Our Annual Orgy of Self-Congratulation, Grandstanding & Overconsumption : Matador Artists & Staff Select Their 2021 Favorites

(congrats to the winner of the 2021 Matador Invention Of The Year Award, Sarco for their development of a 3D-printed pod. The company claims it's purpose built for assisted suicides, but with addition of bluetooth speakers, it might also be the perfect place to listen to every episode of the Matador Revisionist History podcast on an endless loop.)
(Around this time every year, your underappreciated editor attempts to coax a list of favorite recordings, books, television programs, life events, etc. out of the label’s artist roster and our show-business pals. In the past, this exercise has been a trying process, fraught with nagging, GUILTING and no shortage of hesitatnt-to-violently opposed participants, some of whom actually changed labels or places of employment to avoid the task (i believe the young people call it ghosting, I call it being totally blown off for the 11th year in a row). Even worse, we sometimes overlook persons currently recording for or working for the record label (either that or they saved their list for their own Substack).
Keep in mind, we're about to close the books on the (SECOND) WORST YEAR EVER and perhaps persons with some sense of perspective or humility have other things on their mind than shouting from the rooftops about their cultural cachet. Thankfully, we only know a few people like that.
For some historical perspective, here’s last year’s selections. Questions or comments about our crap tastes and/or laughable omissions are welcome (but not so welcome that we’re inclined to acknowledge receipt).
On behalf of everyone at Matador, here's wishing you, your families and friends a safe & happy holiday and thank you, as always, for putting up with our bullshit -you won't believe what we've got planned for 2022. And without further ado, let the coronoation of Kings Of Leon's 'When You See Yourself' commence. – Gerard Cosloy)
Hugo Burnham, Gang Of Four
HUGO’S LIST OF UNCOOL, SURPRISING, OR INAPPROPRIATE THINGS HE’S DUG IN 2021
HARRY STYLES (still, since seeing th\em/him with my daughter. Great show, great records. In early 1D, he was a mix of a young Jagger and Mickey Dolenz. She goes on her own, now. )

BLOODYWOOD (Indian Heavy Metal Band…actually from India. Steaming good)
STRAIGHT BLACK ESPRESSO…LARGE (fewer calories)
AMERICANO COFFEE (I know, it’s weaker…but still good if the beans are)
DRUM LESSONS (probably way too late to start, now - but George here at school is really good)
FEAR THE WALKING DEAD (jumped the shark and back again and cheesy…but it’s a guilty pleasure)
A REALLY QUITE SMALL BASS RIG FOR SARA LEE FOR NEXT YEAR ("What? Can’t quite hear you..”)
HAVING A BETTER DRUMMER THAN ME AS OUR STAGE TECH ()
SUPERWOLVES (Folkey stuff ain’t usually my bag…but Pajo plays with them sometimes, and my Missus did a film with Will 100 years ago. Small world)
JUDY HENSKE (OK, I dig some folk music after all…that voice! Thank you, Andrew Vachss)
DEEP PURPLE (but only ‘In Rock’. My inner 14 year-old lives)
10,000 MANIACS (The diametric opposite of Deep Purple, but the loveliest people, and the smartest onstage set-up)
JOHN LYDON ON ’THE MASKED SINGER’ (I mean, c’mon! Brilliant! Plus I knew it in about 10 seconds)
GOLF (I know…I know...)
INTERNATIONAL RUGBY ON TV (SO much better than American Football. A real men’s game - Can I say that? Women play it a lot now, too - including The Bodysnatchers/Specials’ Rhoda Dakar’s daughter, who is really good)
ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE (A fun bunch to hang out with way back when, and they’re still at it. They’re from my Manor down in Kent, where I grew up.)
MASSACHUSETTS’ REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR (A decent guy and a real music fan. MA GOP-types call him a RINO. Ergo - a better man by far than any of those assholes)
THE OXFORD COMMA (there’s no bloody argument here. Fight me)
VINYL SIDING (I swore all my life I’d never…but some of it’s damn good these days. Only on my rental place, though)
SMOKING CIGARS (Summer time only, when I mow)
BEING ON MATADOR RECORDS (OH, WAIT…WRONG LIST…)
Ryan Mahan, Algiers
Shows
Warthog, La Milagrosa, Anti Machine 31 July | AB Studios | Rockaway, NY
Blackhaine, 18 November | Peckham Audio | London, UK
Uniform, 13 November | TV Eye | Brooklyn, NY
Armand Hammer, 7 November | Knockdown Center | Brooklyn, NY
Records
Taqbir s/t

Hiro Kone Silvercoat the throng
Armand Hammer Haram
The Bug Fire
Space Afrika Honest Labour
Regional Justice Center Crime and Punishment
Canal Irreal s/t
Lee Tesche, Algiers
Top 5 staff 2021, in order
1. Aaron
2. Emma
3. Malcolm
4. Emily
5. Gerard
Honorable Mention: Jake
Steve Gunn
RIP Milford Graves

Loren Connors at Union Pool
Natural Information Society @Woodsist fest
Willie Lane & Wednesday Knudsen Duo 10 forward
Don Cherry: Organic Music Societies Book
Dylan at the Beacon
QTIP’s Abstract Radio show
La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) film forum
George Saunders : A swim in the Pond in the Rain
John Lurie : The History of Bones
RIP Greg Tate

RIP Michael Chapman
Best day off Peaks Island, Maine
Leon & Sons Wine shop Brooklyn
Laura Ortman William Tyler Duo Bell House
Arthur Russell : Another Thought Re Issue
Most daring purchase : A Purple Beret
Oren Arembarchi & Crys Cole : Les Atelier Claus

Dogpatch Podcast
Myriam Gendron: Ma delire Songs love,lost & found
Nabil Ayers, 4AD
L'Rain - Fatigue
Turnstile - Glow On + this Live BBC session
Georgia Ann Muldrow - VWETO III
Patricia Brennan - Maquishti

Ruth Barlow, Beggars
And one thing only
but it’s a great thing …

Adam Bohl, Matador Direct
Madlib - Sound Ancestors (Madlib Invazion)
The Cowboy - Riddles From The Universe (Feel It Records)
Various Artists - Written On the Wall : American Soul Music 1958-1974 (Cairo Records/Mississippi Records) I highly recommend anything in this series.
Jamie Branch - Fly Or Die Live (International Anthem)
Wednesday - Twin Plagues (Orindal Records)
Ty Segall - Harmonizer (Drag City)
Endless Boogie - Admonitions (No Quarter)
Keith Hudson – The Black Breast Has Produced Her Best, Flesh Of My Skin Blood Of My Blood Reissue (VP Records)

Various Artists - Hillbillies In Hell XII (The Iron Mountain Analogue Research Facility) If you can ignore the name and album artwork this series has some great country deep cuts.
Mark Fry - Dreaming Of Alice Reissue (Now-Again)

Fatboi Sharif - Ghandi Loves Children
Grateful Dead - Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12/10/71 (Rhino Records) All the jams of the era, really transports you back to a college dorm room.

bonus category :
Drink of the Year: Piña loca michelada from Mi Otra Casa Michelada House 2
Emma Buchanan, Matador Records

Astrid Øster Mortensen - Gro Mig En Blomst
bar italia - Bedhead
Backxwash - I LIE HERE BURRIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES
The Bug - Fire
Dean Blunt - Black Metal 2
DJ Headwound - The Day You Die Is The Day I Smile
Florry - Big Fall
GG King - Remain Intact
Hawthonn - Earth Mirror
King Woman - Celestial Blues
Lily Konigsberg - Lily We Need To Talk Now
Lost Girls - Menneskekollektivet
Low Life - From Squats to Lots
MICROCORPS - XMIT
Mountain Movers - World What World
Miho Hatori - Between Isekai and Slice of Life
NINA - Classics
Scotch Rolex - Tewari
Succumb - XXI
Water From Your Eyes - Structure
Temkins, Patty and Selma, Fast Eddie, Bush Tetras, SAW I-III, SAW VI, Gwar: Scumdogs of the Universe 30th Anniversary Tour.
Gerard Cosloy, Matador Records
The Notwist - Vertigo Days (Morr Music)
Saint Abdullah - To Live Ala West (Important)
Madam Data - The Gospel Of The Devourer (PTP)
Gudrun Gut & Mabe Fratti - Let's Talk About The Weather (Umor Rex)
Leda - Covid "Music " I Made With My Guitar (Knotwilg)
The Bug - Fire (Ninja Tune)
Rosali - No Medium (Spinster)
GG King - Remain Intact (Total Punk)
Model Home - Both feet en th infinite (Don Giovanni)
Michael Beach - Dream Violence (Goner)
Patrick Shiroishi - Staying Human / Luke Stewart - Works For Pioneer Works (Profane Illumination)
billy woods / Moor Mother - BRASS (Backwoodz Studios)
Skogar - Paradise City Jams (Studio Barnhus)
Chris Corsano/ Bill Orcutt - Made Out Of Sound (Palilalia)

Astute Palate - s/t (Petty Bunco)
Senyawa - Alkisah (Phantom Limb)
Emily Robb- How To Moonwalk (Petty Bunco)
FACS - Present Tense (Trouble In Mind)
Powers/Rolin Duo - Strange Fortune (Astral Editions)
Soft Shoulder - Formerly On Fluorescent Paper (Gilgongo)
Patrick Shiroishi - Hidemi (American Dreams)
Container - Creamer (Drone)
Lucy Miller & The Dog Roses - s/t (Soleils Bleus)
Endless Boogie - Admonitions (No Quarter)
Various - We Live In Strange Times (Spacecase)
Derek Monypeny - The Hand As Dealt (2182)
Claire Rousay - A Softer Focus (American Dreams)
Rob Noyes - Arc Minutes (VDSQ)
The Weather Station - Intolerance (Fat Possum)
Claire Rousay - 17 Roles (All Mapped Out) (Shelter Press)
Tcheser Holmes - The T Is Silent (Black Science Fiction)
Model Home + Saint Abdullah - Invasive Inclinations (PTP)

Unda Fluxit - Stone Ringing Sorrows (ever/never)
Matthew J. Rolin - The Dreaming Bridge (Feeding Tube)
Armand Hammer / The Alchemist - Haram (Backwoodz Studioz)
Kuzu - All Your Ghosts In One Corner (Aerophonic)
CIA Debutante - Dust (Siltbreeze)
small screen 2021 : Sally Carmen, Kate Winslet, Eddie Kingston,
big screen 2021 : "Fire Music : The Story Of Free Jazz" (director, Tom Surgal)
people playing music in person list :
GG King, Railgarten, Memphis
Able Noise, Cafe Oto, London
Mourning [A} BLKStar Far Out Lounge, Austin
Chronophage, a barn, October
Malcolm Mooney & The Eleventh Planet, Union Pool, Brooklyn
Uniform, Elysium, Austin
Malcolm Donaldson, Matador Records
Some of my favorite new albums released in 2021
Ignorance - The Weather Station
Structure - Water From Your Eyes

Van Gogh’s Left Ear - Zelooperz
SHILOH: Lost For Words - John Glacier
World What World - Mountain Movers
Shade - Grouper
View No Country - Kraus
A Color of the Sky - Lightning Bug
Slitherman Activated - RXKNephew
Geotag IV - Boundary
Touch The Earth - Placid Angles
Some favorite reads (new and old) of 2021
Magic Actions - Tobi Haslett
A Little Devil in America - Hanif Abdurraqib
Oval - Elvia Wilk
Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison
Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk
Stoner - John Williams
Father Goriot - Honoré de Balzac

Favorite dog acquisition of the year: Stanley
Rian Fossett, Matador Records
Music: Wau Wau Collectif Yaral Sa Doom (album),
Amen Dunes “Feel Nothing” (single)
Movie: Titane

TV: The White Lotus
Book: The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Podcast: Rancho Thatchmo
Photo of Enzo
Pam Garavano, Beggars
New:
John Andrews – Cookbook
Izzy Johnson – Earth Tones
Lingua Ignota – Sinner Get Ready
L’Rain - Fatigue
Low – Hey What

(photo : Eli Johnson)
Marisa Anderson & William Tyler – Lost Futures
Modern Nature – Island of Noise
Spellling – The Turning Wheel
Sylvie – s/t EP
Yu Su – yellow river blue
Reissues
Conny Frischauf – Die Drift
Phýõng Tâm – Magical Nights
Leslie Winer - When I Hit You - You'll Feel It
Telex – This is Telex
Screamers - Demo Hollywood 1977
Seefeel - Rupt + Flex 94 — 96
Matt Harmon, Beggars US
Albums
Seafoam Walls - XVI (Daydream Library)
Racchika Nayar - Our Hands Against the Dark (NNA Tapes)
The Notwist - Vertigo Days (Morr Music)
Sam Wilkes - ONE THEME & Subsequent Improvisations (Leaving Records)
James Brandon Lewis - Jesup Wagon (TAO Forms)
KMRU - Logue (Injazero Records)
Angel Bat Dawid and tha Brotherhood - LIVE (International Anthem)
Alex Ward - Gated (Discus Music)
Ryley Walker - Course of Fable (Husky Pants)
Myriam Gendron - Ma délire – Songs of love, lost & found (Feeding Tube Records)
Caroline Shaw & So Percussion - Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part (Nonesuch)
Perila – 7.37/2.11 (A Sunken Mall)
Irreversible Entanglements - Open the Gates (International Anthem)
Natural Information Society - descension (Out of Our Constrictions) featuring Evan Parker (Eremite Records)
Michael Grigoni, Chihei Hatakeyama & Stephen Vitiello – Earth Awhile (White Paddy Mountain)
Rat Columns - Pacific Kiss (Tough Love)
Re-issues, Boxset, live and misc…
Can - Live in Stuttgart 1975 (Spoon/Mute)
Gang of Four 77-81 Boxset (Matador Records)
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme : Live in Seattle (Impulse!)
Obits - Die at the Zoo (Subpop)
Songs
Shirley Collinns “The Rose and the Briar” (Domino Records)
Beak> - “Oh No” (Invada Records UK)
Oneohtrix Point Never & Elizabeth Fraser - “Tales From the Trash Stratum” (Warp)
Colloboh - “Rpm+” (Leaving Records)
Sonya Kolowrat, Beggars
RANDOM TOP 10 THINGS THAT KEPT ME SANE IN 2021
- Cemetery walks (Hollywood Forever Cemetery in particular)
- Danzig
- The Screamers
- Rock docs – too many to list, but everyone needs to watch ‘Summer Of Soul’
- Nicholas Canyon Beach
- Trazadone & Cymbalta
- Idles + Turnstile
- Osoyoos, British Columbia
- Stacy Karp
10. Gary Gulman (comedian)
Aaron Leitko, Matador Records
TOP 5 RECORD SCORES OF 2021

My top want of all time, I found a cherry copy courtesy of a collector friend selling of a collection, this single instantly makes every other record in your fire box obsolete, there has never been and will never be another band like San Francisco's CRIME, and this their 2nd single being their most ferocious recording ever. A reissue or a bootleg cannot match the glory of this one.
BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE OF 2021

- The Third Generation (d. R.W.Fassbinder, 1979 - West Germany)
- Fassbinder's radical socio-political drama, media overload. Loved it. Streaming on Criterion
- It Always Rains On Sunday (d. Robert Hamer, 1947 - UK)
- East End London noir with brilliant ensemble cast, a fully loaded 91mins. Streaming on Kanopy
- Major Dundee (d. Sam Peckinpah, 1965 - USA)
- A Moby Dick Western. Peckinpah at his most Fordian, would love to see the 4.5hr cut. Steaming on Starz
- Bandits of Orgosolo (Vittorio De Seta, 1961 - Italy)
- Maybe the best Italian Neorealist film you will see, an extension of De Seta's magnificent (which are streaming on Criterion and are highly recommended) documentary shorts about Sardinian townspeople with incredible detail of their lives, work and traditions. Not streaming
- Rivals (d. Krishna Shah, 1972 - USA)
- Very bizarre family drama starring comedian Robert Klein and future Bad Ronald, Scott Jacoby as an ambitious boy with a strong affection for his mother and Klein plays a NYC tour guide who woos her to the boy's disdain. An ending that will leave your jaw on the ground! Streaming on Tubi
My 2021 Massive Hits (Old and New)
EXEK - Several Souvenirs
Lil Ugly Mane - into a life
Wipers - Stormy
He Said - A.B.C. Dicks Love
Rated Z - Whatever People Say That I Am (That’s What I’m Not)
She Devil - Scraps
800 Cherries - through
Discovery Zone - Dance II
Fabiana Palladino - Shimmer
Evil House Party - Wicked
Oliver Coates - Butoh baby
Joanne Robertson, Oliver Coates - Doubt
Grouper - Kelso (Blue Sky)
Sky H1 - Elysian Heights
The Orchids - Striving For The Lazy Perfection
The Field Mice - Sensitive
Better Day - Hard Soul Mix
Koo De Tah - Missed You All Along
Sabrina Nichols, Beggars
Big Thief- Sparrow
Beach House- Pink Funeral
Spirit of the Beehive- There’s Nothing You Cant Do
Kitchen- Shooting Star
Waveform*- Favorite Song
Baby Keem- issues
Cardi B – Up
Melaina Kol- Prison Moon
Full Body 2- ador // ation
Steve Gunn - Other You
Joyer- Cranky Boy
Circuit Des Yeux- Sculpting the Exodus
Mdou Moctar- Ya Habibti
Cammy Enaharo – Real Love
Øyvind Rones, Playground
Smerz - Believer / The art of making techno, trip-hop, folk and classical make beautiful sense as a whole

Lokoy - Badminton / Remember how Norwegians made cool indie stuff in the 90s? No? It was awesome, and this was the vibe
Abby Rubin, Beggars
Wau Wau Collectif - Yaral Sa Doom
Low - HEY WHAT
Equiknoxx - Basic Tools Mixtape
Turnstile - GLOW ON
Yu Su - Yellow River Blue

Grouper - Shade
Anika - Change
Spirit Of The Beehive - ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH
Linda Smith - Till Another Time: 1988 - 1996
Nation of Language - A Way Forward
Saint Etienne - I’ve Been Trying To Tell You
For Those I Love - s/t

- SING BACKWARDS AND WEEP: A MEMOIR (Mark Lanegan)
- FRANK ZAPPA. La Musica Se Resiste A Morir (Manuel de la Fuente)
- THE OFFICE (revisited for the umpteenth time)
- ATYPICAL
- SEX EDUCATION
- LOST (another one revisited)
Dominik Schmidt, Beggars
Albums:
- Lucy Dacus - Home Video
- Big Red Machine - How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?
- Villagers - Fever Dreams
- The Notwist - Vertigo Days
- Grandbrothers - All the Unknown
- Julien Baker - Little Oblivions
- Snail Mail - Valentine
- Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under
- The War On Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore
- Durand Jones & The Indications - Private Space
- London Grammar - Californian Soil
- Celeste - Not Your Muse
- Easy Life - Life's A Beach
- Joy Crookes - Skin
- Mini Trees - Always In Motion
- Torres - Thirstier
- BADBADNOTGOOD - Talk Memory
- Middle Kids - Today We're The Greatest
- James Blake - Friends That Break Your Heart
- Helado Negro - Far In
- Ben Howard - Collections From The Whiteout
- Mustafa - When Smoke Rises
- Parquet Courts - Sympathy For Life
- Sam Evian - Time To Melt
- Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
- Geese - Projector
- Thala - Adolescence
- Modest Mouse - The Golden Casket
- Efterklang - Windflowers
- Courtney Barnett - Things Take Time, Take Time
Songs:
- Pinegrove - Alaska
- Durand Jones & The Indications - Witchoo
- Villagers - The First Day
- Julian Baker - Hardline
- Lucy Dacus - Brando
- Easy Life - Ocean View
- Ada Lea - damn
- Snail Mail - Ben Franklin
- Clairo - Amoeba
- Bayuk - Head Under Waves
- Torres - Don´t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head
- Big Red Machine - Phoenix (feat. Fleet Foxes & Anaïs Mitchell)
- Parquet Courts - Walking at a Downtown Pace
- Helado Negro - Gemini & Leo
- Sam Evian - Time to Melt
- London Grammar - Lose Your Head
- We Were Promised Jetpacks - Fat Chance
- James Vincent McMorrow - Poison to You
- Holly Humberstone - The Walls Are Way Too Thin
- Berwyn – Mia
Films:
1. Dune

- Free Guy
- Nomadland
- Cruella
- Coda
- James Bond
- Luca
- Nobody
- The Suicide Squad
- Black Widow
Series:
- Loki
- Foundation
- WandaVision
- Squid Game
- Your Honor
- Sex Education – series 3
- Mare Of Easttown
- Only Murders In the Building
- Lupin
10. The White LotusMelanie Sheehan, Rough Trade
Welcome to my Comedy Favorites of 2021
(and yes maybe some 2020 in there as well, because we all know it’s just been one long stupid year anyway)
Pen15 Season 2 Part 2
No one has ever blown the door of cringe traumedy this far off its hinges, and as I hear this new batch of episodes that just dropped may be the last, I wanna take a moment to salute thee. Even setting aside thehuge meaning this show has had for me personally in nailing biracial Asian American adolescent angst, the value of this show to anyone and everyone who has ever been 13 is immeasurable. Set aside some time this holiday break to cry, laugh, feel queasy, then cry and laugh some more.
Curb Your Enthusiasm – Season 11
I’m sorry, but I will never get tired of this show. EVER. If, however, for some reason YOU are worried that you may not have it in you for yet another season of social assassinations, Leon-isms, and Susie insults then please may I inform you that this year Tracy Ullman joins the cast as City Councilwoman Irma Kostroski and steals every goddamn scene she enters.
Prettt-y Prettt-y Prettt-y irresistible, if you ask me.
Beth Stelling
I’ve been a fan ever since her “meat coat” bit from 2017 and recently caught her “Girl Daddy” special from last year.
It’s fantastic and I promise you’ll never look at a Koala Care changing station the same ever again.
Dave Attell @ Caroline’s
I’m reticent to share this with the world but – every year, between Christmas and New Year’s, Comedy Legend Dave Attell does a string of shows at Caroline’s on Broadway. Attending these is one of my most cherished of holiday traditions. Even though I DON’T want you there grabbing up all MY tickets, it would be irresponsible to not mention it as a favorite. And since it didn’t get to happen last year, it feels extra special to get to experience this again.
Josh Johnson has a lot of jokes about being lazy, but don’t let him fool ya. My favorite baloney hater dropped TWO specials this year, Elusive and #(Hashtag) and they are both wonderful. He also started a top notch night at The Stand called Flex Comedy that my freshly vaccinated ass ran to the second it felt safe to watch standup indoors (where it belongs!) again. He is a true gem.
Gary Gulman’s
Yeah yeah, I know his fantastic Great Depresh special came out in 2019, but I saw Gary multiple times this year and he kills it, reliably, every time. He recently played Carnegie Hall but you can still catch him literally anywhere in NY, as I did on the patio of a café in Woodside, doing a captivating hour and a half that included skillfully eviscerating a brother & sister who made the mistake/bold choice of sitting up front.
Sam Jay not only put out a fiercely funny special last year but also nabbed a show on HBO this year called Pause that finally officially freed the nipple, as well as made you wish you could be invited to every party Sam Jay is at forever.
Maria Bamford is the perfect pandemic comedian. While others struggled to perform on Zoom during lockdown, this Dynamite Lady (Netflix heads know what I’m talking about) thrived. Maria has been performing in undesirable, challenging (i.e. outdoor) locations with minimal audiences for years. Her specials have her marvelously maneuvering bus stops, bookstores, bowling alleys, as well as a private concert for her parents and pugs in her actual house. One of my favorite examples of Maria’s abilities is her improvised set to absolutely no one in 7 Minutes in Purgatory. Bow down, bitches. She deserves it.
Bowen Yang is my everything. I haven’t been this excited about a SNL cast member since Kate McKinnon, and the fact that I willingly listen to his pop culture podcast Las Culturistas when I can’t stand 99.9% of the format really speaks volumes. He is absolutely delightful on Nora From Queens as well (a show I would give bigger props to if she would stop going by Awkwafina completely. Girl, I love you, but pull a Dwayne Johnson already and move on!)
NORM.
And finally we reach the best chunk o’ coal to be on constant rotation in my comedy collection.
I am lucky enough to have seen the genius of Norm MacDonald live in my lifetime, and this year had tickets to see him again. Sadly, I was relegated to dressing up as Turd Ferguson for Halloween instead. I hope I did him proud. (EDITOR'S NOTE : this is one occasion where we could've used a photo)
Honorable Mentions because apparently this isn’t long enough already:
-Jared Goldstein is a completely brand-new comedy crush for me and should be everyone else’s too.
-Shout out to me finally watching the episode Joe Pera Discovers The Who and then starting it over and watching it again. And again.
-Excited to binge watch MacGruber: the series and How To with John Wilson Season 2 over the holidays while my mom yells at me to turn the tv off.
Quanie Thornton, Beggars
ALBUMS
Aaliyah – Aaliyah (Reissue)
BADBADNOTGOOD – Talk Memory
Cleo Soul – Mother
Heaux Tales – Jazmine Sullivan
Mustafa – When Smoke Rises
Nala Sinephro – Space 1.8SONGS
Amethyst Rays (Extended) – Epifania
BADBADNOTGOOD – Love Proceeding (feat. Arthur Verocai)
Billie Eilish – Your Power
Chandler – Joyce Wrice
Dynamite – Gallant & Brandy
m y . l i f e – J. Cole, 21 Savage & Morray
My Little Love – Adele
NEON PEACH – Snoh Aalegra ft. Tyler, The Creator
Nobody – Nas feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill
Stay Alive – Mustafa
Emma Toney, Beggars
Olivia Rodrgio , Sour
Wednesday, Twin Plague
Lucy Dacus, Home Video
Bachelor, Doomin’ Sun
Wet Leg, Chaise Lounge
Search Party
The Other Two
The Reporter of the Week Review Brah
Frank Watkinson Youtube Covers
The Strokes, Irving Plaza
The New York City Ferry
Sumo Oranges
Beggars Coney Island trip
Josh Turner, Matador Records
Releases (open competition)- Yu Su – ‘Yellow River Blue’
- PinkPantheress – ‘to hell with it’
- Asian Glow – ‘Cull Ficle’
- Lana Del Rey – ‘Chemtrails Over The Country Club’
- Zachary McClellan – The Gyres
- Richard Dawson & Circle – Henki
- John Carroll Kirby – Cryptozoo
- Jackson Reid Briggs & The Heaters – Waiting In A Corner
- Ánnámáret – ‘Nieguid duovdagat’
- DJ Manny – ‘Signals In My Head’
Releases (hardcore & metal)- Final Gasp – ‘Haunting Whisper’
- Ekulu – ‘Unscrew My Head’
- Angel Du$t – ‘YAK: A Collection Of Truck Songs’
- Big Cheese – ‘Anymore for Anymore?’
- The Chisel – ‘Retaliation’
- Turnstile – ‘Glow On’
- Portrayal of Guilt – ‘Christfucker’
- Suffering Hour – ‘The Cyclic Reckoning’
- Gulch / Sunami – Split
- C4 – ‘Chaos Streaks’
Reissues- David Horridge & Kevin McCormick – ‘Light Patterns’
- Female Species – ‘Tale Of My Lost Love’
- Karate – ‘Karate’
- Al-Dos Band – ‘Doing Our Thing With Pride’
- Static – ‘Toothpaste & Pills: Demos and Live 1978 – 1980
Whiskey- Angels Envy Rye - the rum barrel finish makes it special
- Glenfarclas 25 - affordable for a 25yr
- Michters Rye - currently the best US distillery
- Whistlepig 10 – tough but sweet. typical New Englander
- Nikka Coffee Grain – yet to test this against the coffee malt
- Playlists
- Pure Enough
- Midnight Marauder
- Mystic Valley Sailing & Regatta Club
- Glimpses Thro’ the Rift
- 2021 - Selects
Jake Whitener, Matador Records
21 for 2021
L’Rain Fatigue (Mexican Summer)
Low Hey What (Sub Pop)
Civic Future Forecast (Flightless / ATO)
Arooj Aftab Vulture Prince (New Amsterdam)
Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders Promises (Luaka Bop)
Rosali No Medium (SPINSTER)
Yu Su Yellow River Blue (Self Released)
Maria BC Devil's Rain EP (fear of missing out)
Mabe Fratti Sera Que Ahora Podremos Entendernos (Unheard of Hope)
Tarta Relena Fiat Lux (Self Released)
Taqbir S/T EP (Self Released)
Writhing Squares Chart for the Solution (Trouble in Mind)
Nana Yamato Before Sunrise (Dull Tones)
Sally Decker In the Tender Dream EP (NNA Tapes)
Painted Shrines Heaven and Holy (Woodsist)
Irreversible Entanglements Open the Gates (International Anthem)
Nala Sinephro Space 1.8 (Warp)
Space Afrika Honest Labour (Dais Records)
The Reds Pinks and Purples Uncommon Weather (Slumberland Records)
Yasmine Williams Urband Driftwood (SPINSTER)
Ekulu Unscrew My Head (Cash Only Records)
Favorite Songs of the year :
For further listening - Pure Enough
Top 5 Moments of 2021
Angel Bat Dawid and Jaimie Branch’s “Alters and Tabernacles” at IRL
Steve Gunn’s jaw dropping encore at The Bell House
Jaimie Branch’s entire opening set for Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah
Yo La Tengo’s moving performance of “Ohm” at the Kaatsbaan Festival
Mary Lattimore’s sunset performance at Greenwood Cemetery
Emily Zaremba, Matador Records
Favorite albums/EPs:
Skee Mask - Pool
bar italia - bedhead
Hildegard - Hildegard
Siete Catorce - Temperatura
Slow Crush - Hush
Dean Blunt - Black Metal 2

Tristan Arp - Sculpturegardening
Doss - 4 New Hit Songs
Water From Your Eyes - Structure
HTRK - Rhinestones
Sassy 009 - Heart Ego
Vivian Koch - Beyond Contact
Placid Angles - Touch The Earth
James K - 036
Lawrence Le Doux - Compassion Lake
Yves Tumor - The Asymptotical World
Yu Su - Yellow River Blue
Vegyn - Like A Good Old Friend
Mica Levi - Blue Alibi
Ekulu - Unscrew My Head
Samuel Organ - A Safe Place in Cyberspace
Flock of Dimes - Head of Roses
CFCF - Memoryland
They Are Gutting A Body Of Water/Full Body 2 - EPCOT
Grouper - Shade
Favorite movies seen in theaters:
Titane
Red Rocket
Another Round
Fallen Angels 4k restoration
Out of the Blue 4k restoration
Possession 4k restoration
Cure 4k restoration
La Piscine 4k restoration
Mulholland Drive 4k restoration
Our Annual Orgy of Self-Congratulation, Grandstanding & Overconsumption : Matador Artists & Staff Select Their 2020 Favorites

(Congratulations to the landslide winner of the Matador Artists & Staff Poll for Person Of The Year 2020 to Clorox Scentiva Wipes.)
(Around this time every year, your underappreciated editor attempts to coax a list of favorite recordings, books, television programs, life events, etc. out of the label’s artist roster and our entertainment business cronies. In the past, this exercise has been an exacting process, fraught with nagging, GUILTING and no shortage of reluctant participants, some of whom actually changed labels or places of employment or their identities/physical appearances to avoid the chore. Even worse, we sometimes overlook persons currently recording for or working for the record label (either that or they saved their list for Brooklyn Vegan)
Keep in mind, we're about to close the books on the WORST YEAR EVER and perhaps persons with some sense of perspective or empathy have other things on their mind than shouting from the rooftops about their cultural cachet. Thankfully, none of those persons can be found below or it would be a really short list.
For some historical perspective, here’s last year’s selections. Questions or comments about our predictable tastes and/or inexcusable omissions are welcome (but not so welcome that we’re inclined to comment or reply). Last year, industry titan Mike Sniper correctly predicted that such lists would be broken down thusly, “half hugely famous commercially viable things that TMZ would report on, the other half off-kilter and ‘weird.’ McDonalds Weird. Like The McRib.”, but in 2020 I am happy to report that all participants had some much extra time to bask in new creations, we're no longer confined to a Carly Rae / McRib dichotomy. That's what passes for progress, at least in list-compilng land.
On behalf of Matador's owners, investors, legal representatives and street team (none of whom are allowed on the actual street any more due to liability issues, so we just pay them to make crank calls to Sub Pop), here's wishing you, your families and friends a safe & happy holiday and thank you, as always, for putting up with us. And without further ado, let the coronoation of 'Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley Chapter One : Snake Oil' commence. – Gerard Cosloy)
Mikey Coltun, Mdou Moctar
2020 favorite albums
-Jeff Parker - Suite For Max Brown
-Bill Nace - Both
-Horse Lords - The Common Task

-Kiko Dinucci - Rastilho
-Kate NV - Room For The Moon
-Tidiane Thiam - Siftorde
-Duma - Duma
-J. Zunz - Hibiscus
-Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl - Artlessly Falling
-Deerhoof - Love-Lore
-Maghreb K7 Club - Synth Raï, Chaoui & Staifi
-Raven Chacon - ‘An Anthology Of Chants Operations’
-Hiroshi Yoshimura - Green (reissue)
-Moor Jewelry - True Opera
-Black Myths - Birth Of A Nation
-DJ Diaki - Balani Fou
-T. Gowdy - Therapy With Colour
-Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders
-Meitei - Kof?
-Curved Light - Vita Ex Machina
-METZ - Hail Taxi
Steve Gunn

Don Cherry - Om Shanti Om Black Sweat Record
The Sadies - Union Pool
Black Unity Trio - Al-Fatihah reissue Gotta Groove
Johnathan Richman & Will Oldham Town Hall
FIrst Cow - Kelly Reichhardt director/William Tyler Soundtrack

Marc Orleans - RIP
Patrick Amory on mixcloud
Complete films of Agnes Varda Criterion
Steve Potts - Musique Pour Le Film D'un Ami - Aguirre Records
Mary Oliver - Devotions
How to with John Wilson
How the River Ganges Flows - Sublime Masterpieces of Indian Violin 1933-52 Third Man Records
Georgia Hubley, Yo La Tengo
10 I can make chopped chicken liver from scratch and it’s not bad!
Bill Nace, Body/Head
1. Friday nite zoom readings by Byron Coley
2. Friday nite "zooms" with Kesin and Krefting
3. Text chain with Twig and Dillo
4. Basement "jam" vids from Mark Morgan
5. Milford Graves: A Mind-Body Deal - ICA Philadelphia
6. Upcoming Emily Robb solo LP
7. Coffee with Richie
8. Drawing with Hunter
9. Painting
10. Kim Gordon roughs for Gus Van Sant short
Top 5 staff 2020, in order
1. Gerard
2. Lombardi
3. Josh
4. Rian
5. Alex
Honorable Mention: Patrick
Jean-Paul Aline, Beggars Group
Albums
What’s Your Pleasure ? – Jessie Ware
b7 – Brandy

souvenir – Jonah Yano
All The Time – Jessy Lanza
Regresa – Buscabulla
Roisin Machine – Roisin Murphy
3.15.20 – Childish Gambino
Sin Miedo – Kali Uchis
Untitled (Rise) – Sault
Circles – Mac Miller
Will This Make Me Good – Nick Hakim
Miss Colombia – Lido Pimienta
Bonus : Le Jeune (EP) - Quinzequinze
Shows
Madonna – Madame X Tour / Lisbon
Algiers – Paris / La Maroquinerie
Roisin Murphy – Live On Mixcloud
TV SHOWS

Small Axe : Lovers Rock
I may Destroy you
The Crown
Book :
Where The Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
Nabil Ayers, 4AD
JYOTI Mama, You Can Bet!
Keeley Forsythe Debris
Kelly Lee Owens Inner Song
SAULT Untitled (Black Is)
Alan Braufman The Fire Still Burns (the family biz)
Alabaster DePlume To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1
Mourning [A] BLKstar The Cycle
Grimes pausing her New York Times interview to talk about Raisin Bran
Dry Cleaning’s NYC shows in March… my last
U.S. Girls at The Dance
Post Malone’s Nirvana live stream
Chris Bithell - Beggars Group
1010 Benja SL - Dobby [Young Turks]
Nick Boyd, Beggars Group
Everything released this year by AceMo, MoMa Ready, Bored Lord, Kush Jones, DJ Swisha, DJ Delish, Ali Berger, Eris Drew, Octo Octa, Huey Mnemonic, Max Watts, Nikki Nair, Tim Reaper, OSSX, James Bangura, INVT, An Avrin, El Blanco Nino, Fear-E, Allergy Season, musclecars, A. G. Cook, Haus of Altr, Towhead Recordings, Moveltraxx, Sweat Equity, Scuffed Recordings, C Powers, Chucky73 and the whole Sie7etr3 crew, Alex Falk, Amal, ART DLR, Bad Bunny, Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Drummy, Kindergarten Records, Bastiengoat, Juke Bounce Werk, Nick Leon, Black Cadmium, Black Girl / White Girl, Boof, Charli XCX, Lil Uzi Vert, Kiwi Rekords, Private Caller, Sammy Virji, Rico Nasty, Mark Archer, They Hate Change, Tyga Paw, DJ Girl, ROOM, Coloring Lessons, Super Tuff, T5UMUT5UMU, quest?onmarc. Honorable mention to the fourteen releases we did on Sorry Records this year.
Emma Buchanan, Matador Records
PYLON - BOX
Augustus Muller - Machine Learning Experiments
Aurat - Poison
Beatrice Dillon - Workaround
Chronophage - Th’pig’kiss’d Album
Constant Smiles - Control
Cool Greenhouse - s/t
Duma - Duma
GISM - Detestation reissue
Gwenifer Raymond - Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain

Jackie Lynn - Jacqueline
Joanne Robertson - Painting stupid girls
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - The Mosaic of Transformation
Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song
Necrot - Mortal
Nidia - Não Fales Nela Que A Mentes
No Home - Fucking Hell
Noveller - Arrow
OOIOO -Nijimusi
PE - Person
Ramble Tamble - Burned County Data
Renee Van Trier - Something of What I’ve Lost
Skeleton - Skeleton

Special Interest - The Passion Of
Vacant Gardens - Under the Bloom
Vladislav Delay - Rakka
Saint Abdullah - In God's Image (Psychic Liberation)

No Home - Fucking Hell (d/l bandcamp)
Chronophage - Th' Pig Kissed (Cleta Patra)
Felicia Atkinson - Everything Evaporate (Shelter Press)
Still House Plants - Fast Edit (Bison / Blank Forms)
Model Home - One Year (Disciples)
Sofehso - A Record (First Terrace)
Claire Rousay - Both (Second Editions)
Soft Shoulder - Contextual Depreciation (Gilgongo)
Dr. Pete Larsen and His Cytoxic Nyatti Band - s/t (Dagoretti)
Dean Roberts - Not Fire (Erstwhile)
Armand Hammer - Shrines (Backwoodz Studioz)
Ono - Red Summer (American Dreams)
Triple Negative - God Bless The Death Drive (Penultimate Press)
Mint Mile - Ambertron (Comedy Minus One)
NE$$ x Baby J - 21st Century Blues
Obnox - Savage Raygun (ever/never)
David Nance - Staunch Honey (Trouble In Mind)
Sumac - May You Be Held (Thrill Jockey)
Uniform - Shame (Sacred Bones)
Duma - s/t (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
Powers / Rolin Duo - s/t (Feeding Tube)
Will Johnson - El Capitan (Keeled Scales)
Horse Lords - The Common Task (Northern Spy)
Dan Melchior - Embankment To The End Of The Line (Gertrude Tapes)
FACS - Void Moments (Trouble In Mind)
E- Complications (Silver Rocket)

Jon Collin - Water And Rock Music, Volumes 3-4 (Feeding Tube/Early Music)
Lamps - People With Faces (In The Red)
Astute Palate - s/t (Petty Bunco)
Magik Markers - 2020 (Drag City)
Barry Walker Jr. - Shoulda Zenith (Holy Moutain)
Reissues / vault-y bits :
Black Unity Trio - Al - Fatihah (Gotta Groove)
Dadamah - This Is Not A Dream (Grapefruit)
Ela Orleans - Lost (La Station Radar)
Phew - Vertical Jamming (Disciples)
United Mutation - Dark Self Image (Radio Raheem)
Top 3 TV Moments :
1) Geoff Metcalfe getting stabbed in the neck with a broken wine bottle
2) Geoff Metcalfe falling off his roof
3) Eddie Kingston - spoken word
Steve Cross, Remote Control
20 tracks that got me through 2020
Soccer96 - I Was Gonna Fight Fascism
Kelly Lee Owens – Corner Of My Sky ft. John Cale
Nadia Reid - Best Thing
Sault – Little Boy
Cabane feat. Bonnie "Prince" Billy – Take me home Pt2
The Weather Station – Robber
Moonduo –Planet Caravan
Alexandra Savior - But You
Bill Callahan - Sea Song (feat. Mick Turner)
Rival Consoles - Vibrations on a String
Aoife Nessa Frances - Blow Up
Car Seat Headrest - Deadlines (Thoughtful)
Kelly Lee Owens – On
Lou Doillon – Alexandrie, Alexandra
Ghostpoet - Breaking Cover
Sei Still - El Camino
Daniel Avery - Lone Swordsman
Son Lux - Only (Chasing You) [feat. William Bell]
Shannon Lay/Steve Gunn - Clay Pigeons
Blake Mills - Money Is The One True God
Malcolm Donaldson, Matador Records
20 new albums and (some new, some old) reads I enjoyed in 2020
"Paraphrase" - Sarah Resnick
Invisibility Blues - Michele Wallace
Libra - Don Delillo
Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone - James Baldwin
Satantango - Laszlo Krasznahorkai
Butcher's Crossing - John Williams
Sula - Toni Morrison
The Factory - Hiroko Oyamada
Real Life - Brandon Taylor
Two Serious Ladies - Jane Bowles
Bonus Round: Favorite not-new new release

Pop Smoke - Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon
Neil Young - Homegrown
Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song
Yves Tumor - Heaven To A Tortured Mind
Jorge Elbrecht - Presentable Corpse
Domenique Dumont - People On SundayOneohtrix Point Never- Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
Jonathan Gold, Beggars Group
Albums
Arca – KiCk i (XL)
Caribou – Suddenly (Merge)
Dehd – Flower of Devotion (Fire Talk)

Desire Marea – Desire (Izimakade)
Eartheater – Phoenix: Flames Are Dew Upon My Skin (PAN)
Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure (PMR/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope)
Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song (Smalltown Sound)
Naked Roommate – Do the Duvet (Trouble In Minds)
Perfume Genius – Set My Heart on Fire Immediately (Matador)
Popcaan – FIXTAPE (Unruly/OVO Sound)
Special Interest - The Passion Of (Night School/ Thrill Living)
Yves Tumor – Heaven to A Tortured Mind (Warp)
EPs
Deaton Chris Anthony – BOOGY WOOGY (Self-Released)
Meth Math – Pompi (In Real Life)
Park Hye Jin – How Can I (Ninja Tune)
Moonchild Sanelly – Nüdes (Transgressive)
Shygirl – ALIAS (Because)
Songs
BbyMutha – “Cocaine Catwalk” (Self-released)
Bicep – “Apricots” (Ninja Tune)
Blake Mills – “Money Is The One True God” & “Vanishing Twin” (New Deal/Verve)
Creams – “DIE 4 U” (Self-released)
Jeannette Ndiaye – “Makom Ma Bobe” (Kalita)
Julie Byrne, Jefre Cantu-Ledes – “Love’s Refrain” (Mexican Summer)
keiyaA – “Hvnli” & “Rectifya” (Forever)
Koraal – “Vuurdin” (Nous’klaer Audio)
Lorenzo Senni – “Dance Tonight Revolution Tomorrow” (Warp)
Mary Lattimore – “Pine Trees” (Ghostly)
Maurice Fulton, Peggy Guo – “Jigoo” (Gudu)
MOTHERMARY – “Catch Fire” (Italians Do It Better)
Pop Smoke – “Shake The Room (feat. Quavo)” (Victor Victor Worldwide/ Republic)
Pam Garavano, Beggars Group
15 new & 10 reissues albums I loved this year. I strive to never list albums I work on, but if I did, plum by widowspeak and clot by wax chattels along with the reissue of OXZ’s catalog are all aces.
new releases:
adrianne lenker - songs (4ad)
ana roxanne - because of a flower (kranky)
constant smiles - control (living waters)
cut worms - nobody lives here anymore (jagjaguwar)
kate nv - room for the moon (rvng)
katie gately - loom (houndstooth)

le volume courbe - fourteen years ep (honest jons)
mary lattimore - silver ladders (ghostly)
lucrecia dalt - no era sólida (rvng)
modern nature - annual (bella union)
perfume genius - set my heart on fire immediately (matador)
psychic ills - never learn not to love 7-inch (sacred bones)
snowy - audio commentary (spunk)
tomberlin - projections ep (saddle creek)
westerman - your hero is not dead (partisan)
reissue:
dadamah - this is not a dream (grapefruit)
loscil - coast/range/arc (kranky)

priscilla ermel - origins da luz (music from memory)
hiroshi yoshimura - green? (light in the attic)
pole - 1, 2 & 3 (mute)
pale saints - comforts of madness 30th anniv. (4ad)
pylon - pylon box (new west)
the sound - physical world 7-inch (reminder)
neil young - homegrown (reprise)
various artists - ak79 (flying nun)
Matt Harmon, Beggars Group
ALBUMS
Modern Nature - Annual EP (Bella Union)
Brigid Dawson and The Mothers Network - Ballet of Apes (Castleface)
Irreversible Entanglements - Who Sent You (International Anthem)
Sunwatchers - Oh Yeah! (Trouble in Mind Records)
CS + Crème - Snoopy (The Trilogy Tapes)
Beatrice Dillion - Workaround (Pan)
Lingo Seini et son groupe - Musique Hauka (Sahel Sounds)
T.V Sun - Mosses (Anyway)

Quin Kirchner - The Shadows and The Light (Astral Spirits)
Roomful of Teeth - Michael Harrison: Just Constellations EP (Amsterdam)
Penelope Trappes - “Eel Drop” EP (Houndstooth)
Omar S - You Want (FXHE Records)
Oneohtrix Point Never - Magic Oneohtrix Point Never (Warp)
Nazar - Guerilla (Hyper-Dub)
SONGS
HAAi “Head above the Parakeets” (Mute)
Les Sins & Acemo “C’mon Les’ Go” (Company Studio/Sonic Messengers)
Dave Harrington + Nate Mercereau “Things Move Quickly When They Feel Right” (How So Records)
AceMoMa, AceMo & Moma Ready “Revolutionary” (HAUS of ALTR)
Jenny Hval “Bonus Material” (Sacred Bones)
Mdou Moctar “Ibitan” (self-released)
Sault “Free” (Forever Living Originals)
Dan Matz “Now Lucifer” (Assumed Identity)
REISSUES

Rashied Ali + Frank Lowe - Duo Exchange (Survival Records)
Anthony Moore - “Out” (Drag City)
Various Artists - Guasá, Cununo y Marimba. Afro-Colombian Music the West Coast (Gertudis Bonilla)
Noam Klar, Matador Records
my top 5 Mad Men episodes as viewed during lockdown 1&2:
5. Season 3, episode 6: “Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency”
Sonya Kolowrat, Beggars Group
TOP 10 SCREAMERS + RELATED THINGS I DISCOVERED IN 2020
I moved to LA from the E.Coast in the summer of 2019, and my “Covid project” has been a deep study into all things LA Punk rock. Living in NYC, one gets a little locked into E.Coast stuff, so I had the rare pleasure of discovering a new old band. In the early punk days in LA, there was one band that ruled it all and influenced it all. THE SCREAMERS. I AM STILL MAD that no one told me about them ages ago. You have to click on all the stuff below and then you too can get SO excited about a band that never officially released an album and only existed from 1975-1981. Why didn’t you tell me about this band when I was 4? Here’s a list of things I have explored and enjoyed related to this band.
- “122 Hours Of Fear” (kicks in after a minute, and the anticipation build is worth it)
- “Vertigo”
- Screamer’s singer Tomata du Plenty on CNN talking about his post-band art career.
- KK Barrett – Former Screamers drummer, now Academy Award nominated production designer
- The Cockettes – SF avant garde psychedelic hippie theater group that Tomata was in – Documentary/Website
- The Hollywood Columbarium at Hollywood Forever where Tomata Du Plenty is laid to rest (bonus resting place of Rozz Williams of Christian Death one floor above)
- The art of Gary Panter (designed the iconic Screamers “screaming man” logo in addition to a Yo La Tengo album cover)
- Books: We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A. Punk by Brendan Mullen & Marc Spitz, Under The Big Black Sun - A Personal History of LA Punk and it's sequel, More Fun in the New World: The Unmaking and Legacy of L.A. Punk - by John Doe and Tom DeSavia
- Lydia Lunch’s podcast and Pleasant Gehman’s podcast
- Cornell University’s Screamers collection
Andy Larsen, Beggars Group
Full lengths:
M. Takara and Carla Boregas - Linha D’Água (El Rocha Records)

Valentina Magaletti, Marlene Ribeiro - Due Matte (Horn of Plenty)
Kübler Ross - Kübler Ross (Akashic Records)
Sarah Davachi - Cantus, Descant (Late Music)
Alan Braufman - The Fire Still Burns (Valley of Search)
Vladislav Delay - 500 Push-Up (feat Sly and Robbie) (Sub Rosa)
Beatrice Dillon - Workaround (Pan)
Ambrose Akinsmusire - on the tender spot of every calloused moment (Blue Note Records)
Cindy Lee - What's Tonight To Eternity (W.25th)
Crazy Doberman - Illusory Expansion (Astral Spirits)
EPs, singles, collections, and archive releases:
Don Cherry - Om Shanti Om (Black Sweat Records)
Charles Curtis - Performances and Recordings 1998-2018 (Saltern)
Nkisi - Initiation (Initiation)
Neutrals - Personal Computing (Slumberland Records)

Xylitol - I’m Pretty Sure I Would Know If Reality Were Fundamentally Different Than I Perceived It To Be (Thrilling Living)
Alvin Lucier - String Noise (Black Truffle)
Coil - Musick To Play In The Dark (Dais)
Harry Pussy - Superstar (Palilalia)
Model Home - One Year (Disciples)
Marika Politissa - All Parts Dark (Olvido Records)
Annette Lee, 4AD
Top 10 discoveries / things that have kept me sane during lockdown:
1. Schitts Creek
2. I May Destroy You

3. Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge (Book)
4.East cookbook by Meera Sodha
5.Perfecting a gut-busting pork ramen
6.Ruth Rogers’ Sausage Ragu recipe (thanks to Patrick Amory)
7. Calcarius orange and Kindelli Luna Nueva Blanc wines
8. Lagman from Karamay Urghur restaurant
9. NTS Radio
10.Lockdown Parenting Hell podcast
Aaron Leitko, Matador Records
Irreversible Entanglements @ Rhizome 3.8.20
new stuff:
theo parrish - wuddaji
the microphones in 2020
gillian welch - boots, all the good times
lil uzi vert - eternal atake
21 savage - savage mode II
mike - weight of the world

dj blackpower - king of the night
necrot - mortal
malokarpatan - krupinské ohne
after - life repeats
lady ehepr - gloatre
straw man army - age of exile
twisted thing - sacred cement
jeff rosenstock - no dream
cadenaxo - lenguas podridas
chronophage - th' pig kiss'd
blair - nothing helps

ippei matsui & aki tsuyoku - natsu no zenbu
domenique dumont - people on sunday
v/a - equiknoxx music in 2020
old stuff:
world standard - asagao
v/a - still in my arms comp
don cherry - om shanti om
valium aggelein - black moon
shirley scott - one for me
v/a - la locura de machuca 1975-1980
Abby Rubin, Beggars Group
2020 Favorites
Lamb Rabbit- Heart True

Dominique Dumont - People On Sunday
Against All Logic - 2017-2019
Fiona Apple - Fetch The Boltcutters
Tara Clerkin Trio - S/T
Oneohtrix Point Never - Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
Neil Young - Homegrown

The Soft Pink Truth - Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?
Waxahatachee - St. Cloud
Caribou - Never Come Back
SAULT - Untitled (Rise)
Burna Boy - Twice as Tall
Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song
Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders
Gia Margaret - Mia Gargaret
Moodyman - Taken Away
Loma - Don’t Shy Away
Marie Davidson - Renegade Breakdown
Ela Minus - Acts of Rebellion
Art Feynman - Half Price at 3:30
Yves Tumor - Heaven To A Tortured Mind
Yves Jarvis - Sundry Rock Song Stock
The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You
Josh Turner, Matador Records
Favourites
Mil-Spec - World House

Vein - Old Data In A New Machine Vol. 1
Jamael Dean - Ished Tree
Yves Tumor - Heaven To A Tortured Mind
Bib - Delux
Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders
Jay Electronica - A Written Testimony
Chubby & The Gang - Speed Kills
Jake Whitener, Matador Records
Favorite Releases of 2020 :
Sarah Mary Chadwick- Please Daddy (Sinderlyn)
Slauson Malone- Vergangenheitsbewältigung (Crater Speak) (Grand Closing)
Maral- Push (Leaving Records)
Ramble Tamble- Burned County Data (Self-Released)
Pink Siifu- Negro (Field Left)
Duma- Omni (Nyege Nyege Tapes)Your
Duval Timothy- Help (Carrying Colour)
Nazar- Guerilla (Hyperdub LTD)
No Home- Fucking Hell (Self-Released)
Special Interest- The Passion Of (Night School / Thrilling living)
Yves Tumor- Heaven to a Tortured Mind (Warp)
Crack Cloud- Pain Olympics (Self-Released)
Irreversible Entanglements- Who Sent You? (International Anthem)
Park Hye Jin- How can I (Ninja Tune)
The Cowboy- Wifi on the Prairie (Self-Released)
(more from 2020 and beyond)
Sweetie Zamora, Remote Control Records
My favourite releases of 2020 - a year of everything and nothing all at the same time.
Christine and the Queens - La vita nuova
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia

Jessie Ware - What’s Your Pleasure?
Joji - Nectar
Lady Gaga - Chromatica
Little Dragon - New Me, Same Us
Miiesha - Nyaaringu
Perfume Genius - Set My Heart On Fire Immediately
Roisin Murphy - Roisin Machine
Romy - Lifetime
SAULT - Untitled (Black Is) & Untitled (Rise)
Surprise Chef - Daylight Savings
Taylor Swift - Folklore & Evermore
The Chicks - Gaslighter
Yaeji - WHAT WE DREW ??? ????
Emily Zaremba, Matador Records
Albums/EPs in no particular order:
Actress - Karma & Desire
Joanne Robertson - Painting Stupid Girls
Model Home - One Year
Beatrice Dillon - Workaround

Ichiko Aoba - Windswept Adan
Special Interest - The Passion Of
Adrianne Lenker - songs
Moodymann - Taken Away
lojii - lo&behold
Park Hye Jin - How can I

Tristan Arp - Suggested Forms
Bill Callahan - Gold Record
Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song
Ana Roxanne - Because of a Flower
No Joy - Motherhood
Kate NV - Room For The Moon
Julianna Barwick - Healing is A Miracle
DJ Python - Mas Amable
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - “Expanding Electricity”
Our Annual Orgy of Self-Congratulation, Grandstanding & Overconsumption : Matador Artists & Staff Select Their 2018 Favorites

(Matador's 2018 Person Of The Year Jered Thretin wants you to know that by reading these lists, you're part of the illusion)
Around this time every year, your long-suffering editor attempts to coax a list of favorite recordings, books, television programs, life events, etc. out of the label’s artist roster and our show business friends. In the past, the exercise has been an exacting process, fraught with nagging, teeth-gnashing and no shortage of reluctant participants, some of whom actually changed labels or places of employment or their identities/physical appearances to avoid the chore. Even worse, we sometimes overlook persons currently recording for or working for the record label (either that or they’ve saving their lists for a website people actually read).
For some historical perspective, here’s last year’s selections. Questions or comments about our crap taste and/or inexplicable omissions are welcome (but NOT THAT WELCOME) . And without further ado, let the coronation of Mitski commence – GC)
Britt Daniel, Spoon
Top 18 NYC Shows, 2018
The Byrds + Marty Stuart - Town Hall, Sept 24
Gerald Clayton - Village Vanguard, Aug 1
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas - Connollys, Jan 26
Heart Bones - Brooklyn Bazaar, Nov 30
Thee Oh Sees - Warsaw, Oct 19
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn, June 20
Nine Inch Nails - Radio City, Oct 13
Hamilton Leithauser - Cafe Carlyle, Jan 25
!!! - Industry City, Sept 22
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Bowery Ballroom, Sept 15
Alejandro Escovedo - Knitting Factory, Sept 9
Paul Simon - MSG, Sept 21
Bodega - Elsewhere, Aug 23
Morris Day + The Time - Sony Hall, Aug 11
Nick Cave - Barclays, Oct 26
Jon Batiste - Village Vanguard, Nov 3
JD McPherson - Brooklyn Bowl, Dec 4
Elton John - MSG, Nov 8
top 12 NYC margaritas, 2018:
El Camion, Ave A
Chilos, Franklin Ave Brooklyn
Castros, Myrtle Ave Brooklyn
La Esquina, Kenmare
Chela, 5th Ave Brooklyn

Don Chignon, Flatbush Ave Brooklyn
Tacombi, Lafayette Ave Brooklyn
Agave, 7th Ave
Vida Verde, 55th St
Cafe Habana, Prince St
La Contenta Oeste, 11th St
Sweet & Vicious, Spring St
Alex Fishel, Spoon
best shows:
guerilla toss - zebulon
roger waters - laxness arena
ethan gruska - bootleg theater
fell runner - zebulon
david byrne - shrine auditorium
sparks - palace theatre
moaning - best kept secret
olivia kaplan - zebulon
best recordings:
blake mills - look

adrianne lenker - abysskiss
alessandro cortini / lawrence english - immediate horizon
wand - perfume
julian cubillos - in heaven
lala lala - the lamb
dur-dur band - dur dur of somalia vol 1, vol 2
underworld / iggy pop - teatime dub encounters
Steve Gunn
2018
Daniel Carter, Hamid Drake, William Parker set at Troost
Marc Morgan last solo show in NYC for a while at Union Pool
Joshua Abrahms Natural Information Society at the Hideout, Chicago
Drinking wine with Roy Montgomery in ChristChurch
Jessica Pratt
Richard Thompson
Coolio coming to my show in LA and saying what’s up after my set.
Yo La Tengo
Loren Connors & Alan Licht Duo
Mathew Shipp
Tom Carter /Pat Murano Duo at Luncheonette
Heron Oblivion
Bob Dylan doing a 15 minute band melt version of Blowing in The Wind at the Met in Philadelphia. I rushed the stage
Ka Baird
Body Head
Sun Ra Arkestra

Flying in two seater biplane with no windows around New Zealand with a fan who offered to take me on a flight the morning after my show.
Jennifer Castle
World of Echo record store London
Watching Dave Burrell play piano while sitting directly above him from the balcony
Andrew Katz, Car Seat Headrest
1 Trait Danger, 1 Trait High
Ryan Mahan, Algiers
Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
Gazelle - Twin Pastoral

Bambara - Shadow on Everything
Harrga - La Mer
Wetware - Automatic Drawing
Albedo Fantastica - Culvert and Starry Night
Hiro Kone - Pure Expenditure
Uniform - The Long Walk
Daughters - You Won’t Get What You Want
Krimewatch Krimewatch
Bill Nace, Body/Head
Madison Palffy, SCDT, Northampton MA
Mountain Movers, Ortlieb's ,Philadelphia PA
Bill Orcutt, Johnny Brenda's ,Philadlephia PA
Gunn/Truscinski Duo, Great Scott, Boston MA
Simone Forti /Charlamagne Palestine, LA CA
RP BOO, Philamoca, Phiadlephia PA
Wheatie Mattiasich, Caroline's Place, Baltimore MD
Jana Rush, Cropped Out Fest, Louisville KY
Pengo, The Liquor Store, Rochester NY
Angst Hase Pfeffer Nase, The Lab SF
Mike Hadreas, Perfume Genius
Albums:
Amen Dunes - Freedom

Tierra Whack - Whack World
Julia Holter - Aviary
Books:
“Elmet” by Fiona Mozley
“Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik
“Eileen” by Ottessa Moshfegh
Movies:
Suspiria
Annihilation
Roma
Hereditary
TV:
Succession
The Terror
The Americans
Most of My Listening Went To:
Anita Baker - Rapture
The Sundays - Reading, Writing & Arithmetic
Low - Secret Name
Sade
Elias Rønnenfelt, Iceage
Viagra Boys - Street Worms
Top 5 staff 2018, in order
1. Gerard
2. Lombardi
3. Patrick
4. Josh
5. Shira
Honorable Mention: Natalie
Will Toledo, Car Seat Headrest
Milton Nascimento - A Festa (Acústico)
Of montreal - White is Relic/Irrealis Mood
kendall : ) - hey
Jandek - Los Angeles Friday
12 Ensemble - Resurrection https://youtu.be/kcPl34KMufg
Matthew Tong, Algiers
SHOW:
GAS - Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville TN
RECORDS:
Marie Davidson - "Working Class Woman"

Hiro Kone - "Pure Expenditure"
TELLY:
The Handmaid's Tale, Season 2: The travails of Offred beyond the original novel had no reason to be this compelling, yet they were.
Atlanta, Season 2: Ageing out in the music industry so beautifully portrayed here.
My Beautiful Friend: obvs.
FILM:
Nico, 1988
FOOTBALL:
AFC Bournemouth 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd, Dean Court, 24th February: The plucky Cherries scored twice in the last 10 minutes to tie things up and leave Ryan Mahan with a whole lot of egg on his face.
BEST CELEBRITY BEEF:
Lana Del Rey vs Azalea Banks
BEST VIEW:
Castelmola, Sicily
MOST PENIS PARAPHERNALIA GATHERED IN ONE PLACE:
Caffe Bar Turrisi, Castelmola, Sicily
(honourable mention to the Air BnB in Chinatown NYC for the suitcase full of dildos hidden beneath the couch)
BEST RAVE:
Mouth Your Body, Show Nightclub, NYC, April 27-28
WORST AFTERS:
Bushwick A/V, NYC, April 28
BEST FANCY MEAL:
Kachka, Portland OR
BEST BAR FOOD:
Cheesesteak @ Old Pink, Buffalo NY
BEST GOTH CLUB:
Rebound, Athens, Greece
MOST PUNCHABLE BORDER CONTROL GUARDS:
Greece, Croatia
Kurt Vile
Nepotismic Reticulum: 10 faves 2018
“Solid Silk” - Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
“Need A Little Time” - Courtney Barnett
“Blue From the Dark” - DRINKS
“Sleeping Volcanoes” - Cass McCombs
“Summer’s End” - John Prine
“Elk River Blues” - Nathan Bowles
“Thanksgiving Song” - Grouper
“Shortwave” - Yo La Tengo

“This Time Around” - Jessica Pratt
“New Moon” - Steve Gunn
Patrick Amory, Matador Records

1. Ned Collette - Old Chestnut (it records/Feeding Tube)
2. The Goon Sax - We're Not Talking (Chapter Music/Wichita)
3. Charlie Tweddle - The Unseen Sound of Music(Mighty Mouth)
4.Jon Hopkins - Singularity (Domino)
5. Spiritualized - "Let's Dance" from And Nothing Hurt (Bella Union/Fat Possum)
6. Kali Malone - Organ Dirges 2016-2017 (Ascetic House)
7. The continuing incredible restoration work being done by RS3D
8. Music of Northern Laos (Akuphone)
9. Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples (Guruguru Brain)
10.Against All Logic – 2012-2017 (Other People)
11. DJ Lilocox - Paz & Amor (Principe)
12. Fucked Up - Dose Your Dreams (Merge)
13. Mr. Fingers - Cerebral Hemispheres (Alleviated)
14. serpentwithfeet - Soil (Tri-Angle/Secretly Canadian)
15. Theo Parrish - Preacher's Comin/Gullah Geechee (Sound Signature)
16. Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death in Meatspace (Joyful Noise)
Chris Bithell, Beggars
Favourite Trax of 2018 (not all released this year)
CCFX - The One To Wait [DFA]
Nickodemus - Night Blooming Jasmines [Wonderwheel]
Theophilus London feat. Giggs - Bebey (SN1 Road Mix) [My Bebey]
Amadou & Mariam - Filaou Bessame (Cerrone Remix) [Because]
Insecure Men - Subaru Nights [Fat Possum]
The Fall - Telephone Dub [Fontana/Cog Sinister]
Soulwax - Essential Three [DEEWEE]
Brockhampton - 1997 DIANA [Question Everything]
Dita Von Teese & Sebastien Tellier - Bird of Prey (Bullion Remix) [Record Makers]
The Staple Singers - If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) [Stax]
Petite Noir - Blame Fire [Roya]
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Body Move (Bag Raiders Remix) [Nice Age]
N.E.R.D feat. Ed Sheeran - Lifting You [Columbia]
Red Axes - Musica Electronique [!K7]
The Chats - Smoko [Hot Wax]
Errorsmith - I'm Interesting, Cheerful & Sociable [PAN]
Q Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses (Demo 2) [Mon Amie]
Sebastian Bollet, Beggars Group
ALBUMS
THEE OH SEES - Smote Reverser
FLAVIEN BERGER - Contre-Temps

SABA - Care For Me
BEAK> - >>>
OUGHT - Room Inside The World
YVES TUMOR - Safe In The Hands of Love
AMEN DUNES - Freedom
BODEGA - Endless Scroll
LOW - Double Negative
MOVIES
THE GUILTY by Gustav Möller
WOMAN AT WAR by Benedikt Erlingsson
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT by Lars Von Trier
GIRL by Lukas Dhont
CONCERTS
DAVID BYRNE at The Paris Philharmonie
RYLEY WALKER at Point Ephémère
KAMAAL WILLIAMS at New Morning
ARCADE FIRE at Bercy
JON HOPKINS at Trianon
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE


Cycling through the Apuseni natural park in Transylvania
Nick Boyd, b4 Sounds / Beggars Group
Dance:
Unknown To The Unknown’s demolition of 2018:
? X-Coast - XTC EP [Hot Haus Recs / UTTU]
? Kornél Kovács - Metropolis EP [UTTU]
? Vin Sol - Dance Trax Vol. 14 [Dance Trax / UTTU]
? SE62 - Good Days EP [Hot Haus Recs / UTTU]
? Lauren Flax - Dance Trax, Vol. 16 [Dance Trax / UTTU]
? Addison Groove & Bim Sanga Present: Bags Inc. - Dance Trax Vol. 17 [Dance Trax / UTTU]
? Contactless - Static EP [UTTU]
? Bell Towers - My Body is a Temple [UTTU]
? DJ Steaw - Heaven EP [Hot Haus Recs / UTTU]
Róisín Murphy and Maurice Fulton’s legend making 2018 four killer twelve inch run on Vinyl Factory. Beautiful design by Bráulio Amado as well:
? Plaything / Like
? The Rumble / World’s Crazy
? Jacuzzi Rollercoaster / Can’t Hang On (feat. Ali Love)
? All My Dreams / Innocence
Krystal Klear’s blockbuster twelve inches:
? Club Studies [Hot Haus Recs / UTTU]
? The Division [Running Back]
The fantastic debut year of Murlo’s Coil Records:
? Sharda - Sharda EP // Huge release, big time favorite
? Murlo & Conducta - “Together”
? Shara - “One Kiss Refix”
? Murlo & S-Type - “Make Believe”
? Sharda & Bassboy - “Drifting”
Luca Lozano - Boss Moves [Running Back]
Eris Drew / Octo Octa - Devotion [Naive]
Malik Hendricks - Introducing Malik Hendricks EP [Bumpin’ Somethin’]
Off The Meds - The Meds Are Kicking In esp. “No B No E”
Niles Cooper - House Gospel EP [Super Tuff]
Dirty Channels vs. Danny Russell / Frazelle - Watchin Out [Athens of The North]
Minimal Violence - MVX / U41A [Technicolour]
AceMo - AceMo EP [Vanity Press] esp. “Get It From The Sound”
VA - Gemišt Part I [House Is OK] esp. Kornél Kovács’ massive “House Is OK”
Shan - Run Tings EP [Running Back]
Sully / FaltyDL - 2 Bad Mice Remixes [Sneaker Social Club]
Asquith - The Conditioning Track [Asquith]
Strategy - Future Shock [The Nite Owl Diner]
Abby Echiverri - Ab Initio [The Bunker New York]
Pangaea - Bone Sucka [Hessle Audio]
Giant Swan - Whities 016 [Whities]
Finn - Dance Music Has Betrayed Us All [Local Action]
Girls of the Internet - Remember My Name [Drab Queen]
Conny - Song For Eva [Cold Tonic]
Local Artist - Dancer / Dreamer [Mood Hut]
Missing Channel - FJAAK 002 // “Onslaught (FJAAK Remix)” is massive
aamourocean - Enjoy The Silence [Casual Gabberz]
Jayda G - Sacred Spaces [JMG Recordings]
Jayda G / Alexa Dash - Diva Bitch [Freakout Cult]
Syclops - Pink Rose [Running Back]
Peggy Gou - Once [Ninja Tune]
DJ Sprinkles / Hardrock Striker - Skylax House Explosion (Under The Loft) / Skylax House Explosion (Under The Ballroom) ?/ Skylax House Explosion (Under The Garage) [Skylax]
Tony G - Onto/Off One [Sorry Records]
Tony G - ACID TONY [Sorry Records]
Jachary - The Virus Continues… B-Sides and Remixes
Cranklin - City Slicker [Sorry Records]
Stick Figure - FIGUR01 / FIGUR02 [Sorry Records]
Lanlord Lance - Night Sweats Box Set [Sorry Records]
DJ Lag - Stampit EP [Goon Club Allstars]
Clapman - Clapman [Party Central] esp. “Clapman (Kane West Original Mix)”
Danvers - Interludes [WotNot] esp. “Aye Ata”
Another Alias - Creep On The Couch [White of My Eyes]
V/A - Fatherhood Presents Bad Advice, Vol. 1 [Nervous]
V/A - Jubilee Presents: Magic City Vol. 4 esp. Lauren Flax’s “Work Dat” and AceMo’s “Just Waiting 4 U, Tonight (Ann Marie)”
Soundbwoy Killah - “Oh Baby” [Warehouse Rave]
Darling - “Estimu” [Safe Trip]
Alfie Casanova - “Urchin” [CALM]
DJ Lag / DJ Vumar / Biggie - “Jika” [Ice Drop]
Yaeji - “One More”
MOONOVERSUN - “GIRLS/BOYS (Jennifer Walton Remix)”
DJ Boo Man - “Jess H Bmore Anthem”
DJ E-Clyps - “Pancakes” [Classic Music Company]
Basside - “QLCL (DRUMMy's Endless Torment Megamix)” [Sorry Records]
Sharda / Shanique Marie - “Wanna Know” [Swing Ting]
Mixes
Eris Drew's 'Thundering Goddess Mix' [Mixmag]
HER DAMIT Podcast #28 / Eris Drew (Motherbeat)
RA.604 Eris Drew [Resident Advisor]
DJ Haus Enters The Unknown Vol. 2 [UTTU]
DISCWOMAN 40 x Octo Octa (Polyglamorous Year 3)
Frendzone with Octo Octa & Eris Drew @ The Lot Radio 07/26/2018
Octo Octa | Boiler Room x Is Burning ADE
Geoffrey LaRue - Gay Interest (1962-1981)
Crack Mix 207 – Sharda
Wrecked @ CDA August 2018 (Main Room) 12 - 4
Hunee Boiler Room BUDx Seoul DJ Set
Gerd Janson Boiler Room x Sugar Mountain 2018 DJ Set
Parties/DJ Sets/Shows:
Love Injection Universal Love 001 - 004
Frendzone! // Eris Drew b2b Octo Octa - Good Room
Octo Octa All Night - Good Room
Eris Drew - Sustain-Release
SHYBOI - Sustain-Release
Minimal Violence - Sustain-Release
Legowelt - Sustain-Release
Honey Dijon - Mister Sunday - Nowadays
Noncompliant - Technofeminism - Bossa Nova Civic Club
Soul Summit - Fort Greene Park
Octo Octa - All Nighter - Nowadays
SOPHIE - Elsewhere
Danny L Harle - HARLECOR3 - Sunnyvale
The Lot Radio 2 Year Anniversary
Wrecked (Ron Like Hell/Ryan Smith) w/ Jeffrey Sfire
Wrecked w/ Matrixxman
Emma Buchanan, Matador Records
The Goon Sax - We're Not Talking
Ned Collette - Old Chestnut
Roy Montgomery - Suffuse
Marie Davidson - Working Class Woman

Guttersnipe - My Mother the Vent
Miranda Winters - Xobeci, What Grows Here?
Julia Holter - Aviary
Girl Pusher - 911
Demdike Stare - Passion
Mitski - Be the Cowboy
U.S. Girls - In a Poem Unlimited
ANMLPLNET - Fall Asleep
SOPHIE - OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES
Low - Double Negative
Caroline Says - No Fool Like an Old Fool
Not For You - Drown
Wye Oak - The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs
Parquet Courts - Wide Awake
Martin Collins, Beggars Group
10. Melody’s Echo Chamber - ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’
It took six years, a cancelled tour, and an unspecified “serious accident”, but we finally got another album from Melody Prochet.
9. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - ‘Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays’
For the longest time I was convinced this was a Steely Dan track.
8. Anderson .Paak - ‘Tints (feat. Kendrick Lamar)’
Because even as a feature to Anderson .Paak, Kendrick Lamar had to sneak his way into another end-of-year list.
7. HMLTD - ‘Proxy Love’
Honestly, I have no idea. This one sounds like schlager.
6. The Babe Rainbow - ‘Eureka’
Who is Greggo? Where did he go?
5. Parcels - ‘Lightenup’
I imagine this is what happens if you listen to Daft Punk’s ‘Random Access Memories’ on loop until you pass out.
4. Khruangbin - ‘Maria También’
Wig-wearing Texans making Thai Funk. Obviously.
3. Tempesst - ‘A Little Bit of Trouble’
I really do wonder what possessed Tempesst to move from Australia to the cold of London, but I’m glad they did.
2. Post Animal - ‘Ralphie’
Remember Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) from Stranger Things? Well, he’s in a band and they’re pretty great.
1. Goat - ‘Let It Burn’
“The Gävle Goat is a Christmas display erected annually in Gävle, Sweden. It is a giant goat figure made of straw. It has become famous for being destroyed in arson attacks, and despite security measures, the goat has been burned to the ground thirty-seven times since its first appearance in 1966.” The song is good too.
Gerard Cosloy, Matador Records
Yuzo Iwata - Daylight Moon ?(Siltbreeze)

Rosali ?- Trouble Anyway (Scissor Tail / Spinster Sounds)
Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt - Brace Up! (Palilalia Records)
David Nance Group - Peaced & Slightly Pulverized (Trouble In Mind)

Lena Hessels - Billow (Terp)
Deaf Wish - Lithium Zion (Sub Pop)
Uniform - The Long Walk (Sacred Bones)
Marlowe - s/t (Mello Music Group)
Armand Hammer - Paraffin (Backwoodz Studio)
Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death In Meat Space (Joyful Noise)
Heather Leigh - Throne (Editions Mego)
Counter Intuits - "Vietnamese Lighter" (Total Punk)
Obnox - Bang Messiah (Smog Veil)
Träden, s/t (Subliminal Sounds/Gåshud)
Rattle - Sequence (Upset The Rhythm)
The Goon Sax - We're Not Talking (Wichita)
Thalia Zedek - Fighting Season ?(Thrill Jockey)
Salad Boys - This Is Glue (Trouble In Mind)
Civic - New Vietnam (Anti-Fade)
Jon Spencer - Spencer Sings The Hits (In The Red)
Various Artists - Wound (Carbon)
ISS - s/t EP (Sorry State)
Midnight Mines - Invisible Insurrection Of A Million Minds (Loki)
Charalambides: Tom And Christina Carter (Drawing Room)
Wingtip Sloat - Purge and Swell/Lost Decade (VHF)
Fuck - The Band (Vampire Blues)
Lewsberg - s/t LP

The Kids / The Real Kids ?– 1974 Demos / 1977/78 Demos/Live (Crypt)
Wet Tuna - Livin The Die (Feeding Tube)
Bad Sports - Constant Stimulation (Dirtnap)
Mazoma - Stark Joy (Feeding Tube)
Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore - Ghost Forests (Three Lobed)
F.U.K - “Roadkill” b/w “I Got A Head” 7" (Hozac)
Heavy Metal EP - (Total Punk)
Wax Chattels - s/t (Captured Tracks)
Kuzu - Hiljaisuus (Astral Spirits)
Eyelids - Maybe More (Jealous Butcher)
live

Mdou Moctar, PhillyMOCA
Deaf Wish, Slim's /Hopscotch Fest Raleigh NC, Murphy's/Goner Fest, Memphis, Barracuda Austin
Vampire Belt, Union Pool, Brooklyn

The Scientists, Beerland, Austin
Wire, Ballroom Marfa, Marfa Myths
This Is Not This Heat, Union Park, Chicago

ExEk, Hotel Vegas, Austin

Matthew Lux's Communications Arts Quartet, Barracuda, Austin
Xylouris White, Beerland, Austin
S.H.I.T., Mohawk, Austin
Loren Connors, Wonders Of Nature, Brooklyn
too many times / most times : Chronophage, Temple Of Angels
"Milford Graves Full Mantis" (dir - Jake Meginsky)
Steve Cross, Remote Control
Melbourne 2018 :
Tropical Fuck Storm: You Let My Tyres Down
Cash Savage & the Last Drinks: Pack Animals
Gena Rose Bruce: The Way You Make Love
Laura Jean: Girls On The TV
Grand Salvo: All Those Stars
Lowtide: Alibi
Winternationale: Eulogies
Moon Rituals: Sky Dance
HTRK Mentions
Mildlife: The Magnificent Moon (Tornado Wallace Remix)
Giulia Distaso, Spin-Go!
BEST ALBUMS - in no particular order
AUTECHRE NTS Sessions 1-4 (Warp)
ZULI Terminal (UIQ)
LOW Double Negative (Sub Pop)
BODY/HEAD The Switch (Matador)
GAZELLE TWIN Pastoral (Anti-Ghost Moon Ray)
GUTTERSNIPE My Mother The Vent (Upset The Rhythm)
700 BLISS Spa 700 (Don Giovanni Records)
JPEGMAFIA Veteran (Deathbomb Arc)
YOUNG ECHO Young Echo (Young Echo Records)
CONDUIT Drowning World (Kitschy Spirit)
HANK WOOD & THE HAMMERHEAD Hank Wood & The Hammerheads (Toxic State)
IDIOTA CIVILIZZATO Idiota Civilizzato (Static Shock Records)
BEST OF ITALIAN UNDERGROUND
SABA SABA Saba Saba (Maple Death Records)
HOLIDAY INN Torbido (Maple Death Records)
HEROIN IN TAHITI Casilina Tapes 2010-2017 (Boring Machines)
LUCTA Black Magic Punk (Occult Punk Gang)
HEITH Laguna (Haunter Records)
Malcolm Donaldson, Matador Records
Marissa Esposito, Beggars Group
Albums:
Shame – Songs of Praise
Mitski- Be The Cowboy
The Goon Sax- We’re Not Talking
Earl Sweatshirt- Some Rap Songs
Let’s Eat Grandma- I’m All Ears
Parquet Courts- Wide Awake!
Ty Segall and White Fence – Joy
Vince Staples- FM!
Flasher- Constant Image

Swearin’- Fall into the Sun
Noname- Room 25
John Maus- Addendum
Snail Mail- Lush
Saba- CARE FOR ME
Iceage- Beyondless
IDLES- Joy as an Act of Resistance.
Songs:
(no particular order or from albums listed above)
Sorry- Starstruck
Ovlov- Spright
Lala Lala- Destroyer
Goat Girl- The Man
Unknown Mortal Orchestra- Hunnybee
Courtney Barnett- Need A Little Time
Frank Ocean- Moon River
BODEGA- Name Escape
Yellow Days- What’s It All For?
Porches- Find Me
Joey Purp- Elastic
boygenius- Me & My Dog
Sneaks- Money Don’t Grow on Trees
Live Shows:
Homeshake @ Market Hotel
SXSW in Austin, TX
Ty Segall @ Brooklyn Steel
Mount Kimbie @ Brooklyn Steel
King Krule @ Hammerstein Ballroom
Parquet Courts @ Elsewhere
Radiohead @ MSG
BROCKHAMPTON @ Terminal 5
Iceage @ Secret Project Robot
Shame @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Mitski @ Brooklyn Steel
Rian Fossett, Matador Records
Amen Dunes -- Freedom
Tirzah -- Devotion
Adriane Lenker -- abysskiss
Earl Sweatshirt -- Some Rap Songs
Mark Renner -- Few Traces
Olden Yolk -- s/t
Damien Durado -- The Horizon Just Laughed
Sunshine EP -- s/t
Against All Logic -- s/t
Jenny Hval EP -- The Long Sleep
A$AP Rocky -- Testing
Yves Tumor -- Safe In The Hands of Love

Matt Harmon, Beggars Group
Albums
Fly fishing in New Mexico & Colorado
Anna St Louis - If Only There Was A River
Blake Mills - Looks
Dean Wareham & Cheval Sombre - Dean Wareham vs. Cheval Sombre
DJ Koze - Knock Knock
Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo
Low - Double Negative
Neko Case - Hell On <— favorite if I had to pick
Ohmme - Parts
Olden Yolk - Olden Yolk
Pusha T - Daytona
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs
Ruston Kelly - Dying Star
Thousand Foot Whale Claw - Black Hole Party
Tirzah - Devotion
Vive La Void - Vive La Void
Westerman - Ark
Wooden Shjips - V
Younger
Amen Dunes - Believe
Baby Jayy - Out The Rain
Boothroyd - Pure Country
Chrystal - 2 Real
DJ Healer - The Interview
DJ Oblong - Speed Your Rage To Me
Drake - Nice For What
Ella Mai - Boo'd Up
The Garden - :(
Gucci Mane feat. Migos - I Got The Bag
Ikonika - Assisted Retweet
The Internet - Come Over
John T Gast - Club Version
Kadhja Bonet - Delphine
Kanye West - Ghost Town
Kids See Ghosts - Reborn
Mary Lattimore - It Feels Like Floating
Playboi Carti feat. Lil Uzi Vert - Shoota
Raar - Le Sacrifice Moral
Skee Mask - Vli
Andy Larsen, Matador Direct

Sarah Davachi - Let Night Come On Bells End The Day (Recital) / Gave In Rest (Ba Da Bing!) - Albums refreshingly produced by an atheist woman conjuring a non-secular sound with an evocation of architecture and place rather than of personal spirituality. Beautiful, non-deceptive odes to religious moments, spaces, and influences from a non-believer.
Demdike Stare - Passion (Modern Love)
Lavender Hex - Lavender Hex
Gas - Rausch (Kompakt)
Jlin - Autobiography (Music From Wayne McGregor's Autobiography) (Planet Mu)
S.H.I.T. - What Do You Stand For? (Iron Lung Records)
Drew McDowall - The Third Helix (Dais Records)
Miss Red - K.O. (Pressure)
Vile Gash - Nightmare In A Troubled Brain (Youth Attack)
Tirzah - Devotion (Domino)
Helena Hauff - Qualm (Ninja Tune)
La Misma - Negociacoes De Pas Continuae Como Fazemas Fabulas 7" (Toxic State Records)
Clara! - Reggaetoneras 3 mixtape (Editions Gravats)
V/A Basement Beehive (Numero Group)
Mark Morgan - Department of Heraldry (Open Mouth) - I haven't heard this yet. Consider this a placeholder
The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos)
Other Side of the Wind (Orson Welles)
Amazing Grace (Sydney Pollack)
The Opera House (Susan Froemke)
Suspiria (Luca Guadagnino)Valerie Lynch, Spin-Go!
GOAT GIRL “Goat Girl”
VILLAGERS “The Art Of Pretending To Swim”

MOUNT EERIE “Now Only”
EVERYTHING IS RECORDED “Everything Is Recorded”
ICEAGE “ Beyondless”
MARIANNE FAITHFULL “Negative Capability”
Songs:
SALMO “90MIN”
DAUGHTER “All I Wanted – Live At Asylum Chapel”
THE KILLS “List Of Demands (Reparations)”
MOSES SUMNEY “Rank & File”
CHILDISH GAMBINO “This is America”
BEIRUT “Gallipoli”
IDLES “Colossus”
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE “Hunger”
BALTHAZAR “Fever”
JACK WHITE “Why Walk A Dog?”
THOM YORKE “Suspirium”
SHARON VAN ETTEN “Jupiter”
MARK RONSON feat. Miley Cyrus “Nothing Breaks Like A Heart”
Concerts:
Beyonce & Jay Z @San Siro
Laura Lyons, Beggars Group
albums:
ariana grande - sweetener
bad gyal - worldwide angel
teyana taylor - ktse
jorja smith - lost & found
hana vu - how many times have you driven by
miya folick - premonitions
mac miller - swimming
mitski - be the cowboy
asap rocky - testing
peggy gou - once
tirzah - devotion
deji okeze - so sorry

against all logic - 2012-2017
empress of - us
channel tres - s/t
octavian - spaceman
tierra whack - whack world
cardi b - invasion of privacy
natalie prass - the future & the past
Vinnie Martini, Matador Direct
BEST REPERTORY FILM SCREENINGS OF 2018
1) The Other Side Of The Wind (1976/2018, Orson Welles) - Film Society
of Lincoln Center and MoMA - 35mm

2) Eight Hours Don't Make A Day (1972, Rainer Werner Fassbinder) -
MoMA and Film Forum - DCP
3) Lola Montes (1955, Max Ophuls) - Metrograph - 35mm

4) Laughing Anne (1953, Herbert Wilcox) - MoMA - DCP
5) Remember My Name (1978, Alan Rudolph) - Quad Cinema - 35mm

6) Taking Off (1971, Milos Forman) - Anthology Film Archives - 35mm

7) A Moment Of Innocence (1996, Mohsen Makhmalbaf) - Metrograph and MoMA - 35mm

8) Canyon Passage (1946, Jacques Tourneur) - Film Society of Lincoln
Center - 35mm

9) Come Back To The Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982, Robert
Altman) - Museum of the Moving Image - 35mm
10) Amazing Grace (1972/2018, Sydney Pollack) - Film Forum - DCP
MOST HONORABLE MENTION TO:

The Leopard (1963, Luchino Visconti) which I viewed theatrically 3
times in 2018.
Ryan Naideau, Rough Trade
sarah davachi - gave in rest
julee cruise - the voice of love
adrienne lenker - abysskiss
earl sweatshirt - some rap songs
amen dunes - freedom

teyana taylor - ktse
mount eerie - now only
tozcos - sueños deceptivos
mike - renaissance man
idris ackamoor & the pyramids -an angel fell
twisted thing - lucky 7s demo
asap rocky - testing
mark renner - few traces
idiota civilizzato -st
nines - crop circle
innumerable forms - punishment in flesh
Øyvind Rones, Playground Music
10 AMAZING ALBUMS
Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo
Albums/EPs/Songs
Tirzah - Devotion
Amen Dunes - Freedom
Against All Logic - 2012 - 2017
Tierra Whack - Whack World

Virginia Wing - Ecstatic Arrow
Oneotrix Point Never - Love In The Time of Lexapro
Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
Jenny Hval - Spells
Hollie Cook - Vessel of Love
Westerman - Confirmation, Ark EP
Low - Double Negative
Helena Deland - Claudion
Adrianne Lenker - abysskiss
Kali Uchis - Isolation
Mark Renner - Few Traces (Reissue)
Marie Davidson - Working Class Woman
Viagra Boys - Street Worms
MorMor - Heaven’s Only Wishful
Beach House - 7
Serpentwithfeet - Soil
Okay Kaya - Habitual Love
Julia Holter - Aviary
Empress Of - When I’m With Him
Ariana Grande - thank u, next
Nils Frahm - Spells
Amyl and the Sniffers - Cup Of Destiny
A$AP Rocky - Fukk Sleep (feat. FKA Twigs)
Mitski - Nobody
Channel Tres - Controller
Kurt Vile - Bottle It In
Parquet Courts - Wide Awake (album)
US Girls - In a Poem Unlimited
Smerz - Have Fun EP
Iceage - Beyondless
Liz Phair - Girly Sound to Guyville 25th Anniversary Release
Film - The Favourite
Top Karaoke Moments of 2018
Rosemont Bar, Brooklyn NY : Crystal Mesh presents a delightfully intimate karaoke-ki hosted by DJ Paradise. On this particular evening, a young lithe gentleman performed the classically coy 1986 hit “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off” by Jermaine Stewart. As the song progressed, said gentleman slowly started removing ALL of his layers (it was March brrRRrr) until he reached the end of the song, and the end of his wardrobe. He finished the number completely nude, holding the mic in one hand, and his bravery in the other.
The Cat’s Meow, New Orleans LA : There’s a tender balance when traveling, to avoid the obvious and embrace the peculiar. But proximity and a Why Not attitude can tip the scales sometimes and lead you to a Bourbon Street (GASP) karaoke bar. Twas the weekend before Halloween, my two favorite things coming together, a time when people can embarrass publically preen visually and audibly in a mélange of chaos. Sexy Jesus was my bartender, a skull masked man sang Thriller like a pro, the staff broke into a line dancing rendition of Footloose, and our favorite socially awkward slasher Michael Myers was spotted waving his machete in glee to the Friends Theme Song. A friend watched the video I took of him, and aptly noted “He’s such a RACHEL”.

The Karaoke Hole (K-Hole to all the clever darlings out there), London UK : I trekked out to this basement haunt by myself one night, because my quest to always find the next best spot is unyielding. When I walked in, a young unassuming man was singing Mariah Carey “Fantasy” and I knew I was in the right place. The scantily clad drag queen host Rhys’ Pieces brought the vibes and an insanely accurate version of Missy Elliott “Work It”, with backwards lyrics and matching choreo to boot.

Celtica Pub, Newport RI : On the heels of my first Newport Folk Festival came a splendiferous night of ‘Roke in a dark Irish bar with a KJ who was deaf in one ear. Walking up to the door of the place, I met my future ex-husband, Cowboy Doug, who had taken the cordless mic outside and was singing on the sidewalk, staring at the crowd through the window. Later on he wowed me with his rendition of Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis” , closing with “But do I really feel the way I feel? YEAH I DO, Im really feelin that shit tonight, Bro.” And yes, he did make that hat.
Emma Strickland, Beggars Group
Gouge Away – Burnt Sugar

Skee Mask – Compro
Lil Peep – Come Over When You’re Sober Pt. 2
Nothing – Dance on the Blacktop
Dedekind Cut – Tahoe
Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
Fog Lake – Captain
Hovvdy – Cranberry
Touche Amore – Green (Single)
Grouper – Grid of Points
Daniel Avery – Songs for Alpha
Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love
6lack – East Atlanta Love Letter
Jacques Greene – Fever Focus
Single Mothers – Through a Wall
GAS – Rausch
Harrison BDP – Confusion of Sound
Shygirl – Cruel Practice
Rich Brian – Amen
Jake Whitener, Matador Records
LP's
Kikagaku Moyo- Masana Temples
Ned Collette- Old Chestnut
Parquet Courts- Wide Awake
The Goon Sax- We're Not Talking
The Cowboy- The Cowboy Album
Aaberg- Albatross
Marlowe- Marlowe
Vera Ellen- Beat Yr Name
Haley Heynderickx- I Need To Start A Garden
Jon Hopkins- Singularity
Illuminati Hotties- Kiss Yr Frenemies
Mourn- Surpresa Familia
Viagra Boys- Street Worms
Marbled Eye- Leisure
JPEGMAFIA- Veteran
Value Void- Sentimental
Lawn- Blood on the Tracks
Daniel Brandt- Channels
Rays- You Can Get There From Here
Olden Yolk- Olden Yolk
Matt Dorrien- In the Key of Grey
EP's
Duval Timothy- 2 Sim
Puma Blue- Blood Loss
Ultra Beauty- Ultra Beauty
Westerman- Ark
MIKE- Black Soap
Public Practice- Distance is a Mirror
Gasper Nali- Zoona Malawi
Draag- Nontoxic Process
Pinch Points- Mechanical Injury
SLUGS- Cool World
Compilations :
Laura Spiegel- The Expanding Universe
Technicolor Paradise: Rhum Rhapsodies & Other Exotic Delights
We Out Here: The Sound of London Jazz
Voyager Gold Record Box Set
Interpol's Sam Fogarino covers Charlie Pickett



Chicago's venerable Bloodshot Records is celebrating a 20th anniversary, and the newly released 'While No One Was Looking : Toasting 20 Years of Bloodshot Records' compilation features Interpol's Sam Fogarino covering "I Liked It A Lot", by Miami's Charlie Pickett (above).
John Peel - remembered

Today marks 10 years since the passing of John Peel, a man who opened the BBC radio airwaves for bands and artists outside the remit of the stations "regular" programming and opened the minds of thousands listening at home to sounds they otherwise may have never heard. One of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, throughout his 5-decade spanning career he never showed no signs of slowing down and his influence on (the good part) of modern music is immeasurable.
As a small tribute to the many Matador bands who recorded a Peel Session over the years, we've compiled a selection of some of the session that made it on to YouTube, (many - including The Fall, Wisdom Of Harry and Pretty Girls Make Graves - haven't) and there's a full archive of all the Peel sessions over at the BBC Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions/.
Featuring: Cat Power, Interpol, Yo La Tengo, Pavement, Belle and Sebastian, Sonic Youth, Mogwai, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Solex, Unsane, Arab Strab, Unwound, Guided By Voices, Superchunk, Techno Animal and Boards Of Canada.
Enjoy.
Mabon "Teenie" Hodges, RIP
Memphis guitar genius and songwriter Teenie Hodges, the Hi Rhythm Section linchpin whose accompaniment of artists including, but not limited to Al Green, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay, Syl Johnson and our own Chan Marshall are just a portion of his legacy, passed away Sunday at the age of 68. Our thoughts this morning are with the family, friends and musical collaborators
Alumni Corner : Help Marcellus Hall Complete His New Album
There's few reading this who didn't have their adolescence or adulthood dramatically improved by the songs of Railroad Jerk / White Hassle founder Marcellus Hall. Following a fantastic solo LP in 2011, 'The First Line',, he'd like to put the finishing touches on another masterpiece, but (see above) your assistance would be appreciated..
In addition, here's a trailer for Hall's new children's book, 'Everyone Sleeps'.
An Orgy of Self-Congratulation, Grandstanding & Overconsumption : Matador Artists & Staff Select Their 2012 Favorites

(above : angry mob reacts to the news that at least two or 3 people didn't even mention the Total Control 7")
Around this time every year, your
Damian Abraham, Fucked Up
My fav records that I acquired off my want list this year:
Da Slyme - "st" (with 1/1 FUCKED UP "Couple Tracks cover" haha) DBLP
- I got this thru Hits and Misses (RIP) in Toronto but it came from the drummer I believe. It didn't have a cover but the covers were just spraypainted covers of random records, so my friend Woody made me a copy of his cover and I recreated the stencil on a Fucked Up lp. A seminal Canadian record that I have wanted since I read about it in the Smash the State lp insert.
From Rotate This in Toronto. A top tier Killed By Death jam if there ever was one. Dutch punk so good that when asked what it sounds like all I can offer is: "Kinda
perfect"
Slapshot - "Back On The Map" LP - Test Press #16 (my lucky number)
Traded this from my brother for a record I had given my wife. Does that make me a bad person?
Deja Voodoo - "Hiekkaa Hietarannan" 7" - I bought this from the guy that did our show in Tampere. The og lo-fi garage two piece's hardest
to find single... in their native Canada at-least.
V/A - "Triple Cross Counter Tour Compilation" 7" -
The last Bastard record I needed and I managed to have exactly enough cash on me to buy it and still have enough change to get back to the hotel on the subway as I was facing the nightmare scenario of having a bank card that wouldn't work while in a Japanese record store.
LSD - "Jast Last" ("dead model" cover) 7" - Bought this on an earlier trip this year to Japan. Buying Japanese hardcore records in Japan is the perk of being in a touring band that I had desired the longest... Yay me!

Dezerter - "Underground Out Of Poland" LP
I found this at She Said Boom in Toronto having looked for it forever. Polish hardcore that was smuggled out from behind the iron curtain by Joey Keithley from Canadian hardcore legends DOA (who sadly called it a day this year so: RIP). RAGING political hardcore produced under a government that wasn't always the biggest fan of such expression I would imagine.
Kiddeo - "Kids Can Rock" LP -
Picked this up at Sonic Boom in Toronto. A soundtrack album for the 80's kid's tv show. I grew up clowning on this show with my brother. A show for kids featuring a clown make-up wearing rock and roll band was sure to raise the ire of a precocious surly eight year old. Now as a parent I yearn for this to be put into reruns so I could watch it with my three year old.
d.b.s. - "Snowball" 7"
Another trade pick up. I first saw the video for this song on The Wedge (the tv show I host now... watch... please). Although they were not the first punk band I had ever heard, they were the first band that showed me that I could do it too. They were a bunch of kids slightly older then my 14 year old self touring the world and playing punk. It made me want to start my first band... who was nowhere near as good as d.b.s. While this is not an exceptionally valuable record it took me forever to find it.
Negative Approach "st" (rejected test press) 7"
The source shall remain anonymous but I did have to sell close to 400 records out of the collection to buy it. The record itself needs no introduction. The rejected test press was the holy grail of record collecting for me
since I learnt of it's existence 12 years ago. I had a chance to get it and I went for it... if for no other reason than to prevent the 23 year old from traveling thru time and space to beat my ass for not going for it.
Anthony Anzalado, Ceremony
ALBUMS
1. Twin Shadow - Confess
2. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
3. Gossip - A Joyful Noise

4. Blaqk Audio - Bright Black Heaven
5. Jessie Ware - Devotion
6. Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind
7. No Statik - Everywhere You Aren't Looking
8. Marina & The Diamond - Electa Heart
9. Daughn Gibson - All Hell
10. Swans - The Seer
TRACKS
1. Frank Ocean - Pyramids
2. Blaqk Audio - Let's Be Honest
3. Gossip - Move In The Right Direction
4. Twin Shadow - Five Seconds
5. Jessie Ware - Wildest Moments
6. King Tuff - Bad Thing
7. Usher - Climax
8. Converge - Coral Blue
9. Marina & Diamonds - State Of Dreaming
Chris Brokaw, Come, Codeine
JESUS IS MY SON "1914-1918" (CD)

INSECT FACTORY - "Melodies From A Dead Radio" (LP)
VATICAN SHADOW - "Ghosts Of Chechnya" (2xCS)
LETHA RODMAN - "Moon Mountain" (CS)
ZZ TOP - "La Futura" (CD)
RENE HELL - "Catalina and London" (CS)
TORN HAWK - "Mark Of The Hound" (12")
GRUNT - "Ritual of Mortality" (CS)
THOMAS KONER - "Novaya Zemlya" (CD)
INNER TUBE - "s/t" (LP)
NICOLAS LOBO - "Slowed and Mirrored" (CS)
OREN AMBARCHI/ROBIN FOX - "Connected" (CD)
REGRESSION - "Other Days" (CD)
JEFF PARKER - "Bright Light In Winter" (LP)
MB - "Mental Machination Musing" (CS)
SPYKES - "Personal Contact" (CS)
GEOFF FARINA - "Wishes Of The Dead" (CD)
KEVIN DRUMM - "Crowded" (LP)
PRURIENT - "Tiger Smells A Corpse" (3xCS)
TOR LUNDVALL - "The Shipyard" (LP)
JAC BERROCAL/DAVID FENECH/GHEDALIA TAZARTES - "Superdisque" (LP)
JENNIFER O'CONNOR - I Want What You Want (LP)
TIM FOLJAHN - Songs For An Age Of Extinction (LP)
Favorite new pedal: Endangered Audio Research AD4096
Favorite new music toy: Korg Monotron Delay Analogue Ribbon Synthesizer
Kyle Edwards, The Young
Top Ten Tour Eats of 2012

1. The Owlery, Bloomington IN: Vegan Fried Chicken Dinner

2. Zante's Pizza, San Francisco CA: Indian Pizza

3. La Estrella #3, Highland Park CA: Fish Tacos

4. Van Loc, Houston TX: Garlic Tofu

5. Odge's, Chicago IL: Hot Dogs

6. Vinnie's, Anna Maria's, & Carmine's, Brooklyn NY: Pizza Binge

7. Poutinville, Montreal QC: Braised Beef Poutine

8. Cevapcici, WestFest, Chicago IL: Multiple Animal Logs
9. El Farolito, Oakland CA: Carne Asada Burrito
10. Jimboy's, Reno NV & Rosedale CA: Parmesan Tacos
Ross Farrar, Ceremony
1. Dawn of Humans – Blurst of the Bird Fish EP
2. Savages – Husbands EP
3. Tronics - Love Backed by Force LP (reissue)
4. Burning Sensation – S/T LP

5. Constant Mongrel – Everything Goes Wrong LP
6. Total Control – Scene From a Marriage EP
7. Sauna Youth – Dreamlands LP
8. Creative Adult – Dead Air EP
9. Spitting Image – Valley Floor EP
10. Slut River – Off White EP
11. Coffin Pricks – S/T EP
12. Feedtime – The Aberrant Years (box set)
13. Dark Times – S/T EP
14. Eagulls / Mazes – split EP
15. Frederick Seidel – Poems: 1959-2009
Thomas Fisher, Esben and the Witch

My favourite records of the year were"Angels of darkness, demons of light II" by Earth and "WIXIW" By Liars. Earth for soundtracking strolls around the city at both day and night. The Liars record is probably my favourite of theirs, the style and sounds they use on it really suit them.

Best live show, hands down, Swans at Koko. Totally captivating.

Saw some cool films, " Beasts of the Southern Wild" was probably my favourite fictional one. The father/daughter relationship in that is a thing of beauty. Set against this crazy apocalyptic bayou setting called The Bathtub, a real top film in my opinion. As for documentaries "Nostalgia for the light" and "Marina Abramovich, the artist is always present" were really fascinating and inspiring respectively.
Gregg Foreman ~ Cat Power / Pink Mountaintops / Black Ryder / The Meek
The Speedy and miraculous recovery of Friend and beloved DJ - Jonathan Toubin !!!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpP9iWupUo0[/youtube]
'Autoluminescent' - Rowland Howard Film (2011 but wasn't available for USA til 2012)
'Lawless' - (Film written by Nick Cave)
Cold Cave / American Nightmare - (Live)
Willis Earl Beale - (Live)
Chelsea Wolfe - 'Unknown Rooms' (LP)
Cat Power - 'Sun' (Ha had to , but it is a great record)
Austin Psych Fest 2012 - Music Festival produced by the Black Angels in Austin Tx
The Laurels - Aussie Psych Band
Strangers Family Band - Live (Los Angeles Psychedelia produced by Steve Kille of Dead Meadow)
James McNew, Yo La Tengo
Lambchop , Mr. M (Merge)

El-P, Cancer 4 Cure (Def Jux)
Mamaguitar, Sings Mamaguitar (Zelone)
Thee Oh Sees, Putrifiers II (In The Red)
Why?, Mumps etc (Anticon)
Tim Heidecker, Titanic and Other Songs (Orion Read)
Redd Kross, Researching The Blues (Merge)
Oneida, A List Of The Burning Mountains (Brah)
Ceremony, Zoo (Matador)
Aesop Rock, Skelethon (Rhymesayers)
Neal Morgan, In The Yard (Drag City)
Man Forever, Pansophical Cataract (Thrill Jockey)
Killer Mike, R.A.P Music (Williams Street)
Koozies, Woodies and Beer comp (Brah)
Fushitsusha, Hikari to Nazukeyo + Mabushii Itazura Na Inori (Heartfast) + Document Film of Keiji Haino sdtrk (PSF)
Sandy Miranda, Fucked Up
My ten favourite days of 2012:
1. April 13-15, 20-22: Meeting Snoop Dog, Dave Chapelle, and Fred Armison at Coachella
2. June 1-2: Primavera Sound
3. June 17: Doing mushrooms at the MMVA's and losing
4. July 29: Playing Fuji Rock in Japan and winning
5. August 4: Playing Sappyfest in New Brunswick
6. August 5-9: Visiting St. John's, Newfoundland
7. August 31: Playing Mexico City for the first time
8. September 24: Being nominated for a second Polaris Prize
9. November 3-4: Playing back-to-back shows in Tokyo and Austin
10. November 22-24: Playing Turkey for the first time.
Thurston Moore, Chelsea Light Moving, Sonic Youth
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH6BamI1gsM[/youtube]
1.The ZZZ's (live at the Jellyfish Brother’s crib, Miami FLA) I went down to play a solo gig in Mami during Art Basel and the next morning I'm having Cubano breakfast with Rat Bastard. We're gonna do a secret noise show in a warehouse that night and when I walk out on the street to lick some sunrays this kid comes up to me and sez he's the son of David Amram (jazz bop poet pianist who pal'd around with Kerouac) and he's touring around with a Japanese girl trio and they're looking for a gig. I say "hold on", and I fetch Rat and he meets them and they say "we are noise group" and he sez "be at the warehouse at midnight and you can play" and they do and they are AMAZING. A cross between Gong and Teenage jesus. I haven't stood there so enjoyingly stunned in front of a band since maybe seeing Afri Rampo (also Japanese girl noise) tear shit up when they first came over ten years ago.

2. Richard Hell — I Dreamed I was a Very Clean Tramp: An Autobiography (Ecco books) - I been waiting to read Hell’s memoir since hearing excerpts of it from his strange mouth a solid year or so ago. I was taken aback as he talked of his relationship with Tom Verlaine, his cohort and co-founder of Television, one of the most significant groups in the lineage New York City rock n roll history. He exposed his retrospective feelings of their difficult friendship without contempt or vitriol but allowing the realiy of emotional discomfort that such alien boys may have with each other come under some personal analysis. This is “Life” for those of us who become dreamy when considering the advent of punk rock. Hell’s details can be knowingly sloppy but their’s enough prosaic insight here to send chills down any punk rock historian’s spine. I mean he did invent this shit.
3. Café Oto (music café, Dalston East London) - I have big time reasons to relocate to London these days, and the closer I can be to Café Oto the better. At least three times a week this joint hosts startling perfromances of musc from in and out of the margins. Improvisor legends old and young, traveling radical noise creeps, song stretchers, dance, theatre — I just spent three nights there with The Ex where they curated a showcase celebrating their 33 1/3 years as a band. Every minute was awesome. Incredible zone with no stage and killer shochu (with cold green tea – recommended) and very good, friendly vibes. Up the street is the Vortex for most straight up avant jazz action. Fuck it, I like the rain.
4. The jazz kissas of Tokyo Japan — I’m not much of bar hanger outer at all, even though I mention Café Oto and I do like to swill shaggys at Great Jones Café as poured by Mark Ibold but after all the years of hitting Japan and beelining around to the record sttores that have the best revenue of 2nd hand jazz vinyl IN THE UNIVERSE I never knew to much abut the culture of the “jazz kissa”. This is a joint that serves sake, beer and coffee and spins jazz LPs exclusively on perfectly tuned hi fi analog sound equipment. The most famous one in Shinjuku is DIG which started in the early 60s and advertised itself as supplying “Booze + Jazz”. I spent an evening there looking through the scrapbooks of it’s owner where he shot photos of Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis – everyone — and a lot of these cats, back in the day, would set up in the corner sometimes and rip a session. The jazz kissa, a throwback to the heady day of post war Japan when American jazz became a rallying sound of imperialist liberation, may be a quaint reminder of bygone times but the ones that do exist, and some are rather recent, are exquisite. I happened upon one in the Jimbocho area where all the used bookstores are, called Big Boy. It had an awesome sound system, almost akin to the way reggae sound systems are, as far as fetishization goes, and when I asked to hear a track off a Bill Evans LP, the proprietor pulled out a mint mono copy and a stereo one as well and asked which I’d like to hear. I chose mono, natch, and then and there Bill Evans, long thought deceased, appeared in the room with attendant piano, CONJURED!
Bob Nastanovich, Pavement
2012 top ten list (in no particular order):

1) Dolfish--I'd Rather Disappear Than Stay The Same
2) Mumford's--Triple Trinities
3) The Poison Control Center--live
4) Wolves In The Attic--live
5) Derek Lambert and The Prairie Fires--The Forest Floor cassette
6) Mantis Pincers--live
7) William Tyler--"Ohaspe" b/w "Tennessee Blues" 7"
8) Wax Fang--Mirror, Mirror EP
9) La Rosa Tamaleria
10) Bud Select 55
Andy Nelson, Ceremony
Long:

Blank Realm - Go Easy
Constant Mongrel - Everything Goes Wrong
Daughn Gibson - All Hell
Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE
Julia Holter - Ekstasis
Merchandise - Children Of Desire
Raime - Quarter Turns Over A Living Line
Scott Walker - Bisch Bosh
Shackleton - Music For The Quiet Hour/The Drawbar Organ EPs
Sickoids - self titled
Short:
Burial - Kindred
Daughn Gibson - Lite Me Up
Dawn Of Humans - Blurst Of The Birdfish
Fennesz - Fa 2012
Give - Voodoo Leather
Hoax - 3rd EP
The Ropes - Always Nothing
Savages - Husbands
Scott & Charlene's Wedding/Peak Twins split
Total Control - Scene From A Marriage
Hans Zimmerman, The Young
Best Stuff I Saw in Austin (unless noted otherwise)
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
The Clean
Destruction Unit
Wiccans
Vaaska
Timmy's Organism (NYC)
Royal Headache
Cheap Time

Pink Reason (Columbus, OH)
Lamps (LA)
Jean-Phillpe Aline, Beggars France
2012 was all about food and music :-)
favorite albums of the year (non-beggars)

nite jewel - one second of love
kendrick lamar - good kid, m.a.a.d city
frank ocean - channel orange
favorite songs
everything is embarrassing - sky ferreira
losing you - solange
get free - major lazer
tv programs
SNL's homeland parody (that kills the tv series)
Veep (first season)
Game Change
Movies
Amour
Killer Joe
Moonrise Kingdom
Personal experiences
First trip to Japan
Best Hotel
Benesse House (Naoshima island)
Favorite Restaurants
Le Pantruche (Paris)
Abri (Paris)
Pierre Sang (Paris)
Gion Nanba (Kyoto)
Favorite video
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9a1C1qXHfM[/youtube]
Antony & The Johnsons
Adam Farrell, Beggars Group
Albums / EPs
John Talabot - Fin
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
The Chromatics - Kill For Love
Julia Holter - Ekstasis
Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
Swans - The Seer

Nude Beach - II
Deep Magic - Empty Soul EP
Songs
Clique by Big Sean (& others)
Big Beast by Killer Mike
Lord Knows by Dum Dum Girls
Rigamortis by Kendrik Lamar
The Full Retard by El-P
Visuals/events
Rise And Fall of Apartheid - International Center of Photography (NYC)
Yayoi Kusama exhibit - Tate Modern (London)
Adam Fuchs - all that Captain Murphy shit
Rock And Roll Billboards of the Sunset Strip by Robert Landau (Blake says 2013 is gonna get real tight)
Flying Lotus - that whole campaign
Sleigh Bells - the first few things on that campaign
PS1 Warmup (props to Dean, Chen and crew!)
The Bell Labs complex in Holmdel, NJ (unofficial tour)
Reads
The Idea Factory by Jon Gertner (inspired above tour)
Downloadables
Nicolas Jarr - BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix
Gaslamp Killer - Brainfeeder RA mixtape
Evernote - which made this list possible (and Richard Laing for making me feel alright about using it)
Alex Hadjiloukas, Matador Direct
Albums

1. The Men - Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones) - Few albums this year got me as supremely stoked upon each listen as this one. It absolutely shreds, while perfectly showcasing a band taking their already-established strengths and pushing them into a whole new territory. The spacey jammed-out tracks are equally as engaging as the straight up face-melters, sometimes even more so, and the first two songs alone are worth the price of admission. I saw them over the summer and the set was pretty much all completely new material, stuff that was on some serious modern-day Neil Young type shit. Can’t wait to hear what they do next.
2. Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N 2 It (Matador) - Beautiful. Just beautiful. Every track is equal parts devastating heartbreak and (somehow) joyous, uplifting hope. And that fact the he can implement that formula 12 times in a row, each time at three and a half minutes or less, without it ever losing any of its potency is totally mind-blowing. The dude just gets it. The aural definition of the word “sublime”.
3. Liars - WIXIW (Mute) - Over the summer I was working this job in downtown Brooklyn that would usually have me getting out around 1-2am, and for about two weeks this is literally all I would listen to during my long and lonely commute home on the G train. It just seemed to fit so well because, much like living in a giant urban sprawl such as New York, the whole album has this pervading feeling of nervous, passive dread; it’s like sensing some really terrible force (be it physical, mental, or spiritual) existing somewhere just beyond the surface that never chooses to fully show itself. It’s always there but you can’t quite put your finger on it. And that’s what really scares you.
4. Ceremony - Zoo (Matador) - There are still moments when I play this album and can hardly believe that it came from a group of guys whose first album (and overall M.O.) was “Violence Violence”. Making fast brutal noise is all well and good, and I love hardcore just as much as the next guy who grew up in suburban Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Long Island. But I’m also a sucker for a great pop hook and solid musicianship, and here they brilliantly balance the best of both worlds while also proving just how well-versed they are musically. I mean, shit! Some tracks on here are almost straight up surf rock! It rules! I honestly feel that any of their old fans who trash this record simply need to grow the fuck up. It’s clear that Ceremony has, and man, just listen to what happened.
5. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan (Domino) - A lot of people nowadays (myself included) are pretty quick to write off Brooklyn’s current indie rock giants. Animal Collective has gotten too weird and annoying (even by their standards), Grizzly Bear has gotten too frumpy and boring, etc. But these guys, I just can’t deny ‘em. Their output has been so consistently strong, and I sincerely believe that this is the best record they’ve ever made. Again, a perfect combination of styles old and new. The first time I heard that riff kick in on Offspring Are Blank I actually had a minor physical freak-out over how good it was. Chills throughout my body, shaky hands, the works. Granted, I was insanely stoned at the time, but nonetheless. The whole record plays through on this totally weirdo neo-White-Album-era-Beatles wavelength and the results are just really, really pleasurable.
6. Menomena - Moms (Barsuk) - After everything these guys have been through they could have either called it quits or just started putting out really mediocre records, but instead they’ve worked through all their inner turmoils and come back stronger than ever. Further reason as to why they’re one of my absolute favorite current bands.
7. Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse (In The Red) - Everything he put out this year was solid, but this one definitely trumps them all for me. It just fucking rips.
8. Dan Deacon - America (Domino) - Gorgeous, intelligent, transcendent. And above all else, like with the rest of his records you can still totally lose your mind and dance like a maniac to it. The whole USA suite is concrete proof that the man is an absolute genius and a true modern-day composer.
9. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! (Constellation) - Really didn’t see this one coming (hell, no one did) so my inner-16-year-old was absolutely ECSTATIC when, in typical Godspeed fashion, it kind of just quietly appeared out of nowhere one day back in October. The night that Hurricane Sandy hit the city I was holed up alone in my apartment getting drunk with this blasting on repeat, totally anticipating the end of world.
10. Thee Oh Sees - Putrifiers II (In The Red) - Another year, another fantastic album from Dwyer and Co. At this point I don’t think it’s possible that they’ll ever put out a recording I won’t like.
Shows
The Magnetic Fields @ ACL Live (SXSW)
Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees @ The Well
Dirty Projectors @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Menomena @ Bowery Ballroom
Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500 @ Le Poisson Rouge
Films
The Master
Skyfall
Samsara
Shut Up and Play The Hits
Looper
Television
Boardwalk Empire and Breaking Bad. Nothing else came CLOSE.
Matt Harmon, Beggars Group
Julia Holter - Ekstatis (Rvng Intl)
Pete Swanson - Pro Style EP (Type)
Michael Pisaro - Tombstones (HEM)
Tim Hecker & Daniel Lopatin - Instrumental Tourist (Software)

Shadow Ring - Remains (Kye)
The Men - Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones)
Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse (Drag City)
Bob Mould - Silver Age (Merge)
Keith Fullerton Whitman - Generators (Editions Mego)
Gunn - Truscinski Duo - Ocean Parkway (Three Lobed Recordings)
Joshua Abrams - Represencing (Eremite Records)
Crystal Ark - s/t (DFA)
Oneohtrix Point Never / Rene Hell - split (NNA Tapes)
Marcia Bassett & Samara Lubelski - Sunday Night, Sunday Afternoon (Kye)
Emeralds - Just to Feel Anything (Editions Mego)
Helen Johnson, Matador Direct
Records (in no particular order):
FJ McMahon - Spirit Of the Golden Juice (Circadian Press)
Cate Le Bon - Cyrk II (The Control Group)

Samara Lubelski - Wavelength (Destijl)
Marcia Bassett / Samara Lubeslski - Sunday Night, Sunday Afternoon (KYE)
Mike Wexler - Dispossession (Mexican Summer)
Rhyton - The Emerald Tablet (Thrill Jockey)
200 Years - S/T (Drag City)
200 Years - Holyoke (Grapefruit Record Club)
The Baird Sisters - Until You find Your Green (Grapefruit Record Club)
Six Organs of Admittance - Ascent (Drag City)
Blues Control - Valley Tangents (Drag City)
The Shadow Ring - Remains Unchanged (KYE)
Prince Rupert Drops - Run Slow (Beyond, Beyond is Beyond)
Neil Young - Psychedelic Pill (Reprise)
Crystal Syphon - Family Evil (Roaratorio)
Willie Lane - Guitar Army Of One (Cord Art)
Mark Fosson - Digging In The Dust : Home Recordings 1976 (Tompkins Sqaure)
Laurie Spiegel - The Expanding Universe (Unseen Worlds
Bruce Langhorn - The Hired Hand (Scissor Tail Records)
V/A - Traces One (GRM)
Live (in no particular order):
Cate Le Bon/Pigeons @ Mercury Lounge
Thurston Moore & Samara Lubelski @ Issue project Room (part of the 'Flowers & Cream' poetry Night)
Rangda @ Zebulon
Blues Control @ Roulette
Mike Wexler @ Zebulon
200 Years @ Zebulon
P.G Six @ Zebulon
Steve Gunn & Chris Forsyth @ Zebulon
Loren Mazzacane Connors & Thurston Moore @ Public Assembly
Graham Lambkin & C Spencer Yeh @ The New Museum
Whiteout w/ Dave Shuford @ 285 Kent
Whiteout w/ Anders Nilsson @ Zebulon
Magik Markers @ Roulette
Samara Lubelski & Marcia Bassett @ Issue Project Room
Cate Le Bon/Quilt @ Mercury Lounge
Cate Le Bon @ Union Pool
Tom Carter w/ Pigeons @ Zebulon
RL Boyce @ Great Jones Cafe
Six Organs Of Admittance/Blues Control @ Mercury Lounge
Film:
Last Kind Words (This is a great film by Kevin Barker and Amy Miller)
Misc:
Fostering cats for the ASPCA
Some questions my 4 yr old niece asked......
Do mice really exist?
Is the moon really made of cheese?
Is it christmas today? (asked in June)
Are these ladybirds poisonous?
When will I be a mermaid?
Natalie Judge, Matador Records
2012 was soundtracked occasionally with the following and in no particular order:
Sharon van Etten - Tramp
Metal Dance - Trevor Jackson Comp

Daniel Rossen - EP
Black Bananas - rad times express
John Talabot - fin.
The Men - open your heart
Merchandise - Children of Desire
Daughn Gibson - All Hell
Total control - henge beat (this may be technically 2011)
Death Grips - the money store
Dave Martin, Matador Direct
New albums
1. Major Stars - Decibels Of Gratitude - Important / Twisted Village
2. Cate Le Bon - Cyrk & Cyrk II - The Control Group

3. Cheater Slicks - Reality Is a Grape - Columbus Discount Records
4. Disappears - Pre Language - Kranky
5. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Meat & Bone - Boombox/Mom + Pop
6. Cheap Time - Wallpaper Music - In The Red
7. Tyvek - On Triple Beams - In The Red
8. Karl Hendricks Trio - The Adult Section - Comedy Minus One
9. Dirty Three - Toward The Low Sun - Drag City
10. Apache Dropout - Bubblegum Graveyard - Trouble In Mind
11. Redd Kross - Researching The Blues - Merge Records
12. Lamps - Under The Water, Under The Ground - In The Red
13. Times New Viking - Over & Over - Siltbreeze
14. Mad Scene - Blip - Siltbreeze
15. Home Blitz - Frozen Track - Mexican Summer
16. Bailterspace - Strobosphere - Fire
17. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music - Williams Street
18. Timmys Organism - Raw Sewage Roq - In The Red
19. Reports - Dynamo Cambridge - Ride The Snake
20. Majutsu No Niwa - Frontera - New Vague / Musik Atlach
21. Mount Carmel - Real Women - Siltbreeze
22. Fabulous Diamonds - Commercial Music - Chapter Music
23. El-P - Cancer 4 Cure - Fat Possum
24. Six Organs Of Admittance - Ascent - Drag City
25. Foreign Mothers - Duh - Thread Pull Records
Singles
1. A Burning Bus - Anti b/w Paranoia Paradise - Harvest Records
2. Bare Mutants - Without You b/w Inside My Head - Hozac Records
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPmN8x0Wb6U[/youtube]
3. Buck Biloxi & the Fucks - Weirdos On The Street Orgone Toilet
4. Cheap Time - Other Stories b/w In This World - Sweet Rot Records
5. Family Curse / White Murder Split - Middle Age America b/w Breakdown - Doormat Records
6. No Bails - Soundproof Room b/w Werthers Original / Skate Or Die - Orgone Toilet
7. Native Cats / UV Race Split - Ten Years Transportation b/w 3 UV Race songs - Ride The Snake Records
8. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Gadzooks! b/w Tell Me That You Love Me - Jukebox #6 - In The Red Records
9. V/A Worlds Lousy With Ideas Volume 9 - Almost Ready Records Featuring Cheater Slicks, Thee Spivs & Psandwich
10. Livefastdie - Practicing For The Gangbang b/w You Ruin All My Fun- Total Punk Records
Reissues
1. The Clean - Oddities - Five Forty Records
2. Great Unwashed - Clean Out Of Our Minds - Exiled Records
3. Jessie Mae Hemphill - Feelin' Good - Sutro Park
4. Sonic Youth - Smart Bar Chicago 1985 - Sonic Youth Records
5. Mike Rep & The Quotas - Rocket To Nowhere b/w Quasar - Mighty Mouth Records
6. Various Artists - Time To Go: The Southern Psychedelic Movement - Flying Nun Records
7. David Kilgour - Here Come The Cars - DeStijl & Left By Soft - 12XU
8. feedtime - today is friday - SSR & box set - Sub Pop
9. Max Block - Air Ache In The Belly Of The Leech - Siltrbreeze
10. Toy Love - Live At The Gluepot - Goner
11. Bilders - Reissue Series on Unwucht
12. Jack Ruby - Hit & Run b/w Bad Teeth - Saturday Records
13. Necros - Ambionic Sound - Alona's Dream
14. Thin Lizzy - S/T - Light In The Attic
15. Pin Group - Ambivalence - Flying Nun Records
16. Lungfish - A.C.R. 1999 - Dischord Records
17. Legs - Aaaa The New Memphis Legs - Goner Records
18. Scientists - Rubber Never Sleeps - Bang
19. Doug Jerbine - Is Jesse Harper - Drag City Records
20. Psychosurgens - Horizontal Action b/w Wild Weekend - Crypt Records
21. Brian Crook - Bathysphere - Meds
22. Dead Moon - Too Many People - Mississippi / Change Records
23. Lost Sounds - Lost Lost - Goner Records
24. Rites Of Spring - Six Song Demo - Dischord Records
25. Wicked Lady - The Axeman Cometh & Psychotic Overkill - Guerszen
Live Shows
feedtime - Death By Audio & Maxwell's shows
Kim Phuc / Joint Damage - The Acheron
Major Stars - Cake Shop
Karl Hendricks Trio / Ma'am - Leftfield
Savages - House of Vans
Nude Beach / Everymen - Union Pool
Disappears - Glasslands
Bare Mutants- Cake Shop
Brain F? / White Lung - 538 Johnson
Hector Montes, Beggars Group
21 mostly musical things I liked about 2012 in the order in which I thought of them:
gay people being recognized as human beings (may be pending in your area)

Holy Other - Held (Tri Angle)
Shallow Rewards
Perfume Genius - Put Your Back N2 It (Matador)
Grimes - Visions (4AD)

Elite Gymnastics - RUIN 4 (Acephale)
Purity Ring - Shrines (4AD)
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music (Williams Street)
the saga of @Love_that_goku

Naomi Punk - The Feeling (Couple Skate)
Liars - WIXIW (Mute)
Bob Mould performing Copper Blue, Silver Age, and a few Hüsker Dü songs live in Minneapolis
Chromatics - Kill For Love (Italians Do It Better)
Lil Ugly Mane - Mista Thug Isolation (S/R)
Tanlines live at FYF and various other places
CFCF - Exercises (Paper Bag)
Swans - The Seer (Young God)
Brian Eno - Lux (Warp)
Cate Le Bon - Cyrk (The Control Group)
Tyvek - On Triple Beams (In The Red)
Recycle Cuture - various remixes
Robby Morris, Matador Records
releases by: death grips, diamond version, dirty three, hoax, lower,
the men, merchandise, angel olsen, raime, tyvek, vatican shadow & more
Gabe Spierer, Beggars Group
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
Killer Mike - R.A.P Music
Frankie Rose - Interstellar
Dirty Three - Toward The Low Sun
Cate LeBon - CYRK

Rick Ross - Rich Forever
Titus Andronicus - Local Business
Single Mothers - Single Mothers EP
Chrissy Stuart, Beggars Music
Shit Girls Say Twitter Feed
Adele sweeping the Grammys
Radiohead in the Desert 2 weekends in a row
Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
Endeaver belly rub over our LA office
Silver Linings Playbook. excelsior indeed.
Beach House - Bloom
Juicy J at SXSW
GIRLS
Cat Power - Cherokee (Nicolas Jaar Remix)

James Franco is Riff Raff
Tame Impala - Lonerism

Marc Jacobs' people-mover show for Spring Summer 2013 Vuitton in Paris
OBN III's - s/t
Klimt's drawings exhibit at The Getty
Best LA Celebrity Sighting - Queen Latifah at Malo
High Desert Test Sights & Garth's Place in Joshua Tree
Claire Taylor, Beggars Group
tv.....
Sherlock
The Hour
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
food/drink....
James (Prospect Heights)
Momo Sushi Shack (Bushwick)
Blue Cow (Big Rapids, MI)
Zahav (Philadelphia)
Cafe Regular du Nord (Park Slope)
movies...
Amadeus (saw it for the 1st time this year!)

Step Brothers (will remain on this list every year for the rest of my life)
Farewell My Queen
Anna Karenina
The Rolling Stones - Crossfire Hurricane
The Master
performances / exhibits...
"Misterman" at St. Ann's Warehouse, Brooklyn (technically saw this very late in December 2011)
The Stones at the Barclays, Brooklyn (Dec.8) (I've not even gone to this show as of submission deadline but assuming I'll want it on the list)
The Everymen at everywhere
Maurizio Cattelan: All, Guggenheim

Visions of Arcadia, Philadelphia Art Museum
Beatrix Potter: The Picture Letters, Morgan Library & Museum
print...
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
The Sense Of An Ending by Julian Barnes
A Very Irregular Head: The Life of Syd Barrett by Rob Chapman
Making It New: The Art and Style of Sara and Gerald Murphy by Deborah Rothschild
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
NYMag weekly crossword
Blake Thomas, Beggars Group
BEST OF MY YEAR
Best Album: Slaughterhouse - Ty Segall Band
Chain Burger: Shake Shack - NYC
Video: 'Haters Wanna Be Me' - Krispy Kreme
Movie: The Cabin In The Woods - Lionsgate
Booze: Black Maple Hill 16yr - Heaven Hill
Song: 'Wave Goodbye' - Ty Segall Band
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sftuxbvGwiU[/youtube]
Movie Trailer: Prometheus - 20th Century Fox
Sports: Jayhawks versus Tigers / Thomas Robinson block - Allen Fieldhouse
Live: The Faint - Terminal 5
Sandwich: Steak Sandwich - Harry's Cafe
TV show: Homeland - Showtime
Brewery: Founders - Michigan
NYC Burger: Prime Meats - Brooklyn
Work Times: Pitchfork Festival - Chicago (thanks Albin)
Looking Forward to: Summer Hummer 2013, i'mmm gonna bring it.
Tiger , Hostess/Beggars Japan
Nico-chan
Yama-chan
Adele (again)
Breaking Bad
Matsuko Deluxe
Feeling homesick
Accepting turning 30
Purity Ring / Shrines
Curry Udon in Osaka
Kyrary Pamyu Pamyu
Yosuke leaving Japan

Chromatics / Kill For Love
Meeting Jason Spaceman
LAs Rose Bowl Flea Market
Radiohead @ Fuji Rock 2012
Ceremony & Daughter @ SXSW
Losing my iphone 2wice this year
Bat For Lashes / The Haunted Man
Going to the dentist like a grown up
Remaking of Point Break @ Primavera
Incinerating all my clothes @ Primavera
Hostess Club Weekender (all 3 of them)
Receiving a Sister Oscar from Cat Power
Bringing Michael back to life @ Primavera
Beach House & Spiritualized @ Primavera
Beavis & Butthead do Tokyo w/ Steve & Paul
Mike Venutolo-Mantovani, Matador Direct
The Best Records Of 2012
1. Black Breath - Sentenced To Life (Southern Lord)

2. White Lung - Sorry (Deranged)
3. Bobby Womack - The Bravest Man In The Universe (XL)
4. Ceremony - Zoo (Matador)
5. The Men - Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones)
6. Cate Le Bon - CYRK (The Control Group)
7. Shintaro Sakamoto - How To Live With A Phantom (Other Music Recordings)
8. Bob Mould - Silver Age (Merge)
9. Die Antwoord - Ten$ion (Zef Recordz)
10. Nude Beach - II (Other Music Recordings)
11. A.C. Newman - Shut Down The Streets (Matador Records)
12. Father John Misty - Fear Fun (Sub Pop)
13. 200 Years - 200 Years (Drag City)
14. Red Kross - Researching The Blues (Merge)
The Best Shows Of 2012
Bruce at Giants Stadium Night 2
Bruce at Giants Stadium Night 3 (Birthday show)
Bruce at MSG in April
Single Mothers at Bowery Ballroom
Alabama Shakes at Terminal 5
The Everymen Record Release Show at Public Assembly
The Best Shirts Of 2012
Black Archers Of Loaf tee
Plaid Sears Roebuck western style
Green gingham
Black Hanes tee with the hole by the shoulder
Grey Slowtrain tee (RIP Slowtrain)
Best Purchases Of 2012
Thin Lizzy DVD
Vaccaro Generator X
Vintage Leather NJ Devils jacket
The Best Things About 2012
Krispy Kreme
Playing tons of Hurricane Sandy Benefits
Light In The Attic's West Coast Road Trip
Di Paolo's Italian Specialties
Lots of other things too.
Jen Willis, Beggars Music
Visiting LA for the first time and hanging out with Chrissy and the guys from Activision at Venice Beach
Having dim sum with our sub publishers for SE Asia in Hong Kong whilst on vacation over there
Successfully completing 3 half marathons in London, Brighton and Richmond
The 4AD party in New York in June
Learning to sail a yacht
Albums of the year -
Django Django
Cat Power
Shows of the year:
Bobby Womack at the Apple instore in soho, New York
Magnetic North at Wilton's music hall in east London
Esben and the Witch at Heaven in central London
Lemonade at Madame Jo Jo's in central London
SBTRKT at Reading festival
Patrick Amory, Matador Records
J.C. & Co. - Music By (JC Records LP)
Bill Fay - Life Is People (Dead Oceans dbl LP)
Cate Le Bon - Cyrk (Control Group LP)
Marching Church - Throughout The Borders (Posh Isolation 7" EP)
Shoes - Bazooka (Numero Group LP)
The Men - Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones LP)
The Clean - Odditties (540 dbl LP)
Furtwängler - Beethoven 6th & 8th Symphonies (1952/53) (Pristine Classical FLAC)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNaR-rxAic[/youtube]
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe video
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOYlnwIf6gY[/youtube]
Merchandise at 538 Johnson, Sept 13
Gerard Cosloy, Matador Records

Wiccans - Field II (Katorga Works)
Tyvek - On Triple Beams (In The Red)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4fflEtvKeM[/youtube]
Protomartyr - No Passion, All Technique (Urinal Cake)
Sun Kil Moon - Among The Leaves (Calo Verd )
Jennifer O'Connor - I Want What You Want (Kiam)
OBN III's - s/t (Tic Tac Totally)
Lamps - Under The Water Under The Ground (In The Red)
Nazi Gold - A Message Of Love (Super Secret)
Swans - The Seer (Young God)
Cheap Time - Wallpaper Music (In The Red)
Mordecai - s/t (Killer Tree)
bailterspace - Strobosphere (Fire)
Dan Melchior - The Backward Path (Northern Spy), Excerpts and Half-Speeds (Kye)
Woolen Kits - Four Girls (Trouble In Mind)
Hank Wood & The Hammerheads - Go Home (Toxic State)
G.Green - Crap Culture (Mt. St. Mountain)
Cop City /Chill Pillars - Hosed (Florida's Dying)
GR - A Reverse Age (Mexican Summer)
The Mad Scene - Blip (Siltbreeze)
singles
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgZnyY63kPY[/youtube]
Spray Paint - "Pro Knife" , "Squaw" b/w "Psychic Doug" (SSR)
Spray Paint - "Spock Fingers" b/w "Pink Pus" (SSR)

Gary Wrong - "Heroin Beach" b/w " Mayhem Troopers" (Batshit)
Recide - Statues EP (Even Worse)
Pink Reason - "Ache For You" b/w "Darken Daze" (Savage Quality)
Flesh Lights - Too Big To Fail 2X 7" (Super Secret)
Total Control - "Scene From A Marriage" b/w "Contract" (Sub Pop)
A Burning Bus - "Anti" b/w "Paranoid Paradise" (Harvest Recordings)
Useless Eaters - The Moves EP (Jolly Dream)
Watery Love - "New Kind Of KIck" b/w "A Condom" (Negative Guest List)
Ex-Cult - "M.P.D." b/w "No Fun On The Beaches" (Goner)
The Best - "Black Triangle" b/w "King Of The Underground" (Twistworthy)
Outer Spaces - "Civilization's Dying" (mp3)
A Giant Dog - "Dammit Pomengrante" b/w "Can't Complain" (Tic Tac Totally)
Protomartyr - 'Colpi Probibiti' EP (X!)
Satanic Rockers - "Eviction" b/w "Rat Versus Boredom" (Quemada)
wayback machine :
Harry Pussy - Let's Build A Pussy (Editions Mego),
Toy Love - 'Live At The Gluepot' (Goner),
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl_jtfSWqqA&rel=0&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="335" width="425">
Black Task - Blacktask/Spikes To The Wall (Radio Raheem)
Feedtime - Today Is Friday (SSR), box set (Sub/Pop),
The Pin Group - 'Retrospective' (Siltbreeze)
Soggy - Slog (Memoire Neuve)
live : Monoshock, (Hemlock Tavern, SF, July), Destruction Unit (Beerland and The Grand, Austin, March, Red 7, Austin, July and November), Pygmy Shrews finale (285 Kent, Brooklyn, February) Bits Of Shit (Beerland, Austin, September, Hi-Tone Lounge, Memphis, September), Gary Wrong Group (Hi-Tone Lounge, Memphis, September), SsserpentssS (Austin, too many times), Shellac (Lincoln Theatre, Chicago, August) Mark Kozelek (Scottish Rite Theatre, Austin, September), Swans (LaZone Rosa, Austin), Feedtime (Beerland, Austin, April, Midnight (Beerland, Austin, June), Puffy Areolas (Beerland, Austin, March), ), Sonny Vincent & The Bad Reactions (Beerland, Austin, May), Death Of Samantha (Trailer Space, Austin, March), Wussy (Mohawk, Austin, June)
Hear A.C. Newman's 'Shut Down The Streets' a week before it's out

It's out October 9, but today you get a first listen at A.C. Newman's third solo effort ‘Shut Down The Streets’ Do yourself a favor and check out what in our completely unbiased opinion we believe to be 10 of the best songs ever put to tape. Then, do your friends a favor and send them this link. Carl, via a blogging on the Huffington Post, sez:
Here is my album, Shut Down The Streets. Maybe you know me from The New Pornographers, and you may recognize Neko Case's voice in these songs, you may even think "This one sounds so much like a New Pornographers song" and you may ask yourself "Who the hell are the New Pornographers?" All that aside, this album is all about birth, death, happiness and sadness, chronicling a time in my life where all those things had to learn to coexist side by side. There was that and a sudden obsession with the song "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty. That led to an obsession with the psychedelic sounds of the late 70s singer songwriter. So my most personal songs ever somehow made the most sense when I played them in a mutated version of an outdated style from my childhood. That's just how things go.
You can own ‘Shut Down The Streets’ on the LP, CD or digital formats next Tuesday. Grab it at The Matador Store (first 300 LP’s are on green vinyl) or at your favorite music retailler.
See it live:
10/8 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Rock Shop (FREE RECORD RELEASE PARTY - a live performance, full album playback, drink specials, album giveaways, + more!)
10/21 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace (Exclaim! 20th Anniversary Concert Series)
10/22 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
10/23 – Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
10/24 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s
10/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
10/26 – Washington DC @ Black Cat
10/27 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
10/28 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
10/29 – St. Louis, MO @ Duck Room at Blueberry Hill
10/30 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
11/1 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
11/2 – Winnipeg, Canada @ West End Cultural Centre
11/5 – Edmonton, Canada @ Starlite Room
11/6 – Calgary, Canada @ The Republik
11/8 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret (Exclaim! 20th Anniversary Concert Series)*
11/9 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile*
11/10 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge*
11/12 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent*
11/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex*
11/14 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah*
*with special guest Harriet
A.C. Newman at Facebook
@acnewman – Twitter
ACNewman.net (official site)
(‘Shut Down The Streets’ is coming out in
Lee Ranaldo on tour, online, and on our mind

Because the haze of summer dayz has taken hold, it's time to remind everyone that Lee Ranaldo starts up an East Coast tour with Wilco tomorrow night at Wolf Trap in Virginia. This summer tour has Lee in NYC next week for a Celebrate Brooklyn show at Prospect Park and a spot on the line-up at WXPN's XPoNential Festival in Philly (technically Camden), among a number of other shows listed below.
We're also happy to be able to share with you a brand new Rolling Stone session that Lee did with his full band (Steve Shelley, Alan Licht, and Irwin Menken). It launched today, and it's definitely worth checking out! CLICK HERE TO DO SO
Tue, July 17 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap*
Wed, July 18 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap*
Thu, July 19 - Charlottesville, VA - nTelos Wireless Pavillon*
Sat, July 21 - Camden, NJ - XPoNential Music Festival*
Tue, July 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Celebrate Brooklyn @ Prospect Park*
Fri, July 27 - Hudson, NY - Basillia Hudson
Sat, July 28 - Cooperstown, NY - Brewery Ommegang*
Sun, July 29 - Essex Junction, VT - Midway Lawn @ Champlain Valley Expo*
Mon, July 30 - Portland, ME - SPACE Gallery
Tue, July 31 - New London, CT - Hygenic Art Park
Wed, Aug 1 - Hartford, CT - Bushnell Theatre*
Fri, Aug 3 - Rochester, NY - Highland Bowl @ Highland Park*
Sat, Aug 4 - Columbus, OH - Lifestyle Communities Pavillion*
* = supporting Wilco
A.C. Newman covers "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye"
In case you were wondering what A.C. Newman's been up to during the slight lull the New Pornographers' heavy road-warrioring behind 2010's excellent 'Together'... well, what we can tell you is he's just recorded this great cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye". Watch it below, and knowing Carl, we can be sure there's probably a lot more in the pipeline.If Something Great Comes Out In The Next 17 Days, We Don't Wanna Know ; Matador Artists, Staff & Pals Tie A Bow Around 2011

(trusty 2011 Matador ballot counters voice displeasure over management cancelling a game that required them to drink 27 shots each time Total Control received a vote)
The whole year-end Best-Of thing has gotten completely out of hand. For starters, I hear Sub Pop published theirs on Labor Day. Spin's list featured 4 albums from the same NYC indie in their top 11 ; even Vladimir Putin thinks there's something screwy going on. Still, even though such polls reek of patronage and self-congratulation, some traditions die hard around here. And without further ado, we present the 2011 edition of "Hey Check Us Out, We Like Cool Stuff". It is our fervent hope that after scanning these lists, you'll
James McNew, Yo La Tengo Inc.
Shintaro Sakamoto, How To Live With A Phantom (Zelone, JP)

Oneida, Absolute II (Jagjaguwar)
Shinji Masuko, Woven Music (Brah)
Tyvek, Nothing Fits (In The Red)
Hail Mary Mallon, Are You Gonna Eat That (Rhymesayers)
Jennifer O'Connor, I Want What You Want (Kiam)
Antietam, Tenth Life (Carrot Top)
Eleventh Dream Day, Riot Now! (Thrill Jockey)
Thee Oh Sees, Castlemania (In The Red)
Salyu, S(o)un(d)beams (Toy's Factory, JP)
Feelies, Here Before (Bar None)
PJ Harvey, Let England Shake (Island/ Vagrant)
Alvarius B, Baroque Primitiva (Poon Village)
Heidecker & Wood, Starting From Nowhere (Little Record Co.)
Wesley Eisold, Cold Cave
Cut Hands- s/t LP
Cass McCombs- Wit's End LP
Bleached- Searching Through The Past/Electric Chair 7"

Veronica Falls- s/t LP
Ke/Hil- Hellstation LP
Weekend- Red EP
Creamers - Modern Day (Jolly Dream)
Creamers - Slow Burn (Secret Beach)
Avon Ladies - Guns & Gold (Katorga Works)
Women In Prison - Strange Waves (HoZac)]
Sex Cult - Errand Boy (Goner)
Slices - Modern Bride (Kemado)
Charles Albright - Weight (Permanent)
old bits reissued nicely : Laurice/Grudge (Mighty Mouth), Tyvek (M'Lady's), Art Yard (Ride The Snake), The Gruberger Brothers
live : Unholy Two (Austin, March and May), Deaf Wish (Memphis, September), Wiccans (Austin, July), Mind Spiders (Atlanta, April), Cheap Time (Austin, Memphis, September), Reigning Sound (NYC, November), Hank Wood & The Hammerheads (NYC, October), Wire (London, February) Hank IV (San Francisco, October), Broken Water (Austin, April), Wax Museums (Austin, March), Brain Idea (Chicago, July), Richard Buckner (Austin, October)
Best (non-human) things in the world : J. Mueller, this guy, this place. That's enough oversharing for one day.
Snap, Crackle, Pop : The Condo Fucks (with The Great Gaylord) at Norton 25
Norton Records is celebrating their 25th anniversary this weekend with a star-studded, 4-night bill at Brooklyn's Bell House. We'd like to congratulate Billy Miller and Miriam Linna on their stewardship of one of the planet's finest labels ; if anyone has done more to document real rock'n'roll, old & new, please don't tell us about it because we're running out of room in the record library. The Condo Fucks and longtime associate The Great Gaylord (Fields) were just one of the Friday highlights ; Gaylord wearing earplugs is kind of Rocky Marciano donning a protective headgear. He might be safe, but the rest of us won't be the same for days.
Cold Cave summer mix tape and summer tour

Last week on their website, COLD CAVE's Wesley Eisold posted a pretty spectacular mix of "songs for the summer"; a playlist containing sounds ranging from pure pop to avant garde, some familiar and some obscure, somehow all tied together loosely for this season and certainly worthy of repeat listens.
Check it out here.
This digital mixtape also rings in the kick off of Cold Cave's summer tour, which starts at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn tomorrow should likely hits your town thereafter.
And hey, check this space tomorrow for even more exciting Cold Cave content.
Tuesday, July 12 – Brooklyn, NY — Knitting Factory (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Wednesday, July 13 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Thursday, July 14 – Toronto, ON — Legendary Horseshoe Tavern (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Friday, July 15 – Detroit, MI — Magic Stick (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Saturday, July 16 – Chicago, IL — Pitchfork Festival
Sunday, July 17 – Minneapolis, MN — Varsity Theater (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Monday, July 18 — Fargo, ND — The Aquarium (Cult of Youth Supports) – Tickets
Thursday, July 21 – Vancouver, BC — Biltmore Cabaret (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Friday, July 22 – Portland, OR — Doug Fir Lounge (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Saturday, July 23 - Seattle, WA - Capitol Hill Block Party
Monday, July 25 – San Francisco, CA — Great American Music Hall (Austra Supports)
Tuesday, July 26 – San Diego, CA — Casbah (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Wednesday, July 27 – Los Angeles, CA — Los Angeles Ukranian Center (Austra Supports)
Friday, July 29 – Salt Lake City – Urban Lounge (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Saturday, July 30 – Denver – Bluebird Theater (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Sunday, July 31 — Omaha NE — Waiting Room (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Monday, August 1 – Saint Louis, MO — Firebird (Austra Supports)
Tuesday, August 2 — Cleveland, OH — Grog Shop (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Thursday, August 4 – Washington, DC — Rock N Roll Hotel (Austra Supports) – Tickets
Friday, August 5 – Philadelphia, PA — Voyeur (Austra Supports)
Saturday, August 6 – New York, NY — Bowery Ballroom – Tickets (Austra Supports)
Ted Leo...The Ultimate Deal

So Crazy Eddie's opened it's doors 40 years ago (1971 for the math impaired) in Brooklyn, New York. Today, and TODAY ONLY, Amazon MP3 and Ted Leo are offering up his critically lauded and commonly embraced, album from last year, The Brutalist Bricks, for just $3.99. Yes you read that right, $3.99. Coincidence? Probably (thanks Wikipedia), but that really misses the point...YOU'D BE CRAZY NOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. Visit Amazon today for a great deal!
Also for all you West Coasters, remember that Ted's one man show is headed your way this week. For other parts of the country he'll see you in April + May.
And we're also pleased to announce that Ted will be performing at SXSW, solo style, as well:
Sun, 3/13 - The Mohawk - Barbarian Group/Stumble Upon Party
Mon, 3/14 - Venue 222 - Wearcast Party
Wed, 3/16 - The Swan Dive - Brooklyn Vegan Showcase
Thu, 3/17 - French Legation Museum - Other Music Day Party
Fri, 3/18 - The Mohawk - Flower Booking / Onion A.V. Club / Canvas Media Party
Ted Leo tours the US solo style!

We just wanted to remind everyone of some good news. If you live on the West Coast then Ted Leo is coming to visit on a run of solo tour dates later this month. Fear not though for all who live east of the Pacific Ocean, Ted loves you too and has just announced another series of solo US tour dates, slated for late April/early May. Please visit Ted's site for more details about his upcoming tour dates and hopefully we'll see you at one of these shows!
Sat, 2/19 - Los Angeles, CA - Skybar at Mondrian Hotel –
Sun, 2/20 - Los Angeles, CA - Center for the Arts Eagle Rock
Wed, 2/23 - Riverside, CA - The Barn @ UC Riverside
Thu, 2/24 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill (Noise Pop Festival)
Fri, 2/25 - Seattle, WA - U of Washington
Sat, 2/26 - Portland, OR - BackSpace Cafe
Wed, 4/27 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
Thu, 4/28 - Dover, NH - Dover Brickhouse
Fri, 4/29 - Hamden, CT - The Space
Sat, 4/30 - Scranton, PA - The Vintage Theater
Sun, 5/1 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
Tue, 5/3 - Pittsburgh, PA - Andy Warhol Museum
Wed, 5/4 - Cleveland, OH - B-side Liquor Lounge
Thu, 5/5 - Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern
Fri, 5/6 - Madison, WI - The Terrace
Sat, 5/7 - Iowa City, IA - Gabe's
Sun, 5/8 - St Louis, MO - Off Broadway
Wed, 5/11 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
Thu, 5/12 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
Esben takeover Drowned in Sound

Today you'll find Esben and the Witch occupying Drowned In Sound in one of the more peaceful takeovers currently taking place. The band are all over the website with essays discussing a range of influences, from the location of the photo shoot for the Violet Cries artwork, to the power of lyrics and creative writing, memories of their favourite film scores and their personal discovery of the great Scott Walker.
The band started their UK tour last night in Bristol to a sell-out crowd and tonight they play their hometown show in Brighton, before continuing around the UK and Europe, then crossing the pond for shows around the US and Canada, including a stop at SXSW in March.
Violet Cries was released yesterday in the UK and Europe and is available as of Feb 8th everywhere else. If you're still waiting for its release you can still get yourself the album on pre-order for just $10 over at the Matador store or check a preview of the album at the bands website.

Esben & The Witch album premiere

so it was 6 degrees F (-14 Celsius) when I left for the office this morning. A crisp, bright, and beautiful winter morning. Admittedly I'm in quite a positive head space for a frigid, January, Monday morning but I digress. Esben & The Witch appear to be in an equally friendly mood this winter's day and have premiered their debut album Violet Cries, in full, via Stereogum
and if you missed it last week, please be sure to check out Esben & The Witch's second music video "Warpath" and remember they'll be touring throughout Europe and the US this February + March.
Fri, 3/4 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House
Sat, 3/5 New York, NY Mercury Lounge
Sun, 3/6 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall
Mon, 3/7 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie
Wed, 3/9 Akron, OH Musica
Thu, 3/10 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
Fri, 3/11 Toronto, ON Wrongbar
Sat, 3/12 Denton, TX 35 Conferette
Sat, 3/19 Austin, TX Mess With Texas
Tue, 3/22 Los Angeles, CA Bootleg Theater
Wed, 3/23 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
Thu, 3/24 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
Fri, 3/25 Seattle, WA Sunset Tavern
Sat, 3/26 Vancouver, BC The Waldorf Hotel
Man, Are We An Opinionated Bunch Or What? - Matador Artists, Staff & Associates Slam The Lid On 2010

There's no shortage of publications, blogs, label websites, etc., running their own screwy lists of 2010's top recordings, events, etc. How is Matador's annual entry any different? Well for starters, our lists are much longer. Thanks for indulging us this year, folks. The Best Of The Bests Ofs, right after THIS :

Brian Case, The Ponys
Lower Dens - Twin Hand Movement
Easily my most listened to album this year. Initially I picked this up because I thought a friend of mine was in it, turned out he recorded it. So good, hope to do some shows together at some point.
Spoon - Transference
Spoon get better and more popular with every release by constantly evolving. This is their best album in my opinion, one of the few bands out their pushing their fans into new territory.
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Another band that succeeds by changing. At first I was on the fence with some of this but after seeing it live a few times and a few serious headphone sessions I really got the mood and aura of the recording.

Women - Public Strain
This sounds better and different every time I listen to it. I hope they didn't break up.
Anika - Anika
Woke up with this on my ipod one morning - don't remember how I found it but it's easily the coolest music made in 2010.
Weekend - Sport
Like Peter Hook in a Krautrock band. Lots of layers that never layer together, it's great.
Veronica Falls - Both singles
Kinda suprised more people aren't all over this band - they'll have an album our sometime 2011 that will be my favorite for the year.
Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea
Was really suprised by this, the guys he's collaborating with are excellent. Everything about this - label, art, music - was really thought out and tasteful.
Soft Moon - Soft Moon
This is sneaking in right at the end of the year, very impressed with this guy.
Thread Pulls - New Thoughts
Heard this on the New Noise Podcast, really sparse - lots of space, just getting into it but I like it a lot.
Beach House - Teen Dream
What a great year for music, this record is perfect.
Andrew Earles
1. Brace Beldon’s commentary…MC’ing Gonerfest VII and ‘tween-song banter at Chaos in Tejas. I welcome a general show of balls as we approach the Great Culture Wars of 2013
2. Chaos in Tejas 2010 – I hate festivals. I love this one.
3. Fucked Up “Heir Apparent”
4. Boris Amplifier Worship reissue (Southern Lord)
5. Ty Segall – Melted (Goner) – Early impressions made me ignore the development Ty has gone through over the past couple of years. Please, more albums that make me look really dumb. Please. That’s not sarcasm.
6. Sailors With Wax Wings (Angel Oven)
7. The Young Voyagers of Legend (Mexican Summer)

8. Kylesa Spiral Shadow (Relapse)
9. Coliseum House With A Curse (Temporary Residence)
10. The completion and publication of my first book.
11. Being at peace with the predictability of the previous ten entries.
12.
Jeffrey Jensen
1. I like going to the US Open Qualifying Tournament. It’s free. It’s not crowded. You get to see rising talents like the staggeringly gorgeous Mandy Minella. Hubba Hubba!!
2. Being from Kansas City, I’m a little snobby about BBQ. I’ve never thought anywhere else compared (yes, I’ve been to NC, Memphis and Texas). But I have to say Luling City Market deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Bryant’s.
3. I and I got really into drinking Magnum Tonic Wine for the month of February. It’s really hard to find stateside which is probably a good thang.
4. The day the tornado touched down I was stranded in Flushing and eventually wound up at Ilda’s Place II in Elmhurst. This recommendation is directed towards those twits that audibly lament the “lack of grit” in NYC.
5. I purchased this suspiciously unblemished Volvo Wagon off an old man for a song.
6. I finally found a copy of the Abdul and Cleopatra single by Jonathan Richman which is backed with my SONG OF THE YEAR…..”Carol”.
7. Jimmy Webb’s performance at Stuyvesant High School in July was a treat.
8. Getting vibed by Sasha Spielberg (I swear) at Louie’s Lunch in New Haven stands out.
9. I was asked to interview one of my heroes the great Tom Wilson on Viva Radio. Buy his LP All-American Boy from his website you fools!!
10. I forgot how much fun it is to attend the Brimfield Antique Show.
11. The publication of Andy’s Husker Du book and the opening of Ian and Jade’s record store (Wombleton) also made 2010 less bleak.
James McNew, Yo La Tengo

"Delocated" season 2
"1000 Cats," by Brett Gelman
John Waters, Role Models
Julie Klausner, I Don't Care About Your Band
Live shows by: Thee Oh Sees, Little Black Egg, De La Soul, Merzbow, Rattle, Sloppy Heads, Nice & Smooth w/ DJ Premier
Yoshitomo Nara, "Nobody's Fool" exhibit at Asia Society NYC
Jonathan Meiburg, Shearwater
Where did you come from, where did you go?: 2010 in flashbacks
- Skyline Drive in Shenandoah
- Moby Dick. (Not the Bonham version). Why did I wait so long?
- furtive glimpse of fabled 'rock star treatment' in all-you-can-drink press tour of northern Europe (unfortunately wasted on me)
- Hiking 10 miles to my truck through the Utah wilderness the morning of our show at Matador 21
- moment of panic when low-gear 4WD would not disengage (same morning).
- turning into a blithering fanboy in front of a very gracious Liz Phair like it was 1996

- Hiking the Zion Narrows alone
- receiving a cowrie shell from the island of Kili, where the people of Bikini Atoll still await permission to return home after 60+years.
- weathering critical scorn directed at Blue Water White Death album (which I love)
- Thor's tour rules going viral, to my delight (and chagrin). I think it was the picture that did it.
- Making plans to disappear into the tropics
- Realizing the beauty of the Vox AC30
- Eating loquats from the tree in Miwa and Reuben's front yard
- "Newly-Weds Song" by Jim Pepper
- "The Reason Young People Use Drugs" by Abner Jay
- "You Fucking People Make Me Sick" by SWANS
- Argiope spider in the prickly pear by my mailbox. Huge, beautiful, and totally evil.
- Playing the London Barbican, Tavastia in Helsinki, Bowery and WMH in NYC, the unforgettably weird Outland in Columbus, OH, and The Off Festival in Poland...
- ...where I watched Jordan and Kim and our soundman Phil Jones dance onstage with the Flaming Lips.
- Getting robbed in Washington, DC - only consolation was feeling of unease the thieves must have felt when they opened Thor's sketchbook.
- Palo Santo Marron ale by Dogfish Head. I'm pretty sure they had me in mind.
- Planning for The Island Arc performance in January.
- "Cotton-Eyed Joe," performed by Nina Simone
Sandy Miranda, Fucked Up
Pleasant Moments
Six Flags Magic Mountain in January.
Damian breaking edge on tour.
Moscow, Russia (note the super fine statues in the subway).

(all photos by Sandy)
Playing basketball at Matador 21.
All Tomorrow's Parties, Monticello, NY.
Two gratuitous photos of my cat, Buster.
Making new friends and seeing old ones on the hard-to-believe-actually-happened Arcade Fire tour.
Bob Nastanovich, Pavement
Saccharine Trust live, Minehead, UK
Zenyatta
The Pie Shop, Felix Street, Auckland
Flemington Racecourse live, Melbourne
The Ring Hotel, Vienna
Poison Control Center live, Kansas City
Goldikova
Hipodromo de Palermo live, Buenos Aires
The Clean live

Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants
Kathryn Braddick, Beggars Group
The year I didn't miss TV and discovered boxsets (a bit late, I know). Two in particular Mad Men & 30 Rock. Mad Men fuelling my love of Don Draper and my desire to grow up to be all hips & tits just like Joan Holloway. 30 Rock fuelling my love for Jack Donaghy and gaining fashion tips from Liz Lemon.
Primavera, Primavara, Primavara this was the first year I'd ever been. What more could you want, nice weather, ace bands and a festival full of sunbunt indie boys!
The Matador @ 21 boxset on shuffle, reigniting my love for Pavement and the joy of them being followed by Fucked Up soundtracking my epic daily commutes across London and the daily fuck ups of TFL.
The year I favoured Twitter over Facebook, I finally settled on a name and had enough with the 100's of holiday shots of people you barely know or even like for that matter. Twitter is short and to the point. There are two very good reasons to be on twitter: @dianainheaven - I am looking forward to her narration of the royal wedding next year and @ViztopTips advise & tips on everything you ever need to know.
The year me & Mat moved into our own flat (no more shared houses for me) and my demand for a huge ruby bit of bling came true and we got engaged!
Adam Farrell, Beggars Group
Albums

Black Breath - 'Heavy Breathing' (Southern Lord)
Earl Sweatshirt - 'Earl' (OFWGKTA / Sendspace)
Big K.R.I.T. - 'K.R.I.T. Wuz Here' (Rapidshare)
Lower Dens - 'Twin-Hand Movement' (Gnomonsong)
Field Music - 'Measure' (Memphis Industries)
Songs
Rick Ross - "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)"
Dylan LeBlanc - "Emma Hartley"
Earl Sweatshirt - "epaR"
The Sugar Stems - "Next to You"
Moments
Pulling up to The Palms
Pulling away from The Palms
And special props to my wife for helping to bring Lute into the world. Couldn't have done it without her!
Jeremy Goldstein, Beggars Group
Top 10 records
1. Sound of Guns - What Came From Fire - Distiller. UK guitar rock that would fit in perfectly in 1995. Which is obviously right up my alley.
2. Hurts - Happiness - RCA. Depeche Mode meets Spandau Ballet meets Human League? Super dramatic, super stylized '80s-esque synthpop.
3. Dinosaur Pile-Up - Growing Pains - Friends Vs. Records. Some English lads listened a lot to Nirvana's Nevermind and then decided to rock their own poppier version.
4. Union Sound Set - Start/Stop - Mighty Atom. Reminiscent of early Elbow, plus the singer is a United fan. So there's that.

5. Makaras Pen - Makaras Pen - Projekt. First of three shoegaze records on my list. Like a FAR less creepy Cranes. Just be wary of the videos.
6. Exit Calm - Exit Calm - Sonic Unyon. Up the shoegaze revival. So ready for it. And so it seems, are Exit Calm. 1990 was never referenced so wondrously.
7. Film School - Fission - Hi-Speed Soul. More shoegazy and Lorelei Plotcyzk's vocals sound like Shop Assistants/Motorcycle Boy's Alex Taylor, whose voice is like gold to me.
8. Jonsi - Go - XL. I love Sigur Ros, so of course I love this. His voice is truly amazing.
9. Middle Class Rut - No Name No Color - Bright Antenna. Duo that sounds like Fugazi meets Jane's Addiction. And from Sacramento, so they probably like Scandia.
10. The National - High Violet - 4AD. Brooklyn's faves write another extra-dense record that rewards the listener for immersion with new layers to unwrap on each play.
Top 10 stuff
1. My wife. I know I gave her a shout in my Write About Love entry, but just humor me. Anyone who puts up with my ass AND is as awesome as she is deserves another mention or 10. Also deserving of top billing in 2010: Monkey and Kitty.
2. The Tofu Delight at Paseo in Seattle. The best vegetarian sandwich I've ever eaten. Total game changer. Like go straight there from the airport game changer. Like take foodporn shots when you are there and taunt your friends who aren't there game changer.
3. Matador at 21 party in Las Vegas. Are you kidding me? How could this weekend have been any better? Great bands, great shows, great hotel rooms, and great vibes. Lombardi, Gerard, and Patrick: congratulations. You threw the best party in the history of the world.
4. Cicada in London. Still as delicious as ever. Especially the chilli-salt squid and the chilli tofu.
5. The World Cup. Some of the matches may have been boring, but three matches a day for like two weeks? Make it happen every year! Watching video of the reactions to Landon Donovan's last gasp goal in the USA-Algeria match still makes me tear up.
6. Blue Bottle, Stumptown, and Intelligentsia coffees. You make trips to SF, Portland, Seattle, LA, and Chicago so much better.
7. Eze, France. An amazing Medieval city perched high above the Mediterranean off the road connecting Monaco and Nice. A must visit on the Cote D'Azur.
8. Vampire Weekend's Contra debuting at #1 on the Billboard top-200. First time for an indie band that had never been on a major. Such a great way to kick off the year.
9. The Ted Leo and the Pharmacists record release show/karaoke event. One of the most fun gives I've attended in ages. And I don't even like karaoke.
10. The recent(ish) upswing in the preponderance of proper cocktail bars, in NYC and around the country. Nice to know you can get a well-made cocktail in so many cities.
Matt Harmon, Beggars Group
Teenage Fanclub - Shadows (Merge)
Lower Dens - Twin Hand Movement (Gnomesong)
Glasser - Ring (True Panther Sounds)
Ensemble Economique - Psychical (Not Not Fun)
Johann Johannsson - And In The Endless Pause There Came The Sound of Bees LP (Type)
Joshua Abrams - Natural Information LP (Eremite)
Sun Araw - Off Duty 12" (Woodsist)
Keith Fullerton Whitman - Variations for oud & synthesizer 7" (No label)
Destroyer - Archer on the Beach 12" (Merge Records)
Woods At Echo Lake (Woodsist)

Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here (Editions Mego)
Expo 70 - Where Does Your Mind Go (Immune Recordings)
Jeremy Kirkland, Beggars Group
Deerhunter- Halcyon Digest
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Before Today
The John Lennon Reissues (dang they sound good!)

The War On Drugs - Future Weather
Girls - Broken Dreams Club
Glasser - Ring
The Bob Dylan Mono Boxed Set
Reading Anthony Bourdain's Medium Raw 3 times
Going to Matador at 21 in Las Vegas- I think I'm still recovering from Vegas, I basically got to see all my favorite bands...in a row...in vegas...over and over. Kind of one of the best times I've ever had.
Seeing Kanye West at The Bowery Ballroom- Because rants sound better in person!
Getting engaged to my beautiful fiancee Elizabeth
Sonya Kolowrat, Beggars Group
1) Greg Cartwright and all he does: The Oblivians, Reigning Sound, The Parting Gifts and more.

2) Superchunk - their new album is SO good, and they blew my mind in Vegas.
3) Las Vegas for Matador at 21 - I was so excited to get to go to this...thanks GC, CL and PA!
4) Speaking of Vegas, TED LEO - is this guy the hardest working man in show business or what? He deserves a LOT of respect and everyone's love and if you haven't bought his records, you are dumb.
5) Boston - I revisited Boston for the first time in way too long, for a sad reason (RIP Billy Ruane), but this town is special and the music scene there is so tight and supportive. It was nice to visit again and I hope that my next visit there is soon.
6) NPR Story Of The Day/PRI This American Life - thanks to listening to these shows on my iphone to/from work, I am able to drown out all the douchebags next to me on the subway.
7) Eskuche headphones - these headphones are swank and make me feel a lot cooler than I really am on said subway.
8/9) Ariel Pink/Deerhunter - These dudes are too smart for their own good, and make beautiful records. They are only on the same line because they are both 4AD releases, and even though I didn't work on them, everyone around me did...so they get to share.
10) Momofuku Milk Bar - yum. Rosemary soft serve? Crack pie? Cinnamon bun pie? 'nuff said.
Jonathan Lang, Beggars Group
Albums: In No Particular Order...
Clinging To A Scheme - The Radio Dept.
Ring - Glasser
Disconnect From Desire - School of Seven Bells
High Violet - The National
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West
Contra - Vampire Weekend
Autumn Again - A Sunny Day In Glasgow
The ArchAndroid - Janelle Monae
Loud - Rihanna
Body Talk - Robyn
Black Noise - Pantha Du Prince
Halcyon Digest - Deerhunter
Write About Love - Belle and Sebastian
Thank Me Later - Drake
Hippies - Harlem
The Age of Adz - Sufjan Stevens
Some my favorite tracks this year:
Roman's Revenge - Nicki Minaj Featuring Eminem: Although Pink Friday was somewhat of a letdown, it was nice to hear both Nicki and Eminem sound downright nutso. Not to mention the sick and twisted off-kilter beat laid down by Swizz Beatz is off-setting in its own right. Why couldn't Pink Friday be all like this?!
Fountain Stairs - Deerhunter: By the time Halcyon Digests hits this track, it almost feels like the band is taking a victory lap with it's righteous anthemic guitar led chorus. I mean they just had a career moment a track before with Helicopter! But there isn't a moment on the rest of the record that gives off this much warmth and a feeling of instant nostalgia like this one. A fuzzy hazy memory is propelled forward into clarity with charging drums and forceful guitar bliss.6t
Sentimental X's - Broken Social Scene
Oh, Maker - Janelle Monae: An amazing cut from an album seemingly overflowing with them, it was hard to pick one. I chose "Oh, Maker" solely for Janelle's vocals. Her vocal runs are gorgeous, and never feel forced. She's one of those people seemingly born to create amazing music, and I have no doubt that she'll continue to do so.
Diplomat's Son - Vampire Weekend: If you would have told me 3 years ago when I saw Vampire Weekend play their first album release show that they would have put out a track as weird as "Diplomat's Son" I wouldn't have believed you. But after hearing Contra, it all makes perfect sense. The whole record is the perfect balance indie-pop and eccentricities that run much deeper than mashing together genres. Listen to how easily this track just dumps production ideas on top of one another, that all blend together seamlessly with the story being told. Definitely one of the best tracks of the year
Lemonworld - The National: While most of High Violet feels like you are being walloped with an emotional sledgehammer(not that I'm complaining), I found solace in the warmth emanating from this track. The band puts their guns away for a little while, and dials one down. The interplay between the muted but steady drumming, and the almost dubby(!) guitars all coupled with slight orchestration simmering underneath it all makes "Lemonworld" feel like a warm light in the storm that is High Violet.
Monster - Kanye West Featuring Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver: Oh man, I went insane when this track came out. Particularly because Nicki's verse is as delirious as it is amazing. She rhymes Tonka, Wonka, Gangsta, and Sri Lanka in the first bar of her verse, and is able to switch from furious fire monster, to teasing her detractors in playful child's voice all within one minute of a verse. This track sums up almost everything that is amazing about Nicki Minaj. Her ability to pack more personality into 40 seconds of a song then most people can do in entire album, all while instilling fear and making you laugh, and spitting fire to boot. In her own words "The Best Bitch Doin' It"
Only Girl (In The World) - Rihanna: Stargate and Rihanna continue to be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to making serious pop jams. "Rude Boy" paired her icy robotic vocals with island rhythms all packaged around a ridiculously well constructed & tight pop song. "Only Girl" continues Stargate & Rihanna's winning streak with a four-on-the-floor beat backed by ALMOST cheesy Eurodisco synths. The chorus is a home run, allowing Rihanna's vocals to soar above the mix, something that she never does in her songs. While she may not have the most interesting persona as some of the other Divas out there, she's the only one that consistently puts out jams, all while keeping it interesting.
TV Shows
Community (NBC) - This show is the best thing on TV right now hands down.

Breaking Bad (AMC) - Season 3 took this show to "The Wire & The Sopranos level"
Mad Men (AMC) - While not my favorite season of this show, it had the best episode of the series run so far. "The Suitcase" was a serious achievement for a series full of em.
The Walking Dead (AMC) - Although only 6 episodes so far, this show was awesome and I can't wait for more.
Futurama (Comedy Central) - A welcome return to the funniest cartoon on TV.
Annette Lee, Beggars Group
2010 - the highlights
The birth of my nephew Oliver James Murray
Krakow adventures (mostly fuelled by vodka and Vogues, by necessity rather than enjoyment) *
Moroccan adventures (Men of Morocco please note - I do not answer to the names "China", "Japan" and "Sexy") #
Norfolk Broads adventures (lessons learned: never EVER drink and drive a boat; don't set off on a camping expedition at midnight, you will get lost; wearing a T-shirt bearing the word "BULLSHIT" won't go down well amongst the locals in a quiet seaside town)
A priceless mid-winter 48 hours with Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti in LA where I appeared to bring the British weather with me (it was still warmer than our summers in the UK. Figures.).
The National finally getting the attention they deserve.
Bands that I actually care about reforming (stand up Take That, Pulp, Godspeed You! Black Emperor)
Getting sunburn - sunburn! actual sun! - at a highly memorable Glastonbury
ATP (of course)
Deerhunter at Webster Hall, NYC.
Being beaten at bowling by a four year old boy (a new low)
Getting sucked back into Twitter again
Mad Men season 4 (I fully endorse the idea of martini lunches please bosses)
Many many weddings. Please guys, stop getting married.
* There is a reason why tourists don't go there in January - because it's TOO FUCKING COLD.
# There is a reason why tourists don't go there in July - because it's TOO FUCKING HOT.
Hector Montes, Beggars Group
Twenty-one things that provided brief respites from the endlessly terror-vomiting Hellscape of life on Earth in the year 2010 (with selected comments):
1. Matador at 21 in Las Vegas, NV, October 1 - 3: Not just the musical event of a lifetime, but an opportunity for some top-notch tweets.
2. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

3. Tyvek - Nothing Fits: 100% pure adrenaline (with apologies to the Point Break marketing team, wherever they are).
4. Lazy Sundays with Colleen and Bucket, the two loveliest ladies in Brooklyn.
5. Community
6. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
7. Watching Brett Favre come to the realization that he definitely should have retired last year.
8. Tristan Perich - 1-Bit Symphony: On this list as both composition and artifact (leaning perhaps a bit more toward the latter).
9. The Fall - Your Future Our Clutter / The Wonderful And Frightening World Of The Fall (Omnibus Edition): I wouldn’t say that Mark E. Smith has aged gracefully, but a listen to the massive Wonderful And Frightening reissue reminds us that grace was never really his thing anyway.
10. Touch And Go: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine ’79-’83
11. Netflix streaming
12. Michael Kupperman. That Snake ‘n’ Bacon wasn’t a massive hit for Adult Swim is an indictment of our entire lousy culture.
13. Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago: “People ask me what kind of music we play and I say, ‘Well...’” - Jonathan Meiburg, onstage at Shearwater’s 11/12/10 Music Hall of Williamsburg show
14. Pantha du Prince - Black Noise
15. Man…or Astro-man? reunion shows. I have to commend any band that has the balls to sell “space dust” at their merch table.
16. Tom McCarthy - C
17. Glasser - Ring
18. Sun City Girls - Funeral Mariachi
19. Yo La Tengo at Maxwell’s for night 7 of Hanukkah, 12/7/10, with openers Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & The Cairo Gang and Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler, plus Nels Cline playing second guitar for most of YLT’s set.
20. Three records that should have been on my list last year but weren’t: Shit And Shine - 229-2299 Girls Against Shit!; Wild Beasts - Two Dancers; Mi Ami - Watersports.
21. Christopher Hitchens publicly coming to terms with his own mortality. I hope I can still write about him in the present tense this time next year.
Todd Netter, Beggars Group
Great, Memorable, and simply Moments in Matador History: 2010
High Point = Matador 21, The Lost Weekend. WOW what a great time! I'm so happy I was able to attend + celebrate with everyone. Congrats again Gerard, Chris, and Patrick.
Low Point = Jimmy Lee Lindsey's premature and unfortunate death. A life lived on his on terms. We'll remember you forever.
In No Particular Order or Relevance:
Yo La Tengo = the Hanukkah shows were back at Maxwell's this year.
Pavement = reunion tour, saw them 4 times (Pomona/Fox Theater, Coachella, NY Summer Stage, & Matador 21 in Vegas).
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists = the Bottled In Cork video. I think Ted is onto something with this Musical Theater idea.

The New Pornographers = meeting a real astronaut (Michael J Massimino) at the Letterman Show.
Harlem = Victim's of Sonic Attack party at Charlie's Bar during SXSW.
Glasser = her Fader cover, amazing!
Esben & The Witch = the Marching Song video, I still have bruises from watching that.
Kurt Vile = Square Shells EP for free (even if it was just for one day), as Crazy Eddie might say...we're INSANE.
Belle & Sebastian = Write about love campaign. I didn't myself but I love everyone who did.
Mission of Burma = their Aquarium Drunkard session, especially Dirt.
Fucked Up = Natalie Judge's stage dive at Red 7 in Austin during SXSW.
Guided By Voices = New Year's Eve at Irving Plaza in NYC!?!?
Non-Matador Bands/Albums I liked this year a little more than other bands/albums I also liked. In no particular order of course.
Superchunk "Majesty Shredding"
Bear In Heaven "Beast Rest Forth Mouth"
Sufjan Stevens "The Age of Adz"
Fresh & Onlys "Play It Strange"
Matthew Dear "Black City"
Twin Shadow "Forget"
Caribou "Swim"
Surfer Blood "Astro Coast"
5 songs from 2010 that have me excited for new music in 2011:
Smith Westerns "Weekend"
Times New Viking "Try Harder"
Dirty Gold "California Sunrise"
Asura "Silver Trees"
Ganglians "My House"
Hagino Tiger Reid (Hostess, Japan)
Konichiwa,?Somethings I remember from 2010.
Cute.
Karaoke.
Chris Chu.
Jonsi "Go".
Plum Wine.
Cycling in Tokyo.
Climbing Mount Fuji.
Jay Z at Summersonic.
The xx - just in general.
Finally getting Ariel Pink.
Pavement at Studio Coast.
Mogwai at Metamorphosis.
My first Japanese boyfriend.
Tokyo Disney Land with my x.
Eating too much Japanese Purin.
Touhachi and Kinfolk in Nakameguro.
Mount Kimbie album "Crooks and Lovers".
Weekend away at Zushi, Beach near Tokyo.
Beach House "Teen Dream" is an amazing album.
Listening to full albums and watching shows sober.
Listening to Interpol full blast on the way to Fuji Rock.
Watching Japan make it to the final 16 of the World Cup.
Feeling the powerful goth vibes from Zola Jesus "Stridulum II"
Wanting to marry gay men Perfume Genius and Owen Pallett.
Rostam of Vampire Weekend, becoming my Japanese brother.
Finishing reading my first novel in Japanese. Haruki Murakami IQ84
Witnessing two car crashes at the same place on consecutive nights.
Listening to "England" from The National's "High Violet" and feeling sad.
Feeling Homesick after watching Arcade Fire's "The Wilderness Downtown".
Japanese food, thank you Ramen, Gyoza, Yakiniku, Nabe, Sushi, Niku Jaga etc.
Watching Matador 21 online from Tokyo with Natalie Judge Matador in Las Vegas.
Lots of fun taking visiting bands to Golden Ball Takoyaki Bar and Roku
Bar in Shibuya.
Moving from London to Tokyo and working for Matador/Beggars has been
fun. Here is to 2011.
Steve Glauber, Matador Direct
Favorite Records...
Ty Segall - Melted
Intelligence - Males
Tyvek - Nothing Fits
Tame Impala - Inner Speaker
APHG - Before Today
Clinic tracks "I'm Aware," "Forever (Demis' Blues)
Idle Times - s/t
Big Boi track "Tangerine" when he goes "likelikelikelike Michael Jordan..."
Wounded Lion - s/t
Harlem - Hippies

Strange Boys - Be Brave
Prince Rama - Shadow Temple
Hackamore Brick track "Oh! Those Sweet Bananas"
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Top Shows...
Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Pissed Jeans... Cake Shop
Pissed Jeans... Knitting Factory
Pavement... Central Park
Tim and Eric Chrimbus Spectacular... BB Theater
Yo La Tengo, Jim Gaffigan, Parting Gifts... Maxwells, Hanukkah Night #2
Ted Leo Karaoke Night... Knitting Factory
Strange Boys, Gentleman Jesse... Bowery Ballroom
Bong Kong... The Charleston
Nobunny... Knitting Factory
Paul F. Tompkins... Bell House
Ty Segall... Cake Shop
Deerhunter... Webster Hall
My Morning Jacket doing Tennessee Fire, Dungen... Terminal 5
New Pornographers twice with my dad... Terminal 5
Matador @ 21, duh
Dave Martin, Matador Direct
NEW RECORDS
Parting Gifts - Strychnine Dandelion - In the Red
Tyvek - Nothing Fits - In the Red
Wounded Lion -S/T - In the Red
Mantles - Pink Information - Mexican Summer
Beach Fossils - S/T - Captured Tracks
Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush To Relax - Goner
Sweet Apple - Love & Desperation - Tee Pee
Devo - Something For Everybody - Warner Brothers
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Hawk - Vanguard
Idle Times - S/T - Hozac
Endless Boogie - Full House Head - No Quarter
White Mystery - S/T - White Mystery
Nobunny - First Blood - Goner
The Young - Voyagers Of Legend - Mexican Summer
Sex Church - 6 Songs By.. - Convulsive
Intelligence - Males - In the Red
Ex-Humans - S/T - Rob's House Records
Liminanas - S/T - Trouble In Mind
Disappears - Lux - Kranky
Superchunk - Majesty Shredding - Merge
The Fall - Your Future, Our Clutter - Domino
Mount Carmel - S/T - Siltbreeze
Fabulous Diamonds - II - Siltbreeze
Cheap Time - Fantastic Explanations (And Similar Situations) - In the Red
Native Cats - Always On - Ride The Snake
REISSUES
Gibson Bros. - Build A Raft - Columbus Discount Records
Dynamic Truths - Understanding Is Overated - Little Black Cloud
Ron House - Blind Boy In The Back Seat - Columbus Discount Records
Mike Rep & the Quotas - Stupor Hiatus Vol. 2 - Siltbreeze
Goverment Issue - Boycott Stabb - The Complete Sessions - Dischord
Pärson Sound - 3xLP box - Subliminal Sounds
Velvet Underground - The Quine Tapes - Sundazed
Druids of Stonehenge - Creation - Sundazed
Rationals - Fan Club Album & On The Floor - Big Beat
Jimi Hendrix - West Coast Seattle Boy box - Sony
A-Frames - 3 3 3 - S-S Records
UFO - Official Bootleg Box Set 1975-1982
Dead C - Clyma Est Mort & The Dead Sea Perform Max Harris - Ba Da Bing/JagJaguwar
Tony Joe White - That On The Road Look: Live - Rhino Handmade
Aguaturbia S/T & Volumen 2 - Lion Productions
Speed Glue & Shinki - Eve & S/T - Phoenix
White Boy & the Average Rat Band - S/T - "Roach Records"
Endtables - S/T - Drag City
Kaleidoscope - S/T - Shadocks
V/A - Been Here All My Days - Mississippi
SINGLES

Deaf Wish - Mercy LP - Somebody please put this out in the States, or give me $ to.
Superchunk - Majesty Shredding & Live at Bowery - totalled every other '90's Alt-Geez reunion tour on the circuit this year.
TNV - forthcoming LP, blows doors
Silk Flowers - Ltd. Form - the new New Romantic
Anika - s/t - Not traditionally a Portishead supporter, but this is too good to deny.
Tyvek - Nothing Hurts - ok, maybe this is the best hardcore/punk record of the year too.
Old School Fools:
Flying Nun reissues
Finally seeing Chavez - in the back of a dive bar
Dadawah - Peace and Love reissue
Finally seeing Unrest
Royal Trux - vinyl reissues
Irmin Schmidt/Can - Kamasutra Soundtrack
Neu - Neu '86
Dischord Reissues
Ngozi Family - 45,000 Volts
Non-rock that ruled:
Meeting my girlfriend
Going to jail
Getting out of jail
Gabe Spierier and Maya Judd
Gabe and Maya's wedding
Falling in love with New York
Leaving New York
Pepe Rosso proscuitto di parma panini
Original Jamaican Jerk in Bed-Stuy
X'ian Famous Foods - Buckwheat Cold Noodles and Cumin Lamb Burger
Porto Rico Coffee - still holding it down
Goodbye, 2010. Soon Forward.
Michael Venutolo-Mantovani, Matador Direct
Fullies:
10. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding (Merge)
9. Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love (Matador)
8. Happy Birthday - Happy Birthday (Sub Pop)
7. Pantha du Prince - Black Noise (Rough Trade)
6. Fucked Up - Couple Tracks: Singles 2001-2009 (Matador)
5. The Parting Gifts - Strychnine Dandelion (In The Red)
4. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor (XL Recordings)
3. Dylan LeBlanc - Pauper's Field (Rough Trade)
2. Black Breath - Heavy Breathing (Southern Lord)

1. Sharon Van Etten - Epic (Ba Da Bing)
Shorties:
JEFF The Brotherhood - Mellow Out b/w Heavy Days (Infinity Cat)
Bruce Springsteen - Save My Love b/w Because The Night (Columbia)
Meemaw - Glass Elevator EP (Infinity Cat)
Mannequin Men - Hobby Girl b/w See/Saw (HoZac)
Kurt Vile - He's Alright (Matador)
Mosties (Old records I listened to this year more than any other):
Bill Fox - Shelter From The Smoke (Scat)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - The Jimi Hendrix Experience Box Set (Legacy/Experience Hendrix)
Chavez - Ride The Fader (Matador)
Beastie Boys - To The 5 Boroughs (Capitol)
Jay Reatard - Singles 2006-2007 (In The Red)
Drive Like Jehu - Drive Like Jehu (Cargo Music/Headhunter Records)
Otis Redding - The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads (Volt/Atco)
Showzies:
My Morning Jacket - Sasquatch (Seattle)
tUnE-yArDs - Bell House (Brooklyn)
Guided By Voices - Matador @ 21 (Las Vegas)
Pavement - Central Park. Which night? Pick 'em. Though the lightning storm was pretty darn special. (NYC)
Titus Andronicus - Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)
Jim James - The Beacon Theater for T-Bone Burnett's Speaking Clock Revue (NYC)
Fucked Up - Northside Festival (Brooklyn)
Kurt Vile - Knitting Factory (NYC)
Ariel Pink - Vintage Vinyl Instore (St. Louis)
Thingies:
The National High Violet Annex
Dylan LeBlanc Instore Tour
Ted Leo Birthday Karaoke
Watching Pavement from the stage. Never. EVER. Thought that'd happen.
Matador @ 21 - The Lost Weekend
Fucked Up covering The Sex Pistols "Bodies"
Bob Pollard before GBV's Vegas Encore - "Turn that fucking sign back on... the Club's still open." Gave me goosebumps.
Dinosaur Feathers at Sasquatch
El Guincho's Bombay: The Movie
Becoming an uncle again... Welcome to The Party, Lance Michael Hugelmeyer aka "The Hammer"
Dean Bein, True Panther Sounds
Top 10 Footlongs
Ariel Pink and Haunted Graffiti- Before Today (4AD)
Arp and Anthony Moore- Frkyws 3 (RVNG)
Autre Ne Veut- s/t (Olde English Spelling Bee)
Beach House- Teen Dream (Sub Pop)
Cinema Red + Blue s/t (What's Your Rupture?)
Gil Scott-Heron- I'm New Here (XL)
Oneohtrix Point Never- Returnal (Editions Mego)
Sade- Soldier Of Love (Sony)
V/A Shangaan Electro (Honest Jon's)
Waka Flocka Flame- Flockavelli (1017 Brick Squad )
Top 10 Singles/EP's/Mini-subs
Actress- Ghosts Have a Heaven (Honest Jon's)
Dom- Sun Bronzed Greek Gods (Burning Mill)
Dominant Legs- Young At Life and Love (Lefse)
Girl Unit- Wut (Night Slugs)
James Blake- CMYK (R&S)
Fantastic Mr. Fox- Evelyn EP (Black Acre Recordings)
Hype Williams- Do 'Roids and Kill E'rything (self-released)
Joy Orbison- The Shrew Would've Cushioned the Blow (Aus Music)
Pariah- Safehouses (R&S)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iomapqm2Yk[/youtube]
Wet Illustrated- Born Stoked 7" (Corvette City)
Patrick Amory, Matador Records
Baby Dee - A Book of Songs for Anne Marie LP (Drag City)
Arp & Anthony Moore - Vol. 3 LP (Rvng/Frkwys)

Ceremony - Rohnert Park LP (Bridge 9)
Tyvek - Nothing Fits LP (In The Red)
Ariel Pink - Before Today LP (4AD)
Young Governor - Old Hat 7" (Tough Love split with Let's Wrestle)
Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here? dbl (Editions Mego)
Kris Kristofferson - Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends: The Publishing Demos (1968-72) dbl LP (Light In The Attic)
The Endtables - The Endtables 12" EP (Drag City)
T.P. Orchestre Poly Rythmo - Lincoln Center show (Sunday July 11)
The Judge's stage dive at the Fucked Up show at Red 7, SXSW (Saturday March 20)
Ceremony - Roxy (LA) show (Saturday November 13)
Ebirac - 4LPs + Box of Boricua 7"es (Numero Group)
Iron Man - The Passage CD+DVD (Shadow Kingdom)
Bullion - Say Goodbye To What 7" (One Handed)
Circle Of Ourobourus - Tree of Knowledge LP+7" (Hospital Productions)
Arturo Toscanini & the NBC Symphony Orchestra et. al. - Verdi 'Requiem' in stereo CD (Pristine Classical)
Nils Bernstein, Matador Records
Castevet - Mounds of Ash
Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street reissue
Superchunk - Majesty Shredding
Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky
Perfume Genius - Learning
Janelle Monae - just, like, in general
The Fall - Your Future, Our Clutter
Spoon - Transference
Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation
seeing Come at Matador At 21
Stuart Davie, Matador Records
My top 5's (which I might look back on and laugh at in a years time....)
(non Matador) Albums
Superchunk - Majesty Shredding

Maps & Atlases - Perch Patchwork
Envy - Recitation
Beach House - Teen Dream
Paul Baribeau - Unbearable
(non Matador) Gigs
Beach House @ Bush Hall
The xx @ Shepherds Bush Empire
The National @ Royal Albert Hall
Maps & Atlases @ Cargo
Factory Floor @ The Lexington
*Godspeed @ The Troxy is next week, I have high, high hopes for that too.
Records I missed/re-discoveries
Q and not U
Hot Snakes
The Little Ones
Shitty Limits
Meet Me In St Louis
TV shows
Breaking Bad
Mad Men
Curb Your Enthusiasm
30 Rock
The Inbetweeners
Events
Matador @ 21. Highlight of the year.
Reading Festival. Reliving my youth.
Running a sub 45 minute 10k. Felt like I was dying, but lived to tell the tale.
Managing to leave the UK for the first time in nearly 7 (!) years, visiting an amazing beach and Paris of the first time.
The 'Flat 11' perfect autumn Sunday with friends.
Vegas highlights
(apparently) Playing Jose from Harlem at basketball in the Hardwood suite. Just wish I could remember it.
Mike V. 7am, Saturday morning. 'The balcony photo'.
Archers of Loaf karaoke singalong on the last night
Esben failing at gambling, winning at free beers.
High on sugar and beer, low on sleep, jumping around to Piebald in my room at about 9 am on Saturday all alone.
Vegas lo-lights
Waking up with a monumental hangover to a series of messages from an (increasingly frustrated) Nils. Sorry Nils.
Nearly being sick on Esben and the Witch. Sorry Esben.
Meeting Ted Leo, not remembering we'd (apparently) been talking for quite a while for the night before. Sorry Ted.
Throwing Claire in a bath, fully clothed. Sorry Claire (I still blame Robby).
Having my first american burrito from Taco Bell (actually about 1am, stuck in Virginia on the way home). Worst burrito ever.
Natalie Judge, Matador Records
5 things, thought about in 5 minutes, that happened this year, which were pretty good.
VEGAS (Pretty sure everyone is going to write this) I finally got to see Chavez and GBV.
5 Weddings in one year - I have them down to a fine art now. Special mention goes to Gabe - my first wedding off UK soil.
Watching Pavement play The Hexx at Brixton Academy.
Sonar http://2011.sonar.es/en/ with Delorean - Taking a flight with Alex Pasternak of Lemonade DJing at the front - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvpfNAiyLPM
Smittys. This should be in my list every year.
Robby Morris, Matador Records
alphabetically: bonnie prince billy & the cairo gang, ceremony, emeralds/mark mcguire, endless boogie, masayoshi fujita & jan jelinek, liars, lower dens, john roberts, ty segall, superchunk, the young
Natalie Noyes, Matador Records
TOP 10 ALBUMS 2010
1. The National - High Violet (4AD)
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Merge)

3. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Def Jam)
4. Scissor Sisters - Night Work (Polydor)
5. Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love (Matador)
6. Diamond Rings - Special Affections (Secret City)
7. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker (Modular)
8. Delorean - Subiza (True Panther)
9. Interpol - s/t (Matador)
10. Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here (XL Recordings)
TOP 10 LIVE SHOWS 2010
1. Matador at 21 - The Palms, Las Vegas NV (10/01/10 - 10/03/10)
2. Arcade Fire - Madison Square Garden, NYC (08/05/10)
3. Kanye West - Bowery Ballroom, NYC (11/23/10)
4. The National - BAM Opera House, Brooklyn (05/15/10)
5. Peter Hook & The Light perform "Unknown Pleasures" - Webster Hall, NYC (12/03/10)
6. The National / Yo La Tengo - Maxwell's, Hoboken NJ (12/08/10)
7. Lady Gaga - TD Banknorth Garden, Boston MA (07/02/10)
8. LCD Soundsystem - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn (04/08/10)
9. Interpol - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn (09/10/10)
10. Mumford & Sons - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn (05/17/10)
*Honorable Mention - Live Shows*
Mayer Hawthorne & The Country / Gordon Voidwell - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn (10/18/10)
Jonsi - Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC (11/10/10)
Ninjasonik / The Death Set / Cerebral Ballzy / Unstoppable Death Machines / Team Robespierre - Pianos, NYC (04/20/10)
Diamond Rings - Mercury Lounge, NYC (12/06/10)
City Riots / Boy & Bear - Mercury Lounge, NYC (11/08/10)
Gerard Cosloy, Matador Records
bigger records (in diameter)
Tyvek - Nothing Fits (In The Red)
The Young - Voyagers Of Legend (Mexican Summer)
Bare Wires - Seeking Love (South Paw)
John Wesley Coleman - Bad Lady Goes To Jail (Goner)

Bottomless Pit - Blood Under The Bridge (Comedy Minus One)
Running - s/t LP (Permanent)
Circle Pit - Bruise Constellation (Siltbreeze)
Total Abuse - Mutt (P.P.M.)
James Arthur's Manhunt -s/t (Arraght)
Dikes Of Holland - s/t (Sundae)
Wounded Lion s/t LP (In The Red) and "Pointed Sticks" 7" (Trouble In Mind)
Drunkdriver - 'Self-Titled LP'
Black Bug - s/t (FDH)
Deskonocidos - En La Oscuridad LP (Todo Destrucdio / Trabuc)
Phantom Payn Days - s/t LP (De Stijl)
Ex-Humans-s/t (Rob's House)
Endless Boogie - Full House Head (No Quarter)
smaller records (in diameter)
Cruddy - "Berlin Wall" / "Running Rats" 7" (Let's Pretend)
Mind Spiders - World Destroyed 7" (Dirtnap)
A Giant Dog - "The Grand" (Sundae)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD0FhVP-LM0&rel=0&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="335" width="425">
Boomgates - "Bright Idea" (RIP Society)
archival works :
Ozzie - The Parabolic Rock (S-S)
Crushed Butler - Uncrushed (Radio Heartbeat)
Les Rallizes Denudes - Heavier Than A Death In The Family / Blind Baby Has It's Mother's Eyes LP's (Phoenix)
Jesu - Heartache & Dethroned (Hydra Head)
live :

Lamps (Portland, August, Memphis, September)
Louis C.K. (Paramount Theatre, Austin, November)
Drunkdriver, (Austin, March)
Wounded Lion (Los Angeles, April)
Ty Segall, (Emo's, Austin, July)
Cum Stain, (Austin, July, Portland, August)
The Muffs (Austin, March)
Wire (Barcelona, May)
Retribution Gospel Choir (Austin, February)
The Marked Men (Denton, June)
Eddy Current Suppression Ring (Austin, June)
OBN III's / A Giant Dog / Flesh Lights (too many times...or perhaps not nearly enough, Austin, throughout 2010)
Cloud Nothings (Chicago, July)
Grinderman (Memphis, November)
Wish You Were Here : Jay Reatard, Billy Ruane
Interpol - They'll Be Seeing You In The Parking Lot
Next Tuesday, September 7 Interpol will be playing an exclusive event in the parking lot of Space 15 Twenty (1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd.) to kick off the release of their new self-titled album which drops that day.Pre-order now or buy the album on 9/7 at any of the stores listed below* to receive a guaranteed-entry wristband to the event while supplies last.

*If you preorder the album online via the Matador Store, simply put "LA OUTSTORE" in the comments section to receive guaranteed entry while supplies last. Our guaranteed entry list is now full.