Albums of the Year
Silly season has arrived but it brings to an end a fantastic year for albums. So, for what it's worth, I give you my top ten albums of 2014. In best game show stylee....in reverse order:
10. Kikagaku Moyo - Mammatus Clouds (Cardinal Fuzz / Sky Lantern Records)
Ambient psychedelic jams with some fine sitar shredding. Best track is 'Pond' clocking in at almost 30 mins.
9. Eternal Tapestry - Guru Overload (Oaken Palace)
The ever reliable Eternal Tapestry stray from their home at Thrill Jockey to releases this via Oaken Palace. Not only is it an LP chock full of some fine psych jam fests and mellow space rock but sale proceeds go to save Orangutans...ORANGUTANS....I fuckin' love orangutans (not in a weird way!)
8. You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons - Contact High Wit Da Demons (Cardinal Fuzz)
OK, OK, theoretically a re-release from 2009, but this years double vinyl expands on the original. Fuzz, riffs, distortion, feedback - what's not to like!
7. E Gone - All The Suns Of The Earth (Sunrise Ocean Bender)
A staggering work of music - undefinable and uncategorisable (is that a word?). I review it here
6. Lumerians - Transmissions From Telos Vol. III (Cardinal Fuzz)
A freaky smorgasbord of psychedelia/space rock/lounge and jazz. Read my review here
5. The Green Tambourine Band - ...Let Yourself Be / Aum (via The Active Listener)
Half shimmering sixties psych pop and half full on psych workouts; half looking back and half looking forwards - cracking stuff. Review
4. Anthroprophh - Outside The Circle (Rocket Recordings)
The Heads were/are a fantastic band so any project from Paul Allen is going to be equally so. An LP of staggering kraut / psych mindfuckery.
3. The Cult Of Dom Keller - The Second Bardo (Cardinal Fuzz)
a "spankingly, bowel-looseningly awesome slab of fuzz-drenched, spacey and HEAVY psych rock" (from my review here)
2. Earthling Society - England Have My Bones (Riot Season)
Fleetwood's finest give us a cracking album of krautrock, psychedelia and space rock, including a cover of Alice Coltrane's 'Journey Into Satchidananda' that is mind-blowing (review). I thought this was a shoe-in for my fave LP of the year until....
....my album of 2014 is...
Dead Sea Apes - High Evolutionary (Cardinal Fuzz)
OK my criteria when listening to records:
A good record - one I would happily listen to again
A great record - one that finishes and I immediately play it again.
A truly great record - one that stays with me for days and I bore my mates with.
A fuckin' awesome record - one that lifts me up and transports me - takes me away from the humdrum for the duration and conjures visions in my mind (and lots of guitars!).
'High Evolutionary' is firmly in the last category - a measured, intelligent mix of psychedelic drones, kraut rhythms, surfy guitars and rumbling bass that takes you on a journey. I cannot praise this LP enough...my only worry is how DSA are going to top it, but I look forward to finding out. My somewhat panegyric review is here
Here's to another great year for sounds in 2015
10. Kikagaku Moyo - Mammatus Clouds (Cardinal Fuzz / Sky Lantern Records)
Ambient psychedelic jams with some fine sitar shredding. Best track is 'Pond' clocking in at almost 30 mins.
9. Eternal Tapestry - Guru Overload (Oaken Palace)
The ever reliable Eternal Tapestry stray from their home at Thrill Jockey to releases this via Oaken Palace. Not only is it an LP chock full of some fine psych jam fests and mellow space rock but sale proceeds go to save Orangutans...ORANGUTANS....I fuckin' love orangutans (not in a weird way!)
8. You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons - Contact High Wit Da Demons (Cardinal Fuzz)
OK, OK, theoretically a re-release from 2009, but this years double vinyl expands on the original. Fuzz, riffs, distortion, feedback - what's not to like!
7. E Gone - All The Suns Of The Earth (Sunrise Ocean Bender)
A staggering work of music - undefinable and uncategorisable (is that a word?). I review it here
6. Lumerians - Transmissions From Telos Vol. III (Cardinal Fuzz)
A freaky smorgasbord of psychedelia/space rock/lounge and jazz. Read my review here
5. The Green Tambourine Band - ...Let Yourself Be / Aum (via The Active Listener)
Half shimmering sixties psych pop and half full on psych workouts; half looking back and half looking forwards - cracking stuff. Review
4. Anthroprophh - Outside The Circle (Rocket Recordings)
The Heads were/are a fantastic band so any project from Paul Allen is going to be equally so. An LP of staggering kraut / psych mindfuckery.
3. The Cult Of Dom Keller - The Second Bardo (Cardinal Fuzz)
a "spankingly, bowel-looseningly awesome slab of fuzz-drenched, spacey and HEAVY psych rock" (from my review here)
2. Earthling Society - England Have My Bones (Riot Season)
Fleetwood's finest give us a cracking album of krautrock, psychedelia and space rock, including a cover of Alice Coltrane's 'Journey Into Satchidananda' that is mind-blowing (review). I thought this was a shoe-in for my fave LP of the year until....
....my album of 2014 is...
Dead Sea Apes - High Evolutionary (Cardinal Fuzz)
OK my criteria when listening to records:
A good record - one I would happily listen to again
A great record - one that finishes and I immediately play it again.
A truly great record - one that stays with me for days and I bore my mates with.
A fuckin' awesome record - one that lifts me up and transports me - takes me away from the humdrum for the duration and conjures visions in my mind (and lots of guitars!).
'High Evolutionary' is firmly in the last category - a measured, intelligent mix of psychedelic drones, kraut rhythms, surfy guitars and rumbling bass that takes you on a journey. I cannot praise this LP enough...my only worry is how DSA are going to top it, but I look forward to finding out. My somewhat panegyric review is here
Here's to another great year for sounds in 2015
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