So here we are at the top three. These three were always going to be in the medals, but i’ve been deliberating over the final placements…not that it matters to anyone but me, I suppose !
So laydeezungennelman, I give you The Top Three…
3. Wild Flag – Wild Flag
To call Wild Flag a ‘Supergroup’ is being a bit generous to be honest, sure, Sleater-Kinney were incredible and deservedly legendary, but the Minders? Helium? W(ho)TF?! – it’s like calling Franz Ferdinand a supergroup ‘cos a couple of them were in The Yummy Fur! However, that they are a super group is indisputable. This debut (and I hope it’s not just a one-off project) is packed full of killer indie-rock tunes and is the sound of a group of friends getting together and having a whole lot of fun. There are none of the politics of Sleater-Kinney and no preachy messages, but when it’s such a huge lot of fun to listen to, this angle is not missed. Most of the band members are in their 40s but play with the hunger and sheer wide-eyed enthusiasm for MUSIC of a bunch of teenagers and shouldn’t that be what we all aspire to?
2. Josh T. Pearson – Last of the Country Gentlemen
As fromtman for the much revered (by me especially!) Lift To Experience, Josh T. Pearson is somewhat of a mysterious cult figure. After giving the world just one album in the form of Lift To Experience’s “The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads” in 2001, a sprawling, psychedelic masterpiece of a concept album, he withdrew from the spotlight. So, us fans had been waiting a good 10 years for a follow-up and here it finally is.
“Last of the Country Gentlemen” is extremely sparse and almost unnervingly intimate. Looonnnng (8 songs on a double LP that comes in at over at hour), s-l-o-w-w-w-w, drawn out songs of breathtaking honesty; love, lament, self-deprecation, self-loathing, and perhaps a touch of self-pity. Like it’s creation, it demands a lot of investment from the listener, but with a bit of patience and an empathetic ear, this is one very very special album.
1. Peaking Lights – 936
I first got a glimpse of the Lights from a track on a NNF singles club 7″ in 2010. I was bowled over and got the album as soon as it came out. I earwormed them back in June as my favourite album of the year at that point, and as the long Japanese summer wore on, the woozy dubbiness of “936″ became a constant presence on my turntable and has remained so even in these chilled winter months. Peaking Lights are a husband and wife duo with an amazing record collection (cheers to GHE for the heads up on the incredible PL mixtapes) who live deep in the Wisconsin woods and build their own analogue synthesisers. They have no boundaries to what they chuck into the cauldron and mix up psychedelic noise and washed out dreampop with proper dub beats and real melody to create instantly hummable and completely original pop music.
So, there you go and it looks like 2011 has been another bumper year for for my beloved Not Not Fun records. My loyalty to the NNF cause was never in question of course, but they did seem to be treading water for a while back in 2010. Thanks in no small part to the influence of Amanda’s amazing new dance label 100% Silk, NNF have reinvented themselves this year to excellent and eclectic effect. Roll on 2012 !
What an eclectic trio! Lovely write-ups, Panth. The more I hear of Mr Pearson, the more I wanna hear…
i’m sure Mnemonic will back me up that it’s a great great album…but as Shane said it is kinda intense and needs the full attention of the listener throughout
Many respected sources consider it the album of the year. Many others left it out of their top 50.
Yeah, I kinda surprised myself by not liking the Josh T. Pearson at all.
Go figure, as they say over the water.
It was (I think) the only one of your 11 I’d even heard, Panther.
Do I take it from your & Blimpy’s recommendations that I should Spotty the Yuck album asap?
only if you like grunge era teenage fanclub, dinosaur jr, posies, lemonheads and the like Darce. It’s a fun album.
(Peaking Lights addition in the panthersan dropbox folder)
WF sounds good – haven’t got around to a listen to the whole album yet.
I’d never considered the Josh T. Pearson – from this I’d have to be in the right mood and that’s late late night listening, I think – not Christmas eve bustle… sounds intense.
love the Peaking Lights – many mixes of my favourite things, wrapped up and presented perfectly.
great selection – made me wonder what I’d choose.
come on ! Can we get a SaneShane Top Ten ?
Wow ! Thanks Shane ! Where did you find those? They are all 100% SIlk artists you know….the record ain’t even out yet !
ssssshhhhhhh!
Purely for Xmas joy – buy the tracks when it’s released.. I know you do.
as for a round-up – I’m looking into it – just how I go about it, is the key..
Superb stuff Mr Panther – I have been meaning to listen to Wild Flag, may be they should just be called a super group rather than a Supergroup? Yeah! I likey! I hit replay as soon as it finished!
(donds for a shane top ten pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese)