Decide for yourself.

Cheers to Giz for the loan of his headphones. Much less sound leakage than my Grados, pity they cost twice as much. Bah!

I stopped listening to the radio about 5 years ago and it only gets turned on when my car’s stereo decides the iPod connected to it doesn’t exist (ie, rarely). You’d think that I would have become one of those old farts that declares that everything that comes out these days is rubbish and what the kids should be listening to is Surfer Rosa.

But no… thanks to the South by Southwest feed I think I’ve been discovering more bands since I gave up on radio. Here’s some of what I’ve been listening to over the last year or so:

Band of Horses – Everything All the Time

I was just talking to somebody the other day about how hard it must be for a music journalist to get across what a band sounds like with only the printed page as a medium. Fortunately I have TEH POWARS OF WEBBIES and can show you that no, this singer doesn’t really sound like Wayne Coyne at all – what a lazy comparison.

This song is majestic.

Winterpills – The Light Divides

Is this too twee? IS IT?

Call it a palate cleanser – I can’t just listen to moody shite all the time.

Wintersleep – self-titled

At first I was worried that this band was too earnest, but then I realised they were just Canadian and couldn’t actually help it. Love this clip.

Plus/Minus – Holding Patterns

I had this track in my library for a couple of years before I finally got around to picking up the EP. Strong stuff, kind of reminds me of Seam if they’d bought a couple of keyboards.

The Asteroid #4 – These Flowers of Ours

Psychedelia done RIGHT.

The Last Town Chorus – Wire Waltz

I could only find a live track for this song but as this girl is talented, it hardly matters! Cross Cat Power with Mascott and there you go.

Decoder Ring – Fractions

Hopefully I can get more confident in myself and try to get out to see bands again, especially if we’re getting stuff like this locally.

Bedouin Soundclash – Street Gospels

This song came along at exactly the right moment to stop me falling completely inside myself and having a bit of a breakdown. For that I thank them mightily and will be seeing them in October at the Prince of Wales!

If there’s anything you think I’d enjoy, please add in the comments.

Should have some more stuff to upload sooner rather than later too.

You’ll notice that I somehow managed to fit infinitely more female artists in this list than the entire JJJ Hot 100. Possibly because I’m not a misogynist bogan?

So, in release date order:

XTC – Wasp Star (2000)

This just squeezed in by the skin of its teeth – it’s not the best album that XTC have released, but Andy Partridge can fart better melodies than most people can write, so I’ll take it.

Eels – Daisies of the Galaxy (2000)

This one fits in the same nook in my brain as The Folk Implosion’s ‘One Part Lullaby’, which unfortunately came out in ’99. The album that Crumpet forgot to put on her list, but I wonder if she would have found this video…

Built to Spill – Ancient Melodies of the Future (2001)

It’s impossible to find anything live from these guys with decent sound quality, but I have to include them here – baldies represent! And such stunning musicianship. If you dig this, their back catalogue is both vast and superb.

Cat Power – You Are Free (2003)

Ah, Chan Marshall. I had a bit of falling out with Cat Power after suffering through two live gigs when Chan was quite obviously drunk and unwilling to give us the performance we paid for. Ridiculous when you’re THIS talented to suffer stage fright.

Anyhow, she’s apparently doing a lot better now and it was a toss-up between You Are Free and 2006′s The Greatest. Because this was the first album of Cat Power’s that I really gelled with, I went for it.

The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike (2004)

This one came to my attention because one of their songs was included in the PS3 game LittleBigPlanet. The album was made in a bedroom by essentially one guy, and the band kind of formed after the fact once they got big.

Viva Vocé – The Heat Can Melt Your Brain (2004)

Another South by Southwest discovery – and in fact this is the first song of theirs that I heard. A husband-and-wife band, it’s always inspiring to see what just two people can do.

Pink Nasty – Mold the Gold (2006)

I think I heard Pink Nasty in a South by Southwest torrent, which is where I pick up on pretty much every new band. I emailed her and she responded, how sweet! Support the indie kids, even the ones who have toured with Will Oldham! You could skip her earlier album unless you’re into quite traditional country.

Jacob Golden – Revenge Songs (2007)

Ignore the fact that Jacob looks a little bit like Conan O’Brien – melt to that voice. In fact, when I listen to this guy, I can only think five words : SO MUCH BETTER THAN ME. The fact that José González is a household name in indie circles while this guy languishes in obscurity is just more proof that life isn’t fair.

Lucinda Williams – West (2007)

I’m a sucker for a good voice, and women just seem to interest me more than men. Lucinda can get on pretty much any top ten list of mine – her lyrics aren’t thrilling but that bourbon-soaked voice is just fucking amazing.

Winterpills – The Light Divides (2007)

I couldn’t find a decent video for ‘Broken Arm’, so you get ‘Shameful’. Pretty easy-to-like stuff.

Honorary mentions (i.e. albums that probably would have been on my list if they weren’t on somebody else’s):

Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Sigur Rós – Takk…
Dan Bern – New American Language

..and don’t forget…

Guided by Voices – Isolation Drills
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billie – Master and Everyone
Mogwai – Happy Songs for Happy People

And all the rest I didn’t have space for…

Now, here’s the Muppets-ised version.

I am very impressed. If you are also, go visit the artist’s blog and let him know.

I forgot to do my pushups, but I should have some time tonight. I hope. Christ.

The latest edition of Soundtrack Pro is less crashy but still feels like a beta. I managed to crash it during export several times, which may be a codec thing but come on Apple, graceful failures please.