Chris Berry from Soft Abuse Records
Dick Diver - Calendar Days (Chapter)
Endless Boogie - Long Island (No Quarter)
The Mantles - Long Enough to Leave (Slumberland)
Ignatz - Can I Go Home Now? (Fonal)
Primitive Motion - Worlds Floating By (Bedroom Suck)
Steve Gunn - Time Off (Paradise of Bachelors)
Satanic Rockers - Fu Kung (Black Greasy Basement)
Cass McCombs - Big Wheel and Others (Domino)
Lorelle Meets the Obsolete - Corruptible Faces (Captcha)
Roach Clip - Discovery Park (All Gone)
Gaetan Seguin head honcho of Three:Four Records
Top 10 albums (no particular order except for my n°1 Steve Gunn)
Steve Gunn - Time Off (Paradise of Bachelors)
The Pastels - Slow Summits (Domino)
Stygian Stride - Stygian Stride (Thrill Jockey)
Zomes - Time Was (Thrill Jockey)
Golden Gunn - Golden Gunn (Three Lobed Recordings)
Duane Pitre - Bridges (Important records)
My Bloody Valentine - mbv (MBV records)
Mohammad - Som Sakrifis (PAN)
Julia Holter - Loud City Song (Domino)
Ignatz - Can I Go Home Now? (Fonal)
Top Food
Paradise restaurant in Sicily - best raw seafood I ever ate
Kodbyens Fiskebar in Copenhagen (Denmark)
Aristide in Manarola (Cinque Terre - Italy)
Best trip
Lisbon
Copenhagen
Sicily
Brad Schelden from Amoeba Records
Dmitry Samarov (Painter and writer, White Sox fan):
*Dmitry will be selling art and books at the Hideout Holiday Sale on Dec 21. He also has an art show called "Dmitry Samarov: Living in Chicago" opening at Living Room Realty in Ukrainian Village on January 17th.*
At this point I find myself listening more and more to music by people I know. This is a list of recent records by friends and others I've gotten to draw while they were playing (in no particular order).
Provenance Food and Wine:
Our 3rd annual list is here! We stock so many wonderful items and, if you know us at all you know that we LOVE talking about food and drink. This list is short and sweet, but come chat us up and we'll gladly share more with you.
Herewith, the best things we ate or drank in 2013:
Tracy Kellner: Reluctant Trading Experiment "Divakar's No. 004 Black Tellicherry Peppercorns" - the most wonderful, aromatic and flavorful pepper I've ever tasted. I've been using this to top everything at home, sometimes even without salt (though their Icelandic Salt is just as amazing).
Joe Patt: Caponi Pappardelle. Andrea and Alessandro Tagliagambe, who credit the regional water, the fresh eggs they purvey from a nearby farm that are split by hand, and high quality durum wheat flour, also sourced locally. They dry the pasta for 70-80 hours at room temperature which results in supreme flavor, texture and aroma. This is about as close dry pasta comes to fresh pasta, and once you try it, you won't go back to the mass-produced stuff.
Mary Stover: I was drawn to Sir Kensington's Mayonnaise because I LOVE mayonnaise. This is the dreamy best - thick, creamy and bright with a hint of lemon. Yum yum with french fries, spoon a bit into tuna salad, and try a smear on a tomato sandwich. The best!
Richard Sparks: Reluctant Trading Experiment Flaky White Icelandic Sea Salt and Black Tellicherry Peppercorns. I'd never had salt and pepper until I tasted these! Steak au poivre! Granny's sausage gravy and biscuits! Simple...sensational!
Nicole Benjamin: I just love Zócalo Gourmet Pussac Punay Andean Heritage Beans. Organically cultivated, visually stunning, and I feel so good after eating them. Simply prepped, real foods = my kind of medicine!
Nathan Sohnly: Chiriboga Blue spread on Potter's Crackers Cranberry Hazelnut Crisps with a small glass of 1985 Toro Albala Don Pedro Ximenez Gran Reserva Sherry on the side. Salty and creamy blue contrasts the subtle, nutty sweetness of the crisp while this awesome vintage sherry ties it all together with its own smoky, sweet richness.
Leslie Parry: Desperada Wines' Fragment: a dazzling Sauvignon Blanc from the Central Coast with a bouquet of mango, citrus and sage, and a palate of persimmon, honeycomb and sea spray. California dreamin'!
Mike Gebel (The Empty Bottle)
TOP 10 of 2013! In no particular order.
Kanye West (Yeezus and all the other bullshit)
Deerhunter’s Monomania + their show at Metro
Wrekmeister Harmonies Summer Solstice Performance @ Bohemian National Cemetery
Shame That Tune’s consistently hilarious and rewarding shows
BLOODIEST performing on a boat on Halloween
Oozing Wound’s SOLD OUT record release at Empty Bottle
The Replacements reunion at Riot Fest
Nick Cave & the Bad Sees @ the Chicago Theatre
Mikal Cronin’s MCII + two sold out shows in one night at Empty Bottle
The Book of Mormon @ Bank of America Theatre
Dave Collis (My Dad, Sword Swallower, Old Fuck)
Double Dagger - 333
Double Dagger has been one of my favorite bands ever since their 2009 release More came out. 333 doesn't have the constant intensity as More and Masks (2010 EP), but it acts as a perfect ending to one of the greatest punk bands in the past decade.
Edhochuli - Edhochuli
This band sounds like if Iron Maiden and Mastodon decided to quit being wussies and write chunky riffs with sweet guitar harmonies. All the shred without the guilt.
Ovlov - AM
While working with Exploding in Sound Records to release our split 7" with Fat History Month, Dan from EIS introduced me to a multitude of of amazing bands. Ovlov was my favorite of all of them. I've never really liked Dinosaur Jr, but Ovlov takes all the best parts and hypes up the jams. Fuzzed my fucking brain out.
Porches. - Slow Dance in the Cosmos
I have been in love with Aaron Maine's music for the past 2 years, and thank god for Exploding In Sound for releasing this LP. Uplifting sad jams.
Deafheaven - Sunbather
Black Metal meets Post Rock with Screamo elements. What more could you want?
Fat History Month - Bad History Month
In 2012 FHM put out Bad History Demos, a limited tape release of demos for this LP. I've been hooked on these songs for a while and this finished LP does them complete justice. "It's easy being alive... why's it have to be so fucking hard to enjoy?"
GUNK - Gradual Shove
Sickest band of members from previous bands that broke up. Ranch Records for life.
Calculator - This Will Come to Pass
California screamo without the cheese. No fake bullshit here. Just awesome songs without trying to rip off anyone.
Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana
I was pretty bummed that this album was released on Car Park while it was planned for release on EIS, but I can't complain about the wonderful exposure this band has reached this past year. I mean goddamn they're touring with the Breeders in December! Solid people.
Iron Lung - White Glove Test
While it's not as good as 2007's Sexless//No Sex, this record still makes me wanna punch a cop and knock down a parking meter while getting pitted.
Nnamdi Ogbonnaya - every release of 2013
Nnamdi put out four albums in 2013. FOUR. All amazing. The record with Campbell Soup in the title was wriitten about the My Dad summer 2013 tour.
Scoundrel - Freak Flag
Members of Grown Ups, Coping and Cloud Mouth decided to form a dirty garage rock band to end all dirty garage rock bands. They tragically had a horrible car accident on their tour earlier this year and haven't played since. Hopefully we will all get a chance to see Scoundrel again.
Best Witches - Jail
All the emo revival hype either talks about bands that broke up or bands that have blown up way before the articles hit the public. While the hype is wack, Best Witches are one of the few emo bands doing it right. Borrowing elements from Joan of Arc and Algernon Cadwallader, Best Witches put out an amazing tape that everyone should have in their deck.
Cloakroom - Infinity
Three factory workers from the region (Indiana, not Michigan. Do you're research Pitchfork) creating the heaviest riffs in the prettiest way. An extremely beautiful record that makes me want to bang my head into a wall. "Ruin Yr Mind."
Roomrunner - Ideal Cities
Denny from Double Dagger decided to hop off the kit and front a Nirvana rip off band (not really, but kinda). Regardless of who or what they sound like, this record rules. Feedback for one and feedback for all.
Zach from BV Chicago/Brooklyn Vegan:
01. Flaming Lips - The Terror (Warner Bros)
02. Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana (Carpark)
03. The National - Trouble Will Find Me (4AD)
04. Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap (self-released)
05. KEN Mode - Entrench (Season of Mist)
06. Queens of the Stone Age - …Like Clockwork (Matador / Rekords Rekords)
07. Nick Cave - Push The Sky Away (Bad Seed Ltd.)
08. Kanye West - Yeezus (Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam)
09. Deer Tick - Negativity (Partisan)
10. Arctic Monkeys - AM (Domino)
Best Bad Album Art - Black Flag - What the... This just makes me wish FLAG would put out a record called ...Fuck? and Ray Pettibon would do the art for it.
Zach from BV Chicago/Brooklyn Vegan:
01. Flaming Lips - The Terror (Warner Bros)
02. Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana (Carpark)
03. The National - Trouble Will Find Me (4AD)
04. Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap (self-released)
05. KEN Mode - Entrench (Season of Mist)
06. Queens of the Stone Age - …Like Clockwork (Matador / Rekords Rekords)
07. Nick Cave - Push The Sky Away (Bad Seed Ltd.)
08. Kanye West - Yeezus (Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam)
09. Deer Tick - Negativity (Partisan)
10. Arctic Monkeys - AM (Domino)
Mark Robinson from Teenbeat Records,
Joe McAdam (standup comic, The Late Live Show)1. Marnie Stern "Chronicles of Marnia" album2. Spring Breakers film3. Grass Widow "Internal Logic" album4. Paul Williams / Daft Punk "Touch" song5. The Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists concert. May 246. Stiegl: Radler beer7. Bent Shapes "Panel of Experts" song/video8. Deep Time "Clouds" song9. Bourbon Country Stout 2013 (Goose Island)10. Lower Dens "Nootropics" album
Favorite Album: Mikal Cronin - MCII This is the only thing that's been playing in my car for 5 months and has served as my soundtrack from moving from Chicago to California. I'm finally replacing it, but it's really good and I'm sure I'll listen to it for a long time to come.
Best Surprise: Parquet Courts - Tally All the Things That You Broke. I almost avoid new bands because there's too darn many and I only have so much time left. But I liked their album cover from their 2012 record and then I heard it and it reminded me of other music I liked. It's still pretty new to me, so who knows if it'll grow on me or serve as a cautionary tale for challenging the natural order of things by trying to get into new things this late in my life. Can't wait to mispronounce their name in front of cool people.
Best Pop Song: Janelle Monae - "QUEEN" Right? Damn, this is good. Pop music can be great. Try harder, almost everyone else except Robyn.
Best Record I Have at Home That Came Out This Year: Fuzz - S/T I didn't have room to bring my record collection with me when I moved, so I did some emergency shopping of mostly bargain bin stuff. I bought this at full price and don't regret it and it's about all that gets played at home besides Porter Wagoner and Funkadelic.
Shameless Homer Plug of the Year: The Grisly Hand - Country Singles These guys are my friends from Kansas City. It's really catchy country music that isn't confined by the genre and more people outside of KC should hear them. They party too; I did stand up opening for them once and was punched in the head on stage, like I was opening for Maiden or something. So the consensus is in: people like them more than they like me.
Best Song That Probably Got Played on Rock Radio - Queens of the Stone Age "If I Had a Tail" I heard this song recently and really liked it. I think they figured out how to do that sleazy swaggering thing without coming off as lame which is hard to do considering if I were asked to name another band that does "Sleazy Swagger" I'd probably blurt out "Buckcherry!" then hide my hands in my face and act like I'm sleeping standing up or something. Not sure if it's actually on the radio, but probably, right?
Best Rap Album: Run the Jewels - S/T I'm into it immediately because they have a group name/album name/song name all the same. Don't see that much any more. The first song ought to suck you in, and then just keep going, because, hey, you're worth it. I also really like on the track "Twin Hype Back" where the voice over tries to seduce someone with "a glass of Beefeater" and "a deck of Uno cards." This is David Lee Roth level talking-over-the-song material.
Jeroen Bosdijk - Buyer at Bertus Distribution
Rene - Buyer at Clear Spot
Simones – 20th Anniversary 4LP Box (Headspin)
Various – A Short Life Of Trouble (Mississippi)
Nik Turner – Space Gypsy (Purple Pyramid)
Idassane Wallet Mohammed – Issawat (Sahel Sounds)
Kinit Her – The Poet & The Blue Flower (Avant!)
Edward Artemyiev – Solaris O.S.T. (Original Version) (Mirumir)
Ultimate Spinach - Ultimate Spinach + Behold & See (Akarma)
Super Onze De Gao – Enregistrés Pour Yehia Le Marabout (Sahel Sounds)
Blackie – Morgen Über Uns (No Emb Blanc)
The Grey Wolves – Blood And Sand (Cold Spring)
Hans - Buyer at Clear Spot
1. Vespero ‘Droga’
2. Humble Grumble ‘Guzzle it up’
3. Dream Theater ‘Dream Theater’
4. Moon Safari ‘Himlabacken, Vol. 1’
5. Prefab Sprout ‘Crimson/red’
6. Haken ‘The mountain’
7. Steven Wilson ‘The raven that refused to sing’
8. Prurient ‘Through the window’
9. Motorama ‘Calendar’
10. Hidden Masters ‘Of this and other worlds’
Nick Rouley (standup comic, Revolutions Per Minute Podcast, Freak Happening producerhost)
Music:
The Limiñanas - Coasta Blanca
Hailu Mergia & His Classical Instrument - Shemonmuanaye
Fuzz - S/T
Thee Oh Sees - Floating Coffin
Jacuzzi Boys - S/T
Devo Hardcore - Volumes 1 & 2
Roky Erickson - The Evil One (Light in the Attic reissue)
Comedy (live stand up):
Brent Weinbach / Mike Lebovitz / Candy Lawrence at The Beat Kitchen
Eddie Pepitone at the Lincoln Lodge
Rory Scovel at the Lincoln Lodge
The Puterbaugh Sisters at Entertaining Julia
Danny Kallas / Marty DeRosa / Mike Lebovitz / Joe Kilgallon / Junior Stopka at Comedians You Should Know
and last, but certainly not least
Joe McAdam at Creative Control
