Keith is one of the fine people at Businessman Records, who this year released records by Gindrinker, Spencer McGarry Season and Sweet Baboo, with more fun promised for 2009.
Recorded music highlights of 2008:
My favourite album of the year is Instant Coffee Baby by the Wave Pictures – a band I somehow neglected to watch once when they were based in Cardiff, to my subsequent regret. Caustic, knowing, funny indie pop with killer lyrics and guitar solos that actually make you comment on how good they are – this alone is remarkable for me.
Not far behind are Ice Cream Spiritual by Ponytail and Vivian Girls’ self titled debut. There’s too many honourable mentions to, er, mention, but some include Neon Neon, Fredrick Stanley Star, Hayman Watkins Trout & Lee, Abe Vigoda, 7L & Esoteric, Mountain Goats, Rolo Tomassi, Cadence Weapon, The Fall, Cool Kids, Magnetic Fields, El Guincho, High Places, Jay Reatard, Silver Jews, Truckers of Husk, Fuck Buttons, No Age, Bilge Pump, Errors, Los Campesinos!, Eux Autres and Max Tundra.
Live music highlights of 2008:
Again, so much great stuff. On a local level, Fredrick Stanley Star and Truckers of Husk have become must-sees incredibly quickly. The FSS album launch and Truckers’ sets at Sŵn and Ten Feet Tall in particular were some of my favourites of the year.
I probably went to too many festivals this year, but the continued rise of smaller, friendlier events run by people who care passionately about what they do and book awesome line-ups makes it hard not to. Primavera, ATP, Sŵn, End of the Road and the fantastic Indietracks all did this, and even biblical rain can’t dampen Green Man. They can also give you the chance to see bands you never thought you’d get to see live (Devo, Young Marble Giants, Mission of Burma, Mary Weiss, Mountain Goats).
Other gigs, in vaguely chronological order: The Mae Shi at Buffalo, Les Savy Fav at the Astoria, Casiotone at Howard Gardens, Efterklang at the Point, Los Campesinos! in the Solus, the Pedigree Falcon alldayer, Darren Hayman at Clwb, MBV at the Roundhouse, Magnetic Fields in London, Osaka Invasion at Clwb, Ballboy and the Bobby McGees at Clwb, Calvin Johnson in Bristol, Threatmantics at the WMC, YACHT, Plush, Glam Chops, Neon Neon, Sigur Ros, Ruby Suns, Fucked Up and Vivian Girls. Phew.
What else did you enjoy this year?
On a personal level, seeing the Sweet Baboo and Spencer McGarry Season albums launched was the most satisfying thing for me. I know they’re both brilliant, but it’s been heartening and exciting to find more and more people agreeing with me. The launch gigs we put on were top fun too, and hopefully there’s plenty more to come.
2008 was…
Personally, a change of job which has seen me a lot happier and determined to enjoy the stuff I like doing. 2008 was also a really positive local scene, with committed and enthusiastic promoters like Lesson #1, Loose, Joy and Shape taking risks on quality bands, dozens of good new local bands getting the chance to play and get paid for doing so, and, tying it up, the successful second year of a festival which hopefully will get more chances to showcase it all.
2009 will be…
More releases on Businessman Records, tours for Spencer McGarry Season and Gindrinker, more bands like Zail, Right Hand Left Hand, Heck and Silence at Sea getting stuff released, less weight round the middle, Cardiff going up via the playoffs and staying there and everything turning out just fine. We can hope, eh?
