end of year review
BEST ALBUMS OF 2023
SIMPLY GREAT MUSIC! MATTHEW HALSALL
JIM
JOHN
‘AN EVER CHANGING VIEW’
‘LOVE MAKES MAGIC’
‘A LIFE DIAGRAMMATIC’
YUSSEF DAYES
HANIA RANI
(Gondwana) Piccadilly Chart: #8
‘BLACK CLASSICAL MUSIC’
(Vicious Charm) Piccadilly Chart: #12
‘GHOSTS’
DAS KOOLIES
‘DK.01’
(Brace Yourself Records) Piccadilly Chart: #20
(Strangetown / Amplify Music) Piccadilly Chart: #64
PALE BLUE EYES
WILD NOTHING
‘THIS HOUSE’
‘HOLD’
(Gondwana) Piccadilly Chart: #36
(Full Time Hobby) Piccadilly Chart: #32
(Captured Tracks) Piccadilly Chart: #76
ANNA B SAVAGE
HAMISH HAWK
GREG FOAT & GIGI MASIN
TEENAGE FANCLUB
‘in|FLUX’
‘ANGEL NUMBERS’
‘DOLPHIN’
‘NOTHING LASTS FOREVER’
(Brownswood Recordings) Piccadilly Chart: #21
(City Slang) Piccadilly Chart: #83
(Post Electric) Piccadilly Chart: #93
(Strut) Piccadilly Chart: #41
(PeMa) Piccadilly Chart: #84
GET A A FREE A PICCADILLY RECORDS 2023 CD SAMPLER FEATURING ALL THESE GREAT ARTISTS AND MORE WHEN YOU PURCHASE ANY OF THESE ALBUMS SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDIE RECORD STORE! WWW.REPUBLICOFMUSIC.NET
Introduction Welcome all to our EOY booklet, where we reflect on some of the best music 2023 had to offer us. But before we delve into the tunage, we’ve been really busy this year with signings, instore gigs, outstore gigs, Q&As and even a live DJ set by a certain Mancunian legend. So here’s a list of thankyous to all the superstars that took the time to get personal with us and our loyal customers: Emma Anderson, Madness, Teenage Fanclub, Pale Blue Eyes, Kevin Rowland, Grian Chatten, The Murder Capital, Luke Una, Hamish Hawk, A Certain Ratio, DMA’s and Antony Szmierek. Finally — thanks to our outstore partner Night & Day who continue to be a beacon of creativity and independence to our locale, even with them still fighting a long winded noise abatement order!
Huge thanks also to Mark Brown for designing the booklet again (can you believe it’s his 15th year of designing them for us?), big ups for another belter Mark! And not forgetting Republic of Music for facilitating the Piccadilly Records compilation vinyl and sampler CD. Our listening parties became a big hit — why stream at home alone when you can get down with some like minded fans and digest the music together?! Lana Del Rey, boygenius, Sufjan Stevens and Sparklehorse all had our shop full of eager listeners enjoying a communal experience (hats off especially to the Lana Del Rey and boygenius lot, who flooded the shop floor but were perhaps some of the most well behaved and polite humans we’ve had in). In the ever-cyclical nature of trend, the year has seen something of a 90s-informed revival, which I’m sure will become evident as you peruse our top picks of the year. So without further ado let’s jump right into the music!
Piccadilly Records Compilation Looking for a Xmas stocking filler? Fear not because we’re once again releasing a Piccadilly Records EOY compilation LP. Tracklisting and more info on the inner back page of this booklet……
Piccadilly Records Sampler Our ever popular sampler CD is back once again for 2023, bursting with top tracks from the last 12 months, including Wild Nothing, Hania Rani, Das Koolies, Anna B Savage, JIM, Hamish Hawk, Pale Blue Eyes, Greg Foat & Gig Mason, Teenage Fanclub, and many more. It’s free with the Top 100 Albums, Top 20 Compilations and Top 20 Reissues (whilst stocks last!)
The Top 100 Albums: Album Of The Year
Album Of The Year 2023
Slowdive everything is alive Liam: When Slowdive returned in 2014, there was a real sense of jubilation and satisfaction that the shoegaze legends were finally getting their well deserved dues and plaudits. However in the years following their return, the world’s landscape changed significantly. Not just on a global scale, but also on a personal level for members of the band. ‘everything is alive’ was born during a heavy period of grief, which can be felt on the closer “The Slab” — a visceral and overwhelming wall of sound that you just want to crawl into for solace and to escape the troubles of the world.
of Slowdive’s best work to date. Opener “Shanty” is an all-consuming shoegaze epic of colossal proportions, whilst the gorgeous “Prayer Remembered” is an atmospheric slice of ambient perfection that harks back to Slowdive’s 1990 debut EP. The dreamy ”Alife” swirls amongst Rachel Goswell’s ethereal vocals, which is then followed by the stripped back and vulnerable delivery of Neil Halstead on the exquisite and delicate “Andalucia Plays”. Then there’s “Kisses”, the album’s most ‘pop’ moment but also one of its best. Finally, we have the woozy headiness of “Skin In The Game” and the synth led and almost post-rock “Chained To A Cloud”, both of which just further emphasise the greatness of ‘everything is alive’.
Despite these moments of sadness, there is real artistry in the way Slowdive manages to reflect on the human experience and how we navigate it throughout our lives. This in turn results in an absolute marvel of a record, with some
With ‘everything is alive’, Slowdive are well and truly full of life. Whilst their 2017 selftitled felt like a celebration of their legacy, the poignancy and beauty of ‘everything is alive’ feels like Slowdive never left and we hope they stay with us forever.
Piccadilly UK retail exclusives Vinyl: Pale pink coloured vinyl with slipmat and glossy print. CD: Digipak cd with unique pin badge.
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Q&A With Neil Halstead Firstly, congratulations on being Piccadilly Records number 1 album of 2023. After the overwhelming success of your 2017 comeback album, was there some apprehension going into this record? Thank you for putting us at number 1, that’s amazing! I think this record was definitely a harder one to put together than the last one. We were fresh out of the blocks with that one and I think the creative energy was easier to reel in and the record came together easier. This time around I, and I think the rest of the band, were conscious we wanted to push the envelope a bit more. That’s exciting and a good mindset to work with but also it does mean you put yourself under more pressure. This probably isn’t the first time you’ve heard this, but I feel like ‘everything is alive’ feels in parts like a natural progression from 1995’s “Pygmalion” in terms of the use of electronics in the album. Is this something you felt yourself? In some ways I agree. The album was born from a batch of electronic music that I had created between 2014 and 2019… I thought a good way to start a Slowdive record might be to take these very minimal electronic pieces and put them in the Slowdive world and see where that took them, that was the starting point. That electronic genesis is still there behind a lot
of tunes and in parts it does have a flavour of Pygmalion but it’s very much a Slowdive record in a way that Pygmalion wasn’t... Pygmalion was always an outlier I think. You’ve also spoken about as a band how ‘everything is alive’ was born during a difficult period for certain members of the band. However, even though there are darker tracks and moments of sadness on the LP, for me personally I also feel that this is a record that encapsulates the human experience and shows real beauty in how it’s able to look back and reflect on moments that we all at one point will most likely experience. What are your feelings towards the album and what did you take away from it on a personal level creating it? Artistically it was a very difficult record to get over the line… just wasn’t an easy one to make. It felt like every stage was difficult for all sorts of reasons. But there were also big things happening in the real world, Covid, Rachel and Simon lost a parent each, I had a newborn so lots of big life changing things and I think that worked its way into what we were making. Music is always a moment in time really and this record carries a lot of the emotions that were surrounding us when we made it. As well as releasing this album, you’ve also had a busy year in terms of touring — including your
first time playing Glastonbury. How’s it been playing this new material alongside your 90s material? Yep just started playing some tunes from the record and it feels great! Always fun to see the next stage in a song’s life and see what happens to it when you play it out... sometimes it’s better than the record and sometimes it doesn’t work as well so we are still in that discovery mode. Glasto was ok... I know everyone loves it but I’ve never been a big Glastonbury head… I prefer a little festival… it just feels too big to me and it’s weird playing a festival where Elton John is headlining... feels like you took a wrong turn somewhere. Everyone knows our albums of 2023 — what are yours? Sufjan Stevens: Javelin Yo La Tengo: This Stupid World Steve Wilson: The Harmony Codex Emeralds: Does It Look Like I’m Here (Reissue) Finally, what’s next for Slowdive in 2024 and beyond? We are just in tour mode right now and will be touring through next year and probably into 2025 … we’ll see how we go! I think we just feel lucky to get a chance to do the records and to play the shows.
The Top 100 Albums: Top Ten
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Nabihah Iqbal DREAMER
Mine: Though not a million miles away sonically from her 2017 debut album ‘Weighing Of The Heart’, Nabihah Iqbal’s second long player ‘DREAMER’ does sound like the London based musician, producer and DJ has taken on a new creative direction, deconstructing her trademark sound of electronic shoegaze and dreamy synth-pop into its core elements. While sounding more mature and confident than its predecessor, the record also shows more vulnerability, as if past struggles (among them stolen equipment and a family emergency during the pandemic) have left her visibly exposed. The ethereal, otherworldly opener “In Light” is followed by a catchy dream pop number, the aptly titled “Dreamer”, before “This World Couldn’t See Us” introduces more electronic elements and spoken vocals without interrupting the sonic theme of melancholy that is undisputedly making its mark throughout the entire album.
‘DREAMER’ sounds like it was written by someone who feels just as at home at an intimate gig as at a rave, but it manages to combine Iqbal’s influences so effortlessly that the album flows and never strays from what it set out to do, despite featuring tracks as wildly different as the introspective, stripped back “Lilac Twilight”, the haunting, beatless “Sweet Emotion (Lost In Devotion)” and the anthemic, trance influenced “Sky River”; one of the songs on the album that showcases her love for dance music. Awash with ambient synth pads, reverb laden guitars, textured melodies and big beats, ‘DREAMER’ manages to please both stargazers and night-time ravers. A truly beautiful record by an artist who is at a creative peak in her career.
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bar italia Tracey Denim
Ethan: On ‘Tracey Denim’, bar italia sound like a 90s undergroundAmerican-indie outfit that miraculously discovered Britpop one day, and then were immediately whisked through time and space to a pristine recording studio in the 2020s. And the result is absolutely brilliant! There’s a ‘slacker’ approach to this band’s whole aesthetic, with their loose performances and inconsistent lower-case approach to titling. That is, in everything except the immaculate production, where they manage to pull off some incredibly unique drum sounds and edgy guitar tones while still remaining light and gentle. There’s the silvery hi-hat powering through “guard”, the guttural bass defining “Horsey Girl Rider”, and fuzz-tinted power chords on “Punkt”. Everything here has a definite Sonic Youth edge, or maybe a more-relaxed Modest Mouse would be more appropriate. It’s all wrapped up in a very tongue-in-cheek gen-z humour, best exemplified through their digs at Kate Nash through Track 7’s stupidly-long title.
All this gushing about the band and I haven’t even mentioned what sets them apart from all the sub-par 90s throwback bands. Their unique selling point is the Beatles approach to vocals, which is to say lead vocals are distributed between all band members at a fairly equal rate. “Missus Morality” is a beautiful exchange between Nina Cristante’s alto range and Jezmi Tarik’s deeper, tenor timbre. The two then duet on tracks like “changer”, and the band even bring in Sam Fenton for a trio on tracks such as “Friends”. It’s just a shame that their Manchester headline had to clash with Slowdive…
The Top 100 Albums: Top Ten
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Piccadilly EOY Exclusive edition: Orange with blue splatter vinyl. Both Vinyl and CD include a 13 track bonus CD disc, ‘A Light And A Scream’.
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Catatonic Suns Catatonic Suns
Darryl: Catatonic Suns are a psychedelic three-piece hailing from Pennsylvania, USA. Having released a couple of low-key releases (the minialbum ‘Aphelion’ in 2019 and a full length ‘Suadade’ in 2022) they’ve completely blown our minds with their new self-titled album.
Top 10 moments of Catatonic Suns
Featuring seven original tracks and a raucous amped-up Original Sins cover, ‘Catatonic Suns’ finds the band honing their sound to perfection. Pitched somewhere between the melodic grunge noise of Nirvana and the blissed-out shoegaze of Ride and Swervedriver, the Catatonic Suns have delivered an astonishing album.
7. Getting played on the BBC twice by Mickey Bradley for our single ‘Be As One’
From the psych drenched opener “Deadzone” through to the huge eight minute swirling space-rock of “No Stranger” the band have created an epic wall of sound. Tracks like “Failsafe” and “Be As One” showcase the band’s melodic side (either of these wouldn’t be out of place on The Verve’s ‘A Storm In Heaven’) whilst “Fell Off” and the aforementioned Original Sins cover “Inside Out” sees lead singer / guitarist Patrick Shields practically shredding his own vocal chords. Throughout all of this the rhythm section of Caleb Strobl (drums) and Jakob Christman (bass) keep things tight allowing the swirling guitar maelstrom to ride off into the sun.
10. Kicking off the year this past January, we had a psychedelic freak out at an art studio where a bunch of our friends came on stage and played various instruments including bongos, saxophone, tambourine ending in a noise filled jam 9. When we played Berlin club in NYC with Danish band Gäy and label mates Laurel Canyon 8. Opening for Drag City artist Purling Hiss and Brother JT whom we cover on the album
6. Playing the World Cafe venue in Philadelphia for radio station WXPN 5. Doing a photo shoot with legendary New York Photographer Michael Macioce who worked with Butthole Surfers and Beastie Boys 4. Packing our hometown venue The Funhouse 3. Doing our album cover photo shoot in Philadelphia 2. Having a shirt designed by legendary poster artist Fez Moreno who’s worked with Brian Jonestown Massacre 1. Opening for Kurt Vile and Sun Ra Arkestra at a big hometown venue
The Top 100 Albums: Top Ten
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boygenius the record
Barry: There was never any doubt that the wonderful boygenius would pull out a perfectly paced, emotionally rich debut after the roaring reception of their self-titled EP. ‘the record’ starts with a touching piece featuring the unadorned vocals of Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers. It’s an arresting and perfectly telling show of the skill and camaraderie that exists between these musicians, and a beautiful starting point for something truly special. There are some more tender moments, like the touching and incredibly open “Emily, I’m Sorry” or the folky meanderings of “Cool About It”, but It’s the contrast from these pieces to the more dynamic overdriven behemoths that really show
their comparative merits all the more clearly. “Satanist” easily fills any need you may have for screaming grungy mayhem, with both rolling bass and squealing guitars making an appearance before fading once again into the ether. The three vocalists all have notably different voices too, and while their sound definitely carries over from their respective solo acts, there’s something intangible that’s added when they all work together, turning this from a project that’s some musicians playing alongside each-other into a fully formed band that just happens to be made up of three of the best indie musicians of the last decade. Boygenius are easily one of the most emotionally devastating, life-affirmingly beautiful acts around today, and ‘the record’ is just the start of their journey. A perfect album in every way.
A
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unty of Indispensable lights fr Twenty Three...
OSEES ‘Intercepted Message’
THE SOUNDCARRIERS ‘Celeste’
CATATONIC SUNS ‘Catatonic Suns’
In The Red LP/CD
Phosphonic LP/CD
Agitated LP/CD //Special Piccadilly LP version
SARABETH TUCEK ‘JOAN OF ALL’
SONIC YOUTH ‘Live In Brooklyn 2011’
PENGUIN CAFÉ ‘Rain Before Seven’
LAUREL CANYON ‘Laurel Canyon’
TITANIC ‘Vidrio’
CARLTON MELTON ‘Turn To Earth’
Ocean Omen 2LP/CD
Agitated LP/CD
Silver Current 2LP/2CD
Unheard Of Hope LP (Col)
Erased Tapes LP/CD
Agitated 2LP/CD
STOP PRESS: Catatonic Suns in at NUMBER 4, Piccadilly Records’ AOTY.. .special version incoming: Sonic Youth – Piccadilly Records ‘ Reissue of the Year… special version incoming…..
Thanky Piccadilly Rec ds!!
info@fortedistribution.co.uk
The Top 100 Albums: Top Ten
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Beach Fossils Bunny
Liam: Here at Piccadilly HQ, it’s well known that we’re purveyors of jangly indie — with Beach Fossils being one of the bands we’ve always come to champion over recent years. However, when we first heard ‘Bunny’ floating along the shop speakers, we knew we were in for something special.
with the latter culminating in an expansive and rousing wall of sound. “Run To The Moon”s slide guitar results in Slowdivemeets-country (yes it works), whilst “(Just Like The) Setting Sun” is a shimmering slice of dream-pop. As for “Dare Me” and “Seconds”, both fit nicely into the garage/ post-punky sound Beach Fossils carved out on their second record ‘Clash The Truth’.
Lead single “Don’t Fade Away” is Beach Fossils at their very best — a perfect indie-pop track whose infectious melody you’ll be humming non-stop. Similarly with “Sleeping On My Own” and “Tough Love”, tracks that have so much jangle they’ll scratch any C86 (or should I say C23) itch. Elsewhere on the album, “Anything Is Anything”, “Feel So High” and “Numb” all skirt the line of treading into shoegaze,
With Beach Fossils’ music in the past, there was always a sense that Dustin Payseur was making music that explored the nostalgia of a period he wasn’t able to experience firsthand. But with ‘Bunny’, Payseur is able to look back at Beach Fossils as a whole and reminisce on a nostalgia that he himself created. In turn, this results in a flawless Beach Fossils record that is undoubtedly their best yet.
I’m always trying to do the exact opposite of what I’ve done in the past. We did the self-titled album and the ‘What A Pleasure’ EP, which were more relaxed and dreamy. Then I wanted to do something that represented the live Beach Fossils more and had more of the punk and post-punk stylings in it, so we did ‘Clash The Truth’. Then the opposite of that was something grand — the opposite of what Beach Fossils was — leaning into the baroque pop influences with strings and
saxophone and pedal steel and harpsichord — just seeing how far we can take our sound. When we started working on ‘Bunny’, I didn’t know what to do at first, but what felt the most natural was to go minimal — back to the original Beach Fossils sound — but pushing our song structure as best it can be and pushing ourselves to create something that had more pop sensibilities that we had ignored in the past. Dustin Payseur (Beach Fossils)
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Grian Chatten Chaos For The Fly
Andy: Grian Chatten, as I’m sure you all know, is the lead singer of Fontaines D.C. This is his first solo album and it’s an absolute corker! It only seems right, at this point, to own up to being not the biggest Fontaines’ fan, but that’s why this record is such a wonderful surprise to me. Whilst they thunder along in their rambunctious, post punkish style, Grian solo is a far more considered and down beat affair. Musically, Chatten seems to be referencing such poetic songsmiths as Leonard Cohen, Elliott Smith and, of course, Shane MacGowan, and he’s said that the whole album came to him in a vision whilst walking along Stoney Beach in Ireland.
It’s interesting that he should share this as there is a tangible faded (seaside) glamour and epic, introspective vibe which shrouds the whole record. There are only nine songs here, but every one is a gem. Dan Carey is still on board as producer but, on this album Grian’s voice is pointedly out front, clear as a bell and centre of attention. His voice is stunning. And, as for his words, well these songs are pure poetry set to music; miniature films, if you like. My two favourite tracks are, funnily enough, back to back in the running order. “All Of The People” is just a brilliant melody with a harsh and apparently heart felt finger pointing lyric whilst “East Coast Bed” just drifts so gorgeously it’s in a genre all of its own!
Thank you Piccadilly for including ‘Chaos For The Fly’ in this chart. A lot of the album was written with just me and a guitar and there’s an intensity as a result of that. I’ve got a couple of exaggerated aspects of my soul that I wanted to express and I’m happy that has resonated with people. Grian Chatten
The Top 100 Albums: Top Ten
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Matthew Halsall An Ever Changing View
Martin: That Matthew Halsall’s music takes as its starting point the meditative end of Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane is no accident. His final two years of education were spent at the Maharishi school, where his experience of meditation led to a deeper immersion in Buddhism, a philosophy that permeates and shapes the nature of his work. This is his ninth solo album, which in itself presents the perennial problem that dogs most artists; how to keep the originality and inspiration that accompany approaching a blank canvas and not disappear into a spiral of ever diminishing returns by clinging too tightly to the only formula they allow themselves to know. While it is true that the flow of his work has remained consistent, the individual components and musicians have not.
Almost all of the original members of The Gondwana Orchestra have moved on to the burgeoning London jazz scene, the silver lining to this being their replacements have brought their own influence. Halsall has also an ever increasing collection of percussion instruments to draw on and use as a base for his music — in this case kalimba, glockenspiel and marimba amongst others, over which his serene trumpet soars softly overhead. It’s a testament to Halsall’s willingness to evolve that his music still sounds so fresh. He’s produced an exquisite, peaceful gem, as rich as any of his previous work, overflowing with warmth, intricacy and gentle charm. On one level the album’s title could refer to the changes in landscape travelling between Northumberland and North Wales, where the album was recorded, But it also nods to the Buddhist concept of impermanence, the idea that it’s a property of the universe that nothing stays the same. An ever changing view.
Thank you Piccadilly Records for the amazing support! I’m super happy to be included in the top 10 of your top 100 albums of the year and can’t wait to check out the rest of your recommendations. Peace + love Matthew
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Jalen Ngonda Come Around And Love Me
Laura: Born and raised on the East Coast of the USA, just outside Washington DC and now resident in Liverpool, Jalen Ngonda’s debut album is released on Daptone, which is reason enough to take note — let’s face it, they rarely put a foot wrong do they? The album kicks off with the title track “Come Around And Love Me”, that brings to mind ‘What’s Going On’ era Marvin, and then runs through a collection of pristine 2-3 minute gems that perfectly capture the golden era of soul, from the mid 60s to mid 70s.
My album ‘Come Around And Love Me’ is a collection of songs I wrote from 2020-2021. The songs are mainly based around love and relationships within the first perspective. The first songs written for this album were “What A Difference She Made” and “Just Like You Used To” which I wrote with Sam Knowles aka Karma Kid. Me and him have been close mates for a little under a year and have developed a writing chemistry. I had no intention of releasing “Just Like You Used To” but when I introduced the song to Gabriel Roth and Neal Sugarman they insisted that it should be released as a single.
Jalen is the real deal, with a voice that ranges from raw soul power to sweet falsetto, and songwriting skills to match. There isn’t a bad track here, in fact pretty much every song could be a single in its own right. You can pick out a whole host of influences, from the aforementioned Marvin Gaye, to the psychedelic soul of Isaac Hayes, the Motor City sound of The Four Tops and sweet harmonies of The Temptations but there’s a fresh modern feel to the production too, it’s not some tired pastiche. I guess if you’re looking for a contemporary comparison, Michael Kiwanuka springs to mind in the way that he fuses the old and new so seamlessly. So to sum up, if you’re a fan of modern soul, full of romance and heartbreak and infused with classic Motown and Philly Soul ingredients, then this is for you.
After that I felt more encouraged to write more songs in that vein ultimately being teamed up with Michael Buckley and Vince Chiarito, who co-wrote many of the songs on the record and produced the aforementioned. Musically the album sounds very reminiscent of soul music from 1966-1972 particularly the Detroit and Chicago sounds. It is with sincerity and love that I am proud to present to you ‘Come Around And Love Me’. Jalen Ngonda
The Top 100 Albums: Top Ten
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Overmono Good Lies
Ethan: ‘Good Lies’ opens with what could easily be mistaken for a scrapped 2020 Charli XCX instrumental – chopped cutesy vocals, bubble-gum bass passages, the occasional eclectic SOPHIE-esque drum pattern. This may seem undermining, but only reflects the current trajectory of the Welsh duo – a clear path to the (metaphorical) electronic hall of fame. There’s brilliant runs of hit-after-hit throughout this album that somehow convinced my musically-blind (and likely tone-deaf) dad that he wanted to start DJing. But when you’ve got songs like “Cold Blooded” and “Skulled” transitioning perfectly into each other, it’s not hard to see why. The title track is one of the biggest mood-lifters I’ve heard in a good
while and I think it’s a crime that I’ve not heard it played in more clubs this year. However, some of the album’s greatest strengths lie in its alternative R&B and even ambient passages – which feels almost polarising to say when considering the club potential of tracks like “Is U” and “‘So U Know”. “Arla Fearn” functions as a breather between the bangers that open the album up, with its droning pads and bass-driven instrumental, but there’s still a bouncy feel to the drums here that keeps the energy flowing. The snappy snare with its trail of reverb is a really satisfying piece of production. “Vermonly” definitely runs with the ambient ideas as well, with the drums being subdued for once and lead cycling through a glossy motif. And to top it all off, there’s a cool dog on the cover. That should sell you on the album alone!
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Evening Standard
The Guardian
Uncut
The Quietus
The Times
The Sunday Times
Loud & Quiet
Clash
Line Of Best Fit
The I Paper
out now
The Top 100 Albums: Top Twenty
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Nourished By Time Erotic Probiotic 2 Matt: Perhaps it’s his amateur, 90-styled music videos, shot himself on a 4K iPhone; maybe it’s his awkward dancing coupled with his blue-collar Baltimore aesthetic; or his catch-all culmination of soul, electro, freestyle and R&B — but there’s something completely unfashionable yet utterly relevant and alluring about NBT. Landing somewhere between Arthur Russell, Dean Blunt and Frank Ocean, there’s almost a spiritual element at work too — although (real name) Marcus admits that while he’s prayed to Jesus, he’s ‘never heard a word back in plain English’. Instead he offers inspired commentary on consumerism and capitalism as the modern churches of religion (detailed brilliantly on album highlight “The Fields”), whilst also covering more intangible and existential subjects such as breakups, longing and fighting despair. A truly original and enigmatic character that I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of in the future.
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JIM Love Makes Magic Pasta Paul: On first listening to ‘Love Makes Magic’ by JIM, it’s hard to believe that the man behind it, Jim Baron, is a founding member of Manchester dance innovators Crazy P — a group who’ve been shaking dance floors all across the globe for two decades. Here, he’s influenced by the likes of Nick Drake, Jackson C. Frank, Terry Callier, and guitar bands from the 60s and 70s such as Crosby, Stills and Nash, as well as soulful West Coast sounds like Ned Doheny. It’s no surprise, then, that this is an album full of lush, intricate summer folk sounds and beautiful Balearic beats. It’s full of subtle melodies and grooves which proliferate on a journey through space and time — from Laurel Canyon to Levenshulme via Ibiza. It’s a simple call to hazy memories, youthful exuberance with a care-free, feel-good spirit and a return to the feeling of home. Essential.
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Eyes Of Others Eyes Of Others Andy: Eyes of Others is, basically, the musical alias for Edinburgh based artist, John Bryden. Even though it’s on the mighty Heavenly Records, this summer release has remained pretty much under the radar. But, not in our shop it hasn’t! This is a dreamy, whimsical, electronic pop record that floats around and drifts all over the musical landscape. Heavenly describe it themselves as “pure musical freedom” and if you could imagine a sound palette which includes dub, synth, techno and folk then you’d be halfway there. It’s delightfully elusive but Bryden depicts his sound as kind of “later than a gig, but not full-on early morning club fare. It’s the inbetween space.” I’m gonna say, it sounds like the Beta Band jamming with Peaking Lights over The Stone Roses’ “Something’s Burning” around at Arthur Russell’s flat. Have some of that!
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Little Simz NO THANK YOU Millie: Returning strong with big orchestral interludes and quickfire rap from Little Simz in her new album ‘NO THANK YOU’. The album alludes to challenges faced releasing music with a tone of self-reflection but this album feels stronger than ever, with her talent shining through each track on the album despite the obstacles and healing that took place. “Gorilla” was a track that really grew on me, it reminds me of her incredible stage presence during her live performances; of being at ease like she’s always been destined to be there. It feels layered with polished production with that large Simz energy and intangible confidence. Another standout for me has to be “Heart on Fire”, you can feel the atmosphere building like a rising in your chest, it’s evident that this soulful music comes from the heart. Paired alongside the backing choir vocals, it only accentuates her unmissable dynamic sound that Simbi always nails.
The Top 100 Albums: Top Twenty
15
Caroline Polachek Desire, I Want to Turn Into You Ethan: Back in 2019, Caroline Polachek’s first fully-realised solo outing was a surprising-yetwelcome entry into the slowly emerging glitch and ‘hyperpop’ scene. By comparison, ‘Desire, I Want to Turn into You’ is an equally polished yet more outlandish attempt at pop perfection. Every track has some left-field eccentricity over a beautifully-executed synthpop backing that keeps you thoroughly entertained, from the flamenco guitars of “Sunset”, to a children’s choir on my personal favourite track “Billions”, to even a bagpipe solo on “Blood and Butter”. That’s not to say that the album isn’t enjoyable as a standard synthpop experience; production from hyperpop-aficionado Danny L. Harle ensures you’re filled with a desire to bounce around the room. However, no song on this project would work without the glue that is Caroline’s exceptional vocal performance, highlighted through a virtuosic solo in the opening seconds of the album. This opening moment guarantees you know what a talent-filled, delicate and charming listening experience you’re in for; and I guarantee you’ll listen again just for the choruses!
16
Jungle Volcano Maisy: With a discography that has consistently pushed creative boundaries with the integration of visual art into their already artistic albums, Jungle presents an amazing fourth studio album, ‘Volcano’, as a testament to their enduring musical journey. A great sound built upon funk and soul, the duo has seamlessly woven contrasting segments of hip hop and disco throughout the album, profoundly amplified by the album’s essential collaborators like Erik the Architect and Bas. Midway through, the single “Back on 74” makes a name for itself with its gorgeous vocals by Lydia Kitto. It brings the listeners to a place of nostalgia of young summer afternoons, which was the production duo’s aim of the story-telling album. Giving us a thirst for house and disco, this album effortlessly provides a feel-good soundtrack for any chosen activities, from reminiscing on those times of 70s soul (“Dominoes”) to shimmying to euphoric disco choruses!
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17
The Murder Capital Gigi’s Recovery Liam: When we were first introduced to The Murder Capital, they were leading the post-punk charge alongside Fontaines D.C. However, whilst their post-punk core does remain intact, ‘Gigi’s Recovery’ sees The Murder Capital acknowledging and thriving within their musical evolution. “Crying” sees them capturing the ‘Primary Colours’ era of The Horrors, whilst “Return My Head” and “Ethel” seize their post-punk roots and take them to new heights. As for “The Lies Becomes The Self” and “A Thousand Lives”, their more artrock leanings wouldn’t go amiss on a Radiohead record. Then there’s “We Had To Disappear”, a powerfully beautiful lullaby that is easily one of the best tracks they’ve ever done. James McGovern’s poetic lyricism remains one of The Murder Capital’s strongest attributes, always commanding each track with hypnotic exposition. Full of passion and spirited urgency, but also moments of tender nuance, ‘Gigi’s Recovery’ is a special album by a truly special band.
18
Squid O Monolith William: The Oxford English dictionary defines ‘squid’ as “an elongated, fast-swimming cephalopod mollusc with eight arms and two long tentacles, typically able to change colour”, which is about as appropriate a definition as any to tack onto this eclectic collection of manic yet thoughtful pieces of music. ‘O Monolith’ is some other dimension’s version of pop music — an honest and unrelenting synthesis of the haunting art, isolation and real-world brutality that inspired it, an earworm that nests itself only in the most obscure recesses of your mind. It would be fit to feature in any year-end list on the strength of bombastic lead single and opener “‘Swing (In a Dream)” alone, but the contemplative “The Blades” and the mind-bending closer with a title that would exceed my world limit, to name a couple, as well as how smoothly the album flows, cement this record’s place as a truly original modern classic.
The Top 100 Albums: Top Twenty
19
Sufjan Stevens Javelin Andy: Delicate, fragile yet somehow forthright, this new collection of perfect songs sees Sufjan Stevens return to the summits previously inhabited by 2003’s ‘Michigan’, 2005’s ‘Illinois’ and 2015’s ‘Carrie and Lowell.’ Basically, this new record is raw, soul searching, heart yearning, pain, truth, and beauty poured onto tape. There’s also plenty of love around, both personal and universal, so there’s something here for everyone, anyone who has a heart! If you’re familiar with Sufjan’s oeuvre, you’ll know that he’s a pure, total artist who determinedly follows his muse. This often results in unusual, experimental, often heavily electronic records. I think I speak for most people when I say, his melancholy acoustic albums are the ones we love the most. Personal highlights for me are “Will Anyone Ever Love Me?” and “So You Are Tired”. The latter is a breakup song to top all break up songs. It’s exquisitely beautiful.
20
John A Life Diagrammatic Laura: On their fourth album John continue to evolve their sound, adding more experimentation to their driving guitar and drums onslaught. As with previous releases, the taut guitar riffs create a tension throughout the album as it sweeps between brooding atmospherics and explosive outbursts, but there’s a more nuanced, cinematic feel this time around. This is typified on “Media Res” which features a strange, slightly unnerving monologue from Simon Pegg — a distorted conversation that you only hear one side of. Typical of the whole album there’s an ambiguity to the narrative that sucks you in and forces you to listen. There’s no snappy sloganeering here, the lyrical depth is integral to the sound as a whole, it’s an album that demands your attention. Still not convinced? Then surely a nod of approval, in the shape of a collaboration on “Riddley Scott Walker”, from the king of cinematic noir, Barry Adamson, should surely seal the deal.
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The Top 100 Albums: Top Fifty
21. Yussef Dayes: Black Classical Music Renowned composer and jazz drummer Yussef Dayes seamlessly pulls together a rich groove and a myriad of influences. Filled with collaborative talent, ‘Black Classical Music’ manages to draw from a wealth of world sounds without breaking step. Afrobeat, soul-funk and jazz fans take note.
22. Gabriels: Angels & Queens ‘Angels & Queens’ is an album about love and loss and as such is suitably dramatic, with each song seeming like a mini masterpiece. They give a fresh take on classic soul and gospel song structures, and infuse them with strings, keys and horns, all topped with Jacob’s sublimely angelic falsetto vocal. Gabriels have created an album of atmospheric and absolutely compelling modern gospel soul.
23. The Chemical Brothers: For That Beautiful Feeling Rocketing into orbit with the stadium inferno that is “Live Again”, there’s little chance to touch down, as Tom and Ed hit the thrusters for one of the most stratospheric ‘Chems LPs we can remember. A rousing and rebellious message for our times, with the usual smattering of guest appearances and sampled vocals articulating their uplifting insubordination with soaring, memorable hooks.
24. Co-Pilot: Rotate What else would you expect from Jim Noir’s Alan Roberts and the endlessly talented Leonore Wheatley from International Teachers of Pop / The Soundcarriers, than an evocative, beautifully written selection of grooving psychedelic beauties. ‘Rotate’ is swimming with fractured melodies, crisp melodic synths tempered with crunchy syncopated percussion and Leonore’s haunting, beautifully rendered vocals.
25. Gaz Coombes: Turn The Car Around It feels like his previous solo albums have been building up to this and he’s absolutely nailed it. An album about coming to terms with modern life with all its ups and downs, it feels deeply personal but at the same time taps into a lot of people’s hopes and fears. Stylistically it covers a lot of ground, from the soulful “Don’t Say It’s Over”, the glammy stomp of “Long Live The Strange”, the gentle guitar strum of “Not The Only Things’’ and the Bowie-esque “Dance On”.
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26. Say She She: Silver A stunning mix of funky NY soul, snappy disco and woozy Balearic here from the cleverly named Say She She. Channelling the spirit of Chic with a wealth of influence drawn from all over the musical spectrum. Brilliantly paced and endlessly funky.
27. James Holden: Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities James Holden has been an inspiration for many a year, deftly moving from the jagged instrumental genius of ‘The Inheritors’ through the jazzy ambient fare of ‘Animal Spirits’ to this latest album, imbued with the spirit of both. It’s a sprawling and multi-faceted triumph, and another indication that Holden is one of the greatest producers around.
28. Paramore: This Is Why Ditching their pop-punk and synth-pop sound of previous records in favour of 2000s math-infused indie, ‘This Is Why’ certainly represents a new chapter for Paramore. The title track takes things to ‘Total Life Forever’ era Foals, whilst elsewhere there are shades of early Bloc Party and 90s emo.
29. Eddie Chacon: Sundown If ever an album screamed Rhodes and Ibiza more than this little gem from Eddie Chacon, I’m yet to hear of it. Wonderfully meditative but without sacrificing the swimming melodicism and horizontal soul we’ve come to expect from Chacon (of Charles & Eddie fame). A shimmering, hazy Balearic beauty.
30. Romy: Mid Air Romy of The xx fame presents a wonderfully evocative set of crystalline dancefloor bangers, high energy synth lines and her instantly recognisable vocals; calling upon Fred Again, Jamie XX and a lovely bit of sampling of the endlessly talented Beverly Glenn-Copeland on “Mid Air”.
The Top 100 Albums: Top Fifty
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31. Willie J Healey: Bunny ‘Bunny’ sees Willie J Healey continue his fusion of soul, jazz and classic rock into a uniquely cohesive and wonderfully accomplished whole. Hazy jazzy balladry and crisp funk all topped with Healey’s vox. Brilliant.
32. Pale Blue Eyes: This House With rich groovin’ guitars, snappy percussion and Matt Board’s gorgeous psychedelic vocal stylings, Pale Blue Eyes’ formula might not sound like the most complex, but it results in the huge, warm sound bath we hear on ‘This House’. Beautifully written melodies and stuck-in-yourhead riffs abound.
33. bdrmm: I Don’t Know Whilst the shoegaze leanings are still ever-present (“Pulling Stitches” is as My Bloody Valentine as the band have ever sounded), bdrmm also cover sonic ground that leans more towards the electronica and even Radiohead side of the post-rock spectrum. Transcendental, ethereal and dripping in textures, bdrmm once again show they’re one of the best bands around.
34. PJ Harvey: I Inside The Old Year Dying Like some enigmatic musical shark, PJ Harvey never stops moving her art forward while also leaving behind enough of her past iterations to make every transition satisfying rather than jarring. The gorgeous, folkinfused ‘I Inside the Old Year Dying’ typifies this phenomenon, perfectly capturing the sonic essence of Harvey’s poetry.
35. The National: Laugh Track Released as a companion album to ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’, ‘Laugh Track’ was written during the same sessions but feels more dynamic, largely due to Bryan reverting to ‘real’ rather than programmed drums. After all, it’s his fluid, scatter-shot drumming that has always been the perfect foil for Matt’s melancholy. This LP sounds much more like The National we love and closing track “Smoke Detector” possibly hints at the future direction of their evolution.
The Top 100 Albums: Top Fifty
36. Hania Rani: Ghosts Hania Rani’s music has up until this point been very much in the ambient / modern classical vein, with beautiful instrumental textures and Rani’s voice perfectly merging together into a blissful bath. It’s on ‘Ghosts’ however that we really hear how dynamic and inventive her sound is, with synthesised textures and beautifully produced turns.
37. Sparklehorse: Bird Machine As you’d expect, ‘Bird Machine’ is a tenderly written selection of Mark Linkous’ unmistakeable vocals and brittle melodic turns, with heaps of intimate intensity. Does it matter that it’s a posthumously released collection? Often, but certainly not in this case. Beautiful.
38. Cate Brooks: Easel Studies A homage to the otherworldly majesty of the Buchla Music Easel. Cate’s music is a huge inspiration, and to hear her so deftly navigate the cosmic madness of the easel, and dedicate the first track to her cat, and to be presented on the Clay Pipe label is perfect. It’s all perfect!
39. Chappaqua Wrestling: Plus Ultra Chappaqua Wrestling are a four-piece originally from Brighton now London via Manchester, their debut album ‘Plus Ultra’ hints at the super melodic pop of The Rolling Blackouts but swathed in Rainy City drizzle of their student days rather than Antipodean sunshine.
40. Harp: Albion Tim Smith, genius songwriter, from Midlake’s golden, ‘Van Occupanther’ period finally returns. Apparently he became smitten with The Cure’s ‘Faith’ and all things UK alt 80s, and so has combined those epic, lush production sensibilities with his own sometimes folk, sometimes mediaeval, and sometimes Celtic melodies. The result is a melancholic and magical masterpiece.
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Angélica Garcia, Aoife Nessa Frances, Beth Orton, Blondshell, Body Meat, Bombino, Cigarettes After Sex, Cymande, DJ Rashad, Ezra Collective, Fela Kuti, Fontaines D.C., Geese, Grian Chatten, HONESTY, IDLES, Just Mustard, Laura Marling, Léa Sen, Lip Critic, LUMP, Maple Glider, NoSo, PJ Harvey, Sam Burton, Skinny Pelembe, Sun's Signature, The Black Angels, Ultraísta, Westerman, WITCH.
The Top 100 Albums: Top Fifty
Conchúr White "Swirling Violets" Plantoid "Terrapath"
19 Jan..............................
02 Feb. ......................................................................
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41. Greg Foat & Gigi Masin: Dolphin Two of the greatest forces in ambient music here, presenting a laid-back suite of shimmering aquatic melodies and pad swells, lightened with a touch of loungy jazz keys and a swimming Balearic groove. Every bit as wonderful as you’d expect from such legendary musicians.
42. Mandy, Indiana: I’ve Seen A Way The pummelling industrial rhythms and shuddering sub-bass of Mandy, Indiana’s blistering debut album might bring to mind Manchester’s great post-punk lineage, but when you dig a little deeper it’s clear there are a host of influences perfectly woven into the intricate audio fabric. A startling, impeccable musical statement.
43. Woods: Perennial Another masterpiece from Jeremy Earl and his psych-pop troubadours. They’re just fantastic songwriters and vibe merchants. Woods are unique in that they’re forever on an upward curve and after all these years this could actually be their best record yet.
44. Blur: The Ballad Of Darren Eight years on since ‘The Magic Whip’, ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ sees Blur with their most contemplative and inwards work to date. Whilst the cheeky chappie personas are firmly left in the 90s, this is still quintessentially and unmistakably Blur — with Damon and co.’s songwriting chops at full flex with some of their best sounding tracks ever.
45. GoGo Penguin: Everything Is Going To Be Okay I’ve loved GoGo Penguin in every iteration of their sound thus far. Minimal loungy jazz business, flickering electronica and grooving soulful instrumentals, they’ve all been brilliant. It’s a big thing then, when I say with some confidence that the optimistic melodic turns and perfectly produced hazy flicker of ‘Everything Is Going To Be Ok’ is their best yet.
The Top 100 Albums: Top Fifty
46. Deathcrash: Less ‘Less’ takes Deathcrash’s best qualities and condenses them into 37 minutes of post-rock worship. There’s crushing guitars and frantic drumming wrapped with a consistent emo undertone. “Empty Heavy” feels like it could’ve been cut from ‘Spiderland’, while “Distance Song” follows an unusual pop song structure, with an absolutely devastating chorus that is a definite musical highlight of the year.
47. 79.5: 79.5 Smooth, scented and sexy; 79.5 might well be the new sound of hammocking in the summer. I can’t imagine any beach hideaway or secluded garden not benefitting from the aural delights contained within. Lavish instrumentation, soulful vocals, unhurried arrangements; this is a startlingly beautiful album.
48. Cloth: Secret Measure Angular post-rock structures and flickering percussion sit perfectly below the hypnotic hushed vocals. Driven, dreamy and full of moments of unexpected syncopation and cumulative heft. A feat of songwriting prowess, and a really enjoyable listen.
49. Queens Of The Stone Age: In Times New Roman QOTSA return for their most cathartic outing yet, dealing with Homme’s cancer treatment, the loss of friends and the ‘new normal’ we find ourselves in. It’s a quintessentially QOTSA album, but pushed to 11, with the quiet moments all the more menacing, and the loud interludes all the more incendiary.
50. OSEES: Intercepted Message The brilliant OSEES are back with a vitriolic blast of fuzzy guitars, frenetic percussion and wonky synth sweeps. Dwyer and co. are without a doubt at the forefront of the garage/indie movement, crafting a sound that’s both hugely impactful and undoubtedly their own, with more than a hint of irony peeking through here and there. Brilliantly done, as ever.
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Half Page.pdf
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KING TUFF Smalltown Stardust
QUASI Breaking the Balls of History
BRIA Cuntry Covers Volume 2
DEBBY FRIDAY GOOD LUCK
MUDHONEY Plastic Eternity
LAEL NEALE Star Eaters Delight
HANNAH JADAGU Aperture
BULLY Lucky For You
SIX FINGER SATELLITE The Pigeon is the Most Popular Bird
SWEEPING PROMISES Good Living is Coming For You
DEEPER Careful!
VASELINES Way Of The Vaselines
POSTAL SERVICE Everything Will Change
CHAI CHAI
THE SHINS Chutes Too Narrow 20th Anniversary
IRON & WINE Who Can See Forever Soundtrack
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51. Emma Anderson: Pearlies Emma Anderson presents her first solo album for the wonderful Sonic Cathedral, showing hints of her history in Lush but with a vigour and airy ease we’ve not heard before. It’s both wildly beautiful and unendingly deep, arguably her finest work of all.
52. A. Savage: Several Songs About Fire Parquet Courts’ inimitable A. Savage once again sets off on his own path, with the help of jangle-giants, Jack Cooper and Cate Le Bon. A pointed and perfectly observed selection of snappy chord changes and wry lyrical turns.
53. Shame: Food For Worms From the anthemic combo of “Adderall” and “Orchid”, to the beautiful 90s emo tinged closer “All The People”, Shame recapture that unbridled excitement that we all felt and fell in love with way back in 2016.
54. A Certain Ratio: 1982 ‘1982’ is a groove-filled odyssey, dipping seamlessly into disco, afrobeat and funk. Brilliantly inventive, endlessly innovative and most importantly, hugely enjoyable.
55. Arlo Parks: My SoftMachine A hugely personal and beautifully evocative selection of downbeat synth gems and woozy, wistful R&B.
56. Lost Under Heaven: Something Is Announced By Your Life! Full of anthemic and grand orchestral vistas, Lost Under Heaven’s life-affirming and cinematic scope also delves into desert-psych and rousing post-rock, essential listening.
57. The Tubs: Dead Meat Urgent, energised and utterly compelling debut; a motorised, razor sharp fusion of chiming guitars, folk stylings and punk fire that might just owe a lot to Hüsker Dü.
58. Oneohtrix Point Never: Again Daniel Lopatin is always innovating; bright moments shine through the deep, meticulously crafted electronic hiss and rich audio bath. Classic OPN.
59. Sans Merit: Early Grave The new shoegaze / dream pop project by Francis Inferno Orchestra which has Ryan (Horsebeach) cautiously looking in his rear view mirror.
60. Lorelle Meets The Obsolete: Datura ‘Datura’ is a no-nonsense spaced out post-punk showcase that really highlights the duo’s songwriting capabilities.
61. bar italia: The Twits Their second LP of 2023. And what a banger it is! Mega tunes and no bullshit, bar italia have honed and polished their sound even further. You won’t get a better one-two punch than ‘Tracey Denim’ and ‘The Twits’ in the indie-sphere right now.
62. BC Camplight: The Last Rotation Of Earth Full of soaring pop songs and perfectly manicured melodies. Heartfelt, grand and full of nuance, this is by far his most refined and enjoyable outing yet.
63. Coastlines: Coastlines 2 Hazy, lysergic keys and drifting oscillators float together in a pool of warm, Balearic grooves. Beautifully calm and instantly enjoyable.
The Top 100 Albums
64. Das Koolies: DK.01 The Das Koolies (AKA SFA without Gruff Rhys) debut album lands, and it’s a doozie! A dynamic, driven and unsurprisingly brilliant debut.
65. Death And Vanilla: Flicker Deeply psychedelic but rooted in classic songwriting, taking familiar progressions and twisting them into perfectly produced fever dreams.
66. Explosions In The Sky: End Post-rock titans EITS return with their heftiest, and most intense artistic statement yet. The masters of quiet / loud continue their reign.
67. Foo Fighters: But Here We Are The smooth rock groove of “There Is Nothing Left To Lose” and the quiet / loud snarl of “The Colour And The Shape”, highlight a return to form for one of the greatest rock acts of the 00s.
71. Ladytron: Time’s Arrow Ladytron return for their sleekest and most pristine offering yet, with euphoric synth sweeps and grand, 80s-tinged percussive rolls. Perfectly produced synth-pop!
72. Lana Del Rey: Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd Clocking in at just under 80 minutes, this is a sprawling opus full of rich storytelling and absolutely spellbinding vocals and instrumentation — perfection!
73. Protomartyr: Formal Growth In The Desert Unafraid as ever to push the boundaries but without sacrificing their core sound; moments of relative calm, echoes of country music and gothic choruses blend with the familiar angular scathing fire.
68. Goat: Medicine The Swedish psych-lords are back and on peak form. Fuzzy guitars and scattered percussion, thundering basslines, dancing flutes and loads of tremolo.
69. Jessie Ware: That! Feels Good! ‘That! Feels Good!’ sees Jessie Ware fully diving into high camp. It’s infectious, sultry and undoubtedly has the potential to be the party record of the year — mega, mega stuff!!
74. Rozi Plain: Prize By far her most spellbinding and focused work yet. It’s both beautifully meditative and hugely uplifting, the perfect balance.
75. Sampa The Great: As Above, So Below An impeccably produced, and beautifully written melting pot of afrobeat, R&B and crisp, jagged future beats from the inimitable Sampa.
70. King Krule: Space Heavy
76. Wild Nothing: Hold
Showcases King Krule masterfully balancing his trademark mix of scatty punk and lo-fi jazz, resulting in some of his most dynamic and impressive work to date.
Bright percussion and soaring synths, beautiful melodies and Jack Tatum’s hypnotic vocals, pushing the boundaries of Wild Nothing’s already broad sound palette.
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HEAVENLY REMIXES 7
THE HURDY-GURDY SONG
THE ORIELLES
The Goyt Method
TAPIR!
The Pilgrim, Their God and The King Of My Decrepit Mountain
HEAVENLY REMIXES 8
H.HAWKLINE
Milk For Flowers
DAVID HOLMES
Blind On A Galloping Horse
UNLOVED
Polychrome
UNLOVED
Ode To Lovers
EYES OF OTHERS
PIP BLOM
WORKING MEN’S CLUB
BAXTER DURY I Thought I Was Better Than You
FRAN LOBO
EAST VILLAGE
Eyes of Others
Bobbie
Burning It Feels Like
Steel City EP
Drop Out
The Top 100 Albums
77. Public Service Broadcasting: This New Noise
83. Anna B Savage: In|Flux
A perfect document of one of the most stunning live shows from PSB, with the power of the BBC symphony orchestra backing up their already epic compositions.
An inventive juxtaposition of near spoken-word ruminations, intricate jazz influenced rhythms and wispy acoustic instruments. Soaring and mournful in equal measure
78. King Creosote: I DES
84. Teenage Fanclub: Nothing Lasts Forever
A really beautiful and varied album with some pretty sad lyrics peppered throughout. Kenny is such a great songwriter. It’s been worth the wait!
79. Sigur Rós: ÁTTA Combines the shadowy heft of ‘Kveikur’ with emotionally intense orchestral monoliths. Reversed Jonsi vox, widescreen intensity and rich string work. Classic Rós.
Hazy folky slide guitar and Euros Child’s silky keys, classic Teenage Fanclub melodies and swooning vocals make for one of the most immersive TF albums in years.
85. Beirut: Hadsel ‘Hadsel’ feels like the purest distillation of Zach Condon’s singular, mournful but optimistic sound. Drenched in atmosphere and perfectly paced.
80. Sofia Kourtesis: Madres
86. Corinne Bailey Rae: Black Rainbows
The debut album from Berlin-based Peruvian Sofia Kourtesis. Melancholic leftfield electronica with euphoric vocals, perfect both on the home stereo and the dancefloor.
Corinne Bailey Rae takes a sharp turn away from her trademark soulful R&B sound. ‘Black Rainbows’ swings between blistering scuzzy rock and jazz inflected spooky soundscapes.
81. Afflecks Palace: The Only Light In This Tunnel Is The Oncoming Train Like a greatest hits of Manchester music, all rolled up into one jangling, baggy, indie-pop nugget.
87. Christine And The Queens: PARANOiA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE With hefty synths, gorgeous cinematic intensity and a flawless ear for melody, Chris continues the legacy he laid out so perfectly in the previous slices of emotional synth-pop genius.
82. Alison Goldfrapp: The Love Invention
88. Earl Sweatshirt: SICK!
‘The Love Invention’ sees Alison veer dramatically into synth-heavy dancefloor grooves, crisply produced house and rich 303 sweeps. This is the perfect mix of drive and wooze.
Thebe Neruda Kgositsile’s unique flow, the verbal equivalent of not picking your feet up properly when you walk, crawls out of his genius mind with fresh concepts and gnarly styles.
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Black Pumas Chronicles Of A Diamond
Emily King Special Occasion
JOSEPH The Sun
Margaret Glaspy Echo The Diamond
St. Paul & The Broken Bones Angels In Science Fiction
Temples Exotico
PUMA BLUE HOLY WATERS Transparent Blue Vinyl [Indies Exclusive] Standard Black Vinyl | CD
GOTTS STREET PARK - ON THE INSIDE Transparent Red Vinyl [Dinked Edition] Standard Black Vinyl | CD
The Top 100 Albums
89. Mitski: The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We Mitski brings us her own unique version of country music. Full of wry confessionals, intimate diarising and her unmistakable, beautiful vocals.
90. Föllakzoid: V Takes the formula established over their previous LP’s (grinding drone, huge stoner chug and psychedelic fog) and builds upon it substantially. Walls of noise and dynamic fuzz give way to scattered percussive shards and crystalline electronic textures.
91. Forest Swords: Bolted Forest Swords perfectly treds the line between tense, atmospheric noise and woozy, FM-heavy electronic groove. ‘Bolted’ is a very special album indeed.
92. Georgia: Euphoric ‘Euphoric’ takes all of the thumping percussion and silken synth-lines from her debut ‘Seeking Thrills’ and knocks it up a notch.
93. Hamish Hawk: Angel Numbers His songwriting takes in everything from chamber-pop to post-punk, with smatterings of country and indie-pop, providing the perfect backdrop for his witty, evocative lyrics.
94. The Coral: Sea Of Mirrors Classic Coral stomp and psychedelic groove we’ve come to love but infused with a heady mix of spaghetti western twangs and lysergic drifts of hazy country guitar.
95. Killer Mike: Michael Killer Mike of Run The Jewels fame shows why he is such a respected rapper and songwriter in his own right, with a classic-style hip hop flow and funky percussive backdrop.
96. Public Image Ltd: End Of World Trading on the sounds we’ve come to expect from their previous post-reunion outings, with Lydon’s vocals in fine form. ‘End Of World’ lurches from snarling spoken word to rhythmic swing and (relatively) soft melodic passages.
97. Chip Wickham: Love & Life A fabulous follow-up to last year’s ‘Cloud 10’ album, Chip Wickham’s warmly evocative and beautifully paced ‘Love & Life’ hits all the right spiritual jazz notes.
98. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs: Land Of Sleeper The unstoppable Pigsx7 return for a more expansive blast of their gritty sludge-rock, swimming with groove but edging into darker climes.
99. Pip Blom: Bobbie A lovely change of direction for Amsterdam’s Pip Blom, brimming with the sort of instrumental loveliness they’ve done so well in the past but lightened with a lean towards more carefree synth-pop grooves.
100. Yeule: Softscars A diverse selection of glitched-out electronics, roaring electro-punk and shimmering shoegaze atmospherics, ripped and scattered across the sound field.
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CARGO RECORDS
THE LEMONHEADS
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS
THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE
TEST CARD 2LP / CD
ROCKET RECORDINGS LP / CD
‘A’ RECORDINGS LP / CD
ISLET
EMMA ANDERSON
TEETH OF THE SEA
FIRE RECORDS LP / CD
COME ON FEEL
30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION FIRE RECORDS 2LP / CD
SOFT FASCINATION
THIS NEW NOISE
THE FUTURE IS YOUR PAST
THE CLIENTELE
SONIC CATHEDRAL LP / CD
HIVE
ROCKET RECORDINGS LP / CD
I AM NOT THERE ANYMORE
VANISHING TWIN
SAY SHE SHE
BONNACONS OF DOOM
FIRE RECORDS LP / CD
KARMA CHIEF LP / CD
ROCKET RECORDINGS LP / CD
HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER
AFTERNOON X
RVG
BRAIN WORMS FIRE RECORDS LP / CD
PEARLIES
LAND OF SLEEPER
SILVER
KALI MALONE
(FEATURING STEPHEN O’MALLEY & LUCY RAILTON)
DOES SPRING HIDE ITS JOY IDEOLOGIC ORGAN LP / CD
SIGNS
THE SHITS
YOU’RE A MESS
ROCKET RECORDINGS LP / CD
WWW.CARGORECORDS.CO.UK
MERGE RECORDS LP / CD
JUMP FOR JOY
MERGE RECORDS LP / CD
BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
ECHOES OF THE SOUTH SINGLE LOCK RECORDS LP / CD
BEST OF 2023
KRISTIN HERSH
PUBIC IMAGE LTD
FIRE RECORDS LP / CD
PiL OFFICIAL 2LP / CD
CLEAR POND ROAD
DECISIVE PINK
END OF WORLD
JESSY LANZA
TICKET TO FAME
LOVE HALLUCINATION
DOT ALLISON
LORELLE MEETS THE OBSOLETE
FIRE RECORDS LP / CD
CONSCIOUSOLOGY SONIC CATHEDRAL LP / CD
MUI ZYU
ROTTEN BUN FOR EGGLESS CENTURY FATHER/DAUGHTER LP / CD
HYPERDUB LP / CD
ADAM GREEN
FRIENDS OF MINE
GOAT
MEDICINE
CAPITANE RECORDS 2LP / 2CD
ROCKET RECORDINGS LP / CD
LORAINE JAMES
LEE GAMBLE
HYPERDUB LP / CD
HYPERDUB LP / CD
GENTLE CONFRONTATION
MODELS
BEIRUT
THE BUDOS BAND
DATURA
POMPEII RECORDS LP / CD
DIAMOND WEST RECORDS LP / CD
DEATHCRASH
THE REDS, PINKS AND PURPLES
COMPACT TRAUMA
SONIC CATHEDRAL LP / CD
LESS
UNTITLED RECORDS LP / CD
HADSEL
THE TOWN THAT CURSED YOUR NAME TOUGH LOVE LP / CD
FRONTIER’S EDGE
ULRIKA SPACEK TOUGH LOVE LP / CD
The Top 20 Compilations: Compilation Of The Year
Compilation Of The Year 2023
Jason Boardman & Moonboots Present
25 Years Of Aficionado Matt: Aficionado is a cult. A nod-and-a-wink into cryptic catacombs of musical discovery. A paradoxical combination of Moonboot’s hushed mythical reverence and the contagious sense of enthusiasm and adventure from Jason Boardman. A club night that’s uniquely Mancunian in spirit yet has gone on to inform and inspire a whole global network of record obsessives. A label that spins on a different axis to the mainstream, yet evolves and adapts in natural cycles in harmony with the growing maturity of its founders. Which is why we find ‘25 Years Of Aficionado’ in a decidedly unhurried and meditative mood — showcasing sounds that are at home amongst sun-blushed beaches, English countryside and the relaxed contentment of a free weekend afternoon. Rather than re-hash the hits that soundtracked their debauched Sunday sessions back in the day, the pair have curated a contemplative set
that reflects the unwinding of pace that undoubtedly comes with age – in turn delivering something that’s unequivocally relevant to the listeners it’s aimed at. I’ve had both the joy and pain of playing at ‘Nado. Forced to spend most of the evening wearing record sleeves on my head as my ill prepared set contained bootlegs, edits and, the biggest rule break of all – beat matching! I was young and ignorantly unaware of these basic fundamentals, but it was a beautiful schooling. To some this might seem like a militant and contrary manifesto; but it serves to highlight the purity of spirit that can easily be lost in today’s modern age, where digital versions of most songs can be acquired at the click of a mouse and true undiscovered rarities come few and far between. JB & Moon epitomise the excitement of the hunt, the joy of eclecticism; and I think it’s due to this immovable and uncompromising passion for unearthing true vinyl gems that goes someway to explaining the pair’s universal admiration and acclaim as DJs and label curators.
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Reflecting on how it all started 25 years ago, Moon considers their no-plan-plan to be a makeshift plateau which evolved organically: “All we did was try to play good records one after the other without any consideration for fashion. And people wanted that.” Alternative approaches were not unknown at the time, but Aficionado, as Jason and Moon’s Sunday sessions became known, pressed the reset button with unique resolve. Jason elaborates: “It was 1998 when we started. It was our own ‘fuck you’ to the Super Club regime — almost everywhere then. The ‘anything goes’ Balearic ethos was in abeyance. It wasn’t cool at the time, but we both just wanted to keep that original spirit alive. ‘Keep it open’ had always been my approach to DJing — even from playing at Youth Clubs as a teenager. No rules or generic constrictions. Play anything that you like from any era, any style from any time. We always encouraged our guests to dig deep and play outside of their comfort zones, their usual styles.” Regular contributors quickly realised there was a freedom here which expected exploration of the most cobwebbed corners of the collection. The trick was to do something that hadn’t
been done before — to play a record which might make these genuinely genre-less sonic adventurers double take. Aficionado reserved the right to apply the brakes and offered the same opportunity to their guests in terms of avoiding stultifying ‘sets’ and routine dance floor button pushing. At the same time, Jason and Moon were also adept in responding to the hedonistic excess that often erupted by playing music likely to facilitate random outbursts of dancing on tables on a school night. Aficionado never settled or coalesced into something readily identifiable and easy to sell. While there were many Manchester venues, for Jason Sundays at Zumbar were special: “It would get very deranged. A cranky Citronic double deck console and very lo-fi, but a real vibe. Free pizza! At Fat Cat we got offered a proper wage — credit in the straight world! A basement by the Canal.” Moon concurs: “Zumbar was crackers — Sunday became the essential day to go out for our lot. But my two favourite ’Nado venues were Arch in Hulme and Fat Cat. People who’d been up all weekend would turn up spangled. Some bods stopped going out on Saturdays and made Sunday their big night out. Did these people have jobs? Very, very funny times.”
Piccadilly exclusive Limited double mint green vinyl Vinyl Tracklisting: 1. Held By Trees: In The Trees — Ambient 2. Stanley Clarke: Desert Song 3. Jan Akkerman: Ode To Billy Joe 4. Alain Debray: Concierto De Aranjuez 5. The Hightower Set: Departure Lounge (Nothing To Declare) 6. J-Walk: Cool Bright Northern Morning 7. Canyons: Akasha (Begin Remix) 8. Waves: Summer Sunday 9. Mudd: Summer In The Wood 10. Trevor Heiron: Love Chains (Instrumental) 11. Korallreven: Honey Mine (Lissvik Remix) 12. Giorgio Tuma: Through Your Hands Love Can Shine (feat. Laetitia Sadier) 13. The Superimposers: Seeing Is Believing 14. Teacher: Can’t Step Twice (On The Same Piece Of Water) (New Version) 15. Kalima: Shine (Gilles Peterson Vibrazonic Dub Mix) 16. The Haggis Horns: The Traveller Part Two
The Top 20 Compilations
2. Waves Of Distortion (The Best Of Shoegaze 1990–2022) Liam: This comp looks like it’s raided my iPod classic circa 2017, full to the brim of absolute shoegaze classics and hidden gems. With cuts from shoegaze forefathers Slowdive and Ride, to more contemporary additions from the likes of DIIV and bdrmm, this is a must have for shoegaze veterans and newcomers alike! Mega, MEGA stuff!!!
3. 28 Little Bangers From Richard Hawley’s Jukebox Laura: Richard Hawley was schooled on rock’n’roll; his dad was a musician in the 60s and 70s and growing up he was always surrounded by musicians. So, it’s no surprise that he’s compiled these 7” gems from that era, collected on his travels. As he says: “They’re called Little Bangers because they’re like miniature musical hand grenades!”
4. Wig Out! Freak Out! (Freakbeat & Mod Psychedelia Floorfillers 1964–1969) Compiler Mark McQuillan: I wanted to put as many great tracks as I could on one compilation to hopefully bring across the feeling of sheer joy from spinning these awesome tracks in a club and seeing the place go off. This compilation isn’t supposed to be a rare crate diggers album, but rather a gateway to give listeners a flavour of the scene and allow them to go off and discover new and brilliant hidden gems within the Freakbeat and Mod Psychedelia genre.
5. Lounge Psychédélique (The Best Of Lounge & Exotica 1954–2022) Darryl: Delving into the world of Lounge, Exotica and Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, these cuts are the creme de la creme of the scene. Featuring legends like Martin Denny, Yma Sumac, Les Baxter, Mort Garson, Alan Hawkshaw, Leonard Nimoy, Pizzicato Five, and Keith Mansfield, there’s plenty of delights to raise a cocktail glass to! We have a Piccadilly Records exclusive deluxe marble & solid red coloured vinyl.
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6. Paul Hillery Presents Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours Vol. 2 Barry: From horizontal ambient folk business to head-nodding Balearica, the wonderful Paul Hillery once again raids his vaults for a unique selection of the finest gems. This time sees more drifty numbers like Len Udow’s gorgeous “Beauty Raise The Tree” joined with some more upbeat numbers, like Grand Union’s funky odyssey, “Morning Brings The Light”.
7. The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs Of Nick Drake Andy: How would you present a compilation of modern day artists covering singer-songwriter Nick Drake’s work? Like this! Get them to reinterpret the material in their own individual way, re-imagine if you like, whilst maintaining Nick’s original melody and words. We all know the original songs so well; that this record brings them to life so eloquently and sincerely is a huge testament to everybody involved.
8. Bill Brewster: Late Night Tales Presents After Dark Vespertine Barry: A smooth as silk collection of deep lounging groovers, airy disco numbers and thumping percussion, brought together with Bill Brewster’s incomparable musical ear. A thoroughly rewarding collection.
9. Luke Una Presents É Soul Cultura Volume 2 Barry: There’s a reason Luke’s first compilation was such a massive hit in the shop, and Volume 2 takes all of the afterparty energy of the first and stretches the outer limits of the sound field into more spiritual, offpiste excursions. Perfectly collated, researched and presented.
10. Bobby Gillespie Presents I Still Can’t Believe You’re Gone Andy: Read any interview with Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie over the years, and you can’t fail to notice what a ridiculously knowledgeable fan of musical history he is. It’s there in the multitude of styles his band have always explored, and it’s there in his previous compilation for Ace, ‘Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down’. Guess what? This second outing is even better!
The Top 20 Compilations
NICK DRAKE THE ENDLESS COLOURED WAYS: THE SONGS OF NICK DRAKE Chrysalis Records
ROSE CITY BAND GARDEN PARTY Thrill Jockey
EDDIE CHACON SUNDOWN Stones Throw Records
FEVER RAY RADICAL ROMANTICS Rabid Records
RODRIGO Y GABRIELA IN BETWEEN THOUGHTS... A NEW WORLD ATO
ROZI PLAIN PRIZE Memphis Industries
DUSTER STRATOSPHERE (25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) Numero Group
ORBITAL OPTICAL DELUSION London Records
JAMES HOLDEN IMAGINE THIS IS A HIGH DIMENSIONAL SPACE OF ALL POSSIBILITIES Border Community
DAVE LOMBARDO RITES OF PERCUSSION Ipecac Recordings
EMELI SANDÉ HOW WERE WE TO KNOW Chrysalis Records
SUFJAN STEVENS JAVELIN Asthmatic Kitty Records
www.integralmusic.com
The Top 20 Compilations
11. Curses Presents: Next Wave Acid Punx: DEUX Darryl: ‘DEUX’ takes us on another trip through darkwave and EBM. DJ Luca Venezia, aka Curses explains; “Chapter 2 moves the night on, this is the sound of the clubs I love to both play and just hang out in these days, clubs where the people involved put a lot more time into digging through the crates than working on their Instagram Reels”.
12. Once Again We Are The Children Of The Sun Darryl: Another Paul Hillery compilation, and this one’s the follow up to last year’s impeccable ‘We Are The Children Of Sun’. His legendary crate digging talent shows no sign of drying up with these amazing obscure psych, folk, rock and jazz gems from across the world.
13. Full Beam! For Gees Only Vol 4 Matt: Another top drawer selection from the Pharaoh’s cabinet that’d take serious leg work and a few bitcoins to amass on an individual basis. People are already saying this is the best volume to date — and given the pedigree of the last three, that’s some serious clout!
14. Pacific Breeze Volume 3 : Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975–1987 Barry: Another instalment in the hugely popular Pacific Breeze franchise here. Collecting another suite of lesser-heard Japanese boogie & City Pop, AOR and jazz-fusion records, perfectly sequenced and presented. You can’t go wrong with a Light In The Attic compilation, and this is one of their best.
15. The Art School Dance Goes On: Leeds Post-Punk 1977–84 Darryl: Focussing on the Leeds post-punk scene this wonderful compilation features early recordings from a host of well known artists like The Gang Of Four, Soft Cell, Delta 5, Mekons, and The Three Johns as well as more obscure acts. All bases are covered here from art-punk, primitive synth, punk-funk and indie.
The Top 20 Compilations
16. Bob Stanley / Pete Wiggs Present Winter Of Discontent Darryl: A soundtrack to a generation of discontent in the late 70s. DIY music that spontaneously smashed through the British music scene in the wake of the punk revolution. Mark Perry’s Sniffin’ Glue command, “Here’s one chord, here’s another, now start a band” was the fuse and these tracks are the light that shone through those dark days.
17. Keeping Control — Independent Music From Manchester 1977–1981 Darryl: Following Cherry Red’s 2017 ‘Manchester North Of England’ 7CD box set, this trimmed down 3CD follow up concentrates on the punk/post-punk scenes. Across its 76 tracks ‘Keeping Control’ features Mancunian legends such as the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, New Order, The Fall, John Cooper Clarke, Durutti Column, ACR, Magazine and many more.
18. Mehmet Aslan Pres. Senza Decoro: Liebe + Anarchia / Switzerland 1980–1990 Barry: Aaaah, Strut. You know where you are with Strut don’t you? If you had a choice of anyone to create a compilation of 70s experimental Swiss electronica, post-punk, and minimal wave then you really want them on the case. A brilliant, intoxicating oddity.
19. Suburban Annihilation (The California Hardcore Explosion From The City To The Beach: 1978–1983) Martin: The California hardcore scene, diverse, wild, and aggressive shot through with irreverence, had no peers at the time. These acts were the inspiration for many bands who went on to dominate the American punk and alt-rock scene. Do yourself a favour!
20. Silberland Vol. 2: The Driving Side Of Kosmische Musik 1974–1984 Barry: Bureau B are one of the greatest labels in the game, and responsible for some of the greatest records in electronic music history, so when they bring you a compilation, you listen. Every bit as brilliant as you’d expect, this is a beautifully curated and perfectly paced cosmic synth tome.
The Top 20 Compilations
BEST COMPILATIONS & REISSUES 2023
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS FOR ANY RECORD COLLECTION
V/A - JASON BOARDMAN & MOONBOOTS PRESENTS
V/A - WAVES OF DISTORTION
V/A - WIG OUT! FREAK OUT!
V/A - PAUL HILLERY PRESENTS
‘25 YEARS OF AFFICIONADO’
‘THE BEST OF SHOEGAZE 1990-2022’
‘FREAKBEAT & MOD PSYCHEDELIA FLOORFILLERS 1964-1969’
‘FOLK, FUNK AND TRIPPY TROUBADOURS VOL 2’
(Re:warm) Piccadilly Chart: #1
(Two-Piers) Piccadilly Chart: #2
(Re:warm) Piccadilly Chart: #6
(Two-Piers) Piccadilly Chart: #4
V/A - BILL BREWSTER:
V/A - MEHMET ASLAN PRESENTS:
V/A - SUBURBAN ANNIHILATION
V/A - MAD PROFESSOR
‘LATE NIGHT TALES PRESENTS AFTER DARK: VESPERTINE’
‘SENSA DECORO SWITZERLAND 1980-1990’
‘THE CALIFORNIA HARCORE EXPLOSION FROM THE CITY TO THE BEACH 1978-1983’
‘ARIWA SOUNDS: EARLY SESSIONS’
(Late Night Tales) Piccadilly Chart: #8
(Strut) Piccadilly Chart: #18
(Futurismo) Piccadilly Chart: #19
(Melodies International) Piccadilly Chart: #16
MASSIVE THANKS TO PICCADILLY RECORDS FOR SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT MUSIC SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDIE RECORD STORE! WWW.REPUBLICOFMUSIC.NET
BEST OF 2023 GAZ COOMBES TURN THE CAR AROUND
VAN MORRISON MOVING ON SKIFFLE
M83 FANTASY
DMA’S HOW MANY DREAMS?
EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL FUSE
THE LOTTERY WINNERS ANXIETY REPLACEMENT THERAPY
DEMOB HAPPY DIVINE MACHINES
THE ROYSTON CLUB SHAKING HIPS & CRASHING CARS
JAMES BE OPENED BY THE WONDERFUL
GENGAHR RED SUN TITANS
MILES KANE ONE MAN BAND
KING GIZZARD PETRODRAGONIC APOCALYPSE...
BEST OF 2023 WILLIE J HEALEY BUNNY
THE CORAL SEA OF MIRRORS
EGYPTIAN BLUE A LIVING COMMODITY
STEVEN WILSON THE HARMONY CODEX
VV BROWN AM I BRITISH YET?
VAN MORRISON ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE
BILLIE MARTEN DROP CHERRIES
FEIST MULTITUDES
ART SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND SOFT LANDING
The Top 20 Reissues/Collections: Reissue/Collection Of The Year
Reissue/Collection Of The Year 2023
Sonic Youth Live In Brooklyn 2011 Darryl: The legendary Sonic Youth played an historic gig on the Williamsburg Waterfront overlooking the East River on August 12th 2011. It would prove to be their final U.S. show, and this double vinyl and double CD on Silver Current Records perfectly captures this raw and expansive 85 minute set. Heavy on songs from their early years Sonic Youth powered through these tracks like a band full of teenage energy. The fact that this show was their U.S. swansong after around 30 years together makes this blistering set all the more remarkable.
Kicking off with the hypnotic “Brave Men Run (In My Family)”, before exploding into the sensational noise carnage of “Death Valley ‘69”. Sonic Youth continue to rip through the set with 80s classics; “Kotton Krown”, “Kill Yr. Idols”, “Eric’s Trip” and the awesome “Tom Violence” all dispatched with visceral vigour and punky power. Interspersed with three tracks from their last album ‘The Eternal’ along with a brilliantly brutal “Sugar Kane” they finish off proceedings with an apocalyptic version of “Inhuman” complete with feedback and wailing guitars and then it’s all over with the line “… with the power of love anythin’ is possible”.
Piccadilly Exclusive: UK retail exclusive vinyl colourway — lip gloss pink and clear blue. Instore customers also get an exclusive “Another Piccadilly Records Sensation’’ flyer/poster with this edition too.
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Steve Shelley explains the uniquely career spanning set list of Live in Brooklyn 2011 and how it came to be, as well as the importance of outdoor NYC summer shows in Sonic Youth’s legacy:
This show was a culmination of a run of really special outdoor summertime shows in New York City for us, starting in ’92 with Summerstage in Central Park when we played with Sun Ra. For the Williamsburg Waterfront show I wrote out the set list to present to the band and it was a lot of material we hadn’t played in a while, a lot of deep cuts, so I wasn’t sure if everybody would feel like doing it. After worrying about which songs the band might say yes or no to, I threw those concerns out the window and I just made a list of songs that I thought would be a great set. We practiced the week of the show at our space in Hoboken and put the set together.
First we’d try and make sure we had a guitar in the song’s tuning, then we’d try to remember the arrangement and try and put it together, sometimes re-learning bar by bar. In the end I think the whole song list made it through. Even as early as ’86 and ’87 we stopped playing ‘Death Valley 69’ and ‘Brave Men Run’ with any regularity. We’d just get excited about new material coming into the set and songs would get ‘retired’ and wouldn’t get played again for years. So on this particular night in Brooklyn a lot of those retired songs and deep cuts got dusted off and played for this show. It turned out to be a pretty special event with a really special song list.
Lee Ranaldo
Tracklisting: 1. Brave Men Run (In My Family) 2. Death Valley ’69 3. Kotton Krown 4. Kill Yr Idols 5. Eric’s Trip 6. Sacred Trickster 7. Calming The Snake 8. Starfield Rose 9. I Love Her All The Time 10. Ghost Bitch 11. Tom Violence 12. What We Know 13. Drunken Butterfly 14. Flower 15. Sugar Kane 16. Psychic Hearts 17. Inhuman
The stage was facing the East River from the Williamsburg, Brooklyn waterfront, and I recall the sun going down in the west during our set. It was a pretty magical, if kinda weird day. Fitting, somehow, that our ‘last show’ should be in New York City, our home and where it all began…
The Top 20 Reissues/Collections
2. New Order: Substance 1987 – 2023 Reissue Darryl: ‘Substance’ highlighted New Order’s credentials as one of the greatest singles bands ever, with classic track after classic track. This 2023 reissue comes on double black vinyl, double limited coloured (red & blue) vinyl, double CD and an incredible deluxe 4CD collection featuring bonus alternate versions, extra b-sides and a complete live set of ’Substance’ recorded in sequence back in 1987.
3. Primal Scream: Reverberations (Travelling In Time) Andy: No early Primals, no Stone Roses! Whilst their first album proper was something of a disappointment, their two original Creation Records singles (included here) and magical BBC sessions wrote the book on 80s/60s (what would ultimately be called) indie-pop. 19851987; just incredible and even after all these years, still, by far, my favourite era of this brilliant band.
4. Nirvana: In Utero — 30th Anniversary Edition Darryl: The classic third and ultimately final album from Kurt Cobain and co. Noted for its raw and visceral sound, courtesy of anti-hero producer Steve Albini, ‘In Utero’ defined the pain of the 90s grunge generation. Now getting a 30th anniversary makeover, including super deluxe 8LP and 5CD box set editions, ‘In Utero’ is unleashed on the world again.
5. Mr Scruff: Trouser Jazz — Deluxe 20th Anniversary Edition Deluxe (red and blue coloured) vinyl only reissue of this classic from the original “Jazz Potato” himself. Piccadilly Review from 2003: Brilliant and long awaited third LP from the Stockport man. It combines favourite Scruff flavours of quirky breaks, funky hip hop, soulful grooves and sea shanty silliness with added (nu) jazz stylings.
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6. Pharoah Sanders: Pharoah Darryl: Originally released back in 1977 to little fanfare, the importance of ‘Pharoah’ has grown for collectors over the years. The centrepiece of the original album was the mythical “Harvest Time”, stretching out at over 20 minutes in length, it’s a magical spiritual jazz piece; meditative and atmospheric. Reissued by Luaka Bop in sumptuous CD and vinyl box sets, including two bonus live cuts of “Harvest Time” and extra ephemera, the seminal ‘Pharoah’ is finally getting the reissue it deserves.
7. The Breeders: Last Splash — 30th Anniversary Analog Edition Remastered from the “previously thought to be lost” original analog tapes, which also unearthed two previously unreleased tracks. Darryl: The definitive Breeders album, including the ultimate indie-disco classic “Cannonball”.
8. Daft Punk: Random Access Memories — 10th Anniversary A special expanded edition including 35 minutes of unreleased music. Piccadilly Review from 2013: Drawing inspiration from the sounds of the 70s and 80s, ‘Random Access Memories’ serves up bouncing disco, prog-jazz and West Coast AOR.
9. The Soundcarriers: Celeste — 2023 Reissue Reissue includes instrumental mixes and two unreleased alternate mixes. Piccadilly Review from 2010: ‘Celeste’ nods to a warm West Coast sound, under-pinned by a Kosmische/Can groove and topped off with a delicious female vox, bringing to mind the likes of Broadcast and Stereolab.
10. Richard Hawley: Now Then: The Very Best Of Richard Hawley Barry: A much-needed best-of from the brilliant Richard Hawley, spanning a full 20 years in the business and including a whole host of quintessentially Hawley offerings including “‘Coles Corner” and “Standing At The Sky’s Edge”. As a bonus there’s also a re-recording of “Not The Only Road”.
The Top 20 Reissues/Collections
archive.beggars.com
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11. The Jesus And Mary Chain: Sunset 666 — Live At Hollywood Palladium Andy: This is a brilliant record, classily packaged and a far stronger artistic statement than the Mary Chain’s previous live outing (a warts’n’all document of their ‘Psychocandy’ anniversary tour). The sound is great and the song selection spot on.
12. Shack: Here’s Tom With The Weather 2023 Reissue Andy: Michael and John Head have such a storied career together as Pale Fountains and of course, Shack. It seems that “success” proving elusive, was ironically the catalyst for them to produce such differing work of immense high quality. ‘Here’s Tom With The Weather’ is no exception, these are concise, taut, acoustic based story-telling pop songs. It’s uncluttered and upfront; song after majestic song. A timely and much in demand reissue.
13. Lush: Split — 2023 Reissue Darryl: One of three Lush reissues this year, ‘Split’, their sophomore release from 1994, was arguably their best album. Helped by new producer Mike Hedges and mixed by Alan Moulder the sound was bigger and more confident with Miki Berenyi’s vocals a delight throughout.
14. The White Stripes: Elephant — 20th Anniversary Edition Darryl: Wow, twenty years already for this steamroller of an album. Upon its release ‘Elephant’ pulverised the opposition with its brilliant nailed on production and superb songs. Featuring the world dominating “Seven Nation Army ‘’ amongst many others, this was peak White Stripes.
15. The Boo Radleys: Giant Steps — 30th Anniversary Edition Darryl: The band’s masterpiece, it was released to unanimous critical acclaim on indie giant Creation Records. Lead single “Lazarus” typified the sound: big, bold and adventurous — combining squealing guitars, dub, brass and drifty 60s psych style vocals.
The Top 20 Reissues/Collections
16. Mad Professor: Ariwa Sounds: The Early Sessions Matt: Second-wave dub legend Mad Professor drops a raw lovers / dub project that harks back to the original sound of Ariwa. The bass weight alone is astonishing, but the songs crafted here are also killer and timeless.
17. Ffa Coffi Pawb: Hei Vidal! — 2023 Reissue Darryl: Formed in 1986 by Gruff Rhys and Rhodri Puw, and later joined by Dewi Emlyn and Gruff’s future SFA’s bandmate Dafydd Ieuan. ‘Hei Vidal!’ released in 1992, was a melding of their influences at the time; David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Big Star, Neu! And MBV. A precursor to the SFA sound we know so well now.
18. Everything Everything: Man Alive — 2023 Reissue Ethan: The debut album from Everything Everything returns with all its excellence in a definitive format. There’s a brilliant remix from Disclosure, an intriguing collection of demos showing the development of the album’s core tracks, and a brilliant joyous indie pop experience throughout that should keep you thoroughly entertained
19. Betty Davis: Is It Love Or Desire? — 2023 Reissue Paul: A previously little known gem in the back catalogue of Davis, ‘Is It Love Or Desire?’ is brought back to life in spectacular style by the ever reliable Light In The Attic. The legendary Betty Davis was a pioneer from the 70s, a funky diva with a punky attitude. A unique talent!
20. John Holt: Essential Artist Collection Matt: A nice catch-all / best of from one of reggae music’s most popular and enduring singers. Mainly dealing with issues of love and longing, it’s a light-hearted alternative to some of the more political and riotous music also being made at the time. Lover’s rock heads are certainly gonna dig this.
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MP23_CDlSticker_40x45mm.indd 1
27/06/2023 10:29
DUB PISTOLS
YANCEY BOYS
THE FEELING
FRONTLINE
LIVE IN LONDON
CYCLONE RECORDS
SUNSET BLVD (BEATS BY J DILLA)
CHERISE
MARTIN LUKE BROWN
ALBERTA CROSS
CALLING
DAMN, LOOK AT THE VIEW!
SINKING SHIPS
CHERISE ADAMS BURNETT RECORDS
AMK
AMK
VARIOUS
VARIOUS
VARIOUS
LUKA UNA PRESENTS: É SOUL CULTURA VOL. 2
MR BONGO RECORD CLUB VOL. 6
MR BONGO
HIDDEN WATERS: STRANGE & SUBLIME SOUNDS OF RIO DE JANEIRO
ANA FRANGO ELETRICO
BALA DESEJO
GRUPOS LOS YOYI
ME CHAMA DE GATO QUE EU SOU SUA
SIM SIM SIM
YOYI
MR BONGO
MR BONGO
MR BONGO
KINGUNDERGROUND
MR BONGO
LITTLE WORLD RECORDS
MR BONGO
RELEASED IN 2023 WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM
KARTELMUSICGROUP.COM
Genre Charts Local Showcase
Local Showcase
Bay Bryan: The Meadow
Matt: A local section for local people? Not really – we always get asked by tourists and visitors ‘what’s kickin’ on the local scene’ – so here it is! A snapshot of what’s tickling our fancy, made right here in Manchester. It’s in no particular order, nor is it an extensive list – just some acts from the area we feel deserve some / more attention and a point of reference for people wanting to explore our highly eclectic musical landscape. We’ve left the bigger acts out (you’ll probably see a few of them elsewhere across this booklet), concentrating on a humble, homegrown set of local heroes. Welcome to Manchester….
Miserymix: Drum Chums Vol. 8
On the indie side of things, we’ve been loving the life-affirming and anthemic ‘Something Is Announced By Your Life!’ from Lost Under Heaven (ex-WU LYF frontman Ellery Roberts and Ebony Hoorn). Duvet showed us that there’s still life in the post-punk revival well, whilst Nightbus captured the spirit of Manchester with their spectral new wave leanings. We’ve been gifted with a slew of electronic adjacent bangers from the Manchester and Liverpool straddling Nightdubbing, while some more mellow offerings from Matt Wilde and Tom Blackwell have us grounded firmly by the open fire.
Duvet: Girlcow / Sweaty Dog
It was heartwarming to welcome Coloradoraised Bay Bryan to our city. He charmed all and sundry with a scene-shattering gig at Deaf Institute (were you there??). ‘The Meadow’ is a beguiling and enchanted take on folk, pop and Balearic moods and one hell of a debut. Charismatic MC, Chunky will be familiar to most of Manchester’s clubbing fraternity but it was really nice to see Eglo release his first solo LP to date. A highly individual and stylistic debut which combines razor sharp precision, deft lyricism and Manc swagger into an intoxicating, grimy soup. Closer to home Bobby Snacks and Miserymix both have strong links to Picc HQ so we’ve been celebrating their Talking Drums releases through the latter half of this year.
Chunky: Somebody’s Child
Lost Under Heaven: Something Is Announced By Your Life!
Nightbus: Way Past Three / Mirrors
ightdubbing: N Favouritism
Matt Wilde: Hello World
om Blackwell: T Regency Café
Bobby Snacks: Drum Chums Vol. 7
Genre Charts Jazz, Soul & R&B
Jazz Soul & R&B Millie: By merging the hip hop chart into a jazz/ soul/funk/R&B round-up I could technically be accused of extending my own chart, however it’s more an accumulation of everything that’s been on rotation on the shop player this year and enjoyed by staff and customers alike. And since Ezra Collective won the Mercury Prize it’s clear we’re all on the same page about jazz now. London jazzer Yussef Dayes takes first place with ‘Black Classical Music’ which is a rich tapestry of genres ranging from jazz, soul and Afrobeat that produces an almost meditative effect. Harmonious vocals from a range of contributors such as Shabaka Hutchings, Tom Misch & Jamilah Barry to name a few to create this beautiful piece of modern art. Laura Misch glides into second place with her breathtaking album ‘Sample The Sky’, a soulful broken beat masterpiece with floaty nu jazz elements. It’s a welcomed piece of calm to end the year, with dream-like ethereal simplicity. Probably the most universally agreed favourite in the shop this year is Nourished By Time, championed by Matt, Ryan and Liam in particular, we’re all caught in the buzz of this refreshing album, it’s genre-bending style is hard to describe but it falls somewhere between indie-soul and hip hop. This is our best heads-up for the year so don’t walk, run. Now before you start, Matthew Halsall’s album made waves within our main chart so isn’t listed here but we all love it so go and check out that local legend. Other honourable mentions for the rest of our top ten of course, they’ve made it onto our esteemed list but I have to acknowledge Yazmin Lacey; her beautiful album (and first fulllength album) ‘Voice Notes’ reflects her growth as a musician and Greg Foat & Gigi Masin’s gift to us of easy-listening jazz makes the best weekend soundtrack (or any weekday for that matter as we’re all jazzheads now). Enjoy! X
1. Yussef Dayes: Black Classical Music
2. Laura Misch: Sample The Sky
3. Nourished By Time: Erotic Probiotic 2
4. Greg Foat & Gigi Masin: Dolphin 5. Yazmin Lacey: Voice Notes
6. Pharoah Sanders: Pharoah
7. Alfa Mist: Variables
8. Jorja Smith: Falling Or Flying
9. SZA: S.O.S
10. Jamila Woods: Water Made Us
POPSICLE OBSTACLE islandman
JULIE PAVON Watch Her Dance EP
SILENCE WAS SINGING Kenneth Bager & Findlay Brown
DIAGONAL MUSIK II Prins Emanuel
EL TERRENO Jacob Gurevitsch
THE BEGINNING Subnesia
HIPPIE PICASSO Be.Lanuit
MOLOKO ISLAND Mike Salta & Mortale
Genre Charts Ambient / Electronica
Ambient / Electronica Barry: We’ve been treated to an absolute wealth of slo-mo groovers and icy drifters this year, with the triumphant Sewell & The Gong victory assured from the first moment it went on the shop stereo. This local label (Before I Die) has gone from strength to strength, and for me, S&G is the best thing in their stellar lineup. Elsewhere I couldn’t not put that Fred Again & Brian Eno album in there, it sells out as soon as it hits the shelves. Two of my favourite ambient albums from Stars Of The Lid both got reissued this year, and ‘Refinement…’ has the heady honour of being my No. 1 most listened-to sleep album ever. It, and its sister album both got a deluxe (albeit pricey) triple album reissue. It’s hard to ignore the stalwart electronic figures in here making some of the best albums of their career. Lindstrøm, Daniel Avery and Kenneth Bager have all been at the ol’ music biz for some time now under various guises but nothing can beat the joy of hearing someone whose music you’ve enjoyed for years smashing out something you’ve never heard before. Those of you who know me well know I’m a big fan of synthesisers and there are few twiddlers in the world that do it better than Cate Brooks, Richard Norris or indeed the incomparable James Holden who blew many a mind at YES Pink Room earlier this year. In all, a great year for the oscillators.
1. Sewell & The Gong: Sewell & The Gong
2. James Holden: Imagine This Is a High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities 3. Fred Again.. & Brian Eno: Secret Life 4. Kenneth Bager & Tolga Böyük: East Of North 5. Lindstrøm: Everyone Else Is A Stranger 6. Cate Brooks: Easel Studies
7. Daniel Avery: Love & Light
8. Stars Of The Lid: …And Their Refinement Of The Decline / The Tired Sounds Of… (2023 Reissues) 9. Various Artists: Paul Hillery Presents Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours Vol. 2 10. Richard Norris: Deep Listening 2019–2022
The Top 100 Albums: Top Fifty
Genre Charts Synthpop
Synthpop
1. Caroline Polachek: Desire, I Want to Turn into You
Ethan: I stand by the opinion that there’s nothing better than a feel-good pop album, and I get the luxury of talking about some of the year’s brightest!
2. Art School Girlfriend: Soft Landing
To start, Caroline Polachek delivered one of the most flawless (and in the shop, definitely most played) pop albums in recent memory, but I’ve already talked at length about that earlier in this booklet. I guess this is my opportunity to mention how excellent her live show is as well? Definitely a contender for gig of the year, and it blew my mind when I found out how long she’s been in this industry. Romy and Art School Girlfriend also both delivered records that caught me completely off guard. Romy’s powerful kicks and angelic vocals drive her album and prove that she’s just as competent of a solo artist as the rest of The xx, while Art School Girlfriend glides across a dreamy soundscape and gives us the mellower side of the same coin. Both albums were big surprises for me this year, and their LGBT tint makes them both powerful and weirdly comparable. Amazing how queerled the pop sphere is gradually becoming. Another unusual trend to emerge this year was a synthpop-shoegaze fusion, best seen on the Feeble Little Horse and Yeule records. It’s probably debatable if they belong on this list, but they’re still brilliant noisy pop albums and worth checking out. I also wanted to give a big shoutout to A.G. Cook’s PC Music label, who celebrated their 10th birthday and then immediately called it quits earlier this year. An absolutely devastating blow to all left-field pop music, especially considering the gold they’ve just put out from their back catalogue! I’m talking specifically about the Hannah Diamond album that still awaits a vinyl pressing. Maybe it’ll show up on next year’s chart…
3. Romy: Mid Air
4. Feeble Little Horse: Girl with Fish
5. Yeule: Softscars
6. Taylor Swift: 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
7. Jessie Ware: That! Feels Good!
8. Depeche Mode: Memento Mori
9. Sparks: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte 10. Alison Goldfrapp: The Love Invention
The Singles Bar
Matt: Contrary to my worries of last year (see EOY booklet 2022), the 12” seems to have held on and survived the turbulence of the last few years thank god. Looking at the chart opposite it’s actually been a ridiculously strong year right across the board. Stadium slayers from The Chems, head splitting techno from Blawan, and few in Manchester could escape Ghost Assembly’s “I Miss Your Love” — released on Ruf Kutz and composed by a previous Piccadilly Records employee Abigail Ward — top work Wardy! But it was a late entry by Antony Szmierek that stole the show this year. Yes he might be local and we might be just a smidge biased but it’s not just us that have fallen in love with this genuine star. His recent appearance on Jools Holland has seen his tour venues upgraded to reflect the extra demand; and it seems certain his trajectory is global stardom! A product of our fine city who marries sincere storytelling with modern grooves; delivering it all with a personality that everyone including your nan will adore. Big shouts out to Before I Die (again!), not only has Jason Boardman won our compilation of the year (alongside partner in crime, Moonboots), his label (active since last year), has become one of our best selling and most prolific local imprints. Much like its curator, BiD has a genre-less manifesto to simply release quality, left-of-centre music; and they seem to be doing a mighty fine job, with four releases from this year all making it into our booklet! Elsewhere AD 93 deserve a mention for their blatantly courageous roster that encompasses everything from industrial noise to experimental synth-pop; with a lowslung slice of melancholic street soul courtesy of Hoodie & James K their much coveted release from this year. And finally hats off to Levi Love for signing Manchester darlings Joey T & Lady Lady who’ve proven you can be silly and serious in the same sentence and still rock the dancefloor — defo two cats to keep your peepers on.
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1. Antony Szmierek: Seasoning
11. LCD Soundsystem: New Body Rhumba
2. Ghost Assembly: I Miss Your Love
12. Chemical Brothers: No Reason
3. Joey T & Lady Lady: Love Language
13. Shiva: Never Gonna Give You Up — Jura Soundsystem Special
4. DJ Absolutely Shit: The Sloggers Bar
14. Peggy Gou: (It Goes Like) Nanana
5. The Mouse Outfit: Sunrise Feat. One Only
15. Gold In The Shade: Over You / Shining Through
6. Bernardino Femminielli: O Signe Des Temps
16. Talking Drums: Volume 6
7. Konformer: Konformer
17. Falk & Klou: UFO – Inc. Andi Hanley Remix
8. Sons Of Slough VS Primal Scream: Running Out Of Time
18. Local Psycho And The Hurdy-Gurdy Orchestra: The Hurdy-Gurdy Song
9. U-Bend: Benders 001
19. Hoodie & James K: 065 (Scorpio)
10. Aphex Twin: Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / In A Room7 F760
20. Blawan: Dismantled Into Juice
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS PUTTING MUSIC FIRST
FRONT 242 RANNY FOR YOU
JUNIOR JACK
EDITORS THE BACK ROOM
MOGWAI THE HAWK IS HOWLING
MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO
VITALIC OK COWBOY
SOULWAX MUCH AGAINST EVERYONE’S ADVIC
PROUDLY PRESENTING A SERIES OF NEWLY CURATED 12’’ VINYL, REISSUES AND LIMITED COLOURED VINYL RELEASES FROM
EDITORS, MOGWAI, BALTHAZAR, 2manydjs, dEUS, FRONT 242, JUNIOR JACK, THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS, MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO, NEW FAST AUTOMATIC DAFFODILS, SOAP&SKIN, SOULWAX, VITALIC, and more...
MORE ON STORE.PIAS.COM
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Books Of The Year Thurston Moore: Sonic Life: A Memoir
The Chemical Brothers With Robin Turner: Paused In Cosmic Reflection
John Robb: The Art Of Darkness: A History Of Goth
Rick Rubin: The Creative Act: A Way Of Being
Dylan Jones: Loaded: The Life (and Afterlife) Of The Velvet Underground
Daniel Rachel: Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story — Rude Boys, Racism And The Soundtrack Of A Generation
Dan Charnas: Dilla Time: The Life And Afterlife Of J Dilla, The Hip Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm
Audrey Golden: I Thought I Heard You Speak: Women At Factory Records
Lol Tolhurst: Goth: A History
Simon Armitage: Never Good With Horses
CE
ASH RACE THE NIGHT
BLACK HONEY A FISTFUL OF PEACHES
DO NOTHING SNAKE SIDEWAYS
FRANKIE AND THE WITCH FINGERS DATA DOOM
CITY AND COLOUR THE LOVE STILL HELD ME NEAR
GRANDADDY SUMDAY: THE CASSETTE DEMOS
FAR CASPIAN THE LAST REMAINING LIGHT
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB MY BIG DAY
THE PIGEON DETECTIVES TV SHOW
(FIERCE PANDA)
(RAS / GREENWAY)
(DANCE TO THE RADIO)
(FOX FIVE)
(DINE ALONE)
(MMM... RECORDS / AWAL RECORDINGS)
(EXACT TRUTH)
(DANGERBIRD)
(DANCE TO THE RADIO)
JORJA SMITH FALLING OR FLYING (FAMM)
VARIOUS ARTISTS J JAZZ VOL. 4: DEEP MODERN JAZZ FROM JAPAN 1968 -1981
AIRTO MOREIRA / FLORA PURIM A CELEBRATION: 60 YEARS...
CAROLINE POLACHEK DESIRE, I WANT TO TURN INTO YOU
CMAT CRAZYMAD, FOR ME
REN SICK BOI
RHODA DAKAR VERSION GIRL
(BBE MUSIC)
GROUPLOVE I WANT IT ALL RIGHT NOW (GLASSNOTE)
RAYE MY 21ST CENTURY BLUES
(HUMAN RE SOURCES)
(BBE MUSIC)
(AWAL RECORDINGS)
(PERPETUAL NOVICE)
(THE OTHER SONGS RECORDS)
(SUNDAY BEST RECORDINGS)
2023
2023
4AD
Lucinda Chua – YIAN
cumgirl8 – phantasea pharm the GOLDEN DREGS – On Grace & Dignity
Velvet Negroni – Bulli
Buck Meek – Haunted Mountain
U.S. Girls – Bless This Mess
Daughter – Stereo Mind Game
The National – First Two Pages Of Frankenstein & Laugh Track
Tkay Maidza – Sweet Justice Anjimile – The King PLUS
Reissues from Air Miami, Brendan Perry, The Breeders, Lush & Pale Saints
©® 4AD | 2023 | www.4ad.com
staff charts
Darryl Where did that year go?!?! It’s been a real whirlwind hasn’t it, maybe due to the fact that it seemed to rain almost constantly and we were robbed of a summer. Coming out of nowhere and claiming the top spot in my chart was the Pennsylvania three-piece Catatonic Suns, their self titled album was head and shoulders above everything else for me this year. Other notables though included the woozy modern shoegaze of Nabihah Iqbal, the immaculate soul of Jalen Ngonda, the abrasive and brilliant OSEES (astonishingly good again live at the Albert Hall!), and the towering epicness of Slowdive. Hats off too for the Silver Current label for bringing personal faves Sonic Youth back to life briefly with the blistering ‘Live In Brooklyn 2011’ album. On a personal note — it’s been a holiday-a-go-go this year with Lety and I visiting Bali, Florida, Croatia, Azores, Lisbon, Copenhagen and Antwerp, along with frequent trips to Northumberland and St Abbs. Here’s to plenty of more travelling next year!
Laura Along with these album choices, Richard Hawley’s ‘28 Little Bangers’ comp was a favourite accompaniment to my gardening exploits over the summer, while on the singles front, releases from Heartworms, Headboy, English Teacher, Joyeria, Sprints and Umarells hit the spot. Live music wise, OSEES at the Albert Hall were as awesome as ever, as were Ezra Collective at the same venue (great to see them worthy winners of the Mercury Music Prize too). I was lucky enough to see Gabriels twice: at the wonderful New Century Hall and a much more intimate show at Academy 3. Both were fantastic. The Charlatans and Johnny Marr in the dramatic setting of the Halifax Piece Hall was another standout and at the other end of the venue spectrum The Fruit Tones at the legendary Big Hands was a riot. Richard Hawley and John Grant performing Patsy Cline as part of Manchester International Festival was unsurprisingly sublime. Possibly the most remarkable performance of the year though was a posthumous one from Riuchi Sakamoto in the shape of Kagami — a mixed reality performance, also part of MIF. Absolutely mind blowing!
1. Catatonic Suns: Catatonic Suns 2. Sonic Youth: Live In Brooklyn 2011 3. Jalen Ngonda: Come Around And Love Me 4. Nabihah Iqbal: DREAMER 5. OSEES: Intercepted Message 6. Slowdive: everything is alive 7. Pharoah Sanders: Pharoah 8. Squid: O Monolith 9. Sparklehorse: Bird Machine 10. The Murder Capital: Gigi’s Recovery 11. Goat: Medicine 12. boygenius: the record 13. bdrmm: I Don’t Know 14. A. Savage: Several Songs About Fire 15. Grian Chatten: Chaos For The Fly 16. Sofia Kourtesis: Madres 17. Various Artists: Waves Of Distortion (The Best Of Shoegaze 1990–2022) 18. Nirvana: In Utero — 30th Anniversary Edition 19. Various Artists: Jason Boardman & Moonboots Present 25 Years Of Aficionado 20. Hania Rani: Ghosts
1.
Jalen Ngonda: Come Around And Love Me 2. John: A Life Diagrammatic 3. Gabriels: Angels & Queens 4. Gaz Coombes: Turn The Car Around 5. Chappaqua Wrestling: Plus Ultra 6. Matthew Halsall: An Ever Changing View 7. Grian Chatten: Chaos For The Fly 8. Antony Szmierek: Seasoning 9. Squid: O Monolith 10. Richard Hawley: Now Then: The Very Best Of 11. Pharoah Sanders: Pharoah 12. Gregory Alan Isakov: Appaloosa Bones 13. Slowdive: everything is alive 14. Hamish Hawk: Angel Numbers 15. Fun Boy Three: Waiting — 2023 Remaster 16. Young Fathers: Heavy Heavy 17. Horace Silver: Blowin’ The Blues Away — Classic Vinyl Edition 18. Sonic Youth: Live In Brooklyn 2011 19. Protomartyr: Formal Growth In The Desert 20. Sufjan Stevens: Javelin
CASISDEAD - Famous Last Words JAI PAUL - Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) KENNY BEATS - Louie KING KRULE - Space Heavy OVERMONO - Good Lies YAEJI - With A Hammer
staff charts
Matt Gotta be the first time a band’s released two albums in a year that have both got in my chart so shouts to bar italia for dominating my listening throughout 2023. I also fell hook, line & sinker for Nourished By Time’s completely charismatic approach. The Tubs provided me with one of my gig highlights of the year, with “Dead Meat on repeat” my new favourite catchphrase (sorry Mine & Millie!). The usual smattering of DJ sets at Yes, and Red Laser related activities at The White Hotel and Love International. I’ve been going to Croatia since 2008 but never truly realized how great and world-beating the food and wine was at Prova — big ups Marco! Top tip if you’re ever in Tisno… Noticed I’ve been playing a lot more tunes with guitars in than drum machines of late. And jazz. Still reckon Matthew Halsall needs to be indoctrinated into the Jazz Hall Of Fame. Can’t wait for the new Horsebeach album next year. New nights started heating up at the Carlton Club, meaning I didn’t have to leave Whalley Range as much. Proper buzzing off the new cycle lanes. And you lot, of course, continue to entertain and inspire.
Mine Another year, another end of year chart. I can only really call it a snapshot in time as I tend to change my mind as soon as the booklet has gone to the printers. I haven’t included any singles, edits, remixes etc. this time but, as always, have to shout out my pals Talking Drums for continuing to provide us with the tastiest edits (and the occasional mega party) around, and me with something to write about! Talking Drums vol. 6 and Drum Chums Vol. 6 and 7 (by Hidden Spheres and Bobby Snacks respectively) were all on repeat this year, which brings me to my highlight of 2023 (what a segway…), putting out my own edits EP (Drum Chums Vol. 8) as one half of Miserymix. It’s the end of October as I write this and it is expected to land any day now! If you’re into moody italo and obscure but dancefloor friendly euro disco it should be right up your street. Other than that, after 7 years in the shop I still haven’t figured out what to write about or how to sum up my year and instead seem to be getting away with rambling on about nothing at all. It has and continues to be a strange year, look after yourselves and one another x
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
bar italia: Tracey Denim The Tubs: Dead Meat Nourished By Time: Erotic Probiotic 2 Overmono: Good Lies Dean Blunt: Zushi bar italia: The Twits Lord Of The Isles & Ellen Renton: My Noise Is Nothing 8. Various Artists: 28 Little Bangers From Richard Hawley’s Jukebox 9. Antony Szmierek: Seasoning 10. Mr. Fingers: Around The Sun Pt. 2 11. Various Artists: Full Beam! For Gees Only Vol. 4 12. Moin: Clocked Off 13. Matthew Halsall: An Ever Changing View 14. King Creosote: I DES 15. Dobao: Dobaismo 16. Low Life: Dogging 17. Co-Pilot: Rotate 18. Pharoah Sanders: Pharoah 19. F lammer Dance Band: Dedikasjon Til Inspirasjon 20. Inga Copeland: Higher Powers
1. 79.5: 79.5 2. Inga Copeland: Higher Powers 3. Nabihah Iqbal: DREAMER 4. Altın Gün: Aşk 5. Sans Merit: Early Grave 6. A.S.O: A.S.O 7. Parbleu: Elios 8. Saccades: Land Of The Hearth 9. Cosmetics: Baby 10. Various Artists: Curses Presents: Next Wave Acid Punx: DEUX 11. Eyes Of Others: Eyes Of Others 12. The Vacant Lots: Interiors 13. Ladytron: Time’s Arrow 14. Avalon Emerson: & The Charm 15. Various Artists: Mehmet Aslan Pres. Senza Decoro: Liebe + Anarchia / Switzerland 1980–1990 16. Vanishing Twin: Afternoon X 17. Islandman Ft Okay Temiz And Muhlis Berberoğlu: Direct-to-Disc Sessions 18. Joon: Dream Again 19. MLDVA & Çınar Timur: MLDVA & Çınar Timur 20. Red Axes: One More City
2023
THE WAEVE THE WAEVE
BEN GREGORY EPISODE
DAVE OKUMU & THE 7 GENERATIONS I CAME FROM LOVE
ARLO PARKS MY SOFT MACHINE
BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND THE ONES AHEAD
BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND PRIMAL PRAYER
ALAN PALOMO WORLD OF HASSLE
MUTUAL BENEFIT GROWING AT THE EDGES
ARONE DYER & S TA R G A Z E ARONE X S TA R G A Z E
www.transgressiverecords.com
staff charts
Liam I think I can confidently say that 2023 has been one of my favourite years in music in my 27 trips around the sun. My beloved Slowdive released another incredible record, there’s been a slew of great reissues (Bowery Electric and Codeine being my top picks) and it was the first time ever to have my name included on the liner notes on a record — shout out Ebony and Ellery of Lost Under Heaven and their latest LP ‘Something is Announced by Your Life!’. On the gig front, highlights included Aussie shoegazers Flyying Colours blasting the roof off of The Castle Hotel, a spellbinding set from The Murder Capital at The Albert Hall and finally, Slowdive at The Ritz. On a personal note, I was my brother’s best man this year — which meant I had the pleasure/daunting task of organising the stag do and pulling off the best man speech. Both of which were a success, however I don’t think a career in stand-up is on the horizon... As for hopes for 2024, they remain the same as this year’s seeing as My Bloody Valentine let me down... At least I had Slowdive to tide me over.
Millie No surprises here. Of course, Little Simz will always be high in my chart. The first spot is a non-negotiable really, she just keeps writing and delivering the most poignant mind blowing music with full swagger and always doing her own thing. Queen Simbi forever! Willie J Healey, however, is my curveball indie choice for this year. I unapologetically love it, the album may stick out like a sore thumb in my jazz/soul/hip hop lineup but I’m in the depths of overplaying it. It’s even had two tracks make it onto my wedding playlist which I’ve been accumulating for next year (eek), it’s nestled alongside the biggest of soul hits which speaks for itself. Dropping the ‘wedding’ chat in there very casually, my third top release this year is a special someone who I’ll be tying the knot with, the Bobby Snacks, so I may be a little biased here but I feel like I’m not exaggerating the fact that it’s a Balearic yacht-rock/cosmic lovers dream. Biggest fans include my 6-month old niece (also biased). Have a great rest of the year all!
1. Slowdive: everything is alive 2. Beach Fossils: Bunny 3. Nourished By Time: Erotic Probiotic 2 4. The Murder Capital: Gigi’s Recovery 5. Nabihah Iqbal: DREAMER 6. bar italia: Tracey Denim 7. Flyying Colours: You Never Know 8. Grian Chatten: Chaos For The Fly 9. A.S.O: A.S.O 10. Lost Under Heaven: Something Is Announced By Your Life! 11. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown: SCARING THE HOES 12. Shame: Food For Worms 13. Jessie Ware: That! Feels Good! 14. Bowery Electric: Bowery Electric — 2023 Reissue 15. Catatonic Suns: Catatonic Suns 16. Codeine: Frigid Stars — 2023 Reissue 17. Sans Merit: Early Grave 18. Nation Of Language: Strange Disciple 19. Wild Nothing: Hold 20. Various Artists: Waves Of Distortion (The Best Of Shoegaze 1990–2022)
1. Little Simz: NO THANK YOU 2. Willie J Healey: Bunny 3. Bobby Snacks: Drum Chums Vol. 7 4. Yazmin Lacey: Voice Notes 5. Overmono: Good Lies 6. Yussef Dayes: Black Classical Music 7. Sampa The Great: As Above, So Below 8. Gloria Weems: Lovelight 9. Freekind.: Since Always And Forever 10. Cleo Sol: Heaven 11. Ruby Wood: Sincerely 12. Jorja Smith: Falling Or Flying 13. Madison McFerrin: I Hope You Can Forgive Me 14. Matthew Halsall: An Ever Changing View 15. Alfa Mist: Variables 16. Sampha: Lahai 17. Chunky: Somebody’s Child 18. Sofia Gran: Extinction 19. Skinny Pelembe: Hardly The Same Snake 20. Greg Foat & Gigi Masin: Dolphin
2023 releases Also available on (for modern audiophiles)
Jake Shears.... . .. Last Man Dancing
STUMM487
Desire Marea...... On the Romance of Being
STUMM477
Daniel Blumberg......... GUT
STUMM498
Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo Phantasmagoria in Blue
STUMM493
A Certain Ratio....... 1982
STUMM480
Miss Grit.... Follow the Cyborg
STUMM483
Yann Tiersen....... Kerber Complete
CDSTUMM502
SWANS.......... ..... The Beggar
STUMM489
mute.com
Vince Clarke........ Songs of Silence
STUMM500
Maps....... Counter Melodies
STUMM488
hackedepicciotto.......... Keepsakes
STUMM499
Crime & the City Solution the killer
STUMM486
staff charts
Barry It’s been a great year for music once again (I did have a look through my previous intros and I’ve never at any point said ‘well, it’s been a poor year for music’, but don’t let that lessen the impact of my statement), with a real swerve towards the 00’s post-rock and ambient bands I still love and have loved for some time. My number one this year goes to one of my all-time favourites Grails but YET AGAIN, Explosions In The Sky are right up there, as are ‘The ‘Ros’ as I never have called them before, and will rarely call them again. Elsewhere obviously boygenius can do no wrong, effortlessly moving from strength to strength, and deserving of a place in anyone’s list. It’s been a pretty smashing year for my own music too, with my fingers synth-weary from practice for Levitation festival and excitement-weary for a forthcoming album and remix EP, full of brilliant contributions from people I’ve admired for a long time. A lovely year both professionally and personally. Here’s to ‘24!
Andy I love my top 3 records so much, although this year is different in that it’s the first time I’ve chosen a compilation in my Top 20. Or is it a reissue? Well the tracks on Primal Scream’s ‘Reverberations’ have never been released on LP before but some have on 7 inch and most were played on the radio. Played on evening radio shows then taped on cassette by me and countless others nearly FORTY years ago!! Early Primal Scream, particularly pre official debut Primal Scream, BBC Session and Creation Records Primal Scream were just the greatest band in the world between 1985 and 1986. They were also the leaders of a scene that’s so much more than the ridiculous NME invented C86 that I haven’t got the space to elaborate here. They were EVERYTHING and their songs were majestic. To finally own their amazing work which genuinely includes two of my all time favourite songs (“Bewitched and Bewildered” and “Tomorrow Ends Today”) is something I simply never thought would happen! Harp is the long lost Midlake’s singer’s return and it’s magic on tape. Grian you all know! Happy Xmas!
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Grails: Anches En Maat Cloth: Secret Measure North Americans: Long Cool World Explosions In The Sky: End James Holden: Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities 6. boygenius: the record 7. Polypores: Multizonal Mindscramble 8. Maria Uzor: Soft Cuts 9. Gilroy Mere: Gilden Gate 10. Sigur Rós: ÁTTA 11. Stars Of The Lid: Stars Of The Lid And Their Refinement Of The Decline — 2023 Repress 12. Pink Floyd: The Dark Side Of The Moon Live At Wembley (2023 Remaster) 13. Taylor Swift : Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions 14. Hania Rani: Ghosts 15. Grails: The Burden Of Hope 2023 Reissue 16. Various Artists: Jason Boardman & Moonboots Present 25 Years Of Aficionado 17. Helios: Espera 18. Lusine: Long Light 19. Balmorhea: Pendant World 20. Various Artists: Silberland Vol. 2
1. Harp: Albion 2. Grian Chatten: Chaos for the Fly 3. Primal Scream: Reverberations (Travelling In Time) 4. Ladytron: Time’s Arrow 5. King Creosote: I DES 6. Woods: Perennial 7. Slowdive: everything is alive 8. JIM: Love Makes Magic 9. The Clientele: I Am Not There Anymore 10. Co-Pilot: Rotate 11. Beach Fossils: Bunny 12. Gaz Coombes: Turn the Car Around 13. Eyes of Others: Eyes of Others 14. Raze Regal & White Denim Inc.: Raze Regal & White Denim Inc. 15. Jenny Lewis: Joy’All 16. Jonathan Wilson: Eat The Worm 17. PJ Harvey: I Inside the Old Year Dying 18. Wild Nothing: Hold 19. Daiistar: Good Time 20. BC Camplight: The Last Rotation Of Earth
LANKUM
False Lankum
THIS IS THE KIT
A.SAVAGE
Careful Of Your Keepers
Several Songs About Fire
JOCKSTRAP & TAYLOR SKYE
SLEAFORD MODS
LISA O’NEILL
ARTHUR RUSSELL
I<3UQTINVU (Remix Album)
roughtraderecords.com
ANOHNI AND THE JOHNSONS
My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross
All Of This Is Chance
U.K. Grim
Picture Of Bunny Rabbit
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Ryan This year has gifted me with not one but two Captured Tracks staples returning with aplomb. Beach Fossils came out and dropped some of the best stuff they’ve done for ages and if that wasn’t enough, Wild Nothing returns to almost ‘Nocturne’ era glory with his new self-produced ‘Hold’. My number one spot bar italia seemed to have come from nowhere and sneak in two mega albums this year. I’ve been obsessed with their chunky drum production and odd arrangement quirks. It’s been a delicious year for Manchester music. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing great shows from Modema, Severe Girls and Umarells to name a few and we’ve had Piccadilly pals Talking Drums drumming up (sorry) edits from Bobby Snacks and Misery Mix. Squelch have finally arrived with a single and upcoming EP. We’re all just waiting for a Manchester headline now. On a personal note I’ve finally finished a new Horsebeach LP so keep your eyes out for a release date on that one and I’ll be out there soon touring again in the new year.
Maisy Remixing none other than the legendary Mike Skinner, and the raw, unfiltered dubstep energy of their new single ‘Blowout’ being paired with the insane visuals of Warehouse Project; seeing Overmono headlining Boiler Room in October tops any other DJ set, and so they deservedly take their place at the top of my list. 2023 has influenced my love for all things house, DnB, jungle and garage (although my list might not show it!), through discovering so many great venues in Manchester and enjoying my first European raving experience in Prague. Focusing more on my chart, I have a surplus of reissues on this year’s chart, where I must ashamedly admit I’d never really paid much attention to these albums beforehand, but now they are a part of my essential everyday listening. Aaliyah’s “Got To Give It up” featuring Slick Rick — whose voice just itches my brain — is on repeat at the minute. Aim’s ‘Hinterland’ reissue caught my eye with their feature of a favourite of mine, Souls of Mischief, and kept me listening with their combination of hip hop beats and up-tempo grooves. Bring on another year of music indulgence, both old and new, and have a lovely end to 2023!
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bar italia: Tracey Denim Beach Fossils: Bunny Nourished By Time: Erotic Probiotic 2 Paramore: This Is Why Caroline Polachek: Desire, I Want To Turn Into You 6. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown: SCARING THE HOES 7. Umarells: You’re Not Here / Closer 8. Slowdive: everything is alive 9. Nabihah Iqbal: Dreamer 10. Wild Nothing: Hold 11. Charli XCX: Pop 2 — 5 Year Anniversary Edition 12. Matthew Halsall: An Ever Changing View 13. Romy: Mid Air 14. Jessie Ware: That! Feels Good! 15. A.S.O: A.S.O 16. Cherry Glazerr: I Don’t Want You Anymore 17. Keeley: Floating Above Everything Else 18. Art School Girlfriend: Soft Landing 19. Overmono: Good Lies 20. Woods: Perennial
1. Overmono: Good lies 2. Aaliyah: One In A million — 2023 Reissue 3. Big Thief: Vampire empire/ born for loving you 4. Little Simz: NO THANK YOU 5. Aim: Hinterland — 2023 Reissue 6. boygenius: the record 7. Jungle: Volcano 8. Everything But The Girl: Fuse 9. Lack Of Afro: Square One 10. K hruangbin and Men I Trust: Live At RBC Echo Beach 11. Barry Can’t Swim: When Will We Land? 12. Bobby Snacks: Drum Chums Vol. 7 13. Parliament: Mothership Connection — 2023 Reissue 14. The Go! Team: Get Up Sequences Part 2 15. The Chemical Brothers: For That Beautiful Feeling 16. bar italia: Tracey Denim 17. CC:DISCO!: Chez Moi (Waiting For You) Ft. Confidence Man 18. Cherry Glazerr: I Don’t Want You Anymore 19. Beach Fossils: Bunny 20. Nabiah Iqbal: DREAMER
Y
F
E M H I T O L B L U in 2023 B
Ghost Woman • Anne, If
Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection 2
Timber Timbre • Medicinals
LP / CD
LP / Ltd LP / CD
LP (reissue)
Timber Timbre • Cedar Shakes
The Saxophones • To Be a Cloud
Pale Blue Eyes • This House
LP (reissue)
LP / CD
LP / Ltd LP / CD + Bonus Disc
Squirrel Flower • Tomorrow’s Fire
Ghost Woman • Hindsight is 50/50
LP / Ltd LP / CD
LP / Ltd LP / CD
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Martin I made two visits to Berlin and one to Prague, either end of summer. In Berlin everything, it seems, is possible, including an inebriated appreciation of an audiovisual performance involving one girl, two sewing machines and a laptop. By that time though it was hard to tell whether I was enjoying the music or the two bottles of wine I’d managed to drink. Probably a bit of both. Prague was just beautiful, but that was enough. As for the view from the counter at Piccadilly, there’s always inspiration to be found, whether from the incredible music we’re lucky enough to listen to all day, or the people who shop with us, who are a big part of the joy of the job and all very, very much appreciated. Music never stands still, one of the beauties of working with it. It’s always exciting to watch new ideas being born, to be part of the process of getting them out there. My music highlight came late, being a live show from Hania Rani at Manchester’s exquisitely refurbished New Century Hall. The sound was incredible (the best I’ve heard anywhere!) which acted as a perfect stage for the gentle beauty of Rani’s music and her gorgeous voice. She could read my gas bill to me and it would break my heart.
Pasta Paul So many incredible releases, so little space for favourites! I was strangely slow to take to Nourished By Time, but by the third listen on the shop stereo I was in! Eddie Chacon’s beautiful ‘Sundown’, on Stones Throw, was always a contender and his gig at YES with The Zenmenn was wonderful. Gig highlights: PJ Harvey, Kelis, and De La Soul at Albert Hall; Ryan Adams at the Opera House; John Grant and Richard Hawley at Factory International’s Aviva Studios, and the stunning Kagami (featuring Ryuichi Sakamoto) at Manchester International Festival — ace! Musical trip highlights! On a brief visit to London, I caught Matthew Halsall at The Royal Albert Hall and took the Willy Wonka lift up the chimney at Battersea Power Station — a location featured on many iconic record sleeves. Returning to LA/NYC in March meant I saw Drugdealer at LA’s Lodge Room and the legendary Dionne Warwick at Staten Island’s exquisite St. George Theatre, where she paid tribute to her late great collaborator Burt Bacharach. DJ wise, I was truly honoured to play at Albert Hall’s 10th anniversary celebrations (being on that stage was magical) and being part of the VIP DJ crew at Bluedot Festival. Onwards!
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Hania Rani: Ghosts Nourished By Time: Erotic Probiotic 2 Beach Fossils: Bunny Gaz Coombes: Turn The Car Around Bala Desejo: Sim Sim Sim Nabihah Iqbal: DREAMER Rozi Plain: Prize The Tubs: Dead Meat Stars Of The Lid: The Tired Sounds Of Stars Of The Lid — 2023 Repress 10. Slowdive: everything is alive 11. Matthew Halsall: An Ever Changing View 12. Various Artists: Jugotron Funk Vol. 1 13. Voice Actor: Fake Sleep 14. Prince Far I: Under Heavy Manners — 2023 Reissue 15. Nation Of Language: Strange Disciple 16. English Teacher: The World’s Biggest Paving Slab 17. Greg Foat & Gigi Masin: Dolphin 18. Lola’s Dice: Pura Madad 19. Various Artists: Bob Stanley / Pete Wiggs Present Winter Of Discontent 20. Maria Uzor: Soft Cuts
1. Nourished By Time: Erotic Probiotic 2 2. Dobao: Dobaismo 3. Eye: Honolulu / Saigon 4. The Ironsides: Changing Light 5. Eddie Chacon: Sundown 6. JIM: Love Makes Magic 7. Fabiano do Nascimento: Lendas 8. Greg Foat & Art Themen: Off-Piste 9. Rogê: Curyman 10. Konformer: Konformer 11. Eyes Of Others: Eyes Of Others 12. Coastlines: 2 13. The Free Music & Najib Alhoush: Free Music (Part 1) 14. Bala Desejo: Sim Sim Sim 15. Gaz Coombes: Turn The Car Around 16. Various Artists: Traces Of Illusion Compiled by Skyrager 17. Various Artists: Jason Boardman & Moonboots Present 25 Years Of Aficionado 18. Various Artists: Soul Jazz Records Presents ‘Space, Energy & Light’ — 2023 Reissue 19. Various Artists: Child Of Nature 20. Various Artists: America Dream Reserve
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Ethan Second Piccadilly Records booklet and first full year here now complete! Happy to still be working here and I don’t fancy leaving anytime soon. 2023 was the first year of Squelch! We finally got our band off the ground, released a single, played a few gigs, and now we’ve got an EP ready to be released early next year. It’s become my passion project and I’m sure we’ll have another headline show soon! I also experienced the brilliant Primavera Festival for my first time! There’s nothing quite like watching the sun go down behind Baby Keem as he lets the crowd sing Kendrick’s verses. I’ve already booked my ticket for next year and I’ve no idea what the line-ups going to look like. Although I caught some amazing live sets at other points in the year as well – The Flaming Lips put on a brilliant performance of their staple 2002 album, and I got to start catching some of the emo bands I hold so dear on their reunion tours. Very inspiring for me and my own emo band, so hopefully you’ll hear more about us through different outlets before I rant in next year’s booklet…
William In a stacked year where my second-favourite metal band released a superb album that only made it to number 7 on my list, it took about a month for it to really hit, how momentous it was for me that Queens of the Stone Age were releasing new music for the first time since I became a fan. ‘In Times New Roman’ exceeded all expectations, and is forever interwoven in my mind with the trip to Tokyo during which it was released, transporting me back to the location and headspace each of the hundreds of times I’ve listened to it. In the blink of an eye in mid-September, my desertflavoured alt rock project Humongous Fungus went from solo artist to dynamic power trio, and the speed at which we’ve become a tight, cohesive unit operating on the same wavelength has both astonished and filled me with glee. Gearing up to play our first gig in December and with an eye on re-recording some previously home-recorded tracks as a band, you mark these words: Humongous Fungus is taking over the world.
1. Jane Remover: Census Designated 2. bar italia: Tracey Denim 3. Caroline Polachek: Desire, I Want To Turn Into You 4. Deathcrash: Less 5. Mitsubishi Suicide: Mitsubishi Suicide 6. Yves Tumor: Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) 7. awakebutstillinbed: chaos takes the wheel and i am a passenger 8. Maruja: Knocknarea 9. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown: SCARING THE HOES 10. Yeule: Softscars 11. King Krule: Space Heavy 12. Wednesday: Rat Saw God 13. Art School Girlfriend: Soft Landing 14. Squid: O Monolith 15. Feeble Little Horse: Girl With Fish 16. Paramore: This Is Why 17. Arlo Parks: My Soft Machine 18. Cicada: Seeking the Sources of Streams 19. boygenius: the record 20. Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist: Voir Dire
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ueens of the Stone Age: Q In Times New Roman 2. The Rolling Stones: Hackney Diamonds 3. PJ Harvey: I Inside the Old Year Dying 4. Be Your Own Pet: Mommy 5. K ing Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation 6. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs: Land of Sleeper 7. Metallica: 72 Seasons 8. Goat: Medicine 9. Depeche Mode: Memento Mori 10. Kristin Hersh: Clear Pond Road 11. boygenius: the record 12. WITCH: Zango 13. Squid: O Monolith 14. Metric: Formentera II 15. Foo Fighters: But Here We Are 16. OSEES: Intercepted Message 17. Heavy Blanket: Moon Is 18. Kaliyuga Express: Warriors & Masters 19. Baroness: Stone 20. Mutoid Man: Mutants
Piccadilly Records Compilation 2023 On classic black vinyl at the bargain price of £12.99! It’s not an easy feat nowadays to get a record pressed in time for the end of year when there’s so much good music coming out every week, but we’ve once again managed to collect a stylistically diverse, cohesively sequenced collection of our 2023 favourites onto vinyl for your cut-price record buying pleasure. Opening up the collection, and responsible for me asking an embarrassing amount of times ‘who is this?’ is the soaring “Kisses” from Slowdive’s new offering, and our welldeserved album of the year, ‘everything is alive’. I couldn’t imagine a better follower than “Failsafe” from Catatonic Sun’s selftitled album, as it takes the spine-tingling heft of the former and slides a little into more psychedelic territory. The Nabihah Iqbal album came out of leftfield for me, and once again the eponymous track here is my top cut on the album, providing the perfect segue into Beach Fossils’ “Don’t Fade Away”, which reinforces the lysergic drift we’ve established while adding a little more structure. Closing the side, both bar
italia’s “Nurse” and John’s “Service Stationed” provide a move towards more dynamic, postpunk indebted minimalism, with bar italia’s thoughtful garage groove setting up perfectly for John’s undeniable blast of power. Jungle keep bringing the goods, and there couldn’t have been any other choice than the funkiest cut on ‘Volcano’, the brilliant “Candle Flame”. This funky banger sets the perfect opener to the B-side, with the melodically pristine “Good Lies” from Welsh duo Overmono bringing us to the dancefloor before shop favourite Matthew Hallsall leads us to the chillout room with his keyboardy jazz odyssey “Mountains, Trees And Seas”. There are few tracks that could close out a compilation more perfectly than JIM’s anxiolytic melody-rich “Phoenix”, J-Walk’s brilliant “Cool Bright Northern Morning” (from Aficionado’s essential retrospective compilation) or Jalen Ngonda’s swinging, soaring wonder “Come Around And Love Me”, and here you get them all in one stretch. You lucky people.
Side A Slowdive Kisses Catatonic Suns Failsafe Nabihah Iqbal Dreamer Beach Fossils Don’t Fade Away bar italia Nurse! John Service Stationed Side B Jungle featuring Erick the Architect Candle Flame Overmono Good Lies Matthew Halsall Mountains, Trees and Seas JIM Phoenix J-Walk Cool Bright Northern Morning Jalen Ngonda Come Around And Love Me
Design: markbrownstudio.co.uk
TIRZAH TRIP9LOVE...??
THE KILLS GOD GAMES
LA PRIEST FASE LUNA
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY KEEPING SECRETS WILL DESTROY YOU
CAT POWER CAT POWER SINGS DYLAN: THE 1966 ROYAL ALBERT HALL CONCERT
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE ISN’T IT NOW?
SHIRLEY COLLINS ARCHANGEL HILL
JAMES YORKSTON, NINA PERSSON & THE SECOND HAND ORCHESTRA THE GREAT WHITE SEA EAGLE PROTOMARTYR FORMAL GROWTH IN THE DESERT
GEORGIA EUPHORIC
STEVE MASON BROTHERS & SISTERS
JOHN CALE MERCY
KING CREOSOTE I DES
JAAKKO EINO KALEVI CHAOS MAGIC
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