There have been some amazing albums over the last decade. Robert Plant and Alyson Krauss with 'Raising Sands' formed an unexpected but brilliantly tender treat. Arcade Fire came to prominence with their epic anthems. The Kings of Leon staked a worthy claim to band of the decade but after much deliberation three albums came to the top and I could not seperate them (no matter how hard I tried). In no particular order here they are...














Chick Willis is a blues magician, described by NME as 'the true savior of not just popular music but probably human culture as a whole'. Willis accompanies his twanging bluesy playing with his creepy but ultimately charming pleas to his back up singers to 'Stoop down baby....let your daddy see'. If these women are infact his daughters then he should be lauded for employing family members. Is there no heights to which he will not gracefully flutter?




Marvin Gayes place as the grand daddy of all sultry soul music had better be up for debate as this stormer of an album just ticked every box. All my mates are noe 'massaged'. What an album.




And no list would be complete without the tight denim hotpants of that Latino powerhouse, Tino. This was from his declining days, I think his second last album. But what it lacked in youthful exuberence it more than made up for in mature rhythms and insightful lyrics. The boy had turned to man and brought us along on his Latin journey of machismo. Medallions, hairy chests and tight denim hotpants were never the same.