It's been a great year for new music and new records. Every magazine reviewer, newspaper columnist, their comparable on-line equivalents and, inevitably, blogs and bloggers of every size, shape and preference, have their own favourites of the year.
This one is no different.
Amongst the majority of the bigger circulation music magazines the albums of both Arcade Fire and Joanna Newsom held considerable critical sway - interesting in itself as the albums and the artists are very different. Intriguingly, there has been a return to guitar based music - with more than a gentle nod to the 1980's; itself a decade undergoing renewed critical re-evaluation.
Favourite records then included:
The Books, Hammock, Emeralds, KORT, Twin Shadow, Fang Island, Sleigh Bells, Jonsi, Hoat Chip, She & Him, Teenage Fanclub, Tindersticks, Beach House, The Fall, Janelle Monae, Errors, The Gayngs, Alasdair Roberts, Best Coast, Kurt Vile, The Bambi Molesters, Eric Chenaux, Swans, Richard Skelton, Tame Impala, Darwin Deez, No Joy, Twin Sister, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Ruth Theodore, Glasser, Wildbirds and Peacedrums, Barn Owl, Oh No Ono, Pocahaunted, Girls, Caribou....
Janelle Monae
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Pocahaunted
The Bambi Molesters
Barn Owl
Emeralds
Girls
Hammock
There was also a wealth of re-issues and special editions of albums (no doubt dreamt up at the record company party) released including career retrospectives/compilations - Orange Juice, Dylan's Mono Recordings, Jon Savage's recently released introduction to late 1970's California Punk - to Springsteen's marvellous, 'The Promise,' The Velvets' 'Quine Tapes,' and the definitive re-release of Miles Davis's 'Bitches Brew.'
Bruce Springsteen
The Germs
Wire Marketplace
Volanic Tongue
Mono
Leaf Records
Domino Records
And that's it. Here's hoping 2011 provides the Swampabilly revival we've all been waiting for...
Mark Lamarr
***RIP Peter Christopherson and Leslie Nielsen***
