Q#129 - December 2019 to January 2020

Please note that the zip file has a password: QCOMPS.BLOGSPOT  

Download mix from  https://www.mediafire.com/file/7i6taigze1xwzrc/Q129.zip/file 

Now with added Spotify playlist at end of notes.

Q's Compilations

Vol #129 – December 2019 to January 2020

Hello 2020. A new decade… unfortunately it hasn’t started very well! Regardless, the first comp of the year is, as always, a recap of my favourite things from the previous year.

01) White Reaper - Real Long Time: If there’s one thing I look for every year it’s an unadulterated, no holds barred fun pop-rock record and the best of those this year is White Reaper’s You Deserve Love. Two years on from The World’s Best American Band, the band are now on a major label (Elektra) but there’s no sign of any pitfalls that sometimes come with a major-debut, the band have always been pop. You Deserve Love is a triumph of harmonised guitars and anthemic choruses, if there’s any change then it’s a little more Thin Lizzy as opposed to Cheap Trick, so turn the volume up and have a good time. If you’re equally at home in the mosh-pit or a two-step sway, this is the record for you. Might Be Right featured on Q#126.

02) Sheer Mag - Hardly to Blame: I used The Killer on the previous mix and this is another excellent track from A Distant Call, their strongest record to date and an excellent live band to boot. The Killer featured in Q#128.

03) Young Guv - Luv Always: Young Guv released 2 albums in 2019 (Guv I & Guv II), this is taken from Guv 2 and flies the Teenage Fanclub influences pretty high, and that can never be a bad thing. Patterns Prevail from the same album featured in Q#127.

04) Corridor – Domino: I saw Montreal band Corridor in 2018 and was pretty mesmerised by their sound, they’ve since signed to Sub Pop and released this album, Junior, with this track being the lead single from the album (their third full length release).

05) Halfsour - All Gone: Boston trio Halfsour released their charming debut, Tuesday Night Live in 2016, it was a rocking but thin-sounding affair. Three years later and with a new drummer, Sticky is a few steps up on every level, from songwriting chops to some much needed lower-end on the production. If “college rock radio” still exists as a sub-genre that worships REM then Halfsour should be filling those airwaves. Blurred Camera featured in Q#125.

06) Jeffrey Lewis and the Voltage - Depression Despair: Prolific cult-NY-hero Jeffrey Lewis put out Bad Wiring this year, produced by Roger Moutenot, whose credits include Yo La Tengo, Lou Reed and Sleater Kinney. It’s possibly his strongest record since 2009’s ‘Em Are I.

07) Vivian Girls - Something to Do: NYC DIY icons Vivian Girls broke up in 2014 but thankfully got back together in 2019 to release what might be their best album, Memory. I also used Sick in Q127

08) Mikal Cronin – Fire: Mikal Cronin released three near-perfect garage-rock albums every two years between 2011 and 2015, so 2017 seemed like a cruel joke when the run didn’t continue. That’s not to say the four years since III were unproductive, Cronin is one of the busiest artists around and must have played on a dozen albums in the last four years. Thankfully, 2019 has given the world a little more balance with another of his solo albums, and this time he’s leaned into his inner-Neil Young (if you had to pick a record this is closest to, it would be Neil’s best – On the Beach). Trying to get over a bout of writer’s block, he turned to the tried-and-true approach of retreating to a cabin in the woods to write, unfortunately that only lasted a month due to forest fires, and the record does come ablaze more than most, but there’s certainly an earthy quality to it. Indeed the only song that screams cabin-in-the-woods is the solo-acoustic closer On the Shelf. Show Me featured on Q#128.

09) Julia Jacklin - Head Alone: I used Don't Know How to Keep Loving You on Q#128 and Crushing might be my favourite album of the year that I listened to the least (if that makes sense). I can’t wait to hear what she’ll come up with next as she seems on a real roll.

10) Jenny Lewis - Heads Gonna Roll: On the Line is Jenny Lewis’ fourth solo album, and probably her best. I used Red Bull and Hennessy on Q#126 and this track features Ringo Starr on drums (maybe you’ve heard of another band he was in).

11) Josh Ritter - I Still Love You (Now and Then): Fever Breaks came out in April, it’s his tenth studio album and it might just be my favourite. I used Old Black Magic on Q#127, this is a bit more of a standard-Ritter tune but he does have a knack of nailing a singer-songwriter chorus.

12) Laura Stevenson – Perfect: 2019 was a productive one for Laura Stevenson, she released The Big Freeze (her first album in 4 years), a Neil Young covers EP with Jeff Rosenstock and a split single with Adult Mom. This is from The Big Freeze which has a big cabin-in-the-woods vibe to it (also see Living Room NY from Q#126).

13) Wand – Wonder: California rockers Wand have been shifting towards full on psychedelia for a while now and the cycle seems complete on Laughing Matter. I used Thin Air on Q#126.

14) Oso Oso – Dig: Basking in the Glow was probably the best 90s-wannabe record I heard this year (the title track is on Q#127).

15) Have a Nice Life - Sea of Worry: I used Defenestration Song on Q#127 from their 2014 record, Unnatural World without having any idea they were set to release new music in 2019. This is the title track from their latest record and it’s a little more… normal, for want of a better word, and this one has some pretty strong post-punk vibes as opposed to the noise of previous efforts.

16) Blessed - Purpose and Conviction: While this year’s Canadian indie-darlings are Montreal’s Corridor (who we heard earlier, Junior is certainly a fine album) it’s British Columbia’s Blessed, that should walk away with the crown. The quintet quietly self-released debut album Salt in April, and it’s a record that demands to be listened to with a keen ear. The production is immaculate, whether the band’s focus is on sparse atmosphere or technically layering each player pummeling their respective instrument, something pops out each time. It’s an icey record that seemingly changes with air temperature, a masterclass in mixing pace and style from short and punchy numbers like Thought and Pill, to the proggy polyrhythms in album closer Caribou. Landing somewhere that’s in the middle of a venn diagram featuring all the best rock bands that have come out of the great white North over the decade.

17) Clipping - Nothing is Safe: Another Sub Pop to appear on this mix, There Existed an Addiction to Blood is Clipping’s third album and this song in particular sounds like a John Carpenter sound track, which is to say it is excellent.

18) Girl Band – Shoulderblades: Irish quartet Girl Band have always sounded abrasive, but The Talkies is like being on a construction site. Whether you consider this noise-rock, industrial, or whatever, it’s a monumental achievement to make a cacophony of noise so coherent. Four years after Holding Hands With Jamie, the group took a hiatus due to mental health problems, and The Talkies could well be the soundtrack to a psychological breakdown, it throbs and crashes all over the place with sawing guitar effects ringing in your ears. This description will no doubt put many off, but rest assured, this is one of the most accomplished and cathartic records you could listen to.

19) Horse Jumper of Love - Ur Real Life: Slowcore as a genre has been fairly stagnant for a while, seemingly unable to move on from the greats such as Codeine, Red House Painters, Bedhead who are long gone, and while the odd band has gotten back together (Duster), there have been precious few acts worth whispering about. Boston quartet, Horse Jumper of Love, are bastions of hope for those of us who particularly lament that Mark Kozelek has forgotten how to sing and write a melody. So Divine knows when to sparkle and when to collapse and it might be the prettiest sounding album of 2019; if you’re the kind of music fan who hears beauty in the saddest music, then the album will live up to its title. This was probably my favourite album of 2019.

As always, Peace and Love - Q

Q#114 - June to July 2017

Please note that the zip file has a password: QCOMPS.BLOGSPOT

Download mix from: http://www.mediafire.com/file/6y261vrdaspmqpx/Q114.zip

Q's Compilations

Vol #114 – June to July 2017

Greetings! I completed another orbit around the sun on the 13^th of June and so far 35 is treating me pretty well, let’s hope that continues. This time around you’re getting mostly new releases with a few leftovers from a different mix I made recently.

01) Feral Ohms - Love Damage: Oakland power trio Feral Ohms recently played a couple of shows in New York and it was one of the best no-frills sets I have seen in a long time. I should have just bought the vinyl there and then but ended up buying the bandcamp download. “There’s a love damage in my skull”

02) The Creation - How Does It Feel to Feel: The Numero group did their usual excellent work by putting together a comprehensive 2LP set called Action Painting. If you know any other song by them aside from Making Time then it’s probably this but I just wanted to put it on.

03) Robert Pollard - My Daughter Yes She Knows: The ever prolific Robert Pollard released the 100^th album of his career earlier in the year with Guided By Voices’ August By Cake, this track, however, comes from his last “solo” album, Of Course You Are, from 2016.

04) Ride – Cali: Oxford legends Ride got back for some shows a couple of years ago, but just released their first album in 21 years with Weather Diaries, and while most bands fail to recapture the magic after that long apart, the record is much better than their final couple from their original run.

05) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Anymore: Brooklyn’s Paints of Being Pure at Heart released their first album in three years in July with The Echo of Pleasure. I saw them for the first time in five years recently and forgot how much I enjoyed them. “I couldn’t take anymore, anymore, anymore.”

06) Waxahatchee - Sparks Fly: Katie Crutchfield just released Out in the Storm, via Merge Records, Waxahatchee’s fourth record. It’s probably the most guitar-driven to date and I caught a full-band show at Warsaw recently, which I was a bit sceptical if it would work given that her best material is stripped down with just an acoustic guitar (like this track, for the most part!), but it was perfect. “Death grip on some feigned humility, Effort executed beautifully, My pride clenched tight in my shaky hand, Til I let go and buried my head in the sand”

07) Big Thief - Mythological Beauty: The band’s second album, Capacity, via Saddle Creek, and it’s one of the most beautifully delicate records I’ve heard in some time. Given Mark Kozelek’s reluctance to actually write songs at the moment, it’s definitely filling some of my Red House Painters desires. I saw them recently at Prospect Park and while it’s quite hard to play this kind of music in a large outdoor setting, it was still a wonderful set. “You’re all caught up inside, but you know the way”

08) Jeffrey Lewis - Roll Bus Roll: I used a different Jeffrey Lewis track on a mix for a friend recently but this was very close to making the cut instead, and so I felt like I had to throw it on. This is from perhaps his best album, Em Are I, and I just love the vivid imagery. “Old bodegas and old streetlights, Harlem looks so warm tonight”

09) The Mountain Goats - This Year: Being let loose on a friend’s vinyl collection, I made the mistake of playing this great album (The Sunset Tree), forgetting this track was on it. Perhaps not the best vibe for a dinner party. Anyway, The Mountain Goats just released their sixteenth record, Goths, which is their first record without any guitars. It’s pretty good. I’ll be seeing them in November. “I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me”

10) John Andrews & the Yawns – Drivers: Going through my press releases recently I was curious to hear this release from Quilt drummer John Andrews, Bad Posture is quite a delightful record, and certainly fitting with the Woodsist label from where it comes. “I don’t know you no more, don’t owe you no more”

11) Jesu & Sun Kil Moon – Bombs: I’ve already made reference to Mark Kozelek’s somewhat failure to write a conventional song these days and this is a good example. From the second collaborative record with Jesu, 30 Seconds to the Decline of Planet Earth, clocking in at 13 minutes, the spoken-word day-in-the-life-of-Mark-Kozelek is getting kinda tiresome but I still can’t help but like it somewhat. One does hope that he is reaching saturation point with this kind of thing, however.

12) Justin Currie - Failing to See: It’s possible you may not remember that Del Amitri are the greatest band of all time, and that’s ok, no-one is perfect. Frontman Justin Currie released his fourth solo record, This is My Kingdom Now, and it’s another obviously great collection of songs. “Do you hurt me just cos you know that I'll live?”

13) Big Star – Thirteen: I was out with a friend trying to keep a few thoughts to myself and this song played in the bar, and not that I needed reminding, but it really is just a fabulous song. I did not deliberately put this as track thirteen. This particular version is a live version from Big Star Story, which was my introduction to the band. “Won't you tell me what you're thinking of? Would you be an outlaw for my love?”

14) Julian Velard - Glad I Wasted All My Time With You: Having successfully completed a kickstarter campaign (of which I contributed), Fancy Words for Failure was just released and it’s a nice mix of ballads and sarcastic pop tunes. This is clearly the former!

15) Molly Burch - Please Be Mine: This is the title track from Molly Burch’s debut album (via Captured Tracks), and it’s an effortlessly smooth record with immaculate vocals (I just remembered I used Please Forgive Me on Q#112 if you’d care to revisit that too).

16) Thundercat - Captain Stupido: I sometimes think that flicking through vinyl and CD racks is the only way I can clear my head, or at least forget what’s bothering me temporarily, and while stress-buying far too many records back in April at Rough Trade, I heard this song playing over the PA. I can’t remember the last time my ears truly pricked up and made me buy something but Drunk feels like the first time that has happened in a while. There are some fairly silly songs on the record, of which this is one, but the bass work in particular over is pretty captivating. “I feel weird, Comb your beard, brush your teeth, Still feel weird, Beat your meat, go to sleep”

17) The Lemonheads - Down About It: This was another leftover from a different mix, The Lemonheads are one of my go-to bands when I’m not sure what I want to listen to, they can always make me feel something. “And out like a light when it's not plugged in, Fading around if it starts again, You just don't get it when, I get so down about it”

18) Superchunk - 100,000 Fireflies: I got the re-issued Distant Plastic Trees by the Magnetic Fields recently from Merge which obviously has this wonderful track on it. Then I remembered that Superchunk covered it and I wanted to use a track by them on a different mix, this didn’t make it, but it’s a great cover. “I went out to the forest and caught, 100,000 fireflies, As they ricochet round the room, They remind me of your starry eyes, Someone else's might not have made me so sad, But this is the worst night I ever had. Cause I'm afraid of the dark without you close to me, I'm afraid of the dark without you close to me, Always was”

19) Slowdive - Sugar for the Pill: Similar to Ride, Slowdive just released their first album in 22 years with a self-titled release, and once again it’s a pretty damn good record. I saw them on my last trip back home in June and it’s probably the best show I’ve seen this year. “Our love has never known the way, Sugar for the pill, You know it's just the way things are, Cannot buy the sun, This jealousy will break the whole”

As always, Peace and Love

Q

Q#81 - December 2011 - January 2012

Please note the zip file has a password: Q81
Download link - http://www.mediafire.com/?fk28aqculjr8731

Q’s Compilations

Volume #81 – December 2011 – January 2012

Hello! Well this is my first compilation since moving to the New York and as usual with this time of year it’s a “best of” from the last 12 months. I haven’t really had a lot of time to comb through various sources to scout out albums and artists who I missed during the year, so this may seem a slightly obvious selection. I hope it’s an enjoyable compilation nonetheless, music didn’t take a backseat in 2011 but it occupied a bit less time overall with everything else going. I hope everyone had a good time over christmas and new year, I had a 4-week holiday which was quite nice! It was a shame that one of our greatest intellectuals, Christopher Hitchens, passed away in December, he will be missed for many reasons (and my inadequate tribute is here - http://someothersuckersparade.blogspot.com/2011/12/christopher-hitchens-1949-2011.html).

Now, on to the music…

1)    The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Belong: The “difficult second album” syndrome seems to have skipped this band, Belong (this is the title track) is different enough from the first album to keep things interesting but is still full of sugar-sweet hooks.

2)    R.E.M. – All the Best: Unfortunately this fine band called it quits shortly after Collapse Into Now was released, I’m a bit of an REM fanboi and I certainly hope that we hear new music from them all in the future in some form (I suspect Peter Buck will keep himself the most busy of the three). The record continued the good form they had returned to along with Accelerate.

3)    Kurt Vile – Puppet to the Main: Smoke Ring For My Halo was one of those often talked about records over the course of the year (it was released in March) but I only got round to checking it out a couple of months ago. It’s a very good record and I’ll have to check out more of his stuff.

4)    Wilco – I Might: After a string of great records culminating with their best, A Ghost Is Born in 2004, Wilco have stalled a little bit for my tastes, but The Whole Love seems to be a record with a bit more to it than the previous couple. I probably should have used the opening track from the record, perhaps it will make an appearance on a future comp (though it wouldn’t have fit for time reasons, anyway).

5)    Jeffrey Lewis – Try It Again: I used Mosquito Rap last time out and wasn’t entirely sure what to use for this mix, I plumped for this simple, slightly uptempo tune which sees Jeffrey sing about one of his usual topics! A Turn in the Dream Songs may not have the immediate affect of previous album, ‘Em Are I but Jeffrey is consistently good, at worst!

6)    Tinariwen – Tenere Taqqim Tossam: I used Assouf back on my August 2010 compilation, and current album Tassili features guest performances on a few songs from Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe from TV On the Radio, which just about guarantees my business.

7)    PJ Harvey – The Words that Maketh Murder: Let England Shake netted Polly a Mercury Prize this year (I’d have given it to Anna Calvi, personally) and it’s certainly a fine album, though I don’t think it’s her best, but it’s great that she is still putting out fabulously different albums. It’s an album that requires multiple listens as many of the songs have layers that need to be taken in before you appreciate a lot of the songs.

8)    Beastie Boys – Make Some Noise: Perhaps the obvious choice from Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2 but it really is a stonking tune.

9)    Puscifer – Telling Ghosts: I used The Weaver on the last comp, which I hope you liked, this song is a bit heavier and perhaps the two songs I’ve used don’t paint the whole picture of Conditions of My Parole, but they are fine songs indeed.

10) TV On the Radio – Repetition: Of course a TVotR album is going to make any “best of” that I put together, Nine Types of Light sees the band in great form though the year has been marred by the loss of Gerard Smith shortly after the record was released. I think of him as their 5^th Beatle.

11) Vivian Girls – Vanishing of Time: Recorded at the end of 2010 but released in April 2011, Share the Joy is a slightly more polished record than previous efforts, with some real bubblegum pop sprinkled in amongst the regular feisty and punky efforts.

12) The Decemberists – This Is Why We Fight: The King Is Dead is a bit more of a low-key album than previous effort, The Hazards of Love, it has been criticised as being a bit too much like an R.E.M. album, which is not overly surprising since Peter Buck guests on 6 (I think) of the tracks. It’s a fine album, however.

13) Richmond Fontaine – The Escape: RF’s sprawling, story-album The High Country is certainly one of the highlights of the year, as with the last time I used a track from this album it may not work as well out of context but I’d certainly recommend it.

14) Yuck – Suck: Probably the alternative-media darlings of the year it would seem, Yuck’s self-titled debut was released early in the year and it’s always easy to forget about those once it comes to the end. Yes the record wears its influences proudly on its sleeve, but there’s still something about it that seems relevant and enjoyable today.

15) Okkervil River – We Need a Myth: While Arcade Fire continue to win the plaudits, Okkervil River continue to make better records, I Am Very Far is more layered than previous efforts and holds together remarkably well for a record that was recorded in multiple locations.  

16) Mogwai – George Square Thatcher Death Party: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will continues to see the band doing what they do very well. This must win the honour of “best song title of the year”!

17) Anna Calvi – The Devil: The best album of the year was Anna’s self-titled debut album, a really stunning record that I felt compelled to review on my blog (http://someothersuckersparade.blogspot.com/2011/07/anna-calvi-artist-and-album-review.html).

18) Radiohead – Separator: King of Limbs may seem a bit Radiohead-by-numbers these days, but that’s still no bad thing! The record takes a while to get going but the second half of the album is very strong.

19) A Winged Victory for the Sullen – All Farewells Are Sudden: I used the leading track from this self-titled album on the last compilation and it just a wonderful, wonderful record. For fans of ambient or classical music it’s a real treat.

And that’s your lot! Rushed notes, dodgy artwork and all the usual things I’m guilty of with recent compilations. Please let me know what you think, good or bad. I’m adjusting to life here a bit more quickly than I thought I would, though we haven’t been to any gigs yet! There are a bunch of interesting ones come up so I’m sure we’ll get to some soon.

Until next time

Peace and love

Q

Q#80 - October/November 2011

Q#80 - October/November 2010

 

 Download files here:

Please note that the zip file has a password: Q80

http://www.mediafire.com/?qtzfd8oj4xo2j77

Q’s Compilations – Vol 80 – October to November 2011.

Ok if I’m not in New York by the time the next compilation comes out then keep an eye on the news as there will probably be reports of an ugly, big-nosed freak on the rampage. We’re still here but should be in the US by the end of the year, in one state or another. Took me a while to get going with this mix what with everything else going on, but I think it’s turned out pretty damn well! Notes are going to be rushed somewhat, sorry.

01) Cymbals Eat Guitars - Rifle Eyesight: August saw the release of the band’s second album, Lenses Alien, which is a fine continuation of what they were doing with 2009s Why There Are Mountains. This track opens the record and I thought made for an interesting opener to the mix as well, with those Sonic-Youth-esque guitar thrashes and cymbal crashes. “guts for abduction, well my friend that’s another thing”

02) Wild Flag – Romance: Wild Flag include Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss of Sleater Kinney fame, along with Mary Timony and Rebecca Cole. The music is certainly Sleater Kinney-esque which is a fine thing indeed. “Hey, you've got me crawling, You've got me spinning, Shake, shimmy shake, First you wreck me, then resurrect me, it's too much”

03) Nada Surf - The Moon is Calling (demo): I was in local independent record store called Truck a couple of weeks ago and was happy to see a copy of Nada Surf’s “Record Store Day” 7” single which also came with a code to download the songs on the vinyl, a fine idea. They also have a new record coming out in January called The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy. “It’s hard to believe but I hear voices and I cannot keep this secret”

04) Real Estate - Out of Tune: Felix gave me a headsup about this band, who have just released their second album, Days. Bright and shiny guitars rule supreme on this tune. “You’re entering this town, yourself a weeping clown, you play along to songs written for you”.

05) Richmond Fontaine - The Chainsaw Sea: One of those bands I’d always heard about without really exploring, this alt-country four-piece played in Oxford recently and some friends were going that I hadn’t seen in a while so I decided to go. They played new album The High Country in its entirety which I’ve since acquired, it’s a fine album indeed. It’s a concept album in some ways but I think it’s more comfortable to call it a story album. I certainly came into the gig being ignorant about their music, but came out a fan. Looking forward to getting their other stuff. “Below the concrete is buried the fat man from Mississippi and a hooker he met in Clatskanie”

06) Desire - Under Your Spell: Went to see new film Drive a little while back (there are probably loads of films with this kind of title, it’s the new one starring Ryan Gosling) which was a very good movie, aided by a great soundtrack. This dreamy synth-soaked anthem sounds like a winner to me. “I don’t eat, I don’t sleep, I do nothing but think of you”

07) The Hundred in the Hands – Sleepwalkers: I thought this would go nicely after Desire, this is taken from their 2010 EP This Desert. “You said, I might be dead, But I've been off for years”

08) Puscifer - The Weaver: The latest side-project from Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, Puscifer also includes personal favourite Carina Round in the band. I thought that Conditions of My Parole was the band’s first album but it’s actually their second so I have some catching up to do. This certainly sounds more like A Perfect Circle than it does Tool but regardless of the comparisons it’s a very interesting album. “I am therefore I do, Explore. I am the weaver, I do therefore become, A seer and believer.”

09) Linton Kwesi Johnson - Dread Beat An Blood: This is the title track of his debut album, I don’t really know all that much about the man but read a glowing review of this album recently which made me want to check it out (he was also quite prominent on the Reggae Britannia documentary I saw a while ago).

10) Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes: Soul Time is a UK-released compilation album of non-album tracks, which seems a strange way to first get acquainted with a band but if these are tracks not deemed good enough for release then I will have a fine time diving into the back catalogue.

11) French – Marla: I used a track from the band Versus a while back, who formed after the band Flower broke up in the early 90s, another band to form from that split was French. Fans of power-pop should dig this tune. All their music can be downloaded for free on the website - http://frenchrocks.net/Webpages/Rock%20Page.htm

12) Nada Surf - You're Going to Miss the Wood (demo): This is the b-side to the record-store day vinyl I purchased so you get a double-whammy of rare Nada Surf tunes.

13) The Boys - Brickfield Nights: The wife and I went to Blackpool a couple of months ago for the Rebellion Festival, basically 3 days of old-school punk bands (and a few newer ones), not so much my idea of fun but she had a really great time which was the main thing. There were a few highlights, however, and surprise package of the weekend were The Boys, who put on a great power-pop performance. “Every night we`d meet at the same place same time”

14) Jeffrey Lewis - Mosquito Rap: Jeffrey has just released his latest solo album A Turn in the Dream Songs and it’s up to his usual high standards. This song is a hidden track at the end of the album and is chock full of his usual humour and witty lyrics. “but if I see a spider then I know it’s alright ‘cause I can use it as a partner killing tonight”

15) Bon Iver – Holocene: Their 2011 self-titled had passed me by until recently, it’s not as good as For Emma, Forever Ago but it does have some very good moments. Might be a grower, rather uncreative of my I’ve plumped for one of the songs that would probably fit quite snugly onto the last album. “And at once I knew, I was not magnificent”

16) Glass Candy - Digital Versicolor: Another of Johnny Jewel’s bands, I picked up the album B/E/A/T/B/O/X on ebay recently for a good deal, this is the standout track for me though there are others that are equally strong. I mentioned to my wife that this sounds like it could be used as a theme-tune for an 80s TV show like Knight Rider, to which her response was that this is much cooler than Knight Rider… pfffft, what does SHE know?!

17) Steven Wilson - Fluid Tap: Steven has just released his second “solo” album, Grace for Drowning, once again a version has been released in lavish coffee-book packaging with bonus material, so being the sucker that I am, I paid a lot of money for it. It is, thankfully a good album, better than the last couple of Porcupine Tree records and the 5.1 mix in particular is pretty spectacular (though I no longer have a 5.1 setup).

18) A Winged Victory for the Sullen - We Played Some Open Chords and Rejoiced, for the Earth Had Circled the Sun Yet Another Year: A bit of a mouthful but the music is anything but, Adam Wiltzie and Dustin O’Halloran have created something very beautiful with this (self-titled) release. The whole record is sure to be a treat for anyone who likes ambient/neo-classical music, there’s little else I could say so just sit back and treat yourself to these 6 minutes of bliss.

The next comp should (I’m hoping the impending move leaves me with time to throw it together on schedule) be the usual “best of the year” mix. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a good time over the festive period.

Peace and Love

Until Next Time

Q