#10 Red Hot Chili Peppers Day

Classic Album



Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

For the Classic Album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers it was between 1999s Californication and 1991s Blood Sugar Sex Magic and in the end I went for Californication on the basis that it is the better as a whole in my opinion whereas BSSM has better singles. Californication boasts the title track as well as other singles Scar Tissue and Otherside. On the whole this is a very mellow Chilis album led by John Frusciante's guitar. It is an essential for any collection

2016 Album



Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Getaway

This new album from the Chilis is the best I have heard from them since the 2nd departure of John Frusciante. The first Single Dark Necessities was an instant classic that I have barely stopped listening to since it came out and the title track, The Getaway isn't half bad either. This is definitely up there with my favourite albums of the year to date, not quite to the standard of Californication but well worth a listen.

Ant's Random Recommendation



Red Hot Chili Peppers - By The Way

This was the first album I bought by the band back in 2002 and it made them at that time my favourite band and led me to trawling through their back catalogues and finding the other gems. By The Way is the stand out track from this album but a number of singles such as the Zephyr Song and Can't Stop make this a good listen. I am also very fond of album track On Mercury.

Other Red Hot Chili Peppers Recommendations would be Blood Sugar Sex Magic (1991) & Mother's Milk (1989). I haven't listened to much of their very early stuff but from what I hear it is funky

#9 The Cure, LUH, Johnny Flynn

Classic Album



The Cure - The Head on the Door

This was the first album by The Cure to really break into the popular market, reaching number 7 in the UK charts despite it being their 6th album. The big songs that came from this album were In Between Days and Close To Me. Like many other bands of this era it appears that many of their singles weren't released as part of an album so again a greatest hits might be a good choice.

2016 Album

LUH - Spiritual Songs for Lovers to Sing

Now at the time of writing this, LUH's album is my favourite of 2016 so far. It is very pretentious guitar led indie. LUH is the offspring of WU LYF, another equally pretentious band who collapsed after only releasing one album back in 2011 and so I don't hold out much hope for this band to be a long lasting project especially as the lead vocalists are boyfriend and girlfriend which is always dangerous. The lead male voice is very distinctive and has a Marmite quality so it may be that this isn't everyone's top pick.

Ant's Random Recommendation



Johnny Flynn - A Larum

Another acoustic wonder in my recommendations. Johnny Flynn  is a beautiful lyricist and a good guitarist and has produced a number of fine albums but this was his debut and to my mind his best. It has a slight country feel but is definitely very British. This is another album which I fins it hard to mention a few top picks as they are all so good but if I had to I would mention Tickle me Pink and The Box. Flynn is also an aspiring actor and was in a terrible E4 comedy called 'Scrotal Recall'

#8 N.W.A., The Avalanches, Patrick Wolf

Classic Album



N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton

I have not seen the highly acclaimed film based around the making of this 1988 album but have only heard great things. This was the first great rap album. It saw the rap genre come out from its pirate radio routes and into the mainstream. Differing from modern American rap it is very deep and meaningful with Dre, Ice Cube and the others telling of life in the California ghetto. You may well remember Express Yourself from the Tony Hawks game.

2016 Album



The Avalanches - Wildflower

I didn't know this band were Australian until researching just now. Perfect for you then! This is not really my kind of music, kind of hip hop, electronic fusion stuff but I imagine this is right up your street. Its got the quirkiness of a Mr. Scruff. I listened a couple of times to the lead single Frankie Sinatra which was ok but yeah not my favourite.

Ant's Random Recommendation



Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position

Patrick Wolf is as camp as he is clearly talented, the multi-instrumentalist has been on the scene for many many years and 2007's The Magic Position was his third studio album. It is without doubt his most commercially successful with songs such as the Magic Position, Accident and Emergency and Bluebells full of camp pop wonder. Each album he has done though has offered something different with the earlier edgy numbers to the more recent full on cabaret. Patrick Wolf provided one of the best festival performances I have ever seen at 2007's Electric Gardens.