The Two Year Itch Part Five

Part five of my blogging birthday celebrations goes to the team over at [100b.com]. For some crazy reason, they once put me on a pedestal with Music For Robots and You Ain't No Picasso, which was probably the biggest compliment anyone's ever paid to me blog-wise. Which makes me all the more sad that their blog is so criminally underrated - go there now! They decided to each talk about their favourite British album of the last two years so now we have 3x the fun:

In a very special edition of 100best, Hangin’ Out In 100b dedicates our picks for the best British album of the past two years to Saam, and wishes Keep Hope Inside a very happy birthday indeed and many more years of great music to discover.

aDawgg
When in doubt go with the album that lived the most dangerous liaison with your music delivery system. The one that shook my bah-dompah-domp? 'Fantastic Playroom' from Mercury short-listers New Young Pony Club. Though similar to the better-known and mega-hyped CSS, New Young Pony Club are cut from a starker cloth. The result is tight nu rave and NYPC more than hold their own in a world governed by the music fashionistas. 'Ice Cream' represents the London-based band well and reached #40 in the UK charts last summer.

New Young Pony Club - 'Fantastic Playroom' (released 9th July 2007)
[New Young Pony Club MySpace]

NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB - ICE CREAM

Buy 'Fantastic Playroom' from [Piccadilly Records]

Bean
Here’s the simple truth: 'The Life Pursuit' is perfect. A little indie, a little pop, and a little glam with vivid stories about kooky characters in songs that will suit any occasion and every mood. Belle & Sebastian’s remarkable ability to combine a joyous sound and bubbling sense of humor with an underlying sense of longing gives 'The Life Pursuit' a unique depth. These songs somehow seem to change over time, and I hear something different in them each time I play them. This is the kind of album most bands will only dream about making one day.

Belle & Sebastian - 'The Life Pursuit' (released 6th Febuary 2006)
[Belle & Sebastian MySpace]

BELLE & SEBASTIAN - SUKIE IN THE GRAVEYARD

Buy 'The Life Pursuit' at [Roughtrade.com]

Tamboosh
This was tough but I "kept hope inside" - snort, my wit is sharper than a Hanzo sword - and at the end it came down to Brakes' last album and Lightspeed Champion's and Hot Club De Paris' debuts. My final choice shouldn't come as a surprise to 100b regulars. In my last post, I already celebrated their first record abundantly. Apparently, I'm a loyal fangirl; given the choice, I choose Brakes. Their second album's still thrilling and refreshing, but a bit more political and grown up, and is so bold to pose that age old question: Porcupine or pineapple?

Brakes - 'The Beatific Visions' (released 6th November 2006)
[Brakes MySpace]

BRAKES - PORCUPINE OR PINEAPPLE?

Buy 'The Beatific Visions' for under a fiver at [Play.com]