6th Annual Exchange - June 29, 2008

YEAR in REVIEW (2007)

Disclaimer:
We obviously did not get a chance to listen to every single album that was released last year, so there may be some records out there that slipped through the cracks, and we apologize in advance for not giving you a nod in praise. Collectively we have scoured pretty hard for what is out there both throughout the year and with researching other ‘best of ‘ resources to confidently conclude that these are bar none the cream of the crop. Our focus is to reach outside of hype and all of the other nonsense that goes along with the music industry and critic-fluffing snobbery as a whole.

The Editor and General:
“Remember Skinhead Britney Spears in 2007? aka diverse list genre-wise”

01) Joel Plaskett Emergency – Ashtray Rock (Maple Music)

02) Baby Shambles – Shotter’s Nation (EMI / Parlophone / Astralwerks)

03) Arcade Fire – Neon Bible (Rough Trade / Merge)

04) Criminal Damage – No Solution (Feral Ward)

05) Double Negative – The Wonderful World Of Double Negative (No Way)

06) New Pornographers – Challengers (Matador)

07) Attack In Black – The Curve Of The Earth (Dine Alone)

08) King Khan & His Shrines – What is?! (Hazelwood)

09) Feist – The Reminder (Arts & Crafts / Interscope)

10) Grinderman – Self Titled (Anti / Mute)

11) Jay Z – American Gangster (Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam)

12) Mark Sultan – Sultanic Verses (In The Red)

13) Sadies – New Season (Outside)

14) Violent Minds – Eyes Of Death (Parts Unknown)
[I realize that this was shelved for many years, but it still came out in '07]

15) CPC Gangbangs – Mutilation Nation (Swami)

16) Saigon – The Moral Of The Story (Fort Knox / Atlantic)

17) Mayhem – Ordo Ad Chao (Seasons Of Mist)

18) Walls – Self Titled LP (Painkiller)

19) Stars Of The Lid – And Their Refinement Of The Decline (Kranky)

20) Lil’ Wayne – Da Drought 3 (Young Money)

21) Amon Tobin – Foley Room (Ninja Tune)

22) UGK – Underground Kingz (Jive)

23) American Steel – Destroy Their Future (Fat Wreck)

24) Clorox Girls – J’Aime Les Filles (BYO)

25) Beirut – The Flying Club Up (Ba Da Bing!)

26) Ghostface Killah – The Big Doe Rehab (Def Jam)

27) Tranzmitors – S/T (Deranged)

28) Ken Reaume – Four Horses (Pariah Sounds)

29) Sunn0))) – Oracle (Southern Lord)

30) Homostupids – The Intern (Parts Unknown)

31) Deerhunter – Cryptograms (Kranky)

32) Interpol – Our Love To Admire (Capitol / Parlophone)

33) John Fogerty – Revival (Fantasy)

34) Freeway – Free At Last (Island Def Jam / G-Unit)

35) The Dilettantes – 101 Tambourines (Stranger Touch / Happy Parts)

36) Twilight Sad – Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (Fat Cat)

37) Black Lips – Good Bad Not Evil (Vice)

38) Goodnight Loving – Crooked Lake (Dusty Medical)

39) Grizzly Bear – Friend (Warp)

40) Carbonas – Self Titled (Goner)

Top 5 songs of the year:

Arcade Fire – Ocean Of Noise

UGK – International Players Anthem (I Choose You)
New Pornographers – Unguided

Fucked Up – The Black Hats
[Click + Search ‘Fucked Up’ here, the song is in their player]

Feist – I Feel It All

Worst album cover of the year (a tie):

DISSAPPOINTMENTS:

There are a number of artists in this list that I really enjoy and personally think are brilliant as a whole – however most of these records are just weak for what they’re capable of, completely forgettable, or just plain shit. This category represents a bar that has been set by the artist in the past (usually) and or the anticipation of these records, and them failing to deliver the goods.

50 Cent – Curtis (Aftermath / G-Unit / Interscope)
[I Get Money is amazing, but the rest is garbage at best]

Baroness – Red Album (Relapse)

Bloc Party – A Weekend In The City (Vice)



Coliseum – No Salvation (Relapse / Level Plane)

The Hives – The Black & White Album (Interscope)

High On Fire – Death Is This Communion (Relapse)

Ladyhawk – Fight For Anarchy (Jagjaguwar / Storyboard)

Pelican – City Of Echos (HydraHead)

Pharoah Monch – Desire (Street / Universal MoTown)
[when you’re a real deal MC what’s the need to get fancy? far too ambitious – more rapping needed]





Saul Williams – The Inevitable Rise & Liberation of NiggyTardust! (internet only)
[Neat idea but this album sucks.]

The Stooges – The Weirdness (Virgin) [Not much of a surprise, but this blows]

Turbonegro – Retox (Cooking Vinyl)

Most slept-on records of the year:

Raising The Fawn – Sleight Of Hand (Sonic Unyon)
Throbbing Gristle – Part Two: The Endless Not (Mute/Industrial)
Low - Drums And Guns (Sub Pop)
Do Make Say Think – You, You’re A History In Rust (Constellation)
Neurosis – Given To The Rising (Neurot)
C'mon - Bottled Lightning (of an All Time High) - (Saved By Vinyl)
Unsane – Visqueen (Ipepac)
Download – Fixer (Subconscious)
Life Without Buildings – Live at Annandale Hotel (Gargleblast/Absolutely Kosher)

TOP 10: Not worth the HYPE [STILL don’t GET IT]
[Why are critics so hard on the ‘dick’ of these records?]
Klaxons – Mysths Of The Near Future (Polydor)
[most undeserving hype of the year, certainly some label $$ influencing opinions]
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam (Domino)
[not near worth the praise – 6 out of 10 at best]
Battles – Mirrored (Warp)
[the newest Trans Am record was WAY better than this and no one was talking about it]
Burial – Untrue (Hyperdub)
[5 out of 10 at best]
Dirty Projectors – Rise Above (Dead Oceans)
[hipsters pretending to be punk rock and failing hard]
Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala (Service / Secretly Canadian)
LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver (DFA / EMI)
Liars – Liars (Mute)
Magik Markers – Boss (Ecstatic Peace)
[I don’t care if this is on Ecstatic Peace, it blows]
MIA – Kala (XL / Interscope)
[the first album sucked, this is even worse]

Who CARES / STOP making MUSIC:

Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works (Relapse)
Dropkick Murphys – The Meanest Of Times (Born & Bred)
Buck 65 – Situation (Strange Famous)
Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero (Interscope)
Radiohead – In Rainbows (internet release / XL)
Smashing Pumpkins – Zeitgeist (Warner Bros)

Comrades

Matty B's Best of 2007 List

Torche – In Return (Robotic Empire)
it took me a while to get into the vocals but i dig it.

Jesu / Eluvium – Split (Hydra Head)
some of justins stronger work that got released this year. it seems like he released something every month.

Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters (Southern Lord)
USA black metal. bleak ambient and crushing.

Teagan And Sara - The Con (Vapor / Sire / London)
yeah i know.

Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation reissue (Goofin’)
just happy i can get it on vinyl.

Iron And Wine - The Shepherd's Dog (Sub Pop)
more instruments + sweet harmonies.

Om – Pilgrimage (Southern Lord)
i dont feel its their best work but a solid hypnotic feel

Interpol - Our Love To Admire (Capitol / Parlophone)
some of their best tracks and some of the worst tracks.

Earth – Hibernaculum (Southern Lord)
old earth meets new earth. comes with a documentary dvd i guess if you own the cd.

Mono - The Phoenix Tree: Travel In Constants Volume 22
by far my favorite work my them.

The new Witchcraft album “The Alchemist” is pretty good too.

WHO SHIT THE BED IN 2007?

Pelican (City Of Echos) / Wilco (Sky Blue Sky) / Jimmy Eat World (Chase The Light)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hayz' BEST OF 2007 list

01.Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Rough Trade / Merge)

02.Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
03.Bruce Springsteen – Magic (Columbia)


04.Dan Deacon - Spiderman Of The Rings (Carpark)
05.Joel Plaskett - Ashtray Rock (Maple Music)

06.Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days 100 Nights (Daptone)


07.The National – Boxer ((Beggars Banquet)
08.Dinosaur Jr – Beyond (Fat Possum)
09.Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin (Sub Pop)
10.Justice – Cross (Downtown / Vice / Ed Banger)

**HONOURABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)**

Jesu – Conqueror (Hydra Head)
M83 - Digital Shades Vol.1 (Mute)
The Field - From Here We Go Sublime (Kompakt)
Attack In Black – Marriage (Dine Alone)
Burial – Untrue (Hyperdub)
Battles – Mirrored (Warp)
Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works (Relapse)
Tegan & Sara - The Con (Vapor / Sire / London)
Bjork – Volta (One Little Indian / Universal / Atlantic / Polydor)
PJ Harvey - White Chalk (Island)
Interpol - Our Love To Admire (Capitol / Parlophone)
The Hives - The Black & White Album (Interscope)
Bat For Lashes - Fur & Gold (Echo / Parlophone)
Dethklok – Dethalbum (Williams Street)
Baroness - The Red Album (Relapse)
High On Fire - Death Is This Communion (Relapse)
Municipal Waste - The Art Of Partying (Earache)
Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao (Seasons of Mist)
Pharoah Monche - Desire (Street / Universal MoTown)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

kd's BEST OF 2007 list

01.Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (Polyvinyl)
02.The Cribs - Mens Needs, Womens Needs, Whatever (V2)
03.The Shins - Wincing the Night Away (Sub Pop)
04.Joel Plaskett Emergency - Ashtray Rock (Maple Music)
05. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond (Fat Possum)

06.Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (Domino)
07.American Steel - Destroy the Future (Fat Wreck Chords)
08.Justice - Cross (Downtown / Vice / Ed Banger)
09.Interpol - Our Love To Admire (Capitol / Parlophone)
10.The Hoosiers - The Trick To Life (RCA)

11.Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Rough Trade / Merge)
12.White Rabbits - Fort Nightly (Say Hey)

13.The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour (Epitaph)
14.Feist - The Reminder (Arts & Crafts / Interscope)
15.Black Francis - Bluefinger (Cooking Vinyl)

16.Miracle Fortress - Five Roses (Rough Trade)
17.Blonde Redhead - 23 (4AD)
18.The New Pornographers - Challengers (Matador)
19.Immaculate Machine - Immaculate Machine's Fables (Mint)
20.Tegan And Sara - The Con (Vapor / Sire)

SOME OTHERS that rocked me throughout 2007

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (Epic)

Editors - An End Has A Start (Kitchenware)

Clap your hands say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder (Wichita)

Jenn Grant - Orchestra for the Moon (Paris 1919)

Montag - Going Places (Carpark)

The Good The Bad And The Queen - Self Titled (Parlophone/Virgin/EMI)

M.I.A. - Kala (XL)

LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver (DFA)

Slaraffenland - Private Cinema (Hometapes)

Octopus Project - Hello Avalanche (Peek-A-Boo)

Pseudosix - Self Titled (Sonic Boom)

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Living With The Living (Touch & Go)

kd’s TOP 30 SONGS of 2007

01.The Past is A Grotesque Animal - Of Montreal
02. Harder Than You Think - Public Enemy
03. The Con - Tegan and Sara
04. None Shall Pass - Aesop Rock
05. The Plot - White Rabbits
06. Threshold Apprehension - Black Francis
07. All My Friends - LCD Soundsystem
08. Tournament of Hearts - The Weakerthans
09. Cheap Like Sebastien - Apostle of Hustle
10. D.A.N.C.E. - Justice
11. Peacebone - Animal Collective
12. 23 - Blonde Redhead
13. Morning Break - Jenn Grant
14. Jarhand - Immaculate Machine
15. We're Not Alone - Dinosaur Jr.
16. Running Away - Polyphonic Spree
17. Cannot Get Started - Handsome Furs
18. Foundations - Kate Nash
19. And She Would Darken the Memory of Youth - The Twilight Sad
20. I Have Sound - Montag
21. Boy with a Coin - Iron & Wine
22. Again & Again - The Bird and the Bee
23. Starbeat Academy Graduation March - Carbon Dating Service
24. My Moon My Man – Feist
25. Take Your Medicine - Cloud Cult
26. Have you Seen In Your Dreams - Miracle Fortress
27. Blood Test - The Got To Get Got
28. Truck - Octopus Project
29. Love Song No 7 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
30. On The Bubble - The Broken West

Year In Review: RESOURCES

In this modern age of the internet’s reign it’s very often that one will find their information within “the funny box” instead of buying magazines in print (or getting them free) like back in the day. For this very reason we present you with a convenient way of gaining more of an informed position on this somewhat-irrelevant topic by scouring the wretched or righteous sources (you decide) involved with the music industry, both from commercial and independent standings. I’m sure we’ve missed a bunch, but have mainly included what is typically responsible for ‘influencing public opinion’, or that which clever critics rely on to debase or simply replicate.

These resources are not to be considered a blue print or acknowledged as genius, so please proceed with a heavy grain of salt in hand, as in some cases they’re likely penned (or typed) by someone who may appreciate those terrible American Idol contestants. With a discerning eye (or ear – which is suggested) one will either: remain entertained, become outraged, or become exposed to some gems they may have missed through the year. So on behalf of the shallow music world at large – ENJOY.

Our few meek N.M.U. lists will follow shortly, but here’s what’s out there in the meantime.

Exclaim (diverse by genre) [Canada]:
Frequencies (Electronic etc) / Aggressive (Metal etc) / No Future (Punk etc)
Wood Wires & Whisky (Folk Rock etc) / Pop Rocks / Groove (Dance etc)
Destination Out (Experimental) / Beats & Rhymes (Hip Hop)

Pitchfork Media:
Top 50 Albums / Top 100 Tracks

Tiny Mix Tapes:
Top Albums

New Musical Express (UK):
Best Albums / Best Tracks Of The Year

Treble Magazine:
Top 50 Albums

Pop Matters:
Top Albums

Stylus:
Top 50

Paste Magazine:
Top 100

The Onion A.V. Club:
Top 25

Spin:
Top 40

Rolling Stone:
Top 50

Xlr8r:
Best & Worst

Chart Magazine [Canada]:
Various Staff Top 10 lists

Blender Magazine:
Top Albums

Now Magazine [Toronto, Canada]:
Top 10 from Toronto / Disappointments / RIP in 2007

The Hype Machine
Top 50 (Various)

All Music Guide BLOG
Top Albums

I Guess I’m Floating (Blog):
Best Hip Hop Albums

MTV:
Top Albums

Billboard:
Top 10

MSNBC:
WTF! This ‘article’ list is hilarious

Metacritic:
A Compilation Of Numerous Sources

Rate Your Music:
This is ENDLESS – good if you want to know practically EVERY release that dropped last year

Power

Resurrection

WE MUST APOLOGIZE!

It’s simply been too long for forgiveness – we know. The excuses: life headaches, slack, responsibility & procrastination...but now make way for the return.

The 2006 Retrospect has been scrapped as we’re beyond late, but a huge 2007 one is almost done and on the way. Regular updates to follow, as well as some coverage of the past mixtape exchange from back in July.



R.I.P. Sonic Unyon store

5th ANNUAL JAMBOREE / Swap-Meet

The 5th annual swap-meet jamboree will take place this upcoming Sunday, July 22, 2007 from around 8:45pm until 9pm. Submissions can be dropped off throughout the day (as in the previous years) at the Niagara Mix-Tape Union booth in Market Square, which will likely be right beside the KEEP IT UP booth. Please visit SCENE Music Festival for all the current information available, as far as a schedule that day, or protocol on the trade-off itself.

We’re also going to have limited silk screened posters for (hopefully) all of the participants.

Don’t FRONT – participate.

Tragic Trivia

1.) He met his very mysterious death in July of 1966, but not before scoring with a Buddy Holly sound alike song. Who was he and what was his biggest hit?


2.) On February 8, 1990, Charles Westover shot himself in the head with a 22 caliber rifle. His wife thought his death was related to his use of Prozac. Who was Charles Westover?


3.) They were members of the same band. Both died in similar accidents, about a block apart and about a year apart. Who were they and to what band did they belong?

View the "comments" section for answers.

FIND: Bomb The Bass – Beat Dis 12”

For years when I’ve gone hunting for used records I would always come across this one 12” (in the hip-hop section most often) that had bloodied smiley-face artwork and an ambiguous title scrawled in red graffiti style lettering. The first time I remember finding it I thought that the imagery was intended as a jab at “acid house” culture so it peaked my interest a little, but not enough to bite. From that point I started to subconsciously take notice of how often I would come across it, but I was typically too lazy to pursue, and would usually just thumb right passed.

Recently when I was fortunate enough to find it again I decided to finally check it out and feed my curiosity after all of these years. To my surprise not only did it end up being a solid listen, but also (with some research) apparently a classic “house” record and one of the first songs to introduce sampling into the mainstream charts, alongside such acts as M/A/R/R/S and others.

Bomb The Bass is a moniker used by Tim Simenon, a producer and DJ who started his career during the late 80s at the Wag Club in London, a local fixture that also birthed Jonathan More of Coldcut fame. He spent time in college studying music production and applied this basic knowledge coupled with his DJ experience to produce his first record "Beat Dis". The sample-oriented track blended hip-hop and funk sounds from the likes of the Jimmy Castor Bunch, with clips from “Thunderbirds” and “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” soundtracks.

From the surprise popularity of the “Beat Dis” record, Simenon went on to produce three more singles (a couple of which being “Megablast” and “Don’t Make Me Wait”) that appeared on the rushed debut album “Into The Dragon.“ Together with releasing that record, Simenon also collaborated with veteran musician John Foxx on a project called Nation 12 that enjoyed marginal success in the United Kingdom.

Following that album Simenon hit a troubled period as he was commissioned for remix and production work for super model Naomi Campbell’s thankfully abandoned pop career. Despite that blemish Simenon still went on to become a successful producer, working with such acts as Depeche Mode, U2, David Bowie, Seal, Bjork, Sinéad O'Connor, Curve and even the likes of Consolidated. On his next two albums “Unknown Territory” and the William Burroughs inspired “Clear” that featured a grocery list of contributors, it was later dubbed that he had pioneered the (reluctantly mentioned) “genre” of “trip hop”.

Bomb The Bass went through a change in sound during the early 90s to follow and began to incorporate loud rock guitars until becoming unofficially inactive. After relocating to Amsterdam, starting his Electric Tone label and focusing on other projects Simenon also eventually went on to collaborate with Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto fame on 2001’s “Tracks”. Although Simenon had kept Bomb The Bass dormant for years recording under the moniker “Flow Creator” instead, in 2006 he announced that a new record had been completed, however a tentative release has still not been determined.

Basics:

Bomb The Bass - Beat Dis 12” Single - 1988
33 1/3 rpm
114 BPM

A Side
Extended Dis (6:02)
Bonus Beats (5:30)
B Side
Dub Dis (5:09)

• It’s first release on the Mister-Ron label was minimally packaged to disguise itself as a white label US import out of NYC. It was later reissued shortly thereafter (with a pictured sleeve as shown above) on Rhythm King and then hit number two on the UK charts.
• The bloodied smiley-face artwork, borrowed from the Watchmen comic books, and influenced much of the imagery surrounding the 'acid house' and 'rave' scenes.
• The record supposedly cost £500 to make, in between Simenon's then work at a supermarket and as a DJ.
• The song also appeared on the full length "Into The Dragon".

Bomb The Bass / Tim Simenon Discography

For fans of Electronic Music: Ellen Allien & Apparat

Here’s an interview (in two parts) with Ellen Allien & Apparat from Slices DVD magazine. The majority of the interview is about the making of an excellent record they released last year called “Orchestra Of Bubbles” on BPitch Control.

Part One...



Part Two...