Top Ten - Releases of 2009

In terms of releases, last year was loads better than this year, that said there have been a few cracking LPs and splits that i have not been able to stop listening too. Here is my top ten releases of the year starting with number 1:

1. SOCIAL CIRCKLE - CITY SHOCK

Ive talked enough about this band on my blog already so it fits for their debut LP to be my release of the year. It's also probably the one i was most excited about! If someone had said i would have seen them twice this year too then id have called them a liar. I picked up the LP at the Brighton show and listened to it non stop before the london show because it was that good. Fast, sometimes frantic garage/hardcore that makes you want to shout and dance. The reason this is number one is because it fuckings kills and is definitely one of the best hardcore records records ive heard in a long time. Im shit at describing/comparing stuff but if you dig career suicide, black flag then check this out. The European release was issued by Hardware records, buy it HERE: http://www.hardware-records.com/releases.htmrecords.com/releases.htm. First press was released by No way Records. Check out their roster and distro, its ridiculous! http://www.nowayrecords.com/site/?page_id=2


2. ARTERIES - BLOOD, SWEAT AND BEERS


This nearly pipped the top spot but i had to make a decision so Arteries come second, sorry boys. This is one of the best albums to be released in the UK in a long, long time. I'll be honest, i was not into this band the first few times i saw them. I thought they were boring and lacked any energy. This all changed when i went to one of my favourite places in the country, Swansea to see Lemuria and The Arteries supported. They. blew. me. away. It was like a changed band from the last time i had seen them. Super tight, really fast, incredible riffs and Miles the front man seemed to have let loose a bit and looked like he was really enjoying it. I dont know if it was just the home crowd but that night i fell in love with the Arteries. This was Reaffirmed the next time i saw them in london and this is when i picked up the album, coincidentally the next day they played in my living room and again i was blown away. The cd did not leave my cd player for months and is one of those albums you can listen to on repeat and air guitar too in your room. SLAYS. One of the best things about this band is that they are all friends, who hang out, go on holiday together and and are some of the best dudes i know, oh and one of the most DIY bands out there. Put on shows, release their own records, book their own tours and yeah ive kissed arse enough. This is fast, in your face punk rock. Im not going to compare them to anyone but if you like riffz, singalongs and songs about punk rock, cats and friends then you really should own this album, know all the words and go check em out live because they will tear you a new one. Ive seen them destroy countless venues this year and i can only see this band becoming improving further. Listen to songs on their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thearteries Buy their merch and newly released shiny pink LP here: http://swfu.bigcartel.com/wfu.bigcartel.com/ and check out their real website here: http://thearteries.blogspot.com/ SWFU


3. BANGERS/SSSSNAKES SPLIT

Two of my favourite UK bands release a split together. HELL YEAH. http://www.myspace.com/thessssnakes play super fun and silly pop-punk in a Dead Milkmen/Descendents/Ergs way and are one of the most fun bands to watch just because Jamie the frontman goes nuts. SSSSNAKES feature half the Arteries and one of the funniest and drunkest men in the UK is on Bass. They only have this split out so far and it has four songs which are about ssssnakes, dead pets, people being lame and girls. Its total party music and i cant wait for them to record their LP. I listen to these four songs on repeat daily and i cant see myself ever getting bored so they had to be high in my top ten list. They have also nicknamed me 'Microphonehead' and have written a song about me so they hold a special place in my heart <3 Bangers also rule, more so than most bands! Ive banged on (see what i did there?) about this band on this here blog before but if you dig None More Black, Saves the Day and rad music then get on this. Incidentally two of my favourite Bangers tracks feature on this split. I would upload the download link and also a Bangers myspace link but it seems HTML hate both so ill try and do it in a separate post!

WE'RE THE SSSSNAKESSSSSSSAAAAAA


4. COP OUT - S/T 7"

Although 70% of these songs were written years ago, Cop Out are one of the slackest bands around so they only released this 7" this year. Bar a split with Fast Point this is their only release and its storming. Like Kid Dynamite, Lifetime and fast and dancey punk rock? If the answer is yes, you will LOVE this. Its amazing and everyone should own it. Tom the bassist has the most aggressive vocals going, gravelly as fook and bry is one of the of the fastest and funniest drummers to watch and if jonno is standing up and holding his guitar then you got lucky. Great bunch of dudes. They are splitting up and have one or two shows left so if you live up north go and give them a fond farewell. i miss them already. Buy the 7" here, only £2 http://www.myspace.com/thecwms
RIP. one of the best.


5. DEAR LANDLORD - DREAM HOMES

I get the feeling this will be in an awful lot of top ten lists of 2009 and rightly so. Definitely wins pop punk record of the year anyway. Ive loved this band for nearly two years ever since i first heard 'Three to the beach' on the Chinese Telephones split and its still one of my favourite songs. I stupidly missed them at Fest 7 and have regretted it since. Ive been waiting what seems like forever for the LP to drop and it really did not disappoint. The only problem i had with it was i had all of the songs on the record from splits, no idea samplers and demos so it wasnt very new to me. That said its a killer record and im positive if i had have heard this straight off it would have been in the number one position. Somewhat of a supergroup (Copyrights, Off With Their Heads, Houseboat) Dear Landlord play Fast, catchy, heartfelt and honest melodic pop punk with some of the best singalongs in punk rock today and some seriously snotty vocals. I really really cannot wait to see this band live, touring the uk next year! YES! Listen to them here: http://www.myspace.com/letslynchthedearlandlord fall in love and buy the record from this UK rad distro here: http://differentkitchen.bigcartel.com/product/dear-landlord-dream-homes-lp


WE'RE NOT THAT HOPELESS, WE'RE NOT AS FUCKED AS YOU THINK, IN SHORT LIVED MOMENTS WE CAN DO ANYTHING


6. TWISTED - DAYDREAM 7"

You know when you hear something for the first time and you immediately go 'yes, this is amazing' well i did that with Twisted. Their first 7" 'daydream' came out of nowhere and annoyingly im still yet to see this leeds band. Hopefully they will finally come down south next year and let me put them on. Incredibly catchy, dancey and fun garage/emo/punk beats like Rites of Spring jamming with the Shitty Limits with the Wipers watching. Track 4 on this 7" is the 'hit' and gets stuck in my head weekly. They have already released 7" #2 which i cannot wait to hear. They have had a few lineup issues but it seems they have sorted them now so i look forward to seeing what this band can further produce. Get on this, download daydream here from their website: http://www.mediafire.com/?kxgmvwzhkzy and buy the new 7" here and support a brilliant distro/label http://www.artforblind.com/ and get Daydream HERE: http://www.staterun.bigcartel.com/ pick up the facel vega split too, they rule.

7. BY SURPRISE/HIGHTIDE HOTEL SPLIT 7"

One of the best things about this year was Sean of Runner Up Records coming over with Spraynard in the summer and bringing some distro so i could finally lay my hands on this fantastic split. By Surprise are one of my bands of the year for sure http://www.myspace.com/bysurpriserock Ive now got hold of everything they have released and im in love. Like Braid, Promise Ring? LOVE BY SURPRISE. I need to see this band! i hope they come over soon. Anyway enough rambling. CB radio has one of the best endings to a song EVER which is the main reason this 7" made my top ten. 2009 was the year that i discovered twiddlemo thanks to Pags, Get Rad and Algernon Cadwallader's top friends on myspace haha. By Surprise and Hightide Hotel are two of my favourites for sure. This does not showcase Hightide http://www.myspace.com/hightidehotel at their best but their debut ep on the other hand is amazing. Get it here: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?g4wodnddoqe That first song is seriously catchy stuff. So yeah if you do one thing this this year it should be owning this split. Buy it here and support Sean. He is a good dude. http://runneruprecords.bigcartel.com/product/by-surprise-hightide-hotel-split-7-pre-order

siiiixxxxx feeeet hiiiiiigh and siiiiixxxx feeeeet wiiiiiiide. RAD.

8. CLOAK/DAGGER - LOST ART

This is might be better than We Are which means this record is the nuts. I fucking love Cloak/Dagger. Had the pleasure of seeing them three times and putting them on in kingston. Lovely chaps. I have a brilliant picture drawn by Jason on my wall advertising Peep Show for sale. What a guy. Anyways this rips. The songs are as catchy as before the guitars buzzes and throughout and Jason has in my opinion one of the best vocals in punk today. Im listening right now and wanting to jump off my bed and dance around the room. Its total party. Listen here: http://www.myspace.com/wearecloakdagger ace rock n roll/garage punk for fans of Fucked Up, Hot Snakes and rad music. Buy it here. Jade Tree rules. http://www.jadetree.com/releases

9. DAVE HOUSE - INTERSECTIONS

Dave House is one of my favourite people. He writes incredibly heartfelt and honest acoustic songs in a Weakerthans/postal service vein and 'Intersections' is his third album. This is, in my opinion, his best too. It seems Dave completed a dream with this record and recorded it with a band and some of the songs are so Blink/saves the day which is something he has wanted to do for a while. When he called me into his room and said 'listen to the first song' i listened and at 0.55 seconds my mouth dropped and i shouted 'YES! THIS IS AMAZING!' Which is exactly what you are going to do. Go here: http://www.myspace.com/davehouse listen to lungs and get stoked. The whole album rules, stand out tracks being 'born steady' which showcases Dave at his best. Honest and vulnerable song writing and 'Runaground' is the pop punk smash hit of 09 and '60 Blocks up' is all about being on tour in the US. You should buy this and support Dave coz im sure his mattress is lined with this album... Buy it from Banquet Records. I worked there for over a year and half and it was a huge part of my life while i was living in Kingston reading (and failing) law at Kingston University. Dave also works there which is all the more reason to get it here: http://www.banquetrecords.com/BANQUET020;jsessionid=850EFBBC6E08C897B7D0A8A177FF08A2
Runner Up Records also released the LP so if you like records, pick it up, sweet bottle clear vinyl! Nice one Dave.

10. EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING - PRIMARY COLOURS

I'm all about discovering new bands and hearing a great band from Australia of all places was a pleasant surprise. This is stripped down garage/rock at its best. Great vocals especially when they become urgent and shouty guitar work is stunning and the songwriting is perfect. Primary Colours, their second records is so infectious i guarantee songs will be stuck in your head for weeks. Ive had 'wrapped up' in my head for months! As i said before, i suck at comparing bands but id say if you like the Wipers, Germs etc then check this out. Ive heard they are coming over next year. Cannot wait. Listen here: http://www.myspace.com/eddycurrentsuppressionring and buy the UK release of both the debut album and this one here: http://ecsr.melodic.co.uk/

Im wraaaaaaapped up in yooooou

So yeah that concludes my top ten. If you dig any of the bands ive listed please support them and buy their records and go see them on tour.

Because im super bored here is a list of everything that didnt make the cut but has still been on rotation all year:

Algernon Cadwallader - Hot Green: This is better than their album 'spit fountain is a hit'

Nomos 7" - this would have been #11. Raging debut 7. http://www.myspace.com/nomosnyc

Fashanu - Science is Awesome EP: See my post about them below!

Get Bent - Get it Dead 7": last record from one of the greatest bands ever. RIP. Fuckers.

Grown Ups Demo: see below

Hammers - Tape? I think it was released this year. If not who cares. Crushing D-Beat/hardcore in a Tragedy vein. Fucking killer. http://www.myspace.com/hammers625

North Pole Ep - Scientific Punk Rock. What isnt there to like! WE'll MAKE GOLD!

Nowhere Fast 7" - Band rips. Record Rips. Nuff said.

Cap Sante EP - Aberdeenmo. RIP.

RVIVR - Life Moves 7": Matt Canino (Latterman) goes through bands like no ones business. RVIVR sound like Shorebirds but better. Serious hits on this 7

Snowing EP - This should be in my top ten...

Spraynard/Captain we're sinking split - Its Spraynard. duh.

Wasted Time - Futility: debut LP from one of the best hardcore bands around today. http://www.myspace.com/wastedtimesucks

Marked Men - Ghosts: This didnt make it in my top ten because i hate the fact ill never see them. Pure magic. Ramonescore. http://www.myspace.com/themarkedmen

Slingshot Dakota: For reasons as discussed below!

Sedatives: same as above

Shitty Limits - Transitions: one of my favourite bands ever but i prefer the 7"s, sorry guys...

Parasites - Solitary: Descendents/Ergs worship. FUN. http://www.myspace.com/officialparasites

Shook Ones - AMH: i suck and havnt listened enough!

Urban Blight LP: Makes me want to punch through walls but i dont get enough time to raise my fists!

What Price, Wonderland - Its Shakey: INCREDIBLE www.myspace.com/whatpricewonderland

Sorry i got lazy there but im sure you are smart enough to find your own links!

Roll on 2010!