i've just been going through piles of CD's and unearthing some great stuff I'd forgotten about
Elbow - Asleep in the Back (2001)
I don't have any of their subsequent albums, and this might be considered 'chilled-out' if it wasn't by turns unnerving and beautiful. You know when you come back to a record you used to listen to all the time after years and it all comes flooding back? I was listening to this and drawing maps of made-up countries (?) when I was supposed to be revising for GCSE's. Something about it just screams 'jackhammer' and 'trip-hop'. I don't know why..
the Buff Medways - Steady the Buffs (2002)
Billy Childish's last garage-rock n' roll outfit, this was released by Transcopic Records which was Graham Coxon's label. I saw them supporting the Hives. Billy has been banging out these albums since the late 70's but the plaudits on release probably owe to the NME's 'new rock revival' of that time. They still had some clout then!
Still the garage-rock 'movement' exposed better bands (White Stripes, Strokes, etc) and was infinitely preferable to whatever it is the music press as pushing on us now... synth-pop revival is it?