Time for the obligatory end of the year run down of my favourite tracks from 2012. This is a necessarily partial list, I decided to leave out songs from some of the more familiar albums of the year which I enjoyed a lot - Dexy's, Alt-J for example, in favour of a list which maybe works a little better as a mix tape. that's the idea, anyway.
First up, Bob Mould - The Decent. It's been a while since I bought a Bob Mould record, his most recent solo stuff has either left me cold or passed me by, but this track from his album Silver Age rocks like the best of Husker Du / Sugar.
Apparently hailing from a neglected hamlet in darkest Sweden whose denizens still follow some kind of voodoo worship (viz. the colourful imagination of the press release authors, one assumes), come Goat. A terrific album of fuzzy Afro Kraut psych. If I was feeling churlish I would say it was constructed very deliberately to appeal to a certain type of jaded muso much like myself; be that as it may, it's still a thrilling record.
We booked Stealing Sheep for the Southwell Folk Festival two years running when they were still in their fuzzy felt folk incarnation. This year they have broken out in full guitar toting psychedelic mode, good to see them getting plenty of recognition.
Stealing Sheep - Shut Eye
I admit to finding this track via a mid-year list in the Guardian - oh, the shame. It was their jazz album of the year so far, by Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca, this is a lovely track:
Roberto Fonseca - Bibisa
Hookworms are from Leeds, they play regularly and I have contrived to miss them at every opportunity, something I must put right in the new year. This track is from a split 7" release with Kogumaza on the Gringo label from Nottingham, it's splendid psych drone and bodes well for the album which is due next year.
Hookworms - Form and Function
Earth played the Brudenell Social Club on my birthday this year, it was a super night of slow stretched out hiss and drone. The album Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II probably edges it for my favourite of the year.
Earth - His Teeth Did Brightly Shine
I can't remember how I happened upon this track, it may have been via the excellent Norman Records. In all honestly I think the recording goes back a couple of years, but who cares. Featuring the metronomic Jaki Liebezeit on drums, Magnetik North - Dr รถn In Koln.
http://magnetiknorth.bandcamp.com/track/dron-in-k-ln
Definitely an album which you have to be in a certain mood to enjoy / endure, The Seer by Swans is pretty intense and I'm looking forward to seeing them for the first time next year.
Swans - Lunacy
More motorik Krautrock throb and drone,this time from the West Country of England rather than downtown Dusseldorf:
Beak - Yatton
Lau had previously left me fairly cold, but Race The Loser is a fantastic record which combines folk with influences of electronica and modern composition (whatever that it is) and it completely comes to life on stage.
Patti Smith played in Leeds this September and was magnificent, the new material blends very well with the best of her back catalogue. The first half of the album is fairly straightforward, then later on things stretch out and get more experimental, I love it.
Field Music released another terrific record, Plumb, after the double album Measure in 2010. We saw them at the Brudenell and again at Green Man and on both occasions they were outstanding, probably my favourite live act of the year. Crunchy and melodic, stuttering time signatures, the acceptable face of prog!
And that's it. Yes it's a bit droney / psychey / krauty, that's what I've enjoyed most this year. No acoustic guitars or miserable singer songwriters! I think there's been some growth..
