Dunno whether it’s in order...
1) The Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-la-la Band - Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upwards. You just don’t wanna mess with Efrim: journalist destroying, song titles that make clumsy shite like full lyric sheets irrelevant, a heart that seems to power both this group and Godspeed...! (despite what he might say on that score). Music that makes you weep.
2) The Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun. Awesome psychedelic wall of noise. Best drumming since Stewart Copeland last wrote “cunt” all over his kit. Shit hot shit hot shit hot. Must be played very loud.
3) Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein. El-P steals the show, despite hardly dropping a word (and pisses on RZA’s long-cold grave in the process). Vordul and Vast intrigue with low-key, soulful delivery, sharp observation and a classy turn of phrase. However, I repeat: this is El-P’s record, and he rips shit up.
4) Lift to Experience - The Texas/Jerusalem Crossroads. I will assassinate their drummer this Monday night, and play the rest of the show (the Rollins method of getting a gig). I am very serious. They can’t continue without me.
5) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - No More Shall We Part. Brave man. A band that can conjure atmosphere from nothing. He has God on his side.
6) Mogwai - Rock Action. This band gets better with every listen, and seeing them live makes sense of a lot of their material. Without a doubt the best British band today, no other fuckers come close. My Father My King (also released this year) gets an honourable mention as the complete polar opposite of this album, and the single most oppressive live racket I have ever had the sadistic pleasure of watching.
7) Matmos - A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure. The dudes who soundtrack gay fisting movies release an album made up of samples of cosmetic surgery. There’s a breakbeat made out of a nose being broken and reset, but most people wouldn’t make it past the gurgling sound of recorded lyposuction. The fact that it’s funky with good tunes may come as a surprise.
8) Daft Punk - Discovery. Yay! Yay! Yay! My favourite pop record since The Flaming Lip’s Soft Bulletin. This album will always make me smile. Hooray!
9) Techno Animal - The Brotherhood of the Bomb. Hated it when I first heard it, but after the third time it totally clicked. Punishingly heavy, huge sounds, beats like a train crash. Toastie Taylor will do himself an injury if he carries on like that.
10) Aphex Twin - Drukqs or Saul Williams - Amethyst Rock Star. Neither quite as good as these guys are capable of, and I’m hoping something’ll come out in November/December that’ll bump them out of the top ten. Aphex: stop underacheiving, be brave and let us hear some new shit! Saul: lose the band! Apart from live, where they’re amazing! Work with El-P! He’ll whip you into shape, and get rid of the awkward Living Colourisms!
[ 15-11-2001: Message edited by: expressionless ] |
