Top 5 singles
01 Jesus Licks - Dalek Chorus
I was initially drawn to the single via a Norman Records weekly email where they review up coming releases (Damn, giving away the tricks of where to find out about great new stuff here!). They gave it their single of the week and the review was enough to pique my interest. The review, coupled with the Doctor Who reference meant I was soon online and at the bands My Space page to find out whether this band would be for me. They were. They are liken nothing else I have heard this year. The song was like something from another world. The voice of singer Dominic Golden had held me mesmerised ever since. So if you are a fan of quirky pop music I can not recommend this song enough. And I have since got a copy of the bands LP - 'Terrible Beauty', which is equally enthralling.
02 Jim Reid - Dead End Kids
03 We're From Barcelona - I'm From Barcelona
04 Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
05 Lucky Soul - Lips Are Unhappy
Top 5 LPs
01 Freeheat - Back On The Water
An odd debut LP from the band fronted by Jim Reid (of The Jesus and Mary Chain). It's a mix of studio demos recorded back in 1997 and songs from a live set at The Paradiso in Amsterdam in 2002. The band are no longer a going concern. Which is a crying shame. As this collection of songs showcase what a great song writer Jim Reid is. He is ably backed by Ben Lurie (again from The Mary Chain), Nick Sanderson (Earl Brutus) and Romi Mori (the Gun Club). This showcases a band that were at their best on stage, knocking out fuzzed up rock n roll. I was a huge fan of Freeheat and this LP is something special. It has power. It has passion. But more than anything else it has great songs. A truly lost band. It was criminal the way they were ignored by the press during their four years together. The LP was released on the Planting Seeds label in America. Go and buy it. It's a great record.
02 Jesus Licks - Terrible Beauty
03 Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country
04 Audrey - Visible Forms
05 Mutt Ramon - Utterly Mutterly
Top 5 Compilations
01 Sarandon - The Completist Library
Sarandon were new to me. This release compiled their early EPs on to one CD. They came to my attention via Tom's mentioning of them on this here site. I duly bought the LP. It's ferocious. It's brilliant. When I reviewed the LP on my site, Lostmusic, I said this of it - "...like a breath of fresh air. The songs just leap out at you. This is like no frills guitar pop music". It's impact has not diminished since. This collection of songs will be with me for a long long time.
02 Various - The Kids at The Club
03 Various - CD86
04 The Delgados - Peel Sessions
05 Widdershins - Good Songs (1987-1989)
Top 5 bands
01 Sarandon
02 Butterfly Explosion
03 Jesus Licks
04 Audrey
05 Blood Red Shoes
Top 5 Live Acts
01 Jim Reid
It's been a Jim Reid year for me. Back in January I saw Jim play a solo gig assisted by Phil King (formerly of Lush) at the 12 Bar Club in London. Since then Jim has expanded his band to include Loz Colbert (from Ride) on Drums and Mark Crozer (on Bass). I managed to catch most of Jim's gigs this year. Highlights are numerous, Popadelica in Sweden being a great weekend. And a trip to see him perform in Dublin was fantastic. But Jim's best gig for me came at The Bar Academy in Islington back in July of this year. Jim's band knocked out great new songs (Dead End Kids, War On Peace), covers (The Saints' 'I'm Stranded' and Dylan's 'If You Gotta Go') along with Mary Chain songs (Never Understand, The Perfect Crime) - And the set highlight was a rendition of 'Vegetable Man' in tribute to the recently departed Syd Barrett. I am fairly sure this is the first Jim has played this song in over 20 years. Mind blowingly good.
02 The Butterfly Explosion
03 The Bobby McGees
04 The Loft
05 The Victorian English Gentlemen’s Club
(Posted on Lost Music's behalf)
01 Jesus Licks - Dalek Chorus
I was initially drawn to the single via a Norman Records weekly email where they review up coming releases (Damn, giving away the tricks of where to find out about great new stuff here!). They gave it their single of the week and the review was enough to pique my interest. The review, coupled with the Doctor Who reference meant I was soon online and at the bands My Space page to find out whether this band would be for me. They were. They are liken nothing else I have heard this year. The song was like something from another world. The voice of singer Dominic Golden had held me mesmerised ever since. So if you are a fan of quirky pop music I can not recommend this song enough. And I have since got a copy of the bands LP - 'Terrible Beauty', which is equally enthralling.
02 Jim Reid - Dead End Kids
03 We're From Barcelona - I'm From Barcelona
04 Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
05 Lucky Soul - Lips Are Unhappy
Top 5 LPs
01 Freeheat - Back On The Water
An odd debut LP from the band fronted by Jim Reid (of The Jesus and Mary Chain). It's a mix of studio demos recorded back in 1997 and songs from a live set at The Paradiso in Amsterdam in 2002. The band are no longer a going concern. Which is a crying shame. As this collection of songs showcase what a great song writer Jim Reid is. He is ably backed by Ben Lurie (again from The Mary Chain), Nick Sanderson (Earl Brutus) and Romi Mori (the Gun Club). This showcases a band that were at their best on stage, knocking out fuzzed up rock n roll. I was a huge fan of Freeheat and this LP is something special. It has power. It has passion. But more than anything else it has great songs. A truly lost band. It was criminal the way they were ignored by the press during their four years together. The LP was released on the Planting Seeds label in America. Go and buy it. It's a great record.
02 Jesus Licks - Terrible Beauty
03 Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country
04 Audrey - Visible Forms
05 Mutt Ramon - Utterly Mutterly
Top 5 Compilations
01 Sarandon - The Completist Library
Sarandon were new to me. This release compiled their early EPs on to one CD. They came to my attention via Tom's mentioning of them on this here site. I duly bought the LP. It's ferocious. It's brilliant. When I reviewed the LP on my site, Lostmusic, I said this of it - "...like a breath of fresh air. The songs just leap out at you. This is like no frills guitar pop music". It's impact has not diminished since. This collection of songs will be with me for a long long time.
02 Various - The Kids at The Club
03 Various - CD86
04 The Delgados - Peel Sessions
05 Widdershins - Good Songs (1987-1989)
Top 5 bands
01 Sarandon
02 Butterfly Explosion
03 Jesus Licks
04 Audrey
05 Blood Red Shoes
Top 5 Live Acts
01 Jim Reid
It's been a Jim Reid year for me. Back in January I saw Jim play a solo gig assisted by Phil King (formerly of Lush) at the 12 Bar Club in London. Since then Jim has expanded his band to include Loz Colbert (from Ride) on Drums and Mark Crozer (on Bass). I managed to catch most of Jim's gigs this year. Highlights are numerous, Popadelica in Sweden being a great weekend. And a trip to see him perform in Dublin was fantastic. But Jim's best gig for me came at The Bar Academy in Islington back in July of this year. Jim's band knocked out great new songs (Dead End Kids, War On Peace), covers (The Saints' 'I'm Stranded' and Dylan's 'If You Gotta Go') along with Mary Chain songs (Never Understand, The Perfect Crime) - And the set highlight was a rendition of 'Vegetable Man' in tribute to the recently departed Syd Barrett. I am fairly sure this is the first Jim has played this song in over 20 years. Mind blowingly good.
02 The Butterfly Explosion
03 The Bobby McGees
04 The Loft
05 The Victorian English Gentlemen’s Club
(Posted on Lost Music's behalf)
Thanks Tom. :-) I can't post at the moment. I upgraded my blog to the new blogger and it only occasionally allows me through to this site now to add new posts. Stupid blogger.