. I give the song a 6 this week. 

Rihanna bounces into chart history this week, as "What's My Name" goes to number 1. For those of you that missed it, that means that she's had a number one hit for five consecutive years, a feat that rivals Elvis, and something not even achieved by Madonna. 

The song she's accomplished this with is, luckily, one of her better tunes. It's got the sort of chorus that immediately adheres to brain cells, the production is perfect, and she's got the smooth-voiced Drake on backup, although his contribution is perhaps limited in its appeal. I give it an 8 again this week. 

No new album reviews this week, because, um, there are no new albums. We'll pick that up when the time comes, though!

Our first "non-special" show of 2011 is shaping up to be, well, pretty special. The England Swings show is on the air every Sunday playing the best, brightest, newest, and coolest music from the United Kingdom. This week, there will be new songs from the Wombats, Chapel Club, and Badly Drawn Boy, and older tunes by David Bowie, Donovan, and - of course - Gerry Rafferty. Plus lots more!

We'll return to all our regular features this week as well, including :

The Fab Four Freakout : featuring an early Beatles cover by Vangelis!
UK Music News : Who topped the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll?
Top 5 Countdown : the biggest-selling songs in the UK TODAY!

You can tune in at 6:00 p.m. ET :

In Northern Virginia : Cox and Verizon digital cable channel 37
In Reston, Virginia : Comcast channel 27
Anywhere else in the world : http://www.fcac.org/webr

Join us this evening, and this year, as we present exciting music you won't hear anywhere else!

I'm finally getting around to picking out the ten albums which I think were among the best of last year. Keep in mind that I'm not the sort of reviewer that receives tons and tons of promotional material, so I have to limit myself to what I've actually heard. That doesn't mean that there aren't a ton of other records out there that would qualify!

For this post, I went through all of the albums that I had reviewed during 2010, and I noted any which I had given above an 8 on the scale of 1-10. Since my opinions changed over time, I took all of those, and I picked out ten records which have continued to provide satisfaction over time. There are several more albums which I rated highly, but that I haven't necessarily chose to listen to time after time. They were admirable for perhaps pushing popular music forward, or in a different direction, but they mostly consisted of music that stands neither the test of time or regularity. 

Of course, there are also albums which have managed to last on my playlists that I just didn't have room to include - that's what happens when you assign yourself an arbitrary number to showcase. 

So, in no particular order : 

Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea

There was a long hiatus between the first album by Corinne and this second one. In that time, she lost her husband, music moved on, and she grew in stature. In other words, people were expecting a lot from her, and she delivered. There's a melancholy tinging "The Sea" which wasn't present on the first record, but that's to be expected. What was a pleasant surprise was the quality of the songwriting on songs such as "I'd Do It All Again" and "Paris Nights/New York Mornings". There's still a mellowness to her style that is as affecting as it was in the past. 

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Much like his contemporaries, Kanye West has moved beyond the mindless braggadocio of a simple beat set to bluster. This album is one of the most complex things done not only last year, but for several years. The lyrical content remains mean and nasty, but the music chosen and performed runs the gamut from old progressive rock to newfangled electronica. This album is, by far, the best thing that Kanye's ever done.

Tunng - ...And Then We Saw Land

With the revival of British folk, even though the tropes of the genre have been twisted into new and occasionally unrecognizable shapes, this album by Tunng stood out for sheer cleverness of the arrangements. Listenable from beginning to end, and unmired in the miserableness of some of their contemporaries, the album represents a new peak for the group and the genre. 

Rumer - Seasons Of My Soul

This album is more than the Karen Carpenter-Burt Bacharach hodgepodge which many detractors have made it out to be. One of the most striking things about it - aside from the gorgeous arrangements and celestial vocals - is the fact that Rumer is a thoughtful and poignant songwriter. That's evident in nearly every song on the record, as she weaves intelligent lyrics into stories that give a clear picture of herself as a person and a performer. 

Tinie Tempah - The Disc-Overy

Patrick Okogwu has so much talent that this record is bursting with ideas and brightness. British rap and/or grime had been a largely ignored phenomenon up until the past two years, but it was recently becoming bogged down in its own popularity. Tinie Tempah revitalized the field right out of the gate with "Pass Out", and for the most part this album realizes his potential.

Beach House - Teen Dream

Nice to see this Baltimore duo take its place among the greats. They had labored in obscurity before this record, where everything they had tried to do in the past was brought together in a cohesive and attractive style. The album is as "indie" as it gets, but the songs transcend labels and maintain a soporific languor that sounds as undeliberate and natural as possible - even though it was probably all planned to the nth degree. 

Robyn - Body Talk

It's best to discuss the three mini-albums that Robyn released this year as one "body" of work. Perfectly in tune with modern pop music, and using the tricks that have served everyone from Katy Perry to Britney Spears in recent years, Robyn has a warmth and a style all her own. From "Hang With Me" to "Indestructible", these songs are absolutely the best that pop music has to offer in the 21st century.

Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

Using the Beatles "Sgt. Pepper" as a template, Janelle Monae put together an ambitious and beautiful record in "The ArchAndroid". R&B, soul, electronica, rock, jazz - it's all here, and it's laid out from beginning to end with care. This is an album that begs to be listened to as an ALBUM, rather than a discrete series of songs. 

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

In the past, Arcade Fire teetered on the edge of unbelievability for me. Their music was clever, but it seemed to frequently be self-consciously analyzing itself for anthemic chutzpah. "The Suburbs" is the album where they truly matured, putting together a concept record that was varied and strong. They have made themselves into one of the best bands in the world with this record. 

Bombay Bicycle Club - Flaws

With a million "landfill" indie groups out there, it takes courage to completely change your style and opt for something a little different than the usual. BBC took a natural step and it paid off - the entire album is done acoustically. The record also tames their quirkiness and just delivers beautiful song after song. 

I realize that my list has some coincidence with what music reviewers have been putting on their own end-of-the-year lists, but that's probably because they were really good albums. There are also some records here that I haven't seen anywhere. 

So what do YOU think? What were your favorites this past year? The floor is open to discussion!

It will take some getting used to typing "2011", y'know. I've just managed it successfully. Twice. 

Last night, we finished up the second of two "Best of 2010" shows, where we showcased the music of the past year that came from the UK. Here's what we played : 

Grinderman - Heathen Child (Grinderman 2)
Pulled Apart By Horses - Yeah Buddy (Pulled Apart By Horses)

Empire Of the Sun - Without You (Walking On a Dream)
Scouting For Girls - This Ain't a Love Song (Everybody Wants To Be On TV)

Gramophonedzie - Why Don't You
Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina - Stereo Love

Robyn - Cry When You Get Older (Body Talk Pt. 1)
Example - Kickstarts (Won't Go Quietly)

Robert Plant - Angel Dance (Band Of Joy)
Tom Jones - Did Trouble Me (Praise and Blame)

Pixie Lott - Cry Me Out

KT Tunstall - (Still a) Weirdo (Tiger Suit)

Vaccines - Wrecking Bar (Ra Ra Ra)
Good Shoes - Under Control

Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Lights)

Diana Vickers - My Wicked Heart (Songs From the Tainted Cherry Tree)

Villagers - That Day (Becoming a Jackal)
Labrinth - Let the Sun Shine

Rumer - Aretha (Seasons Of My Soul)
Corinne Bailey Rae - Paris Nights/New York Mornings (The Sea)

Foals - This Orient (Total Life Forever)

Everything Everything - Schoolin' (Man Alive)

Paolo Nutini - 10/10 (Sunny Side Up)

Kinks - Waterloo Sunset (RIP Pete Quaife 1943-2010)

Malcolm McLaren - Buffalo Gals (RIP 1946-2010)

We also played an excerpt from each song in the top 5. We'll return to playing the British Top 5 in its entirety next week ; 

5). Katy Perry - Firework (re-entry)
4). Ellie Goulding - Your Song (+1)
3). Black Eyed Peas - The Time (Dirty Bit) (non-mover)
2). Rihanna - What's My Name (non-mover)
1). Matt Cardle - When We Collide (non-mover)

TOP 5 ANALYSIS and REVIEW

Just some brief discussion this week, because - as you can see above - there's just not much happenin'. That's the usual case from the week after Christmas to the first week or so of January. Next week things will pick up. I hope. 

Katy Perry comes back into the top 5 this week with "Firework". The song has not reached number one in the UK, although it spent three weeks at the top in America. The song has had a cumulative effect on the world - at first listen it sounds a bit typical and off-key. After a while, one picks up on the cleverness of the chorus and inevitably starts to sing along. As prefabricated as Katy is, you've gotta give her props for hooks. I give this a 7 on the England Swings scale of 1-10.

Ellie Goulding moves up a space - again! - with "Your Song" at number 4. It's just odd enough to keep attracting attention, although I have to admit that the tune is starting to wear. I give it a 6 this week.

Them consarned Black Eyed Peas maintain their position at number three. "The Time (Dirty Bit)" has all of the tricks of the trade that them Peas have brought the world - synth line, semi-rap, ADHD. That's good if you're a fan - otherwise they've just become more annoying over time. The song spent a week at the top in the UK and in the USA, but in America it's dropped back to number nine this week. I'm beginning to doubt it will resurge. In the UK, it was pushed out by heavy competition, but has managed to hang on at a higher place in the charts. 

Of course, the song is just stupid. But it's just stupid enough to be a little clever. I give it a 6.

Rihanna's "What's My Name" is kept again from the top spot, staying at number two. I notice that the new album "Loud" has finally reached a pinnacle in the UK, toppling Take That from the top of the album chart. 

I still maintain that "What's My Name" is the best thing Rihanna has done in ages. We've gotten through the "crazy" period of songs like "Russian Roulette", and moved on from the pseudo-disco of "Only Girl (In the World)". Now we're at the place where Rihanna can become pleasant again. I give the song a 7.5.

Matt Cardle does the hat trick with Biffy Clyro's "Many of Horror" - oops, excuse me - "When We Collide". I said it last week and I'll say it again - if Matt's version introduces you to Biffy, then more power to him. Three weeks at number one should suffice, though. I give the song a 6.5

That was supposed to be brief. Sorry. 

That list of the best albums of the year is coming! Soon!

We'll be doing the second part of the BEST of 2010 today on the England Swings show. Tune in at 6:00 p.m. ET :

In Northern Virginia : Cox and Verizon cable channel 37
In Reston, Virginia : Comcast channel 27
Anywhere else in the world : http://www.fcac.org/webr

It'll be great!

This Sunday, the England Swings show started a two-piece special on the best tracks in 2010 from the United Kingdom : Here's what we played : 


King Blues - Headbutt (Punk and Poetry)
Male Bonding - Year's Not Long (Nothing Hurts)


Kele - Everything You Wanted (The Boxer)
Manic Street Preachers - It's Not War (Just the End Of Love) (Postcards From a Young Man)


Biffy Clyro - Many Of Horror (Only Revolutions)
Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn (Tourist History)


Gorillaz - Broken (Plastic Beach)
Eliza Doolittle - Skinny Genes (Eliza Doolittle)


Stornoway - Zorbing (Beachcomber's Windowsill)
I Blame Coco - Self Machine (The Constant)


Magnetic Man - I Need Air (Magnetic Man)


Plan B - She Said (The Defamation Of Strickland Banks)


Tinie Tempah - Pass Out (The Disc-Overy)


K'naan - Waving Flag


I Am Arrows - Green Grass (Sun Comes Up Again)


Script - For the First Time (Science and Faith)


Patrick Wolf - Time Of My Life


Wanted - All Time Low (The Wanted)


Peter Gabriel - The Book of Love (Scratch My Back)


Tunng - Hustle (And Then We Saw Land)


Chemical Brothers - Swoon (Further)


M.I.A. - It Takes a Muscle (Maya)


RIP Charles Haddon : Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - The Key


RIP Ari Up : Slits - Typical Girl


We also played a brief clip from the top five songs of 2010 according to the Official UK Chart Company. They were : 


5. Owl City - Fireflies
4. Usher - OMG
3. Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are
2. Matt Cardle - When We Collide
1. Eminem - Love the Way You Lie


We didn't play the "regular" top five this week, but we'll discuss them below : 


5). Ellie Goulding - Your Song (non-mover)
4). Katy B - Lights On (new)
3). Black Eyed Peas - The Time (Dirty Bit) (+1)
2). Rihanna - What's My Name (non-mover)
1). Matt Cardle - When We Collide (non-mover)


TOP 5 ANALYSIS and REVIEW 


Before we get started, a brief word about the end-of-the-year top 5 : 


Bleah.


The UK's chart mirrors the American chart this year closely, with four of the five tunes done by American artists. I admit I liked "Fireflies" and "Just the Way You Are" from the beginning, but Usher's song was only sporadically brilliant (the football chanting went a long way in the tune), and I didn't buy into that reprehensible Eminem song from the first time I heard it. There's no TUNE in that tune, just ugliness. Sorry, England, but you can do better than that. 


This week's chart is not the Christmas chart, although it reflects sales leading up to the holiday, and the holiday itself. It's one of the biggest sales weeks of the year, so there are usually no surprises. 


Ellie Goulding, though, continues to surprise with the tenacity of "Your Song", which hung onto the number five position for a second week. As I've said before, it's pretty and quirky, but I'm not sure it goes the original one better. I'll give it a 7 on the England Swings scale of 1-10. 


Here's another surprise - a brand new song on the week-after-Christmas chart. Katy B scores at number four with "Lights On". Featuring Ms. Dynamite, it's a clubby song about continuing to dance when the DJ at the club is pretty much finished. "I keep on moving with the lights on/C'mon play me one more song" pretty much establishes the whole idea here. It's all right, for sure, but it's not great. Ms. Dynamite is the best thing about it. I'll give it a 6.5.


The Black Eyed Peas aren't finished with us yet, are they? "The Time (Dirty Bit)" slides back up a place to number three. The song is now approaching ubiquitous, but it's lost ground in America, having slid back to number 8 two weeks ago, and that's where it stayed this week. Could it be that the party 'n' fun approach that BEP take is losing it's appeal? The song could resurge in the new year, but even the UK kept it at number 1 for only a week. 


Hey, I just noticed a kinda cool "wind-blowing" effect in the song I didn't hear before. That makes me throw it a little higher on the scale. I give it a 7.


Rihanna and Drake are pegged at number two again this week with "What's My Name", which is the most enduring song that Rihanna's done in recent memory. The tune continues to bounce around in the upper echelons of the American chart as well; it's at number three this week. It's less sterile and artificial than most of Rihanna's recent output, producing a warmer feel than she usually can muster. I give it an 8.


Our X Factor winner stays at number one this week. Matt Cardle's "When We Collide" doesn't approach the original, but it's got enough charm and ambition to it. It's popularized what was a great song, and that's something to be said in its favor. My recommendation? Listen to Matt, but buy Biffy Clyro. I give the Matt version a 6.5.


If I manage to get it together enough this week, I'll throw out my thoughts on the year's best albums later. Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!

It's time!


Every week this year, the England Swings show has brought you the best, brightest, newest, and coolest music from the United Kingdom. Now the year is nearly over, and it's time for us to do the first of two Best Of the Year shows. Which magnificent songs will turn up today? Tune in at 6:00 p..m. ET to see!


In Northern Virginia : Cox and Verizon Digital Cable channel 37
In Reston, Virginia : Comcast channel 27
Anywhere else in the world : http://www.fcac.org/webr

Today, we'll be playing the best, brightest, newest, and coolest CHRISTMAS music from the United Kingdom! We'll have all sorts of new tracks, as well as all the old favorites - where else can you hear Noddy Holder scream, "It's Chriiistmaaaas!" once again? 


Tune in today at 6:00 p.m. ET : 


In Northern Virginia : Cox and Verizon digital cable channel 37
In Reston, Virginia : Comcast channel 27
Anywhere else in the world : http://www.fcac.org/webr


Happy Christmas to everyone!

In lieu of reviewing a new album this week, I thought I’d wrap up a holiday present and discuss some recent singles. There’s been some amazing stuff released recently, and some others that were, um, not so amazing. Here we go : 




Alesha Dixon - Radio




Okay, Alesha has as much of a claim on the title of  “Britain’s Pop Princess” as that Cheryl Cole woman. This single, reminiscent of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own”, is a eurosynth smorgasbord of tuneful sounds, and it’s a shame that it didn’t do better on the charts. I’m thinking that Alesha’s best work is still in her future, but for now I give this an 8 on the England Swings scale of 1-10.




White Lies - Bigger Than Us




Here’s a band that is just now reaching its potential. This is a great song, a bit Cure by way of Interpol. The last White Lies album was gloom, gloom, gloom, but this first track from their upcoming album has an urgent sort of desperation instead. It’s also got a killer chorus : “I want you to hold me/I want you to pray/This is bigger than us”. It may not be genius, but it’ll do for now. I give it an 8.5.




The Naked and Famous - Punching In a Dream




This band comes from New Zealand, but they’ve finally broken into the consciousness of the UK with this single, and rightfully so. Echo-chambered and bouncy, it’s a cross between indie rock and awesome techno : this is what groups like Hadouken! SHOULD sound like. I give it an 8.5 as well. 




Fenech-Soler - Demons




This is definitely one of the up-and-coming groups of 2010, and hopefully they’ll continue to refine their unique sound in 2011. There’s the feel of a runaway locomotive going on here - the song bursts with energy and doesn’t sound quite like anything else out there. It’s a bit pop, a bit rock, and all good. I give it an 8. 




Clockwise - I Don’t Know




This is an unsigned band from Canada who have a classic rock sound. They sound as authentic and tight as ever on this new single. They’re an undiscovered wonder, and this single has crashing guitars, great vocal harmonies, and a cohesive rhythm section. They manage to sound both retro and modern at once. I’ll give this an 8.5. 







Adele - Rolling In the Deep




Whoops, almost typed “Rolling in the Depp” there. This is the first single from Adele’s upcming album “21”, and it bodes well for the record. It’s a bit brassier than previous material, so much so that it sounds a bit Duffy. Still, Adele is in fine voice, and this song rolls like a monster. Adele has turned out to be one of the premier British artists of the 21st century. I give this song an 8.










Noah & the Whale - Wild Thing




It was Mumford & Sons that went international this year, but it’s Noah & the Whale that should have had the breakthrough. The song construction is clever here, as always; the delivery is low-key and beautiful. The tune is a little like Lou Reed, and a little like Lloyd Cole. Cool. I give it an 8.




And : a couple of bonus Christmas singles!




Coldplay - Christmas Lights




Okay, they got me again. Instead of going all bombastic and grandiose, Chris Martin and company have put together a typically-beautiful Coldplay song, all about heartbreak and angst. It’s one of the saddest Christmas songs ever, but it works a treat. I’m going with an 8.5 on this one.




Goldie Lookin Chain - You’ll Never Be Alone On Christmas Day




Maybe I’m a sucker, but I LOVE this song. It was the least expected move from the jokey GLC - a straightforward and beautiful Christmas song. Maybe it’s still a joke or a parody, but taken on its own terms it’s a classic holiday tune, with gorgeous harmonizing. Admittedly the lyrics are just the tiniest bit silly, but it all holds together. I give this a 9 on the scale, and take off my Santa hat to Goldie Lookin Chain!