The best of things while I was away...

The best album of the year? Not sure, there's tough competition as expected but despite being amongs the biggest Manic Street Preachers fans out there, I had no idea what to expect from James Dean Bradfield's solo album. But I was thankfully blown away and never more so than this song which is sublime. I cannot recommend this highly enough and it was equally superb seeing him live in Dundee.

James Dean Bradfield - Still a Long Way to Go (Highly recommended)

On my travels to the USA this year I took in the fabulous Lollapalooza where I was lucky enough to see what is certainly up there with the best live performances I have ever seen. Broken Social Scene blew me away with the intensity of the gig. Having seen them in a small venue only a few months before and loved it, I had no idea they could up their game to this. Just immense. I have never been able to get a recording of the gig so this is a plea for anyone who may have it. This track is one which doesn't get enough praise; not a live track or anything but one which should be present on any good chill out mix.

Broken Social Scene - Lovers Spit (redux)

and Cold War Kids didn't do a bad job either in impressing me on one of the smaller stages; still love this song as much as I did when I first heard it.

Cold War Kids - Hang Me up to Dry

Favourite new Ryan Adams song without a doubt is this one and considering his output over th past year or two, this has been some find. This recording is from his Glasgow Academy gig, the very one where I saw him open his set with this new, previously unrecorded track and I fell in love with it straight away. Up there with his best without a doubt. Getting this recording almost made me forget how average his set at Lollapalooza was. Almost.

Ryan Adams - Don't Get Sentimental on Me (Live at Glasgow Academy 15/02/2006)

Best remixes? Well these 2 here ain't half bad. Everyone is giving Klaxons big love at the moment and rightly so, they are awesome and I think I had one of the earliest posts on them earlier this year. This remix of one of the less posted of the EP tracks is a delight, sure to delight anyone who has loved the Digital Penetration CD or "New-Rave" sene emerge this year. The Rapture, also pushing for album of the year, are treated to a fabulous quasi-rave-mix here courtesy of Simian Mobile Disco and its awesome with the "people don't dance no more" being pushed in your face from the start. Love it.

The Klaxons - The Bouncer (South Central Remix) (large file but very much recommended)

The Rapture - WAYU (Simian Mobile Disco Mix)

Later...