And in the blink of an eye, another trip round the sun is nearly over.
This time last year I was in hospital because I looked like Homer Simpson with a sun tan. This year I had a non vital organ removed and decided that maybe, in the current climate, it wasn’t the right time to give up drinking after over three months enforced sobriety. Quitting Xwitter was a much better idea. One poisonous pit of inequity at a time.
This felt like the year of the single. Lots and lots of brilliant songs that weren’t from a full length LP. Yet. But still there were some brilliant albums and EPs.
More over, the best guitar music was made by women, showing the men how to do it. All female bands and artists like The Last Dinner Party, Picture Parlour, Hot Wax, Raveloe, Lime Garden, Sasha Assad, Aderyn, boy genius, O Hell, Viji and many more. Not to mention the women fronting bands like English Teacher, Teeth Machine, Divorce, Library Card, New Dad, SPRINTS, Bleach Lab and many many more. See how many appear in these lovely lists.
Anyway, without further ado, here they are:
Tracks of the Year
- Thus Love – Centerfield
- Lime Garden – Nepotism (baby)
- Noah and the Loners – Protest Anger
- O Hell – Pixel
- Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – Chew
- Bored Marsh – A Better Way (Don’t Start)
- Picture Parlour – Norwegian Wood
- Family Battenburg – Runny Hunny
- SPRINTS – Up And Comer
- Home Counties – Bethnal Green
- Divorce – Eat My Words
- Me Rex – Infinity Worm
- Melin Melyn – I Paint Dogs
- Tape Runs Out – Souvenir
- Afflecks Palace – Ghost on the Underground
- boy genius – $20
- Queens of the Stone Age – Emotional Sickness
- bar italia – Nurse
- Enjoyable Listens – That’s Where The Blood Is
- Wednesday – Bath County
I made that list a few weeks ago when we recorded the end of year pods and in the meantime, English Teacher released ‘Mastermind Specialism‘ which is at least top 5. Incredible song.
Albums of the Year
- bar italia – Tracey Denim
- Tape Runs Out – Floodhead
- Wednesday – Rat Saw God
- Me Rex – Giant Elk
- Bleach Lab – Lost In A Rush Of Emptiness
- Lael Neale – Star Eaters Delight
- Egyptian Blue – A Living Commodity
- Willie J Healey – Bunny
- The National Honor Society – To All The Distance Between Us
- Anna B Savage – In/Flux
- Raveloe – Exit Music
- boygenius – The Record
- Slime City – Death Club
- Blur – Ballad of Darren
- Bonny “Prince” Billy – Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You
- Viji – So Vanilla
- Stornoway – Dig The Mountain
- Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman
- Hundred Reasons – Glorious Sunset
- Gaz Coombes – Turn The Car Around
The highlight of my live music year was travelling to gigs. Focus Wales was the best festival, a brilliant event taking over Wrexham City Centre and some excellent venues and pubs. I also spent several days following Desperate Journalist to Bristol, Manchester and London at three amazing gigs. It was also such a joy to see them support Suede in Portsmouth as one of my last gigs of the year. They were built for the bigger stage.
Next year starts in earnest as Rockaway Beach is the first weekend. Fast beginning to a fast year. Lots of ace albums due early doors from Lime Garden, New Dad, Projector, Home Counties and more. See you on the other side. Cheers 2023.
