As 2009 draws to a close it’s that glorious time for Best Of lists. Each member of the marketing team, both domestic and international, narrowed their favorite albums to a top 5 list plus one outstanding reissue. From Hyperdub’s 5th Anniversary compilation, Deer Tick’s alt-country sophomore release, We Were Promised Jetpacks’ rousing debut to The Monks’ lovingly researched reissue of Black Monk Time, these releases are all over the place and showcase a really eclectic year of releases.
Don’t miss the downloadable tracks at the bottom and stay tuned for the latest IODAcast featuring many of the artists included below!
Thanks and Enjoy!
Adam Rabinovitz- VP Marketing1. We Were Promised Jetpacks- These Four Walls [Fat Cat Records]
2. A Sunny Day In Glasgow- Ashes Grammar [Mis Ojos Discos]
3. Deer Tick- Born On Flag Day [Partisan Records]
4. Bela Fleck- Throw Down Your Heart… [Rounder Records
5. Ultre- The Nest And Skull [Audiobulb Records]
Re-issue: The Monks- Black Monk Time [Light In The Attic]
Bethany Clayton- Marketing, UK
1. Various Artists- 5: Five Years Of Hyperdub [Hyperdub Records]
2. Brother Ali- Us [Rhymesayers Entertainment]
3. Bass Clef- May The Bridges I Burn Light The Way [Blank Tapes]
4. Felt- Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez [Rhymesayers Entertainment]
5. The Orb- Baghdad Batteries [Malicious Damage]
Re-issue: The Gun Club – Death Party [Cooking Vinyl]
Christophe LeBreton- Marketing, France
1. Imaad Wasif- The Voidist [Tee Pee Records]
2. Oumou Sangare- Seya [World Circuit]
3. Liquid Stranger- The Intergalatic Slapstick [Interchill Records]
4. Deer Tick- Born On Flag Day [Partisan Records]
5. Boo Boo Davis- Ain’t Gotta Dime [Black and Tan Records]
Re-Issue: not specified
Craig O’Neill- Marketing Account Manager
1. BadboE- Break The Funk [Auditorydesigns]
2. Black Moth Super Rainbow- Eating Us [Graveface Records]
3. The Prodigy- Invaders Must Die [Take Me To The Hospital]
4. The Phenomenal Handclap Band- The Phenomenal Handclap Band [Friendly Fire]
5. Big Boss Man- Full English Beat Breakfast [Blow Up]
Re-issue: Various Artists- Disco Loco, Vol. 1 [LocoBop]
Elijah Carroll- Marketing Coordinator
1. We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls [Fat Cat Records]
2. Mantis – Still Life [Brick Records]
3. Megafaun – Gather, Form & Fly [Hometapes]
4. Souls of Mischief – Montezuma’s Revenge [Hieroglyphics Imperium]
5. Tommy T – The Prester John Sessions [Easy Star]
Reissue: The Roots – Organix [Groove Distribution]
Greg Beshers – Director of Marketing
1. Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel – Willy and the Wheel [Bismeaux Records]
2. John Doe And The Sadies – Country Club [Outside Music]
3. The Phenomenal Handclap Band – The Phenomenal Handclap Band [Friendly Fire Recordings]
4. General Elektriks – Good City For Dreamers [Quannum Projects]
5. Tinariwen – Imidiwan: Companions [World Village]
Reissue: Rail Band – Belle Epoque Vol. 3: Dioba [Sterns]
Jillian Putnam-Smith- Programming Manager
1. Here We Go Magic – Here We Go Magic [Western Vinyl]
2. Choir of Young Believers – This is For the White in Your Eyes [Ghostly International]
3. Ultre – The Nest and the Skull [Audiobulb Records]
4. Sleepy Sun – Sleepy Son [ATP Recordings]
5. Bear in Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth [Hometapes]
Reissue: Milton Nascimento – Travessia [Dubas Musica]
1. Céu – Vagarosa [Six Degrees]
2. Madeleine Peyroux – Bare Bones [Rounder Records]
3. General Elektriks – Good City for Dreamers [Quannum Projects]
4. Abigail Washburn & The Shanghai Restoration Project – Afterquake [Undercover Culture Music]
5. Tinariwen – Imidiwan: Companions [World Village]
Reissue: Milton Nascimento – Travessia [Dubas Musica]
Matt Wright- Marketing Account Manager
1. Here We Go Magic – Here We Go Magic [Western Vinyl]
2. Ecstasy & Friends – Lone [Werk Discs]
3. Various Artists – 5: Five Years of Hyperdub [Hyperdub]
4. Yura Yura Teikoku – Hollow Me / Beautiful [Death From Abroad
5. Jega - Variance (Volumes 1 & 2) [Planet Mu]
Reissue: The Monks – Black Monk Time [Light in the Attic]
Ozgur Okter- Senior Manager, Marketing
1. Ancestors – Of Sound Mind [Tee Pee Records]
2. Astra – The Weirding [Rise Above Records]
3. Baroness – Blue Record [Relapse Records]
4. Cave – Psychic Psummer [Important]
5. Shrinebuilder – Shrinebuilder [Neurot]
Reissue: Ofege – Try And Love [Academy LPs]
Robert Litsen- Marketing, Scandinavia
1. Miss Li – Dancing the Whole Way Home [National]
2. The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die [Cooking Vinyl]
3. Ane Brun – Changing of the Seasons [Determine Records AB]
4. Florence Valentin – Spring Ricco [Startracks]
5. Pauline – Never Said I Was An Angel [Tri-Sound]
Reissue: The Hellacopters – Supershitty to the Max [MNW]
Tara Cuesta- Marketing, Spain
1. Matt & Kim – Grand [Artwerk Music]
2. Vic Chesnutt – At the Cut [Constellation]
3. Wojtek Godzisz – Wodjtek Godzisz [Tigertrap Records]
4. Bettina Koester – Queen of Noise [Asinella Records]
5. Apse – Climp Up [ATP/Recordings]
Reissue: Blue – Another Night Time Flight [Demon]
We Were Promised Jetpacks
“Ships With Holes Will Sink” (mp3)
from “These Four Walls”
(Fat Cat Records)
Brother Ali
“Us” (mp3)
from “Us”
(Rhymesayers Entertainment)
Liquid Stranger
“Soundboy Killa” (mp3)
from “The Intergalactic Slapstick”
(Interchill Records)
Black Moth Super Rainbow
“Born On A Day The Sun Didn’t Rise” (mp3)
from “Eating Us”
(Graveface Records)
Tommy T
“The Response (featuring Gigi)” (mp3)
from “The Prester John Sessions”
(Easy Star Records)
Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel
“Hesitation Blues” (mp3)
from “Willie And The Wheel”
(Bismeaux Records)
Here We Go Magic
“Fangela” (mp3)
from “Here We Go Magic”
(Western Vinyl)
Milton Nascimento
“Canção do Sal” (mp3)
from “Travessia”
(Dubas Musica)
The Monks
“Monk Time” (mp3)
from “Black Monk Time”
(Light In The Attic)
Vic Chesnutt
“Chain” (mp3)
from “At the Cut”
(Constellation)
Abigail Washburn & The Shanghai Restoration Project
“Sala” (mp3)
from “Afterquake”
(Undercover Culture Music)
If you haven’t heard of The Monks, your entire perspective on music after the mid 60′s is incomplete and needs to be re-adjusted to account for their presence. Without a doubt, the strange and unbelievably unique Monks are one of the greatest musical groups ever, casting a gargantuan, deeply-rooted influence on most music to follow their run. There’s a number of washed-out clichés that are attributed to so many bands from the time period: “Groundbreaking,” “Visionary,” “Fore-fathers,” and the classic “Ahead of their time.” While the bands who have earned these labels should not be discounted (no denying that they deserve them), The Monks are indubitably in the upper pendulum of influential bands of the time, yet they remain unknown to most, even the most obsessive fans of their contemporaries. The reasoning behind their obscurity is easy enough to discover: The Monks don’t sound like anyone else. Their sound is totally and unquestionably original; this is the archetypal origin of a band that breaks from everything going on around them to try something no one else is. Their story is genuine, their music is truly and completely “ahead of their time,” and their whole persona is so strange and unheard of that it still baffles the listener today as intensely as it did in the mid 60′s.
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