Show 77 - Top Albums of 2013

This past year I mostly kept the old standbys q'ed up. Zeppelin, Kurt Cobain, Sleep, Hank III, Bardo Pond & NY… "See the sky about to rain, broken clouds and rain. Locomotive, pull the train, whistle blowing through my brain. Signals curling on an open plain, rolling down the track again. See the sky about to rain. Some are bound for happiness, some are bound to glory Some are bound to live with less, who can tell your story? Signals curlin' on an open plain, rollin' down the track again. See the sky about to rain. I was down in Dixie Land, played a silver fiddle Played it loud and then the man broke it down the middle. See the sky about to rain." [sic] NY is the master singer song writer... but, like an old cottonwood, he will soon fall and rot and wonder.

I don't really see much relationship to what I mostly played throughout the year and my top ten. Probably the condition of my mind. The only true music is the music you produce yourself. Anyway, I hope my list has a few you will explore. Fav concert which kept me out till the wee hours: OM with Sir Richard Bishop at the Larimer. Peace, joy and good health in the year to come.

And now, Vitamin Fuzz top ten beginning with number 1
[77 minutes, 73.7 mb, 128kbps]

mp3 download

2013 #1 Album - Fuzz

00:00 Intro
02:21 Fuzz, What's In My Head/Hazemaze on Fuzz (In The Red Recordings)
12:00 Foxygen, No Destruction on No Destruction/Where's The Money 7" (Jagjagwa)
16:47 Suuns, 2020 on Images Du Futur (Secretly Canadian)
20:59 Leo Küpper, Innomine Part 2 of 3 on Electronic Works & Voices 1961-1979 (Sub Rosa)
36:36 Kylesa, We're Taking This on Ultraviolet (Season Of Mist)
39:13 Torres, Mother Earth Father God on Torres (Self-Released)
43:37 Mammatus, Brainbow/Brain Train on Heady Mental (Spiritual Pajamas)
60:07 Atom™, Ich Bin Meine Maschine on HD (Raster-Noton)
66:24 Kadavar, Rythm For Endless Minds on Abra Kadavar (Nuclear Blast)
70:39 Bloodbirds, Estimation Is A Good Skill on Psychic Surgery (Self-Released)
75:49 Exit Dialogue

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Henry Peach Top 10

Dudes-

It is Black Friday and my friend Dan and I are sitting in line on the sidewalk waiting for the record store to open up. We start talking about Lou Reed, and I tell him that I only own one record by him.  After I let that sink in for a second, I then go, “And you know what it is? Metal Machine Music.”  Dan replies, “Typical Shaw!”  Moments later, I’m at the counter with a copy of Transformer. I’m not so much a fan of eulogies to dead rock stars, but I AM a fan of how death makes us go back to someone’s music and explore it with deeper consideration than we might otherwise have done. PS-Transformer is great!

Here’s my year, fellas. All are LPs from 2013 (including reissues).

1. Purling Hiss/Water on Mars/Drag City
Everything badass about 90’s mainstream grunge rock is on this record. I listened to this again today, and wrote down these bands in the order that they came to mind:  Nirvana, Pixies (the slower songs), Mudhoney, and Weezer.

So many catchy hooks that sound like hooks you know, but then they zig zag in a different direction. What’s more, all of these songs are recorded in way better fidelity than some of their earlier records like Public Service Announcement (which I also recommend!).

2. Durian Brothers & Ensemble Skalectrik/Split Series 22/Fat Cat
The Durian Brothers’ side is the one of note.  These guys get their John Cage on big time! Except, they don’t prepare pianos; they play prepared turntables: sticking rubber bands and other things between decks, multiple tone arms, that kind of shit. Then it all gets treated, and filtered!  After buying the 9 LP Disintegration Loops box set by William Basinski two weeks ago, and after having been shell-shocked by Alvin Lucier’s “I Am Sitting In A Room” 10 years ago, I have come to the conclusion that I am a sucker for process music in all forms.

3. Mainliner/Mellow Out/Riot Season
Reissue from 1996, this time around on sky blue vinyl (yeah, Ed!). Mainliner are a three piece Japanese psychedelic/garage blowout fronted by Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mother’s Temple. This fucker puts its foot on your neck and keeps pushing down. I think that if any of you liked those Les Rallizes Denudes LP reissues from a year or two ago, then you are gonna have a field day with this baby!

4. Pantha Du Prince & The Bell Laboratory/Elements of Light/Rough Trade
As the band Wire once said, “A Bell is A Cup Until it is Struck.” There is something extraordinary about the combined shape and sound of bells (Paging Jay! I am still bobbing in your Tibetan bell wake!). The centerpiece of this recording is a gigantic instrument called a Carillon that is made up of 50 different bells. I have no clue if they recorded it in a bell tower in Hamburg or what, but this is definitely an all European cast.  After a long introduction of various solo bell combos,  the music is drawn into a beat driven electronic composition for the remainder. Makes me feel the same way that Selected Ambient Works Volume II has on occasion.

5. Various Artists/Mobilisation Generale: Protest and Spirit Jazz From France 1970-1976/Born Bad (2LP)
The linear notes are all in French, but the mixture of horn freakouts, group protest chants, and Chanson duets get the message across. This label has put out a range of French comps in the last couple of years. Avoid the French punk comp “Paink” released within the last couple of months; it is trash. Americans do it better! Instead, check out………..

6. Various Artists/Kill the Hippies! Kill Yourself!-The American Nation Kills Its Young: Underground Punk in the USA 1973-1980 Vol. 1/ Soul Jazz (2LP)
The linear notes says that this comp is  “the story of the fuck-yous who stayed in their hometown to make a noise.” The comp ignores the punk groups from NYC that started it all, and that were subsequently snatched up by major record labels, bands like the Ramones and the Dead Boys. In fact, although there are a couple of NYC bands on here, there is a lot of good old NYC hate going on. The comp focuses on two scenes in particular after punk broke in NYC-the mid-west around Akron/Cleveland, and Los Angeles. The linear notes and art, as is standard with Soul Jazz, are exceptional.  Hearing a group called The Randoms do a track called “Let’s Get Rid of New York” was worth the price of the whole damn thing. It is right up there with Fear’s “New York’s All Right.”

7. Lonnie Holley/Keeping a Record of It/Dust to Digital
A record of drifty soul singing with no thematic backing music.  I’ve seen some of Holley’s sculptures, and they look just like his music sounds. By that I mean to say, it seems as if all of these different, non-related things happened to just glue to one another, and in so doing something beautiful and temporary was created.  The lyrics and linear notes drop you ass deep into some serious Sun Ra cosmology.

8. Haim/Days Are Gone/Columbia (2LP)
I started watching Saturday Night Live on Hulu after like a 10 year hiatus.  Well, this group guested on a recent show.  At first I thought that Haim were a weird version of Fleetwood Mac, but the album just sounds like a solid pop record to me. “My Song 5” has some ridiculously heavy synth work on it that makes me as excited as when I heard “Hell Broke Luce” from Tom Waits’ last one Bad as Me (not lyrically mind you, rhythmically). But seriously, why is this a 2 LP 45 RPM?  I don’t need that much bass on my home stereo. Do most people?  Welcome the lastest vinyl overpricing gimmick. Seriously, 33 RPM will suffice, guys.

9. Boards of Canada/Tomorrow’s Harvest/ Warp (2LP)
I have a lot of memories of how popular these guys were at 1190, and I loved that EP Twoism when it came out.  Not really remembering what Boards of Canada sounded like after being away from it for so long, I thought that I would buy this LP on a chance that I might like it.  It worked!  My favorite passage sounds like some sort of helicopter closing in. Hell, maybe it IS a helicopter.  Headphones enhance the effect. I’m sure many of you have already listened to this record, and have your own opinion of it. If I remember correctly, this is a very sympathetic audience for the Boards of Canada. Anyway, I think that I might also be into this record because I am connecting it with one or two reissue purchases that I have made from their back catalog courtesy of the enormous Warp reissue effort currently underway.

10. Cave/Threace/Drag City
As a teacher, papers need to be graded.  In my case, instrumental music with repeat hooks seems to be the best facilitator of productivity. Threace then is my utility record. I listen to Cave to get things done.  The music, mildly reminiscent of the instrumental passages of Can, also has some funky passages (no I don’t find Can to be funky, Jeff).  Whoever the bassist is, I love how he plays the beat loose. You never get the impression that these are machine rhythms. Basslines are generated by fingers on strings.
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Charles' Top Ten

Here is my list. Happy New Year Everybody. Lets try not to screw this next one up!

Iannis Xenakis- GRM Works 1957-1962 [Recollection GRM/Editions Mego]

Oneohtrix Point Never- R + 7 [Warp]

Ripatti- Ripatti01 [Ripatti]

Autechre- Exai [Warp]

Stellar Om Source- Joy One Mile [RVNG Intl]

Holden- The Inheritors [Border Community]

Infinity Frequencies- Computer Death [Self Released]

Atom ™ - HD [Raster Norton]

Wolf Eyes- No Answer: Lower Floors [De Stijl]

Pierre Henry- Malefices OST [Finders Keepers]
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Bardos' Top Albums

As usual everyone is too early to submit best of lists, so as not to appear as the slob I truly I am, I'll comply to your Germanic World Order. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.

This years list includes every record Nelson Mandela ever sang on or talked over, in addition to Bill Clinton playing saxophone at the J.F.K. memorial. There are no Obsolete Future releases on the list, as they're a little too close to home. But I'd like to take my scalp off to Charles Ballas for his ongoing collaborative abilities, his beautiful ears and his sexy Greek frame: chest hair alight, glasses clinking, for he's a jolly good fellow, et al.

The list is a hodgepodge of long-players, cassettes, reissues, compilations and of course the one and only 12" in no particular order. I'm copying the Hard Wax formula of one-line reviews.

Alright wolves: sink your teeth into it, floss till your gums bleed and if food poisoning persists, purge, purge, purge.  

Andrew Chalk - Mutsu No Hana [An'archives]
Mutsu No Hana could be used alongiside James Turrell’s sky chambers—‘Deep Listening’ through a dimly lit gauze.

Morphosis - Dismantle [Honest Jon’s]
Vampiric as a colony of ants on the precipice of annihilation; like drones against the horizon. This is cathartic commuter music for the terrorist minded.

SHXCXCHCXSH - STRGTHS [AVIAN]
STRGTHS is a grower not a shower; it begins from an almost hipster-goth-witch-house direction, before unraveling into a much stranger, harsher and anxiety/exhaust-ridden mutant.

NHK’Koyxen - Dance Classics Vol. II [Pan]
ADHD glitch bathed in a vat of Aphex-esque fuckery and jagged-expansive cauliflower skyscrapers. The cover art says it all—fragmented giraffes sky-lofting, while noshing on leaves.

Miles - Faint Hearted [Modern Love]
Demdike Stare’s tarot-techno master steps out alone into the void

My Bloody Valentine - M B V [Self-released]
Best rock record since Loveless.

Container - Treatment [Morphine Records]
Warehouse techno for the noise crazed.

TM404 - Self-Titled [Kontra-Musik]
Nothing but 303’s, 606’s, 707’s and Space Echoes, enough said.

Kareem - Porto Ronco [Death of Rave]
This beatless slab of industrial-ambience stands on its own eight legs, crawls up the walls and infects the room with silk nightmares.

Huerco S. - Colonial Patterns [Software]
Boots the latest Oneohtrix Point Never record off my list - Daniel Lopatin is all over these freaky frequencies.

Boards of Canada - Tomorrows Harvest [Warp]
Hash head masterpiece.

Levon Vincent - Hilo Edition [Novel Sound]
Remastered classic with a surprising Chain Reaction quality.

Omar S - Nelson County [FXHE]
Breathtaking instant classics from the one and only D.

KMFH - The Boat Party [Wild Oats]
Detroit’s youngster pushes jack tracks to the next level

Dopplereffekt - Tetrahymena [Leisure System]
Detroit electro with a chilling scope over the crumbling empire

Jared Wilson - A Little Moonlight Dancing [Skudge]
Acid techno for take-off and landing.

Black Sites - Prototype [PAN]
Hard hitting analog techno to piss off almost anyone

Cut Hands - Madwoman [Downwards]
Whitehouse’s William Bennett pokes down a rabbit hole of African tribal drumming and voodoo insanity. “Eat Them like Bread” is the best track title of the year, obviously.

Chris Watson - In St. Cuthberts Time [Touch]
England’s greatest field-recordist returns to the chapel.

Ü - A Great Monotonous Dose of Techno [Digitalis]
90’s techno as it should be, right to the dome.

Charles Cohen - The Middle Distance [Morphine]
Philidelphia electronic experimented from the 70’s on Morphosis’ imprint.

Demdike Stare - Test Pressings #1-4 [Modern Love]
Manchester occult sculptors journeying deeper into black magic electronics

Legowelt - Star Gazing
Freaky Dutch jamms for the non-vanilla.

Karen Gwyer - Needs Continuum
Head space techno from a lone lady.

Alberich - Guard Tower Cassette Works Vol. 1
Murderous power-electronics

Joane Skyler - Orz [Reckno]
Lo-fi cassette electronics with

Sensate Focus - 2 [Sensate Focus]
Mark Fell’s best project; featuring plush-minimal bangers for the floor, mind & spirit.

DJ Sprinkles - Queerifications & Ruins [Mule Musiq]
Heartfelt house belters from a queer house genius. I lived by “Fuck All Y’all” all year.

Craig Leon - Nommos [Superior Viaduct]
New York, New York. Blaa-bla-bla.

Moritz Von Oswald Trio - Blue [Honest Jon’s]
Moritz Von Oswald is getting a little blasé, his scarfs are cashmere, but Blue is gorgeous.

Shed - The Dirt Fluid 67 [50Weapons]
Shed makes me smile, always. This one’s a head scratcher.

Function - Gradient [Ostgut Ton]
Bombs over Berlin.

Manni Dee - Pareidolia [Black Sun Records]
This shit blasts.

E.R.P. - Pith [Frustrated Funk]
Dallas on the map! Rave-in/Rave-out. JFK, JFK, JFK, fuck it, ERP.

Wax - No. 50005 [Wax]
Berlin on the map. What’s new.

Various Artists - 100DSR/VAR3 [Delsin]
Ross 154’s “Moon FM Desire” is a total tear jerker; dry drum programming alongside beautiful FM synthesis. Convextion also drops another classic.

Charles Maneir - Self-Titled [Nation]
Lansing, MI freak-filled electro/punk/techno eroders.

This concludes Bardos' super long list.
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Ed's Top 10 Albums

In no particular order.

Chris Darrow - Artist Proof (Drag City)

Exquisites - S/T (Asian Man)

Mikal Cronin - MCII (Merge)

Dentists - Some People... (Trouble In Mind)

Milk Music - CruiseYour Illusion (Perennial)

Scout Niblett - It's Up To Emma (Drag City)

Double Dagger - 333 (Thrill Jockey)

Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt (Don Giovanni)

Heavy Times - Fix It Alone (Hozac)

Califone - Stitches (Dead Oceans)
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Jeff's Top Ten

Oh boy, here we go again... A scientific analysis using radio-show playlists and numerology suggests that Uncle Jeff's Top 10 for 2013 are these babys...  Interestingly, all of them are on vinyl.  No big surprises here, but consistency in these troubled times is not a bad thing :-)  As usual, your money refunded if you don't like any of 'em.

For those of you just tuning in, start your pens and pencils.  The lists so far are attached... -Jeff

"Say Uncle..." - 2013 Top Ten (Based on listening spins per enjoyment ratio, divided by maximum pleasure)

1. Jonathan Wilson - Fanfare  (see: "Dear Friend " and the title track)  Laurel Canyon '70's singer songwriter era meets the Modern Age, with stellar songwriting and production.  All colors of the emotional spectrum are explored, sometimes in the same song.  There are mellotrons and tons of classic rock references, but it's the way it's put together that works.  Thanks to my brother for finding this one on sky-blue vinyl in London...

2. Date Palms - The Dusted Sessions (see: "Yuba Source Part I")  The warm loose and natural instruments sound is the counter-antidote to the glut of drone-by-numbers releases this year.  I hear the sunny California vibe of Brightblack Morning Light mixed with Om on a summer day.  (Marbled peach colored vinyl, for you Henry Peach)

3. Panabrite - The Baroque Album (see: "Capraia")  Here is warm and beautiful electronica with some Floydian acoustic guitar strumming al la Grantchester Meadows.  The shear amount of memorable melodies sets most of Norm Chambers material apart.  An alternate choice that came out on vinyl this year is 'Illumination' (see "Artery") for the more spacey-inclined and headphone prone of you guys...

4. Mountains - Centralia (see "Propeller")  Speaking of yummy, and ever-evolving long tracks, this 2 LP set is the best meditative and engaging release in a long time.  There are bubbling synths, violins and Fender Rhodes and sparkly guitars in the mix, sounding like a Doors-ian "Riders on the Storm" colliding with the Alps.  Yes Sir-eee! On orange, and red vinyl for those keeping score

5. The Ecstasy of Gold - Various Artists  (see: "Una Colt in Puguo al Diavolo" for starters)  This is the only 're-issue' on the list this year, but about 2/3rds of these tracks have never seen the light of day in the US, dating from the classic Spaghetti Western years '64 through the late '70's.  There were TWO volumes let loose on unsuspecting ears by the Semi-Automatic label, for a total of 4 lps to digest so far.  The hit-to-miss ratio is impressive.  These guys know what they are doing!  Rumor's abound of two more sets being released just in time for Christmas.  Worship at the altar of Ennio Morricone's acolytes.  Whistling great tuneful bass-lines and deep-tremolo shimmering guitars... need I say more?

6. Scud Mountain Boys - Do You Love the Sun (see: "Do You Love the Sun" for classic songwriting)  Here's one that I would never thought might happen.  The last great record from the Scuds & Joe Pernice came out in 1996.  I was pleasantly surprised by this one!  Get the extra 4 track bonus release with some 'lost demos' which are even better than the record.

7. My Bloody Valentine - MBV (see: "She Found Now")  Yeah, this one was another "who woulda thought..." and all skepticism aside, it's great.  The gauzy, pan-polyphonic density of guitars and layers remains intact.  The songwriting is great until the last track where it all falls apart.  Probably intentional...

8. Recondite - On Acid (see: "Sultry")  This is what I like.  Really well produced arm-chair acid showing that well-crafted melodies and understatement actually do have a place in techno.  The LP sounds phenomenal in my living-room, and it shows that there still is hope for electronic music.  This may have come out in late 2012, but it took me a while to get a copy.  Thank God for Amoeba in San Francisco. Wish Denver had one.

9. Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody - Black Horses (see: "Boocat Leah", then play it again!)  Played this one to death and I still can't get enough.  The mix of Franklin's Swervedriver guitars, sounding their utmost Hendrix and Floydian inspired are dosed with some of the best effects playing in the business.  Wouldn't matter if the songs weren't great... If you want a lesson in hooks, and I know we all do, get this and study... Boocat Leah is the song of the year.  Turn it up!

10. Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest (see: "White Cyclosa") Late career slider, these guys have never done anything bad, and this is a strong return to form with new twists and turns in programming and detuned warblyness mixed with slurry hip-hop beats.  The sampling is understated and has a lot of depth and density that takes a few listens to reveal itself, then it keeps getting better.  At least I have one in common with Milkman Dan's list :-)

That's All Folks, at least for now...  let the reamings begin
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Dave Alex's Top Albums

Wow, is 2013 over?  No particular order…

Jeffrey Wentworth Stevens – Los Angeles Mescal Buttons
Denver based teacher & songwriter that put together a great EP available for free!  Gotta love that. Nice western feel and great bassline for the title track.  Remixes are good too!  The Marcellus Lewis Remix has some nice squidgy sounds under a deep reverb tank that are great!

Awesome album; and gets the creativity art project of the year award!!!  Released on a 2” button that you can clip onto your jean jacket…just plug in headphones and away you go…  track selection and volume control included.  Plug into USB for a fresh recharge!  One of the best packaging ideas to date; and the tunes are awesome too.  Get the digital edition for free…

Cyberia – DYAD
What the hell is up with Denver bands this year! O F F  T H E  C H A R T S !!! This is off of some obscure cassette tape label (really?) from some hick town in Texass.  One of the most listened to albums of the year; this is a great commuter release.   Tight melodies and awesome production!  If you haven’t heard it yet; well; you’re fuckin’ lame!

Locust – You’ll Be Safe Forever
I love Mark Van Hoen; and he again comes out with a strong release!  I can remember falling in love with his sound from Weathered Well in 94; this is no-where near as strong of a release; but that one will never be bested by Mark.  Not ambient, not dance; but somewhere in the void between…awesome rainy day music!

Adult – The Way Things Fall
Starting in 2012 I rediscovered one of my favorite genres, coldwave, on Soundcloud.  Since I have been loving all the resurgence of this sound.  I remember seeing Adult in NYC 2000 at the SiNFest and this duo has come a long way since then!  Female vocals are a bit off; which just drives me nuts!  For those liking an alternative sound, grab it!

Makina GiRGiR – Torment
Another incredible coldwave record.  Beautiful female vocals over classic old school “new wave”. Awesome French start up label doing beautiful releases.  This one is hand silk screened!  Thanks to Soundcloud for tuning me into this one!

Various – Circuit D’Actes 3
A great new startup label from France, Le Forme Lente is hitting it with spot on coldwave VINYL ONLY releases.  Along with the Makina GirGir LP; this one is excellent.  Featuring Kline Coma Xero from San Francisco, a great startup artist very reminiscent of Lassigue Bendthaus, and when I saw he had this release on vinyl I had to pick it up!  The KCX track is incredible, and I was gifted with 9 other awesome tracks!  A very disturbing version of “Ring Around The Rosie” ends the LP…

Miss Kittin – Falling from the Stars
This album has grown on me considerably.  Not as much so as her last album, but this 4LP heavy weight set has two modes—the first two LPs are more techno pop while the second two are more experimental and instrumental.  Bought this pre-order from France, $21 shipped as it was not available in America; keep an eye on Amazon for great deals!

Dopplereffekt – Tetrahymena
A latecomer to 2013; this is a classic Detroit style 3 track EP.  Starting off with analog arpeggio and travelling through classic electro and dark techno; a classic release!  Can’t get this off of the turntable! On my newest mix…

SP#1 – Retrofit
2 tracks of acid techno bliss.  I bought this on a whim from Amoeba (first visit since 2008!) --this is likely the most listened to record of the year for me.  Ultra limited, you probably missed it… Mesmerizing deep acid techno; both sides are incredible—hypnotising!  Also on the above mixtape…

Recondite – On Acid
A recommendation from some label owner in Texass, this is one of the best acid albums in a long time. Not the typical dance stuff; but full of slide and octave up on the old 303!  The vinyl sounds amazing! Wonderful record!

Trentemoller – Reworked & Remixed
My first (and only) official buy on iTunes.  This is a remix compilation from his amazing “Into the Great Wide Yonder” album from several years back.  Awesome self-remixes along with touch ups from other great producers; the fav is the surf track produced by Andrew Weatherall!  Essential Trentemoller release!

Skinny Puppy – Weapon LP
I saw them in 2012 and they still have what has made the one of the best electronic bands ever; what an amazing show!  This LP was limited and worth the long wait; classic Puppy sound but with a modern feel and great synth programming as always.  Solvent is a remake from their first cassette demo and takes you all that way back; the other tracks are fresh but also have the feel of early Puppy!  Great record!

Atom ™ – Pop HD
I love most the album; except the horrible Who remake and the Jamie Lidell tracks.  Uwe mastering makes the most of minimal samples and spaced sounds.  BIG sound from little sounds!  Production quality is something to make engineers heads spin—he is the master!  Great fun!  Stop Imperialist Pop makes me laugh out loud each listen!

I Dream of Wires - Bluray
Produced by Canada’s own Jason Amm (Solvent), this is the documentary of the year, maybe the decade.  History of Modular Synthesizers is part I, part II explores the current Modular craze that is happening now.  A synth lover’s wet dream... Hardcore Edition is 4 hours long!
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