Top 10 Albums of 2012

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2012, Alt-J, Ellen and the Escapades, Jake Bugg, King Charles, Lucy Rose, Mumford and Sons, music, Of Monsters and Men, The Maccabees, the staves, the vaccines, top 10

Happy new year! It’s also exactly a year since I started this blog, so happy birthday Headphones & Downloads!

About a year ago, I posted my top 10 albums of 2011, so I thought I’d do the same for 2012. I’ll spare you the X Factor-esque spiel about how horribly difficult it has been to pick my favourites (although it really has, there have just been so many fantastic albums!) So, without further ado, here’s my top 10, in reverse order:

10. Given To The Wild, The Maccabees
9. Come Of Age, The Vaccines
8. My Head Is An Animal, Of Monsters And Men
7. An Awesome Wave, Alt J
6. All The Crooked Scenes, Ellen And The Escapades
5. Jake Bugg, Jake Bugg
4. Dead & Born & Grown, The Staves
3. Love Blood, King Charles
2. Babel, Mumford & Sons

And finally, my #1 album of the year…

Like I Used To, Lucy Rose
I was expecting Lucy Rose’s debut album to be good, but I didn’t anticipate just how brilliant it would be. Lucy’s voice is so beautiful and smooth that it gives me goosebumps, particularly on Shiver. Other highlights are Be Alright and Gamble, then ofcourse there are the singles Lines, Bikes and Middle Of The Bed. Running through the whole album is a theme of pure, genuine lyrics – Lucy has a real knack for creating very emotive songs.

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New Music Monday: Jake Bugg, Taste It

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60s, alternative, Country, Indie, Jake Bugg, music, music video, Nottingham, Oasis, rock, singer-songwriter, Taste It

The latest single from Jake Bugg, Taste It, sounds more polished than his previous singles. It is less raw and, dare I say it, more commercial. But this isn’t a bad thing, it’s just different – his sound is maturing. It’s a brilliantly catchy song, and it’s dripping with the old-school 60’s rock and roll vibe that makes Jake so unique. We can also hear other, more contemporary influences – such as Oasis – coming out in this song.

What I’m Listening To This Week

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8 tracks, Alt-J, alternative, Ben Howard, down by the bus shelter, go slow, Haim, i'll be alright, Indie, Jake Bugg, luke ferre, music, New Music, no hope, Park Bench Society, passion pit, playlist, pop, rock, saffron, tessellate, the vaccines, these waters, who are you

Snappy title, eh?
Oh well, atleast it tells you everything you need to know about the content of this post!
I thought I’d share with you the songs I’m enjoying most at the moment, watch this space it might just become a weekly feature!
So, without further ado, here you go:

 

 

New Music Monday: Lightning Bolt by Jake Bugg

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acoustic, Country, folk, Indie, Jake Bugg, Lightning Bugg, music, music video, Nottingham, singer-songwriter

Sorry about the start of this video, this was the only version I could find!
A singer-songwriter from Nottingham, Jake Bugg has a wonderful folk/country voice and an extraordinary talent. He’s only 18, but has already played for BBC Introducing at Glastonbury, and is currently supporting Micheal Kiwanuka on tour. Lightning Bolt was named Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record in the World last week and is Fearne Cotton’s Record of the Week this week. I think it’s safe to say we can expect big things from this man. Watch this space.