[Q]：The 50 Best Albums of 2010

[Q]：The 50 Best Albums of 2010

01 Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
02 Robert Plant - Band Of Joy
03 Plan B - The Defamation Of The Strickland Banks
04 Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
05 Vampire Weekend - Contra
06 John Grant - Queen Of Denmark
07 Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
08 The National - High Violet
09 Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation
10 MGMT - Congratulations

11 The Black Keys - Brothers
12 Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
13 Beach House - Teen Dream
14 Hot Chip - One Life Stand
15 Yeasayer - Odd Blood
16 Foals - Total Life Forever
17 John Legend & The Roots - Wake Up!
18 Manic Street Preachers - Postcards From A Young Man
19 Grinderman - Grinderman 2
20 Take That - Progress

21 Band Of Horses - Infinite Arms
22 Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
23 LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
24 Bryan Ferry - Olympia
25 Kings Of Leon - Come Around Sundown
26 Klaxons - Surfing The Void
27 Midlake - The Courage Of Others
28 Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
29 Interpol - Interpol
30 Brandon Flowers - Flamingo

31 The Chemical Brothers - Further
32 The Drums - The Drums
33 Tricky - Mixed Race
34 The Dead Weather - Sea Of Cowards
35 Everything Everything - Man Alive
36 The Roots - How I Got Over
37 The Coral - Butterfly House
38 Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
39 I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
40 Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back

41 Belle And Sebastian - Write About Love
42 Tom Jones - Praise & Blame
43 Skream - Outside The Box
44 Villagers - Becoming A Jackal
45 Cherry Ghost - Beneath This Burning Shoreline
46 Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me
47 Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History
48 Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep
49 Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
50 Steve Mason - Boys Outside

[Q]官方網站

[Spin]：The 40 Best Albums of 2010

The 40 Best Albums of 2010

01 Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
02 Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
03 Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
04 Lcd Soundsystem - This is Happening
05 Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song
06 Janelle Monae - The Archandroid
07 Grinderman - Grinderman 2
08 M.I.A. - Maya
09 Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager
10 Robyn - Body Talk PT. 1

11 Vampire Weekend - Contra
12 Yeasayer - Odd Blood
13 Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Song Of Chico Dusty
14 Best Coast - Crazy For You
15 Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
16 Drake - Thank Me Later
17 Beach House - Teen Dream
18 Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
19 No Age - Everything In Between
20 MGMT - Congratulations

21 Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
22 Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer
23 Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
24 Wavves - King Of The Beach
25 Of Montreal - False Priest
26 The National - High Violet
27 Glasser - Ring
28 Neil Young - Le Noise
29 Sleigh Bells - Treats
30 The Black Keys - Brothers

31 Spoon - Transference
32 Big K.R.I.T. - K.R.I.T. Wuz Here
33 Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
34 Against Me! - White Crosses
35 Robert Plant - Band Of Joy
36 The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
37 The Walkmen - Lisbon
38 Eminem - Recovery
39 Caribou - Swim
40 Teenage Fanclub - Shadows

[Spin]官方網站

[Mojo] TOP 50 Of 2009

[Mojo] TOP 50 Of 2008

01. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
02. Bill Calahan – Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle
03. Richard Hawley – Truelove’s Gutter
04. The Horrors – Primary Colours
05. Tinariwen – Imidiwan: Companions
06. Bob Dylan – Together Through Life
07. Florence & the Machine – Lungs
08. Fuck Buttons – Tarot Sport
09. Madness – The Liberty of Nolton Folgate
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz

11. The Cribs – Ignore the Ignorant
12. The Low Anthem – Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
13. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
14. Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement
15. Kasabian – The West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum
16. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
17. The Phantom Band – Checkmate Savage
18. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
19. Sunn O))) – Monoliths & Diamonds
20. Manic Street Preachers – Journal for Plague Lovers

21. Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
22. The XX – XX
23. Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
24. Vieux Farka Toure – Fondo
25. Alasdair Roberts – Spoils
26. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
27. Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba – I Speak Fula
28. Vetiver – Tight Knit
29. Mastodon – Crack the Skye
30. Staff Benda Bilili – Tres Tres Fort

31. Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens – What Have You Done, My Brother?
32. Wild Beasts – Two Dancers
33. Leonard Cohen – Live in London
34. Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
35. Portico Quartet – Isla
36. White Denim – Fits
37. BLK JKS – After Robots
38. Sonic Youth – The Eternal
39. Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band – Between My Head and the Sky
40. Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light

41. Mos Def – The Ecstatic
42. Doug Paisley – Doug Paisley
43. Dead Man’s Bones – Dead Man’s Bones
44. Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics – Inspiration Informaton
45. Cate Le Bon – Me Oh My
46. The Black Crowes – Before the Frost…
47. Bruce Springsteen – Working On a Dream
48. Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid
49. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt II
50. Max Richter – Waltz With Bashir OST

[Mojo]官方網站

[Q]：The 50 Best Albums of 2009

[Q]：The 50 Best Albums of 2009

01 Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
02 Florence And The Machine - Lungs
03 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
04 Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
05 Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers
06 Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
07 Muse - The Resistance
08 Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
09 U2 - No Line On The Horizon
10 Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

11 Doves - Kingdom Of Rust
12 Jack Penate - Everything Is New
13 Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
14 Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be
15 Dizzee Rascal - Tongue N' Cheek
16 Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
17 Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
18 Mika - The Boy Who Knew Too Much
19 Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk
20 Fever Ray - Fever Ray

21 Jamie T - Kings & Queens
22 The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
23 The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die
24 Mos Def - The Ecstatic
25 Noah And The Whale - The First Days Of Spring
26 Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
27 The Dead Weather - Horehound
28 Bruce Springsteen - Walking On A Dream
29 Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
30 La Roux - La Roux

31 Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions
32 Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up
33 Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
34 White Lies - To Lose My Life
35 Pearl Jam - Backspacer
36 Sonic Youth - The Eternal
37 Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
38. Richard Hawley - Truelove's Gutter
39 The Horrors - Primary Colours
40 Cheryl Cole - 3 Words

41 Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
42 Mariachi El Bronx - Mariachi El Bronx
43 Tinariwen - Imidiwen Companions
44 The View - Which Bitch?
45 Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
46 Golden Silvers - True Romance
47 Madness - The Liberty Of Norton Folgate
48 Ian Brown - My Way
49 Bob Dylan - Together Through Life
50 Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications

[Q]官方網站

[Spin]：The 40 Best Albums of 2009

The 40 Best Albums of 2009

01 Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
02 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
03 Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
04 Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
05 Girls - Album
06 Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
07 Mos Def - The Ecstatic
08 Florence And The Machine - Lungs
09 Drake - So Far Gone
10 The Dead Weather - Horehound

11 Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Summer Of Fear
12 Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart
13 Jay Reatard - Watch Me Fall
14 Amadou & Mariam - Welcome To Mali
15 Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
16 Japandroids - Post-Nothing
17 Mastodon - Crack The Skye
18 Antony And The Johnsons - The Crying Light
19 Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
20 Paramore - Brand New Eyes

21 Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II
22 Tegan And Sara - Sainthood
23 St. Vincent - Actor
24 Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg
25 The Big Pink - A Brief History Of Love
26 The Mountain Goats - The Life Of The World To Come
27 Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications
28 The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
29 Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
30 Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young

31 Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
32 U2 - No Line On The Horizon
33 The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
34 Mariachi El Bronx - Mariachi El Bronx
35 Miike Snow - Miike Snow
36 Brakesbrakesbrakes - Touchdown
37 Gallows - Grey Britain
38 Rick Ross - Deeper Than Rap
39 Wilco - Wilco (Wilco The Album
40 Kiss - Sonic Boom

[Spin]官方網站

雋永純音 Kings Of Convenience

Declaration Of Dependence
Kings Of Convenience
Label: Source
2009.10
★★★★★★★★½☆

---

09年已經過去，不知是反樸歸真還是乘著冬意，挪威清新結他派代表樂團 Kings Of Convenience 在年尾推出了五年來的第三張全新專輯《Declaration Of Dependence》。

Kings Of Convenience 這隊由 Erik Glambek Boe 和 Eriend Oye 所組成的挪威二人組合，可算是我最喜歡的清新派代表。他們的上兩張專輯《Quiet Is The New Loud》和《Riot On An Empty Street》都是我 CD 架中不能缺少的北歐良音。

與對上的專輯已相隔五年，五年來的轉變並未反映在音樂上，依然的清新雋永，如沐春風；反而在專輯封面上，再沒有了前兩張專輯出現過的漂亮女子，如果是 Kings Of Convenience 的樂迷，一定知道這女子 Ina Gruna 其實是 Erik Glambek Boe 的女友，現在已是他的妻子，而且更是一子之母。

8年來推出了三張大碟，期間Erik Glambek Boe 和 Eriend Oye 二人也有自己的side project，而且兩人長久以來，一直都在摩擦中尋求共識，直至二人兩年沒見，在封面的海灘相遇...


專輯開場曲"24-25"以極簡緻的結他勾弦，配以招牌式二重唱，溫暖細味。"Boat Behind"大提琴和結他的配合，就像互相嬉戲的戀人般追逐。
"Mrs. Cold"、"Me In You"、"Peacetime Resistance" 都滲有Bossa Nova 般懶洋洋情調。"Riot On An Empty Street" 歌名竟與上張專輯名同名，事實上完來真的是五年前的滄海遺珠。

兩人的唱和加上 "粒粒清" 的木結他，"Second To Numb" 是原音的完美演繹。"Scars On Land" 的步步為營的電影氣氛被 Erlend Oye 形容為「幾乎是翻唱Portishead的歌曲」。"My Ship Isn't Pretty" 算是全碟氣氛最沉重之歌，

從來都覺得不論是食材也好，音樂也好，越簡單的東西而做出不平凡的效果是最厲害的，Kings Of Convenience 的音樂就如枕邊細語，心靈聲音般動人。

Kings Of Convenience- "Declaration Of Dependence"

01. 24-25 ★
02. Mrs Cold ★
03. Me In You ★
04. Boat Behind ★
05. Rule My World ★
06. My Ship Isn’t Pretty
07. Renegade
08. Power Of Not Knowing ★
09. Peacetime Resistance
10. Freedom And Its Owner
11. Riot On An Empty Street ★
12. Second To Numb ★
13. Scars On Land ★

Kings Of Convenience "Mrs Cold"

Kings Of Convenience官方網頁

反動之音 Muse

The Resistance
Muse
Label: Warner Bros
2009.09
★★★★★★★★★★

---

Muse 09年終於發表了令人期待的第五張全新專輯《The Resistance》。距離他們上張專輯《Black Holes And Revelations》三年之久；這可算是我年度最期待的專輯之一。

經過了2003年的華麗搖滾《Absolution》以及宇宙探索《Black Holes And Revelations》，新專輯是集合了史詩式和具爆炸性的宇宙音韻。
之前在本欄也介紹過 Muse 的唱片，作品都強調概念性和完整性，全新專輯更加是義無反顧的大膽探索。

從官方介紹得知專輯在意大利北部錄製完成，在米蘭和將近 40位音樂家共同錄製管弦樂，而他們也親自完成所有編曲及配樂，首次全部由 Muse 三位團員自行擔任製作。
開場單曲 "Uprising" 高壓的電結他已經全面蘊釀爆發，暴戾氣氛加上群眾呼聲令人激憤。點題歌 "Resistance" 擁有豐富多變的編曲和優美旋律，思潮起伏。"Undisclosed Desires" 則帶有步步為營的危險氣氛。


"United States Of Eurasia / Collateral Damage" 寧靜的鋼琴開端，再進入激昂的高潮，宏偉的弦樂和加快的鋼琴節奏，再配合著有力的鼓擊和中東音韻，後部份再加上熟悉的鋼琴調子，包羅萬有。歌曲的背後創作靈感，則來自於波蘭誕生的學者 Zbigniew Brzezinski，對前美國總統 Jimmy Carter 的政治建言。在 Zbigniew Brzezinski 的書『The Grand Chessboard』當中，“Zbigniew Brzezinski 認為整個歐亞大陸（歐洲、亞洲、中東地區），都必須要在美國的統制控制之下，才能確保石油的正常供應。他以就事論事的態度，將世界看作一個大棋盤，融合著濃濃的歐威爾主義，就像 George Orwell 在小說『1984』當中就已經提過「state of Eurasia」一詞，這也啟動了創作這首歌曲的靈感。” Matt Bellamy (主唱/吉他) 說。

"Guiding Light" 則是典型激烈的搖滾節奏，"Unnatural Selection" 急進起伏的電結他伸延到 "MK Ultra"，起首的電子音韻，有著《Absolution》專輯的美好延續。"I Belong To You / Mon Cœur S'ouvre À Ta Voix" 是全碟最破格的作品，俏皮又隨意的鋼琴，後部份又用法語唱著歌劇似的，編曲和旋律都美麗而柔情。

最後，樂隊主音 Matt Bellamy 為了強調作品的概念，親自編寫了一部分為三段的交響樂 [Exogenesis]。"Exogenesis: Symphony" 三部曲是 Muse 最具野心之作，這三部曲甚至可以當古典樂細聽。小章節為 “Overture”，“Cross-Pollination”，“Redemption”。完整地展示了古典音樂和現代搖滾樂的結合，莊嚴宏偉，如史詩式浪漫的音樂。使 Muse 的音樂更細緻，層次昇華。

整體來說，《The Resistance》比起上張大碟更出色，它有著《Absolution》的華麗，也有著《Black Holes And Revelations》的深層探索，加上概念式的古典美學，整體結構又如此出色，在我心目中是滿分之選。

隨碟 DVD 載有《The Resistance》製作特輯。

Muse- "The Resistance"【CD+DVD】Limited Edition ★

CD
01. UPRISING
02. RESISTANCE
03. UNDISCLOSED DESIRES
04. UNITED STATES OF EURASIA (+Collateral Damage)
05. GUIDING LIGHT
06. UNNATURAL SELECTION
07. MK ULTRA
08. I BELONG TO YOU (+Mon Coeur S'Ouvre A Ta Voix)
09. EXOGENESIS : SYMPHONY PART I (Overture)
10. EXOGENESIS : SYMPHONY PART II (Cross Pollination)
11. EXOGENESIS : SYMPHONY PART III (Redemption)



Muse "Uprising"

Muse官方網頁