Originally, I had a single trans-Psych Fest alumni entry - but that seemed like too much literally stacking the deck. So here it comes!
#10 The Word On My Lips Is Your Name - Tape Loop Orchestra
[Full TOP 10 post]
Excerpt from "The Word On My Lips Is Your Name" (2012)
Genre - Classico-Ambient Tape-Loop Music
Official/tumblr - oursmallideas.tumblr.com/
Location - Burnley, Manchester, UK
Review - Fluid-Radio
Download/Purchase - Ltd. to 400 copies...
A 2xCD of two 45-minute tracks of gentle musical evolution. Sleep and sadness and nightfall and dreams - good music to get lost in and then find yourself someplace different later on. I took a chance on this one, and have found myself rolling it out quite a bit so far.
#9 Bend Beyond - Woods
[Full TOP 10 post]
"Cali in a Cup" from Bend Beyond (2012)
"Find Them Empty" from Bend Beyond (2012)
Genre - Psych-Folk-Pop
Official - woodsist.com/
Myspace - myspace.com/woodsfamilyband
Location - Brooklyn, New York City, NY
Review - Tiny Mix Tapes
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Amazon [& on vinyl]
Woods has remained unbelievably consistent for these last few albums. This one comes through a bit too cleaned-up though... As usual, several extremely good tunes.
#8 Chaudelande, Vol. 2,
"5th Sun" 7" single,
Innerspace Broadcasts, Vol. 3 (co-live with Black Bombain), &
Collisions 03 split-12" (with $hit & $hine) - GNOD
[Full TOP 10 post]
"Genocider" from Chaudelande, Vol. 2 (2012)
"5th Sun" from 7" single (2012)
Genre - Machine Noise-Drone
Official/tumblr - ingnodwetrust.tumblr.com/
Myspace - myspace.com/gnodgnod
Location - Salford, England
Review - Writing About Music blog
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Chaudelande, Vol. 2
I'd actually say 2012 was kind of a mess for Gnod overall, but it's been very interesting trying to keep up. And by the time I write the Top 10 post for these, I might have changed my tune about some things.
(Technically, the "Black Gnod" thing is live - but I've only received it a couple of days ago... Bonus entry!)
#7 VII - Maserati
Blood Bleeds - Vincas
[Full TOP 10 post]
"Abracadabracab" by Maserati, from VII (2012)
"Saw Her" by Vincas, from Blood Bleeds (2012)
Genre - Motorik Delay-Action Post-Rock
Official - ihaveadagger.net/
Myspace - myspace.com/maseratirocks
Location - Athens, GA
Review - American:Aftermath
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Temporary Residence Ltd.
The new Maserati has grown on me quite a bit since I first started listening to it. I was such a big fan of the last 2 or 3, that I'm not sure this could live up to those. But I did find a lot to groove on in various spots.
#6 Lilacs & Champagne - Lilacs & Champagne
[Full TOP 10 post]
"Everywhere, Everyone" from Lilacs & Champagne (2012)
Genre - Soft-Prog Mash-Up Edit
Facebook - facebook.com/Lilacs-Champagne/
Location - Portland, OR
Review - Pitchfork
Purchase/Download - Mexican Summer
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Excellent album by half of the 4 dudes in Grails - extremely different than the main band. This one was all sampled out on weird outside referents - but done very musically.
#5 Brainstorm split-12" (Moore/Majeure),
Light Echoes - Steve Moore,
Solar Maximum & Trancer - Majeure, and
Rusting Cyphers of a Forgotten Sky &
Abul Mogard - VCO Recordings label
[Full TOP 10 post]
"Alternate Quantum Realities" by SM2600, from Brainstorm (2012)
"Solar Maximum" by Majeure, from Solar Maximum (2012)
Genre - Spaced Electronicals
Steve Moore/tumblr - stevemoore2600.tumblr.com/
Label Bandcamp - vcorecordings.bandcamp.com/
Location - various, including Serbia
Review - Consequence of Sound
Download - Amazon search, iTunes, VCO online
Purchase - Majeure @ TRL / SM @ Cuneiform
Wow, we're really covering a lot of familiar Top 10 ground here this year. The 2 guys from Zombi did separate sides of a split, released a bunch of solo stuff, and put out some strong material on their own (cassette) label, VCO Recordings. Some spacey electo, some Italo disco, some noise-experimentalism, and some Eastern Euro ambient.
#4 Elemental (LP's & CD's) - Demdike Stare
Slant Azymuth - Demdike Stare & Andy Votel
[Full TOP 10 post]
"Erosion of Mediocrity" from Elemental 4: Rose (2012)
"Violetta" from Elemental 2: Violetta (2011)
Genre - Dark Occult-Dub Ambient
Official/Myspace - myspace.com/pookawig
Location - Lancashire, Britain
Review - Austinist
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Forced Exposure
Massive collection here from Demdike: four LP's released as a series (with a sweet art-book binder), then a 2xCD collection with alternate mixes and some bonus tracks. Dense, challenging compositions from some alternate DJ reality of obscure samples, odd metallic rhythms, and doomy electronics. Boss!
#3 Ascent - Six Organs of Admittance
[Full TOP 10 post]
"One Thousand Birds" from Ascent (2012)
"Even If You Knew" from Ascent (2012)
Genre - Folk + Rock Guitar-Heroics
Official - sixorgans.com/
Myspace - myspace.com/sixorgans
Location - California, USA
Review - Filter Magazine
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Forced Exposure
I was floored by how much I dug this record. Some light drone-folk, some blistering guitar shredding, some pared-down tunes, some full-band... But all of it worked so well, and somehow fit together as an actual album.
#2 Bag of Hammers - Linus Pauling Quartet
[Full TOP 10 post]
"Victory Gin" from Bag of Hammers (2012)
"Crom" from Bag of Hammers (2012)
Genre - Heavy Stoner Psych-Metal Rock-core
Official/blog - worshipguitars.org/LP4/
Myspace - myspace.com/linuspaulingquartet
Location - Houston, TX
Review - Space City Rock
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - CDbaby
The best new album of new original material in about a decade from probably my favorite active hometown heroes. And I'm saying the stuff over that time has been really good too. Heavy stoner-blues psych-metal garage-noise jams on the massive NerdLore topics of our era: Conan, 2001, The Dope, Soylent Green, Mind Flayers and homonculi.
#1 World Music - Goat
[Full TOP 10 post]
"Goatman" from World Music (2012)
"Goathead" from World Music (2012)
Genre - Voodoo-delic Afro-Funk
Official/blog - goatsweden.blogspot.com/
Location - Korpilombolo, Sweden
Review - The Quietus
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Forced Exposure
Super-extra-jammin' greatness!!! (that's right, 3!) An insane balance of: the funk, psychedelic Wah-Wah, fun songwriting, partying, World influences, chanted female vocals, a literally incredible backstory, all in a debut album from an outlaw band of Swedes.
These also ran:
#11 Circles - Moon Duo ("I Can See You" + "Circles")
#12 Secret Sounds, & Shooting Guns split-7" - The Cult of Dom Keller ("Painted Skulls" + "Secret sound 5")
#13 Aufheben - The Brian Jonestown Massacre (full album)
#14 Belbury Tales - Belbury Poly ("Chapel Perilous")
#15 Taste the Lazer - The Time & Space Machine ("Studio 23")
#16 Peel It - Indian Jewelry (full album)
#17 "Watch Out Boy" RSD 7" - The Black Angels ("I'd Rather Be Lonely" + "She's Not There")
#18 777: Cosmosophy, & What Once Was: Liber II - Blut Aus Nord ("Epitome XVII")
#19 Astral House - by Dead Sea Apes (full album)
#20 Born Blond, Prophetic Frequencies, & Aureliua 12" EP's - by Cloudland Canyon ("Aureliua")
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