Favorites of 2008

Tobacco – Fucked Up Friends
Side project of the super amazing Black Moth Super Rainbow. Critics mentions that it is very “hip-hop influenced”… so what isn’t these days.

Mr.Chop – Sounds from the Cave
Some people cring at the word “jammy” and for good reason, typically it just means we don’t practice and we don’t care. I relate to that attitude but i abhor most of the music it produces. Mr.Chop however, jams but is tight and talented. This record is special but its definitely fun.

Padded Cell – Night Must Fall
hrm… listen to it see if you like it. i think its pretty good.

Siriusmo – All the Girls
I hate the word funky, and so should you. Sirusmo takes a stab at redeeming a word which frankly think saying in public should be considered might be a hate crime.

Ersen – Ersen
Tis is kinda cheating, Ersen was a turkish psych band in the 70s which recently had this compilation put out by finders keepers. It the first recordings that have ever made it to the US so in a way its a new release.

Clark – Turning Dragon
Clark is one of my favorite musicians around. His music is as diverse as it is textured and interesting. This record is remarkably dancy compared to prior releases. i think thats a good thing. (not much on last.fm from this guy so i just linked to his general profile)

Black Devil Disco Club – Eight Oh Eight
From Last.fm

The full name “Black Devil Disco Club” is used for Bernard Fevre’s releases after 2004. The first record “Black Devil Disco Club” was originally released on “Out Records” in 1978 as Black Devil. Originally released in 1978, Black Devil’s “Disco Club” is an extremely rare disco masterpiece, an epic journey into the deepest electronic disco.

… i have heard a rumor that this is actually the secret side project of Luke Vibert. This paranoid theory comes from the intense sophistication of the sequencing and effects in this recording. People seem to feel this couldn’t have been done without the aid of MIDI (which slightly postdates the alleged release date of his first record). I dunno tho’ Daniel Wang was doing it in the 80s why not this guy?

Abe Vigoda – Skeleton
Probably my favorite of the year, super upbeat music with a frenetic and hyper sound. Multiple guitars swelling over each other in raw waves of joyous sound. Pretty great folks.

High Places – High Places
This supposedly improved recording is remarkably sophisticated and complex, the ladies that comprise High Places refer to this record as “dub”. I have no idea where they got that idea but it is worth many many listens.

Tape – Luminarium
Unbelievably rich soundscapes of quiet and droney instrumentation mixed with mild electronics. It has enough structure to keep you awake tho so don’t be shy if you don’t typically like “ambient” music. (link above is from and older album, last.fm is missing luminarium)

Xela – Il Boca al Lupo
DRONEZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz (again last.fm is missing the new album so far)

Chris Schlarb Quintet / Nathaniel Frank and the Wisconsin Magic – Comma Split CD
So this was technically a 2009 release but I got it early cause i had the pleasure of doing the cover art. Both sides are really good but really different. Schlarb’s quintet is super talented free jazz that I can’t get enough of and the Nathaniel et al side is something of a noisy syncopated power trio. Sounds terrible by my description but its really not, really. (once again last.fm has failed me… i may need to find a better source of references).

Well that’s it for 2008 i’ll post anything else i think of in an adendum at the bottom. Hope you enjoy some of these recordings. Happy New Year.