Albums in high rotation

OK. I'm kind of against the whole autistic boy thing of writing lists about the top 10 of everything so I am kinda conflicted on this blog. Nothing is really the best ever. It's always just stuff that you like a lot at any one time. So with that disclaimer here's my current top 10 CDs that are in heavy rotation with a bit of explanation about each one.

1. The Arcade Fire - Funeral. This is just a brilliant record. It sounds different to most of the stuff you hear on the radio at the moment. The arrangements are inventive and the lyrical content is very emotional. It's an album about death that reminds you of the best parts of life.

2. Sons & Daughters - The repulsion box. Angry, fast and gothic. Female fronted Nice Cave style darkness. Energetic. (Gossipy aside - while this band are all indie cred and cool I know that Scott, the guitarist is a qualified dentist so if no-one buys their records he does have a solid career to fall back on. Buy it anyway.)

3. Franz Ferdinand - you could have it so much better - On repeated listening I like this album more than the first one. Walk away is a beautiful song.

4. Bright Eyes - I'm wide awake, it's morning - Dylan-style protest songs. Good when I'm on the bus to work in the morning watching the neds fighting.

5. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Abattoir blues/The lyre of Orpheus. His best album. He sounds unbelievably happy on this one. I saw them live in Glasgow on this tour. I actually travelled up from Coventry just for this gig and it was amazing. Get ready for love and There she goes, my beautiful world are both masterpieces. The line about Johnny Thunders being half alive when he wrote Chinese Rocks makes me smile every time.

6. Missy Eliott - Under construction. Work it and Gossip Folks are just class. She has such a sexy voice. If she asked, I would give her children

7. Modest Mouse - Good news for people who like bad news. It has a song about Charles Bukowski - 'yeah I know he's a pretty good read but who would wanna be, who would wanna be such an asshole?' Lit-crit in a punk song.

8. Low - The great destroyer. Just sounds really nice. Should be chart-toppers

9. The Replacements - Hootenany - another of the great '80s band that have been ripped off by everyone. Ryan Adams owes them his career

10. Bonnie 'prince' billy - i see a darkness. Heartwarming songs about the crapness of life. Timeless voice. Johnny cash even covered one of these songs before he died.

Ok, this is going past a top 10

11. Teenage fanclub - Grand Prix. Cos Mellow Doubt is the greatest song every about unrequited love.

12. Love - Forever changes - The 3rd greatest album of the 60s? If you like Belle and Sebastian you must hear this.

13. Ryan Adams - heartbreaker - To be young (is to be sad, is to be high) is one of those perfect songs. It's in the film 'Wonder Boys'

14 . Pavement - Crooked rain, crooked rain. It's just different. Stop breathing is class.

Honourable mention. MIA - london based Sri Lankan hip hop. The singles are great but the album doesn't really cut it. One for the Ipod.

oh and Grace by Jeff Buckley is always worth a listen

So that's a list of favourites. It's not an ultimate top ten but all this stuff is worth hearing. Ask questions if you have any and tell me what y'all think

Dafunk