25. Van Morrison – Remembering Now
24. Mogwai – The Bad Fire
23. Midlake – A Bridge to Far
22. Eddie Chacon – Lay Low
21. Baxter Dury – Albarone
20. Cass McCombs -Interior Live Oak
18. Mark Pritchard / Thom Yorke – Tall Tales
17. Jeff Tweedy – Twilight Override
16. Robert Plant w/ Suzi Dian – Saving Grace
15. Mavis Staples – Sad and Beautiful World
14. Richard Dawson – End of the Middle
13. Little Simz – Lotus
12. Alan Sparhawk w/ Trampled by Turtles – S/T
11. Paul Weller – Find El Dorado
10. Wet Leg – Moisturizer
9. Adrian Sherwood – The Collapse of Everything
8. The Tubs – Cotton Crown
7. Robert Forster – Strawberries
6. Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film
5. Annie & the Caldwells – Can’t Lose My (Soul)
4. Big Thief – Double Infinity
3. CMAT – Euro – Country
2. Suede – Antidepressants
1. Pulp – More
Unshod also place Pulp at number 1, Mojo has a more otherwise me-adjacent list. They also have a folk chart that echoes the outré taste of Jude Rogers in the Guardian, tending more to post-folk noir noise over melody. Whilst I know and have many in that list of 10, I yearn more for tunes and precision play. (Memo to @fitterstoke: sometimes!)
I bumped into Jude the other day at the Tate Britain, sitting in the hallway, writing something on her laptop. Turned out she was doing her round up of the year in folk, for the Observer. She did tell me what her top pick was which stupidly I have forgotten, a Scottish artist, one word name.
3 seems to be the magic number here. I’ve bought 3 of these, one of which is the Midlake which is almost, er, modern. I look forward to some of the more esoteric lists coming out when I can proudly boast that I’ve heard of none of them.
Yup, three for me as well. The rest on the list are albums I wouldn’t buy even if everyone and their moms recommended them to me…I understand that it’s Mojo, but how bloody old do you have to be to get on their lists?
It feels a bit like most of the above artists would have been guaranteed a place on the list before they even started writing their respective albums.
It’s a shame, because – taking nothing away from the records above, a number of which are excellent – there have been some good, seemingly Mojo-friendly, albums released this year that maybe deserve a bit of shine.
I’m thinking Geese, Lucy Dacus, Wednesday, Skullcrusher, Nation of Language, Swim School, The Weather Station, Jade Bird, Silver Lake, Jesse Welles, Anna von Hausswolff, Dutch Interior, Wings of Desire, Dressed Like Boys.
The Rosalía album is the other one I should have mentioned. Only came out last week and I don’t know where Mojo usually stand on her, but it’s fairly magnificent.
Well Big Thief isn’t male dominated and Mavis Staples is getting great reviews.
Also Wet Leg appear in the Mojo and Uncut lists which will irritate my mate @Pyramid who thinks they are a pile of shite.
I have 4 of them, but feel I might be ,missing out on something.
I actually have numbers 1 and 2. They’ve got the the wrong way round, but this may be the first year I agree with Mojos top choice.
I’ve got 6 – Tweedy, Suede, Big Thief, Robert Forster, Weller and The Tubs, but only 4 more of their other 50.
Similar number with the Uncut list. HMHB sadly not on either list.
It’s no surprise, but I only have one on the list – Saving Grace.
I now have such a sad old life that I rarely encounter much ‘new’ and, frankly, I have so much music that adding more is only done very rarely and very carefully. I realised a while ago that there is much stuff in this room where I now sit that will never be played again….and that ignores the stuff I have stored away upstairs!
It’s been a very long time since I was a regular Mojo reader, so I’m not surprised that I own none of these, and don’t have much interest in hearing any of them, based on what I’ve heard previously from the few artists on the list that I’m aware of.
For better or worse, there is now so much music available that it’s impossible to keep up with what’s popular or hip. For example, my own favourites of the year include Pathways by The Birthday Massacre, Darkness by Mono Inc., and Dead End Dreams by Diary of Dreams – I doubt that anybody at Mojo has heard any of them.
Without wanting to sound like the typical music press reader of yore, I’m going to go ahead and sound exactly that. Where, oh where, is the astonishingly good From The Pyre by The Last Dinner Party? The only reasons for its omission I can fathom are that either it came out too late for inclusion on these lists, or the magazines are upholding a ridiculous prejudice against the band. The album is objectively as good as most on these lists, and indeed was almost universally critically lauded on its release.
Anyway, enough fanboi-ing…just let it be known that I’m FEEWWWMING!
Reckon I’ve heard 6 of those 4 of which I really like and 2 (the Dawson and Annie and the Caldwells) not so much. I’m with Bingo on Lucy Dacus and also Rosalia – have only given it a couple of listens so far and there is an awful lot to get your head around but first impressions are that it’s genuinely exciting stuff after what (for me) was her disappointing last album
For anyone interested, the full Mojo and Uncut lists are here:
The album I am most surprised to seee is absent from both lists is the Sam Fender which is, perhaps, a perverse reaction to its winning the Mercury Prize.
I have 8 of these (Percy, Van, Mavis, Suede, Midlake, Pulp, Weller, Big Thief). I note that the Midlake and Mavis Staples only came out last week, so not sure how they made the list so quickly…….
I’m with @black-type on the omission of The Last Dinner Party album, which is superb. That along with the Wolf Alice album are probably my most played in recent weeks.
Pulp, Suede, Stereolab, Wet Leg, Robert Forster, Baxter Dury for me. Only one I didn’t like was Suede because Brett’s voice sounds shot, or it was a creative decision to just shout along exactly the same to every song. Wearing. Baxter Dury the pick of the bunch – possibly his best yet.
Also plenty more there I want to hear – CMAT, Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, Midlake.
I didn’t like the Suede so much when I first heard it and felt it was lacking tunes, but it’s much like the previous 3 in that it takes a lot of listens before they sink in. And then it’s album that I end up listening to over and over
25. Van Morrison – Remembering Now
24. Mogwai – The Bad Fire
23. Midlake – A Bridge to Far
22. Eddie Chacon – Lay Low
21. Baxter Dury – Albarone
20. Cass McCombs -Interior Live Oak
18. Mark Pritchard / Thom Yorke – Tall Tales
17. Jeff Tweedy – Twilight Override
16. Robert Plant w/ Suzi Dian – Saving Grace
15. Mavis Staples – Sad and Beautiful World
14. Richard Dawson – End of the Middle
13. Little Simz – Lotus
12. Alan Sparhawk w/ Trampled by Turtles – S/T
11. Paul Weller – Find El Dorado
10. Wet Leg – Moisturizer
9. Adrian Sherwood – The Collapse of Everything
8. The Tubs – Cotton Crown
7. Robert Forster – Strawberries
6. Stereolab – Instant Holograms on Metal Film
5. Annie & the Caldwells – Can’t Lose My (Soul)
4. Big Thief – Double Infinity
3. CMAT – Euro – Country
2. Suede – Antidepressants
1. Pulp – More
Unshod also place Pulp at number 1, Mojo has a more otherwise me-adjacent list. They also have a folk chart that echoes the outré taste of Jude Rogers in the Guardian, tending more to post-folk noir noise over melody. Whilst I know and have many in that list of 10, I yearn more for tunes and precision play. (Memo to @fitterstoke: sometimes!)
I bumped into Jude the other day at the Tate Britain, sitting in the hallway, writing something on her laptop. Turned out she was doing her round up of the year in folk, for the Observer. She did tell me what her top pick was which stupidly I have forgotten, a Scottish artist, one word name.
Donovan?
Oh dear I am so tragically unhip that I’ve only heard one of those. I did buy it though.
I must be three times hipper than thou, but that’s all.
And I’m as hip as VV!
I bet most AWs have similar selection, at that, my 3 being Mavis, Percy and the Tubs.
The Adrien Sherwood is on my Xmas list
Van, Percy and Pulp here.
Not sure Mojo is hip these days. I bought one of those (Jeff Tweedy, it’s brilliant) and have heard another couple
I’m with you on Tweedy. I actually bought it, triple vinyl, where the format encourages you to take your time and listen properly.
Yes, vinyl for me too
3 seems to be the magic number here. I’ve bought 3 of these, one of which is the Midlake which is almost, er, modern. I look forward to some of the more esoteric lists coming out when I can proudly boast that I’ve heard of none of them.
Yup, three for me as well. The rest on the list are albums I wouldn’t buy even if everyone and their moms recommended them to me…I understand that it’s Mojo, but how bloody old do you have to be to get on their lists?
Also three. All top ten (and in my top 5 probs)
It feels a bit like most of the above artists would have been guaranteed a place on the list before they even started writing their respective albums.
It’s a shame, because – taking nothing away from the records above, a number of which are excellent – there have been some good, seemingly Mojo-friendly, albums released this year that maybe deserve a bit of shine.
I’m thinking Geese, Lucy Dacus, Wednesday, Skullcrusher, Nation of Language, Swim School, The Weather Station, Jade Bird, Silver Lake, Jesse Welles, Anna von Hausswolff, Dutch Interior, Wings of Desire, Dressed Like Boys.
I think there’s a top 75 so they may be featured there
Ah, that makes sense.
The Rosalía album is the other one I should have mentioned. Only came out last week and I don’t know where Mojo usually stand on her, but it’s fairly magnificent.
I have 8 and I would place Robert Plant, Jeff Tweedy and Big Thief in top 3.
Good to see Van return to favour and well deserved too.
It’s incredibly male-dominated. These may indeed be the best records, but, it’s sad in any case.
Also, where’s The Mars Volta…? 😉
Playing sword-fighting each other with slide-rules, probably.
Well Big Thief isn’t male dominated and Mavis Staples is getting great reviews.
Also Wet Leg appear in the Mojo and Uncut lists which will irritate my mate @Pyramid who thinks they are a pile of shite.
The Baron doesn’t like Wet Leg? Shocker!
I have 4 of them, but feel I might be ,missing out on something.
I actually have numbers 1 and 2. They’ve got the the wrong way round, but this may be the first year I agree with Mojos top choice.
I’ve got 6 – Tweedy, Suede, Big Thief, Robert Forster, Weller and The Tubs, but only 4 more of their other 50.
Similar number with the Uncut list. HMHB sadly not on either list.
It’s no surprise, but I only have one on the list – Saving Grace.
I now have such a sad old life that I rarely encounter much ‘new’ and, frankly, I have so much music that adding more is only done very rarely and very carefully. I realised a while ago that there is much stuff in this room where I now sit that will never be played again….and that ignores the stuff I have stored away upstairs!
It’s been a very long time since I was a regular Mojo reader, so I’m not surprised that I own none of these, and don’t have much interest in hearing any of them, based on what I’ve heard previously from the few artists on the list that I’m aware of.
For better or worse, there is now so much music available that it’s impossible to keep up with what’s popular or hip. For example, my own favourites of the year include Pathways by The Birthday Massacre, Darkness by Mono Inc., and Dead End Dreams by Diary of Dreams – I doubt that anybody at Mojo has heard any of them.
I notice William Tyler makes the coveted number 13 slot in Uncut
All very well and good but Uncut. Akin to taking sartorial advice from Jonathan Ross.
Slightly off topic, the Uncut Top 20 list of best films was very poor, did any of them actually go to the cinema?
No Deaf, no Urchin, no I Swear… are you George Bernard?
Without wanting to sound like the typical music press reader of yore, I’m going to go ahead and sound exactly that. Where, oh where, is the astonishingly good From The Pyre by The Last Dinner Party? The only reasons for its omission I can fathom are that either it came out too late for inclusion on these lists, or the magazines are upholding a ridiculous prejudice against the band. The album is objectively as good as most on these lists, and indeed was almost universally critically lauded on its release.
Anyway, enough fanboi-ing…just let it be known that I’m FEEWWWMING!
It’s not been a memorable year
Reckon I’ve heard 6 of those 4 of which I really like and 2 (the Dawson and Annie and the Caldwells) not so much. I’m with Bingo on Lucy Dacus and also Rosalia – have only given it a couple of listens so far and there is an awful lot to get your head around but first impressions are that it’s genuinely exciting stuff after what (for me) was her disappointing last album
For anyone interested, the full Mojo and Uncut lists are here:
https://www.albumoftheyear.org/lists.php
The album I am most surprised to seee is absent from both lists is the Sam Fender which is, perhaps, a perverse reaction to its winning the Mercury Prize.
Pulp, Suede, Stereolab, Forster, Baxter – so 5 for me
I have 8 of these (Percy, Van, Mavis, Suede, Midlake, Pulp, Weller, Big Thief). I note that the Midlake and Mavis Staples only came out last week, so not sure how they made the list so quickly…….
I’m with @black-type on the omission of The Last Dinner Party album, which is superb. That along with the Wolf Alice album are probably my most played in recent weeks.
I think they generally get them a few weeks before the buying public do. I know one of them reviewed the Mavis Staples at least a month ago.
Pulp, Suede, Stereolab, Wet Leg, Robert Forster, Baxter Dury for me. Only one I didn’t like was Suede because Brett’s voice sounds shot, or it was a creative decision to just shout along exactly the same to every song. Wearing. Baxter Dury the pick of the bunch – possibly his best yet.
Also plenty more there I want to hear – CMAT, Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, Midlake.
Agree re Baxter – he just gets better,
I didn’t like the Suede so much when I first heard it and felt it was lacking tunes, but it’s much like the previous 3 in that it takes a lot of listens before they sink in. And then it’s album that I end up listening to over and over
Look who’s just done a Tiny Desk concert…. Those Mojo chart toppers, Pulp.
None of the above I’m afraid.
Wet Leg for mine