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Post by mahoney on Dec 15, 2022 13:24:44 GMT
20: Tumi Mogorosi - Group Theory: Black MusicFantastic gem I found digging through RYM. Tumi Mogorosi is a Jazz drummer from Johannesburg. This is a epic sounding Spiritual Jazz record accompanied by a 9-piece choir who let rip throughout most the records running time. Reminds me of Max Roach's "It's Time" record which is a favourite of mine. Surprisingly, the drumming isn't too full on, whilst Tumi has passages where he certainly flexes his muscles, he's never really showing off & is happy to let guitars & piano's take the lead often throughout. 19: Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul - Topical Dancer Album full of danceable bangers. I expected this to be a lot higher on my list, though after taking a break from it and returning to it in late November, I think it's patchy in spots. Though when it hits, it really hits. Must see live act as well. 18: Julia Jacklin - PRE PLEASUREA record I liked on release, but has really stuck with me & sounded better on each subsequent revisit. At first I thought it was a bit of a step down from Crushing but now I'm thinking it could possibly be better. Perfect mix of singer-songwriter stuff meeting indie-rock. It's my sweet spot. 17: Katy J Pearson - Sound of the Morning I'd only heard the occasional song from Katy Josh T. Pearson prior to this record & wasn't inspired by anything I'd heard. This record has changed my mind completely though, a wonderful set of songs backed by a lush production & I love the way she uses her voice throughout the record. It's a very mainstream radio-friendly pop record, but a bloody good one at that. 16: Kurt Vile - (watch my moves) Kurt Vile continuing to do his thing. Probably my favourite of his since 2015's b'lieve i'm goin down. I've seen some complain that this record is too long, but I'm not sure I agree. I tend to only think that when the material isn't good enough. Pretty much everything (minus that opening track which boarders parody) on here is Kurt gold. When I've been in the mood for a longer LP this has really paid off for me. Just puts you in that peaceful & lethargic mindset that you can just drift away in your own thoughts. Kurt's starting to churn out quite a back catalogue for himself as time goes on. 15: Horsegirl - Versions of Modern PerformanceKIDS, FUCKING KIDS, ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD, making good old fashioned 90s alternative rock & doing it really fucking good! I liked this record a fair bit on release, then got to see them a couple of times during the summer & they were ace. Revisiting the record towards the end of the year I realise I like it a hell of a lot more than I remembered. Hope they churn out a few more records that sound exactly like this, fuck evolving! 14: Bill Callahan - YTI⅃AƎЯBloomin' lovely record from Bill Callahan. I've had this conversation with the limp wristed elder statesmen of The Soapbox before, but when it comes to Bill, all his records have a similar vibe & are well crafted, yet some I like, others I don't care for. Here he's produced over an hour of music that feels kinda sparse with lots of room to breathe that you can just get completely lost in. I'm not an expert on his back catalogue (I've barely touched the surface with Smog) but this is up there with Dream River as my favourite Bill Callahan record. 13: Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B This took me a good few listens to really digest, it's one of the most ambitious pop records I've heard in some time. Literally all over the bloody place in the best possible way. Lazy of me comparing them, but I'd imagine if Bjork had made her debut in 2022 it would sound a little like this. Not every single moment fully lands, but this contains some of my absolute favourite tunes of the year, "Greatest Hits" is phenomenal. 12: Kali Malone - Living TorchHer 2019 record The Sacrificial Code made my end of year list, that was made on a church pipe Organ. Here she's made another drone masterpiece using an ARP 2500, a bass clarinet and trombone. Put on your headphones, turn out the lights & listen to the soundtrack to the world collapsing into chaos, dread & doom . It's the album The Jesus Abyss would make, if they were talented. 11: Jake Xerxes Fussell - Good and Green AgainThis sort of Americana/I'm.playing.acoustic.guitar.in.the.woods type of thing usually isn't my cup of tea, but damn, this is stunningly beautiful. I enjoyed this record a lot at the start of the year & then kinda forgot about it, having a few revisits at the end of the year & it sounded outstanding. Not sure if it's the mood I was in, the weather or whatever factor, but this is a lovely LP. I regret not seeing him perform, he's been over to TCOTU at least twice this year & I didn't bother with either. Might pick this one up on wax, feels like a nice record to put on and wind down to. And as said probably 10+ times already.. I need to dig deeper into his back catalogue.
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Post by jp on Dec 15, 2022 14:02:48 GMT
Interesting you loved this Jake Russell LP as I'd loved his last two but wasn't overly bothered by this one at all.
Probably more to do with me going off folk and listening to nothing but ladrock and hip hop this year than it being a bad record mind you.
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Post by titchjuicy on Dec 15, 2022 14:25:25 GMT
I'm straight onto the Jake Xerxes Fussell record- sounds right up my street.
The Tumi Mogorosi record only just missed my top 40. I liked it a lot and you know how I feel about spiritual jazz, but at the end of the day it felt like there were one too many oooooohs and aaaaaaahs (that seem to often feature in spiritual) and it just put me off slightly. I may go back to it though.
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Post by mahoney on Dec 15, 2022 14:27:03 GMT
10: Deliluh - Fault LinesI think I am going to be the lone defender of this record. Toronto band Deliluh released a couple of records as a full band doing a sort of Post-Punk meets Radiohead type deal & then (I think) the main two guys moved over here and continued as just a two piece. I saw the 2-piece version a couple of times last year & they were essentially playing this record live, it was great. I think it works even better on record, though unfortunately it has either flown under the radar or been met by total indifference by anyone that has heard it. For me it's one of the most atmospheric records I've heard all year. Almost sinister in its sound, lots of ambient sounds with tunes taking half their run time to reveal themselves yet they still manage to make quite a sound when they hit those moments. I prefer this to their previous full band sound. 09: Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Cheat Codes Looking at the genre tags for this record on RYM "East Coast Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop, Boom Bap, Jazz Rap, Abstract Hip Hop, Political Hip Hop", pretty much everything I gravitate towards with hip-hop all bundled into a flawless 38 minute package. Black Thought brings his A game throughout, Danger mouse provides some of the best beats I've heard in a while & the many guest spots mostly deliver. Nice to see this get pretty much universal praise, one of my favourite hip hop records in years. 08: Peter Doherty & Frédéric Lo - The Fantasy Life of Poetry & Crime I really think this record has been completely slept on by most. I get it, why care about Doherty in 2022? Well, I'll tell you why. I think his solo career has quietly flown under the radar. If you count the Libertines, this is the 10th studio record Pete's made, not bad for a junkie is it? It has taken Dwayne from 1994 to achieve the same number. Sure, not every record Pete's put out has been great, but they've all had their moments. Even on the weaker records Pete's personality & songwriting still manages to stand out. This time around I think he's found the perfect partner, Frederic Lo's arrangements are perfectly suited to Pete's tender writing. It's just a bloody fantastic baroque pop record with Pete on his A-game. One of the best things he's ever done tbh. Long live Big Pete! A wonderful record. 07: The Cool Greenhouse - Sod’s Toastie Second album see's them continue where they left off. Though they've managed to create a more varied record this time around with softer moments mixed with moments like Hard Rock Potato where they rock HARD, not to mention some keyboards parts that wouldn't sound out of place on a Fela Kuti record. Not sure if I prefer this to the debut or not, time will tell, but this band bring me so much joy. What a band! 06: Lee Fields - Sentimental Fool I'd enjoyed 3 or 4 of Lee Field's previous records, a hell of a voice, yet they didn't grab me in a big way. I gave the new one a spin and it hit instantly, then I read up and realised that this is his first for Daptone records which makes perfect sense. They have the winning formula when it comes to good old fashioned soul, great musicians, spot on production, that mixed with Lee's voice & you have a winner. The songs are bloody great too. About as good of a modern soul record you're going to find. Hope to catch him live next year 05: Robert Stillman - What Does It Mean to Be American?
Lovely eclectic Jazz record from Stillman, an American artist that is based in Kent. I'd not heard of him until Jonny Greenwood put out a tweet regarding this record, turns out he ended up performing on The Smile record. It's a very intimate & personal sounding record, almost lo-fi in its approach, yet covers a lot of different styles. A beautiful piece of work that really offended Super Johnny earlier in the year, so it has that going for it too! 04: Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There (2022) It's probably a combination of me hearing most these tracks performed live the year before, the fact Isaac left the band now AGES ago & that they've carried on touring and are performing an entire new set that makes Ants From Up Here feel like it was released about 2 years ago now. This was nailed on my #1 of the year up until a few weeks ago. My top 4 since then has changed position about 50 times. I don't remember a year where I had such indecision at the top of my list. 2nd time around & BCNR make a much more ambitious & fully realised record. The record was to my ears perfect up until a few weeks ago, now I'm starting to find parts that aren't working for me like they used to, which is why the record has dropped to number 4. It's still bloody brilliant & the fact BCNR made 2 great records in 2 years and the singer has fucked off has ensured they'll be a cult band for some time to come. Some unbelievable moments on this record. 03: Aldous Harding - Warm ChrisMasterful songcraft from Aldous Harding from start to finish. I can't think of another record from this year where someone uses their voice in so many weird & wonderful ways, she manages to elevate each and every tune with her vocal choices. One of my favourite productions of the year, such a warm sounding record. Also pleased to find out after catching her live that she has a proper oddball stage presence. 02: Dry Cleaning - StumpworkI was initially a little concerned with the tracks they dropped to promote the record, they just didn't grab me as "singles". Though I guess in 2022 it doesn't really matter. The tunes work wonderfully in the context of the record. I think this is a big improvement on their debut. The 3 or 4 highlights from the debut probably top anything they've offered up here, but their debut felt like some really strong singles with some material that didn't quite match the rest. Here the record feels like a complete piece & has been a rewarding listen. Now, this sat at about 15 for the year up until yesterday, since then I've listened about 4 times & I'm not sure if it's the freezing cold conditions but it has really revealed itself to me in a new way. The slower numbers which I was a little indifferent towards now are what are really making the record work. Face it, they are the greatest band of all damn time & I'm going to see them live another 276 times! 01: black midi - Hellfire Mother fucking HELLFIRE. This is the moment where everything falls into place for Black Midi as a recording act. The debut as great as it was is the sound of a work in progress then previous record Cavalcade was strong, but once those songs were experienced live it felt hard to ever come back to them. This time around I'd heard most the record develop in live sets over the course of the year & they managed to turn those ideas into an ambitious and rewarding studio sound. The record just flows so wonderfully, the production allows Black Midi to show off their chops as a unit, whilst having enough production flourishes to really piece it all into a cohesive piece. Also this is the strongest set of songs they've recorded, it just feels like them coming into the height of their powers as a recording act. So many ideas, incredible musicianship. Face it, they are the greatest band of all damn time & I'm going to see them live another 276 times!
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Post by mahoney on Dec 15, 2022 14:30:30 GMT
I'm straight onto the Jake Xerxes Fussell record- sounds right up my street. The Tumi Mogorosi record only just missed my top 40. I liked it a lot and you know how I feel about spiritual jazz, but at the end of the day it felt like there were one too many oooooohs and aaaaaaahs (that seem to often feature in spiritual) and it just put me off slightly. I may go back to it though. I suspect you made many OOOOOHS & AAAAAHS of your own when you hit the ice!
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Post by titchjuicy on Dec 15, 2022 14:34:03 GMT
I'm straight onto the Jake Xerxes Fussell record- sounds right up my street. The Tumi Mogorosi record only just missed my top 40. I liked it a lot and you know how I feel about spiritual jazz, but at the end of the day it felt like there were one too many oooooohs and aaaaaaahs (that seem to often feature in spiritual) and it just put me off slightly. I may go back to it though. I suspect you made many OOOOOHS & AAAAAHS of your own when you hit the ice! Yeah, but less spiritual and more guttural.
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Post by mahoney on Dec 15, 2022 14:38:54 GMT
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Post by jp on Dec 15, 2022 16:03:14 GMT
GIGS:They said I was finished, called me Old Man Mahoney, questioned if I still had it in me. But in 2022 I have seen more gigs than PRIME-TIME-MAHONEY in 2005. OK I don't drink 8 pints and go clubbing after every one of them anymore, but there is still life in the old dog yet. 01: Genesis Owusu @ The Underworld 02: Parquet Courts @ Green Man Festival 03: Ride @ HERE at Outernet 04: Bodega @ The Moth Club 05: Paul Weller @ The Forum 06: The Smile @ Magazine 07: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds @ Victoria Park 08: Anthony Josepth @ Woolwich Works 09: The Cool Greenhouse @ The George Tavern 10: Alice Low @ the Social 11: Wild Billy Childish & CTMF @ the Royal Function Rooms 12: Melt Yourself Down @ Lafayette 13: Dry Cleaning @ PRYZM 14: Sleaford Mods @ Victoria Park 15: Moses Boyd @ The Albany 16: Black Midi @ The Lexington 17: Johnny Echols @ The Garage 18: Sparks @ the Roundhouse 19: Ezra Collective @ The Troxy 20: Shake Chain @ Cafe OTO 21: Art Brut @ Heaven 22: Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul @ XOYO 23: Robocobra Quartet @ The Shacklewell Arms 24: Dele Sosimi @ Paper Dress Vintage 25: Charlotte Church's late night pop dungeon @ alexandra palace outdoors Lemonheads at Norwich?
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Post by Benoît Assou-Ekotto on Dec 15, 2022 16:18:58 GMT
JP, what is your plan for your list?
I must admit I enjoy the Instagram reveals on a daily basis. We're on a really good run of albums at the moment. I won't name names and spoil it for everyone. I embrace your list fully though. If you catch my drift.
Anyway, it would be a real shame if you shared the entire list here before it completes on Insta.
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Post by jp on Dec 15, 2022 16:24:56 GMT
I agree with you Sam.
I might reward my loyal Insta fanbase first and then if the soapbox is lucky post a link to my page on here so the rest of the soapy can view my list once the die hards have had time to digest it.
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Post by mahoney on Dec 15, 2022 16:59:47 GMT
Tucker?
TUCKER?!?!
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Post by mahoney on Dec 15, 2022 17:00:12 GMT
THE PAIR OF THEM, DEAL WITH THIS TUX.
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Post by jp on Dec 15, 2022 22:33:32 GMT
here's a little soapbox exclusive that my huge insta following has no idea about....
Top 20 Gigs of the Year
1, Pavement @ Camden roundhouse They’ve been top of my must see list for years after I stupidly didn’t go last time they toured the UK (I think it was just before I started becoming a regular TCOTU visitor). This was everything I’d hoped for and more. Superb setlist and I was really struck by how tight the band were too.
2, Sleaford Mods @ All Points East They’re always brilliant live and this was no exception. The tent was an ideal stage for them and they totally smashed it. I’ll never tire of seeing them live.
3, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ All Points East Not my favourite time seeing Nick Cave live but he’s always stunning so this still features high up.
4, Yard Act @ Norwich Arts Centre I’d seen them live twice in 2021 so knew they were good but this was the first time since the album came out and the whole atmosphere in the room was incredible. This was a real turning point for me with the album where I went from being slightly disappointed initially to loving it.
5, Paul Weller @ Norwich UEA I had a proper Weller obsession over the last year or so and was properly pumped for this. He’s just a don and while I never think he’s truly amazing live, these last two shows I’ve seen from him have been my favourites. A massive setlist and great performance.
6, Ride @ Norwich Waterfront Ride do funny things to me live. I love everything about them and while this wasn’t quite up there with their last trip to Norwich, it was still brilliant. I think Vapour Trail might be my favourite song of all time.
7, Richard Ashcroft @ South Facing Festival You can never go wrong with Ashcroft live. Amazing voice and plays the hits. Setlist was a bit short though so loses some points for that.
8, Kasabian @ Norwich UEA This could have been awful but y’know what, Serge smashed it as frontman. Still not convinced by the new album but live this was a huge party. Never seen the UEA bouncing so much.
9, Embrace @ Norwich Embrace along with Oasis were my favourite band as a teenager. I went off them massively in the mid 00s so despite seeing them loads back in the day hadn’t seen them live since 2005. 17 years later and I was surprisingly hooked in by the new album so decided to go and see the boys live again. It might not be the coolest thing in the world to claim but I had a fucking great time at this gig. Sung my heart out.
10, Primal scream @ Wide Awake A great end to a top day at Wide Awake. This helped banish the memories of a poor show from the Scream last time they visited Norwich as this was a much stronger performance. A few sound issues thanks to a blown speaker by Fat White Family mean this doesn’t score higher though.
11, Dry Cleaning @ The Leadmill, Sheffield I’d started to lose a bit of interest in Dry Cleaning by the time this gig had come around so it doesn’t feature as highly as seeing them live last year did. Still great though, just by this point they had been playing the same setlist for about 3 years.
12, The Skinner Brothers @ Norwich Waterfront Studio Strange things happen in the Studio room at Norwich Waterfront. Even though it is tiny bizarre things always happen from Macauley Caulkin coming out with Adam Green, to Har Mar Superstar supported by the now world superstar Lizzo having a fucking party. This gig was just properly raucous and Skinner Brothers have great big silly ladrock tunes as well as awful banter. Huge fun.
13, Just Mustard @ Voodoo Daddy’s Norwich Loud, abrasive shoegaze in a tiny venue. Of course it was going to be a great night. This was one of those gigs that made the album really click for me and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since.
14, The Total Stone Roses @ Norwich Waterfront I last saw a tribute band in 2002 I think. Always avoided these nights but decided to give it a go as seeing The Stone Roses supported by Oasis and The Smiths seemed like a good crack for a Friday night. It ended up being one of the most fun nights out I’ve had all year. Great crowd and sung my heart out. Was pretty pissed by the time The Roses were on so it basically felt like the real deal. Will go again next year for sure.
15, Peter Hook and the Light @ Norwich UEA I’ve waxed lyrical about the Peter Hook live show before. It shouldn’t work but it really does. I always have such a great time seeing him. Huge setlists and the band are superb. This was a Joy Division focused night and while I think I prefer him doing New Order, it was still great.
16,The Smile @ All Points East Was torn between seeing these or Spiritualized but probably made the right choice. Got a decent spot down the front and this was sublime. Still not fully convinced on the album but this certainly helped it click more.
17, Bloc Party @ Norwich Waterfront This was surprisingly good. They played a set heavy on the classics thankfully and I forgot how many big tunes they had. I actually didn’t mind the new album from this year either so the tracks from that were hardly duds. Kele is still a bit of a wally though.
18, Kae Tempest @ All Points East I’d seen them live a couple of times about ten years ago but wasn’t properly a fan then. The last couple of albums have really clicked with me though so I was pumped for this set and it didn’t disappoint. Only downside was it was a bit short due to being a festival set during the day. Will definitely go next time they do a headline show in Norwich.
19, The Cribs @ Norwich Waterfront You can’t go wrong with The Cribs live. Not the best time I’ve seen them but tune after tune with loads of energy.
20, Cast @ Norwich Waterfront I had a big britpop year in 2022 so this kinda show was always going to go down well. Sound issues at the start but once they hit their stride it was great. Big up John Power.
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Post by barny on Dec 17, 2022 10:32:05 GMT
41. Partner Look - By The Book Quirky and soft but also varied and charming jangle pop, I quite like its second half. Grasshopper might be one of the best Dry Cleaning songs. 42. Jack White - Fear of the Dawn Jack has come reinvigorated after the pandemic, now with blue hair and all. Maybe the last true rockstar, he’s always been close to a comic character but got a bit stagnant musically. I can’t say I enjoy this era as much as the White Stripes peaks, but now his music is getting crazier and freer, while still sounding like himself. 43. Gladie - Don’t Know What You’re in Until You’re Out I thought I would be more pleased with this than I finally was, but that’s more my fault than theirs. Rym descriptors: female vocals, raw, melodic, passionate, aggressive, energetic 44. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Endless Rooms Really consistent band, both their strength and their sin. As always, the songs are dynamic and carried on by frisky guitars and propulsive drums. Chorus are still big, so it’s not boring yet. 45. Dust Star - Open Up That Heart Energetic indie rock, not a lot more than what it seems, but after a while the songs started to feel more familiar than generic and my appreciation grew. Always nice to have a touch of Buzzcocks in your life innit. 46. 1-800-Mikey - Plushy Recommended to me by Mahoney, quite my thing @201x aye but not incredibly special. Still a pretty enjoyable and short record in the vein of early Cloud Nothings or King Tuff, with a few tunes that will follow me and a career I’d like to pay attention to. 47. The Beths - Expert In a Dying Field Third verse, same as the first. The average quality of their compositions is still good enough to make this a worthy addition to a really consistent if relatively standard discography. The title track’s metaphor is fantastic though, I had already thought about extinct languages (which is actually more or less the same concept).
48. Toro y Moi - Mahal Light 70s soulful psychedelia of the relaxed Sunday morning kind, Chaz goes for that vibe and quite succeeds, so I take the positives (production is a highlight) and won’t blame it for what I wish it would be instead. 49. Bloc Party - Alpha Games Considering the hate I used to have for Bloc Party it’s quite surprising I’m one of the few people endorsing their 2 most recent releases. If Hymns was quite hit or miss and very different from their old selves, this is more like trying to update their former sound to modern times. And well, it kinda succeeds, they still have something in them that other bands can’t replicate. Just avoid comparisons or entering with any expectation.
50. Superorganism - World Wide Pop I decided to go with 50 this year, this was out of the top for most of the year but I guess the disjointed and surreal nature of this band is too fitting for my current feverish delirium, so fuck it. Plus it’s quite uplifting, in a we’re all too fucked to care way.
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Post by jp on Dec 17, 2022 10:56:25 GMT
ANOTHER SOAPY EXCLUSIVE NOT FOUND ON THE GRAM...OLD SHIT I HAVE ENJOYED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2022
1,Show and AG – Goodfellas (1995) I’d been a big fan of their debut, runaway slave, for years but it dawned on me this year I’d not listened to anything else by them. Check out this follow up and loved it even more than runaway slave. This is proper banging, great production and a real dark menacing sound.
2, Bailter space – Wammo (1995) I’d previously heard earlier Bailterspace and enjoyed but wammo is a different level. Widely considered their most accessible album it combines the shoegazey sound of the earlier albums with big hooks. Love it.
3, Loop – A Gilded Eternity (1990) Truth be told I could have stuck any Loop album here but I think this is the one I enjoyed the most. For some reason I’d never checked them out prior to this year despite it being a name on my radar for years and the kind of sound I love. Its psychedelic space rock not too dissimilar to early spiritualized/spacemen 3 but this band really clicked with me this year.
4, Secret Shine – Untouched (1993) Dream pop/shoegaze from 93. You know what this sounds like. Its brilliant.
5, Tyrone Davis – Turn Back the Hands of Time (1970) I’d been a fan of his debut lp for a few years but never gone further than that until this year. This is more of the same, wonderful Chicago soul music.
6, The Artwoods – Art Gallery (1966) Ronnie wood’s brothers band. I wasn’t expecting much from this but this is great 60s mod rnb. 7, Betty Everett – There’ll Come a Time (1969) Can’t remember how I got into this but its lovely funky sophisticated soul. Gets some comparisons to Dionne Warwick but she’s funkier, groovier and better.
8,Jimmy Mcgriff – Soul Sugar (1970) Funky as fuck soul jazz stuff.
9,George Harrison – Cloud Nine (1987) I had a big Beatles and Beatles solo work phase earlier in the year after Macca’s Glasto slot. I’d never listened to this whole lp from Harrison before. Turns out it is great.
10,Nas – It Was Written (1996) For some reason I’d never checked out this album before despite it following an all time classic in Illmatic. It’s great.
11, Miriam Makeba – Keep me in Mind (1970) Excellent African soul voice. Some top covers here too.
12, James Knight and the Butlers – Black Knight (1971) Raw funk soul music from someone who wants to be James Brown. Good shit.
13, Maxayn – Maxayn (1972) Psychedelic soul record. Sounds a bit like Sly and the Family Stone. Couple of belting Stones covers too.
14,The Times – Pop Goes Art (1982) 80s mod revival band. Should be shit, actually excellent and sounds like a cross between The Jam and Television Personalities.
15, The Stovall sisters – The Stovall Sisters (1971) Big funky gospel album. Dig this.
16, Dyke and the Blazers – The Funky Broadway (1967) Lacks a bit of consistency as isn’t all of the quality of the standout tunes but the standouts are fucking golden!
17 Group Home – Livin Proof (1995) I’ve realised with hip hop I tend to focus mostly on the late 80s/early 90s sound and that actually there’s so many golden mid 90s lps I need to check out too. This has a reputation of having some of DJ Premier’s finest beats and they’re fucking right! Rapping is ok but it is the production that carrys this to greatness.
18, Shinsight Trio – Somewhere Beyond the Moon (2010) 23 mins of jazzy boom bap. Not sure how I’d missed these before as right up my street. A recommendation from my good pal Lee Ratcliffe.
19, Cranes – Loved (1994) I’d been meaning to check these out for a while and the constant comparisons Just Mustard have had to them finally made me do it. This is really nice female fronted dream pop/shoegaze with definite hints of Mazzy Star. Will look forward to checking out their other albums as this is the only one I’ve tried so far.
20, The Chameleons – Script of the Bridge (1983) I’ve been a fan of the second album since picking it up on wax about 20 years ago but it dawned on me I’d never really ventured beyond that. I noticed they are touring the debut next year so thought I’d check it out and it’s even better than the sophomore. They always remind me of Echo and the Bunnymen for some reason. Will probably go to this gig next year.
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Post by barny on Dec 17, 2022 11:23:08 GMT
31. Sports Team - Gulp! Didn’t expect much from it but after a while the songs grew on me, nothing less and nothing more than BANGER AFTER BANGER tbh. The 1990s or Art Brut can finally pass the torch. 32. Spoon - Lucifer On The Sofa Just Spoon being Spoon. And that’s not a bad thing. 33. Black Lips - Apocalypse Love Weird reinvention, nice to see them still trying new things (the country record was quite good too). This lineup has provided less highs than in their prime, but they’re bringing unexpected turns to a band whose moment did pass and only has the same old loyal fans. This is probably their most psych, woozy and noir record. 34. Belle & Sebastian - A Bit Of Previous I didn’t find the moment to listen to this record, just another late era B&S… What could I expect? First listen was also a confirmation, just a Motown-ish track sounded like a keeper. But slowly some of the songs started to grow on me and get under my skin, while the other ones were neither weak. So yeah, probably nothing too special, but it made some of my days a little better and that’s enough. 35. Disq - Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet See Kiwi Jr.’s review, but in a different way. 36. Regina Spektor - Home, Before and After A bit hit or miss, but there are gorgeous flashes of compositional brilliance, vocal delights and a good balance between quirkiness and orchestration. 37. Makaya McCraven - In These Times I guess this could be called modern laboratory jazz? It seems there’s a mix of improvisation thrown against cut and paste work, not too dissimilar to what Maceo did in the 70s but with a hip hop backbone in the rhythms. 38. Alex Cameron - Oxy Music Mocking anti-vaxxers and a Jason Williamson collab again. I’m on the fence with this record and with him in general. I found it a bit disappointing but at the same time I enjoy it more than expected every time I put it on, keeping a consistent quality once the songs are unwrapped. Think it’s a keeper. 39. Viagra Boys - Big Boy A bit of a grower this one, why was I against this band again? Can’t remember, but for some reason thought I wouldn’t like them. But besides the more energetic tracks there’s a good sense of pace and adventure on it, so quite pleased with changing my mind of a band I had never even listened to. 40. Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B There are moments of brilliance to be found in all this boundless experimentation in both the sounds and song structures. Even if I don’t enjoy all of it, I can see somebody else considering any song as a favorite. I really love her, that is for certain. Saw someone describing some other band as ADHD bliss and guess that description fits even better here, I just wish they made more room for straight bangers.
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Post by titchjuicy on Dec 17, 2022 13:51:51 GMT
Yes Barney!
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Post by jp on Dec 17, 2022 14:35:17 GMT
oh i do treat you well soapbox, here's another soapy exclusive, my top ten eps of 2022!
1, Pastel - Isaiah
Big lad tunes full of early Verve worship on SPIRIT OF SPIKE ISLAND RECORDS. The record label name says it all. Thank you Superjohnny for bringing them into my life.
2, Been Stellar - Been Stellar
American rock that sounds straight out of 1993. A bit Smashing Pumpkins a bit Drop Nineteens. I love this.
3, Regressive Left - On The Wrong Side of History
LCD Soundsystem lite. Good fun.
4, Moreish Idols - Float
It's a bit Black Midi, BCNR etc but better than Black Midi post debut, obviously.
5, Keg - Girders
Are you Squid in disguise? A perfectly good soundalike while we await the next Squid album
6, Memphis Reigns and QM - Reign Clouds
Summery scratchy boom bap. I'm in.
7, Ryley Walker - So Certain
A few tunes continuing in the sound of the last album. I'm a huge Ryley fanboy and these are just as good as anything on the LP.
8, Deep Tan - Diamond Horsetail
These scare me quite a bit but the tunes are good. Creepy frenetic post punk. A bit Raincoats in places too.
9, Opus Kink - 'Til the Stream Runs Dry
Nick Cave fronting BCNR. I'd wrongly written these off as third tier new band like Folly Group et al but they're much better than that.
10, Joyeria - FIM
Great fun Pavement soundalike tunes.
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Post by barny on Dec 17, 2022 15:39:56 GMT
21. - Haru Nemuri - Shunka Ryougen A lengthy J-Pop + Japanese Hip Hop + Post Hardcore? Shouting Who the Fuck Is Burning the Forest?'s over a trap metal beat?? Useless vocal interludes? It shouldn’t work, or at the very least it shouldn’t work for me, but I don’t know… There are simply too many melodies, unexpected turns and distortion splashes to entice me to no end. I don’t like anything like this, but I really enjoy it. 22. Destroyer - Labyrinthitis For an artist as verbose as Dan Bejar, he’s been slowly getting near to rhythm focused music and I suppose we can thank partner in crime producer John Collins for it. It’s all still under the sophisti-pop umbrella but there’s a lot of new wave, New Orderisms and even disco over here. Quite varied and more consistent than his recent works, with a few of ‘first-evers’ too: pseudo raps including voice effects (June), dark industrial riffage (Tintoretto), instrumental ambience (title track), fast paced tracks and straight synthpop (or as straight as he can do it) and acoustic ditties (Last Song). 23. Renata Zeiguer - Picnic in the Dark Lately I’ve been leaning towards slightly-off-kilter-pop-but-with-rock-touches-but-quirky-but-also-melodic women with guitars. It’s a pattern, but also not so easy to cover as it can’t be too strange or too obvious and the interest also tends to fade out on following releases (Angel ). All that to say that this is that kind of entry, this time with bossanova feels under a soft psych bed that ends up resembling something like dream pop without falling under the genre’s usual trappings. Thank u next. 24. Elvis Costello - The Boy Named If Besides the obvious late 70 big ones I haven’t been following Elvis' career too closely, but this early year entry came with a bang. The usual cheekiness and rage are back with a revitalized crispy production, it’s all surprisingly fun and energetic. Just some tiny length/pacing issues keep it from similar great late era releases by other rock icons. 25. Animal Collective - Time Skiffs Like it or not, Animal Collective are one of the defining bands of this century. I never dug that deep into their discography, but I surely love an album (Strawberry Jam) and a bunch of songs. When the time came to listen to this mature, organic piece of work, I think I was more predisposed to enjoy it than in other moments in the past, where I just kinda rejected their hipster vibes. Time Skiffs is probably their most welcoming and soothing record,.I found some healing getting lost in the locked-in harmonies and bubbly blips. 26. Wet Leg - Wet Leg There’s something about this that just feels so 2007, but in a good way. Just the kind of record that would have been so annoying at that point of saturation but now it feels fresh again. Plus it sounds like an era without being copycat of specific artists (although pleasingly enough a couple of tracks sound like landfill Angel Olsen). So it is fun and varied and careless but not so much and yeah, one of those albums where you better lower your guard and listen to instead of endlessly talk about. God knows what will happen in the future once they’re pushed outside of their bubble, but if they keep the attitude, they’ve more than proved the chops are there. 27. Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful Just Spiritualized being Spiritualized. And that’s not a bad thing. 28. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Toast While his actual 2022 release World Record was a decent if forgettable entry, this archival work of early drafts from a record I’ve never even heard would make my top10 Neil Young easily. Quit and How Ya Doin’ are fantastic and surely hit the sweet spot. 29. Foals - Life Is Yours On first look might look a bit underwhelming or just indie landfill but, come on, it’s a pretty slice of post-pandemic hedonism, people just hate fun sometimes. They had never embraced this level of simple, summery dance rave-y rock bops before, but it fits them a little too well. Wild Greeeeen 30. Rachika Nayar - Heaven Come Crashing Never been big into ambient and I only checked this because of Stereogum making it album of the week as I was going out with an ambient girl, so I could recommend it to her. Yep. This is on the epic side of the genre, a bit euphoric, with lots of guitar and some electronic buildups.
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Post by barny on Dec 18, 2022 8:35:43 GMT
11. Pup - The Unraveling of Puptheband Energetic meta punk to punch the air to, laughing and crying at the same time. Haven’t heard their previous ones so can’t tell if this is a peak or a valley, but probably closer to my tastes. Also they put on quite a good show, or so it seemed in the eye of the hurricane. 12. Kiwi Jr. - Chopper Charming indie rock with enough lightness and hooks to skip usual originality criticisms. 13. Sorry - Anywhere But Here I checked them with reservations, as they’re coming to town next year, but I was quite pleased with what I found: all the ingredients are more or less expected in the indie rock world, but they manage to cook a pretty special combination of varying arrangements and production, never allowing the songs to feel too predictable. 14. Wilco - Cruel Country Good ole Tweedy can’t stop releasing shit, he just can’t. In the past 4-5 years he has released lots of mediocre Wilco, solo and family records. I’ve heard enough nonchalant Tweedy over a strummed acoustic guitar for 6 lifetimes. And even so, a long country record with that basis felt surprisingly brilliant. Main reasons is he decided to use 2 of the 3 elements that made the best Wilco records what they are: his knack for a melody and the instrumental prowess of his partners in the band (3rd would be studio experimentation/song deconstruction). The production and lyrics are as good as they can be and even if not every song is amazing, it's at least very good with some lovely pieces that stand above the rest. 15. Mitski - Laurel Hell Poor Mitski, these days it is hard to deal with the amount of bullshit from unfairly demanding fans via social media. So this is no more and no less than a fun, double-edged barebones synth pop record, where different keyboards sprout to tingle you at the right moment. Her songs sometimes tend to look unfinished, but there’s always more to meet the ears.
16. - Editors - EBM EBM stands for Electronic Dance Music but also for Editors + Blanck Mass, best match since FFS. I never really cared much for all these post Interpol post punk bands and I would have skipped this if my cousin didn’t force it on me, but truth is there’s some punch and drive here (in the form of techno or industrial turns) that I hardly ever found in any of them whenever they crossed my path. 17. Stella Donnelly - Flood I don’t remember what I expected from this, probably more bite, but my first listen was a bit of a disappointment. But the record is actually pretty cool, subdued but well crafted and varied too. 18. Marina Allen - Centrifics Can’t say for sure what I found in this record that makes it stand out from others of its kind, Marina seems like a less raw Fiona Apple and even if there’s nothing mindblowing here, the voice, the songs and the production are all very pleasurable. Just an enjoyable experience and sometimes that’s all I can wish for. 19. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava After some weak releases I thought I already had enough of the Gizzverse, but this year they proved me wrong in a big way. This one consists of extended songs developed after semi-improv jams with only the title and a Greek mode as a starting point. It sounds way more fun than that. 20. Yawners - Duplo It has a song called Rivers Cuomo and I don’t think there’s a lot else you need to know. And thank God we got this, because the Seasonz project was quite shit.
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