If I don’t get my arse in gear, it’ll be February before I publish my round up of 2022. To be honest, I’ve still got a (virtual) pile of albums still to review… as a result, some of my favourite records of 2022 will be in the lists but remain unreviewed!
Singles of the Year
I already published my top 15 singles of the year (well actually I published a list of 80 songs…. but my top 15 were as follows:
- 15 – Dumb Poets – Magic Happens
- 14 – Dream Wife – Leech
- 13 – Syvdoh – As I Lay Dying
- 12 – The Bobby Lees – Monkey Mind
- 11 – Collars – Baby I’m Bored
- 10 – Keeley – Shadows on the Hill
- 9 – His Lordship – All Cranked Up
- 8 – Brontes – First Hand Arrogance
- 7 – Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something Easy Peelers
- 6 – Sacred Noise – Part of Me
- 5 – Junk Pups – Miss Behave
- 4 – Horsegirl – Anti Glory
- 3 – Pizza Crunch – Wilting Youth
- 2 – Water Machine – Hot Real Estate
- 1 – Monica Queen – What is Home?
EPs of the Year
My top 10 EPs of the year are, in reverse order (the first 5 all released EPs this year that I have listened to time and again, but haven’t actually written anything about them…)
- Wife Guys of Reddit (Walk Into Oncoming Traffic)
- Brenda (Brenda)
- Panic Shack (Baby Shack)
- Spyres (Dear Diary)
- Keeley (Totally Entranced)
- 5 – Earl of Hell
“The EP revs up to full throttle with single and the EPs opening track, Hang ’em High, the band shifting into top gear immediately and hitting full on spaghetti western desert fuzz rock mode from the off. Just like a juggernaut, once it reaches full speed, the band’s heavy rumble crushes everything in its path, continuing into Parasite feeding off their own darkly intense energy.”
- 4 – Cloth
“Glasgow duo Cloth are the epitome of minimalism and using space and quiet as an essential part of their overall sound and impact, proof positive that powerful impactful music doesn’t always have to mean loud, brash and boisterous. This hypothesis is corroborated fully by the four tracks that make up the bands new 4 tack EP, Low Sun released on the influential Rock Action label.”
- 3 – His Lordship
“Not one but two EPs from one of this years top live attractions, one EP of covers His Lordship Play Rock n Roll Vol 1, and one of original songs in the form of All Cranked Up. The originals stand shoulder to shoulder with their high octane Adrenalin fuelled versions of rock ‘n’ roll standards such as Red Hot, Say Mama and The Way I Walk, the latter with as much vim, vigour and swagger incorporated into the performance as The Cramps included in their cover.”
- 2 – Water Machine
“The four songs are difficult to pigeonhole, which is something I love, fuck putting people in boxes. With songs about ill fated office relationships (Water Machine), frustration with life and society (I Quit), the ability to grow plants but inability to keep flowers (Flowers – note: I’m currently killing a Poinsettia) and identifying with the area you live (Hot Real Estate (remind me to be careful in the North – “I like living in the North side cos I’m hard as fuck” sings Hando)).”
- 1 – Pizza Crunch
“You may be familiar now with some of the singles that have preceded the EP, Wilting Youth is a particular standout for me and, I’d hazard a guess at it being one of my most listened to songs of the year. The titles of the other singles, Young Excitement and Romanticised Past, may give an indication as to the subject matter tackled on the EP. Essentially the seven tracks on this superb release tackle the fleeting transience of life with each song exploring various different life stages from youth to, well…. death. A concept EP if you like…”
Re-Release of the Year
The Associates – Sulk
It is with a certain poignancy that I name my re-release of 2023 following the recent death of the surviving member of the dynamic duo of the albums creators, Alan Rankine, from the peerless Associates. Their magnus opus Sulk received a well deserved re-release this year in a sumptuous book/LP/CD package…
“The Associates are a band which was, and is, hard to define or pigeonhole, dipping a toe in post punk, experimenting with electronics and a variety of weird and wonderful instruments, some of their songs dripping with addictive pop hooks, while others verging on melancholic torch songs and the avant grade. The bands appeal stretched to a wide range of my peers in a variety of subcultures from my youth from punks to goths to pop music fans, their appeal was universal having created a band which intrigued and delighted in equal measure.”
Other notable re-releases came in the form of the Lung Leg classic Maid to Minx (review) and the holy grail for many Goodbye Mr MacKenzie fans in the form of Glory Hole (review)
A number of compilation/best of/outtake albums caught my imagination this year too…
Rats From a Sinking Ship made a fleeting returm to say a proper goodbye with their career spanning best of “Now Rats What i Call Music” (Full review)
Marianne Dissard released the exquisite compilation “Rappel” (Full review)
The hardest working live band on the planet, The Courettes, kept us going with their Back in Mono outtakes album (Full review)
There was also the fitting tribute to Sarah Records, Under the Bridge featuring a list of ex Sarah bands or bands featuring members of Sarah bands (Full review)
Albums of the Year
I probably say this every year, but this year you didn’t have to dig far to hit a particularly generous seam in terms of superb album releases, this trend is already bleeding into 2023, with some albums that don’t receive their official release until 2023 which I’ve already listened to death (stand up Hifi Sean & David McAlmont and Carol Hodge amongst others).
Once again, I must apologise to all the bands and artists that submitted music to me in 2022 that I didn’t get around to reviewing. A combination of the sheer volume of top quality music, a busier than ever year at work, and 2022 being generally a fucking shit show of a year meant I didn’t write about nearly as much top notch music as I’d have liked. It also means that some of my favourite albums of the year still remain reviewless on the Ginger Quiff’s site…
So From the surfeit of albums this year, I have gone for the following as my Top 30…
21 – 30
In no particular order I have loved albums this year from bands or artists that I apologise I never got around to reviewing, Take albums from the likes of the addictive power pop melodies served up by Marc Valentine, the touching tribute to late friend Pat Fish included in the wonderful album from Pete Astor, a superb album from Horsegirl that belies their years, the cracking alt folk pop produced by the amazing In the Forest (review still to follow), and the exciting vital energy of Jo Jo and the Teeth, (again review to follow…)
The aforementioned Pat Fish released a remarkable final album, The Highest in the Land, as The Jazz Butcher (full review). Album Club moved from talking about their favourite albums in The Laurieston to releasing their self titled debut (Full review).
London Plane proved goth isn’t dead with their glorious album Bright Black (Full review) while Bela & the Lugosis added a glam edge to their Bauhaus inspired sound on Vampire Kiss (Full review) and Ditz served up an offering of unerring dystopian reflection in The Great Regression (Full review).
11 – 20
Reaction continue to change things up as they do with each release on the excellent Vigilantibus (full review). Syvdoh popped up towards the end of the year with another absolute belter of an album in the shape of Gentlemen (as yet to be reviewed…). The first “queen” in my top 30 albums is Tulsaqueen and her gore infused country rock on her debut album (Full review). Falkirk’s Vulture Party impressed with their second album Archipelago (Full review) Staying in Scotland and we had two sumptuous debuts from Poster Paints (Review) and Katherine Aly (Shadows Are Made of Light Too) (Review).
Moving out of Scotland for Simon Love and the Old Romantics superb Love, Sex & Death etc (Full review) and over the sea to Ireland for the inimitable KEELEY and their debut mini album Drawn to the Flame (Full review).
Moving Stateside for the latest album from Chicago’s The Claudettes, Go Out (Full review) and debut album System Update from a band that really grabbed my attention, Sloan Brothers (Full review).
Top 10
10 The Bobby Lees – Bellevue
“Monkey Mind is one of my ear worms of the year, a song that worms its way into your psyche and stays there. Quite appropriate as it is all about that little fucking voice in bastard brain of yours that is constantly telling you lies that make you think you are basically a cxxt. This song just scrapes the surface of the messages contained within this most soul sharing of albums, based on vocalist Sam Quartin’s own experiences with institutions and her mental health.”
9 The Countess of Fife – Star of the Sea
“Losing absolutely none of the punk attitude Ms Fife is known for, the music of The Countess of Fife has its foundations firmly planted on the world of roots and country. You could call it cowpunk or country punk if you want, but whatever the label you give it, Star of the Sea fizzes with confident poise and brio from the first bars of Wandering Star “
8 Reverse Cowgirls – Fortus et Fidus
“Hugh Mclachlan and co. return with this exquisite and fitting 10 song tribute to his late sister Kim. The album title comes from the motto of the MacLachlan clan, translating as strong and faithful, an appropriate title for the ten emotionally charged songs on show here.”
7 Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something – Miffed
“The question for me when I see a band this good live, is always – can they match that vitality and energy on vinyl. In the case of Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something the answer is most definitely a resounding yes. Miffed is an extraordinary record from start to finish. From the gargantuan riffs at the start of Big Bread all the way through to the trippy psychedelic closing of Take Me, everything about Miffed has an unfettered sense of joyful escapism. “
6 Walt Disco – Unlearning
“I’m still buzzing after the Walt Disco gig in St. Lukes earlier this week, such was the beautiful exuberance of the band and the sheer joy that emanated from the stage. The band were genuinely having the time of their lives and are currently deservedly receiving great plaudits from far and wide. Their debut album album Unlearning cements the fact that these acclamations are warranted, its twelve spectacularly arresting songs should see the band hit the heights and continue to ride the crest of this colossal wave for some time to come.”
5 The Filthy Tongues – In These Dark Places
“It feels like forever since Back to Hell, the second instalment in The Filthy Tongues dark trilogy exploring the gloomier, murkier aspects of Auld Reekie. The final instalment, In These Dark Places is a flawless ending to the remarkable triumvirate continuing the caliginous tales of the less salubrious side of life in the capital city, but ending with perhaps a chink of light, a certain element of positivity and hope of a rebirth shrouded in desperation and regret?”
4 TAngerinecAt – Glass
“The latest album, Glass, from tAngerinecAt, the Welsh based Ukranian/English duo of Eugene Purpurovsky and Paul Chilton, is an extraordinarily mesmerising work of unadulterated alluring charm. Their extraordinary music is as engaging and beautiful as it is dark and undefinable.”
3 Collars – Clyde
“I’ve been a fan of Collars since the came to my attention with their 2021 single Over You, their fourth single. With each single since, they have piqued my interest more and more, honing their sound and creating a series of indispensable and compelling releases in the process. I’d been crying out for an album full of these addictive songs, so when I received the email with the forthcoming album, Clyde, attached I downloaded it at breakneck speed with an irascibly skittish exhilaration. Well, as speedily as my aging laptop would allow at least…”
2 Monica Queen – Stop That Girl
“Monica Queen is making a concerted effort to appear in my top 10 albums of the year for possibly the third year in a row with this stunning collection of cover versions and original songs.
An integral part of the Glasgow music scene going back to the 80’s, Monica owns what is surely the most stunningly recognisable voice on the circuit, ebullient and versatile and constantly in demand. Talking of in demand, partner in crime Johnny Smillie is surely one of the most sought after guitarists and producers in Glasgow, what he can’t do with a guitar just isn’t worth knowing. I wonder if there is another guitar slinger about town who is as admired and called upon… hang on, the savvy and accomplished Douglas McIntyre is here too? Where does he find the time?”
1 Los Bitchos – Let the Festivities Begin
“Let the Festivities Begin indeed. One listen to this smoking hot debut and you don’t need any other reason to celebrate. Everything you need is here to take you on a journey to another realm, an odyssey of glorious melodies transporting you on a whistle stop musical tour of the world, Vamos a rumbear!”
Gigs of the Year
I can’t begin to narrow down my gigs of the year. Mostly every gig I attended in 2022 was special in some way. Gigs from bands I witnessed for the first time, seeing bands play debut gigs, big gigs, wee gigs, gigs from bands I’ve seen more times than I care to remember, meeting people I haven’t seen for years, meeting good friends, meeting people for the first time. Gigs are a form of oxygen. More often than not life affirming moments, even at times when these were a mere fleeting relief from the vagaries of life. To coin that old cliche from the band whose Super Trouper album was the first I ever owned, to all the bands who have ventured out and put on brilliant shows this year…”THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC”.
Here’s to another cracking year for music in 2023!