Yes, yes, we know the site is closed, but as we were running for most of the year we thought it would be fitting to do the regular end of year lists where we salute those who've made the best noise over the past 12 months. These are the albums that have lit up the year.
10) Mode Moderne - Occult Delight
In Brief: Like the post-punk songs of Factory Records being given a dose of melody to counteract the darkness.
Mode Moderne's website
9) Fanfarlo - Let's Go Extinct
Our original review
Fanfarlo's website
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Buy the album
8) Sheepy - Sheepy
In Brief: Teenage Fanclub taking on The Ramones with youthful vigour, resulting in a joyful powerpop explosion
Our original review
Sheepy's website
Stream the album in full
Buy the album
7) Temples - Sun Structures
In Brief: Sixties psych-pop impeccably revisited with tunes aplenty and never a moment that's less than kaleidoscopic.
Our original review
Temples' website
Stream the album in full
Buy the album
6) The Raveonettes - Pe'ahi
In Brief: More dark tales from Denmark's king and queen of fuzz and twang, this time with a new production style.
Our original review
The Raveonettes' website
Stream the album in full
Buy the album
5) Gold-Bears - Dalliance
In Brief: A non-stop roller coaster of fuzzy excellence that proves that the lo-fi indiepop revival is still in good hands.
Gold-Bears' website
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Buy the album
4) Cheatahs - Cheatahs
In Brief: Delivering you one-hundred percent undiluted shoegaze; as it used to be and as it should be.
Cheatahs' website
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Buy the album
3) Champs - Down Like Gold
In Brief: Heavenly harmonies, haunting atmospherics and masterful songwriting that wraps you up like a snug blanket.
Champs' website
2) The Popguns - Pop Fiction
In Brief: Returning power-indiepop heroes triumph with wall-to-wall tunes on what sounds like a greatest hits album.
The Popguns' website
Stream the album in full
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ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Days Of Abandon
Many people had written off Brooklyn guitar-pop darlings The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart after their (still excellent) second album didn't quite scale the same heights as their debut. With news that only Kip Berman remained from the original line-up, fuel was added to this fire, but what a way to extinguish it. With a new band, some added synths and stripped of the scuzz, 'Days Of Abandon' was a step forward in terms of songwriting and prevented them getting stuck forever in a fuzzed-out rut which yielded diminishing returns. On this album the doubters were proven wrong as the group produced arguably their strongest set of songs to date. Not the end then, but a whole new beginning instead.
Our original review
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart's website
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