9. Savages - Silence Yourself
Savages are different. They're a forceful four-piece with a manifesto. For live gigs they request you not to use your mobile phones as it "prevents all of us from totally immersing ourselves", and rightly so, as I won't be the only one who is sick of the sea of smartphones and lack of human interaction at gigs. Silence Yourself is a smart, confident and arresting debut from the London-via-France quartet and has received nominations from BBC's Sound of 2013, along with a Mercury Prize nod. But it's that angry rawness of French lead singer Jehnny Beth who embodies Patti Smith, Siouxsie Sioux and PJ Harvey in a voice that is as whimsical as nails being dragged down a blackboard, but in an addictive and evocative way. The record is a catalogue revival of organic post-punk circa Gang of Four 1978, held together by poignant, zeitgeist lyrics in songs like Shut Up, which sums up the band's wish for some clarity and focus in this crazy world where conflicting voices in society are constantly dictating what we should do, think, feel and say. Real life no longer has any appeal. But Savages are a band to change all that. Strife and Dead Nature are unapologetic and brutal while the curveball Waiting For A Sign demonstrates that even slow and sultry can still be kick-ass. Silence Yourself is a bombardment of the senses and a massive debut from a band who've only just got started.