Dim The Lights

Hang on, 'cause here's the cream of the cosmic crop of 2018, a fine fine year in music. Tough call then so, but now the die is shaken, now the die must fall... Collect 'em all why don't you. Fingerpointing cover art by the one and only Tinca.

1. Garcia Peoples - Cosmic Cash
2. Minami Deutsch - With Dim Light
3. Howlin Rain - The Alligator Bride
4. Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples
5. Yo La Tengo - There's A Riot Going On
6. Mythic Sunship - Another Shape Of Psychedelic Music
7. Wooden Shjips - V
8. The Other Years - The Other Years
9. Calexico - The Thread That Keeps Us
10. Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood - With Animals

Garcia Peoples - Hangin' On

Blood & Wealth

The famous FTSOTS end of year list will be with you shortly, but let's get the old stuff out of the way first. Here are the reissues and compilations of the year, in all their raging glory. Out of a ton of goodies, and with exclusive fine art by Tinca, I picked the following.

1. John Coltrane - Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album
2. Bob Dylan - More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14
3. Neil Young - Roxy: Tonight's The Night Live
4. Thelonious Monk - Mønk (Live In Copenhagen '63)
5. Van Morrison - Live In Boston '72
6. Grateful Dead - Pacific Northwest '73-'74: Believe It If You Need It
7. v/a - Basement Beehive: The Girl Group Underground
8. The Louvin Brothers - Love And Wealth: The Lost Recordings
9. Songs: Ohia - Love & Work: The Lioness Sessions
10. v/a - Black Man's Pride 2: Righteous Are The Sons And Daughters Of Jah

John Coltrane - Untitled Original 11386 (Take 1)

Oh Yes

Groovin' with Scott, the guy who used to play with MC Taylor in the Court & Spark and Hiss Golden Messenger, and currently runs a studio in rural California. This one's from his second solo album, out as we speak. Good vibes and a whole lot of soul.

Scott Hirsch - No No

Keep From Crying

Discovered this little nugget thanks to the always interesting end of year parade over at the esteemed Aquarium Drunkard. No One Seems To Notice That It’s Raining covers the small but delicate oeuvre of obscure singer/songwriter Jay Bolotin. Sounding like a cross between Kristofferson and Cohen, Bolotin never quite hit the big time and gave up music in the mid-seventies to become a successful sculptor and woodcutter.

Jay Bolotin - It's Hard To Go Down Easy

Destination Bassari

The always deep-digging explorers from the Analog Africa label went to Togo and this is what they found. Raw African funk from the early seventies with a wild garage organ as the cream on the cake.

Orchestre Abass - Shamarin Banza

Dreadful Curse

Another epitaph for Jason Molina, still missed dearly. Although you probably own and love Songs: Ohia's mighty Lioness album already, the bonus material on this reissue is really too good to pass up, as the piercing rendition of an old gospel standard below shows with verve. Sing on...

Songs: Ohia - Wonderous Love

Here Comes Johnny

High time for another musical six pack, my amigos da musica, so here we go. Artwork as usual by the mighty Tinca. Johnny come listen... To be continued soon, as there's a lot of Johnnys about...

George Russell and his Smalltet - Round Johnny Rondo

Charlie Feathers - Johnny Come Listen

Terry Callier - Johnny Be Gay If You Can Be
Connie Converse - Johnny's Brother

Ry Cooder - Johnny Porter

Wendy - Bye Bye Johnny

Pack On My Shoulder

Wooden Wand's James Toth and pals rock out in a jam band stylee. Everything's Better may be retro bordering on pastiche, but a good time was clearly had by all. A big fun record for everyone pining for the Cosmic American good old days of Feat, Crazy Horse and the Dead.

One Eleven Heavy - Valley Bottom Fever

Set The Controls

A pleasant surprise from Copenhagen of all places, where the aptly named Mythic Sunship takes off into psychedelic deep space with an exciting mix of avant-garde jazz and heavy spacerock. Like Albert Ayler jamming with Amon Düül II, or even Sun Ra frolicking with the Sabs, Another Shape Of Psychedelic Music makes for the unexpected trip of the year.

Mythic Sunship - Way Ahead

Look Up To The Sky

Just got the sad news that Pete Shelley has passed away. The Buzzcocks frontman, who more or less singlehandedly invented punkpop, was 63. Miss him.

Buzzcocks - Nostalgia

Sure Thing

The second subtitle of this steaming Soul Jazz Records sampler says it all really: Afro-Centric Jazz, Street Funk and the Roots of Rap in the Black Power Era 1969-75. Which basically means it's an essential listen of course. The obvious Gil Scott-Heron, Don Cherry, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago all make appearances, with some lesser-known greats adding the cherries to the cake. Take Tribe for instance, an out-there seventies collaboration between Wendell Harrison and Philip Ranelin.

Tribe - Benificent

Don't Say You Lose

And here's the second gem from the Dinosaur Sr. archives this year, following hot on the heels of the triumphant Roxy - Tonight's The Night Live set. Previously known in collector's circles as the Joel Bernstein Tapes, Songs For Judy is filled to the brim with solo acoustic live tracks from '76. You'll be familiar with all of the 23 songs here I guess, except maybe the bitter No One Seems To Know, which never appeared on an official album so far. So here goes just in case...

Neil Young - No One Seems To Know