2019 end of year list

TOMORROW

Top 15 gigs:

1. Supergrass, Oslo Hackney, September
2. Peter Bjorn & John, Highbury Garage, March
3. Ride, Moth Club, April
4. Steve Mason, Moth Club, December
5. Guided by Voices, Village Underground, June
6. Black Lips/Priests, EARTH, November
7. Jules Buckley & the Metropole Orchestra ft. Lisa Fischer and Ledisi, Nina Simone Prom, Royal Albert Hall, August
8. Fat White Family, Lexington, January
9. Suede, Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow, July
10.Doves, Somerset House, July
11.THE LIGHTNING SEEDS ft. Balldog/The Farm, Dartford Festival, July
12.The Orielles, Scala, March
13.Public Service Broadcasting, Race for Space prom, Royal Albert Hall, July
14.Suede, Cambridge Corn Exchange, April
15.Squid/Pozi, 100 Club, October


Top 15 records:

1. Gurr - She Says

Ok, not strictly an album but at seven songs and 22 minutes it’s as long as the LP at #2 (plus, if Mahoney can have his compilation and Stocky two EPs bunched together, I’ll have this, cheers). Gurr are rapidly becoming one of my favourite bands and this builds well on their full length debut. I’m slightly worried that they’ll burn out as songwriters within a year or two, but as long as they remain fun it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

2. Young Guv - Guv I

The first half of a double release, first brought to my attention by popular former forum member Mahoney. Teenage Fanclub/Big Star-esque powerpop from one of the guys in Fucked Up. Hooks and harmonies as far as the eye can see.

3. Priests - The Seduction of Kansas

Saw this lot with popular forum member Krburg recently and immediately liked their sound. Lots of glam, almost Blondie-esque influences in a slightly punkier set up. Disappointed that they’ve called it a day as both albums are great.

4. Fat White Family - Serf’s Up

To me this is their best record, but maybe that’s because I prefer their slightly more polished sound. Feet is a strong contender for my favourite single of 2019.

5. Jenny Lewis - On the Line

Came to this record late in the year, but a good mix of melodic pop and alt-country which stays just the right side of MOR throughout. Solid production by renowned sexual predator David Ryan Adams.

6. Omni - Networker

Angular, sprechgesangen post-punk of the kind Barny likes to whinge about, this time from Atlanta. Get a grip, Barny.

7. Deerhunter - Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?

Bradford Cox is such an oddball that he was in danger of putting me off the group completely, but this is a solid album with wonderful production from Cate le Bon, even if it lacks anything approaching the quality of Desire Lines.

8. Young Guv - Guv II

The second half of a double release, largely as above but with a few more synth pop touches to it, and even some cod-80s sax. More varied but less consistent than Guv I.

9. Peter Moren and David Shutrick - En Aldrande Befolkning

Yet another side project from Peter from Peter Bjorn and John, for whom I seem to be turning into something of a shill. This time it’s a slightly folky/chamber pop effort, in Swedish. Unusually for something bordering on easy listening, I don’t find it difficult to listen to.

10. Liam Gallagher - Why Me, Why Not?

I had no expectations at all for this album, and based on the first few singles thought it was going to have been written by committee to please people who post BIBLICAL on Live4Ever. But once you get past the trudge-rock there are some lovely little moments on here: the title track, Now that I’ve Found You, Alright Now, Gone, etc. LG sings well throughout and the production - particularly the strings - is great.

11. Honeyblood - In Plain Sight

Definitely towards the poppier end of the shouty girl-rock genre which is fast becoming a favourite, but a massive drum sound and laden with hooks throughout. Also a token Scottish release to placate my good friend and compatriot Columbia_rocks_man.

12. Steve Mason - About the Light

By far and away the weakest of his solo albums thus far, I wasn’t initially keen on it but heard him doing stripped back versions of some of the songs and they worked well without the Stephen Street-sheen. Would like to see him move away from the Britpop/nostalgia circuit he’s veered dangerously close to over the last couple of years.

13. Pip Blom - Boat

A slight disappointment compared to some of the earlier singles (I Think I’m in Love is a favourite) but youthful indie pop from the Netherlands with a load of potential. They could do with looking slightly less Dutch, mind you.

14. Angel Olsen - All Mirrors

There’s something about Angel Olsen which I find overly sincere and humourless, but I found myself coming back to this album repeatedly during a period of intense self-pitying. Thankfully I’m much happier now and haven’t felt the need to play it since.

15. Fontaines DC - Dogrel

This is an album of two halves for me. Every time I hear the first few songs I think it’s crap, not least as they remind me a bit of early Idlewild and Roddy Womble is one of the worst people in music (so expect Fontaines to have a resident fiddler - hurhur - within five years) but it picks up markedly in the second half. Some of the rhymes - or non-rhymes - are a bit clunking, which annoys me greatly.


Honourable mentions: Harkin (Mist on Glass) and The Vacant Lots (Bells) for excellent singles which don’t belong to albums to get them onto this list, and Ride for making a record which, barring 2-3 great songs, is embarrassingly bad.

Haha this is the best review of that album so far. Especially the last line.

What the FUCK is this. Mahoney, you have opened the floodgates with your bizarre compilation choice. Now we have Rodney trying to tell us an EP is an album.

Someone needs to take control of this process. I suggest one week bans for both Rod and Karl while the wiser heads of this forum establish some ground rules.

Add to the list, Barny leaking his list EARLY on twitter, JP Including an EP

I'm pretty sure that BARRY record Krburg included is an EP too, though we'll wait for him to fight his case before convicting him.

I'm ashamed of myself, I set such high standards for us all to follow for all those years and one small mistake & I've opened the floodgates. I hope you all understand why I had to remove my account, the shame was too much to handle. I was performing the internet msg board version of Hara-kiri.

I mean worst of all is Stocky with a not one, but two comps on his list.

Perhaps we can forget about this terrible year & move on with our lives

or is this a progressive movement happening under our eyes where we no longer accept the bad AIDS curse & decide that in 2020 the definition between albums/eps & comps has been blurred & allow inclusion?

Personally, I'm for the BAD AIDS

It is an EP. I'm annoyed he's flagged them on the forum before me as I first listened to them BACK IN 2018.

To think there were so many EPs I loved by cool unsigned Scottish bands throughout the 2010s that I never included in this because I STUCK TO THE RULES.

Hi, I'm Columbia_rocks_man and this is my top albums of 2019 list. I appreciate it's the second week in Jan and folk aren't arsed anymore so let's try and keep this short and sweet.

Token old record I listened to a lot 

Bend Sinister - The Fall (1986)

The problem for the casual Fall listener is where the fuck do you start. They famously have about 56,978 albums and EPs. I think most folk on the forum are at least familiar with them by now. But if you want a stand-alone album (Rod and Karl, notice I underlined this) then you could do a lot worse than Bend Sinister.

The mid-80s was a commercial and creative peak for the band. They had Brix on guitars, John Leckie producing, and a decent budget from Beggars Banquet. Hard-core Fall purists prefer the early 80s stuff like Slates, or the proper obscure mid-90s stuff, but this is the Fall at their most accessible and thought-provoking. How do you explain a track like U.S. 80s/90s? It's a brilliant riff, accompanying MES's slurring attack on Boston immigration officials. 

It is a dark, difficult record in places but there's proper fun rock n' roll tunes like Terry Waite Sez - named after, of course, the Anglican minister who was chained to a radiator when taken hostage in Beirut. It also has their brilliant cover of Mr Pharmacist, the garage rock classic by The Other Half. Apparently both MES and Leckie didn't speak highly of the record in later years, but don't let that put you off - this gets two thumbs up from C_r_m!

TOP 11 RECORDS FROM 2019

(Fake edit: It was gonna be 10 but then I forgot Slowthai, and I couldn't leave him out, so I've just tacked him on the end)

11) Slowthai - Nothing Great About Britain
An ace debut from an intriguing rapper who definitely deserves his well-thought out place at number 11! One of the best live shows I saw in 2019.
10) Bossy Love - Me + U
Maximal pop-dance excellence from Glasgow.
9) Kano - Hoodies All Summer
Brilliant comeback from a master of his craft.
8) Blanck Mass - Animated Violence Mild
Another absolute monster of a record from the most original producer in the business. No one sounds remotely like Blanck Mass. The guy is a genius.
7) Savage Mansion - Revision Ballads
It's the token debut album by a Glasgow band that no one else on this forum will ever bother listening to! But srsly guys it is very good. Have you ever heard of this little known band called Pavement? You have?! You might like this!
6) Steve Mason - About the Light
Mason doesn't do politics - but does do big Steve Street production numbers! What's not to like? The bit where he shouts 'HEY!' just before the second chorus - love it. I've gone a bit far with the exclamation marks, but let's run with it!
5) Little Simz - Grey Area
Yes! It's the Soapbox collective wank-fest album of the year. We all love it! We can still agree on some things! Hurray!
4) Dave - Psychodrama
Not seen much said about this guy on here, but a stunningly strong debut album from a rapper with plenty to say. Not the most cheerful of listens, it must be said, but hey, 2019 wasn't the most cheerful of years for many people. Not me though! I got married. Just in case my wife happens to be reading. Which she's not. She's not registered - so no need to slide into her DMs!
3) Tyler, the Creator - Igor
What a fantastic album this is. Not really a rap album at all. Can we get away with calling it Neo Soul? I think we can. The kind of artist you can't take your eyes off as you never know what he'll do next. It could easily have topped the C_r_m list - but hey, it's been a strong year!
2) Callum Easter - Here or Nowhere
In many ways Callum Easter sums up the sheer effort an independent artist has to put in just to get a limited release album out these days. There's no money in music, the internet killed the industry, The Soapbox played a part in that, we're all guilty as sin, and you streaming Springsteen all year long on Spotify is helping nobody. Callum Easter was one of those guys who played in bands. Back when there was money in bands. Back when people took an interest in unsigned bands. But no one wants new bands now. Even in Glasgow, this supposed mecca for unsigned music, you're lucky if you get 80 people to a show that doesn't feature a headliner already promoted to death on 6music. No one wants them. And by no one I mean the few real venues still open, the ones that need to sell decent amounts of tickets to survive - not the gentrified former working men's club you go along to to watch a bunch of arts post-grads playing to a crowd of 25 men in cardigans who view alternative music as an Instagram opportunity and all work in the City anyway. Bands are finished. Unless you're Shed fucking Seven or one of the other dismal heritage acts that are somehow still being flogged, 25 fucking years after any of them were relevant. Having said all of that, I am paying to see Iggy Pop this summer. Callum Easter stopped playing in bands because he realised they were finished and the future is solo artists who have to do everything - write the lyrics, play the instruments, record the fucking thing, mix it, promote it, hand a copy to your granny and Bob's yer mother's brother. There is a reason so many independent solo artists sound shit. It is very, very, very hard to do everything. Which is why the best albums are collaborations between as many as a dozen people. Being a true solo artist takes serious talent, which Easter has in spades.

Sorry, I was ranting. Where was I? Yeah this is a DIY pop album of real beauty with some touching moments. 

1) Fat White Family - Serf's Up!
A lot has been made about how FWF seem like a throwback to the mid-2000s - a group of white guys taking drugs in TCOTU and falling about the place doing shambolic gigs. Is that part of the reason I like them? Perhaps! But srsly guys, I think that charge would stick if they had only released their debut album and then fizzled out. But they have progressed with each record they've made. They are capable of genuinely surprising you. I doubt many people saw a track like Feet coming, or something as great Feels Good With the Money. Their current touring line-up is also fantastic. Easily my gig of the year. A double win for FWF from C_r_m!

I was posting about Savage Mansion back in Feb 19 Chrissie.

I've always got time for the Scottish indie scene. Looking forward to the new Spinning Coin lp this year and your man from Paws solo project.

Sorry JP, I should have said: "that no one on the forum - except for JP - will ever listen to".

You are a friend of the Glasgow scene! I didn't mind bits of Spinning Coin's debut, hopefully the second record is a step up. I didn't even realise Philip was doing a solo record. That could be interesting, he's a clever, thoughtful guy.

I did try to steal the album for free multiple times on Soulseek, yet the one person who had it had a ridiculous queue that never went down. True story. I liked whatever song I heard on youtube but ultimately I decided that if they aren't prepared to move to TCOTU & work in costa coffee whilst living in a squat for the next 4 years for the off-chance to perhaps support a trendy band at the Lexington then they simply aren't worth my time.

I dunno, the label that put it out always label their EP's as such, this isn't labelled and EP.

permanentslump.bandcamp.com/music

As promised, a list of 28 great songs and EP's that i've loved this year. No rhyme or reason to it, stuck mostly to non album singles apart from the odd exception..


1 - Dry Cleaning - Sweet Princess (EP)
drycleaning.bandcamp.com/album/sweet-princess-ep

2 - Black Country, New Road - Sunglasses (Single)


3 - Fat White Family - Feet (Single)


4 - Squid - Houseplants (Single)


5 - Hotel Lux - English Disease (Single)


6 - Treeboy & Arc - Concept (Single)


7 - PVA - Divine Intervention (Single)


8 - Caribou - Home (Single)


9 - Black Midi - Talking Heads (Single)


10 - Vintage Crop - Company Man (EP)
vintagecrop.bandcamp.com/album/company-man-ep

11 - Squid - Town Centre (EP)


12 - Black Midi - 7-Eleven (Unused album track)


13 - Dry Cleaning - Boundary Road, Snacks & Drinks (EP)
drycleaning.bandcamp.com/album/boundary-road-snacks-and-drinks-ep

14 - Black Country, New Road - Athens, France (Single)


15 - Buffet Lunch - Snail Mail (EP)
permanentslump.bandcamp.com/album/the-snail-ep

16 - Peggy Sue - Motorcade (Single)


17 - Do Nothing - Gangs (Single)


18 - Terry - Who's Terry? (EP)
upsettherhythm.bigcartel.com/product/terry-who-s-terry-7-ep-pre-order

19 - Blue Bendy - Suspension (Single)


20 - Pynch - Disco Lights (Single)


21 - Sinead O'Brien - Taking on Time (Single)


22 - Egyptian Blue - Collateral (EP)


23 - Daphni - Sizzling (EP)
caribouband.bandcamp.com/album/sizzling-ep

24 - Roxy Girls - A Poverty of Attention (EP)
roxygirls.bandcamp.com/album/a-poverty-of-attention

25 - Beak> - Life Goes On (EP)
beak.bandcamp.com/album/life-goes-on-ep

26 - Basic Hinge - Perry (EP)
permanentslump.bandcamp.com/album/the-perry-ep

27 - Fontaines DC - Too Real (Single)


28 - Mush - Induction Party EP
mushband.bandcamp.com/album/induction-party

Anybody planning on putting a list yet?

I can’t think of any active users who normally do one who haven’t already tbh (and it’s been a month anyway so probably no point waiting beyond today)

nice one kev!! lot's to dig into there

i love Feet by Fat White Family but I really wish it had a brassy female soul singer as the lead vocalist, would notch that tune up to a 10.

Will Hepburn rise from the ashes??

(I think we're done)

Position - Artist - Album - Points - Votes

101 .- The Roves - All Those Freaks - 17 - 1
102 .- Bob Mould - Sunshine rock - 17 - 1
103 .- The Leisure Society - Arrivals & Departures - 17 - 1
104 .- Winston Surfshirt - Apple Crumble - 17 - 1
105 .- Frankie & The Witch Fingers - Zam - 16 - 1
106 .- Eli Winter - The Time to Come - 16 - 1
107 .- Rheostatics - here come the wolves - 16 - 1
108 .- Michelle Blades - Visitor - 16 - 1
109 .- Gang Starr - One of the Best Yet - 15 - 1
110 .- Crocodiles - Love Is Here - 15 - 1
111 .- R. Stevie Moore - Afterlife - 14 - 1
112 .- Bill Mackay - Fountain Fire - 14 - 1
113 .- Ex Hex - It's Real - 14 - 1
114 .- Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres - Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres - 14 - 1
115 .- Budos Band - V - 13 - 1
116 .- Sheer Mag - A Distant Call - 13 - 1
117 .- James Blake - Assume Form - 13 - 1
118 .- Tusks - Avalanche - 13 - 1
119 .- Florist - Emily Alone - 12 - 1
120 .- Twin Peaks - Lookout Low - 12 - 1
121 .- Bedouine - Bird Songs of a Killjoy - 12 - 1
122 .- Girl Band - The Talkies - 12 - 1
123 .- Girl Ray - Girl - 12 - 1
124 .- Kali Malone - The Sacrificial Code - 11 - 1
125 .- The Good People - Good for Nuthin’ - 11 - 1
126 .- Ezra Furman - Twelve Nudes - 11 - 1
127 .- DaBaby - Kirk - 11 - 1
128 .- Dumb - Club Nites - 11 - 1
129 .- Cigarettes After Sex - Cry - 11 - 1
130 .- Denzel Curry - ZUU - 10 - 2
131 .- Kate Tempest - The Book of Traps and Lessons - 10 - 1
132 .- Terry & Louie - ...A Thousand Guitars - 10 - 1
133 .- Marika Hackman - Any Human Friend - 10 - 1
134 .- Young Thug - So Much Fun - 9 - 1
135 .- Vivian Girls - Memory - 9 - 1
136 .- Indoor Pets - Be Content - 8 - 1
137 .- Wilco - Ode to Joy - 8 - 1
138 .- Young Nudy, Pi’erre Bourne - Sli’merre - 8 - 1
139 .- Barry - Barry - 8 - 1
140 .- KAPUTT - Carnage Hall - 7 - 1
141 .- Craig Finn - I Need a New War - 7 - 1
142 .- Mikal Cronin - Seeker - 7 - 1
143 .- Rapsody - Eve - 7 - 1
144 .- Ty Segall - First Taste - 6 - 2
145 .- Charles Rumback and Ryley Walker - Little Common Twist - 6 - 1
146 .- Jamilia Woods - LEGACY! LEGACY! - 6 - 1
147 .- Hash Redactor - Drecksound - 6 - 1
148 .- Louder than Death - Stop Und Fick Dich! - 5 - 1
149 .- The National - I Am Easy to Find - 5 - 1
150 .- Stephen Malkmus - Groove Denied - 5 - 1
151 .- Guided by Voices - Warp and Woof - 5 - 1
152 .- Bill Callahan - Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest - 4 - 1
153 .- Aldous Harding - Designer - 4 - 1
154 .- The Murder Capital - When I Have Fears Dark - 4 - 1
155 .- Malibu Ken - Malibu Ken - 3 - 1
156 .- Health&Beauty - Shame Engine/Blood Pleasure - 3 - 1
157 .- Rex Orange County - Pony - 3 - 1
158 .- Kaytranada - Bubba - 3 - 1
159 .- Holly Herndon - PROTO - 3 - 1
160 .- Slag Queens - You Can't Go Out Like That - 2 - 1
161 .- William Tyler - Goes West - 2 - 1
162 .- DaBaby - Baby On Baby - 2 - 1
163 .- The Divine Comedy - Office Politics - 2 - 1
164 .- Ryan Porter - Force for Good - 1 - 1
165 .- Jake Xerxes Fussell - Out of Sight - 1 - 1
166 .- The Chemical Brothers - No Geography - 1 - 1
167 .- Lizzo - Cuz I Love You - 1 - 1
168 .- Metronomy - Metronomy Forever - 1 - 1