European Me

Never let it be said that the Velvet Owl blog is not value for money. Here's our third, best of 2011 list, this time courtesy of our French correspondent, Cedric Besnard. And all in time for those last-minute stocking filler ideas.

1  – Metronomy - The English Riviera

2  – Destroyer - Kaputt

3 -  Wild Beasts - Smother

4 -  Lykke Li - Wounder Rhymes

5  – Baxter Dury - Happy Soup

6  – Jonathan Wilson - Gentle Spirit

7  – Wilco - The Whole Love

8  – Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

9 – Cults - Cults

10 – Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls

11 – Conan Mockasin - Forever Dolphin Love

12 –The Horrors - Skying

13 – Still Corners - Creatures of an hour

14 -  Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital

15 – James Blake - James Blake

16 – Tennis - Cape Dory

17 – The Drums - Portamento

18 – My Morning Jacket - Circuital

19 – Ducktails - III : Arcade Dynamics

20 – Craft Spells - Idle Labor

21 – Smith Westerns - Dye it Blonde

22 – Yuck - Yuck

23 – Papercuts - Fading Parade

24 – The Black Keys - El Camino

25 – Miles Kane - Colour of the Trap

Velvet Owl Best Albums 2011

Having celebrated our 1st birthday, seen the launch of the Norwich Velvet Owl and sang, danced and stroked our beards at some fine gigs, it's now that time of year when I ask the Collective to list the five albums that have been regular bedfellows with their record player. From shoegaze revivalists to the return of Americana's prodigal son, 2011 has thrown out some cracking new records to help comfort us during these dark and foreboding economic times.

1. Yuck – Yuck
2. Metronomy – The English Riviera
3. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
4. My Morning Jacket – Circuital
5. The Low Anthem – Smart Flesh
6. Ryan Adams – Ashes and Fire
7. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
8. Gruff Rhys – Hotel Shampoo
9. Wild Beasts – Smother
10. Other Lives – Tamer Animals
11. The Antlers – Burst Apart
12. Okkervil River – I am Very Far
13. The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow
14. Lykki Li – Wounded Rhymes
15. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know
16. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
17. King Creosote & John Hopkins – Diamond Mine
18. Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi
19. Young the Giant – Young the Giant
20.  White Denim - D

Album Festival - 2011

With the current trend for bands to perform live an album in its entirety and as this blog is about live music here is my fictitious album festival line-up for 2011. Hope you agree with some of it but hopefully disagree with more of it.

Sammy