2013 albums

Art Bruts GREATEST HITS "Top Of The Pops" has leaked, ALL the hits plus three new songs and a b-sides & rarities disc.

I'll tell you what, it might only be April, but it's going to take something extra special to top either the Scream's new LP or My Bloody Valentine for me.

BE

In one

First impressions are really damn good. The bonus CD has some monsters on it too. Overall the album feels like a celebration of everything that is so great about Primal Scream. Theirs hints of XTRMNTR, Screamadelica & even a bit of Vanishing Point. I wonder how much this faceless bird on bass has offered, there are some killer basslines on the record. As usual the band work best when they have someone new in the band or an outsider working with them. Can never write off the Scream, once again they bounce back.

Aye, it#s pretty good tbf. Even 'It's Alright, It's Okay' (which I wasn't overly fussed on) works well in the context of the album.

Looking forward to getting to grips with this more. I reckon this, along with the new Beady Eye album, will be soundtracking our trip to Mexico.

Been some cracking albums this year. Better than 2012 already and still some stuff to come.

To this day I still don't know why they didn't try to make It's Alright, It's Okay more special, it's a good song but it's nearly a self-parody. Gonna listen to this now.

Had a good run of finding new records I really dig after a bleak spot

Public Service Broadcasting - Inform - Educate - Entertain

Instrumental rock with a real driving groove to it. They use samples from news reports from the past. Sounds like Doves if they got into Neu! and made a bit more noise.

Connections - Private Airplane

Already posted this song in the youtube thread but I don't care, it's my favourite song of the year. The album is also pretty damn sweet. 15 tracks in half an hour. Very much Guided By Voices with a touch of Teenage Fanclub. Can't get enough of it at the moment.

Brooke Waggoner - Originator

I gave this a go as she was part of Jack White's touring band last year & they were phenomenal. This is really glossy & poppy singer-songwriter kind of stuff. I'd liken it to someone like Feist but with the pop sensibilities of early Brendan Benson. It has grown on me more & more with each listen.

Oh & Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge - Twelve Reasons to Die seems to have flown under the radar on here, fantastic record.

THIS ^

The sequencing of this record really is something to behold. They could of easily of stuck this as track 3 or 4 being a single and all, but it just fits perfectly at the end. This despite it being a bit cheesy and feeling like a retread of past glories the track somehow manages to feel euphoric as a curtain call for the 70 minute journey.

Obviously too early to be judging it, I've only had 4 listens but so far it is hands down my favourite record of the year. I had very low expectations, the last two records were a complete waste of time if you ask me. Screamadelica & XTRMNTR will always be the stone cold classics of their back catalogue, but on early impressions I'd say this is up there battling with Vanishing Point for the bronze.

What's standing out on it for you, Karl?

Honestly, the entire record. It works entirely as a whole piece. "Hit Void" is probably my early favourite, though I get pissed off when it fades out. I know the records well over an hour long but that track in particular feels like it could have a few minutes of madness at the end.

Make sure you grab the bonus disc if you haven't, some strong material on there too.

Totally agree; it's a very complete piece of work. The fella on production duties has done such a great job here. Maybe he'll do Beady Eye's third record

Got the bonus disc but not got round to it yet; losing myself in the actual record at the minute.

My expectations were low, too. But, I think that was actually a blessing because it's really took me by surprise how good it is.

They released a remixed version for Record Store Day bruv. Somehow I've ended up with that and lost the actual album (which is great).

Primals album is really great. Agree with the tracklisting convo, the last two tunes are a really great ending to the album.

About to smash through my first listen of the Scream record. Slightly concerned the page has raised my expectations somewhat...

I was the same, and looked at some of the track times and was a bit wary....for some reason I got visions of BRMC Spectar but its a bloody great album.

Yeah, it could be a little shorter. And TOY > Hit Void. But yeah, good record.

Disagree that it should be shorter. There's barely a wasted second throughout, it all feels vital to me.

& TOY's debut was one of the dullest things I heard last year.


Oh yeah I remember reading on the bandcamp page that there was an alternative mix of the record, never got around to getting it. Is it worth bothering with?

Did you see that picture of the Rifles? The original 4 back in the studio, is this just for a song or two on the new record or are they back properly now? Might be able to get excited for another record if that's the case.