Favourite album

PJ Harvey - White Chalk

I love seeing a renowned artist coming back to top form after a certain 'glitch'. In my opinion, 'Uh Huh Her' was in desperate need of being topped, as it was definitely not the best of Polly Jean's work. Which is why I am happy to say that this album is one of my favourites of the year. The word 'haunting' is a cliche, so I am not going to use it to describe the eerie sound that emanated from my hi-fi. It certainly is a new angle though, with Harvey swapping her favoured guitar for the piano, something that she had had no previous experience of. Which is what makes this album remarkable, almost as if her child-like naivety towards the instrument forced her creativity to create something intuitive, and at times surreal. The album itself is also full of paradox, in that at times what shouldn't work does, what should be considered dull or even ugly is infinitely beautiful. Not only is this one of my favourites of 2007, I would also consider it top of my list in term's of PJ's back catalogue.
www.pjharvey.net

Favourite single

New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream

This band burst onto the indie scene this year, looking sexy and young and reminding me of Siouxsie and The Banshees, with an electronic vibe... which pretty much sums up the label which they have been given: 'New Rave'. This song is well crafted, oozing sex and the video is delicious. And although being nominated for Mercury, and despite their style and panache, this band has been scandalously overlooked by the mainstream pop world. Which is a shame, because this song is sugar-coated pop at its very best. This song made me buy the album, which, although filling my ears with catchy tracks, still left me kind of wanting. So if a song can make me buy something that I would never normally buy, they deserve an honourable mention.
www.wearepony.com

Favourite Live Act

Pelican (with support by These Arms Are Snakes) @ the Carling Academy, Islington, April 2007

If you haven't heard of Pelican before, I urge to you listen. But their studio work, although wonderful, doesn't even compare to going and seeing them live. Being of a purely instrumental sound combining heavy rock riffs yet an ambient atmosphere, this kind of music really does need to be seen live to be appreciated. The gig itself helped this feeling along, with a small area of space dedicated to a few hundred avid fans. It was amazing the kind of sound this small group of people could produce, a well crafted sound at that, and as much as anything it was heartening to see an audience all fully appreciative of this. I left that night feeling utterly wonderful, definitely a band I would love to see more of in 2008.
hydrahead.tortugarecordings.com/pelican

Neil Watts' Picks

Top 3 Albums of 2007

Idlewild - Make Another World
This album was something of a reward for the fans who sat through their quieter output in recent years. It marked a return to noisier territory, but was sprinkled with a more accessible level of maturity.
www.idlewild.co.uk

Kubichek! - Not Enough Night
Long overdue and thankfully well worth the wait. Agitated, angry and straight to the point.
www.kubichek.co.uk

Rolo Tomassi - Rolo Tomassi
(A little bit of a cheat as it is technically a reissue) Absolutely mental and not only blows away the cobwebs, but blows them up.
www.rolotomassi.tk

Top 3 Singles of 2007

Los Campesinos! - You! Me! Dancing!
After the slow, twisting start it couldn't have failed to be good. Yet the party it turned out to be was breathtaking.
www.loscampesinos.com

Tellison - Gallery
Like taking dozens of alt.rock bands, blindfolding them and spinning them around until they're giddy and fall over.
www.tellison.co.uk

Blood Red Shoes - It's Getting Boring By The Sea
Any one of their singles could have made this list, but this was like a splicing of all of them... only for someone to take a buzzsaw to it.
www.bloodredshoes.co.uk

Top 3 Live bands of 2007

Youthmovies
Even when crammed onto a tiny stage all of their twitching and jerking about created a marvellous, almost impossible noise over and over again.
www.myspace.com/youthmovies

iLiKETRAiNS
They sounded so much bigger than you could have imagined whilst bubbling with masses of dark intensity.
www.iliketrains.co.uk

And What Will Left Of Them?
Still causing a drunken and boisterous stir with bouncy, dirty garage indie.
www.myspace.com/awwblot
Click here for their review of 2007

Band to watch in 2008

Sky Larkin
They seemed to make steady progress last year with 'Molten' helping to make new friends and fans of their jubilant power indie pop. With any luck they'll carry on the good work in '08 and climb up the ladder to greater recognition.
www.myspace.com/skylarkinskylarkin

Readers' Picks
Being lovers of democracy and so on, we also gave you lovely people a chance to share your favourites of the year, and being the contrary buggers that you are, you all picked different bands, so rather than the poll we'd been anticipating, here are just a few of the comments and selections that you made:

Album of the Year
Broken Social Scence - 'Spirit If' (nominated by Chris)
It's a great album, Kevin Drew is a brave man at times in this album and his bravery works with wobberly voice and twisted song titles, I saw them live in Birmingham touring this album and the sound blow my mind away.

Caribou - 'Andorra' (nominated by Tom Morgan)
An amazing follow up to The Milk of Human Kindness, it leaves you feeling energised and actually what just went on the for the 40 minutes. So many interesting sounds with very soft and effective vocals.

Other Nominations
Emma Pollock - 'Watch the Fireworks'
Amy MacDonald - 'This Is The Life'
Andrew Bird - 'Armchair Apocrypha'

Single of the Year
To My Boy - Model (nominated by Alan Evans)
Perfect unashamed electro-pop. That's what singles are for.

Other Nominations
Johnny Foreigner - 'The End and Everything After'
Smashing Pumpkins - 'Doomsday Clock'
The Charlatans - 'You Cross My Path'
KT Tunstall - 'Saving My Face'

Live Act of the Year
PJ Harvey (nominated by Caz)
Reduced me to tears at her South Bank show - excellent performance!

Sunset Cinema Club (nominated by Chris)
Sunset Cinema Club are a little known band from the midlands but are excellent live. I've seen them play a lot in Birmingham, they play some of the most refreshing music I've heard for along time. It's punky, funky and fresh with good humour in their live performaces for good measure.

Other Nominations
Willy Mason
Okkervill River
Ocean Colour Scene

Band to Watch in 2008
Linear (nominated by Tom Morgan)
From the same city at The Enemy but 100 times better. They have great harmonies and very nice riffs. 1 great example is 'Think Cynic' which is as catchy as anything out at the moment and just need that little help up the ladder.

The Indelicates (nominated by Alan Evans)
They finally got signed, the album will come out to great acclaim, and they probably will make it to "the cover of the NME", whether Simon likes it or not.

Other Nominations
Like a Fox
State of Affairs