Fave albums of the year (so far)...

[Spaz]

My favorite NEW RELEASES of the year so far (reissues not included)..

RIGHT SAID FRED-"For Sale": If you haven't heard anything apart from 'I'm Too Sexy', then you really need to listen to them. Really catchy pop stuff with great vocals and melodies. This album is less dance and more straight ahead pop. Although it's not my fave on the album, I think that if they released 'The Car Song' as a single, it could be huge.

PHIL JUDD-"Mr. Phudd and His Novelty Act": He was the musical genius behind early Split Enz (he wrote or co-wrote everything they recorded for the first few years ('72-'76), he was the leader of The Swingers, who had a huge hit in the early '80s with 'Counting The Beat' and he led Schnell Fenster in the '90s. Now, he combines elements of all of those for his first solo album in 23 years. Eccentric and wonderful.

THE RUBINOOS-"Twist Pop Sin": The U.S. version is due any week now, although it's already been released in Japan and Spain. One of the best Power Pop bands ever...and still as bubblegum sweet as they were nearly 30 years ago!

BMX BANDITS-"My Chain": Duglas Stewart backed with a whole new bunch of bandits and more melancholy than ever. Sweet, touching and totally pure melodic pop with Beach Boys and Bacharach influences



Just got the new HEAVY BLINKERS album which sounds like it may climb into this group of fine releases and I'm also waiting for the new DONNIE IRIS album to show up in the mail so that may end up here too. And HOBEX (ex Dillon Fence) may have an album out soon as well.



SPAZ
Born of innocence. Free of ignorance.

[MikeP]

I'm a little behind on the latest and greatest, but what I've had a chance to digest so far:

ROCK KILLS KID - [i]Are You Nervous?[/i]. True, a poor name for a band that makes me think "emo-core", but it's the most hook-laden thing I've heard so far this year. Sounds a bit like Bono fronting The Killers or The Bravery. Not all the cuts are stellar, but songs like "Paralyzed", "Hideaway" and "Run Like Hell" have all the earmarkings of classics.

THE CHURCH - [i]Uninvited, Like the Clouds[/i] - still kicking out the ethereal jams for 25 years now. I'm amazed at how prolific and relevant they are, even though most people abandoned their congregation after 1990's [i]Gold Afternoon Fix[/i].

ELEFANT - [i]The Black Magic Show[/i] - nice follow-up to their debut, with some great, memorable tunes.

I'm looking forward to Phil Judd, Keane, Zero 7, Boards of Canada, Belle & Sebastian, which I haven't yet heard.

[Frau_Blucher]

Some other choices here...

http://nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12471