Piccadilly Records end of year review 2011
Hello, Welcome to Piccadilly Records End Of Year Review 2011. The last 12 months seem to have flown by faster than ever, so here are the highlights and lowlights of our year. Manchester seemed to get away with the really Piccadilly heavy snow falls that blanketed the other side of the Pennines, but it Records Best Of was still the coldest winter for 31 years. How fortunate we were to 2011 Sampler CD be warmed by the site of England crushing Australia in the Exclusively this year we have a Ashes Test (apologies to our customers Down Under!), and limited free sampler CD courtesy Smoke Fairies playing live in our shop. Record Store Day of our friends at Republic Of Music proved to be another great success. Thanks to everyone to give away with initial copies of this who queued up so patiently — I’m sure we’ll see you booklet. The tracks featured are taken again next year (Record Store Day 2012 is on the 12th from albums by artists included in our of April — put the date in your phones right now!), end of year 2011 charts, cutting across a although hopefully we’ll see you in our shop before whole host of genres, just the way we like it! then! April also saw the death of punk legend Poly Styrene, followed a month later by Gil Scott-Heron and, most shockingly, Amy Winehouse. We were all gutted.
Check the reverse of the sampler CD cover for a full tracklist, in the meantime here’s a quick list of the artists featured: Moon Duo, Arthur’s Landing, Black Lips, Crazy P, Vetiver, Hatchback, Jonathan Wilson, Lanterns On The Lake, Zola Jesus, Hercules And Love Affair, Cashier No. 9, 6th Borough Project, I Break Horses, and 52nd Street.
We thought we might get through 12 months without any kind of major disruption in the world of Piccadilly Records, but that was before the people in the flat above our shop decided that putting candles round a plastic bath and going out for a drink were a combined good idea. There’s still a tide mark on our shop floor where the pool of water reached. And we definitely weren’t Enjoy listening whilst you read expecting to have to close early due to rioting / looting in the booklet. the city centre, or have ALL the stock of one of our major distributors destroyed in a riot-related fire down in north London. Hundreds of vinyl records that we ordered week in, week out and made up the backbone of our sales went up in smoke within a few hours. August was indeed a very gloomy month. But, heading towards the back end of 2011 things have improved, and with shop visits from Laura Marling, Manic Street Preachers, Chromeo, Marcellus Pittman, Gruff Rhys, and an impromptu set from Veronica Falls (proving that the spirit of C86 is alive and kicking), we might even have a smile on our collective Piccadilly Records faces. As ever, a big thanks to all our customers — even the mad ones; you keep us on our toes, and more importantly, keep our shop and website going. Lastly, a double, double special thanks to Mark Brown (www.markbrownstudio.co.uk) who designed this (and last) year’s booklet. We didn’t think the 2010 review could be beaten for looks, but we were wrong. Philippa
PICCADILLY RECORDS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2011
Peaking
Groovy and spacious with stunning drifty female vocals, intricate guitar patterns and heavy dub rhythms. Laura: Virtually every review I’ve read of this album name checks Sun Araw, and while both bands set off from a similar hypnotic dream-psyche base, to my ears, Peaking Lights veer off onto a very different path. It’s a path built firmly on foundations from the past: the throbbing Kraut rhythms of Neu!, early 80s post-punk and the claustrophobic bass-heavy dub of On-U Sound. Where those influences could have made for a heavy, dark sound, the use of home made synths, intricate guitar patterns and nonchalant Nico-esque female vocals make it floaty, almost dream-like and although I wouldn’t go as far to say it’s a pop record, there’s plenty of melody woven around the pulsating bass rhythms. I was blown away by this, pretty much from first listen and it’s remained a constant favourite and will no doubt be for years to come.
Matt: Enchanting and seductive, Peaking Lights’ “936” sounds like a lost declaration of love from the future, received through a 1950s transistor radio. Its infectious melodies could well have existed since the beginning of time itself while the production is deliciously warm, organic and real. The boyfriend / girlfriend production duo of Aaron Coyes and Indra Dunis seem to be letting us right inside their lives; pillow talk through a futuristic array of hand built noise boxes and synths, while Indra’s ghostly whispers yearn of childish desire and naive bliss. Dropping at the start of the year, and causing the same level of excitement as when we first heard Sun Araw, the CD maintained full staff backing and has soundtracked (to our delight) many a rainy afternoon in the shop right through the year — a sure test of its credentials!
Piccadilly Records staff Q&A with Peaking Lights.
We met in San Francisco 2006 although we had known each other on the fringes for a long time but we connected right away when I got back from travelling in Australia and New Zealand for 2 years. A month later we moved in together and tattoo’d each other’s names over our hearts. We moved to Wisconsin in winter 2007-08 we both had bands we had left on the west coast and were planning to go to sxsw that year with our band Rahdunes, we started Peaking Lights in the spring of ’08 to tour from Wisconsin to Texas…It’s a long drive...
Darryl: For people reading this who might not have heard of you before, can you tell us about the early years of Peaking Lights; how did you meet and when were Peaking Lights formed?
EXCLUSIVE BONUS DISC EDITION For a limited period, buy either the vinyl or CD of “936” and get an exclusive free bonus disc featuring six fantastic remixes of tracks from the album.
Bonus disc tracklisting 1. Amazing And Wonderful (Cadenza Remix) 2. Hey Sparrow (d’Eon Remix) 3. Birds of Paradise (Maria Minerva’s Ooh Aah Eh Edit) 4. Amazing And Wonderful (Sunless ‘97 Remix) 5. Tiger Eyes (Laid Back) (Doldrums Remix) 6. Amazing And Wonderful (Damu Remix)
Lights: 936 Darryl: There’s hints of early On-U Sound and krautrock in the sound, were these influences that you both drew on to make ‘936’? Absolutely with both of those, fearless music made with heaps of heart & love can’t go wrong ;) Andy: Does having a child recently affect you making music? Definitely, we took almost a year off of playing and focused on writing while indra was pregnant, it’s been so inspiring we started writing stuff that if it made the little dude happy when he was chillin with us we’d keep it, if not, we’d scrap it... you really can’t get any closer to fresh ears. Matt: We’ve heard reports that a lot of your equipment used in recording is customized old analogue hardware. Can you elaborate on this? We are resourceful, we want to make music and we’ll do that by whatever means possible. I think we’ve just always used whatever was at our disposal. I’m not formally trained in building equipment proper but I just kind of taught myself and have been doing it since the
late 90’s regularly. I guess it’s just developed…a lot of the stuff I’ve been building are synths or filters, I’ve built some tape delays too, a lot of the units are bulky, most of the synths are based on modulars so they can run into each other…it’s pretty meditative building stuff, just lock in the zone while they squeal away till perfect tone is achieved. Martin: How has the change in environment in moving from California to the Mid West influenced your creative output? We first moved to the country for a couple years so were pretty isolated, we were outside of this small town called Spring Green. We lived in an amazing pad and had all this space. We sold stuff we’d thrift online and our rent was super cheap with tons of space. I think it gave us time to distill our zone. We locked into a vibe together, and since then have been enjoying the ride. Philippa: Is it important to you to have your music released on physical formats (LP/CD) rather than just downloads?’ For sure, not only do we love vinyl, but it’s really the only
permanent way to release music, downloads and all that are great for moving information really quick and with essentially zero overhead which is great for artists and labels, but vinyl is a physical, and almost permanent history. I know that digital photographs onset brought about a 10 year period where there’s a void of printed photographs and a big loss of negatives which are the more permanent form, that’s kind of crazy, it’s literally lost to time. I love going into record stores, and digging thru vinyl, it will never go away. I don’t think we would ever release an album that’s only digital, we’ve always written records for vinyl lengthwise and flow wise… Dave: Do you argue, and if so is it about music or domestic stuff like the washing up? Of course. We are really communicative with each other. I think we both are aware that as individuals we have our strengths and our weaknesses, we also both do our own things and are supportive of each other we know the buttons that we can push to make the other feel crappy but don’t use them.
Darryl: What are your plans for the future? We hear there’s another album due early next year. We’re in Brooklyn right now, we’ll be doing our next record at Mexican Summers’ studio called Gary’s Electric, we just saw it the other day and it’s amazing! Al Carlson will be engineering it and we’ll be producing it. We have a month in the studio, we have already written and recorded the rhythm tracks, so we’re looking forward to laying down the rest. It will be released in North America by Mexican Summer and the rest of the world by Weird World. Darryl: You’re booked in to play an exclusive DJ set instore here at Piccadilly, on Saturday December 10th, what can our punters expect to hear? Probably all new records, whatever I can dig out from the detritus, I’ll not be bringing any old records, leaving all those at home, it will be all stuff that I’ve picked up on the road… Laura: ‘936’ is Piccadilly Records’ album of the year, what’s yours? That’s a tough one, so many, can we tell you next year?
Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring For My Halo Kurt Vile’s first two albums were scratchy, lo-fi affairs: plenty of ideas, fragments of melody. In 2009 he signed to Matador, released “Childish Prodigy” and suddenly Thurston and Kim from Sonic Youth were fans. Featuring a more cohesive sound, displaying a thrilling array of guitar playing, there were still only two or three pretty good songs – and nothing that would prepare you for the ridiculous majesty which is “Smoke Ring For My Halo”. Kurt has a unique sound: dextrous, FX heavy guitar married to a slackerish drawl (J. Mascis is a comparison, and another famous fan) all underpinned by a powerful rock’n’roll band with the emphasis on restraint. These songs need room to breathe; the melodies have to shine. Whether it’s fingerpicked, cyclical, hypno-drones, doomy psych rumblers, stoned slowies or straight-up chime-pop, seemingly out of nowhere, Vile has not only conjured ten absolute nuggets, he’s made the best guitar LP of the last five years. Andy. A UNIQUE SOUND: DEXTROUS, FX HEAVY GUITAR MARRIED TO A SLACKERISH DRAWL.
Kurt Vile: Thanks so much for putting my record up so high on the PR charts! Wow, just... wow. Can’t wait to check out the store next time I’m in town :) I had a roller coaster of a time making this record with John Agnello. He is the man, a pro engineer of the highest order, and now one of my best bros. He fell in love with me as well, I must confess. Kim Gordon told me that John actually wanted to adopt me after we finished the record, but sadly for him I happen to be a grown man. Sorry dude! Highlights this year include playing gigs all over the world with J Mascis, Woods, RTX, Thurston Moore, Sonic Youth, the Fresh n Onlys, Deerhunter, Animal Collective’s ATP... and I’m sure I forgot some. Thanks you guys!
The Phoenix Foundation: Buffalo While most bands are supernovae, all explosive energy and creativity expended in one brilliant moment before quickly fading, there is another rarer form that reaches maturity more slowly, honing and developing its craft and tending to have a much longer productive life. Auckland’s Phoenix Foundation have taken 10 years to realise the sublime, effortless meander of “Buffalo”, and it’s quickly apparent from the album’s opener, “Eventually” that it’s been well worth the wait. Its drifting, captivating languor sets the scene for the rest of the LP, which manages that difficult balance of being entirely good natured without being trivial and laid back without being soporific. Their engaging psychedelic pop is easily carried by vocal harmonies and hooks that stick, earworms that caress rather than annoy. If you haven’t been reeled in by the gentle glow of “Golden Ship”, which closes the album, then you probably never will be and, frankly, there’s probably something wrong with you. Martin. COMBINES SUNBLEACHED HARMONIES, CHIMING GUITARS, PROGRESSIVE SYNTH SCAPES AND SUBLIMINAL RHYTHMS TO GLORIOUS EFFECT.
Samuel F Scott (Phoenix Foundation): It’s been a ridiculous year for The Phoenix Foundation; first UK release, first Glasto, first time on Jools Holland, first European tour. We’re far from being a new band, most of us have kids, so it all feels a bit surreal at this stage in our lives. But I guess we are old enough to really appreciate it and not take the modest amount of attention we’ve got for granted. Being in Piccadilly’s top 20 just tops it all off. We love independent record stores and we love Manchester...so thanks!
{THE TOP 100 ALBUMS Top 20}
Maria Minerva: Cabaret Cixous After much well warranted hype and anticipation, the debut LP from burgeoning cy-Balearic goddess Marie Minerva arrives in the form of the stunning “Cabaret Cixous”. An ethereal, underwater gem that navigates through a warped-out, inter-dimensional melee of mesmeric laser pop and lo-fi computerised psychedelia. From start to finish, Maria drips her lush, chiming vocals over heavy cassette beats and deep analogue synths, deconstructing and then reconstructing influences in early 90s dance and 80s pop along the way. If you’re familiar with Minerva’s self-made mystique when listening to the album, then it’s impossible not to get sucked into her world. Strong visual angles in the form of her various online videos and the sleeve art itself all allude to a primitive, Lawnmower Man-esque virtual reality which leaves you wondering whether she’s really human, or just a computer generated hologram sent to earth to hypnotise us. Adam. LUSH, CHIMING VOCALS RIDE OVER HEAVY CASSETTE BEATS AND DEEP ANALOGUE SYNTHS.
Maria Minerva: Hi there Manchester! First of all, being in the Piccadilly top 5 means the world to me. I didn’t really know how cool your shop is before I visited the place at the end of October — huge thanks for the Wet Play boys for organizing my first ever MCR show and showing that there is life outside London. More Life. More Music. It was MAGIC. Also, 2011 has been pretty magical when it comes to records. I think I have mainly been listening to James Ferraro, Hudson Mohawke, Sun Araw and Hype Williams. Also diggin’ Ital, Kode9 and the Spaceape, Julia Holter and KWJAZ. Love, Maria.
Metronomy: The English Riviera If you found the change in style and sound between 2005’s “Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe)” and 2008’s “Nights Out” surprising, then I’m sure nothing will have prepared you for the quantum leap that Joseph Mount has made to arrive at “The English Riviera”. Perhaps working with other musicians suited him (Metronomy are now a four-piece), or perhaps the focus on his childhood home of Totnes, Devon gave him a warm glow inside. Whatever the reason, the outcome is a new pop sensibility and some of the catchiest songs you’ll hear in 2011. Metronomy’s new, expansive palette brings to mind the soft rock of Steely Dan or Fleetwood Mac, albeit a cheeky, South West Coast version that’s more seagulls than surfers, clotted cream than bran muffins. With stand-outs including the cute duet “Everything Goes My Way” and all conquering pop-dance hit “The Bay”, “The English Riviera” is sure to bring the sunshine into your life. Philippa.
BLENDS SOFT ROCK WITH NEW WAVE AND ELECTRONICA TO CREATE A PROPER OLD-SCHOOL LONG-PLAYER LISTEN.
Wooden Shjips: West We’ve come a long way, baby. Three albums (and countless other Moon (Duo) missions) down the line, Ripley Johnson and his Wooden Shjips are still wearing the crown of grooving, off-the-wall, dancefloor psychedelia. “West” sees the band hit the peak of their production style, effortlessly spewing out 5-dimensional guitar solos over a mirage of thick, celestial gloop. The formula hasn’t changed (thankfully) but the distillation and chemistry is tighter, more refined, and far more intoxicating than we thought it could get — high grade lysergic rock; just don’t tell the authorities. Not without surprises, we get the Shjips’ first ‘proper’ air-guitar anthem on “Home” while the whole album sees Ripley’s ghostly croon elevated to angelic new heights; less blurry and more focused, as he develops in confidence as front man for one of the world’s greatest fuzz-rock space explorers. Matt. STILL WEARING THE CROWN OF GROOVING, OFF-THE-WALL, DANCEFLOOR PSYCHEDELIA.
Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips): It’s an honor to be picked by the mighty Piccadilly for the year end list! The albums on our list were the soundtrack to the endless roads, skyways and byways, that made up our 2011. Kandodo: Kandodo | Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring For My Halo | Peaking Lights: 936 | King Blood: Eyewash Silver | Matt Valentine: What I Became | Psychic Ills: Hazed Dream | The Dirtbombs: Party Store | Herbcraft: Ashram to the Stars | Phil Manley: Life Coach | The Field: Looping State of Mind
Other Lives: Tamer Animals The broad, organic aspects of Other Lives’ “Tamer Animals” is a world removed from the cooler landscapes of its self-titled predecessor. It’s an altogether more temperate, thoughtful beast, grander in scope without being grandiose; Piano, bassoon, bass clarinet, cello, trumpet, French horn and keyboards coiling epic but softly crafted melodies around Jesse Tabish’s humane reflections, double tracked for warmth. The album’s contemplative sound compliments and reflects what seems to be a growing awareness and acceptance of nature’s power, at once quietly awestruck and accepting of its place in the grand scheme; “Old Statues” ponders on the impermanence of man-made structures, a sentiment further underlined by song titles such as “Weather”, “Desert” and “Dust Bowl III”. Sombre it is not, however; the feeling is more that of awakening, of wonder, and it’s beautifully expressed – according to Other Lives, this album aims for the heart, and that’s exactly where it hits, dead centre. Martin. THIS ALBUM AIMS FOR THE HEART, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHERE IT HITS, DEAD CENTRE.
Other Lives: We are honored to be listed in your top 10 albums of 2011. Manchester has always had a great music scene, and we look forward to playing there throughout the year.
{THE TOP 100 ALBUMS Top 20}
The Kills: Blood Pressures How contrary are The Kills? That they’ve managed to find the time to make an album at all is an achievement, what with Alison Mosshart touring and recording as Dead Weather and Jamie Hince preparing for life in the tabloids as Mr Kate Moss. But that “Blood Pressures”, their fourth and best album to date, should swagger so effortlessly, well... The band’s trademark Delta sleaze, boogie-box blues could never be described as original and, yes, they’re certainly walking a road that many have walked before them but, if you’re of the opinion that there’s never been need for any more than three chords, a pair of skinny jeans and a decent pair of sunglasses, then look no further: this is the album for you. Dave.
SUPERB RETURN TO FORM: SONG AFTER TOP SONG
Black Lips: Arabia Mountain Produced by Mark Ronson this 16 track album pulsates with frenetic energy from the off, aided no doubt by the fact that half of it was recorded during a 10 day bender! The Atlanta band’s sixth album begins with the fabulously raucous ‘Family Tree’ — a drunken sax-assisted stomp through “Nuggets”-style garage-rock territory. The unhinged sixties vibe continues with “Modern Art”, probably the only song ever written about being off your face in an art gallery. The lunacy peaks with “Raw Meat”, in preparation for which Black Lips all ate liver sashimi, resulting in Ronson’s hospitalization. However there was clear method in the madness as the raw (no pun intended) Ramones feel of the session testifies. “Dumpster Diving” is a classic Stones-esque honky-tonk number which sees the Black Lips waxing lyrical about rooting through dustbins. LP Closer “Keep On Running” is a creepy end to a cheerfully infectious album that gets better with every outing. Sara.
60’S NUGGETS DRENCHED ‘FLOWER PUNK’, CHEERFULLY INFECTIOUS
Widowspeak: Widowspeak Having only formed in the summer of 2010 Widowspeak’s wonderful self titled debut has an assured atmosphere that totally belies their relative inexperience as a band. They’re a Brooklyn based, by way of Tacoma and Chicago, three-piece fronted by the seductive voice of Holly Hamilton, and ably backed by Michael Stasiak (drums), and Rob Thomas (guitar). Taking influences from the likes of 50s jukebox pop, 90s grunge, 60s psyche and the Velvet Underground, Widowspeak have created an intimate soundscape that’s as uneasy and eerie as it is pure feel good indie-pop. Molly’s honey-dripped sultry vocals shine throughout, bringing to mind Hope Sandoval, while the guitars and drums rumble along with a swampy Americana lilt, to create a deliciously sparse and dusty drama. It’s a dreamy cross pollination of Mazzy Star, Chris Isaac (they covered ‘Wicked Game’ on a recent 7” B-side), an upbeat The XX, and David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. Darryl.
AN INTIMATE SOUNDSCAPE THAT’S AS UNEASY AND EERIE AS IT IS PURE FEEL GOOD INDIE-POP
Shimmering Stars: Violent Hearts Harmony-filled, reverb-drenched pop is the order of the day on the debut LP from this Vancouver trio. It was recorded in front man Rory McLure’s parents garage, giving it an echoey otherworldly charm.
HARMONY-FILLED, AND REVERBDRENCHED ...PERFECT OUTSIDER POP.
If you’re after musical reference points, The Everly Brothers have been mentioned more than once, along with a whole heap of other 50s / 60s influences from doo-wop to Phil Spector to West Coast. More recent comparisons could be made to Deerhunter and probably about half of Captured Tracks output over the last 12 months. Sweet and swoonsome it might be, but scratch the sugar coating and melancholy and disenchantment lurk beneath. The opening line of “I’m Gonna Try” – ‘Walking down the street and I wanna kill everyone I see’ sets the lyrical tone for much of the album. Rory’s lyrics perfectly encapsulate the bitter-sweet emotions of growing up, falling in love, falling out of love, and everything that goes with it. Perfect outsider pop. Laura.
Shimmering Stars: Shimmering Stars’ first record, ‘Violent Hearts’ is a reverent nod to early pop music as well as an exploration and interrogation of the darker themes in the music of this era, all channelled through the dusty atmospherics of lo-fi garage music. Shimmering Stars are sexually repressed, puritanically correct, and thrilled to be chosen as one of Piccadilly Record’s top 20 records of the year.
Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams Garage tinged, 60s-style girl group pop, with suggestions of the Pretenders and a strong hint of classic influences throughout. The Girls have moved away from the home recorded ethos of their debut album “I Will WALLS OF Be” and introduced a REVERBcarefully crafted and DRENCHED polished sound for “Only In DISTORTION AND EARDreams”. Kristen’s songs BURROWING like “Coming Down” and MELODIES. “Bedroom Eyes” touch on the issues of break ups and time away from partners whilst on tour, but stay true to the Dum Dum Girls’ tried and tested melodic style. The album offers catchy pop gems from start to finish. With walls of reverbdrenched distortion, ear-burrowing melodies and Penny’s distinctive vocals it’s easy to see why this record has received so much attention so far. A must have for any fans of Best Coast, Vivian Girls or La Sera, this masterpiece is another album you will easily find yourself falling in love with this year. Ryan.
Pure X: Pleasure
ROCK’N’ROLL IN ITS RAWEST AND PUREST FORM: HYPNOTIC, LOOSE AND SCORCHED WITH FUZZ.
Austin, Texas three piece, Nate Grace, Jesse Jenkins and Austin Youngblood have been collaborating for years, but this is their debut album as Pure X. ‘Pleasure’ is rock’n’roll in its rawest and purest form, revelling in its own loose spirit instigated by the band recording totally live and without overdubs.
The songs stretch out with a slow-burn intensity, bass and drums combine at a halfpaced dubby drugged-up crawl, whilst the guitars are languid and scorched with fuzzed-up snarls injected intermittently. Nate’s vocals top everything off by adding to the hypnotic narcotic atmosphere with a dreamy mournful vibe. There are ghosts of the past here for sure, with early Jesus And Mary Chain in particular coming to mind. Indeed, one could say these are songs dressed head to toe in black, shaded by Ray Bans, and flicking nonchalant gazes at their audience. In other words; rock’n’roll at its coolest. Darryl.
Nate (Pure X): To you it’s an “album” that came out in the year of our lord two thousand and eleven. To me it’s some temple rotting in a strip mall parking lot. The sun is blasting down into everything and I’m just trying to eat this fucking ice cream cone before it dissolves. Later.
{THE TOP 100 ALBUMS Top 20}
Jonathan Wilson: Gentle Spirit This stunning, indulgent double album feels like a life’s work – in fact it’s so good, it feels like a masterpiece. So deep, layered, rich in detail and melody is this set, we’ve been left wondering where has Jonathan Wilson been all our lives? The sound is pure West Coast, reviving as it does that fruitful time in the early 70s where thoughtful troubadours were revered as cosmic magicians. Hazy and mellow with acoustic guitar (plus gorgeous lead) strings and subtle grooves, early 70s Floyd and CSN (and particularly Young) spring to mind, but there’s no slavish copying here. Long, meandering, but always melodic, these songs demand repeated listens and unfurl beautifully in the process. I’d say he was a man out of time, but between Jackson Browne and Vetiver’s Andy Cabic (fellow travellers and admirers) Jonathan Wilson has found a place for himself that’s right now. And forever. Andy.
THE SOUND IS PURE WEST COAST, HAZY AND MELLOW AND SUPER ATMOSPHERIC.
Jonathan Wilson: 2011 has for me been more than amazing .The response to Gentle Spirit has been truly humbling and more than I would have ever dreamed. Even in one of those hazy - gossamer fragile nitrous induced states that we all aspire to, I never thought the world would embrace it like so... I’m truly Grateful... 1. Roy Harper: Songs Of Love And Loss | 2. Wilco: The Whole Love | 3. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues | 4. Vetiver: Errant Charm | 5. Bonnie ‘ Prince’ Billy: Wolfroy Goes To Town |
PJ Harvey: Let England Shake
Harvey Presents Locussolus: Locussolus
PJ Harvey has spoken of her fear of repeating herself, and that’s an admirable aim, one she’s consistently achieved over the years — even down to confounding her reputation of bloody-minded outsider by following the A RICHLY tortured “Is This Desire?” TEXTURED, ANGRY, with the FM friendly “Stories BEAUTIFUL From The City, Stories From RECORD, ROOTED IN THE TRAGEDY The Sea”, so “Let England OF ENGLISH Shake” was always going to WAR HISTORY. be a very different prospect to the sparse “White Chalk”. This is a richly textured, angry, beautiful record, deeply rooted in the tragedy of English history, its theme the loss and waste of war; specifically the mechanized meat grinder that was World War One. It’s never more exquisitely conveyed than by song of the year contender “On Battleship Hill”, over whose echoing, mournful skiffle Polly Harvey’s lament soars with aching poignancy. And there’s no let up in the album’s often harrowing, always inventive quality; just for once, you can believe the hype. Martin.
As the young pretenders move in to dethrone their elders it’s worth noting that there’s plenty of life in the old dogs yet, and while the youngsters can supply mono-genre top-end digital thrills, it’s only decades of COSMIC DISCO, record collecting and an DARK TECHY immersive love of a wide HOUSE, scope of music that gives a BALEARIC PSYCH POP AND producer the ability to create ALL POINTS the disparate selection of BETWEEN. brilliant tunes that make up Harvey’s “Locussolus” LP. From the bleepy techy house moves of “Gunship”, “Tan Sedan” and the killer (electro) disco sound of “I Want it”, via “Little Boots”’ horizontal reggae trip, kinda Balearic, kinda psychedelic offering “Throwdown” and mellow disco-pop of “Next To You”, “Locussolus” is packed to the gills with gems. Add to that a trio of amazing remixes from Andrew Weatherall, Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas (track of the year?) and The Emperor Machine and we have the Piccadilly Records dance album of 2011. Philippa.
Harvey: Obviously getting this music out there this year was a highlight for me and it’s great when it’s well received, particularly on my home turf. I’ve had so many highs DJ wise this year, touring Japan is always great and being able to go and play Sendai just a couple of weeks after the earthquake out there even when most people were staying away was really great, my heart and soul went out to everyone that came out that night.
Vetiver: The Errant Charm
A BALEARIC CLASSIC; A MUSICAL PORTRAIT OF A BLISSED-OUT, SAN FRANCISCAN SUMMER AFTERNOON.
I doubt Andy Cabic is aware that “The Errant Charm”, Vetiver’s best album since 2006’s “To Find Me Gone”, is being hailed, in Manchester at least, as a Balearic classic, and no doubt he’s equally ignorant of the fact that its opening song, “It’s Beyond Me”, has provided a near perfect soundtrack to a succession of sunsets this summer. However, that isn’t to say that the band have pursued any dramatic change in direction. Indeed, there isn’t anything radical enough here to incite a cry of ‘Judas!’ from the crowd because, at its heart, “The Errant Charm” is still very much a Vetiver record. So, whilst essentially a musical portrait of a blissed-out, San Franciscan summer afternoon, it’s the casual use of drones and drum machines, combined with a less rigid approach to song-writing, that give the album a feeling of now that is as surprising as it is welcome. Dave.
Andy Cabic (Vetiver): It’s been a turbulent year across our crowded world. Everything far away feels right around the corner. What’s next, I can only imagine. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring For My Halo | Cass McCombs: Wit’s End | Grouper: A I A : Alien Observer | Devon Sproule: I Love You, Go Easy | Bill Callahan: Apocalypse | Fruit Bats: Tripper | Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter: Marble Son | Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues | Martin Newell: Songs For A Fallow Land [reissue] | Motor City Drum Ensemble: DJ Kicks |
J. Mascis: Several Shades Of Why
ACOUSTIC GUITARS AND HIS WEATHERED, CAMPFIRE SLACKER DRAWL... THE SURPRISE RECORD OF 2011.
When you’re renowned the world over for immediately identifiable, ear-shredding, guitar solos and having pretty much nothing to say about pretty much — well, pretty much everything really, then releasing a solo, acoustic album is probably the only thing you could do as an artist to both confuse and confound your audience in equal measure. For 26 years Mascis has been happy to let his guitar do the talking and who can blame him? There are very few guitarists who can lay claim to so easily a recognizable style and sound, making the decision to turn down the volume from 11 and let his voice be heard, all the more inspired. His weathered, campfire slacker drawl has a delicate compassion that has rarely, if ever, survived the sonic onslaught that is a Dinosaur Jnr album and the guitar playing too, rejoices in its new found simplicity making “Several Shades Of Why” the surprise record of 2011. Dave.
ALBUM COVER OF THE YEAR Piccadilly booklet designer Mark Brown on Marq Spusta’s artwork for ‘Several Shades of Why’ This beautifully illustrated cover is a perfect visual summary of the music contained within: There’s something oddly melancholic about the image but at the same time it’s very cute and cosy...any one of the characters could be a rather droll representation of J. Mascis himself, they all have that world-weary look of lethargy that Mascis portrays with his voice. Dinosaur Jr’s album artwork has traditionally been hit and miss (‘Where You Been’ is stunning, ‘Hand It Over’ is truly dreadful) but since hooking up with Marq Spusta for 2009’s ‘Farm’, Mascis seems to have found the ideal visual sidekick. J. Mascis: I think I only like my record this year.
{THE TOP 100 ALBUMS Top 20}
Real Estate: Days New Jersey’s Real Estate first came to our attention in 2009 with the glorious ‘Fake Blues’ single and their subsequent eponymous album. Now snapped up by the ever dependable Domino label, it’s time for their sophomore release, and what a treat it is. Straight away it’s noticeable that the core threesome of the band, Martin Courtney, Matt Mondanile, and Alex Bleeker, have refined and honed their song-writing craft to stunning effect. From the exquisite chiming guitars of the album opener “Easy” right through to the epic seven minute finale of “All The Same”, Real Estate caress the ear with sun-dappled jangly guitars, laidback vocals and a blissful blanket of melancholy. A shimmering and dreamy atmospheric gem that’s been compared to the likes of early REM, the Feelies, Felt and the Smiths, “Days” ushers us back to a time of graceful and intelligent indie-rock. Darryl.
SUN-DAPPLED JANGLY GUITARS, LAIDBACK VOCALS AND A BLISSFUL BLANKET OF MELANCHOLY.
Real Estate: Wow. Thanks for selecting our record. “Days” has pretty much been the central focus of the past year for us, from recording to release. We’ve worked really hard and it feels good to have somebody recognize that hard work. Manchester remains one of our favorite cities to play, so a tip of the hat from Piccadilly is particularly cool. We look forward to visiting Manchester and the shop again this year!
Washed Out: Within And Without There was so much hype around Ernest Greene’s 2010 Mexican Summer debut “Life Of Leisure” that the backlash was quite predictable. However, when it arrived along with his first full length album, the sublime “Within And Without”, it’s totally ridiculous. Greene has crafted a lush swoon of a record. Deep, warm and tranquil, this sound envelops you. Shoegazer melodies all foggy and mellow, over slow disco beats: the album flows beautifully. All nine songs matter, but there are some glorious peaks: “Amor Fati” recalls the Cocteau Twins at their giddiest, whilst the hip-hop influenced “Before” is a unanimous shop favourite. Just like Shoegaze the first time around (but swapping your indie bedroom for a Balearic beach) this blissful music seems to yearn for a mystical, trouble free place or time, and its melancholy seems to be in knowing that it just can’t be reached. No harm in dreaming though. Float on… Andy.
A LUSH SWOON OF A RECORD. DEEP, WARM AND TRANQUIL, THIS SOUND ENVELOPS YOU.
Ernest Greene (Washed Out): It is quite an honor to be recognized by Piccadilly Records on their end of the year top 20 — seeing as how I’ve spent so much $ over the years buying records from the online store. Living in a small town in rural Georgia means there are very few “hip” record stores — Piccadilly Records opened up a huge new world of inspiration and for that I’m very thankful.
Sun Araw: Ancient Romans Pulsating dub drones collide with shards of avant-rock weirdness to create a huge otherworldly psychedelic stew to melt the inner core of your brain. Cameron Stallones has woven his magic again, making for another essential Sun Araw release.
A HUGE OTHERWORLDLY PSYCHEDELIC STEW.
Soft Metals: Soft Metals This boyfriend/girlfriend two-piece explores fantastical sound-scapes which conjure the dramatic cinematic worlds of Dario Argento, Roman Polanski, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, and the Czech New Wave. Ultra-saturated colours with a touch of noir, opulent architecture, and mysterious femmes all spring to mind. The outcome of all this is a collection of bittersweet electronic pop songs balanced by a delicate surrealism, a patient sense of experimentation that leaves you floating in your subconscious and moving to the beat.
BITTERSWEET ELECTRONIC POP SONGS.
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: Smoking In Heaven While the band’s influences are firmly rooted in the past, “Smoking In Heaven” hurtles towards an interminable future with songs that channel the spirit of R&B, soul, ska, pop and jazz, adding another dimension to their unique style and sound. This album consists entirely of original material written by the band and recorded / produced by them on vintage analogue equipment in their home studio.
CHANNELS THE SPIRIT OF R&B, SOUL, SKA, POP AND JAZZ.
Crystal Stilts: In Love With Oblivion Crystal Stilts burst out of Brooklyn’s storied post-punk indie scene with debut album “Alight Of Night”. Deftly combining the spooked 60s Texas psych of 13th Floor Elevators and Red Crayola, the gothic blues-punk howl of Gun Club, the dark, experimental DIYism of early Flying Nun groups and a dash of classic 60s pop by way of early Mary Chain B-sides. With “In Love With Oblivion” they reach dizzying, fuzzy heights as first class purveyors of haunting, atmospheric post-punk pop.
HAUNTING, ATMOSPHERIC POST-PUNK POP.
Beirut: The Rip Tide An amazing album from Zach Condon’s Beirut; musically the Eastern European folk influences remain intact but Zach has significantly upped his songwriting game. The songs shine through a bright pop sheen, showcasing a more accessible sound, without falling into the over-produced trap. His best album yet? You betcha!
THE SONGS SHINE THROUGH A BRIGHT POP SHEEN.
{THE TOP 100 ALBUMS 21–30}
Bon Iver: Bon Iver Out of the log cabin and into the world! A lush, deeply layered masterpiece, with the same essence as his stark debut — mega, transcendent songwriting — but now with much greater scope. Bon Iver’s eponymous sophomore set sees Justin Vernon returning to former haunts with a new spirit. The reprises are there – solitude, quietude and hope – but always a rhythm arises, a pulse vivified by gratitude and grace notes, some as bright as a bicycle bell.
A LUSH, DEEPLY LAYERED MASTERPIECE.
Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX: We’re New Here XL Recordings / Young Turks throw up an eye-catching collision here, as the “I’m New Here” album by elder statesman of soul-jazz and blues Gil Scott-Heron (RIP) gets reworked by young pretender to the throne of future beats, Jamie Smith. “We’re New Here” surpasses expectations, with Jamie’s production taking Gil’s world-weary bluesy confessionals to another dimension entirely.
THE LATE GREAT SCOTT-HERON GETS REWORKED.
Dirty Beaches: Badlands Imagine Suicide doing rockabilly? Sounds crazy but one man outfit Dirty Beaches have pulled it off brilliantly. “Badlands” is the debut album from Dirty Beaches, a one-man project out of Montreal via Hawaii, China, Taiwan and a bunch of other disparate locales. Part cassette culture Elvis, part Alan Vega alienator, this guy’s doing for rockabilly what Ariel Pink did for funk-pop nostalgia.
IMAGINE SUICIDE DOING ROCKABILLY?
Moon Duo: Mazes Formed in San Francisco in 2009 by Wooden Shijps guitarist Ripley Johnson and his partner, Sanae Yamada, Moon Duo’s first two critically acclaimed EPs fused the futuristic pylon hum and transistor reverb of Suicide or Silver Apples with the heat-haze fuzz of American rock’n’roll to create tracks of blistering, 12-cylinder space rock. On “Mazes” all the Moon Duo dynamics are in place, but with an added 60s garage-esque bounce the songs really shine through.
SPACE ROCK WITH A 60S GARAGE BOUNCE.
SBTRKT: SBTRKT SBTRKT’s debut album pulls off a series of impressive feats, bursting with fresh ideas, and yet sounding immediately familiar. Its sound-patterns and rhythms can easily soundtrack the ecstatic hands in the air dancefloor moments as well as reliving the monotony of the morning commute. Its influences are incorporated with subtlety and sophistication: dense enough to interpret, light enough to dance to.
SOUNDTRACKS THE DANCEFLOOR AND THE MORNING COMMUTE.
Lanterns On The Lake: Gracious Tide, Take Me Home Fuse the most fragile and graceful end of the folk music spectrum to the most luminous properties of cinemascope rock, and you have the stunning debut album from Newcastle-based sextet Lanterns On The Lake. “Gracious Tide, Take Me Home” warrants the use of often over-played adjectives such as ‘celestial’, ‘swooning’ and ‘absolutely bloody gorgeous’. For an album debut, that’s something special, because most bands don’t reach such an exalted plateau until they’ve matured.
SLOW, STATELY, ORCHESTRATED AND VERY SPECIAL.
Baxter Dury: Happy Soup “Happy Soup” is worlds away from the darkness and romantic disappointments of previous LPs “Len Parrot’s Memorial Lift” and “Floor Show”, so much so that Dury refers to his new effort as ‘seaside psychedelia’. The album’s 10 tracks narrate everyday tales of dancing on the patio in Marigolds and seedy sex in Portugal, yet Baxter’s lyrical playfulness and acute character analysis ensure the songs are anything but mundane.
REFERRED TO BY DURY AS ‘SEASIDE PSYCHEDELIA’.
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins: Diamond Mine A unique and heartrending collaboration between Scottish Fence Collective boss and singer King Creosote and electronic talent and sound sculptor Jon Hopkins. Described by King Creosote as a ‘soundtrack to a romanticised version of a life lived in a Scottish coastal village’, the record weaves in field recordings of Fife life, bike wheels, spring tides, tea cups and café chatter to produce a beautiful, unique and timeless album.
A BEAUTIFUL, UNIQUE AND TIMELESS ALBUM.
Laura Marling: A Creature I Don’t Know “A Creature I Don’t Know’’ is Laura Marling’s third full length album. Produced by Ethan Johns, it features 10 new, original compositions of intricate and captivating story-telling, buoyed by Marling’s rich voice, evocative lyrics and the precise, confident instrumentation on every track. Marling’s delivery is pitch perfect, her voice going from the delicate whisper to brooding murmur and rousing wail, sometimes all in the very same sentence. An incredibly intimate album.
AN INCREDIBLY INTIMATE FOLK ALBUM.
Thee Oh Sees: Castlemania San Francisco’s incredibly prolific Thee Oh Sees bring us a full-length album of original tracks plus a smattering of covers. On many of the tracks, electric guitars are jettisoned for acoustic, and the normally echo-laden vocals are a bit clearer. Happy pop melodies, sweet and sombre tunes, psychedelic moves galore, cover versions of The Creation and the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and at least one garage stomper all rub elbows on their ‘sunshine pop’ album.
THEIR ‘SUNSHINE POP’ ALBUM.
{THE TOP 100 ALBUMS 31–40}
Holy Other: With U Taking the alien kinetics of UK garage, the euphoric highs of vocal house and the slow, sensuality of R&B, Holy Other has created a sound that’s as melancholy as it is beautiful, spectral and yet slightly at unease with itself. Playing these five songs feels like a slow, solitary walk into the city night, lights flashing around you, muted where once they seemed to shine more brightly.
AS MELANCHOLY AS IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
James Blake: James Blake The past couple of years have seen creative explosions and new generations coming through in both dancefloor electronics and heartfelt, introspective singer-songwriting, but self evidently they’ve remained mutually exclusive genre islands. Until now. With a uniquely emotional electronic production style every bit as deeply personal and impassioned as his voice or songwriting, James Blake is sketching out his own place in the musical universe.
A UNIQUELY EMOTIONAL ELECTRONIC PRODUCTION STYLE.
Still Corners: Creatures Of An Hour The debut full length from Still Corners glows with the delicate vocals of singer Tessa Murray and the atmospheric, cinematic influences of songwriter Greg Hughes. This has the faraway pang of Shoegaze, but a lot more besides. Powerful, dark but pretty, propulsive songs, recall a more organic Broadcast or a gutsy Slowdive.
POWERFUL, DARK BUT PRETTY, PROPULSIVE SONGS.
Hatchback: Zeus And Apollo Zeus And Apollo pays tribute to the ‘gods’ of new age’, while stepping boldly into the 21st century. Beautifully constructed and produced, the intricate layers and melodious tones will send you spinning effortlessly out into the galaxy. Find yourself a piece of sky, put on your headphones and let Hatchback take your mind in hand — once again space travel is affordable to all. A beautiful ambient Balearic album.
A BEAUTIFUL AMBIENT BALEARIC ALBUM.
John Stammers: John Stammers Manchester’s very own Nick Drake! Thoughtful words and lovely melodies make a record that soothes and captivates in equal measure. This is the long awaited debut album from John Stammers, he has brought together a handful of musicians to create an English record of songs and feelings influenced by his past, his family heritage and his life in Chorlton-Cum-Hardy.
A RECORD THAT SOOTHES AND CAPTIVATES.
A Winged Victory For The Sullen: A Winged Victory... The first instalment of the new collaboration between Stars Of The Lid member Adam Wiltzie and LA composer Dustin O’Halloran. The duo agreed to leave the comfort zone of their home studios and develop the recordings with the help of large acoustic spaces, hunting down a selection of nine foot grand pianos that had the ability to deliver extreme sonic low end. Other traditional instrumentation was used including string quartet, French horn, and bassoon, but always juxtaposed is the sound of drifting guitar washed melodies.
AN AMBIENT CLASSIC.
Arthur’s Landing: Arthur’s Landing A broad collective of musicians that worked with New York’s revered Arthur Russell at different times during his career, from his more reflective acoustic work (“World Of Echo”) to his disco projects (Loose Joints, Dinosaur L). The Arthur’s Landing album comprises of entirely new versions of Arthur Russell songs, some known, some never previously heard, and is produced by the band’s Peter Zummo, himself a legend on New York’s experimental music circuit.
ENTIRELY NEW VERSIONS OF ARTHUR RUSSELL SONGS.
Cashier No. 9: To The Death Of Fun Hailing from Belfast but they could be from California, or Manchester, or any number of places, having been variously compared with The Byrds, Beach Boys, Stone Roses, Pavement, CSN, The Flaming Lips and many others. Yet with their rich vocal harmonies, bold guitar textures and supremely catchy melodies, they’ve created a sound that’s indeterminably none of these yet equally vibrant.
SHACK MEETS STONE ROSES POP HEAVEN.
Thurston Moore: Demolished Thoughts Stepping away from the punk, noise and no-wave experimentalism that often surrounds both Sonic Youth and Thurston Moore’s solo work, “Demolished Thoughts” will catch most off-guard. Produced by Beck, the album is a stripped-down affair, with only guitar, harp, violin and light percussion for accompaniment to Thurston’s vocals. Inviting the listener in to his more secretive and personal side, “Demolished Thoughts” is a brooding and beautifully restrained album.
A BROODING AND BEAUTIFULLY RESTRAINED ALBUM.
Tom Waits: Bad As Me “Bad As Me” is Tom Waits’ first studio album of all new music in seven years, and Waits sounds fresher than ever. This pivotal work refines the music that has come before and signals a new direction. Almost every style is covered; bar room blues to jarring experimentalism to delicious ballads and everything in between. A superb album from the master.
WAITS SOUNDS FRESHER THAN EVER.
{THE TOP 100 ALBUMS 41–50}
Strange Boys: Live Music Strange Boys’ third album “Live Music” (as in, living the music), the follow-up to “The Strange Boys And Girls’ Club” (2009) and “Be Brave” (2010). Less garage-rock and more laid back than “Be Brave”, it’s bluesy but it grooves too, with a classic Rolling Stones vibe.
BLUESY BUT IT GROOVES TOO.
Dutch Uncles: Cadenza A fantastic album from this local band. It’s a pop album, for sure, but there’s much more to it than just catchy melodies. It’s a bit prog-rock in some ways (a comment that would normally have me running for the hills!) but skilfully done, taking the intricacies and complex arrangements and leaving out the self indulgent pomp. In many ways it reminds me of Field Music’s album from last year: A very English sounding intelligent pop album.
A VERY ENGLISH SOUNDING INTELLIGENT POP ALBUM.
6th Borough Project: One Night In The Borough The original slo-mo disco-house duo deliver their long-overdue album, combining down-tempo chuggers, disco gems and house floor-fillers, all set out like a soundtrack to a night out in the city. From the outset, this LP feels like the coming of age for a project that has been previously focused solely on 12” dancefloor cuts but has now been cut loose and pushed things further to explore and revel in the wider perimeters of the LP format.
DOWN-TEMPO CHUGGERS, DISCO GEMS AND HOUSE FLOOR-FILLERS.
The War On Drugs: Slave Ambient This is a beautiful, hazy, rock’n’roll record, which, sure enough shimmers and thrums and is actually semi-ambient. If I told you that Kurt Vile is a sometime member of this band and that this was like a mysterious cousin to Vile’s “Smoke Rings For My Halo”, then you’d get the feel of this album right away. Cool.
A BEAUTIFUL, HAZY, ROCK’N’ROLL RECORD.
Walls: Coracle Using their debut as the prototype, Alessio Natalizia and Sam Willis have taken those initial early-sunrise evocations and pushed them to even more grandiose expanse. “Coracle” also takes a more dance-orientated stance, the soft-edged rhythms of ambient combining with influences from the protean Detroit techno and Chicago house music of Juan Atkins, Mr Fingers et al.
A DANCE ORIENTATED STANCE WITH GRANDIOSE EXPANSE.
51. Björk: Biophilia
A combination of the otherworldy and electronic, on “Biophilia” Bjork has come up with another immersive and experimental album that will ensnare you with wonderment.
52. Almunia: New Moon
63. Tropics: Parodia Flare
“Parodia Flare” mixes a warm analogue jungle of sounds, drawn into focus by Chris Ward’s naive singing voice and his knack for a lush melody. Synthwave? Chillwave? Balearic? Whatever it is, it’s brilliant!
64. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks: Mirror Traffic
Following up their awesome 12” on Claremont 56, Almunia unleash a debut album featuring a sweet heady mix of over-dubbed disco, guitars and psyched out grooves.
A record comprised of fifteen almost-pop songs, and the sound of a band with a spring in their step. Up-tempo, sunshine-hazy songs that ring with clarity and inventiveness.
53. Thundercat: The Golden Age Of Apocalypse
65. Hercules And Love Affair: Blue Songs
Brainfeeder go jazz-fusion on this Flying Lotusproduced album. Imagine Steely Dan or the Beauty Room with a wonky-jazz-funk tint.
54. Gillian Welch: The Harrow & The Harvest
Not on DFA this time, but “Blue Songs” still has those similar disco and house qualities to Shit Robot and the Juan Maclean, and I think it’s even better than their debut long player.
It’s been an age since Welch’s last album but now she’s back with a wondrous hushed folk classic. The voice is perfect, the song-writing effortlessly classic. Warm and true.
66. Boxcutter: The Dissolve
55. Destroyer: Kaputt
Gruff Rhys checks in with his third solo album, “Hotel Shampoo”, his most ambitious and fully realized yet. A splendid pop-psyche tour-de-force.
“Kaputt” rolls luxuriously in its own plush soft-rock grandeur, powerfully alluring and deeply sad at the same time. Consider this album as the sad-eyed psychic cousin of Gayngs’ smooth opus “Relayted”.
56. Nicolas Jaar: Space Is Only Noise
Amazing post-house down-tempo album from Wolf + Lamb associated producer. Electronica with atmosphere and soul.
57. Craft Spells: Idle Labor
Featuring lilting guitars and blissful vocals, this would have fit perfectly on the prime period Factory roster. As it is, it’s another winner on one of our fave labels, Captured Tracks.
Barry Lynn takes post-dubstep in a chilled-out direction on this fantastic Planet Mu album.
67. Gruff Rhys: Hotel Shampoo
68. Crazy P: When We On
Manchester disco heroes Crazy P return with their best album yet. Sing-along, dance-along, do-the-dishes-along — it’s an album for many occasions.
69. Cults: Cults
Compresses key points in the history of pop including nods to everyone from My Bloody Valentine to Phil Spector, from Jay Z and Lesley Gore. Superb, classic, cute pop!
70. John Maus: We Must Become The Pitless Censors Of Ourselves
58. James Ferraro: On Air
A double vinyl-only album fully loaded with pop art mania guaranteed to give all the 21st Century digital children a fresh breath of glam rock magic!
The confrontation of punk, the fleeting poignancy of 80’s movie soundtracks, the insistent pulse of Moroder and the spirituality of Medieval and Baroque music all find salvation in John Maus.
59. Eternal Tapestry: Beyond The 4th Door
71. White Hills: H-p1
Majestic and epic, this is space rock from another solar system. A brooding masterpiece that takes its cues from the giants of 70s experimental rock and expands on them. Float away upon waves and waves of psyche-dappled guitars.
60. Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two Mike D, Ad Rock and MCA are back with more old school hip hop antics in classic Beasties style.
61. The Field: Looping State Of Mind
It’s with the arrival of ‘Looping State Of Mind’ that you finally realise that, for The Field’s ambient techno explorer Axel Willner, the loop never stops. Beguiling hypno-techno drones for the year 2011.
62. Sarabeth Tucek: Get Well Soon
Combining a beautiful voice and musical accompaniment which sometimes sounds just like Neil Young and Crazy Horse, this is an excellent album.
Musically, “H-p1” expands on the explorations of previous albums in ambience, noise, and space rock all led by guitarist Dave W.’s blistering solos.
72. Seahawks: Vision Quest One — Spaceships Over Topanga Canyon
An epic psychedelic sprawl spread over two sides of lavishly illustrated vinyl only picture disc.
73. Woods: Sun And Shade
A superb West Coast psyche pop influenced album with splashes of folkieness and kosmische jamming, the latter particularly evident on the monster 7 minute plus groove laden track “Out Of The Eye”.
74. Kwjaz: Kwjaz
OK, I took this home the other night. Upon returning to the shop I declare — this is the new Sun Araw! Yes, it’s THAT good.
{THE TOP 100 ALBUMS 51–100} 75. Bibio: Mind Bokeh
An explosion of ideas that sounds like the night-time counterpart to “Ambivalence Avenue”’s more pastoral, sun-flecked tones.
76. I Break Horses: Hearts
Hypnotic, reverberating music that’s a million miles ahead of the standard shoegazing fayre. Couple that with the seductive and velvety vocals of Maria Linden, and we have yet another winner on Bella Union.
77. Big Troubles: Romantic Comedy
Ace, strummy, jangly, big-hearted indie-pop, full of equal parts youthful exuberance and wistful longing. Swoon again, kids!
78. Carlton Melton: Country Ways
Loose free-psyche vibes that float in cosmic abandonment, more abstract than Wooden Shjips et all, but definitely drinking from the same acid-drenched soup.
79. John Tejada: Parabolas
88. LA Vampires Goes Ital: Streetwise
Huge pulsating dubbed to the max avant-disco-not-disco scorchers on the ever reliable Not Not Fun label.
89. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues
Bolder and brighter than their debut, this should consolidate their position as the poster-boys of the recent-ish folk revival.
90. Tune-Yards: W H O K I L L
tUnE-yArDs aka Merrill Garbus retains the honesty of the lonely bedroom confessional characteristic of her early work, but with the addition of the fangs, claws and dented metal of its new surroundings.
91. WU LYF: Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
An expansive sound matched with gruff rasping vocals and a ferocious intent not heard since the days of Kurt Cobain or Frank Black = a raw and epic masterpiece.
92. Radiohead: The King Of Limbs
A quality techno / tech-house offering from Mr Tejada – smooth, deep, grooves that will have you hypnotised.
Lyrically the record harks back to 2001’s “Amnesiac”, and indeed the heavy use of electronic instrumentation and distortion also recalls both “Amnesia” and “Kid A”.
80. Azari & III: Azari & III
93. Wild Beasts: Smother
81. Sepalcure: Sepalcure
94. The Stepkids: The Stepkids
Early exponents of the 90s house revival, Canadian outfit Azari & III follow a series of monster singles with this brilliant full length album.
Sepalcure show their love for bass and 90s house acapellas and deeper than deep electronic bass music, resulting in a unique blend of tribal dub, house and 2-step riddims.
82. Water Borders: Harbored Mantras
Coil-influenced nu-goth darkness, a dense and dizzying soundworld; a dank, tribal and often disorientating record.
83. Ganglians: Still Living
Moods move from quiet introspection to boisterous merriment, chords stimulating the synapses while the toes can’t keep from twitching.
84. Panda Bear: Tomboy
Sees Panda Bear, aka Noah Lennox, stepping away from the sample-based parameters of his previous record and incorporating more guitar and synthesiser.
85. Little Dragon: Ritual Union
Little Dragon are back with more of their distinctive, quirky upbeat-downbeat dance-pop.
86. Ryan Adams: Ashes & Fire
Back to what he does best: gorgeous country rock ballads and wind-in-your-hair rockers. Simple arrangements, a beautiful voice, thoughtful words, all tastefully produced, clear as a bell.
87. Balam Acab: Wander / Wonder
A mysterious and genuinely haunting record of witch house / ghost step that seems to exist in a world all of its own making.
A deeply personal and immensely affecting record, which maintains the delicate and evocative form of beauty Wild Beasts have made their own. Killer blue-eyed psych-soul album on Stones Throw with hints of Rotary Connection, Free Design and The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band.
95. Ty Segall: Goodbye Bread
A lo-fi production, psyche-garage guitars and glam elements combine wonderfully with his retro-styled vox.
96. Toro Y Moi: Freaking Out
“Freaking Out” is Toro Y Moi’s most concentrated venture into pure dancefloor hedonism. 80s-inspired electro-funk for the synthwave generation.
97. Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi: Rome
Danger Mouse shows his pop side here, sounding like Air at their lovely, languid and mellow best. Excellent.
98. Zola Jesus: Conatus
From thumping ballads to electronic glitch, no sound goes unexplored.
99. Tinariwen: Tassili
Another essential Tuareg African-psych offering from the mighty Tinariwen, with contributions from TV On The Radio and Wilco.
100. Josh T. Pearson: Last Of The Country Gentlemen
Songs that are personal, powerful, painful, songs that move with their honesty, that offer hope from the trials he’s suffered and survived.
PICCADILLY RECORDS COMPILATION OF THE YEAR 2011
Fac. Dance Factory Records: 12” Mixes & Rarities 1980–1987 Think Factory Records, think doom-laden, overcoat wearing angry young men? Think again! On “Fac. Dance” Bill Brewster (djhistory.com) collects together the happier side of the label’s output, released between 1980 and 1987. Packed with rarities and underground classics, the set evolves through the Spartan punk-funk and post-punk of A Certain Ratio, Section 25 and The Durutti Column, includes the Latin-jazz and jazz-funk of Swamp Children, electro-funk / Brit-funk of 52nd Street and a even a reggae track, the Dennis Bovell-produced ‘See Them A’ Come’ by X-O-Dus. The label’s output headed further to the centre of the dancefloor as Factory sent their bands to play in New York, concluding with sets at Hurrah, visits to the Paradise Garage, remixes from Mark Kamins and Arthur Baker, and bringing back the inspiration for a club to be called the Hacienda. Always seen as central to Manchester’s indie evolution, these tracks show Factory Records at the heart of the city’s dance music scene as well. Philippa. “Fac. Dance” is compiled and annotated by Bill Brewster of djhistory.com and features rare artist photos alongside original label artwork by Peter Saville. The album is produced in association with James Nice at LTM Records.
CD Tracklisting: CD 1: 1. Section 25: Looking From A Hilltop (Megamix) (8:08) 2. A Certain Ratio: Wild Party (4:16) 3. Quando Quango: Love Tempo (7:46) 4. 52nd Street: Express (5:02) 5. Swamp Children: Little Voices (7:17) 6. Biting Tongues: Boss Toyota Trouble (5:34) 7. The Durutti Column: For Belgian Friends (5:22) 8. Royal Family & The Poor: Art On 45 (4:46) 9. A Certain Ratio: Knife Slits Water (12-inch Version) (9:44) 10. Section 25: Dirty Disco (5:18) 11. Blurt: Puppeteer (3:20) 12. X-O-Dus: See Them A’ Come (8.26) CD 2: 1. Shark Vegas: Pretenders Of Love (5:11) 2. 52nd Street: Cool As Ice (Jellybean Mix) (7:26) 3. Streetlife: Act On Instinct (Hot Swedish Mix) (5:33) 4. The Hood: Salvation! (Nitromix) (12:10) 5. Abecedarians: Smiling Monarchs (6:45) 6. Minny Pops: Time (3:43) 7. Quando Quango: Atom Rock (New York Remix) (7:30) 8. Marcel King: Reach For Love (New York Remix) (5:29) 9. 52nd Street: Look Into My Eyes (6:54) 10. Quando Quango: Genius (6:24) 11. Swamp Children: You’ve Got Me Beat (4:54) 12. The Durutti Column: Madeleine (3:01) Vinyl Tracklisting: A1. Section 25: Looking From A Hilltop (Megamix) (8:08) A2. A Certain Ratio: Wild Party (4:16) A3. Royal Family & The Poor: Art On 45 (4:46) B1. Quando Quango: Atom Rock (New York Remix) (7:30) B2. 52nd Street: Cool As Ice (Jellybean Mix) (7:26) B3. Blurt: Puppeteer (3:20) C1. Swamp Children: You’ve Got Me Beat (4:54) C2. X-O-Dus: See Them A’Come (8.26) C3. The Durutti Column: For Belgian Friends (5:22) D1. Shark Vegas: Pretenders Of Love (5:11) D2. Marcel King: Reach For Love (New York Remix) (5:29) D3. Abecedarians: Smiling Monarchs (6:45)
“The early 1980s was a glorious time for music, because everything was in flux, everything up for grabs”
It began, for me at least, at the Hammersmith Odeon in October 1979. A young band whose debut album Unknown Pleasures had recently been released were supporting Buzzcocks on a British tour. I was a huge fan of Buzzcocks – this would’ve been the fourth time I’d seen them – but they were blown off stage by their support act, Joy Division. I bought the album from Virgin Marble Arch the following day. Shortly after that, I saw A Certain Ratio at the Lyceum Ballroom in London. Decked in khaki baggy shorts and other ex-army gear, they looked like undernourished members of the cast of It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, but sounded outrageously funky to a clueless youngster from Grimsby. I discovered they were also signed to the same label as Joy Division. Over the next two years I acquired several more releases on the label, some of them dreadful (they often looked better than they sounded), saw Joy Division play live and on 6th December saw A Certain Ratio perform at a bizarre chrome and mirrors place in Leeds called Rockafellers. If one gig could be said to change the direction of a life then this one did for me. The band were touring in support of their latest album Sextet and were astonishing. The attendance was dismal. There can’t have been more than 60 people there, but they didn’t care and neither did I. Their music provided me with the route that took me from the clattery-clang of post-punk and towards black music. In interviews they name-checked Spunk and Cameo, both of whom I tracked down in Leeds market.
The early 1980s was a glorious time for music, because everything was in flux, everything up for grabs. Black kids were forming punk bands, white kids were searching for the funk, soulboys were dressing up as pirates or Latin lotharios, Kraftwerk-fixated musos were doing the funky robot and most of the haircuts were laughable. Factory Records somehow represented much of this, and led a vanguard of wannabes, proto-geniuses, half-baked nutcases and neverweres. Among the flotsam of their release schedule, like the frankly underwhelming Crispy Ambulance catalogue, they were responsible for some of the most inventive music to come out of the era, prodded and encouraged by the production chops of Be Music (in particular Barney Sumner) and ACR drummer Donald Johnson and the fact they had the Haçienda in which to test it. I bought my first Factory record in 1979 and my last – the Farley & Heller mixes of Happy Mondays’ ‘Stinkin’ Thinkin’’ – in 1992. Between those years, I set off on bewildering journeys through electro, hip hop, house, techno, with stops on the way to say hello to bluegrass, country, salsa and the Marxist output of the Red Choir of Moscow and the hippy chuntering of the Earl of Weymouth (Mulberry Coloured Venus, indeed). Much of that thirst for discovery was set off by labels like Factory and bands like ACR. For that, I thank them. Bill Brewster
2. Originals Volume Six — Phil Mison Claremont 56 are back with one of their highly-anticipated “Originals” compilations, each featuring a selection of tracks from some of the unsung heroes of the Balearic and underground disco scenes. Mison sunset sets at the Café Del Mar bar in the early – mid 90s became as inspirational as Padilla’s to those present, turning a whole new generation on to the delights of what was being termed ‘chill out’ music. Here he dispenses another mighty fine selection of all things Balearic.
3. Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love Motown’s Mowest Story 1971–1973 In the early 1970s, Detroit native and Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. brought his musical family to the left coast, one piece at a time. He began by launching the Mowest subsidiary in 1971, a new LA-based label dedicated to coastal grooves and an eye towards the top of the charts. Light In The Attic now present the first ever compilation of this now legendary label, an adult portion of sweet soul, heavyweight funk, and even a dose of potent West Coast hippy rock.
4. Late Night Tales — MGMT MGMT’s Late Night Tales selection of post-punk, cult indie and counter-culture figureheads reflects the band’s multifaceted sound, and draws comparisons with contemporary dreampop / chillwave / shoegaze / folk scenes on both sides of the Atlantic. Any compilation which features “Cheree” by Suicide and “Pink Frost” by The Chills, can only be one thing: BRILLIAAAANT!
5. Horse Meat Disco III The boys are back with another essential disco selection! This time they add nu-disco, edits and remixes to their usual vintage collection. The album features amazing music from the likes of Harvey, Yam Who?, Todd Terje, the boys themselves and others on their ‘peak time’ selections, and a long-overdue exploration of the after-hours ‘sleaze’ disco sub-genre, featuring mid-tempo master cuts from the likes of Sylvester, Two Tons of Fun, Idris Muhammad and more.
6. Delta Swamp Rock At the start of the 1970s Southern rock, a mixing of rock, country and blues, emerged out of the Southern states of Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida. Soul Jazz Records’ “Delta Swamp Rock” is a definitive guide to this music created between 1968–1975, where country, rock and soul met.
7. Future Balearica Volume 2 — A New Wave Of Chill Following the resounding success of the debut “Future Balearica” compilation comes the equally brilliant second instalment. Once again, the selection presents a fresh perspective on Balearic sounds, effortlessly transcending the boundaries between indie, dance, disco and chillwave.
{THE TOP 30 COMPILATIONS 2–14}
8. Fabriclive59 — Four Tet Four Tet (aka Kieran Hebden) adds something special to the Fabriclive series, with this, the 59th compilation in the series. Featuring a plethora of original 90s 2-step / UK garage sounds along with his own exclusives, each track for the mix was recorded direct from vinyl, complete with pops and crackles, then fed into a laptop for the final blending, along with ‘live’ atmospherics from the Fabric club itself.
9. Dreams Of San Antonio — Mixed By Dom Thomas Dom Thomas embarks on his fourth Brutal Music sonic adventure, celebrating the ambiguity of the genre to craft a sublime personal journey through his own skewed vision of the Balearic sound. A fantasy trip through Balearic beat, bongo rock, acid disco and far flung folk (try saying that when you’ve had a few San Miguels).
10. Upside Down: The Creation Records Story “Upside Down: The Creation Records Story”, produced and directed by Danny O’Connor, is the definitive and fully authorised documentary of the highs and lows of the UK’s most inspired and dissolute independent record label — Creation Records. This is the accompanying 34 track, double disc set, compiled by Creation label founders Alan McGee and Joe Foster, and packed with classic tracks from start to finish.
11. Creative Use — The Collection A limited CD-only collection of the best bits so far from the exceptional Creative Use label — all unmixed for your CD DJing pleasure. Yes indeed, long-deleted and still highly sought-after gems from this cult catalogue available for the first time on CD, with a couple of exclusive, and frankly, killer new cuts thrown in as well.
12. Local Customs — Pressed At Boddie Included on “Pressed At Boddie” are 16 wildly different tracks, coming from a handful of different scenes. Pre-Pere Ubu synth-madness butts up against the group harmony stylings of the Imperial Wonders. Donald Eckert’s blown-out folk sits next to Bill Spoon’s modern dance moves. All in all, it’s a pretty awesome listen, crafted more like a mixtape than a historical document.
13. DJ Kicks — Gold Panda A 22 track mix that weighs perfectly between the bright awake and brooding nocturnal side of electronic, techno and bass music — a sets that works best pulsing the headphones and emanating around the bedroom, rather than for the dancefloor.
14. Turkish Freakout! Volume 2 — Psych-Folk Singles 1969–1980 In summer 2010 Bouzouki Joe Records revealed a choice selection of some of the finest rare Turkish funk and psych-rock grooves, painstakingly unearthed direct from the source in Istanbul, with the result, in a good way, that a lot of folks freaked out. With that in mind, the second volume of “Turkish Freakout!” features another batch of classic tracks from the golden age of Turkish music.
15. Hessle Audio — 116 & Rising This compilation exists as a way to unite the entire Hessle roster, as well as putting out work by producers the label has been unable to work with so far. UK bass music at its most forward-looking.
16. Those Shocking Shaking Days — Indonesia Hard, Psychedelic, Progressive Rock And Funk 1970–1978 Now-Again deliver the first ever compilation to assess the incredible psychedelic rock, funk and progressive scene of 1970s Jakarta! A typically deluxe offering from the label.
17. Norman Jay MBE Presents Good Times 30th Anniversary Edition Norman and brother Joey set up the Good Times sound system in 1981, the start of a 30-year residency at Notting Hill Carnival, which is celebrated on this latest edition of Jay’s “Good Times” compilation series.
18. Late Night Tales — Midlake This is a gorgeous, mellow, predominantly late 60s / early 70s collection. The inclusion of a recent Espers track (and one of the best songs on here, which is no mean feat) is a nice nod to the one current band who surely influenced Midlake’s ‘new’ sound more than any other.
19. Sofrito — Tropical Discotheque Made up of nearly impossible to find vintage floor-fillers, brand new edits, and even an exclusive cumbia from Quantic, the music on here is guaranteed to make your winter feel like summer.
20. DJ Kicks — Wolf + Lamb Vs Soul Clap The perfect way to immerse yourself in the new US sound of deep, emotive house music, this DJ Kicks mix continues K7!’s knack of coming up with mix CDs that capture the year’s current zeitgeist moment. Essential.
21. Ten — Manchester Music For Kosovo Early in 2001, the release of MAK’s (Music Aid to Kosovo) compilation, “Cohesion”, gave many music fans outside of this rainy Northern city the first chance to hear the then little known group Elbow. 10 years on and follow up compilation “Ten” showcases a new group of emerging Manchester artists.
22. Life Is Dance! — Plugged-In Sounds Of Wonder At The Pakistani Picture House Here you’ll find fuzzy, scuzzy, twang-happy, spaced-out and funked-up Urdu-grooves complete with harmonium melodies and driven by some of the most random factor, freakish, finger numbing, percussion that the South East Asian mainstream has ever had to offer.
{THE TOP 30 COMPILATIONS 15–30}
23. Invasion Of The Mysteron Killer Sounds Kevin Martin (aka The Bug / King Midas Sound) and Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz) have put together a unique project bringing together new, exclusive and in demand music by electronic futurists Harmonic 313, Diplo, Roots Manuva, South Rakkas Crew, The Bug and more, alongside a killer selection of Jamaican digital and electronic scientific dub and dancehall riddims.
24. DJ Kicks — Motor City Drum Ensemble Fantastic mix CD from the Motor City boy, taking in jazz, boogie, disco, house and techno – a proper DJ journey that will remind many of his club sets.
25. Nigeria 70 — Sweet Times Excavating another choice batch of rare grooves from Nigeria’s label archives, the new edition places the spotlight on some of the deeper fusions happening across the country during the 1970s as traditional guitar highlife blended with jazz and funk, hypnotic juju grooves became more progressive.
26. The Legendary Studio One Records — Original Classic Recordings 1963–1980 A lightning roller coaster musical journey through the music of Studio One, the most important record company in the history of Jamaican reggae music. Jam-packed with classics all the way!
27. Jazz Noire — Darktown Sleaze From The Mean Streets Of 1940s LA “Jazz Noire” is the soundtrack to the mean streets of Los Angeles in the post-war 1940s. Bookended by classic film noir themes of the period, this selection presents studio recordings by the era’s most famous musicians, many of whom were based in, or were habitués of the bars and theatres of The City of Angels.
28. Leo Zero — Super Edits Vol 2 This special 2xCD limited edition package makes available for the first time some of Leo’s highly sort after under the counter re-edits and DJ only mixes from recent years.
29. Bambara Mystic Soul — The Raw Sound Of Burkina Faso ‘74–’79 The raw sound of Burkina Faso combined Afro-funk, traditional Islamic rhythms and subtle Afro-Latin sounds brought over by visiting Cuban ensembles.
30. Americana Rock Your Soul — Blue Eyed Soul And Sounds From The Land Of The Free BBE deliver a great compilation of soft rock with elements of soul, jazz, funk, folk and disco.
PICCADILLY RECORDS REISSUE OF THE YEAR 2011
Jim Ford: “Harlan County pretty much defined country funk” What happens when a musically minded country boy from rural Kentucky heads to the Golden State and makes an album of blue-eyed soul with Dr. John, Jim Keltner (John Lennon), and James Burton (Elvis Presley) as his back-up band? Well, if the stars were aligned, singer songwriter Jim Ford would’ve had a major hit on his hands. As it was, “Harlan County”, released in 1969 on the minor label Sundown Records, simply fell through the cracks between monster selling titles by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Despite being allied with some of the biggest names in the business and a deft musical touch — Ford wrote songs for Bobby Womack (“Harry Hippie”), Aretha Franklin, PJ Proby, The Temptations, and even appeared on Sly & the Family Stone’s “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” — Ford never struck gold as a solo artist and eventually left the often cut-throat music business for a quieter life at the turn of the 1980s. Armed with a powerful whiskey-fuelled voice, down home rhythms, tight horn section, and occasional spectral orchestration from Gene Page (The Righteous Brothers, Barry White, Marvin Gaye), “Harlan County” is ripe for reappraisal. And though Ford is unfortunately no longer with us — he passed away in 2007 — his musical legacy lives on. With fans and friends including Brinsley Schwarz leader Nick Lowe and actor Marlon Brando it’s safe to say that Jim Ford was the real deal. So head over to your local brick and mortar record shop, hit the liquor store for a bottle or
two, and turn up the stereo. Take a country-funk trip to “Harlan County”. It’s cheaper than a flight and will take you right where you need to be. Andy: God knows how this wasn’t a hit, it’s absolutely brilliant! Exhuberant and full of character, top melodies and a funky drummer, superbly produced country-soul-rock. Darryl: You can always rely on Light In The Attic Records for a top quality reissue of a previously obscure gem, and Jim Ford’s country-funk whiskey fuelled classic is no exception. Tracklist: 1. Harlan County 2. I’m Gonna Make Her Love Me 3. Changin’ Colors 4. Dr. Handy’s Dandy Candy 5. Love On My Brain 6. Long Road Ahead 7. Under Construction 8. Workin’ My Way To L.A. 9. Spoonful 10. To Make My Life Beautiful
Harlan County We’re honored to see “Harlan County” at the top of the Piccadilly list for 2011. For the past couple years, all of us here at Light In The Attic have been obsessing over all things country funk, that strange brew of blue-eyed soul, backwoods southern country, and piles of cocaine, usually cut for a major label in sunny Los Angeles during the late 60s / early 70s. Ford and “Harlan County” pretty much defined country funk in both sound and vision, leading us on a much needed quest to reissue the album. Sadly, Jim passed in 2007 and few facts remained about what went down back in 69. We located the album’s engineer Rik Pekkonen who shared some fantastic stories, most that wouldn’t be right repeating. Pekkonen went on to work with everyone from Neil Young to T. Rex (most recently Ariel Pink’s “Before Today”). “Harlan County” was Pekkonen’s first engineering gig. While mixing the album at Wally Heider Studios, Jim was floored on Rik’s mix, enthusiastically shouting ‘I gotta buy you something.’ They rushed out to some fancy Hollywood boutique and Jim picks out a loud silk dress shirt for Rik. The amount of drugs that went down during this session must’ve been monumental. If Sly Stone calls you ‘the baddest white man on the planet’ you must be able to hang. For us, the tune “I’m Gonna Make Her Love Me (Until The Cows Come Home)” is where it’s at. Jim, Rest In Peace wherever you are. Matt Sullivan, founder / co-owner, Light In The Attic Records
2. Dog Eat Dog: Dog Eat Dog Female-fronted, of its time but out of time, technically adept, purposely naive, conscious but not self-conscious. Dog Eat Dog embodied the best of what came out of that particular time (late 70s / early 80s) and place (New York) along with fellow travellers; DNA, ESG, Liquid Liquid and Sonic Youth — they embraced a sound that was uniquely their own without apologies or regrets but most importantly without pretension or calculation.
3. Willie Wright: Telling The Truth Numero rediscover another amazing lost 1977 folk-soul album for one of their deluxe reissue outings. Self-pressed and sold from the boot of his car at live shows, Like Jim Ford’s “ Harlan County”, it’s criminal that this album wasn’t massive at the time.
4. The Beach Boys: The SMiLE Sessions We can all die happy now! “The SMiLE Sessions” presents an in-depth overview of the recording sessions for the album, which achieved legendary, mythical status for music fans around the world.
5. Kourosh Yaghmaei: Back From The Brink This is the only fully licensed collection of the godfather of Iranian psychedelic rock, Kourosh Yaghmaei, whose recordings were thought lost after Islamic fundamentalists took control of Iran. Luckily Kourosh had protected them, and they are collected here. Mind blowing!
6. Father’s Children: Who’s Gonna Save The World Unreleased until now, Father’s Children’s “Who’s Gonna Save The World” offering is an amalgam of sunny vocal group harmonies, fuzz-guitar solos, shimmering keys, bubbling percussion, spiritual prophecy, and dub experiments.
7. Mickey Newbury: An American Trilogy Imagine the artistry of Hank Williams, the voice of Roy Orbison and the intensity and intimacy of Townes Van Zandt all combined in one man — that’s Mickey Newbury.
8. Archers Of Loaf: Icky Mettle (Deluxe Edition) Totally superb re-issue of one the early 90s ‘lost’ lo-fi indie classic albums. This is the first in a series of planned deluxe reissues of all four of their releases from Fire Records.
{THE TOP 15 REISSUES}
9. Can: Tago Mago (40th Anniversary Edition) An absolute masterpiece, the new edition of this genre-defying album comes packaged in the original UK artwork for the first time since 1971, and includes a bonus CD featuring 50 minutes of unreleased live material from 1972, remastered in 2011.
10. The Jesus And Mary Chain: Psychocandy — Expanded Edition One of their six career encapsulating expanded edition reissues. Stone Roses’ guitarist John Squire said he had an epiphany the first time he heard this record! He wasn’t the only one.
11. Harald Grosskopf / Various: Synthesist / Re-Synthesist The landmark 1980 solo album by Harald Grosskopf, the enigmatic percussionist behind Ash Ra Temple, Klaus Schulze, Cosmic Jokers, and You. A melodically rich and celebratory symbiosis of krautrock, kosmische, and new age, restored and remastered.
12. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry: The Return Of Pipecock Jackxon Originally released in 1980, this album is the final work to emerge from the Black Ark studio, concluding a series of such LP masterworks as “Super Ape”, “War In A Babylon”, “Police And Thieves”, and “The Return Of The Super Ape”.
13. Charles ‘Packy’ Axton: Late, Late Party 1965 – 67 In the vast netherworld of soul there are countless characters that reside on the fringe, their significant contributions to American music history long forgotten. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, tenor saxophone player and bandleader Charles ‘Packy’ Axton is yet another of the uncelebrated, despite a deep pedigree and funky catalogue of notable grooves.
14. You: Electric Day Long-lost krautrock / dreamy kosmische offering from You, who included Harald Grosskopf in the studio for this recording. One for fans of Tangerine Dream, Hatchback, Zodiac Free Arts Club etc.
15. Shin Joong Hyun: Beautiful Rivers And Mountains First ever anthology outside Korea of legendary guitarist, arranger, songwriter and producer of mind-altering experimental pop, acid-folk, and extended psych funk jams.
Stupendous Stocking Stuffage
available at Piccadilly
CARLTON MELTON Country Ways (Agitated) LP/CD
A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN S/T
WIDOWSPEAK Widowspeak (Captured Tracks) LP/CD
(Erased Tapes) LP/CD
BEIRUT The Rip Tide
WOODS Sun And Shade
(Pompeii) LP/CD
(Woodsist) LP/CD
THEE OH SEES Carrion Crawler / The Dream EP
V/A Boddie Recording Company (Numero) 5LP Box/3CD Box
MIKAL CRONIN
Mikal Cronin (Trouble In Mind) LP/CD
(In The Red) LP/CD
PEOPLE’S TEMPLE Sons Of Stone
JULIAN LYNCH Terra
MARIA MINERVA Cabaret Cixous
(Hozac) LP/CD
(Underwater Peoples) LP/CD
(Not Not Fun) CD/LP
V/A 100% Silk (100% Silk) CD End of year partymix from 100% Silk. 75 minutes of utter pleasure.. all for £3
Forte Music Distribution’s
2011 QUINTESSENTIAL PICKAGE www.fortedistribution.co.uk
info@fortedistribution.co.uk
{THE TOP 5 BOX SETS}
1. The Smiths: Complete It’s easy to get cynical about re-issues, repackages and er...repackages, but a sad fact widely known is that the first batch of CD’s, in the mid to late 80’s, were not mastered properly for this ‘dazzling new format.’ Yes, there was clarity and a new-found separation, but the overall sound lacked warmth and body. This was no truer than with The Smiths. Apparently Johnny Marr has been trying to get this project going since around 2004, but legal obstacles have postponed it until now. It was worth the wait. He’s not just turned everything up to 11, which is so often the case with these campaigns. There’s very little tweaking or jazzing up. Johnny’s just removed all the superfluous digital artefacts which were added when the original master tapes were transferred to CD in the first place. The results are beautiful. Subtle but so powerful, here is The Smiths music, exactly how their musical maestro wants it to be heard and preserved. The best band ever. In a box. Perfection! Andy
Available as three separate box sets, a CD set, a limited vinyl LP set, and an all encompassing limited deluxe collector’s edition (with LP’s/CD’s and 7”s).
2. Arthur Russell / Dinosaur L: The Definitive Sleeping Bag Recordings Though classically trained Arthur Russell’s major contribution to the music world was in the dance genre. Despite the fact that his pioneering work in the late 70s and through the 80s was only quietly acknowledged at the time his long term impact on the genre is best described as formidable. His seminal work, the full length ‘24-->24 Music’ album, has now been expanded to a deluxe 4LP set in a hand silk-screened box and a deluxe double CD box set issue.
3. Various: Boddie Recording Company — Cleveland, Ohio From 1958 to 1993, Thomas and Louise Boddie’s industrious Boddie Recording Company issued nearly 300 albums and 45s, recorded 10,000 hours of tape, and remained in operation longer than any other studio, pressing plant, or label group in the history of Cleveland. The 58 tracks on three CDs (or 65 tracks on 5 vinyl LPs) represent the best of the Boddies’ in-house Soul Kitchen, Luau, and Bounty labels, which released an unspoiled treasure trove of kitchen-sink eccentric soul, fuzzbox funk, shoestring doo-wop, and haunted, eerily hook-laden spirituals.
4.Various Artists: Not The Spaces You Know, But Between Them A genre defining box set featuring exclusive tracks from the likes of Sonic Youth, Sun City Girls, Comets On Fire, Bardo Pond and Eternal Tapestry amongst others. Only 700 copies for the world.
5. The Cramps: File Under Sacred Music Early Singles 1978–81 Stunning compilation of the The Cramps’ early singles plus some tracks from the same period that were never issued on that format. The 7” vinyl box-set contains six replica sleeves and four new sleeves especially designed for this edition, along with photos and memorabilia.
{STAFF CHARTS}
Laura Well the doom and gloom with the economy and in the music industry in particular doesn’t seem to have affected the creative output this year! The bar was set early on, with amazing albums from Phoenix Foundation in January, followed in February by Peaking Lights and having to pare down my selection to just 20 was really difficult this time around. (Well to be honest, when you’re as indecisive as me it’s always difficult!) At this point I usually mention the highlight of the Primavera Sound festival, but after 5 years I decided to give it a miss this year, and bloody typical, The National decided to play it! Damn! So, I consoled myself by cycling around the foothills of the Alps in Bavaria and drinking great beer (not whilst cycling, obviously!) An amazing albeit completely music free holiday. Other than that, it’s been a bit of a heads down and plough on kind of year, and it’s flown by – I can’t believe I’m writing this round up again already. So, here’s to a great 12 months of music and let’s hope the next 12 give me the same end of year selection problems.
Philippa Here’s what I can remember of a fairly uneventful year (for me, not the shop, which has had it’s usual share of excitement), which seems to have gone in a flash: My 2011 actually started at the end of 2010 as my pre-Christmas trip to the Montol Festival in Penzance was scuppered by record snow falls in Devon. In a warmer summer, I finally understood the meaning of those strange squiggles after venturing to the Miro exhibition at the Tate. The deaths of personal heroes Poly Styrene and Gil Scott-Heron were sad, but Amy Winehouse dying turned out to be far sadder, knocking everyone for six, myself included. I’ve been Googling gigs I thought I went to this year, but they were all in 2010, however I do remember going to see Laura Marling at Manchester Cathedral (it was only two days ago), and she was amazing. Keeping my batteries charged are my friends’ kids Euan and Lala who continue to amuse and inspire with equal measure.
1. Shimmering Stars: Violent Hearts 2. Peaking Lights: 936 3. Black Lips: Arabia Mountain 4. Widowspeak: Widowspeak 5. The Phoenix Foundation: Buffalo 6. Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams 7. Real Estate: Days 8. Other Lives: Tamer Animals 9. Thee Oh Sees: Castlemania 10. John Stammers: John Stammers 11. Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: Smoking In Heaven 12. Cults: Cults 13. The Kills: Blood Pressures 14. Dirty Beaches: Badlands 15. Mazes: A Thousand Heys 16. Crystal Stilts: In Love With Oblivion 17. Dutch Uncles: Cadenza 18. Moon Duo: Mazes 19. J Mascis: Several Shades Of Why 20. I Break Horses: Hearts
1. Holy Other: With U 2. The Kills: Blood Pressures 3. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX: We’re New Here 4. Still Corners: Creatures Of An Hour 5. Metronomy: The English Riviera 6. Harvey Presents Locussolus: Locussolus 7. Widowspeak: Widowspeak 8. Washed Out: Within And Without 9. Veronica Falls: Veronica Falls 10. Laura Marling: A Creature I Don’t Know 11. Hercules And Love Affair: Blue Songs 12. Sepalcure: Sepalcure 13. SBTRKT: SBTRKT 14. Peaking Lights: 936 15. James Blake: James Blake 16. Hatchback: Zeus And Apollo 17. 6th Borough Project: One Night In The Borough 18. Maria Minerva: Cabaret Cixous 19. Martyn: Ghost People 20. The Duke Spirit: Bruiser
It’s Been a Wonderful Year for Piccadilly and Cargo Records
Shimmering Stars Violent Hearts Almost Musique
Archers Of Loaf Icky Mettle (Deluxe Edition) Fire
Pure X Pleasure Acephale
Crystal Stilts In Love With Oblivion Fortuna Pop
Mickey Newbury An American Trilogy Saint Cecilia Knows / Mountain Retreat
Seahawks Vision Quests One: Spaceships Over Topanga Canyon Static Caravan
Boxcutter The Dissolve Planet Mu
Kuedo Severant Planet Mu
Tropics Parodia Flare Planet Mu
{STAFF CHARTS}
Darryl Well there goes another year, it’s totally flown by yet again, I put it down to us being in a constant state of winter. Thankfully we have plenty of musicians on the planet to brighten up the year, and boy have they done us proud. Peaking Lights seem to have soundtracked most of the year, one of those brilliant ‘where’s that come from’ albums that pretty much everyone in the shop fell in love with upon first listen, it just nudged out the superb Black Lips and Moon Duo as my number one. One of the major lows of the year were the August riots, one of our major indie distributors (PIAS) saw their stock go in flames in the Sony DADC warehouse leaving their labels facing ruin and record shops like ourselves struggling to get stock. It’s unlikely we’ll ever see a lot of the back catalogue items again, particularly on vinyl. That disaster was quickly followed by the sheer dread of watching Manchester going into riot meltdown on the News Channel, the fear of the shop being badly damaged or looted was only lightened by updates on the scene from our Twitter army of followers, thanks again to all of you. The major high away from the shop was FC United finally getting the plans approved to build a ground in Moston. There’s bound to be obstacles ahead, but hopefully this time next year I’ll be mentioning how great our shiny new ground is.
1. Peaking Lights: 936 2. The Black Lips: Arabia Mountain 3. Moon Duo: Mazes 4. Real Estate: Days 5. Beirut: The Rip Tide 6. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring For My Halo 7. Tom Waits: Bad As Me 8. Pure X: Pleasure 9. Crystal Stilts: In Love With Oblivion 10. Woods: Sun And Shade 11. Dirty Beaches: Badlands 12. Eternal Tapestry: Beyond The 4th Door 13. Widowspeak: Widowspeak 14. The Phoenix Foundation: Buffalo 15. Wooden Shjips: West 16. Roll The Dice: In Dust 17. Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams 18. Stephen Malkmus: Mirror Traffic 19. Thee Oh Sees: Castlemania 20. Vetiver: The Errant Charm
Hasta La Victoria Siempra!
Matt I remember this time last year commenting how Manchester seemed to be turning a corner and everyone was donning their dancing shoes again; well wasn’t I proved correct! Trying to summarize the year sees me flustered and scratching my head – what the hell just happened! From what I can remember 2011 saw my first night out to Liverpool for my favourite gig of the year: Wooden Shjips at the Kazamier. Also the very next day I was bunked up with Kurt Vile and we were all singing along to “Runner Ups” @ Sound Control. Andy really enjoyed himself. Then everyone got gastric flu and “the hundred day cough”. That wasn’t brilliant, and I’m still coughing. That Amazing Thing went indoors for the Mystery Tour and no-one has ever been the same again, so thanks for that. The institutionalized Manc rave holiday that is Electric Elephant went off with a bang but my (obvious) personal highlight is the success we’ve had with Wet Play and all the wonderful guests we’ve had. Thanks to all the Wet Players / disco dancers that without doubt make the party (when we all get too messy to DJ properly), and keep the vibe strong and true! Stay drenched in the New Year people!
1. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring For My Halo 2. Eternal Tapestry: Beyond The 4th Door 3. Wooden Shjips: West 4. Maria Minerva: Cabaret Cixous 5. LA Vampires goes Ital: Streetwise 6. James Ferraro: On Air 7. Crazy P: When We On 8. Sun Araw: Ancient Romans 9. White Hills: H-P1 10. Carlton Melton: Country Ways 11. Pure X: Pleasure 12. Kwjaz: Kwjaz 13. Psychic Ills: Hazed Dream 14. John Heckle: Second Son 15. Bitchin’ Bajas / Faceplant: Split 16. Phoenix Foundation: Buffalo 17. Reel By Real: Surkit Chamber: The Melding 18. Omar S: It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do It 19. Deepchord: Hash-Bar Loops 20. Arthur’s Landing: Arthur’s Landing
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Dave So, 2011, where has it gone exactly? I can hardly believe it’s almost over, it seems like only a moment ago that we were looking forward to a new year and wondering what musical twists and turns it might bring. No individual album demanded the number one spot in my chart. I chose Vetiver because yes: it’s a great record, easily their best since ‘To Find Me Gone’ but more because I played ‘It’s Beyond Me’ at Electric Elephant this summer and looking out to sea with the waves lapping against the shore, while one of my favourite songs of the year pulsed in the heat haze around me is a memory that will keep a smile on my face throughout the bleak months that can be winter in Manchester and if that isn’t a reason to love an album, I don’t know what is. I’m hoping 2012 will see a resurgence in original music. I’m not sure how many undiscovered gems there are left to be uncovered in the damp and dusty back rooms of charity shops across the world and don’t even get me started on the Stone Roses...
Sara Blinkin’ Nora, it’s that time of year again. I’ve got to pick my top 20 favourites, never an easy task. At this point I feel I should mention a blinder of an album which would have been my number one in 2010 or 2011 but as it was released just before Xmas last year it didn’t qualify for either — Soft Moon’s self titled debut. It’s bloody brilliant and one you should buy yourself, along with a couple of bags full of the other magnificent musical marvels you see in this year’s bible. So, 2011, it seemed to pass rather quickly as is the way when you are getting on a bit. Nothing too outrageous or ridiculous happened, but it was a pleasant enough year with its peaks and troughs all the same. I had myself a long weekend in Morzine visiting my old mucker Sue in which I had an unfortunate incident with snowy ground and my face (for those of you who visited on Record Store Day, I was the one who had a scabby chin....). Onwards then to 2012. Let’s hope it’s not going to be the end of the world as predicted by ancient peoples, but that it’s full of joyful times, an actual summertime, lots of sweet treats and plenty of cracking music. I know I’ll get at least two out of the four.
1. Vetiver: The Errant Charm 2. Gillian Welch: The Harrow And The Harvest 3. Peaking Lights: 936 4. J Mascis: Several Shades Of Why 5. The Kills: Blood Pressures 6. Other Lives: Tamer Animals 7. Jonathan Wilson: Gentle Spirit 8. Phoenix Foundation: Buffalo 9. Metronomy: The English Riviera 10. Maria Minerva: Cabaret Cixous 11. Lanterns On The Lake: Gracious Tide, Take Me Home 12. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring For My Halo 13. Laura Marling: A Creature I Don’t Know 14. Real Estate: Days 15. Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams 16. Toro Y Moi: Freaking Out 17. John Stammers: John Stammers 18. Pure X: Pleasure 19. Wooden Shjips: West 20. Widowspeak: Widowspeak
1. Black Lips: Arabia Mountain 2. Baxter Dury: Happy Soup 3. Dirty Beaches: Badlands 4. Thee Oh Sees: Castlemania 5. Moon Duo: Mazes 6. Peaking Lights: 936 7. Wooden Shjips: West 8. Cats Eyes: Cats Eyes 9. Crystal Stilts: In Love With Oblivion 10. Psychic Ills: Hazed Dream 11. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake 12. Soft Metals: Soft Metals 13. The Oscillation: Veils 14. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring For My Halo 15. Maria Minerva: Cabaret Cixous 16. Metronomy: The English Riviera 17. Radiohead: The King Of Limbs 18. Eat Lights Become Lights: Autopia 19. Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two 20. Tune Yards: W H O K I L L
PICCADILLY PICKS 2011
JOHN MAUS // ‘We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves’ // (Upset The Rhythm) 8.4 on PITCHFORK: “Maus has steeped his music in new wave signifiers, an association furthered by his deep, commanding voice. Whether he’s evoking Joy Division’s Ian Curtis or Bauhaus’ Peter Murphy, Maus opts to abstract the genre, inserting noise into unexpected places and walking the line between sincerity and surreality.”
JIM FORD // ‘Harlan County’ //
TORO Y MOI // ‘Freaking Out’ //
(Light In The Attic) 5/5 review and full page feature in UNCUT: “A masterclass in cajun country, folk-blues and trippy southern rock.”
(Carpark Records) Bundick’s latest is no sloppily assembled bunch of Pine session throwaways. Freaking Out was put to tape in June during a period of touring quiescence. The release finds Bundick revelling in twenty minutes of boogie, roping in the heavy sounds of groups like the Gap Band and Mtume.
NICOLAS JAAR // ‘Space is Only Noise’ // (Circus Company)
9/10 at RESIDENT ADVISOR: “As appropriate for ten on Sunday morning as it is for the bleary ends of 3am, an on-the-nod effort that still feels redemptive and invigorating. You can play it whenever, which is good because you’re going to want to play it a lot.”
WALLS // ‘Coracle’ // (Kompakt) Album of the week in THE INDEPENDENT: “A swoonsome and immersive experience, it could well shape up to be one of the best albums of 2011.”
THE FIELD // ‘Looping State of Mind’ // (Kompakt)
“Its ethos might not be so different to Andy Weatherall’s 20 year old rerub of My Bloody Valentine, but Willner not only blasts it with his DNA, he makes it sound like the very definition of forwarded-minded music in 2011.” NME – 8/10
PANDA BEAR // ‘Tomboy’ // (Paw Tracks) Full page 4/5 review in UNCUT: “Away, again, from Animal Collective – and into a world of rapture, reveries, and great washes of beautiful sound.”
HOLY OTHER // ‘With U’ // (Tri Angle) Another stunning release from label-of-the-moment Tri Angle. With U is the debut release by elusive producer Holy Other. Taking the alien kinetics of UK garage, the euphoric highs of vocal house and the slow, sensuality of R&B, Holy Other has created a sound that’s as melancholy as it is beautiful, spectral and yet slightly at unease with itself.
VARIOUS ARTISTS // ‘Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love – Motown’s Mowest Story 1971–1973’ // (Light In The Attic)
Lead full page review in WORD magazine: “The sound of what might have been. Most of the best music on this compilation has that very West Coast wistfulness you find running through hippy rock from the Mamas & Papas to Laurel Canyon, a sense of sun and open spaces.”
VARIOUS // ‘Jazz Noire – Darktown Sleaze From the Mean Streets of 1940s LA’ // (Fantastic Voyage)
Jazz Noire is your soundtrack to the mean streets of Los Angeles in the post-war 1940s. Bookended by classic film noir themes of the period, this selection presents studio recordings by the era’s most famous musicians, many of whom were based in, or were habitués of, the bars and theatres of the City of Angels.
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{STAFF CHARTS}
Martin Nobody likes to be categorised, to be pigeonholed, completely understood, able to be dismissed, of no further interest. It’s nice to think there is a little mystery to us, and that something about our taste will hint that we might be worthy of continued investigation. It isn’t as if I thought I was particularly enigmatic, but I did hope I wasn’t that easy to nail down, that having had the advantage of access to so much and such a great variety of music I might have managed to be reasonably catholic in my outlook and just a little independent of the whims of musical fashion. Until, that is, the recent advent of our “Chillwave/ Synthwave/Ghoststep” section neatly corralled within its single row a good half of my chart, confirming in the process that I wasn’t so much as cosmopolitan as serially narrow minded. And that face it Mart, if you had more hair, you’d be a Goth. ‘A Winged Victory For The Sullen’ sums up where I am at the moment, or maybe more accurately what I need. The serene warmth of its neoclassical drift has a meditative quality in which it’s almost impossible not to become gently immersed. Love to everyone!
Adam Ok, so it’s been another frantic year in sunny Manchester. I’m looking back through the haze at a wealth of music, nights out and good times. Got to give big love to anyone who’s been down to a Wet Play night and to all the amazing guests who’ve graced our chaotic functions. Thanks to venues such as the Soup Kitchen, Kraak and Islington Mill for providing suitable haunts and keeping the scene bubbling. Have to give some props out to some other cats who’ve been pushing the vibe in our fair city. Bohemian Grove, Swing Ting, Meandyou, Faktion and Now Wave to name a just a few, have all been providing us with a rich quilt of entertainment throughout 2011. Got to talk about some shop antics as always. Pasta Paul’s new ‘Jet Age’ hair cut being an obvious highlight. Also got to mention the dude who’s been nicking all the free magazines from the front of the shop. We’re on to you! I better not catch you trying to flog these end of year reviews to students round the northern quarter. Also on a personal note, let’s see if I can swerve the Saturday hoovering duties for another twelve months (sorry gang).
1. A Winged Victory For The Sullen: A Winged Victory For The Sullen 2. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring For My Halo 3. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake 4. Maria Minerva: Cabaret Cixous 5. Phoenix Foundation: Buffalo 6. Sun Araw: Ancient Romans 7. Tropics: Parodia Flare 8. Still Corners: Creatures Of An Hour 9. Metronomy: The English Riviera 10. Harvey Presents Locussolus: Locussolus 11. Real Estate: Days 12. Other Lives: Tamer Animals 13. I Break Horses: Hearts 14. Wooden Shjips: West 15. Vetiver: The Errant Charm 16. Balam Acab: Wander/ Wonder 17. Peaking Lights: 936 18. Grimes: Geidi Primes 19. Water Borders: Harbored Mantras 20. Clams Casino: Rainforest
1. Maria Minerva: Cabaret Cixous 2. Boxcutter: The Dissolve 3. Kwjaz: Kwjaz 4. Thundercat: The Golden Age Of Apocalypse 5. Peaking Lights: 936 6. James Ferraro: On Air 7. Dwayne Omarr: Multi Funk 8. Ras G: Down 2 Earth 9. Seahawks: Vision Quest One 10. John Tejada: Parabolas 11. Tridact: Tridact 12. Sun Araw: Ancient Romans 13. Walls: Coracle 14. La Vampires Goes Ital: Streetwise 15. The Stepkids: The Stepkids 16. Jonti: Twirligig 17. Hatchback: Zues And Apollo 18. Wooden Shjips: West 19. J Mascis: Several Shades Of Why 20. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring For My Halo
Andy I probably say this every year, but the first thing I want to mention is a great big thank you to all our customers. In particular the regular nutjobs who help keep the shop going and brighten up our lives on a weekly or even daily basis. It feels like there’s no counter between us, though God knows what would happen if they ever got on the other side!?! We’re all after the same thing: dreams never end. The beat goes on. Then there’s The Music. In these changing and frankly worrying times for The Biz, one mad paradox is just the sheer volume of superb releases. In guitar-based/indie music and its open embracing of bygone genres (shoegaze, jangly C86, folk, West Coast etc, etc) there is simply an embarrassment of riches. So many great records. I could easily have put another 20 in my chart. It seems the torch is always passed, great music never dies, and people like us and you lot will always want to own and cherish it. So we move on together! Despite the troubles our shop is still a mega, fun place to work and, I hope, a great place to visit. Long may it continue. Rock on.
Paul The winter months can be long and hard but in January a ray of sunshine came in the shop in the form of a Smoke Fairies instore. Followed by a great gig at the Ruby Lounge after. The Phoenix Foundation album hasn’t really left my record bag since it’s release. Talking of DJing thank you to all the staff & places I’ve played this year mainly TrofNq, Deaf Institute and Odd Bar. The biggest surprise for me this year though was my shock long weekend in Croatia for Electric Elephant. Due to a clash of holidays I couldn’t go but thanks to Ryan Air I managed a few days there. I came back to find I had a new flat mate, Ruby, and a month later the summer riots which strangely affected us with the PIAS fire destroying stock. More recently a trip to Dublin for Noel Gallagher’s first solo gig was amazing, thanks Niamh for the tickets. The album is surprisingly great too. Also, a massive thank you to Garry and Jemma for helping me get a Mac. Lastly, very sad to see Abigail leave work. Good luck. R.I.P Amy Winehouse, Gil Scott-Heron, Steve Jobs & Jimmy Saville.
1. Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring for My Halo 2. Jonathan Wilson: Gentle Spirit 3. Destroyer: Kaputt 4. Cashier No.9: To the Death of Fun 5. Metronomy: The English Riviera 6. Sarabeth Tucek: Get Well Soon 7. Gruff Rhys: Hotel Shampoo 8. Washed Out: Within And Without 9. Phoenix Foundation: Buffalo 10. Other Lives: Tamer Animals 11. Widowspeak: Widowspeak 12. Pure X: Pleasure 13. Real Estate: Days 14. I Break Horses: Hearts 15. Lanterns on the Lake: Gracious Tide, Take Me Home 16. Vetiver: The Errant Charm 17. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake 18. Korallreven: An Album by Korallreven 19. Still Corners: Creatures of an Hour 20. Dum Dum Girls: Only in Dreams
1. The Phoenix Foundation: Buffalo 2. Arthur’s Landing: Arthur’s Landing 3. T hundercat: The Golden Age Of Apocalypse 4. Almunia: New Moon 5. Nicolas Jaar: Space Is Only Noise 6. Harvey Presents Locussolus: Locussolus 7. The Kills: Blood Pressures 8. J Mascis: Several Shades of Why 9. Metronomy: The English Riviera 10. G il Scott-Heron & Jamie XX: We’re New Here 11. Azari & III: Azari & III 12. Other Lives: Tamer Animals 13. Jonathan Wilson: Gentle Spirit 14. G hostpoet: Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam 15. L anterns On The Lake: Gracious Tide, Take Me Home 16. D anger Mouse & Daniele Luppi: Rome 17. Tinariwen: Tassili 18. Low: C’Mon 19. Sbtrkt: Sbtrkt 20. Dutch Uncles: Cadenza
{STAFF CHARTS}
Ryan 2011, A massive year for both me and new music. This year has seen me move away from a less than joyous office job and secure a place at Salford University with physics and join the family here at the shop. A job where my massive music ramblings are actually accepted! Fantastic. Admittedly though not the best place for a vinyl addict! I’ve spent the last half of the year binging on gigs, and have seen some amazing line ups in some brilliant venues. Shimmering Stars, Craft Spells, Real Estate and Spectrals to name a few and there are plenty more in the pipeline. Besides music I have probably spent most my free time delving into film photography and being that guy in the middle of a busy street taking a picture of a rusty fence for inexplicable artistic reasons. One thing to be sure of though is that 2011 has brought upon us some massive newcomers like Soft Metals with its synthwave tendencies and cries to early drum machines and a stunning gazy debut from I Break Horses both which have made a massive impact on me this year along with many more records which (confirmed by my nervously compiled top 20) have been the soundtrack to my life in the past year especially the top 4.
1. I Break Horses: Hearts 2. Real Estate: Days 3. Wooden Shjips: West 4. Shimmering Stars: Violent Hearts 5. Craft Spells: Idle Labour 6. Mazes: A Thousand Heys 7. Psychic Ills: Hazed Dream 8. Night Beats: Night Beats 9. Soft Metals: Soft Metals 10. Ganglians: Still Living 11. Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams 12. John Maus: We Must Become The Pitless censors of Ourselves 13. Magic Bullets: Magic Bullets 14. Big Troubles: Romantic Comedy 15. Washed Out: Within And Without 16. Pure X: Pleasure 17. Widowspeak: Widowspeak 18. Com Truise: Galactic Melt 19. Maria Minerva: Cabaret Cixous 20. Beach Fossils: What A Pleasure
Now Wave
------------------------------------------------------------Thurston Moore 30 November The Ritz Dutch Uncles 2 December The Deaf Institute Lemonheads 6 December The Ritz Iceage / Brown Brouges 8 December Kraak Gallery Omar Souleyman 9 December The Deaf Institute Peaking Lights 10 December The Deaf Institute Foals 30 December The Warehouse Project Friends 6 February The Deaf Institute Errors 10 February Islington Mill Outfit 17 February The Deaf Institute Ghostpoet 18 February Sound Control Spector 18 February The Deaf Institute Field Music 19 February The Deaf Institute SBTRKT 23 February Islington Mill
------------------------------------------------------------Tickets Available From : Piccadilly Records www.ticketline.co.uk / 0161 832 1111 + www.seetickets.com + www.skiddle.com www.nowwave.co.uk / Twitter: @nowwave
AVANT / LEFTFIELD / AMBIENT / NEW-PSYCHE A Winged Victory For The Sullen: A Winged Victory For The Sullen Roll The Dice: In Dust Sun Araw: Ancient Romans James Ferraro: On Air Eternal Tapestry: Beyond The 4th Door White Hills: H-p1 Kwjaz: Kwjaz Carlton Melton: Country Ways Panda Bear: Tomboy Battles: Gloss Drop Mogwai: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will Master Musicians Of Bukkake: Totem 3 Rangers: Pan Am Stories Oneohtrix Point Never: Replica Voice Of The Seven Thunders: Blue Comet Mixes By Andrew Liles Eternal Tapestry & Sun Araw: Night Gallery Mountains: Air Museum Bitchin’ Bajas: Water Wrackets — Film Score Blanck Mass: Blanck Mass Collections Of Colonies Of Bees: Giving POST-DUBSTEP / FUTURE BEATS 2011 Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX: We’re New Here SBTRKT: SBTRKT James Blake: James Blake Martyn: Ghost People King Midas Sound: Without You Boxcutter: The Dissolve Sepalcure: Sepalcure Toddla T: Watch Me Dance Bibio: Mind Bokeh Zomby: Dedication Rustie: Glass Swords FaltyDL: You Stand Uncertain 2562: Fever Africa Hitech: 93 Million Miles Kode9 And The Spaceape: Black Sun Silkie: City Limits Volume 2 Joker: The Vision Kuedo: Severant James Blake: Enough Thunder Machinedrum: Room(s)
SYNTHWAVE / CHILLWAVE 2011 Maria Minerva: Cabaret Cixous Peaking Lights: 936 Washed Out: Within And Without Holy Other: With U Soft Metals: Soft Metals Balam Acab: Wander / Wonder Tropics: Parodia Flare Neon Indian: Era Extrana Toro Y Moi: Freaking Out Clams Casino: Rainforest Class Actress: Rapprocher Grimes: Geidi Primes Blood Orange: Coastal Grooves Ayshay: Warn-U Hype Williams: One Nation Thundercat: The Golden Age Of Apocalypse LA Vampires Goes Ital: Streetwise Zola Jesus: Conatus Ford & Lopatin: Channel Pressure Water Borders: Harbored Mantras
{GENRE CHARTS}
7” SINGLES Lana Del Rey: Video Games John Stammers: Idle I’m (Colorama Coloured In Remix) / Your Good Is As Guess As Mine (The Kramford Look Remix) Widowspeak: Harsh Realm Beirut: East Harlem / Goshen Cults: Go Outside Cold Specks: Holland Young British Artists: Everything In Front Of You / Blood Brother Brown Brogues: Don’t Touch My Hair HOUSE Milk Maid: Dead Wrong 6th Borough Project: Mazes: Most Days One Night In The Borough The Louche FC: Back Bedroom Casualty / Only In A Dream Azari & III: Azari & III 2:54: On A Wire Fudge Fingas: Now About How Electricity In Our Homes: Aching, Breaking, Shaking For You The Field: Looping State Of Mind Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: I’m So Sorry / I’m Going Back Steffi: Yours & Mine Cass McCombs: County Line John Tejada: Parabolas Razika: Nytt Pa Nytt / Taste My Dream Walls: Coracle Tom Williams & The Boat: 90mph Art Department: The Drawing Board Penny & The Quarters: You And Me Cabin Fever: Various Cruelties: If It Wasn’t For You / Cold As You Cabin Fever Trax Volume 1 Little Roy: Come As You Are / Stain Mark E: Stone Breaker Still Corners: Cuckoo Magic Bullets: Lying Around / Thoughts Of You Basemint: No Retro / Basemint Theme DISCO / BALEARIC 2011 Damon & Naomi: Walking Backward Harvey Presents Locussolus: Locussolus Beau And The Arrows: Fix Hercules And Love Affair: Blue Songs Almunia: New Moon Hatchback: Zeus And Apollo Tiger & Woods: Through The Green Arthur’s Landing: Arthur’s Landing The Rapture: In The Grace Of Your Love Seahawks: Vision Quest One — Spaceships Over Topanga Canyon In Flagranti: Worse For Wear Gatto Fritto: Gatto Fritto
Genre Charts
LABEL OF THE YEAR
“Label boss and co-founder Simon Raymonde
has had a life steeped in music”
Bella Union. What a label, hey? The casual observer will know them, probably through Midlake’s 2006 world-classic “The Trials of Van Occupanther” and Fleet Foxes’ genre-defining eponymous debut from a couple of years later. Not bad, you’d say, but for us music obsessives, there’s so much more. Label boss and co-founder Simon Raymonde has had a life steeped in music. His father provided arrangements for inspirational, 60’s producer Joe Meek and Simon, having been galvanized by Punk, joined those otherworldly, Shoegaze-inspiring, multi-layered tunesmiths The Cocteau Twins. It was with the Cocteaus’ guitarist Robin Guthrie that he founded Bella Union in 1997. The Cocteau Twins were signed to 4AD which, along with Rough Trade and, later Creation, was the most exciting and influential independent record label of the mid to late 80’s. The band was left alone to develop their sound at their own pace, in an almost family-like atmosphere of like-minded souls. Just like Bella Union now. This is a label of love: for the music, for the bands, even for us, dear listeners, I reckon! And if you look at what they’ve released this year alone, then you’d have to say that they are not sales but music led; there just happens to be some pretty amazing records in there, nonetheless!
From Heidi Spencer’s unique-voiced warmth in January, to Laura Veirs’ gorgeous songs for children this November, there’s been so much great music in between: Treefight For Sunlight’s epic, sunshine pop; Low Anthem’s widescreen Americana; Thousands’ nature-inspired acoustic honesty; Explosion in the Sky’s dynamic drama; Alessi’s Ark’s melodic, tender folk; Zun Zun Egui’s crazy Afro jerk-rock, and Veronica Falls’ C86 meets Smiths indie pop. Fleet Foxes weighed in with a meaty follow-up to that iconic debut whilst I Break Horses ensured that the Shoegaze revival showed no signs of abating. However, it was with Lanterns On The Lake (slow, stately and orchestrated), Vetiver (Balearic folk), Cashier No.9 (Shack meets Stone Roses pop heaven!) and Jonathan Wilson (deep, West Coast, super-songs majesty) that Bella Union displayed their knack for bringing unparalleled brilliance to our attention. These albums will slay you, I promise, and as with the whole Bella Union roster, the vibe is eternally good-natured, considered and heartfelt. But please, don’t be thinking that everything here is just hunky-dory, mellowed-out and unambitious. It’s the pursuit of pure magic and dream-weaving that drives Bella Union and its fellow travellers forward. If you’re not already, then it’s time to get on board!
I Break Horses
Cashier No.9
Vetiver
Jonathan Wilson
Lanterns On The Lake
Piccadilly’s label of the year
Heidi Spencer & THe rare BirdS Under STreeTligHT glow
TreeFigHT For SUnligHT TreeFigHT For SUnligHT
THoUSandS THe SoUnd oF everyTHing
THe low anTHem SmarT FleSH
aleSSi’S arK Time Travel
TaKe care, TaKe care, TaKe care
FleeT FoxeS HelpleSSneSS BlUeS
i BreaK HorSeS HearTS
veTiver THe erranT cHarm
caSHier no. 9 To THe deaTH oF FUn
JonaTHan wilSon genTle SpiriT
gracioUS Tide, TaKe me Home
ZUn ZUn egUi KaTang
veronica FallS veronica FallS
laUra veirS TUmBle Bee
exploSionS in THe SKy
lanTernS on THe laKe
‘bella Union would like to thank Piccadilly for their support’
[PIAS] ‘11: ONE LOUDER KING CREOSOTE & JON HOPKINS “Diamond Mine”
OTHER LIVES “Tamer Animals”
SARABETH TUCEK “Get Well Soon”
BJÖRK “Biophilia”
ESBEN AND THE WITCH “Violet Cries”
KURT VILE “Smoke Ring For My Halo”
ZOMBY “Dedication”
tUnE-yArDs “W h o k i l l”
FRANK TURNER “England Keep My Bones”
WASHED OUT “Within and Without”
REAL ESTATE “Days”
WOODEN SHJIPS “West”
www.pias.com/uk