Saturday, December 20, 2008

Festive 'Spill - We Are Number One



Cover art by our resident artistic genius Saneshane. Delighted that Carole has emerged from her funk and the wandering gypsy, that is Snadfrod, showed up to play too - so now there are a couple of extra tracks in the #3 and #2 posts - go have a listen. Think that Uncle John would approve of the way we have mutated his tradition here on the 'Spill. Thanks to all for a wonderful year of music and madness. With your permission, would like to dedicate this final selection to Blimpy, without whom there would be no 'Spill. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. Here are your #1 picks:

Maconius7
Kalyr
Toffeeboy
Debbym
Abahachi
Gremlinfc
Darceysdad
Goneforeign
Shoegazer
May1366
Proudfoot
Treefrogdemon
Glasshalfempty
Carolebristol
Snadfrod
Shivsidecar
Saneshane
Ejaydee
Steenbeck
Nilpferd
Japanther
Mnemonic
Elderino
Tincanman
Blimpy
GarethI
Frogprincess
Tracyk

24 comments:

goneforeign said...

There's been a bit of concern that not everyone abided by the '08' rules. Shoe sent out a plea for some reggae, I told him that I don't listen to much contemporary reggae so he said 'don't worry about 08, so I didn't. But I then realised that I'd sealed my fate as far as including a selection of 08 African cuts that I have sitting on my desktop!

Carole said...

One of my choices sort of qualifies for the 2008 rule because the album was remastered and reissued in 2008.

Anyway, well done Shoey, a mammoth task and brilliantly co-ordinated.

There is some fantastic music here on these three playlists.

ToffeeBoy said...

I hope that no one is genuinely 'concerned' about whether the '08 rule is being strictly observed or not. Isn't this just an excuse for us all to share music that we love with people that we ... well, you know...

snadfrod said...

Another great selection, Shoey, this has been an impeccably staged affair. Huge props.

@Blimpy - snap! But my thanks go to Shoey for putting in my alternate so as not to be boring everyone with two plays of the SONG OF THE YEAR BY A COUNTRY MILE.

Excuse me, not sure what came over me...

ToffeeBoy said...

@ May1366 - Edwyn!!! Yay, for the greatest comeback album of the year. And never mind Blur, if we can get Edwyn and James Kirk back together again that would easily be the greatest reunion of 2009...

Luke-sensei said...

Big thanks for Shoey for taking on this mammoth task and pulling it off with aplomb.

Back later after a comprehensive listen through....

Shoegazer said...

Thanks for all the kind words everyone, but it was really no problem putting this together, albeit a little surprising to find that some of you really do exist in the real world with strange alternative names & actual e-mail addresses. The festive spreadsheet is on it's way.

Just finished listening through for the first time myself and found the spectrum of music covered quite astonishing. Was equally surprised that many 'Spill fave bands and albums were not represented here. Think this leaves plenty of mining still to be done for Snadfrod's album of the year post.

Blimpy said...

Shoey - thanks so much for putting these posts together - they've been the most fun to experience, expecially with the anonymity of the tracks!

I should now have the time to listen to the 1s and the second half of the 2s

@snad- TOTALLY!!!

Blimpy said...

Snad - are you doing the top 10 albums? Shall I email you my noms?

Blimpy said...

Darce - top tune that; i don't normally like pedal steel. Great lyrics.

May 1366 - great song! THis is what I love about the Spill cos I wouldn't think to go check out what Edwyn was up to, thus miswsing out on this gem,

Proudfoot - Oh yes! Have you tracked down the LP yet? Are the other 3 tracks as good?

GHE - I thought "Little Bit" would have made the lists - it'll probs make my top ten songs for the year (we'll see; there's still an epic top tens mp3 post coming from me before the year's over! or a podcast, i haven't decided yet)

Blimpy said...

Shiv - fab choice. 2008 was definately the year that James Yorkstone made his way onto my radar.

Blimpy said...

Nilp - I'm totally having that!

Japanther - I can't believe I forgot to get hold of the Boris album this year, cos I loved "Pink" and the LP they did with Michio Kuruhawa. That does sound like his playing on this track too?

Mnemonic - I knew this'd be your number one, and jolly good it is too.

Blimpy said...

Oh no! five tracks left to listen to, and mini mcflah is making demands to watch old cartoons on the laptop! Denied!!!

ejaydee said...

So it was GHE that took Ms. Li! There's so much of the Number 1s I'd never heard (maybe I'd recognise some names or titles, we'll see when the spreadsheet arrives) or 2s and 3s for that matter.

snadfrod said...

@Blimpy - Totally is right. Its the you're not ill and I'm not dead payoff that slays me every time.

Anyway, as for top ten albums, prepare yourself for a post on this issue some point later today. Gird your loins, friends. That's right, I said 'gird'.

May1366 said...

Shoey - you are a Christmas miracle. I've had time to do little more than sniff the air around these lists so far but even that has been filled with delight.

ToffeeBoy and Blimpy - thanks for the Edwyn endorsement. I tend to find that I remember a year by the universal songs, often big dance hits (like American Boy, or Umbrella before it) that arrive, set up camp and feel like they've always been part of the culture - and the less obvious stuff takes longer to percolate. But that Edwyn Collins track (and album) just felt like an all-time favourite straight away.

Blimpy said...

I HAVE GIRD!!!

TracyK said...

Again, another varied and delectable list. I would never have heard that Siouxsie track and I love the Rachel Unthank and James Yorkston tracks too: who's doing the backing vocals on the latter? The Frightened Rabbit track is also one of my favourites this year, and I can't hear Feist anymore without thinking of her performing it on Sesame Street. Loving pretty much everything, actually, top work Spillers and another big thank you to Shoey for doing this.

ToffeeBoy said...

Hey - they're in alphabetical order of title!

ToffeeBoy said...

...which I've just noticed shoey said in his first Festive Spill post.

Luke-sensei said...

All now thoroughly absorbed and heartily enjoyed, every single one a diamond and only 3 of the list I had heard before:

@Nilpferd - lovely.
@Abahachi - sublime
@Blimpy - Epic!
@Proudfoot - inspired choice - and Blimpy - the rest of the album is as good - it's playing on my stereo right now, but competing (and losing) with the sound of the wind - perhaps it's another of those pesky typhoons - that is literally whistling around my flat as I type this!
@Mnemonic - FB were in my top 3 too right up to the last minute when the new Japanther album came out - thanks for the tip-off!
@Ejaydee - another band that i've finally been won round by, cheers!
@Steenbeck - very cool!
@May1366 - a surprise hit for me, great stuff
@DarceysDad - great lyrics.
@Elderino - good choice, it already seems like a classic.
@Debbym - haunting and harrowing in a good way.
@Carolebristol - she's still alive!! something I would never have heard otherwise, but am glad I did.
@Tracyk - hmm...still not 100% convinced by FF, but I did like this.
@Tincanman - Springsteenesque! Great!
@Garethl - I liked this - really atmospheric
@Frogprincess - is this a solo artist or a full band? Again, I really enjoyed it..

ah...i'm all commented out! but it was great to hear so much excellent music, but these kind of lists always make me sad as they confirm the sad truth that there is so much amazing music that I will never ever hear and great books that I will never read....ah.....

TracyK said...

Japanather, I'm not fully convinced by the lp either, but this, especially in combination with the video, sets me off: the rabbit! I found myself singing it on the way to school every morning for a month, and that's a fair indication of quality for me!

Anonymous said...

Glad you liked it Japanther - they're called Aaron and are, I think, twin brothers. French group but sing in English.

glasshalfempty said...

Top hole, shoey - and thanks to all contributors: ace collection!

@Blimpy - "Little bit' was pipped by 'I'm good, I'm gone' because (a) I like the vid of it, with Robyn (b) it's got handclaps!