There are less bands that impressed me with their very unique sound during many decades. One of them are Glasgow's The Pastels. Formed an another independent guitar based band their sound grew more and more subtle. The reason is probably their collaboration with other bands and theatre productions. Anyway, a band that should be featured often because they made timeless music.
Normally I am not the type who publishes or comments lists. Of course I read very much with pleasure which music and albums were important for others last year. The first reason why I, nevertheless, publish a list is to be given my brother an overview what kind of music impressed me much and was essential for me last year. The second reason is why not doing things you haven't done before.
I enjoyed Swiss Adam's idea to number 13 records for this year. So thank you mate to use your idea for this post.
13. Boards of Canada - Tomorrows Harvest: Timeless electronic music inspired by soundtracks; good to have them back after 8 years.
12. Midlake - Antiphon: Folksongs meet Psychedelic . Simple melodies compared with a little darkness and melancholic attitudes and leading keybords. Listen to It's going down.
11. David Bowie - The next day: Suddenly he's back with a very good record with one of his best songs in the last ten years on it: Where are we now
10. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Push the sky away: Reduced to something new for the band. Now trusting more in simple melodies and forms than before.
09. The Pastels - Slow Summits: Another record from the kings of quiet guitar pop added with a little electronic sounds and a bit soul.
08. My Bloody Valentine - mbv: Why did we have to wait 23 years for this album. It's just the sound, the sound and the sound that makes you addicted to.
07. Die Toten Hosen - Tage wie dieser: Released a year before but this song accompanied me all year round.
06. Daniel Avery - Drone Logic: Sensational debut record with massive feedback. Sometimes I think he finished what Andrew Weatherall started with The Sabres of Paradise.
05. London Grammar - If you want: Electronic minimalism with a great sopran by Hanna Reid and cautiously guitar and piano. Beautiful.
04. Jon Hopkins - Immunity: Fantastic mixture of techno, ambient and a little krautrock. The whole record seems like a sound collage after leafing the club.
03. Steve Mason - Monkey Minds in Devil's Time: Another great record from the former member of the Beta Band. A very own mixture of country, folk, dub and rap with lyrics that puts the finger in our nowadays wounds.
02. Dexys - One Day I'm Going To Soar: Released in 2012 it was one of the best records in this year. But I played it so often last year. It grew more and more by listening to it. If it was a very good record the first time I heard it I have to admit that it is a masterpiece. Fantastic songs with so many lyrics that I can agree with.
01. The Asphodells - Ruled By Passion Destroyed By Lust: Andrew Weaterall made a perfect record. Hypnotic songs that snake one into another. Played it so often last year and enjoyed it at each time.
The Pastels, a Glasgow based independent band released a few month ago their new album Slow Summit. It is not very spectacular but filled with a lot of good songs. I listened to it the recent month more and more. And every time I find a new piece in their songs that I didn't realized the times before. One of the best records this year - maybe only for me.
The Pastels are a Glasgow based independent band, formed in the early 1980s. They started as a classic post-punk band and had inspired a lot of bands of the so called C-86 era to turn later into softer sounds. I listen recently to their 1998 album 'Illuminati' still fascinated how fresh it sounds even today. This song is from their soundtrack to 'The Last Great Wilderness' and is a collaboration with Pulp's Jarvis Crocker.
