| MIGUEL GOMEZ from London's
rather fine band known as Susan
George Booth, rates the following
1. The Breeders - Mountain
Battles (Probably most under rated album of the year?!? I've browsed through
a few crappy best of lists and cant find this anywhere! Listening to this
album brings the claustrophobic comfort of being smothered by my two adopted
mothers - Kim & Kelly)
2. Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
(Amazing. Like always their albums of sweet, sincere, honest and demented
songs provoke a reaction to hug the person next to you and invite the postman
in for tea and crumpets. Pity on those who think this band doesn't have
anything new to add. Also worth noting that them filling the long vacant
second guitarist post has yet again added to the live performance and another
dimension to their genius)
3. Why? - Alopecia (On first
couple of listens I actually hated this but it's probably the album that
has grown on me the most. After watching them live a couple of times (and
missing Devo because I was so drawn by their intimate performance at Primavera)
my appreciation for the the band and the album exploded like a crowd after
an announcement of free give aways at a Boxing Day sale)
4. Portishead - Third (As
much as I love to go against the masses this is genuinely a great album.
Can't add anything more personal than other reviews. Dark, depressing and
hauntingly beautiful)
5. The Bug - London Zoo (Just
because I love the sex appeal of the Warrior Queen and I think Poison Dart
is my favourite song of the year. Just be yourself and don't forget to
dance)
6. Mayors of Miyazaki - Buffalo!
(After listening to them on your show I went down to watch them at the
Millers Bar. They literally only played to me and other members of the
other bands playing on the night. Very impressed. Being unemployed at the
time I could only afford to download this album for free from their website
and have literally listened to it at least twice a week ever since. Like
you say in your review this is a band I've mentioned to everyone I know.
We've been planning for gigs in 2009 and I dropped them a note if
they wanted to play a gig with us. But to my astonishment their album release
gig this month was their last gig ever! Sad days indeed but apparently
a reunion is already on the cards)
7. Black Sun - Paralyser
(Not sure if this can be classified as an album. However personally one
of my highlights at Supersonic festival this year. Devastating, brutal,
world ending. Reminiscence of wanting to dislocate my neck when I first
heard Locust Star by Neurosis)
8. Pale Horse - Habitual
Linestepper (Heavy sludgey noise that is as honest as the members themselves.
Saw them live 3 times this year and all were amazing small gigs. We were
lucky enough to support them once and they are a group of really nice folks
who deserve some attention. We can love you!)
9. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
(You can only get bludgeoned in the head so many times. This is a nice
little piece of intricate work I find myself playing in the background
during days of rest)
10. Buddy Peace - Wolf Diesel
Mountain (Not even sure if this was released this year. It's just a sort
of mashed up mix tape sampling the likes of Shellac, Liars and MF Doom.
Almost like a 60 minute reference to some decent artists out there. Quite
an easy listen that provided a temporary remedy from the nausea of hearing
about Lil' Wayne singing about killing our grand mas)
There's obviously loads of
new music albums such as Fucked Up, No Age, Harvey Milk etc that I haven't
bothered with for some silly reason. Hopefully when I do decide to pour
them out of the barrel, my palette will be quenched by a matured fine piece
of work.
|
L.P from Boston,
Mass (USA) thinks these were the best things she heard...
1:ROSE KEMP - Unholy Majesty
(One Little Indian) - not a surprise really, as She is easily the best
poet/songstess/creatrix out there...oh, and a fine person too! Top album,
absolutely no contest here.
2: RUDE MECHANICALS - Glass
Eye (RIM) -- not a surprise there either, easily the most creative performance
artists out there, and the best meditations on body fluids as well
3: SHEARWATER - Rook (Madrigal)
- no surprises yet, are there? Not one note or word out of place, creating
a fragile world of birds and passing moods and passing worlds, and even
a little hope. True poets.
4: DIAGONAL - Diagonal (Rise
Above) - real prog rock that nods to the incredible roots of melody and
framework, the Haight Ashbury District. Can't get much better than that.
And they even make it their own.
5: PARTS AND LABOR - Receivers
(Jagjaguwar) -- here's more real prog rock that is unafraid of actual melody
and framework. Progression does not mean making ears bleed. It does mean
making the mind bend, though.
6: JO GABRIEL - Fools and
Orphans (Ephemera) -- no surprise here as this is another encounter with
a true poet who can bend and shape scales and rhythms and use her voice
as an instrument. No easy feat.
28 DEGREES OF TAURUS -- How
Do You Like Your Love? (Self Release) - Excellent live, and superb progressive
mind-altering alternative flow.
GRAILS -- Doomsdayer's Holiday
(Temporary Residence) - more progressive rock that plays with time signatures
and time itself.
SAY BOK GWAI - Chink in the
Armor (Edgetone) -- Shakes up your ears, shakes up what you think you know
about social construction of subordinated cultures. Just what a doctor
(of sociology) and a poet ordered.
NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA
- Birds (Oof!) -- Ending on a note of beautiful melody, surprising lyrics,
and a lovely nod to Sea Nymphs.
Love from across the ocean,
LP xxx
The PUNKVERT
/ EX-GRATIA team thought the SPECIALISATION IS FOR INSECTS compilation
was the best thing of 2008, then again they did put it out. They also voted
for MELVINS - Nude In Boots, HANSON BROTHERS - Its A Living, WEEN
- La Cucharacha, THE LOCUST - New Erections,
HANDSUM PETE - church of
the handsum pete, RUDE MECHANICALS - Glass Eye, ANARCHISTWOOD -- Blessed
Are The Cracked For They Let In The Light and argued for Bauhaus - in the
flat field re-issue (can i have that?) but no, no re-issues or UNIVERSE
ZERO would be right at the top of the Organ list and so would that
BOWIE live album from '72
SEYMOUR from TEN
CITY NATION is still with Future On The Left's last album, but wasn't
that back at the start of 2007? He also mentions "the wonderful" FLIGHT
LIKE APES album, POPULAR WORKSHOW's we're Alive And Not Alone, SCREAMING
TEA PERTY - Golden Blue, SLAVES TO GRAVITY - Scatter The Crow and also
mentions the SPECIALISATION IS FOR INSECTS compilation
|
THE
ORGAN TEAM'S TOP 50 LIST IN FULL....
THE
ORGAN READERS TOP 40 AS VOTED BY YOU....
THE
TOP 30 SINGLES THAT CAME OUR WAY IN 2008 - - as debated, argued and
agreed by the Organ team
Last
year's top Organ albums
