2010 has been an incredible year for gigs. I have seen so many amazing bands in so many amazing places and organising them into any sort of ranking would just be impossible. Below is a list of the ten gigs that sticks out in my head for one reason or another. Photos by me, unless ptherwise specified.
Japanther and Ninjasonik @ Hoodstock, NYC, USA - 22nd May 2010 This was an insane night. Incredible bands, playing in amazing space.
Nana Grizol – The Silent Barn, NYC, USA - 4th June 2010 It's hard to go wrong with such an amazing band, playing in such a small quirky "venue".
Andrew Jackson Jihad – The Gaff, London - 8th October 2010 They've been around for ages, but I only really discovered AJJ this year. If two people using only a double bass and an acoustic guitar can get a massive moshpit started in North London, they are definitely doing something right. Great show.
Jad Fair – The Salvage Vanguard Theatre, Austin, USA - 14th March 2010 I stumbled upon this show by accident. I'm a huge Half Japanese fan, so seeing Jad play was a very special treat indeed.
Withered Hand – The Wilmington Arms, London – 22nd January 2010 The first show I put on this year and a roaring success, despite equipment issues and the venue being too small for the demand. An incredible show.
Times New Viking, Pavement ATP, 14th May 2010 ATP was all about Pavement, but in levels of fun Times New Viking was hard to beat. From the first distorted note to the very last, the whole venue was just one giant moshpit of smiley happy people.
Trouble Books – The Betsey Trotwood, 14th September 2010 I have nothing to compare it to, so I don't know if this was particularly great Trouble Books show. One thing is certain, though - I absolutely adore this band and seeing them in the tiny Betsey Trotwood basement was always going to be special. It was the first time I'd seen them and I doubt they'll be back any time soon.
Best Fwends – Houston, USA - 13th March 2010 I was jet-lagged, drunk and lost in the weird and not especially wonderful world that is Houston, Texas. Best Fwends were running around like crazy, screaming along to a backing track of bleepy electro-punk and wrestling giant inflatable gargoyles. Obviously this was absolutely amazing.
Allo Darlin' – British Music Embassy, Austin, USA - 20th March 2010 I've seen Allo Darlin' over 30 times this year, but the one that sticks out in my memory is this early day-time show in Austin. It was great atmosphere, with free food and a free bar and the band just played a perfect set.
Les Savy Fav, Electric Ballrom, London – 22nd November 2010 What can I say? You had to be there. Absolutely insane.
It took a while, but here it is. Originally, the plan was to make a podcast of all the best tracks, but then my computer died, so that's not going to happen now.
Anyway, here they are...the albums that soundtracked my year more than any others...in reverse order...
10. Ninjasonik – Art School Girls I think it's fair to say that Pitchfork are not fans of Brooklyn rappers Ninjasonik. The final sentence of their album review speaks for itself really - "Can an album truly be bad even if it achieves exactly what it intended to do? If your intent is to make shit music, I don't even see how it's a question at all." And the final score of 1.9 out of 10 makes it one of the worst reviews I've ever seen on the site. But then it's Pitchfork. They were never going to approve of this. Yes, this is not a deep and meaningful record. It's silly, stupid and hideously un-PC at times, but for some reason that's part of it's appeal. It just feels like an honest record and I guess serves as a document of a certain scene - a record for friends made by friends, with all the references and in-jokes that goes with that. We all talk shit when we're with friends. I guess, most of us just don't put those conversations on a record.
(track: Ninjasonik - Daylight Remix)
9.The Thermals – Personal Life I didn't expect much from the new Thermals record. I guess I kind of thought the band was a closed chapter for me. Then I heard I Don't Believe You and all that changed. I can't really pinpoint why I love the song so much, but it's definitely one of my tracks of the year. And although nothing else on the album quite reaches that level of awesomeness, it is a very strong record. It's fun and bouncy and never boring. That's all I ask really.
(track: The Thermals - I Don't Believe You)
8. Säkert – Facit I don't really understand how non-Swedish speakers can listen to Säkert! Sure, the music is stunning, but for me it's all about the lyrics. It's sad and uplifting in equal measures. It's a rare skill to be able to express yourself to such an extent in two languages, but Annika Norlin never struggles with words. Every bit as charming as her songs in Hello Saferide (her English-language band) this is, again, an extremely personal and very beautiful record.
(track: Säkert! - Får Jag)
7. Matt and Kim – Sidewalks Matt and Kim are all grown up these days, doing Bacardi ads and playing giant festivals. Sidewalks is miles away from both their self-titled debut album and the follow-up Grand. But, you know...it's still Matt and Kim, one of the happiest, most life-affirming bands on the planet. I'm always going to love these guys, no matter what they sound like. And don't get me wrong, the album is great. It's nowhere near as punky or fast as the previous ones, but still alot fun and catchy as hell.
(track: Matt and Kim - Block after Block)
6. Of Montreal – False Priest I don't understand what people were complaining about. So, it's not a new Hissing Fauna. False Priest is still fucking great. Famine Affair is one of my all-time favorite Of Montreal songs. That's all.
(track: Famine Affair)
5. Standard Fare – The Noyelle Beat I wasn't overly impressed when I first heard Noyelle Beat, but over the course of the year it has just grown and grown on me. It's really a stunning record. All the songs are great, but songs like Fifteen, Dancing and Philadelphia really stand out...all pure indiepop classics.
(track: Standard Fare - Fifteen)
4. Trouble Books – Gathered Tones Just another absolutely stunning record from Ohio's finest.
(track: Trouble Books - Arms Full Of Lemons)
3. Tiger Tape – I Woke Up In Hökarängen I already wrote a post about this record somewhere. It's AMAZING! 'nuff said.
(track: Tiger Tape - Skanstull)
2. Nana Grizol – Ruth Hmmm....getting bored of thinking of things to say now. Nana Grizol's debut record Love It Love It was an incredible effort, so follow-up Ruth had a lot to live up to. As is quite common, it's a much more polished record, but none of the charm is lost. An extremely addictive record, with lyrics and melodies that will stick in your head for months and months.
(track: Nana Grizol - Cynicism)
Which brings us to the number one...
1. Japanther - Rock N'Roll Ice Cream
During the past nine years Brooklyn punks Japanther have produced a seemingly endless amount of material. I've lost track on how many full-length albums they've released, but each has added something new and fresh to their sound. This constant re-invention continues with Rock N'Roll Ice Cream, an album that marks a slight departure from their usual lo-fi fuzz and distortion. The record is by far their most "produced" and "clean-sounding" effort to date. They've even called in some female assistance to provide some extra vocal layers. Despite some initial hesitation, I quickly grew to absolutely love this "new sound". Since I first got my hands on the record in the beginning of the year, I've listened to it an insane amount of times and it still shows no signs of losing its appeal. It's just great. Bursting with positive energy, with just the right dose of angry thrown in, it's a record that I can count on to drag me out of the shittiest of days. Big words, but Japanther are really my favourite act in the world right now, both on record and live. They have a great attitude to recording and performing and I just can't wait to hear the next one.
They're coming to London in February! Seriously, you need to get tickets.
So, a lot has happened since the Popfest weekend, but some of it is still reasonable fresh in my memory. Moustache of Insanity made their US debut at Spike Hill in Williamsburg on the Saturday. It was quite possibly the most shambolic set we have ever played, but it seemed to go down well. There were people filming and taking pictures, so I hope something will show up on the internet eventually.
For me Gold Bears were the highlight of the matinee show. They reminded me a bit of The Thermals, but poppier and more fun.
In the evening we decided to skip the Popfestivities. It was mega sold out and/or sold out anyway. Instead we headed to a warehouse party/gig in Brooklyn with Ninjasonik and Japanther on the bill. I absolutely love Japanther and seeing them on their home grounds was always going to be amazing. It was sweaty, loud, overcrowded and absolutely incredible. I tried taking some pictures, but the heat and humidity kind of shut my camera down....but you get the idea
I'm Nik, a Swede in the wonderful mess that is London. I watch a lot of films and I listen to a lot of music.
I mainly seem to write about films these days, but occasionally I do post about music. If you want me to remove a song, send me an email (recordsmakegreatpets@gmail.com) and I will remove it immediately. If you like what you hear, please support the bands by buying their albums and going to their shows.
