Music Press End of Year Lists

Some of my favourite things in December are the best of the year lists in the music magazines (and also best books of the year, but that's for another blog), mainly to discover things I may have missed -  those hidden gems that passed you by first time around.

 Thus far, I've seen best of lists from Rough Trade, Uncut, Louder Than War, Shindig!, Mojo, Prog and Record Collector with The Guardian, Wire, NME and maybe a few others still to come.

 Much as I love these lists they do challenge me - despite all the albums I have  already heard this year - there's always a shed load of albums I must listen to or dip in to, otherwise how will Santa know what to bring me on Christmas Day?

 Many of these lists have particular bias in line with the magazine's focus or editorial policy: Louder Than War - white women/men with guitars/indie; Prog - pretty self-explanatory; Wire - leftfield/outer limits/anything goes; Shindig! - sounds like '60s or '70s music; and Mojo - mainstream rock/Americana, are a few examples.  

 Across the magazines/papers/shops with a broader focus there's a lot of commonality - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' 'Ghosteen' features prominently as does Weyes Blood's 'Titanic Rising'.  Occasionally amongst the top spots there are unheard albums, 'Titanic Rising' being one, or rather I think I did listen to it when It came out, but was not that impressed at the time: given it's prominence - the number 1 album of the year in Uncut - I've listened again. Still not entirely convinced - like her voice, quite like the sound, but something about it is not engaging me emotionally - but it matters not, I've left it up to chance and Santa whether I get it or not...

 Here's the opener from 'Titanic Rising', which is battling for a place in my heart...(but I still don't quite get it)...



Shindig!'s number one album is 'Raw Honey' by Drugdealer - a misleading title from an even more misleadingly named artist - there's nothing raw about this and I can only assume it's sleeping pills (natural) on offer. I tried, but when I hit track 7, 'Wild Motion', I had to say 'Enough!' This is both retro and, worse still, bland - the cardinal sin in my book: I just don't get it - if this is the best that 2019 has offered the writers at Shindig! then they must be looking forward to 2020 or should that be back to 1965? Let's hope that among the rest of their top 20 albums there is something to raise the heartbeat a little.

 Once the dust settles on 2019's music, I'll probably knock up a top 5 albums and maybe top 5 re-issues or some sort of summary of my year in music.  Who knows? Depends where the fancy takes me!

 Released today, and welcome to feature in Santa's sack, is 'Heavy Rain', the dub version (by dub/On-U-Sound supremo, Adrian Sherwood) of Lee 'Scratch' Perry's excellent 2019 album, 'Rainford'. From 'Heavy Rain', we have 'Here Come The Warm Dreads'...



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