Year-end List

I thought I would share the list of albums I submitted to Muso's Guide for their year-end list. Interestingly, I feel as if I have been much more engaged with music this year, although not because I've listened to more. I have actually had less money to spend on it and this has meant buying less and listening more. I think my listening experiences have been better for it. I've also focused my buying on vinyl, so less frivolous 'only ever to be listened to once' downloads. Add to that the fact that I've been casting the net a little closer to shore; I've paid attention to the output fewer labels and blogs, but really engaged with the ones I have followed. Of course this approach means there will have been much great stuff released this year I simply won't have listened to, but a manageable and deep listening experience seems preferable to me.

Paradise of Bachelors releases are most heavily represented here, a consistently brilliant label I've written about before. That's a selection of their back covers to the right, all of which feature in my list. As ever I have also kept a close eye on what Light In The Attic have been up to; more unwieldy but always interesting. This hasn't been to the exclusion of other labels, but these are the two I return to most often to see what they are up to.

The writers who have consistently pointed me in the direction of great music have been John Mulvey (of Uncut Magazine. I strongly recommend you follow his Wild Mercury Sound blog) and the Aquarium Drunkard site generally, but particularly Tyler Wilcox (also check out his Doom & Gloom From The Tomb musings). Where possible I have added links to relevant articles for each album.

Anyhow, here you go (in no particular conscious order):

1. Hiss Golden Messenger - Haw
2. William Tyler - Impossible Truth (reviewed for Muso's Guide here - that's the back cover at the top)
3. Steve Gunn - Time Off
4. Wooden Wand- Blood Oaths of the New Blues
5. Matthew E White - Big Inner
6. Michael Chapman - Wrecked Again (reissue)
7. Kurt Vile - Wakin' on a Pretty Daze
8. White Denim -  Corsicana Lemonade
9. Lal Waterson - Teach Me to Be a Summers Morning (reissue)
10. Chris Forsyth - Solar Motel
11. Bob Dylan - Another Self Portrait (reissue)
12. Golden Gunn - Golden Gunn
13. Promised Land Sound - Promised Land Sound

To this I would definitely add a couple of late entries that I have only just got hold of:

14. Neil Young - Live At Cellar Door (I reviewed this for Muso's Guide here)

15. Daniel Bachman - Jesus I'm A Sinner