As well as keeping Spillers Records ticking over and promoting the odd band, Ashli has also been a Joy Collective contributor this year, as well as an excellent baker of cakes.
Recorded Music Highlights…
Albums
Black Mountain – In The Future
Flying Lotus – Los Angeles
Silver Jews – Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
Earth – The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull
Steve Reid + Kieran Hebden – NY
Gutter Twins – Saturnalia
Gentle Good – While You Slept I Went Out Walking
Errors – It’s Not Something, But It Is Like Whatever
Benga – Diary Of An Afro Warrior
Retribution Gospel Choir – s/t
Tracks
TV on the Radio – DLZ
Witch – Sweet Sue
Atmosphere – You
Black Ghost – Anyway You Choose To Give It
The Whip – Trash
The Accidental – Illuminated Red
Cate Le Bon – O Bont I Bont
Jonathan Richman – When We Refuse to Suffer (2nd version / side 2)
Aloha Hawaii – I’ve Been Bad For Years and Years
Mary Hampton – Because You’re Young
Most listened to while running
Moby – Last Night
Foals – Antidotes
Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
Lyrics Born – Everywhere at Once
Best gigs that left me elated:
Bruce Springsteen – Cardiff Stadium. 3 hrs / 2 pints. He must have been good to keep me off the ale!
Bjork – Plymouth Pavilion – LFO dropping Freak during the set. A moment of beaming joy.
Low – Bristol Thekla. I still get goosebumps when I think of this gig.
Witch – Camden Underworld. Seeing J Mascis on drums, swoon.
Flying Lotus – Big Chill. A k.r.u.n.k.ing + dirty set that was much heavier than the LP.
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – Clwb Ifor Bach. Lovely, lovely people – Lots of dancing. Good show! (great instore too!)
Clinic – Clwb / Swn – The best I’ve seen them.
Fuck Buttons / Caribou / Black Mountain / Greenman – wig out haziness from what I can recall : )
Peth – Spillers Records / In store. Winners of most people playing in the shop at one time + very funny.
All the times I saw Alex Dingley / Zail / RHLH / Zonderhoof / Zumbar.
What else did I enjoy?
McNulty (and other moments from The Wire)
Learning the drums (and pretending to be in a band called the Miss-cuits)
Running (and managing to go out even when I’d rather have not)
‘Adopting’ a cat.
2008 was
… another non stop and relentless year.
2009 will be …
… I’m sure it will have its moments.
