TTTT - Trotter's Top Ten Tease

Oh hindsight is a wonderful thang.  Ahead of this year's Trotter's Top Tens I thought I'd right a couple of wrongs in the way of a single and an album from last year that I hopped on board too late to include in the 2010 list oh so long ago.  Truth be told they'd have both easily made the Tens this year if only they didn't have last year's date printed on them.

First, album-wise, 'The Fool' by Warpaint, a much-touted long player from a 'next big thing' whose hype as a new 'Hole', if I'm honest, put me off them all year until I saw them on the box playing their best song at Glastonbury. 'Undertow' builds slowly and seductively and shows off just how in sync they are both in terms of wonderful harmonies and great instrumentation.  The album couldn't be further from the ascerbic rock of Courtney Love's outfit at its peak, instead having more in common at times with the likes of My Bloody Valentine - all layered guitar and vocal wanderings.  They developed this further with their EP from earlier this year which was then added to reissued versions of 'The Fool'.  A classic case of remembering not to believe everything you read.

Look at Warpaint 'Undertow' @Glasto2011 ; 'Billie Holiday (Rough Trade Sessions)'

Next, a single that in a parallel universe would have been my best single of 2010 and sums up those heady (few) days of summer to a tee.  I'd obviously not heard it enough last year for it to become an earworm, but the release of their debut album this year pushed their signature track back onto the airwaves and well into my brain.  It also helped that they absolutely stole the show at Pulp's Wireless Festival day in Hyde Park, surpassing my expectations by how spot on they sounded live.  An absolute joyous blast of sunshine with an insanely catchy chorus and crescendo to end all crescendos, give The Naked and Famous 'Young Blood' a well-deserved hearing.

And now back to 2011...