Dear Santa…
20 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Gongs Tags: Atlas Sound, Bill Callahan, Bon Iver, PJ Harvey, Real Estate, Ryan Adams, Wilco, Wooden Shjips
It’s that time!
Time to eat, drink, be merry and write some lists!
If you’ve been following the Blog for a while, you’ll have noticed that I approach the whole list-compiling thing with some trepidation but as the days move on, I get in to the spirit, and by the end, well…
So, here goes:
Seven Records I Should Own
(and am a bit embarrassed that I don’t)
(yet…)
In the past I think I’ve used this list to give a cursory mention to records that everyone else has been salivating over but which I couldn’t be arsed with. This year, though, this is a genuine Dear Santa letter of a list, with records on it that I am genuinely arsed about and am hoping to get (one way or another) over the Christmas period.
As ever, the list is in no particular order and I can’t say much about any of them, so there’s a video of something from each one.
West – Wooden Shjips
Only just catching up on Ripley Johnston and band’s records and have been really enjoying the Moon Duo stuff, but I’m told this is their first studio album proper, and is even better than their other releases.
Lazy Bones
Apocalypse – Bill Callahan
I’ve been a Smog fan for a good while now, but somehow the dropping of the name, plus a pretty dull live set at Green Man one year meant that Bill Callahan has drifted from my radar in recent years. I gather this record is a bit of a return to form for the man. Looking forward to hearing it…
Riding for the Feeling
Days – Real Estate
Another band who have suffered from my butterfly approach to record buying. Bought their debut album and enjoyed it immensely, but again when this their second release appeared, I was nowhere to be found… Gah!
It’s Real (lovely guitar sound…)
Ashes and Fire – Ryan Adams
And another artist I’ve sadly neglected until recent weeks. I loved Heartbreaker and Gold when they came out, and have lately played both records a lot (and benefited from the latest LPGroup session on the former). I’m ready for the new record now…
Lucky You
The Whole Love – Wilco
Oh God here’s another one! What have I been doing all year? This is even worse – I actually turned my nose up at the chance to see them inBristol, because I was too tight. C’mon Andrew, get it together!
Born Alone
Parallax – Atlas Sound
Really enjoyed Bradford Cox’s first two records, and quite liked the Deerhunter stuff too. This record is getting a lot of love across all the end of year lists…
Parallax
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
Missed this guy’s voice something terrible…
Holocene
Let England Shake – PJ Harvey
This one’s a bit different in that it’s been voted top of list after list, and even more prestigious than that it’s been voted record of 2011 by the members of LPGroup, who’ll be spinning and discussing it 1st Sunday in January (all welcome). Better go and buy it I guess…
The Glorious Land
That was eight wasn’t it?
