Subba's top albums of the year are here
http://www.subba-cultcha.com/top-subba.php

Writers choice
http://www.subba-cultcha.com/top-writers.php

Mine are actually 6-10 as we were asked to vote for the best and then nominate some less obvious choices. My top five would be Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Elbow, Vampire Weekend and Death Cab for Cutie.


1. Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line (V2): Friends of vampire Weekend deliver a requiem for a lost friend. A heartfelt piece of string driven beauty.

2. Hot Club De Paris - Live At Deadlake (Universal): Liverpool's hottest export muse on ghosts, bricks and sparrows.

3. The Wedding Present - El-Rey (Pinnacle): The seventh album from the indie godfathers. More fabulous tales of doomed love from the king of the broken-hearted.

4. Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off Lavender Bridge (Domino): Ex Test Icicles Dev swaps crossover thrash punk for folksy orchestral Americana with an edge care of Brighteyes producer

5. The Envy Corps - Dwell (Mercury): Iowan band sound like an orchestra playing at a ceilidh. These luscious musical pastures are momentarily life changing.

FEATURE - Ra Ra Riot
Subba talks to Rebecca from Ra Ra Riot, a top tip for 2009 about their beautiful debut album, touring with Vampire Weekend and soaking in an Icelandic lagoon

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_feature.php?id=5828

LIVE
Rough Trade 30th Anniversary, Academy - Manchester
30th November
Looking rough at thirty - Jarvis celebrates legendary label's anniversary

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_live.php?id=5529

Wave Machines, St Brides Church - Liverpool
29th November 2008
Wave If You're Really There - Liverpool's masked art-rockers perform electo pop in a church.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_live.php?id=5534

film review

Of Time and the City
Terence Davies
A love song and eulogy to Liverpool in its city of culture year

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_dvd.php?id=5441

album reviews

Pavement - 'Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition'
A leisure suit is nothing to proud of in this late century.
It's the gospel according to Malkmus!

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8833


Cabaret Voltaire - 'Kora! Kora! Kora!: The Cabaret Voltaire Versions '
Influential industrial post punks remix Maori dub and make it nag nag nag.


http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8843

The Lines - Flood Bank
Unearthed eighties punk-funk band like A certain Ratio in a state of melancholic confusion.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8853

Baikonour - 'Your Ear Knows Future'

Proggy Poptronica to make your mind drift into space. A Tubular Bells for the twenty first century.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8857

live reviews

Clinic
The Deaf Institute - Manchester
Liverpool's musical surgeons get their knives out at The Deaf Institute.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_live.php?id=5524

Youthmovies / Adam Gnade Barfly - Liverpool
Holy shit it's woodsman Adam Gnade and Foals stable mates Youthmovies with honey slides for your delight.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_live.php?id=5522

DVD/FILM REVIEW

Get Smart: The Complete Series Boxset - Proof that comedy dates comes care of Mel Brooks' sixties spoof spy series.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_dvd.php?id=5433

ALBUM REVIEWS

Eskimo Joe - Black Fingernails Red Wine - Australia's double platinum selling indie rockers go all dark on you

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8813

V/A - Digital Northerner 4 - Download label sampler of down and dirty electro, sex punk and disco funk

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8818

Kellarissa – Flamingo - Vancouver songstress puts the drama in ethereal electro pop

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8827

ALBUM REVIEWS

Danielson - Trying Hartz
Gospel indie with a hint a joycore from New Jersey's answer to Captain Beefheart, now pass me a tambourine.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8764

Various Artists - Twilight OST
Vampire film soundtrack eschews the teen angst and provides pointers for non-navel gazers.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8772

Tom Allalone & The 78s - 'Major Sins: Part 1'
Gravesend's Rockabilly rebels confess their sins

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8790

FEATURE
Giant Sand - Subba talks to elder statesman of alt-country Howe Gelb about Tucson's musical family tree, books, films and the sonic soup that is Giant Sand.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_feature.php?id=5802

LIVE
Vampire Weekend / Ra Ra Riot @ Carling Academy, Liverpool - An Ivy League start to Liverpool Music Week comprises Upper West Side Soweto and string driven beauty.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_live.php?id=5499

Fleet Foxes @ Nottingham Trent University - Robotripping in the midlands; Fleet Foxes recreate their white winter hymnals for a captive audience.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_live.php?id=5500

ALBUMS

Megapuss – Surfing - Devendra and his mates get naked for a California-style tambourine jam

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8720

FEATURE
Liverpool Music Week 2008
Subba reports on the City of Culture's winter festival Liverpool Music Week and talks to local up and comers Voo

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_feature.php?id=5795

LIVE
Elbow - Liverpool University
Mercury Prize Winners play to the seldom seen kids in the City of Culture

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_live.php?id=5492

ALBUMS
Haunts - Haunts
London's burning and its not a pretty sight, like The Horrors meets Hard Fi

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8679

Elika - 'Trying Got Us Nowhere'
Shoe-tronica from Brooklyn duo

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8712

DVD
Benidorm: Series 2
Less Phoenix Nights and more El Dorado - Beni's residents are back For more sun fuelled karaoke and arm wrestling

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_dvd.php?id=5416

LIVE

Jose Gonzales / Horse Feathers @ Carling Academy, Liverpool - Gorgeous autumnal lo-fi from folk troubadours proves that quiet is the new loud.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_live.php?id=5484

DVD

Gavin and Stacey: series 2
What's occurring? I wont lie to you; it's series two of the BAFTA award winning star-crossed lovers rom-com' - tidy!

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_dvd.php?id=5397

ALBUM

V/A - Optimo Sleepwalk - An eclectic listening meadow from Glasgow's legendary club.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8662

FEATURE
The Little Ones - Subba talks to Californian indie folksters The Little Ones about being named after dogs, the LA sunshine and opening for The Kaiser Chiefs.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_feature.php?id=5779

DVD/FILM
Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo - The first cinematic airing for Domino's favourite sons, live in Manchester

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_dvd.php?id=5390

ALBUMS

Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid – NYC - Impressionistic textural soundscapes from electro-jazz duo who are in a New York state of mind

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8594

Pontiak - Sun On Sun - Portentuous rock from The Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8596

AU – Verbs - Blissout and bombast from Portland Oregon

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8615

and one from earlier that I somehow forgot about

FEATURE

The Walkmen - Subba talks to The Walkmen's bassist and organ player Walt Martin about vintage musical instruments, Leonard Cohen and jumping into the Mississippi.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_feature.php?id=5726

FEATURE
In The City

Subba looks at Manchester's In The City festival, ska radio favourites Kid British and talks to up and coming band Orchids about their indie country rock and roll sound, Clint Boon, appearing on TV and supporting the Pigeon Detectives.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_feature.php?id=5767

DVD
Ironman - Starring Robert Downey Jr.
, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow
Directed by Jon Favreau
In a career defining performance Robert Downey Jr gives the man in the iron mask a face.
SUBBA RELEASE OF THE WEEK

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_dvd.php?id=5382

ALBUMS
The Dears - Missiles
Montreal's indie rock statesman return with more orchestral pop noir

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8529

Chairlift - 'Does You Inspire You'
They tried to do handstands for you. Friends of Yeasayer and MGMT celebrate their love of pencils.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8535

Psapp - 'The Camel's Back'
Toytronica meets melody from London duo known for the theme to Greys Anatomy - An avant-garde oddity with mass appeal.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8537

Fatboy Slim
'You've Come a Long Way Baby: 10th Anniversary Edition'
Brighton's King of Big Beat re-releases seminal album a decade on

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8541

Peter Broderick - Home
Oregon's loss is Denmark's gain - Lo-fi organic folk like Jose Gonzales meets Fleet Foxes.
SUBBA RELEASE OF THE WEEK

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8544

Slipstream - Mantra
Ex spiritualized spacemen from Northampton with ambient electro space-rock.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8564

FEATURES

Attic Lights - Subba talks to Attic Lights about deep fried mars bars, the Electric Light Orchestra, town vs country and getting knocked out on tour.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_feature.php?id=5749

Eugene McGuinness - Fine Art's loss is music's gain as Subba Cultcha talks to the Domino's new hyperactive kid about insomnia, fear of boredom and being crap at painting.


http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_feature.php?id=5751

ALBUMS

Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 - Rare and unreleased later work from Mr Zimmerman is a dark interpretation of the musical and physical landscape of America.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8483

Peter, Bjorn & John - Seaside Rock - Writer's block perhaps for the Swedes with a confusing album that sees them ditch the whistling.

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8487

Adam Donen and The Drought - As Our Parents Slowly Turn to Clay - Epitaph of music and poetry from reclusive character

http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8522