in love with these times tables

singles of the year 2011

2011-12-31T23:58:00.000-08:00

respect to anyone involved in making any of these records.

1. on fell "untitled" (moteer)
2. on fell "untitled" (moteer)
3. nicole rosie "foxboy" (ketra records)
4. ryuji takeuchi "ichi-ren-taku-sho" ep (hue helix)
5. wormrot "noise" (scion a/v)
6. sven wittekind "rapture of deep" (audiosignal)
7. coke bust "degradation" (grave mistake)
8. the rotted "apathy in the uk" (hammerheart records)
9. sven wittekind "disturbed" (sick weird rough)
10. haiku salut "how we got along after the yarn bomb" (team strike force!)

11. sidetracked "uniform" (to live a lie)
12. michael schwarz "ganimed" (nachtstrom schallplatten)
13. eigenes rezept "maze" (sick weird rough)
14. darkcode & qle "c99" (gobsmacked)
15. m.i.k. & merky ace "shut down" (mik music uk)
16. rival "lock off the rave" (pitch controller records)
17. gold-bears 4-track ep (cloudberry records)
18. sagae + kawakami "waterboarding" (atrocity)
19. beartrap "nailed shut" (to live a lie)
20. d.a.v.e. the drummer and tony montana "hydraulix 43" (hydraulix)

21. the garlands "you never notice me" (big pink cake)
22. pinch and loefah "broken" (tectonic)
23. eigenes rezept "numb" (blind spot)
24. klaudia gawlas "szcz" (abstract)
25. frenkie v "rimshot" (sick weird rough)
26. flats "never again" (one little indian)
27. mobb deep "black cocaine" ep (infamous)
28. caucus "wandering ones" (cloudberry records)
29. youngfuck "black tulips" (cloudberry records)
30. horowitz "the knitwear generation ep" (fika recordings)

31. shif man "boom" (family tree)
32. chris liberator, sterling moss and maxx "deadly swine" (cluster)
33. scorn "yozza" ep (ohm resistance)
34. various artists "brutal supremacy" (painkiller records)
35. human tech "bit crisis" ep (electrax music)
36. brutal truth "walking corpse 2112" (relapse)
37. tippa irie "dancehall style" (necessary mayhem)
38. logotech "harsh lines" ep (hybrid confusion)
39. a-brothers "center left" ep (electrax music)
40. evans the death "threads" (fortuna pop!)

41. magnum force "self-loathing" (to live a lie)
42. ross alexander "exponent" (gobsmacked records)
43. sleeparchive "ronan point" (tresor)
44. sketch'e and kwam "the surgery ep" (self-released)
45. comet gain "an arcade from the warm rain that falls" (fortuna pop!)
46. salvo mifune featuring ramson badbonez "the monster with 21 faces" (king kong holding company)
47. the hit parade "there's something about mary" (jsh records)
48. revolver "the return" (catapult)
49. styly cee and cappo "the 4 minute warning" ep (son records)
50. burial "street halo" (hyperdub)

51. dehix "silent sequences" (android muziq)
52. much worse "absolute nightmare" (no way records)
53. cortechs "ceres" (speca records)
54. michael schwarz "neuronorm" (that's hot)
55. m.o.p. and snowgoons "anybody can get it" (babygrande)
56. durrty goodz "oi wot u looking at ?" (inapeace)
57. waste management "power abuse" (painkiller records)
58. pale sketcher "seventh heaven" (ghostly international)
59. niereich "haters" ep (rewashed ldt)
60. help stamp out loneliness "record shop" (where it's at is where you are)

61. weekend nachos "black earth" ep (a389)
62. lil nasty "nasty by nature" (no hats no hoods)
63. horowitz / blanche hudson weekend split 7" (oddbox)
64. insect guide "reason to exist" (dpr)
65. jammer featuring sox, lay-z, d power, desperado, tre mission, kozzie, wariko, j1, merky ace, jendor, tez kidd, rival, jammin, hypes and clipson "lord of the mics" (360 records)
66. wiley "i got the vibe" (eskibeat recordings)
67. cerebral ballzy "cutting class" (cooking vinyl)
68. kryptic minds "can't sleep" (black box)
69. robert stahl "upndown" (speca records)
70. ryuji takeuchi / lars klein "final weapon" ep (local sound network)

71. leghau "my brain, my pain" (amazone)
72. logotech "narcolessia" (electrax music)
73. sloppy joe "the boy who talked about someone" (white lily)
74. andy white "option a" (sick weird rough)
75. kryptic minds "time flies" (osiris music)
76. ideal flow "distant sketches" (elektrax music)
77. dj nightnoise "machine world" (michael schwarz remix) (protect records)
78. michael schwarz "strange energy" (hybrid confusion)
79. dave the drummer and chris liberator "hydraulix 42" (hydraulix)
80. niereich "module ep" (gynoid audio)

81. adriano giliberti "state of deepness" (michael schwarz remix) (electrax music)
82. andy white "strange matter" (kombination research)
83. tex-rec "clean podium" (split ep with mike wall) (plus eins)
84. glenn wilson "under construction" (tonal path)
85. virgil enzinger and ryuji takeuchi "no matter" (i.cntrl)
86. mind as prison "maryland grindcore" (to live a lie)
87. no lay "he said she said i am bad" (artist projects)
88. pleasure and majistrate "bullit boy" / "menace" (motion sensor)
89. shredder, a.p. and josh "cluster 91" (cluster)
90. nil "double dealing" (hue helix)

91. tomohiko sagae "deburring" (rodz-konez)
92. go hiyama "situation" (audio assault)
93. developer "programma" (modularz)
94. andy white "source" (audiosignal)
95. pinch "swish" (deep medi)
96. rastamouse and da easy crew "ice popp" (bbc)
97. hype williams "rise up" (hyperdub)
98. persian rugs "always all" (cloudberry records)
99. kai randy michel "monokind" (michael schwarz remix) (android muziq)
100. maximum roverdrive "goodnight irene" (faith over reason)

a more nebulous precis of the year in music may be found here. plus, rest in peace smiley culture, nate dogg, phil vane, the bloke from a.c. and heavy d.

albums of the year 2011

2011-12-31T23:52:00.000-08:00

haven't checked out the pitchfork list, but sure it's pretty similar.

1. wormrot "dirge" (earache)
2. scapegoat "scapegoat" (painkiller records)
3. death toll 80k "harsh realities" (fda-rekotz)
4. despise you "and on and on..." (split with agoraphobic nosebleed) (relapse)
5. weekend nachos "worthless" (relapse)
6. rotten sound "cursed" (relapse)
7. the fall "ersatz g.b." (cherry red)
8. gold-bears "are you falling in love?" (slumberland)
9. kryptic minds "can't sleep" (black box)
10. wu-tang "legendary weapons" (e1)

11. lock-up "necropolis transparent" (nuclear blast)
12. styly cee and cappo "the fallout" (son records)
13. sss "problems to the answer" (earache)
14. looking for an answer "eterno treblinka" (relapse)
15. noisear "subvert the dominant paradigm" (relapse)
16. the rotted "ad nauseam" (candlelight)
17. trap them "darker handcraft" (prosthetic records)
18. pocketbooks "carousel" (oddbox)
19. gridlink "orphan" (hydra head)
20. ampere "like shadows" (no idea records)

21. south west divisional fellowship band "goldcrest" (self-released)
22. haemorrhage "hospital carnage" (relapse)
23. cortechs "the end justifies the means" (machine box)
24. sarandon "sarandon's age of reason" (oddbox / slumberland)
25. gusto grizwold "international vacation" (utc)
26. half man half biscuit "90 bisodol (crimond)"(probe plus)
27. brilliant colors "again and again" (slumberland)
28. sutura "alles aus liebe" (abstract)
29. majistrate "stronger" (lowdown deep)
30. cerebral bore "maniacal miscreation" (earache)

gigs of the year 2011

2011-12-31T23:06:00.000-08:00

1. wormrot @ the grosvenor, stockwell
2. rakim @ the jazz cafe, camden
3. lock-up @ the camden underworld
4. scenes de ballet @ the royal opera house
5. stewart lee @ leicester square theatre
6. dead prez @ the highbury garage
7. "the turn of the screw" @ glyndebourne
8. milky wimpshake @ the wilmington arms
9. the undertones @ highbury garage
10. the specials @ brixton academy

farewell, too, to "the gaff" pub and venue on holloway road (where we saw r.i.p. sanity, who were #11), because yet another branch of costa coffee instead really was just what london needed.

2010 - albums

2010-12-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

We weren't going to post our "best of 2010" albums list, but then we got too angry with all the other ones we saw. So, to try and right the record (for the platters below deserve no little love):

1. Northern Portrait "Criminal Art Lovers" (Matinée Recordings)

We wouldn't have expected, truth be told, that our favourite gig of 2010 would be Northern Portrait's charming underground dalliance with a not-full enough, not fully-enthused enough Buffalo Bars in cold, cold February, but that *special* half-hour confirmed that NP were not just studio fops, but living, breathing crusaders for POP! who could magic-carpet us back to the days of fine indie bands the first time round, nights stood at the back of the Camden Falcon in day wearing smiles that crept up on us as we were - quite simply - disarmed by the brilliance of some of the bands we saw, especially when half the audience, and usually the bands themselves, seemed completely unaware of just how precious they truly were. It was also a night, each time Stefan's voice soared even above the blissful buzzing guitar surround, when we realised that the 1,000 Violins comparisons - this is 1,000 Violins at their spectacular best, mind, rather than their hippyish worst - really are much more apposite than the Smiths ones. As for the album, we gave it a line or two here, each one of which we stand by to the fullest.

2. Cappo "Genghis" (Son Records)

Effortlessly talented MC who has fully earned his bragging rights as producer too: this is a near-masterclass that should be made compulsory listening for all those who doubt - with some justification, we must admit - that "urban" music can positively *ooze* intelligence, reality and *thought*.

3. Scorn "Refuse; Start Fires" (Ohm Resistance)

Wow. Winningly claustrophobic, sleekly plotted apres-garde oceans of musical pulchritude flecked with live drums, chasteningly deep dub vibes and passages of frankly severe brutality.

4. Diversion Tactics "Careful On The Way Up" (Boot)

Like we said. The best beatmakers in the business, still accompanied by one of the tightest lyricists out there. Cold.

5. Klute "Music For Prophet" (Commercial Suicide)

Even over some two hours, there's very little that drags: mixes sweepingly textured drum and bass beauty and percussive flair with rare style (CD1, the album "proper", is particularly peerless).

6. The Orchids "The Lost Star" (Pebble Records)

Now we *love* the Orchids, but we were still surprised at how beguiled we were by this really rather terrific album, which mixes easy listening with easy highs and more than enough hints of those stellar Sarah days. Why they had to release one of the weaker songs from it as a taster single, we will never divine.

7. The Westfield Mining Disaster "Big Ideas From Small Places" (Cider City Records)

Musically bright: some Haywains, some country-tinged Bristol pop (think Tramway or mellow-mood Beatnik Filmstars), some of Paul Towler's best melodies to date. Lyrically outstanding: intelligent, humane, acerbic, defiant and ultimately touching. Most of all though, *timely*, coming as it did on the cusp of the Coalition's latest concerted initiatives to keep the poor poor.

8. Trembling Blue Stars "Fast Trains and Telegraph Wires" (Elefant)

Their final postcard, which we will always treasure: in this household, tears were shed, and this is not far off the return to form of their last LP. Some of the best moments are provided by the experimental instrumentals and field recordings, such as "Grey Silk Storm" and bonus track "Radioactive Decay".

9. Kill The Client "Set For Extinction" (Relapse)

Simply a top line album, of remarkable consistency given the potential for any 19-tracker to yield a few horrors. Mind you, racing through them in 27 sheer, fury-filled minutes kind of helps.

10. The Short Stories "Small Mercies" (The International Lo-Fi Underground)

Third album (and swansong?) from the undersung Bristol duo, containing some of their most brittle and heartstopping moments (especially "On Reflection" and the title track) as well as a majestic Forest Giants-ish closer, "Bird In A Cage".

11. Phil Wilson "God Bless Jim Kennedy" (Slumberland Records)

He's BACK on 33 and the best songs on it (try "Up To London" and the fairly amazing closing three tunes) are arguably just as strong as their finest. Even better, it came on VINYL.

12. Electric Pop Group "Seconds" (Matinée Recordings)

Few bands have a knack for penning "growers" like EPG, and these songs just wouldn't stop blooming. But we're hard taskmasters: to be all-time greats they need to build on this, to step up to the plate, widen their palette and truly whet our palate.

13. Tricia Yates Fan Club s/t (555 Recordings)

A punked-up, back-bedroom, garage-rock hommaging vinyl LP from the very first clickings of the year on which perennially bruised underdog Stewart Anderson perfects his usual trick of making the cynical sound almost tender, a beautifully narked narrative unfolding over spiky indie guitarrisms evoking a particularly riled Milky Wimpshake or the mid-period, proto-rock Sportique. If you need any more reason, note that not only one but two of the best blogs on planet Earth declared for it, albeit rather earlier than we've managed to.

14. A-Bomb "For Those Who Understand" (Yard 26 Recordings)

Free - that's FREE- to download, this is the Speech Ferapy man now six years on from the first time we clocked him on his NGU 12" with Eyezofman (now Mindzeye). No war bars, no party starters, no dimunition in quality from this way slept-on rhymer; just dedication, deep thought and more humanity.

15. Math & Physics Club "I Shouldn't Look As Good As I Do" (Matinée Recordings)

Perfectly weighted (ten popsongs in twenty-five minutes flat): brevity which doesn't preclude healthy servings of quality, melody, innovation and humour.

16. Violent Arrest "Minute Manifestos" (Boss Tuneage)

As clocked earlier in the year. Unreconstructed, spirited, thoroughly invigorating and as defiant, albeit in a very different way, as "Big Ideas From Small Places"...

17. Wormrot "Abuse" (Earache)

Maybe patchier than KTC's effort, but at its best, this is intoxicatingly good, as feverishly focussed as grindcore has been for many years.

18. Tender Trap "Dansette Dansette" (Fortuna Pop! / Slumberland)

Half the songs may have been around for a while, but what songs: "Fireworks", "Boyfriend", "Girls With Guns", etc. A typically accomplished set even better, at a pinch, than "Talking Backwards".

19. Nashgul "El Dia Despues Al Fin De La Humanidad" (Power It Up)

As dissected here, a bright, earnest and insistent album of high-speed grind, with many an individual highlight.

20. Fukpig "Belief Is The Death Of Intelligence" (FETO)

This LP helped get us through those days of media mania that followed that deliciously irrelevant royal wedding announcement. From the first track ("Die Bastard Die") to the last ("All Of You Are Cunts And I Hope You Fucking Die"), a remarkably consistent channelling of Discharge via Chaotic Dischord / Riot City and early ENT and, as befits the seeming resurgence of d-beat this year, powerful and confident post-crust crashalongs.

Closely followed by Paul Lewis taking on the Beethoven piano concertos, the Berliner Philharmoniker doing Mahler 5, Rotting Christ's stretchingly ambitious "Aealo" (featuring Diamanda Galas of all people, on tpo vocal form) the Fall's "Your Future, Our Clutter" (at times, the head-down existential fury of "Hex Enduction Hour"), Killing Joke's "Absolute Dissent" (seriously: it exudes sheer power in a rare and rousing way), Secret Shine's "The Beginning And The End", the Atrocity Exhibit's spritely "Damned And Blasted", Milky Wimpshake's "My Funny Social Crime" (including the MW-meets-Harper Lee perfection of "Patchwork"), Hellfire Sermons' "Luminous Crocodile" (you know our love for these: it remains undimmed), Vic Godard & Subway Sect's "We Come As Aliens", Jesus Crost's "010", Kashmere's "Galaktus: Power Cosmic", the (brand new) Secret Shine album, Shrag's "Life! Death! Prizes!" (there still appear to be people who claim to like Shrag but not the Fall, in which case simply playing them the (excellent) "Ghosts Before Breakfast" should be enough to make their heads explode with the sheer hypocrisy of it all), not to mention the albums from Very Truly Yours, Leng Tch'e, Television Personalities, Standard Fare, Japanische Kampfhorspiele, Benga, Misery Index, JME, Frisco... plus the retrospectives of sorts from four mighty outfits: Sayyadina, Black Tambourine, Horowitz and Vex'd. Oh, and "This Comp Kills Fascists 2". Obviously. Especially for Lack of Interest and Extortion.

And on the reissue tip, there were those Razorcuts CDs (more reminiscence from us on that fine band here) on the ever-bountiful Cherry Red, more from the fine Brilliant Corners back cat, and the joy of Music Club Deluxe issuing a budget-price 2xCD J&MC greatest hits ("Upside Down"), making the band OFFICIALLY label mates of a similarly great all-time musical combo and hopefully putting them in every motorway services and petrol station shop in the country. We never thought we'd see the day. It shares all its best tracks with "21 Singles", which also puts us in nostalgia mode And and and, there was Power It Up's re-release of that simply astonishing album by Looking For An Answer. If you only bought one record all year...

2010 - live

2010-12-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

Our first XI this year.

1. Northern Portrait at Buffalo Bars

Um, think we gave this a couple of lines on the page you probably linked here from.

2. The Royal Ballet's "Onegin" at the Royal Opera House

"It's too expensive. And it's boring".

Now it's never inexpensive to see the Royal Ballet, and it involves a bit of planning and yes, quite a lot of saving. But we've heard baulking at the cost from people who are content to spend far more on going to see musical theatre, a stadium rock band or a first division match, or on getting their hair cut. So the truth is (as ever) slightly more subtle, and the reality is that whatever the price of entry it's a hell of a lot easier to part with your hard-earned - every pound traceable to an "urgent" e-mail, an irascible customer or a surfeit of post-it Notes saying "please deal" - when you're spending it on something of *quality*. That applies whether you're getting four bands for a fiver under Highbury & Islington tube, or for one enchanted evening being an insignificant person-shaped speck inside the breath-checking, multi-tiered ROH cavern. Sadly, "value for money" has never meant the same as "cheap".

It's also never in the least "boring" to watch ballet, although again we've heard such claims from people who are somehow prepared to sit through 90 minutes of Razorlight, or West Ham v Stoke. Actually, for those with attention spans as short as ours, a night at the ballet requires no more concentration than seeing three perfectly manageable half-hour sets at Buffalo Bars, separated by intervals of roughly the same length: either way, there's little room for flab or indulgence, and plenty of scope for smiling and nodding and grabbing a chat or a drink between sets. Anyway, now we've exposed ourselves (again) as liberal metropolitan elitist Islingtonite champagne socialists...

The back story to "Onegin" is that Tchaikovsky actually only ever scored three ballets in his lifetime: "Sleeping Beauty", "Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker" (so quite a high hit rate, you'll observe). He also composed the opera "Eugene Onegin", from Pushkin's celebrated verse poem. However, the ballet was only put together in the 1960s, and using none of the music from the opera but instead using other bits and pieces Tchaikovsky had composed in his lifetime, arranging them for orchestra and to fit the staging and John Cranko's choreography. That may all sound rather little cumbersome, but in practice what we get seems flawless, as light as skipping on air.

The Danish Onegin, snappy suit, all cheekbones and oozing debonair, was kind of a Scandinavian Dickon Edwards, whereas his pal Lensky (an Aussie) was a floppy self-conscious fringe, a serious-minded indie kid who you could imagine these days loafing around Clerkenwell cradling a painfully trendy satchel. (In Act Two, Eugene despatches Lensky in a duel, which makes for a victory of Fosca over the more indolent studied-scruff look, plus we know - as Pushkin never did at the time he wrote the story - that this killing proved something of an unwelcome prophecy, given that the writer himself was later to die in a duel while still in his thirties). The international theme continues with sisters Tatiana and Olga - whose affairs are interwoven with the boys' rise and fall - played by Romanian Japanese principals respectively.

The setting being St Petersburg, a place bedazzling with opulence, each set is sumptious, scrumptious and bejewelled. More to the point, though, the music is equally gilded: original piano scores are transformed into hymnal sweeps of violins (the passage as Tatiana and Prince Kremin dance sweeps you particularly off your feet), interspersed with more raucous, Russian folk-leaning sections where the ensemble cast partake of both rustic dances and royal balls. And the dancing and movement is of course beautiful, particularly each boy / girl pas de deux: the long layered dresses of the girls of the Russian aristocracy billow with splendour as they glide amongst a tapestry of (suspiciously athletic, despite being made up "old" like Blanco) princes and noblemen, and from time to time the enjambement of a perfectly executed move and a crescendo of the ROH's orchestra combine to pinch your senses, give you the "wow factor" frissons that feel so alien these days.

3. KRS-One (and Supernatural!) at the Forum

Outside the Forum, the downpour is biblical: the pavements are effectively puddles, the rain bouncing vertically upwards from them, with some fury. We can hardly see in front of us. The queue snakes around the corner, down the adjacent road, around the next corner: a train of sodden punters. This is not the night for the venue to decide we all need to be searched for weapons. Nor is it the night for the scanner employed to perform this rather depressing service to break down. Ah well.

Inside the Forum, drenched after aeons in line, we manage to get in at around ten, just in time to see the main act begin (though by then we'd missed Freddie Foxx, Mad Lion, Buckshot and the man who'd just got offstage, our very own Mystro: thank you again, branded venue, for your usual branded venue cheapskate incompetence). Still, this was where things started looking up. Younger readers may wish to note that Kris Parker, aka KRS-One is a true icon: uniquely, a man heavily involved both with the invention of gangsta rap *and* with the invention of politically conscious hip-hop. Even better, he is here tonight with the great Supernatural (think "Undaground Connexion" or "Altitude") as his verbal foil: KRS's brother, DJ Scott Parker, and someone whose name we've inexplicably forgotten (at our age, we should really be taking notebooks to gigs we might review) take turns on the decks behind them.

And this is a proper show: the four of them are with us for about eighty minutes (DJ Scott for much longer, before and after the set proper), yet in that time there are virtually no full songs, and certainly hardly anything from his prodigious output even in the last twelve months.Instead, the night is a rapidfire procession of an incredibly wide variety of conceits: verses from, or nods to, all the classics that you could require ("KRS Attacks", "MCs Act Like They Don't Know", a vigorous "South Bronx", the still-sublime ilwtt,isott favourite "Outta Here", our second favourite "9mm Goes Bang" and a rapturously received "Sound Of Da Police"), mention of the phrase "real hip-hop" about every 5 seconds, liberal deployment of other cliches ("fuck tha police", disses to MTV), rightful props to the late Scott La Rock. Oh, and a chunky version of Kris and Marl's "Kill A Rapper" ("you wanna get away with murder ? / kill a rapper / the investigation won't go further"). There's an interlude where KRS gets a gang of hopefuls on stage to break / battle / whatever, and does his Teacha persona while they mostly hang around looking like extras from Oliver (21st century urban remake): we were a little distracted at this point due to being targeted as a victim of two attempted thefts simultaneously - namely one bloke trying to pickpocket me while another, the barman, was charging me £4 a throw for cans of Red Stripe - though we do manage to espy one of KRS's mod-Dickensian hood crew stepping forward to break and spin quite brilliantly on the Forum stage.

Other set-pieces see KRS show how he can rap just as effortlessly over Vivaldi and Pachelbel as over oldschool breaks, and deliver a year-by-year history of hip-hop without missing a beat. Then Supernatural gets his own section (while KRS autographs shirts and throws them into the crowd: earlier, he spends several minutes hurling autographed tennis balls at us) and almost steals the show: we know that he's a great technician, more so even than KRS, but it's still genuinely impressive to see him improvising as he freestyles a composed, smart and funny inventory of everything the front few rows can throw at him, as well as delivering impressions (who knew you'd get that kind of ITV variety at a hip-hop show ?) of Slick Rick, Busta and Biggie. There's time for a few KRS soapbox moments too: he reminds us that the copyright in the show is ours not his, encouraging us to record, disseminate, do whatever we want with the material; he urges us to find schools, hospitals and colleges for him to visit while he's here. All in all, less of a concert, more of a show, but definitely leaving the warmest of glows. He only came over for 3 UK shows; it was a privilege to be there.

And then we step outside. It might as well be buckets thrown down from the balcony. The rain hasn't finished with us yet.

4. Bolt Thrower at ULU

Bolt-Thrower's latest, largely triumphant visit to London (was this *really* four years ago ?) saw them eventually gain a hard-won victory over a ULU soundsystem which was determined to muddy their trademark low-end crunch as much as possible. Rarely have we seen this "school hall" venue so busy; the gig had obviously sold out in about 1912, with plenty coming across from Scandinavia or Germany especially for it. With Bolt-Thrower being one of the few bands with both the willpower and the commercial clout to force venues and promoters to accept fan-friendly terms, the deal on offer was typically generous: no less than five bands for a tenner all in, giving us a substantial lead-in to the main event during which Rotting Christ, the Rotted, a band we've inexcusably forgotten the name of and ever-lovable Brummie heroes Benediction ascended the assembly stage. After a gander at the merchandise stall (Bolt-Thrower only sell directly to fans at their gigs - no internet merch or tie-ins with Metal Militia), we settled in towards the back (more in the bar than in the hall, which it was scarcely possible to squeeze into by now) and let the waves of rolling riffage - and the inevitable ocean-spray of weak lager - splash over us.

In one sense, the groggy PA, which largely obliterated the vocals and any guitar breaks or solos, had the effect of emphasising Bolt-Thrower's strengths: the set became an hour of a constant groove, Jo Bench's bass locking in with Martin Kearns' drumming to create a surprisingly hypnotic undertow while the rhythm guitar fuzzed in and out, sketching a deep haze of slow metallic burn. The songs all sounded pretty much the same, merged into one sweating, indistinct blur: it was great. Karl Willetts, shaking an impressive mane of blond hair, was clearly having the time of his life: to think that he was once only the band's driver. The stagedivers rose to the occasion, with the highlight provided by a slightly surreal Mary Poppins-esque "jumper" who leapt with umbrella fully unfurled. Around us, a few little scraps broke out, largely amongst this new generation of punk kids who can't really hold their drink or drugs (we squarely blame that on the lack of politics, especially straightedge politics, in the modern punk, hardcore and metal game): we had to employ our best shoulder and elbow work - as later reprised on the tube home - to repel these unwelcome space invaders. Sadly, there were no clues from the band as to what might be happening in terms of the timetable for any follow-up to "Those Once Loyal". Come on Bolt-Thrower, get your PAs to schedule some diary dates: we want that Outlook calendar wall-to-wall with studio time.

5. "Don Giovanni" at the Glyndebourne Festival

Glyndebourne was a little different: despite Jonathan Kent's somewhat optimistic statement that his new staging of Don Giovanni should attract a youthful crowd, your intrepid and not entirely unvenerable ilwtt,isott correspondents would venture immodestly that we were comfortably amongst the youngest people there. We chose the weekend in which to hang out in the rolling Sussex hills: unlike the week, which is all corporates, new money and all the associated vulgarities of trade, the weekend is more livable, most punters being yr proper old-school aristos who've paid for their own tickets and at least appreciate the tunes, rather than being there to be seen bedecked in bling, or quaffing branded champagne. But ultimately - and this applies here just as much as to Indietracks - it's the melodies that matter, and Mozart was fair chucking them out in 1787, exactly two hundred years before the Chesterf!elds hit on that same trick of seeing how many trebly hooks you could cascade into any given minute or three.

The soprano parts are as thrillful as ever, and even if you have to wade through the occasional unnecessary aria (memo to Donna Anna and Don Ottavio: we don't care about your "Non mi dir" or "Il mio tesoro"), it's worth it not only for the unending joy of the score's constant rise and fall, but for all those little moments when two (or, in the case of "Ah taci, ingiusto core", three) voices suddenly dovetail and start to lift you away: Seville to power. The young Italian lad who played Masetto was sprightly enough to look the part; (onstage) serial Don Giovanni Gerard Finley, despite more advancing years, played the lighter moments quite nicely, and Kate Royal as Donna Elvira was usually on hand to keep things ticking along with her deceptively pretty songs patterned with either slightly unhinged or positively stalkerish lyrics. Plus, of course, there are all the staple highlights, such as the impressively metapostmodernironic bit at the feast where the orchestra strikes up "The Marriage Of Figaro" (a hit from '86: a loose equivalent might be Gang Starr sampling "You Know My Steez" in "Full Clip") and Giovanni / Gerard looks up and rakishly says "I'm sure I recognise this one".

There were some lovely set plays - the way that the orchestra strikes up unannounced, with the hall plunged into total darkness: no fading of the house lights or gradual subsiding of chatter. Or the end of the first Act, when a very real bolt-thrower hurls plumes of fire onto the stage, flames still fiercely crackling and glowing as the interval begins. The set - a kind of revolving cube, backlit as things progressed with increasingly risque classical paintings - did depict Seville as a sea of rather dull stonemason's grey, a bit like Fletcher and Godber's cell in Slade Prison, but we later worked out (from that old etching of Luigi Bassi giving the first ever performance) that it fairly faithfully reproduced the background to that, so max credit for authenticity and generally keeping it real. That, and the fact that the rousing music throughout was performed by the Orchestra for the Age of Enlightenment, whose modus operandi consists of using instruments from the time that the relevant melodies were composed. The lute that turned up for an unexpected solo in Act Two had us all scouring the pit to see where the noise was coming from: it was absolutely electric (well, as electric as acoustic can be). True fact: we once interviewed the OAE's horn section down in Bristol, and it turned out they spent much of their time on eBay, which was the only way to source half the gear they needed. And that the earlier composers were a particular nightmare for them because in those days they hadn't even got round to drilling tuning-holes in trumpets or whatever, so you had to get every note purely through contorting your lips, a bit like we would now with a kazoo.

Yes, the plot was as daft as ever, but (a) what did you expect and (b) who really cares: at least it isn't as overly melodramatic (and therefore as curiously uninvolving) as modern-day soap precursors like La Boheme. Plus, there was a bat flying around the roof of the auditorium, which was pretty cool. Unlike our Bolt-Thrower outing, no fights broke out amongst the audience, although that nearly changed when we espied Norman Lamont across a crowded tearoom. And outside, the last wasps of summer buzzed arias of their own.

6. Would-be-Goods at Buffalo Bars

The Would-be-Goods just get better and better, as they go from being in your top 100 bands of all time to your top 50 to your top 20 to your top 10... there's certainly no more rewarding band on the UK gig "circuit", we reckon. As blissful as the first time we saw them at this very venue, with the added bonus that this time we didn't have to cab it back to the office afterwards. And no less than the ace Tender Trap in support.

7. Bristol Rovers at Dagenham & Redbridge

Collusion between the Vatican and Transport for London dictated that there would be no tube service connecting central London (where the Pope was responding to a royal wedding-style mass media deference O.D. by accusing the nation of being rife with aggressive secularism) to Dagenham East, home of newly-promoted Dagenham & Redbridge FC (celebrity fan: one Bob Crow) for Bristol Rovers' first ever visit to this particular patch (although actually, it was technically the second, for we were there a few years back when Rovers lost 1-0 in the Women's FA Cup semi-final).

This time, when we eventually arrived - via a magical upper-deck bus replacement tour through pre-Olympic Stratford, West and East Ham, Barking and leafier Upney, Becontree and Heathway - at what was then Victoria Road, but is now christened the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium, we enjoyed once more the thrill of being in a proper football ground, not even the old-style lower league set up of a stadium surrounded by terraced houses, but a non-league environment of a ground on parkland at the end of a cul-de-sac, which had clearly once been only the very unassuming home of Dagenham FC but had rapidly been expanded, with new blocks, stands and outbuildings appearing as the merged D&R (Redbridge Forest were themselves borne by a merger between Leytonstone / Ilford FC who in turn were unsurprisingly a merger of Ilford FC and Leytonstone FC, both proud amateur clubs founded in the 19th century) and the equally grand old non-league name of Walthamstow Avenue, meaning that as the biggest Russian doll left, D&R now effectively rep for half of east London) completed their ascent from the old Isthmian League to the new pinnacle of the third division (a workmanlike place known in this particular year as "N-Power League One"). Indeed, D&R are so new to the gang of 92 that, instead of making away fans cower in some uncovered stand to the side of the pitch, they give us the best stand in the ground, right behind the goal, affording fine views of both the pitch and the cloud-dimpled blue sky and Essex flatlands beyond. We are one-quarter of the total gate of 2,000 odd.

What followed seemed improbable and surreal: Rovers played well. In the first half, we offered an attacking threat (we've seen whole seasons where this particular dish wasn't on the menu). In the second, we defended solidly, with the back four powerfully heading crosses away from danger, just like real footballers. In both halves, we even took our chances: Jeff Hughes netting a hat-trick with a sweet cross-'keeper finish, a perfectly-executed lob past onrushing 'keeper and even a superbly taken left-footed penalty kick, waiting to send the Daggers' no.1 the wrong way before sliding the ball into the opposite corner. We probably weren't 3-0 better on the balance of play, but we avoided any stupid mistakes. Moreover, we never looked in danger. It was, in every sense, the antithesis of the rancid collapse witnessed on the quarters' last trip to London only months before. D&R, for their part, kindly took the role usually inhabited by Rovers: huffing and puffing, a bit unlucky, but leaving too many gaps, failing to concentrate, ultimately frustrating their fans. It was an intriguing role reversal, for the very novelty of which we were grateful.

Real football quotient (RFQ) = number of times ball cleared out of stadium (7), divided by number of backheels (2) = a very impressive 3.5. Undermined only by the fact that we didn't have a terrace to stand on.

Postscript: by December, of course, Rovers were in the relegation places, and the gaffer had been sacked. The beautiful game can also be the cruellest.

8. Echo and the Bunnymen at Brixton Academy

Two words: THE CUTTER. Actually, two more: dry ice.

9. Obituary at Islington Academy

As past inhabitants of the Essex heartland we feel qualified to observe that the N1 Centre feels like a little piece of Basildon transported to the hub of the Angel, Islington, an architecturally bleak mall where locals can shop, lurk, drink, and, as the nights draw on, get into fights as if they weren't in reality denizens of the cappuccino-cradling capital of evil elitist metropolitan liberal London. And it's within the N1 Centre's walls that the Academy, originally and blink-of-an-eye briefly Dave Stewart's rather ill-fated pet entertainment venue, weekly services a broad sweep of emo kids (the bands), students (the club nights) and... well, nobody else, really.

The last time we hung out in the Academy for any length of time was for these four fantastic summer nights, but little has changed. Little can change when your venue is a Subbuteo scale model of an aircraft hangar, a sticky floor surrounded by 92 shades of grey and hemmed in by a low ceiling up to a few rows back from the stage, where a cavernous, higher but equally lego-brick roof suddenly looms above. You can just make out a silvered balcony that looks ripe for a futuristic James Bond set: you know, for a single-attribute villain to parascend down to the moshpit, where on most nights they would surely then be crushed by the musk underneath a hundred regulation black (insert emo /metal band name) T-shirts.

When we saw Slayer play last, the build-up alone was worth the admission: pentangles and upside-down crosses projected on to a huge white sheet that shut out the whole stage, before said sheet was torn down, in tandem with the opening power chords, to reveal the band, a hectare of speaker stacks and the most brilliant neon light show hanging above their heads, always threatening to fall and make it their last ever gig. When Obituary stride onstage, though, there's a remarkable lack of posery. No intro music, no fanfare, no messing about with the house lights. Like their gig at ULU a year or two back, it's remarkably modest for a band of their calibre and catalogue. The four of them (to be joined shortly by singer John Tardy, who does that M.E.S. thing of sauntering on late when the vocal bit is needed, and then for much of the set taking the odd stroll offstage whenever there's a reasonable instrumental stretch to navigate) plug in their instruments, stand there for a bit staring straight at us and then just get on with playing the opening bars.

The first two tracks are "List Of Dead" and "Blood To Give", briefly raising the daunting but delicious prospect that they're going to play the whole of their recent and fabulously solid "Darkest Day" album in order, but instead they stick at those two, respectively the fastest and quirkiest tunes on it, and the rest of the night will be dedicated to selections from the earlier discography. (It would be unduly anorakish to list the rest of the setlist... um, the rest of the setlist was "Forces Realign", "Dethroned Emperor", "Slowly We Rot", "Left to Die", "Threatening Skies", "Chopped in Half / Turned Inside Out", "Dying", "The End Complete", "On the Floor", "Slow Death", "Final Thoughts", "Face Your God", "Evil Ways" and "Contrast the Dead"). And the show is great, not in a technically overpowering way or a singalong way, just in a "good old rock band playing fine songs that often sound a bit similar" kind of way: always a joy and never a chore, like watching the Wedding Present or something. The Academy crew have obviously been doing something clever with the mics, too, because Tardy's vocal even has that patented echo effect from the records, although without the equally trademark pre-echo that often leads into his vocals on wax.

Unlike Slayer, there's not too much banter between songs, or wholly obvious showmanship: the four impressive manes of hair arrayed at front stage are shaken with great vigour and purpose, but then we guess the guys are just enjoying themselves. There are quite a few between-track instances of them downing tools and faffing around in an impressively unprofessional way: it's not quite Pipas, but it's nearer that than the ultra-slick Slayer approach. So despite the unpromising environs, by evening's end we're thoroughly grateful that Obituary have descended on north London to give us organic-soya obsessed media luvvies a dose of Floridian death metal.

10. Thee Single Spy at the Library, Islington

Two of us, plus eight hipsters (we may be hipsters at heart, but we just haven't got the wardrobe) made a grand total of 10 in the "crowd" for this one, although the tiny, bright "front room" still felt reasonably full. Five songs from the bashful quartet, the newest the best, proved worth the entry.

11. David McAlmont at the Pigalle Club

What ?

2010 - labels

2010-12-07T23:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, fellow anorak. 2009's standings are, as ever, in brackets...

1. (NEW) Sven Wittekind Records
2. (1) Slumberland
3. (32) Matinee
4. (11) Relapse
5. (39) Son
6. (2) Cloudberry
7. (NEW) Toyfriend
8. (RE) Elefant
9. (5) DJ Honda Recordings
10. (3) Fortuna Pop!

11. (NEW) Nature Sounds
12. (RE) 555 Recordings
13. (29) Boot
14. (10) Hyperdub
15. (4) Planet Mu
16. (NEW) Teleskopik
17. (NEW) Magic Marker
18. (20) Home Assembly Music
19. (14) Dirtee Stank
20. (NEW) Ohm Resistance

21. (RE) Atomic Beat Records
22. (NEW) Fat Beats
= 23. (RE) Tremors
= 23. (NEW) VIP
= 25. (NEW) Commercial Suicide
= 25. (RE) Hydraulix
27. (NEW) Scion A/V
28. (NEW) Pebble Records
29. (NEW) Herszchlag
30. (NEW) Bubblegum

31. (NEW) Cider City
32. (RE) Domino
33. (24) Osiris
34. (NEW) Dirty Planet
35. (NEW) E-1
36. (NEW) R&S
37. (22) Swamp 81
38. (=33) The International Lo-Fi Underground
39. (NEW) Dub Technic
40. (NEW) Old King Lud / I, Ludicrous

Bubbling under: Oddbox, Underused, What's Your Rupture, Ganja, Warlord Dubplate, Jungle Therapy, Calypso, Maximum Minimum, Slam Jamz, JSH, Yard 26, Avalanche...

An extremely close run thing at the top, with SWR (eight records in the year-ends) just holding off Slumberland (nine) despite, like Cloudberry, being a "singles" label and not scoring at all in the albums stakes. There was clear blue water between both third and fourth, and fourth and fifth (Matinee - with a very healthy seven placings - and Relapse both scoring well for singles and LPs alike) before Son Records, thanks basically to Cappo, narrowly pipped Cloudberry in those UEFA places. The list saw a few of familiar names hanging on in the top ten. Mind you, after the top twenty, only Tremors and VIP of this list represented two or more "chart-ists".

2009 - labels

2010-01-20T03:34:00.000-08:00

Compiled using the singles and albums lists for the year...

1. (2) Slumberland Records

2. (1) Cloudberry Records

3. (5) Fortuna Pop!

4. (13) Planet Mu

5. (-) DJ Honda Recordings

6. (-) How Does It Feel ?

7. (-) Occultation Recordings

8. (RE) Tectonic

9. (28) Candlelight Records

10. (RE) Hyperdub

11. (RE) Relapse

12. (RE) Neuroshocked

13. (RE) Where It's At Is Where You Are

14. (-) Dirtee Stank

=15. (=26) The Satisfaction Recording Company

=15. (-) ICE H20

17. (-) Underused

18. (=22) Earache

19. (-) SMC

20. (-) Home Assembly Music

21. (-) No Cure

22. (-) Swamp 81

23. (-) Seclusiasis

24. (-) Osiris Music

25. (-) Digital Soundboy
26. (-) RAM

27. (-) Recordkingz

28. (-) This Almighty Pop!

29. (30) Boot.

30. (-) Fraction Discs

31. (-) Awkward

32. (3) Matinee Recordings

=33. (RE) Columbia

= 33. (RE) The International Lo-Fi Underground

35. (-) Nam Musik

36. (-) Allsorts

37. (-) Southside

38. (-)Shelflife

39. (14) Son Records

40. (-) SubSoldiers

Bubbling under: lots of usual suspects, including 555 Recordings, NGU and Thee SPC, as well as Keysound, Villain Entertainmnet, King Kong Holding Company, Subatomic and Hench...

And so Cloudberry is pipped to a third year running as top dog, thanks to Slumberland's scoring in the albums as well as singles stakes... the two chart-toppers from last year are followed by some "consolidation" from the top UK labels, Fortuna Pop! and Planet Mu. Matinee Recordings is the only other survivor in the top 40 from last year's top ten, and as usual many of the labels are the artists' boutique imprints. Albums from Obituary and Magrudergrind, meanwhile, helped propel Candlelight right up into the top 10. While at #12, Poland's Neuroshocked is the highest label from neither the US or UK, and the only one in the top twenty at all.

2009 - albums

2010-01-20T03:32:00.000-08:00

For full annotated list, go here...

1. Insect Warfare "World Extermination" (Earache)

2. Kryptic Minds "One Of Us" (Swamp 81)

3. Obituary "Darkest Day" (Candlelight)

4. Raekwon "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Part II" (Ice H20)

5. General Surgery "Corpus In Extremis - Analysing Necrocriticism" (Listenable Records)

6. Magrudergrind "Magrudergrind" (Willowtip / Candlelight)

7. Durrty Goodz "Ultrasound" (Awkward)

8. The Short Stories "The Night Is On Fire" (The International Lo-Fi Underground)

9. Pocketbooks "Flight Paths" (How Does It Feel?)

10. Newham Generals' "Generally Speaking" (Dirtee Stank)

11. Weekend Nachos "Unforgivable" (Relapse)

12. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "The Pains of Being Pure At Heart" (Fortuna Pop!)

13. Beatnik Filmstars "Broken Bones" (The Satisfaction Recording Company)

14. The Hillfields "It'll Never Be The Same Again" (Underused)

15. Liechtenstein "Survival Strategies In A Modern World" (Slumberland)

16. Flow Dan "Original Dan" (self-released)

17. Trim presents "Monkey Features, Volume 1 (The New Series)" (Cre8ive)

18. Japanische Kampfhorspiele "Luxusvernichtung (Vierundfunfzig vertonte Kurzgedichte)" (Unundeux)

19. Mobb Deep "The Safe Is Cracked" (Siccness)

20. Joe Pesci "At Our Expense" (Bones Brigade)

2009 - singles

2010-01-20T03:30:00.000-08:00

For the full annotated list, start here...

1. The Wild Swans "English Electric Lightning" (Occultation, 10")

2. Rakim "Holy Are You" (SMC Recordings, download)

3. The Declining Winter "Haunt The Upper Hallways" (Home Assembly Music, 7")

4. Looking For An Answer "La Caceria" (Relapse, 7")

5. Endemic and Cappo "The Needle Drop EP" (No Cure Records, 12")

6. Starkey "Miracles (Jamie Vex'd Remix)" (Planet Mu, 12")

7. DJ Honda featuring Mos Def "Magnetic Arts" (DJ Honda Recordings, download)

8. Raffertie "Antisocial" (Seclusiasis, 12")

9. Kryptic Minds "Life Continuum" (Osiris Music, 12")

10. Socialist Leisure Party "Turktown Saints" (Cloudberry Records, 7")

11. The Faintest Ideas "Procrastination of Every Day Tasks" (Slumberland, 7")

12. Skream "Burning Up" (Digital Soundboy, 12")

13. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart "Come Saturday" (Fortuna Pop! / Slumberland, 7")

14. Lomax "Faith Massive" (RAM Records, 2x12")

15. The Postcards / Yellow Melodies split (Cloudberry Records, 3" CD-R)

16. Cooly G "Narst" (Hyperdub, 12")

17. Horowitz "How To Look Imploring" (Cloudberry Records, 7")

18. Recordkingz featuring Mobb Deep "Heat" (Recordkingz / Creative Entertainment, download)

19. Pocketbooks "Footsteps" (How Does It Feel?, download)

20. Horowitz "Super Snuggles" (This Almighty Pop!, CD-R)

21. Diversion Tactics "Can't Swim" (Boot, 12")

22. Kryptic Minds "768" (Tectonic, 12")

23. Beatnik Filmstars "Slow Decay" (The Satisfaction Recording Company, 7")

24. The Hillfields "Afterburn" (Underused, download)

25. DJ Honda featuring EPMD "Never Defeat 'Em" (DJ Honda Recordings, download)

26. Free Loan Investments "The Last Dance" (Fraction Discs, 7")

27. Pinch "Attack Of The Giant Robot Spiders!" (Planet Mu, 12")

28. Newham Generals "Head Get Mangled" (Dirtee Stank, download)

29. Chris Liberator and Sterling Moss "The Cult" (Neuroshocked, 12")

30. King Midas Sound "Dub Heavy - Hearts and Ghosts EP" (Hyperdub, 12")

31. Davinche "Rider" (Davinche, CD EP)

32. Chris Da Break & Black Art "Bring The Force Back" (Neuroshocked, 12")

33. The Wild Swans "Liquid Mercury" (Occultation, 7")

34. Tender Trap "Fireworks" (Fortuna Pop!, download)

35. Gregory Webster "Promised Land" (Slumberland / Where It's At Is Where You Are, 7")

36. Slayer "Hate Worldwide" (Columbia, CD single)

37. Pleasure / Majistrate & Nicol "Mission Statement Part 6" (Nam Musik, 12")

38. Shrag "Rabbit Kids" (Where It's At Is Where You Are, 7")

39. Mutated Forms "Storm In A Teacup" (Allsorts, 12")

40. Kromestar "Bassbin" (Southside, 12")

41. Jesus Of Spazzareth / Hammers split (no label as far as we can tell, 7")

42. Socialist Leisure Party "Tactical POP! for Coffee Cadets" (Shelflife, 7" and CD)

43. Hermit Crabs "Correspondence Course" EP (Matinee Recordings, CD single)

44. The Atrocity Exhibit / Magpyes / Jesus of Spazzareth split (self-released, CD-EP)

45. Ital Tek "Massive Error EP" (Planet Mu, 12")

46. Sarandon vs. the Membranes "Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder" (Slumberland, 7")

47. Cappo "Unwritten Rule (Styly Cee Remix)" (Son Records, download)

48. Taggarna Ut / Madamm split (Cloudberry Records, 3" CD-R)

49. Rusko "Babylon Vol 2" (SubSoldiers, 2x12")

50. Skream / Benga "Trapped In A Dark Bubble" / "Technocal" (Tectonic, 12")

51. Birds Of California / Kristin Mess split (555 Recordings, 7")

52. Starkey featuring Durrty Goodz "Gutter Music" (Keysound, 12")

53. MC Ren "Reincarnated" (Villain Entertainment, download)

54. Dubblestandart & Lee "Scratch" Perry meet Subatomic Sound System & Jahdan Blakkamoore "Blackboard Jungle" (Subatomic Sound, 12")

55. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "Young Adult Friction" (Fortuna Pop! / Slumberland, 7")

56. Salvo "The Info" (King Kong Holding Company, 7")

57. Ital Tek "Mako" (Atom River, 12")

58. Dap-C featuring L'il Wayne "Ma Money" (NGU Records / Hip Hop Village, download)

59. Standard Fare / Slow Down Tallahassee split (Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation, 7")

60. Giant "Drumstick" (Hench, 12")

61. Seven "Drop" (Aquatic Lab, 12")

62. Glenn Wilson "Another Corner" EP (Equator, download)

63. Obituary "Blood To Give" (Tanglade, download)

64. The Parallelograms "Dream On Daisy" (Cloudberry Records, 7")

65. Joker / Pinch & Moving Ninja / Peverelist "Tectonic Plates 2.4" (Tectonic, 12")

66. Camera Obscura "French Navy" (4AD, 7")

67. Hellbastard "Eco-War" (Selfmadegod, CD-EP)

68. Raekwon "The New Wu" (Ice H2O, download)

69. MRK-1 "Magnetic Device" (Earwax, 12")

70. Cause Co-Motion! "Because Because Because" (Slumberland, 12")

71. Boa Constrictor / The Cavalcade split EP (Cloudberry Records, 3" CD-R)

72. Jaydan "Suicide" (Propaganda Recordings, 12")

73. Nicol & Majistrate "Pussy" Killa" (Chronic, 12")

74. I, Ludicrous "We're The Support Band" (Old King Lud, download)

75. Concrete DJz "Generator EP" (Mastertraxx, 12")

76. Paul Langley and Jamie Bissmire "Clash Of The Titans" (50 Hz, download)

77. Morrissey "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" (Polydor)

78. Mutated Forms "Coppers" (Zombie, 12")

79. Signed Papercuts "Of My Heart" (Cloudberry Records, 7")

80. Butcher Boy "A Better Ghost" (How Does It Feel ?, download)

81. DJ Honda featuring Problemz "The Big Payback" (DJ Honda Recordings, download)

82. Living With Disfigurement "Thrill To The Terror Of Death!" (self-released CD EP)

83. 'Allo Darlin' "Henry Rollins Don't Dance" (Wee Pop!, 7")

84. KRS-1 with Buckshot "Robot" (Duck Down Records, download)

85. Shirley Lee "The Smack Of The Pavement In Your Face" (hitBACK, download)

86. Wake The President / Je Suis Animal split (Electric Honey / Lucky Number Nine, 7")

87. Richgirl "He Ain't With Me Now (Tho)" (RCA / Jive, download)

88. Anjay "Stimulation EP" (Circulate Recordings, download)

89. S.Kalibre "Spitrapture" (self-released, download EP)

90. Strawberry Whiplash "Picture Perfect" (Matinee Recordings, CD single)

91. Korpiklaani "Vodka" (Nuclear Blast, 7")

92. Very Truly Yours / The Understudies split EP (Cloudberry Records, 3" CD-R)

93. JME "Over Me" (Boy Better Know, download)

94. Anjay "Mechanical" (Dark Crank, download)

95. Ryuji Takeuchi "The Fixer" (Hardsignal, download).

96. Ikonika "Smuck" (Planet Mu, 12")

97. 2562 "Embrace" (3024, 12")

98. Tippa Irie "Bad Boy" (African Beat, download)

99. Oxmo Puccino "365 Jours" (Cinq 7, download)

100. Pale Man Made / Leaving Mornington Crescent split (Cloudberry Records, 3" CD-R)

2008 singles

2008-12-31T20:08:00.000-08:00

(annotated list here)

1. Styly Cee and Cappo "The H-Bomb EP" (Son Records)
2. Violent Arrest "Criminal Record" (Grave Mistake / No Way Out)
3. Ed209 ft. Imam T.H.U.G. "Karma 360" (VRD)
4. Northern Portrait "Napoleon Sweetheart EP" (Matinee Recordings)
5. Manhattan Love Suicides "Clusterfuck EP" (Squirrel Records)
6. Jaydan & DJ Pleasure "What U Want" / "Stingray" (Smokin' Riddims)
7. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "Everything With You" (Slumberland / The Lost and Lonesome Recording Company / Fortuna Pop!)
8. Northern Portrait "The Fallen Aristocracy EP" (Matinee Recordings)
9. Strawberry Story "Summer Scene" (Anorak)
10. Milky Wimpshake "One Good Use For My Heart EP" (Fortuna Pop!)

11. Horowitz / Project A-ko split (Filthy Little Angels)
12. Tinchy Stryder "Cloud 9: The EP" (Ruff Sqwad)
13. MJ Hibbett & the Validators "It Only Works Because You're Here" (EmuBands)
14. Horowitz "I Need A Blanket" (Thee SPC)
15. Phil Wilson "Industrial Strength" EP (Slumberland)
16. The Stupids "Feel The Suck" (Boss Tuneage)
17. DJ Pleasure "Vengar" (Lowdowndeep)
18. Craig G and Marley Marl "Made The Change" (Traffic Entertainment / Good Hands)
19. Silverlink ft Badness and Jammer "The Message Is Love" (No Hat No Hoods)
20. Pocketbooks "Waking Up EP" (Make Do and Mend)

21. Sexy Kids "Sisters Are Forever" (Slumberland)
22. Cee-Rock "The Fury" "Kill Da Killin'"(Abstract Urban)
23. Glenn Wilson "Phoenix EP" (Compound)
24. caUSE co-MOTION! "I Lie Awake" (Slumberland)
25. Sunny Summer Day "So Much Fun" (Letterbox)
26. Jaydan "Pull Up" (Propaganda)
27. Virus Syndicate "Apollo" (Planet Mu)
28. Comet Gain "Love Without Lies" (What's Your Rupture ? / TAF)
29. Boyracer / Mytty Archer / Cannanes split (555)
30. Je Suis Animal "Painted In Your Face" (Cloudberry)

31. Kashmere "The Jazz" (Karamak)
32. Jaydan "Gun Salute" (Smokin' Riddims)
33. Honeyheads "Edwyn Speaks Louder Than Kirk" (Cloudberry)
34. Puzzle "Everything You Never" (Cloudberry)
35. Pete Green "Platform Zero EP" (Lostmusic)
36. Kelman "Shut A Final Door" (Shifty Disco)
37. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart / The Parallelograms split (Atomic Beat)
38. Ikonika "Millie" (Hyperdub)
39. Horowitz "Edition 59 EP" (Edition 59)
40. Hoodz Underground "Iron & Steel" / "Home Of Da Streets" (Trackshicker)

41. Electric Pop Group "Sunrise" (Matinee Recordings)
42. The Wedding Present "The Thing I Like Best About Him Is His Girlfriend" (Vibrant)
43. Strawberry Whiplash "Who's In Your Dreams ?" (Matinee Recordings)
44. The Westfield Mining Disaster "Hank Williams Saved My Life" (Cloudberry)
45. The Garlands "Why Did I Trust You" EP (Cloudberry)
46. I, Ludicrous "Dirty Washing EP" (Old King Lud)
47. Malfoy "Pureblood" (Skimrok Project 1)
48. KRS-1 and Eneeone "Radio" (Deranged Music Inc)
49. Robert Natus "Endless Sequence" (Inflicted Recordings)
50. The Hillfields "A Visit" (Cloudberry)

51. Jaydan "After Dark" (Propaganda)
52. V/A "Proud And Wild Forever (The Sound Of Young Java Vol.2)" (Cloudberry)
53. Ohmega Watts "Eyes & Ears EP" (Ubiquity)
54. Heist "Don't Understand" (Co-Lab)
55. Boyracer / Que Possum split (555)
56. DJ Pleasure "Wishmaster" (Lowdowndeep)
57. Benga & Walsh v Darqwan "Addicts" / "Megatection" (Texture UK)
58. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart "Come Saturday" b/w Summer Cats "Let's Go!" (Slumberland)
59. V/A "I Would Hurt You For The World" (The Sound Of Young Java Vol.1) (Cloudberry)
60. Zinc "Goblin" (Bingo)

61. The Tartans "My Baby Doesn't Care For You" (Cloudberry)
62. Yellowtail "Pressure Dem" (Raw Fusion)
63. Clipz "Ugly / Offline" (Audio Zoo)
64. Secret Agent Gel featuring Warrior Queen "Body" (Low Motion)
65. Manhattan Love Suicides "Kessler Syndrome" (Squirrel Records)
66. G Dub "Forever (Original Sin V.I.P)" (Ganja Records)
67. Mutated Forms "Las Vegas" (Advisory)
68. Supernatural "Altitude" (Coalmine Records)
69. Twig "Wentworth" / "Ciao Ciao Baby" (Cloudberry)
70. Obituary "Left to Die EP" (Candlelight)

71. Manhattan Love Suicides "Veronica" (Squirrel Records)
72. Ruff Sqwad "Man Dem" (No Hat No Hoods)
73. P Brothers featuring Boss Money / Ress Connected "New Religion" / "Shoot 'Em Down" (Heavy Bronx)
74. Lauren Mason "Haterade" (Perpetuity)
75. Vex'd "3rd Choice" (Planet Mu)
76. DJ Pleasure "Killing Curse" / "New York City" (Calypso Music)
77. MJ Hibbett "Do The Indie Kid" (EmuBands)
78. Bearsuit "Pushover" (Fantastic Plastic)
79. DJ Pleasure "In The Dark" / "The Cube" (Calypso Music)
80. 77Klash "Code For The Streets" (Klash City)

81. The Bug featuring Tippa Irie / Flowdan "Angry" / "Ganja" (Ninja Tune)
82. Ghetto "Mountain" (white label)
83. The Doubtful Guest "Remixes" (Planet Mu)
84. DPF "What Can I Say" (Son Records)
85. Japan Air "Claire" (Cloudberry)
86. The Arc Lamps "Wave of Sound EP" (Cloudberry)
87. Morrissey "All You Need Is Me" (Decca)
88. Buju Banton Presents "Golden Tree EP" (Gargamel Music)
89. Heist "Sleep In Ya Eyes" / "Spiders Ville" (Frontline)
90. The Ladybug Transistor "Can't Wait Another Day" (Fortuna Pop!)

91. Postal Blue "Laughing and Crying" (Cloudberry)
92. DJ Pleasure "Black Magic" / "The Grinder" (K Power)
93. Buju Banton "Cowboys" (Gargamel Music)
94. Peverelist "Infinity Is Now" / "Junktion" (Tectonic)
95. Sven Wittekind "Never Forget" (Sven Wittekind Records)
96. Lögnhalsmottagningen "Oron Nasa" (Slumberland / 555 / Yellow Mica / Promenade)
97. The Olive Shoots "The Lazy Rest" (Cloudberry)
98. Morgan Heritage and Busy Signal "Run Dem Weh" (Juke Boxx)
99. Shackleton "El Din (Part One)" (Mordant Music)
100. Lovingly Yours "Signed Lovingly Yours" (Cloudberry)

2008 albums

2008-12-30T10:01:00.000-08:00

(annotated list here)

1. Boyracer "Sunlight Is The Best Antiseptic" (555 Recordings)
2. P Brothers "The Gas" (Heavy Bronx)
3. Extreme Noise Terror "Law Of Retaliation" (Osmose)
4. SSS "The Dividing Line" (Earache)
5. Life? "Outside Looking In" (Zebra Traffic)
6. Beatnik Filmstars "The Purple Fez 72 Club Social" (Satisfaction Recording Company)
7. Jazz-T "All City Kings" (Boot)
8. Would-be-Goods "Eventyr" (Matinee Recordings)
9. No.Lay "No Comparisons" (No.Lay's World / GGI Enterprises)
10. Zipper "11" (Embajada de Liliput)

11. Craig G & Marley Marl "Operation Take Back Hip-Hop" (Good Hands Records)
12. Sarandon "Kill Twee Pop!" (Slumberland)
13. The Great Leap Forward "Finished Unfinished Business" (Communications Unique)
14. Venomous Concept "Poisoned Apple" (Century Media)
15. Riko "The Truth" (Roll Deep)
16. The Airfields "Up All Night" (Humblebee Recordings)
17. Hulaboy "Olympic Krush on (the) Hulaboy" (555)
18. The Bright Lights "Drunker Than You Since '002" (555)
19. Secret Shine "All Of The Stars" (Clairecords)
20. Cee-Rock "The Fury" "Bringin' Da Yowzah!!!" (Abstract Urban)

21. The Fall "Imperial Wax Solvent" (Sanctuary)
22. Phobia "22 Random Acts of Violence" (Candlelight / Willowtip)
23. Half Man Half Biscuit "CSI: Ambleside" (Probe Plus)
24. Tinchy Stryder vs Maniac (TvM)
25. Eskiboy "Umbrella Vol. 1" (Eskibeat Recordings)
26. The Wedding Present "El Rey" (Scopitones)
27. The Lucksmiths "First Frost" (Fortuna Pop! / Matinee Recordings)
28. Robert Forster "The Evangelist" (Tag 5)
29. Cripple Bastards "Variante Alla Morte" (FETO)
30. Burning Spear "Jah Is Real" (Burning Music)

31. Blak Twang "Speaking From Xperience" (Abstract Urban)
32. Benediction "Killing Music" (Nuclear Blast)
33. Wiley "Grime Wave" (Eskibeat Recordings)
34. Elementz "Crushmode" (Occupy Your Mind)
35. JME "Famous ?" (Boy Better Know)
36. The Short Stories "Short Stories For Long Nights" (The International Lo-Fi Underground)
37. Trimski "Soulfood Vol 3 - Leaf Out Of Their Book" (The Circle)
38. Ghetto "Freedom Of Speech" (The MOVEMENT)
39. The Bug "London Zoo" (Ninja Tune)
40. Bless Beats "Hard Days Graft" (Eskibeat Recordings)

41. The Guild League "Speak Up" (Matinee Recordings)
42. Ice Cube "Raw Footage" (Lench Mob Records)
43. Fosca "The Painted Side Of The Rocket" (Yes, But Is It Art ?)
44. Coldworker "Rotting Paradise" (Relapse)
45. FSK "Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle" (Buback)
46. Pelle Carlberg "The Lilac Time" (Labrador)
47. Supar Novar "Wordz From The Frontline" (Wolftown)
48. The Mountain Movers "We've Walked In Hell And There Is Life After Death" (Fortuna Pop!)
49. Jammer "Are You Dumb ? Volume 3" (Jah Mek The World)
50. Julie Ocean "Long Gone And Nearly There" (Transit of Venus)

2008 bands

2008-12-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

Just thought it would be interesting (it was raining) to see what would happen if we applied the scoring system for labels to the artists themselves...

1 Jaydan
2 DJ Pleasure
3 Horowitz
4 Boyracer
5 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
6 Northern Portrait
7 Craig G and Marley Marl
8 Manhattan Love Suicides
9 Tinchy Stryder (including vs Maniac)
10 Cee-Rock "The Fury"

11 P Brothers
12 Sunny Summer Day
13 MJ Hibbett (and Validators)
14 The Wedding Present
15 Styly Cee / Cappo
16 Violent Arrest
17 Ed209 featuring Imam THUG
18 Extreme Noise Terror
19 SSS
=20 Life?
=20 Strawberry Story

22 Leach Me Lemonade
23 Milky Wimpshake
=24 Beatnik Filmstars
=24 Projekt A-ko
26 Wiley / Eskiboy
27 Jazz-T
= 28 Phil Wilson
= 28 Would-be-goods
30 The Stupids

31 No.Lay
=32 Silverlink ft. Badness, Jammer
=32 Zipper
34 Pocketbooks
35 Sexy Kids
=36 Glenn Wilson
=36 Sarandon
38 caUSE co-MOTION!
39 The Great Leap Forward
=40 Venomous Concept
=40 Virus Syndicate

Not sure you should read too much more into this, especially as it inevitably rewards the more prolific, as well as those with the nous to do split records with other ace bands, but it's not an unfair representation of our listening over the year!

2008 labels

2008-12-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

As previously, this list is purely mathematical, based on the singles and LP lists, and limited to a top 40 (we like to imagine Tommy Vance counting it down) for our own sanity. Last year's places (where there were any) in brackets, to give a pretty unrepresentative idea of "movement".

1 (1) Cloudberry Records
2 (27) Slumberland Records
3 (RE) Matinee Recordings
4 (4) 555 Recordings
5 (15) Fortuna Pop!
6 (-) Abstract Urban
7 (-) Smokin' Riddims
8 (-) Good Hands
9 (RE) Squirrel Records
10 (-) Lowdowndeep

11 (RE) Heavy Bronx
12 (-) Propaganda Records
13 (11) Planet Mu
14 (RE) Son
15 (-) MJ Hibbett, basically
16 (-) No Hat, No Hoods
17 (-) Eskibeat
=18 (-) Grave Mistake
=18 (-) No Way Out
20 (23) VRD

21 (20) Osmose Productions
=22 (RE) Earache
=22 (RE) The Lost and Lonesome Recording Company
=24 (-) Anorak
=24 (RE) Zebra Traffic
=26 (-) Filthy Little Angels
=26 (-) Satisfaction Recording Company
28 (-) Candlelight
29 (-) Ruff Sqwad
30 (=25) Boot

31 (-) Thee SPC
32 (-) Boss Tuneage
33 (-) No.Lay's World / GGI Enterprises
34 (-) Embajada de Liliput
35 (-) Make Do and Mend
36 (-) Compound
=37 (-) Communications Unique
=37 (-) Letterbox Records
39 (RE) Century Media
40 (-) What's Yr Rupture ?

The majors have pretty much been chased out again, but otherwise the list demonstrates how many million self-released or independently-released tunes there are out there: most of last year's top 40 still released records that made our year-ends. Cloudberry's sheer number of singles saw it reasonably clear as one of four US labels topping the list, though only a single point separated the equally resurgent Slumberland and Matinee. And while there are a couple of French labels, plus one each Spanish and German and Australian, the fact everything else is US / UK may yet demonstrate we haven't been looking widely enough...

2007 singles

2007-12-31T06:10:00.000-08:00

(annotated list here)

1. Beatnik Filmstars "Curious Role Model" (The International Lo-Fi Underground)
2. Pocketbooks "Cross The Line" (Atomic Beat)
3. Horowitz "Tracyanne" (Cloudberry)
4. Ed 209 "The Stay Ex-Static EP" (VRD)
5. Durrty Goodz "Axiom EP" (Durrty Goodz / Awkward)
6. Dubblestandart vs Ari Up "Island Girl" (Collision Records)
7. Pete Green "Everything I Do Is Gonna Be Sparkly" (Atomic Beat)
8. The Bug featuring Flowdan "Jah War" (Ninja Tune)
9. Robot Boy "Robot Boy" (Boot)
10. Sarandon "Joe's Record" (Slumberland)

11. Mark Ankh "4th Dimension" (Hydraulix 13)
12. Wiley "50/50 / Bow E3" (Big Dada)
13. D.A.V.E. The Drummer vs The Anxious "Hydraulix 37" (Hydraulix)
14. Shrag "Hopelessly Wasted" (Where It's At Is Where You Are)
15. Coki "Spongebob" (DMZ)
16. The Bug featuring Warrior Queen "Poison Dart" (Ninja Tune)
17. Team Shadetek "Reign" (Sound Ink)
18. The Faintest Ideas "There's No Captain On This Cruise And We Don't Serve Orange Juice" (Cloudberry)
19. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart "The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart" (Painbow)
20. Manhattan Love Suicides "Kick It Back EP" (Magic Marker)

21. Boyracer / Beatnik Filmstars split single (555)
22. Skream "Skreamizm Volume 3" (Tempa)
23. Bearsuit "More Soul Than Wigan Casino" (Fantastic Plastic)
24. Wiley "No Qualms (Revox)" (Big Dada)
25. Motorhead "Overkill (Exclusive Version)" (Cleopatra)
26. A-Bomb and Mindzeye "Middle East" Promo EP (Yard 26 Recordings)
27. Skepta / JME 4-track EP (Adamantium)
28. The Bodines "Shrinkwrapped" (Firestation Records)
29. The Fall "Reformation!" (Slogan)
30. Milanese "Barry Dub 2007" (Planet Mu)

31. The Deirdres "Dinosaurs That Can Swim EP" (Cloudberry)
32. Tinchy Stryder "Breakaway" (Total Entertainment)
33. Pinch "Underwater Dancehall" sampler (Tectonic)
34. Boyracer / Mytty Archer split single (555 / Brittle Records)
35. Manhattan Love Suicides "Keep It Coming EP" (Lost Music)
36. Burial "Ghost Machine" EP (Hyperdub)
37. N-Type "Street Justice" (3.5 Records)
38. Wiley "My Mistakes" (Big Dada)
39. Roll Deep "Celebrate" (white label)
40. Von Sudenfed "Fledermaus Can't Get It" (Domino)

41. The Nightingales "What's Not To Love ?" (Caroline True)
42. Darqwan "M/A... Ximum Reespek" / "Ghost Not Memory" (Planet Mu)
43. Beatnik Filmstars "Wild Eyed Restless And Free" (The International Lo-Fi Underground)
44. Strawberry Story "Sci-Fi Guy" (Cloudberry)
45. Android and Victor Stroganov "My House" (Maximum Minimum)
46. Math and Physics Club "Baby I'm Yours" (Matinee Recordings)
47. Darkthrone "The New Wave Of Black Heavy Metal EP" (Peaceville)
48. K.N. "Technique On Monday" (Cluster)
49. Sunny Intervals "Call And Response" (Weepop)
50. Bedroom Eyes "Hand-In-Hand Grenade" (Cloudberry)

51. Manhattan Love Suicides "Sycamore Peripheral" (Cloudberry)
52. Butcher Boy "Girls Make Me Sick" (How Does It Feel ?)
53. Blak Twang "Help Dem Lord" (Rotton Products)
54. Jamie Bissmire Presents... "Jack Trax Vol. 1" (50hz)
55. The Airfields "Yr So Wonderful" (Cloudberry)
56. Liechtenstein "Stalking Skills" (Fraction Discs)
57. Sway "One For The Journey Ep" (Dcypha)
58. Public Enemy "Harder Than You Think" (Slamjamz)
59. E.J. featuring Elephant Man "Haters" (More2da Floor)
60. Skream / Cluekid "Sandsnake" (Disfigured Dubz)

61. Distance "Feel Me" (Chestplate)
62. Hoodz Underground "Pass The Mic" / "History" (Trackshicker)
63. Gravenhurst "Trust" (Warp)
64. Camera Obscura "If Looks Could Kill" (Elefant)
=65. Cluekid "Crazy Legs" (Bullfrog Beats)
=65. Gallhammer "Beyond The Hatred EP" (Peaceville)
67. Fireworkz "Hold It Down (Remix)" (W10)
=68. Kelman "Is This How It Ends ?" (Liner)
=68. Bearsuit "Foxy Boxer" (Fantastic Plastic)
70. Chester P "From The Ashes" (Rawdog)

71. My Sad Captains "Bad Decisions" (Fortuna Pop!)
72. Obituary "Evil Ways" (Candlelight)
73. Boyracer / The Faintest Ideas split single (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
74. Lapidus featuring Skepta, Stanna G and Wiley "Stop Snitchin'" (MCS)
75. The April Skies "A Picnic In Heaven" (Cloudberry)
=76. Parson "Throw Some Ds" / "Big Killaz" (Planet Mu)
=76. The Hi-Life Companion "Times Table" (Cloudberry)
=76. Ice Pack and Rob Tryptomene "Freeloaders Of Society" / "247" (Cluster)
79. Saxon "If I Was You" (Steamhammer)
80. The Faintest Ideas "Your Imaginary Bullets Really Hurt" (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)

81. Jme and Trigz "Berr Quick" Ep (white label)
82. Sunny Summer Day "You're The One For Me" (Cloudberry)
83. Municipal Waste "The Art Of Partying (Headbanger Face Rip)" (Earache)
84. Slow Down Tallahassee "So Much For Love" (Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation)
85. The Bug featuring Killa P and Flowdan "Skeng" (Hyperdub)
86. Celestial "Fragile Heart" (Skipping Stones)
87. Syer Barz "Badboy EP" (label inremembered)
88. Celestial "Last Day Of Summer EP" (Music Is My Girlfriend)
89. Verb-T and The Last Skeptik "Satisfied" (Silent Soundz)
90. Skream "Skreamizm Volume 4" (Tempa)

91. Chris Liberator and Sterling Moss "Head Start" (Yolk)
92. Tinchy Stryder "Something About Your Smile" (Total Entertainment)
93. Zion Train featuring Dubdadda "Life That I Choose" (Deep Root)
94. Organised Grime "It's Gonna Be OK" / "Next Level" (white label)
95. Lapidus featuring JME, Vader, Envy and Shifty "Smugglers Walk EP" (Smile & Cry / Tunecore)
96. Taskforce "Jacked" (white label)
97. Club 8 "Heaven"" (Labrador)
98. Helen Love "It's My Club" (Elefant)
99. Iron Maiden "Different World" (Sanctuary)
100. Saxon featuring Lemmy Kilmister, Angry Anderson and Andi Deris "You've Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)" (Steamhammer)

Interestingly (well, perhaps you be the judge) this was the first year since 2001 with an "indie" top 3, which might bear out all the talk of indiepop revival. It's partly for that reason - though not *just* that reason, that the field opens up beyond the UK a little more, taking in Sweden, Norway, USA, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Ireland, Russia, Austria and Slovenia (and Jamaica, if you count Elephant Man's vocals on the E.J. record...)

The Beatnik Filmstars, Boyracer, Manhattan Love Suicides, Faintest Ideas, Skream and the Bug all have at least three singles (including splits) in the top 100; Cluekid, Tinchy Stryder, Lapidus, Saxon (!) and Bearsuit two each. Plus, in terms of the usual suspects, JME and D.A.V.E. the Drummer turn up on at least a couple of tunes (as does, um, Lemmy), Skepta appears on four (17, 27, 39 and 74) and Wiley on five (12, 24, 38, 39 and 74)...

2007 albums

2007-12-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

(annotated list here)

1. Extreme Noise Terror / Driller Killer split LP (Osmose Productions)
2. Wiley "Playtime Is Over" (Big Dada)
3. Eskiboy "Tunnel Vision Volume 6" (Boy Better Know)
4. Eskiboy "Tunnel Vision Volume 5" (Boy Better Know)
5. Bad Brains "Build A Nation" (Megaforce)
6. Team Shadetek "Pale Fire" (Baked Goods)
7. Boyracer "Flickering B+W" (555)
8. Von Sudenfed "Tromatic Reflexxions" (Domino)
9. Looking For An Answer "Extincion" (Living Dead Society)
10. Trembling Blue Stars "The Last Holy Writer" (Elefant)

11. Trim "Soulfood Volume 2" (The Circle)
12. Trim "Soulfood Volume 1" (The Circle)
13. Bracken "We Know About The Need" (Anticon)
14. Butcher Boy "Profit In Your Poetry" (How Does It Feel To Be Loved ?)
15. Forest Giants "Things We Do When We're Bored" (The International Lo-Fi Underground)
16. Tippa Irie "Talk The Truth!" (Lockdown)
17. Chester P "From The Ashes" (Taskforce / Rawdog)
18. Darkthrone "F.O.A.D." (Peaceville)
19. The Butterflies Of Love "Famous Problems" (Fortuna Pop!)
20. Skepta "Greatest Hits" (Boy Better Know)

21. Little Dee "Don't Let The Name Trick You" (Media Gang)
22. Total Fucking Destruction "Zen And The Art Of..." (Bones Brigade)
23. Public Enemy "How You Sell Soul To A Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul ?" (Slam Jamz)
24. The Fall "Reformation! Post-TLC" (Slogan)
25. Dubblestandart "Immigration Dub" (Collision)
26. Chipmunk "League Of My Own" (Alwayz Recordings)
27. The Orchids "Good To Be A Stranger" (Siesta)
28. Benny Bizzie "The Business Vol 2" (Knowledge & Wisdom)
29. Beatnik Filmstars "Shenaniganism (Tape Hiss And Other Imperfections)" (The International Lo-Fi Underground)
30. Bearsuit "Oh:Io" (Fantastic Plastic)

31. The Steinbecks "Far From The Madding Crowd" (Microindie)
32. Airport Girl "Slow Light" (Fortuna Pop!)
33. Haemorrhage "The Kill Sessions" (Emetic)
34. Jammer "Are You Dumb ? Vol 2" (Neckle / Jah Mek The World)
35. SSS "Short Sharp Shock" (Earache)
= 36. Obituary "Xecutioners Return" (Candlelight)
= 36. Ghetto "Ghetto Gospel" (J Clarke Enterprises)
38. Hoodz Underground "Bringing It Back" (Trackshicker)
39. Boyracer "Boyracer Jukebox Volume One" (555)
40. Tullycraft "Every Scene Needs A Center" (Magic Marker)

41. Celestial "Dream On" (Skipping Stones)
42. The Hermit Crabs "Saw You Dancing" (Matinee Recordings)
= 43. California Snow Story "Close To The Ocean" (Letterbox)
= 43. Mistress "The Glory Bitches Of Doghead" (Feto)
45. Ted Maul "White Label" (Raise The Game)
46. Syer Barz "Side FX Section 2" (MOM Promotions)
47. Pig Destroyer "Phantom Limb" (Relapse)
48. Zion Train "Live As One" (Universal Egg)
49. Burial "Untrue" (Hyperdub)
50. Verb T and The Last Skeptik "Broken Window" (Silent Soundz)

And whereas indie dominates the singles, it finds it harder to get a grip on the albums basically because good bands so rarely get to release any. Still, a good opportunity to celebrate other genres, because there are some excellent LPs on show in this list, as well as more than one placing for Wiley (3) and Boyracer and Trim (2 each). Again, it's the UK (and yes, often London) that drives much of the list, but while it's not as international as the singles, there are at least albums here too from the States, Austria, Australia, Norway, Sweden and a couple from Spain.

2007 labels

2007-12-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

As ever, this list is purely mathematical, based on the singles and LP lists: these were weighted to ensure LPs still got parity with the somewhat extended singles list... We've limited it to a top 40, so that we could complete it this century.

1 (-) Cloudberry
2 (RE) Big Dada
3 (-) The International Lo-Fi Underground
4 (19) 555 Recordings of Flagstaff, Arizona
5 (1) Boy Better Know
6 (-) Atomic Beat
7 (-) Ninja Tune
8 (-/55) Sound Ink / Baked Goods
9 (-) The Circle
10 (11) Peaceville

11 (-) Planet Mu
12 (-) Fantastic Plastic
13 (-) Collision
14 (=13) Domino
15 (3) Fortuna Pop!
16 (RE) Slogan
17 (-) How Does It Feel ?
18 (54) Elefant
19 (15) Magic Marker
20 (-) Osmose Productions

=21 (RE) Slam Jamz
=21 (-) Taskforce / Rawdog
23 (-) VRD
24 (-) Awkward
=25 (=13) Boot
=25 (-) Megaforce
27 (-) Slumberland
28 (-) Tempa
29 (-) Hydraulix 13
30 (=20) Hydraulix

31 (RE) Where It's At Is Where You Are
32 (-) DMZ
33 (-) Hyperdub
34 (-) Living Dead Society
35 (-) Painbow
=36 (7) Cluster
=36 (-) Total Entertainment
=38 (-) Anticon
=38 (-) Cleopatra
40 (-) Yard 26

It's all change again as a swathe of new labels attack, most notably Cloudberry, whose ten singles in the top 100 meant they finished far and away top of the tree. Wiley more or less single handedly guided both Big Dada and Boy Better Know into the top five. Perhaps pleasingly, the major labels seem to have been largely excised, with new (proper) indies like ILFU and Atomic Beat flying high. The major casualties from last year's list were Maximum Minimum (whose output was a little less scintillating than previously) and Matinee (whose output was simply a bit more limited in volume), but we're expecting to see them both return in '08.

For the record, the other labels with more than one entry were Happy Happy Birthday To Me, Earache, Candlelight, Trackshicker, Skipping Stones, Silent Soundz and Steamhammer.

2006 singles

2006-12-31T16:01:00.000-08:00

(annotated list here)

1. Harper Lee "He Holds A Flame" (Matinee Recordings)
2. Television Personalities "All The Young Children On Crack, All The Young Children On Smack" (Domino)
3. Chris Liberator and K.N. featuring DJ Cydeboard and DJ 2003 "Soba Grey" (Maximum Minimum)
4. The Butterflies Of Love "Orbit Around You" (Fortuna Pop!)
5. Secret Shine "Elemental EP" (Razorblade)
6. Kryz "Return To Libc (Dysconform)" (Wah Wah)
7. Deicide "Homage For Satan" (Earache)
8. DJ Geraldine and D.A.V.E. The Drummer "Untitled (Hydraulix 35A)" (Hydraulix)
9. Darkthrone "Too Old, Too Cold" (Peaceville)
10. Chris Liberator, K.N., DJ Cunt, DJ Cydeboard and DJ 2003 "Classic Silver" (Maximum Minimum)

11. Arab Strap "Speed Date" (Chemikal Underground)
12. Paul Langley "Sexual Predator" (4x4)
13. The Lucksmiths "A Hiccup In Your Happiness Ep" (Matinee Recordings)
14. Forest Giants "Planes Fly Overhead" (Cherryade)
15. Lovejoy "England Made Me Ep" (Matinee Recordings)
16. Sarandon "The June Bride" (Wrath)
17. Jamie Taylor "Robin Hood" (Cluster)
18. Morrissey "You Have Killed Me" (Attack)
19. The Slits "Revenge Of The Killer Slits Ep" (Only Lovers Left Alive)
20. Shredder "32930 Miles There And Back" (Cluster)

21. Supar Novar "All The Way" (Kemet Entertainment)
22. Monkey Swallows The Universe "Science" / "Happiness" (Thee S.P.C.)
23. The Gresham Flyers "Shiftwork" ([Barryland])
24. Slayer "Cult" (Columbia)
25. Lethal Bizzle vs Test Icicles "Mind Your Head" (V2)
26. Wiley "Eskiboy" (White Label)
27. Secret Shine "Beyond Sea And Sky Ep" (Razorblade)
28. Terra Firma "New Era" (Kemet Entertainment)
29. Ant and DDR "Part Of The Union" (Super Conductor)
30. Fanfarlo "Talking Backwards" (Fortuna Pop!)

31. Kelman "The Heart Is A Useless Ally" (Linear)
32. Micall Parkinsun Featuring Dubbledge "Hungry" (Sit Tight Records)
33. Ninehundredand9 "X-Force" (Powertools)
34. The Loft "Rickety Frame" / "Model Village" (Static Caravan)
35. Kektex "I Kill Everything I Fuck" / "I Fuck Everything I Kill" (Apex)
36. Scratchy "Shangooli" (Dumpvalve)
37. Skepta "Duppy" (white label)
38. Jim Reid "Dead End Kids" (Transistor Records)
39. Wiley "Gangsterz" (white label)
40. Syer "Syernide EP" (white label)

41. Scorcher / Wiley "Chance Us" (white label)
42. The Nightingales "Let's Think About Living" (Fake Product)
43. Camera Obscura "Let's Get Out Of This Country" (Elefant)
44. Dcoy Ft. Wiley "Johnny Was A Bad Boy" (white label)
45. Ant and Nick Grater "Our Broken Toy" (Cluster)
46. Moorish Delta 7 "Levels EP" (7even Entertainment)
47. Give Up All Hope "Nowhere To Hide From Yourself" (Never Healed)
48. D.A.V.E. The Drummer and K.N. "Work The Groove" (Apex)
49. Mr. Ti2bs "Inner City Rap" (Kemet Entertainment)
50. Tiger Force "Syntax Error" (Marquis Cha-Cha)

The serene, super-missed Harper Lee came out on top, but it was desperately close as the Television Personalities' stunning comeback single gnawed at its heels all the way. The Butterflies of Love also scored highly, with a record that demanded celebration. And as well as the former Brighter man and Kicker woman at #1, the chart also featured erstwhile members of the Flatmates, Blue Aeroplanes, the Smiths, Baptiste, More Fire Crew, Jesus and Mary Chain, We Are Going To Eat You and Doom...

A number of people turned up on more than one of these best singles: Wiley marshalled the lower reaches at 26, 39, 41 and 44 (also supplying a remix on the flip of 36): former indie-popper Chris Liberator came in at 3 and 10 (assisted on both by the unlikely-sounding trio of K.N. - who also appeared at no. 48 - DJ Cydeboard and DJ 2003). Ant Wilson was at 29, 45 and, under a pseudonym, at 33: incidentally, if you were wondering where Guy McAffer had got to this year, he was at number 20 under another pseudonym (the great "32930 Miles and Back" single). Oh, and D.A.V.E. The Drummer continued to take a grip, doubling up at 8 and 48.

Excellent releases from Deicide and Darkthrone meant that metal, usually only really now an album genre, was at last represented in the Top 10 singles. It was also the year that Secret Shine made a comeback, with two very good EPs - "Elemental", in particular, placing in the year's top five. Other bands on the comeback trail (or at least on a slight return) included no less than the Slits (19) and the Loft (34).

The singles list was also (marginally) more international, with three American bands, plus representation from Spain, Norway, Australia, Japan (K.N.) and South Africa (yep, Nick Grater again...)

2006 albums

2006-12-30T15:43:00.000-08:00

(annotated list here)

1. Forest Giants "Welcome To The Mid-West" (Cherryade)
2. Zygote "Beats To Make You Frown" (Boot)
3. The Manhattan Love Suicides "The Manhattan Love Suicides" (Magic Marker)
4. Taskforce "Music From The Corner Volume 4" (Music From The Corner)
5. Tinchy Stryder "I'm Back U Know!" (Boy Better Know)
6. Scorcher "Simply The Best" (Adamantium)
7. Boyracer "A Punch Up The Bracket" (555)
8. Beatnik Filmstars "In Great Shape" (The Track And Field Organisation)
9. Life ? "Realities Of Life" (Zebra Traffic)
10. The Hit Parade "The Return Of The Hit Parade" (Jsh)

11. Math And Physics Club "Math And Physics Club" (Matinee Recordings)
12. Ruff Sqwad "Guns And Roses Volume 2" (Ruff Sqwad Recordings)
13. Napalm Death "Smear Campaign" (Century Media)
14. Pipas "Sorry Love" (Long Lost Cousin)
15. Blade "Guerrilla Tactics" (691 Influential)
16. Frisco "Back 2 Da Lab Vol. 1" (Boy Better Know)
17. Horowitz "Frosty Cat Songs" (Kitchen Records)
18. C-Mone "The Butterfly Effect" (Son Records)
19. Tender Trap "6 Billion People" (Fortuna Pop!)
20. Narcosis "Romance" (Calculated Risk Products)

21. JME "Shh Hut Yuh Muh" (Boy Better Know)
22. Demiricous "One" (Metal Blade)
23. Supar Novar "From The Beginning" (Kemet Entertainment)
24. Tinchy Stryder "Lost And Found" (Boy Better Know)
25. JME "Poomplex" (Boy Better Know)
26. Newham Generals "Best Of Newham Generals Volume 1" (Hotheadzpromotions)
27. Eskiboy "Tunnel Vision Volume 2" (Boy Better Know)
28. Stig Of The Dump "The Homeless Microphonist" (Beer & Rap)
29. Terrorizer "Darker Days Ahead" (Century Media)
30. Wretch 32 "Learn From My Mixtape" (Self-Released)

31. Morrissey "Ringleader Of The Tormentors" (Attack)
32. DJ Twister Presents... Fire Camp "Living Legends Volume 1" (Lethal Bizzle Records)
33. Syer "Boy With The Fire" (Self-Released)
34. Pete Dale And The Beta Males "Betrayed By Folk" (Fortuna Pop!)
35. Deicide "The Stench Of Redemption" (Earache)
36. Sway "This Is My Demo" (Dcypha)
37. Slayer "Christ Illusion" (Columbia)
38. East River Pipe "What Are You On ?" (Merge)
39. Darkthrone "The Cult Is Alive" (Peaceville)
40. Eskiboy "Tunnel Vision Volume 3" (Boy Better Know)

41. Pariz-1 "Uncomplicated Vision" (Self-Released, we think)
42. The Elementz "Elementz Universe Volume 2" (EU Entertainment)
43. Decapitated "Organic Hallucinosis" (Earache)
44. JME "Derkhead"(Boy Better Know)
45. Minimum Chips "Lady Grey" (Baked Goods)
46. Jeff Walker And Die Fluffers "Welcome To Carcass Cuntry" (In Grind We Trust)
47. Manage "(Live) In Protest" (Merciless)
48. Asaviour "The Borrowed Ladder" (Lowlife)
49. Beaumont "No Time Like The Past" (Siesta)
50. The Berzerker "World Of Lies" (Earache)

JME managed three entries in the list: Tinchy Stryder and, of course, Eskiboy, two each. We shamelessly flew the UK flag again, it seems, with 38 of the albums basically being from these shores. The honourable exceptions came from the USA (at numbers 7 - I think sadly we now have to award Boyracer to the States - 11, 22, 29, 35, 37 and 38) Norway (39), Poland (43) and Australia (45, 50). And wherever Pipas (13) "officially" hail from!

2006 labels

2006-12-29T12:45:00.000-08:00

1 (-) Boy Better Know
2 (1) Matinee Recordings
3 (11) Fortuna Pop!
4 (9) Maximum Minimum
5 (-) Cherryade
6 (RE) Kemet Entertainment
7 (27) Cluster
8 (-) Razorblade
9 (-) Earache
10 (3) Century Media

11 (-) Peaceville
12 (RE) Attack
=13 (29) Boot
=13 (5) Domino
15 (-) Magic Marker
16 (-) MFTC
=17 (-) Adamantium
=17 (-) Wah Wah
19 (-) 555
=20 (42) Hydraulix
=20 (-) Track And Field

22 (14) Zebra Traffic
23 (-) Columbia
24 (-) JSH
25 (-) Chemikal Underground
=26 (30) 4x4
=26 (-) Ruff Sqwad
28 (-) Long Lost Cousin
29 (RE) 691 Influential
30 (-) Wrath

31 (-) Kitchen Records
32 (17) Son
33 (-) Only Lovers Left Alive
34 (-) Calculated Risk Products
=35 (-) Thee S.P.C.
=35 (12) Metal Blade
37 (-) Barryland
38 (8) V2
39 (-) Hotheadzpromotions
40 (-) Beer And Rap

41 (13) Superconductor
42 (-) Linear
43 (-) Apex
=44 (-) Sit Tight
=44 (-) Lethal Bizzle Records
46 (2) Powertools
47 (-) Static Caravan
=48 (-) Dumpvalve
=48 (41) Dcypha
=50 (-) Transistor
=50 (-) Merge

=52 (-) Fake Product
=52 (-) Eu Entertainment
54 (35) Elefant
55 (-) Baked Goods
=56 (-) 7even Entertainment
=56 (-) In Grind We Trust
=58 (-) Never Healed
=58 (-) Merciless
60 (RE) Lowlife
61 (-) Siesta
62 (-) Marquis Cha-Cha

Again, see last year's placings in brackets. Boy Better Know took over the crown, largely thanks to the institution of a formal top 50 "best albums" list in which its albums and mixtapes secured 8 entries (including three alone from label founder JME). Matinee were still a long way clear of the others in second. Fortuna Pop!, Kemet Entertainment and Earache each secured four total entries in the singles and / or albums top 50s: Cluster was the only other label to achieve three. This year also saw the continued rapid growth of the unattributed white label: if we'd treated all of these as a single, perhaps shadowy separate entity, they would have been top 3.

Old friends reunion: Kemet, Attack, 691 Influential and Lowlife, who all disappeared between the 2004 and 2005 lists, all returned. While in the ilwttisott corporate suite, it was our turn to welcome the evil overlords from Columbia Records of all people.

And the large number of equal placings starting to emerge reflects largely the fact that we gave albums and singles equivalent weighting: a label with a single that was no. 27 with a bullet could happily snuggle up to one that had hit that same dizzy peak in the albums chart...

2005 tunes

2005-12-31T10:52:00.000-08:00

(annotated list here)

1. Hood "The Negatives..." (Domino)
2. Ant "Midnight Black" (Max side) (Maximum Minimum)
3. Ant and Rackitt "Surge" (Powertools)
4. Lethal Bizzle featuring Fire Camp "No" (V2)
5. Forest Giants "Beards" (from "UFO Stories" CD-EP on Breaking Down)
6. Salvo featuring Conspicuous "Dead Moths" (from "Cooking The Books" 12" on Last Minute)
7. Manage "Rise Up" (Defcon)
8. Dynasty Crew "Bare Faced Dynasty" (from "Run The Road 2" CD album on 679)
9. Pale Sunday "The White Tambourine" (from "Summertime ?" CD album on Matinee Recordings)
10. No Lay "Unorthodox Chick" (from "Run The Road 2" CD album on 679)

11. The Wedding Present "I'm From Further North Than You" (Scopitones)
12. Ant "Homemade Discord" (Powertools)
13. Math and Physics Club "Movie Ending Romance" (Matinee Recordings)
14. Lethal Bizzle "Backwards" (white label)
15. Lovejoy "Sid Vicious" (from "Everybody Hates Lovejoy" CD album on Matinee Recordings)
16. Napalm Death "Losers" (from "The Code Is Red... Long Live The Code" CD album on Century Media)
17. Half Man Half Biscuit "We Built This Village on A Trad. Arr Tune" (from "Achtung Bono" CD album on Probe Plus)
18. Cee-Rock 'The Fury' "Anderson Iz Nice" (from "Bringin You Da Yowza" 12" on Wolftown)
19. The Lucksmiths "The Music Next Door" (from "Warmer Corners" CD album on Matinee Recordings)
20. Bolt Thrower "The KillChain" (from "Those Once Loyal" LP on Metal Blade)

21. Martyn Hare "Emetic XI" (B side of 12" on Emetic)
22. Ant "The Tempest" (Powertools)
23. Lethal Bizzle "Fuck You!" (from "Against All Oddz" album on V2)
24. Ant and Mark Verso "Limehouse Green" (Max side) (Maximum Minimum)
25. The Fall "What About Us ? (from "Fall Heads Roll" LP on Slogan)
26. Salvo "1,000 Possibilities" (from "Cooking The Books" 12" on Last Minute)
27. Ant "Squarewave Rebel" (Superconductor)
28. Lady Sovereign "Random (Menta Remix featuring Riko)" (from "Random" CD single on Casual)
29. Raging Speedhorn "A Different Shade Of Shit..." (from "How The Great Have Fallen" CD on Steamhammer)
30. Ant and Lenny Dee "The Powertool" (Powertools)

31. Lovejoy "Everybody Hates Us And We Don't Care" (from "Everybody Hates Lovejoy" CD album on Matinee Recordings)
32. Half Man Half Biscuit "Asparagus Next Left" (from "Achtung Bono" CD album on Probe Plus)
33. Napalm Death "Silence Is Deafening" (from "The Code Is Red... Long Live The Code" CD album on Century Media)
34. Flyblown "Never Forget To Fight" (from "Genocide-Genocide" LP on On The Verge)
35. J Gambles "Good Morning" (from "Channel U Presents Underground 2" CD)
36. Lady Sovereign featuring Skepta, Jammer, Ears and Baby Blue "Hoodie (Mizz Beats remix)" (from "Hoodie" CD single on Island)
37. Guy McAffer / Eddie Santini "RAW 28" (A) (RAW)
38. Ant "Sawtooth's Revenge" (from "Squarewave Rebel" 12" on Superconductor)
39. Diversion Tactics featuring Blade "Live To London" (Boot)
40. Half Man Half Biscuit "Joy Division Oven Gloves" (from "Achtung Bono" CD album on Probe Plus)

41. Hood "Any Hopeful Thoughts Arrive" (from "Outside Closer" LP on Domino)
42. Napalm Death "Sold Short" (from "The Code Is Red... Long Live The Code" CD album on Century Media)
43. The Remote Viewer "They're Closing Down The Shop" (from "Let Your Heart Draw A Line" on City Centre Offices)
44. Styly Cee featuring Cappo "The Test Match" (Son)
45. Comet Gain "If You Ever Walk Out Of My Life" (from "More Soul Than Wigan Casino" CD-EP on Fortuna Pop!)
46. Tender Trap "Talking Backwards" (from "Language Lessons" CD-EP on Matinee Recordings)
47. Cappo "I Know" (from "I.D.S.T." 12" on Zebra Traffic)
48. The Snowdrops "Sleepydust" (Matinee Recordings)
49. Kicker "Since You Left" (from "More Soul Than Wigan Casino" CD-EP on Fortuna Pop!)
50. Milky Wimpshake "I'm Saving Myself For You" (from "Popshaped" CD album on Fortuna Pop!)

51. Ant vs D.D.R. "Kryptonite" (Yolk)
52. The Mitchell Brothers featuring Sway "Harvey Nicks" (679)
53. Dirty Diggers "For The Haters" (from "Diggers Don't Get Days Off" 12" on Zebra Traffic)
54. E Z Riders "Black Box Theory" (Cluster)
55. Manage featuring Syanide "Riot!" (Konshus)
56. The Happy Couple "The Pop Kid" (from "Fools In Love" CD EP on Matinee Recordings)
57. Napalm Death featuring Jello Biafra "The Great And The Good" (from "The Code Is Red... Long Live The Code" CD album on Century Media)
58. Lovejoy "Petrol Stars" (from "Everybody Hates Lovejoy" CD album on Matinee Recordings)
59. Flyblown "Strength To Conquer All" (from "Genocide-Genocide" LP on On The Verge)
60. The Go-Betweens "Darlinghurst Nights" (from "Oceans Apart" CD on Lo-max)

61. Flyblown "Smell The Apathy" (from "Genocide-Genocide" LP on On The Verge)
62. Bolt Thrower "Granite Wall" (from "Those Once Loyal" LP on Metal Blade)
63. Flyblown "Liberty And Deceit" (from "Genocide-Genocide" LP on On The Verge)
64. Roll Deep Crew "Poltergeist (Remix)" (from "In At The Deep End" CD)
65. Trembling Blue Stars "This Is Bliss" (from "Bathed In Blue" CD-EP on Elefant)
66. Hood "The Sad Decline Of Home" (from "The Negatives..." CD single on Domino)
67. Flyblown "The Doves Do Not Fly Here Any More" (from "Genocide-Genocide" LP on On The Verge)
68. Million Dead "Bread & Circuses" (from "Harmony No Harmony" LP on Xtra Mile)
69. Jamie Ball / Julian Liberator "4x4x25 - Clanking" (from "The Machinist" 12" on 4x4)
70. The Lucksmiths "Sunlight In A Jar" (from "Warmer Corners" CD album on Matinee Recordings)

71. P Brothers featuring Smiley da Ghetto Child "Scriptures" (Heavy Bronx)
72. Lethal Bizzle "Uh-Oh" ( V2)
73. Flyblown "Torn From The Land" (from "Genocide-Genocide" LP on On The Verge)
74. Hood "Still Rain Fell" (from "Outside Closer" LP on Domino)
75. Klashnekoff "No Games" (from "Focus Mode" CD mixtape on Altered Ego)
76. Bolt Thrower "At First Light" (from "Those Once Loyal" LP on Metal Blade)
77. Public Enemy "Bring That Beat Back" (from "New Whirl Odor" LP on SlamJamz)
78. Styly Cee featuring Midnyte "No Pills, No Thrills" (Son)
79. Helen Love "Debbie Loves Joey" (from "The Bubblegum Killers EP" on Sympathy for the Record Industry)
80. Jamie Ball / Julian Liberator "4x4x25 - Funky" (from "The Machinist" 12" on 4x4)

81. Guy McAffer "Nelly And Roy" (from "Ave Some Of That You Wankers!" CD on RAW)
82. Rachel Stevens "Negotiate With Love" (Polydor)
83. Hood "Squint In The First Light Of Day" (from "The Negatives..." CD single on Domino)
84. Ant & Nick Grater "Nitrous Oxide" (Cluster)
85. Ant & Chris Liberator "Bandsaw" (Powertools)
86. The Lucksmiths "The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco" (Matinee Recordings)
87. Ant & Chris Liberator "Sound Of Police" (Yolk)
88. Def Tex "Freaks" (single, I think, on Son: you can find it previewed on Son's '98-04 comp)
89. Chris Liberator and K.N. "Bullet Train" (Maximum Minimum)
90. P Brothers featuring Milano "Got It On Me" (Heavy Bronx)

91. Chris Liberator & Guy McAffer "Steel Grey" (Maximum Minimum)
92. Ant and K.N. "The LOUD Shit!" (Powertools)
93. Sway "Up Your Speed (Remix)" (Dcypha)
94. D.A.V.E. The Drummer and S.P. Groove "Hydraulix 29" (Hydraulix)
95. Obituary "Slow Death" (from "Frozen In Time" CD on Roadrunner)
96. Roll Deep Crew "When I'm 'Ere" (from "In At The Deep End" CD)
97. The Remote Viewer "I'm Sad Feeling!" (from "Let Your Heart Draw A Line" on City Centre Offices)
98. The Happy Couple "Hopeless Case" (from "Fools In Love" CD EP on Matinee Recordings)
99. The Fall "Assume" (from "Fall Heads Roll" LP on Slogan)
100. Ant & Chris Liberator "Spiritual War" (Yolk)

Probably singles, unless otherwise stated. The conceit this year was obviously rather different as it celebrated the best songs of the year, whether singles, B-sides, EP or LP or compilation tracks. This allowed opportunities for a number of acts to have multiple entries: techno genuis Ant Wilson dominated, clocking up no less than 14, many of which were in the higher echelons. (Six were solo: his collaborators on the others were Chris Liberator - twice - DDR, K.N., Mark Verso, Rackitt, Nick Grater and Lenny Dee).

While Ant's entries were all from 12"s, a number of albums dominated too. Flyblown had 6 tracks from one record, "Genocide-Genocide", an LP which we were happy even then to acknowledge as the album of 2005 (even though there was, alas, no list to "prove" it). Hood's "Outside Closer" and the single from it, "The Negatives" gave us 5 entries in total (album track "The Lost You" having already appeared in the 2004 singles list); Napalm Death's "The Code Is Red... Long LIve The Code" gave us 4; and Half Man Half Biscuit's marvellous "Achtung Bono", Bolt-Thrower's return to form "Those Most Loyal" and Lovejoy's sparkling "Everybody Hates... Lovejoy" gave us 3 each. It's fair to assume that those records would have dominated any 2005 album chart.

Things were still not markedly international. Only Brazil's Pale Sunday made the top ten from outside the UK, followed by Math and Physics Club (US), Cee-Rock (US), the Lucksmiths (Australia), the Happy Couple (Germany), the Go-Betweens (Australia), Public Enemy (US) and Obituary (US). Of the guest artists, Smiley da Ghetto Child, Milano and Lenny Dee represented the US: Nick Grater, South Africa; and K.N. got Japan into the list. A lot of male vocals again, the only exceptions coming courtesy of No Lay, Helen Love, Rachel Stevens (!), Tender Trap, Comet Gain, Lady Sovereign, Kicker and the Happy Couple.

Finally, Lethal Bizzle deserves a mention, with no less than four, economically-titled, entries: the undervalued singles "No" and "Uh-Oh", the "Backwards" re-working of '04's "Forward", and of course the subtle album track "Fuck You!"

2005 labels

2005-12-30T01:07:00.000-08:00

1 (13) Matinee Recordings
2 (-) Powertools
3 (-) Century Media
4 (-) On the Verge
5 (18) Domino
6 (16) 679
7 (-) Probe Plus
8 (-) V2
9 (28) Maximum Minimum
10 (35) Last Minute

11 (-) Fortuna Pop!
12 (-) Metal Blade
13 (-) Superconductor
14 (31) Zebra Traffic
15 (-) Breaking Down
16 (-) Defcon
17 (3) Son
18 (8) Scopitones
19 (-) RAW (Ripe Analogue Waveforms)
20 (-) Wolftown

21 (-) Emetic
22 (-) Slogan
23 (15) Casual [London]
24 (-) Steamhammer
25 (37) Yolk
26 (-) Island
27 (-) Cluster
28 (-) City Centre Offices
29 (34) Boot
30 (-) 4x4

31 (-) Konshus
32 (14) Relentless
33 (29) Heavy Bronx
34 (-) Lo-Max
35 (9) Elefant
36 (-) Xtra Mile
37 (-) Altered Ego
38 (-) Slam Jamz
39 (-) Sympathy for the Record Industry
40 (-) Polydor

41 (-) Dcypha
42 (-) Hydraulix
43 (-) Roadrunner

Last year's "placings" shown in brackets. Matinee won this by an absolute street, making up 12% of the list by volume: last year's "victor", XL, disappeared entirely, as did six others from last year's top 10. Of the other leading labels this year, only Powertools (Ant's own label) and Chris Liberator's Maximum Minimum really represented more than one record / artist.

We're sure that Polydor and Island were both delighted to join the fray this year, too, following on from the "success" of Virgin and Mercury who'd done so the year before. Indie ? Us ?

2004 singles

2004-12-31T16:38:00.000-08:00

(annotated list here)

1. Cappo presents "Resilience" (Main Rock)
2. Forest Giants "Postcards" (Invisible Hands)
3. Hoodz Underground ft. Big Critz and Ricochet Klashnekoff "How Do You Feel ?" (Trackshicker)
4. Wiley "Wot Do U Call It ?" (XL)
5. The Wedding Present "Interstate 5" (Scopitones)
6. Psychic Phenomena "Psychic Phenom" (Ancient)
7. Airport Girl "Salinger Wrote" (Where It's At Is Where You Are)
8. Tempa "Ya Get Me ?" (Sureshot)
9. Morrissey "Irish Blood, English Heart" (Attack)
10. Skinnyman "I'll Be Surprised" (Lowlife)

11. Styly Cee ft. Scor-zay-zee "Want What's Yours" (Son)
12. Pipas "Bitter Club" (Matinee Recordings)
13. Lethal Bizzle "Pow!" (Relentless)
14. Lady Sovereign "Ch-Ching (Cheque 1-2)" (Casual London)
15. Kano "P's and Q's" (679)
16. C-Mone "Default" (Dark Whisper)
17. Hood "The Lost You" (Domino)
18. Tender Trap "Cómo Te Llamas ? (Tell Me Your Name)" (Elefant)
19. Universal Soldiers "Life's Like A Movie" (Tongue Tied)
20. Cappo and Konny Kon "Capkon Entertainment" (Skullsnap)

21. Frontline "Poizun Penz" (Illegal Aid)
22. Roll Deep Crew "Poltergeist Relay" (white label)
23. Gang Starr featuring 2 Pac and B.I.G. "Ownerz" remix (White Label)
24. Dizzee Rascal "Stand Up Tall" (XL)
25. Taz "Can't Contain Me" (Mercury)
26. C-Mone "Stan Bac" (Son)
27. Shitmat "Full English Breakfest vol 4" (Planet Mu)
28. The Fall "Theme From Sparta FC #2" (Action)
29. Estelle "1980" (Virgin)
30. Blade "A&Rsehole" (691 Influential)

31. Ant & Nick Grater "Emergency Red" (Maximum Minimum)
32. Morrissey "The First Of The Gang To Die" (Attack)
33. Skinnyman "No Big Ting" (Lowlife)
34. P Brothers ft. Imam T.H.U.G. "Across The Planet" (Heavy Bronx)
35. Cappo / Zero Theory "The Get Out EP" (Breakin' Bread)
36. Dirty Diggers "Diggers Don't Get Days Off" (Zebra Traffic)
37. Eyezofman and A Bomb "Lost Kingdomz EP" (NGU)
38. Ice Cube featuring Mack 10 and Ms. Toi "You Can Do It" (All Around The World)
39. Trembling Blue Stars "Southern Skies Appear Brighter" EP (Elefant)
40. Nancy Sinatra "Let Me Kiss You" (Attack)

41. Zygote featuring Sundragon / Hug "Grizzly" / "Rachael Corrie" (Boot)
42. Blade vs. Million Dead "Pop Idol" (691 Influential)
43. Salvo "Uncontained Rage" (Last Minute)
44. Future Pilot AKA "Love Music Hate Racism EP / Mein Nehi Jana Versions" (Geographic)
45. Chris Liberator & Ant "The Big Shot" / "Demon" (Yolk)
46. Rodney P "Trouble"(Riddim Killa)
47. Arms Length "Metropolitics" (Kemet)
48. Death Before Dishonour "Bout Time" (Ninth Letta)
49. Wiley "Pies" (XL)
50. Defisis featuring Blade "It's Like That"(SFDB)

Although this was not, of course, quite the way it worked, we now think of launching the blog as a kind of tribute to John Peel, who of course passed away in 2004. For every band in our lists he used to play (and these ranged from Cappo to Hood to P Brothers to Chris Liberator to Wiley to the Wedding Present) there were plenty more we think he would have, if only he could have. The maddest thing of all is that we first discovered eski or UKHH et al through our own steam, having very wrongly struggled to listen to his show that much during the new century, but we made those discoveries through enquiries I'm sure we'd never have made had he not given us that spirit of adventure.

Anyway. A top 20, in particular, that looks ever-more amazing as time passes, with Forest Giants desperately unlucky to have come up with "Postcards" in the year that Cappo produced such an astounding EP, with vocals from himself, Lee Ramsay and Mr 45, in order to top the rankings. In the full 50, there were 2 entries each for Blade (who also guested on the Defisis track), Wiley, Morrissey and Skinnyman; and 3 for Cappo, who also featured on the B-side of the P Brothers / Imam T.H.U.G. track. A very UK-centred list, mind, with only Pipas, Imam T.H.U.G., Ice Cube, Nick Grater and the not-to-be-messed with combination of DJ Premier, Guru and the deceased Biggie showing for anywhere else. And the lack of female vocalists rather strikes us now: just Amelia Fletcher, Lupe from Pipas, C-Mone, Tempa, Estelle, Lady Sovereign and Nancy Sinatra.

2004 labels

2004-12-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

1. XL
2. Attack
3. Son Records
4. Lowlife
5. Main Rock
6. Invisible Hands
7. Trackshicker
8. Scopitones
9. Elefant
10. Ancient

11. Where It's At Is Where You Are
12. Sureshot
13. Matinee Recordings
14. Relentless
15. Casual London
16. 679
17. Dark Whisper
18. Domino
19. Tongue-Tied
20. Skullsnap

21. 691 Influential
22. Illegal Aid
23. White Label (the label!)
24. Mercury
25. Planet Mu
26. Action
27. Virgin
28. Maximum Minimum
29. Heavy Bronx
30. Breakin' Bread

31. Zebra Traffic
32. NGU
33. All Around The World
34. Boot
35. Last Minute
36. Geographic
37. Yolk
38. Riddim Killa
39. Kemet Entertainment
40. Ninth Letta

A remarkable variety of different labels represented in the year-end list (the top 20 singles were on 20 different labels!) meant that XL nicked it basically for having Wiley and Dizzee on the roster at the same time, however briefly: once nextdoor neighbours Morrissey and Nancy sneaked Attack into second place. It was a far cry from Matinee's dominance for the previous three years. The only other labels with more than one entry in the chart were Son Records, Lowlife, Elefant and Blade's label, 691 Influential.

2003 singles

2003-12-31T10:09:00.000-08:00

1. Forest Giants "Postcards" (Invisible Hands)
2. Simpatico "Club life" EP (Matinee Recordings)
3. Diversion Tactics "Scouts report" (Zebra Traffic)
4. Avocadoclub "Too much space to walk away" (Firestation Tower)
5. Alto 45 "Don't give up giving up" (Happy Capitalist)
6. The Frenchmen "Powdered Blue" (Shelflife)
7. Jasmine Minks "I heard I wish it would rain" (The Bus Stop Label)
8. Bearsuit "Jesus will spear you through the heart" (Fortuna Pop!)
9. The Snowdrops "Mad world" (Matinee Recordings)
10 Bunny Nightlight "Hail!" (Shelflife CD-R club)

2003 albums

2003-12-30T10:17:00.000-08:00

1. Sportique "Communique no. 9" (Where It's At Is Where You Are / Matinee Recordings)
2. More Fire Crew "C.V." (Go! Beat)
3. Taskforce "Music from the corner volume 2" (Music From The Corner)
4. The Fall "The Real New Fall LP (formerly Country on the Click)" (Action Records)
5. Gang Starr "The Ownerz" (Universal)
6. Picture Center "Our true intent is all for your delight" (North American)
7. PMD "The Awakening" (Boondox)
8. Pipas "Golden Square" (Annika Records)
9. Pop Threat "Scum" (Mook)
10. The Lucksmiths "Naturaliste" (Fortuna Pop!)

2003 labels

2003-12-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

1. Matinee Recordings
=2. Invisible Hands
=2. Where It's At Is Where You Are
4. Go! Beat
=5. Music From The Corner
=5. Zebra Traffic
=7. Action Records
=7. Firestation Tower
9. Shelflife
=10. Happy Capitalist
=10. Universal

12. North American
13. Fortuna Pop!
=14. Boondox
=14. The Bus Stop Label
16. Annika Records
17. Mook

Something tickles us about Happy Capitalist and Universal sharing equal billing.

2002 singles

2002-12-31T13:27:00.000-08:00

1. Platinum 45 featuring More Fire Crew "Oi!" (Go Beat!)
2. The Windmills "Walking around the world" (Matinee Recordings)
3. Kicker "No more tears" (The Track and Field Organisation)
4. Blak Twang "Kik off" (Big Dada)
5. Halkyn "Winterhill" (555)
6. Fallacy and Fusion "The Groundbreaker" (Wordplay)
7. Fosca "Secret crush on third trombone" (Shinkansen)
8. Lorimer "George Oldfield" (Goal Mouth)
9. Cody "Uplift" (Shinkansen)
10. Aberdeen "Sink or float" (Tremelo Arm Users Club)

And for some reason it appears we then did a separate top 10 for "EPs and minis":

1. Lunchbox "Summer's over" (555)
2. Mid-State Orange "Flag festival" (Drive-in)
3. Squarepusher "Do you know Squarepusher" (Warp)
4. Trilemma "Crowded wilderness" (Kitchen)
5. Free Loan Investments "Ever been to Mexico ?" (Shelflife)
6. Figurine "discards" (555)
7. Printed Circuit "Acrobotics" (555)
8. California Snow Story "One good summer" (Shelflife)
9. The Icicles "Pure sugar" (Drive-in)
10. The Arrogants "Nobody's cool" (Shelflife)

2002 albums

2002-12-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

1. Sportique "Modern Museums" (Matinee Recordings / Where It's At Is Where You Are)
2. Lock-Up "Hate Breeds Suffering" (Nuclear Blast)
3. Harper Lee "Everything's going to be ok" (Matinee Recordings)
4. Simpatico "The difference between alone and lonely (Gifted / Matinee Recordings)
5. Milky Wimpshake "Lovers not fighters" (Fortuna Pop!)
6. Tender Trap "Film molecules" (Fortuna Pop!)
7. The Bluebear "Food fight at the last chance saloon" (Mobstar)
8. Public Enemy "Revolverlution" (Slam Jamz)
9. Boyracer "To get a better hold you've got to loosen yr grip" (555)
10. Napalm Death "Order of the leech" (FETO)

2002 labels

2002-12-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

1. Matinee Recordings
2. Fortuna Pop!
=3. Go! Beat
=3. Where It's At Is Where You Are
5. Nuclear Blast
6. 555
7. The Track and Field Organisation
=8. Big Dada
=8. Gifted
10. Wordplay

11. Mobstar
=12. Goal Mouth
=12. Slam Jamz
=14. FETO
=14. Tremelo Arm Users' Club

2001 singles

2001-12-31T07:05:00.000-08:00

1. Comet Gain "You can hide your love forever" (Fortuna Pop!)
2. Harper Lee "Train not stopping" (Matinee Recordings)
3. Simpatico "Postal museum" (Matinee Recordings)
4. Camera Obscura "Eighties fan" (Andmoresound)
5. Hood "Home is where it hurts" (Domino)
6. Trembling Blue Stars "The ghost of an unkissed kiss" (Shinkansen)
7. Fosca "Supine on the Astroturf" (Shinkansen)
8. Cinerama "Health and efficiency" (Scopitones)
9. Mark B and Blade "Ya don't see the signs" (Wordplay)
10 Remember Fun! "Train Journeys" (Matinee Recordings)

2001 albums

2001-12-30T07:08:00.000-08:00

1. Hood "Cold house" (Domino)
2. Mobb Deep "Infamy" (Loud)
3. Wu-Tang Clan "Iron flag" (Loud)
4. Harper Lee "Go back to bed" (Matinee Recordings)
5. Trembling Blue Stars "Alive to every smile" (Shinkansen)
6. Doom "World of shit" (Vinyl Japan)
7. Kyoko "Unpure disco" (Pet Sounds)
8. Ego "La main devant la bouche" (Matinee Recordings)
9. Cex "Starship Galactica" (555)
10. Lesser "Gearhound" (Matador)

2001 labels

2001-12-29T10:36:00.000-08:00

1. Matinee Recordings
2. Loud
3. Domino
4. Shinkansen
5. Fortuna Pop!
6. Andmoresound
7. Vinyl Japan
8. Pet Sounds
9. Scopitones
=10. 555
=10. Wordplay
12. Matador

1986-2000 singles and albums

2000-12-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

2000 albums

STEWARD: I Was The Only Boy In The Netball Team (Blackbean & Placenta)
STEWARD: Horselaugh On My Ex (555)
PACIFIC RADIO: Pacific Radio (Shinkansen)
MELODIE GROUP: Seven Songs (Matinee)
ADEN: Hey! 19 (Teenbeat)
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN: Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant (Jeepster)
BEAUMONT: Beaumont (Siesta)
LOVEJOY: Songs In The Key Of Lovejoy (Matinee)
CINERAMA: Disco Volante (Scopitones)
CODY: Stillpoint Primer (Shinkansen)
TOMPOT BLENNY: Found Under Blankets (Shinkansen)

COMET GAIN: Tigertown Pictures (Where Its At Is Where You Are)
EMPRESS: untitled (Geographic)
THE FALL: The Unutterable (Eagle)
FOSCA: On Earth To Make Up The Numbers (Shinkansen)
THE GO BETWEENS: Friends Of Rachel Worth (Tag)
HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT: Trouble Over Bridgwater (Probe Plus)
KID 606: Down With The Scene (Ipecac)
KID 606: PS I Love You (Mille Plateaux)
NAPALM DEATH: Enemy Of The Music Business (Dream Catcher)
THE SOFTIES: Holiday In Rhode Island (K)
THE GENTLE WAVES: Swansong For You (Jeepster)
TREMBLING BLUE STARS: Broken By Whispers (Shinkansen)
WHITE TOWN: Peek & Poke (Bzangy Groink)

Not sure whether these were in order of merit - can't remember after all this time. But our best guess is that they probably were, at least until they go suspiciously alphabetical.

2000 singles

HARPER LEE: Dry Land (Matinee)
KID 606 / TIGERBOY: Straight Outta Compton / With Attitude ? (V-Vm Test)
KID 606 / LESSER: Japanese Tour Single (555)
SPORTIQUE: Dont Believe A Word I Say (Matinee)
CINERAMA: Manhattan (Scopitones)
CINERAMA: Wow (Scopitones)
CINERAMA: Lollobrigida (Scopitones)
CINERAMA: Your Charms (Scopitones)
MILKY WIMPSHAKE: Dialling Tone (Ferric Mordant)
KID 606 / REMOTE VIEWER: split picture disc (555)
THIRD EYE FOUNDATION: What Is It With You ? (Domino)
BIS: Dead Wrestlers (Wiiija)
ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION: New Way, New Life (Nation)
SISTERHOOD OF CONVOLUTED THINKERS: Lunchdate EP (555)
KICKER: Boy, Have You Got It ? (Bad Jazz)
I, LUDICROUS: Approaching 40 (Old King Lud)
MILD MAN JAN featuring MARK E SMITH: A Fistful Of Credits (SWALF1)
CEX: Get Your Badass On (555)
DOWNPOUR: Dont Go Breaking My Art (555)
FOSCA: The Agony Without The Ecstasy (Shinkansen)
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN: Legal Man (Jeepster)
THE GO BETWEENS: Going Blind (Tag)
LONG WEEKEND: Mould (555)

1999 singles

1. Half Man Half Biscuit - Look Dad No Tunes (Probe Plus)
2. The Fall - Touch Sensitive (Artful)
3. Comet Gain - Orwell Liberty Dance (Piao!)
4. Milky Wimpshake - Home Is Where The Hate Is (Libellous Vinyl)
5. Dee-Jay Punk-Roc vs Onyx - Roc-In-It (Independiente)
6. Sportique - Love & Remains (Matinee)
7. Morocco - New Javelins (Guided Missile)
8. Squarepusher - Maximum Priest (EP) (Warp)
9. Miss Mend - Macrometric (Piao!)
10. Arab Strap - Cherubs (Go! Beat)

"we also quite liked A Quarter To Three by Sleater-Kinney, Frozen Head by the Experimental Pop Band, Bitterscene by Velocette, Parallel Horizontal by Marine Research and the Elastica EP (four tracks were awful but the other two featured Mark E Smith). Ellis Island Sound did an okay single on faux-lux as well but it was hardly Always The Light."

1999 albums

1. Napalm Death - Leaders Not Followers (Dream Catcher)
2. Sportique - Black Is A Very Popular Colour (Where Its At Is Where You Are)
3. The Gentle Waves - The Green Fields Of Foreverland (Jeepster)
4. East River Pipe - The Gasoline Age (Merge)
5. Hood - The Cycle Of Days And Seasons (Domino)
6. Marine Research - Sounds From The Gulf Stream (K)
7. Kyoko - Mini: One (Mobstar)
8. Gaze - Shake The Pounce (K)
9. Low - Christmas (Tugboat)
10. Picture Center - The Wonders Of Gods Heaven And Earth (North American)

"Harvey Williams California was quite nice, too; EPMDs Out Of Business a bit tame but it came with a bonus greatest hits CD (totally fly)."

Somewhat harshly, we then went on to say:

"...as is fairly obvious from the above, 1999 was another less than vintage year. The best releases were all compilations or re-issues, in particular Black Tambourine Complete Recordings, Slab! Descension and Hood, Cabled Linear Traction both on CD for the first time, Belle & Sebastian - Tigermilk, Steward's CD compilation on Darla and the Empress collection. the fact that the best new album of the year was a 14 minute thrash covers album probably tells you all you need to know. the Gaze album was nowhere near as good as their last one, nor to be honest were Hoods or ERPs (I think Mel was near-perfect)."

1998 singles

1. Sportique - The Kids Are Solid Gold (Roxy)
2. Jesus & Mary Chain - Cracking Up (Creation)
3. Sportique - If You Ever Change Your Mind (Where Its At Is Where You Are)
4. Cinerama - Kerry Kerry (Cooking Vinyl)
5. Steward - The Last Wasps Of Summer (Orgasm)
6. Belle and Sebastian - This Is Just A Modern Rock Song (Jeepster)
7. Arab Strap - (Afternoon) Soaps (Chemikal Underground)
8. Experimental Pop Band - 40 Greatest Hits (Cup of Tea)
9. White Town - Another Lover (Parasol)
10. Evolution Control Committee - Copyright Violation (For The Nation) (Pickled Egg)

1998 albums

1. Blueboy - The Bank of England (Shinkansen)
2. Cinerama - Va Va Voom (Cooking Vinyl)
3. Trembling Blue Stars - Lips That Taste Of Tears (Shinkansen)
4. Belle & Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap (Jeepster)
5. Gaze - Mitsumeru (K)
6. Arab Strap - Philophobia (Chemikal Underground)
7. Third Eye Foundation - You Guys Kill Me (Domino)
8. Hood - Rustic Houses, Forlorn Valleys (Domino)
9. Napalm Death - Words From The Exit Wound (Earache)
10. Onyx - Shut Em Down (Def Jam)

"Steward's Goodbye To Everything You Love on 555 was also pretty smart. Can't remember if the Rakim album came out in 1998 if it did, then we would suggest ( M. Lawrenson) it should probably be in there too (though not too high, mind)."

1997 singles

1. Comet Gain - Strength (Wiiija)
2. Hood - Useless (Domino)
3. Wu Tang Clan - Triumph (Loud)
4. Blueboy - Love Yourself (Shinkansen)
5. Prolapse - Autocade (Radar)
6. Belle and Sebastian - 3... 6... 9... Seconds Of Light (Jeepster)
7. White Town - Your Woman (Chrysalis)
8. Cornershop - Brimful of Asha (Wiiija)
9. bis - Sweet Shop Avengerz (Wiiija)
10. Helen Love - Does Your Heart Go Boom (Che)

"... we also liked Period Pains - Spice Girls (Who Do You Think You Are ?) (Damaged Goods), AC Acoustics - I Messiah Am Jailer (Elemental), Dweeb - Scooby Doo (blanco y negro) and even High Coin - Sunset Eyes (Dishy)"

1997 albums

"Not really enough for a top ten, we only listened at all to Beatnik Filmstars - In Hospitalable (Merge), Orlando - Passive Soul (blanco y negro), The Fall - Levitate, Half Man Half Biscuit - Voyage To The Bottom Of The Road (Probe Plus) and Squarepusher - Hard Normal Daddy (Warp). So there"

[we can't locate our lists for 1996 anywhere!]

1995 singles

1. Cornershop - 6 a.m. Jullandar Shere (Wiiija)
2. The Wedding Present - Sucker
3. Sportsguitar - He's So Funny (Derivative)
4. Blueboy - Dirty Mags (Sarah)
5. The Pastels - Worlds Of Possibility (Domino)

"Is that all ? More or less, but we mustn't forget Aberdeen - Fireworks (Sarah), Hood - Lee Faust's Million Piece Orchestra (555) and Shelley - Reproduction Is Pollution (Sarah)."

1995 albums

1. Half Man Half Biscuit - Some Call It Godcore (Probe Plus)
2. Comet Gain - Casino Classics (Wiiija)
3. Luna - Penthouse (Beggars Banquet)
4. Elastica - Elastica (Deceptive) isn't this 1994 ?
5. Onyx - Bacdafucup (Def Jam)
6. The Edsel Auctioneer - (Alias)
7. that Go-Betweens covers compilation
8. that Honey Bunch compilation on Elefant
9. East River Pipe - Even The Sun Was Afraid (Sarah)
10. Morrissey - Southpaw Grammar (RCA)

"And finally a mention to... BMX Bandits - Gettin' Dirty (Creation), and Harvest Ministers - A Feeling Mission (Setanta)"

1994 singles

1. Boyracer - He Gets Me So Hard (Sarah)
2. Hal - Election Day (Vinyl Japan)
3. Gunshot - Mind Of A Razor (Vinyl Solution)
4. Ivy - Wish It All Away (Seed)
5. Northern Picture Library - Last September's Farewell Kiss (Sarah)
6. Robert Forster - 2541 (Beggars Banquet)
7. Secret Shine - Greater Than God EP (Sarah)
8. Elastica - Waking Up (Deceptive)

"ummm... memory lapse"

1994 albums

1. Extreme Noise Terror - Retro-bution (Earache)
2. The Orchids - Striving For The Lazy Perfection (Sarah)
3. The Wake - Tidal Wave Of Hype (Sarah)
4. Fat Tulips - Starfish (Vinyl Japan)
5. Hood - Cabled Linear Traction (Slumberland)
6. The Fall - Middle Class Revolt (Matador)
7. East River Pipe - Poor Fricky (Sarah)
8. Chelsea - Nouvelles de Paradis (Rosebud)
9. Tree Fort Angst - Knee Deep In The Rococo Excess Of Tree Fort Angst (Bus Stop)
10. Sportsguitar - fade... cliche

"...Some other good stuff on "33", too... twelve minutes or so of Harvey Williams - Rebellion (Sarah), Luna - Bewitched (Beggars Banquet) featuring the song from a CK advert (!), Pavement's LP I've momentarily forgotten the name of, and The Pastels - Mobile Safari (Domino) ("Classic Line-Up"... what a song)"

1993 singles

1. Tindersticks - City Sickness (This Way Up)
2. Huggy Bear - Her Jazz (Wiiija)
3. Boyracer - B Is For Boyracer EP (Sarah)
4. The Sugargliders - Top 40 Sculpture (Sarah)
5. Secret Shine - Loveblind (Sarah)
6. Action Painting! - Mustard Gas (Sarah)
7. Heavenly - Atta Girl (Sarah)
8. Leftfield / Lydon - Open Up (Hard Hands)
9. Robert Forster - Drop (Beggars Banquet)
10. East River Pipe - Helmet On EP (Sarah)

"Honourable shouts going out to Cornershop - Lock, Stock And Double Barrel EP (Wiiija), Harvest Ministers - If It Kills Me And It Will (Sarah), Blueboy - Meet Johnny Rave (Sarah) and Slumber - Sleep EP (Vinyl Japan)"

1993 albums

1. East Village - Drop Out (Heavenly)
2. Saturn V - Skycycle (Vinyl Japan)
3. Ice Cube - Lethal Injection (Island)
4. Ice-T - Home Invasion (Rhyme Syndicate)
5. Beatnik Filmstars - forgotten the name of it (La Di Da)

"What else ? Well maybe Even As We Speak - Feral Pop Frenzy (Sarah), BMX Bandits - Life Goes On (Creation) and Thrilled Skinny - Smells A Bit Fishy (Artlos)"

1992 singles

1. Brighter - Disney EP (Sarah)
2. Black Tambourine - Throw Aggi Off The Bridge (Slumberland)
3. The Wedding Present - Come Play With Me (RCA)
4. Jesus & Mary Chain - Reverence (blanco y negro)
5. Secret Shine - Ephemeral (Sarah)
6. Hood - Opening Into Enclosure: A Disused Post Mill (EP) (Fluff)
7. The Rosaries - Leaving EP (Sarah)
8. The Orchids - Thaumaturgy (Sarah)
9. The Wedding Present - Blue Eyes (RCA)
10. The Wedding Present - Silver Shorts (RCA)

"plus Confetti - Presentl EP (Marineville), Cornershop - In The Days Of Ford Cortina (Wiiija), Jad Fair & the Pastels - He Chose His Colours Well (Paperhouse); and Even As We Speak - Beautiful Day, The Sugargliders - Letter From A Lifeboat and Blueboy - Popkiss (all on Sarah)"

1992 albums

1. Ice Cube - The Predator (Island)
2. Dr Dre - The Chronic (Priority / Interscope)
3. The Sweetest Ache - Jaguar (Sarah)
4. Eric B & Rakim - can't remember what it's called
5. I, Ludicrous - Idiots Savants (Old King Lud)

"and Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted (Big Cat) and Magnetic Fields - Holiday"

1991 singles

1. Brighter - Half Hearted EP (Sarah)
2. Tramway - Sweet Chariot (Sarah)
3. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy (Wild Bunch)
4. BMX Bandits - Come Clean (Vinyl Japan)
5. Strawberry Story - Caroline EP (Parasol)
6. Napalm Death - Mass Appeal Madness EP (Earache)
7. Bulldozer Crash - Sarah Said / Changing (Sunday)
8. The Pastels - Thru Your Heart (Paperhouse)
9. The Field Mice - Missing The Moon (Sarah)
10. The Vicarage Garden - You That Is (Heaven)

"...and so much more, not least Television Personalities - Strangely Beautiful (Fire), The Wake - Major John (Sarah), Confetti - Who's Big And Clever Now (Heaven), Heavenly - So Little Deserve (Sarah), Dean Wareham - Anesthesia (Mint Tea) and Even As We Speak - One Step Forward (Sarah)"

We were obviously feeling a bit more positive that year.

1991 albums

1. Leatherface - Mush (Roughneck)
2. Ice Cube - Death Certificate (Priority)
3. 14 Iced Bears - Wonder (Borderline)
4. The Orchids - Unholy Soul (Sarah)
5. The Wedding Present - Seamonsters (RCA)

"And honourable mentions to BMX Bandits - Star Wars (Vinyl Japan) and St Christopher - Man I Could Scream (Vinyl Japan)"

1990 singles

1. White Town - White Town (Satya)
2. The Field Mice - If You Need Someone (Sarah)
3. Thrilled Skinny - Let There Be Shelving (Hunchback)
4. The Wedding Present - Three Songs EP (RCA)
5. Heavenly - I Fell In Love Last Night (Sarah)
6. Brighter - Noah's Ark (Sarah)
7. Eric B and Rakim - Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em
8. Robert Forster - Baby Stones (Beggars Banquet)
9. Betty Boo - Where Are You Baby ? (Rhythm King)
10. EPMD - Rampage (Def Jam)

"...we'd also give house room to P.I.L. - Don't Ask Me (Virgin), Brilliant Corners - Love It I Lost It (McQueen), St Christopher - If I Could Capture (Stamp), The Sweetest Ache - Tell Me How It Feels (Sarah), Another Sunny Day - Rio (Sarah), My Bloody Valentine - Glider (Creation)"

1990 albums

"The Wake - Make It Loud (Sarah) was laconic to the point of divinity. Not much else, save that I, Ludicrous LP on Rodney, Rodney and maybe that Datblygu outing on Ankst"

1989 singles

1. The Field Mice - Sensitive (Sarah)
2. Public Enemy - Welcome To The Terrordome (Def Jam)
3. Another Sunny Day - You Should All Be Murdered (Sarah)
4. 14 Iced Bears - World I Love (Thunderball)
5. Brighter - Around The World In 80 Days EP (Sarah)
6. The Edsel Auctioneer - Strung (Decoy)
7. Strawberry Story - The Literary Achievement Of Soft Fruit (flexi)
8. Pacific - Shrift (Creation)
9. James Dean Driving Experience - Clearlake Revisited (Plastic Head)
10. St Christopher - Even The Sky Seems Blue EP (Bus Stop)

1989 albums

1. Galaxie 500 - On Fire (Rough Trade)
2. The Wedding Present - Bizarro (RCA)
3. Television Personalities - Privilege (Fire)
4. The Pastels - Sittin' Pretty (Chapter 22)
5. BMX Bandits - C86 (Click)

"though for an all round musical education you needed to hear the alter ego albums $aw Throat - Inde$troy and Sore Throat - Never Mind The Napalm, both on Manic Ears I think"

1988 singles

1. Eric B & Rakim - Follow The Leader
2. Rosehips - That Was Your Life EP (Chaotic Brilliance)
3. The Field Mice - Emma's House EP (Sarah)
4. The Flatmates - Shimmer (Subway Organisation)
5. Morrissey - Suedehead (His Master's Voice)
6. EPMD - It's My Thang (Def Jam)
7. One Thousand Violins - If I Were A Bullet (Report)
8. Choo Choo Train - High (Subway Organisation)
9. The Wedding Present - Nobody's Twisting Your Arm EP (Reception)
10. Pacific - Barnoon Hill (Creation)
11. Slab! - People Pie (Ink)
12. Pooh Sticks - On Tape (53rd & 3rd)
13. Jesus And Mary Chain - Sidewalking (blanco y negro)
14. Strawberry Story - Tell Me Now (Woosh! flexi)
15. Groovy Little Numbers - Happy Like Yesterday (53rd & 3rd)

1988 albums

1. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (Def Jam)
2. Galaxie 500 - Today (Aurora)
3. 14 Iced Bears - 14 Iced Bears (Thunderball)
4. Felt - The Pictorial Jackson Review (Creation)
5. Razorcuts - The World Keeps Turning (Creation)

"plus, for grindcore fans and cymruphiles respectively, I'd suggest Carcass - Reek Of Putrefaction (Earache) and Datblygu - Wyau (Ankst)..."

1987 singles

1. Bubblegum Splash! - Splashdown EP (Subway Organisation)
2. Rosehips - I Shouldn't Have To Say EP (Subway Organisation)
3. McCarthy - Frans Hals (Pink)
4. The Wedding Present - Anyone Can Make A Mistake (Reception)
5. Talulah Gosh - Talulah Gosh (53rd & 3rd)
6. Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full (4th & Broadway)
7. The Flatmates - You're Gonna Cry (Subway Organisation)
8. The Vaselines - Son Of A Gun (53rd & 3rd)
9. The Smiths - Girlfriend In A Coma (Rough Trade)
10. Razorcuts - I Heard You The First Time (Flying Nun)
11. The Primitives - Stop Killing Me (Lazy)
12. The Go Betweens - Right Here (Beggars Banquet)
13. The Pastels - Comin' Thru (53rd & 3rd)
14. Sinister Cleaners - Longing For Next Year
15. New Order - True Faith (Factory)

"what else ? Sea Urchins - Pristine Christine (Sarah), the Weather Prophets - She Comes From The Rain (Elevation), and the Groovy Little Numbers - You Make My Head Explode (53rd & 3rd)..."

1987 albums

"...with singles as good as those above, did we really need albums ? "george best" was the album of the year anyway, even 'sounds' said that. mind you, the chesterfields' "kettle" just gets better and better over time... the chesterfields are better than oasis... i will accept your silence as agreement"

1986 singles

"(are we allowed to say that even the songs outside the top 20 this year are better than more or less any other record ever released ? let's hope so)"

1. The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again (Rough Trade)
2. BMX Bandits - E102 / Sad? (53rd & 3rd)
3. The Wedding Present - Once More (Reception)
4. McCarthy - Red Sleeping Beauty (Pink)
5. Razorcuts - Sorry To Embarrass You (Subway Organisation)
6. Razorcuts - Big Pink Cake (Subway Organisation)
7. Brilliant Corners - Meet Me On Tuesdays (SS20)
8. Half Man Half Biscuit - Trumpton Riots EP (Probe Plus)
9. The Chesterfields - Completely & Utterly (Subway Organisation)
10. Shop Assistants - I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You (Blue Guitar)

11. Easterhouse - Out On Your Own (Rough Trade)
12. The Redskins - It Can Be Done! (London)
13. Primal Scream - Crystal Crescent (Creation)
14. The Pastels - Truck Train Tractor (Glass)
15. The Flatmates - I Could Be In Heaven (Subway Organisation)
16. Jesus & Mary Chain - Some Candy Talking (blanco y negro)
17. Mighty Mighty - Throwaway (Dreamworld)
18. 1000 Violins - Please Don't Sandblast My House (Dreamworld)
19. Soup Dragons - Whole Wide World (Subway Organisation)
20. The Bodines - Therese (Creation)

"...plus about a million other singles including The Primitives - Really Stupid (Lazy), Bogshed - Morning Sir! (Shelfish), Television Personalities - How I Learned To Love The Bomb (Rough Trade), June Brides - This Town (Pink), Talulah Gosh - Steaming Train (53rd & 3rd), Talulah Gosh - Beatnik Boy (53rd & 3rd), Biff Banng Pow! - Love's Going Out Of Fashion (Creation)), Slaughter Joe - She's So Out Of Touch (Creation), New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (Factory)..."

1986 albums

"ok - let's get things out of the way, the best album of all time came out this year, a various artists lp although its name temporarily escapes me. but don't forget this was also the year of the smiths' "the queen is dead" and the fall's "bend sinister"... god, to be young in those days was very heaven"