In the absence of any air time until January 7, I've put together a selection of some of my favourite tracks from 2013. It's not definitive, I'm not claiming any authority and neither is it in any particular order. It's simply 21 tracks I've enjoyed this last year.
I haven't only enjoyed 21 tracks all year, obviously, but I had to stop somewhere and that just happens to be the number at which I stopped. Anyway, here you go:
Listen, enjoy, share if you like. Tell me what I'm missing, if you really want.
Merry festivities.
Our 50th show! And we didn't even realise. How time flies...
Wooden Shjips - These Shadows
Shjips with a J. New from these from the new album 'Back To Land' which is out on November 12. A nice, gentle entry into the show.
Factory Floor - Turn It Up
I've been after playing some stuff from the debut album by these - also called 'Factory Floor' - for a while. It's a cracking album and as I've been so lax, I'll make up for it by playing a couple of tracks from it tonight starting with this one.
Disclosure ft London Grammar - Help Me Lose My Mind
And from a very similar envelope, Disclosure. We've played a fair bit from the hit album 'Settle' which came out in May. I've been listening to this a lot this week. It's just dreamy.
Cover Version Corner BB King ft Robert Cray/Masters In France - Playin' With My Friends
I'm told that the Masters In France version is on an IKEA advert. I don't know - I normally mute the adverts. Anyway, it's a cracking tune and completely different to BB King's blues classic. Unmistakeable guitar sounds on that, off 'Blues Summit' from 1993. He's 88, y'know.
Pinkunoizu - Tin Can Valley
To Denmark now and these purveyors of noisy... well I don't know what you'd call it. Good though, innit. That's off 'the Drop' which came out in August.
Vessels - Elliptic
New from these off an EP also called 'Elliptic' which is out on November 25. I like what these do.
Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - My Terrible Friend
A little bit New Order, a little bit Cure, but also completely unique. Can't believe it's taken 50 shows to get round to playing them as I like them a lot. This is off 'Belong' which came out a couple of years ago.
The KVB - Run Away
Klaus Von Barrel lends his initials to The KVB and collaborates with Kat Day to make the magic happen. This is a forerunner to a new album due soon.
Aphrodite's Child - Four Horsemen
From 1970's seminal '666' album, which is prog-tastic. I got listening to it in the week off the back of hearing Mary Epworth do a live version of it which was fantastic. And '70s Greek prog deserves a revisit anyway.
One Degree of Separation Deadwall - Metropolis, Of Sorts Hookworms - Form And Function
Not an obvious link today, bar them both being from Leeds. No, it's more a description of out Friday night out at Hebden Trades Club. We went to see Hookworms and they... were... loud. Brilliant, but loud. That track, taken from the album 'Pearl Mystic', played live was just a wall of sound. Deadwall provided support and were an utter delight and total surprise. That's off an EP that came out last year called 'Four Songs', but there's an album in the offing which I will very much look forward to.
Chemical Brothers ft Flaming Lips - The Golden Path
Why not, eh? It's easy to overlook the rich body of work by the Chemical Brothers. This is from 2003. Did you know they're not really brothers?
Factory Floor - Fall Back
We'll finish with the other Factory Floor track I promised. Eight and a half minutes of pulsing, electronic rhythm. I love it. The album is a triumph and more power to their elbow.
All that's wrapped up in a YouTube playlist here and that's 50. Raise the bat to the balcony, acknowledge the polite applause and dig in and build towards the next milestone.
Nothankyou - Know Yourself John: I've barely been able to tear myself away from this since I first heard it. This is a collaboration between Tom Vek and Dirty Projectors vocalist Olga Bell and it's flipping brilliant. This is out on a double-A side single released on August 5.
Hookworms - Radio Tokyo John: We like these. From Leeds, this is off their album 'Pearl Mystic' and is probably the most accessible record on there. Carolyn: What - in terms of length? John: Yes and less... experimental.
Owiny Sigoma Band - Harpoon Land John: Another band we've had before, taking London beats and Kenyan traditions. Short and sweet, that's off 'Power Punch' which came out in April. Carolyn: It sounds like it should be older than a couple of months ago. Stuff I like normally turns out to be 20 years old and more.
Cover Version Corner Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band/The Black Keys - Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles John: I've been threatening to play Beefheart for ages, and finally I have. That's a relatively easy way in to his oeuvre, before it all went a bit skew-whiff with Trout Mask Replica. That's off the 1972 album 'Clear Spot'. Then the Black Keys version which is remarkable for sounding more Beefheart than Beefheart did and is off a split single with the Flaming Lips from 2009.
Pinkunoizu - Moped John: New stuff from Denmark. That's off an album called 'Drop' which is out next month.
Toy - She's Out Of My Head John: We like these and we've not played them for a while. This isn't off their critically acclaimed album 'Toy', rather a B-side to the single version of My Heart Skips A Beat which we've also played. Really like that.
Disclosure - Stimulation John: A proper foot-stomping, old-school floor-filler. These are big and, for me, won Glastonbury. That's the third track we've played off their hit album 'Settle'.
Boards Of Canada - New Seeds John: I'm a big fan of these and a new album is something to savour. Dark, moody, brooding, cinematic... The album is 'Tomorrow's Harvest' and came out last month.
Hot Chip - Dark And Stormy John: New stuff from these, which is always fun. Hopefully a new album to follow shortly.
One Degree Of Separation The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray Lemon Jelly - Space Walk John: Not a tricky link this week. If life gives you lemons, play Lemon Jelly - that's what I reckon. That's off 2002's 'Lost Horizons' album and features astronaut Ed White on 1965's Gemini 4 mission which is one of the more unique samples you'll find. Before that, Evan Dando and the Lemonheads off the 1992 album of the same name. Carolyn: Given it was an easy link today, is next week's going to be one of your obscure ones? John: I don't know yet.
Young Rising Sons - I Want It All John: I like Twitter. It allows me to share the stuff I play each week and also allows people to recommend stuff to me. Which these did. They're from New Jersey, have an album called 'Highway Town' out now and available for free download. Very commercial, that, in a Black Keys style. Carolyn: By commercial do you just mean that I like it? John: It has mass appeal is all. I just hope they appreciate we don't have a wide listenership and I'm not a massively influential player in the music industry.
Inspiral Carpets - Directing Traffik John: Unmistakeable. That's off their 1990 debut album 'Life' and is probably my favourite of all their stuff. Carolyn: 1990... I feel old. John: Still going strong and making new stuff. More power to their collective elbow.
The Horrors - I Can See Through You John: From Southend, this is a couple of years old now, off 2011's 'Skying'.
And that's your lot for this week. That's all packaged up for you in a neat YouTube playlist except the Hookworms track which is over here.
Back once again with a bunch of stuff to get you going for another week.
Gesaffelstein - Pursuit John: Now consider your week kicked off. That's fabulous. Carolyn: It's very bassy. John: I know. Great innit. Gesaffelstein is a chap called Mike Levy and he's from Lyon.
Can - I Want More John: From the 1976 album 'Flow Motion', we play that so you can see the lineage of a number of contemporary bands - Hookworms, Toy and others - from the Teutonic origin. These hail from Cologne and were part of that whole German experimental scene in the late '60s and early '70s.
Temple Songs - Passed Caring John: I really like that. Short, punchy, lots of reverb. They're from Manchester and this is their debut single.
Cover Version Corner Woody Guthrie/Ry Cooder - Vigilante Man John: Woody Guthrie, a bit of a hero. That's from 'The Asch Recordings vol 3' from 1944 and it's become a bit of a blues staple. Ry Cooder's version was on 1972's 'Into The Purple Valley' album, but that recording was from an edition of The Old Grey Whistle Test. Carolyn: We normally play two totally different versions of a song here. I'm not getting that. John: Different techniques with the slide guitar and that. Also, I was short of a bit of inspiration this week. Fundamentally, though, two great records.
RoBoT//aLiEn - Jeremy Kyle vs Mad Dog Dion John: Brand spanking new. RoBoT//aLiEn is a singer/songwriter from Chorlton near Manchester and the album is 'You're The Problem That Will Not Go Away'. 17 tracks, 40 minutes. Carolyn: I really like that. Bit of a jump from the previous two records though.
Eccentronic Research Council - Another Witch Is Dead John: These are from Sheffield and sound like nothing else. This is taken from last year's album '1612 Underture' which is all about the Pendle witch trials and features Maxine Peake on vocals. Carolyn: Twinkle from dinnerladies. Among other things. John: I was going to play this anyway, but late last week they put out an EP called 'Bun Fight In The Open University Staff Room' which is flipping brilliant. They're also a great follow on Twitter, @The_E_R_C
Parquet Courts - Stoned And Starving John: Love this. Sounds like Julian Cope in his late '80s pomp, which is never a bad thing as he's always been one of my favourites. Parquet Courts are from Brooklyn and this is off 'Light Up Gold' from last year.
Disclosure - Confess To Me John: These are the next big thing, we've played them before and consider that another Monday night banger from the smash hit album 'Settle'. They stormed it at Glastonbury over the weekend, so I'm told. I don't really know, I wasn't there. All that dirt, all those people... It's not really for me. Carolyn: No, I can't see you there. Well I can, but not happy. Just scowling at people.
Pixies - Bagboy John: New stuff! From the Pixies! No Kim Deal, which is sad, but new stuff from the Pixies! For the first time since 2004. That's just great and I've basically had it on a loop since I first heard it. Get it as a free download now.
One Degree of Separation TV On The Radio - Dancing Choose The Adverts - No Time To Be 21 John: It was no time to be 21 in 1978 and I suspect it very much remains the case today. That's The Adverts from the album 'Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts'. Before that, TV On The Radio from 2008 and Dancing Choose from the album 'Dear Science'. Your link is TV - On The Radio and Smith, lead singer of the Adverts. Carolyn: That's really tenuous. John: TV. It's TV. What's wrong with that? Carolyn: Hmmm....
Catfish and The Bottlemen - Homesick John: From Llandudno, this is their debut single. It's very commercial and I think it'll be a big hit. Carolyn: Yeah, I mean I like it, but can see it would have wide general appeal. John: I think it'll go well in America as well. Fair play to them. They've honed a sound in the pubs and clubs and they're going places. Just remember where you heard it first.
Deerhunter - Dream Captain John: Again, loads of reverb and a really good feel to it. They're from Atlanta and have been around long enough. This is off their sixth studio album, 'Monomania', which came out in early May and I'm only just getting round to. Carolyn: Still working through that backlog? John: We're getting there.
Femme - Double Trouble John: Femme is Laura Bettinson, vocalist with Ultraista, but this is her solo project. She's from Coventry and this comes out on July 22. I'm saying that's got hit written all over it.
A full 100 minutes of the show tonight due to a combination of poor planning and unforeseen circumstances. Oh well, an opportunity to work through that ever-growing backlog.
Ruen Brothers - Walk Like A Man John: Sounding like they're from 1960s Tennessee or something, these lads are very much au courant and from sunny Scunthorpe. They are Henry and Rupert Ruen and that's their debut single.
Disclosure - When A Fire Starts To Burn John: Another pair of brothers, this time from Surrey. Guy and Howard Lawrence are Disclosure and they're very much the new big thing. Their debut album 'Settle' came out two weeks ago and went straight to number one.
Bat For Lashes and Toy - The Bride John: Take two of our favourite bands, mix together and tell them to make a record with Jefferson Airplane overtones and this is what you get. Carolyn: That does sound a lot like White Rabbit. I liked the start and the end, but it went a bit strange in the middle. John: No idea if it's anything other than this one-off, but I hope it is. Marvellous stuff.
Cover Version Corner Inspiral Carpets/Carter USM - This Is How It Feels John: From the Carpets' debut album 'Life' from all the way back in 1990. Carter had it on the B-side of After The Watershed a year later. Carolyn: All I know about Carter is the rugby tackle on Phillip Schofield. John: After The Watershed was what they played immediately before that incident.
Hooded Fang - Ode To Subterranea John: We're awaiting a new album from these. 'Gravez' - with a Z, inevitably - is it and is due soon. A bit of good old San Francisco psychedelia from Toronto.
Money - Bluebell Fields John: A new band, these are a four-piece from Manchester and this is their debut release. They've just signed to Bella Union records and the finishing touches to an album are being applied sort of now. That's awfully relaxing. Carolyn: I'll say. Nearly dozing off, here.
Virals - Wax Work John: Something a bit livelier then. Virals is Shaun Henscher from Worcester and that's available as a free download right now.
Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams John: We've played a few tracks off the hit album 'Lonerism' and this is the latest. Top notch.
Jagwar Ma - Man I Need John: And another Aussie band with a smash on their hands. This is the Sydney duo's (Tame Impala are from Perth) latest release from the album 'Howlin''.
Liars - I Saw You From The Lifeboat John: This is off the forthcoming album 'Synth's Not Dead' and boy am I glad it's not. Carolyn: I didn't like it. John: I appreciate it's an opinion-divider. Personally, in an era when a lot of music is made with computers, there's still room for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.
Art Brut - We Make Pop Music John: I'm not a fan of bands putting new material on 'best of...' albums, but I'll let them off. That's off the new album 'Art Brut Top Of The Pops' and is an anthem to misanthropy. Misanthem?
Fuck Buttons - The Red Wing John: Always exciting to get new stuff from these, a Bristol duo comprising Benjamin John Power and Andrew Hung. This is off the forthcoming album 'Slow Focus'.
Temples - Colours To Life John: Bringing a bit of psychedelia to Kettering, this is their second single and comes out on June 24, so you're bang up to date with it.
Mount Kimbie - So Many Times, So Many Ways John: From the album 'Cold Spring Fault Less Youth' which came out a few weeks ago, I really like that. All floaty and light and... ahhhh....
Outfit - I Want What's Best John: A new band, a Liverpool five-piece. This is their first single off the album 'Performance' which is out in August.
The Juan Maclean - You Are My Destiny John: John Maclean from Rhode Island performs as The Juan Maclean. I don't know. Carolyn: To differentiate from the main protagonist of the Die Hard films? Could disappoint a lot of people if they're expecting someone in a vest. John: That's been doing the rounds for a while and is part of the massive backlog I'm getting to clear out today.
Kurt Vile - Air Bud John: Let's end on a summery one. Again, it's been around a wee while, off the album 'Wakin' On A Pretty Daze'.
