year end lists – Reckless Records

Posted on December 17, 2023February 23, 2024 by Reckless

Reckless Records Employee Best of 2023 Lists

Yo La Tengo / Wednesday / Kara Jackson
Ratboys / a.s.o. / Laurel Halo
Tirzah / Hotline TNT / Feeble Little Horse

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RECKLESS RECORDS STAFF – WICKER PARK, BELMONT, and the LOOP

<< JOLIE THOMPSON >>
(Wicker Park)

FAVORITES OF 2023 (in no particular order)

Like..? by Ice Spice
Pure, raw talent. She also hung out with Kim Kardash
Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) by Yves Tumor
Fun and exciting experimental pop!
Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey
Y’all may not know butttt…this is my girl. My day one. She gets better and better! This record is insightful, dynamic, and just real. Listen if you haven’t yet!!!
With a Hammer by Yaeji
Awesome pop record, cool unique sounds.
Rat Saw God by Wednesday
Did I hear someone say they like y’all-ternative…
Everyone’s Crushed by Water From Your Eyes
ATTENTION: Chicago/Brooklyn group on Matador!
Super Snooper by Snooper
Young punks from Nashville
Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760 by Aphex Twin
You know what it sounds like…but it’s still awesome!!
Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You by Bonnie “Prince” Billy
Comfy and cozy with this record, nice for fall and winter I would say!
Javelin by Sufjan Stevens
If you know how I feel about Sufjan Stevens you’d know not to ask me a single thing about this record…I would not shut up for at least 10 minutes. That being said, it’s amazing!
Lemon Lights by Seablite
Blah blah shoegaze… IT’S GOOD!!!
Tracey Denim by bar italia
They’re British AND they put out two really good records this year. Can you believe it?!
Girl With Fish by Feeble Little Horse
Adorable Pittsburgh band, awesome Sophomore album. Doesn’t get better
Several Songs About Fire by A. Savage
I was so excited for this release and it did NOT disappoint! Fans of Parquet Courts and the like should check it out.
HONORABLE MENTION (we haven’t gotten it in the store yet): Sugar World by Jonatan Leandoer96

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<< PHILIP CERZA >>
(Wicker Park)

All That was East is West of Me Now // Glen Hansard // Favorite track: “The Feast of St. John”
The Ballad of Darren // Blur // Favorite track: “The Narcissist”
Black Rainbows // Corinne Bailey Rae // Favorite track: “Erasure”
Bless This Mess // U.S. Girls // Favorite track: “Futures Bet”
Careful! // Deeper // Favorite track: “Build a Bridge”
Cartwheel // Hotline TNT // Favorite tracks: “Protocol,” “Spot Me 100”
Change the Way You Think About Pain // Incendiary // Favorite track:
“Echo of Nothing”
Cousin // Wilco // Favorite track: “Evicted”
Dead Meat // The Tubs // Favorite tracks: “Sniveller,” “Round the Bend”
Desolation’s Flower // Ragana // Favorite track: “Pain”
Diagnosis // Sen Morimoto // Favorite track: “Pressure on the Pulse”
Domino // Diners // Favorite track: “The Power”
The Enduring Spirit // Tomb Mold // Favorite track: “Will of Whispers”
Hard Light // Drop Nineteens // Favorite track: “Scapa Flow”
The Holey Bible // Florry // Favorite track: “From Where You Are”
I Inside the Old Year Dying // PJ Harvey // Favorite track: “A Child’s Question, August”
Last Day of Sun // Fuming Mouth // Favorite track: “The Silence Beyond Life”
Life Under the Gun // Militarie Gun // Favorite tracks: “Do it Faster,” “Never Fucked Up Once”
Lucky for You // Bully // Favorite track: “Lose You”
No Thank You // Little Simz // Favorite track: “Gorilla”
Quaranta // Danny Brown // Favorite track: “Ain’t My Concern”
Rat Saw God // Wednesday // Favorite tracks: “Bull Believer,” “Chosen to Deserve”
The Record // Boygenius // Favorite tracks: “True Blue,” “Not Strong Enough”
Safe to Run // Esther Rose // Favorite track: “Safe to Run”
SAVED! // Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter // Favorite track:
“ALL OF MY FRIENDS ARE GOING TO HELL”
Secret Stratosphere // William Tyler & The Impossible Truth // Favorite track:
“We Can’t Go Home Again”
This Stupid World // Yo La Tengo // Favorite track: “Fallout”
Time Ain’t Accidental // Jess Williamson // Favorite track: “Hunter”
Water Made Us // Jamila Woods // Favorite track: “Practice”
Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? // Kara Jackson // Favorite tracks:
“no fun/ party,” “pawnshop”
The Window // Ratboys // Favorite tracks: “The Window,” “Black Earth, WI,” “It’s Alive”

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<< TIM QUINLAN >>
(Wicker Park & Belmont)

top 10 in no particular order:

1. red moon in venus by kali uchis
2. the enduring spirit by tomb mold
3. a.s.o. by a.s.o.
4. madres by sofia kourtesis
5. spirits by the circling sun
6. let’s start here by lil yachty
7. call me if you get lost: the estate sale by tyler the creator
8. ooh i rap ya by george clanton
9. a new tomorrow by zulu
10. genesis by peso pluma

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<< LUKE DAHLGREN >>
(Belmont)

Here’s my “Best of 2023”. Kept it short n sweet. All stuff that Reckless carried this year…

— NEW MUSIC —
@ – Mind Palace Music (Carpark)
AKASHA SYSTEM – Phytopia (100% Silk)
A.S.O. – a.s.o. (Low Lying)
DEAD TIMES – Dead Times (Thrill Jockey)
DORISBURG & EFRAIM KENT – Further (Boss Musik)
LAUREL HALO – Atlas (Awe)
SOFIA KOURTESIS – Madres (Ninja Tune)
MARTINOU – Chiral (Nous’klaer)
NATURAL WONDER BEAUTY CONCEPT – Natural Wonder Beauty Concept (Mexican Summer)
PROTOMARTYR – Formal Growth in the Desert (Domino)
PURELINK – Signs (Peak Oil)
A. SAVAGE – Several Songs About Fire (Rough Trade)
MASAHIRO TAKAHASHI – Humid Sun (Telephone Explosion)
TIRZAH – trip9love…? (Domino)
DANIEL VILLARREAL – Lados B (International Anthem)

— REISSUES & COMPILATIONS —
ACETONE – I’m Still Waiting. (New West)
JON HASSELL – Further Fictions (Ndeya)
HYDROPLANE – Selected Songs 1997-2003 (World of Echo)
LUSH – Spooky / Split / Lovelife (4AD)
STEVE MONITE – Only You (Soundway)
ARTHUR RUSSELL – Picture of Bunny Rabbit (Audika)
PHAROAH SANDERS – Pharoah (Luaka Bop)
LORI VAMBE – Space-Time Dreamtime (Strut)
v/a – Perú Selvático: Sonic Expedition Into the Peruvian Amazon 1972-1986 (Analog Africa)

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**PJ Harvey / Sufjan Stevens / Tomb Mold**

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<< SAM BROWN >>
(Wicker Park)

Full Body 2 – infinity signature
Halloween – Self Titled
Blimp – Egg
Feeble Little Horse – Girl With Fish
Unrecovery – It’s Agreed, My Willing Test
Narrow Head – Moments of Clarity
38KEA – the hawk and the nightingale
Bar Italia – Tracey Denim
Liv.e – Girl in the Half Pearl
Luster – Dopamine Loop
Welp! – Welp!
Sideshow – JAM
Na-kel Smith – FREE POPS FR

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<< DAVE CARTWRIGHT >>
(Wicker Park)

OSSUARY – FORSAKEN OFFERINGS
LAMP OF MURMUUR – SATURNIAN BLOODSTORM
AUFGANG B – AB WERK EP
RON MORRELI – HEART STOPPER
AUTOPSY – ASHES, ORGANS, BLOOD & CRYPTS
BRENDA RAY – D’YA HEAR ME! NAFFI YEARS 1979-83
HARUOMI HOSONO – N.D.E.
ULTRADYNE – NATIVIST
R.B. – B14
VASTUM – INWARD TO GETHSEMANE
L.F.T. – HOLLOW HEAD
MORTUARY DRAPE – BLACK MIRROR
BAR ITALIA – TRACEY DENIM
PORTRAYAL OF GUILT – DEVIL MUSIC

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<< HADLEY HENDRIX >>
(Belmont)

1. Laurel Halo – Atlas
2. Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12
3. Yo La Tengo – This Stupid World
4. Kate NV – Wow
5. Deerhoof – Miracle-Level
6. Everything but the Girl – Fuse
7. Sparks – The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte
8. Actress – LXXXVIII
9. Pylon – Chomp (repress)
10. Anatomy of a Fall (movie)

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<< JON MASSEY >>
(Wicker Park & Belmont)

i think i missed a lot of good music this year but i did find time to listen to some Albums.
asterisk means we carry/carried it here at the shop

→ Here are the ones i listened to “A Lot”:
*Various – Spirit Cry Flutes and Bamboo Jews Harps from Papua New Guinea (Ideologic Organ) – spent alot of 2023 with bad tinnitus and this was the only music i found soothing at all. Half of the tracks is just dudes going “boing boing boing” on a mouth harp and then the other half is chirruping bamboo flutes. It’s seriously something else. Anyone interested in hearing something they’ve never heard before must cop
*The Tubs – Dead Meat (Trouble…) – “ex Joanna Gruesome” always makes the year end list
*Laurel Halo – Atlas (Awe) – i think i would call this “Ambient Plus”
*Ratboys – The Window (Topshelf) – “The Gang Makes An Album With Chris Walla”
*Various – Canto A Lo Divino (Mississippi) – gorgeous billion string guitar music. Probably all about Jesus but guess what so are Sufjan Stevens albums
*Asher White – New Excellent Woman (Ba Da Bing) – kind of elephant six-y textures married to really rich harmonies and lyrics
*Yo La Tengo – This Stupid World – Gods favorite band
Curling – No Guitar – this band is sick as hell
*Hydroplane – Selected Songs 1997-2003 (World Of Echo) – great retrospective from ex-Cat’s Miaow members thats somewhere between clasico indie pop and trip-hop.Thank you World of Echo, very cool!
*Erik Hall – Canto Ostinato (Western Vinyl) – this piece by Simeon Ten Holt has been recorded 1,0000 times but this version really takes it all the way into “library-based period drama soundtrack” territory
Frog – GROG – Frog’s back

→ Special award for great albums by local bands
You Are The Garden – Six Leaf Clover
Prathloons – Live Loons: The Bronze 8.4.23
*Ok Cool – Fawn – ive never felt older than when i saw this band live and they covered “A-Punk”
Model Living – Alignment
Doom Flower – Limestone Ritual (Record Label)
Half Gringa – Ancestral Home
*Tom Musick – The Many Moods of… – see you at Weegees

→ Here are albums i liked in theory and listened to a couple times and now theyre on this list:
// “normal person” category
*Subsonic Eye – All Around You (Topshelf, natürlich) – what’s going on in Singapore??
*@ – Mind Palace Music (Carpark) – new innovations in ungoogleability
*En Attendant Ana – Principia (Trouble in Mind)
*Black Country New Road – Live at Bush Hall (Ninja Tune) – i will NOT put the comma in this band name. do not ever ask me to do that
*L’Rain – I Killed Your Dog (Mexican Summer)
*Julie Byrne – The Greater Wings (Ghostly)

// “record store employee” category
*Masahiro Takahashi – Humid Sun (Telephone Explosion)
*Martinou – Chiral (Nousklaer) – fell off the dance music train in 2023. I will do better next year
*American Analog Set – For Forever (Darla) – strips away the gauzy production & showcases the evil side of what many people are calling “Death Cab for people still renting in their 30s”
*Mike Cooper – Life & Death in Paradise (Reissue)
*Drop Nineteens – Hard Light (Wharf Cat)
*Beau Wanzer + Champagne Mirrors – Gub (Sophomore Lounge)

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**Tim Hecker / Drop Nineteens / The Tubs**

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<< ZACH WAGENFUEHR >>
(Belmont)

If I Promise – On Departure (self-released)
Model/Actriz – Dogsbody (True Panther)
Cicada – Seeking the Sources of Streams (flau)
Tim Hecker – No Highs (Kranky)
Parannoul – After the Magic (Topshelf)
Lia Kohl – The Ceiling Reposes (American Dreams)
Mu tate – They’re With You Always (3XL)
Yo La Tengo – This Stupid World (Matador)
The Necks – Travel (Northern Spy)
Flooding – Silhouette Machine (Ghost Is Clear)
Purelink – Signs (Peak Oil)
Infant – Sigla, Sone (Warm Winters)
Wednesday – Rat Saw God (Dead Oceans)
Euclid C Finder – The Mirror, My Weapon, I Love You (Dark Trail)
Billy Woods & Kenny Segal – Maps (Backwoodz)
Rolin/ Pulice/ Powers – Prism (Cached)
Diles Que No Me Maten – Obrigaggi (Come Algo)
Sundae Painters – Sundae Painters (Leather Jacket)
Hashirat – A Place To Myself (self-released)
Asha Sheshadri – Whiplash (Recital)
Bar Italia – Tracey Denim (Matador)
Sprain – The Lamb as Effigy (The Flenser)
Erik Hall/ Simeon ten Holt – Canto Ostinato (Western Vinyl)
Great Falls – Objects Without Pain (Neurot)
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, & Shahzad Ismaily – Love in Exile (Verve)
Gridlink – Coronet Jupiter (Willowtip)
Onewaymirror – Onewaymirror (Zegema Beach)
Approaching Mountains – Ley (self-released)
herlovebeheadsdaisies – carving initials (self-released)
Feeble Little Horse – Girl With Fish (Saddle Creek)
Hysterical Love Project – Lashes (Motion Ward)
iANO – What Will We See (Dismiss Yourself)
Gia Margaret – Romantic Piano (Jagjaguwar)
Oldstar – On the Run (Rope Bridge)
Martyna Basta – Slowly Forgetting, Barely Remembering (Warm Winters)
Zorn – Zorn (Furo Bungy)
Ex Pilots – Ex Pilots (Smoking Room)
Voice Actor – Fake Sleep (Stroom)
Arthur Russell – Picture of Bunny Rabbit (Audika) *archival
7038634357 – Neo Seven (Blank Forms)
Old Saw – Sewn the Name (Lobby Art)
Raphael Roginski – Talan (Instant Classic)
The Motifs – I’m the Only One You Love… (Daisart) *archival
Gigi Masin/ Rod Modell – Red Hair Girl at Lighthouse Beach (13)
Kitchen – Breath Too Long (okwhatever)
Masahiro Takahashi – Humid Sun (Telephone Explosion)
Alice Phoebe Lou – Shelter (self-released)
what is your name? – My Name Is… (5am)

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<< ANDREW MIN >>
(Loop)

-replacements – tim (let it bleed edition)
–yeah not a new lp but hearing this incredible new mix from ed stasium, it might as well be.

-yeule – softscars
–such well crafted, intricately produced and personal music. As catchy as it is great headphone music.

-a.s.o – a.s.o.
–if u dig on trip-hop, u dig on this new duo out of berlin.

-hotline tnt – cartwheel
–sick guitar driven lp out on third man records. like blown out teenage fanclub. sugary melodies/scuzzed out production.

-caroline polachek – desire, i want to turn into you
–scratches my frou frou/imogen heap pop itch. probably the best vocalist in the game.

-bully – lucky for you
–her 4th lp might be her best yet. emotional and sooo hooky. the kind of record that makes u immediately check for tour dates.

-pinkpantheress – heaven knows
–great debut of bedroom dnb pop tunes. simultaneously feels nostalgic and like the future.

-grian chattan – chaos for the fly
–poetic and intimate solo offering from fontaines dc frontman. engaging on a totally different level but just as excellent.

-anohni & the johnsons – my back was a bridge for you to cross
–i feel this is her most accessible and moving lp yet which i think is saying a lot! as haunting as it is uplifting.

-vyva melinkolya – unbecoming
–best shoegaze release of the year, all enveloping, comforting and heavy.

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<< STEVEN RAHMAN >>
(Loop)

In 2023 I found these things worth discussing or recommending to other peoples:
–Don’t miss the opening/ support acts. I finally got to see the Smoking Popes featuring one former co-worker (Hi Eli!), & a few bands I hadn’t really heard before, including Teenage Halloween (from New Jersey), who absolutely killed during their set, so much so, I went & bought a shirt. If you like power-pop like Pup, but with a little more Punk influence, you’ll love Teen Ween’s 2023 record Til You Return.
–The best beat boxer I’ve ever seen live plays bass for Phum Viphurit. This is probably hyperbole, I’ve seen both Doug E. Fresh & Rahzel, but during Phum’s set at the House of Blues this unassuming but awesome bassist took center stage while Phum & the rest of the band took a break. Pom Tanapon picked up a mic & for 4 or 5 minutes the whole crowd sat transfixed as we saw the worldwide appeal of hip-hop music. It was such a cool little scene, a massive departure from the band’s normal psychedelic, summery, soul-adjacent guitar music, which you can hear on the record Viphurit dropped earlier this year on The Greng Jai Piece.
–50 years in Hip Hop keeps growing & expanding. Some of the best rapping I heard all year came fromwomen. Big Boss Vette on Resilience, KenTheMan on Back to 304’n, Chika on Samson, & Flyana Boss on Hello Christ…; all of these sets have incredible performances on the mic. We also got some great “grown man raps” from acts that I really love to hear from: Black Milk dropped Everybody Good, Black Thought teamed up with El Michels Affair for Glorious Game, Oddisee gave us To What End, & Open Mike Eagle’s another triumph… all took approaches that we don’t always get to see in hip hop. We also got some excellent documentation, May the Lord Watch from Rap Portraits & What Had Happened Was season 4 from Stony Island Audio.
–This was a pretty good year for R&B & Soul music. I went looking for good R&B this year, & boy howdy did I find it. Victoria Monet with Jaguar II, Jordan Ward with Forward, & Leon Thomas with Electric Dusk. And those are just the 3 I liked best. Each has a different vibe, each has a different approach, but they make you want to move, to feel & sing along.
– We were due for a ska revival & I think it’s here! I for one welcome this development. It’s a good time for Bad Times Records who put a tour on with Kill Lincoln, We Are the Union, Catbite, & J. Navarro & the Traitors this year & also released Flying Racoon Suit Moonflower. We also got an ep from Fishbone, & a ripper of a record from ska-adjacent Jeff Rosenstock with Hellmode. There’s a lot of DIY pop music happening out there right now & I’m glad people are still making fun music for fun’s sake.
I’m sure I missed something, but that’s what I remember from this year… Cheers!

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<< DYLAN SOWLE >>
(Belmont)

Hole Dweller – “Crossroads” (Dungeons Deep)
Death’s Dynamic Shroud – “After Angel” (Ghost Diamond)
Parannoul – “After The Magic” (Topshelf)
Oneohtrix Point Never – “Again” (Warp)
Bell Witch – “Future’s Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate” (Profound Lore)
Fucked Up – “One Day” (Merge)
Asian Glow & Sonhos Tomam Conta – “Dreamglow” (Longinus Recordings)
Oozing Wound – “We Cater To Cowards” (Thrill Jockey)
En Attendant Ana – “Principia” (Trouble In Mind)
Sadness & Abriction – “Sadness // Abriction” (Canti Erectici Productions)
Squid – “O Monolith” (Warp)
Time Is Away [Various Artists] – “Searchlight Moonbeam” (Efficient Space)
Quest Master – “Sword & Circuitry” (Out Of Season)
Caroline Polachek – “Desire, I Want To Turn Into You” (Perpetual Novice)
Sufjan Stevens – “Javelin” (Asthmatic Kitty)
The Armed – “Perfect Saviors” (Sargent House)
Mort Garson – “Journey To The Moon & Beyond” (Sacred Bones)
Ratboys – “The Window” (Topshelf)
Tim Hecker – “No Highs” (Kranky)

Honorable Mention: Miserable People – “Miserable EP” (Rat’s Pizza) [This is my band’s tape and I’m using my year-end list to advertise it to you, dear reader. I do think it’s pretty good though.]

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<< NATHAN BROWN >>
(Loop)

Albums I Liked in 2023 (No Particular Order)
Maps – Kenny Segal and Billy Woods
Am I Good Enough – Jabee
2MM Don’t Just Stand There – Sideshow
A.S.O – A.S.O
tracey denim – Bar Italia
Call Me if You Get Lost: The Estate Sale – Tyler, the Creator
Skinemaxxx – Fly Anakin
Saturday nights – Carrtoons
Swinging Stars – Mapache
Ways of Knowing – Navy Blue
Voir Dire – Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist
Faith is A Rock – MIKE and Wiki
Snaxxx – Mndsgn
PS: I had the pleasure of working on one of my favorite albums of this year POTE BABY By Devin. It’s a shameless self-promo, but so much of my year was spent with some of my best friends making some music that we are incredibly proud of. Please check it out if you want.

EPs/Singles I Liked this Year (No Particular Order)
Flying High – The Alchemist
18 Tons – Smut
Scaring the Hoes: DLC Pack – JPEGMAFIA
New Heart Designs – Turnstile and BADBADNOTGOOD
Crush on You – Madlib
I Want More (Telemakus Remixes) – Sons of the James
Do you? But it’s only the best part – Marigold
Igy – Dj Harrison
Human Nature – Saba

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<< ANTHONY ILLARDE >>
(Belmont)

THE ACTION Rolled Gold (Guerssen LP)
ALESSANDRO ALESSANDRONI Storie Di Guerra (Holy Basil LP)
BUTCHER’S DOG Age Of Inversion (Violent Pest 7″)
THE DAMNED Darkadelic (Ear Music LP)
MORT GARSON Journey To The Moon And Beyond (Sacred Bones LP)
LIFE SENTENCE Demos (Alonas Dream 7″)
KURT MICHAELS Stones From The Garden (Melodic Revolution CD)
SUPERCHUNK Everything Hurts / Making A Break (Merge 7″)
DAVE SWANSON’S MYSTERY AIRSHIP D.S.M.A (Neon Cat CD)
VANISHING TWIN Afternoon X (Fire LP)

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<< SPENCER SILLS >>
(Belmont)

Sit Down For Dinner– Blonde Redhead
This Stupid World– Yo La Tengo
Welshpool Frillies– Guided By Voices
Everything is alive– Slowdive
Black Duck– Black Duck
C- Rex (reissue)
In Ribbons– Pale Saints (reissue)
Gasms– Smokey Robinson
Mogwai reissues (namely Young Team, Come On Die Young, and Government Commissions)
Happiness– Fridge (reissue)

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<< REY SAFLOR >>
(Belmont)

1. LOMA PRIETA – LAST
2. WEDNESDAY – RAT SAW GOD
3. FEEBLE LITTLE HORSE – GIRL WITH FISH
4. FLOODING – SILHOUETTE MACHINE
5. LARRY JUNE & THE ALCHEMIST – THE GREAT ESCAPE
6. THE ARMED – PERFECT SAVIORS
7. PORTRAYAL OF GUILT – DEVIL MUSIC
8. BILLY WOODS & KENNY SEGAL – MAPS
9. ZULU – NEW TOMORROW
10. FIRE-TOOLZ – I AM UPSET BECAUSE I SEE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT THERE

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<< MATT JENCIK >>
(Wicker Park)

André 3000 New Blue Sun
Ellen Arkbro Sounds While Waiting
A.S.O. A.S.O.
Meg Baird Furling
Björk & Rosalia Oral
Black Sun Ensemble Black Sun Ensemble reissue
Blonde Redhead Sit Down For Dinner
Blood Incantation Luminescent Bridge
Bar italia Tracey Denim
Lucinda Chua Yian
Shana Cleveland Manzanita
John Coltrane & Eric Dolphy Evenings At the Village Gate
Depeche Mode Memento Mori
Drop Nineteens Hard Light
Enslaved Heimdal
FACS Still Life In Decay
Laurel Halo Atlas
PJ Harvey I Inside the Old Year Dying
Horrendous Ontological Mysterium
Nabihah Iqbal Dreamer
Mag-Amplitude Wizards of Today
Midwife & Vyva Melinolya Orbweaving
Minor Threat Out of Step Outtakes
Mortuary Drape Black Mirror
Niecy Blues Exit Simulation
Nighttime Keeper Is the Heart
Arvo Pärt Tractus
Shizuka Heavenly Persona reissue
Slowdive Everything Is Alive
Stella Kola Stella Kola
Tirzah Trip9love…???
Tomb Mold Enduring Spirit
The Tubs Dead Meat
The Who Who’s Next / Life House: Super Deluxe Edition
Worm Gloomlord reissue
Neil Young Chrome Dreams
Neil Young Somewhere Under the Rainbow

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<< JAMIE DRIER >>
(Wicker Park)

A.S.O. – A.S.O.
7038634357 – Neo Seven
Tirzah – Trip9love…???
Gia Margaret – Romantic Piano
JK Flesh – No Exits
Zaumne – Parfum
Julie Byrne – The Greater Wings
Immediate Proximity – IMPROX 1+2
Hollie Kenniff – We All Have Places That We Miss
Suchi – Birdy Bell
Ciel – Orlando
Tzusing – Invincible East
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Blonde (soundtrack)
YoshimiOizumikiYoshiduO – To The Forest To Live A Truer Life
V/Z – Suouno Assente
Hilary Woods – Acts Of Light
Niecy Blues – Exit Simulation
KMRU – Dissolution Grip
Svitlana Nianio – Transilvania Smile, 1994
BCMC – Foreign Smokes
Paavoharju – Yon Mustia Kukkia
Flora Yin-Wong – Cold Reading
Martinou – Chiral
Midwife & Vyva Melinkolya – Orbweaving
Romance – Fade Into You

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<< LEA BOARD >>
(Belmont & The Salt Shed)

In no particular order, just some albums I really liked:
Yves Tumor: Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume
Skrillex: Quest For Fire
JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown: Scaring The Hoes
100 Gecs: 10,000 Gecs
Magdalena Bay: Mini Mix Vol. 3
Gel: Only Constant
Militarie Gun: Life Under The Gun
Model/ Actriz: Dogsbody
Uniform & Boris: Bright New Disease
White Reaper: Asking For A Ride

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<< BEN HEGY >>
(Wicker Park & Metric Coffee)

Eddie Chacon- sundown [stones throw]
Anna Meike- theatre [nettwerk]
Tirzah- trip9love…??? [domino]
Roselit Bone- ofrenda [get loud]
Slowdive- everything is alive [dead oceans]
Blue Lake- sun arcs [tonal union records]
Laurel Halo- atlas [awe]
Mandy, Indiana- i’ve seen a way [fire talk]
Kara Jackson- why does the earth give us people to love? [september]
Nourished by Time- erotic probiotic 2 [scenic route]
u-ziq- 1977 [balmat]
Kelela- raven [warp]
Gia Margaret- romantic piano [jagjaguwar]

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FRIENDS OF RECKLESS!

<< ALI BARTHWELL >>
(Writer for Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and Vulture)

Beyoncé – Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (IMAX)
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
Kara Jackson – Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
Kylie Minogue – Tension
Janelle Monáe – The Age of Pleasure
Olivia Rodrigo – Guts
Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense (IMAX)
Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!
Various Artists – Barbie: The Album
Suits: Seasons 1-9 (Netflix)

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<< EMILY ELHAJ >>
(Chicago musician & Reckless alum)

ALBUMS
Dina Ögon Oas (Playground Music)
Natural Information Society Since Time Is Gravity (Eremite)
Sluice Radial Gate (Ruination)
ÆON FLUX boxset (Waxwork)
Angel Olsen Forever Means (Jagjaguwar)
PJ Harvey I Inside the Old Year Dying (Partisan)
Fielded Plus One (Backwoodz Studioz)
Dream Sitch, Michael Nau, Floating Action Long Rattle (Airloom)
Rahill Flowers At Your Feet (Big Dada)
Josiah Steinbrick For Anyone That Knows You (Unseen Worlds)
Tirzah trip9love…??? (Domino)
V/A Blacklips Bar: Androgyns & Deviants – Industrial Romance for Bruised and Battered Angels, 1992–1995 (Anthology)
Alice Phoebe Lou Shelter (self)
BC Camplight The Last Rotation of Earth (Bella Union)
Youth Lagoon Heaven Is A Junkyard (Fat Possum)
Spencer Cullum Coin Collection 2 (Full Time Hobby)
Feist Multitudes (Polydor)
Fantasy Dub & Sofia Bolt “Rendez-vous”
Sven Wunder Late Again (Piano Piano)
Dim s/t EP (Physical Medium)
Mac DeMarco Five Easy Hot Dogs & One Wayne G (MRL)
Yo La Tengo This Stupid World (Matador)
Peel Dream Magazine Magic Is Pocketed (Slumberland)
Grupo Frontera y Bad Bunny “un x100tu” (Rimas)
Mapache Swinging Stars (Innovative Leisure)
Danava Nothing But Nothing (Tee Pee)
V/A All Micro Ambient Music: Tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto (Micro Ambient Music)
Now And Blue Space Is Burning Noon (Sloth Mate)
FURZE “Foresee His Infernal Rites” (self)
Conrad Clipper 降雨 / Rainfall (self) 2022
Dick Stusso S.P. (Hardly Art)
Daniel Lanois Belladonna (MNRK)
Duster Remote Echoes (Numero)
Voice Actor Fake Sleep (Stroom)
Jonathan Wilson Eat the Worm (self)
Niecy Blues Exit Simulation (Kranky)
Lou Tides Infinite Loop EP (self)
Charles Curtis Performances & Recordings 1998-2018 (Saltern)
Purelink Signs (Peak Oil)
Chatham Rise “Splinter” (self)

Bruce Adams You’re With Stupid (University of Texas Press) 2022 Book

REISSUES
Bowery Electric Beat (Kranky)
Michael Hurley Sweetkorn (Mississippi)
Manuel Göttsching Inventions For Electric Guitar (MG Art)
Tresa Leigh I Remember (Efficient Space)
Alain Goraguer La Planéte Sauvage (C.A.M.)
Kuku Sebsibe s/t (Little Axe)
Julee Cruise Floating Into the Night (Sacred Bones)

SHOWS
Mdou Moctar, Brunswick Ballroom
Bikini Kill, Golden Plains Festival
Crumb, Nine Lives Festival
Caroline Rose, The Fonda
Sofia Bolt, Gold Diggers
The Cure, Hollywood Bowl
Amyl & The Sniffers, Rock en Seine
The Strokes, Forest Hills Stadium
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, All Points East
Erin Rae, Tee Gee
Kara Jackson, Regency Ballroom
Cass McCombs, End of the Road
Angel Olsen, Hollywood Forever
Project Pat, Zebulon
Natural Information Society, Thalia Hall

________

**Mandy, Indiana / Caroline Polachek / Yves Tumor**

________

<< MARYA E. GATES >>
(Chicago film critic/writer at RogerEbert.com, The Playlist and more)

100 gecs – 10,000 gecs
Beach House – Become
Blur – The Ballad of Darren
Bob Dylan – Shadow Kingdom
Caroline Polachek – Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
Iggy Pop – Every Loser
Janelle Monáe – The Age of Pleasure
Kelela – Raven
Kara Jackson – Why Does the Earth Give Us People To Love?
Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Mandy, Indiana – I’ve Seen A Way
Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
Neil Young and Crazy Horse – All Roads Lead Home
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Council Skies
Olivia Rodrigo – Guts
Ryuichi Sakamoto – 12
Sigur Rós – Átta
Sufjan Stevens – Javelin
Willie Nelson – I Don’t Know a Thing About Love
Yo La Tengo – This Stupid World
Youth Lagoon – Heaven Is A Junkyard

________

<< ED HYNDS >>
(Matador Direct)

Here are my top picks for ’23:
Jonnine – Maritz
COBRAH – SUCCUBUS
MC Yallah – Yallah Beibe
WaqWaq Kingdom – Hot Pot Totto
Spivak – You Win Again
COUCOU CHLOE – FEVER DREAM
Saeko Killy – Morphing Polaroids
Fever Ray – Radical Romantics
Tirzah – Trip9love
The Umlauts – Slags
Tkay Maidza – Sweet Justice
Stinky Jim – Social Awareness – The Remixes
Sampha – LAHAI
Nervous Gender – Music From Hell (reissue)

________

<< ANDY LARSEN >>
(Matador Direct)

Suishou No Fune – The wind is spring. There is a rainbow in the sky. Love is hiding in the waves.
Vanishing Twin – Afternoon X
Wolf Eyes and Model Home – More Difficult
S*Glass – Cesspool of the Angels
Nakibembe Embaire Group – Nakibembe Embaire Group
Emahoy Tsege-Mariam Gebru – Jerusalem
Shizuka – Heavenly Persona
Pharoah Sanders – Pharoah
Kali Malone – Does Spring Hide Its Joy
Ryuichi Sakamoto –12
John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy – Evenings At The Village Gate
Sarah Davachi – Long Gradus
Les Rallizes Denudes – CITTA’ ‘93
Milford Graves with Arthur Doyle & Hugh Glover – Children Of The Forest
Reverend Kristin Hayter – Saved!
Clara! – Pulso
Spiral Dub – Spiral Dub
Dorothy Ashby – With Strings Attached
Augustus Pablo – Roots, Rockers, & Dub
Tyvek – Overground
Tozibabe – Discography 1984-1986
Rrose- Please Touch
Sonic Youth – Live In Brooklyn 2011

________

<< DAVID MARTIN >>
(Supporter of Record Stores/ Tour Manager for hire)

NEW RECORDS
Thee Retail Simps – Live on Cool Street – Total Punk
Cheater Slicks – Ill Fated Cusses – In The Red
Divine Horsemen – Bitter End Of A Sweet Night – In The Red
Lewsberg – Out And About – 12XU
Tyvek – Overground – Ginko
Lankum – False Lankum – Rough Trade
Facs – Still Life In Decay – Trouble In Mind
Sundae Painters – S/T – Leather Jacket
Meg Baird – Furling – Drag City
Lifeguard – Dressed In Trenches / Crowd Can Talk – Matador
Star/Time – Like An Owl Exploding – Means Of Production
CIA Debutante – Down Willow – Siltbreeze
Barbara Manning – Charm of Yesterday…Convenience of Tomorrow – Ba Da Bing
Lower Plenty – No Poets – Bedroom Suck
XV – On The Creek Beds On The Thrones – Ginko
Rocket 808 – House of Jackpots – 12XU
The Native Cats – The Way On Is The Way Off – Chapter Music
Famous Mammals – Instant Pop Expressionism Now – Siltbreeze
Cindy – Why Not Now? – Mt. St. Mtn. / Tough Love
Emily Robb – If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection – Petty Bunco
Mary Lattimore – Goodbye Hotel Arkada – Ghostly
Armand Hammer – We Buy Diabetic Test Strips – Fat Possum
Natural Information Society – Since Time Is Gravity – Eremite
Xylouris White – The Forest In Me – Drag City
Son of Dribble – Son Of Dribble Against The Wind – Minimum Table Stacks
Sharp Pins – Turtle Rock – Tall Texan
Feeling Figures – Migration Magic – Perennial / K Records
Fastbacks – Z2 – No Threes
Dippers – Clastic Rock – Goner Records
Fairytale – Shooting Star – Toxic State
Civic – Taken By Force – ATO Records
Billy Woods & Kenny Segal – Maps – Backwoodz Studios

REISSUES
Weak Signal – War & War – 12XU
High Rise – III – Black Editions
Sonic Youth – Live in Brooklyn – Silver Current Records
White Heaven – Strange Bedfellow – Black Editions
Gee Gee Decorator- S/T – Coq Au Vinyl
INU – Don’t Eat Food – Mesh Key
Peter Gutteridge – Pure – Superior Viaduct
Graeme Jefferies – I’m Not Listening To Your Station – Cakekitchen Records
Tolerance – Divin & Anonym – Mesh Key
Peter Jefferies – Closed Circuit – Grapefruit
Dream Syndicate – Days of Wine and Roses box – Fire
Violin Sect – Vile Insect – Minimum Table Stacks
Zyklon B Zombies – Skull – Minimum Table Stacks
Francisca Griffin – The Spaces Between – CocoMuse
Bettie Serveert – Palomine – Matador
Playthings – S/T – Leather Jacket
Tyvek – Blunt Instrumentals – Ginko
The Sheaves – Excess Death Cult Time – Minimum Table Stacks
Da Slyme – If There’s No Rubble, You Haven’t Played – Celluloid Lunch
Dizzee Rascal – Boy In Da Corner – XL Recordings
V/A – If There’s Hell Below – Numero Group
My Dad Is Dead – Pow! / Peace Love & Murder – Scat
Shizuka – Heavenly Persona / III – Black Editions / Concentric Circles
PG Six – Parlor Tricks and Porch Favorites – Amish
Mag-Amplitude – Wizards Of Today – Zaius Tapes

EPs/SINGLES
Blast – Damned Flame b/w Hope – Ancient Grease
Married FM – EP – Self Released
Body/Head – Come On – Open Mouth / Three Lobed
Non-Plus Temps – Dark On Harmon – Self Released
CIA Debutante – The Punch b/w The Garden – Digital Regress
Thee Retail Simps – Rubble – Goodbye Boozy
Rat Nip – My Pillow – Song Book Records
Drain Brugs – Elevator b/w Nitghsifth (Mikey Young Remix) – Cannery Records
Secretors – Comparing Missile Size Vol. 1 – Roach Leg
Fastbacks – A Quiet Night – No Threes

________________________

If you bought music from us or spent any time in our shops this year, we appreciate your support so much.
See you in 2024! — Reckless Records

Posted on December 17, 2022January 2, 2023 by Reckless

Reckless Records Employee Best of 2022 Lists

Angel Olsen / The Smile / Chat Pile /
Horsegirl / Makaya McCraven / Danger Mouse & Black Thought /
Alvvays / Kendrick Lamar / Weyes Blood

________

<< RECKLESS RECORDS STAFF – WICKER PARK, BELMONT, and THE LOOP >>

<< SHASTA GILMORE >>

New Releases in 2022:
Smut – How The Light Felt (Bayonet)
Oort Smog – Every Motherfucker Is Your Brother (AKP Recordings)
Lou Reed – Words and Music, May 1965 (Light in the Attic)

New Reissues in 2022:
Liars – They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top (Mute)
Althea & Donna – Uptown Top Ranking (Survival Research)
Strawberry Switchblade – 1982 4-Piece Demo (Night School)

New to Me in 2022:
Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel III aka “Melt” (Geffen)

Movies I’ve Been Too Into in 2022:
The Reflecting Skin (1990, dir. Philip Ridley)
Брат or “Brother” (1997, dir. Aleksei Balabanov)

Concerts of 2022:
of Montreal – Lincoln Hall 10/14

(I went to one concert this year, my first since the shutdown, and it was joyful and jubilant)

________

<< PHILIP CERZA IV >>

A Light for Attracting Attention // The Smile
All of Us Flames // Ezra Furman
And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow // Weyes Blood
Big Time // Angel Olsen
Bleed Out // The Mountain Goats
Blue Rev // Alvvays
Boat Songs // MJ Lenderman
Cheat Codes // Danger Mouse & Black Thought
Cool It Down // Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Easy Listening // 2nd Grade
Fall in Love Not in Line // Kids On A Crime Spree
Farm to Table // Bartees Strange
God Get Me the Fuck Out of Here // Cold Gawd
God’s Country // Chat Pile
I Walked With You a Ways // Plains
In These Times // Makaya McCraven
It Was a Home // Kaina
It’s Almost Dry // Pusha T
Life on Earth // Hurray For The Riff Raff
Lucifer on the Sofa // Spoon
Mondays… // Jeff Parker ETA IVtet
PAINLESS // Nilüfer Yanya
SICK! // Earl Sweatshirt
Squeeze // Sasami
You Belong There // Daniel Rossen
“Do You Really Know How I Feel” // Jimmie & Vella
“Little Things” // Big Thief
“Spiders (Kidsmoke)” // Wilco
“That’s the Way of the World” // Charles Stepney
“When Something is Wrong With My Baby” // Sam & Dave

________

<< LUKE DAHLGREN >>

NEW MUSIC

Lots of music I enjoyed this year. I tried to narrow it to fifteen releases but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

HIRO AMA – Animal Emotions (PRAH)

Jazzy, organic, not really meant for the dancefloor; this is moreso “morning coffee house music”.

BIG THIEF – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You Boycott Divestment Sanctions That’s My Grandma (4AD)

Yes the Tel Aviv show/Instagram defense debacle was a disappointment but the record is undeniable. Adrianne Lenker is probably indie rock’s best melody songwriter, and the band navigates the tight-loose spectrum masterfully. As Roland Barthes once said, “Nobody’s perfect.”

JEREMIAH CHIU & MARIA SOFIA HONER – Recordings from the Åland Islands (International Anthem)

Even as a fan of ambient music I have limited patience for music that emphasizes ~field recordings~. I endorse this album as an exception that proves the rule.

EMISSIVE – City of Rooms (Telephone Explosion)

When they talk about “liquid” synth sounds, this is what they mean.

FELBM – Elements of Nature (Soundway)

I don’t know if it’s better or worse that the artist’s name came from a faulty auto-correct. Regardless, this album scratched the classical minimalism itch. Like children’s music from a place that doesn’t exist.

HORSE LORDS – Comradely Objects (RVNG Intl.)

Turning a big dial that says “Dissonance” on it and constantly looking back at the audience for approval like a contestant on The Price is Right

TIM JACKIW – Sunset Over Saturn (Offworld)

Timmy J understands that the best dance music is incredibly corny. “Full Moon” is Song of the Year.

NU GENEA – Bar Mediterraneo (NG)

Everytime I listen to Khruangbin, I’m a little disappointed they don’t sound more like this record.

PHOTAY & CARLOS NIÑO – An Offering (International Anthem)

Another Int’l Anthem ambient record, and this one is a bit more “cosmic new age”. If not for luck and circumstance I feel as though I’d have been more susceptible than most to the influence of a charismatic midcentury guru.

PRATHLOONS – The Kansas Wind (Septic Jukebox)

Forget what I said about “Full Moon”. “Chagrin” is Song of the Year.

DAWN RICHARD & SPENCER ZAHN – Pigments (Merge)

I was kinda iffy on Second Line, but I absolutely loved this one. More music should embrace a misty, extraterrestrial atmosphere.

GEORGE RILEY – Running in Waves (PLZ Make It Ruins)

This plus her drum-n-bass mix Interest Rates, A Tape make her the official 2022 Heatseeker of the Year.

SESSA – Estrela Acesa (Mexican Summer)

New bossa nova/MPB that’s neither too loungy nor too indebted to the past. Perfect music for staring longingly into the eyes of your lover.

SOICHI TERADA – Asakusa Light (Rush Hour)

Terada is a master. Some of the brightest, most purely enjoyable music I heard all year.

ELI WINTER – Eli Winter (Three Lobed)

I’m an absolute sucker for pretty acoustic guitar, and this does a great job of striking a balance between pastoral Daniel Hecht-sounding stuff and more knotty Gastr del Sol-ish stuff (which makes sense with David Grubbs making an appearance)

COMPILATIONS & REISSUES

TIA BLAKE & HER FOLK-GROUP – Folksongs & Ballads (Ici Bientôt)
PATRICK COWLEY – Malebox (Dark Entries)
WILLIAM DOYLE – The Dream Derealised / Lightnesses I & II / Near Future Residence (Tough Love)
CHARLES STEPNEY – Step on Step (International Anthem)
NORMA TANEGA – I’m the Sky: Studio & Demo Recordings 1964-1971 (Anthology)
V/A – Padang Moonrise: The Birth of the Modern Indonesian Recording Industry 1955-69 (Soundway)

BEST USED FINDS

CHET BAKER – Chet Baker Sings
GARY BARTZ NTU TROOP – Harlem Bush Music: Uhuru
THE BLUE NILE – Hats
DONATO DOZZY – K
HUERCO S – Colonial Patterns / For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
JEFFREE – Jeffree
LAOURA – The Sexotic Laoura Sings
TRIO IRAKITAN – As Vozes E O Ritmo Do Trio Irakitan
V/A – Do You Believe It?: American Soul Music 1960-1972
V/A – Night City Life

________

<< ANDREW MIN >>

Fontaines DC – Skinty Fia
Just Mustard – Heart Under
Momma – Household Name
Yard Act – The Overload
Rosalía – Motomami
Pretty Sick – Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile
Alvvays – Blue Rev
Jockstrap – I Love You Jennifer B
Yeule – Glitch Princess
Horsegirl – Versions of Modern Performance

________

<< SAM BROWN >>

Southeast of Saturn Vol. 2
S – They are gutting a body of water
Luv 4 Rent – Smino
Voces de Ultratumba – Voces de Ultratumba
Ghost Stories – Phantasia
Roach Friends – Melaina Kol
Flooding Cities – Junk DNA
Working Title for the Album Secret Waters – Cities Aviv
Volume 1 – So Klarity
God Get Me The Fuck Out Of Here – Cold Gawd
Candy Suck – Idi Et Amin
Freestyles (SS22) – Dean Blunt
Man Plays the Horn – Cities Aviv
I Can’t Die As Well – Fire-Toolz
Purest Hell – P.H.F.
Easy Weapons (reissue) – Public Acid

________

<< DAVE CARTWRIGHT >>

*in no particular order

Manisdron – Body Of Void
DJ Stingray – F.T.N.W.O.
Worm – Bluenothing
Mutant Beat Dance – No Comfort For Control
Siobhan – Body Double
Dalibor Cruz – Deviance EP
Boy Harsher – The Runner OST
DJ Overdose – Deal Breaker
Rabit – 4am Richmond ave
Bourbonese Qualk – The Spike REISSUE
HVAD – Yug
The Lord – Forest Nocturne
Reinhaudt – ST
Darkthrone – Astral Fortress
Folie 2 – ST

________

<< JON MASSEY >>

2022 YEAR OF POP SONGS
sorry for typos i just love albums so much!!!!

Always – Blue Rev (Polyvinyl) / what dyou say? i think this record owns. so does everybody else. big whoop.

Emperor X – The Lakes of Zone B & C / another gotta-hear-it-to-believe-it banger from our man in berlin. EX makes everybody else singing about politics look like Bono promoting his book at Davos. now with more piano ballads & we love to see it

Soichi Terada – Asakusa Light (Rush Hour) / consummate perfection. i rung in my 30th birthday on an airplane to LA, listening to this album and drinking a tiny airplane bottle of vodka. doesnt get better than that

Mister Goblin – Bunny / mr goblin does the hard work of being in indiana so you don’t have to. no working songwriter understands america as well and even if they did they wouldn’t have the tunes, the riffs, the extended harmony, the lapel-grapping guts. Damn

Smut – How the Light Felt (Bayonet) / year of pop songs. “after silver leaves”? 10/10 italian_chef_kiss.jpg

Friendship – Love the Stranger (Merge) / yknow how you keep saying you’re going to make it out to the beach this summer but then it’s october all of a sudden, year after year after–? uh oh. dont cry buddy. be cool. youre in a store

Oren Ambarchi – Shebang (Drag City) / dope that this record seemed to break through to the p4k set a little. reminds me of watching a rainstorm start to happen. incredible

1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language / why is this bull shit on here? am i doing a bit? is this band actually good or do they suck ass? is the pastiche hilarious or irritating? i truly dont know folx. all i know is if you are reading this AND you like this band YOU MUST GO LISTEN TO THE BLUE NILE & PREFAB SPROUT. thats a direct order from your superior officer

Ex-Void – Bigger than Before (Don Giovanni) / like i said: year of pop songs

special categories ——-

THE MAHLER 3 AWARD FOR EXTRAORDINARY LENGTH
Richard Dawson – the Ruby Cord / I will probably only ever listen to this twice but holy hell it’s wild, disquieting, etc. if you know you know

THE SAM BANKMAN-FRIED AWARD FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Prathloons – The Kansas Wind / Yes ….these are my “buds” But Also this album whips. midwest slow cigarette vibe is back and its better than ever. clarinets? They’re Back Too. thank you for your compliance with this aesthetic

THE BETHS AWARD FOR BEST BETHS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
the Beths — Expert in a Dying Field (carpark)

THE “DO YOU HAVE FRANK OCEAN VINYL” AWARDS FOR RECORDS WE DO NOT HAVE IN OUR STORE

The World Without Parking Lots – You’ll Have To Take My Word For It / lovely (and, i believe, local?) wintertime singer-songwriter record, really genuinely clever and moving tunes

Shinichi Atobe – Love of Plastic (DDS) / bobbing my head til it falls off

Bats – Blue Cabinet

MUST GRIP REISSUED / ARCHIVAL STUFF:
Tall Dwarfs — Unravelled ’81-’02 (Merge)
Charles Stepney — Step on Step (Int’l Anthem)
Hypnotic Guitar of John Ondalo (Mississippi)
Go Sailor – s/t reissue (Slumberland)

fav songs:
Big Thief – “Little Things” – in the end the LP didnt work for me (take no pleasure in reporting this etc etc) but this is one of the best songs i’ve ever heard
Caroline No – “Anna’s on the Radio” from s/t album (Grapefruit)
Empath – “Born 100 Times” from Visitor (Fat Possum)
song of da year: “Freeway in Heaven” by Emperor X i think

a few notable shows:
Stereolab + Fievel Is Glauque @ the riv. listen to fievel is glauque!!!!!
Emperor X @ mustache
The Chills @ sleeping village
friendship / tenci / advance base @ hideout
beth orton @ irish american community center

that’s it for me thanks

________

<< BEN HEGY >>

record releases- 2022

Tom Carruthers- non stop rhythms [L.I.E.S.]
Legowelt- tips for life [nightwind records]
Immanuel Wilkins- 7th hand [blue note]
Saba- few good things [pivot gang]
VR SEX- rough dimension [dais]
Josephine Foster- godmother [fire records]
Cate Le Bon- pompeii [mexican summer]
Makaya McCraven- in these times [international anthem recording company]
Sarah Davachi- two sisters [late music]
Horsegirl- versions of modern performance [matador]
Dj Overdose- deal breaker [L.I.E.S.]
Anteloper- pink dolphins [international anthem recording company]
Tony Price- ibm contra [L.I.E.S.]
James Marlon Magas- confusion is my name [midwich]
Anthony Moore- flying doesn’t help [drag city]
Broadcast- maida vale sessions [warp]
Lucrecia Dalt- ¡ay! [rvng intl.]
Cheb Terro vs DJ Die Soon- s/t [drownedbylocals]
Carla dal Forno- come around [kallista records]
Weak Signal- war&war [colonel records]
Nik Colk Void- bucked up space [editions mego]
Ron Trent- what do the stars say to you [night time stories]
Working Men’s Club- fear fear [heavenly]
Eric Chenaux- say laura [constellation]
Porridge Radio- waterslide diving board, ladder to the sky [secretly canadian]

________

<< LEA BOARD >>

Best Albums of 2022 (In no particular order)

Beyoncé “Renaissance”
Soft Moon “Exister”
Dehd “Blue Skies”
Mitski “Laurel Hell”
The Garden “Horseshit on Route 66”
Blood Incantation “Timewave Zero”
Just Mustard “Heart Under”
Horsegirl “Versions of Modern Performance”
Chat Pile “God’s Country”
Weyes Blood “And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow”
Perfume Genius “Ugly Season”
Yasuaki Shimizu “Kiren”

________

<< JAMIE DRIER >>

Best of 2022
Pan Daijing – Tissues (Pan)
JK Flesh – New Religions Old Rules (Avalanche)
Nik Colk Void – Bucked Up Space (Editions Mego)
Moor Mother – Jazz Codes (Anti)
Kali Malone – Living Torch (Portraits GRM)
E-Saggila – Blaze (Northern Electronics)
Shit & Shine – New Confusion (Rocket Recordings)
Tony Price – IBM Contra (L.I.E.S.)
Lucrecia Dalt – The Seed (Original Score) (Invada)
City Of Caterpillar – Mystic Sisters (Relapse)
700 Bliss – Nothing To Declare (Hyperdub)
Björk – Fossora (One Little Independent)

________

<< SEAN ROWADER >>

Here are my 10 favorite releases from 2022 in no particular order:
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava
Horse Lords – Comradely Objects
Charley Crockett – The Man From Waco
Yeule – Glitch Princess
The Chats – Get Fucked
Sam Prekop & John McEntire – Sons Of
The Garden – Horse Shit on Route 66
Vieux Farka Toure & Khruangbin – Ali
Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Omnium Gatherum

________

<< ZACH WAGENFUEHR >>

Raum – Daughter (Yellowelectric)
The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention (XL)
Alvvays – Blue Rev (Polyvinyl)
MJ Lenderman – Boat Songs (Dear Life)
Perfume Genius – Ugly Season (Matador)
Chat Pile – God’s Country (Flenser)
Guided By Voices – Scalping the Guru (Guided By Voices Inc.) *archival
Florist – Florist (Double Double Whammy)
Alex G – God Save the Animals (Domino)
Lucrecia Dalt – ¡Ay! (Rvng)
Horse Lords – Comradely Objects (Rvng)
Skullcrusher – Quiet the Room (Secretly Canadian)
Oren Ambarchi/ Johan Berthling/ Andreas Werliin – Ghosted (Drag City)
supernowhere – Skinless Takes a Flight (Topshelf)
Black Country New Road – Ants From Up There (Ninja Tune)
Sessa – Estrela Acesa (Mexican Summer)
Imprecation – In Nomine Diaboli (Dark Descent)
Patrick Cowley – Malebox (Dark Entries) *archival
Mabe Fratti – Se ve desde aquí (Unheard Of Hope)
Richard Dawson – The Ruby Cord (Domino)

and the rest that we haven’t seen or don’t have a physical release (yet)…

Francis Harris – Thresholds (Scissor or Thread)
Park Jiha – The Gleam (tak:til)
Knifeplay – Animal Drowning (Topshelf)
Kraus – Eye Escapes (Mutual Skies)
Scarcity – Aveilut (Flenser)
Blindgirls – The Weight of Everything (Zegema Beach)
Sirom – The Liquefied Throne of Simplicity (tak:til)
Anadol – Felicita (Pingipung)
Croatian Amor – Remember Rainbow Bridge (Posh Isolation)
Asian Glow & Weatherday – Weatherglow EP (Longinus)
Post Office Winter – Music Box (Hallogallo)
Mildred – Pt. 2 (self-released)
maya is dead soon – s/t (self-released)
Natalia Lafourcade – De todas las flores (Sony)
Ulla – Hope Sonata EP (Longform)
CS + Kreme – Orange (Trilogy Tapes)
Pontiac Streator – Sone Glo (West Mineral)
Fievel Is Glauque – Flaming Swords (La Loi)
Emperor X – The Lakes of Zones B and C (self-released)
Zguba – Znoj (Loza)
Head In Hand – Unnatural Providence (Mutual Aid)
Puce Mary – You Must Have Been Dreaming (self-released)

________

<< SARAH FRIER >>

Ibibio Sound Machine – Electricity
Cola – Deep In View
The Smile – Light for Attracting Attention
Horsegirl – Versions of Modern Performance
Cate Le Bon – Pompeii
Angel Olsen – Big Time
Khruangbin – Texas Moon
Sofia Bolt – Soft Like a Peach
Dehd – Blue Skies
Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Special Mention: Neil Young’s Harvest Time

________

<< STEVEN RAHMAN >>

2022 has been the longest year of my life & these were the records I caught that I wanted to recommend to other people in no particular order…

Gianni Brezzo “Tutto Passa” – There’s something so amazingly relaxing about this record. It’s the sonic equivalent of a Hot Toddy. It’s warm, & comforting, & sophisticated. The feeling of a new favorite place; something you discovered by chance but feels like home…
Saba “Few Good Things” – There aren’t many MCs who can channel nostalgia the way that Saba can. On Few Good Things, we get to see Saba challenge, change, & interrogate the ways his success has interacted with the tragedies he & his have experienced over the last few years… The productions here are always soulful, with deep harmonies & even on the hardest songs here, the grooves are creative & enveloping.
Danger Mouse & Black Thought “Cheat Codes” – I’ll admit at first, I was a little disappointed that this record wasn’t the Tariq Trotter show. This is the closest thing we’ve ever gotten to a solo full-length from the Roots front man & I was kinda hoping for an hour of Black Thought rapping over straight breakbeats… But this is a collaboration, & the beats that Danger Mouse provides are perfect reminders that Thought can rap over ANYTHING! The rhymes are on point, & the guests are amazing, & it might not be the album I was waiting for, but it is everything I wanted.
J.I.D. “Forever Story” – J.I.D. is a Musician. The Rapper/ Singer is on a mission to make sure you know it. Opening the record with a recorded count-in & bringing a beat switch to almost every track on the record, the record is consistently displaying the care taken to make a piece of art that will stand the test of time… Also… Jiddy can RAP. Non-stop flows, metaphors, similes, imagery, rhymes… magnificent.
The Plosivs “Plosivs” – There’s not a whole lot to say about this album. It’s just good. Swami John Reis (Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, RftC), & Rob Crow (Pinback) got together with some friends & wrote some rocking, guitar heavy songs & recorded them. 33 minutes of fast, powerful, Pop songs, heavy on the melody, with driving propulsive Rock n’ Roll attitude.
Ogi “Monologues EP”
Open Mike Eagle “Component System With the Auto Reverse”
Umi “Forest in the City”
Lucky Daye “Candy Drip”
Dezron Douglas “Atalaya”
Samm Henshaw “Untidy Soul”
Vic Spenser & Small Pro “Mudslide”
Earthgang “Ghetto Gods”
Cecile Mclorin Salvant “Ghost Song”
Smut “How the Light Felt”

________

<< ANTHONY ILLARDE >>

ALTHEA & DONNA Uptown Top Ranking (Survival Research LP)
ARTIFICIAL PEACE Live At The Wilson Center 1982 (Alona’s Dream LP)
COLIN BLUNSTONE One Year (Sundazed 2LP)
BODY CAM Body Cam (Violent Pest flexi
BONNIWELL MUSIC MACHINE Dark White (OKtay 45)
BROADCAST Microtonics Vols 1 & 2 (Warp LPs)
ELVIS COSTELLO The Boy Named If (Capitol LP)
TOM DAWES Elusive: The Tom Dawes Jingle Workshop (Modern Harmonic LP)
DUNGUN En Är För Mycket Och Tusen Aldrig Nog (Mexican Summer LP)
ELLA FITZGERALD Ella At The Hollywood Bowl: The Irving Berlin Songbook (Verve LP)
FLY-BI-NITES Found Love (Hyperloop 45)
EMAHOY TSEGE MARIAM GEBRU S/T (Mississippi LP)
DANA GILLESPIE Foolish Seasons (Decca LP)
GUIDED BY VOICES Tremblers And Goggles By Rank (GBVi LP)
HARLOTS OF 42ND STREET Refuse To Be Misused (Sundazed LP)
HANY MEHANNA Music For Airplanes (Souma 2LP)
MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER Emotional Eternal (Domino LP)
MONOPHONICS Sage Motel (Colemine LP)
ENNIO MORRICONE Sans Mobile Apparent OST (Wewantsounds LP)
KEITH PAPWORTH Hard Hitter (Music De Wolfe LP)
SCOTT PLANT Alone / With Us (Ordinary Weirdos 12″)
PREACHERS Stay Out Of My World (Beatrocket LP)
TEENAGE FANCLUB Bandwagonesque (Sony LP)
TINTERN ABBEY Beeside: The Complete Recordings (Real Gone Music 2LP)
VARIOUS Saturno 2000: La Rebajada De Los Sonideros 1962-1983 (Analog Africa 2LP)

JIM RULAN Corporate Rock Sucks: The Rise and Fall of SST Records (Hachette Books)
DAVE SCOTT SCHWARTZMAN If It’s Tuesday This Must Be Walla Walla: The Wacky History of Adrenalin O.D. (DiWulf Publishing)

________

<< KIP MCCABE >>

1. Meshuggah “Immutable”

2. Jóhann Jóhannsson “Drone Mass”

3. Jeff Parker “Forfolks”

4. Makaya McCraven “In These Times”

5. Sam Prekop & John McEntire “Sons of”

666. Bill Callahan & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy “Blind Date Party”

________

<< MATT JENCIK >>

Andy Bell Flicker
Big Thief Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
Björk Fossora
Tia Blake Folksongs & Ballads reissue
Anna Butterss Activities
Codeine Dessau
Carla Dal Forno Come Around
Darkthrone Astral Fortress
Stella Donnelly Flood
Dream Unending Song of Salvation
Hammered Hulls Careening
jennylee Heart Tax
Jóhann Jóhannsson Drone Mass
Leslie Keffer Perceive
Këkht Aräkh Pale Swordsman & Night of Love reissues
Cate Le Bon Pompeii
James Marlon Magas Confusion Is My Name
Kali Malone Living Torch
Branko Mataja Over Fields & Mountains
Makaya McCraven In These Times
Bill Nace Through a Room
Rachika Nayar Heaven Come Crashing
Angel Olsen Big Time
Bill Orcutt Music for Four Guitars
Jeff Parker Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy
Raum Daughter
Lou Reed I’m So Free: the 1971 RCA Demos
Max Roach We Insist! reissue
The Smile A Light For Attracting Attention
Sonic Youth In/Out/In
Phuong Tam Magical Nights: Saigon Surf, Twist & Soul 1964-66
Norma Tanega I’m the Sky: Studio & Demo Recordings 1964-1971
Undeath It’s Time…To Rise From the Grave
Christina Vanztou, Michael Harrison & John Also Bennet Christina Vanztou, Michael Harrison &
John Also Bennet
V/A Ghost Riders
Voivod Angel Rat reissue
Voivod Synchro Anarchy
Weyes Blood And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow!
Worm Bluenothing
You’ll Never Get to Heaven Wave Your Moonlight Hat for the Snowfall Train
Neil Young Citizen Kane Jr Blues 1974
Neil Young & Crazy Horse Toast

________

<< TYLER LOPEZ >>

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
BLADEE & ECCO2K – CREST [Year0001]

RUNNER UP
Duster – Together [Numero]

Other Favorites (in somewhat of an order)
DJ Speedsick – Midwest Death Trance [Techno Is The Devil’s Music]
Grivo – Omit [Church Road]
Boy Harsher – The Runner [Nude Club]
Dance Gavin Dance – Jackpot Juicer [Rise]
DJ Headwound – Xpiritual [self]
Sadness – Tortuga [self]
Kali Malone – Living Torch [Portraits GRM]
Sarah Davachi – Two Sisters [Late]
Artificial Brain – S/T [Profound Lore]
Mutant Beat Dance – No Comfort for Control [Nation]
Vermin Womb – Retaliation [Closed Casket Activities]
Codeine – Dessau [Numero]
Alex G – God Save the Animals [Domino]
Grave Upheaval / The Funeral Orchestra – Inexistentia [Parasitic]
Kittin & The Hacker – Third Album [Nobody’s Bizzness]
Vatican Shadow – Coast Guard Gulf of Blood [Hospital]
Raum – Daughter [Yellowelectric]
Matchess – Sonescent [Drag City]
Ojerum – Reversed Cathedral [Cyclic Law]
Purity Filter – Immortal Spirit [Dismiss Yourself]
Holy Fawn – Dimensional Bleed [Wax Bodega]
Julien Andreas – Bottomfeeder [Magdalena’s Apathy]
Astrophysics – Selected & Tragic [self]
Woe Bather – May Loneliness Consume You [self]
deathcrash – Return [Untitled]
Izthmi – Leaving This World, Leaving It All Behind [Satanik Royalty]
Fret – Only for the Weak [L.I.E.S.]
Whatever the Weather – S/T [Ghostly]
Windowshopping – Andromeda [No Agreements]
Rapoon – Can You Hear That Rain [Ultra Gash]
Lilien Rosarian – Every Flower In My Garden [self]
Wiegedood – There’s Always Blood at the End of the Road [Century]
Primitive Man – Insurmountable [Closed Casket Activities]
Sarin – S/T [self]
Ekin Fil – Dora Agora [Helen Scarsdale]

PROMO CD OF THE YEAR
Makaya McCraven – In These Times [International Anthem]

________

<< DYLAN SOWLE >>

Albums I liked from this year:

Parannoul/ Asian Glow – “Paraglow” (Longinus)
Yasuaki Shimizu – “Kiren” (Palto Flats)
Various Artists – “Valley Of The Sun: Field Guide To Inner Harmony” (Numero Group)
Chat Pile – “God’s Country” (Flenser)
Black Country, New Road – “Ants From Up There” (Ninja Tune)
Big Thief – “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You” (4AD)
Parannoul – “White Ceiling/ Black Dots Wandering Around” (Longinus)
Drift Heaven – “Final Lap” (Equip’s Picks)
Japanese Breakfast – “Sable” (Dead Oceans)
Blood Incantation – “Timewave Zero” (Century Media)
Asian Glow & Weatherday – “Weatherglow” (Longinus)
Wet Leg – “Wet Leg” (Domino)
Spiritualized – “Everything Was Beautiful” (Fat Possum)
Horsegirl – “Versions Of Modern Performance” (Matador)
Danger Mouse & Black Thought – “Cheat Codes” (BMG)
Nouns – “While Of Unsound Mind” (Self-Released)
The Hated – “Best Piece Of Shit Vol. 4” (Numero Group)
Richard Dawson – “The Ruby Cord” (Weird World)
Hole Dweller – “Another Chance At Peace” (Dungeons Deep)

Albums I liked from last year, that I didn’t find out about until this year:

Deerhoof – “Actually, You Can” (Joyful Noise)
You’ll Never Get To Heaven – “Wave Your Moonlight Hat For The Snowfall Train” (Seance Centre)
Kekht Arakh – “Pale Swordsman” (Sacred Bones)

I don’t usually like podcasts, but here is one really good one you should check out:

uswithoutThem – Discussing mewithoutYou songs, track by track & album by album

________

<< TIM QUINLAN >>

Get on the Otherside by Bobby Oroza
Soul Sold Separately by Freddie Gibbs
Tunic (Original Soundtrack) by Lifeformed x Janice Kwan
Diaspora Problems by Soul Glo
Dawn FM by The Weeknd
Few Good Things by Saba
Pathos by Conjurer
Live in LA by Equip
Motomami by Rosalia
False Light by White Ward
AKUMA 3 by Alex & Tokyo Rose
Melt My Eyez See Your Future by Denzel Curry
Reborn by Kavinsky
Vapor Sessions 1 & 2 by OSC
Loud Arriver by Sonja
Ramona Park Broke My Heart by Vince Staples
The Forever Story by JID
Sentimental by Miami Nights 1984

________

<< FRIENDS OF RECKLESS >>

<< ALI BARTHWELL >>

Writer for Last Week Tonight With John Oliver; Contributor to Vulture.com

Beyoncé – Renaissance
Charli XCX – Crash
Florence + The Machine – Dance Fever
Harry Styles – Harry’s House
Jessie Ware – “Free Yourself”
Lizzo – Special
Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa – “Sweetest Pie”
Rina Sawayama – Hold The Girl
Rosalía – MOTOMAMI
Trixie Mattel – The Blonde & Pink Albums

________

<< EMILY ELHAJ >>

Love Lion Releases

ALBUMS
Angel Olsen Big Time (Jagjaguwar)
Jeff Parker ETA IVtet Mondays at The ETA (Eremite)
Les Rallizes Dénudés The OZ Tapes (Temporal Drift)
Ernest Hood Back To The Woodlands (Freedom To Spend)
Gewgawly I & Thou NORCO Original Game Soundtrack (Sacred Bones)
Sofia Bolt Soft Like a Peach (self)
Marina Allen Centrifics (Fire)
Andy Bell Flicker (Sonic Cathedral)
Sun’s Signature s/t (Partisan)
GOON Hour of Green Evening (Démodé)
The Smile A Light For Attracting Attention (Self Help Tapes)
Steve Gunn Nakama (Matador)
Cloakroom Dissolution Wave (Relapse)
Aldous Harding Warm Chris (4AD)
Daniel Bachman Lonesome Weary Blues (Three Lobed)
Fievel Is Glauque Flaming Swords (Math Interactive)
Steve Gunn Nakama (Matador)
Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (Aftermath/Interscope)
Elvis Costello & The Imposters The Boy Named If (EMI Capital)
Earthen Sea Ghost Poems (Kranky)
Hurray for the Riff Raff Life on Earth (Nonesuch)
Keeley Forsyth Limbs (Leaf)
Eiko Ishibashi For McCoy (Black Truffle)
Broadcast Maida Vale Sessions (Warp)
v/a I Had the Craziest Dream: Modern Jazz & Hard-Bop in Post War London Vol. 1 & 2 (Death Is Not The End)
v/a Pure Wicked Tune: Rare Groove Blues Dances & House Parties 1985-1992 (Death Is Not The End)
Sault Air (Forever Living Originals)
Sam Burton “Leaving Here Still”
John McGuire Pulse Music (Unseen Worlds)
Luis 057 (Schwyn) (AD93)
Charles Stepney Step on Step (International Anthem)
The Orielles Tableau (Heavenly)
Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek “Darıldım Darıldım” (Bongo Joe)
Voice Actor Sent From My Telephone (Stroom)
Widowspeak The Jacket (Captured Tracks)
Salamanda ashbalkum (Human Pitch)

REISSUES
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man Out of Season (Go Beat)
Alice In Chains Dirt (Sony)
ONO Kate Cincinnati (American Dreams)
v/a Tender Rhythms And Songs Of Love (Paxico)
Polvo In Prism (Merge)
MAGMA Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh (Music On Vinyl)
Bill Fay Still Some Light (Dead Oceans)
Duster Stratosphere & Contemporary Movement (Numero)
Thomas Leer Contradictions (Spittle)
Ruth Polaroid/Roman/Photo (Born Bad)
Carlos Niño & Friends Assortment for Susan’s (Leaving)

________

<< MARYA E. GATES >>

Chicago film critic; Contributor to RogerEbert.com, The Playlist and more

Here are my favorite new albums of the year, some impressive reissues, plus some albums I listened to with my boyfriend that he really loved (listed in release order):

Dawn FM by The Weeknd
Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós (repressing)
Brightside by The Lumineers
Laurel Hell by Mitski
Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You by Big Thief
Few Good Things by Saba
Once Twice Melody by Beach House
Aaliyah by Aaliyah (repressing)
Tilt by Confidence Man
The Other Side of Make-Believe by Interpol
Midnights by Taylor Swift
The Car by Arctic Monkeys
And I Have Been by Benjamin Clementine
Only the Strong Survive by Bruce Springsteen
Babylon score album by Justin Hurwitz

________

<< ANDY LARSEN >>

Beggars Group

New
Naujawanan Baider – Khedmat Be Khalq (Radio Khiyaban)
Vivid Oblivion – The Graphic Cabinet (Downwards)
Brannten Schnüre – Das Glück Vermeiden (Quirlschlängle)
Dale Cornish – Traditional Music of South London (The Death of Rave)
The Bug – Absent Riddim (Pressure)
Sarah Davachi – Two Sisters (Late Music)
Girlsperm – Return to Girlsperm (Thrilling Living)
Oren Ambarchi – Shebang (Drag City)
Kali Malone – Living Torch (Portraits GRM)
Valentina Magaletti – La Tempesta Colorata (A Colorful Storm)
V/A – Music From Saharan WhatsApp (Sahel Sounds)
Pan Daijing- Tissues (Pan)
Nový Svět – Desde Infiernos De Flores (Quirlschlängle)
Freundliche Kreisel – Freundliche Kreisel (Stroom.tv)

Reissues/Archival
V/A – The Buntingford Long Playing Album (Siltbreeze)
Ruby Johnson – Ruby Johnson (Mississippi)
Space Machine – Space Tuning Box (Urashima)
Valentina Goncharova – Ocean: Symphony For Electric Violin and Other
Instruments in Ten Parts (Hidden Harmony)
Albert Ayler – Revelations – The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondation Maeght
Recordings (INA, Elemental Music)
V/A – Studio One Music Lab (Soul Jazz)
Sidney Sager – Children of the Stones (Trunk Records)
Ornette Coleman – Genesis of Genius (Craft Recordings, Contemporary Records)
Patrick Cowley – Malebox (Dark Entries)
Alice Coltrane – Ptah, the El Daoud (Verve)
Count Ossie And The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari – Grounation (Soul Jazz)
Drexciya – Neptune’s Lair (Tresor Records)
Smelly Feet – Smelly Neu Pollution (Minimum Table Stacks)

________

<< CAM SARRETT >>

Third Man Records Nashville

2022 Music Does Rock List (in no particular order / singles, EPs, albums and reissues)

– Gee Tee “Rock Phone”
– Chronophage “Chronophage”
– Straw Man Army “SOS”
– Panda Bear & Sonic Boom “Reset”
– Ginger Root “Loneliness”
– Total Wife “A Blip”
– MOTO BANDIT “YOU TOO”
– Black Thought & Danger Mouse “Cheat Codes”
– Jockstrap “Glasgow”
– 1-800-Mikey “Pressure”
– Cobra Man “Cool, Nice.”
– Guerilla Toss “Famously Alive”
– No windows “Shout (Red Song)”
– MJ Lenderman “Boat Songs”
– Ex Pilots “Too Far”
– Hotline TNT “When You Find Out”
– Broadcast “Maida Vale Sessions”
– The Cat’s Miaow “Hollow Inside”
– The Web of Lies “Receiver”
– RMFC “Access”
– Peace de Resistance “Bits and Pieces”
– Rich Ruth “I Survived, It’s Over”

________

Here’s a playlist collecting our favorite tracks from some of these releases:

If you bought music from us or spent some time in our shops this year, we appreciate your support so much.

We’ll see you all again in 2023! — Reckless Records

Posted on December 31, 2009May 23, 2024 by BRYAN Reckless Records

RECKLESS EMPLOYEE BEST OF LISTS 2009

BRYAN
Azita – How Will You? lp/cd
Built to Spill – There Is No Enemy 2lp/cd
Vee Dee – Public Mental Health System 2lp/cd
Absu – Absu 2lp/cd
Deathspell Omega/S.V.E.S.T. LP
Wolves In The Throne Room – Black Cascade 2lp/cd
Arthur Russell – Love Is Overtaking Me 2lp
Death – For The Whole World To See lp/cd
Group Bombino – Guitars from Agadez Vol.2 lp
Group Doueh – Treeg Salaam lp
Tortoise – Beacons Of Ancestorship lp/cd
Faust – Faust IV lp re-issue
Karen Dalton – It\’s So Hard To Tell Who\’s… lp re-issue
Amon Duul II – Yeti lp re-issue

KEN
Disappears – Live over the rainbow
Greg Kowalsky- Tape Chants
Sun Araw- Heavy Deeds
Group Doueh – Treeg Salaam
Bobby Beausoleil – Lucifer Rising boxset
George-Edwards group – 38:38
Pisces – Lovely Sight
Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy
Nudge – As good as Gone
Ngozi Family – 45,000 Volts

BILLY
JONSI & ALEX \”RICEBOY SLEEPS\”
JAPANDROIDS
HAYMARKET RIOT \”ENDLESS BUMMER\”
WINDY & CARL
PEARL JAM \”BACKSPACER\”
THEM CROOKED VULTURES

REISSUES:
WHO SELL OUT MONO/ STEREO
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE – BOTH

ELI
1- Das Boton \”Soda Drip\”
2- Polvo \”In Prism\”
3- El Michels Affair \”Enter The 37th Chamber\”
4- Thom Yorke \”Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses\” 12\”single
5- Zombi \”Spirit Animal\”
6- Dead Weather \”Horehound\”
7- Tortoise \”Beacons Of Ancestorship\”
8- MAGAS \”Violent Arp\”
9- Flaming Lips \”Embryonic\”
10- Chandeliers \”Dirty Moves\”

MATT
Absu \”Absu\”
Beherit vinyl reissues
Big Star \”Keep an Eye on the Sky\” boxset
Blues Control \”Local Flavor\”
Blut Aus Nord \”Memoria Vetusta: Dialogue with the Stars\”
Bobby Beasoleil \”Lucifer Rising\” boxset
Circle of Ouroborus \”Tree of Knowledge\”
Circle of Ouroborus “Streams” LP reissue
Deathspell Omega/S.V.E.S.T. split
Drudkh \”Microcosmos\”
Gris \”Il Etait Une Foret\”
Group Bombino \”Volume 2: Guitars from Agadez\”
Harmonia/ Eno \”Tracks & Traces\” reissue
Immortal \”All Shall Fall\”
Magas \”Violent Arp\”
Nachtmystium \”Doomsday Derelicts\”
Ngozi Family \”45,000 Volts\”
Pisces \”Lovely Sight\”
Plustapes Reckless domination! (Mannequin Men, Blasted Diplomats, Chicago Thrash
Ensemble, Death Ships, Chris Connelly etc…)
Polvo \”In Prism\”
Ruins of Beverast \”Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite\”
Sixx \”Sister Devil: Demo 1991\”
Sun Araw \”Heavy Deeds\”
Sylvester Anfang II
Von \”Satanic Blood Angel\” reissue
Gareth Williams \”Flaming Tunes\”
Yoga \”Megafauna\”
Thom Yorke \”Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses\”
Neil Young \”Dreamin Man\” Live 1992
Neil Young Archives boxset

Live Shows
Absu
Enslaved
Sunn o))) \”Monoliths & Dimensions\”
Pentagram
Harvey Milk
Leonard Cohen

CHARLES
Beatles: Mono Box Set
Henry Cow: Box Set
Sunn 0))): Monoliths & Dimensions
Barry Guy: Radio Rondo
Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra: Poetics
Paul Dunmall Sun Quartet: Ancient And Future Airs
Evan Parker: The Moment’s Energy
N.E.W: Deadeye Tricksters
Marcus Strickland Trio: Idiosyncrasies

WHITNEY
Bests:
Tallest Man on Earth : Shallow Grave. Technically 2008 but I found out about this in 2009. And fell in love.
Neko Case : Middle Cyclone
The Mountain Goats : Life of the World to Come
Mirah : (A)spera
Drakkar Sauna : 20009 (Twothousandousandnine) These guys make me really happy.
Volcano Choir : Unmap
Sing Fang Bous : Clangour
Why? : Eskimo Snow

Live:
Feelies @ Pritzger Pavillion

TV show I got my whole house hooked on:
Dexter Seasons 1, 2 & 3

ETHAN
DEATH- FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE
RATIONALS – THINK RATIONAL
ORCHESTRA POLY-RHYTHMO DE COTONDU: ECHOS HYPNOTIQUES
KURT VILE: CHILDISH PRODIGY
IMPLODES- S/T
BLASTED DIPLOMATS- S/T
DEATH SHIPS- NOTES FROM THE CAP\’NS QUARTERS
MANNEQUIN MEN- PREHISTORIC SHIT
MANNEQUIN MEN- LOSER ILLUSION TOO
JT IV- COSMIC LIGHTNING
CHRIS CONNELLY- PENTLAND FIRTH HOWL LP
CHICAGO THRASH ENSEMBLE- DEMON CASSETTE
VEE-DEE-PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM
SNOW ANGELS
\”SEASONAL HELP\”

ANTHONY
BEE GEES: Odessa Deluxe Edition
BROADCAST: Broadcast & Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio
GEORGE-EDWARDS GROUP: 38:38
MONKS: Black Monk Time & Early Years Deluxe Editions
YOKO ONO: Between My Head & The Sky
PISCES: Lovely Sight
TENNISCOURTS: Dig The New Sounds of the Tenniscourts
KURT VILE: Childish Prodigy
ZERO BOYS: Vicious Circle & History of the Zero Boys
V/A: G-Spots: Spacey Folk & Electro Sounds of Studio G Library
V/A: Where The Action Is: Los Angeles Nuggets Box Set V/A: You Weren\’t There: History Of Chicago Punk 1977-1984 LP/DVD

STEVE
beherit – drawing down the moon reissue
big star – keep an eye on the sky box set
box elders – alice & friends
circle of ouroborus – streams lp
citizen\’s arrest – colossus reissue
death – for the whole world to see
deathspell omega/s.v.e.s.t. split lp
faust – so far & IV lp reissues
harmonia & eno \’76 – tracks & traces
harvey milk – bob weston sessions
iron claw – s/t reissue
JT IV – cosmic lightning lp
lake of dracula – skeletal remains lp
masshysteri – var del av stan
mirrors – something that would never do
the monks – black monk time reissue
obits – i blame you
pisces – a lovely sight
pissed jeans – king of jeans
raekwon – only built 4 cuban linx part II
ratas del vaticano – s/t lp
the rats – intermittent signals reissue
the spits – IV
sun araw – heavy deeds
television personalities reissues
zero boys – vicious circle & history of reissues
v/a local customs: downriver revival
v/a mata la pena
v/a mortika
v/a oh graveyard, you can\’t always hold me

small stuff:
brain idea demo
dark ages – vicious lie 7\”
eyesight television demo
the fems – go to a party 7\” reissue
ga\’an – s/t cassette
implodes – cassette(s)
smart cops – cominciare a vivere 7\”
white meat – sculpted beef 12\”

live stuff:
carcass
der todesking
the gories & the oblivians
harvey milk
implodes
jesus lizard
killdozer
masshysteri
throbbing gristle

COURTLAND

A ORILLAS DEL MAGDALENA: Coastal Cumbias from Colombia’s Discos Fuentes
SYLVESTER AND THE HOT BAND – Blue Thumb Collection
LOVE TRAIN – The Sound Of Philadelphia Box Set
RICK POPPA HOWARD – Whithout Your Love (12\”)
LIGHT :ON THE SOUTH SIDE
Phil Cohran – Spanish Suite
Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics – Inspiration Information
El Michels Affair – Enter The 37th Chamber
Mos Def – Ecstatic
Tortoise – Beacons Of Ancestorship
Africa Boogaloo: The Latinization of West Africa
Tumbele! Beguine, Afro & Latin Sounds from the French Caribbean
Doom – Born Like This
Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Bonnie Prince Billy – Beware
Death – For the Whole World To See
String of Pearls: Jewels of the 78 RPM Era
Omar Souleyman – Highway To Hassake
Suarasama – Fajar Di Atas Awan
Mayer Hawthorne – Just Aint Gonna Work Out (Heart Shaped Record)
24-Carat Black – Gone: The Promises of Yesterday
Pisces – Lovely Sight
Local Customs: Downwater Revival

DYLAN
Didn\’t find out about it until late 2008:
THE WEEK THAT WAS – S/T

BEST 25 RECORDS OF 2009
CHEER-ACCIDENT – FEAR DRAWS MISFORTUNE
Chicago\’s own finally create their prog masterpiece
MARC RIBOT – SCELSI MORNING
An underrated guitarist, and a gorgeously compelling album
BAD PLUS – FOR ALL I CARE
Vocals? It works!
SQUAREPUSHER – NUMBERS LUCENT
Not as obtuse as previous records, but still complex and genius
AZITA – HOW WILL YOU
Another set of impeccably crafted jazz-pop tunes
STORSVEIT NIX NOLTES – ROYAL FAMILY – DIVORCE
Punk-gypsy blues – nice!
ST VINCENT – ACTOR
This was certainly her year!
AKRON/FAMILY – SET EM WILD, SET EM FREE
A bold experiment in free-form rock, but consistently good
DIRTY PROJECTORS – BITTE ORCA
Another great collection of off-kilter pop; oddly popular…
YONLU – A SOCIETY IN WHICH NO TEAR IS SHED
Sadly overlooked bedroom lo-fi tragedy – look into it!
FUTURE OF THE LEFT – TRAVELS WITH MYSELF AND ANOTHER
Intense live show, and great songs
WILCO – WILCO THE ALBUM
\”Dad rock\” – ridiculous. How \’bout \”insidious AOR\”?
JOAN OF ARC – FLOWERS
A concise, consistent collection from these old-timers
DEAD WEATHER – HOREHOUND
Exciting and revolutionary in its backwards-looking vibe
GREYMACHINE – DISCONNECTED
Those of you missing Godflesh can stop immediately!
PATTERN IS MOVEMENT – ALL TOGETHER
Strange art-prog, but with a heart
PATTON OSWALT – MY WEAKNESS IS STRONG
Nerd comedy!
YO LA TENGO – POPULAR SONGS
Another strong collection of varied pursuits
POLVO – IN PRISM
They\’re back!
SHUDDER TO THINK – LIVE FROM HOME
A perfect setlist
DAVID SYLVIAN – MANAFON
An absolute stunner – think Scott Walker meets Derek Bailey
THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS – HERE COMES SCIENCE
Another batch of \”kids\” songs. Dorky geniuses
FLAMING LIPS – EMBRYONIC
Back to the old school for this psych-pop classic
DEAD MAN\’S BONES – S/T
Creepy and cool, despite the Hollywood pedigree
THEM CROOKED VULTURES – S/T
Not much fancy here, just good ol\’ rock \’n\’ roll
BEST REISSUES OF 2009
NIRVANA – BLEACH
The bonus live show is probably the best show I\’ve heard
ANTHRAX – AMONG THE LIVING
About time for this thrash masterpiece
DEATH – FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE
What a find! Great lost punk tunes
WHO – SELL OUT
A slightly flawed reissue campaign can\’t diminish the importance
PISCES – LOVELY SIGHT (REISSUE) (KIND OF)
Who doesn\’t love this lite-psych lost gem?
BEST (OR MOST INTERESTING) BUSINESS MODEL OF 2009
THIRD MAN RECORDS

KATIE
Aceyalone – Lonely Ones
Bibio- Ambivalence Avenue
Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit – The Very Best
jj – jj no. 2
Kings of Convenience – Declaration of Dependence
Major Lazer – Guns Don\’t Kill People, Lazers Do
Moderat – Moderat
Mr. Scruff- Nice Up the Function feat. Roots Manuva
MSTRKRFT- Fist Of God
Raekwon – Only Built For Cuban Linx II

MICHELLE
new releases:
cultural decay – eight ways to start a day
13th chime – the singles: 1981-1983
subway – subway II
big pink – a brief history of love
broadcast & the focus group – investigate witch cults of the radio age
jack rose & the black twig pickers – s/t
james blackshaw – the glass bead game
pisces – a lovely sight
arthur russell – the sleeping bag sessions
marked men – ghosts
pissed jeans – king of jeans
liechtenstein – survival strategies in a modern world
pains of being pure at heart – s/t
death – for the whole world to see
jeremy jay – slow dance
vaselines – enter the vaselines
V/A – forge your own chains: heavy psychedelic ballads & dirges
1968 – 1974
V/A – local customs: downriver revival

reissues:
zero boys – vicious circle
loop – the world in your eyes
rodriguez – coming from reality
jawbox – for your own special sweetheart

vinyl reissues:
television personalities – and don\’t the kids just love it
faust – so far & IV
the rats – intermittent signals
the breeders – last splash
samuel prody – \”s/t\”

best shows:
jack rose @ the hideout
devo @ the vic
mk ultra @ the beat kitchen
faust @ the empty bottle
broadcast @ the bottom lounge

JESSICA
Best Coast tape \”Where the Boys Are\” on Blackest Rainbow
Pissed Jeans \”King of Jeans\”
Ga\’an s/t tape
Torche \”Meanderthal Demos\” tape on Rotting Chapel
Vivian Girls \”Everything Goes Wrong\”
Julian Lynch \”Orange You Glad\” LP on Olde English Spelling Bee
Om \”God is Good\”
OH YEAH and the hit single (song only) by SHAKIRA SHE WOLF

ANGELA
(in no particular order)

Iron Age \”Sleeping Eye\”
Ofege \”Try and Love\”
Pisces \”Lovely Sight\”
Greymachine \”Disconnected\”
Pissed Jeans \”King of Jeans\”
Oneida \”Rated O\”
Bellini \”Precious Prize of Gravity\”
Subway \”Subway II\”
Jack Rose & The Black Twig Pickers s/t
Giant Squid \”The Ichthyologist\”
Bill Callahan \”Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle\”
Nirvana \”Bleach\” Deluxe Reissue
Oxbow \”Fuckfest\” Reissue & Remaster

CHRIS W
BEST ALBUMS OF 2009

1) DIRTY PROJECTORS \”Bitte Orca\” (Domino)
2) COLD CAVE \”Love Comes Close\” (Matador Records)
3) LIGHTNING DUST \”Infinite Light\” (Jagjaguwar)
4) ST. VINCENT \”Actor\” (4AD Records)
5) DERADOORIAN \”Mind Raft EP\” (LovePump United)
6) ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS \”The Crying Light\” (Secretly Canadian)
7) DAVID LYNCH PRESENTS \”Fox Bat Strategy: A Tribute to Dave Jaurequi\” (David Lynch Music)
8) THE DURUTTI COLUMN \”Love In the Time of Recession\” (Fulfill)
9) GRIZZLY BEAR \”Veckatimest\” (Warp Records)
10) KARL BLAU \”Zebra\” (K Records)
11) SUN ARAW \”Heavy Deeds\” (No Not Fun)
12) ANIMAL COLLECTIVE \”Merriweather Post Pavilion\” (Domino)
13) REVOLVER (France) \”Music For a While\” (101 Distribution)
14) TELEPATHE \”Dance Mother\” (IAMSOUND)
15) NUDGE \”As Good As Gone\” (Kranky)
16) OM \”God Is Good\” (Drag City)
17) THE GENTLEMAN LOSERS \”Dustland\” (City Centre Offices)
18) CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA \”Les Ailes Pourpres (soundtrack)\” (101 Distribution)
19) CLUSTER \”Qua\” (Nepenthe Music & Publishing)
20) MULATU ASTATKE & THE HELIOCENTRICS \”Inspiration Information\” (Strut Records)

*Honorable Mention: ELUVIUM \”Life Through Bombardment\” (7LP collected works) (Temporary Residence)
BEST HIP HOP ALBUMS OF 2009

1) KiD CuDi \”Man On the Moon: The End of the Day\” (Motown)
2) GET BUSY COMMITTEE \”Uzi Does It\” (Tokyo Sex Whale Records)
3) WALE \”Attention Deficit\” (Interscope/Allido Records)
4) CAM\’RON \”Crime Pays\” (Asylum Records)
5) METHOD MAN & REDMAN \”Blackout! 2\” (Def Jam)
6) APATHY \”Wanna Snuggle?\” (Traffic Entertainment)
7) PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS \”Carried Away\” (On Records)
8) CLUTCHY HOPKINS MEETS LORD KENJAMIN \”Music Is My Medicine\” (Ubiquity Records)
9) U-GOD \”Dopium\” (Babygrande)
10) THE LONELY ISLAND \”Incredibad\” (Universal Republic)

CONOR
Kiila – Tuota Tuota [Fonal]
Current 93 – Aleph at Hallucinatory Mountain [Dutro]
Onna – Onna 7” [Holy Mountain]
Spectrum – War Sucks 12” [Mind Expansion]
Josephine Foster – Graphic as a Star [Fire]
WHITE – WHITE [Open Note]
Marissa Nadler – Little Hells [Kemado]
Back Sheep – Kiss My Sweet Apocalypse [Invada]
Nurse With Wound – Surveillance Lounge [Dirter]
Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle [Drag City]
Peanut Butter Wolf – 45 Live 7” Box Set [Stones Throw]
Träd Gräs och Stener – Hemlosä Katter [Subliminal Sounds]
Bardo Pond – Gazing at Shilla [Important]
Skitliv – Skandinavisk Misantropi [Season of Mist]

Records from the past that have been addictions throughout the year:

Gene Clark – White Light [1971]
John Cale – Vintage Violence [1970]
Mike Heron – Smiling Men With Bad Reputations [1971]
Pearls Before Swine – Balaklava [1968]
Felt – Forever Breathes the Lonely Word [1986]
Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed [1969]
Graham Nash – Songs for Beginners [1971]
Roxy Music – Roxy Music [1972]
Don Cherry – Symphony for Improvisers [1966]
BadFinger – Straight up [1971]

Otherworldly Performances:

Jack Rose at the Hideout 9.24.2009
Throbbing Gristle at the Logan Square Auditorium [4.26.09 & 4.27.09]
Tony Conrad and Keiji Haino at the Empty Bottle [4.28.09]
Harvey Milk at Subterranean [7.18.09]

MAGAS
TRAXX – FAITH
BLUES CONTROL – LOCAL FLAVOR
GATEKEEPER – OPTIMUS MAXIMUS
BILL ORCUTT – A NEW WAY TO PAY OLD DEBTS
IRON CLAW – s/t
MORITZ VON OSWALD – VERTICAL ASCENT
Plustapes/Addenda: IMPLODES, BLASTED DIPLOMATS, DEATH SHIPS, CHRIS CONNELLY
LIGHTNING BOLT – EARTHLY DELIGHTS
ANDREW WK – 55 CADILLAC
BOBBY BEAUSOLEIL – LUCIFER RISING SUITE
KEVIN DRUMM – IMPISH TYRANT & IMPERIAL HORIZON
FRED BIGOT – MONO/STEREO
MAGAS – VIOLENT ARP

CONNELLY

GRISTLEISM-THROBBING GRISTLE
VIOLENT ARP – MAGAS
ALEPH AT HALLUCINATORY MOUNTAIN – CURRENT 93
REPO – BLACK DICE
HOW WILL YOU? – AZITA
THE ROAD – HENRY COW
THIRD MIND SESSIONS – THROBBING GRISTLE
L.A. TURNAROUND – BERT JANSCH
WHITE ALBUM -THE BEATLES
10.PARADE ROOM- THESE WONDERFUL EVILS
ANTONY & THE JOHNSON \”CRYING LIGHT\”

DAN
Favorite 20 New Releases for 2009
1.) Bibio — Ambivalence Avenue (Warp)
2.) Phoenix— Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glassnote)
3.) Felice Brothers– Yonder is the Clock (Team Love)
4.) Obits — I Blame You (Sub Pop)
5.) Alela Diane — To Be Still (Rough Trade)
6.) Washed Out — Life of Leisure (Mexican Summer, Vinyl Only)
7.) Kurt Vile — Childish Prodigy (Matador)
8.) Peaking Lights — Imaginary Falcons (Night People)
9.) Handsome Family — Honey Moon (Carrot Top)
10.) Horrors — Primary Colours (XL)
11.) Future of the Left — Travels With Myself and Another (4ad)
12.) Baroness— Blue Record (Relapse)
13.) Dawes — North Hills (ATO)
14.) Thee Oh Sees — Foggy Notion + Help (Boomkat + In the Red)
15.) Ducktails — Landscapes (Olde English Spelling Bee)
16.) Wilco — The Album (Nonesuch)
17.) Neko Case — Middle Cyclone (Anti)
18.) William Elliott Whitmore — Animals in the Dark (Anti)
19.) Camera Obscura — My Maudlin Career (4ad)
20.) Yim Yames — Tribute To (ATO)

Favorite 20 Reissues of the Year:
1.) Beatles — Remasters (Capitol)
2.) Red House Painters — Songs for a Blue Guitar (Plain Vinyl Reissue)
3.) Betty Padgett — S/T (LuvnHaight)
4.) Jim Ford — Big Mouth USA + Unissued Capitol Album (Bear Family Vinyl Reissues)
5.) Arthur Verocai — S/T (LuvnHaight)
6.) Karen Dalton — It\’s So Hard to Tell Who is Going to Love You the Best (Light in the Attic Vinyl Reissue)
7.) Neil Young —- Archives Box Set (Reprise)
8.) Death — For the Whole World To See (Drag City)
9.) Terry Reid— River (4MenWithBeards Vinyl Reissue)
10.) Anagram Jam — Compilation (Bmusic)
11.) Townes Van Zandt — Vinyl Reissues (Fat Possum)
12.) Big Star— Keep an Eye on the Sky Box Set (Rhino)
13.) Sunny Day Real Estate — Vinyl Reissues (Sub Pop)
14.) Jawbox — For Your Own Special Sweetheart (Desoto)
15.) 24 Carat Black — Gone Promises of Yesterday (Numero)
16.) Wayfaring Strangers — Lonesome Heroes (Numero)
17.) Loudon Wainwright III — Vinyl Reissues (Scorpio)
18.) Michael Hurley — Armchair Boogie + Parsnip Snips Vinyl Reissues (Mississippi Records)
19.) Nerves/Breakways — Live Reissues (Alive)
20.) JT IV — Cosmic Lightning Vinyl (Galactic Zoo/Drag City)

Favorite Local Underground Labels/ Releases:
1.) Plus Tapes/Addenda Records + Tapes Label (Disappears, Blasted Diplomats, Implodes, Mannequin Men, Hollows etc)
2.) Hozak Label— (White Mystery, Plastic Crimewave Sound, Smith Westerns)
3.) Numero Group Label (A true Chicago class operation)
4.) Mannequin Men — Lose your Illusion, Too (flameshovel)
5.) Cococoma — Things Are Not Alright (Goner)
6.) Cave — Psychic Psummer (Important)
7.) Canadian Rifle — Visibility Zero LP (Reissue)
8.) Galactic Zoo (comics + mixes)
9.) Coupleskate — Dont Scare the Horses (self)
10.) Vee Dee — Public Mental Health System LP (Criminal IQ)
11.) Magas — Violent Arp LP (Punch)

CHRIS D
Eternal Tapestry – Palace of the Night Skies
Group Bombino – Guitars of Agadez Vol. 2
Japandroids – Post-Nothing
Mount Eerie – Wind\’s Poem
Oneida – Rated O
Pissed Jeans – King of Jeans
Pontiak – Maker
Residual Echoes – MFI GBSP
Sonic Youth – The Eternal
Various Artists – Local Customs: Downriver Revival

JOSH
10 neko case middle cyclone
9 fuck buttons tarot sport
8 oneida rated o
7 wilco the album
6 fever ray
5 yo la tengo popular songs
4 volcano choir unmap
3 mount eerie winds poem
2 califone all my friends are funeral singers
1 flaming lips embryonic

ROBBIE
Best albums of 2009:
Fool\’s Gold -S/T
Pisces – A Lovely Sight
Flaming Lips – Embryonic
Sian Alice Group – Troubled, Shaken, Etc.
Subway – Subway II
Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications

Best artist that I just discovered this year:
Dwight Twilley

Best films of 2009 (that I\’ve seen so far!):
Funny People
Adventureland
Drag Me To Hell

Best live shows in Chicago of 2009:
Pentagram @ The Empty Bottle, June 27, 2009.
The Entrance Band @ The Hideout, July 16, 2009.

JASON
1.DEATH \”FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE\” (DRAG CITY)
2.TORTOISE \”BEACONS OF ANCESTORSHIP\” (THRILLJOCKEY)
3.YEAH YEAH YEAHS \”ITS BLITZ\” (DGC)
4.YOU WEREN\’T THERE;HISTORY OF CHICAGO PUNK 77-84 (FACTORY 25)
5.ZERO BOYS \”REISSUES\” (SEC.CANADIAN)
6.PELICAN \”WHAT WE ALL COME TO NEED\” (SOUTHERNLORD)
7.SLAYER \”WORLD PAINTED BLOOD\” (DEF-AMERICAN)
8.CONVERGE \”AXE TO FALL\” (EPITAPH)
9.MUNICIPAL WASTE \”MASSIVE AGGRESSIVE\” (EARCHE)
10.CANADIAN RIFLE \”VISIBILITY ZERO\” (RESIDUE REC.)

MELISSA
in alphabetical order:
Mulatu Astatke & the Heliocentrics- inspiration Information
Big Star- Boxed set
Broadcast- Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio
Bill Callahan- Sometimes I wish we were an Eagle
Camera Obscura- My Maudlin Career
Neko Case- Middle Cyclone
Phil Cohran- Spanish Suite
Chris Clark- Soul Sounds (reissue, first time on cd!)
Leonard Cohen- Live at the Isle of Wight
Chris Connelly- Pentland Firth Howl
Death- For the Whole World to See
El Michels Affair- Enter the 37th Chamber
Yvonne Fair- Bitch Is Black (reissue, first time on cd!)
Group Bombino- Guitars from Agadez
Mayer Hawthorne- Just Ain\’t Gonna Work Out & Maybe So Maybe No 12\”s
Implodes- Implodes (cassette)
Barbara Lynn- Here is Barbara Lynn (reissue, first time on cd!)
Magas- Violent Arp
Monks- Reissues
Ofege- Try & Love
Orchestre Poly Rythmo – Echos Hypnotiques Analog Africa vol.2
Pisces- Lovely Sight
Betty Padgett- Betty Padgett
Raveonettes- In and Out of Control
Sunn- Monoliths & Dimensions
Sylvester Anfang- Sylvester Anfang II
Thin Lizzy- Still Dangerous Live at the Tower Theatre
24-Carat Black- Gone the Promises of Yesterday
Kurt Vile- Childish Prodigy
Thom Yorke- Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses 12\”
Neil Young- Dreamin Man Live \’92
Various- Light on The South Side
Various- Mortika
Various- A Orillas Del Magdalena- Coastal Cumbias
Various- Tumbele! Biguine, Afro & Latin Sounds from the French Caribbean
Various- Fly Girls B-Boys Beware
Various- You Weren\’t There
Plus Tapes releases (blasted diplomats/ mannequin men/ death ships etc.)

SARAH

embryonic – flaming lips
live anthology – tom petty
dark was the night – various artists
childish prodigy – kurt vile
entrance band – entrance band
middle cyclone – neko case
wolfgang amadeus phoenix – phoenix
enter the 37th chamber – el michels affair
top ranking – diplo & santogold
ecstatic – mos def
favorite ladies of the year:
chelsea lately, stephanie meyer,
mary portas & catherine hardwicke,
charlaine harris

JACOB
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
Azita – How Will You?
Jim O\’Rourke – The Visitor
Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
Alasdair Roberts – Spoils
Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light
Atlas Sound – Logos
Wilco – Wilco (the Album)
Sufjan Stevens – The BQE
Systems Officer – Underslept
Sunny Day Real Estate – LP2 (Reissue)
V/A – New Moon OST

Bonny Billy live

CAROLINE
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE “Merriweather Post Pavillion
ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS “The Crying Light”
ATLAS SOUND “Logos”
BLAKROC “Blakroc”
CALIFONE “All My Friends Are Funeral Singers”
CAMERA OBSCURA “My Maudlin Career”
CAVE “Psychic Psummer”
NEKO CASE “Middle Cyclone”
CHANDELIERS “Dirty Moves”
DEAD WEATHER “Horehound”
THE DECEMBERISTS “The Hazards of Love”
DIRTY PROJECTORS “Bitte Orca”
DODOS “TIme to Die”

FLORENCE & THE MACHINE “Lungs”
FRUIT BATS “The Ruminant Band”
GRIZZLY BEAR “Veckatimest”
MICACHU “Jewellery”
PHOENIX “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”
TAKEN BY TREES “East of Eden”
VAMPIRE WEEKEND “Vampire Weekend”
THE XX “xx”
V/A “Dark Was the Night” *favorites

Concerts: Beirut, Pitchfork Festival
Phoenix, Aragon Ballroom

CHRISTIAN

Big Knife \”Ruff Sesh\” cassette
Blasted Diplomats \”Blasted Diplomats\” cassette
Chicago Thrash Ensemble \”Demon Cassette\” cassette
Chris Connelly \”Pentland Firth Howl\” Lp
Coupleskate \”Don\’t Scare the Horses\” CD
Death Ships \”Notes From the Captain\’s Quarters\” cassette
Implodes \”Implodes\” cassette
Magas \”Violent Arp\” LP
Mannequin Men \”Lose Your Illusion Too\” LP
Party Downers \”party Downers\” LP

DAN W
Obits – I Blame You
Sonic Youth – The Eternal
Magic Markers – Balf Quarry
Coupleskate – Don\’t Scare The Horses
Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
Times New Viking – Born Again Revisited
Mannequin Men – ridiculous album title
Wilco – ashes of American flags DVD (skip the crappy new CD)
Flaming Lips – Embryonic. the last album sucked. nice return to form.
Magas – Violent Arp

EMILY
Antony & The Johnsons \”Crying Light\” (Secretly Canadian)
Pains Of Being Pure At Heart \”S/T\” (Slumberland)
Abner Jay – One Man Band (Subliminal)
Wolves In The Throneroom \”Black Cascade\” (Southern Lord)
Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career (4AD)
Lil Wayne – Rebirth (Cash Money)
Rick Ross – Deeper Than Rap (DefJam)
The Horrors – Primary Colours (XL)
Mayor Daley – Facial Expressions (Rotted Tooth Recordings)
Trad Gras Och Stenar – Homeless Cats (Subliminal Sounds)
Mount Eerie – Wind\’s Poem (P.W. Elverum & Sun)
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Running For The Drum (Appleseed)
Bobby BeauSoleil – Lucifer Rising (Boxset) (Ajna Offensive)
Vivian Girls – Everything Goes Wrong (In The Red)
Julian Lynch – Orange You Glad (Olde English Spelling Bee)
No Age – Losing Feeling EP (Sub Pop)
White Shit – Sculpted Beef EP (PPM)
Windy & Carl – Instrumentals For The Broken-Hearted (Self Released)
Grass Widow – S/T (Make A Mess)
Mason Lindahl – Serrated Man Sound (Porter Records)
Atlas Sound – Logos (Kranky/4AD)
Desire – II (Italians Do It Better)
Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. 2 (Ice H2O)
Rev. Louis Overstreet “An Evening with…”
Kurt Vile – God Is Saying This To You (Mexican Summer)
Q-Tip – Kamaal the Abstract (Battery)
Washed Out – Life Of Leisure (Mexican Summer)
O.W.L. – Of Wonderous Legends (Locust)
Ga\’an – S/T cassette (Self Released)
Reissues:
Stone Roses – Stone Roses (Reissue) (Sony)
Betty Davis – Nasty Gal (Reissue) (Light In The Attic)
Beherit – Drawing Down The Moon (Reissue) (Primitive Reaction)
Feelies – Crazy Rhythms/ Good Earth (Reissue) (Domino/Bar None)

DAVE
Brutal Truth – Evolution Through Revolution
Cryptacize – Mythomania
Dear Landlord – Dream Homes
Dying Fetus – Descend Into Depravity
Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plague
Mastodon – Crack the Skye
Norah Jones – The Fall
Burnt By The Sun – Heart Of Darkness
Triorganico – Convivencia
The Red Chord – Fed Through The Teeth Machine
Harpoon – Double Gnarly/Triple Suicide
Iron Reminders – S/T
Clutchy Hopkins Meets Lord Kenjamin – Music Is My Medicine
Resident Evil 5 (video game)
Shadow Complex (video game)
Left 4 Dead 2 (video game)
Drag Me To Hell (film)

JAMES
BARONESS \”Blue Record\”
BEATLES (Remasters)
BIBIO \”Ambivalence Avenue\”
BIG STAR \”Keep An Eye On The Sky\”
BLASTED DIPLOMATS \”S/T\” Cassette
A.A. BONDY \”When The Devil\’s Loose\”
CAMERA OBSCURA \”My Maudlin Career\”
CAVE \”Psychic Psummer\”
THE CLEAN \”Mister Pop\”
COCOCOMA \”Things Are Not Alright\”
CONVERGE \”Axe To Fall\”
DEATH \”For The Whole World To See\”
DEATH SHIPS \”Notes From The Captain\’s Quarters\” Cassette
ALELA DIANE \”To Be Still\”
DISAPPEARS \”Live Over The Rainbo\”
BOB DYLAN \”Together Through Life\” & \”Christmas In The Heart\”
FAUST \”Faust IV & So Far\” LP Reissues
THE FELICE BROTHERS \”Yonder Is The Clock\”
FUTURE OF THE LEFT \”Travels With Myself & Another\”
GIRLS \”Album\”
GROUNDHOGS (Vinyl Reissues)
HOLLOWS \”S/T\” LP
MICHAEL HURLEY \”Armchair Boogie & Parsnip Snips\”
IMPLODES \”S/T\” Cassette
BERT JANSCH (Drag City Reissues)
ABNER JAY \”True Story Of Abner Jay\”
JESUS LIZARD (Touch & Go Remasters)
MAGAS \”Violent Arp\”
MANNEQUIN MEN \”Lose Your Illusion, Too & Prehistoric Shit Vol 1\”
MY BLOODY VALENTINE \”Before Loveless\” LP
NACHTMYSTIUM \”Doomsday Derelicts\”
NIRVANA \”Bleach\” Remaster & \”Live at Reading\”
NGOZI FAMILY \”45,000 Volts\” LP
OLD FAKE \”Covers Tape\” Cassette
PISCES: \”A Lovely Sight\”
REIGNING SOUND \”Love & Curses\”
JOSEPH SPENCE \”Good Morning Mr. Walker\”
SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE (Sub Pop Remasters)
THEE OH SEES \”Help/ Dog Poison/ Tidal Wave 45/ Ty Segall Split 45\”
13th FLOOR ELEVATORS \”Sign of the 3 Eyed Men\”
VASELINES \”Enter The Vaselines\”
VEE DEE \”Public Mental Health System\”
SCOTT WALKER \”30 Century Man\” DVD
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM \”Black Cascade\”
NEIL YOUNG (Remasters/ Fork In the Road/ Dreamin\’ Man Live \’92 &
That Weird Boxset)
V/A: FORE YOUR OWN CHAINS- Heavy Psychedelic Ballads & Dirges \’68-\’74
V/A: TUMBELE- Biguine, Afro & Latin Sounds From The French Carribean
V/A: AFRICAN SCREAM CONTST- Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds From…
V/A: LOCAL CUSTOMS- Downriver Revival

DANIEL
Bat For Lashes \”Two Suns\”
Box Elders \”Alice & Friends\”
Death \”…For The Whole World To See\”
Fiery Furnaces \”I’m Going Away\”
King Khan & BBQ \”Invisible Girl\”
Niela Miller \”Songs Of Leaving\”
Pisces \”A Lovely Sight\”
Thee Oh Sees \”Help\”
Vivian girls \”Everything Goes Wrong\”
v/a \”Cazumbi: African Sixties Garage Vol. 2\”

BRETT
2009 with headphones:

Bear in Heaven \”Beast Rest Forth Mouth\” (Hometapes)
Lullatone \”Songs That Spin in Circles\” (Audio Dregs)
Devendra Banhart \”What Will We Be\” (Warner Brothers)
Clientele \”Bonfires on the Heath\” (Merge)
Tune-Yards \”Bird Brains\” (4ad)
Swan Lake \”Enemy Mine\” (Jagjaguwar)
Jay-Z \”The Blueprint 3\” (Roc Nation)
Atone \”Cet Après-Midi Là (Autres Directions In Music)
Sonic Youth \”The Eternal\” (Matador)
Shuta Hasunuma \”Pop Ooga\” (Western Vinyl)
Atlas Sound \”Logos\” (Kranky)
Grizzly Bear \”Veckatimest\” (Warp)
.tape. \”Tomavistas: (Selected Rarities 2002-2007)\” (Tomavista)
A.C. Newman \”Get Guilty\” (Matador)
Handsome Furs \”Face Control\” (Subpop)
Mos Def \”The Ecstatic\” (Downtown)
Sunset Rubdown \”Dragonslayer\” (Jagjaguwar)
My Little Airport \”Poetics — Something Between Montparnasse and Mong Kok\” (Harbor Music Type)
Animal Collective \”Merriweather Post Pavilion\” (Domino)
Doom \”Born Like This\” (Lex Records)
The Archivist \”The Keeper of the Library\” (Lacies)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs \”It\’s Blitz\” (Interscope)
Built to Spill \”There Is No Enemy\” (WEA/Reprise)
Destroyer \”Bay of Pigs\” (Merge
The Wooden Birds \”Magnolia\” (Barsuk)
The Dirty Projectors \”Bitte Orca\” (Domino)
The Lucky Dragons \”Rara Speaks\” (Moamoo)
School of Language \”Sea from Shore\” (Thrill Jockey)
Sigur Ros \”We Play Endlessly\” (EMI)
Es \”Kesämaan Lapset\” (Fonal)

Posted on December 31, 2008May 23, 2024 by BRYAN Reckless Records

Reckless Employee Top Ten lists 2008!

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

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

EARTH “The Bees Made Honey in the Lions Skull”
GENGHIS TRON “Board up the House”
TORCHE “Meanderthal”
WOVEN HAND “Ten Stones”
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

Posted on December 31, 2007May 23, 2024 by BRYAN Reckless Records

Employee Top Ten lists 2007

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

Bumps \”s/t”
Pelican “City of Echoes”
Soft Machine “Third\”
Soft Machine “Fourth”
Soft Machine “5”
Fucking Champs “VI”
Om “Pilgrimage”
Sven Libaek \”Inner Space; Film Music\”
Bill Dolan \”Do-Ist\”
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

Okkervil River “The Stage Names”
Deerhunter “Cryptograms”
Mannequin Men “Fresh Rot”
Les Savy Fav “Let\’s Stay Friends”
Dinosaur Jr. “Beyond”
PJ Harvey “White Chalk”
The National “Boxer”
Phosphorescent “Pride”
Black Lips “Good Bad Not Evil”
Battles “Mirrored”
The Narrator “All That To The Wall”
Sir Richard Bishop “While My Guitar Violently Bleeds”
Robert Wyatt “Comicopera”
Angels of Light “We Are Him”
King Khan & The Shrines “What Is?!”
Henry Flynt & Nova\’ Billy “Henry Flynt & Nova\’ Billy”
Boris w/ Michio Kurihara “Rainbow”
Shearwater “Palo Santo: Expanded Edition”
Lifetime “Lifetime”
Thurston Moore “Trees Outside The Academy”
White Magic “Dark Stars”
Office “A Night At The Ritz”
LCD Soundsystem “Sound of Silver”
Kid Sister “Control” 12\”
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

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

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

Best Live shows:

De La Soul at Intonation
William Parker at Intonation
L. Subramanian at Millennium Park
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

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

Mica

Battles “Mirrored”
Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”
Burial “Untrue”
Bjork “Volta”
Animal Collective “Strawberry Jam”
Boxcutter “Glyphic”
St. Vincent “Marry Me”
LCD Soundsystem “Sound of Silver”
Panda Bear “Person Pitch”
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

Battles “Mirrored”
Panda Bear “Person Pitch”
Neil Young “Chrome Dreams II”
Les Savy Fav “Let’s Stay Friends”
Spank Rock “Fabriclive 33”
Thurston Moore “Trees Outside the Academy”
Common “Finding Forever”
Liars “s/t”
V/A “Home Schooled: ABC\’s of Kid Soul”
Stevie Nicks “Crystal Visions”
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\”

Posted on December 31, 2006May 23, 2024 by BRYAN Reckless Records

Employee Top Ten lists 2006

Brett

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

Meshuggah “Catch Thirty Th33”
Melvins “A Senile Animal”
Neko Case “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood”
Miwon “Pale Glitter”
Meshuggah “Nothing” Reissue
Slayer “Christ Illusion”
Yo La Tengo “I Am Not Afraid of You & I Will Beat Your Ass”
Feist “Open Season”
Juana Molina “Son”
Bonnie Prince Billy “The Letting Go”
Tortoise “Lazarus Taxon”
Extra Golden “Ok-Oyot System”
Lupe Fiasco “Food & Liquor”
Gnarls Barkley “St. Elsewhere”
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:

Pearls & Brass @ EB
Danava @ EB
Coughs & LSA
Sword
Jack Rose & Peter Walker & EB
Ghostface @ H.O.B.
Brightback Morning Light/ Lights @ EB
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

Thermals-Body the Blood da Machine
Built To Spill-you in reverse
Califone- Crown&roots
4.Radio 4-Enemies Like This
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
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

Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Akron/Family – Meek Warrior
The Black Angels – Passover <— break out band of the year!!!
Joanna Newsom – Ys
Dead Meadow – Dead Meadow (re-issue)
Boris – Pink
Vanishing Kids/Biography of Ferns split 7″ (on Failed Experiment)
Brightblack Morning Light – Brightblack Morning Light (they live in teepees!!!)
Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor (the leaked, bootleg version)
Fucked Up “HIDDEN WORLD”
Sunn O)))/Boris split – Altar
The Sword – Age Of Winters
Headache City – Headache City
Darondo – Let My People Go (re-issue)
OOIOO – Taiga
Hollertronix #5
The Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control
Witch – Witch
Lady Sovereign – Vertically Challenged EP
Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere
Peaches – Impeach My Bush (the inside artwork alone stands as a best of)
Yo La Tengo – I Am Not Afraid Of You…
Built To Spill – You In Reverse
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
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

Lawrence Arms, Oh! Calcutta! (Fat)
Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury (Re-Up)
Frightmare, Bringing Back the Bloodshed (Razorback)
Cretin, Freakery (Relapse)
Rager, 2006 demo (self-released)
The Muzzler, 2006 demo (self-released)
Grenade Vs. Freight Train, Structural Psychisos (Duckphone)
Lair of the Minotaur, The Ultimate Destroyer (Southern Lord)
The Steinways, Missed the Boat (Cold Feet)
Dim Mak, Knives of Ice (Willowtip)
Cannibal Corpse, Kill (Metal Blade)
Mr. Lif, Mo’ Mega (Def Jux)
Kashmere Stage Band, Texas Thunder Soul 1968-1974 (Now Again/Fat Beats)
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

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

MAGAS: May I Meet My Accuser (Imaginary Conflict/Wwilko)
LAKE OF DRACULA: Skeletal Remains (Savage Land)
DANAVA: s/t (Kemado)
WITCHCRAFT: Firewood (Rise Above)
LES GEORGES LENINGRAD: Sangue Puro (Tomlab)
THIS HEAT: Out of Cold Storage (ReR)
HARMONIA: Musik Von (Lilith) reissue
TROUBLE: Psalm 9 (Escapi Music) reissue
OKAMI (Capcom/Clover Studio) video game
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

Posted on December 31, 2003May 23, 2024 by BRYAN Reckless Records

Employee Top Ten lists 2003!

Brett

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

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

Taylor

TOP TEN LP’S:

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

Tina

Tops for 2003 (in random order):

Dead Meadow — Shivering King & Others
TV On the Radio — Young Liars
Comets on Fire — S/T
Devendra Banhart — Oh Me Oh My
Broadcast — Pendulum
Tyrades — S/T
Pelican — Australasia
Lungfish — Love is Love
Missy Elliott — This is not a test
Entrance — Kingdom of Heaven must be taken by storm
Angels of Light & Devendra Banhart @ Schuba’s
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.

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.
T.V. and the Radio – Young Liars (Touch & Go)
i think i have listened to this 50,000 times.
Arab Strap – Mondays at the Hug and Pint (Matador)
critically underrated!@$!#
Juana Molina – Segundo (Domino)
Outkast – Speakerboxxx/the Love Below (LaFace)
Diverse – 1 a.m. (Chocolate Industries)
Four Tet – Rounds (Domino)
Books – The Lemon of Pink (Tomlab)
i only discovered the even better “thought for food” this year as well.
Fruit Bats – Mouthfuls (SubPop)
Yo La Tengo – Summer Sun (Matador)
Postal Service – Give Up (Sub Pop)
The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir – I Bet You Say That To All the Boys (Fashion Brigade)
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.
Head of Femur – Ringodon or Proctor (Greyday)
King Geedorah – Take Me To Your Leader (Big Daddy/Ninja Tune)
Sufjan Stevens – Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State (Asthmatic Kitty)
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.
DJ Andy Smith – The Document II (Classic/Illicit)
Radiohead – Hail to the Thief (Capitol) .
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

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

Courtland

Top 15, no order

Daily Planet – Team Daily
Mad Villian – Money Folder 12″
Stark Reality – Now
Express Rising
JFA – We Know You Suck
Family Tree – Tree House Rock
King Geedorah _Take Me To Your Leader
Smog – Supper
Monsta Island Czars – Escape From Monsta Island
MIdwest Funk – Various
Mickey & The Soul Generation – Iron Leg
Town & Country – 5
Trad Gras Och Stenar – Mors Mors
Style Wars – DVD
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:

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

Gar

1.BOOKS “LEMON OF PINK”

WEAKERTHANS “RECONSTRUCTION SITE
3.BUZZCOCKS S/T
4.SLAYER WAAR AT THE WARFIELD DVSD
SUPERGRASS “LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS”
6.SOUL POSITION “8 MILLION STORTIES”
LUNGFISH “LOVE IS LOVE”
STRIKE ANYWHERE “EXIT ENGLISH”
GILLIAN WELCH “SOUL JOURNEY”
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

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Tag: year end lists

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Reckless Employee Top Ten lists 2008!

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Employee Top Ten lists 2003!