The 69 Eyes have been a regular presence as always through the decade just gone with three good albums - "X" was followed by 2016's "Universal Monsters" and this year's "West End" which were both solid efforts as well. This one though edges it as their best with the likes of "Borderline" and "Black" providing the swoon while "Love Runs Away" and "Tonight" brought the rock to the equation. Thirty years into their career they may be but this band still pack a hell of a punch.
29. FRANK TURNER - "England Keep My Bones" (2011)
Frank has been a busy man over the last decade with no less than five albums under his belt. "England Keep My Bones" narrowly edges out 2018's excellent "Be More Kind" as his best though with the likes of "I Still Believe" and "Glory Hallelujah" being wry but fierce looks at organised religion and the quite lovely "Peggy Sang The Blues" dealing with a loved one's death. This was Turner at his most human and tuneful and definitely one of Frank's strongest.
28. VINCE RAY & THE BONESHAKERS - "The Sound Of Sex And Horror" (2011) (Review here)
It all seems to have gone a bit quiet with the Boneshakers since this album but "The Sound Of Sex And Horror" was a worthy follow-up to the gleefully scuzzy psychobilly albums they put out in the noughties, packed to the gills with tight-as-you-like sleazeball snarlers like "Jailhouse Spock" and "Hot Rod Boogie", all topped off with Ray's demented cackle. If the Boneshakers truly are no more then the world is a sadder place for their passing.
27. IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC - "Honk Machine" (2015) (Review here)
This one took pretty much everybody by surprise. After the dissolution of the Hellacopters following 2010's underwhelming "Head Off", Nicke Andersson/Nick Royale formed Imperial State Electric and, on the evidence of their first three albums they looked like a solid bunch. However, "Honk Machine" well and truly saw them raising their game with forages into glam rock, power-pop and even gospel. Unfortunately, they would only last for one more album, 2016's "All Through The Night" before Andersson left to reform the Hellacopters but still, this wasn't a bad legacy to leave behind after all.
26. JONNY COLA & THE A-GRADES - "Spitfire" (2013) (Review here)
Ah man. If ever there was a band that should've ended the decade as world-conquerors... Jonny Cola and the A-Grades first came on to our radar around the turn of the decade with the "In Debt" album which melded the gleefully sleazy raunch of early Suede with elements of everything from synth-rock to power-pop but with the follow-up "Spitfire", they took things up one notch further with excursions into surf-rock ("Tropical Beach"), '70s glam ("In The Woods", "Blow Up") and even what could almost have been a film noir soundtrack ("Straight To Video"). Then just when it seemed they were poised to break through, they split up with various members going on to Desperate Journalist, the Speedways and Medium Wave. Listen to this album and ponder what might have happened if only...
25. SHUSH - "Soundtrack Of My Life" (2010)
Most of us at Pure Rawk were regulars whenever Shush played London in the early years of the decade and with good reason - "Soundtrack Of My Life" was an absolute cracker of an album with playful scuzzed-up pop-punk like "Fuck You" and "Caught In The Act" being balanced out by the more reflective likes of the title track and "Stay". They went on hiatus when frontwoman Milena took time off to be a mum and sort of never returned apart from the odd reunion gig here and there which is a real shame. Guitarist Andy now works as a producer (and has lent his talents in that area to some pretty damn good albums in recent years) as well as playing keyboards for the Digressions but I'm still hoping that we might see a second Shush album one day...
24. BRIJITTE WEST & THE DESPERATE HOPEFULS - "Brijitte West & The Desperate Hopefuls" (2010) (Review here)
Formed when former NY Loose frontwoman Brijitte hooked up with Sahf London scuzz merchants Kitty Hudson, the Desperate Hopefuls put out two albums in the teens before seemingly going their separate ways with Ritchie, Keef and Robin forming the Fiascos. This was the better of the two though with "Hard To Believe", "Hey Papito" and "Long Island Lolita" being the sort of songs that could easily have set on that second NY Loose album that never emerged. A great showcase for West's talent as a singer and lyricist and the Hudson lads' musical tightness, this is well worth you looking up if you missed it first time out.
23. CHRIS CATALYST - "Life Is Often Brilliant" (2017) (Review here)
Definitely an album that grew on you with repeated listening, "Life Is Often Brilliant" saw Chris taking some time off from the Eureka Machines to explore the more epic side of his songwriting range to good effect - "Sticks And Stones" and "How Do You Sleep" brought the necessary angst but it's the dreamy likes of "Wake Me Up On Monday" and the epic "You Die At The End" that really raised this one up into being something special. Definitely give this a listen if you've not already.
22. SAINT AGNES - "Welcome To Silvertown" (2019) (Review here)
It seemed as though Saint Agnes had been around for ages before we finally saw their debut album emerge this year - I think our first encounter with them in the live arena might have been as far back as 2012-13! But this was well worth the wait, building on the promise of various singles and EP's in the intervening years to create a truly mesmerising epic of goth, death-rock and psychedelia from the furious title track and "Death Or Glory Gang" to the sinister "Witching Hour" and "I Feel Dangerous Around You". This band are only gonna get bigger as the new decade goes on so check them out now while you can still catch them at the smaller venues...
21. THE DOWLING POOLE - "One Hyde Park" (2016) (Review here)
After a reasonably promising debut in 2014's "Bleak Strategies", Willie Dowling and Jon Poole's second album saw them raising their game to impressive effect, starting out all '80s new wave on the likes of "Rebecca Receiving" and "Vox Pops" before an excursion into the psychedelia with the dreamy likes of "Bring Back The Glow". By the time the title track rounded things off, you had images of Freddie Mercury and Brian Wilson jamming together. A third Dowling Poole album is due in the new year - if it can live up to these standards then it really should be near the top of your shopping list.
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