Cougar Microbes

As the end of the year approaches, it’s time for us to look back at the past twelve months and decide what have been our favourite albums of the year. This time it hasn’t been an easy task because let’s face it, 2011 has definitely not been a great year for music, and personally, I will forever remember 2011 as the year my all-time favourite artist released an album I was ashamed of.

However, in defence of 2011, we could say that it was put in a particularly delicate position by 2010, which generated excellent albums such as LCD Soundsystem‘s ‘This is Happening‘, Arcade Fire‘s ‘The Suburbs‘ or Beach House‘s ‘Teen Dream‘ amongst many others… and ended majestically with Kanye West‘s ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy‘ …

Overall, 2011 seems to be more a year of nostalgia and remembrance than a year of creation, with the release of The Beach Boys‘ Smile Sessions, the remastering of Pink Floyd‘s ‘Dark Side of the Moon‘, the 10 year anniversary of Nirvana‘s ‘Nevermind‘, the end of R.E.M or LCD Soundsystem… and finally the deaths of Miss Amy Winehouse, DJ Mehdi and pioneer Gil Scott-Heron , we seem to have embraced the past rather than the present ( this said there wasn’t much to embrace really)…

So yes.. I am disappointed by 2011, but I have to acknowledge that good albums were also released, whilst promising new artists broke through. Let’s hope in 2012 there will be a focus on quality over quantity.

Without further ado check out the Cougar Microbes Top Albums of 2011 as we unveil the albums we loved over the past year.

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Forward by Olivia

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It has been a long time since I last visited a proper music festival. I have always hated camping. An attachment to home comforts – colour TV, hi-fi stereo, designer sofa, electricity, running water – exposes me for the materialistic 80s brat that I am. So it was with a degree of apprehension that I migrated north to the Lake District for a summer weekend of music.

Many of this year’s festivals have struggled to shift tickets but Kendal Calling had no such worries. The boutique event sold out well in advance and upon arrival it was immediately obvious why. Showcasing acts like Blondie, Chase & Status, The Cribs and Frank Turner against a backdrop of beautiful rolling hills – and the occasional lake – certainly makes for sunny faces.

We pitched our tent with surprising ease and headed for the arena just in time to catch hip hop old-timers House Of Pain break into ‘that’ song. So we jumped around a bit, investigated what the modern music festival has to offer – posh pizzas apparently – and then checked out headliners Chase & Status. We found the Londoners on hot form, whipping up the masses into a Friday night party. Yes.

Easy Star All-Stars set the beaming Saturday mood with dub and reggae renditions of classics from The Beatles, Radiohead and Pink Floyd. It was certainly a very pleasant way to start an afternoon before the festival’s stand-out act, angular rock outfit Young Knives, took to the stage. I am reliably informed it was front man Henry Dartnall’s first ever topless gig. The three-piece didn’t let that phase them as they stomped through favourites from ‘Terra Firma‘ to ‘Weekends & Bleak Days‘ – complete with appropriate sing-along line “hot summer, hot hot summer!”

After a few complimentary shots of Lucozade – thank you sunburnt Lucozade man – we headed over to watch the fittingly energetic punk outfit The Minx bound around stage to rapturous applause. There was just enough time to scoff a gourmet kangaroo (!) burger before seeing Japanese Popstars take over from where Chase & Status left off the previous evening. An incredibly striking aspect of the weekend was the energetic crowds. Though we did our best to keep up we headed for our nylon home some time after one am with the party still in full swing.

Drawing from a distant memory I somehow had the impression that the final day of a festival has the potential to be an anti-climax. Not so at Kendal Calling. After taking in some festival art and expert hula-hoop performances we decided to plonk ourselves at the main stage for Lancashire Hotpots’ northern humour and Frank Turner’s folk punk. Neither disappointed but the top act of the day was Cougar favourite Blondie. Not looking a day over 26 – ok, maybe a day or two over – Debbie Harry belted out hits including ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ and ‘One Way or Another’ to give this charming festival the rousing send-off it deserved.

Cougar Microbes attended Kendal Calling 2011 as part of Lucozade‘s Play Festivals campaign. Make sure to check back as we bring you more events through the summer.

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Post by Kenny.

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TRACKS:

“Did you ever know that you’re my hero? You are the wind beneath my wings.”

Brilliant? Yes. Entirely irrelevant? No. At least not quite. But nearly.

One of my musical heros said that bands and artists nowadays take no risks. One of my other musical heros said that bands and artists have lost their mystery.

The mysterious Norwegian ‘Ungdomskulen‘ have made a bold musical statement and in turn, taken a bold risk with thir playful new 7″ project. 10 Tracks long and a minute long each. They released these songs every Monday and Friday starting back from May 2nd on their website and on Soundcloud. The EP is named ‘Gimme Ten‘.

I’ll start by saying what an exciting and tricky task it must have been to write this material. Or maybe not. Maybe this was as easy and painless as writing can get? Never the less, no other band to my knowledge have successfully tried this before and what a cool sound Ungdonskulen have to work with.

Sometimes during certain songs, there are middle eights and bridges and parts that you really want to go on forever. However isn’t that what makes a song exciting? Making you want to listen to them again even if it is just for that one part that makes you want to go crazy or that tingles your spine?

One example I can think of is the middle eight to ‘Feel Good Inc‘ by the Gorillaz. Or perhaps a cooler example; the outro to ‘Groovy Kind Of Love‘ by Phil Collins. Just kidding….(I bloody love you Collins.)

By creating ten artistic pieces that you barely get a chance to get into you get this very effective feel that you’ve just listened to a full album stacked with melody, rhythm, original ideas and balls. It just turns out ‘Gimme Ten‘ is a solid prog album without the wankerage.

‘Self Made Woman‘ sounds like Battles smothering Pink Floyd but with more an idea of where they are going. The melodies are simple but strong.

‘Tears Of Joy‘ musically sounds like the coolest sega mega drive game soundtrack with hints of eighties vocal play, drowning in the sea of anglular rhythms.

‘Walking The Dog‘ feels like Manu Chau has been round for a beer and messed with your favourite Beatles song, while you were too drunk to notice. It’s mellow but feels like there is a dark undertone to it all.

‘It’s Official‘ is a loaded gun just gone off whilst ‘Elle‘ guitar finger taps it’s way down a loan highway at night (Be it the shortest highway in the world.)

The gem in this EP for me was the Queens Of The Stone Age-like ‘Number One‘. I love the experimental sounds, but I have to say this straight out rocker is a live opener and a hit in it’s own right. Considering it’s only a minute long, it had me wanting to go mental right from the off. It’s like the best ever and shortest quickie in the world. Like when your missus has been away on holiday and just got back. Anyways….

It got me thinking though (Not much does), that is it just my favourite as it is the most accessible? Am I eating the very words my musical heros said by going straight for the song I understand and can relate other music to?

So cheers Ungdomskulen, you gave me an awesome little EP and made me think (for an hour.)

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Post by T.R. Wicks

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TRACKS:

Easy Star All-Stars is a talented collective that incorporates some of New York’s finest Reggae musicians. They have found their niche in recreating subliminal dub/reggae versions of legendary albums. So far they have released a version of Pink Floyd‘s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ and Radiohead‘s ‘OK Computer’ and hopefully there will be more to come.

I first got into the band through their amazing ‘Dub Side Of The Moon‘. Presenting these rearranged tracks in the same order as the original album was a stroke of genius and the bands authentic reworkings manages to amplify Pink Floyd‘s sense of psychedelia and mystique. Its a real pleasure to hear illustrious songs like ‘Speak to Me/Breathe (In the Air)’ and ‘Money’ in new light.

I was naturally delighted when their next release ‘Radiodread‘ came out in late 2006. ‘OK Computer’ was such a seminal album and many of the songs like ‘Karma Police’ and ‘No Surprises’ and ‘Paranoid Android’ are instantly recognised around the world but believe it or not Easy Star All-Star breath new life into them. My selection of Lucky, perhaps a lesser known track from the original album, is owed largely to the fact that this rendition is majestic.

So sit back, light up a fat jay and float away like these tracks always intended you to do.