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Monthly Top 5 Albums - March 2010

March could be called my indie month. Sure, we witnessed SXSW, but let’s say that in my case, this proves the lack of good music from Bollywood after an excellent start of 2010. So this month, nothing from India here. We had some good singles but none of Housefull, Paathshaala, Hum Tum Aur Ghost, Love Sex Aur Dhokha, Well Done Abba or Lahore deserve being called ‘great albums’. Here we go.

Noah and The Whale - The First Day of Spring (2009)

This indie folk, post grunge band blew me away. I included them in my top albums of 2009 but I really gave them a true listen before heading for their concert this Wednesday in Bordeaux. Didn’t expect them to be so good on stage!

Broken Bells - Broken Bells (2010)

This is an epic first record for this new indie rock collaboration between producer Danger Mouse and James Mercer from The Shins. They secretly crafted these songs and spent a year perfecting it. Their debut single The High Road was an instant hit and now with the self-titled experimental album being out, I can say that it’s definitely one of the best of the year.

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (2010)

The British virtual band is back with a blast.  Boasting of guest appearances like Gruff Rhys, Bobby Womack, Mos Def, Lou Reed, Mick Jones, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and even Bruce Willis, they’re gaining general positive reviews. Let’s just say that even though I’ve gone through it a couple of times, Plastic Beach has been overshadowed by the Broken Bells in my case…

Megafaun -  Gather, Form & Fly (2009)

Just one morning of commute revisiting this record was enough for it to get back to my top 5. The bearded brutes of Megafaun have dealt well with silent folk pieces and loud chaotic pieces. Here’s another band I’d like to watch live.

Soul Kitchen - The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2010) 

In the mood for funk? That’s the exact thing to listen to right now. I was invited yesterday by my friend Gabriel to watch this movie by a Turkish-descent German director - I knew nothing of Fatih Akin before that - and now I want to dive into his filmography. That’s a really fast-paced comedy with an excellent compilation of funk classics. Highly recommended!

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