VARIOUS ARTISTS / Under the Influence of Alice: Music Inspired by the Classic Tale (2010)

Twelve songs that have Lewis Carroll's classic children's story as an influence. It turns out that's all they have in common. It flits from Indie to Folk to Pop to Alternative to Psychedelic and back again. Not everyone has such eclectic tastes, so it's a hard sell, even on paper. It's the kind of compilation only really good for introducing the listener to new artists. Once it's achieved that, or failed at the same, it becomes nothing but a box on a shelf collecting dust. Be a good chap and pass it on to someone else when you're done with it, eh?

Songs of Note: Jefferson Airplane: White Rabbit; The Incredible String Band: The Mad Hatter's Song

2 bunnies on 'shrooms out of 5

CUCKOO'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2011

People keep saying new music is crap but I don't believe it. Out of the 50 albums or so that I reviewed this year, I can honestly say I'd recommend atleast 80% of them which is pretty good. Granted I did do some digging to find some of this stuff...but it's worth it when you find it.

It wasn't that tough a decision to narrow down my top 10 seeing as I awarded only 10 albums with 5 "stars".

(click on the names for the mini-reviews)

10. BLUE SKY BLACK DEATH / Noir

9. THE CURE / Bestival Live 2011

8. PJ HARVEY / Let England Shake

7. THE WAR ON DRUGS / Slave Ambient

6. VESPERTINA / The Waiting Wolf

5. TOM WAITS / Bad As Me

4. ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD / Knife Man

3. LYDIA LOVELESS / Indestructible Machine

2. LYKKE LI / Wounded Rhymes

1. FRANK TURNER / England Keep My Bones


Some honorable mentions go to:

BANG DATA / Maldito Carnaval
BLINK-182 / Neighborhoods
DIRTY BEACHES / Badlands
DOOMTREE / No Kings
DUM DUM GIRLS / Only In Dreams
DAVID LYNCH / Crazy Clown Time
JEFF MARTIN 777 / The Ground Cries Out
PUSCIFER / Conditions Of My Parole
ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS / Songs Of Man
VARIOUS ARTISTS / Drive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

THE CURE / Bestival Live 2011 [2011]

Recorded at the 4 day music festival, Bestival on The Isle Of Wight in England, The Cure release their first live album since 1993's Show/Play.
Covering the entire 35 year career Bestival Live 2011 is the ultimate live album for fans of the band. Clocking in at nearly 2½ hours, this double disc album might be a bit much for the casual listener but isn't quite enough for the hardcore fan, as it misses out on a song here and a song there...but you can't please 'em all, can you?
With near-perfect sound quality and a massive set-list, Bestival Live 2011 perfectly captures this legendary group at the top of their game in a live setting.

5 Roger O'Donnell is BACK! out of 5

Songs Of Note: Jumping Someone Else's Train; Killing Another