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 - ma...