It’s the last day of the year so it’s the perfect time to give you part two of Fighting Boredom’s review of 2018. Today it’s the writer, Adrian Bloxham’s choices.
They are different to those of the photographer that you can read on this page. But none the less, they are all great records and again prove what a good year for music 2018 has been.
So while you gorge yourself on the last of the leftovers, have a look at what I thought were the best things to hear this year.
1 – Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance
We said – ‘This record is a slice of right now, it needs hearing right now. I hope it’ll do some good. Because in these dark days we need hope and rebellion it seems can be as simple as a smile. Look after each other people.’
2 – Bunuel – The Easy Way Out
With the vocalist of my album of the year 2017, Eugene S. Robinson, on board with a bunch of loose Italian musicians this is a real treat, we said ‘It’s like the musical equivalent of a fist fight, lurching, exhausting and very very loud. The equivalent would maybe have been The Birthday Party in full, wiped out, molten flow, but they are long lost to a sea of drugs and time. Buñuel are here right now and making a different glorious mess that you need to play louder than you can imagine. ‘
3 – Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam – Blackout Cowboy
We said that this ‘is the sheer rush of music, the feeling of youth, of knowing you are invincible, at least to a point. That is never illustrated better than in the title song. You need your friends, people need to care about each other and youth can be the best thing in the world but sometimes you need people to say that they care oh so bloody much and that they are here. They’ll pick you up and they’ll hold your hair away from your mouth as you throw up. It’s the sound of reckless joyful abandon with the lyrics of wise youth.’
4 – The Total Rejection – Wrapping Yourself In Silver Foil Won’t Save You From The Blast
We said ‘The sleeve looks like it’s been handmade, probably because it has, the record is green and sounds bloody great. It’s garage punk straight out of the psychedelic pop jungle and spaced out with tunes. The feel is of right now this second echoing back to the feeling you got the first time your mates played you the Stooges or Jesus and Mary Chain. It’s not ground breaking but it’s got the edge that music needs, the raw centre that makes the notes bleed out and sucker punch you, it’s for dancing stupidly in smoke filled rooms, for shouting abuse at the stage as the band thrash out the fuzzed up goodness, it’s a bloody treat, that’s what it is.’
5 – Futumche – To The Withered Deity
We said ‘The songs are fluid and changeable, that’s to say that they start, find a rhythm, discover a more interesting direction, have a bit of a look at it and then decide on something else totally different. There are more ideas in some of these single tracks than in some whole albums I’ve heard this year. It sounds exhausting but is in fact exhilarating and free. I can’t give you a genre because there isn’t one, I can’t give you a band to compare them with, however loosely, because I can’t think of one. They tell little stories, vignettes of life, emotional and almost music hall in their delivery at times. They are weird, strange, odd and wonderful.’
6- Gazelle Twin – Pastoral
A damning state of the nation document by the uncompromising and ever changing Gazelle Twin. It’s confusing, grating and not for everyone. But following on from her excellent performance at Supersonic Festival it just works.
7 – Laibach – The Sound Of Music
Another polarising release. This really is the immense Laibach covering the Sound Of Music alongside recordings from their historic North Korean tour. It is nasty, beautiful, harsh and tender, sometimes all at the same time.
8 – dragSTER – Anti-Everything
We said ‘It’s an angry record, the music is tight as and loud enough to match. T
9 – Colossloth – Heathen Needles
We said ‘This is for the people on the fringes who love noise, who embrace the sound and touch of it. Colossloth has taken the noise and embraced it. Colossloth’s last album Outstretch Your Hands For The Impress Of Truth was excellent, Heathen Needles takes us further out and further on. You get eleven tracks, but they all flow together to make one huge statement of sound. A brilliant sculpture of noise and emotion.’We
10 – Immersion – Sleepless
We said ‘This is a collection of instrumental pieces of music. It’s peaceful and gentle. It will suck you way inside itself and beyond. I’ve found it quite addictive. Whatever you are doing it will rescue from the mundane and transplant you somewhere far more interesting. It all feels like movement, flowing or moving forwards. There’s no pausing or stopping, once you are inside the sound it hangs on to you as you are swept away. It’s electronic music with an organic living feel about it.’
Live Performances of 2018
In no particular order, these are the highlights of what we saw live this year
IDLES – Coventry Central Library
Wolves In The Throne Room – Supersonic Festival
The Coathangers – Birmingham
Nicholas Bullen – Birmingham
Consumer Electronics – Manchester
The Total Rejection – Bristol
Jetstream Pony – Bristol
Futumche – Coventry
Black Mekon – Birmingham
Gnod – Supersonic Festival
Nik Void – Supersonic Festival
Gazelle Twin – Supersonic Festival
JK Flesh – Dublin
The Heads – Manchester
Tirikilatops – Supersonic Festival
A special mention to the most disappointing release of the year
Rainbow Grave – Sex Threat
We said ‘It’s taken months for this to arrive since it was first announced and to be honest, s
Fighting Boredom’s 2018 is over, looking forward to 2019.
