Untitled - Piccadilly Records

Transcription

PHILIPPA’S INTRO BIT......
W
ith the music industry all
doom and gloom for the past
few years, and independent record
shops closing down across the UK,
at the end of 2007 it’s probably
just good enough for Piccadilly
Records to actually still be here
at all. But we’re not just ‘still here’,
but doing pretty well, and were
voted the number one record shop
in the country by the listeners of
Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide radio
show. We work very hard to make
Piccadilly Records a good place
to shop (in store and online), so
it’s always nice to know we’re
appreciated!
eanwhile, behind the scenes
in the shop it was all comings
and goings, with first Kev, then
Tim, then Jon departing for
pastures new (?What If! creativity,
primary school teaching and River
Island respectively). Obviously
Tim was the biggest loss, having
worked with us for 12 years, and
helping make the dance side of
the shop what it is today. Luckily,
Counter Casanova Danny stepped
M
in to fill his shoes, and is doing a
pretty good job, I think you’ll agree.
Obviously with Danny moving
up the Piccadilly food chain, he
needed replacing on the counter,
so who better to get than Neil Scott.
Resident DJ with mailorder Dave
at Nish Nash Nosh, and Danny at
El Diablo’s Social Club, he’s that
middle bit of the Venn diagram.
In fact I feel like we’ve completed
some sort of underground DJ
collecting set!
f you’ve ever wondered how we
end up at the Piccadilly Records
top 100, then the next bit is
especially for you: In mid October
everyone who works here comes
up with their own top 20, which
are all then compiled into the main
chart (30 points for a number one
position, 19 for a number two, down
to one for a number 20). There’s
no re-jigging to make us look cool,
no record company bribes (damn!)
and no other outside influences,
it’s just a list of the records we
really loved in any particular
year. In 2007 for instance, LCD
I
Soundsystem got to the top with
two number one placings, seven
in the top ten and another two in
the top 20 of people’s charts, so
is a worthy winner. The separate
genre charts are compiled a little
differently, combining actual shop
/ website sales with favourites
(most crossover between the two),
and include singles too - we’d be
a bit stuck with some of the dance
genres if we couldn’t add all those
7” and 12” sales! The downside of
the early collation system is that
we miss out on those end of year
releases (see Amy Winehouse in
2006 – sure to have been a top
20 finisher if only her LP had been
released a month earlier), but it
takes so long to get this booklet
organised that we have to start this
early!
astly, a big thank-you to all the
record labels and distributors
who have advertised in these
pages, and all the bands and
artists who have sent in charts;
let’s hope 2008 offers up as many
great releases as 2007.
L
Previous Piccadilly Albums Of The Year
We’ve been compiling these charts since 1996, and with much scratching of collective heads, we think we’ve
come up with the previous number ones throughout that time. We really should keep a record of these things!!!
So unless any long term punter knows any different, here’s the definitive list.
• 1996
• 1997
• 1998
• 1999
DJ Shadow : Endtroducing
Radiohead : OK Computer
Boards Of Canada : Music Has The Right To Children
Beta Band : Beta Band (The memory is a bit foggy on this one, let us know if it’s wrong)
• 2000 Badly Drawn Boy : The Hour Of
Bewilderbeast
• 2001
• 2002
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
White Stripes : White Blood Cells
Beck : Sea Changes
Cody ChesnuTT : The Headphone
Masterpiece
Sufjan Stevens : Seven Swans
Magnolia Electric Co : What Comes After The Blues
Vetiver : To Find Me Gone
Thanks to http://photoeverywhere.co.uk for use of the image on the cover.
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LCD Soundsystem
Sound Of Silver
R
ecorded in upstate New
York over the summer
of 2006, “Sound Of Silver”
is an ambitious step up
from LCD Soundsystem’s
eponymous debut album.
Not only does it drop all those stylistic references
we love here at Piccadilly Records (punk-funk,
Krautrock, early 80s Euro-disco, post-punk guitar
music etc), going far beyond the simple pastiche
of many bands around vying for the LCD crown,
but then combines these with some excellent song
writing from James Murphy. So, the expected discopogo guitars-meet-synths club anthems of “North
American Scum”, “Us V Them” and “Watch The
Tapes” mingle with emotive home-listening songs like
“Someone Great”, “All My Friends” and “New York,
I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down”. Where
“LCD Soundsystem” came across as a collection of
singles (albeit brilliant singles!), “Sound Of Silver”
feels like a proper, well thought out long player. In
short: Same sound, better songs.
1
Panda Bear
Person Pitch
Q
uite simply, this is an
astonishing album.
Animal Collective member
Panda Bear (a.k.a. Noah
Lennox) boldly returns with
his third solo record “Person
Pitch”. Years in the making, “Person Pitch” marks a
dramatic departure from Panda Bear’s previous solo
record “Young Prayer”. The acoustic instruments of
“Young Prayer” have been replaced with samplers
and electronics. Imagine if you will, a stoned out,
ethereal collaboration with a young Brian Wilson,
Steve Reich, My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields
and Brian Eno and you might be getting half way
near to the aural brilliance on show here. The songs
here shimmer along combining dizzying melodies,
abstract sounds and off-kilter rhythms, all coated in
a super rich surround-sound that mesmerizes the
listener into a state of wide-eyed bliss, like a drug
induced dream of all the best bits of music from since
time began rolled into one album.
2
TOP 100
Top 11 DFA Picks - 2007
in no particular order
• Matthew Dear - Asa Breed
• Studio - Yearbook1
• No Age - Weirdo Rippers
• Deerhunter - Cryptograms
• Kanye West - Graduation
• M.I.A. - Kala
• Dirty Space Disco - V/A
• Strategy - Future Rock
• Panda Bear - Person Pitch
• James Murphy & Pat Mahoney - Fabriclive
• The 1990's - Cookies
Panda Bear
Biography
I
nstinctively nomadic and musically inquisitive,
Panda Bear (Noah) has always been searching the
land for inspiration and meaning. When not working
on Animal Collective material, Panda Bear creates
lots of music by himself and with Scotty Mou (DJ
Casio - Queens ) in Jane. He also makes jams with
the other animal bros and Rusty Santos for fashion
shows as Together. Never sticking with any particular
sound, Panda’s range goes from the quiet humble
jams of Young Prayer to the electronic pop of Person
Pitch. Panda Bear currently resides in Lisbon ,
Portugal .
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Wilco
Sky Blue Sky
A
lmost universally
derided upon it’s
release in the U.S. for it’s
lack of experimentation,
“Sky Blue Sky” takes
Wilco back to their
beginnings and the alt country rock of frontman Jeff
Tweedy’s previous band, Uncle Tupelo. An album
of estrangement, reconciliation and, ultimately,
redemption. “Sky Blue Sky” finds Wilco stripped back
to basics. It’s this very simplicity however, that allows
songs like “Hate It Here” (the best break up song
of the new millennium so far, no contest) and the
dual guitar Television-esque workout of “Impossible
Germany” to breath and evolve like they do. More an
arm around your shoulder and a soft whisper in your
ear than a slap across the face, we’re very lucky that
we have time at Piccadilly to let records like this to
work their charm on us. I know my musical landscape
for one, would have been bleaker without it in 2007.
3
Wooden Shjips
Wooden Shjips
S
an Francisco four piece
Wooden Shjips first
came to our attention in
February this year when
we heard the blistering
sonic guitar attack that is
“Dance California” and we have been waiting on the
album ever since. Mixing a loose, funky drum beat,
groovy bass-lines, droning organ, fuzz guitar and
incomprehensible lyrics isn’t rocket science and so
many do it that it is easy to get lost in the also-rans.
Fortunately Wooden Shjips tower above the best of
the rest with their swirling maelstrom of psychedelic
space rock. Without doubt slaves to the groove,
the Shjips quite simply lock your body into a heavy
trance like strut, whilst lifting the lid on your head
and teleporting your brain to the outer reaches of the
universe.
4
A Brief History Of Wilco
F
ormed by Jeff Tweedy after the split of country/
punk pioneers Uncle Tupelo in 1994, the Wilco
line-up has been subject to numerous changes over
the subsequent years. Early albums ‘AM’ and ‘Being
There’ pursued a familiar country rock route while
‘Summerteeth’ explored Tweedy’s poppier side. By
the end of the century, infighting, line-up changes
and record company disputes (all documented in
Sam Jones film ‘I Am Trying To Break You Heart’) led
to the band making their boldest leap yet. ‘Yankee
Hotel Foxtrot’ and ‘A Ghost Is Born’ saw them dubbed
the ‘American Radiohead’ in light of the non-musical
samples, extended motorik workouts and input of Jim
O’Rourke. With ‘Sky Blue Sky’ in 2007, Wilco seem
more invigorated and inspired than ever.
Wooden Shjips Top 10 (In No Order)
Bad Trips – Bad Trips (Rocketship Records)
Los Llamarada - The Exploding Now (S-S Records)
Blues Control – Blues Control (Holy Mountain)
Tinariwen - Aman Iman: Water Is Life (Independiente)
Suishou No Fune - Writhing Underground Flowers
(The Lotus Sound)
Expo 70 -Animism (Kill Shaman)
Astral Blessing – Astral Blessing (Mad Monk)
Various Artists - Psychedelic Phinland: Finnish Hippie & Underground Music 1967-1974 (Love Records)
Teenage Panzerkorps (Der TPK) - Harmful Emotions (Siltbreeze)
Terry Riley - Les Yeux Fermes & Lifespan (Elision
Fields)
TOP 100
Speck Mountain
Summer Above
A
masterclass in
understated simplicity,
“Summer Above” proves
that less really is more.
Speck Mountain’s mix of
startlingly sparse guitar
lines, organ drones, lonely melodica, blanched out
sax, and dreamy female vocals, all shimmers in a
warm and glowing psychedelic haze. It’s like the
languid guitar style of the Velvet Underground’s third
album mixed with the early slow-core methods of Low
topped off with Hope Sandoval’s vocals. With roots
in Detroit, Portland, and LA, the three core band
members (Marie-Claire Balabanian, Karl Briedrick
and Kate Walsh) have all finally settled in Chicago,
and this, their self-produced debut, was recorded at
John McEntire’s Soma Electronic Studios in Chicago,
and Dubway in New York using simple old fashioned
analogue gear to create a near perfect record that’s
as effective in the drowsy early morning as it is in the
late night comedown.
5
Speck Mountain - Top 10
1. Valet - “Blood Is Clean” (Kranky)
2. Valet - “Fire” 7” (Burnt Brown Sounds)
3. Seefeel - “Quique Redux Edition” (Too Pure)
4. Magik Markers - “Boss” (Ecstatic Peace)
5. Acre - “Candyflipping” (Yarnlazer)
6. Lichens - “Omns” (Kranky)
7. Richard and Linda Thompson - “Live November 1975” (UMVD Import)
8. Stars of the Lid - “And Their Refinement of the Decline” (Kranky)
9. Dark Yoga - “Breath of Life” (Yarnlazer)
10. V/A - “Bearded Ladies” (Bird)
The Shins
Wincing The Night Away
I
f you’ve read anything
about The Shins new
album it’s that it’s not fit to
share shelf space in your
record collection with it’s
predecessor “Chutes Too
Narrow”, the album that changed lives forever in
2003. As is often the case with these kinds of things,
everything you’ve read is wrong. James Mercer is
without doubt one of the finest songwriters of recent
times and with “Wincing”, he’s finally got an album that
does those songs (and what songs they are!) justice.
They’ve swapped the lo-fi muddle of the first two
albums for glorious technicolour and in doing so made
a record that should propel them away from the few,
into the hearts of the many.
6
Ryan Adams
Easy Tiger
R
yan Adams’ ninth solo
album – and he’s still
only in his early thirties –
was in a way a surprise,
and in another not so.
We’d seen him play the
Academy the summer before with a set full of heavy,
dream-weaving, guitar-sprawling rock. Then “Easy
Tiger” arrives and it’s the most clear-headed, pristine
sounding, perfectly crafted record of his whole career!
Just when we thought he was sailing into the cosmos,
along comes his most concisely produced, two feet
on the ground bunch of songs yet. But this is no cop
out; far from it: “Easy Tiger” is a truly beautiful record.
Less self-indulgent, less messed-up, and as a result
less elusive, here Ryan seems to have nailed the
sound (and voice) he’s after and neatly presented it
in 14 bite-size chunks. It’s like a greatest hits but with
new songs, and whilst that means this is slightly less
of a trip than before, who can argue when the songs
themselves are this mightily strong?
7
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Kings Of Leon
Because Of The Times
T
his is the third album
by the mighty Kings Of
Leon and once again they
have delivered. This album
though, is no “Youth And
Young Manhood”, or “Aha
Shake Heartbreak”, it seems the bullets have actually
been given back to Lynyrd Skynyrd. What we have
this time from the Followill’s is a streamlined future
rock sound, still entrenched in the regular set up, the
band eschew any gimmickry but manage to turn what
is a well worn sound into something special. There
is detail running through these well crafted songs,
the immediacy of the previous two albums is left
behind and replaced with a slow burning appreciation
for a band that have now come full circle from their
hedonistic days to a clinically taught rock machine.
The song craft is a up a notch too, right from the
opener they still have the hooks, but now you grow to
love them rather than them hitting square in the nose.
A band coming of age, and I cannot wait for the next
album.
8
Super Furry Animals
Hey Venus
N
ot as overtly ambitious
as their recent work,
SFA’s unabashed return
to simple power pop sees
the group create their
most coherent record
since “Radiator”. Eleven effortlessly crafted songs
that hold together as an addictive pop album, “Hey
Venus!” is by turns typically frenzied and blissfully
relaxed. Combining the lush spacey arrangements
and sun-kissed vocal harmonies characteristic of
Spector, Wilson and Bacharach with more than a
little glam rocker ‘tude, Gruff and the boys have both
rewarded long-term fans and delightfully converted
those who had long since dismissed their wizardry
(even in this very shop!) Despite its greater discipline,
“Hey Venus!” sees them both continuing to progress
whilst joyfully confounding expectations. Indeed, by
embracing such disparate influences as soft-psych,
lackadaisical soul and bubblegum pop, the Furries
have once again proved their vitality and necessity to
the pop music sphere.
9
!!! (Chk Chk Chk)
Myth Takes
O
f all the dance-punk
revivalists, !!! have
been the most consistently
challenging, not to mention
the group most likely to fill
discerning dancefloors in
our top twenty. Fantastically produced, “Myth Takes”
consummately establishes them as the equals of all
the groups they are so clearly influenced by. Most
prominently, it is the restless sonic impulse of Talking
Heads’ “Remain In Light” that this album so joyously
invokes. Electric and inspired, the band’s playing is a
relentless barrage of driving guitar solos, post-punk
bass and fluid African polyrhythms, whilst Daniel
Ofer’s frantic vocal chants of desperation and lust
appropriately lie in conversation with David Byrne.
With each track a mini funk epic containing elements
of disco, dub, punk and hip-hop, the real achievement
lies in the ability of this barely contained band to
sound as defiantly tight as the most disciplined JB’s
whilst essentially on one endless wild trip.
10
New Young Pony Club
Fantastic Playroom
F
irst coming to our
attention back in 2005
with their “Ice Cream” single
for Tirk, New Young Pony
Club instantly won a place
in our hearts with their spiky
post-punk pop collision. Several years, and several
singles later, the Pony’s bring us their debut album,
“Fantastic Playroom”, released on the cooler-thanthou Modular imprint. Chock-full of catchy, twisted
songs fronted by singer Tahita, the album takes its
early 80s musical reference points, and like CSS,
comes up with something very new and very now.
NYPC: Definitely not a one-trick pony!
11
TOP 100
Blonde Redhead
23
Josh Rouse
Country Mouse City House
A
low key release
that melted many
a hardened heart here
at Piccadilly in 2007,
Nebraskan singersongwriter (now a resident
of Spain) Josh Rouse has produced yet another gem.
Pitched somewhere between the luscious output
of early 70s Hi Records and the barbed wit of Elvis
Costello or Steely Dan, the wryly observed, groovebased melodies of “Country Mouse City House”
succeed in winning over head and heart. “Hollywood
Bass Player”, in particular, pits the travails of the
nomad musician against one of the slinkiest grooves
of the year. Someone please tell me there are
another half a dozen albums before this every bit as
good.
12
Alex Delivery
Star Destroyer
F
ive piece NY art
rock ensemble
Alex Delivery are not
afraid to disclose their
influences nor are they
afraid of drumming
up a searing patchwork of electronic shards
and stunning harmonic beauty, powered by a
metronomic undercurrent that seems to permeate
every ingredient. We are talking intense stabs
of harsh synth, motorik rhythm, nagging organ,
sampled otherworldliness and guttural rumbles
distilled through samplers. Matched with a subtle
vocal quality, the song grows and fades, returns
stronger and veers to the very left of the field. That
is track one, but you get the idea. From here on in
we have elements of swirling waltz, downcast drum,
melancholic vocal, stunning rhythmic sections and
above all a sense of complete continuity, which is
contrary to the diversity of the sounds.
14
I
t’s been 14 years
since their debut EP
“Amescream” and 12 since
their eponymous mini
album, in which time they
have undergone several
changes of style, from the dreamy and exotic postSonic Youth landscapes of “Blonde Redhead” and “La
Mia Violenta” to the jagged art rock of “Fake Can Be
Just As Good” and the intensely personal “Misery Is
A Butterfly”, apparently an insight into Kazu Makino’s
melancholic state of mind after her trampling by a
horse. What has tied them all together are Makino’s
eerie, aching vocals, an instinct for the sublime, and
the passion that drips from every pore of their music;
all of which are perfectly distilled in this, probably their
finest album.
13
Beirut
Flying Club Cup
F
ollowing last year’s
astonishing debut
“Gulag Orkestar”, Zach
Condon AKA Beirut
returns with “Flying Club
Cup”. In between the
two albums, he has been living in Paris immersing
himself in France’s culture, fashion, history and
music, in much the same way as he absorbed Balkan
culture for his debut album. Condon’s musical gaze
has now looked to the likes of Jacques Brel and
Francois Hardy for inspiration, and “Flying Club Cup”
is another sweeping and triumphant European folk
album that combines these new ideas with elements
of his previous work too. Where as “Gulag Orkestar”
was mainly a solo effort, for this album Condon has
acted as a band leader putting together a core group
of eight musicians and together they’ve managed
to recreate his cultural borderless vision with this
expansive and enthralling album.
15
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Bill Callahan
Woke On A Whaleheart
W
hereas the last (Smog)
LP was steeped in lo-fi
country, Bill Callahan steps out
from that beloved moniker to
deliver his most accessible record
yet. An aesthetic shift is apparent with the polished
sophistication of “Diamond Dancer”, an irresistible
groove featuring funk basslines and raggedy fiddle
floating above a gospel chorus of female backing
vocalists. Callahan’s unmistakable voice and poetic
lyrics are as unique as ever, tracing the timeless
connections between romance and sense of place
like only he can. However, whilst the R ‘n’ B rhythms
and Motown string arrangements glitter on this album,
Callahan hasn’t abandoned his love of country, as
evinced by “A Man Needs A Woman Or A Man To Be
A Man”. Evoking the maverick spirit of both Neil Young
and now Paul Simon, Callahan confidently stretches the
canvas of his already colourful tapestry.
16
1990s
Cookies
L
ike the Hold Steady,
Glasgow’s 1990s were
inspired to form from a frustration
with the current lack of bands
in thrall to the holy trinity sex,
drugs and rock’n’roll. Kind of like a spiky, snotty younger
brother of all the great Scottish indie bands of yore
(Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits, Jesus & Mary Chain,
Eugenius), they’re not the kind of band you’d let your
daughter go with! The band sound like they’ve been
dragged through every gutter from here to the East
Village, while the subject matter only strays as far as
arcade precincts, house parties and bed sits. While their
friends in Franz Ferdinand have become an international
prospect, the 1990s would defiantly ‘rather be in
Pollockshields’.
18
The National
Boxer
20
T
Blanche
Little Amber Bottles
O
n its release, Blanche was
happy to ascribe a three year
gap between albums to a simple
lack of good new songs, if only
other bands were this honest!
Happily, “Little Amber Bottles” shows it was time well
spent finding the muse even if they keep their patented
boy/girl, country-noir blueprint intact. This suite of songs
demonstrates just why deadpan front man Dan Miller
was chosen to play Country guitar ace Luther Perkins in
Johnny Cash bio-pic ‘Walk the Line’ and no less a roots
aficionado than Jack White considers them the real deal.
Aided by wife Tracee Mae and assorted Greenhornes,
the quintet breathe fresh life into well worn subject
matter; empty bottles, broken hearts, sleepless nights
and the gothic underbelly of Americana, lent credence
by a sympathetic soundtrack of pedal steel, mandolin
and banjo. A choice cover of an obscure Rolling Stones
B-side confirms their innate ability to find the country
heart in any song.
17
Arcade Fire
Neon Bible
B
uilding on – rather than
shrinking from – their tenure
as coolest rock band on the
planet, Montreal’s finest follow
up “Funeral” with a record
at once more furious, more melancholy and more
widescreen. Drawing strength from their solidarity and
unique musical empathy, “Neon Bible” is borne of the
same impulse that fired Echo And The Bunnymen to
record “Ocean Rain”; epic choruses played from the
bottom of Arctic caverns by a junk-shop orchestra. The
subject matter manages to encompass the personal
and political without missing a beat, state-of-the-nation
addresses and post-millennium blues in the same
heartbeat. The result is a record destined to fill teenage
bedrooms and concert arenas alike.
19
he National’s 2005 album “Alligator” saw them fulfil the promise shown on their
previous two albums, and set the bar impossibly high for their follow up. However, with
“Boxer” they’ve created something quite stunning, in fact the opening three tracks, “Fake
Empire”, “Mistaken For Strangers” and “Brainy” are possibly their best songs ever. A taut
rhythm section is present throughout, and complements the languid vocals and lush string
arrangements perfectly. Although the strings and Matt Berningers distinctive drawl create
a solemn mood, there are plenty of upbeat moments here too, creating a rich anthemic
album with just the right amount of melancholy.
TOP 100
21-100
21. Deerhunter : Cryptograms
22. Dungen : Tio Bitar
23. Akron/Family : Love Is Simple
24. Kathy Diamond : Miss Diamond To You
25. No Age : Weirdo Rippers
26. Alberta Cross : The Thief & The Heartbreaker
27. Ulrich Schnauss : Goodbye
28. Map Of Africa : Map Of Africa
29. Sister Vanilla : Little Pop Rock
30. Voice Of The Seven Woods : Voice Of The
Seven Woods
31. Richard Hawley : Lady’s Bridge
32. Marnie Stern : In Advance Of The Broken Arm
33. Matthew Dear : Asa Breed
34. Grinderman : Grinderman
35. Tinariwen - Aman Iman: Water Is Life
36. Menomena : Friend And Foe
37. Band Of Horses : Cease To Begin
38. Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound : Ekranoplan
39. Findlay Brown : Separated By The Sea
40. Joakim : Monsters & Silly Songs
41. Husky Rescue : Ghost Is Not Real
42. Animal Collective : Strawberry Jam
43. Klaxons : Myths Of The Near Future
44. Life On Earth! : Look!! There Is…
45. Maps : We Can Create
46. The Orchids : Good To Be A Stranger
47. Wooden Wand : James & The Quiet
48. Deerhoof : Friend Opportunity
49. Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter : Like, Love, Lust & The Open Halls Of The Soul
50. Tap Tap : Lanzafame
51. Angels Of Light : We Are Him
52. Cold War Kids : Robbers & Cowards
53. Elliott Smith : New Moon
54. Talkdemonic : Beat Romantic
55. TTC : 3615TTC
56. Dan Deacon : Spiderman of the Rings
57. Polytechnic : Down Til Dawn
58. Queens Of The Stone Age : Era Vulgaris
59. Rune Lindbaek : Klubb Kebabb
60. The White Stripes : Icky Thump
61. Tomboy : Serios
62. Modeselektor : Happy Birthday
63. The Bamboos : Rawville
64. The Oscillation : Out Of Phase
65. Bjorn Torske : Feil Knapp
66. Iron And Wine : The Shepherd’s Dog
67. Shackleton & Appleblim : Soundboy
Punishments
68. Songs Of Green Pheasant : Gyllyng Street
69. Arthur & Yu : In Camera
70. Explosions In The Sky : All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
71. Ian Brown : The World Is Yours
72. Shocking Pinks : Shocking Pinks
73. Stars of the Lid : And Their Refinement Of The Decline
74. Jane Weaver : Cherlokalate
75. Little Dragon : Little Dragon
76. Prinzhorn Dance School : Prinzhorn Dance School
77. Soulsavers : It’s Not How Far You Fall, It’s The Way You Land
78. The Bird And The Bee : The Bird And The Bee
79. Thief : Sunchild
80. Belleruche : Turntable Soul Music
81. Extra Golden : Hera Ma Nono
82. Hanne Hukkelberg : Rykestrasse 68
83. Justice : Cross
84. Soil & Pimp Sessions : Pimpoint
85. The Good, The Bad & The Queen : The Good,
The Bad & The Queen
86. Six Organs Of Admittance : Shelter From The Ash
87. The Coral : Roots & Echoes
88. Ben Frost : Theory Of Machines
89. Bonde Do Role : With Lasers
90. Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs : You Can’t Buy A Gun When You’re Crying
91. Kanye West : Graduation
92. Lucky Soul : The Great Unwanted
93. Night Of The Brain : Wear This World Out
94. Puressence : Don’t Forget to Remember
95. Grails : Burning Off Impurities
96. Letters : Letters
97. Maximo Park : Our Earthly Pleasures
98. Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew : Spirit If…
99. Chromeo : Fancy Footwork
100. Clara Hill’s Folkwaves : Sideways
NORTH MANCUNIAN SCUM.......?
T
his year’s local Manchester
‘unsigned/just-about-to-besigned’ music scene has been
dominated by two bands who both
hail from North Manchester. The
Courteeners, fronted by the ever
confident Liam Fray, and Twisted
Wheel who formed earlier this year
were the most talked about bands
at this year’s In The City. Others
enjoying their fare share of the
spotlight included The Ting Tings,
Lowlife, El Policia, Tim And Sam’s
Tim And The Sam Band, The
Headlines and the young troubadours
Nomad Jones, George Thomas And
The Owls and Dr Butlers Hatstand
Medicine Band.
n addition, this year saw bands who
have spent years on the periphery
finally break through and release
records: The Jakpot, The Night Jars,
The Whip, A Boy Called Doris and
Grand Volume to name but a few.
This being Manchester, the acoustic
scene was as healthy as ever too,
with the likes of Nancy Elizabeth,
Denis Jones, Liz Green, Magic Arm,
Voice of The Seven Woods and The
Moulettes releasing records.
he majority of artists mentioned
released their first records on
local labels before being snapped up
by the majors, thus demonstrating
Manchester labels’ ability to work
hard and keep their ears to the
ground. A special mention should
go to Howard Mills from Humble
Soul who released Liz Green’s first
7” and was the overall Glastonbury
Unsigned artist of 2007. Jayne
Compton, from Switchflicker, was
lucky enough to release the very first
(and now much sought-after) 7” from
The Ting Tings and a Magic Arm
10”, with Fat Northerner, Forecast,
Concrete Recordings, Red Deer
Club, Melodic and Akoustik Anarkhy
all releasing records and supporting
their artists at home and abroad.
ith so many artists on the scene
you’d think there’d be a shortage
of places to perform, but this year
I
T
W
live music has flourished in some of
the most obscure venues. From the
plush surroundings of Manchester
235 to the sordid basement of North
Nightclub, punters have never been
so spoilt for choice. The change of
music policy at The Ruby Lounge
gave the people of the Northern
Quarter yet another reason never to
leave, whilst Saki Bar in Rusholme
has brought Rock ‘n’ Roll to the curry
mile with club nights such as the now
defunct Show No Shame, the 50’s
inspired Your Mama’s Cookin, Seek
And Destroy, Let Your Back Bone
Slip and the imaginatively entitled
Disco Opposite Tesco. Opening
earlier this year to instant acclaim,
Dulcimer has placed good music
and good beer firmly at the top of the
agenda. A bar of this type has long
been overdue in Chorlton.
s usual, Fuel in Withington
seems, sorry, IS the hot bed for
anything acoustic, especially open
mic nights. The opening of Troff in
the Northern Quarter has caused
quite a stir, winning bar of the year
with it’s regular rotation of DJ’s and
special one-off B-Music events, even
hosting Wendy Flowers of Wendy
& Bonnie fame offering a rather
refreshing alternative to a Friday
night. Excellent! Looking to the
future, expect to hear more noise
from the new club Mo-Ho Live and
The King on Oldham Street changing
to The Northern. And, you never
know, Band On The Wall might open
this year...well, maybe not.
n the festivals front, Futuresoinc
continues to go from strength to
strength, even with the earlier start in
the calendar. Sounds From The Other
City in Salford actually benefited from
being a wash out. What better way to
spend a Sunday than running from
pub to pub, dodging the rain and the
welcome home parties for the newly
released inmates from Strangeways
just to catch the next big thing?! Ear
To The Ground pronounced this
years DPercussion to be the last
A
O
as Castlefield finally succumbed to
the pressure of an over crowdedfestival on its door step. On the
other side of town though, the New
Islington Festival, brought to us
by the same people, excelled in its
second year with its superb line-up,
with more emphasis on a family
day out rather than a mash up of
all things Manc. Sadly, In The City
was overshadowed by the passing of
Anthony H. Wilson, though from the
liggers and gig goers roaming the
streets between venues you’d hardly
notice. The fringe event at The Kings
Arms, ‘underneaththetrees’, with
a striking line up of sixteen artists
over eleven hours plus a BBQ was
one of the highlights. Lastly, the
Manchester International Festival,
designed to showcase, encourage
and commission new and original
work from all over the world over
eighteen days was a huge success.
Musical highlights included Lou
Reed, PJ Harvey, Kayne West, Ojos
de Brujo and my personal favourites
The Pianist and Monkey: A Journey
To The West; Damon Albarn and
Jamie Hewlett bringing to life the
centuries old tale with 40 Chinese
Acrobats, beautiful set designs and
a musical score especially written for
the circus opera.
inally, ones to watch out for next
year include Spandex Valley,
Nomad Jones, Kamal Arafa and The
Headlines, all looking set to build
on their brief brushes with success
this year. So, are we really North
Mancunian Scum? I think not, I’d
say for inspiration follow the northern
stars.
F
Pasta Paul
TOP 30 COMPILATIONS
Late Night Tales - Lindstrom :
Azuli
N
orway’s cosmic disco master,
Hans-Peter Lindstrom takes
time out from his prolific recording
schedule and delivers this great compilation. Tracks
include the acapella-only “Born To Synthesise”
from Todd Rundgren, while on the same channel of
lateral music comes George Duke’s synth wobbling
“North Beach” and Dominique Leone’s evocative
“Conversations” goes further into the heart of Zen
melancholia. He also drops a wicked electro-disco
chugger from Fern Kinney, Gina X’s “Kaddish” and
Carly Simon’s “Why”. We also get his exclusive cover
version of Vangelis, a bit of Dusty, Todd Terje, Lovin’
Spoonful and Sly & The Family Stone.
1
TOP 100
A Kind Of Awe And Reverence
And Wonder : Twisted Nerve
his is the new compilation
from Manchester’s very own
homemade and house-proud,
singular minded and independent ‘non-record-label’
Twisted Nerve. Here Andy Votel along with Damon
Gough and new recruits Dom Thomas and Doug
Shipton have returned to the original TN garden-shed
to cultivate a new stream of self-sufficient musical
misfits bringing you a range of contemporary hybridgenres from Welsh Rare Beat to Anatolian-acid-folk
and zygotic-zither-music. Tracks from Twisted Nerve
artists old and new, including previously unreleased
tracks from the likes of Voice Of The Seven Woods,
Speck Mountain, Samandtheplants and 9Bach.
4
Brazil 70 - After Tropicalia :
Soul Jazz
T
his album follows Brazilian music
in the aftermath of Tropicalia and
as the country’s dictatorship entered
its most oppressive phase. Musicians and artists
from the late-60s such as Gilberto Gil, Rita Lee (Os
Mutantes lead-singer) and Gal Costa entered a new
phase mixing rock, funk, samba and soul alongside
a wealth of new artists such as Novos Baianos, Raul
Seixas, Joyce and more. With the constant threat
of imprisonment, artists nevertheless managed to
produce radical music dealing with questions of
identity, sexuality and society in a revolutionary
manner.
2
Fabriclive 36 - James Murphy
And Pat Mahoney : Fabric
T
his album is a unique project for
Soul Jazz Records, featuring allnewly recorded exclusive tracks of
future dub and dubstep from key artists in the scene.
This album clearly shows the influence of original
electronic dub pioneers like King Tubby, Scientist and
King Jammy on this new generation of artists and
producers. Emerging out of south London, dubstep
has grown from its roots in the grime and drum and
bass scenes to create a whole new movement of
artists - including Digital Mystikz, Skream, Scuba
Kode 9 and Burial - all influenced by soundsystem
culture as well as technology.
L
CD Soundsystem’s frontman
James Murphy and drummer Pat
Mahoney delve into their NY roots
for “Fabriclive 36”. Recorded using an old hand-built
Bozak mixer, the pair’s mix is a hot sweaty blend of
seminal disco, deep rare grooves and edgy techinfused funk from influential artists such as Donald
Byrd & 125th St, Chic, Lenny Williams, Was (Not
Was), JT, NYC Peech Boys, Junior Byron and Love
of Life Orchestra. A delightful nod to their future, past
and present, this mix is unashamed hand-clapping
fun, full of upfront rhythms, obscure treats and heart
warming guilty pleasures. Essential!!
5
Box Of Dub - Dubstep And Future
Dub : Soul Jazz
3
T
Now We Are Ten - A Trunk
Records Sampler : Trunk
J
onny Trunk and his label, Trunk
Records, have discovered some
of the most beautiful music never
heard. And just some of those musical highlights
are pulled together for the very first time here. This
is the pastoral sound of film music, of great white
sharks, maypoles, horror, space and even sex. No
other label finds such timeless beautiful music in
such extraordinary places: in skips, sheds, even
under musicians beds. And no other label offers such
extraordinary sounds - serial killer folk, surf jazz,
zombie Moog, even lunar piano!
6
TOP 30 COMPILATIONS
Prins Thomas - Cosmo Galactic
Prism : Eskimo
P
rins Thomas’ mix CD has to
be heard to be believed, not
only responsible for over half of
Norway’s gross annual exports, he can DJ too, taking
influences from all over the place and mixing them
up into a coherent two+ hours. We get tracks from
Joe Meek, Hawkwind, Metalchicks, Holger Czukay,
Visnadi, Parliament, Uusi Fantasia and Zombi plus
many more. An excellent mix showcasing a broader
spectrum than most, which at the end of the day is
what it’s all about.
7
8
Keb Darge And Cut Chemist
Present Lost And Found Rockabilly And Jump Blues : BBE
D
eep funk DJ Keb Darge, teams
up with friend and fellow crate
digger Cut Chemist to present a hi-octane selection
of old and new rockabilly gems. Once upon a time
in America there were hillbillies, and them there
hillbillies had guitars, pianos, drums and horns and
an irrepressible urge to party. This party urge is
captured perfectly on these 37 tracks, a collection
of rare and obscure, yet totally accessible hillbilly
naughtiness, unearthed for your aural pleasure by
two masters of their craft.
Ed Rec Vol 2 : Ed Banger
F
ollowing on from 2006’s digitalonly first volume, “Ed Rec Vol
2” brings together the cream of
the Ed Banger artists. The French
label was founded in 2003 as a way of giving (then)
unknown electronic music producers a chance and
putting fun back on the dancefloor menu at the same
time. Ed Banger artists’ propensity for tough electroid
/ electrohouse rhythms, ramped-up synth noise and
stadium sensibilities has led to the label being seen
as one of the leaders of the new rave scene.
9
Sister Funk 2 : Jazzman
A
full five years in the making, the
follow up to the hugely popular
first volume finally sees the light
of day, bearing with it the fruits of
compiler Ian Wright’s inexhaustible
quest to unearth some of the world’s toughest,
most elusive and undeniably funky female 45s. The
spectrum of sounds covered on this album reflects
a broad range of styles, from the heavy funk of
Keisa Brown’s “Dance Man” to the dancefloor jazz of
Barbara Trent’s “Heartbreak Hotel”, from the discofied
soul of Florence Trapp to the crossover stylings of
Barbara Mason.
10
11.After Dark : Italians Do It Better
12.Studio One Rub-A-Dub : Soul Jazz
13.Nish Nash Nosh - Soulphuric Licks And Discoid Kicks Vol 2 - Mixed By David Walker : Nish Nash Nosh Corp
14.Gilles Peterson Digs America Volume 2 : Luv N’Haight
15.Computer Incarnations For World Peace : Sonar Kollektiv
16.Bearded Ladies : Bird
17.Back To Mine – Royksopp : DMC
18.Colombia! - The Golden Years Of Discos Fuentes 1960 – 1976 : Soundway
19.Sci.Fi.Lo.Fi Vol 1 - Andrew Weatherall : Soma
20.Home Schooled - The ABCs Of Kid Soul : Numero Group
21.DJ Kicks - Hot Chip : K7
22.B-Music: Cross Continental Record Raid Road Trip : Finders Keepers
23.Eskimo Vol 5 - Selected And Mixed By The Glimmers
24.A To Z Of Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: The Roots Of Rock’n’Roll : Sunday Best
25.Rvng Prsnts Mx5 - Justine D : Rvng Intl
26.New York Latin Hustle! - The Sound Of New York : Soul Jazz
27.Kings Of Electro Compiled By Playgroup & Alter Ego : BBE
28.Rumble In The Jungle : Soul Jazz
29.Optimo – Walkabout : Endless Flight / Mule Musiq
30.Control OST : Warner Brothers
TOP 20 REISSUES
.....in alphabetical order
• Barbara & Ernie : Prelude To...
• Anne Briggs : Time Has Come
• Faust : Faust
• Fire Engines : Hungry Beat
• Gallon Drunk : Tonite... The Singles Bar / You, The Night... And The Music / From The Heart Of Town
• Manuel Göttsching : E2-E4
J Dilla : Ruff Draft
In retrospect “Ruff Draft”, originally
out on the Mummy label back in
2003, marked a turning point in
Dilla’s career. In contrast to the
often understated, mellow vibes
and minimal, crisp drumbeats he brought to the
boards for A Tribe Called Quest, Common, Busta
Rhymes, The Roots, Erykah Badu and many more
well-known names, “Ruff Draft” revealed – to those
who heard it the first time around – a whole new side
to Dilla’s musical genius. Freewheeling, in-your-face
synthesizers blend perfectly with an uncharacteristically sample-heavy approach that was as bangin’ as
it was experimental.
• Johnny Lunchbreak : Appetizer / Soups On
• Joy Division : Unknown Pleasures /Still / Box Set
Joy Division : Closer
Joy Division’s second album came
out a year after their debut, and
many consider it an even greater
achievement. Whilst still messed-up,
depressed and turbulent, there’s a
less violent and more resigned vibe here. A majestic
gloom prevails and whilst the old side one would
feature their trademark, twisted, scariness, a glacial,
detached beauty sees the last four songs take Joy
Division into the realm of the gods.
• Love : The Blue Thumb Recordings
• Mighty Baby : Mighty Baby
• Pylon : Gyrate Plus
Terry Riley : Les Yeux Fermes
And Lifespan
After changing the world in the late
60s with “In C” and “A Rainbow in
Curved Air”, legendary American
composer and father of minimalism Terry Riley
abandoned tape-manipulation and written composition to concentrate on long form keyboard cycles and
improvisations. In the early 70s, while in Europe, he
was invited to create scores for two films. The first, in
1972, was Joel Santoni’s Les Yeux Fermés, and the
second was Lifespan, directed by Alexander Whitelaw
in 1974.
• Sex Pistols : Never Mind The Bollocks
• Shack : Zilch
• Sly And The Family Stone : Stand! / Small Talk / Life / Fresh / Dance To The Music / A Whole New Thing
Sly And The Family Stone :
There’s A Riot Goin’ On
The tracks sound like nothing ever
heard before, so stunningly original
it was like music brought back from
another planet. “There’s A Riot Goin’ On” was a masterpiece of dark, simmering grooves and visions from
the other side. Sly tapped the chaos and utter blackness of his own life to extract timeless art - a personal
statement that ranked with the greatest of the day.
Sonic Youth : Daydream Nation
“Daydream Nation” was Sonic
Youth’s sixth and final album for
Blast First before leaving for Geffen.
It catapulted them into the mainstream and proved indie bands could enjoy wide commercial success without compromising their artistic
vision. This ‘Deluxe Edition’ features the original 1988
album, remastered under the band’s supervision, plus
live and unreleased tracks and bonus studio tracks.
• Sun Kil Moon : Ghosts Of The Great Highway
• Young Marble Giants : Colossal Youth
• Neil Young : Live At Massey Hall / Live At Fillmore East
SOUTHERN RECORD
DISTRIBUTORS
PANDA BEAR - ‘PERSON PITCH’
(PAW TRACKS)
NANCY ELIZABETH - ‘BATTLE AND VICTORY’
(THE LEAF LABEL)
THE TUSS - ‘RUSHUP EDGE’
(REPHLEX)
DEERHOOF - ‘FRIEND OPPORTUNITY’
(ATP RECORDINGS)
“Perhaps the most astounding record of the year”
- THE GUARDIAN
"Unmissable debut from proper Northern newcomer"
- THE WORD
“A handsome Aphex effort or an astonishingly promising debut” - 4/5 UNCUT
“A vibrant and explosive album from a band that keeps getting
better” - THE WIRE
COLLEEN - ‘LES ONDES SILENCIEUSES’
(THE LEAF LABEL)
DAN DEACON - ‘SPIDERMAN OF THE RINGS’
(CARPARK)
“Hauntingly lovely, without ever lapsing into out-and-out melancholy” - SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
“We think he’s one of the most exciting and plain funniest
things happening in music right now.” - VICE
THESE FINE LABELS EXCLUSIVELY DISTRIBUTED BY S.R.D.
INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL DISTRIBUTOR SINCE 1987.
www.myspace.com/southernrecorddistributors
STAFF CHARTS
laura’s chart
philippa’s chart
1. The National : Boxer
2. Blanche : Little Amber Bottles
3. Speck Mountain : Summer Above
4. Band Of Horses : Cease To Begin
5. Cold War Kids : Robbers & Cowards
6. Polytechnic : Down Til Dawn
7. Richard Hawley : Lady’s Bridge
8. Panda Bear : Person Pitch
9. The Shins : Wincing The Night Away
10.Alberta Cross : The Thief & The Heartbreaker
11.Grinderman : Grinderman
12.Arthur & Yu : In Camera
13.Beirut : Flying Club Cup
14.Menomena : Friend And Foe
15.Maximo Park : Our Earthly Pleasures
16.Iron And Wine : The Shepherd’s Dog
17.Songs Of Green Pheasant : Gyllyng Street
18.Pela : Anytown Graffiti
19.The Bees : Octopus
20.King Creosote : Bombshell
fter being treated to such a
glut of brilliant long players in
2006 (Amy Winehouse, The Ettes,
The Gossip, Lily Allen), this year
it’s pretty much all about LCD
Soundsystem. Yes, all the other
albums in my top 20 are great, but nothing compares
to “Sound Of Silver”. Rushing to get my chart finished,
I managed to miss out Simone White, The Oscillation,
Bat For Lashes and Robert Wyatt, so imagine them in
there too. And also these ace mix CDs: “Sunkissed”,
“Fabriclive 36 – James Murphy & Pat Mahoney”,
“Eskimo Vol 5”, “Back To Mine – Royksopp” and “Late
Night Tales – Lindstrom.
s to life outside work: My best friend Babs had
another baby, Euan, who’s a real sweetie (whilst
his big sister Lala just gets more brilliant!), mates
Sarah and Peaira tied the knot down in Cornwall,
I hob-knobbed with the stars at the GP Worldwide
awards and ended my 9 year DJ residency at
Homoelectric. LCD Soundsystem and CSS / The
Gossip were brilliant gig-wise and Manchester
Stingers made me cry by missing out on promotion by
one measly point.
A
s usual, any of my top 5
could’ve made the no.1 spot,
but I eventually decided on The
National, and seeing them live
recently confirmed that I’d made
the right choice. Arriving too late to
make this chart, but also deserving of a mention are
the albums from The Manhattan Love Suicides and
The Brunettes, both of which brought a smile to my
face, and the soundtrack to “The Assasination Of
Jesse James...” by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis which
is superb.
ive highlights this year were the Primavera Sound
festival in Barcelona: Loads of great bands
including Sonic Youth playing ‘Daydream Nation’,
Slint playing ‘Spiderland’, White Stripes playing a
storming set and Barry Adamson who was superb
(and just a bit menacing!) Annoyingly though, the
two highlights for me both played at the same time,
so only caught half a set each of Beirut and Band Of
Horses, but both were excellent.
didn’t get to the cinema much, as usual, but viewing
wise, it was good to see The Sopranos go out in
style, and Piccadilly’s obsession with The Wire kept
us all entertained throughout the year, with box sets
constantly being passed around. Genius!
L
I
A
A
1. LCD Soundsystem : Sound Of Silver
2. New Young Pony Club : Fantastic Playground
4. Ulrich Schnauss : Goodbye
7. Joakim : Monsters & Silly Songs
8. Bjorn Torske : Feil Knapp
9. !!! (Chk Chk Chk) : Myth Takes
10.Jane Weaver : Cherkolate
11.Little Dragon : Little Dragon
12.Belleruche : Turntable Soul Music
13.Blonde Redhead : 23
14.Bonde Do Role : With Lasers
15.Thief : Sunchild
16.Clara Hill’s Folkwaves : Sideways
17.The Cinematic Orchestra : Ma Fleur
18.Simian Mobile Disco : Attack Decay Sustain Release
19.4hero : Play With The Changes
20.Prinzhorn Dance School : Prinzhorn Dance School
TOP 100
STAFF CHARTS
darryl’s chart
danny’s chart
3. Wooden Shjips : Wooden Shjips
4. Tap Tap : Lanzafame
5. Menomena : Friend And Foe
6. Deerhunter : Cryptograms
7. Wooden Wand : James and The Quiet
8. Beirut : Flying Club Cup
9. The National : Boxer
10.No Age : Weirdo Rippers
11.Voice Of The Seven Woods : Voice Of The Seven Woods
12.Songs Of Green Pheasant : Gyllyng Street
13.Maps : We Can Create
14.Blanche : Little Amber Bottles
15.LCD Soundsystem : Sound Of Silver
16.Alex Delivery : Star Destroy
17.Caribou : Andorra
18.Arthur & Yu : In Camera
19.Kings Of Leon : Because Of The Times
ell it’s been an interesting year
to say the least; I got a new
job here at PHQ which I am finally
settling into. I had another brilliant
time at the Greenman festival,
highlights being Dead Meadow,
Vetiver, Robert Plant and a special mention to the
fine Tarpaulin carriers of London, who made an
indelible impression on the hedonistic Mancunians.
Singles of the year I would have to say Brian Olive,
Grandmagneto’s ‘Night Fever’, Shins ‘Turn On Me’
and John Cale’s LCD version. Friends Of Music
is looking for a new home after 3 brilliant years at
Centro. Odd Bar Saturday nights have been some of
the best gigs I’ve ever played. And El Diablo’s returns
after a couple of months off to see us into the New
Year. Aside from that, thanks go to Jack Rose after
another excellent gig, Voice Of The 7 Woods, Dunk
Le Chunk at the Green Man, A Mountain Of One and
BBC Radio Manchester for asking me to DJ.
ompiling a top 20 every year
gives you a great appreciation
of the amount of brilliant albums
that have been released. And this
year is no exception, I’ve chosen
Panda Bear as my number one
for the simple reason that I can still remember the
unexpected astonishment of the first all important
listen. It’s as though Panda Bear had been hired to
make this deep, celestial and otherworldly music as
a welcoming tool for an alien visit in order to show off
Earth as a futuristic and wondrous place.
nother revelatory album, has been the Speck
Mountain debut, an unexpected gem that was
sent to the shop by the band themselves. Taking the
idea that less is most definitely more, their music
brings a relaxing deep breath with every listen. I hear
that they’ve also just signed to UK label Peacefrog,
which will hopefully spread their music to the masses,
in the meantime we have the UK exclusive on it.
n the gigs front Sonic Youth performing
“Daydream Nation” in Barcelona was a highlight
as were Beirut, and The White Stripes at the same
festival.
4. Ryan Adams : Easy Tiger
6. Wilco : Sky Blue Sky
9. Alex Delivery : Star Destroyer
10.!!! (Chk Chk Chk) : Myth Takes
12.LCD Soundsystem : Sound Of Silver
13.Six Organs Of Admittance : Shelter From The Ash
14.Holy Fuck : LP
15.Grails : Burning Off Impurities
17.Sunburned Hand Of The Man : Fire Escape
19.Angels Of Light : We Are Him
20.Dungen : Tio Bitar
C
A
O
W
STAFF CHARTS
steve’s chart
andy’s chart
1. 1990s : Cookies
2. Josh Rouse : Country Mouse City House
4. Arcade Fire : Neon Bible
7. !!! : Myth Takes
8. Kings of Leon : Because Of The Times
10.Sister Vanilla : Little Pop Rock
11.Bill Callahan : Woke On A Whaleheart
12.Extra Golden : Hera Ma Nono
13.The Coral : Roots and Echoes
14.Super Furry Animals : Hey Venus
15.Panda Bear : Person Pitch
16.Wooden Shjips : Wooden Shjips
17.Wooden Wand : James and The Quiet
18.The Phantom Family Halo : The Legend Of Black Six
19.Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound : Ekranoplan
20.Speck Mountain : Summer Above
anny says that hearing me
talk about Fatherhood and
the gradual disappearance of
your Old Self is better than any
contraceptive money could buy. This
is convenient when it comes to this
Intro because firstly: I’d hate to spoil your fun like
that, and secondly: unless you want to know about
my daughter’s incredibly imaginative creative writing,
or my son’s mega-strike against Stretford Vics last
week, well there’s very little to write about from me! I
said this last year but it’s actually got worse! Or better.
My world has shrunk, quite comfortably into Family,
Music and ( for better or for worse!) Football. I don’t
get out much (it’s still 1989 out there, right?) and my
Top 20 will reflect that. To go with the pipe’n’slippers
you’ll get melodic, simple and (dare I say it) Classic
Pop. I’ve had a brief , and much ribbed, excursion into
the lush, dreamworlds of Lindstrom and Prins Thomas
(thanks to their 2 brilliant compilations) but all that
was accomplished within the pyjama-bottomed safety
zone of Couch And Earphones Land! Anybody out
there in the same boat? I’m flying the ageing dadrock
freakflag here and I just hope you can find something
you’d like in my chart. Walk On, friends of Music!
D
espite the washout of a summer,
2007 has had some highlights.
Glastonbury proved to be something
of a triumph against all odds; Arcade
Fire, John Fogerty, CSS, Tinariwen,
Super Furrys all stood out. !!!, Kings
Of Leon & Mark Kozelek also all amazed with their
Manchester gigs.
y top three singles (yes, we boys love our lists!)
were Sister Vanilla ‘Can’t Stop the Rock’, Kathy
Diamond ‘Over’ & The Whip ‘Divebomb’. Special
mention to the 1990s for brightening up many a
dreary wet afternoon/bar DJ set.
f course, I’ve not just been listening to records
… there’s also been loads of great TV, films
and books! The Simpsons movie elicited a – long
held – deep sigh of relief while the final Rebus
instalment provoked one of melancholy. Cramming
in 3 seasons of ‘The Wire’ (twice) was an experience
wholly unexplainable to the uninitiated. Similarly,
the books of George Pelecanos sent me on an
exhaustive trip through lush ‘70s soul via the Paisley
Underground.
op that, 2008. Well, give me more than two days
of non-stop sunshine and I’ll be happy.
M
O
T
D
2. The Shins : Wincing the Night Away
3. The Orchids : Good to be a Stranger
4. Blonde Redhead : 23
5. Elliott Smith : New Moon
6. Super Furry Animals : Hey Venus
7. Sister Vanilla : Little Pop Rock
9. Ian Brown : The World Is Yours
10.Ulrich Schnauss : Goodbye
11.Maps : We Can Create
12.Josh Rouse : Country Mouse City House
13.LCD Soundsystem : Sound of Silver
14.Puressence : Don’t Forget to Remember
15.Wilco : Sky Blue Sky
16.Kings of Leon : Because of the Times
17.Band Of Horses : Cease To Begin
19.New Young Pony Club : Fantastic Playroom
20.Gravenhurst : The Western Lands
STAFF CHARTS
TOP 100
dave’s chart
martin’s chart
3. New Young Pony Club : Fantastic Playroom
7. Woodenshjips : Woodenshjips
8. Kings Of Leon : Because Of The Times
10.The Oscillation : Out Of Phase
11.Super Furry Animals : Hey Venus
12.Josh Rouse : Country Mouse City House
13.Ryan Adams : Easy Tiger
14.Lucky Soul : The Great Unwanted
15.Iron And Wine : The Sheperd’s Dog
16.!!! : Myth Takes
19.PJ Harvey : White Chalk
20.The Good , The Bad And The Queen : The Good, The Bad And The Queen
007 has been, for me, the best
year for music for some time,
with many highly promising new
acts making an impression, from the
distorted, fluid art punk noise of No
Age, to Letters’ electronic post rock
rhythmic sleaze, Alex Delivery’s eerie acid fairground
soundtrack, New Young Pony Club’s cheerful, saucy
new wave disco and Shocking Pinks’ take on moody,
monochrome post punk drone. The top end of my
chart is, however, dominated by realised potential;
Husky Rescue following up their haunting debut
‘Country Falls’ with the even more exquisite ‘Ghost
Is Not Real’, a wistful collection of evocative, aching
Scandinavian pop songs and Blonde Redhead
earning the possibly questionable distinction of
producing my favourite album of the year with the
passionate and beautiful melancholy of ‘23’.
pecial mention and much love to Prinzhorn
Dance School for being thoroughly nice folks, for
a charismatic live performance in the shop, and for
baking cakes for everyone...
T
his year has been about one
thing for me: DIY. So much so
that friends have threatened my life if
I ever mention it again, so don’t hold
your breath for a ‘best of’ 2008.
M
y most memorable djing experience of 2007 was
Electric Souls at Notting Hill carnival. I lugged
two bags of records down on the train (at 9am!
On a Sunday!), only to find that vinyl and bouncy
wooden floors don’t get on and that I was surplus
to requirements after about 15 minutes. At least this
year it was sunny and I’d managed to fit going to bed
in before I got to the station.
ig wise, Kings Of Leon and The Gossip were
good, while CSS and Nancy Elizabeth were great
and I have to give an honorary mention to ‘Back To
Black’ by Amy Winehouse which would have been my
number one album if I hadn’t been inconvenienced by
the fact it came out last year.
G
2
S
1. Blonde Redhead : 23
2. Husky Rescue : Ghost Is Not Real
3. Klaxons : Myths Of The Near Future
5. Talkdemonic : Beat Romantic
6. No Age : Weirdo Rippers
7. Shins : Wincing The Night Away
8. New Young Pony Club : Fantastic Playroom
9. Shocking Pinks : Shocking Pinks
10.Panda Bear : Person Pitch
11.The Bird and The Bee : The Bird and The Bee
12.Hanne Hukkelberg : Rykestrasse 68
13.Alberta Cross : The Thief & The Heartbraker
14.Alex Delivery : Star Destroyer
15.Letters : Letters
17.Ulrich Schnauss : Goodbye
18.Burbuja : Burbuja
19.Deerhunter : Cryptograms
20.Olvis : Bravado
STAFF CHARTS
rob’s chart
paul’s chart
2. Josh Rouse : Country Mouse City House
4. Bill Callahan : Woke On A Whale Heart
5. Super Furry Animals : Hey Venus!
7. !!! : Myth Takes
8. 1990’s : Cookies
11.Arcade Fire : Neon Bible
12.Speck Mountain : Summer Above
13.The Good The Bad & The Queen : The Good The Bad & The Queen
14.Kanye West : Graduation
15.Joakim : Monsters and Silly Songs
16.Talib Kweli and Madlib : Liberation
17.Findlay Brown : Separated By The Sea
18.Map Of Africa : Map Of Africa
19.Sister Vanilla : Little Pop Rock
20.Sorcerer : White Magic
nother fantastic year.
Highlighting a few albums
‘LCD’ deliver what will probably be
their defining album. The ‘Jesse
Sykes’ album has always managed
to please since the first listen in
January. ‘The Frames’ are finally recognised on the
world stage, after 17 years, with help from the film
“Once”. ‘Explosions In The Sky’ release an amazing
album encased in an exquisite 12” gatefold sleeve
with etched vinyl. Stunning! Festivals visited: ‘The
Great Escape’, ‘The Big Chill’ and ‘Electric Picnic’
where all fantastic. Gigs: ‘The Rolling Stones’ @
Slane Castle, Barbra Streisand @ MEN Arena, Noel
Gallagher @ the Royal Albert Hall, Prince @ the
Millennium Dome, PP Arnold @ the Jazz Cafe and
a night @ Fabric. Fantastic! Low points: the end
of Electric Chair, the departure of Jon Freer and
Tim Roach, thoroughly enjoyed working with you
both! Finally Anthony H. Wilson a voice for music,
Manchester, politics, art, design and everything about
the North West in general. Raise your glass, but
more importantly raise your voice.
lthough Wilco deservedly
lie first, my top 10 LPs are
interchangeable. Great singles
came courtesy of LCD, Kathy
Diamond, Joakim and Sister Vanilla.
Additionally, Kanye’s ‘Flashing
Lights’ was the best hip-hop track of the year,
soundtracking my brother’s Barcelona stag do.
Stepping up to mail order status, I finally, wilfully,
joined the Ryan Adams appreciation society but the
real highlight has been Steppin’ Out with Steven
Perry. Our devastating partnership has included
some of my favourite DJ’ing nights ever. D.I.Y
Dave’s 40th/blind date service and seriously beating
him at the weekly five-a-side were also fun times.
United thrashing my in-laws 7-1 and ultimately
being crowned champions at City contributed to
an unbelievable bank holiday. I won’t elaborate on
Glastonbury. Thanks to Odd for having me play
in various states on many a Saturday night and
especially to the wonderful Meg. I enjoyed coercing
film geek Steve into his first ever movie walk-out
(during the risible Mutual Appreciation), Curbs
Season SIX thanks to John Key and gigs from
Vetiver, LCD Soundsystem and Kings Of Leon.
4. Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter : Like, Love, Lust & The Open Halls Of The Soul
5. Findlay Brown : Separated By The Sea
6. Rune Lindbaek : Klubb Kebabb
7. The Bamboos : Rawville
10.Explosions In The Sky : All Of A Sudden....
11.Soulsavers : It’s Not How Far You Fall.....
12.Soil & Pimp Sessions : Pimpoint
13.Voice Of The Seven Woods : VOTSW
14.Ryan Adams : Easy Tiger
15.The Frames : The Cost
16.St. Vincent : Marry Me
17.Thief : Sunchild
18.Marva Whitney With Osaka Monaurail : I Am What I Am
19.White Stripes : Icky Thump
20.Richard Swift : Dressed Up For The Let Down
A
A
STAFF CHARTS
TOP 100
brad’s chart
andrew’s chart
1. Kings Of Leon : Because Of The Times
6. Queens Of The Stone Age : Era Vulgaris
8. The White Stripes : Icky Thump
9. Tinariwen : Aman Iman: Water Is Life
10.Wilco : Sky Blue Sky
11.Arcade Fire : Neon Bible
13.Map Of Africa : Map Of Africa
14.New Young Pony Club : Fantastic Playroom
15.!!! : Myth Takes
16.Animal Collective : Strawberry Jam
18.The Oscillation : Out Of Phase
19.P.G. Six : Slightly Sorry
20.Blanche : Little Amber Bottles
hoosing my first Top 20 was
made extra hard by the wealth
of knowledge and recommendations
giving by the huge musical brains
working here. It’s a tough battle for
tune of the year too, with Comtron’s
“Follow The Money”, that mental german version of
“Another One Bites The Dust” and Four Tet’s remix of
Matthew Dear’s “Deserter” all getting a shout.
ony Wilson checking out had some proper ‘end
of an era’ feelings about it. The other big news is
the Electric Chair calling it a day. The club was one
of the main reasons I moved here in the first place, so
it’s going to leave a huge hole in Manchester nightlife.
Fair play guys, it was quality while it lasted.
ighlight of the year was definitely Futuresonic.
Blinding performances from Faust and TTC, as
well as the outrageous selection of arts and events
made it one of the best ever and thankfully showing
there will always be new and interesting happenings
going on in this town.
A
nother year goes by and a lot
has changed. I’ve now left
college and I’m already missing
it. What I’m not missing is being
broke, and now having more time
to make money I’ve been able to
buy A LOT more records. There have been many
excellent records this year as my chart demonstrates
and more than a few surprises! Gigs this year have
also been ace; Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
and The Black Angels being the first two that crop
into my head as being outstanding, but I’m sure there
were many more. Some belting nights out too of
course at Friends Of Music and Steppin’ Out. South
Park season 11 being the best thing since South
Park season 5, Lost getting stupid weird and Prison
Break still going strong, it’s been a good year for TV,
downloaded to keep up with the yanks or otherwise. I
hope everyone else had as good a time as I have this
year and I also hope there is much more in store for
next year . . .
C
T
H
1. Matthew Dear : Asa Breed
4. Super Furry Animals : Hey Venus
5. TTC : 3615TTC
6. Tomboy : Serios
7. Modeselektor : Happy Birthday
8. Shakleton & Appleblim : Soundboy Punishments
9. Tinariwen : Aman Iman: Water Is Life
10.Alex Delivery : Star Destroyer
14.Night Of The Brain : Wear This World Out
16.Chromeo : Fancy Footwork
19.Iron And Wine : The Shepard’s Dog
20.Colleen : Les Ondes Silencieuses
TOP 100
GENRE CHARTS
new-psyche-folk/americana/folk
1. Beirut : Flying Club Cup
3. Voice Of The Seven Woods : Voice Of The Seven Woods
4. Wooden Wand : James & The Quiet
6. Felice Brothers : Tonight At The Arizona
7. P.G. Six : Slightly Sorry
8. Tunng : Good Arrows
9. Smoke Fairies : Strange The Things
10.Rio En Medio : The Bride Of Dynamite
11.Denis Jones : Humdrum Virtue
12.Alasdair Roberts : The Amber Gatherers
13.James Blackshaw : The Cloud Of Unknowing
14.Paris Motel : In The Salpetriere
15.Nancy Elizabeth : Battle And Victory
16.Charalambides : Likeness
17.Castanets : In The Vines
18.Jim White : Transnormal Skiperoo
19.Sir Richard Bishop : Polytheistic Fragments
20.Death Vessel : Stay Close
T
he Pan-European folk exploits of
Beirut proved to be another winner
for us this year, as did the long awaited
second album from spooky Americana
wonders, Blanche. Voice Of The
Seven Woods AKA Rick Tomlinson,
built on his growing reputation with a first album proper
that blended his journeys into folk, Eastern psychedelia,
and baroque jazz-rock into a molten and heady brew.
Wooden Wand again delivered some perfect Americana,
as did London based Alberta Cross and upstate New
Yorkers The Felice Brothers. P.G.Six’s unique blend
of 60s British folk, country and experimental continues
to excite as does the melody focussed glitch-folk from
Tunng, who even came in for a downtempo instore
performance. Elsewhere the blues-folk-tronics of local
artist Denis Jones brought to mind John Martyn in his
prime, the delicate layered vocal folk of Rio En Medio
brought a hush to all that listened and there were also
notable debuts from Nancy Elizabeth, Smoke Fairies and
Paris Motel. The instrumental element of this section was
well represented with a couple of blinding releases from
raga king Sir Richard Bishop and the Takoma influenced
James Blackshaw, and lastly there was a couple of late
arrivals from Charalambides and Castanets, both of
whom would have been much higher in the chart had
they been released earlier in the year.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
avant/post-rock/drone
Panda Bear : Person Pitch
Alex Delivery : Star Destroyer
Deerhunter : Cryptograms
Talkdemonic : Beat Romantic
Explosions In The Sky : All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
6. Stars Of The Lid : And Their Refinement Of The Decline
7. Holy Fuck : LP
8. Battles : Mirrored
9. Marnie Stern : In Advance Of The Broken Arm
10.65daysofstatic : The Destruction Of Small Ideas
11.Sunburned Hand Of The Man : Fire Escape
12.Magik Markers : Boss
13.Growing : Vision Swim
14.Dead C : Future Artists
15.Melt-Banana : Bambi’s Dilemma
16.Valet : Blood Is Clean
17.Om : Pilgrimage
18.Jackie-O Motherfucker : Valley Of Fire
19.Raccoo-oo-oon : Behold Secret Kingdom
20.Sightings : Through The Panama
T
he otherworldly sounds of the
inspirational Panda Bear album
dominated this year, but there were
plenty of other releases that caught the
attention too. Alex Delivery provided a
wonderful album that mashed up Can,
Faust and the disco styles of Arthur Russell into a cool
underground sound. Deerhunter mixed avant rock drones
and melodic pop angles for their Kranky Records album,
and Kranky brought us another cracker from Stars Of
The Lid who delivered a huge drone soundscape of epic
proportions. Talkdemonic were this years post-rock act
of choice, garnering rave reviews everywhere for their
fusing of pulsing beats and guitars. Explosions In The Sky
again excelled with their best album to date, and Battles
seemingly impossible mix of prog-style time changes,
synth distortions, jazz and electronic influences worked
a treat. The late arrival, Holy Fuck, would have been
much higher if it arrived earlier, as would the fantastic
Jackie-O Motherfucker, and the Keiran Hebden produced
Sunburned Hand Of The Man album. On a much noisier
tip Melt-Banana, the Sightings and Dead C provided
the aural kicks, and there was more abstractness from
Raccoo-oo-oon, unsettling doom from the genre leaders
Om, and the experimental fried guitar beauty of Valet that
has somehow slipped under the radar of most.
GENRE CHARTS
psyche/kraut/rock
electroclash/punk/funk
3. Map Of Africa : Map Of Africa
6. Grails : Burning Off Impurities
7. Neil Young : Chrome Dreams II
8. Earthless : Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky
9. Robert Wyatt : Comicopera
10.Cloudland Canyon : Silver Tongued Sisyphus
11.A Mountain Of One : Collected Works
12.Studio : West Coast
13.The Dragons : BFI
14.Titan : A Raining Sun Of Light & Love, For You & You 1. LCD Soundsystem : Sound Of Silver LP/CD
2. New Young Pony Club : Fantastic Playroom LP/
15.Harmonia : Live 1974
16.Ghost : In Stormy Nights
17.Zombi : Twilight Sentinel / Zombi
18.Citay : Little Kingdom
19.Sinoia Caves : The Enchanter Persuaded
20.The Phantom Family Halo : The Legend Of Black Six
& You...
I
n a similar way to a few years ago,
when a whole host of new folk bands
soaked up the influences of the past
and added their own styles to create
a whole new movement, this year has
seen the fully realised emergence of a
whole new legion of psyche-rock bands ready and willing
to melt the brain with their acid laden freakouts.
t the forefront of this movement this year has
been San Francisco’s Wooden Shjips, a band that
exemplify better than most the new psyche sounds with
a fabulous distillation of psyche, krautrock and rock from
the past 40 years or so (you can include Spacemen 3,
Amon Duul II, The Doors, Neu!, the Velvets and many
more here) into a potent fuzzed out brand of outerspace rock, that appeals to psyche-rock heads and the
indie kids. You can also list in this movement Sweden’s
Dungen, who’ve been taking this trip for a few years
now, their offshoot band Life On Earth!, space travellers
Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound, Grails, Earthless,
Cloudland Canyon, Ghost, The Phantom Family Halo and
Titan amongst many others.
his year has been similarly special for the more
Balearic rock tastes too, with the likes of Map Of
Africa, A Mountain Of One, and Studio all the tickling
the ear lobes. And finally old timers like Neil Young and
Robert Wyatt also proved that age isn’t a stumbling block
to releasing fabulous music. Here’s to next year!!!
A
T
CD
LP/CD
CD
3. Joakim : Monsters & Silly Songs LP/CD
4. !!! (Chk Chk Chk) : Myth Takes LP/CD
5. Simian Mobile Disco : Attack Decay Sustain Release 6. Klaxons : Myths Of The Near Future CD
7. Hot Chip : Shake A Fist 12”
8. Justice : Cross LP/CD
9. MIA : Kala LP/CD
10.Bonde Do Role : With Lasers LP/CD
11.Digitalism : Idealism LP/CD
12.Various : Ed Rec Vol 2 LP/CD
13.Various : Soulwax - Most Of The Remixes... LP/
14.Various : DJ Kicks - Hot Chip LP/CD
15.Superthriller : Superthriller 2 CD
16.Tomboy : Serios CD
17.Chromeo : Fancy Footwork LP/CD
18.Kitsune Maison Compilation 4 : Kitsune LP/CD
19.MSTRKRFT : The Looks LP/CD
20.Various : Rvng Prsnts Mx5 - Justine D CD
2
007 was a vintage year for long
players in this section, with all those
bands and producers who’ve spent the
previous 18 months putting out brilliant
singles finally committing themselves to
full-length albums: LCD Soundsystem
kicked off the year with the amazing “North American
Scum” before hitting us for six with “Sound Of Silver”;
NYPC mined the early 80s for disco-not-disco styles (right
down to the cut off edges of their LP inner sleeve!), and
popped in to say hello; !!! increased the groove factor and
became a shop CD player staple; Joakim proved he could
write pop songs as well as make us dance; SMD revived
hip-house on their way to dancefloor domination; Justice
and Digitalism kept the youngsters happy and Klaxons
and Bonde Do Role took their respective sub-genres
(nu-rave and baile-funk) to new heights, with a Mercury
Prize win and TV advert placings au go-go. And looking
back further than 2007, there were long overdue reissues
of original post-punk players Young Marble Giants, Pylon
and The Slits, just to keep me and Martin happy.
GENRE CHARTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
house/techno/electrohouse
Trusme : Nards 12”
Matthew Dear : Asa Breed LP/CD
ME / Mark E : R+B Drunkie 12”
Tony Allen : Kilode – Carl Craig Remix 12”
Moodymann : Technologystolemyvinle 12”
Justice : Dance 12”
Simon Baker AKA Anonymous : Plastik 12”
Elektrons : Red Light, Don’t Stop LP/CD
Deepchord Pres. Echospace : The Coldest Season CD
10.LA Priest : Engine - Erol Alkan Remix 12”
11.The Chemical Brothers : We Are The Night LP/CD
12.ERP : Vox Automaton 12”
13.Bloodfire : Vol.V - To Know You Is To Love You 12”
14.LCD Soundsystem : Someone Great 2x12”
15.Justus Kohncke Vs. Prins Thomas
16.Karizma : A Mind Of Its Own LP/CD
17.Simian Mobile Disco : It’s The Beat 7”
18.Still Going : Still Going Theme 12”
19.Cobblestone Jazz : 23 Seconds LP/CD
20.Randolph : Believer - Jazzanova Remix 12”
A
s with Elektrons in 2006, it’s a bit
of local talent that tops our house
chart this year, with Trusme’s “Nards”
number one in the best sellers list and
loved by Piccadilly staff and customers
alike (as did follow-ups “Tony Does
What Tony Wants” and “WAR”). As I write this Trusme’s
debut album “Working Nights” has also just landed,
too late to go in our chart I’m afraid, but featured in the
‘Bubbling Under’ section. Other monster house cuts
came from Mark E, Moodymann and Justice, who came
out with the straight-ahead smiley-faced Frenchness
of “Dance”. Elektrons’ Luke and Justin dropped a great
house-soul-funk-hip hop long player, and then dropped
a bombsell with the announcement that they had
decided to finish their Electric Chair nights. With the final
electrocution sold out months ago, there are sure to
be tears shed inside and outside the club at the end of
January. Under his Audion guise Matthew Dear tempted
us over the festive season (2006) with his rework of Hot
Chip’s “No Fit State”, and then really burrowed into our
heads with his “Asa Breed” album, which is techno and
them some. Carl Craig never left the studio, coming up
with a whopping 10 reworks, the best of which (and the
biggest selling) was his Afro-tech infusion of Tony Allen’s
“Kilode”. Deepchord and ERP provided the other big
techno winners of the year, while SMD revived hip-house
with the killer “It’s My Beat”.
TOP 100
disco/italo/cosmic
1. Various Artists : Firecracker EP 03 10”
2. Kathy Diamond : Miss Diamond To You CD
3. Force Of Nature : To The Brain - Prins Thomas Remixes 12”
Various : Late Night Tales - Lindstrom CD
Various : Prins Thomas - Cosmo Galactic Prism CD
Chromatics : Night Drive CD
LCD Soundsystem : All My Friends - Harvey Remix / Freak Out/Starry Eyes 12”
8. Grandmagneto : Night Fever / Tainted Love 7”
9. Woolfy : Odyssey 12”
10.Vastkustska Ryggdunkarsallskapet : No.1 12”
11.Vangelis : Let It Happen - Beatfanatic Remix 12”
12.Creative Use 004 : Divine Edits 12”
13.LSB : Fog 12”
14.Aeroplane : Aeroplane / Caramellas 12”
15.Glass Candy : Miss Broadway 12”
16.Various : Back To Mine - Royksopp
17.COMBI : I Found Morning / It Come Fast 12”
18.Kotey Extra Band Feat. Chas Jankel : Sooner Or Later 12”
19.Various : Computer Incarnations For World Peace LP/CD
20.Mudd : Claremont 56 LP/CD
4.
5.
6.
7.
T
ake One Leo’s “Sunship” sample,
loop and splice for approx eight
minutes, and hey presto, you have
yourselves Piccadilly Records biggest
selling disco record of the year. Yes,
the “Firecracker EP 03” 10” caused
a buying frenzy over the summer, and is still going
strong. Other monster sellers included Harvey’s mix of
LCD’s “All My Friends” (we preferred the B-side twintrack “Freak Out/Starry Eyes” actually), LSB’s “Fog”,
anything on Italians Do It Better, Force Of Nature’s “To
The Brain”, Creative Use’s latest instalment and that
unpronounceable thing from Sweden. Actually, as this
chart is culled from our best sellers list, everything here
did rather well with us to say the least!
aurice Fulton continued his alliance with Miss Kathy
Diamond over a whole CD and proved to be Electric
Chair’s guest DJ of the year. Other long players (of a mix
CD variety) that we loved included Lindstrom’s “Late Night
Tales” (Piccadilly Records compilation of 2007), Prins
Thomas’ “Cosmo Galactic Prism” and James Murphy &
Pat Mahoney’s “Fabriclive 36”, all played to death on the
shop stereo.
M
GENRE CHARTS
funk/soul/jazz/nu-jazz/exotica
1. Build An Ark : Dawn LP/CD
2. Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings : 100 Days, 100 latin/african/world/reggae
Nights LP/CD
1. Dynamics : Seven Nation Army 7”
2. Tony Allen : Ole - Moritz Von Oswald Remix 12”
3. Various New York Latin Hustle! - The Sound Of The Club7 Tapes LP/CD
Dub LP/CD
Moody Boyz Remixes 12”
3. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons : Beggin’ - Pilooski New York LP/CD
Re-Edit 7”/12”
4. Tony Allen : Afro Disco Beat LP/CD
4. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble : War / Mercury 10”
5. Various : Jamaican Skarama LP/CD
5. DJ Shadow : This Time (I’m Gonna Try It My Way) 7” 6. Various : Lipa Kodi Ya City Council LP
6. 4hero : Play With The Changes LP/CD
7. Funkanala : Be There Tomorrow 12”/CD
7. Beastie Boys : The Mix-Up LP/CD
8. Various : Dance The Latin Soul 3x7”
8. Soil & Pimp Sessions : Pimpoint CD
9. Various : Studio One Rub-A-Dub LP/CD
9. The Heliocentrics : Out There LP/CD
10.Various : Colombia! - The Golden Years Of Discos 10.KPM 1000 : Afro Rock LP/CD
Fuentes 1960 – 1976 LP/CD
11.The Politik : The Politik LP/CD
11.Bim Sherman : Tribulation Down In Jamdown - 12.RAMP : The Old One, Two 12”
1974 – 1979 LP/CD
13.Solomon Ilori And His Afro-Drum Ensemble : Igbesu 12.Tinariwen : Aman Iman: Water Is Life CD
Aiye (Song Of Praise To God) 12”
13.Various : South Rakkas - Mix Up LP
14.Orgone : The Killion Floor LP/CD
14.Various : The Roots Of Chicha - Psychedelic 15.Michael Garrick Trio : Moonscape LP/CD
Cumbias From Peru CD
16.Webster Lewis & The PPSRBBGTC & O : In Norway - 15.Carlton Patterson & King Tubby : Black & White In 17.Mark Ronson : Version LP/CD
16.Extra Golden : Hera Ma Nono LP/CD
18.Various : Maiden Voyage - A Journey Into The World 17.Wareika Hill Sounds : Wareika Hill Sounds LP/CD
Of Soul & Boogie LP/CD
18.Har-You Percussion Group : Welcome To The 19.Timo Lassy : The Soul & Jazz Of Timo Lassy LP/CD Party 7”
20.Marc Wilkinson : Blood On Satan’s Claw LP/CD
19.Amy Winehouse : Love Is A Losing Game - T
he year kicked off in fine style with
the release of the first Hypnotic
Brass Ensemble 10”, which really blew
us away, while DJ Shadow snuck in
under the radar with his blue-eyed soul
45 – hey, they even played it as our
backing tune when Tim and I took to the stage as best
record shop winners at the Gilles Peterson Worldwide
Awards show!
uild An Ark proved they were definitely more than one
LP wonders with the release of “Dawn”, while other
‘proper’ jazz winners came from Solomon Ilori, Michael
Garrick Trio and Webster Lewis. Sharon Jones topped
up our need for female-fronted soul / funk outfits, “Back
To Black” stayed on the shop stereo forever (and Amy
provided the pop moment with “Valerie”) and Frankie Valli
proved to be the underground-to-overground smash of
the summer. Lastly, when we made a provisional nu-jazz
list, a lot of it slotted neatly into the funk-soul-jazz top 20
anyway, so we’ve merged the two together.
B
20.The Quantic Soul Orchestra : Tropidelico LP/CD
A
rriving in January, Dynamics’ White
Stripes cover set the ball rolling
for a series of must-have 45s from this
French reggae outfit. Grandmagneto
and Taggy Matcher followed from the
same stable, and Jstar and Upstate
arrived back with some killer blends. Soul Jazz continued
their Studio One revival with “Dub 2”, “Kings”, “Roots
3” and “Rub-A-Dub”, while the South Rakkas collection
showcased new styles from the JA dancehall. We were
well served with African releases; Honest Jon’s Tony Allen
remix 12” series continued a-pace and a there was a
great retrospective of the Fela Kuti drummer from Vampi
Soul. The Mississippi label delivered more undiscovered
global gems, and Tinariwen’s “Aman Iman: Water Is
Life” became a shop favourite. There was also a feast
of Latin music to check out, the best bits being Soul
Jazz’ “New York Latin Hustle!”, Soundway’s “Colombia!”,
Jazzman dropping the Har-You 45 and “Dance The Latin
Soul / Jazz” triple 7” sets and the fantastic Latin-psyche
compilation from Peru.
TOP 100
GENRE CHARTS
downbeat/balearic
hip-hop/nu-soul
1. Map Of Africa : Map Of Africa LP/CD
2. Studio : West Coast LP/CD
3. The Cinematic Orchestra : Ma Fleur LP/CD
4. A Mountain Of One : Collected Works CD
5. Husky Rescue : Ghost Is Not Real LP/CD
6. Sorcerer : White Magic CD
7. Fujiya & Miyagi : Uh / One Trick Pony 7”
8. Turzi : Seven Inch Allah 7”
9. J-Disco : Unstoppable 12”
10.Chromatics : Night Drive CD
11.E-The-Hot : License To Chill - Inc Bjorn Torske 1. Shape Of Broad Minds : Craft Of The Lost Art LP/
12.The Bird And The Bee : The Bird And The Bee 11.Various : Beat Dimensions LP/CD
12.DJ Jazzy Jeff : The Return Of The Magnificent Remix 12”
LP/CD
13.Les Edits Du Golem : #1 - Sumak / Klout / Pyra
mide 12”
14.Air : Pocket Symphony LP/CD
15.Frank Hebly : Tuinslangboogie 12”
16.Badly Drawn Boy : Promises - Reverso 68 / Beyond The Wizards Sleeve / A Mountain Of One Remixes 12”
17.Hatchback : White Diamond - Prins Thomas Remix 12”
18.Haircut 100 / Cedar Walton : Evil Smokestacking Baby / Low Rider (Re-edits) 12”
19.Thief : Sunchild LP/CD
20.Bjorn Torske : Feil Knapp CD
F
ollowing on from three coveted
Whatever We Want 12”s, DJ
Harvey and Rub N Tug man Thom
finally delivered their hugely anticipated
Map Of Africa LP. With a £20 price
tag attached (the label’s choice, not
ours!), we thought 200 copies might last the year, but
they didn’t even get us past the first week! The album
went on to become our biggest selling LP of the year,
so justly deserves its number one placing here. Studio’s
“West Coast” LP also proved to be a hit with you lot.
Actually originally out in late 2006 (hence it not appearing
in many staff charts this year), this set has become a firm
Piccadilly Records favourite. Others flying the Balearic
flag were A Mountain Of One, Beyond The Wizard’s
Sleeve, Sorcerer and Les Edits Du Golem, while on the
downbeat (and upbeat-downbeat) tip, The Cinematic
Orchestra, Husky Rescue, The Bird And The Bee, Air and
Thief albums all worked a treat
CD
The Message Uni Versa LP/CD
LP/CD
Future LP/CD
2. Kanye West : Graduation CD
3. Red Astaire : Nuggets For The Needy LP/CD
4. Talib Kweli & Madlib : Liberation LP/CD
5. Pharoahe Monch : Body Baby - Optimo Edit 7”
6. SA-RA : The Hollywood Recordings LP/CD
7. DJ Day : Got To Get It Right 12”
8. Elmore Judd : Insect Funk LP/CD
9. Belleruche : Turntable Soul Music LP/CD
10.G&D - Georgia Anne Muldrow & Dudley Perkins : 13.TTC : 3615TTC LP/CD
14.Common : Finding Forever LP/CD
15.Various : Producer No. 1 CD
16.Ohmega Watts : Watts Happening LP/CD
17.Little Dragon : Little Dragon LP/CD
18.Miles Bonny : Closer Love 12”
19.Dizzee Rascal : Maths & English LP/CD
20.The Nextmen : This Was Supposed To Be The W
ith no sign of “Graduation” turning
up on vinyl as I write this intro
(obviously the situation may have
changed by the time you read it!),
Kanye West gets pipped to the hip hop
post by the altogether more leftfield
sounds of Jneiro Jarel’s new project Shape Of Broad
Minds. Red Astaire’s “Nuggets For The Needy” blends
and reworks singles collection outsold all-comers earlier
in the year, as did the Pharoahe Monche “Body Baby”
funk-hop 45 and DJ Day’s wonderful multi-genre EP “Got
To Get It Right”.
azzy Jeff came back with flavours of the old school,
Common dropped sunshine on wax with “The People”,
the standout track from “Finding Forever”, Little Dragon
and Elmore Judd stretched the definitions of nu-soul to
the limit, and wonky-hop continued its ascent to whoknows- where with a brilliant outing from Sa-Ra, and on
the “Beat Dimensions” and “Producer No 1” compilations.
Lastly, as I write this in early November, we’re looking
forward to the new LP from Erykah Badu – here’s hoping
it’s a goody!
J
GENRE CHARTS
electronica/experimental/dubstep
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Various : Box Of Dub - Dubstep & Future Dub LP/CD
Burial : Untrue LP/CD
The Tuss : Rushup Edge LP/CD
Pinch : Underwater Dancehall CD
Shackleton & Appleblim : Soundboy Punishments CD
6. U-Ziq : Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate
Devastation Technique LP/CD
7. Shackleton : Blood On My Hands - Ricardo
Vilalobos Remixes 12”
8. Colleen : Les Ondes Silencieuses LP/CD
9. Disrupt : Foundation Bit CD
10.The Bug Feat. Killa P & Flow Dan : Skeng - Kode9 Remix 12”
11. Skream : Skreamizm Vol. 3 12”
12. Flying Lotus : Reset 12”
13. Magic Arm : Outdoor Games EP 10”
14. Various Production : Phortune / Limbs 7”
15. MRK1 : Copyright Laws LP/CD
16. Bola : Kroungrine LP/CD
17. Bass Clef : Opera EP 12”
18. Luke Vibert : Chicago, Detroit, Redruth LP/CD
19. Murcof : Cosmos LP/CD
20. Boxcutter : Glyphic LP/CD
W
ith so many of the futuristic
sounds we stocked in 2007
coming out of the dubstep quarter,
and with so much crossover from
that scene into electronica, it seemed
foolish not to bring these two genres
together into one big joint top 20. Flying the flag for this
more cerebral sound is Burial’s outstanding LP “Untrue”,
while Shackleton and Pinch proved they could cut the
mustard too. If, however, you like your dubstep in a dub
stylee, the “Box Of Dub” set, awesome Disrupt CD and
killer Bug 12” are for you. Earlier in the year website
forums were a-buzz with rumours as to the true identity
of The Tuss: Could it really be Afx? Oh yes it could, and
back on fine form with the excellent “Rushup Edge” LP.
Other electronica highlights included U-ziq’s back-tobraindance era set, Colleen’s wonderful “Les Ondes
Silencieuses” and Murcof getting busy with some church
organs. Various Production kept up with their multi-genre
exploring sound, as did Piccadilly Records one-to-watchin-2008 Magic Arm, while Flying Lotus proved hiptronica
is still with us, and sounding pretty great.
E
bubbling under chart
very year there’s stuff that either doesn’t quite make
it into the top 100 for one reason or another, or is
released after we’ve compiled the chart. This year there
seem to be more quality releases than ever, so here’s a
handy list of the albums that missed the cut but are still
worthy of a mention:
• Arp : In Light
• A Sunny Day In Glasgow : Scribble Mural Comic Journal
• Erykah Badu : Badu
• Bonnie Prince Billy: Ask Forgiveness
• The Broken Family Band : Hello Love
• The Brunettes : Structure & Cosmetics
• Burial : Untrue
• Nick Cave & Warren Ellis : Music From The Motion Picture – The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
• Cherry Ghost : Thirst For Romance
• Chromatics : Night Drive
• Fabienne Delsol : Between You And Me
• Feist : The Reminder
• Glass Candy : B/E/A/T/B/O/X
• Good Shoes : Think Before You Speak
• Holy Fuck : LP
• Jayzee : American Gangster
• Liars : Liars
• The Manhattan Love Suicides : The Manhattan Love Suicides
• Money Mark : Brand New By Tomorrow
• Thurston Moore : Trees Outside The Academy
• The Nightjars : Towards Light
• Of Montreal : Hissing Fauna, Are You The
Destroyer?
• The Oscillation : Out Of Phase
• Candie Payne : I Wish I Could Have Loved You More
• The Raveonettes : Lust Lust Lust
• The Sadies : New Season
• Six Organs Of Admittance : Shelter From The Ash
• Trusme : Working Nights
• Two Lone Swordsmen : Wrong Meeting II
• Robert Wyatt : Comicopera
• Young Republic : 12 Tales From Winter City
FRIENDS CHARTS
NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB
TOP 100
JON SAVAGE
Here’s my top ten list, you know off the cuff/ up the
sleeve whatever in no particular order:
NYPC’s choices for 2007:
1. Whitest Boy Alive – Dreams (last year really
but Modular just re-released!)
2. Bat for Lashes – Fur and Gold
3. Dirty Space Disco - Compilation
4. Thurston Moore – Thurston
5. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
6. P J Harvey – White Chalk
7. The Shins – Wincing the night away
8. MIA – Kala
9. Studio – West Coast
10.The Horrors – Strange House
• Air: Pocket Symphony (Virgin)
• Various: Speicher 3 (Kompakt)
• Terry Riley: Les Yeux Fermes/ Lifespan (Elision Fields)
• Wooden Shjips lp + lted ed EP (Holy Mountain)
• Six Organs of Admittance: Shewlter From The Ash (Drag City)
• Harmonia Live 74 (label?)
• Miles Davis: On The Corner Sessions (Sony 6 CD box)
• Joy Division: Live at ULU 2/80 (bonus disc w/ Closer) (London)
• Voice of The Seven Woods lp + The Far Golden Peak (Twisted Nerve)
• Blossom Toes: We Are Ever So Clean (Sunbeam)
This was also a year of 7” 45’s and the biggest turnon was finding an original 45 of the Third Bardo’s
“I’m Five Years Ahead of My Time”. Sometimes these
things just have to be done.
PRINS THOMAS
1990s
Here’s my top 10. Not in any order and all from
memory so might be forgetting some...
My most listened to “new” albums and some of the
singles I’ve been playing most this year.
1. Portner Wagnor “The Rub
ber Room”
2. Dirty Projectors “Rise Above”
3. EL Barrio “Sounds From
The Spanish Harlem”
4. Richard Hawley “Ladys Bridge”
5. Jim Ford “The Sounds Of Our Time”
6. John Phillips “The Wolf King Of LA”
7. Chairman Of The Board “Surf Soundtracks 64 to 74”
8. Jeffery Lewis “Crass Songs”
9. Johnny Harris “Movements”
10.Alberta Cross “The Thief and The Heartbreaker”
• bjørn torske - feil knapp - smalltown supersound
• studio - yearbook 1 - info
• dungen - tio bitar - can’t remember label...
• map of africa - map of africa - www
• findlay brown - losing the will to survive(beyond the wizards sleeve re-animation) - peacefrog
• still going - still going theme - dfa
• pryda - armed - pryda friends
• frank hebly - tuinslangboogie - magnetron
• aeroplane - caramellas - eskimo
• glass candy - miss broadway - italians do it better
FRIENDS CHARTS
VOICE OF THE SEVEN WOODS ARTROCKER
Here is a list of stuff, no particular order, just as they
came to mind... and weirdly, half of these are live
recordings...
•Baby Grandmothers - S/T (Sublimininal Sounds)
•Cherry Blossoms - S/T (Apostasy Recordings)
•Harmonia - Live 1974 (Gronland)
•Serfs - To The Sky in Oblivion (First Person)
•Hush Arbors - Live in Sheffield (Blackest Rainbow)
•Jerry Johansson - Next Door Conversation (Kning Disk)
•Mick Flower - Returning to
Knowing Nothing (Qbico)
•Assemble Head in Sunburst
Sound - Ekranoplan (Tee Pee)
•Galwad y Mynydd - S/T (Finders
Keepers)
•Hiss Golden Messenger Live in Big Sur (Private)
•James Blackshaw : The
Cloud Of Unknowing
OPTIMO
Right off the top off my head • David Lynch - Ghost Of Love
• Grinderman - No Pussy Blues
• Novicat De Soeurs Missionaires De Notre Dame D’Afrique - Yesu Ka Mkwebase
• All remixes by Yamantaka Eye
• Dan Deacon - Wham City
• Lito Barrientos Y Su Orquesta - Cumbia En Do Menor
• Green Velvet Prezent Jamie Principle - La La La La La
• The Parsonage - Our Lips Are Sealed
• Holy Fuck - LP
• Optimo being 10 years old. Incroyable!
1. The Maccabees-Colour it in-Fiction
2. Good shoes-think before you speak-brille-toast
3. Art Brut-It’s a bit complicated-mute
4. The Horrors-Strange house-Loog
5. Maximo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures - Warp
6. Shitdisco-Kingdom of fear-fierce panda
7. Tiny Masters of Today - Bang Bang Boom Cake - Mute Irregulars
8. Jakobinarina-The first crusade-Regal/Parlaphone
9. The Hives - The Black and White Album - Polydor
10.Future of the Left - Curses - Too Pure
UNABOMBERS
• Zed Bias “Boomerang” Instrumental (Sick Trumpet)
• Toddla T Ft. Trigganom ‘Girls’ (1965 Records)
• Combi - “I found Morning” (Unknown)
• Stomp (JB toys)
• Inner City - “Till we meet again” [Carl craig remix] (Planet E/KMS)
• Douglas Sound “Do Right” (Wurst edit)
• Outlines “Outlines are too short” (Sonar Kollective)
• Dubble D “Moody Manc” (20:20 Vision)
• 4Hero Ft. Carina Andersson ‘Morning Sun’ (Play With The Changes LP) (Raw Canvas)
• Moton 23 - In the City (Moton)
• Palmskin Productions ‘Fall Away’ (Freerange)
• DJ Buck “Nervous Acid” (turong)
• Stereotyp ‘Keepin’ Me’ (G-Stone Recordings)

Untitled - Piccadilly Records

Transcription

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