2022
The new music this year didn’t set my world on fire, with one exception; similarly the older releases I discovered were less noteworthy than most years, with two exceptions. The exceptions are important though, because this isn’t the rambling of someone who has given up on new music. The last two years have been phenomenal, but there’s no reason why every arbitrary group of 12 months should be as good as any other. 2022 wasn’t great, but music still excites me. The album at number 1 in the 2022 list is incredible on a level that I’ve not seen for years; the albums at numbers 1 and 2 in the other list have brought me so much joy I can’t begin to explain. There is great music out there, but maybe I’m just not looking in the right places.
Top Ten Albums of 2022:
10) KEN Mode - Null
A perfect follow-up to Loved and equally relentlessly bleak.
9) Agvirre - ______
I was gutted that this band collapsed on the day this record was due to come out, and under such circumstances too. I’m very excited to hear what the remaining members come up with next; there was something really special about the music they were making.
8) Martha - Please Don’t Take Me Back
I’d not fully been a Martha convert until this record, but now I get it. This is a cracking album and I can’t help but think in future years I’ll look back and wish I’d placed it higher in this list.
7) Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful
A perfectly enjoyable Spiritualized album, which is all anyone can really ask for.
6) Jason Molina - The Lamb and Flag Tapes I
Any new Jason Molina music is a gift.
5) The Mars Volta - The Mars Volta
It’s hard not to think that The Mars Volta actively wanted people to dislike this album, but I can’t help but enjoy it. Maybe the world didn’t need TMV “doing a Sufjan Stevens”, but it does somehow work.
4) Plosivs - Plosivs
I watched that documentary about the San Diego music scene earlier in the year, then this came out and ticked all the boxes.
3) Cult of Luna - The Long Road North
After finally getting into Cult of Luna a couple of years ago, I still can’t get enough of them.
2) Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There
Another band that nearly collapsed on the release of their album. The drums on Snow Globes that seem to be from an entirely different song might be my favourite part.
1) Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion
I know I’m prone to hyperbole, but this is truly next level stuff. The scope and ambition (and, crucially, execution) here is mind-blowing. You can see how every second was considered and crafted perfectly. It’s a triumph of an album and I can’t stop listening to it. I know it technically came out in December 2021, but I’m calling it a 2022 release and was hands-down the best album I heard this year by a country mile. Sure there are albums in positions 2, 3, etc in this list, but this isn’t a linear relationship; exponential might not even cover it.
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
10) Chris Cornell - Carry On (2007)
This is here not because it’s a particularly great album in itself, but because I had no idea it existed until I saw it in Oxfam (I thought his solo career went Euphoria Morning, then the terrible pop album with Timbaland). It’s just really nice hearing Chris’ voice sing something new. Also, the Bond theme is huge.
9) Sigh - Scorn Defeat (1993)
I read an article about Sigh at some point and figured I needed to check them out. Excellent early black metal.
8) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Let Love In (1994)
I’m still very slowly working through Nick Cave’s back-catalogue and really enjoyed this one. It’s embarrassing to admit, but Do You Love Me was probably the first Nick Cave song I heard, but in the form of My Ruin’s cover back in 2000.
7) The Gaslight Anthem - The 59’ Sound (2008)
I completely ignored The Gaslight Anthem at the time, despite having seen them and Brian Fallon solo (as well as having not seen them at countless festivals). But all that music-snobbery meant I missed out on a undeniably enjoyable record. I’m only 14 years late to the party.
6) Meat Wave - The Incessant (2017)
Another band I missed the boat on a bit. I suspect their 2022 album is very good too, but I’ve not picked it up yet (I blame the fact that the BSM shop in Oxford opens at 2pm, which is the same time my lunch finishes).
5) Mark Lanegan - Whiskey for the Holy Ghost (1994)
I found this and another Mark Lanegan album in a charity shop in the summer. I’d been gutted by his death earlier in the year, but his music lives on.
4) Manic Street Preachers - Know Your Enemy 20th Anniversary Edition (2001/2022)
I’m counting this one because it’s my list so I can. Of course I heard Know Your Enemy on the day it came out, but this version is so different that I’m counting it separately. It is also a far, far more enjoyable version and I wish this was the version that came out at the time. 16-year-old me would have loved Solidarity, but I’m all about Door to the River now.
3) Low - Things We Lost in the Fire (2001)
I’ve been a Low fan for 12 years now, but I had none of their pre-2005 albums simply because I never saw them in shops. I shouldn’t have waited so long to get this but it was better late than never. Mimi’s passing was another sad loss for 2022.
2) Portal to the God Damn Blood Dimension - Rotten Fruit; Regular Orchard (2020)
This was a great discovery - only two songs, but a perfect mix between Godspeed and the spoken-word record that TWIABP did a couple of years ago. I’m very much hoping to hear more from this band.
1) Pharaoh Overlord - 6 (2020)
On paper, this shouldn’t work. I didn’t really know what to expect when I walked into the room they were playing in at Supersonic Festival this year, but the second Aaron Turner opened his mouth I was hooked.
Top Five Gigs of 2022
5) Jawbox + Delta Sleep 9/6 at The Electric Ballroom, London
I’ve included the support here as they were excellent too. I was brilliant to finally see Jawbox having bought a ticket in December 2019 and tried my best to not misplace it throughout the entire pandemic.
4) Desertfest 30/4 in Camden, London
In particular I mean Shellac (always brilliant), Earthless (even better than I remembered) and the two Kyuss songs that Stoner played.
3) Supersonic Festival 9/7-10/7 at The Mill, Birmingham
I saw so many amazing bands here, but Thou, Big|Brave, Pharaoh Overlord with Aaron Turner, Bismuth and June of 44 were all highlights.
2) Nine Inch Nails 21/6 at Brixton Academy, London
In spite of the nightmare journey to get to south London during a train+tube strike, this show was great - the band were astoundingly good and the setlist was near-perfect.
1) Foo Fighters + friends - Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert 3/9 at Wembley Stadium, London
This was unlike anything I’d ever seen before and will ever see again - I felt pretty lucky to be there to see it. Taylor’s son playing drums on My Hero sends a shiver down my spine whenever I think about it.
2021
2021 turned out to be much like 2020, which was a shame, all considering. I did manage to make it to three whole shows, so I’ve included all of them below. I spent a lot of the year listening to the US mix of Generation Terrorists and rediscovering Frances the Mute by The Mars Volta (the reissue of Ocean Songs by Dirty Three deserves a shout-out too). There was also a huge amount of great new music.
Top 20 Albums of 2021:
20) Fucked Up - Year of the Horse
I’ve always enjoyed FU’s Zodiac series, but a 90-minute song was far beyond anyone’s expectations. It’s ridiculous, but it works.
19) Grey Aura - Zwart Vierkant
How do you follow up a 2-disc black metal concept album about a 1500’s Dutch explorer? A concept album about a fictional Spanish painter, it seems. No idea what the plot is, but the album is strange enough to work.
18) A Sea of Dead Trees - Garmonbozia
I don’t really know how to describe this album - somewhere between post-rock and shoegaze (and some very metal undertones), but often gets to the point a lot faster than either. Vocals are rarely used, but when they are they hit hard.
17) Bare Wire Son - Off Black
I can’t even remember how this came on my radar, but I enjoyed it from the off. It’s a long album and hard work, but very rewarding.
16) Noctule - Wretched Abyss
The Skyrim-themed part of this is entirely lost on me, but it’s a solid black metal album regardless of the content.
15) Mogwai - As the Love Continues
The start of 2021 feels particularly long ago. The new Mogwai album felt brilliantly uplifting for a year that surely couldn’t be any worse than the last. It was the first new Mogwai album in years that I’d really connected with. Ceiling Granny is huge.
14) Fluisteraars - Gegrepen Door de Geest der Zielsontluiking
Fluisteraars were a late addition to my list last year with Bloem, an album I played to death in the first half of 2021. Them releasing a follow-up so soon was a pleasant surprise, and the subtle shift in sound was a nice treat. The second song is perfect.
13) Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage
This one was due to be higher in the list, then I saw Nick Cave & Warren Ellis perform most of it live, and it fell down a few places - the live versions of these songs were so, so incredible I find the album versions a bit less exciting now.
12) Big|Brave + The Body - Leave Nothing But Small Birds
The beauty of this record is that it sounds like neither band at all, but they somehow make folk songs as mesmerising as their heavier songs can be.
11) Neptunian Maximalism - Solar Drone Ceremony
I have a lot of time for Neptunian Maximalism, which is lucky because they require a lot of time.
10) Emma Ruth Rundle - Engine of Hell
I think I’m still at the beginning of an exciting journey with this record, but I’m loving it so far - a really beautiful piece of work.
9) Manic Street Preachers - The Ultra Vivid Lament
I don’t think this will go down in history as a “great” Manics album, but it’s fun and there are some huge moments in there. It was definitely the right album at the right time; we all needed it.
8) Big|Brave - Vital
I know more praise have been given to the album with The Body, but this regular Big|Brave album is such a perfect step up from the last. They’ve cracked that amazing ability to say as much when they’re not playing their instruments as when they are.
7) Black Country, New Road - For the First Time
I spent a long time undecided on whether this album was great, or unrelentlessly pretentious, but I think the truth is that it’s both at the same time.
6) Backxwash - I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses
I’d never heard of Backxwash until earlier this year, but this album hits very hard indeed. It’s probably a painfully trite comparison, but it sounds like someone rapping over Nine Inch Nails, which is exactly what I was hoping the Saul Williams/Trent Rezonr album would be, but wasn’t.
5) X’ed Out - We All Do Wrong
Really had no idea what to expect from this. The trumpets were a huge surprise and absolutely made the album. It sounds a bit like that last KEN Mode album, except there are horns throughout. Ever since I heard Black Eyes all I’ve wanted is hardcore bands with horns.
4) Divide & Dissolve - Gas Lit
Around the time this came out I started to see the name everywhere despite having never heard of Divide & Dissolve before. One morning I happened to be between albums and browsing Twitter at the same time. Someone mentioned them so I figured I should give them a go. Again, no idea what to expect, but was floored from the first play.
3) Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark
Arab Strap passed me by the first time around, and recent attempts to get into them didn’t stick - I think I felt too old to be listening to stories of crazy nights out and the sort of shit people get up to in their 20’s. It’s rather depressing that “bleak, middle-aged” Arab Strap is more my thing, but here we are.
2) Panopticon - ...And Again Into the Light
When I first started listening to black metal, Panopticon was one of the first musicians I tried. I like what he was doing, but found the folk/black metal balance difficult. This album, however, is perfect - the two sides absolutely seamlessly flowing from each other with songs that surely take as much influence from post-rock as they do either of the aforementioned genres. I loved it from the first play.
1) Low - Hey What
I was so nervous putting the needle onto this record for the first time - how could they follow up Double Negative without destroying their sound entirely? But as White Horses hit it was clear they’d found those tiny few moments left to distort whilst still holding the songs together and keeping those beautiful voices there.
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
10) A Whisper in the Noise - Dry Land (2007)
I bought this on a whim in a charity shop - it clearly wasn’t the usual crap you find in there, and there were a few other clues it might be interesting: it was on Southern Records, there was a Daniel Johnston cover on there, and Steve Albini recorded it. I still know nothing about the band, but this album is lovely.
9) Elephant Tree - Habits (2020)
I bought this because my friend Hugh had been raving about it and had struggled to find a copy to send me. When I saw one online, I picked it up and I can see why he was such a fan - heavy Pumpkins/Hum/Cloakroom influences, and Bird is a huge song.
8) June of 44 - Anahata (1999)
I’m still only just getting into June of 44, but the first song here might be one of their best. I have one more album to go - I’m looking forward to hearing it, and hopefully seeing them play in 2022.
7) The Ex - Dignity of Labour (1983)
This is an incredibly difficult album - appropriately punishing in all the best ways.
6) Thou - Heathen (2014)
This is also an incredibly difficult album, but differently so. It’s long, relentless and brutal (again, in all the best ways).
5) Alcest - Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde (2007)
Another artist I’m gradually getting into. It’s amazing how far from metal a metal album can be and still be considered metal.
4) Deus - Keep You Close (2011)
Many years ago I heard an incredible cover of Hotellounge by Deus and bought an album of theirs to try to get into them; I didn’t like it so stopped there. This year I found the album that song was on and enjoyed it more, but still wasn’t convinced. Shortly afterwards I found this album and it all made sense.
3) Envy - Insomniac Doze (2006)
For years I’d heard that Insomniac Doze was one of the best Envy albums and this year, through the huge boxset, I found that to be true. I listened to a LOT of Envy this year.
2) Kevin Devine - Matter of Time (2012)
This was a complete surprise. I didn’t know the background to this recording when I bought it, but this ~2012 live-in-the-studio recording of Kevin and the Goddamn Band is amazing - it’s exactly how I remember them playing, and exactly how I want those songs to sound - huge, heavy and loud.
1) Moss Icon - Complete Discography (1993/2012)
Years ago Pitchfork used to do these scrappy little cartoons explaining niche genres, and the one about hardcore or punk or emo had one of the characters say “stop what you’re doing right now and listen to Moss Icon’s Complete Discography”. But I didn’t. For about four years. This year I finally did, so I say this with complete sincerity: stop what you’re doing right now and listen to Moss Icon’s Complete Discography.
Top Three Gigs of 2019:
3) Manic Street Preachers 20/9 at Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Something about this gig wasn’t quite right, but them opening with Motorcycle Emptiness and being in a room with 1000’s of other people singing along was exactly what I needed.
2) Nick Cave & Warren Ellis 14/9 at New Theatre, Oxford
My first post-lockdown(s) gig. I was absolutely unprepared for how amazing this show was going to be. Almost all the songs were from the last two albums and came to life in ways I couldn’t imagine. As I said above, the albums are actually a little underwhelming now, because these versions were so incredible and moving.
1) Manic Street Preachers 13/10 at The Forum, Bath
The Forum in Bath might be one of the best sounding venues I’ve ever been to - every instrument was crystal clear and the band and audience were fantastic. The set was similar to in Cardiff, but everything about it was better.
2020
Ha ha ha, 2020. Whilst otherwise a shitshow, what has been amazing this year was new music. As such (and since I went to precisely zero concerts), I’ve doubled the length of the album of the year list and had no trouble filling it.
Top 20 Albums of 2020:
20) Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Viscerals
I’d be lying if I said I liked this as much as their previous two, but it was still a great album. I miss the longer songs, but the riffs are still there, so I can’t fault that.
19) A.A. Williams - Forever Blue
I really didn’t know what to expect from this album, but I enjoyed it a lot. It’s a strange one - you couldn’t call it a metal album, but nor could you reliably play it to a non-metal fan and not have them pull unhappy faces. It’s very “Roadburn Festival”; heavy without necessarily being metal.
18) Vinnum Sabbathi - Of Dimensions and Theories
At some point this year, I saw a gig-poster (remember those things?) featuring Vinnum Sabbathi, enjoyed the Electric Wizard reference and searched them out on Bandcamp. It’s been two years since I really got back into metal, so it’s only natural that I’d be into post-metal by now.
17) Max Richter - Voices
The mp3s that came with the album contain a second “Voiceless” version, which I do prefer; that’s why this is here. I enjoy the “Voiced” version, but after a while the words get in the way of the music, and it shines through much, much better without them.
16) Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts V+VI
Trent Reznor picked the perfect moment early in the first lockdown to drop two-hours of bleak, despairing instrumental music. These albums will forever be linked to those sunny, early-pandemic days.
15) Fluisteraars - Bloem
A late addition (discovered in the Treble Metal Albums of the Year list), but what an album. The perfect mix of black metal and vast instrumentation. Really, really pleased I was introduced to these guys as I very much doubt I’d have stumbled across them otherwise.
14) Jason Molina - Eight Gates
Secretly Canadian could release an album of Jason Molina farting loudly and I’d still buy it. This album isn’t a life-changing addition to his back-catalogue, but is lovely to hear. Has a lot in common with Ghost Tropic, but in songs that rarely breach the three-minute mark.
13) Cegvera - The Sixth Glare
I still don’t understand the exact connection between Cegvera and Vinnum Sabbathi, but this album is the prequel to the album at 18, and was discovered because of that. It’s a great album.
12) Vile Creature - Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm!
I only got into Vile Creature last year, so I was pretty excited to be getting another new album so soon. Everyone says this about them, but it’s true - it’s amazing how much noise two people can make.
11) Thou + Emma Ruth Rundle - May Our Chambers Be Full
Getting into Thou has been a rollercoaster of opinions, and early in the year I’d have firmly said they weren’t for me. Then I heard their cover of Soundgarden’s Fourth of July, followed by their work with Emma Ruth Rundle. It’s been worth the effort.
10) Hidden Mothers - Hidden Mothers
I can’t even remember how the name Hidden Mothers appeared, but I’ve been very much enjoying what they’re doing. They may have only released four songs so far, but all of them are great. Treading the narrow line between black metal and post-metal.
9) Envy - The Fallen Crimson
Given everything that unfolded this year, it’s easy to forget that Envy released an album back in February. For a band with a very established sound, it’s a brilliant step up on every front.
8) Neptunian Maximalism - Eons
If someone asked me what style of music Neptunian Maximalism played I’d have to answer “all of them, all at once”. I listened to this album entirely because a reviewer on Bandcamp called them Sunn Ra))) Arkestra, which was enough to pull me in. It’s very accurate.
7) Katie Malco - Failures
I feel like this album has been a long time coming - we used to see Katie play a lot when I was living in Kingston, and that was a lifetime (two lifetimes, technically) ago. It’s a perfect autumn-day album - so, so lovely.
6) Jason Molina - Live at Le Chapelle
Whilst Eight Gates isn’t essential, I’d say this album - a solo captured on a day-off during a Magnolia European tour - is one that every Molina fan should hear. I could listen to him play all day.
5) Agvirre - Silence
The line between EP and album is blurry and the two proper songs here have a combined runtime of some other albums on this list. I love this EP and it is everything I want from black metal. The violins are perfect, but the real gem is the approach to song-structure. The start of a pandemic is a bad time to release your first music, but I really hope Agvirre have more up their sleeves in 2021.
4) Run the Jewels - RTJ4
Even if I had been to any shows at all this year, I think RTJ’s performance of Walking in the Snow on their Holy Calama-vote live show would have been the performance of the year. I’m not exaggerating in the slightest when I say I had goosebumps for a full minute during that. The pairing of that and Ju$t in the tracklisting here is perfect.
3) Svalbard - When I Die, Will I Get Better?
I had high hopes for the new Svalbard album based on how strong It’s Hard to Have Hope was, but I never expected it to be this good. Every single part has been taken up a notch and the result is glorious. I’ve been loving seeing them near the top of so many end-of-year lists because they deserve all the praise they’re getting.
2) Deftones - Ohms
I know I’m not the first to say that Ohms is the best album Deftones have released in years. I love how urgent it is.
1) Hum - Inlet
With no warning whatsoever, Hum released their first album in over 20 years on a sunny afternoon mid-lockdown. About 10 minutes after they released it, I saw the news, stopped what I was doing straight away, went to Bandcamp and turned the volume way up. It was worth every second of the wait. Inlet is a triumph.
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
10) 90 Day Men - (It (Is) It) Critical Band (2000)
I had a note on my phone to check out a band called The 90 Day Men, and I have no recollection of writing, nor what might have caused me to write it. But early in the year I found this album for £1 in a charity shop and figured it was a good time to act on that mysterious note. Imagine Shellac as a math-rock band.
9) Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire for No Witness (2014)
At the very end of 2019 I got two records in the post in Rough Trade mailers - one was my Christmas present from Hugh, the other was this Angel Olsen record, which I can only assume was sent in error. I have very fond memories of playing it whilst rocking my new-born daughter to sleep.
8) The Microphones - Live in Japan (2004)
I’d been meaning to check out The Microphones for years and finally stumbled across two of their albums in a charity shop near my old house. There are some great moments on this live recording and I’ll definitely be checking out more of Phil Elverum’s work.
7) June of 44 - Engine Takes to Water (1995)
I’d not heard of June of 44 until I saw their name in the Record Store Day list - something made me look them up and the Louisville-connection / Slint-comparison was enough to draw me in further. The album is great.
6) Turbonegro - Never is Forever (1994)
For no reason other than not finding a copy, I’d not heard Turbonegro’s second album until this year. It’s a brilliant album and sits perfectly on the arc from their scrappy debut to the huge sound of Ass Cobra and perfection of Apocalypse Dudes.
5) Ragana - Wash Away (2015)
I could have chosen any of the Ragana albums really, as I’ve been enjoying them all this year. LIke with Vile Creature, these two make a huge amount of noise for a duo.
4) Mudhoney - Under a Billion Suns (2006)
I’ve loved the song Hard On for War for years - it was one of the first Mudhoney songs I really loved - so I should have bought the album it was on years ago. In a lot of ways, it might be my favourite Mudhoney album.
3) Big Brave - A Gaze Among Them (2019)
Should have bought this last year - it would have been high up that list too. So dark.
2) Hum - Downward is Heavenward (1997)
For absolutely years I’ve been hoping to find a copy of Downward is Heavenward in real-life but with no luck (unlike Electra 2000 and You’d Prefer an Astronaut, both albums I remember being delighted to stumble across in record shops). Back in February I decided it’d been long enough and discovered that Earth Analog still had copies of their re-press in stock, so I paid a fortune to have a copy shipped over. I thought I’d waited long enough to hear the last Hum album but, as was so often the case, I had no idea how 2020 would pan out...
1) Grey Aura - Waerachtighe Beschryvinghe Van Drie Seylagien, Ter Werelt Noyt Soo Vreemt Ghehoort (2016)
This album is a two-hour long black metal concept album about the Dutch explorer Willem Berentsz, which is incredibly niche. But I love it. I’m still new to black metal, but I’m increasingly figuring out what I do and don’t like, and this is very much what I do like.
2019 was a strange one for new releases - I felt there were few huge albums but a load of great albums; often there’s a clear Album of the Year by the end of summer, but this year I was still unsure until December. Gigs continue to get fewer and further between as the number of children in my house increases.
Top Ten Albums of 2019:
10) Tool - Fear Inoculum
Sure, Maynard put in zero effort and the album suffers for it, but a year with a not-great Tool album is still better than a year with no Tool album.
9) The Twilight Sad - It Won’t Be like This All the Time
I like the direction they’ve been going in recently. I find their music increasingly hard to get into, but really like that about them; they should be a challenge.
8) Amanda Palmer - There Will Be No Intermission
I was definitely drawn in by the fact that John Congleton produced this, but Drowning in the Sound would have got me interested either way. It’s a long listen, and not remotely easy in places, but thoroughly excellent.
7) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
Speaking of uneasy-listening, my word. What it lacks it “songs” it makes up in crushing emotions.
6) Have a Nice Life - Sea of Worry
Stumbled across these guys a couple of years ago. It’s a surprisingly varied album, with moments of pure brilliance.
5) Tropical Fuck Storm - Braindrops
I have a lot of time for this band and Paradise was one of my favourite songs of the year (“Everything dies / And that’s the way it’s always been” - what a chorus). Maria 63 was also a fascinating song.
4) Strand of Oaks - Eraserland
I’ve been really enjoying Strand of Oaks for a little while now and this is another solid album of great songs.
3) Bars of Gold - Shelters
Love this band and it’s been far too long since their last album. I really hope to see them play live one day.
2) Dawn Ray’d - Behold Sedition Plainsong
Dawn Ray’d were a huge discovery for me last year and I was so excited for another album, having played The Unlawful Assembly to death.
1) Witching Waves - Persistence
This is at the top of the list for being the album that has given me the most joy this year. It’s scrappy and probably isn’t the “best” album of the year by most objective measures, but every song grabs me and makes me smile and I love it.
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
10) Iron Chic - You Can’t Stay Here (2017)
Despite loving the first album, I kinda forgot about these guys for a bit. I picked this one up cheap and it’s great.
9) The Halifax Pier - The Halifax Pier (1999)
At the very end of 2018 I got a Temporary Residence compilation with a song by these guys on and fell in love with it. Both albums are lovely.
8) Single Mothers - Through a Wall (2018)
Another album I picked up on the cheap and enjoyed more than I expected. Canadian hardcore.
7) R.E.M. - Life’s Rich Pageant (1986)
In the haul of bargain Zeppelin and Floyd records I found in a charity shop last year was two R.E.M. albums, a band who I’d tried to get into a handful of times. This is a particularly strong album from their early years.
6) Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Once (OST) (2007)
Jason Molina is the reason I’ve heard of Glen Hansard and I’ve been meaning to get into his music ever since hearing his Molina covers record. I found this in a charity shop and enjoyed it greatly.
5) Jawbox - Jawbox (1996)
When I wrote about For Your Own Special Sweetheart I said I should listen to more Jawbox, and this was me doing exactly that. I like it and I have tickets to see them next year; I rarely act on these decisions so quickly and thoroughly.
4) Fugazi - Margin Walker (1989)
This year I finally completed my Fugazi collection, buying the one record that I’d simply not bothered to pick up before. Any Fugazi is good Fugazi, and Promises is particularly good Fugazi.
3) Vile Creature - A Steady Descent Into the Soil (2015)
The Riffs for Reproductive Justice compilation on Bandcamp introduced me to so many great bands that I’d never heard of, but Vile Creature hit particularly hard. I’ve played this album a lot this year.
2) Earthless & Heavy Blanket - In a Dutch Haze (2014)
Even though this album is one hour-long song, it never gets boring and I’ve played it loads.
1) Sugar - Copper Blue (1992)
How has it taken me 27 years to hear Copper Blue? What an album. People always say it’s a great album, but I didn’t realise how great it was. If, like me, you keep hearing people say how great it is, but haven’t yet heard it, please please have a listen. It’s huge.
Top Five Gigs of 2019:
5) Tropical Fuck Storm 8/5 at Dingwalls, London
I was really pleased to finally get to see TFS - their first album blew me away at the end of last year and the new one was another huge record.
4) Restorations 19/4 at Le Pub, Newport
Love this band. Well worth the drive to Wales.
3) The Arteries, Above Them and Witching Waves 7/6 at DIY Space for London, London
I was so excited to get another chance to see The Arteries and Above Them - it’s been far too long and I love those bands so much. It was also great to see Witching Waves again after hearing (and loving) their album.
2) Manic Street Preachers 24/5 at Guildhall, Southampton
If hearing all of This is My Truth Tell Me Yours wasn’t enough, they played three songs from Gold Against the Soul which made me very happy.
1) Thursday 2/12 at The Electric Ballroom, London
I expected Full Collapse to be the better show, but War All the Time went down so well - everybody singing every word. It’s such a rare treat to see a London crowd actually engage (what a sad state of affairs). Also, I’m much more capable of throwing myself around to Understanding in a Car Crash when it’s an encore-closer than when it’s an opener.
2018 started strangely - I spent the first few months listening to black metal and Jason Molina covers on Bandcamp. Then Scott Hutchison disappeared and I listened to Frightened Rabbit (and Richey-era Manics) on repeat until they found his body (thinking a lot about the line "While I'm alive I'll make tiny changes to earth"). My main memory of the summer was seeing the greatest Deftones show I think I'll ever see and September and October were packed solid with huge releases - I was in Truck most Fridays and struggled to keep up with it all; it's a good problem to have really. I bought a bunch of Zeppelin and Floyd records in a charity shop recently that I’ve barely started listening to, so they might be in next year's list instead.
Top Ten Albums of 2018:
10) Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams
Dose Your Dreams wasn't the follow-up to David Comes To Life (my album of the year in 2011) I was expecting, or hoping for. There's some brilliance in these 18 songs, but I felt that the sprawl, countless ideas, and duration worked against it at times.
9) Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off Dog
Hop Along are either a very abrasive indie band or a punk band with ideas well beyond that genre. Either way, another excellent album from them.
8) Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death in Meatspace
I still listen to The Drones a lot, so to hear the singer playing even weirder music was a very pleasant surprise. Uneasy listening in all the best ways.
7) Songs: Ohia - Love & Work (The Lioness Sessions)
I'm counting the second disc of previously-unreleased session tracks as a separate album because it's my site, so my rules. If The Lioness Sessions had been an album in their own right, they'd have stood amongst Molina's finest works. This was my favourite era of his music.
6) KEN Mode - Loved
Saxophones on a KEN Mode album!? Fucking genius.
5) Manic Street Preachers - Resistance is Futile
I love that the Manics just committed to doing what they do best here - writing huge pop songs. The clearest statement of intent and greatest execution on any Manics album this millennium.
4) Restorations - LP5000
25-minutes and 7 songs is teetering close to EP territory, but what it really means is that I just play it twice over. Love these guys.
3) Rope - Come Closer Now
I had high hopes for Rope's second album and they safely smashed them. Fully recommended for anyone who likes their metal doomy and bleak.
2) Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - King of Cowards
Pigs Pigs Pigs have been my favourite musical discovery of the last year, as I've been telling anyone who'll listen. They deserve all the praise they've been getting and more.
1) Low - Double Negative
I read a review of the newest Mudhoney album that said "you know things are fucked when Mudhoney write about politics", but I think a better barometer of the state of things is that Low made an album that sounds like this. The first few listens were off-putting, but after a while I couldn't stop playing it; I still can't.
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
10) mewithoutYou - I Never Said I Was Brave (2001)
I did not expect these songs to sound like this; I had no idea mewithoutYou started out so heavy.
9) Pink Floyd - Animals (1977)
I think everyone agrees that this is the fourth best Pink Floyd album and, at this point, I'd be inclined to agree.
8) Songs: Ohia - The Ghost (1999)
I was extremely happy to see a copy of this appear on eBay and even more happy with the price I paid for it. Almost comically lo-fi, but some great songs nonetheless.
7) El-P - High Water (2004)
I heard Intrigue in the House of India years ago but finally got round to hearing the rest of the album. El-P does jazz in exactly the way you'd expect him (and only him) to.
6) Matt Elliott - Howling Songs (2008)
Howling Songs was the last of the albums in the Songs boxset I listened to, and probably my favourite, although Drinking Songs is also great.
5) Constantines - Constantines (2001)
In 2010 I got the other three Constantines albums but, for no reason at all, didn't get their first until this year. It's every bit as good as the others and I should have got it years ago.
4) Ghost Bath - Funeral (2014)
One of the black metal albums I got into at the start of the year - I think I like them because they sound like Envy more than they do a black metal band. Perhaps I don't actually like black metal?
3) Strand of Oaks - Heal (2014)
I was introduced to this album through the Molina tribute JM, but he covers a lot of bases on the album - electro-pop, folk, Springsteen and Molina. It's a great listen.
2) Songs: Ohia - Mi Sei Apparso Come Un Fantasma (2001)
I pressed play on this knowing it'd probably be the last great Molina album I was yet to hear (each one brings me closer to a point where there is no more of his incredible music to hear). Also from The Lioness era, it's an incredible record of long, brooding songs.
1) Dawn Ray'd - The Unlawful Assembly (2017)
Hugh introduced me to Dawn Ray'd and they quickly became the best example of the black metal I was enjoying and, very importantly, they are overtly anti-facist - something good to know as a new person stumbling around in a minefield of a genre where some of the biggest names are alarmingly right-wing.
Top Five Gigs of 2017:
5) Youthmovies 8/3 at The Bullingdon, Oxford
I never thought I'd get to see Youthmovies after they cancelled ATP years ago. Living in Oxford finally paid off.
4) Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs 18/8 at ArcTanGent, Bristol
First time seeing Pigs Pigs Pigs was even more mind-blowing than I hoped it would be.
3) Manic Street Preachers 19/6 at Royal festival Hall, London
Whereas the Wembley show this year was a bit massive and impersonal (especially given the set they played), the Meltdown show was perfect and they really made it feel special.
2) Songs: Molina - A Memorial Electric Co 27/9 at Bush Hall, London
I never thought I'd get to hear these songs live again, especially since I didn't know any before seeing Magnolia Electric Co. The "rock" version of Lioness was incredible and Timothy Showalter did an incredible job.
1) Deftones 20/6 at Royal festival Hall, London
Not only was this the gig of the year, but it was one the best gigs ever. I've never been so close to the band and it was incredible to see them in such a venue. They fully embraced the occasion and played a perfect set.
2017
A big year, with some significant developments towards the end (although one was known for nine months before that). Musically, there was a high in spring and then a rush of great albums towards the end of the year. Not in the lists below are Shuffle Drones by Eluvium (which I’m enjoying but haven’t spent enough time with - it's infinitely long!) and OKNOTOK by Radiohead (although Man of War is nearly enough to make it count alone). This year I’m only doing a top five gigs, because I only made it to 17 gigs this year (a number I expect to decrease even further next year).
Top Ten Albums of 2017:
10) The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Always Foreign
Lived up to my expectations after (eventually) falling in love with Harmlessness last year. Marine Tigers is huge and there are highlights scattered throughout.
9) The Mountain Goats - Goths
I won’t lie, the bulk of my enjoyment here comes from the first song, Rain in Soho - the “no no no”s and drums and layered vocals. Even without that song you still have a solid, fun Mountain Goats album.
8) Quicksand - Interiors
I’m increasingly dubious of reunion albums (note that the new At the Drive-In isn’t in this list), but I get the impression here that they made a record because they really enjoy playing music together, and it shows from the off.
7) Electric Wizard - Wizard Bloody Wizard
Unexpectedly, probably Electric Wizard’s lightest album and the lyrics read like a bot wrote them (“All hope is lost / There’ll be no new dawn / And all your dreams will die”), but I still love it.
6) Out Lines - Conflats
A late addition, but haunting and brilliant. Out Lines sound like a cross between Low and School of Seven Bells, but Scottish. The middle is a bit weak, but either end is so amazing that it more than makes up for it.
5) ONSIND - We Wilt, We Bloom
I spent nearly half a year looking forward to this album. I keep waking up with the melody of Loyalty Festers in my head and thinking “such a great song”.
4) Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 3
After first hearing this in my car on Christmas day (having frantically scrambled together a way to play it), I continued to listen to every day until at least the middle of January. The first day when I realised I hadn’t played it was strange. Every bit as good as RTJ2 in my opinion.
3) Godspeed You Black Emperor - “Luciferian Towers”
I was underwhelmed by Undoing a Lucerian Towers when it came out ahead of the album - it felt tired and too familiar. The other three songs, by contrast, are the most uplifting and forward-facing things Godspeed have done in years. A friend described the first song as the death of the old Godspeed and the other three as the birth of the new Godspeed, an idea I like a lot.
2) Grand Pop - Eight Nights
I don’t remember first playing this - it arrived as part of my Specialist Subject subscription and started as a slow-burner. Then, after a few listens at the right time, I realised it was huge and I couldn’t stop listening to it. Nova Scotia and Soulman are amongst the best songs of 2017.
1) The Smith Street Band - More Scared of You Than You Are of Me
This was instantly #1 and would have taken quite some beating. After Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams, I knew Smith Street had brilliance in them, and on this album it all came pouring out - the songs are on a different level to any they’d written before and it makes me very happy every time I play it.
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
10) Mudhoney - Since We’ve Become Translucent (2002)
I have very few of Mudhoney’s actual albums and I’m slowly rectifying that. Baby, Can You Dig the Light made me smile a lot.
9) 65daysofstatic - The Destruction of Small Ideas (2007)
Another band I’m slowly working through. This album might be my new favourite - a perfect mix of crunching guitars and electronic strangeness.
8) Earthless - Sonic Prayer (2005)
Earthless were a big discovery in 2015 and 2016 for me, so it’s not a surprise that I greatly enjoyed another of their albums in 2017.
7) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - No More Shall We Part (2001)
Early in 2017 I thought to myself “this year is the year I’ll get into Nick Cave” and bought this album. I thought it was great, but then his albums all doubled in price and I’ve not got round to buying any more of them. Expect more Nick Cave in this list next year.
6) Hüsker Dü - Candy Apple Gray (1986)
Maybe Land Speed Record wasn’t the best starting point for me, as it took me nine years to buy another Hüsker Dü album. Candy Apple Gray is much more up my street.
5) Desaparecidos - Read Music/Speak Spanish (2002)
People had been telling me this was good for years, but I didn’t realise they meant this good. I really should pay more attention to recommendations.
4) Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind (2009)
In a lot of ways, this could be a best-of for Mono, at least in terms of it being the peak of what I think Mono do best.
3) Arab Strap - Arab Strap (2016)
Should compilations count? Who cares, this year I got into Arab Strap and wished I’d done so earlier. I’m looking forward to digging deeper with this band.
2) Songs: Ohia - Impala (1998)
I’m slowly running out of Jason Molina albums to hear and when I’ve heard them all it will be a very sad day indeed. Each one is a treat.
1) Cloakroom - Further Out (2015)
A surprise discovery seeing them support Russian Circles near the start of the year. They sound like a doom-metal Smashing Pumpkins and played a cover of Farewell Transmission by Songs: Ohia - they found the exact intersection of the dream Venn diagram I didn’t know I wanted.
Top Five Gigs of 2017:
5) Deadpunk All Dayer 6/5 at The Stag & Hounds, Bristol
I always have fun at these, but it was brilliant to finally see Rope and The Earth & Me, to see Caves and Sam Russo again, and to be introduced to Slingshot Dakota. A great day out.
4) Max Richter 16/6 at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock
It was great to hear Three Worlds live (well, the first and third parts) as well as Vivaldi Recomposed again, and the surroundings really added to the evening.
3) Car Seat Headrest 29/8 at The Forum, London
A big hitter from 2016, I had high hopes for finally seeing Car Seat Headrest and they more than lived up to them. Every bit as good live as I hoped.
2) Run the Jewels 1/4 at The Roundhouse, London
I knew this was going to be fun - they turned the Roundhouse into a giant ball of sweat that night.
1) Manic Street Preachers 18/10 at The Roundhouse, London
Sometimes a time and a place are important factors in a good night, and this gig couldn’t have come at a time when I needed it or could have used it better. They only played for 90-minutes, but 90-minutes of screaming along to my favourite Manics songs in a small venue was a highlight of the year for sure.
2016
2016 was a great year musically (other things, not so much). There were some great albums and some great gigs. Special mentions go to Run the Jewels 3, which came out too late in the year to really count (I've not spent anywhere near enough time with it), and Harmlessness by TWIABP, which I heard in 2015 but finally actually got in 2016.
Top Ten Albums of 2016:
10) Kevin Devine – Infiltrator
It normally takes me a few listens (and often seeing the songs live) before I really get in new Kevin Devine songs; this album was enjoyable from the off.
9) The Cut Ups – The Nerves
I always get excited for new Cut Ups music. This album comes across as more angry than anything they’ve done before.
8) Mogwai – Atomic
Mogwai do soundtracks very well, almost as well as they do albums – Atomic feels like it sits somewhere between the two.
7) Mono – Requiem for Hell
I have a lot of time for Mono. Only five songs, and the album is clearly built around one in particular, but it ticks the boxes very well.
6) Matt Elliott – The Calm Before
I first heard Matt Elliott this year, and it was quite a discovery. Found his newest album in Brighton and it’s a very interesting listen.
5) Deftones – Gore
The Deftones can do no wrong it seems.
4) Rope – Manteision Bodolaeth
It took a few listens to get into Rope, but over 2016 it has had a lot of listens. Big fan of this one.
3) Explosions in the Sky – The Wilderness
The Wilderness is a change musically for EITS – the biggest over any of their albums but it makes for a very exciting and different listen.
2) Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial
I had a “High Fidelity” moment in Resident Records to Car Seat Headrest. In the time I was in there two other people also had the same. Album of the summer.
1) Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
As soon as I heard Burn the Witch I had extremely high hopes for the new Radiohead album. This is the album I’ve been wanting them to write for years.
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
10) Thee Silver Mt Zion – Kallops Tradixionales (2010)
Picked up a cheap double 10” of this and I’ve been greatly enjoying it. I’m looking forward to hearing more of their albums.
9) Viva Belgrado – Viva Belgrado (2013)
I heard Viva Belgrado ahead of ArcTanGent and loved their style. They were great live too.
8) mewithoutYou – Ten Stories (2012)
Can’t believe it took me so many years to hear Ten Stories – one of their catchiest albums.
7) Milloy – Creating Problems While Practising Solutions (2008)
Another album I should have listened to sooner, especially given how awesome More Than a Machine is.
6) Electric Wizard – Witchcult Today (2007)
I finally finished off my Electric Wizard collection this year. Pretty pleased with that part of the record collection.
5) Mudhoney – Superfuzz Bigmuff (1988)
Man, I should have bought this years ago – so many of Mudhoney’s finest hits so early in their career.
4) Dirty Three – Sad & Dangerous (1995)
I’m still working through the Dirty Three back-catalogue but even years later it keeps giving.
3) Art of Burning Water – Love You Dead (2013)
Heavier than I normally go for, but I haven’t been able to get enough of it.
2) Earthless – From the Ages (2013)
So. Fucking. Good.
1) Clint Mansell + Mogwai – The Fountain (2006)
It shouldn’t have taken this long to hear The Fountain. Clint played Death is the Road to Awe in London and it floored me. Need to pick up the vinyl if I can.
Top Ten Gigs of 2016:
10) Deftones 03/06 at Wembley Arena
Tenth time seeing Deftones. Only noticed this time how much their slow songs sound like doom metal. Awesome.
9) Mono 09/11 at Talking Heads, Southampton
Mono were great at ArcTanGent, but seeing them less than a metre away was even better.
8) Gorilla Biscuits 06/03 at Electric Ballroom, London
It was every bit as exciting as I hoped finally seeing Gorilla Biscuits. Great show.
7) Radiohead 28/05 at the Roundhouse, London
It was great seeing Radiohead in a reasonable-size venue (and I felt very lucky to get tickets). The highlight was realising what a huge tune 2+2=5 is.
6) The Arteries 05/07 at Deadpunk all-dayer, Bristol
I’d forgotten how much I loved seeing The Arteries. So good to see them again.
5) Funeral for a Friend 21/05 at The Forum, London
This was emotional – their last ever show, playing my favourite of their albums.
4) Manic Street Preachers 17/05 at the Royal Albert Hall, London
Everything Must Go is a huge album, and came across brilliantly. I hope they one day play the first two albums in full too.
3) Mogwai playing Atomic 15/09 at the Barbican, London
Holy crap, this was bleak. I’ve since become strangely fascinated with the atomic bomb.
2) Clint Mansell 24/03 at Royal Festival Hall, London
I thought Lux Aeterna / Requiem for a Dream was going to be the highlight, but in March I discovered the wonder that is the soundtrack to The Fountain. Wow.
1) Walter Schreifels playing United by Fate 09/03 at The Garage, London
Not only was this the gig of the year, it was one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to in my life. Walter added so much colour to one of my all-time favourite albums. What a treat.
2015
The usual three lists. I went to fewer gigs and bought fewer new albums this year - mostly a factor of buying a house. I doubt (hope) I'll be doing that again this year. I plan to buy more new music this year too - by November I felt like I'd barely heard any.
Top Ten Albums of 2015:
10) Above Them - Water Lane
My friend Sarah asked if the new Above Them album was a compilation of older songs "because it sounded so familiar", but familiar is exactly what I want from Above Them.
9) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress
I was underwhelmed initially by the new Godspeed, but I had high hopes. It doesn't start on its strongest foot, but get past that and it's a great album.
8) Sam Russo - Greyhound Dreams
I had no idea how much I was looking forward to a new Sam Russo album until it appeared in my post. It's a step up from Storm and the addition of vocals from Kelly Kemp and El Morgan adds so much.
7) Ludovico Einaudi - Elements
Recommended to me by both Hugh and Matt (independently), Elements is brilliant and takes what I love about post-rock but from a classical point of view.
6) Graveyard - Innocence and Decadence
A Pitchfork review led me to listen to Graveyard and I never thought Pitchfork would lead me to such music. Like a Swedish Led Zeppelin and I can't quite get enough of them.
5) Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
There are a few sides to Sufjan Stevens - my favourite is the pomp and grandeur on Illinoise but closely behind that are the slower, simpler moments like on Seven Swans. This album is of the latter style, but given the nature it had to be. Bleak in places but excellent nonetheless.
4) Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
I'd heard a lot about Father John Misty before seeing him at Green Man (see below) but after that show I had to get this record. It's been in most of the end-of-year lists I've read; clearly I'm not the only one who enjoyed it.
3) Hop Along - Painted Shut
I read as many end-of-year lists as I could to see if I'd missed anything crucial and Hop Along kept appearing. It was a late addition but it's such a strong album.
2) Max Richter - Sleep
I've only made it through all 8-and-a-half hours of Sleep once so, and I've not played it whilst sleeping (yet) but it is an incredible album; any of the discs can instantly calm you and sometimes you need that.
1) Low - Ones and Sixes
I didn't buy this one as soon as it came out but was very excited to hear it after seeing them in October (see below). There were so many great new songs that I knew the album would be incredible.
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
10) Yann Tiersen - Infinity (2014)
I saw Yann Tiersen at ATP years ago and kept meaning to buy some of his music. It wasn't readily available on vinyl (in the shops I visit) but I found Infinity on cd and figured I'd already left it long enough.
9) Papa M - Live From a Shark Cage (1999)
An impulse buy from Spillers, I remember seeing a copy at Aled's house, which is a good stamp of approval. Interestingly, another artist I'd seen at ATP (playing this album) but taken forever to check out properly.
8) La Dispute - Wildlife (2011)
Slowly picking up the La Dispute albums - I don't want to rush it.
7) Russian Circles - Enter (2006)
I always thought I'd seen Russian Circles before, but it turns out I hadn't (see below). They were excellent and I decided to invest in some music afterwards.
6) Jason Molina - Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go (2006)
I continue to work on my Jason Molina back-catalogue. This solo album is brilliantly bare and lovely.
5) Dirty Three - Dirty Three (1995)
Another band I'm very slowly working through (it's been many years now). Each album is a treat, but this one has some particularly great songs.
4) Graveyard - Hisingen Blues (2011)
After hearing the new Graveyard album I picked up their other two cheaply on cd. The Siren is one of their finest songs.
3) Bear vs. Shark - Terrorhawk (2005)
I realised my chances of finding this on vinyl are slim, and the cd cost less than half a pint on eBay. I'm so glad I didn't wait to find it on vinyl; these songs can't wait.
2) Electric Wizard - Come My Fanatics (1996)
I'm missing a few Electric Wizard albums, but I'd known Come My Fanatics was one of their most highly-acclaimed for years. I can now see why. I should have bought this much sooner.
1) Songs:Ohia - The Lioness (2000)
Jason Molina has seen the top of this list a few times now. I think that The Lioness might be my favourite of his albums and I can't recommend even checking it out. The opener and the title-track were both instant highlights.
Top Ten Gigs of 2015:
10) Restorations 19/7 at The Fighting Cocks, Kingston
Kingston gigs are now a 5-hour round trip (and I lost my wallet on the way home), but it is worth it to see Restorations. Such a great live band.
9) Boredoms 27/6 at The Barbican, London
88 cymbal players, 6 drummers, 8 guitarists and an audience with newly-formed tinnitus.
8) Shellac 30/5 at Primavera Sound, Barcelona
I love Shellac but the highlight of this show was converting a bunch of my friends into Shellac fans.
7) The Replacements 28/5 at Primavera Sound, Barcelona
I did not expect to enjoy The Replacements as much as I did. I was sceptical of the reunion, but it was such a good show.
6) The Smashing Pumpkins 7/7 at Concord Pavillion, San Francisco
On a work trip to SF I snuck away to see the Pumpkins playing on the edge of town (inexplicably supported by Marilyn Manson). It was a strange show (seated in an open-air bowl) but they played a great set.
5) Russian Circles 4/21 at Islington Assembly Hall, London
Russian Circles blew me away. A perfect mix of metal and post-rock.
4) Father John Misty 21/8 at Greenman Festival, Crickhowell
There was a lot of hype about Father John Misty but in the first 5 minutes of his set he demonstrated why. His showmanship matched how great the songs were.
3) Run the Jewels 29/5 at Primavera Sound, Barcelona
I had so much fun watching RTJ but I also felt like they were having fun playing to us.
2) Low 10/10 at The Roundhouse, London
Like I mentioned above, the new songs in this set made it so incredible. On the surface the songs seem simple but there's so much depth to it all.
1) Nils Frahm 22/5 at The Roundhouse, London
Nils opened up with a 45-minute long song and I didn't want it to stop. It was exhausting watching him play but breath-taking too.
2014
Slightly later end-of-year list than normal this year, but the usual three lists follow.
Top Ten Albums of 2014:
The special mention in this category goes to Journey On by Songs:Ohia - as a compilation of 7"s it doesn't really count as a 2014 album. Despite that, I've listened to it countless times this year and it's fantastic. The top four below are truly outstanding albums.
10) The Murder City Devils - The White Ghost Has Blood on it's Hands Again
I never thought there'd be a new Murder City Devils album. The sound is a little different to how we left them, but Spencer Moody's voice remains excellent.
9) Pacer - Mechanical
A late entry into the list, but Pacer's second album is even catchier than their first.
8) Mono - The Last Dawn / Rays of Darkness
Counting these two as one album isn't cheating because my version has them both together in one gatefold sleeve. Excellent post-rock on both halves.
7) Manic Street Preachers - Futurology
I'm not as much of a fan of Futurology as I am of Rewind the Film, but the best songs here are amongst the best the band have written in the last 10 years.
6) The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die - Between Bodies
Whilst this may not be album in the usual sense of the word, it's a great recording. I wondered how TWIABP were going to follow up on Whatever, If Ever and it turns out that a spoken-word mini-album was exactly the right thing.
5) Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2
This album came with some high expectations but I think everyone can agree that it smashed them.
4) Restorations - LP3
Each Restorations album makes me love them even more. On LP3 they seem to have captured more of the energy of their live shows and it works. Separate Songs is one of the songs of the year.
3) Electric Wizard - Time to Die
When I got this record each song I played pushed it another place up the list. I don't listen to a whole lot of metal, but when I do I wish it was as good as Electric Wizard.
2) Shellac - Dude Incredible
Part of the reason I enjoy this album so much is that I've heard so many of these songs live over the years and seen the band having a great time playing crazy extended versions of them. Knowing how much they enjoy playing these songs adds to the album in a really nice way.
1) Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything
This has basically been the album of the year since February. I'm not even a huge fan of Silver Mt Zion's older albums, but this one is just perfect. What We Loved Was Not Enough is possibly the greatest song I've heard all year.
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
I've bought a lot of Jason Molina related albums this year but kept only one in the list below. Digging through his back-catalogue is an ongoing treat.
10) KEN Mode - Venerable (2011)
I saw KEN Mode this year when they toured with Hark. Never Was was incredible live.
9) Nils Frahm - Spaces (2013)
I'd been meaning to listen Nils Frahm for a while (and would have sooner had Jabberwocky not been cancelled) but ended up receiving this album as a birthday present from a friends. It's pretty mesmerising stuff.
8) The Evens - The Odds (2012)
I should have got into The Evens years ago. Better late than never.
7) Calvinball - The Adventures Of... (2013)
Calvinball had some huge songs, it's just slightly annoying that I have to use a tape player to listen to them.
6) La Dispute - Somewhere at the Bottom... (2008)
I've seen La Dispute a few times, but this year was the first time I really got them.
5) Palms - Palms (2013)
I really should have bought this album last year. I'm glad I finally picked it up though - it's been on very heavy rotation in 2014.
4) Max Richter - Recomposed (2012)
I saw this played live in the Barbican in 2012 (so maybe it shouldn't count as "first heard this year") but it's great hearing it again. I have a lot of time for Max Richter.
3) EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints (2011)
I'd been meaning to buy this album since I heard Gowns and I'm very glad I finally did. The sound here is pretty unique and hugely interesting.
2) The Ex - Catch My Shoe (2012)
Shellac introduced me to The Ex at the end of 2012 and I was amazed. Catch My Shoe is a great album.
1) Songs:Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co. (2003)
I've been getting into Jason Molina's music for the best part of five years now and it's still an incredibly rewarding and exciting process. Living near Truck Records has certainly increased the speed at which I'm getting through his records. There's a reason why everyone goes on about how great this record is.
Top Ten Gigs of 2014:
The gig count this year came in at a reasonable 40, which isn't bad given that I no longer live in London. I saw Neutral Milk Hotel four times, but I've only included two of the shows below - the two Roundhouse shows I saw were good too, but the two below were absolutely incredible. An interesting observation is that most of the gigs below were in grand halls rather than the usual pubs/clubs.
10) Kevin Devine 5/8 at All Saint's Church, Kingston
The All Saint's Church is a great place for gigs and this Kevin Devine show was particularly great. It was excellent hearing him play Every Famous Last Word and Brother's Blood.
9) Owen Pallett 3/12 at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
This show felt quite fragmented as it changed regularly between solo, with drums and bass, and with a chamber orchestra, but the highlights were the two songs featuring all the musicians - it felt like I was watching a live drum-and-bass remix of a classical song.
8) Max Richter 4/10 at Royal Albert Hall, London
I booked tickets for this in January and completely forgot how good the seats I had were until the night. Fourth row at the Royal Albert Hall makes any show spectacular, but especially so when it was The Blue Notebooks, Recomposed and some highlights from Infra.
7) Mogwai 24/1 at Royal Festival Hall, London
Mogwai never fail to impress me. I saw them twice last year and both times were excellent.
6) Restorations and The Smith Street Band 22/4 at The Fighting Cocks, Kingston
I was so happy to finally see Restorations in the UK. I had planned to go to more of the shows, but the move to Oxford got in the way of that. It was worth the 5-hour round trip to see them in a venue that used to be my local.
5) Iron & Wine 16/11 at Adelphi Theatre, London
Sam came on stage and asked what songs people would like to hear and most people replied with The Trapeze Swinger; if he'd played no other songs I'd have left very happy. I didn't enjoy Iron & Wine's full band set at Green Man in 2011 but it turned out an acoustic set was just what I needed to see.
4) Soundgarden 4/7 at Hyde Park, London
We found out the morning of the show that Soundgarden were going to play Superunkown, one of the first albums I owned, in full. Needless to say, I was pretty excited. Add to that Black Sabbath and Faith No More (playing new songs), I had a pretty fun day.
3) Manic Street Preachers 17/12 at The Roundhouse, London
Of course, seeing the Manics play The Holy Bible was pretty awesome, but I actually found myself enjoying the regular set even more. Andy Cairns from Therapy? played on You Love Us, which was both strange and brilliant at the same time.
2) Neutral Milk Hotel 18/5 at Albert Hall, Manchester
I travelled up to Manchester to see Neutral Milk Hotel with my friend Aled. I'd had an excellent day as it was, but finally seeing Neutral Milk Hotel topped it off brilliantly. It was so great I didn't even mind the 4-hour bus ride home after the show.
1) Neutral Milk Hotel and The Ex 15/8 at The Forum, London
After Jabberwocky got cancelled someone scrambled together this show featuring two of the bands I'd been most excited about seeing. The Roundhouse NMH shows had been brilliant, but something that night in The Forum was even better. There were people moshing, which was just incredible, and they played Little Birds. It was the perfect NMH show with the perfect reaction from the crowd and I had an awesome time.
2013
2013 has had it's ups and downs but ultimately turned out very well. Writing an end-of-year list is a nice way to focus on the highlights and forget about the rest anyway. It's been a year of either having no cash to spend on records and gig tickets (since September 2000 there have only been three calendar months when I've not bought any music and two of them were this year) and, more recently, having far less time to actually listen to any music with as much attention as it deserves (readers will have noticed the few and far between updates to the blog, for which I do apologise). However, I have very little to complain about overall and, like I said, it all turned out very well. Here are some of the highlights of the year:
Top Ten Albums of 2013:
Special mentions first: Public Service Broadcasting (not heard the album yet, but they were surprisingly excellent when I saw them), the Pumpkins' Aeroplane Flies High reissue boxset (which is so vast I've not even listened to all of it yet) and Run the Jewels (of which I've only heard two songs, but both were incredible).
10) The Night Marchers - Allez Allez
I'd heard countless good things abut this record throughout the year and everyone was right; it's very good indeed.
9) Caves - Betterment
I like Caves a lot. I've not caught up on all a lot of the new LPs that have come out of the UK punk scene this year, but those I have heard have been excellent.
8) Mogwai - Les Revenants
I hadn't seen the TV show when I bought this LP, but one of the great things about it is that it works both as a soundtrack and as an album. And it's creepy as fuck.
7) Castles - Fiction or Truth?
I was very excited when this arrived in the post. From the first moments of Palm Reader I had a huge smile on my face.
6) Manic Street Preachers - Rewind the Film
If you'd told me at the start of the year that the Manics' new album would make my end-of-year list I would have been equally surprised and excited. It probably would've made the list on the first three songs alone.
5) ONSIND - Anaesthesiology
This was the soundtrack to the first half of summer.
4) Bars of Gold - Wheels
For the first time ever, I've included a record I don't actually own (yet). I plan to buy both Bars of Gold records very soon but this has been getting very frequent plays on their Bandcamp. Bars of Gold are a truly exciting band and I can't get enough.
3) RVIVR - The Beauty Between
It took a few listens for this record to shine, but when it did I had to play it over and over again. The Hunger Suite is particularly brilliant.
2) The World is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Whenever, If Ever
For a while, each of the top three was a strong contender for number one. I knew TWIABP's debut was going to be good, but I wasn't expecting it to be this good.
1) Restorations - LP2
This album is incredible. The first LP was pretty exciting as it was, but Restorations have stepped up their game even further. LP2 has been on very heavy rotation the last few months and I still can't stop listening to it.
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
Only one special mention for this list and that goes to the split between Thursday and Envy, which might have made the list if I'd had the time to listen to it more than twice.
10) Mogwai - Mr Beast (2006)
The nice thing about getting into Mogwai quite late is that I get to gradually explore their back-catalogue. Mr Beast is another gem.
9) Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - The Letting Go (2006)
I first heard Bonnie 'Prince' Billy around the time that The Letting Go came out, but it took me seven years to hear it. It's a very nice record.
8) Superchunk - No Pocky for Kitty (1991)
I found a second-hand copy of this for a fiver in Cambridge and it's been a great introduction to Superchunk.
7) Silent Front - Dead Lake (2010)
This probably shouldn't count, because I played the copy I bought Hugh for his birthday before I gave it to him years ago. I'm glad I finally got a copy of my own.
6) Melvins - Stoner Witch (1994)
Probably should have bought this ten or so years ago. Better late than never.
5) Wavelets - Athaletics (2012)
I bought this one in a bundle with the Dikembe album because I figured "why not?" Turns out it's excellent. A very pleasant surprise.
4) Braid - Frame and Canvas (1998)
When Braid announced a couple of shows this year, a lot of people got very excited, so I decided to see what the fuss was about. I discovered Braid were pretty awesome and ended up seeing them live twice.
3) Paul Baribeau - Paul Baribeau (2005)
Paul Baribeau was an accidental discovery at Fest this year. It's been equally exciting working through his albums too. Kinda like a cross between Jeffrey Lewis and Chuck Ragan.
2) Songs:Ohia - Songs:Ohia (1997)
Much like with Mogwai, Jason Molina's back-catalogue is providing gem after gem and we're lucky that he released so much great music in his short life. RIP.
1) The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely (2006)
People have been telling me to listen to The Mountain Goats for years, and in 2013 I finally did. It's going to take a long time to work through their LPs, but I'm looking forward to it. Get Lonely is a lovely record.
Top Ten Gigs of 2013:
Sadly, my gig tally only just made it past half the number I went to in 2012 (but that was a bumper year and I now have to actually get up in the mornings). Honourable mentions go to Texas is the Reason and Low. Also, a very special mention goes to Tim Kasher who played a show either blind drunk or in the middle of some sort of breakdown. Despite that, he played the most incredible version of A Gentleman Caller and was unintentionally hilarious. I wouldn't say the show was good, but it was certainly memorable.
10) Manic Street Preachers 24/09 at Shepherd's Bush Empire, London
I always love seeing the Manics and their last album certainly helped make this show a stand-out one. Public Service Broadcasting were an unexpected highlight as the support band too.
9) United Nations 29/10 at Crow Bar, Tampa
Shortly before United Nations played, Sarah and I were sat in another bar looking at the Fest schedule. I had a vague memory that United Nations was the name of the band Geoff from Thursday was now playing in, so we headed over and were blown away. I did not see music like that coming at all.
8) The Smith Street Band 03/11 at The Florida Theater, Gainesville
I didn't see The Smith Street Band when they played Kingston out of pure laziness, and I now regret that thoroughly. I'm so glad I made up for it by seeing them at Fest.
7) Hot Snakes 01/06 at Kings' College, London
This was my second time seeing Hot Snakes and both times have been great. John Reis has appeared in this list in a bunch of forms this year.
6) ONSIND 03/05 at The Black Heart, London
ONSIND as a full-band were brilliant. Clearly I wasn't the only one who's been longing to jump around to their songs.
5) Walter Schreifels 24/04 at The Borderline, London
Walter played Landmine Spring and I didn't stop smiling for ages.
4) Rocket From the Crypt 06/12 at Koko, London
This was always going to be fun.
3) The Underground Railroad to Candyland 02/11 at Palomino, Gainesville
URTC were an accidental discovery at Fest 2011 and I was pleased they were as good as I remembered. The Pre-Fest show was excellent, but there was something even more enjoyable about dancing around to them like mad in the pissing rain on the Saturday night. Such a fun band.
2) Quicksand 24/08 at Leeds Festival
It says a lot about the gig at number one that Quicksand aren't at the top. That said, Quicksand were fantastic and everything I hoped for. I hope I get to see them again, because just once doesn't seem like enough.
1) Slint 03/12 at The Forum, London
I had no idea Slint were going to be anywhere near as awesome as they were. I've always liked Spiderland, but that gig made those six songs even more incredible. I walked away that night absolutely amazed.
2012
Here are my end of year lists for 2012! As ever, there's a Top Ten Albums of 2012, a Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year and a Top Ten Gigs of 2012. I've cheated with the gigs list a bit, but you'll see why. The albums I've written about on the blog have links to the posts about them.
Top Ten Albums of 2012:
Some good records this year. Special mention goes to the Generation Terrorist boxset, which wins the award for best re-issue (although I haven't picked up any of the Pumpkins re-issues yet).
10) Baroness - Yellow & Green
No post about this album yet, but it's been a growing on me steadily over the last few months.
9) The Magnificent - Bad Lucky
"...it took a moment to figure out that he was telling that the album was magnificent..."
8) The Cut Ups - Building Bridges. Starting Here
"Building Bridges doesn't disappoint, which says a lot given how high my hopes were set."
7) Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
I only have this one on cd, but Gun Has No Trigger is up there with the best songs of the year.
6) Deftones - Kai No Yokan
Another cd, but the Deftones have upped their game yet again.
5) Muncie Girls - Revolution Summer
"...it may only have five songs, but they're some of the catchiest I've heard all year."
4) The Front Bottoms - The Front Bottoms
"Despite it technically coming out last year, I think it's safe to say though that this album will make the top 10 records..."
3) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
"...they have that rare ability to amaze almost equally on-stage and on vinyl."
2) Tall Ships - Everything Touching
"The build-up is brilliantly gentle and the eventual group-vocals and simple lyrics are perfect. It might just be one of the finest songs I've heard all year."
1) Apologies, I Have None - London
"...this is my favourite record of the year so far. Hands down."
Top Ten Albums From Other Years That I First Heard This Year:
Not too many older albums this year. I need to discover some pre-2000 bands to get into next year. Ass Cobra was one of the few pre-2000 albums I bought in 2012 and look where it is in the list. I think it's because I've stopped buying cds as much as possible, and it's generally harder to find these albums on vinyl (and in good condition).
10) Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (2011)
A bit late on this one, but better late than never.
9) The Arteries + The Cut Ups - Split (2010)
"I wish I had bought it sooner to be honest."
8) Latterman - No Matter Where We Go (2005)
This was the year I got into Latterman (mostly at Banquet's recommendation). Posts about their albums to come.
7) Q and Not U - Different Damage (2002)
I also got into Q and Not U this year. More on them to come too.
6) MewithoutYou - It's All Crazy!... (2009)
"They had compared the album to Neutral Milk Hotel. I stood there for a minute trying to figure out in my mind how it would sound, and eventually decided it could work."
5) Dirty Three - Live! At Meredith (2005)
The best budget live tour cd I own. Some Summers They Drop Like Flies is almost as good as watching them live.
4) Low - C'Mon (2011)
Low were possibly the non-Jeff Mangum highlight of his ATP and Nothing But Heart was so good it convinced me to pick up the album it was on.
3) Bear Vs. Shark - Right Now You're in the Best of Hands... (2003)
"Might have something to do with the fact that I'm playing louder than usual - Bear Vs. Shark sound very good loud."
2) Neutral Milk Hotel - Walking Wall of Words boxset (2011)
Soon there will be a huge post about this boxset. It's almost worth it for Little Birds alone.
1) Turbonegro - Ass Cobra (1996)
"How the fuck did it take me so long to hear Ass Cobra!?"
Top 13 Gigs of 2012:
I made it to 67 gigs this year, once again over-shooting on my one-per-week aim. Close calls go to El-P and Max Richter.
13) Kevin Devine 21/02 at The Cricketers, Kingston
I saw Kevin twice this year, and whilst he played my favourite Miracle of '86 song (Every Famous Last Word) the second time, I think this may have been the better show.
12) Godspeed You! Black Emperor 04/11 at The Forum, London
Godspeed are mesmerizing live.
11) At the Drive-In 28/08 at Brixton Academy, London
The sound was terrible and Omar had a face like a smacked arse, but it was incredible to hear these songs live after so many years.
10) Shellac 02/12 at All Tomorrow's Parties, Pontins, Camber Sands
I'd forgotten how much I like Shellac. Both of their sets that weekend were great, but the hour-and-a-half closing set was brilliant.
9) Tall Ships 04/06 at Banquet's Big Day Out, Kingston
As mentioned in the post about the album, this show defined Tall Ships for me. They got such a party going.
8) The Front Bottoms 14/05 at The Old Blue Last, London
I saw the Front Bottoms three times that week, but the last show was the best. Everyone knew all the words and they looked like they were having a great time.
7) Dirty Three 26/05 at I'll Be Your Mirror, Alexandra Palace, London
God bless Warren Ellis' coke dealer; he's the fourth member of that band. I keep forgetting how much I love the Dirty Three, then the second they start playing I remember.
6) Hell is For Heroes 20/11 at The Peel, Kingston
They may have played a better show the second night at The Peel, but I had way more fun the first night. I came home tired, sweaty and bruised. Good times.
5) Refused 12/08 at The Forum, London
Refused nailed this reunion thing. You wouldn't believe you were watching a band who had been away for 10 years. Liberation Frequency and Tannhäuser-Derivé were unexpected highlights (along with New Noise and Coup d'Ètat).
4) Jeff Mangum 14/03 at The Union Chapel, London
All four of Jeff's UK shows were incredible. I picked up a ticket for this one on the door from a guy whose friend had bailed. Four times in a week and I didn't get bored once.
3) Jeff Mangum 13/03 at The Union Chapel, London
A cup of tea, a sit down in my favourite venue and an hour-and-a-half of my favourite songs. These shows made me realise what a great, haunting song April 8th is.
2) Jeff Mangum 09/03 at All Tomorrow's Parties, Butlins, Minehead
This was the first time I saw Jeff (and I imagine was the case for the rest of the crowd). We were stood near the back in deathly silence (or dumb-struck awe) and he blew us away. A chill went down my spine that first time when he finished Two-Headed Boy and the other musicians walked on playing The Fool.
1) Jeff Mangum 11/03 at All Tomorrow's Parties, Butlins, Minehead
The second night we stood right down the front and when Jeff encouraged us to sing along I swear the whole crowd sang along every last word. I certainly did. It was amazing.
