Author: sayitwithgarageflowers

My Top 40 albums of 2012

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It’s been a great year for music, particularly when it comes to singer/songwriters – both new and established.

Veterans like Richard Hawley, Paul Weller, Mark Lanegan, Tim Burgess, Beth Orton, Mark Eitzel, Dr Robert & Bob Dylan all turned in some of their strongest albums, while more recent artists such as Crybaby, John Murry, Quiet Loner, Ian Webber and James Levy and the Blood Red Rose delivered the goods, too.

Psychedelic sounds were also very popular, with Tame Impala, Ian Skelly, Alpha 9, The See See and The Sunchymes just some of the artists who looked back at the ’60s for their inspiration.

And when it came to vintage garage and rock & roll, both the Allah-Las and The Long Insiders cranked up the guitars for some no-nonsense, retro thrills. 

However, my favourite album of 2012 is The Defenestration of St Martin by the former Gene frontman Martin Rossiter.

For his first solo record, Rossiter came up with a brutally honest, stripped-down collection of torch songs for piano and vocals – a brave move that made for one of the most heartrending, yet beautiful, albums I’ve heard in a long time.

Opening track, Three Points On A Compass, in which Rossiter lays bare his relationship with his father, can reduce me to tears… 

A special mention must also go to John Murry, whose debut solo album, The Graceless Age, has hardly left my hi-fi since it came out.

A deeply personal work that deals with the darker side of life, including drug addiction, loss and loneliness, it’s one of those records that’s meant to be listened to on headphones, alone, late at night, as it draws you in with its lush orchestration, gorgeous, spiralling melodies and twisted tales. Misery seldom sounded so sublime. 

Here are my Top 40 albums of 2012. I’ve also included a Spotify playlist of tracks taken from the first 20. 

Next year’s got a lot to live up to…

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1) Martin Rossiter – The Defenestration of St Martin

2) John Murry – The Graceless Age

3) Richard Hawley –  Standing At The Sky’s Edge

4) James Levy and The Blood Red Rose – Pray To Be Free

5) Crybaby –  Crybaby

6) Paul Weller –  Sonik Kicks

7) Bill Fay – Life Is People

8) Quiet Loner – Greedy Magicians

9) Tim Burgess – Oh No, I Love You

10) Mark Lanegan –  Blues Funeral 

11) Soulsavers – The Light The Dead See 

12) Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light

13) Last Harbour – Your Heart, It Carries The Sound

14) The Long Insiders – The Sound of Cat Gut & Engine Oil

15) Lee Ranaldo – Between The Times and the Tides 

16) Gallon Drunk – The Road Gets Darker From Here 

17) Two Wounded Birds – Two Wounded Birds

18) Allah-Las – Allah Las

19) Beth Orton – Sugaring Season

20) Bob Dylan – Tempest

21) Redd Kross – Researching The Blues

22) John DeRosa – A Wolf In Preacher’s Clothing

23) The See See – Fountayne Mountain

24) Explorers Club – Grand Hotel

25) Pet Shop Boys – Elysium

26) Boz Boorer – Sum of the Parts

27) Ian Webber – Blanket Covered Morning

28) Tame Impala – Lonerism

29) The Sunchymes – Let Your Free Flag Fly 

30) Alpha 9: Gone To Ground

31) The Moons – Fables of History

32) Ian Skelly – Cut From A Star

33) Dr John – Locked Down

34) The Sand Band – Love Will Save Us, I Hope

35) Father John Misty – Fear Fun

36) Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas

37) Damon Albarn – Dr Dee

38) The Red Inspectors – Are We The Red Inspectors?

39) Mark Eitzel – Don’t Be A Stranger 

40) Dr Robert – Flutes and Bones

Interview: Alex Lowe

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Former Hurricane#1 frontman Alex Lowe is back with a new band, Gun Club Cemetery, whose debut three-track EP, Take Me Down Again, will be out on Sheffield indie label Smart Art Records this summer. 

 The release takes in warm, country-rock balladry (the title track), infectious guitar pop (Dead Man’s Tongue) and full on, dirty, snarling rock and roll (The Hollow Face Of A Shallow Man). I spoke to Alex to find out more about his return to the music biz…

Sean: How does it feel to be back fronting a band again?

Alex: It feels amazing. I really like playing solo, but to be on stage with a group of friends is the best feeling in the world. I want Gun Club Cemetery to be a great band and to stick together through thick and thin. Since Hurricane#1 split up, I played with so many time wasting musicians – I got sick to death of it. I just want to make it work, make some cool records and get out on the road.

Sean:  You’ve just been in the studio, recording some new songs, haven’t you?

Alex: Yeah – we’ve just finished our new EP – Take Me Down Again, which will be released in the next couple of months. Our album will be out in October – if you think The Rolling Stones, meets Bob Dylan and Crowded House, then you have the sound of Gun Club Cemetery.

Sean: You took some time away from music for a while, to concentrate on art instead. Can you tell me more about your painting?

Alex: I’ve been doing a lot of painting and I’m working with the Smart Art Gallery, in Sheffield. The new Gun Club Cemetery songs will be released through their new label – Smart Art Records. I’ve also been busy on a new project with Alan McGee [music mogul and former boss of Creation Records). He called me out of the blue one day last year and asked me if I’d like to do a project involving paintings, art and the occult. We’ve put together something called the Aquarian Conspiracy. I’m also starring in a film that Alan and Dean Cavanagh (artist, screenwriter, film maker) are making. I star as myself and we start filming soon. To be honest, I don’t know too much about the movie, but I will on the day. I think it could be a mind-blowing experience for some people.

Sean: What do you think of the current music scene?

Alex: Is there a music scene? To be honest, I don’t listen to anything except The Beatles, The Stones and Crowded House.

Sean: Looking back at the days of Hurricane#1, how do you feel about it now?

Alex: They were very happy memories – you just felt part of something that you knew was important to the kids. Hurricane#1 were one of the most underrated bands of all time. We were great live – we were all good musicians.

Sean: I recently saw you play your first gig for two years –a solo acoustic show in Sheffield. How was it playing live again?

Alex: I was very nervous. I did the acoustic set in front of a large crowd that was 10 inches away from my face. It was very intimate, but, I must admit, it felt great to be playing music again.

Sean: So, what have Gun Club Cemetery got planned for the rest of the year?

 Alex: We start rehearsals later this month and then we’re recording some new tracks for the album. We’re hoping to do a few European shows this year, as well.

Sean: What’s the ultimate ambition for Alex Lowe?

 Alex: To be in a successful band again and just go for it!

Gun Club Cemetery are:

Alex Lowe – Guitar & Vocals

Nick Repton – Bass

Colin Ward – Drums.

The debut EP Take Me Down Again is out this summer, with an album to follow in late 2012. Both releases will be on Smart Art Records.