2008 has been one of the weirdest years ever. George Bush = NO! Barack Obama = YES! Chicago Cubs = NO! Blackhawks Winter Classic = YES! Economy = NO! Reckless best of lists = YES!

So here they are, we know that you’ve been waiting for them.

RECKLESS 2008 BEST OF LISTS

CHRIS P
GROUPER “Dragging a Dead Deer up a Hill”
SPIRES THAT IN THE SUNSET RISE “Curse the Traced Bird”
DOWN IN JUNE “Covers…Death in June”
BEACH HOUSE “Devotion”
JOHN MAUS “Love is Real”
CHRISTOPHER BISSONNETTE “In Between words”
SPACEMEN 3 “DJ Tones” ep
PORTISHEAD “Third”

REISSUES
MAYO THOMPSON “Corky\’s Debt to His Father”
THE LINES “Flood Bank”
THE LINES “Memory Spand”
IRON CURTAIN “Tarantula Scream”ep
DEAD CAN DANCE reissues
VAN DUREN “Are You Serious?”

MICHELLE
in no particular order
M83 “Saturdays = Youth”
BEACH HOUSE “Devotion”
CRYSTAL STILTS “Alight of Night”
PIT ER PAT “High Time”
DEERHUNTER “Microcastle/ “Weird Era Continued”
18TH DYLE “Amorine Queen”
GROUPER “ Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill”
WINDY & CARL “Songs for the Broken Hearted”
WHITE MAGIC “New Egypt”
NAGISA NI TE “Yosuga”
HELENA ESPVALL & MASAKI BATOH “S/T”
WOODEN SHJIPS VOL. 1
LEGENDARY PINK DOTS “Plutonium Blonde”
JOHN MAUS “Love is Real”
JACK ROSE “ Dr. Ragtime & Pals”
KING KHAN & THE SHRINES “The Supreme Genius of…”
RODRIGUEZ “Cold Fact” reissue
FIVE OR SIX “Acting on Impulse”
MONOCHROME SET “Independent Singles Collection”
THE LINES “Flood Bank” reissue

EMILY
in no particular order
LIL WAYNE “Tha Carter III”
GROWING “All the Way”
SPIRITUALIZED “Songs in A&E”
CHAIRLIFT “Does You Inspire You”
BLACK ANGELS “Directions to See a Ghost”
BORIS “Smile”
METALLICA LP Reissues
RZA “Digi Snacks”
BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT “Motion to Rejoin”
ENSLAVED “Vertebrae”
M83 “Digital Shades Volume 1”
MOUNT EERIE/ JULIE DOIRON – Lost Wisdom (Southern)
NO AGE “Nouns”
OCEAN “Pantheon of the Lesser”
DUNGEN “4”
DEERHUNTER “Microcastle”/ “Weird Era Continued”
T-PAIN “Thr33 Ringz”
NICO MUHLY “Mothertongue”
DENNIS WILSON “Pacific Ocean Blue” reissue
VETIVER “Thing of the Past”
Q-TIP “Renaissance”
CHARLIE LOUVIN “Sings Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs”
WARMER MILKS “Soft Walks”

JASON
RUSSIAN CIRCLES \”Station”
NERVES (1975) \”One Way Ticket”
MOGWAI \”The Hawk is Howling”
LARRY NORMAN \”Rebel, Poet, Jukebox Balladeer”
EARLES & JENSEN \”Just Farr a Laugh”
THE MIDDLE CLASS \”Out of Vogue, Early Material”
COLLAPSAR \”Integers”
JEFF LOOMIS \”Zero Hour Phase”
DON CABALLERO \”Punkgasm”
DIANOGAH \”Qhnnnl”

MATT
AIDAN BAKER/TIME HECKER“Fantasma Parastasie”
BROWN JENKINS “Angel Eyes”
CIRCLE OF OUROBORUS/ SOMNIVORE split
DUNGEN “4”
ENSLAVED “Vertebrae”
FRIPP/ ENO“No Pussyfooting” reissue
GROUPER “Dragging a Dead Deer Up A Hill”
GROUPER/INCA ORE split
HELLHAMMER “Demon Entrails”
JAY REATARD “Singles 06-07”
KRALLICE “S/T”
LEVIATHAN “Massive Conspiracy Against All Life”
LIFELOVER“Konkurs”
MORKER “Hostmakter”
NACHTMYSTIUM “Assassins: Black Meddle pt. 1”
NASHEIM/ ANGANTYR split
ONE LAST WISH “1986” LP reissue
O.W.L. “Of Wondrous Legends” reissue
THE PEACE “Black Power” reissue
RADIOHEAD “In Rainbows”
RAVEN “Back to Ohio Blues”
STRID“s/t” reissue
V/A “1970\’s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground”
WEDARD “Wo Die Ewgkeit Die Zeit Beruhrt”
XASTHUR \”A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors” reissue
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM “Two Hunters”
NEIL YOUNG “Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House”

Live shows:
IRON MAIDEN
POLVO
RADIOHEAD
BORIS
STARS OF THE LID
NICK CAVE
MY BLOODY VALENTINE
BARACK OBAMA Acceptance Speech in Grant Park

CONNELLY
BOB DYLAN “Tell Tale Signs: Rare & Unreleased 1989-2006”
OAN AS POLICE WOMAN “To Survive”
EARLY WORM “S/T”
THESE WONDERFUL EVILS “Regine Flory”
CURRENT 93 “Nature Unveiled” reissue
LYNN JACKSON “Soft Stars”
ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS “Another World”
CAT POWER “Jukebox”
JUANA MOLINA “Un Dia”
THE SMITHS “Sound of the Smiths”

LIZ
BEACH HOUSE \”Devotion\”
JOHN MAUS \”Love is Real\”
PORTISHEAD \”Third\”
SAY HI \”The Wishes And The Glitch\”
MARNIE STERN “This is it & I am it & You are it & So is that & he is it”
IRON CURTAIN \”Desertion\”
V/A “BIPPP: French Synth Wave 1979-85”
SEBASTIEN TELLIER \”Sexuality\”
RAVEONETTES \”Lust Lust Lust\”
BLACK ANGELS \”Directions to See a Ghost\”
V/A “Messthetics #106
DUNGEN \”4\”
BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT\”Motion to Rejoin”
DEERHUNTER \”Microcastle”/ “Weird Era Continued\”
TRICKY \”Knowle West Boy”
LEE SCRATCH PERRY \”Repentance”

REISSUES
NEW ORDER “Movement”
JORGE BEN \”Forca Bruta”
U2 \”October\”
FRIPP & ENO \”No Pussyfooting\”

BILLY
CHRISTOPHER BISSONNETTE “In Between Words”
NICK CAVE & WARREN ELLIS “Assassination of Jesse James” soundtrack
NICK CAVE “Dig Lazarus Dig!!!”
JONNY GREENWOOD “There Will Be Blood” soundtrack
SIGUR ROS “Med Sud I Eryum Vid Spilum Endalaust”
NINE INCH NAILS “The Slip”
RIVERS CUOMO “Alone Part 1”

Bands that stupidly got ignored (by me) until 2008:
WINDY & CARL
UFO (how did I miss them for so long?)
SAMMY HAGAR
PROCOL HARUM

These albums had some good SONGS on them, but I didn\’t
find myself listening to the WHOLE album…
COLDPLAY “Viva La Vida”
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE “Narrow Stairs”
RADIOHEAD “In Rainbows” (Don\’t believe the hype)
UGLYSUIT “S/T”
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM “Sound of Silver”
JUSTICE “Cross”
HOLD STEADY “Stay Positive” (slightly annoying, but catchy)
REM “Accelerate” (starts off great, then zzzzzzz)

DYLAN
NEW RECORDS
XIU XIU “Women As Lovers”
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS “Here Come the 123s”
NEPTUNE “Gong Lake”
SIAN ALICE GROUP “59:59”
ERYKAH BADU “New Amerykah: Part One (Fourth World War)”
THE BREEDERS “Mountain Battles”
MARNIE STERN “This is it & I am it & you are it & so is that & he is it”
VIOLENCE OF THE LEFT “Curses”
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS “S/T”
NEIL HAMBURGER “Sings Country Winners”
MEGAFAUN “Bury the Square”
ROOTS “Rising Down”
PORTISHEAD “Third”
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE “Water Curses”
NEW BLOODS “Secret Life”
LAST SHADOW PUPPETS “Age of the Understatement”
ERIC MATTHEWS “Imagination Stage”
PONYTAIL “Ice Cream Spiritual”
WALTER BECKER “Circus Money”
MUCCA PAZZA “Plays Well Together”
SLOAN “Parallel Play”
SIGUR ROS “Med Sud I Eryum Vid Spilum Endalaust”
FRED FRITH “To Sail to Sail”
FUCKED UP “Year of the Pig”
SPARKS “Exotic Creatures of the Deep”
ONEIDA “Preteen Weaponry”
GETATCHEW MEKURIA & THE EX “Moa Anbessa”
SBACH “S/T”
METALLICA “Death Magnetic”
DEAD SCIENCE “Villainaire”
FUCKED UP “Chemistry of Common Life”
WOMEN “S/T”
JARBOE “Mahakali”
WHITE MAGIC “New Egypt”
AC/DC “Black Ice”
SQUAREPUSHER “Only a Souvenir”
CHRIS CONNELLY “Forgiveness & Exile”
LOWDOWN BRASS BAND “S/T”
MY CANADIAN GIRLFRIEND “It Might Even Get Cold”

REISSUES
V/A “Carolina Funk”
MAYO THOMPSON “Corky\’s Debt to his Father”
GARY NUMAN “Replicas”
NICK LOWE “Jesus of Cool”
DENNIS WILSON “Pacific Ocean Blue”
VAN DUREN “Are You Serious”
VSS “Nervous Circuits”

MAGAZINE PUBLISHING EVENT OF THE YEAR
CHUNKLET

JACOB
PORTISHEAD “Third”
DEERHUNTER \”Microcastle”/ “Weird Era Continued\”
BEACH HOUSE \”Devotion\”
MICAH BLUE SMALDONE \”The Red River\”
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY \”Lie Down in the Light\”
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE \”Water Curses\”
ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS \”Another World\”
ARTHUR RUSSELL “Love is Overtaking Me”

JAMES
CONSTANTIES “Kensington Heights”
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING “Primary Colours”
DEERHUNTER “Microcastle”/ “Weird Era Continued”
DUTCHESS & THE DUKE “She\’s The Dutchess, He\’s The Duke”
FUCKED UP “The Chemistry of Common Life”
PORTISHEAD “Third”
ERYKAH BADU “New Amerykah: Part One (Fourth World War)”
BLACK MOUNTAIN “In The Future”
SHEARWATER “Rook”
OKKERVIL RIVER “The Stand Ins”
WALKMEN “You & Me”
ONEIDA “Preeteen Weaponry”
DISAPPEARS 2008 7\”s
HOWLIN\’ RAIN “Magnificent Fiend”
BORIS “Smile”

Reissues/Live
BOB DYLAN “Tell Tale Signs: Rare & Unreleased 1989-2006”
DENNIS WILSON “Pacific Ocean Blue”
RODRIGUEZ “Cold Fact”
LARRY NORMAN “Rebel Poet, Jukebox Balladeer: Anthology”
V/A “Nigeria Disco Funk Special”
STEINSKI “What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective”
ARTHUR RUSSELL “Love Is Overtaking Me”
V/A “1970\’s Algerian Proto Rai Underground”
FINAL SOLUTION “Brotherman” soundtrack
THE CLEAN “Anthology”
SKIP JAMES “1931 Sessions”
IRMA THOMAS “Sings”
JOHN PHILLIPS “John The Wolf King of L.A.”
THE CLASH “Live at Shea Stadium”
THE RATS “S/T”

ROBBIE
PORTISHEAD “Third”
BEACH HOUSE “Devotion”
LEE SCRATCH PERRY “Repentance”
DUNGEN “4”
SPARKS “Exotic Creatures of the Deep”
ERIC MATTHEWS “Imagination Stage”
DAVID VANDERVELDE “Waiting for the Sunrise”
BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT “Motion to Rejoin”
JOHN MAUS “Love is Real”
BLACK MOUNTAIN “In the Future”
ERYKAH BADU “New Amerykah: Part One (Fourth World War)
SLOAN “Parallel Play”

REISSUE OF THE YEAR:
DENNIS WILSON “Pacific Ocean Blue”

BAND I JUST DISCOVERED THIS YEAR:
BADFINGER

MOVIE OF THE YEAR:
WALL-E

GAR
CLASH \”Live at Shea Stadium\”
DAVID BOWIE \”Live Santa Monica \’72\”
BLACK ANGELS \”Directions To See A Ghost\”
JAY REATARD \”Matador Singles \’08\”
CLINIC \”Do It\”
DEERHUNTER \”Microcastle\”/ “Weird Era Continued”
CHRIS CONNELLY \”Forgiveness & Exile\”
PORTISHEAD \”Third\”
FUCKED UP \”Chemistry of Common Life\”
JOHNNY FOREIGNER \”Waited Up Til It Was Light”
V/A \”Sprigs Of Time: 78\’s From The EMI Archive\”

DAN W
EDDIE CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING “Primary Colours”
DUTCHESS & THE DUKE “She\’s The Duchess, He\’s The Duke”
DISAPPEARS both 7 inches + Live Above The Rainbo CDR
TIMES NEW VIKING “Rip It Off”
CONSTANTINES “Kensington Heights”

COURTLAND
V/A “Sprigs of Time: 78s From the EMI Archive”
STEPHEN MALKMUS “ Real Emotional Trash”
V/A “1970\’s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground”
LEON WARE “Moonride”
GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS “Claudine/ Pipe Dreams” soundtracks
NEIL YOUNG “Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968”
V/A “I Don\’t Feel At Home In This World Today”
V/A “Life Is A Problem”
GZA “Pro Tools”
GETATCHEW, EKURIA & THE EX “Moa Anbessa”
V/A “New Orleans Funk Vol. 2”

MICHAEL
DISAPPEARS 7\”s + “Live Over the Rainbo”
V/A “1970s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground”
TOUMANI DIABATE “Mande Variations”
ROOTS MANUVA “Slime & Reason”
FLYING LOTUS “Los Angeles”
BOB DYLAN “Tell Tale Signs: Rare & Unreleased 1989-2006”
DEBASHISH BHATTACHARYA “Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey”
VALERIO COSI “Collected Works”
ODEAN POPE “What Went Before, Volume 1”
CHRIS CONNELLY “Forgiveness & Exile”
V/A “Give Me Love: Songs of the Brokenhearted: Baghdad, 1925-1929”
V/A “Sprigs of Time: 78s from the EMI Archives”
SIR VICTOR UWAIFO “Guitar-Boy Superstar 1970-76 “
SCOTT TUMA “Not for Nobody”
MATANA ROBERTS QUARTET “Chicago Project”
BLUES CONTROL “Puff”
Best Shows
STARS OF THE LID (Lakeshore Theater)
TOUMANI DIABATE (Logan Square Auditorium)
THE EX & GETATCHEW MEKURIA (Pritzger)
AMIR EL SAFFAR (Pritzger)
ORNETTE COLEMAN (Grant Park)
MATANA ROBERTS (Heaven Gallery)

SARAH
(NO ORDER-ALBUMS)
BLACK ANGELS “Directions to See a Ghost”
FLEET FOXES “S/T”
LINDSAY BUCKINGHAM “GIFT OF SCREWS”
DEERHUNTER “Microcastle”/ “Weird Era Continued”
DIPLO & SANTOGOLD “Top ranking”
PIT ER PAT “High Time”
ROOTS MANUVA “Slime & Reason)
PORTASTATIC “Some Small History”
V/A “Nigeria Disco Funk Special”
V/A “Rmxxology”

(NO ORDER CELEBRITIES)
TINA FEY
CHARLIE DAY

DAVE
THE BAKERTON GROUP “S/T” (Groovy instrumental boogie-rock from Clutch, but
minus their singer)

BETWEEN THE BURIED & ME “Colors” (I know this came out in 2007, but
Victory Records finally issued this on vinyl! Amazing prog-metal-hardcore)

GOJIRA “The Way of All Flesh” (Awesome, heavy, and complex metal recorded
and performed very well. Fans of Meshuggah or Lamb of God will like this)

GRIDLINK “Amber Grey” (Another band starting with \”G,\” this features Jon
Chang from Discordance Axis on vocals and most of Japan\’s Mortalized on
instruments. 12 songs in 11 minutes and completely punishing)

GUILTY SIMPSON “Ode to the Ghetto” (A nice mixture of street-level rhymes
and a sense of humor, this is another winner from Stones Throw)

HARMS WAY \”Delusion\” 7\” (Intense and scary hardcore/grind/death metal
from these Chicago lads)

THE MUZZLER /MZRCDXVL Split 7\” (Awesome split from two of the area\’s best
hardcore bands)

ORIGIN “Antithesis” (Insane and unrelenting technical death metal from
Kansas, of all places. Totally overpowering and amazing)

PORTISHEAD “Third” (Indescribable release from an indescribable band.
Other-worldly rhythms mixed with Beth Gibbons\’ airy voice make for another
winner from this band)

PUERTO MUERTO “I Was A Swallow” (Dark, post-country tunes with beautiful
male/female vocals from right here in Chicago. Very underrated music that
sounds like it\’s from Death Valley and covered in sand)

STEINWAYS “Gorilla Marketing” (Excellent pop punk in the vein of Screeching Weasel. Buy & smile.)

VENOMOUS CONCEPT “Poisoned Apple” (punk/thrash from one half of Brutal
Truth and one half of Napalm Death)

V/A “This Comp Kills Fascists” (Great hardcore compilation on Relapse, assembled by Pig Destroyer guitarist Scott Hull. Features new material from tons of killer bands, including Brutal Truth, Weekend Nachos, Spoonful of Vicodin, Agents of Satan, and like 15 more)

KIP
in no particular order
MESHUGGAH “Obzen”
MESHUGGAH “Chaosphere Reloaded” (Reissue)
JUANA MOLINA “Un Dia”
DUNGEN “4”
FRIPP/ENO “No Pussyfooting” (Reissue)
NAGISA NI TE “Yosuga”
ENSLAVED “Vertebrae”
FUCKED UP “Year of the Pig”
SEA & CAKE “Car Alarm”
NEIL YOUNG “Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968”
NONAGON “No Sun”

TV Series
MAD MEN “Seasons 1 and 2”
IN TREATMENT “Season 1”
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA “Season 4.0”
THE SHIELD “Season 7”
IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA “Season 4”
LOST “Season 4”
TRUE BLOOD “Season 1”

Movies
IN BRUGES
WALL-E

MAGAS
GAS “Nah Und Fern”
WOLFGANG VOIGT “Freiland Klaviermusik”
MAURIZIO “M Series”
V/A “\’70s THAI ORCHESTRA”
BASIC CHANNEL “2”
RAVEN “Back to Ohio Blues”
TRUTH & JANEY “No Rest for the Wicked”
BRAINBOMBS reissues
CHRISSY ZEBBY TEMBO & NGOZI FAMILY “My Ancestors”
YA HO WAH 13 “Penetration, An Aquarian Symphony”
ERSEN “S/T” reissue
CHRIS CONNELLY “Forgiveness & Exile”
THE PEACE “Black Power”
HUMAN BEAST “Vol. 1”
BLUE PHANTOM “Distortions”
SUCK “Time to Suck”
FREEDOM\’S CHILDREN “Astra & Galactic Vibes”
BLUE ADDICTS “S/T”
T2 “It\’ll All Work Out in Boomland” & “T2” (aka Fantasy)
STACK WADDY “S/T”
EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND reissues
MURPHY BLEND “First Loss”
Everything on STRANGE LIFE

Bonus round:
Fallout 3 (Xbox 360)
Braid (Xbox 360)
The Presidential Election

DAN
1.) PORTISHEAD “Third”
2.) NICK CAVE AND BAD SEEDS “Dig Lazarus, Dig!!!”
3.) ERYKAH BADU “New Amerykah: Part One (Fourth World War)”
4.) DEERHUNTER “Microcastle”/ “Weird Era Continued”
5.) BON IVER “For Emma Forever Ago”
6.) FLEET FOXES “S/T”
7.) THEE OH SEES “Master\’s Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night in”
8.) BLACK MOUNTAIN “In the Future”
9.) SHOPPING “S/T”
10.) VETIVER “Thing of the Past”

REISSUES
1.)MISSISSIPPI RECORDS: VARIOUS TITLES (IRMA THOMAS, “LOVE IS LOVE” etc…)
2.)RODRIGUEZ “Cold Fact”
3.)LARRY NORMAN “Rebel, Poet, Jukebox Balladeer”
4.)BOB DYLAN “Tell Tale Signs: Rare & Unreleased 1989-2006”
5.) NERVES “One Way Ticket”
6.) LOS HOLY\’S “Sueno Sicodelic” (PLUS TAPES CASSETTE)
7.) DENNIS WILSON “Pacific Ocean Blue”
8.) ARTHUR RUSSELL “Love is Overtaking Me”
9.) KAREN DALTON “Cotton Eyed Joe”
10.) REPLACEMENTS All Reissues
11.) V/A“Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro Rock”
12.) V/A “ Summer Records Anthology”

MARK
in no particular order
BECK “ Modern Guilt”
YAHOWA 13 “Sonic Portal”
O.W.L. “Of Wondrous Legend” reissue
JONAS REINHARDT “ S/T”
BLACK ANGELS “ Directions To See a Ghost”
FRIPP/ENO “No Pussyfooting” (reissue)
DIALS “ Amoeba Amore”
CLOUDLAND CANYON “ Lie in Light”
BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE “My Bloody Underground”
DENNIS WILSON “ Pacific Ocean Blue” reissue
GENESIS Rhino cd/dvd reissues
ONEIDA “ Preteen Weaponry”

DANIEL:
KEVIN AYERS \”Unfairground\”
BIG KNIFE “S/T” (cassette)
BLACK ANGELS \”Directions to See a Ghost\”
THE DIALS \”Amoeba Amore\”
ENDLESS BOOGIE \”Focus Level\”
THE FINAL SOLUTION \”Brotherman\”
Soundtrack for an never-filmed movie, unearthed by Numero, by a group with maybe the most (unintentionally,
I hope?) band name of all time.
FUCKED UP \”The Chemistry of Common Life\”
KING KHAN & THE SHRINES \”The Supreme Genius of King Khan\”
NICK LOWE \”Jesus of Cool\” [reissue]
basically the best record ever, the reissue includes all the tracks from the UK release as well as the re-titled U.S.
version \”Pure Pop for Now People\”
MUTUAL DIVORCE \”Gay for Gasoline\”
SPARKS \”Exotic Creatures of the Deep\”
VIVIAN GIRLS “S/T”
V/A \”Well Hung: Funk Rock Eruptions from Beneath Communist
Hungary Vol. 1\”
V/A \”Titan: It\’s All Pop!\”
Another Numero Group compilation, lost power-pop gems on the Titan label. A good follow-up to 2005\’s
“Yellow Pills.”

ANTHONY
JOHN BAKER
The John Baker Tapes, Volume 1: BBC Radiophonics Rare & Unreleased Workshop Recordings 1963-1969
The John Baker Tapes, Volume 2: Soundtracks, Library, Home Recordings, Electro Ads 1954-1985
Trunk CDs/LP
Trunk Records has outdone themselves! A pair of lovingly assembled 2CD sets of various cues, themes and musical beds (much of it unreleased) made for radio and television through the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Primitive (yet futuristic) electronics and sonic manipulations that owe an obvious debt to the electroacoustic/music concrete pioneers of a decade prior, but with an added musicality and playfulness befitting its status as production music. Alongside Delia Derbyshire (who is long overdue for a similar re-examination), Baker was one of the Workshop\’s most prolific composers, and these discs represent a remarkable 30-odd years of work. If you\’re a fan of the Raymond Scott \”Manhattan Research\” package from years back, there\’s much here for you to enjoy.

CLINIC
“Do It!”
Modern avant/psych that manages to avoid the \’retro\’ tag. Familiar elements weave in and out of the mix but Abe Blackburn\’s unique vocals and the band\’s use of odd chord progressions make Clinic sound like no one else. Mildly unsettling and equally mysterious.

MITTY COLLIER
“Shades Of Mitty Collier – The Chess Singles 1961-1968”
First-ever CD collection from this Chicago gospel-influenced deep soul belter. \”I Had A Talk With My Man\” is the classic but Collier & the Chess studio band shine throughout. Classy & moving.

KING KHAN & THE SHRINES
“The Supreme Genius Of King Khan & The Shrines”
US compilation of this multi-national garage R&B outfit\’s prodigious output. Great live show to boot.

LULA CORTES & ZE RAMALHO
“Paêbirú”
Brazilian psych folk from 1975. Lots in common with Caetano Veloso and the then- relatively recent Tropicalia movement, but with a spacier, almost progressive vibe that would appeal to fans of UK acid folk stalwarts Comus or Ramases. Concept record? Of course it is.

NICK LOWE
“Jesus Of Cool” (Remastered Edition)
Expanded version of Nick Lowe\’s 1978 debut (renamed \”Pure Pop For Now People\” in the US) featuring a whopping 10 bonus tracks. The timeless pop perfection of \”Marie Provost\” and \”So It Goes\” (in all of its Thin Lizzy-esque glory) appear here, along with the original version of \”Cruel To Be Kind\” and the only partially tongue-in-cheek \”Rollers Show.\” The line between power pop and new wave has never been so blurry; never mind, they both begin here.

RODRIGUEZ
“Cold Fact”
A heavier Latino Donovan produced by Dennis Coffey. 1970 psychedelic folk rock. Awesome.

SHE & HIM
“Volume One”
Slightly flat, sometimes over-emotive, brashly charming bubblegum that matures throughout the course of the record. A sympatico collaboration between M. Ward & actress Zooey Deschanel that stood up to a summer\’s worth of repeated plays. This deserves a follow-up.

VARIOUS ARTISTS
“African Scream Contest: Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds From Benin & Togo 70s”
“Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro-Rock & Fuzz Funk In 1970s Nigeria”
Complimentary collections from the Afro-Rock underground. Think Fela Kuti crossed with Hendrix, Santana or Funkadelic\’s Eddie Hazel. Not to be missed.

VARIOUS ARTISTS
“Thank You Friends: The Ardent Records Story”
The alternate/demo versions of Big Star & related material that comprise roughly half of this 2CD set ought to make this a no-brainer, but the mid 60s garage/pop/psychedelic obscurities included keep this from being merely a completist\’s archival package.

ANGELA

1. ERSEN “ S/T” reissue… Addictive, choppy, and stellar Turkish rock
2. RODRIGUEZ \”Cold Fact\” reissue
3. PORTISHEAD \”Third\”
4. KING KHAN & THE SHRINES \”Supreme Genuis of King Khan\”
5. WOODEN SHJIPS \”Vol. 1\”
6. RELIGIOUS KNIVES \”After Dark\”
7. FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS “S/T”
8. BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT\”Motion to Rejoin\” (not to mention a mesmerizing show at the Hideout)
9. NEW ORDER \”Movement\” reissue
10. WHITE MAGIC \”New Egypt\”
11. PONYTAIL \”Ice Cream Spiritual\”
12. DEERHOOF \”Offend Maggie\”
13. NEU \”Neu! 2\” (Reissue)
14. RAVEN \”Back to Ohio Blues\” (Reissue)
15. DEERHUNTER \”Microcastle\”/ “Weird Era Continued”
16. DAVID BOWIE “ Live Santa Monica” \’72
17. DUNGEN \”4\”
18. MAGNETIC FIELDS \”Distortion\”
19. WOMEN “ S/T”
20. ONEIDA \”Preteen Weaponry\”
21. BEACH HOUSE \”Devotion\”
22. GROUPER \”Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill\”
23. JOSEPHINE FOSTER \”This Coming Gladness\”
24. FUCK BUTTONS \”Street Horrrsing\”
25. AWESOME COLOR \”Electric Aborigines\”
26. THE BREEDERS \”Mountain Battles\”

DVD\’s:
\”The Future is Unwritten/Joe Strummer\” by Julien Temple
\”Joy Division\” by Grant Gee (amazing footage of Joy Division performances that make you wish, or in fact,
almost feel like you were there. Grant Gee keeps you enthralled the entire time.

THADDEUS
SPIRITUALIZED “Songs in A&E”
NEIL HAMBURGER “Sings Country Winners”
EARLES & JENSEN “Just Farr A Laugh” reissue
“KING OF KONG: FISTFULL OF QUARTERS”
“THE WIRE” Season 5
“IT\’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA” Season 4 (TACO BED!!!!)

REBBECA
BIG DIPPER \”Supercluster Anthology\”
BLACK ANGELS \”Directions to See a Ghost\”
BLACK MOUNTAIN \”In the Future\”
BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE \”My Bloody Underground\”
CHEAP TIME \”S/T\”
THE CLEAN \”Compilation\”
CRYSTAL STILTS \”Alight of Night \”
DIGITAL LEATHER \”Sorceror\”
DUNGEN \”4\”
EL GUINCHO \”Alegranza\”
EL PERRO DEL MAR \”From the Valley of the Stars\”
THE NERVES “One Way Ticket”
RAVEONETTES \”Lust Lust Lust\”
JAY REATARD “Singles 06-07”
SPARKS “Exotic Creatures of the Deep”
SPIRITUALIZED \”Songs in A&E”

KEITH
A/V MURDER “Missile Command” 7\”
CIRCUS DEVILS “Ataxia”
CHRIS CONNELLY “Forgiveness & Exile”
DAVILLA 666 “S/T”
DEERHUNTER “Microcastle”/ “Weird Era Continued”
DISAPPEARS “Need” 7\” & “Old Friend” 7”
DUTCHESS & THE DUKE “Never Had a Chance” 7\”
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING “Primary Colours”
FRANCE HAS THE BOMB “World of Mirrors” 7\”
NIGHTMARCHERS “See You in Magic”
OBITS “One Cross Apiece” 7\”
THE REPLACMENTS reissues bonus tracks
SHOPPING \”Shopping\” LP

BRYAN:
V/A “1970\’S Algerian Proto-Rai Underground”
V/A “70s Thai Orchestra”
BILL COSBY Presents Badfoot Brown & The Bunions Bradford Funeral & Marching Band CD
BLACK ANGELS “Directions To See a Ghost”
BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW “Dandelion Gum”
DENNIS WILSON “Pacific Ocean Blue” reissue
DISFEAR “Live the Storm”
FESTIVAL “Come, Arrow, Come”
FUCKED UP “Chemistry of Common Life”
FUCKED UP “Year Of The Pig”
GORE “Hart Gore & Mean Man\’s Dream” reissues
LEVIATHAN “Massive Conspiracy Against All Life”
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS “Dig Lazarus Dig!!!”
NICK LOWE “Jesus Of Cool” reissue
RATS reissue
RAVEN “Back to Ohio Blues”
SEX VID “Communal Living” 12\”
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM “Two Hunters”

STEVE:
BIRTH CONTROL \”Goin\’ To Target\” 7\”
BLACK ANGELS \”Directions To See A Ghost\”
BLACK TIME \”Double Negative\”
BORIS \”Smile\”
BOX ELDERS\”Hole in My Head\” 7\”
THE CLEAN \”Compilation\” LP Reissue
DAILY VOID\”Man/Machine\” 7\”
DANAVA \”Unonou\”
DRUNKDRIVER \”Born Pregnant\” LP
EARLES & JENSEN \”Just Farr a Laugh\”
ENSLAVED\”Vertebrae\”
FEELING OF LOVE \”Petite Tu Es Un Hit\” LP (out of print)
FUCKED UP\”The Chemistry of Common Life\”
GROUPER \”Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill\”
HARMONIA\”Live 1974\”
HARVEY MILK vinyl reissues
MITCH HEDBERG\”Do You Believe in Gosh?\”
LA DUSSELDORF vinyl reissues
MIDDLE CLASS “Out Of Vogue – The Early Material\”
MISSION OF BURMA reissues
NERVES \”One Way Ticket\”
RATS \”s/t\” LP reissue
RODRIGUEZ\”Cold Fact\” reissue
IRMA THOMAS \”Irma Thomas Sings\” LP
VSS \”Nervous Circuits\” reissue CD/DVD
V/A \”Fight on Your Time Ain\’t Long\”

Live:
ANIMAL LAW
BIG KNIFE
DANAVA
DUNGEN
ROKY ERICKSON
GONERFEST
HOMOSEXUALS
KING KHAN
PIERCED ARROWS
PISSED JEANS
JAY REATARD

CHARLES:
MOTORPSYCHO “Little Lucid Moments”
DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES “In Ear Park”
MARNIE STERN “This Is It & I Am It & You Are It & So Is That & He Is It”
MOVE “Lookin On” reissue
STEINSKI “What Does it All Mean?”
PLANETO IMAGINARIA “Biomasa”
SECRET CHIEFS 3 “Plays Masada Book Two”
MATTHEW HERBERT BIG BAND “There\’s Me & There\’s You”
STEVEN BERNSTEIN “Diaspora Suite”
WILLIAM PARKER “Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield”
SUN RA “Sleeping Beauty”
SUN RA “On Jupiter”
LONDON/GLASGOW IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRAS “Separately & Together”
ANTHONY BRAXTON “Complete Arista Recordings”
SCHLIPPENBACH TRIO “Gold is Where you Find it”

JEFF:
BEACH HOUSE \”Devotion\”
BIRTH CONTROL \”Going To Target\” 7\”
BLACK ANGELS \”Directions To See A Ghost\”
CONVICTED \”Unconquered\” 7\”
CRUEL HAND \”Prying Eyes\”
DEAD CAN DANCE reissues
DIPLO & PAPER ROUTE GANGSTAZ \”Fear & Loathing In Huntsvegas\”
DOUBLE NEGATIVE Raw Energy\” 7\”
FUCKED UP \”Chemistry of Common Life\”
GROUPER \”Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill\”
HARMS WAY \”Delusion\” 7\”
ICEMEN 7\”
IRON CURTAIN \”Desertion 1982-1988\”
LOOP reissues
MARVELOUS DARLINGS \”I Don\’t Want to Go to the Party\” 7\”
MIDNIGHT \”Farewell to Hell\” 10\”
NEW ORDER reissues
NO AGE \”Nouns\”
OBLITERATION 7\”
SATANIC THREAT \”Into Hell\” 7\”
SEX VID \”Communal Living\” 12\”
SPACEMEN 3 \”DJ Tones\”
SUN KIL MOON \”April\”
THOUGHT CRUSADE \”Common Man\” 7\”
VIOLATION \”Devoured\”
WHITE MAGIC \”New Egypt\”

MY BLOODY VALENTINE @ Aragon
PUNCH IN THE FACE & THE REPOS respective last shows
SWERVEDRIVER @ Metro
Family Tattoo (2230 W. Belmont)

LIBBY:
AD ASTRA PER ASPERA “Danger Bird Blues” 7\”
ANNIHILATION TIME “Tales of the Ancient Age”
BIRTH CONTROL “Going to Target” 7\”
BLACK TIME “Double Negative”
DANAVA “Unonou”
DARK AGES “4 Songs” 7\”
IRMA THOMAS “Sings the New Orleans Series” LP
JAY REATARD “Singles 06-07”
PIERCED ARROWS “n My Brain/Caroline” 7\”
RATS “S/T” LP reissue

Live:
THE BARBARAS
BOX ELDERS
DAILY VOID
DANAVA
FUCKED UP
KING KHAN & THE SHRINES

Also:
BEYONCE \”Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)\” video
“Burn After Reading”

STEVE:
PAUL METZGER @ Enemy
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY “ Lie Down in the Light”
All of the T.I. singles
BOB DYLAN bootlegs on the back porch with St. Peter\’s English Ale, Scrabble & good company.
PAUL METZGER “Gedanken Splinter”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
NEIL YOUNG “Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House”
Almost everything Mississippi Records put out
The Ex with Getachew Mekuria@ LSA
EVANGELISTA- \”Hello Voyager\”
ARTHUR RUSSELL “Love is Overtaking Me”
EVANGELISTA @ South Union Arts
Reggae Night @ the Burlington
New bike & biking to the RNC (though the event itself was a horrible depressing drag- thanks republicans & St. Paul PD)
ERYKAH BADU “New Amerykah: Part One (Fourth World War)”
EARTH- \”The Bees Made Honey in the Lion\’s Skull\”
CASTRATED WARLORD- \”The Essential Castrated Warlord\”
GROUP INERANE- \”Guitars From Agadez\”
The Pit at the Pissed Jeans show at the Bottle
KATE FAGAN “I Don\’t Want to Be Too Cool” 7”
NICK CAVE “Dig Lazarus Dig!!!”
“My Winnipeg” film
That Earles & Jensen track about Garfield.
“Encounters at the End of the World” film
V/A “Wooden Guitar” (LP Reissue)
CHRIS CORSANO “Young Cricketer” (LP Reissue)
Plus Tapes
RAVEN- \”Back To Ohio Blues\” (Reissue)
Free concerts at Millennium Park
V/A “Dancehall: The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture”
KAREN DALTON “Cotton Eyed Joe”
“Wild Combination” DVD
KEVIN COYNE & Siren reissues
BLACK PUS CDRs
FUN YEARS “Baby, It\’s Cold Inside”

MELISSA:
ERYKAH BADU “New Amerykah: Part One (Fourth World War)”
JORGE BEN reissues
BLACK ANGLES “Directions to See a Ghost”
NICK CAVE “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”
THE CLEAN “Anthology”
CHRIS CONNELLY “Forgiveness & Exile”
DEERHUNTER “Microcastle”/ “Weird Era Continued”
DUNGEN “4”
FUCKED UP “Chemistry of Common Life”
ENSLAVED “Vertebrae”
ERSEN “S/T” reissue
GETATCHEW MEKURIA & THE EX “Moa Anbessa”
KING KHAN & THE SHRINES “The Supreme Genius of…”
GROUPER “Dragging a Dead Deer up a Hill”
GZA “Pro Tools”
HARVEY MILK LP reissues
LEVIATHAN “Massive Conspiracy Against All Life”
NICK LOWE “Jesus of Cool” reissue
THE PEACE “Black Power”reissue
JUANA MOLINA “Un Dia”
PORTISHEAD “Third”
Q-TIP “Renaissance”
RADIOHEAD “In Rainbows”
THE RATS “S/T” reissue
RAVEN “Back to Ohio Blues”
JAY REATARD “Matador Singles”
RODRIGUEZ “Cold Fact” reissue
IRMA THOMAS “Sings”
DENNIS WILSON “Pacific Ocean Blue” reissue
Neil Young “Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House”
V/A “Well Hung: Funk Rock Eruptions from Beneath Communist Hungary Volume 1”
V/A “Summer Records Anthology”
V/A “Give Me Love: Songs of the Brokenhearted: Baghdad , 1925-1929”
V/A “Life is a Problem”
V/A “Springs of Time: 78\’S From the EMI Archive”
V/A “Rmxxology”
V/A “I Don\’t Feel at Home in this World Today”
V/A “1970s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground”
V/A “New Orleans Funk Vol. 2”
V/A “Nigeria Disco Funk Special”
V/A “Nigeria Rock Special”
The comps were really good this year!

KEN:
STARS OF THE LID “Carte-De-Visite”
THE PEACE “Black Power”reissue
BURNING STAR CORE “Destroyer”
CHRISTOPHER BISSONNETTE “In Between Words”
JONAS REIHARDT “S/T”
LULA CORTES & ZE RAMALHO “Paebiru”
ANIMALS & MEN “Never Bought Never Sold” reissue
V/A “Give Me Love: Songs of the Brokenhearted: Baghdad, 1925-1929”
J SPACEMAN & SUN CITY GIRLS “Mister Lonely” (soundtrack)
AMANAZ “Africa” (reissue)

MEGAN:
SIGUR ROS “Med Sud I Eryum Vid Spilum Endalaust”
MINUS THE BEAR “They Make Beer Commercials Like This” (First time ever released on vinyl)
FUCKED UP “Chemistry of Common Life”
MATES OF STATE “Rearrange Us”
SPARKS “Exotic Creatures of the Deep”
BEACH HOUSE “Devotion”
LACKTHEREOF “Your Anchor”
FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS “Flight of the Conchords”

Honorable Mention:
MAN MAN “Rabbit Habits “[just have to be in the mood]
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE “Narrow Stairs”[much potential, but haven\’t been able to listen enough to judge fairly]
PORTISHEAD “Third” [the whole vinyl fiasco was a pain in the bum]
LYKKE LI “Youth Novels [i just can\’t not love the first track]

FRIENDS OF RECKLESS…

BLAKE JUDD (NACHTMYSTIUM/ BATTLE KOMMAND RECORDS)

1. EARTH “The Bees Made Honey in the Lions Skull”
2. GENGHIS TRON “Board up the House”
3. TORCHE “Meanderthal”
4. WOVEN HAND “Ten Stones”
5. LEVIATHAN “Massive Conspiracy Against All Life”

ADAM REACH (Touch and Go Records, Production, lover of cats)
PORTISHEAD \”Third”
MONOTONIX \”Body Language
GUN OUTFIT \”Your Will\” 7”
DEAD MEADOW \”Old Growth\”
NODZZZ \”I Don\’t Wanna (Smoke Marijuana)\” 7\”
HIGH PLACES\”S/T\”
BLACK TAJ \”Beyonder\”
DEERHUNTER \”Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.\”
SQUAREPUSHER \”Just A Souvenir\”
RED FAVORITE\”S/T\”
BROTHER JT 3 \”Jelly Roll Gospel\”

STEPHEN SOWLEY (Electrical Audio Studio Manager, Danny\’s doorman, former Reckless Employee, DJ & Bingo MC)
HARVEY MILK “Life…The Best Game in Town”
BREEDERS “Mountain Battles”
EVANGELISTA “Hello Voyager”
“Let the Right One in” (Film)
EARTH “Bees Made Honey in the Lion\’s Skull”
KEVIN DRUMM “Imperial Distortion”
FOOD FOR ANIMALS “Belly”
“Wall-E” (Film)
IRON LUNG “Sexless/No Sex”
Basil Hayden Bourbon
GROUPER “Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill”
WINDY & CARL “Songs For The Broken Hearted”
DISFEAR “Live The Storm”
MY DISCO “Cancer”
THEE OH SEES (OCS) “The Masters Bedroom Is Worth Spending The Night in”
2562 “Aerial”
Roscoe\’s Chicken N\’ Waffles: Los Angeles
NAKED ON THE VAGUE “S/T”
ENSLAVED “VERTEBRAE”
SUNN O))) “Domkirke”
V/A “African Scream Contest”
MISSISSIPPI RECORDS
Soundway\’s awesome examination of \’70s Nigerian music
CHRIS CONNELLY “Concrete, Bullet Proof, Invisible and Fried: My Life as a Revolting Cock” (book)
FENNESZ “The Black Sea”
STEPHEN COLBERT “I am America, and So Can You” Audiobook Version

Little Things–
SEX VID “Nests” 7\” & “Communal Living” 12\”
MAYYORS “S/T” 7\” & “Megan\’s LOLZ” 7\”
BOTTOMLESS PIT “Congress” 12\”
NODDZ “I Don\’t Wanna (Smoke Marijuana)” 7\”
COLD CAVE “Trees Grew Emotions And Died” 12\”
MI AMI “African Rhythms” 12\”
DOUBLE NEGATIVE “S/T” 7\”
FUCKED UP “Crooked Head” 7\”
VIVIAN GIRLS “Wild Eyes” 7\”

Live Things:
EX & GETACHEW MEKURIA (Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago)
HARVEY MILK (Canadian Building, Los Angeles)
ATP NY (Kutshers, Monticello, NY)
STARS OF THE LID (Lakeshore Theater, Chicago)
DEAD C (Empty Bottle, Chicago)
SEX VID (Beat Kitchen, Chicago)
THE THING (Hideout, Chicago)
FOOD FOR ANIMALS/ MI AMI (AV Aerie, Chicago)

TAYLOR ‘s alphabetical nepotism (Touch and Go Records, sales)
ALL THE SAINTS “Fire On Corridor X”
BLANK DOGS “In a Web” 7”fans of shit gaze & glue wave take note– this is the ONLY band whose name you will ever need to know post 2008.
BLANK DOGS “Mirror Lights” Cassette
BLANK DOGS “Diana the Herald” 12”
BLANK DOGS “Two Months” 7”
BLANK DOGS “Yellow Mice Asleep” e.p.
CRYSTAL STILTS “Alight of Night”
DAN MELCHIOR UND DAS MENACE “Christmas for the Crows”
DEERHUNTER “Microcastle/ Weird Era Continued”
EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING “Primary Colours”
FUCKED UP “The Chemistry of Common Life” Seventy guitar tracks might look self-indulgent on another band. Somehow these geniuses pull it off, er should I say, continue to pull it off. i even like the pop punk song w/ the douche chills guyliner guest vocalist. Fuck it, i especially like this song.
GANG GANG DANCE “Saint Dymphna”
GUN OUTFIT “S/T” 7” This is the flannel you’ve been waiting for.
KURT VILE “Constant Hitmaker” No matter how many inches of snow and sleet are on the ground outside, playing the first track on this record is guaranteed to make you feel like you’re smoking a j-bone in the Caribbean and that you really are gonna have a functional relationship with your ex.
NAKED ON THE VAGUE “Blood Pressure Sessions”
NUDGE “Infinity Padlock” e.p. Brian Foote is the dude behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. He is the Wizard, or possibly Oz, whichever one of those is more enigmatic, he’s that one.
SEX VID “Communal Living” 12” If this band stopped releasing live records that sound like my cat w/ bronchitis they would pretty much be perfect.
THESE ARE POWERS “Taro Tarot” e.p.
VSS “Nervous Circuits” reissue

JEFF CAMPAGNA (Forced Exposure distribution, sales)
“I\’m quite an old-school romantic that thinks the heart and emotion of the music is what matters and that is what I listen out for, not the style. The characteristics and virtues I most cherish are when a music-maker can express an all-round character with integrity, a complete universe that thrives on its own. When it elevates above all styles.” – Björk

Top Albums
AARON DILLOWAY & C. SPENCER YEH “Thee Squid”
AIDAN BAKER AND TIM HECKER “Fantasma Parastasie”
ANGEL “Kalmuki”
APSE “Spirit”
BJ NILSEN & STILLUPPSTEYPA “Passing Out”
BORKO “Celebrating Life”
COLDPLAY ”Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends”
COLIN MELOY “Sings Live!”
DEERHUNTER “Microcastle”/”Weird Era Continued”
ELUDER “The Most Beautiful Blue”
EMILIANA TORRINI “Me and Armini”
FENNESZ “Black Sea”
FOTHERINGAY “2”
HJALTALIN “Sleepdrunk Seasons”
J SPACEMAN & MATTHEW SHIPP “Spaceshipp”
JACASZEK “Treny”
JAMES “Hey-Ma”
JASPER TX “Black Sleep”
JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON “Fordlândia”
KEVIN DRUMM “Imperial Distortion”
KOEN HOLTKAMP “Field Rituals”
LAURA VEIRS “Two Beers Veirs”
LAWRENCE ENGLISH “Kiri No Oto”
MACHINEFABRIEK “Mort Aux Vaches”
MILIEU “A Warm Wooden Hollow/Smokebuilder\’s Woodshop”
NADJA/AIDAN BAKER/LEAH BUCKAREFF “Trinitarian”
NINE INCH NAILS “Ghosts I-IV”
Ø “Oleva”
ÓLAFUR ARNALDS “Eulogy for Evolution”
OMIT “Interceptor”
PETER BRODERICK “Float”
PETAR DUNDOV “Escapements”
PHANTOM ORCHARD “Orra”
PHILIP GLASS “Music In Twelve Parts”
POCAHAUNTED “Chains”
ROD MODELL “Incense & Black Light”
RYAN ADAMS & THE CARDINALS “Cardinology”
SIGUR RÓS “Med Sud I Eryum Vid Spilum Endalaust”
SIN FANG BOUS “Clangour”
SOCCER COMMITTEE & MACHINEFABRIEK “Drawn”
SONS OF THE DRAGON “Sons Of The Dragon”
SVARTE GREINER “Man Bird Dress”
THE CURE “4:13 Dream”
THEE SILVER MT. ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA & TRA-LA-LA BAND “13 Blues For Thirteen Moons”
THOM YORKE “The Eraser Remixed”
V/A “A Cleansing Ascensio”
V/A “Spire Live – Fundamentalis”
WILLITS + SAKAMOTO “Ocean Fire”
XELA “In Bocca Al Lupo”
YELLOW SWANS “Psychic Secession”

Misc picks

BJÖRK “Wanderlust” 2X12”
FM3 “Buddha Machine II
JANDEK “Manhattan Tuesday” DVD
NURSE WITH WOUND “Images/Zero Mix” Book w/ CD
PAN SONIC “Kuvaputki” DVD

Top Reissues
808 STATE “Quadrastate”
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN “The BBC Sessions”
CHRIS CORSANO “The Young Cricketer”
DAVY GRAHAM “Folk, Blues & Beyond…”
DREDD FOOLE “Kissing The Contemporary Bliss”
GAS “Nah Und Fern”
IN CAMERA “Open Air”
JADE “Fly On Strangewings”
KAREN DALTON “In My Own Time”
METALLICA “Ride the Lightning”
MICHEL CHION “Requiem”
POLE “1 2 3”
STEINSKI “What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective”
THE SMITHS “The Sound of the Smiths”
UNIVERS ZERO “Univers Zero”
V/A “African Scream Contest: Raw & Psychedelic Afro”
V/A “Fight On, Your Time Ain\’t Long”
V/A “Victrola Favorites: Artifacts from Bygone Days”
XHOL “Motherfuckers GmbH & Co. Kg”
YOSHI WADA “The Appointed Cloud”

Special Mention
Náttúra Concert: Reykjavik, Iceland with Ólöf Arnalds, Ghostigital, Sigur Rós and Björk (National Geographic World Music) Webcast

DRAG CITY RECORDS
MARYANNE AMACHER “ Sound Characters 2”
ERYKAH BADU “New Amerykah: Part One (Fourth World War)”
BEACH HOUSE “Devotion”
LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM “Gift of Screws”
GLEN CAMPBELL “Meet Glen Campbell”
CIRCLE X “Prehistory” reissue
THE COASTERS “ There\’s a Riot Goin\’ On: The Coasters on Atco”
DJ SHADOW & CUT CHEMIST “Hard Sell (Encore)”
JOE E “Love Got In the Way”
EARLES & JENSEN “Just Farr A Laugh Vol. 1&2: The Greatest Prank Phone Calls Ever!”
FENNESZ “Black Sea”
GAS “Nah Und Fern”
GIRL TALK “Feed The Animals”
GUNS N ROSES “Chinese Democracy”
BOBBY HUTCHERSON “Head On” reissue
RYOJI IKEDA “Test Pattern”
AKIRA ISHIKAWA & COUNT BUFFALO UGANDA “Afurikan Rokku no Yoake” reissue
LIL WAYNE “Tha Carter III”
CHRIS McGREGOR “Brotherhood of Breath” reissue
GRACHAN MONCUR III “Evolution” reissue
POLE “1-2-3” reissue
PORTISHEAD “Third”
SHEARWATER “Rook”
SIC ALPS “A Long Way Around To A Shortcut”
SIC ALPS “U.S. EZ”
SPARKS “Exotic Creatures of the Deep”
STEINSKI “What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006”
GEBHARD ULLMANN “New Basement Research”
DENNIS WILSON “Pacific Ocean Blue” reissue
V/A “Bollywood Steel Guitar”

…and everything on Drag City central, natch

Ken
Sir Richard Bishop \”While My Guitar Violently Bleeds\”
Group Doueh \”Guitar Music From the Western Sahara\”
Chris Corsano and Mick Flower \”Radiant Mirror\”
Rafael Toral \”Space Solo 1\”
Group Inerane \”Music of Niger\”
Alex Neilson & Richard Youngs \”Electric Lotus\”
Selda -s/t Reissue
Baby Grandmothers -s/t Reissue
Henry Flynt and Nova Billy – s/t
Stars of the Lid \”And Their Refinement of the Decline\”

Magas
Sightings “Through the Panama”
Andrew WK “Close Calls With Brick Walls”
Black Dice “Load Blown”
ADULT. “Why Bother”
Chris Connelly “Episodes”
Demons “Frozen Fog”
Aaron Dilloway “Infinite Lucifer”
Blank Dogs Various 12\”s & 7\”s
Witchcraft “The Alchemist”
Prurient & Kevin Drumm “All Are Guests In The House of the Lord”

Billy
Shannon Wright \”Let In The Light\”
Shellac \”Excellent Italian Greyhound\”
Rufus Wainwright \”Release the Stars\”
Robert Plant & Allison Krauss “Raising Sand”
\”They Live By Night\” (1949) out on DVD
Foo Fighters \”Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace\”
U2 \”Joshua Tree\” 20th Anniversary reissue
White Stripes “Icky Thump”

Matt
Alcest \”Souvenirs D\’un Autre Monde\”
Amesoeurs \”Ruines Humaines\”
Baroques “s/t” LP reissue
Sir Richard Bishop \”While My Guitar Violently Bleeds\”
Bjork \”Volta\”
BlondeRedhead \”23\”
Boris w/ Michio Kurihara “Rainbow”
Circle of Ouroborus/ Urfaust split LP
Deathspell Omega \”Fas: Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum\”
Deerhunter \”Cryptograms\”
Drudkh \”Estrangement\”
Dungen \”Tio Bitar\”
Furze \”Utd\”
Grouper \”cover the windows and walls\” lp (sadly out of print)
Pj Harvey \”White Chalk\”
Karl Hendricks Rock Band \”World Says\”
Liars s/t
Nasheim/ Angantyr split (specifically the 25 minute Nasheim song)
Peste Noire \”Lorraine Rehearsals\” LP
Radiohead \”In Rainbows\” & bonus disc
Townes Van Zandt CD reissues
Velvet Cacoon “Genevieve” LP
Watain \”Sworn to the Dark\”
Wolves in the Throne Room \”Diadem of 12 Stars\”
Robert Wyatt \”Comicopera\”
Xasthur \”Defective Epitaph\”
Neil Young \”Live at Massey Hall\”

Jason

1. Bumps \”s/t”
2. Pelican “City of Echoes”
3. Soft Machine “Third\”
4. Soft Machine “Fourth”
5. Soft Machine “5”
6. Fucking Champs “VI”
7. Om “Pilgrimage”
8. Sven Libaek \”Inner Space; Film Music\”
9. Bill Dolan \”Do-Ist\”
10. Trans Am \”Sex Change\”

Dave
In no particular order.
Between the Buried and Me “Colors”
Animosity “Animal”
Rager “2007 Demo”
Altered Beast “2007 Demo”
Arbiter “2007 Demo”
Exit 13 “High Life”
Machine Head “The Blackening”
Yesterday\’s New Quintet “Yesterday\’s Universe”
V/A “East of Underground” reissue
Dillinger Escape Plan “Ire Works”
Impaled “The Last Gasp”
Corpus Mortale “A New Species of Deviant”
V/A: Now-Again “RE:Sounds Vol. 1” boxset
Chicago Thrash Ensemble “Unreleased Trax Vol. 2”
A Life Once Lost “Iron Gag”
Anything with Lil\’ Wayne on it
Clipse “We Got the Remix mixtape”

Chris P
Current 93 “The Inmost Light” reissue
Camberwell Now “All\’s Well” reissue
Dirty Projectors “Rise Above”
Angels of Light “We Are Him”
Cluster “II” & “Zuckerzeit”
Vashti Bunyan “Somee Things Just Stick in Your Mind”
Robyn Hitchcock “I Wanna Go Backwards” boxset
Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
Panda Bear “Person Pitch”
V/A “The Lost Tapes – Minimal Wave Compilation”
V/A “Do It Yourself – The Rise of the Independent Music Industry After
Punk”
Antena “Camino Del Sol” LP reissue
Lee Hazlewood “The Very Special World of…”
Om “Pilgrimage”
Pylon “Gyrate Plus”
DJ SCREW “June 27”

Keith
Black Lips “Good Bad Not Evil”
Busy Signals “s/t”
Circus Devils “Sgt. Disco”
Deerhunter “Cryptograms”
Deerhunter “Fluorecent Grey EP”
Dinosaur Jr. “Beyond”
King Khan & the Shrines “What is?!”
Les Savy Fav “Let\’s Stay Friends”
Mannequin Men “Fresh Rot”
Miss Alex White & the Red Orchestra “Space & Time”
The Ponys “Turn the Lights Out”
Shellac “Excellent Italian Greyhound”
White Savage “Destroy Your Style” 7\”

Kit
Albums!
Akron/Family “Love is Simple” – flail & shout! listen for the conch!
Pissed Jeans “Hope for Men” – smash your fist into that wall, scream
about it, repeat
Dirty Projectors “Rise Above” – sing along, i dare you
Randall of Nazareth “s/t” heavy Fahey love
Sir Richard Bishop “Polytheistic Fragments” – whoa…wait, what? see
above
King Khan & the Shrines “What is?!” – gritty old-school garage rock
DJ Screw “June 27” – i\’m sorry but if you\’re sober then forget it
Voice of the Seven Woods “s/t” – almost sounds like he\’s mad at his
guitar, but then suddenly you hear the love
White Magic “Dark Stars EP” – putting the fairy girls to shame
Compilations:
V/A “D.I.Y: Rise of the Independent Music Industry After Punk” – makes you
wish you\’d thought of it first
David Shrigley “Worried Noodles” – this man is insane, listen to how
insane he is. really.
V/A “Eccentric Soul: Twinight” – mellow dance party soundtrack
V/A “New Orleans Funk” – ass-kicking dance party soundtrack
V/A “Yellow Pills: Prefill” – sickly sweet early pop, the perfect mixtape
uplift

Reissues:
Flower Travellin\’ Band “Satori” – everyone loves this because they love
to think about what the world would be like if Ozzy was Japanese
Telegraph Avenue “s/t” – classic psych guitar swirl time warp
Boscoe “s/t” – intensly political 70s Chicago soul
German Oak “s/t” – heavy wiggy space-out good times

Lux
1 Turzi “A”
2 Big Business “Here Come the Waterworks”
3 Pissed Jeans “Hope For Men”
4 Johnny Lunchbreak “Appetizer/Soups on” (reissue)
5 True West “Hollywood Holiday Revisited”
6 Sarolta Zalatnay “s/t” reissue
7 Stephen Stills “Just Roll Tape” reissue
8 Warhammer 48k “Etheral Oracle”
9 Joni Mitchell “Shine”
10 Earthless “Rhythms from a Cosmic Sky”
11 Ophiucus “s/t” reissue
12 Vee Dee “Glimpses of Another World” (7\”)
13 Samara Lubelski “Parallel Suns”
14 La Otracina “Tonal Eclipse of the One”
15 Fucked Up “Year of the Pig”
16 Loudon Wainwright “Strange Weirdos”

Live
Neil Young
Jay Reatard
Circle
Blonde Redhead
Neko Case
Enslaved
Patti Smith

Leslie
Boris with Michio Kurihara “Rainbow”
Bill Callahan “Woke on a Whaleheart”
Chris Connelly “Episodes”
Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
Amiina “Kurr”
Om “Pilgrimage”
Nicole Willis “Keep Reachin\’ Up”
V/A “Now-Again Re:Sound”
Feist “The Reminder”
The National “Boxer”
Caribou “Andorra”
Mannequin Men “Fresh Rot”
White magic “Dark Stars”

James

1. Okkervil River “The Stage Names”
2. Deerhunter “Cryptograms”
3. Mannequin Men “Fresh Rot”
4. Les Savy Fav “Let\’s Stay Friends”
5. Dinosaur Jr. “Beyond”
6. PJ Harvey “White Chalk”
7. The National “Boxer”
8. Phosphorescent “Pride”
9. Black Lips “Good Bad Not Evil”
10. Battles “Mirrored”
11. The Narrator “All That To The Wall”
12. Sir Richard Bishop “While My Guitar Violently Bleeds”
13. Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
14. Angels of Light “We Are Him”
15. King Khan & The Shrines “What Is?!”
16. Henry Flynt & Nova\’ Billy “Henry Flynt & Nova\’ Billy”
17. Boris w/ Michio Kurihara “Rainbow”
18. Shearwater “Palo Santo: Expanded Edition”
19. Lifetime “Lifetime”
20. Thurston Moore “Trees Outside The Academy”
21. White Magic “Dark Stars”
22. Office “A Night At The Ritz”
23. LCD Soundsystem “Sound of Silver”
24. Kid Sister “Control” 12\”
25. Scott Walker “ …And Who Shall Go To The Ball?…And What Shall Go To The Ball?”
    Reissues/Live:
    Neil Young “Live At Massey Hall”
    Vashti Bunyan “Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind”
    Sebadoh “The Freed Man”
    Sonic Youth “Daydream Nation” Deluxe edition
    V/A “East of Underground”

Connelly
1 Joan of Arc “Orchard Vale” soundtrack
2 Throbbing Gristle “Part Two: Endless Knot”
3 Doll by Doll “Remember\” reissue
4 Doll by Doll “Gypsy Blood” reissue
5 Pj Harvey “White Chalk”
6 Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
7 Current 93 “Inmost Light triology”…
8 Scott Walker “And Who Shall Go to the Ball…And What Shall Go To The Ball?”
9: Wire “Read & Burn 3”
10 Pantaleimon “Mercy Oceans”

Michael

1. Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake “From the River to the Ocean”
2. Yesterdays Universe/Yesterday\’s New Quintet “Prepare for a New
   Yesterday, Vol. 1”
3. Boris with Michio Kurihara “Rainbow”
4. His Name is Alive “Sweet Earth Flower: A Tribute to Marion Brown”
5. Chris Connelly “Episodes”
6. Mannequin Men “Fresh Rot”
7. Zelienople “His/Hers”
8. Fog “Ditherer”
9. Group Doueh “Guitar Music from the Western Sahara”
10. Woods “At Rear House”
11. Fred Lonberg-Holm Trio “Terminal Valentine”
12. Paul Duncan “Above the Trees”
13. Vieux Farka Toure “s/t”
14. (((Powerhouse Sound))) “Oslo/Chicago (((Breaks)))”
15. Birigwa “Birigwa” reissue

Dan M
The National “Boxer”
Okkervil River “Stage Names”
Les Savy Fav “Let’s Stay Friends”
Sonic Chicken 4 “s/t”
Grinderman “s/t”
Harlan T. Bobo “I’m Your Man”
Panda Bear “Person Pitch”
Phosphorescent “Pride”
Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
Iron & Wine “Shepherd’s Dog”

Dylan
Benoit Pioulard “Precis”
A very pretty record with some brilliant songwriting
Wilco “Sky Blue Sky”
The AOR record they were born to make, with some truly sweet riffs.
Chris Connelly “Episodes”
Another left turn exposing the tunes to the raw naturalistic cores
Shellac “Excellent Italian Greyhound”
Short but sweet – some of the best songs of their career
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum “In Glorious Times”
Heavy and arty
Bad Plus “Prog”
A brilliant collection of \”jazz\” tunes for people who hate jazz
Ted Leo “Living With the Living”
The Elvis Costello of our generation just keeps getting better
Grinderman “s/t”
Some gritty blues without the exploitation
Charlotte Gainsbourg “5:55”
A Gainsbourg makes a record that I can stomach all the way through
Lindsey Buckingham “Under the Skin”
A beautiful pop record
Fall of Troy “Manipulator”
I sometimes like to break things, and I need a decent soundtrack
Bjork “Volta”
Great arrangements and some of the most interesting lyrics yet
Patton Oswalt “Werewolves & Lollipops”
One of my favourite observational comedians
St. Vincent “Marry Me”
Immensely hummable tunes with unorthodox arrangements
Dirty Projectors “Rise Above”
Enough about the concept – bonkers pop with the best backing vox ever
Animal Collective “Strawberry Jam”
Technology & hippies can co-exist
Akron/ Family “Love is Simple”
Sprawling freaky music has never been this tight
Qui “Love’s Miracle”
Some good back porch blues
Bylan & Jarboe “Viscera”
Truly frightening music by truly frightening people
White Magic “Dark Stars”
Uniquely freaky in a sea of mediocre \”psych\” bands
Radiohead “In Rainbows”
My only download to date, but I had to have it.
180gs (Negativland) “180G\’d to the Future”
Negativland are so ridiculous, you have to give them some credit
Japancakes “Loveless”
Country tinged cover of the MBV record reveals the songcraft
Dillinger Escape Plan “Ire Works”
Sometimes I only want to theorize about breaking things
Flight of the Conchords “Distant Future”
Very funny stuff, best stage banter ever
Reissues
Sonic Youth “Destroyed Room”
I never fell head over heels, but I really like this collection
Rhy Chatam “A Crimson Grail”
Beautiful noise
Camberwell Now “All’s Well”
I\’m always glad to see a new reissue of this art rock classic
Elliott Smith “New Moon”
A nicely done collection of odds n ends
Betty Davis reissues
To my feeble mind, nobody can touch this funk
Harvey Milk “My Love Is Higher Than Your Assessment”
Mighty and gigantic
Peter Brotzman Octet “Complete Machine Gun Sessions”
Free jazz at its apex
Bobb Trimble “Iron Curtain Innocence”
How did this freaky pop masterpiece escape my notice for so long?
Robyn Hitchcock reissues
I never realized how out there his early stuff was
Chocolate Rain “Tay Zonday”
Best song of 2007, hands down.
Also, worst internet meme of 2007

Jacob
M.I.A. “Kala”
Pj Harvey “White Chalk”
White Magic “Dark Stars”
Avey Tare & Kria Brekken- \’Pullhair Rubeye”
Panda Bear “Person Pitch”
Animal Collective “Strawberry Jam”
Fovea Hex “Neither Speak Nor Remain Silent: Allure”
Bill Callahan “Woke on a Whaleheart”
Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
Circle “Katapult”

Courtland

1. Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
2. Group Inerane “Music of Niger”
3. Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane \”At Carnegie Hall\”
4. Charles Mingus \”Cornell 1964\”
5. Bruce Langhorne \”Hired Hand\” soundtrack
6. Sir Richard Bishop \”Polytheistic Fragments\”
7. Scharpling & Wurster \”Art of the Slap\”
8. Sugar Minott \”Live Loving\”
9. V/A \”When Rhythm Was King\”
10. V/A “Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story” DVD
11. Stars of the Lid \”And Their Refinement of the Decline”
12. Charalambides \”Likeness\”
13. V/A “East of Underground”
14. Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake \”From the River to the Ocean\”
15. Nicole Mitchell \”Black Unstoppable\”
16. Chris Connelly \”Episodes\”
17. Lichens \”Omns\”
18. Reminder \”West Side Cabin\”
19. V/A “Eccentric Soul: The Outskirts of Deep City”
20. Pieces of Peace “s/t”

Best Live shows:

1. De La Soul at Intonation
2. William Parker at Intonation
3. L. Subramanian at Millennium Park
4. Black Earth Ensemble at Millennium Park

Jeff
Non-HC faves of 2007 (in no real order):
She, Sir \”Who Can\’t Say Yes\”
Panda Bear \”Person Pitch\”
Brother Kite \”Moonlit Race\”
Warlocks \”Heavy Deavy Skull Lover\”
Blasphemy “Fallen Angel Of Doom\”
Ceremony \”Disappear\”
New Pornographers \”Challengers\”
V/A \”Heavy Metal\” boxset (Rhino)
Pissed Jeans\”Hope For Men\”
Besnard Lakes \”Are The Dark Horse\”
The National “Boxer”
Death breath “Let it Stink\”
Spoon \”Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga\”
Kid Sister \”Pro Nails\”
FUXA \”Commits Suicide\”
Raymond Scott Woolson \”View From Boggins Heights\”
A Place to Bury Strangers \”A Place To Bury Strangers\”
Akron/ Family \”Love Is Simple\”
Blonde Redhead \”23\”
Darkthrone \”Canadian Metal\”
Alcest \”Souvenirs D\’Un Autre Monde\”
DJ Screw \”June 27\”
Jatun “s/t”
Safeashome “Grid\”
Adam Franklin \”Bolts Of Melody\”
Naked Raygun \”What Poor Gods We Do Make\” DVD
Vice review of last Jens Lekman CD

Hardcore best of 2007 (also, in no real order):
Punch in the Face \”At War With Everybody\”
Fucked Up \”Year Of The Pig\”
Mind Piece NYC \”Demo\”
Reign Supreme \”Fuck The Weak\”
Shipwrecked \”Arctic Nights\”
Knife Fight \”Crisis\”
Violent Minds \”Eyes Of Death\”
86 Mentality \”Final Exit\”
John Joseph \”Evolution Of A Cro-Magnon\” book
Double Negative \”The Wonderful & Frightening World Of…\”
Bitter End \”Climate Of Fear\”
Rampage \”Limit Of Destruction\”
Life Trap \”Bleak Reality\”
Negative Approach/ Meatman live in Detroit 5/26/07

Steve R
(in no particular order)
Magik Markers “Boss”
Paul Metzger “Deliverance”
Panda Bear “Person Pitch”
Thurston Moore “Trees Outside the Academy”
Shit & Shine “Ladybird”
Flower-Corsano “Radiant Mirror”
Eleh “Floating Frequencies/ Intuitive Synthesis Volumes 1 & 2”
V/A “Separate But Evil” boxset
Group Doueh “Guitar Music From the Western Sahara”
Group Inerane “Music of Niger: Guitars From Agadez”
PJ Harvey “White Chalk”
Henry Flynt & Nova\’Billy “s/t”
Joanna Newsom “Joanna Newsom & the Ys Street Band EP”
Zaimph “Mirage of the Other”
Boris w/ Michio Kurihara “Rainbow”
Nina Nastasia & Jim White “You Follow Me”
Bonnie \”Prince\” Billy “Ask Forgiveness”
Wally Shoup/ Paul Flaherty/ Chris Corsano “Bounced Check”
Sir Richard Bishop “While My Guitar Violently Bleeds”
Sir Richard Bishop “Polytheistic Fragments”
Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
Steve Ritchey (continued)
Bill Callahan “Woke On a Whaleheart”
Stars of the Lid “And Their Refinement of the Decline”
Air Conditioning “Dead Rails”
Angels of Light “We Are Him”
Karen Dalton “Cotton Eyed Joe”
V/A “Cult Cargo: Grand Bahama Goombay”
Kevin Coyne & Siren “The Dandelion Years 1969-1972”
Vashti Bunyan “Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind”
Bob Dylan “Other Side of the Mirror: Live at the Newport Folk Festival” DVD

Emily
Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
Thurston Moore “Trees For The Academy”
Bad Brains “Build A Nation”
Wolves In The Throne Room “Diadem Of 12 Stars”
Vashti Bunyan “Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind: Singles and
Demos 1964-1967”
Amy Winehouse “Back To Black”
Anthony Joseph and The Spasm Band “Leggo De Lion”
Micheal Yonkers “Grimwood”
Ariel Pink\’s Haunted Graffiti “Scared Famous”
UGK “Underground Kingz”
Pig Destroyer “Phantom Limb”
Deerhunter “Cryptograms”
Mouthus “Saw A Halo”
PJ Harvey “White Chalk”
Dungen “Tio Bitar”
Radiohead “In Rainbows”

Melissa
In no particular order
Blonde Redhead “23”
Liars “s/t”
Alcest \”Souvenirs D\’un Autre Monde\”
Deerhunter “Cryptograms”
Pj Harvey “White Chalk”
Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
Chris Connelly “Episodes”
Bill Callahan “Woke on a Whaleheart”
Feist “Reminder”
Grinderman “s/t”
Pissed Jeans “Hope For Men”
Selda “s/t” reissue
Betty Davis reissues
Mannequin Men “Fresh Rot”
Radiohead “In Rainbows”
Sweet Cobra “Praise”
V/A “Now Again: Resound 7\” boxset
V/A “East of Underground”
V/A “Homeschooled: Abc\’s of Kid Soul”
V/A “Eccentric Soul: Deep City Label”
Black Lips “Good Bad Not Ugly”
Om “Pilgrimage”
Witchcraft “Alchemist”
Neil Young “Live at Massey Hall”
Queens of the Stone Age “Era Vulgaris”
Common “Finding Forever” (well, about half of it)

SHOWS of 2007
Entrance @ Empty Bottle
The Blow @ Empty Bottle
Deerhunter/ Dan Deacon @ some Warehouse
Black Angels @ Empty Bottle
Enslaved @ the Pearl Room
Mika Miko @ Empty Bottle/ Reckless Records
Wolves In The Throne Room @ Empty Bottle

Bryan
Fucked Up “Year Of The Pig”
Sweet Cobra “Forever”
Career Suicide “Attempted Suicide”
Wolves In The Throne Room “Diadem Of 12 Stars”
Baroness “Red Album”
Interkosmos DVD & soundtrack by Jim Becker & Colleen Burke
Amy Winehouse “Back To Black”
Dungen “Tio Bitar”
Deathspell Omega “Fas – Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum”
Urfaust/Circle Of Ouroborus Split LP
Built To Spill vinyl re-issues
Deathspell Omega vinyl re-issues
Code Of Honor discography CD
Mobile Fidelity record brush (new to me anyway!)
Sweet Cobra beer koozie

Daniel
NEW STUFF

1. Black Lips \”Good Bad Not Evil\”
2. Fiery Furnaces \”Widow City\”
3. Mannequin Men \”Fresh Rot\”
4. \”No Country For Old Men\” dir. by Joel & Ethan Coen
5. Municipal Waste \”The Art of Partying\”
6. 30 Rock (NBC)
7. The Narrator \”All That to the Wall\”
8. \”Superbad\” dir. by Greg Mottola
9. Marnie Stern \”In Advance of the Broken Arm\”
10. Tegan & Sara \”The Con\”
11. Ghost \”In Stormy Nights\”
12. Sunset Rubdown \”Random Spirit Lover\”
13. Dungen \”Tio Bitar\”
14. R. Kelly \”Double Up\”
15. Bruce Springsteen \”Magic\”
16. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists \”Living with the Living\”
17. The 1900s \”Cold & Kind\”
18. Jarvis Cocker \”Jarvis\”
    19.The Besnard Lakes \”The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse\”
19. Mekons \”Natural\”
    OLD STUFF (reissues & comps):
20. Medicine Head \”New Bottles Old Medicine…Plus\”
21. Neil Young \”Live at Massey Hall, 1971\” [CD+DVD]
22. \”Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara (Pitfall/Woman in the Dunes/The Face
    of Another)\” (Criterion DVD)
23. v/a \”Life, Too, Has Surface Noise: The Complete Dandelion Records Singles
    Collection 1969-1972\”
24. Blue Oyster Cult \”Some Enchanted Evening: Deluxe Edition\” [CD+DVD]
25. Wreckless Eric \”Big Smash\”
26. Judee Sill \”Live In London: The BBC Recordings 1972-1973
27. Kevin Coyne & Siren \”The Dandelion Years 1969-1972\”
28. \”If…\” dir. by Lindsay Anderson (Criterion DVD)
29. Catherine Howe \”What a Beautiful Place\”

Mica

1. Battles “Mirrored”
2. Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”
3. Burial “Untrue”
4. Bjork “Volta”
5. Animal Collective “Strawberry Jam”
6. Boxcutter “Glyphic”
7. St. Vincent “Marry Me”
8. LCD Soundsystem “Sound of Silver”
9. Panda Bear “Person Pitch”
10. Yeasayers “All Hour Cymbals”

Kip
(in no particular order)
Cornelius \”Sensuous\”
Feist \”Reminder\”
Battles \”Mirrored\”
Big Business \”Here Come the Waterworks\”
Cinematic Orchestra \”Ma Fleur\”
Shellac \”Excellent Italian Greyhound\”
Andrew Bird \”Armchair Apocrypha\”
Marnie Stern \”In Advance of the Broken Arm\”
Shannon Wright \”Let in the Light\”
Dungen \”Tio Bitar\”

Best week of shows ever!:
Neil Young
Sharon Jones
Enslaved

Cole
Top 10, mostly in order:

Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
If you know anything about this album, you already know about its three parts, the foreign languages, blah blah blah. Fact is, this man clearly understands the smallest and largest details of musical composition and hasn\’t lost a step in his 40+ years of creating music. His voice sounds great and his brilliance is unrelenting. Find the picture of him in a field playing trumpet to a horse and tell me how anyone could not like this man.

Battles “Mirrored”
This was the first album of 2007 to really impress me. The musicianship is incredible and the production suits the music perfectly. There\’s a lot of fluidity and movement to this album without it buying into all the horrible dance stuff hipsters won\’t be caring about in a couple years.

Panda Bear “Person Pitch” Way better than the new Animal Collective and probably anything AC has ever done, this Panda Bear album was one of the more surprisingly good things about 2007. \”Person Pitch\” is totally unlike his previous album, for one in that it\’s overwhelmingly happy, and second in its use of loops and layering to create a really \”big\” sound. With never-ending Brian Wilson comparisons, this album came out at a perfect time for good spring/summer listening.

Spoon “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga” & Shins “Wincing the Night Away”
Spoon and the Shins doing what they do best. These two bands were two of only a few mainstream indie bands to actually put out good albums this year. So much boring, disappointing music in an age where bands can\’t afford to be
boring or disappointing. These two albums are everything good pop music should be: instantly likeable, easy on the ears, and catchy as hell.

Do Make Say Think “You, You\’re A History In Rust”
I\’ve always liked this band, and a lot of those Constellation post-rock build-and-build-and-explode kind of bands, but the whole thing is pretty formulaic, isn\’t it? Start slow, add more instruments, build, and finally swell. I get it. Wait, there\’s singing on this record?! Ok, you win DMST.

Group Inerane “Guitars From Agandez”
I don\’t have much to say about this record other than that it\’s nuts! The guitar playing is really incredible, it\’s totally uninhibited in a way that I don\’t think westerners are capable of, and it\’s described as \”the now sound of the Tuareg Guitar Revolution.\” How could this record not be amazing?

Caribou “Andorra”
In truth, I never really paid much attention to this guy. It wasn\’t until this year, during a string of bad new releases (Rilo Kiley?), that I decided to put on \”Andorra.\” I didn\’t expect to like it as much as I did. This album provides a good mix of 60\’s psychedelia with more contemporary electronic sound and structure. And \”Melody Day\” is a great single.

Jesu “Sun Down/Sun Rise”
Out of the numerous Jesu projects in 2007, this was easily my favorite. Everything Justin Broadrick has done under the Jesu moniker sounds pretty similar, but this is the most concise. Probably most comparable to \”Silver,\” this EP provides a really spacious landscape without meandering. His vocals sound pretty redundant overall, but fortunately there isn\’t much singing on this one.

Alex Delivery “Star Destroyer”
A really good and overlooked debut from this Jagjaguwar band. I\’m surprised more people weren\’t interested in these guys with Deerhunter and No Age and all those \”experimental\” washy fuzz-rock bands making such a big splash this year. Also reminiscent of Need New Body and even Can. A really strong debut well worth a listen.

Other good albums (in no order):

Menomena “Friend & Foe”
Bill Callahan “Woke On A Whaleheart”
Efterklang “Parades”
Tunng “Good Arrows”
Deerhunter “Fluorescent Grey” & “Cryptograms”
Stars of the Lid “And the Refinement Of Their Decline”
Castanets “In the Vines”
Cole Cooney (continued again)
LCD Soundsystem “Sound of Silver”
Shearwater “Palo Santo (reissue)”
Dungen “Tio Bitar”

Charles
Kaipa “Angling Feelings”
Beardfish “Sleeping In Traffic”
St Vincent “Marry Me”
New Pornographers “Challengers”
Marnie Stern “In Advance Of the Broken Arm”
Velvet Revolver “Libertad”
Baroness “Red Album”
The Dear Hunter “Act 2”
Sieges Even “Paramount”
Jon Spencer “Jukebox Explosion”

JAZZ
John Zorn “Six Litanies For Heliogabalus”
Chris Potter “Follow The Red Line”
Erik Friedlander “Block Ice And Propane”
Miles Davis “On The Corner Sessions”
William Parker “Corn Meal Dance”

REGGAE
I Roy “Gussie Presents”
Culture “Two Sevens Clash”

Dan W
Wilco “Sky Blue Sky”
Mannequin Men “Fresh Rot”
1900s “Cold & Kind”
Spoon “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga”
Times New Viking “present The Paisley Reich”
Thurston Moore “Trees Outside The Academy”
Watchers “Vampire Driver”
Takeovers “Bad Football”
Les Savy Fav “Lets Stay Friends”
Eternals “Heavy International”
Magik Markers “Boss”

Steve S
Big Business “Here Come the Waterworks”
Black Dice @ Lakeshore Theater
Boris w/ Michio Kurihara “Rainbow”
Danava “Where Beauty & Terror Dance” 7”
Dead C “Future Artists”
Deerhunter “Cryptograms”
Dungen “Tio Bitar”
Ghost “In Stormy Nights”
Growing “Vision Swim”
Daniel Higgs “Metempsychotic Melodies”
Mouthus “Saw a Halo”
Municipal Waste “Art of Partying”
Neurosis @ Logan Square Auditorium
Om “Pilgrimage”
Panda Bear “Person Pitch”
Pig Destroyer “Phantom Limb”
Pissed Jeans “Hope for Men”
R. Kelly “Trapped in the Closet” Chap. 13-22 premiere @ the Music Box
Sir Richard Bishop “While My Guitar Violently Bleeds”
Wooden Shjips “S/t”
Neil Young “Live at Massey Hall”

Chris R
Group Inerane “Music of Niger”
Group Doueh “Guitar Music From the Western Sahara”
Alex Neilson & Richard Youngs “Electric Lotus”
Lambsbread “Stereo Mars”
UGK “Underground Kings”
Sir Richard Bishop “While My Guitar Violently Bleeds”
Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
Rafael Roral “Space Solo 1”
Julie Mittens “April/June”
Baby Grandmothers “s/t” (reissue)
R. Kelly “Double Up”
Angleblood “s/t”
V/A “Life is a Problem”

live shows:
Tent City “live @ the smell, LA”
Lucky Dragons “live @ Che Cafe, San Diego”

Sarah

1. Battles “Mirrored”
2. Panda Bear “Person Pitch”
3. Neil Young “Chrome Dreams II”
4. Les Savy Fav “Let’s Stay Friends”
5. Spank Rock “Fabriclive 33”
6. Thurston Moore “Trees Outside the Academy”
7. Common “Finding Forever”
8. Liars “s/t”
9. V/A “Home Schooled: ABC\’s of Kid Soul”
10. Stevie Nicks “Crystal Visions”
11. 11.The Drive (especially album side Thursdays)

Michael A
Black Lips \”Good Bad Not Evil”
We All Together \”The Singles\”
Wild Billy Childish \”Punk Rock at the British Legion Hall”
Eux Autres \”Cold City\”
Marnie Stern \”In Advance of The Broken Arm\”
Big Business \”Here Come The Waterworks\”
Bottomless Pit\”Hammer of The Gods\”
Demon\’s Claws “Satan\’s Little Pet Pig\”
Ghostface Killah\”Big Doe Rehab\”
Caribou\”Andorra\”
Boston Chinks \”s/t\” (7\”)
Shapes & Sizes \”Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner\”
Master Ace \”Take A Look Around (Deluxe Ed.)\” (reissue)
Dungen \”Tito Bitar\”
Madlib \”Vol. 3 &4/ Beat Konducta in India\”
Times New Viking \”Paisley Reich\”
Capstan Shafts \”Her Versus The Sad Cold Eventually\”
Tough & Lovely \”Teardrops\”
Holy Fuck \”LP\”
Kanye West “Graduation\”
Nervous Patterns \”Nervous Patterns\”
Deerhunter \”Cryptograms
The Takeovers “Bad Football\”

Brett

1. Swan Lake “Beast Moans” (Jagjaguwar)
2. .tape “Paintings” (spa.RK)
3. Beirut “Gulag Orkestar” (Ba Da Bing)
4. The Sleepy Jackson “Personality (One Was A Spider, One Was Bird)” (Astralwerks)
5. Mojave 3 “Puzzles Like You” (4ad)
6. Atone “un an” (Autres Directions in Music)
7. Band of Horses “Everything all the Time” (Subpop)
8. The Surf, The Sundried “The Surf, The Sundried (AttackNine)
9. Vetiver “To Find Me Gone” (Dicristina Stair)
10. Glissandro 70 “Glissandro 70” (Constellation)
    11 J-live “Hear After” (Penalty)
11. Colleen et Les Boites a Musique “Colleen et Les Boites a Musique” (Leaf)
12. Melodium “There is something in the Universe” (Autres Directions in Music)
13. Sufjan Stevens “Avalanche” Asthmatic Kitty
14. Bonnie Prince Billy “The Letting Go” (Drag City)
15. Thom Yorke “The Eraser” (xl)
16. Various Artsits “Peanut Butter Wolf presents Chrome Children (Stones Throw)
17. Jim Noir “Tower of Love” Barsuk
18. Liars “Drum’s Not Dead” (Mute)
19. Dr. Dog “Takers and Leavers” (Park the Car)
20. Shuta Hasunuma “Shuta Hasunuma” (Western Vinyl)
21. Guitar “Tokyo” (Onitor)
22. Frida Hyvonen “Until Death Comes” (Secretly Canadian)
23. Julie Sokolo “Something about Violins” (Western Vinyl)
24. Freescha “Head Warlock Double Stare” (Darla)
25. Georgia Anne Muldrow “Olesi: Fragments of an Earth” (Stones Throw)
26. Juana Molina “Son” (Domino)
27. Le Volume Courbe “I killed my best friend” (Honest Jons)
28. Wussy- “Funeral Dress” (Shake It)
29. Darkel “Darkel” (Astralwerks)
30. Neko Case “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood” (Anti)
31. Sodastream “Reservations” (Hausmusik)
32. Boris “Pink” Southern Lord
33. Joana Newsom “Vs” (Drag City)
34. Mason Jennings “Boneclouds” (Epic)
35. Northern Picture Library “Postscript” (Ltm)
36. Boats “We Made it For You” (Moteer)
37. Ekhard Ehlers “Life without Fear” (Staubgold)
38. Ponies in the Surf “Ponies on Fire” (Asaurus)
39. Camera Obscura “Let’s Get out of this Country” (Merge)

Melissa
Sibyelle Baier “Colour Green”
Bardo Pond “Ticket Crystals”
Chris Bell “I am the Cosmos” vinyl reissue
Boris “Pink”
Neko Case “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.”
Johnny Cash “American V: Hundred Highways”
Charalambides “Vintage Burden”
Chris Connelly box set
Circle “Sunrise” vinyl reissue
Clipse “Hell Hath No Fury”
Karen Dalton “In My Own Time” reissue
Danava “s/t”
Dead Moon “Echoes of the Past”
El Michels Affair 7″s
The Fix “At the Speed of Twisted Thought”
Fucked Up “Hidden World”
Ghostface “Fishscale”
Harvey Milk “Special Wishes”
Bert Jansch “Black Swan”
J Dilla “Donuts”
Jesu “Silver”
Josef K “Entomology”
Liars “Drum’s Not Dead”
Magas “May I Meet My Accuser”
Mastodon “Blood Mountain”
Georgia Anne Muldrow “Olesi”
Om “Conference of the Birds”
Jay Reatard “Blood Visions”
Reminder “Continuum”
Six Organs of Admittance “Sun Awakens”
Sparklehorse “Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain”
Sunn O)))/Boris “Altar”
Scott Walker “Drift”
Wilderness “Vessel States”
Wipers “Is This Real” vinyl reissue
Witch “s/t”
Neil Young “Living with War”
v/a “Birmingham Sound: Soul of Neal Hemphill Vol. 1”
V/A Eccentric Soul: Deep City Label
v/a “Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal”
TOUCH & GO FESTIVAL

Charles
Motorpsycho: Black Hole/Blank Canvas
Paul Weller: Catch Flame!
Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say
Karine Polward: Scribbled In Chalk
Jake Thackray: Jake In A Box
Robbie Basho: Venus In Cancer
Caetano Veloso: Ce
Chico Barque: Carioca
Marisa Monte: Infinito Particular
4th Street Orchestra: A Who Seh?
Tapper Zukie: Escape From Hell
Vandermark Five: A Discontinuous Line
Paul Lewis: Beethoven Piano Sonatas

Kip
(in no particular order)

1. Meshuggah “Catch Thirty Th33”
2. Melvins “A Senile Animal”
3. Neko Case “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood”
4. Miwon “Pale Glitter”
5. Meshuggah “Nothing” Reissue
6. Slayer “Christ Illusion”
7. Yo La Tengo “I Am Not Afraid of You & I Will Beat Your Ass”
8. Feist “Open Season”
9. Juana Molina “Son”
10. Bonnie Prince Billy “The Letting Go”
11. Tortoise “Lazarus Taxon”
12. Extra Golden “Ok-Oyot System”
13. Lupe Fiasco “Food & Liquor”
14. Gnarls Barkley “St. Elsewhere”
15. Joanna Newsome “Ys”

Erin
DECEMBERISTS. CRANE WIFE
CAT POWER. GREATEST
WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE. HYMNS OF THE HOPELESS
THE EVENS. GET EVEN
TOM WAITS. ORPHANS
AD ASTRA PER APERA. CATAPULT CALYPSO
SUFJAN STEVES. AVALANCHE
LUPE FIASCO. FOOD AND LIQUOR
FLAMING LIPS. AT WAR WITH THE MYSTICS
GNARLES BARKLEY. ST ELSEWHERE

James
low skies > all the love i could find
white magic > dat rosa mel apibus
whitest boy alive > dreams
om > conference of birds
beach house > beach house
human television > look at who you’re talking to
sonic youth > rather ripped
califone > roots n’ crowns
bound stems > appreciation night
oxford collapse > remember the night parties
shuta hasunuma > shuta hasunuma
juana molina > son

Pete
Jay Reatard “Blood Visions”
King Khan & the BBQ Show “What’s for Dinner
Exploding Hearts “Shattered
Chad Van Gaalen “Skelliconnection
Badly Drawn Boy “Born in the UK”
Destruction Unit “Death to the Flesh”
Comets on Fire “Avatar”
Wire Reissues “Pink Flag”, “Chairs Missing”, “154”
Wipers “Is This Real” vinyl reissue

Mark
Vincent Black Shadow S/T (Baltimore one)
Danava S/T
Mammatus S/t
Brightblack morning Light S/t
Kelly Stoltz ‘Beneath the Branches’
Comets on Fire ‘Avatar’
Indian Jewelry ‘Invasive Exotics’
Battito ‘Fetus’ (Reissue)
Black Angels ‘Passover’
Karen Dalton ‘In My Own Time’ (Reissue)
Wooden Shjips ‘Shrinking Moon for you’ 10″
+WShjips ‘Dance california’ 7″
Mucca Pazza ‘A Little Marching Band’
Vetiver ‘To Find Me Gone’
Greatest Show On Earth ‘Horizons’ (Reissue
Best Show I got to play in 2006
Headlining Suoni Per Popolo Fest in Montreal
on my Birthday w/ Mammatus & Residual Echoes
2 best shows I wish I had played
1. Mucca Pazza Cd release party @ Martyrs
2. Coughs @ Wire fest
Best event that validates owning 34 Hall & Oates lps
YACHT ROCK!
Best James Barron-ism of 2006
A $125,000 Ebay bid on Velvets acetate
Honorable Mention: All Adam Sonderberg Music
that I didn’t hear (which is most of it)
Chris Connelly award for co-worker who looks
coolest on own lp in 2006: MAGAS

James
1 GHOSTFACE KILLAH- FISCHSCALE
2 MISSION OF BURMA- THE OBLITERATI
3 DANIELSON- SHIPS
4 BOB DYLAN- MODERN TIMES
5.SCOTT WALKER- THE DRIFT
6.OKKERVIL RIVER- OVERBOARD & DOWN EP
7.JOANNA NEWSOM-YS
8.THE EXPLODING HEARTS- SHATTERED
9.ONEIDA- HAPPY NEW YEAR
10.MASTODON- BLOOD MOUNTAIN
11.BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY- THE LETTING GO
REISSUES:
HSCALE DANIEL JOHNSTON- CONTINUED STORY/HI HOW ARE YOU? + YIP! JUMP
KAREN DALTON- IT’S SO HARD TO TELL WHO’S GOING TO LOVE YOU THE BEST
JOSEF K- ENTOMOLOGY

Emily
Enslaved “Ruun”
Brightblack Morning Light “s/t”
Freescha “Head Warlock Double Stare”
Georgia Anne Muldrow “Olesi: Fragments of an
Earth”
Soulwax “Nite Versions”
Ocean “Aeolian”
Pearls & Brass “Indian Tower”
Sunn O)))/ Boris “Altar”
Juvenile “Reality Check”
J Dilla “Shining”
Harvey Milk “Special Wishes”
V/A “Trip: Curated by Jarvis Cocker & Steve
Mackey”
Danava “s/t”
White Magic “Dat Rosa Mel Apibus”

Daniel M
(in alphabetically order)
Califone – “Roots & Crowns”
Neko Case – “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood”
Cat Power – “The Greatest”
El Perro Del Mar – s/t
Electric Light Orchestra – reissues
Entrance – “Prayer of Death”
Fiery Furnaces – “Bitter Tea”
Fucked Up – “Hidden World”
The Grates – “Gravity Won’t Get You High”
Howlin Rain – s/t
Kim Jung Mi – reissues: “Wind”; s/t
Midlake – “The Trials of Van Occupanther”
Joanna Newsom – “Ys”
Office – “Q & A”
v/a – “Wayfaring Strangers: Ladies from the Canyon”
Wooden Wand & the Sky High Band – “Second Attention”

Cole
Joanna Newsom – Y’s
Califone – Roots & Crowns
Rhymefest – Blue Collar
Liars – Drum’s Not Dead
Dr. Dog – Takers and Leavers EP
Long Winters – Putting the Days to Bed
Black Angels – Passover
Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor
Spank Rock – YoYoYoYoYo
Jesu – Silver EP
Hot Snakes – Thunder Down Under
Roots – Game Theory
Islands – Return to the Sea
Grizzly Bear – Yellow House
Midlake – Trials of Van Occupanther
Loose Fur – Born Again in the USA
Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
POS – Audition

Kevin O

Eef Barzeley – Bitter Honey
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy / Tortoise – Brave & the
Bold
Black Heart Procession – The Spell
Black Ox Orchestar – Nisht Azoy
Boris – Pink
Calexico – Garden Ruin
Johnny Cash – American V
Christine Carter – Electrice
Destroyer – Destroyer’s Rubies
Danava- s/t
Dr. Dog – Takers and Leavers ep
Junior Boys – So This is Goodbye
Matmos – The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth…
Outkast – Idlewild
Russian Circles – Enter
Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped
Sunn 0)))/Boris – Altar
Keith Fullerton Whitman – Lisbon
Xiu Xiu – Air Force
Thom Yorke – The Eraser
Various Artists – New York Noise Vol. 3
Yo La Tengo – I Am Not Afraid of You…
Outkast – Idlewild
Scott Walker – The Drift

Best Live Shows:

1. Pearls & Brass @ EB
2. Danava @ EB
3. Coughs & LSA
4. Sword
5. Jack Rose & Peter Walker & EB
6. Ghostface @ H.O.B.
7. Brightback Morning Light/ Lights @ EB
8. Smega @ EB

Keith
HOME- SEXTEEN
MAGAS- MAY I MEET MY ACCUSER
WITCH- S/T
CHRIS CONNELLY- BOX SET
SHOPPING- IMMEDIATE CAVE 7″
SUBMARINE RACES- S/T
EUGENE MIRMAN- EN GARDE SOCIETY
THE TOUCH & GO 25TH ANNIVERSARY/ HIDEOUT 10TH ANNIVERSARY BLOCK PARTY
BLACK BEAUTIES- CATCH A BEAT
ROBERT POLLARD- FROM A COMPOUND EYE
HEADACHE CITY- S/T

Jason
1.RUSSIAN CIRCLES “ENTER”
2.ZOMBI “SURFACE TO AIR”
3.TORTOISE “LAZURUS TAXON”
4.GLENN KOTCHE “MOBILE”
5.BOARDS OF CANADA “TRANS CANADA EXPRESS”
6.DON CABALLERO “WORLD CLASS LISTENING PROBLEM”
7.DYSRHYTHMIA “BARRIERS AND PASSAGES”
8.FRED ANDERSON “TIMELESS”
9.RATATAT “CLASSICS”

Gar

1. Thermals-Body the Blood da Machine
2. Built To Spill-you in reverse
3. Califone- Crown&roots
   4.Radio 4-Enemies Like This
4. Mastodon-Blood Mountain
   6.Eccentric Soul:deep city label
   7.yo La Tengo-I Am Not Afraid Of You & I will Beat Your Ass
   8.Busy Signals S/T 7″
   9.Danava S/T
5. Steve Ritchey’s July 15th 2nd turn on the night shift @ WP
   10.5 DEVO 2.0

Chris W
Aloe Blacc “SHINE THROUGH”
Cam’Ron “KILLA SEASON”
Count BassD “ACT YOUR WAIST SIZE”
The Coup “PICK A BIGGER WEAPON”
Darc Mind “SYMPTOMATIC OF A GREATER ILL”
The Game “DOCTOR’S ADVOCATE”
Ghostface Killah “FISHSCALE”
Hi-Tek “HI-TEKNOLOGY 2: THE CHIP”
J Dilla “DONUTS”
J Dilla “THE SHINING”
Lupe Fiasco “FOOD & LIQUOR”
M1 of Dead Prez “CONFIDENTIAL”
Masta Killa “MADE IN BROOKLYN”
Motion Man featuring KutMasta Kurt “PABLITO’S WAY”
OutKast “IDLEWILD”
People Under the Stairs “STEPFATHER”
Rhymefest “BLUE COLLAR”
The Roots “GAME THEORY”
Skyzoo & 9th Wonder “CLOUD 9: THE 3 DAY HIGH”
Sleepy Brown “MR. BROWN”

BEST OF 2006 (NON-HIP-HOP):
Beach House “S/T”
Beirut “GULAG ORKESTAR”
Brightblack Morning Light “S/T”
Dub Tractor “HIDEOUT”
Emily Haines “KNIVES DON’T HAVE YOUR BACK”
Freescha “HEAD WARLOCK DOUBLE STARE”
Glissandro 70 “70”
Harvey Milk “SPECIAL WISHES”
Jessica Bailiff “FEELS LIKE HOME”
Juana Molina “SON”
Orchestra Baobab “A NIGHT AT THE BAOBAB”
Radio Dept. “PET GRIEF”
Tussle “TELESCOPE MIND”
White Magic “DAT ROSA MEL APIBUS”

Nicolette

1. Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
2. Akron/Family – Meek Warrior
3. The Black Angels – Passover <— break out band of the year!!!
4. Joanna Newsom – Ys
5. Dead Meadow – Dead Meadow (re-issue)
6. Boris – Pink
7. Vanishing Kids/Biography of Ferns split 7″ (on Failed Experiment)
8. Brightblack Morning Light – Brightblack Morning Light (they live in teepees!!!)
9. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor (the leaked, bootleg version)
10. Fucked Up “HIDDEN WORLD”
11. Sunn O)))/Boris split – Altar
12. The Sword – Age Of Winters
13. Headache City – Headache City
14. Darondo – Let My People Go (re-issue)
15. OOIOO – Taiga
16. Hollertronix #5
17. The Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control
18. Witch – Witch
19. Lady Sovereign – Vertically Challenged EP
20. Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere
21. Peaches – Impeach My Bush (the inside artwork alone stands as a best of)
22. Yo La Tengo – I Am Not Afraid Of You…
23. Built To Spill – You In Reverse
24. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
25. Woodend Wand & the Sky High Band – Second Attention Favorite Compilations:
    *Dead Moon – Echoes of the Past
    *Broken Flowers Soundtrack
    *Plague Songs
    *New York Noise vol. 3
    *Songs In The Key Of Z

Connelly
TINY TIM-GOD BLESS TINY TIM
SCOTT WALKER-THE DRIFT
JOSEF K-ENTOMOLOGY
CAN-FLOW MOTION
BERT JANSCH-BLACK SWAN
TOWN & COUNTRY-UP ABOVE
JOAN OF ARC-EVENTUALLY ALL AT ONCE
CURRENT 93-BLACK SHIPS THAT ATE THE SKY
SCISSOR SISTORS-TA-DAH!

Dylan
Scott Walker – The Drift
Sparks – Hello Young Lovers
Squarepusher – Hello Everything
Georgia Anne Muldrow – Olesi: Fragments Of An Earth
About – Bongo
Oneida – Happy New Year
Xiu Xiu – Air Force
Midlake – Trials Of Van Occupanther
White Magic – Dat Rosa Mel Apibus
Zombi – Surface To Air
Isobel Campbell – Milk White Sheets
Devo 2.0 – s/t
Hella – Acoustics
Dylan Posa & Three Cheers For One Dead Man – Debut 7″
Akron/Family – Meek Warrior
Thom Yorke “eraser”
Glenn Kotche “mobile”
Jazkamer “metal music machine”
Jesu “Silver”

Bryan
Boris/Sunn O))) ? Altar
Built To Spill ? You In Reverse
Craft ? Fuck The Universe
Danava ? Danava
Extra Golden ? Ok-Oyot System
Fucked Up ? Hidden World
Joanna Newsom ? Ys
Juana Molina ? Son
Mastodon ? Blood Mountain
Scott Walker ? Drift

Re-Issues:
Code Of Honor ? Complete Studio Recordings 1982-1984
Fix ? At the Speed of Twisted Thought
Karen Dalton ? In My Own Time
Lake of Dracula ? Skeletal Remains
Motorhead ? Another Perfect Day 2CD
Negative Trend ? s/t 4 song e.p.
Pretenders ? s/t 2CD
This Heat ? Out of Cold Storage
Tortoise ? A Lazarus Taxon
Trouble ? Psalm 9 & Skull

Matt
sibyelle baier “colour green”
chris bell “i am the cosmos” vin yl reissue
rhys chatam “die donnergotter”
craft “fuck the universe”
danava “s/t”
dead moon “echoes of the past”
dissection “storm of the light’s bane” vinyl reissue
drudkh “blood in our wells”
enslaved “ruun”
harvey milk “special wishes”
heresi “psalm II: Infusco Ignis”
daniel higgs “ancestral songs”
jesu “silver”
leviathan “blind wound”
major stars “syntoptikon”
mastodon “blood mountain”
joanna newsom “ys”
om “conference of the birds”
jay reatard “blood visions”
ruins of beverast “unlock the shrine” lp
serena-maneesh s/t
striborg “embittered darkness/isle de morts”
velvet cacoon “genevieve”
wilderness “vessel states”
witch st
xasthur “sublimianl genocide”
thom yorke “eraser”
neil young “living with war”
neil young & crazy horse “live at the fillmore east)

best live shows:
brian jonestown massacre
dead meadow
bert jansch
liars
melvins
radiohead
sunn o)))
tom waits
touch & go fest

Dave

1. Lawrence Arms, Oh! Calcutta! (Fat)
2. Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury (Re-Up)
3. Frightmare, Bringing Back the Bloodshed (Razorback)
4. Cretin, Freakery (Relapse)
5. Rager, 2006 demo (self-released)
6. The Muzzler, 2006 demo (self-released)
7. Grenade Vs. Freight Train, Structural Psychisos (Duckphone)
8. Lair of the Minotaur, The Ultimate Destroyer (Southern Lord)
9. The Steinways, Missed the Boat (Cold Feet)
10. Dim Mak, Knives of Ice (Willowtip)
11. Cannibal Corpse, Kill (Metal Blade)
12. Mr. Lif, Mo’ Mega (Def Jux)
13. Kashmere Stage Band, Texas Thunder Soul 1968-1974 (Now Again/Fat Beats)
14. V/A, Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal (Numero Group

Stephen
J Dilla-Donuts
Carla Bozulich-Evangelista
Pissed Jeans–Don’t Need Smoke to Make Myself Disappear 7″
DC Snipers–Missile Sunset
Harvey Milk–Special Wishes
The Melvins–A Senile Animal
Xasthur–Subliminal Genoicde
Ghostface–Fishscale
Sonic Youth–Rather Ripped
Clipse–Hell Hath No Fury
Fucked Up–Hidden World
Enslaved–Ruun
Jazkammer–Metal Music Machine
Growing–Color Wheel
Matmos–The Rose Has Teeth In The Mouth of The Beast
Scott Walker–Drift
Mission Of Burma–Obliteratti
Mika Miko–C.Y.S.L.A.B.F
Brightblack Morning Light–S/T
Fireball–S/t 12″
Reminder: Continuum

Live Heat:
Touch & Go 25th Anniversary–Hideout Chicago
Tom Waits–Chicago Theatre
Jack Rose–Empty Bottle, Chicago
Tortoise–Empty Bottle, Chicago
The Dicks/Pissed Jeans–North Six Brooklyn, NY
Chunklet 13th Anniversary–40 Watt Athens, GA.
Comedians Of Comedy–LSA, Chicago
Pissed Jeans/Binges–Nihilist Chicago
Sunn O)))/Boris–LSA Chicago
Oren Ambarchi–Reckless In-Store
Thrones–Reckless In-Store
Neil Michael Haggerty–Schuba’s Chicago
Carla Bozulich–Schuba’s Chicago

Everything All The Time:
Adult Swim
Yearling
The Best Show on WFMU
Sheer Magic
Kranky
Mayor Aspirin
Scalpels
Chris Corsano
Burning Star Core
The Entire Reckless Staff.
St. Viateur Bagel, Montreal

Steve R
VA- GOOD GOD !: A GOSPEL FUNK HYMNAL (NUMERO GROUP)
VA- INNATURE (BARGE RECORDINGS)
VA- ELEGY BOX (LAST VISIBLE DOG)
JOANNA NEWSOM- YS (DRAG CITY)
ROBERT POLLARD- MOON (MERGE)
J DILLA- DONUTS (STONES THROW)
KAREN DALTON-IT’S SO HARD TO TELL WHO’S GONING TO LOVE YOU THE BEST
(MEGAPHONE & IN MY OWN TIME (A LIGHT IN THE ATTIC)
MAJOR STARS- SYNOPTIKON (TWISTED VILLAGE/ IMPORTANT RECORDS)
KUUPU- YOKEHRA (DEKODER)
ESPERS- II (DRAG CITY)
DEATH UNIT- ONLY DEATH IS CERTAIN (HOSPITAL PRODUCTIONS)
PAUL FLARHERTY- WHIRL OF NOTHINGNESS (FAMILY VINEYARD)
FLAHERTY/ CORSANO- BELOVED MUSIC (FAMILY VINEYARD)
SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN- THE MYLAR TANTRUM (3LOBED)
CARLA BOZULICH- EVANGELISTA (CONSTELLATION)
JOSEPHINE FOSTER- A WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHING (LOCUST)
RICHARD YOUNGS- SAPPHIE & ADVENT (BOTH ON JAGJAGUWAR)
PAUL METZGER- S/T ( MUTANT MUSIC), FOUR IMPROVISATIONS ON MODIFIED GUITAR &
BANJO (TREEHOUSE) & SPLIT LP W/ CHRIS CORSANO & BEN CHASNEY (RORATORIO)
WOLF EYES-HUMAN ANIMAL (SUB POP)
MAGAS- MAY I MEET MY ACCUSER (IMAGINARY CONFLICT)
COMETS ON FIRE- AVATAR (SUB POP)
BORIS- PINK (SOUTHERN LORD)
NINA NASTASIA- ON LEAVING (FAT CAT)
HOWLIN’ RAIN- S/T (BIRDMAN)
GEOFF MULLEN- THIRTYSXTRLLNMNFSTNS (ENTSCHULDIGEN)
PLUS AMAZING SHOWS BY VASHTI BUNYAN, SMEGMA, JOANNA NEWSOM, TOM WAITS, CARLA
BOZULICH AND A BUNCH MORE

courtland

1. CEDRIC BROOKS “LIGHT OF SABA”
2. CHARALAMBIDES “VINTAGE BURDEN”
3. REMINDER “CONTINUUM”
4. SEBADOH III
5. BODUF SONGS “LION DEVOURS THE SUN”
6. BRUCE LANGHORNE “HIRED HAND” (SOUNDTRACK)
7. EL MICHELS AFFAIR “SHAOLIN SERIES VOL. 1 c.R.E.A.M. b/w GLACIERS OF ICE” (7″)
8. HOWLING HEX “1-2-3”
9. HOWLING HEX “NIGHTCLUB VERSION OF THE ETERNAL”
10. VA “GOOD GOD! A GOSPEL FUNK HYMNAL”
11. J DILLA “DONUTS”
12. VA “ECCENTRIC SOUL: DEEP CITY LABEL”
13. BLIGHT “DETROIT: DREAM IS DEAD”
14. BLACK MERDA “BLACK MERDA”
15. MINUTEMEN “WE JAM ECONO” (DVD)
16. GHOSTFACE KILLAH “FISHSCALE”
17. OPAL

Chris R
major stars- synoptikon
coughs- secret passage
birchville cat motel- our love will destroy the world
flaherty/corsano- full bottle
josephine foster- a wolf in sheep’s clothing
lambsbread- return to the harbor
smegma- live @ empty bottle
graveyards w/ spencer yeh- live @ delaware, ohio
various artists- messthetics greatest hits
soft machine- middle earth masters
charlambides- vintage burden
REENCARNACION “888 metal”
sandy bull “st. valentine’s day”

Dan W
TIMES NEW VIKING “Dig Yourself” Extreme lo-fi pop clamour. Kind of like when GBV were underground & mysterious, except with girl singing.
SONIC YOUTH “Rather Ripped” Ding Dong the witch is dead! Jim O’Rourke is out of the band & SY is no longer boring.
PLAGUE BRINGER “As The Ghosts Collect, The Corpses Rest” I cant keep track of all the metal sub-genres, but I’m pretty sure these 2 Chicago psychos have 3 or 4 of them mastered on this disc.
MAGAS “May I Meet My Accuser” Magas rules the electro-rock wasteland.
1900’s “Plume Delivery” Comparisons to Belle & Sebastian abound, but 1900’s are actually better, especially when the girls take over.
RYE COALITION “Chariots On Fire” itunes only EP features the handful of good songs from the otherwise avoidable Curses full-length.
BONNIE PRINCE BILLY “The Letting Go” Because what the hell was with that Tortoise thing?
LORD FYRE “Destruction At 2013” Whipped out solo joint from John Wilkes Booze frontman.
YO LA TENGO “I Am Not Afraid Of You & I Will Beat Your Ass” Perhaps past their prime, but this is better than the last album.
DETACHMENT KIT “+” Curiously self-released.

Kim
jesu – silver
reminder – continuum
tortoise – a lazarus taxon
boduf songs – lion devours the sun
sparklehorse – dreamt for light years…
six organs of admittance – sun awakens
georgia anne muldrow – olesi: fragments of an earth
charalambides – vintage burden
black merda – black merda (reissue)
eddie hazel – game, dames and guitar thangs (reissue)

Jim Magas

1. MAGAS: May I Meet My Accuser (Imaginary Conflict/Wwilko)
2. LAKE OF DRACULA: Skeletal Remains (Savage Land)
3. DANAVA: s/t (Kemado)
4. WITCHCRAFT: Firewood (Rise Above)
5. LES GEORGES LENINGRAD: Sangue Puro (Tomlab)
6. THIS HEAT: Out of Cold Storage (ReR)
7. HARMONIA: Musik Von (Lilith) reissue
8. TROUBLE: Psalm 9 (Escapi Music) reissue
9. OKAMI (Capcom/Clover Studio) video game
10. CLIPSE: Hell Hath No Fury (Re-Up Records)

Taylor
Fucked Up Hidden World (Jade Tree/ Deranged)- Dear H/C Scene, Can we make
a collective New Years Resolution? Can we stop crucifying our peers when
they succeed at their craft? Can we finally stop calling people sell outs
because they sign to indie labels that have reputable distribution? Can
we all stop being punk fascists and learn to embrace each other and all
our differences? I mean isn’t that why we all became “punks” in the first
place, cause we were different? Ok, ok I know i’m on a hippy tangent right
now. Forgive me, I am getting old and my horizons are broadening. Things
like street cred have become less important while actual song writing has
become more important. And speaking of song writing, this album slays in a
thousand different ways. I am ok with epic, progressive h/c music and I am
elated that this band is next leveling this entire genre. You should be
too.

Mika Miko C.Y.S.L.A.B.F (Kill Rock Stars/ PPM)- Kinda like if Kathleen
Hannah was a skate punk that occasionally cut loose and said things like
“fuck it guys, let’s take some E and read each other’s auras.” These
ladies are my great white hope for the future o’ feminist punk. What’s
even more rad is that they never even have to reference feminism. I heard
they learned how to play by covering Crass songs. Their sense of punk
history however seems to extend far beyond the usual anarcho-political
fair, in fact if i had to guess I’d say at least one of them is the
illegitimate daughter of Ari Up. Coolest kids ever born post 1980.

Snowden Anti Anti (Jade Tree/ Stickfigure)- >- Like Interpol but without
all the posturing, eyeliner, and std’s. Fill in the Postcard/ Rough
Trade/ Creation records roster artist’s name here___ if you need a frame
of reference. This record deserves to be heard even though they are not
epically reinventing the wheel. It’s catchy to the point of being
compelling, and it’s really honest in kind of a humbling way.

Deftones Saturday Night Wrist (Maverick)- Chino Moreno et al. could record
themselves pulling bong hits and dropping nickels in a tin can and i would
think it was the best record of the year. However an epic “wtf” for “Pink
Cellphones” not getting cut from this record. Kinda no excuse for that
pile. And yes, i’m bummed i’m still this emo too.

The Black Heart Procession The Spell (Touch and Go)- This list is biased
and I am jaded, or maybe the other way around. Whateves. If you missed
this now is the time to ask for it for xmas. There are drums and rock
songs on this record so it may surprise you a bit.

Wilderness Vessel States (Jagjaguar)- This is my favorite band in the
entire universe. I am not exaggerating. I never exaggerate.

Daughters Hell Songs (Hyrdahead)- I think this might be the final nail in
the coffin of Load. Parts of this make the hair on the back of my
neckstand up. If Clive Barker was smart he would do a pro-bono feature
fulllength for this album. No fuck that, Gregg Araki should actually do
it.

Liars Drums Not Dead (Mute)- Ok, I kinda think this album wasn’t as good
as They Were Wrong?. However, “The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack” is so
good that it parlays the record into one of the best albums of all time.Q:
can a single make an album? A: yes, it can. Side note: I do not condone
or endorse the purchasing of singles off Itunes (or any digital music
website) unless it is a Billboard Top 200 pop band. You should buy this
record cause the whole thing is worth listening to and owning.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Show Your Bones (Interscope)- Ok so I’m putting both these
bands on here?yeah yeah yeah “so trendy’ you’re thinking. But here’s the
thing…Sometimes bands sell lots of records and have tons of fans because
they are actually good. (maybe 20% of the time even). The B side of this
album is completely charming. Not in a coherent, well structured, planned
way, but in a moments of each song could get stuck in your head for days
way. The A side– not so memorable. Either way, Karen’s gonna turn
allowing yourself to be vulnerable into a “do” for 2007.

Pissed Jeans I Don’t Need Smoke To Make Myself Disappear (Sub Pop)– Is
this the wrong speed? Does it matter? Could I love this band anymore?
Maybe. No. And no, respectively.

Mastodon Blood Mountain (Relapse)/ Daughters Hell Songs (Hydrahead)-
Thisis a tie because I have only heard part of the Mastodon record once
but it fucking blew my mind. Who knows though, there could have been like
some real clunkers there that I just haven’t gotten a chance to hear yet.
For the most part though, I’m down for any band that can play all 16
subgenres of metal perfectly within one song while never sounding the
least bit
pretentious. As far as the creepy mustached substitute gym teacher squad
goes, if Clive Barker was smart he would do a pro-bono feature full length
Hell Songs. Wait, no fuck that, Gregg Araki should do it and Crispin
Glover’s cast from “What Is It?'” should star in it. This record is light
years ahead of their last full length mostly because they no longer sound
like mini-Locusts, both the vocals and the song structures have traded
white-belt grindmo for nauseating weirdcore.

Kevin
Bardo Pond “ticket crystals”
Espers “II”
Scott Walker “the drift”
Major Stars “black road” 7″
Arthur Russell “another thought” (reissue)
Boduf Songs “lion devours the sun”
Danava “s/t”
J Dilla “donuts”
v/a “good god! gospel funk”
Broadcast “future crayon

Billy
SUNN/BORIS – ALTAR (SOUTHERN LORD)
VARIOUS ARTISTS – AMERICAN HARDCORE soundtrack (RHINO)
The Raconteurs ? Broken Boy Soldiers
Culture Kids (http://myspace.com/culturekidss)
EARTH – reissues (subpop)
The Fix – At the Speed of Twisted Thought (Touch and Go)
Depeche Mode – Playing the Angel
Steve Turner – New Wave Punk Asshole
Pearl Jam – s/t
Welcome – Sirs (comes out domestically in Feb 2007 on FatCat)
Amazing Stories season one DVD
Dungeons and Dragons complete animated series DVD

Brett

1. Radiohead- Hail to the Thief (capitol)
2. Shins- Chutes too Narrow (subpop)
3. Mojave 3- Spoon & Rafter (beggars)
4. Fruit Bats- Mouthfuls (subpop)
5. Lullatone- Computer Recital (audio dregs)
6. Baxter Dury- Len Parrot?s Memorial Lift (roughtrade)
7. Cat Power- You are Free (matador)
8. Clientele- The Violet Hour (merge)
9. King Geedorah- Take me to your leader (big dada)
10. Papa M- One, Two, Three, Four eps (dragcity)
11. Cass Mccombs- A/ Not the Way (monitor)
12. Zephyrs- Year to a day (setanta)
13. Supersilent- 6 (rune grammofon)
14. New Pornographers- Electric Version (matador)
15. Party of Helicopters- Please Believe it (velocette)
16. Dipsomaniacs- Life you?re faking (face down)
17. Belle & Sebastian- Dear Catastrophe Waitress (roughtrade)
18. Bonnie Prince Billy- Master & Everyone (drag city)
19. Eluvium- Lambent Material (temporary residence)
20. Sleepy Jackson- Lovers (astralwerks)
21. Four-tet- Rounds (domino)
22. Schneider TM- 6 Peace E.P.(mute)
23. Sloan- Action Pact (bmg)
24. Carla Werner- Departure (warner)
25. Ulrich Schnauss- Strangley Isolated Place (towerblock)
26. Parsley Sound- Parasley Sounds (mowax)
27. The 88- Kind of Light (mootron)
28. Sufjan Stevens- Greetings from Michigan The Great Lakes State (sounds familyre)
29. M83- Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (gooom)
30. Tyde- Twice (rough trade)
31. Toshack Highway- Magnetic Morning (Sonic Unyon)
32. Paula Frazer- Place where I know (Birdman)
33. Lucksmiths- Midweek Midmorning/ Little Distraction (matinee)
34. Various Artists- Acuarela Songs v.2 (acuarela)
35. Timbaland & Magoo- Under Construction Part II (Universal)
36. Jorma Whittaker- Jorma Whittaker (Secretly Canadian)
37. Felt Reissues on CD and DVD (cherry red)
38. David Shire- Conversation Soundtrack (intrada)
39. Winged Migration DVD (columbia)
40. The Muppet Show reissues on DVD (columbia)
41. Space Ghost Coast to Coast on DVD (warner)

Kip

Neil Young- On the Beach (reissue)
Tv on the Radio- Young Liars ep
Prefuse 73- One Word Extinguisher
Books- Lemon of Pink
Johnny Cash- Unearthed Boxset
Radiohead- Hail to the Thief
Led Zeppelin- How the West was won
Speaking Canaries- Get out Alive- the Last type story
Dirty Three- She has no Strings attached
Outkast- Speakerboxxx

Mark L.

Andrew Hill Passing Ships
Angels of Light Everything Is Good Here Please Come Home
Cass Mccombs A
Comets on Fire S/T
Dirty Three She Has No Strings Attached
Double Leopards Halve Maen
Jade Fly on Strangewings
Led Zeppelin How the West was won
Linda Perhacs Parrallelograms
Loudon Wainwright So damn Happy
Michael Yonkers Microminature Love
Modey Lemon Thunder & Lightning
Outkast SpeakerBoxx
Pentagram First Daze Here
Plastic CrimeWave Sound Flashing Open
Postal Service
Shins Chutes Too Narrow
Sleep Dopesmoker
Stark Reality

Gwen

SMOG – SUPPER
LOOSE FUR – S/T
STROKES – ROOM ON FIRE
GOLDFRAPP – BLACK CHERRY
TV ON THE RADIO – YOUNG LIARS
CASS MCCOMBS – A
MISSY ELLIOTT – THIS IS NOT A TEST
POSTAL SERVICE – GIVE UP
CAT POWER – YOU ARE FREE
LED ZEPPELIN – HOW THE WEST WAS WON
OUTKAST – SPEAKERBOXXX
GRAND ULENA – GATEWAY TO DIGNITY
RADIOHEAD – HAIL TO THE THIEF
BETH GIBBONS – OUT OF SEASON

Matt

in alphabetical order
nick cave “nocturama”
dirty three “she has no strings apollo”
missy elliott “pass the dutch”
jonny greenwood “bodysong”
karl hendricks trio “the jerks win again”
king geedorah “take me to your leader”
led zeppelin “how the west was won” cd & DVD
lungfish “love is love”
madvillain “money folder” 12″
mastodon “remission”
m83 “red seas & lost ghosts”
90 day men “too late or too dead”
outkast “speakerboxxx/love below”
party of helicopters “please believe it”
pentagram “vintage daze” reissuecanaries
radiohead “hail to the thief”
shins “chutes too narrow”
sleep “dopesmoker”
speaking canaries “get out alive: the last type story”
television “live at the old waldorf”
paul westerberg “come feel me tremble”
yeah yeah yeah’s “maps” 7″
michael yonkers band “microminiature love” reissue
various artists “miami soul”

Ryan

the Best of 2003 in Music

1. Songs: Ohia – Magnolia Electric Co.
2. Cass McCombs – A
3. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Master and Everyone
4. Cat Power – You Are Free
5. the Shins – Chutes Too Narrow
6. OutKast – Speakerboxx / the Love Below
7. Fruit Bats – Mouthfuls
8. GOODBYE, BABYLON (six disc boxset of early gospel music)
9. M. Ward – the Transfiguration of Vincent
10. Damien Jurado – Where Shall You Take Me?
11. Johnny Cash – Unearthed (boxset of american recordings)
12. Sun Kil Moon – Ghosts of the Great Highway
13. Gillian Welch – Soul Journey
14. Iron & Wine – the Sea and the Rhythm e.p.
15. Smog ? Supper

Taylor

TOP TEN LP’S:

1. Cass McCombs “A”
2. Party of Helicopters “Please Believe It”
3. Outkast “Speakerboxx/ The Love Below”
4. Brian Jonestown Massacre “And This Is Our Music”
5. Telescopes “As Approved By the Committee”
6. Lungfish “Love Is Love”
7. Pleasure Forever “Alter”
8. Plastic Crimewave “Flashing Open”
9. M83 “Red Seas & Lost Ghosts”
10. Bruce Springsteen “Essential Bruce Springsteen”
    TOP SEVEN EP’S/7″S/Singles:
11. These Arms Are Snakes “This Is Meant to Hurt You” EP
12. Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Maps” 7″
13. Electrelane “On Parade” EP
14. Ponys “S/T” 7″
15. !!! “Me & Giuliani Down By the School Yard”
16. Rapture “House of Jealous Lovers” single
17. Souls She Said “Rub the Sleep Out” EP

Tina

Tops for 2003 (in random order):

1. Dead Meadow — Shivering King & Others
2. TV On the Radio — Young Liars
3. Comets on Fire — S/T
4. Devendra Banhart — Oh Me Oh My
5. Broadcast — Pendulum
6. Tyrades — S/T
7. Pelican — Australasia
8. Lungfish — Love is Love
9. Missy Elliott — This is not a test
10. Entrance — Kingdom of Heaven must be taken by storm
11. Angels of Light & Devendra Banhart @ Schuba’s
12. Civilized Age & Plastic Crimewave @ the Hideout

Brian

TOP 10 (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
TV ON THE RADIO – YOUNG LIARS
CAT POWER – YOU ARE FREE
OUTKAST – SPEAKERBOX/LOVE BELOW
RADIOHEAD – HAIL THE THIEF
FIERY FURNACES – GALLOWSBIRDS BARK
PANTHERS – LET’S GET SERIOUS
YOUNG PEOPLE – WAR PRAYERS
PINEBENDER- THE HIGH PRICE OF LIVING A SINGLE DREAM TOO LONG
JONATHAN COLECLOUGH – CASINO
PREFUSE 73 – ONE WORD EXTINGUISHER

James

2003’S MENTIONABLES (in random order)
The Shins “Chutes Too Narrow”
The Constantines “Shine a Light”
American Analog Set “Promise of Love”
Cass McCombs “A”
Cat Power “You Are Free”
Califone “Quicksand/Cradlesnakes”
M. Ward “Transfiguration of Vincent”
Lucksmiths “Naturaliste”
Camera Obscura “Underachievers Please Try Hard”
Eliott Smith “Pretty (Ugly Before)”
Iron & Wine “The Sea & the Rhythm”
Broken Social Scene “You Forgot It In People”
Postal Service “Give Up”
Bonnie Prince Billy “Master & Everyone”
Clientele “Violet Hour”
Charlene “S/T”
Mojave 3 “Spoon & Rafter”
The Wrens “Meadowlands”
The Strokes “Room On Fire”
Aislers Set “How I Learned to Write Backwards”

Mark Y.

1. the Shins – Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop)
   overzealous praise: maybe not since the beatles has a group woven such interesting harmonies and melodies into the pop idiom.
2. T.V. and the Radio – Young Liars (Touch & Go)
   i think i have listened to this 50,000 times.
3. Arab Strap – Mondays at the Hug and Pint (Matador)
   critically underrated!@$!#
4. Juana Molina – Segundo (Domino)
5. Outkast – Speakerboxxx/the Love Below (LaFace)
6. Diverse – 1 a.m. (Chocolate Industries)
7. Four Tet – Rounds (Domino)
8. Books – The Lemon of Pink (Tomlab)
   i only discovered the even better “thought for food” this year as well.
9. Fruit Bats – Mouthfuls (SubPop)
10. Yo La Tengo – Summer Sun (Matador)
11. Postal Service – Give Up (Sub Pop)
12. The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir – I Bet You Say That To All the Boys (Fashion Brigade)
13. Branches – (self titled demo)
    i can’t wait until this album comes out so we can see jeremy lemos’ handiwork on some of the finest “indie rock” i’ve heard in years.
14. Head of Femur – Ringodon or Proctor (Greyday)
15. King Geedorah – Take Me To Your Leader (Big Daddy/Ninja Tune)
16. Sufjan Stevens – Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State (Asthmatic Kitty)
17. The Firey Furnaces – Gallowsbird’s Bark (Sanctuary)
    Both sufjan and fiery furnaces are late additions but so rarely do i find myself NEEDING to own an album after the first time i hear it.
18. DJ Andy Smith – The Document II (Classic/Illicit)
19. Radiohead – Hail to the Thief (Capitol) .
20. Prefuse 73 – One Word Extinguisher (Warp)
    best single – tie Andre 3000 – “Hey Ya” / Kelis – “Milkshake”

best b-side – Elliott Smith – “A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity To Be Free”

best s/t – ?Lost in Translation?

Sarah

albums:
comets on fire s/t
japanther ‘leatherwings’
m83 ”dead cities, red seas, & lost ghosts’
gossip ‘movement’
michael yonkers band ‘microminIature love’ -reissue
brant bjork ‘jalamanta’ reissue
pelican ‘australasia’
witches ‘on parade’
iron & wine ‘sea & the rhythm’
country teasers ‘secret weapon revealed at last’
the fall ?country on the click?
7’s:
ponys ‘i wanna fuck you +2’
electrelane ‘on parade’
plastic crimewave sound ‘great ceased’
functional blackouts ‘1900 get inside’
ponys ‘wicked city’

Chris R.

?Top Ten? of 2003 (in no particular order):
Eddie Gale (reissue): Black Rhythm Happening, Eddie Gale’s Ghetto Music
Sightings: Absolutes
Young People: War Prayers
Spires That in the Sunset Rise: s/t
Kevin Drumm: Land of Lurches
Deerhoof: Apple o?
The Ex: improv show @ the empty bottle
Sleep: Dopesmoker
Essential Logic/Laura Logic (reissue): Fanfare in the Garden
Animal Collective: Here Comes the Indian

Daniel L.B.

Postal Service / Give Up
Beulah / Yoko
Mono / One Step More and You Die
Brother Ali / Shadows on the Sun
The Jealous Sound / Kill Them With Kindness
Pernice Bros. / Yours, Mine & Ours
Cursive / The Ugly Organ
Non-Prophets / Hope
Four Tet / Rounds
M. Ward / Transfiguration of Vincent
TV on the Radio / Young Liars Ep
Hey Mercedes / Loses Control
American Analog Set / Promise of Love (first three songs only)
Explosions in the Sky / The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Beyonce f. Jay-Z / “Crazy in Love”

Drew

1. COUNTRY TEASERS: secret weapon revealed at last
2. CHARIZMA & PEANUT BUTTER WOLF: big shots
3. KING GEEDORAH (MF DOOM): take me to your leader
4. BLACKBIRDS: blackbirds
5. THE FALL: this is the new fall album
6. LUNGFISH: love is love
7. SPIRES THAT IN THE SUNSET RISE: s/t
8. BARDO POND: on the ellipse
9. MOGWAI: happy songs (big surprise)
10. WHITEHOUSE: bird seed
11. JOAN OF ARC: in rape fantasy and terror sex we trust

Courtland

Top 15, no order

1. Daily Planet – Team Daily
2. Mad Villian – Money Folder 12″
3. Stark Reality – Now
4. Express Rising
5. JFA – We Know You Suck
6. Family Tree – Tree House Rock
7. King Geedorah _Take Me To Your Leader
8. Smog – Supper
9. Monsta Island Czars – Escape From Monsta Island
10. MIdwest Funk – Various
11. Mickey & The Soul Generation – Iron Leg
12. Town & Country – 5
13. Trad Gras Och Stenar – Mors Mors
14. Style Wars – DVD
15. Ethiopiques Vol. 13 : Ethiopian Grooves

STEVE’S TOP 20

BARDO POND-on the ellipse
CHRISTIAN BRANDT & THE 100%-7″
MICHAEL YONKERS BAND-microminiture love
STARK REALITY-1969′
TRAD GRAS OCH STENAR-mors mors
MODEY LEMON-thunder & lightning
BRAIN DONOR-s/t
VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA-queen of guess
ED ASKEW-2nd unreleased LP
RABBIT RABBIT-split 7″
ESPERS-s/t
BRETT SMILEY-breathlessly brett
HEATHER LEIGH MURRAY-cautrot vocal recordings
MIMINOKOTO-2
V/A-velvet tinmine
COMETS ON FIRE-live on WFMU
V/A-Cherrystone’s rocks
6 ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE-compathia
TESTORS-complete 1976-79
METAL URBAIN-anarchy in Paris

Stephen

Top 20:

1. The Whip–Freelance Liason 7″
2. MF DOOM–Everything (King Gedorah, Viktor Vaughn, Madvilian 12″,Yee Haw 12″)
3. Growing–Skys Run Into the Sea
4. Express Rising–S/T LP
5. TV On The Radio–S/T EP
6. Devandra Banhart–Oh Me Oh MY…
7. Beans–Tomorrow Right Now
8. Cass McCombs–A
9. Carla Bozulich–Red Headed Stranger
10. Cat Power–You Are Free
11. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists–Hearts Of Oak
12. Loose Fur–S/T
13. Tim Hecker–Radio Amor
14. 90 Day Men–Too Late or Too Dead EP
15. Watchers–To The Rooftops
16. Black Eyes–S/T
17. Matmos–The West
18. Azita–Enantiodromia
19. Sunn O)))–White 1
20. Matthew Herbert Big Band–Goodbye Swingtime
    Bonus 10 Shows
21. SUNN O)))–Empty Bottle
22. Mastodon–Fireside Bowl
23. Black Eyes/Scalpels–Swayze Compound
24. Shellac–De Kalb, IL.
25. Summer On Southport–Walkmen, 90 Day Men, Watchers, Boas, etc.
26. Oxes/Cass McCombs–Empty Bottle
27. Taking Pictures–Various Shows
28. Carla Bozulich/Nels Cline–Schubas
29. Outhud/Beans–Empty Bottle
30. The Fall/Tv On The Radio–Empty Bottle.
    3 Re-Issues
    1.Pentagram–First Daze Here
31. Parliament–Osmium
32. Sleep?Dopesmoker

Gar

1.BOOKS “LEMON OF PINK”

2. WEAKERTHANS “RECONSTRUCTION SITE
   3.BUZZCOCKS S/T
   4.SLAYER WAAR AT THE WARFIELD DVSD
3. SUPERGRASS “LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS”
   6.SOUL POSITION “8 MILLION STORTIES”
4. LUNGFISH “LOVE IS LOVE”
5. STRIKE ANYWHERE “EXIT ENGLISH”
6. GILLIAN WELCH “SOUL JOURNEY”
7. THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF FLAMING LIPS “TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE SATELLITE HEART”

Dave

top 20 of 2003. no order.
-pelican: australasia
-he who corrupts: ten steps to success
-vital remains: dechristainize
-motion city soundtrack: i am the movie
-defleshed: royal straight flesh
-non prophets: hope
-misery index: retaliate
-elvis costello: trust (re-issue)
-every time i die: hot damn!
-the killer: where all my nightmares came true
-viktor vaughn (mf doom): vaudeville villain
-the lawrence arms: the greatest story ever told
-curl up and die: we may be through with the past…
-madvillain: money folder 12″
-neil young: on the beach (cd issue)
-kungfu rick: coming to an end
-sole: selling live water
-nedelle: republic of two
-sleep: dopesmoker
-the dream is dead: taking friendly fire