04 January 2009

Administrator

Albums and Singles

Thanks to everyone who voted in this year's Readers Poll. Once again you, the Brainwashed readers, have voiced your opinion on the best and worst of the year and the Brainwashed staff and contributors have voiced our own—occasionally clashing—opinions. All the best wishes for 2009!

 

Album of the Year

1. Matmos, "Supreme Balloon" (Matador)
   
   "This is far and away the best record Matmos has ever released. Their signature cadence, abrupt editing style, and virtuosic tendencies are all present, but without a gimmick in sight. I've loved many of their past albums, but this one is more pure and potent." - Lucas Schleicher
   
   "To me 2008 was year of the synth, where releases like this and from Four Tet and Bomb The Bass brilliantly exploited the sounds of the synth. This album is easily the cream of the crop." - Jon Whitney
   
   "In my review for the album, I complained about the lack of a central conceptual conceit uniting the songs on Supreme Balloon. It's true that the album isn't as rigidly structural or conceptually playful as albums like The Rose Has Teeth or A Chance to Cut, but over time it reveals itself as joyfully perverse and masterful in its own unique way. And it must be said that the 2xLP version is vastly superior to the mass-market CD version, both because of its beautiful artwork and the full complement of bonus tracks, which are some of my favorite tracks recorded for these sessions." - Jonathan Dean
   
   "Matmos proves they don't have to sample the sound of ejaculation or use slugs and laser beams to make a great record. The result of their retreat from microphones is pure electronic bliss." - Justin Patrick
   
   
2. Earth, "The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull" (Southern Lord)
   
   "Dylan and the boys go a bit less country and a bit more gospel, and what results is a more diverse, more fleshed out take on the sound Hex started." - Creaig Dunton
   
   
3. Fennesz, "Black Sea" (Touch)
   
   "This is the first Christian Fennesz album I've loved from the get-go. Endless Summer took me forever to appreciate and his collaborations with other musicians don't exactly represent his typical output. "Black Sea" is beautiful, though, and is easily one of Fennesz's best records." - Lucas Schleicher
   
   "Somehow Christian has managed to be both dissonantly oblique, yet craft some of the most beautiful melodies of any album this year." - Creaig Dunton
   
   
4. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Dig!!!, Lazarus, Dig!!!" (Anti)
   
   "A much more enjoyable return to form compared to the disappointing (and dull) Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus release." - Creaig Dunton
   
   "I wish he'd go back to primarily singing rather than primarily orating like a preacher." - Jon Whitney
   
   
5. Deerhunter, "Microcastle" (Kranky)
6. Boris, "Smile" (Southern Lord)
   
   "Boris goes even more rock, but I wish they would have stuck to the lusher, more fuzzed out sound they started on Pink." - Creaig Dunton
   
   
7. Fuck Buttons, "Street Horrrsing" (ATP)
   
   "Much like breakthrough albums by Brooklyn noiseniks Black Dice, Growing, and Gang Gang Dance, the debut by Bristol's Fuck Buttons was experimental, exploratory and psychedelic in a way that was able to capture an audience well beyond the usual coterie of noise freaks. This record had its share of detractors, but many listeners who would not normally go in for structureless-ness, fragmentation, and effects-laden vocals were captured by Street Horrrsing, proving that experimental music has a rarely acknowledged potential to speak beyond its own, often narrow milieu." - Jonathan Dean
   
   "Dancy noise even the Pitchfork kids can (pretend to) like." - Creaig Dunton
   
   "I completely don't get it. I understand the style but the writing is so boring, uninspiring, cliche, and predictable that I call shenanigans." - Jon Whitney
   
   
8. Nurse With Wound, "Huffin' Rag Blues" (United Jnana)
9. Deerhunter, "Weird Era Cont." (Kranky)
10. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, "13 Blues for Thirteen Moons" (Constellation)
11. Autechre, "Quaristice" (Warp)
    
    "Autechre keep popping up on year-end lists, but they keep releasing mediocre records. These guys are responsible for me loving electronic music as much as I do, but Quaristice is almost certainly evidence that they've passed their prime. It's better than their last two records, but it's still nothing to write home about." - Lucas Schleicher
    
    "Well, at least the songs were shorter this time." - Creaig Dunton
    
    "Yeah BUT there's a lot more of them this time." - Jon Whitney
    
    
12. Burning Star Core, "Challenger" (Hospital Productions)
13. Grouper, "Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill" (Type)
    
    "More voice, less haze, still bliss from Liz Harris." - Duncan Edwards
    
    "This was easily one of my top ten most-played albums for 2008. The notion of yet another freak-folk songstress spitting out an album of reverb and delay-drenched songs sounds terrible on paper, but the album's submerged melodies and narcotic soundscapes won me over immediately." - Jonathan Dean
    
    
14. Windy & Carl, "Songs for the Broken Hearted" (Kranky)
15. Grails, "Take Refuge in Clean Living" (Important)
    
    "Grails are on the chart twice, but Take Refuge is much, much better than Doomsdayer's Holiday. Its relative brevity, instant heaviosity, and epic hugeness make it the clear winner. Not that it was a contest." - Jonathan Dean
    
    
16. Portishead, "Third" (Mercury)
    
    "Portishead needed to try something new and they did here.  Third is their most adventurous and most diverse record, but it's absolutely in line with their previous work." -Matthew Jeanes
    
    "A lot of people hated this record when it came out and the whole thing confused me the first time I put it on the record player, but it grew on me like few other records did this year. If it weren't for Beth's voice, I'd have never guessed it was Portishead. That turned out to be a blessing; plenty of musicians release comeback records that remind us of why they were great, but Portishead actually bothered to move forward." - Lucas Schleicher
    
    "There was hype, hype, hype, hype, hype and then... a comeback album that was actually worth the bother!" - John Kealy
    
    
17. Gang Gang Dance, "Saint Dymphna" (The Social Registry)
    
    "With this album, Gang Gang Dance went even further in the trajectory suggested by their now-classic album God's Money, experimenting with the structures and textures of dance-pop, HipHop and dub. Along the way, they might have lost some of their underground/avant-garde cred, but they've gained a whole new audience enraptured by their fractured, kaleidoscopic vision of 21st century dance music." - Jonathan Dean
    
    "A horrible fucking record. Why the fuck do people like this so much after hearing God's Money? They've moved backwards instead of forwards. Sure, it's accessible, but it's also predictable and horribly bland." - Lucas Schleicher
    
    
18. Atlas Sound, "Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel" (Kranky)
19. Aidan Baker/Tim Hecker, "Fantasma Parastasie" (Alien8)
    
    "Bristling, lush ephemera." - Duncan Edwards
    
    
20. The Bug, "London Zoo" (Ninja Tune)
    
    "Kevin Martin got a little poppier with London Zoo, but the results are no less satisfying." - Matthew Jeanes
    
    
21. Valet, "Naked Acid" (Kranky)
22. Philip Jeck, "Sand" (Touch)
23. The Legendary Pink Dots, "Plutonium Blonde" (ROIR)
24. Grails, "Doomsdayer's Holiday" (Temporary Residence)
25. Sigur Rós, "Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust" (XL)
    
    "How this record manages to go from manic and almost silly to downright morose in the span of an hour, I will never know.  The first few songs will throw fans for a loop, but they also shed light on the band's humorous side that's been evident for a while for those who really wanted to listen." - Matthew Jeanes
    
    "There was a time when I looked forward to Sigur Rós albums with excitement, now they're Coldplay in Icelandic!" - John Kealy
    
    
26. Bohren Und Der Club Der Gore, "Dolores" (Ipecac)
27. Flying Lotus, "Los Angeles" (Warp)
    
    "High-tech instrumental HipHop for a generation weaned on Warp-style IDM and Adult Swim. Let us rejoice." - Jonathan Dean
    
    
28. Baby Dee, "Safe Inside the Day" (Drag City)
29. Growing, "All the Way" (The Social Registry)
30. Spiritualized, "Songs in A&E" (Sanctuary)
31. Evangelista, "Hello, Voyager" (Constellation)
32. James Blackshaw, "The Litany of Echoes" (Tompkins Square)
    
    "The closest James has gotten to Diamanda." - Jon Whitney
    
    
33. Emeralds, "Solar Bridge" (Hanson)
    
    "Counters any possible argument that 2008 was a sucky year for music." - John Kealy
    
    
34. Birchville Cat Motel, "Gunpowder Temple of Heaven" (Pica Disk)
35. SoiSong, "Soi-Jin-No-Hi" (Not on label)
    
    "Ivan Pavlov of COH goes head to head with the formidable Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson; an austere electronic minimalist locks horns with a post-industrial maximalist. Unfortunately, the minimalist wins, and although there are moments of brilliance here that hint at better things to come, mostly these songs lack compelling momentum, and wear out their welcome." - Jonathan Dean
    
    
36. Black Mountain, "Into the Future" (Jagjaguwar)
37. Stereolab, "Chemical Chords" (4AD)
    
    "Seeing Stereolab live completely changed the way I thought about the band. "Chemical Chords" was just an OK record, but hearing the music live... that's a different story." - Lucas Schleicher
    
    
38. Kevin Drumm, "Imperial Distortion" (Hospital Productions)
39. Meat Beat Manifesto, "Autoimmune" (Metropolis)
    
    "Swamped in trunk rattling bass, this is an album to roll out in your hoopty with. Only be prepared when the rims fall off, because that is when the gears shift into overdrive. Hydro-phonic scratches met blurred words before scooting me off into something dug up from the classic era of electronic tape music." - Justin Patrick
    
    
40. Paavoharju, "Laulu Laakson Kukista" (Fonal)
41. Diamanda Galás, "Guilty, Guilty, Guilty" (Mute)
42. Max Richter, "24 Postcards In Full Color" (Fat Cat)
    
    "In Richter's hands ringtones are so not shit that no one will ever answer the phone." - Duncan Edwards
    
    
43. Mogwai, "The Hawk is Howling" (Matador)
    
    "I found this record more satisfying than Mogwai's last couple of outings." - Matthew Jeanes
    
    
44. Boduf Songs, "How Shadows Chase the Balance" (Kranky)
    
    "One of the most memorable performances at Brainwaves." - Jon Whitney
    
    
45. Melvins, "Nude With Boots" (Ipecac)
46. Benoit Pioulard, "Temper" (Kranky)
47. Jim O'Rourke, "Long Night" (Streamline)
48. The Fall, "Imperial Wax Solvent" (Sanctuary)
49. COH, "COH Plays Cosey" (Raster Noton)
    
    "Although I think I prefer her as a guitarist, Cosey makes a good instrument too." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
50. Edward Ka-Spel, "Dream Logik Part Two" (Beta-Lactam Ring)
51. Machinefabriek, "Dauw" (Dekorder)
52. Sic Alps, "U.S. EZ" (Slitbreeze)
53. Nine Inch Nails, "Ghosts I-IV" (The Null Corporation)
    
    "It sure is great having a NIN record without Trent's voice and annoyingly adolescent lyrics. More cinematic than anything else, the "Ghosts" record deserves to be on the list simply because it is the most extreme and experimental Reznor has been since he asked Coil and Jim Thirlwell to remix his stuff." - Lucas Schleicher
    
    "Shockingly, Trent still had some good music left in him. Too bad The Slip lived up to its name in terms of quality control." - John Kealy
    
    "Trent's better when he lets us more easily pick if we want his (albeit lacking) take on experimental, or pop/rock." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
54. Ryoji Ikeda, "Test Pattern" (Raster Noton)
    
    "It's like a punk band placed through a high-pass filter." - Jon Whitney
    
    
55. Throbbing Gristle, "The Thirty-Second Annual Report of" (Industrial)
    
    "While a bit excessive (in concept and definitely in cost), it is interesting to hear the modernized take on this classic." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
56. Windy Weber, "I Hate People" (Blue Flea)
57. Nadja, "Desire in Uneasiness" (Crucial Blast)
    
    "Live drums make this band much better, which says a lot, because I've got much love for drum machines." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
58. School of Seven Bells, "Alpinisms" (Ghostly International)
59. Venetian Snares, "Detrimentalist" (Planet Mu)
60. Wire, "Object 47" (Pink Flag)
    
    "What a pitiful showing for the new Wire album.  Sure, it failed to live up to the promise of 2007's Read & Burn 03 and sounded more like a Githead record, but it offends me to see it rank lower than Throbbing Gristle's high-priced vanity release.  It's not like enough people actually own a physical copy of The Thirty-Second Annual Report of to make a proper assessment."  -Gary Suarez
    
    "Sort of like a modernized take on the 1980s Wire, it gets better with each listen, though it still feels weird lacking Bruce Gilbert's obtuseness." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
61. Bardo Pond, "Batholith" (Three Lobed)
62. Fire On Fire, "The Orchard" (Young God)
63. Hush Arbors, "Hush Arbors" (Ecstatic Peace)
64. Johann Johannson, "Fordlandia" (4AD)
    
    "More music for Iconic American Names. Aches, swells, and bursts - in a  not nasty way." -Duncan Edwards
    
    
65. Nine Inch Nails, "The Slip" (The Null Corporation)
    
    "Is it bad that I liked this album?  Because I did.  And I do."  - Creaig Dunton
    
    
66. The Black Angels, "Directions to See a Ghost" (Light in the Attic)
67. The Dead C, "Secret Earth" (Ba Da Bing)
68. Kemialliset Ystävät, "Harmaa Laguuni" (Secret Eye)
69. Lustmord, "Other" (Hydra Head)
    
    "This record is bleak and dense and always a welcome break from rock music." - Matthew Jeanes
    
    
70. Sun Kil Moon, "April" (Caldo Verde)
71. Ascend, "Ample Fire Within" (Southern Lord)
72. The Threshold HouseBoys Choir, "Amulet Edition" (Threshold House)
73. Andrew Liles and Daniel Menche, "The Progeny of Flies" (Beta-lactam Ring)
74. Harvey Milk, "Life... The Best Game in Town" (Hydra Head)
75. irr. app. (ext.), "Aspiring to an Empty Gesture Volume 1" (Errata in Excelsus)
76. Torche, "Meanderthal" (Hydra Head)
77. Andrew Liles, "Ouarda (The Subtle Art of Phyllorhodomancy)" (Dirter)
78. Barn Owl, "From Our Mouths a Perpetual Light" (Not Not Fun)
79. Cloudland Canyon, "Lie In Light" (Kranky)
80. Fleet Foxes, "Fleet Foxes" (Sub Pop)
81. Nadja, "Bliss Torn from Emptiness" (Profound Lore)
82. Sonic Youth with Med Mats Gustafsson & Merzbow, "Andre Sider af Sonic Youth" (SYR)
83. Tindersticks, "The Hungry Saw" (Beggars Banquet)
84. Xiu Xiu, "Women As Lovers" (Kill Rock Stars)
    
    "Best use of unlikely singer for a Queen cover in 2008 (Michael Gira on "Under Pressure")." - John Kealy
    
    
85. Hercules and Love Affair, "Hercules and Love Affair" (Mute)
    
    "My favorite album of the years squeaks in at number 85. Hands-down the best contemporary disco/house record to be released all year, if not all decade." - Jonathan Dean
    
    "Easily the most overrated record of the year. Antony's contributions are brilliant but the rest falls rather flat for me." - Jon Whitney
    
    
86. Indian Jewelry, "Free Gold" (Now We Are Free)
87. Nadja, "Thaumoradiance" (Archive)
88. The Alps, "III" (Type)
89. The Caretaker, "Persistent Repetition Of Phrases" (Install)
90. Dan Friel, "Ghost Town" (Important)
91. Library Tapes, "A Summer Beneath the Trees" (Make Mine Music)
92. The Notwist, "The Devil, You & Me" (Domino)
93. Deerhoof, "Offend Maggie" (Kill Rock Stars)
94. Lawrence English, "Kiri No Oto" (Touch)
95. Aethenor, "Betimes Black Cloudmasses" (VHF)
96. Aidan Baker, "Book of Nods" (Beta-Lactam Ring)
97. Excepter, "Debt Dept" (Paw Tracks)
98. Little Annie & Paul Wallfisch, "When Good Things Happen to Bad Pianos" (Durtro Jnana)
    
    "Little Annie is the siren of the recession, and this is its soundtrack.  Her uniquely delicate, damaged delivery on pop fare like Tina Turner's "Private Dancer" and U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" transmutes the digestible radio staples into something meaningful and introspective.  David Tibet deserves our respect for continuing to nurture one of the most talented and underrated performers alive today." - Gary Suarez
    
    
99. Mount Eerie/Julie Doiron/Fred Squire, "Lost Wisdom" (P.W.Elverum & Sun)
    
    "Phil Elverum achieved an ambition to record with Doiron and the result is lovely, icy monuments to the human condition." - Duncan Edwards
    
    
100. The Magnetic Fields, "Distortion" (Nonesuch)

 

Singles of the Year

 

1. Current 93, "Birth Canal Blues" (Durtro/Jnana)
   
   "David Tibet waves goodbye to longtime collaborators Steven Stapleton and Michael Cashmore, and hello to Baby Dee and Andrew Liles, producing an EP that showcases some thrilling new possibilities for the future of apocalyptic folk, including some vocals that skirt the outer edge of black metal." - Jonathan Dean
   
   "2008 saw the unearthing of yet another apocryphal EP from Current 93.Tibet's revelatory voice is accompanied by Baby Dee on Piano and the indefatigable Andrew Liles provides the hallucinatory mix. Though God Is Love this disc has moments that put the fear of him into me as well." - Justin Patrick
   
   
2. Antony & the Johnsons, "Another World" (Secretly Canadian)
   
   "The title track might be the weakest song on here, a pretty but banal environmental plea. No, it's all about "Shake That Devil," which is on a shortlist for my pick of best song of the year." - Jonathan Dean
   
   
3. Nurse With Wound, "The Bacteria Magnet" (Dirter)
4. Animal Collective, "Water Curses" (Domino)
5. Growing, "Lateral" (The Social Registry)
6. Jesu, "Why Are We Not Perfect" (Hydra Head)
   
   "The bonus tracks here are not as essential as the originals, but the reissue of the first real "pop" Jesu release still captivates." - Creaig Dunton
   
   
7. Oren Ambarchi, "A Final Kiss On Poisoned Lips" (Table of the Elements)
8. Four Tet, "Ringer" (Domino)
9. Fennesz, "June" (Table of the Elements)
10. Sonic Youth, "SYR7: J'accuse Ted Hughes/Agnes B Musique" (SYR)
11. Jesu / Envy, "Split" (Daymare)
    
    "Envy's take on shoegaze hardcore is good, but the real treat is the two sprawling, glitch influenced Jesu take on synth pop, which still fits in some good metal riffs here and there." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
12. Current 93, "Black Ships Ate the Dancefloor" (Durtro/Jnana)
    
    "Is this on here because people really liked it, or because the cult of Current 93 showed up in droves to vote in the poll? I suspect the latter. The J.G. Thirlwell "remix" of "Black Ships Ate the Sky" might be the funniest things released all year, but like a Dr. Demento record, its novelty wears off quickly." - Jonathan Dean
    
    
13. Jesu / Battle Of Mice, "Split" (Robotic Empire)
    
    "The Jesu tracks are somewhat sparse and less interesting than his other material has been, but still good.  More than I can say for the Battle of Mice half." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
14. Andrew Liles & Fovea Hex, "Gone Every Morning" (Die Stadt)
15. Fleet Foxes, "Sun Giant" (Sub Pop)
    
    ""Mykonos" is the reason Fleet Foxes are so great in my mind. Their full-length was a great record, but "Sun Giant" is more concise, more imaginative, and the better release from this band in '08." - Lucas Schleicher
    
    
16. Marc Almond and Michael Cashmore, "Gabriel and The Lunatic Lover" (Durtro Jnana)
17. Low, "Santa's Coming Over" (Sub Pop)
18. Jessica Bailiff and Annelise Monsere, "Jessica Bailiff and Annelise Monsere" (Morc)
    
    "Beautifully delicate and fragile sounds that sound like they were recorded right next to you." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
19. Piano Magic, "Dark Horses" (Make Mine Music)
20. Nudge, "Infinity Padlock" (Audraglint)
    
    "Are we sure this is really Nudge? How much can this band change in a short period of time and still use the name with which they began?" - Lucas Schleicher
    
    

 

Vault/Reissue of the Year

1. Coil, "The New Backwards" (Threshold House)
   
   "It feels very strange to call this a "vault" album, because though the demo tracks on which these songs are based are in some cases almost 20 years old, this album is unmistakably a contemporary work, using digital means to resuscitate a series of false starts and loose ends." - Jonathan Dean
   
   
2. Current 93, "Dogs Blood Rising" (Durtro/Jnana)
   
   "Still as disturbing and creepy as the first time I heard it, just without the original bonus tracks, but the addition of a full-album reworking by Andrew Liles." - Creaig Dunton
   
   
3. A Place To Bury Strangers, "A Place To Bury Strangers" (Rocket Girl)
4. Current 93, "Nature Unveiled" (Durtro/Jnana)
   
   "While having these albums re-released with a superior mix is outstanding enough, the Liles remixes really stand out in my mind. "Nature Unveiled" has aged incredibly well, but hearing Liles reimagine that album was the real treat." - Lucas Schleicher
   
   
5. Sunn O))), "ØØ Void" (Daymare)
6. Mogwai, "Young Team" (Chemikal Underground)
   
   "The dawn of the intense brooding sound of the seminal Scots." - Duncan Edwards
   
   "When I was young, all of this was just fields and Mogwai released great albums." - John Kealy
   
   
7. Nurse With Wound, "Gyllenskold, Geijerstam, and I at Rydberg's" (United Jnana)
8. Nurse With Wound, "Man with the Woman Face" (ICR)
9. Matmos, "The West" (Autofact)
10. Sunn O))), "Domkirke" (Southern Lord)
    
    "Beautifully presented and recorded, this set shows that O'Malley and Anderson are more than just two chords and infinite sustain.  I think there's at least three chords here." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
11. Mission of Burma, "Vs." (Matador)
    
    "The nervy, moody full length is cleaned up and given the addition of single & b-sides tracks, as well as a decent looking DVD performance." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
12. Psychic TV, "Force the Hand of Chance" (Some Bizzare)
13. Nurse With Wound, "Angry Eelectric Finger: Images/Zero Mix" (Beta-Lactam Ring)
14. 23 Skidoo, "Seven Songs" (LTM)
    
    "Play that blueprint deconstructed Tibetan funk, white boy." - Duncan Edwards
    
    
15. Einstürzende Neubauten, "Jewels" (Potomak)
16. Nurse With Wound, "The Musty Odour of Pierced Rectums" (Beta-lactam Ring)
    
    "For those who did not get one of the 300 CD-Rs of the original pressing, its transition to marbelized vinyl comes as a blessing. The artwork on the sleeve is vintage Santini, and when played the smell evoked is unwiped and unwashed, but in a good, dirty, way." - Justin Patrick
    
    
17. Mission of Burma, "Signals, Calls, and Marches" (Matador)
18. Loop, "Heaven's End" (Reactor)
    
    "The debut is cleaned up with added alternate mixes and Peel Session tracks, and sounds just as good as it ever did." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
19. 23 Skidoo, "Urban Gamelan" (LTM)
20. Arthur Russell, "Love Is Overtaking Me" (Audika)
    
    "The best stuff to be pulled from Russell's basement yet. Next thing we know, he'll have an album out documenting his ability as rapper." - Lucas Schleicher
    
    
21. The Residents, "Eskimo" (Mute)
    
    "The eyeball gang at their (in)authentic best. Whale meat, again." - Duncan Edwards
    
    
22. Loop, "Fade Out" (Reactor)
    
    "The high point of their discography benefits greatly from the new mastering, with some interesting alternate takes that have never been heard." - Creaig Dunton
    
    
23. The Residents, "Duck Stab!" (Mute)
24. Sun City Girls, "You're Never Alone with a Cigarette" (Abduction)
    
    "Gorgeous and raucous. You missed the Bishops the first time around, but no matter, with more collected volumes like this to come this is just the start of a beautiful friendship." - Duncan Edwards
    
    
25. Jack Rose, "Dr. Ragtime and His Pals / Self-Titled" (Tequila Sunrise)

 

Boxed Set of the Year

1. Coil, "The Ape of Naples" (Important)
2. Gas, "Nah Und Fern" (Kompakt)
   
   "I tried very hard to like the material on this compilation, but it hasn't aged very well. The entire Gas project might've sounded impressive when it was released, but the music simply isn't as interesting or involving as 99% of what Touch or Kranky has released in the last several years. Maybe its importance can be found in some historical context, but I really don't understand why repetitive rhythms and ambient sounds are anything special. It sounds as though two approaches to electronic music were smashed together without any concern for unity." - Lucas Schleicher
   
   
3. Pole, "123" (Scape)
   
   "I didn't buy the Pole box, because I still have the originals.  Nonetheless, I stand by this set, in the hopes of encouraging Stefan Betke to stop releasing crap like Steingarten."  -Gary Suarez
   
   "Hey, Stefan Betke, are you listening? How about making some good music again?" - Jonathan Dean
   
   
4. Suicide, "Live 1977-1978" (Blast First Petite)
5. Anthony Braxton, "Quartet (GTM) 2006" (Important)

 

Music Video of the Year

1. The Legendary Pink Dots, "Rainbows Too?"
   
   "Videos like this remind me that more people need to simply pick up a camera and go shooting and couple the footage with music." - Jon Whitney
   
   
2. Hercules and Love Affair, "Blind"
   
   "Pure sexxx." - Jonathan Dean
   
   "The more I hear and see this video, the less I am impressed with it. Antony's the best part of the whole thing and the video itself is what? A portrayal of Roman decadence as seen through the eyes of half-porn and half-fantasy director? Right." - Lucas Schleicher
   
   
3. Boris, "My Neighbor Satan"
   
   "Boris' most recent output has been awful, but this painfully boring video brings their sucking to a whole new level." - Lucas Schleicher
   
   "This is my pick for Song Of The Year.  Vacillating between eerie psychedelia and full-on Satanic majesty, this is Boris' "Planet Caravan".  Stark and simple, the video masterfully evokes both hallucinatory hazes and death throes."  - Gary Suarez
   
   
4. Mogwai, "Batcat"
   
   "The video was fun." - Matthew Jeanes
   
   
5. Sigur Ros, "Gobbledigook"
   
   "It's a sign of how Sigur Ros has changed for the worse - whereas before they had socially unacceptable subjects in videos now it's all about skinny, young, cute people." - Jon Whitney
   
   
6. Boris, "Statement"
   
   "The band looks as bored as I feel when watching this video; the music is bland and so is the performance." - Lucas Schleicher
   
   "Videos like these are the reason why I never check out videos anymore." - John Kealy
   
   
7. Antony & the Johnsons, "Another World"
8. Boduf Songs, "Pitiful Shadow Engulfed In Darkness"
9. Bomb the Bass, "Butterfingers"
   
   "I'll never look at a synth the same way again." - Jon Whitney
   
   
10. Matmos, "Exciter Lamp"
11. Baby Dee, "The Dance of Diminishing Possibilities"
12. Bomb the Bass, "So Special"
13. Iron and Wine, "Boy with a Coin"
14. MIA, "Paper Planes"
15. Nudge, "Cymatic"
16. Stereolab, "Neon Beanbag"
17. Goldfrapp, "Happiness"
    
    "I wonder if Peter Wolf has seen this." - Jon Whitney
    
    
18. Nudge, "War Song"
19. Benoit Pioulard, "Idyll"
20. Hot Chip, "Ready for the Floor"
21. Tricky, "Council Estate"
    
    "The video was ultimately more interesting than the song, but both made me feel anxious. For them to be over. It kept me listening longer than I would have with only the music though." - Justin Patrick
    
    
22. Hercules and Love Affair, "You Belong"
23. The Sea and Cake, "Weekend"
24. The BPA, "Toe Jam"
    
    "Best use of censorship in 2008." - Lucas Schleicher
    
    "Easily the video which most makes everybody's heads turn and gaze at. Maybe just to see if the bars slip up!" - Jon Whitney
    
    
25. Dillinger Escape Plan, "Milk Lizard"

Artist of the Year

(The winners of this category are calculated by the total number of points they received for all their entries in the poll.)

1. Nurse With Wound
2. Current 93
3. Coil
4. Deerhunter
5. Matmos

Label of the Year

(The winners of this category are also calculated by the total number of points they received for all their entries in the poll.)

1. Kranky
2. Important
3. Matador
4. Southern Lord
5. Durtro Jnana

 

Lifetime Achievement Recognition

(As chosen by the Brainwashed Staff and Contributors.)

Merzbow

(Masami Akita)

"For many of us miscreants, the work of Masami Akita played some role in the development of our painstakingly esoteric musical tastes.  Tint, a maxi-single from 1997 for the long-defunct Vinyl Communications imprint, was the first Merzbow release I ever purchased, essentially because of its low price.  As a young college student hungry for new sounds, I initially found this jarring work to be, yes, unlistenable.  Yet during this time I learned to appreciate and delight in the aural catharsis unlocked by Merzbow's wanton abrasiveness.  Though his superhuman prolificacy often draws jeers and exasperated sighs from many, I have encountered many jewels (several practically at random) from his vast and growing discography, including his unparalleled Satanstornade collaboration with Russell Haswell.  From the sadomasochistic themes of Music For Bondage Performance to the more recent animal rights sloganeering of Bloody Sea, Merzbow has always attempted to infuse some sort of message into his releases, clearly to reject any detractor's claims of the meaninglessness of noise.  For almost thirty years, this nerdy looking Japanese guy has been smashing eardrums on his own terms, all the while cultivating a following of fanatical consumers and appreciative followers.  As lovers of difficult music, we all are all Mr. Akita's debt for the doors he opened, the artists he inspired/inspires, and the creative path he continues along." - Gary Suarez

"Merzbow has his ups and downs, his good days and his truly awful days. Yet this is all part of his longevity. Those crap, throwaway albums on obscure and forgettable noise labels are as much part of Masami Akita's appeal as classic albums like Pulse Demon, 1930, and Venereology. His music is all about no control and no holding back so it is fitting that his release schedule operates in a similar manner. This is why I feel that he is worthy of this award. He is one of the most singular artists in any realm of music. In a world where credability is a meaningless term, Akita is a defiant slap in the face. That he is still making such intimidating noise after almost 30 years is remarkable, that we are still listening (and able to listen) after this long is incredible!" - John Kealy

"I will say that this has been a banner year for Merzbow.  I've digested more than I think most sane people ever would this year but three of his releases this year, Eucalypse, Dolphin Sonar, and the Pinhas collab have easily been his best (and quite diverse within his body of work) since round about 2002, and easily filling up most of my top 5 merzbow albums." - Michael Barrett

 

Worst Album of the Year

These are indeed the losers, those who received the most negative votes from the poll entries.

1. Cat Power, "Jukebox" (Matador)
   
   "How long can you release substandard, undernourished albums of cutesy postmodern cover versions, and play live shows that are famous for their awfulness, and still continue to be a critical darling and indie pinup girl? For Chan Marshall, the answer is thirteen fucking years. It ends now." - Jonathan Dean
   
   "MAKE THE HURTING STOP. Her first covers album was fantastic, but did we really need two of them? And did the second one really need different editions? No. What happened to Chan? Please God, let her remember "You Are Free" and how awesome it was." - Lucas Schleicher
   
   "Yes- this is bad.  But I take comfort in the fact that recording two cover albums has probably prevented Chan from working on even worse original material." - Tony D'Amico
   
   
2. Motorhead, "Motorizer" (Steamhammer/SPV)
   
   "I can't believe Motorhead are on a worst albums list. This will haunt me." - John Kealy
   
   
3. Von Magnet, "Ni prédateur ni proie" (Ant-Zen)
4. Eleonoora Rosenholm, "Älä Kysy Kuolleilta, He Sanoivat" (Fonal)
   
   "The rest of the worst seem like perfectly understandable choices, but I am genuinely flummoxed by the inclusion of Fonal supergroup Eleanoora Rosenholm. Am I retarded? I really liked this album. Somebody please tell me why I shouldn't." - Jonathan Dean
   
   
5. Boom Pam, "Puerto Rican Nights" (Essay)
6. Shelleyan Orphan, "We Have Everything We Need" (One Little Indian)
   
   "Really, readers? Did you actually hear this? It's pretty damn awesome." - Jon Whitney
7. Norma Jean, "The Anti Mother" (Solid State)
8. Kingdom Of Sorrow, "Kingdom Of Sorrow" (Relapse)
9. Bob Mould, "District Line" (Anti-)
   
   "Bob, come on, you're not Fall Out Boy." - Jon Whitney
   
   
10. Bauhaus, "Go Away White" (Bauhaus Music)
    
    "Go away Bauhaus." - John Kealy
    
    "Three albums that I thoroughly enjoyed this year (Kingdom Of Sorrow, Motorhead, Norma Jean) ended up in the "worst of 2008" category.  Clearly I am out of touch with the tastes of the Deerhunter fetishists that make up our readership.  Do you people only listen to metal sanctioned by Stephen O'Malley?  Your loss, schmucks.  KIRK WINDSTEIN RULES!"  -Gary Suarez

 

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25 December 2008

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Albums and Singles

LARSEN - La Fever Lit - CD

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imprec221 - CD - $12.99

La Fever Lit is Larsen’s eighth album in 13 years of activity, it is also first studio album since 2006 Seies, after the double live Larsen & Friends CD/DVD set Abeceda. Also being released at the same time is a deluxe Larsen live LP titled LLL.

La Fever Lit features the legendary dubdiva/post-punk-cabaret icon, from Crass to On-u sound via NWW, Coil & C93, Little Annie aka Annie Anxiety Badnez.

Musically, La Fever Lit opens slowly, intentionally & deliberately. La Fever Lit could be considered the most focused Larsen record yet but at the same time it's also their most experimental and floating. Much of the material on La Fever Lit was composed for architecture, having been written to be played in Torino's landmark Mole Antonelliano which is now a national film museum. Performing from the elicoidal stair inside the huge dome of this futuristic building, Larsen spread out massive revererations of sound and bouncing lights upon the audience. Somehow, these bouncing lights are a big part of Larsen's new sound.
Cinematic pop, illuminating rhythms, musical weightlessness and the nocturnal noire narrative style of Annie Anxiety.

Larsen delivers one of their most unique musical offerings but it's ultimately Annie Anxiety who defines the album. Having seen Larsen live a few years back she offered to sing and La Fever Lit was the perfect record for her vocal companionship. Her lyrics, her moods and her delivery, especially on Lefrak City Limits, deliver the listener to an old and twisted reality, drowned in melancholy, where characters lives suddenly make sense if only for a few suspended seconds framed in frozen time. All of this happens while Julia Kent delivers her most beautiful offerings to the Larsen sound and Marco Milanesio's production is so in tune with Larsen's sound that he is able to extraxt the textures that their music is built on.

Every listen brings you a little closer to La Fever Lit.

---

Tu Ark
Lefrak City Limits
Partial

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21 December 2008

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Albums and Singles

Ever since his breakthrough Endless Summer album, Christian Fennesz has been well regarded as an artist and composer in the world outside of the beard stroking listeners that labels like Touch and Mego cater to (myself included).  On this album, it's not hard to see how this crossover happened:  even with all of the odder and less decipherable digital elements, there is a core of melody that is beautiful and undeniable.

 

Touch

The opening title track is the centerpiece of the album, a 10-plus minute composition of squeaky, waxy textures, gentle organ tones, quiet noises and soft acoustic guitar.  It is a long, but dynamic composition of varying textures of harshness and beauty that is really unmatched by most other things I've heard this year.  It is nicely balanced by the closing "Saffron Rebellion", which is similar in structure and approach, but different in color and timbre.

"The Colour of Three," featuring guest musician Anthony Pateras on prepared piano, is of a similar structure, based upon raw digital flanged sounds and heavily effected guitar tones.  The mix is heavy and lush, but also warm and inviting.  Even through all the abstraction, the gentle musical elements are clear throughout, ending with subtlety and the more plaintive piano elements.  This warmth is also notable in "Perfume for Winter", a shorter track of carefully controlled guitar feedback and crackling bits of static that are as warm and comforting as a fireplace in the winter.

There is a darker feeling to "Glide," which is a collaboration with Rosy Parlane:  its static backing and reverbed clanks are rather desolate until thick organ tones swell up, giving a richer, more angelic coda to an otherwise bleak song.  Less dark, but more mournful, is "Glass Ceiling," with its muted electronic tones and oddly treated electronic elements, with occasional bits of audible, clear guitar thrown in.

In some of the pieces, Fennesz is content to allow his guitar playing to go untreated or effected:  acoustic guitar stays the focus on "Grey Scale," even with subtle electronic effects and elements around it.  The electric guitar plucks on "Vacuum" are clear and pure enough, along with the crystalline electronic chimes that, even with the more abrasive ending, never strays away from calm and relaxing waters.

As an album, Black Sea is a captivating and engaging disc that not only has a strong, solid feel to it, but each of the individual tracks are their own separate entities as well.  The sheer complexity and depth of the tracks are the album’s strongest suit, and the underlying sense of song and melody that are here makes it transcend from the world of just complex intellectual music into an immensely fascinating and inviting work that anyone with a sense of hearing should be able to appreciate.

samples:

• Black Sea
• Glide
• Saffron Revolution

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21 December 2008

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Albums and Singles

On his second full-length release, this young Greek composer continues refining his technique of meshing abrasive electronic noises, pure digital drones, and field recordings into small audio ethnographies that are more than happy to make jarring, unexpected transitions.

 

Sedimental

Consisting of two 20 minute pieces, the first half, “Komdu!  Hvert?” is the more subtle and simple of the two tracks.  Opening with quiet rushing water that gradually and gradually increases in intensity, it is met early on by a deep pulsing bass tone that can definitely cause pain at higher volumes. 

This slowly transitions into a whistling track of white noise, the bass thump replaced with a droning low end tone, slowly being met with looping found sound elements and other indecipherable textures.  Eventually sheets of shimmering tones and chirping birds become the focus of the track, a more ambient and lighter resolution to a dark beginning.  The piece closes with a high-tension line like hum and the sound of crickets, a perfect metaphor for the combination of organic and synthetic presented here.

“Torched Estates” is, in comparison, simultaneously more complex and dissonant in comparison.  It begins with sheets of rain that get louder and louder as a high frequency emergency tone cuts through the mix, which is painful enough before a swelling of digital noise becomes the focus, all culminating into a violent quick digital squelch before falling away, leaving an eardrum numbing bass note. 

This constant rumbling eventually enshrouds a subtle bit of static and clicking that stays consistent, eventually allowing layers of analog lo-fi noise to come in and command attention.  While it begins to resemble a harsh noise recording in intensity, dynamically it stays sparse enough to allow the subtleties to be heard, rather than just violently commanding attention.  It ends with the emergency type tones that opened the track, the sound of a typewriter, and eventually a shrill, tinnitus inducing tone that would make Ryoji Ikeda proud.

While still a young composer, Thanasis Kaproulias is already establishing himself as a powerful  and innovative artist in this field of experimental music.  His attention to detail is especially noteworthy, as is his use of pure electronic as well as organic found sounds in unison.  I foresee Novi_sad being regarded as among the top experimentalists in the very near future.

samples:

• Komdu! Hvert?
• Torched Estates (Excerpt 1)
• Torched Estates (Excerpt 2)

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21 December 2008

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Albums and Singles

While the debut album from Loop stuck with a traditional use of psychedelia, by their second disc they had refined their own take on the subgenre.  Rather than using just the traditional wah and tremolo guitar effects, they created their own direction in space rock via brittle guitars, abstract studio effects and more avant garde instrumentation.  However, through all of this they still managed to make powerful, speaker damaging rock that demands to be played loudly, and Fade Out is perhaps their most fully realized work.

 

Reactor

I will never understand why there was the feud between Loop and Spacemen 3.  Other than they both mined their own approach to 1960s psychedelic rock, there was little resemblance in other ways:  Spacemen 3 were more sparse and minimalist, with almost folk underpinnings, while Loop added a bit of Motorhead to their Hawkwind.  The bass driven and angular noise guitar of opener "Black Sun" is much more aggressive and blistering than anything Jason Pierce & Sonic Boom ever put out.

While they still employ a lot of textural elements throughout, most of the songs are yet again driven by strong, melodic lead guitar work, with Hampson's vocals falling deeper and deeper into the mix.  The exception is "A Vision Stain," which the lead melody is buried in wah compared to the rest of the album’s leads.

Loop’s greater focus to harder rock elements is most apparent on tracks like "This Is Where You End" and "Pulse," both of which appear in a more stripped down form on the second disc’s Peel Session tracks.  The album closer "Got To Get It Over" is another example of this:  reverb buried vocals under a steady beat and a repeating guitar sequence that never gets tiring, yet commands loud volumes. 

It is only the long title track that is an overt antecedent to Heaven's End, with its slower pace and heavy tremolo on guitar and vocals that could almost be an outtake from those sessions.  However, with its placement in the middle of the album, it makes for a more relaxed, pensive spot in an otherwise dense and dark album.

Again, the tracks added to the second disc here are mostly alternate mixes that do not differ too drastically from the album takes:  the feedback version of "Black Sun" adds additional guitar feedback loops to the original track: the heavily reverbed stabs make a dark track even more aggressive.  The original mixes of "Torched" and "Got To Get It Over" are also pretty similar to the album takes, just a bit rawer and less polished.  As with Heaven's End, the Peel Session tracks here are just sparser, less layered recordings that actually benefit from the lack of treatment and effects. 

Perhaps most interesting is the five tracks of guitar loops that were used as textural elements on the album, presented here in their original form.  While simplistic, these mostly mournful sounding bits of repetitive guitar noise clearly show that Hampson was thinking more abstractly even with Loop, and experimenting with sounds that would eventually come to fruition as Main.  Just like Heaven's End, the remastering job is excellent, bringing out details that were originally too muffled in the original issues, and the mini-gatefold LP sleeves are very well done. 

My only real gripe with this release is a minor one:  I miss the CD bonus tracks of Collision and their covers of "Thief of Fire" and "Mother Sky" that closed the first pressing of the disc.  However, those are slated for inclusion on the upcoming three disc The World In Your Eyes singles collection, so I just have to be patient.  I first tracked down this album around this time of year 10 years ago, and relistening to it after awhile was one of those warm and fuzzy nostalgic moments.  In the 20 years since its release, it still is a timeless and fascinating listen.

samples:

• Black Sun
• Got To Get It Over
• Collision (Peel Session)

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21 December 2008

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Albums and Singles

Criminally out of print for over a decade, Loop/Main leader Robert Hampson has finally spearheaded the reissues of the entire Loop backcatalogue, remastered and with the now requisite bonus tracks.  The most obvious things these reissues show is just how much of a force Loop were, how they stood out from the era's so-called "shoegaze" bands, and how they laid a blueprint for New York's loudest bands today—moreso than numerous other citations.

 

Reactor

My first exposure to Loop was actually via Hampson's more esoteric experimentations as Main and his tenure in Godflesh, neither of which is similar to his early work with Loop.  However, once tracking down their Wolf Flow Peel Sessions album, I was hooked.  Originally issued in 1987, Loop’s first of three full-length albums channeled the 1960s psychedelia into a more conventional (and rock oriented) framework.  The opening feedback and layered wah guitar of "Soundhead" begins the album with a blast that never really relents, a constant barrage of metronomic drums and fuzzed out guitar bliss.  Interestingly enough, Robert Hampson’s vocals are the clearest and most up front they will ever be, as they slowly faded into the mix during the reset of Loop’s career and became near inaudible by the time Main was active.

The title track is perhaps the perfect encapsulation of the Loop ethos of the time:  a wah and tremolo drenched field of guitar noise and hypnotic thumping drums wouldn’t have been out of place on the Apocalypse Now soundtrack, while the HAL 9000 samples from 2001 drop in to add a bit of futurism to the work.

One of the strongest elements of this layered and distorted din are the underlying melodies that make the songs much more memorable than other artists who worked in similar lands:  the repetitive but catchy guitar melodies that underscore "Straight To Your Heart" and "Too Real to Feel" are some of the strongest assets.   Even when the pace is slowed down for the more restrained "Forever" and "Carry Me," the latter sounding like a replaying of "Soundhead" on Quaaludes, the mix is thick and dense.  While their songs may have a minimalist structure to them, the band had a maximalist approach to the dynamics and guitar sound.

The bonus material disc included here is nothing revelatory to Loop fans, but the more reverb drenched mix of "Soundhead" and the rawer run-through of "Head On" are interesting, as is their apocalyptic drum machine and two chords-only take on Suicide’s "Rocket USA." 

More importantly to the neophytes, the disc also includes the first Peel Session the band recorded.  Considering my first exposure to the band were the Peel Sessions, I tend to favor these versions personally, but the less polished and stripped down take of "Soundhead" puts the emphasis on the guitar melody, and the echoed, less processed take on "Rocket USA" is just as good.  However, the real treat is the sprawling 10 minute performance "Straight To Your Heart" which, removed from the studio effects, loses none of its hypnotic power but grows in intensity.

As a first album, Heaven’s End was a more cohesive and fully realized work than most bands manage to put out.  While it lacks clear diversity from track to track, it all adds into the hypnotic, repetitive vibe the band thrived on.

samples:

• Soundhead
• Heaven's End
• Straight To Your Heart (Peel Session)

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21 December 2008

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Albums and Singles

Some CDs beg to be played over and over again. This is one of those times when the disc absolutely refuses to go back into its case and demands to go back in the player. Normally I cannot listen to an album more than once a day but Larkin Grimm's third album makes for a rare exception. It is perfectly performed and the recording itself is flawless, this is one of those rare albums that impresses from every conceivable angle.

 

Young God Records

Grimm’s music is as oddball (in a good way) as her description on the Young God Records website makes her out to be (brought up in a cult, tales of the Alaskan wastes, a shamaness and a vagabond lifestyle either make for a very interesting person or a highly contrived back story; Grimm seems genuine). There are no pretensions of weirdness here, just the feeling that she knows her own path but it does not necessarily cross with the main road. Label mates Fire On Fire play on the album, as do members of the Angels of Light, which makes for a familiar mood from the offset but that is not to say that Grimm’s music is overpowered by the distinctive styles of the many players here. Her personality and quirks shine through undiminished.

For an album full of energy and life, the opening song “They Were Wrong” paints a very different picture. It is a quiet and chilling song, Grimm intones “Who said to you you’re going to be all right/Well they were wrong, wrong, wrong/In my mind you’re already gone.” With this as my first exposure to Parplar, I was expecting a soul-wrenching descent into deeper and darker places. Yet almost immediately after “Ride That Cyclone” brings the album around full circle in mood (although lyrically it is still dark) and style. The lurching rhythm is like one of Michael Gira’s (who produces the album) but like a cyclone the music spins around the listener in a dizzying and breathtaking manner. Elsewhere on Parplar, cartoonish vocals and distinctly off-kilter lyrics make for a strange listening experience; songs like “Dominican Rum” and “Mina Minou” add a surreal vibe to the album and make Grimm’s musical persona as interesting as her biography sheet.

As refreshing as the odder moments on this album are, thankfully Grimm balances the weirdness with some exceptionally strong songs in a more “serious” style. “Anger in Your Liver” and “All the Pleasures” are a pair of brief but enjoyable songs in the middle of the album that show Grimm in a more traditional songwriting light. Both songs make it evident that Grimm does not have to hide behind some absurd mask, she has enough talent to let the songs speak for themselves when she wants them to.

It is hard to find any fault with Parplar. Granted, the freak folk scene has been flogged to death and whose corpse has been dragged through the streets in a macabre mockery of itself but like any style, there is always going to be someone who can pull something of worth from something that seems exhausted. Grimm fits this bill and I urge anyone with even a passing interest in good, honest music to go out and buy this.

samples:

• Ride That Cyclone
• Durge
• Hope for the Hopeless

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20 December 2008

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Albums and Singles

This duo of the classically and modern compositionally inclined Simon James Phillips and The Necks' less formal but equally brilliant Chris Abrahams have created quite an intriguing collection of improvisations. Every piece is a piano duet and the album crosses a wide spread of styles and quality; moving from cold, modernist works to pieces with a bit more swing and heat to them, Pedal are inconsistent in ways that both help and hinder their music. While there are a couple of less than stellar moments on this self-titled album, they are more than counterbalanced by the mesmerising and evocative pieces that make up the bulk of the music.

 

Staubgold

Things get off to a rough start with “Security,” which sounds a little like one of John Cage’s sonatas for prepared piano (minus the prepared bit) but is not as engaging by any stretch of the imagination. This fairly insipid opener does not reach out and grab me on the first encounter nor does it become any more appealing on returning. It nearly put me off pursuing this album fully as it does little justice to the pair’s talent and potential, especially when there are some gems peppered throughout the disc. Abrahams and Phillips can come together well to create beautifully haunting duets such as “The Afterwards” (which should have been moved forward by one track and opened the album). There are elements of Morton Feldman’s piano works seeping through and the music sounds like swirling water, the currents building up to create torrents before settling into a calm drift again.

Pedal never get as fired up as The Necks, the white heat that Abrahams can generate has been kept in check by Phillips’ more restrained approach to the ivories. That being said, the music never becomes so frigid as to put me off. There are times when the music does come close to being ignorable such as on “Herzog,” but for every dull moment on this album, there are at least another two which are fascinating. And for such a rocky start to an album, the final piece is as close to perfect as is humanly possible. “The Passenger” is only slightly less good than “The Afterwards” from earlier on in the album but these two pieces alone make the album worth trying.

It would be a shame if this was the only fruit stemming from this meeting of Phillips and Abrahams. Delicate and sombre, this album hints at the future of this project and how good Pedal can be.

samples:

• The Afterwards
• Herzog
• The Passenger

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15 December 2008

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Albums and Singles

K-The-I??? offers the world "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" for the world's listening pleasure. K-The-I??? hopes that all that juicy, golden listening pleasure doesn't cause the world to explode out its ears as he rather likes the world and eats most of his meals there.

 

Check out the track "Decisions" from Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow here .

 Mush Records is proud, like a father who just gave birth through his penis on purpose, to announce our second full-length from K-The-I???, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow. The album will be in stores Nov. 7, 2008 which, by all human measurements of time, means that IT IS ALREADY OUT! Imagine that!

His debut, Broken Love Letter, garnered much critical acclaim (and some insignificant acclaim), including over 20 positive reviews and a handful of internet and print based features, including Urb's Next 100, and features in Boston's Weekly Dig and the Boston Phoenix, and more. Also, I put his poster on my bedroom ceiling so...

His latest album, produced is entirely by Thavius Beck, and featuring guest appearances from indie hip-hop luminaries like High Priest (of the newly reuinited Antipop Consortium), Busdriver, Subtitle and Chicago upstart Vyle as well as up-and-coming Los Angeles MCs Nocando (winner of the 2007 Scribble Jam) and Mestizo (projected winner of the yet-to-be-created 2015 Scrabble Jam). We believe this record will continue K-The-I???'s critical and commercial stature, and would like to pitch him for feature press as well as reviews.

To confirm any reviews or set up an interview, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. That's me!

Enjoy!

Here is the blurb from our website about sexy, sexy Kiki (K-The-I???)
Mush Records
About Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
K-The-I??? marks a thunderous return to Mush with his latest full-length, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow. Production on the album is handled entirely by Thavius Beck, his first project since he finished work on Saul Willaims' Niggy Tardust alongside Trent Reznor. Where his debut, Broken Love Letter, focused on past loves gone wrong, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow is a collection of songs about the MC's cross country relocation, and trying to come to terms with how his life has changed from that. The result is a work of singular focus that catches K-The-I??? at his strongest, dropping ingenious lyrics over Blade Runner beats. The album features a stellar line-up of guest MCs as High Priest of a newly reunited Antipop Consortium, Busdriver, Subtitle, Scribble Jam winner Nocando, Vyle, and Mestizo all drop in. Thavius Beck even leaves the producer's desk and steps in front of the mic for a track. For fans looking for an album that ties hip-hop's past, present and future, K-The-I???'s Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow delivers.
About K-The-I???
Hailing from Cambridge, Mass., but a musical nomad of sorts, K-The-I??? has traversed the USA pushing sonic boundaries with his unique brand of densed-out boom-bap. Armed with a commanding voice and a gritty production aesthetic that recalls Bomb Squad-era Public Enemy and signature Def Jux recordings, he crafts tracks that swell and pulse with an immersive gravity. Making an appearance on Bigg Jus and Orko Eloheem's recent NMS album, Imperial Letters of Protection, K-The-I??? has earned the respect of many of indie hip-hop's elite, including Thavius Beck, who offered to produce his latest full-length. Whether writing epic love letters or harnessing bugged-out electric currents, K-The-I???'s music has a personality and urgency that demands your attention.

 

 

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15 December 2008

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Albums and Singles

Mush Records, KFM Records, and The Magnificents have struck a deal, creating The Scottish Legion Of Illuminated Magnificents, a label to release the Magnificents' music in the United States for the first time.

The first release will be the Magnificents' full-length, Year Of Explorers, on December 9, 2008. The coming months between now and Summer 2009 will see a deluge of Magnificents material, as we give proper American releases to their full-length The Magnificents, as well as EP releases Ring Ring Oo Oo, The Apollo Creed, Last Gasp Of Revenge, 4 Claws Of The Underground, and Kids Now.

The Magnificents have been much-lauded as the best live band - nay, the best band period - in Scotland. Yes... including all the more popular bands. We have collected much of their back press, including heaps of features and live reviews, and selected some bits about Year Of Explorers and the Magnificents'... well... magnificent live shows for this email.

If you have not recieved the album yet and would like to give it a listen, please click the album cover to download it. If you'd like to confirm a review or set up an interview with the Magnificents, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Put simply, this is a f***ing brilliant follow-up to their eponymous debut. It might just be the best thing you hear all year. 5/5 - Reverb / Jaw-droppingly ace music. - NME / The Magnificents have no murky lines - they're just really f***ing good. - The Skinny / Could yet be huge - Scotland On Sunday / Instantly, gratifyingly catchy - The List / A record well capable of taking them above ground - The Big Issue / This is intelligent rock with punk's rebellious spirit still throbbing at its heart - Is This Music? / The Magnificents should never be allowed to slip through the fingers of those who matter - Drowned In Sound


click cover to download    The Magnificents - Year Of Explorers

Year Of Explorers, the latest from daring Scottish band, The Magnificents, is an epic saga of stolen synths, left-handed guitars, trans-European expressways, covert product placement, and serious studio tomfoolery. Following months of touring, twiddling and general sonic invention, The Magnificents are finally ready to unleash their long-awaited second LP. Employing a bewildering array of dusty keyboards, wires, boxes and buttons, The Magnificents have meticulously crafted Year Of Explorers with a little help from esteemed producers Damian Taylor (Bjork, Unkle) and John Cummings (Mogwai). Whereas their eponymous debut was primarily fuelled by raw punk power and electrifying excess, the sophomore LP demonstrates a more measured method. Not to say the boys have mellowed with age... Year Of Explorers will still have the indie-disco young pretenders quaking in their Converse.
     Only act to have ever toured with the Beta Band, plus previous tours with Mogwai, Stereolab, and Trans Am.
Produced by Damian Taylor (Bjork, Unkle) and John Cummings (Mogwai).
The Magnificents met at Edinburgh Art College near the turn of the century. Figuring that music would be the least degrading post-college career choice, they began work creating a legitimate band. By marrying differing performance techniques with the desire to make people dance, they have built a reputation as one of the most exciting and unpredictable live bands around. Tour partners have included Stereolab, Trans Am, The Beta Band (the only band ever to do so) and Mogwai. Following a year of experimentation, code breaking, alchemy and the continued search for enlightenment, they have taken to hiding under the streets of Edinburgh in the rat and fungi infested M-Bunker, where they have recorded their 4 EPs, and both of their full-lengths, including their latest, Year Of Explorers.
 

Watch the clip for "Ring Ring Oo Oo"
the lead single from Year Of Explorers
Magnificents are without question the best live act in Scotland - Daily Record / Make no mistake, the Magnificents are the best band in Scotland - Evening News / While they might never be as big as Mogwai or the Beta Band, they're still the best Scottish live band you'll see - The Scotsman / Theirs is a fully-fledged, no-holds-barred Event, a gloriously inspired happening - NME / The most exciting thing Edinburgh has produced in years - Evening Times / The most exciting and enthralling coming-of-age I've ever seen - Noise! / Savage, ear-splitting and more edgy than, well, something really f***ing edgy. If they don't break in a big way soon there's truly something wrong with music. - Is This Music? / Best live band in the country? Quite probably. - The List / One of the most riotously exciting groups on the Scottish live circuit - The Mail / This Edinburgh synth-punk quartet are boldly, gloriously extraordinary... the best band to storm a Scottish stage in many a year - Metro

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Mush Records, KFM Records, and <strong>The Magnificents</strong> have struck a deal, creating The Scottish Legion Of Illuminated Magnificents, a label to release The Magnificents' music in the United States for the first time.

The first release will be the Magnificents' full-length, Year Of Explorers, on December 9, 2008. The coming months between now and Summer 2009 will see a deluge of Magnificents material, as we give proper American releases to their full-length The Magnificents, as well as EP releases Ring Ring Oo Oo, The Apollo Creed, Last Gasp Of Revenge, 4 Claws Of The Underground, and Kids Now.

The Magnificents have been much-lauded as the best live band - nay, the best band period - in Scotland. Yes... including all the more popular bands. We have collected much of their back press, including heaps of features and live reviews, and selected some bits about Year Of Explorers and the Magnificents'... well... magnificent live shows for this email.

If you have not recieved the album yet and would like to give it a listen, or if you'd like to confirm a review or set up an interview with the Magnificents, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


<em>Put simply, this is a fucking brilliant follow-up to their eponymous debut. It might just be the best thing you hear all year.</em> 5/5 - Reverb / <em>Jaw-droppingly ace music.</em> - NME / <em>The Magnificents have no murky lines - they're just really fucking good.</em> - The Skinny / <em>Could yet be huge</em> - Scotland On Sunday / <em>Instantly, gratifyingly catchy</em> - The List / <em>A record well capable of taking them above ground</em> - The Big Issue / <em>This is intelligent rock with punk's rebellious spirit still throbbing at its hear</em>t - Is This Music? / <em><strong>The Magnificents should never be allowed to slip through the fingers of those who matter</em></strong> - Drowned In Sound

 

<font size="12" face="Courier New">

Mush Records, KFM Records, and <strong>The Magnificents</strong> have struck a deal, creating The Scottish Legion Of Illuminated Magnificents, a label to release The Magnificents' music in the United States for the first time.

The first release will be the Magnificents' full-length, Year Of Explorers, on December 9, 2008. The coming months between now and Summer 2009 will see a deluge of Magnificents material, as we give proper American releases to their full-length The Magnificents, as well as EP releases Ring Ring Oo Oo, The Apollo Creed, Last Gasp Of Revenge, 4 Claws Of The Underground, and Kids Now.

The Magnificents have been much-lauded as the best live band - nay, the best band period - in Scotland. Yes... including all the more popular bands. We have collected much of their back press, including heaps of features and live reviews, and selected some bits about Year Of Explorers and the Magnificents'... well... magnificent live shows for this email.

If you have not recieved the album yet and would like to give it a listen, or if you'd like to confirm a review or set up an interview with the Magnificents, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


<em>Put simply, this is a fucking brilliant follow-up to their eponymous debut. It might just be the best thing you hear all year.</em> 5/5 - Reverb / <em>Jaw-droppingly ace music.</em> - NME / <em>The Magnificents have no murky lines - they're just really fucking good.</em> - The Skinny / <em>Could yet be huge</em> - Scotland On Sunday / <em>Instantly, gratifyingly catchy</em> - The List / <em>A record well capable of taking them above ground</em> - The Big Issue / <em>This is intelligent rock with punk's rebellious spirit still throbbing at its hear</em>t - Is This Music? / <em><strong>The Magnificents should never be allowed to slip through the fingers of those who matter</em></strong> - Drowned In Sound




Year Of Explorers, the latest from daring Scottish band, The Magnificents, is an epic saga of stolen synths, left-handed guitars, trans-European expressways, covert product placement, and serious studio tomfoolery. Following months of touring, twiddling and general sonic invention, The Magnificents are finally ready to unleash their long-awaited second LP. Employing a bewildering array of dusty keyboards, wires, boxes and buttons, The Magnificents have meticulously crafted Year Of Explorers with a little help from esteemed producers Damian Taylor (Bjork, Unkle) and John Cummings (Mogwai). Whereas their eponymous debut was primarily fuelled by raw punk power and electrifying excess, the sophomore LP demonstrates a more measured method. Not to say the boys have mellowed with age... Year Of Explorers will still have the indie-disco young pretenders quaking in their Converse.
     Only act to have ever toured with the Beta Band, plus previous tours with Mogwai, Stereolab, and Trans Am.
Produced by Damian Taylor (Bjork, Unkle) and John Cummings (Mogwai).
The Magnificents met at Edinburgh Art College near the turn of the century. Figuring that music would be the least degrading post-college career choice, they began work creating a legitimate band. By marrying differing performance techniques with the desire to make people dance, they have built a reputation as one of the most exciting and unpredictable live bands around. Tour partners have included Stereolab, Trans Am, The Beta Band (the only band ever to do so) and Mogwai. Following a year of experimentation, code breaking, alchemy and the continued search for enlightenment, they have taken to hiding under the streets of Edinburgh in the rat and fungi infested M-Bunker, where they have recorded their 4 EPs, and both of their full-lengths, including their latest, Year Of Explorers.
 

Watch the clip for "Ring Ring Oo Oo"
the lead single from Year Of Explorers
Magnificents are without question the best live act in Scotland - Daily Record / Make no mistake, the Magnificents are the best band in Scotland - Evening News / While they might never be as big as Mogwai or the Beta Band, they're still the best Scottish live band you'll see - The Scotsman / Theirs is a fully-fledged, no-holds-barred Event, a gloriously inspired happening - NME / The most exciting thing Edinburgh has produced in years - Evening Times / The most exciting and enthralling coming-of-age I've ever seen - Noise! / Savage, ear-splitting and more edgy than, well, something really f***ing edgy. If they don't break in a big way soon there's truly something wrong with music. - Is This Music? / Best live band in the country? Quite probably. - The List / One of the most riotously exciting groups on the Scottish live circuit - The Mail / This Edinburgh synth-punk quartet are boldly, gloriously extraordinary... the best band to storm a Scottish stage in many a year - Metro </font>
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