Bawley (Hearts) 2010: Top 3 Concerts of the Year: Hummer

This year I missed both the European and Australian summers which (as well as leaving me with the whitest skin I have had in my life) means I also missed the chance to see a lot of touring bands in 2010.

I saw too few shows to produce a Top 5, but a few of the live acts I did see stood out from the rest. Here is my Top 3 concerts of 2010:

3. LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip, Horden Pavilion, Sydney, 26/07/2010

The LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip show delivered everything it promised and more. Hot Chip called the otherwise absent Joe Goddard in via video conference to recreate the highlights of their brilliant One Life Stand album. LCD Soundsystem again proved that they are the best live dance band, with the best songs. (full review)

2. Whitley, The Maram, Erindale, 18/08/2010

One of the best but also one of the strangest shows I attended all year, Whitley's final ever Canberra show was full of beautifully depressed songs, artist audience clashes and suicidal ramblings.

"this one is about suicide" (full review)

1. Band of Horses, Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 29/07/2010

A serious stomach bug kept me from seeing Band of Horses at Glastonbury in 2008, two years to the day later I have my first chance to see the hirsute band in action. The band's huge set stamps along at a great pace, new songs stand their own, but it was seeing this band play There Is A Ghost, The Funeral, and Ode To LRC that made tonight worth the two year wait. (full review)

Bawley (Hearts) 2010: Bottom 5 album covers of the Year

So many bad album covers this year, Devo and Brian Ferry went for glamor mag gloss, Yeasayer had some kind of brain seizure, Kings of Leon explored phallic island and Kanye West showed us way more than we ever wanted to see. Still nothing was worse than these my Bottom 5 album covers of the year.

5. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (II)

The CD sleeve notes state that the album cover is a photo of X Tecumseh Clark taken by his father, avant-garde composer and poet Todd Tamanend Clark.

Yep about as interesting as it sounds.

4. Deftones - Diamond Eyes

Sadly this is not the soundtrack to Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole.

3. Band of Horses - Infinite Arms

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2. MGMT - Congratulations

MGMT do what Nintendon't - pitchfork media

This scratch and sniff disaster was my early favourite for worst album cover of the year. Who could of thought that worse was still to come.

1. M.I.A. - /\/\ /\ Y /\

The cover art on M.I.A.'s /\/\ /\ Y /\ is a bigger disaster than the album itself. The YouTube progress bars had been outdated before this album was released, the Tetris brick walls are horrible and can anybody tell me why MIA has spelt her name out in gold bullion?

One part hilarious ten parts hideous , congratulations to M.I.A.; runaway winner for 2010's worst cover album art.

Live Review: Band of Horses, Enmore Theatre, Sydney, 29/07/2010

Back in Sydney for another Splendor side show, tonight: Band of Horses at the Enmore.

I find my seat just as support band Gentlemen of Fortune come on stage. Made up of members of The Drones, Gin Club and Dallas Crane; Gentlemen of Fortune play blusey country rock which for me is a little boring. So I go back into the bar and grab an over priced can of VB.

Tonight I am seated in The Enmore lounge area, directly above the stage, the view is perfect. However as is always the way when seated I find it can be difficult for the live energy to reach me.

I stamp my way though Band of Horses' opener The Great Salt Lake before being blown back into my chair by how huge Is There a Ghost sounds live. No concerns tonight the live energy has certainly made it all the to my seat.

The Band of Horses' sound is rugged, American and beardy, this imagery is compounded by a video montage that is being projected behind the stage showing: big skies, large American landscapes, music festivals, long roads, beards, tattoos and snow capped mountains.

I am not a fan of the bands latest album, but find that the new songs stand up well in the live setting. NW Apt, Complements and Laredo are highlights even.

After rolling along at a rock'n pace for 40 minutes or so the show slows right down, Marry Song and Detlef Schrempf give the band a chance to take a breath and everyone else an opportunity to wave their lighters/phones in the air - some things never get old.

Cigarettes, Wedding Bands and Ode To LRC have the whole room grooving again before the main set is brought to a close with a huge sign-along version of the The Funeral, still the bands best song.

Back for a short encore Band of Horses play the beautiful No One Is Gonna Love You (a song with great personal memories for me) and finish with a cover of Am I A Good Man by Them Two.

I missed Band of Horses on their 2008 Australian tour and after having a violent stomach bug deny me the chance to see them at Glastonbury I had a lot of expectations for this show, it exceeded every one of them.

Live Review: Band Of Horses, Sydney Metro, 05/07/08

Can we add horses to the list of hairy animals that Bawley (hearts)?

The contrast against Vampire Weekend the previous night couldn't have been more apparent. Tonight was about Proper Rock Done Properly. Onstage, It was all beards, check shirts, flouting of anti-smoking legislation, and a full four guitarists. It could have been the 1970's. Band Of Horses' brand of reverb drenched folk rock is nothing new or clever, but it sounded great, right from opener 'Is There A Ghost' to the end, in a set that took in all the best bits from both their albums and a couple of spectacular cover versions - JJ Cale's 'Thirteen Days', and - a set highlight - a brilliant version of Them Two's 'Am I A Good Man'.

Lead singer and chief beard wearer Ben Bridwell was on fine form, charming, charismatic and with a remarkable voice that would keep your flat warm, and the band knew exactly what the crowd wanted. No extended guitar jams or - God forbid - drum solos that are all to often a symptom of this particular genre - the songs were tight, focused and thoroughly enjoyable. But don't take our word for it - enjoy these two Bawley exclusive camera phone clips:

(most of) 'No One's Gonna Love You':

(a bit of) 'Islands On The Coast':