Listwatch

Blogwatch has stuffed itself stupid and briefly gone into hibernation over the festive season, to be replaced by Listwatch. As I myself deliberate over Sonic Youth and Sons & Daughters, The Fiery Furnaces and Franz Ferdinand, in preparation for publishing the SWSL End-Of-Year music lists (hey, who said us bloggers take ourselves too seriously?), it's good to see others have beaten me to the punch...

Stylus: Top 40 Singles
Auspicious Fish: Top 40 Albums and Top 40 Singles
Largehearted Boy: Top XI albums
No Matter What You Heard: Kevin Gregorious's Top 10 Albums (and the Honourable Mentions)
Underground Base Of An Evil Genius: Top 10 Singles

I think it's fair to say that The Arcade Fire's debut LP Funeral, much lauded across the pond, is one of those releases that's passed us Brits by. Perhaps it's a ticking time-bomb that'll blow up over here in 2005. (Click here to read a review of their recent Denver gig written by Marnie Christenson of Deviated Septum.)