Top 3 of 2002

1000 kisses is definitely in the top 3 for this year for me. She just played a rare solo date in London last week, which was magical.

If you like that you should really get the first 2 albums 'Living With Ghosts' and 'Flaming Red', both of which better 1000 kisses (IMHO).

Another great album from this year in the same vein is 'Easy' by Kelly Willis ... although perhaps a little too far towards country for some ... has a great cover of Kirsty MacColl's 'Don't come the cowboy with me sonny Jim'

Top three:
Jel "Greenball" -Intellegent, authentic Anticon beats. Mekon needs this if he doesn't already have it. Nick Lees should get it as a matter of course.

Bowie "Heathen" -Naturally. What "Outside" should have been.

Fila Brazila "Jump Leads" -Not much to say other than its spent the most time in the CDP this year.

Bottom 3
Hooverphonic "Jackie Cane" -Not only the worst album of the year, possibly the worst album I've ever bought.

Zuco 103 "Tales of High Fever" -A grim reminder not to buy an album on a whim.

Vikter Duplaix "DJ Kicks" -A tie with the Stereo MCs for worst DJ Kicks album.

Tons of bitchin' music newly discovered that wasn't released in '02, so I won't mention it here...

1. Golden Road by Keith Urban

2. Golden Road by Keith Urban

3. Golden Road by Keith Urban

Computers are supposed to work on 1's and 0's - in other words "Yes" or "No" - why does mine frequently say "Maybe"?......

Top Choice!

I am a recent convert to Gillian Welch, this album is just magical... a kind of 21st century mountain music. The title track in particular does it for me every time. I envy anyone who has not heard it yet!

1. Steve Catterall - Patti’s 1 and 2 albums are on the list when the Jan sales starts, there is also a mystery album that got into a contract dispute and was never released, it is called “Silver Bell”. I heard a tradck from it when she played live on the Bob Harris Show on R2 the other week. Details can be found on her forum, which I found from her website, its seems to be a pretty good forum.

2. The Other Nickc – Gillian – with the hard “G” – I love the title track but even more so the 5th and the last track, (which is over 11 minutes) these remind me of some of the Neil Young classics that I used to be so fond of in the 70s, however probably my favorite is “I dreamed last night about Elvis”, which is one of their beauties with fantastic harmonies and guitar from Dave Rawlings. Two guitars, two voices what more do you need?

3. Red Eye – Blue Horse – Two guitars and a banjo and 3 voices? or a Banjo, Acoustic and Electric Guitar and 3 voices – Yes - Rain and Snow is fairly typical of the album. You should get it. Looking at the picture on the back, the woman in the middle takes most of the lead vocals including Rain and Snow but the one on the left takes some and the one on the left either plays banjo or electric guitar, when she does this she gives her banjo to the one on the left. She has a very rhythmical guitar style, which I can only describe as quite similar to some West African music and is very god on the first track – The Littlest Bird and especially on the last – Light Enough to Travel – which is vying with Elvis (see above) as my song of the year.

CNC

Chunny

I have a copy of Silver Bell, which was rejected by her then record company. Its more of an extention of 'Flaming Red' i.e. more rock orientated with band, rather than the more acoutic 1000 Kisses. Not quite as strong as 'Flaming Red' IMO ... although I see 2 of the songs have turned up on the new Dixie Chicks album

Chunny

I've been eyeing this one up for a while.
I might get it now you've recommended it.
(after all we seem to agree on Gillian Welch)

Nick

 Gillian Welch - Time the Revelator

Top Choice!
 

This is indeed a fine album, but it was available in the middle of '01 (in the States, at least).

I can't pick just three. So one real standout, and many worthies:

Standout: El-P: Fantastic Damage

Worthies (yes, some released in very late '01, before anyone starts in ):

Ex Models: Other Mathematics
The Detachment Kit: They Raging/Quiet Army
Les Savy Fav: Go Forth
Wilco: YHF
Wire: Read and Burn '02
Queens of the Stone Age: Songs for the Deaf
Breeders: Title TK
Sonic Youth: Murray Street
Engine Down: To Bury Within the Sound
Mclusky: Mclusky Do Dallas
Liars: The Threw us all in a Trench and ...
Rye Coalition: On Top
Low: Trust
Bellini: Snowing Sun
Enon: High Society
Oneida: Each one Teach One
Weird War: Weird War
Anti-Pop Consortium: Arrythmia

I bought a fair bit of crap this year too, but it was an fine year for independent label rock overall.

You've got to get 'Left Handed Straw'.

Same fountain, similar flavor. And just possibly, a stronger release.

Very worth it.

Markus

If you like Anticon/Def Jux stuff, but aren't really into the rapping, definitely check out Prefuse 73: Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives. It's got rapping on it, but it's all been glitched until it's unintelligible. The track life/death, with Mikah9 of Freestyle Fellowship is just awesome.

Or if you really really don't like rapping, then Deadringer by RJD2 would prolly be well worth a listen. I prefer my hip hop with rhymes. I'll never relate to the 'bitches and 'hos' bullshit, and the homophobia (even El-P resorts to it in disses) is stupid. Still, there's plenty out there that avoids these obvious stereotypes.

[This message was edited by Mekon on FRIDAY 13 December 2002 at 11:17.]

Horses of Instruction - Steve Martland.
Jim O'rourke - Insignificance
Cheb Mami - Dellali

Disappointing:

Cara Dillon - Good live but killed by producer.

Coldplay - Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay - Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay - Rush Of Blood To The Head

On vinyl, of course.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank various members of the Naim forum for introducing me to this great band. I've only been listening to this album for a week and it gets better and better. I would also like to thank my mum and dad for bringing me up really well.

Thanks mum and dad.

My Top 3:

The Flaming Lips -- "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"

Low -- "Trust"

Interpol -- "Turn on the Bright Lights" (Joy Division clones or not I think they are great. Go here for two mp3s)

Honourable mentions to Sleater Kinney's "One Beat", Jesse Malin "The Fine Art of Self Destruction", Devendra Banhart "Oh Me Oh My", HMHB's "Camel Laird Social Club".

Also The Microphones "The Glow, Pt 2" was released last year but is new to me this year and is a minor masterpiece. At the experimental end of things so not for the feint hearted. If you are reading Nick Lees I suspect you might like this a lot its not a million miles from the Circulatory System album. More details here and an MP3 here.

In a similar 'new to me' vain I would mention The Dismemberment Plan's "Change" and "Emergency & I", DNTEL's "Life is Full of Possibilities".

Matthew

[This message was edited by Matthew Robinson on MONDAY 16 December 2002 at 22:56.]

Nick,

You perhaps don't want to know then that Jimmy Tamborello (aka DNTEL) and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard (who sang the vocals on "The Dream of Evan and Chan" on the DNTEL album) will release a full album together under the name Postal Service early next year.

And just when you've got into the last Microphones album there will be another in the New Year. In fact three as they are releasing a full version of "Mt Eerie" and also an a capella version "Singing from Mt Eerie" and a percussion only version "Drumming from Mt Eerie".

Matthew

Wayne Shorter: Footprints live!

Montgolfier Brothers: The World is Flat

Robert Plant: Dreamland


OUT-OF-SYNCHS:

Tom McCrae: Tom McCrae

Low: Things We Lost In The Fire

Ben Christophers: Spoonface

Bach Goldberg Variations: Perahia

Lori Carson: Where it goes (Thanks Ron)

Stewart

I couldn't possibly come up with only three, so how about three groups of three?

Three New Titles

Chopin's Etudes by Murray Perhia. Simply stunning pianism.

Shostakovich's complete symphonies conducted by Rudolf Barshai on Brilliant Classics. Brilliant, indeed!

Schubert's D157 and D894 sonatas by Arcadi Volodos. Near perfection.


Three Honorable Mentions

Schumann's Kreisleriana by Maurizio Pollini. Amazing stuff.

Boulez's Pli Selon Pli conducted by Pierre himself. A masterpiece.

Norah Jones Come Away With Me. What can I say? I like it.


Three From the Catalog

Berg's Wozzeck conducted by Claudio Abbado. Quite possibly the greatest opera of the last century in a great recording.

Berg's Lulu conducted by Pierre Boulez. Ditto.

Wagner's Lohengrin conducted by Rafael Kubelik. I do like Wagner, I do. Who'd a thought?