Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 15:18:42 -0600 From: "Jose A. Garcia Camil" Subject: Annual Best/Worst List Well, the new year is around the corner and we have not discussed any "best and worst of 1998" lists so far! Here's mine... Best 4AD Album: tie - THB "...smiles O.K." & Lisa Gerrard "Duality" Best Non 4AD Album: Portishead "PNYC" Best Concert: Portishead in Austin, TX Best 4AD Columnist (unofficial): Jeff K. Best Discovery: Love Spiral Downwards "Flux" Best Art Cover: THB "...smiles O.K." Worst 4AD Release: HNIA "Cant always be loved" Worst News: the split of DCD Most anticipated albums of 1999: Cocteau's compilation and Gus Gus I (still) miss: Cocteaus Wish list: 4AD releases on DVD - Cocteaus Comp. and DCD "Toward the within" (in cool Dolby Digital!) I fell in love with: Progressive House and Trance music People I want to meet: Ivo, Liz Frazer and Lisa G. and Brendan P. AND, last but not least, Tim Hall @ Mail order. Best DJ: Paul Oakenfold That's it for me... Thanks to whoever recommended LSD "Flux"! Pepe Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 18:09:11 EST From: Freak4ad@AOL.COM Subject: Re: Annual Best/Worst List In a message dated 12/14/98 3:36:35 PM Central Standard Time, jgcamil@MAIL.UTEXAS.EDU writes: Here is mine: Best 4AD Albums: tie - THB "...smiles O.K." & Lisa Gerrard "Duality" & Lisa Germano "Slide" Best Non 4AD Albums: Cat Power "Moon Pix", Neko Case and Her Boyfriends, Hefner, Hazeldine, Belle and Sebastian Best Concert: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Best Discovery: Stina Nordenstam (I know, everyone tried to tell me!) Best Art Cover: THB "...smiles O.K." Worst 4AD Release: Thievery Corporation and Cuba (not that I don't like them, just not my favorite releases), and I loved HNIA Worst News: the split of DCD, but more devestating to me was Tarnation's removal from 4AD Most anticipated albums of 1999: Red House Painters "Old Ramon" and Hazeldine "Digging It Up" I (still) miss: Cocteaus and Throwing Muses and Tarnation Wish list: 4ad would resign Tarnation. Also, to hear the new "Starry Smooth Hound" Plus, 4AD needs to sign some new artists:) I fell in love with: trip-hop and neo-classical People I want to meet: Tim Hall @ Mail order (sure, I want to meet all the famous people, but Tim is the greatest) Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 07:07:48 -0000 From: theclinic Subject: Re: Annual Best/Worst List I must admit the cuba the thievery corps have being the best releases in a good few years. Things had been getting abit ropey for awhile on 4ad. It is good to here good music for once ciaran Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 17:41:27 +0000 From: Tim Hall Subject: Bless you all! Nice to see some discussion about our output in 1998.It's been a long year, but good fun! I think we've released some damn fine records this year, and whilst we didn't break the 20 releaes (i.e CAD 8020 etc) we released over 20 records if you count the Throwing Muses double and the Kristin Hersh mail order only CD. I feel very proud to be associated with our releases this year. I think there is something for everyone in what we've put out over the last 12 months, from Thievery Corporation to the Hope Blister, Cuba to Mojave 3 etc. I don't think anyone can really pin us down at all these days, sound wise. 1999 looks set to be just as insane. Here's my thoughts for the year and the coming one - PART 1!! The GusGus album is finished and is absolutely incredible. Expect singles by Feb. and the album soon after. They played some corkers too this year. Cologne springs to mind. They certainly kicked the year off well with the Polyesterday re-release, just missing the UK top 40 by a whisker. Cuba have all but finished their debut. Again more singles to follow and the album by the spring. They just finished a really cool Spanish tour last week. If anyone saw them, Chris,Ash and the Cuba boys had a blast and hope to be back to Spain very soon. They've had a good year, lots of shows etc. look out for world domination in '99. It's mad to think they played their 1st show supporting GusGus in Febuary. They've come a long way in a year. Mojave 3 blossomed this year I think. 'Out Of Tune' was a beauty. Some awesome live shows over the late Summer/Autumn in the UK and a really enjoyable jaunt around Europe with Gomez over the last month. They hit the USA in the spring. I don't think there will a 3 year gap between albums this time! Kristin Hersh was everywhere this year. 'Strange Angels' wasn't off my stereo for months. The live shows I caught were the best I have ever seen her play. The Barbican show especially, a few 1000 people hanging on her every word. I don't think I'll ever forget her Glastonbury Festival spot either, but you'll have to ask Billy 'O about that one................lots of mud. Kristin new studio album will see the light of day in the Spring. I'm not going to give anything away....SO THERE!! Anyway thats my volume 1. If anyone is interested here's my top non-4AD tunes & gigs etc for 1998. Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 17:21:05 -0500 From: firepile Subject: answers the new lisa germano is phenomenal. some people dont like it because they say she's too happy.. i think she's her old miserable self with a twist... its my favorite of her albums so far.. the new mojave 3 is also amazing... its short, and at the end the one thing i was thinking was, "this cd should last for hours it's so amazing!" i definitely like it better than their last one.. i must say cuba and thievery corporation just dont do it for me. im waiting to be impressed, and it hasnt happened yet (though it still might.. it took me months to get into gus gus, and now all of a sudden i cant get enough of them!) > - Has someone listened to the internet only available albums by: Cranes >and Kristin Hersh? Are they beautiful? wow.. i LOVE the kristin hersh cd... it's definitely only for her biggest fans, or people that love traditional folk music... but its so great. its dark and dreary with an amazing sense of humor... i cant WAIT to hear her new one "sky motel". its being described as throwing muses revisited.... full band and everything. im so excited! Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 15:33:20 +0000 From: djt Subject: Top pop records of 1998 Hello, Here's a list of albums I thought were pretty good this year - I've raided the back of my sofa for all the adjectives and I apologise if it's a bit repetitive! Perhaps someone could tell me what exactly I should have spent my spare time listening to this year? MARK HOLLIS <> (Polygram) Released early in the year but very difficult to forget. Mark Hollis's solo record is a fragile piece of work, but one which resonates long after leaving the turntable. The careful arrangements of brass, string and percussion instruments plus Mark Hollis's piercing voice always leaves me feeling calm and reflective. ARAB STRAP <> (Chemikal Underground/Matador) Depending on your attitude, this is an hateful album made by a bunch of foul-mouthed Glaswegians, or a fantastically inspired opus made by a bunch of foul-mouthed Glaswegians. I am in the latter camp; the ballads on this record are inspiring commentary on contemporary sexual attitudes in modern Britain. The music is pretty good too. I wouldn't like Arab Strap to keep digging their hole any further however. JESSICA BAILIFF <> (Kranky) An interesting debut record from someone who was previously known to me only as a photographer for Low. Obvious influences from droney guitars like Windy and Carl and Flying Saucer Attack but the hardened edges have been softened with gentle Low-style percussion as well. Although Ms Bailiff's voice is somewhat unreachable, it's a magnificent home recording project. I hope that there'll be a more confident studio record sometime soon. GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR! <> (Kranky) This might not strictly be a 1998 record since it was released in a different form in Canada previously, but Godspeed's debut album was released by Kranky this year and is a depressive, enigmatic gem. Full of doom-laden voices and four long progressive pieces of music, they have perfected the 'quiet-to-loud' song structure in the same way that Mogwai have perfected the 'quiet-loud-quiet' one, but with far more violins. Play it late at night and scare the neighbors. STINA NORDENSTAM <> (East West) After a fairly disappointing third album, Stina Nordenstam must have lost it completely; any record starting with a cover version of Rod Stewart's <> and released around Christmas must surely cover Slade, Paul McCartney and other such ballads also? I'm therefore completely stunned that this record turns out to be fantastic in many respects (sailing song excepted). We get moving and meaningful cover versions like Purple Rain for example - slow and trashy beats fused with a chamber orchestra and the best Ms. Nordenstam has sounded yet. It's been produced excellently and stripped down to bare essentials, which seems to work best with her voice. The cover of Morrison's <> is touching, emotional and personal. CALEXICO <> (City Slang / Quarterstick) An important entry into the blooming "alternative country" category, Calexico is performed brilliantly by two members of Giant Sand (who recorded an LP with the ilk of Lisa Germano last year as OP8) who obviously have a grand share of talent between them. Their album is a story following a man across the desert who wishes to find life and love. Joey Burns' mellow voice mixes with slide guitar, steel guitar, accordion, cello, horn and vibraphone to create a western musical with a tragic ending. You'll be on the edge of your seat for the whole performance. P J HARVEY <> (Island) The story goes that this album was supposed to be PJ Harvey's fourth "difficult" album in which she either merges into the mainstream market or stays an obscure angry female with personality problems. Luckily, this is a story which will never be written because <> was a confident and challenging record. With just a handful of familiar collaborators working on this album (Flood and John Parish, for example), it's more than a sum of it's individual parts. Intriguingly, the album's central question attempts to be answered by a string of ballads about characters such as Catherine, Angeline and Joy. But the vauge impression left of them, and the distorted, disjointed music only adds to the mystery. PRAM <> (Domino/Wurlitzer Jukebox) A "comeback" for Pram after a difficult two years of silence, and one which leads them into a more jazzy, percussive and up-beat sound, whilst using the same set of toy pianos, organs, theramin, tape loops, drums and guitars as always. Their <> EP hinted at a stylized approach to making music and this album provides more; "El Topo" for example is a Western, "Bathysphere" an experimental film, "Fallen Snow" a French drama and "Sleepy Sweet" a comedy. Maybe a different Pram from the experimental era, but this album proves they have mastered the bomtempi organ, plastic piano and stainless steel woodsaw now. ARTO LINDSAY <> (Rykodisc) I'm never one to find all that "discovery" of world music by people who should know better very enjoyable but somehow this fine fusion of latin american percussion, electronic sampling and drum'n'bass makes Noon Chill a fine listen, and even Arto Lindsay's voice doesn't grate as expected. You'll be dancing and singing along before you can spit out "Paul Simon", "Sting" or "David Byrne" ten times in a row. Other good 4AD-L-ish things i listened to: stars of the lid/jon mccaffery <> --- pan american --- lisa germano <> --- stereolab <> --- kristin hersh <> --- ma cherie for painting --- invisible soundtracks --- tarwater <> --- diamanda galas <> --- solex vs hitmeister --- jack <> Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 02:46:55 EST From: CRCulver@AOL.COM Subject: My Five Best Records of 1998 Here's my list of the five best this-listy releases of 1998: 1) Massive Attack - "Mezzanine" Even without the absolutely beautiful voice of Elizabeth Fraser on several tracks, this would still rank among the best records of this year and the best of this decade. "Mezzanine" is a deep, dark album full of powerful beats and slick, subtle vocals. It's perfect, there isn't a single song that sucks. Rarely does a record this excellent come along. Buy it - now. 2) His Name is Alive - "Ft. Lake" After _Stars on E.S.P._, I thought HNIA had turned sucky forever. I was thankfully proven wrong by this wonderful record. The old HNIA may have been moodier and perhaps more enjoyable as art, but Warren Defever's latest project is an exercise in jammin' rock and roll. I think this album is full of more memorable songs than any of the previous HNIA albums, and what it all comes down to is a fun and groovy experience. 3) Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke - "Duality" This release is like a breath of fresh air for those of us who thought LG was sinking into a mire of silly, pretentious droning about the spirituality of music and choiry requiems. More festive than _The Mirror Pool_, this album also has a more live feel to it. The only thing wrong with this album is that no tour accompanied it. 4) Thievery Corporation - "Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi" I'm one of the few 4AD-Lers, I'm sure, who consider this to be a great album, but IMHO it deserves a lot of respect. The album can be enjoyed as something to jog or drive with, or as something to analyze and appreciate for its use of technology. I think the Rastafarian Elder samples are pretty cool, too. 5) Throwing Muses "In a Doghouse" This was my first experience with the Muses, and I'm happy 4AD and Rykodisc released this two-disc set. It includes the original TM album, never before available in the U.S., as well as the demo that got the Muses signed to 4AD. It's all pretty good, except for the "Chains Changed" EP, which I didn't think was too hot. Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 13:32:42 -0500 From: Michael Borum Subject: Re: My Five Best Records of 1998 I'm with you as far as 1, 2, and 3 are concerned. I would add the following... - Curve - "Come Clean" - Mojave 3 - "Out of Tune" - Jeff Buckley - "Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk" - the Cardigans - "Gran Turismo" - Saint Etienne - "Good Humor" - Mandalay - "Empathy" - Catchers - "Stooping to Fit" ... to make a complete Top 10 for me. Michael iceblink@tiac.net Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 05:29:43 -0500 From: Steven Venn Subject: Re: My Five Best Records of 1998 >Here's my list of the five best this-listy releases of 1998: > >1) Massive Attack - "Mezzanine" The same reasons I voted it my no. 1 of 1998 as well alongside: 2. Cat Power - Moon Pix 3. Calexico - The Black Light 4. Lambchop - What Another Man Spills 5. Edith Frost - Telscopic 6. Gillian Welch - Hell Among the Yearlings 7. Low - One More Reason to Forget 8. The Sadies - Precious Moments 9. 16 Horsepower - Low Estate 10. Morcheeba - Big Calm Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 15:02:19 -0800 From: Eric Wittmershaus Subject: Re: My Five Best Records of 1998 (no 4AD) my top 5 are decidedly more music snobbishly indie: 1. hood - rustic houses, forlorn valleys (domino) the masters of the two minute pop song change their format to come up with a (mostly quiet) brooding LP that's the best nighttime headphones album since sargasso sea 2. quickspace - precious falling (kitty kitty) grunge meets stereolab is the lazy man's comparison, but there's a lot more than that going on on the tape edit tracks, especially "hadid" and "walk me home." is this the future of indie? 3. steward - latest lp on 555 more homemade, lo-fi brilliance from ex-boyracer cat. 4. solex - solex vs. the hitmeister (matador) reminds me a lot of how laika sounded when they first burst onto the scene: lots of samples, enchanting vocals, sounds weird at first, grows on you, and becomes addicting. 5. belle and sebastian - the boy with the arab strap (jeepster) this might have rated higher had they kept stevie jackson away from the staff paper and microphone. "seymour stein?" bleagh. Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 02:04:42 +0100 From: Emiel Efdee Subject: Re: My Five Best Records of 1998 >Here's my list of the five best this-listy releases of 1998: Wow... is it 1999 already? Well... these are my most played records of last year:: 1. Kristin Hersh - Works In Progress (+ Strange Angels) Not really an album but the three tracks released up until now are very good= ! 2. Cat Power - Moon Pix But... her concert in Rotterdam two weeks ago sucked... 3. PJ Harvey - Is This Desire? Also best concert of the year! 4. Lisa Germano - Slide 5. Portishead - PNYC 6. Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke - Duality 7. The Hope Blister - ...smile's ok 8. Anakin 9. Massive Attack - Mezzanine Also worst concert of the year... 10. Mark Hollis - Mark Hollis 11. Thievery Corporation - Sounds From The Thievery Hi-Fi 12. Unkle - Psyence Fiction (thom yorke's track) Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 04:52:13 -0600 From: Doubts About Waking Subject: Field Mice & other best o'98 Hey Folks-- Since people are doing "best of" lists, I thought I'd throw in a few others: FIELD MICE--_Where'd You Learn to Kiss That Way?_. For me, this retrospective compilation was the absolute best release of the year (despite the title). Even 6 or 7 years after their break up, this is still some of the best pop music ever recorded. Fans of anything by Ian Masters (Pale Saints, Spoonfed Hybrid, ESP-Summer) should definitely give this a listen. The crew at Shinkansen Records did a wonderful job with both the packaging and the sequencing on this double cd. Instead of presenting things chronologically, songs from all of the band's line ups are mixed together into a wonderfully new--and very cohesive sounding--whole. If only there were some way to convince Shinkansen to do some more re-issues from the Sarah catalogue.... PJ HARVEY--_Is This Desire?_. I approached this album very skeptically; I've never been a fan of her earlier releases (and I'm still not). I'm not exactly sure what happened with this one, but it's absolutely spell-binding. I think part of it is the inventive production work. In a lot of ways, this reminds me of cindYtalk's albums--simultaneously harrowing and beautiful. LUSTMORD vs METAL BEAST. I think this untitled album may have come out in late '97, but I'm not sure. Hypnotic, shifting instrumentals. A few pieces maybe boarder on techno, but not quite. Some of it could actually be called "beautiful"--in other words, it's something quite different from Lustmord's usual work. I never would have guessed, but these recordings actually came from a improvised radio broadcast done by these 2 one-man bands. Despite the title, it's a collaboration as opposed to a re-mix fest. File with various Asphodel or Kranky-esque things, or maybe right between Lull and the later Scorn cds. CURRENT 93--_Soft Black Stars_. This surprising cd made a lot of peoples' "worst-of-the-year" list and was a huge disappointment to some long-time C93 fans. As much as I love it, I suppose I understand why. Perhaps this should have been released as a David Tibet solo album or another Nature and Organization project. It's almost a spoken-word album with simple piano accompaniment. The lyrics are some of the best--and most personal--Tibet has ever written. You sometimes get the feeling of over-hearing something very personal and private. Since I like listening to poetry readings, I had no problem getting into this one. In fact, I hope I never get out of it. Best 4AD release was HNIA; Hope Blister was a close second.