A Britastic Best of 2009

Every year this is a very difficult list to make... this year it's even harder. NOT because there weren't a bunch of brilliant releases... but because I had a lot going on personally this year that kept me out of the music world.

As usual I'll be updating this all the way up until New Years Eve (most likely)... so, enjoy, and I can't wait until next year because I promise it will be the BEST on this blog has ever had :)

Best Albums of 2009
Pete Doherty - "Grace/Wastelands"
Morrissey - "Years Of Refusal"
Little Boots - "Hands"
Frankmusik - "Complete Me" (plus "Recomplete Me" & "Completely Me")
Arctic Monkeys - "Humbug"
Editors - "In This Light And On This Evening"
Dot Allison - "Room 7 1/2"
Heads We Dance - "Love Technology" (plus "Dance Technology")
The Whip - "X Marks Destination" (released in the U.S. this year)
Simian Mobile Disco - "Temporary Pleasure"

Honourable mentions:
Bloc Party - "Intimacy Remixed", Franz Ferdinand - "Tonight", La Roux - "La Roux", Echo & The Bunnymen - "The Fountain", Bad Lieutenant - "Never Cry Another Tear", Doves - "Kingdom Of Rust"

Best Singles
Morrissey - "Something is Squeezing My Skull"
Arctic Monkeys - "Cornerstone"
Pete Doherty - "Broken Love Song"
Thom Yorke - "Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses"
Simian Mobile Disco - "Audacity Of Huge"
Heads We Dance - "Take My Picture"
Bloc Party - "One More Chance"
Frankmusik - "3 Little Words"
La Roux - "In For The Kill"
Franz Ferdinand - "No You Girls"

Honourable Mentions:
Lily Allen - "The Fear", White Lie - "Death"

Best Dance Tracks
Hostage - "I Get High"
The Count & Sinden - "Mega"
The Prodigy - "Invaders Must Die"
Bloc Party - "Trojan Horse (John B Remix)"
Frankmusik - "Confusion Girl (Russ Chimes Remix)"
La Roux - "In For The Kill (Skreams Lets Get Ravey Remix)"
Little Boots - "Remedy (Rusko's 'Big Trainers' Remix)"
The Black Ghosts - "Full Moon (Marlow Remix)"



Best Compilations
Various Artists - "The Twilight Saga: New Moon"
Various Artists - 5: Five Years of Hyperdub
FabricLive.44 - Commix
FabricLive.47 - Toddla T

As I said, I'll keep it coming but these were the first albums/songs to come to mind. Thank all of you for all your support; I wouldn't be where I am with out you all!

What a shambles, what a shambles, what a shambles...

Well my friends the time is upon us... for the greatest release of the year (next to Klaxons, M.I.A., and well lots of albums but lets ignore that for now!) BABYSHAMBLES- Shotter's Nation to come out... and Albion has a track from it just for you! Sadly, it didn't come from the source as it usually does BUT I think the source will be o.k. with it seeing as I heard they're sending it out to other people before me (boo).

Here it is in all of its glory...

Babyshambles- "The Lost Art Of Murder" Rapidshare

Babyshambles- "The Lost Art Of Murder" YSI


All you damn Brits make sure you get out to your news stand and get your NME before the 7" single sells out... I bet you this one gives the White Stripes one a run for the money... there are so many of us Doherty obsessives that there is no way this won't be huge! Someone want to ship me one? I think my news guy is going to fuck me out of mine and buy up all the copies because we are feuding since me snubbed me about a DJing gig... prick... (Why? Why would you do that when I'm trying to be kind turn down my offer to play a dubstep set for your hippie friends? Why? Because you're fucking rude that's why!)

Here's an awesome vid for "Delivery" you've probably already seen but why not watch it again!


EDIT: Parlophone sent me the email with the track... I just hadn't gotten it yet. Even my email says they had sent it out earlier... must be connection issues. Anyway their email had more video info I thought you might be interested it!

BEHIND THE SCENES

Download
Stream



DELIVERY

Download

Stream



I cannot fucking wait until the album comes out. I think I'm just going to put on headphones and walk until I have heard the whole album front to back because this is such an important album to me... can't just listen to it at work, or in the car, or what the fuck ever... kind of like a Bjork album... just too close to my heart. I'm sure it will be awesome.

Hope you all enjoyed! Check back for updates! Leave comments! Join eMusic from here!




And just in case you needed this...........

Delivery all formats special offer

http://www.recordstore.co.uk/home.jsp?&CatalogNumber=R6747-BUND*



Delivery CD Single

http://www.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;-1;-1;-1&sku=704175

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delivery-Babyshambles/dp/B000V6JS4W/ref=pd_bbs_6/203-4465208-1943110?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1188923538&sr=8-6



Delivery 7”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Delivery-7-VINYL-Babyshambles/dp/B000V6KBU2/ref=pd_bbs_12/203-4465208-1943110?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1188923538&sr=8-12



Shotter’s Nation

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shotters-Nation-Special-CD-DVD/dp/B000VBJAS6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/203-4465208-1943110?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1188923538&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shotters-Nation-Babyshambles/dp/B000VBJAR2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_10/203-4465208-1943110?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1188923538&sr=8-10

http://www.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;-1;-1;-1&sku=649842

http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/3440133/Shotter-Nation/Product.html

http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/3474029/Shotter-Nation/Product.html

First news was "there's Americans on the shore! Maybe, now we're all going to war!"

Here's the 2nd half of the Babyshambles post I promised you... apparantly you guys DUG the last one because my traffic was way awesome... I think it was close to 600 or something for Thursday (which is crazy because my weekend numbers are usually SO much better)... and the numbers we also way high for the random post from WIDR studios! Hope y'all enjoyed that as well...

So back to Babyshambles... What do I think of the new songs? WELL LET ME TELL YOU! I think they are fucking faboo. FABOO! Obviously the older ones (last post) have gotten little tweaking and still work as well as they used to, but these new ones are just as good....... they seem full of an energy that seemed to pop up when Pete wrote 'Sedative'... or at least they all piggyback on that vibe (I mean that in a good way)...

BTW... I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THAT ALL OF THESE SONGS CAME FROM ALBION ARKS which is the first and foremost place to pick up rare and unreleased Babyshambles material. I just am jacking them and throwing them up here... so if all the downloads are out and you still want these tracks then you should probably head over there! (They were originally posted on href="http://www.frenchdogblues.com">French Dog Blues which is the official homebase for Babyshambles fanatics!)

Babyshambles- "Crumb Begging Baghead"

Babyshambles- "Unstookietitled"

Babyshambles- "Carry On Up The Morning"

Babyshambles- "Cuckoo 1440"

Babyshambles- "Delivery"

Here is a song titled "18d" which ended up being 'Delivery' from the sounds of it... or maybe it's the other way around... I can't tell!

I would really like you know what you all think of this stuff... it's been pretty comment lite here for a while... if you guys want 'Shambles tracks before anyone else gets them you gotta comment or Parlophone won't give em to me lol (only half serious)...

Well, I've gotta get back to work... I'm really tired today... writing this album is kicking my ass... hold tight until next time!

I bet you'll never guess...

This has been such a confusing thing to figure out... do I keep posting Babyshambles stuff? I mean... both the radioshow and the blog wouldn't exist with out the Libertines/Babyshambles influence. I mean seriously they wouldn't. Charles and I had talked about doing a britrock show for AGES but it kept not happening. And I don't think it would have either had I not heard 'Music When The Lights Go Out' by The Libertines. I mean I've loved British rock forever, and knew who The Libertines were but that song... that song push me over the edge... in a good way. So from that angle it seems to make sense.

HOWEVER... I don't want to just be the 'Babyshambles blog'... my aim is really to be THE Britblog. And, of course, there is some work that needs to be done on this site if that's going to happen...

...But also as the blog gets bigger I am going to be less and less likely to do these posts. I mean, if this thing gets bigger, I am going to have to be accountable for me actions a little more. So I guess while I still can I will probably be doing at least one Babyshambles post a week.

BEFORE I go any further I want to point something out though... YOU CAN GO TO ALBIONARKS.COM and get most if not ALL of the stuff I am posting for free. See, one of the of the reasons The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things, and Babyshambles have such a strong following is because they have given their music away for free prior to it's release (ususally in a slightly diminished quality... like a boombox recording, a session outtake, or a live track). It's awesome that they care enough about their fans to do that, but even if you want to be cynical it's still a REALLY smart marketing tool... I own a physical copy of LOADS AND LOADS of Libertines/Babyshambles/DPT albums, and I've got posters and books and blah blah blah... and I probably wouldn't had I not felt like I had a real connection to the band. And giving out free shit is a good way to create that bond lol!

Ok first off we've got the 'original' Radio 1 version of 'Fuck Forever'... this was the first version of the song (that I heard at least) and it is completely SPOT ON... I really hate to say it... but no other version captures the magic of this one... and certainly, at the end of the day you win some you lose some, and this is the version I prefer... of course there are loads of other versions over at ALBIONARKS.COM like the Nellee Hooper remix version, the alternate studio version etc etc... and maybe you will like those better but this one tickles my fancy!

Babyshambles- 'Fuck Forever (PERFECT Radio 1 Version) YSI

Babyshambles- 'Fuck Forever (PERFECT Radio 1 Version)' zShare

Then there is this version of 'The Whole World Is Our Playground' which is so pretty is almost brings a tear to my eye... the intro (which is absent on many other versions) is really really touching and makes the song that much better...
Babyshambles- 'The Whole World Is Our Playground (Long Intro Version) YSI

Babyshambles- 'The Whole World Is Our Playground (Long Intro Version) zShare

This track is rather large... about 14mb or so... it's about 12 mins long too... it's an excerpt from a live XFM session with them playing two songs and talking a little bit...
Babyshambles- 'Killamangiro/ Radio Talk/ 32nd Of December

Babyshambles- 'Killamangiro/ Radio Talk/ 32nd Of December

Speaking of XFM here is a really interesting performance for XFM that starts out with
Pete doing a really cool solo version of the afforementioned 'Music When The Lights Go Out' and then 'Up The Bracket'... apparently based on what he said they wouldn't let the rest of the Shambles play! At one point he suggests they have a sit down protest lol...


And here is the last one... this is the ORIGINAL (and best if you ask me) version of
'Killamangiro'... it was only release on 7" and the b-side was the previously posted 'At The Flophouse' (which was co-written with Dot Allison... HEY DOT WHEN YOU GONNA DO THAT LINER FOR ME SHOW??? :) lol) I am only going to post this as a YSI link BECAUSE this is something you should try to track down... I don't feel right giving this out to loads and loads of people.. however, if the limit has been reached and you HAVE to hear it I will send it to you as a request... but try to get it while the getting is good... and more importantly try to buy yourself a copy of the original version!

Babyshambles- 'Killamangiro (Original 7" Single Version)

I shit you not, I suggest you go out and buy these records and listen to them day in and day out and fall in love with Babyshambles (doesn't this vaguely remind you of people trying to convert you to Christianity 'AND I IMPLORE YOU TO BRING CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART AND FEEL WITH THE LOVE THAT HE HAS FOR YOU!' hahahaha). It truly is worth it. I also wanted to let you guys know that Parlophone has been nice enough to let me post this stuff (i.e. they haven't been wankers and said 'take it down...we OWN Babyshambles'), and they actually have even given me a little pat on the back about it. I still think they should let me preview a track off the E.P. (hint hint) BUT they've been so nice I can't bitch!

Hopefully, I will get time over the weekend to post more... well in fact I know I will be back because there is a song that Parlophone gave me (from a band called Tiny Dancers who have an album coming out this next week) that I want to post... so enjoy! Leave comments! And I will be back asap!




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