top 20 2000 - 2009 Number 7

7 - Tom Waits: Real Gone (Anti-, 2004)
Again, I have to give credit to one Edward J Hicks. Apart from Coppola's Dracula, until I met Ed, I was pretty unaware of Mr Waits. Luckily Ed crammed the guy in my ears for the duration of our uni days! Personally I prefer Waits' drunken, lounge act, but this album stirs an emotion, mainly due to it's political stance and anti-war message. It's not as weird as Alice or Blood Money and it also has Les Claypool from Primus playing bass.
Gotta love 'Hoist That Rag', 'Sins of my Father' and 'Day After Tomorrow'. Beautiful.
I still think his best moment is 'Down by Law' though.
www.tomwaits.com
James

Top 20 2000 - 2009 Number 6

6 - Portishead - Third (Island, 2008)
It's been a long time.... expectations weren't high to be honest, but maybe it's the best album of their career. You don't agree? Oh well, you're not writing this, I am.
From the opener 'Silence' to the rhythmic beat of 'We Carry On' to the factory/John Carpenter-esque 'Machine Gun' this album delivered on all fronts. Perhaps not as 'haunting' as previous albums, certainly more experimental but definitely the songs were there and Gibbons' voice hadn't aged one day!
If you don't like Portishead this record is still worth checking out. So do it.
www.portishead.co.uk
JM$

People called Frank...

I like Frank Turner, he's cool guy and his songs hit a spot with me. His diy, punk rock attitude is inspiring and he writes songs that are accurate and make you think, 'fuck, does Frank know me or what?' On his latest record 'Poetry of the Deed' Frank continues this trend, in particular with Dan's Song and Try This At Home, following on from Love, Ire and Song, which is a fantastic record. And he's still so young, only 27, a wise young man. Poetry of the Deed is out now on Epitaph.
Footnote: other cool people called Frank.
1) Frank Zappa
2) Frank Sinatra
3) Frank Taswell
4) Frank Lampard
5) Frank the bunny
6) Frank Oz
James

Top 20 2000 - 2009 Number 5

5 - Sunn O))): White 1 (Southern Lord, 2003)
I have realised while compiling this list, that quite a few of these bands are gonna be one's I discovered live, but isn't that the best way?!
I was completely unaware of Sunn O))) until I went to ATP (that's All Tomorrow's Parties, not the tennis tournament) in UK back in 2003. I really didn't get it the first time I heard them, it was like the intro to Sabbath's 'Iron Man' drawn out to an unbearable length and with no drums! And then fucking Copey comes on and starts ranting, dressed like a druid!?
But damn, it stuck with me, like a nightmare I guess. I bought the 'Flight of the Behemoth' record, which was ok, but it wasn't till about a year or so later that I got 'White 1' and then Sunn O))) began to make sense.
Julian Cope rants, that norweigian girl sings, this was a 'drone' record that felt like more than just some guys fucking around.
Everyone knows they started as an Earth tribute band, but since this record it seems they have eclipsed Earth and are now THE drone band.
So full of bass you'll shit your pants!!!!!
http://www.ideologic.org/
James

Top 20 2000 - 2009 Number 4

4 - Queens of the Stone Age: Songs for the Deaf (2002, Interscope)
Till this album, I hadn't really been a fan of QOTSA. I had 'Rated R' and thought it was ok, but for me they still stood in the shadow of the mighty Kyuss, and let's face it they still do. However, after much hype from friends, I gave into this album and was glad that I did. Grohl's drumming adds an urgency to the band and Homme, Oliveri and Lanegan et al create a bluesy-rock that makes you want to drink good scotch and smoke a cheap, shitty cigar whilst shaking your half-drunk/stoned ass in a club where your feet are stuck to the floor. I won't bother to put any of the songs as stand out 'cos for me the album works best when listened to as a whole. I guess seeing them on Hallowe'en dressed as the Misfits helped sell this album to me too! Still, they coulda chucked a Kyuss song in there, Demoncleaner perhaps??
www.qotsa.com
James

Sci-Fi Geek Week

My GF was away this week so I caught up on some movies I'd been wanting to see.
Monday - I Am Legend, disappointingly shit!
Tuesday - Cloverfield, to be honest I was expecting this to be shit too, but it was short and entertaining.
Wednesday - The Happening, hmmmmm.
Thursday - District 9, alien movie set in Jo'burg, South Africa, shot in a docu-style, great!
Friday + Saturday - All three fucking LOTR movies!!! How much more rock n' roll can you get!
Plus a shit load of Futurama, I got all 4 box sets!!!
James