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All the talk was about Chris Brown/Rihanna's absence but there were some great performances...vids and mp3 below...

Estelle & Kanye-American Boy, the crowd are so placid, but still good!

Al Green, Timberlake, Boyz II Men and Keith Urban-Lets Stay Together

JT is surprisingly awesome on this! although Al Green's voice outshines him
Radiohead-15 Step

Gwyneth is on it! Brilliant.
Coldplay & Jay-Z-Lost?/viva la vida.

So good! Always preferred the acoustic version and the Jay-Z version to the album version!
And saving the best 'til last...
M.I.A., Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne, Kanye West, T.I.-Paper Planes, Swagger Like Us

M.I.A. is such a legend, apparently her baby was due on the night! Such a wicked performance. Jay does best! Anyone else think T.I. looks a bit out of place? His verse is my favourite on the song, but he was worst on the night.

And here is the album version of the brilliant 15 step.
Radiohead-15 Step

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So i pussied out and couldnt choose a no.1 but these are my top 10.





loads almost made it....

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Fernando Torres scores the winner as Spain beat Germany to lift Euro 2008.

1. Coldplay-Viva La Vida/Lil' Wayne-Tha Carter 3
Both albums are amazing in very different ways, inseparable.
Beginning with Coldplay, their 4th album marked a welcome return to form for the band, after the disappointment of X and Y (still a great album). this album proper restored my faith in them, a return to more of the sounds of parachutes and a rush of blood but with an added of boost of african and latin american influence, big guitar and arena filling tunes. Viva La Vida is the most uplifting (musically) song of the year, strawberry swing is chilled ryhtmic beuaty that coldplay seem to create so easily and so well, and my favourite song (lovers in Japan) is a brilliant driving ryhtm oddly tagged together with the lovely piano track reign of love. Not sure what the band were thinking with the couple of tracks that are attached together, its a bit Justin Timberlake...The album is seriously special though, Chris Martin seems to have the knack for writing sentimental yet poignant songs, I hope he can continue long past the next album (when he claims the band will split...as if...)
Metacritic (72)
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Joint top is the best hip-hop album of the year, Tha Carter 3. I used to hate lil' Wayne. His southern drawl just seemed messy to me, I had only heard a few featureds (and lollipop), and I couldnt understand the hype surrounding him. I decided to give Tha Carter 3 a go though. It is amazing. To me, Weezy's Southern lazy drawl is now a brilliant voice, and his lyrics although sometimes messy are brilliant, mixing hilarity with the odd soft moment. Its so impressive how consistent this album is (i love every song until lala-track 13, except got your money). My highlights are mr carter, comfortable and dr carter. Mr Carter has been billed as a "handing over the baton" moment from GOD MC to the new "best rapper alive" but weezy does have a way to go before matching Jay-Z, comfortable is so sweeet, the subtle sampling of "you dont know my name" is so brilliant (credit to Kanye) and of course Dwayne kills it. Dr Carter is then a lessen from Weezy in how to be a rapper, its big. A Milli is an absolute beast, as is 3 peat. the two slow tracks "tie my hands" and "mrs officer" are fantastic for different reasons, one about the impact of Hurricane Katrine on New Orleans...and the other about hot policewomen. love the consistent shout outs to Andre 3K on this album as well. 1 million sales in the US in its first week, need i say more? oh and 50 cent doesnt like him, so that just adds to his appeal.
Best track: Lil' Wayne-Comfortable feat. Baby Face
A Milli Freestyles:
Jay-Z
Chris Brown
Ne-Yo ("your girlfriends favourite song is mine", merks it)
There are loads more on youtube.
Metacritic (82)

3. Fleet Foxes-Fleet Foxes
Only narrowly missing out on a 3 way tie for album of the month, my words cant quite describe how good this album is...so (as it was their album of the year..)
"The lyrics are non-narrative but vivid nonetheless. See the way the Fleet Foxes refrain "and Michael you would fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries in summertime" plunges you into the stunning guitar-and-voice counterpoint that blows "White Winter Hymnal" wide open. Lead singer Robin Pecknold has a strong, clear voice and knows when to let fly with a drawn-out, impassioned bellow and when to withdraw into the shelter of his bandmates' harmonies. The group shares his sense of dynamics, and Fleet Foxes flows like a river, wild and free but logical, filling what needs to be filled and moving on" PITCHFORK
Also gave me one of the best gigs of the year, stunning performance!
Best track: Fleet Foxes-Ragged Wood
Metacritic (87)
4. N*E*R*D-Seeing Sounds
I hyped myself up so much for this album after Everyone Nose came out and Spaz leaked, so I was pretty disappointed with the 3rd effort from Pharrell's band. In Search Of is a great album, but Fly or Die has about 3 good songs on and this is much the same. Pharrell really isnt a very good lyricist and the band have always relied on his singing and Neptunes production, but this isnt even very well produced. I am very excited about a future CRS album, the Everyone Nose remix they did is awesome, but not sure if NERD will make another album, and the way they are going it wont be much of a shame.
Best track:
N*E*R*D-Spaz
Bonus:
N*E*R*D-Everyone Nose (Douster Remix)
Honourable Mentions:
Dirty Pretty Things-Romance at Short Notice
I can see why the band split up, their second effort is far from Waterloo to Anywhere (a really good album). Carl Barat was always the weaker Libertines lyricist and you can really tell on this album. Its pretty dreary and generally boring. Tired of England is a great song, they can clearly work the trumpet intros lol. Wonder what Carl's gonna do now....
Dirty Pretty Things-Tired of England
Feeder-Silent Cry
Haven't listened to this enough to judge, but it seems fairly good. No stand out tracks in particular, but Miss You is pretty good.
Feeder-Miss You
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The Good, The Amazing and The Cheeeeese below

Death Cab For Cutie-Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Mariah Carey-All i want for Christmas
Ron Sexsmith-Maybe this Christmas
Wham-Last Christmas
Coldplay-Have yourself a Merry little Christmas
Low-Just like christmas
Bing Crosby-White Christmas
Mel&Kim-Rockin' Around the Christmas Time
East 17-Stay Another Day
The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl-Fairytale of New York
Chris Rea-Driving Home For Christmas
Otis Redding-White Christmas

im not even in a Christmassy mood, i think i've grown out of Christmas, bad times....


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Coldplay were amazing on Saturday. First date on the UK arena tour, so so goood! Check out this budding young journalist/sociology student/waste Sean's review on his blog here download new song "glass of water" from their recent ep "prospekts march" by clicking below...

Coldplay-Glass of Water

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links are getting taken down pretty quickly, considering half of these songs were being given away free from their website...anyways here is a round up of what we have so far from the new coldplay album, released in the UK on the 12th of June, im pretty excited. The Violet Hill video is pretty special.

1. "Life in Technicolor"
2. "Cemeteries of London"
3. "Lost! (acoustic version)"
4. "42"
5. "Lovers in Japan"/"Reign of Love"
6. "Yes"/"Chinese Sleep Chant"
7. "Viva La Vida"
   
8. "Violet Hill"
   
9. "Strawberry Swing"
10. "Death and All His Friends"/"The Escapist"

and bside
Coldplay-A Spell A Rebel Yell
also, they are set to tour the UK in December (arenas of course), i really hope they come to Sheffield, although i will definitely travel to Manchester if not!!
and i thought i'd post a lovely live version of one of my favourtie Coldplay tracks, warning sign
Coldplay-Warning Sign (Live Acoustic)
*edit*
for fucks sake!! links came down in 26 hours, that was quick. well they are going back up; one is a live recording, one is a bside you could only get if you bought the nme (and that was on vinyl), one is another bside, 2 are tracks that were given away FREE on coldplays website.
incidentally, they announced a UK tour today which has made me (but not my bank balance) very happy, tickets on sale friday at half 9, dates here
ok hotlinkfiles is being a twat, but ill get them back up by 10 tonight, thats a promise!
mediafire links im afraid, but they're working
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The first single off the 4th album is being given away for free on Coldplay's website. If you cant be bothered to get it there, download it here. Its definitely worth it, i cant wait for this album, out mid june!
Coldplay-Violet Hill
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