The Jesus And Mary Chain - Damage And Joy [12", 2LP]

2017 has become a memorable music-year now already, and we're not even halfway through. The new albums by Slowdive and Ride made my heart beat just a little bit faster than this one, but DAMAGE AND JOY by THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN is destined to end up in my top 10 list of this year as well. Even though it's 19 years since their last album Munki was released, nothing much changed. Which is not extremely surprising, as some of these songs are actually quite old and have previously been released in other versions, like for solo projects of the Reid brothers. All Things Pass was for example  on the soundtrack for 'Heroes' in 2008, while Song For A Secret and Can't Stop The Rock were on a 7" by Jim Reid and Sister Vanilla in 2005. Sister Vanilla being the artist name of Jim and William's sister Linda, who's also contributing to a few songs on this album, just like Sky Ferreira, Isobel Campbell and Bernadette Denning (William's girlfirend) do. The album's filled with catchy, distorted, noisy, fuzzy tunes with (sometimes a bit too) simple lyrics and rhymes; and showing an attitude that even as men in their late 50s, they still don't give a fuck. In other words: JAMC exactly as we know (and love) them.

Label: Artificial Plastic Records
Cat.nr.: APR001LP
Year of release: 2017

SIDE A:
01. Amputation
02. War On Peace
03. All Things Pass
04. Always Sad

SIDE B:
01. Song For A Secret
02. The Two Of Us
03. Los Feliz (Blues And Greens)

SIDE C:
01. Mood Rider
02. Presidici (Et Chapaquisitch)
03. Get On Home
04. Facing Up The Facts

SIDE D:
01. Simian Split
02. Black And Blues
03. Can't Stop The Rock

Soundtrack - Singles [12", 2LP]

Last week, the 25th anniversary edition of the soundtrack of SINGLES was released, just one day after the tragic death of Chris Cornell. Cornell made two contributions to the soundtrack (Seasons, a solo track, and Birth Ritual with Soundgarden), and included with this vinyl reissue there's also a bonus CD packed with outtakes and other rare material, of which no less than six Cornell solo tracks and a Soundgarden track. Good stuff. Besides the bonus CD, another difference with the original is that this reissue is a double LP while the original was a single one. Which means: better sound!
Singles is one of those essential soundtracks; it captures the sound and atmosphere of Seattle during the grunge heydays perfectly. Except for Nirvana, all the big names are featured (like Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, Mother Love Bone and Smashing Pumpkins). The last band being from Chicago and not from Seattle of course, But hey, who cares. Their song Drown is easily one of the best songs they ever made and i'm happy to finally have it on vinyl now. I'm sure i'll be playing this album just as often as i did with the CD when it came out. Trip down memory lane!

Label: Epic
Cat.nr.: 88985315511
Year of release: 2017 (originally 1992)

SIDE A:
01. ALICE IN CHAINS - Would?
02. PEARL JAM - Breath
03. CHRIS CORNELL - Seasons

SIDE B:
01. PAUL WESTERBERG - Dyslexic Heart
02. THE LOVEMONGERS - Battle Of Evermore
03. MOTHER LOVE BONE - Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns

SIDE C:
01. SOUNDGARDEN - Birth Ritual
02. PEARL JAM - State Of Love And Trust
03. MUDHONEY - Overblown
04. PAUL WESTERBERG - Waiting For Somebody

SIDE D:
01. JIMI HENDRIX - May This Be Love
02. SCREAMING TREES - Nearly Lost You
03. SMASHING PUMPKINS - Drown

Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation - Mirage [12", LP]

Only recently discovered JOSEFIN ÖHRN + THE LIBERATION (by a song on a free CD that came with Mojo Magazine) and i was instantly hooked. Psychedelic motorik seductive rock; think of a mixture of Moon Duo, Goat, Brian Jonestown Massacre and Charlotte Gainsbourg. MIRAGE is simply a superb album. Sister Green Eyes, the song that was featured on that CD, is still one of my favourite songs, but Rainbow Lollipop, The State I'm In, Rushing Through My Mind and album closer Imagine You are equally excellent. I'm certain that this album will be making many spins on my record player this year.

Label: Rocket Recordings
Cat.nr.: LAUNCH096
Year of release: 2016

SIDE A:
01. The State (I'm In)
02. Sister Green Eyes
03. In Madrid
04. Rainbow Lollipop
05. Endless Ocean

SIDE B:
01. Looking For Your
02. Rushing Through My Mind
03. Circular Motion
04. Where I'm Going
05. Imagine You

Swervedriver - Mezcal Head [12", LP]

Being a big SWERVEDRIVER fan, i've been looking for an affordable copy of MEZCAL HEAD for years, but never with any luck. Until recently, when Music On Vinyl reissued the album from 1993 and thus making it finally available again for fans who like their daily dose of shoegaze on vinyl. They've done so in the past with Slowdive (even before the band reunited), and will soon be releasing for example Ferment by Catherine Wheel! Excellent choices. More of that, please!
The first pressing of this reissue consists of 1500 copies on mezcal coloured (clear cloudy) vinyl, and it plays like a charm. Finally i can spin classic tunes like Duel, Blowin'Cool, Last Train To Satansville and You Find It Everywhere on my record player. Hope the albums Raise (although i own an original copy) and especially Ejector Seat Reservation will be reissued as well.

Label: Music On Vinyl
Cat.nr.: MOVLP1851
Year of release: 2017

SIDE A:
01. For Seeking Heat
02. Duel
03. Blowin' Cool
04. MM Abduction
05. Last Train To Satansville

SIDE B:
01. Harry & Maggie
02. A Change Is Gonna Come
03. Girl On A Motorbike
04. Duress
05. You Find It Everywhere

Slowdive - Slowdive [12", LP]

Wow. They did it.
Three years ago, when SLOWDIVE reunited and i flew to London to see their first ever show since 1994 (read more about that here), i didn't even dare to wish for some brand new recordings. But over the past year or so, you could see updates on social media of the band members being in the studio, jamming and having fun. And this amazing self-titled fourth studio album, the first one in 22 years, is the result of that. It totally captures where the band is now. The album breathes the ambiance of their live shows of the past years. Of course there are songs on this album that will remind you of Just For A Day and Souvlaki, but if you saw/heard for example how they revamped Crazy For You into a danceable tune in their set, you'll understand a song like Star Roving.
Also - funnily enough the album exactly demonstrates how the band has influenced other acts over the past decades. Don't Know Why is the Slowdive that inspired Pinkshinyultrablast; Everyone Knows is the Slowdive that inspired M83. And i could go on and on.
Closing song Falling Ashes deserves some special attention. It is simply the most beautiful song i've heard in many years, in all its vulnerability, that balances between David Sylvian's Forbidden Colours and Nils Frahm.

Today the band announced a club tour in autumn. So after two London shows in May 2014, a festival show at Best Kept Secret in June the same year, and an amazing show at Rewire Fest in Den Haag earlier this year, i can't wait to see them for the fifth time - this time at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. Save the date; October 6th!

Label: Dead Oceans
Cat.nr.: DOC132
Year of release: 2017

SIDE A:
01. Slomo
02. Star Roving
03. Don't Know Why
04. Sugar For The Pill

SIDE B:
01. Everyone Knows
02. No Longer Making Time
03. Go Get It
04. Falling Ashes

Flyying Colours - Mindfullness [12", LP]

Right. So i've got some serious, serious catching up to do with this little blog of mine. Didn't feel like writing anything for the past 4 months (except for the obligatory but fun Finest Vinyl of 2016) and the good thing is when you're not getting any income from ads or sponsors, there's no pressure whatsoever anyway - so why bother? But tonight i decided it would be good to make a new start, and what album would be better to write something about than the debut full length by FLYYING COLOURS that came out last year. MINDFULLNESS is amazing album. Exactly like i hoped for, after being completely blown away previously by their two awesome EP's (s/t and Roygbiv). And this album is even better. It's not without reason that it ended up on #2 in my yearlist, after Bowie (who was impossible to beat; let's be honest). First of all i'm really happy that it doesn't contain a song from any of the EP's, even though one of the songs is called ROYGBIV like their 2nd EP. It's all brand new stuff; so that's always a good sign that they're still full of inspiration. And they've perfectioned their sound. It's epic, it's intense, it's almost like a live show. If you've never heard of this band but you're into bands like Swervedriver, Catherine Wheel or Slowdive, you really should check out Flyying Colours. Modern shoegaze at its best.


Label: Club AC30
Cat.nr.: AC3013061
Year of release: 2016

SIDE A:
01. It's Tomorrow Now
02. Long Holiday
03. This Is What You Wanted
04. 1987
05. Morning Stoner

SIDE B:
01. Mellow
02. ROYGBIV
03. Sun, Hail And Rain
04. Mindfullness
05. When

The Finest Vinyl of 2016

Even though i'm not writing that much on this blog anymore lately (due to a writer's block and lack of time), i haven't stopped buying vinyl records. On the contrary! So compared to previous years this year's The Finest Vinyl might have a few more albums listed  that i haven't posted anything about during the year. Might still do that in the future of course.

That David Bowie's ★ would end up on #1 might come as no surprise. And the fact that neo-shoegazers like Flyying Colours and Nothing are high on my list, probably neither. The rest of the list is not that predictable though.
Here they are, the 20 best albums of 2016 according to yours truly:

01. David Bowie - ★ (Blackstar) (Sony)

02. Flyying Colours - Mindfullness (Club AC30)

03. Nothing - Tired Of Tomorrow (Relapse)

04. DIIV - Is The Is Are (Captured Tracks)

05. Brian Jonestown Massacre - Third World Pyramid (A Recordings)

06. Wolf People - Ruins (Jagjaguwar)

07. The Early Years - II (Sonic Cathedral)

08. Mogwai - Atomic (Rock Action)

09. Minor Victories - Minor Victories (PIAS)

10. Amber Arcades - Fading Lines (Heavenly Recordings)

11. School Of Seven Bells - SVIIB (Full Time Hobby)

12. The Stargazer Lilies - Door To The Sun (Graveface Records)

13. Death In Vegas - Transmission (Drone)

14. Primal Scream - Chaosmosis (First International)

15. Toy - Clear Shot (Heavenly Recordings)

16. Esben And The Witch - Older Terrors (Seasons Of Mist)

17. Pinkshinyultrablast - Grandfeathered (Club AC30)

18. Aiming For Enrike - Segway Nation (Name Music)

19. The Avalanches - Wildflower (Modular/XL)

20. The Dandy Warhols - Distortland (Dine Alone)



Besides brand new albums, 2016 was also a good year for reissues.
These 5 were the best, in my eyes:

01. Lush - Origami (4AD)
Brilliant boxset with all their albums and outtakes/b-sides on vinyl. Released for RSD 2016.

02. David Bowie - Who Can I Be Now? 1974-1976 (Parlophone)
Superb boxset; includes a.o. the long lost The Gouster album. There were more great Bowie reissues in 2016, like the The Man Who Sold The World picture disc for RSD and the A Reality Tour boxset, but this was definitely the best.

03. Original Soundtrack - Lost Highway (Music On Vinyl/At The Movies)
Music of the David Lynch movie, with a.o. Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie and Smashing Pumpkins.

04. Porno For Pyros - Good God's Urge (ORG/Warner)
Long overdue, finally on vinyl! Black Friday release.

05. Life Of Agony - Soul Searching Sun (Music On Vinyl)
Also this title for the first time on vinyl. My favourite L.o.A. album.


2017 is around the corner. Who knows what that year has in store for us? There has been a lot of recent action by bands that i love. Slowdive should have an album recorded by now. Ride has been in the studio too. More studio reports have come through, from Girls Names for example. The new Dead Horse One album is ready and will be released early February. Hopefully there will be My Bloody Valentine remasters; pics of the remastering have been posted on social media. The Jesus And Mary Chain have one new song out already; album Damage And Joy comes out in March. And chronologically, the next David Bowie boxset would contain his Berlin albums. I simply can't wait!
So there's a lot to look forward to. Will it be able to top 2016?