Dear CBS, et al.,
 
     I’m so sorry to read about your trials and tribulations with Charlie Sheen of late. I just heard the show has been canceled for the entire season. This news surely devastated many a die-hard fan. And earlier this week, your studio decided to completely sever it’s ties with the actor, a move that was not exactly shocking given the surreal tug-of-war battle that’s occurred.
     It’s no secret Mr. Sheen has been acting a little odd lately. Then again, he’s always been a little out there. I guess fame has a way of doing that to some people.
     Your studio’s plight reminds me of the story in a movie–I cannot remember which film–when a truck gets stuck underneath an overpass. A myriad of people are called to the scene to formulate how best to remove the truck. While everyone is attempting to surmise the answer, a little kid walking by suggests to simply deflate the tires. Problem solved.
     Please allow me to cut to the chase. I am that little kid. I’m here to help. Are you ready for my suggestion? Okay, here it is: Hire me to replace Charlie Sheen! Don’t laugh. This show can still be saved.
     Fact is, the sitcom is better off with out him. Frankly, I’ve never found him funny anyway. I’d just as soon slit my fucking wrists then watch that "comedy" in which he played a professional pitcher. The only good thing about that movie was that it was shot in Milwaukee County Stadium, a place I visited often for Brewers games while growing up.
     To be honest, I’ve never even watched an episode of Two and a Half Men. I had no idea it was such a huge hit until recently. But don’t let that deter you from hiring me.
     Allow me to provide a brief synopses of my acting credentials. In sixth grade, I was in my home town’s community theater production of A Christmas Carol. I played Tiny Tim’s brother. A half year later, I was in the musical Carousel. That play really propelled my career to new levels. I was then offered a small service announcement film with the Wisconsin Department of Fish and Game. I played a young hunter who, along with his friend, carried home three dead squirrels. The squirrels were actually frozen, not that it matters. The short film was shot with my big competition in the community theater, a kid who was one year behind me in my school. He was the "bad example" who wanted to throw the squirrels in the garbage rather then clean them for food. I was paid twenty dollars for three hours of work. After that film, I tried out for On Golden Pond and lost the role to my aforementioned competitor.
     So, there you have it. That was my acting career. Which brings me to the most important reason you should consider me for the role on your sitcom: Money. Unlike Charlie Sheen, I am not a greedy egomaniac. I will work for far less money. That tool wanted three million dollars per episode but was upset he was signed for 1.8 million. (Who does he think he is? It’s not like he was in Apocalypse Now or Repo Man.) I will settle for a paltry 500 grand per episode. Not a penny less, though. That’s a win-win situation for everyone. Think about it. Once America gets wind of this, I’ll be the underdog everyone is watching. It will make for a great story! The press will eat it up.
     I know what the studio is thinking. The show is loosely based on Charlie Sheen. Therefore, how the hell can some obsequious sous chef living in Seattle fill the shoes of the infamously famous partier and womanizer born Carlos Irwin Estevez? Trust me, I’ve done my share of partying. Hell, I went to the University of Wisconsin, an institution that routinely ranks in the top ten of party schools almost any given year. Practically the entire populace of Wisconsin are professional drinkers. That said, I could easily keep up with Charlie’s drinking, no problemos.
    Now the illegal drugs is another issue altogether. Unlike Mr. Sheen, I have not single handedly helped keep the various cartels in business via my cocaine consumption. I concede. He’s the winner.
     And while it’s also true I have never been a huge womanizer, there is always room for improvement. No, I’m not willing to spend fifty-two thousand dollars on hookers in one year. Well, maybe I’d consider spending upwards of twenty-five grand. But that’s not the point. It’s just not my style. Nonetheless, I am willing—with the studio’s blessing and aid as an invaluable intermediary, of course—to bang Denise Richards 24/7 for a few weeks before we begin shooting. Most men fantasize about being with a Bond woman, so I’d kill two birds with one stone while gaining some crucial womanizing experience. If Denise is not up for copious amounts of unbridled fornication, I’ll settle for some fun with Charlie’s recently tossed-to-the-curb "Goddesses." While I’m generally not into shallow slutty blonds, I’d take one for the team if it benefits the show.
     So there you have it. That’s my pitch. Oh, I do want to mention one more stipulation. I am not a morning person. Never have been and never will be. Hence, if we could hold off shooting everyday ‘till around say, 1:00 PM, I promise you I’d be much more on my game. I’m sure old Charlie demanded far worse.
     If all parties are willing to get together ASAP to negotiate, I’m confident we can ink a deal in no time. All of this ugly mess with Sheen will be water under the bridge soon enough. You’ll never have to deal with that jerk-off ever again once we get this truck back on the road. I Guarantee the studio will have the last laugh. We’ll render Charlie Sheen a useless has-been, all thanks to some moron in Seattle who fortuitously came along just in time to save Two and a Half Men.
     Please contact me via Chunklet. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Mark Stelmach

After a year of fussing and a few months of Kickstarting, the indie Cred Test is ready for preorders! (which will ship in mid-March)

This sucker clocks in at almost 200 pages and is a fine addition to any bookshelf that might have back issues of the mag or our other two books.

How would I describe this new book? In a word: dense. In three words: heavy ink coverage. In a nutshell? Imagine a standardized test that grew a pair.

Written by the staff at Chunklet, designed by Aaron Draplin and yrs truly and illustrated by the world-famous Jesse LeDoux. Like, whoa!

I’m anxious for all to read this behemoth.

Also! The new 12" by Fucked Up is also ready for preorders. Test pressings have been approved and we’re just waiting for copies to show up from the plant. Heck, the band even covers a Chain Gang song on the encore! And as always, there’s a few different colored vinyl editions. They will go fast, I’m sure.

And if’n you wanna buy both together and save a few bucks, just click here. Obviously, if you would like to purchase anything via Paypal, just contact me. And also, if anybody knows of any distributors (if there’s any left), let me know, okay?

Hop to.

Beautifully printed on American Apparel 2001 forest green shirts.

Only made a handful for the new book. Get it while it lasts!

(Note: These shirts are ‘discharge’ prints which means they have a super smooth feel to them. Dig it!)

A massive and comprehensive blog posting. A year in the making. This great Pittsburgh band’s singles, a few radio sessions, live video and even a live show mixed and recorded by Mr. Bobby Weston.

Hurl were always like the baby brother band to Don Caballero. Kinda forgotten over the years, but the kind folks at the incredible blog Pukekos were kind enough to allow me to do an exhaustive feature on them. Mr. Jencik now performs with Kranky recording artists Implodes. Enjoy!

When I moved to Georgia, one of the big promises I made to myself is that I would stop driving to shows hours away all by myself. When living in York, I’d always borrow my mom’s car and hop to Philly and Baltimore or lesser boros like Lancaster and Harrisburg. Almost always by myself and almost always just dragging ass on the return drive home so I wouldn’t miss classes at 8:00am the next morning.

However, the more memorable drives I’d make were to shows in DC. Always. I lucked out and would always get tips on shows at the Wilson Center, DC Space and 9:30 Club. My energy level far exceeded any rational person’s and well, I went routinely. As in once per week. For years it was like that. No joke.

Thanks to time and/or gentrification (or both), trying to explain how dangerous some of these neighborhoods were is next to impossible. But the parties at the house called The Embassy? Well, those still stand out as the shows that I still really can’t explain. Not only was the neighborhood just absolutely 100% life-threatening (reminding me of the neighborhood at LA’s Jabberjaw) but it also served as the club house for Nation of Ulysses. Yeah.

The shows I saw at the Embassy were just ridiculous. Part of this was because I didn’t know anybody at the shows. I’d just lurk in the corner, drink beer outside or just sit in the car. There was always tons of free time and well, this was pre-cell phones so texting friends or playing Angry Birds would hafta wait twenty years. But let’s face it, house shows are always legendary, right? No real PA. No real stage. No real anything if you think about it. And well, watching bands perform amidst that sort of limitation was something I’d relish as I moved to Athens.

The Embassy Tapes isn’t a collection of live performances at the house, but rather a collection of recordings that were made by all the usual suspects of early 90’s DC. Circus Lupus, Bratmobile and a myriad of Ulysses side project bands. I purchased this copy via Simple Machines the week it came out and have made countless copies of it over the years.

As time progressed, I became friends with Tim Green (later of the Fucking Champs). Not only was he in Ulysses, but (I’m guessing) he recorded a good chunk of the material on this tape and released the tape out of his bedroom. When asked why he’s never made more copies of this, his response is that he got worried about how to pay everybody which is a pretty understandable concern. But man, what a great release all the same.

So here are the ‘dank nugs’ of the release. Be sure to also check out the Primal Scream demo by Nation of Ulysses and two Circus Lupus demos elsewhere on the site for more sonic enjoyment.

As a final aside, I can’t recollect which neighborhood The Embassy was in, but I do know that somebody from the DC scene now owns the house. Maybe somebody from The Apes or Faraquet owns it? Leave any info in the comments section.

Andycane – Embassy Tapes
Audio Player

Billy – Embassy Tapes
Audio Player
Circus Lupus – Embassy Tapes
Audio Player
Nation of Ulysses – Embassy Tapes
Audio Player
Nero – Embassy Tapes
Audio Player
Tim Green – Embassy Tapes
Audio Player
Wonder Twins – Embassy Tapes
Audio Player
Bratmobile 2 – Embassy Tapes
Audio Player
Bratmobile – Embassy Tapes
Audio Player
Steve Kroner – Embassy Tapes
Audio Player

…but from the looks of this, I missed quite a bit! And even with a stroke, she made more sense than any lucid journalist.

(follow up) Mea Culpa.

THIS is how it was done in 2010.

Mayyors. An absolutely magnificent band. Now no longer. But good god, I defy anybody to find a better live band in the last few years.

And here’s parts two and three of their final gig. Brilliant.

Mayyors – The Crawl
Audio Player

Mayyors – Ghost Punch
Audio Player
Mayyors – Clicks
Audio Player
Mayyors – Deads
Audio Player

The Preamble: Today is my birthday; who cares. I have written for this website/magazine/book-maker pretty consistently and for several years now but as George Harrison once said, “Why do I get all the third-rung pussy?” Wait, wrong quote. I was thinking of the “All things must pass” one, whoops. But I feel the time is right to be on my way. I do hope that I won’t be placed in the “many that have come and gone” category that was once proffered to me. When writing for Chunklet the goal was to not use the pronoun “I” too often or at all if possible. Seriously, who cares about me? I tried to write about things that got you, the reader, involved in the fun. I mean I got some guy in Ireland his own damn Anal Cunt song for crying out loud! Ranting, bitching, praising, exploring, that was my bag. But as my likely last hurrah I thought it only right to make this one all about me, all about “I”. So here is a list of 101 totally random, off-the-cuff, things about yours truly. You may take them, read them, and forget them instantly. You may ask questions, (I’ll pop in and answer the best I can, really) bust my balls, take real ugly personal shots, relate a comparable thing in your life, offer words of wisdom, tell where I went wrong, tell me where I went right, or make a completely non sequitur type comment if you wish. If you take the time to do anything, funny is always best. I always liked the funny; wrapped in sycophantic lavish praise it’s really the best! To ALL the great regulars…and you know who you are, you’re aces. I’ve even managed to make a few semi-friends here. Thanks Chunklet, you were a gentle & tender lover. (even tho it seems somebody out there has the key to your spam locker, had no choice but to delete entire post after 100 hits? Sorry gang!)

1. I have been 5′ 11” and 165lbs. since 1987
2. I was expelled from High School
3. I graduated Summa Cum Laude w/ honors from college with a degree in Anthropology
4. I have broken my left arm, my left ring finger, and my nose, twice.
5. I have been in jail on a few occasions
6. I have not had any drugs in 20 years
7. I have not had any booze in 10 years
8. I will never get married (what is this, the 1700s?)
9. I will never have any kids
10. I don’t do Facebook
11. I don’t do Twitter
12. I don’t do FriendFeed
13. I don’t do Flickr
14. I don’t do LinkedIn
15. I don’t do Last.fm
16. I don’t do Digg
17. I don’t do MySpace
18. I don’t do Delicious
19. I don’t do BlogSpot
20. I don’t do Orkut (hey, it was in the top 10 thingees?)
21. I don’t have a YouTube account
22. I am a Liberal
23. I am a huge Liberal
24. I use that term with pride
25. I read over a dozens news columnist a week
26. I once had a cop knock me over with his car as I was running from him
27. I hate bullies more than anything in the world
28. I like my food spicier than many humans can consume
29. I will not eat cheap ice cream (if/when I eat ice cream)
30. I lost both parents before 30
31. I have had 2 jobs in the last 20+ years, one lasted 10 months.
32. I am mildly to moderately dyslexic
33. I write voraciously
34. I have never been to church a day in my life
35. I have been some places, done some things and known some people
36. I own a nice home, live pretty well and never made over 30K in a year
37. I have never owed an iPod
38. I have an awesomely great credit score
39. I had a father who retired at 50 to be a full time sports gambler
40. I firmly believe in the golden rule
41. I do not play video games
42. I was kicked out of a poker tourney for mentioning that 9/11 was actually successful
43. I have never to this point let money be my motivation for anything I’ve done
44. I will often wear the same pair of pants for a week straight
45. I do not drink sugar (sans 100% fruit juice)
46. I love it when the bull kills the bullfighter
47. I have seen the movie “Jaws” beginning to end nearly 100 times
48. I thrive on confrontation
49. I absolutely cannot stand having food on my hands
50. I have not slept for more than 5 hours straight in a decade
51. I am very clean but a total slob
52. I will not eat frozen pizza
53. I have never, ever, seen a single episode of “Law and Order”
54. I have always lived in the same state
55. I think winter is fucking awesome
56. I have kept an MDC pin on the visor of every car I have ever owned
57. I was shot in the eye with a BB at age 14 & it is still lodged in my sinus base
58. I have never been to a strip club
59. I have a friend Steve who showed me the awesome of “zapping the pram”
60. I can’t stand cigarette smoke
61. I refuse to attend any type of “music festival” – 4 band limit for me
62. I would smash one of those Westboro fucks right in the face & gladly do the time
63. I fully delight in massive over-tipping in restaurants
64. I think all types of narcotics should be in vending machines
65. I fully and totally 100% believe that love trumps blood by a mile
66. I think “Richard Pryor: Live In Concert” (1979) is the greatest performance on film
67. I drink coffee, black, and always have
68. I know that all I ever wanted to be was Lowell Bergman
69. I once blew a .36 during a breathalyzer, yes a .36
70. I average about 2.5 haircuts a year since I quit caring
71. I think the Pope should be in fucking prison
72. I always leave my car running when filling the gas tank
73. I refuse to go to the movies because people can’t shut the hell up
74. I completely support assisted suicide
75. I own a riding mower but pay the neighbor kids do it because they’re good kids
76. I grew up in Cincinnati during the 1970s, hence sports-wise I love baseball ONLY
77. I don’t mind puking at all, in fact I somewhat enjoy it
78. I have been to Nuevo Laredo, per capita one the most dangerous cities in the world
79. I don’t use coupons, I even once paid the discrepancy on a lady’s to move her ass along
80. I always try to get the emergency exit seat on the airplane
81. I once sold my socks to an anonymous guy who used to call a place I worked ($20)
82. I never got a big kick out of fireworks displays, still don’t
83. I sometimes have a full-on raging beard (pre-beardo trend) sometimes I don’t
84. I have no tatts, but ironically are friends with some of the best artist out there
85. I was suspended from High School for a day due to wearing a Circle Jerks T-shirt
86. I still have my tonsils and my appendix
87. I have never owned a gun of any type
88. I absolutely insist a good water pressure and will take measures to assure it
89. I can play the guitar but have no ability to play the drums whatsoever
90. I once banged this broad right on the ground in a parking lot between cars
91. I have voted in every major election since I turned 18
92. I have one friend who is a great mechanic & one a great plumber=GOLD.
93. I have never, ever, made, attempted to make, or needed a resume
94. I can’t draw worth a shit, never could
95. I have never been to Europe…yet
96. I am not a morning person
97. I give to charity on a fairly regular basis
98. I am awesome at parallel parking; could put a RV in a soup can
99. I have never purchased a lottery ticket in my life
100. I know that sooner or later it’s everybody to his or her own life
101. I love Rock & Roll

Happy holidays and happy new year. Now leave us alone.
Love, The Chunklet Staff

Henry H. Owings
Shipping News-One Less Heart To Fear (Karate Body)
Grinderman-2 (Anti-)
Slices-Cruising (Iron Lung)
Twin Stumps-Seedbed (Fan Death)
Endless Boogie-Full House Head (No Quarter)
Disappears-LUX (Kranky)
Nails-Unsilent Death (Southern Lord)
Woven Bones-In And Out And Back Again (Hozac)
Drunk Driver-Self Titled (self released)
White Shit-Sculpted Beef (PPM)

Honorable Mentions:
Black Helicopter-Don’t Fuck With The Apocalypse (Ecstatic Peace!/Limited Appeal)
Ocean-Pantheon of the Lesser (Important)
The Limiñanas-self titled (Trouble In Mind)
Dum Dum Girls-I Will Be (Sub Pop)
Swans-My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky (Young God)
Grids-White Walls (Ink Blot) & Kansas (Made In Kansas)
Major Stars-Return to Form (Drag City)
Black Bug-self titled (FDH)
Tre Orsi-Devices and Emblems (Works Progress)
The Young-Voyagers of Legend (Mexican Summer)
Hank IV-III (Siltbreeze)
Double Negative-Daydreamnation (Sorry State)
The Intelligence-Males (In The Red)
Tyvek-Nothing Fits (In The Red)
Bardo Pond – s/t (Fire UK)
Purling Hiss – Hissteria (Richie)

Other odds and ends (12" EPs and 7"s):
Dead Meat-Early Recordings (Flingco)
Neon Blud-B Girls (Drugged Conscience)
Black Congress-Davidians (label unknown)
all the 7"s on Trouble In Mind, Captured Tracks and HoZac (which never disappoint)

Box set/reissues:
Floor-Below And Beyond (Robotic Empire)
Jon Wayne-Texas Funeral (Third Man)
Syl Johnson-discography (Numero Group)
A Frames-3 (SS)

Top Ten Live Performances:
The Stooges, Toronto, NXNE
Liturgy, Atlanta, EARL
Dead C, Bardo Pond, The Ex & Flowers/Corsano Duo, Minehead, UK
The Jesus Lizard, Chicago, Metro
Disappears, Atlanta, EARL
Unrest (3 different sets), WDC, Black Cat
Twin Stumps/Kim Phuc/Bukkake Boys, Atlanta, Club 529
Floor (all 3 line ups), Atlanta, EARL
Urinals (and most of the rest of the Mess-Around weekend), Atlanta, Club 529/EARL
Neon Blud, Atlanta, Drunken Unicorn

Billy
The Weakerthans – "Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre+DVD" (Anti)
**DVD is 109 minutes & for 109 minutes in 2010 I knew great joy.**
Tite Crown – "Lines On Both Sides" 7" (Clear Metal)
The Station Pills – "Trunk’d" 7" (Strict)
OFF! – "First Four EPs" (Vice)
Freeman Glory – "Viperventilated" 7" (Torrence High)
String, Strang, Strung – "Diane Keaton" 7" (Cured Phobia)
Privy Council – "Set Standard" 7" (Sheet Back)
Gil Scott-Heron – "I’m Here Now" (XL)
Reverse Maverick – "Just Me & My View" 7" (Your Trophy)
Bald Grip – "Buckled Beams" 7" (Oscar Wilde Never Did This)

Ben Johnson
Rock Albums
Heavy Times – "Dead" (Rotted Tooth Recordings)
Personal & the Pizzas – Raw Pie (1-2-3-4 Go! Records)
Ty Segall – Melted (Goner Records)
Idle Times – s/t (HoZac Records)
Scorpion Violente – Uberschleiss (Avant! Records)
Bare Wires – Seeking Love (Castleface)
Moonhearts – s/t (Tic Tac Totally)
Puffy Areolas – In The Army 1981 (Siltbreeze)
Tyvek – Nothing Fits (In The Red)
Purling Hiss – Hissteria (Richie Records)

Obligatorily Included Music by Black People That I’m Including To Prove I’m Not Racist Even Though I Really Thought It Was Very Much Not A Great Year For Hip Hop or R&B:
1. That Whole Medicine Show Thing With The 12 Albums – Madlib (Probably Stone’s Throw, Full Disclosure: I Haven’t Listened To All Of Them But He Gets A Genius Pass)
2. Ghostface Killah – Apollo Kids (Not Even Out Yet, Haven’t Even Heard It, Will Definitely Like It Way More Than The Rest Of This List)
3. Big Boi – The Something Something Story of Luscious Jackson (MGM?)
4. Curren$y – Pilot Talk (Or Maybe It’s Pilot Talk – Curren$y, I Don’t Know)
5. Janelle Montae – That One Where She Looks Like Metropolis (Warner Brothers)
6. J.C. Brooks – I Have Met Ben Johnson A Couple of Times (He’s Not Quite A Friend)
7. Kanye West – I Am Into Brian Eno Now (Warner Brothers)
8. Wale – More Nothing (Self-Released?)
9. Tyvek – Nothing Fits (In The Red)
10. Various Artists – Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal (Numero Group)

Singles, EP’s, reissues, things I will include in order to make you think I’m awesome:
1. Rayon Beach – Memory Teeth (HoZac)
2. Stephan Eicher – Spielt Noise Boys (Born Bad Records)
3. Nerve City – Sleepwalker EP (Sacred Bones)
4. Moon Duo – Catch As Catch Can b/w Set It On Fire 7" (Agitated Records)
5. Radar Eyes – Shakes b/w Not You Again 7" (HoZac Records)
6. Liquid Liquid – Anthology (Mo Wax Again)
7. Kitchens Floor – Loneliness Is A Dirty Mattress (R.I.P. Society)
8. Eno – Finally Some Reissues (With The Japanese Obi Strips)
9. Motherfucking Roku Box – Everything On It (To Watch)
10. Permanent Records – The Fucking Amazing Collection They Bought And Put In The Used Records Section All Year Long (70% Of My Income Was Still Not Enough)
11. Acid Archives – 2nd Edition Book

Biggest Disappointments/Rip-Offs:
1. Record Store Day – "Limited" Anything
2. Joy Division – $200 Box Set for the Most Reissued Band of All Time That Somehow Manages Not To Include "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Technically A Part Of Record Store Day But Such A Rip-Off It Deserves Its Own Entry)
3. Thee Oh Sees – A-Side Time Waste Portion of "Warm Slime" (Somebody Had To Say It)
4. Moon Duo Live – Not Loud Enough To Destroy Me Like I’d Hoped (And Rambly Enough For My Mind To Wander About Things Like "Does Anybody Else Think He’s Going To Shave His Beard And Turn Out To Be Ian Williams?")
5. HoZac Hookup Klub – Charging $70 Per Subscription Then Issuing a Cheap Comp LP (See Also: Most Hilarious)
6. Wave of Acid Archives Cash-In 180 Gram Reissues – $26 (Those Things Are All On Blogs For Free, Which I Realize Sounds Like A Lazy Asshole Who Hates Vinyl, But For These Things The 180 Gram Vinyl Reissue Sound Quality Is Not Always That Much Better Than Those Vinyl-Rip MP3’s, And Anyway, Most Of These Albums Kind of Suck)
7. 2009-2010 Numero Group Vinyl Subscription – Because $100 for 5 Double LPs Including Some Thrown Together Folk Thing But Not The Pisces LP Is Somehow A Good Deal (Should Have Been Called "Numero Group Catalog Dumping Ground For Suckers")
8. Chicago Sales Tax
9. Mad Men Season 4
10. Once Again, Being A Regular Person Consumer – Not Some Kind of Insider Who Gets Free Copies of Everything (It Sucks, You Guys)

Gordon Lamb
Walter Gibbons-Jungle Music (Strut Records)
Tunabunny-S/T (HHBTM)
V/A-Lagos Disco Inferno (Academy LPs)
Burzum-Belus (Byelobog Productions)
Chew Lips -Unicorn (Indie Europe/Zoom)
Brian Eno-Small Craft on a Milk Sea (Warp Records)
The Gary-Logan (Cedar Fever Records)
Kevin Dunn-No Great Lost: Songs 1979-1985 (Casa Nueva Records)
The Dream Scene-Christmas (Party Party Partners) (Technically came out December 2009)

Aaron Turney
Ty Segall – Melted (Goner)
No Age – Everything in Between (Sub Pop)
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest (4AD)
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today (4AD)
Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon II: Legend of Mr. Rager (GOOD/Universal Motown)
Grinderman – Grinderman 2 (ANTI-)
Les Savy Fav – Root For Ruin (Frenchkiss)
Black Keys – Brothers (Nonesuch)
Aloe Blacc – Good Things (Stones Throw)
Black Angels – Phosphene Dream (Blue Horizon Ventures)

And I’ll be damned if I couldn’t get these two outta my head:
Hollows – Hollows (Addenda)
Real Estate – 7" Out of Tune b/w Reservoir (True Panther Sounds)

Best thing I saw all year:
Watching Bob Pollard swig tequila at the Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky to the biggest group of die hard Guided By Voices fans I’ve ever seen.
Jens Lekman – Empty Bottle, Chicago
Woven Bones – Empty Bottle, Chicago
John Spencer Blues Explosion – Pitchfork Fest, Chicago
Conan O’Brien – Austin Music Hall
Louis CK – Bass Hall, Fort Worth
Avett Brothers – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville
Will Johnson/Anders Parker – House show, Chicago

Michael Faloon
Black Wine – Black Wine (Don Giovanni)
The Measure [SA] – Notes (No Idea)
Mind Spiders – Worlds Destroyed EP (Dirtnap)
Night Birds, Prognosis – Negative 7” (Grave Mistake)
Safes/Lexington Arrows – split 7” (Merrifield)
Shannon & the Clams, “Paddy’s Birthday” b/w “Diary, Jimmy” 7" (Southpaw)
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – I Learned the Hard Way (Daptone)
Skipper – In Italy 10" (Bachelor)
Splinters – “Blood On My Hands” b/w “Hot Hands” 7” (Southpaw)
Superchunk – Majesty Shredding (Merge)

Pete Wilkins
Mantles – Pink Information (Mexican Summer)
The Limiñanas – I’m Dead (HoZac)
Drunkdriver – Self Titled LP (self released)
Dolly Mixture – Demonstration Tapes (Germs of Youth)
Kommie Kilpatrick – Weird City
Sonskull – Birth Scene/Rewind EP (Perennial)
The Endtables – EP reissue (Drag City)
Double Negative – Daydreamnation (Sorry State)
Hygiene – Things That Dreams Are Made Of (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Gun Outfit – Possession Sound (PPM)

Patrick Gough
Aloha – Home Acres (Polyvinyl)
Medications – Completely Removed (Dischord)
Hume – Penumbra (Sockets)
Maps & Atlases – Perch Patchwork (Barsuk)
Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (Modular)
Maserati – Pyramid of the Sun (Temporary Residence)
Die Antwoord – $O$ (Interscope)
Foals – Total Life Forever (Sub Pop)
Abe Vigoda – Crush (Bella Union/Post Present Medium)
Factory Floor – Lying/Wooden Box EP (self-release)

Daniel Del Ben
Foetus-HIDE (Entopic Ents)
Kylesa-Spiral Shadow (Season of Mist)
(the) Melvins-The Bride Screamed Murder (Ipecac)
Mondo Cane (Ipecac)
Mugison-Ítrekun
MF Doom-MF Borat
High on Fire-Snakes For the Divine (E1)
Tom Jones-Praise and Blame (Sound Recorders)
VRSA-Old Man Gray (Last Bastion)
Brian Posehn-Fart & Wiener Jokes (Relapse)

Ross Morgan
Boston Spaceships – Our Cubehouse Still Rocks (Rockathon)
Walkmen – Lisbon (Fat Possum)
Robert Pollard – Moses on a Snail (Rockathon)
The Fall – Your Future, Our Clutter (Domino)
Ty Segall – Melted (In the Red)
Robert Pollard – We All Got Out of the Army (Rockathon)
Clinic – Bubblegum (Domino)
The Soft Moon – Breathe the Fire 7" (Captured Tracks)
So Cow – Meaningless Friendly (Tic Tac Totally)
Tobin Sprout – The Bluebirds of Happiness Tried to Land on My Shoulder (Moonflower Records)

Tim Hinely
The Radio Dept- Clinging to a Scheme (Labrador)
Magic Kids- Memphis (True Panther Sounds)
Justin Townes Earle- Harlem River Blues (Bloodshot)
The Fresh and Onlys- Play It Strange (In the Red)
Beach House- Teen Dream (Sub Pop)
Wavves- King of the Beach (Fat Possum)
Best Coast- Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)
Surf City- Kudos (Fire)
Phil Wilson- God Bless Jim Kennedy (Slumberland)
Titus Andronicus- The Monitor (xl)

Dan Norris
Deerhunter-Halcyon Digest (4AD)
Double Negative-Daydream Nation (Sorry State)
Superchunk-Majesty Shredding (Merge)
Neil Young-Le Noise (Reprise)
Kylesa-Spiral Shadows (Seasons of Mist)
forgetters-Too Small to Fail (Too Small to Fail)
Leatherface-The Stormy Petrel (Big Ugly Fish/No Idea)
Harvey Milk-A Small Turn of Human Kindness (Hydra Head)
Grinderman-2 (Anti)
Black Tusk-Taste the Sin (Relapse)

Adam Reach
Shipping News – One Less Heartless To Fear (Noise Pollution/Karate Body)
Puffy Areolas – In The Army 1981 (Siltbreeze)
OFF! – First Four EPs (Vice)
Harvey Milk – S/T (Hydra Head)
Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder (Ipecac)
Bottomless Pit – Blood Under The Bridge (self released)
Three Mile Pilot – The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten (Temporary Residence)
White Drugs – Gold Magic (Amphetamine Reptile)
Secret – Solve Et Coagula (Southern Lord)
Disappears – Lux (Kranky)

Aaron Draplin
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Wonder Show of the World (Drag City)
Greenhornes – **** (Third Man Records)
Kort – Invariable Heartache (City Slang)
Dungen – Skit I allt (Mexican Summer)
Baroness – Blue Record (Relapse)
The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever (Vagrant)
No Age – Everything In Between (Sub Pop)
Cheap Girls – My Roaring 20s (Paper+Plastik)
The Soft Pack – s/t (Kemado)
Polvo – In Prism (Merge)

Seb Roberts
Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope To the Sky (Young God)
Demdike Stare – Symbiosis (Modern Love)
Tyler, the Creator – Bastard (Self-released)
Barn Owl – Ancestral Star (Thrill Jockey)
Big Boi – Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam)
Gekitetsu – Gekitetsu 1 (Self-released)
Grinderman – Grinderman 2 (Mute/ANTI-)
The Fall – Your Future, Our Clutter (Domino)
Women – Public Strain (Jagjaguwar)
Lostage – Lostage (Avocado)

Dryw Keltz
Superchunk-Majesty Shredding
The Hold Steady-Heaven is Whenever
Spoon-Transference
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists-The Brutalist Bricks
Let’s Wrestle-In The Court
The Futureheads-The Chaos
Bottomless Pit-Blood Under The Bridge
The Soft Pack-s/t
Film School-Fission
Surfer Blood-Astro Coast

Christian Campagna
Torche – Songs for Singles (Hydrahead)
Harvey Milk – A Small Turn of Human Kindness (Hydrahead)
Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit (Profound Lore)
Black Helicopter – Don’t Fuck With the Apocalypse (Ecstatic Peace)
Intronaut – Valley of Smoke (Century Media)
Artificial Peace – Complete Sesssion, Nov ’81 (Dischord)
Red Sparrowes – The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer (Sargent House)
Kylesa – Spiral Shadow (Season of Mist)
Fucked Up – Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009 (Matador)
High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine (E1 Music)

Jaron Loggins
Harvey Milk – Hydra Head
Melvins – Ipecac
BXI – Southern Lord
The Roots – Def Jam
Swans – Young God
Grinderman – Anti-
Jesu – Hydra Head
Massive Attack – EMI
Merzbow – Soleilmoon
Oval – Thrill Jockey

Benn Ray
Wavves – King Of The Beach (Fat Possum)
Best Coast – Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)
Masks EP – Double Dagger (Thrill Jockey)
Surfer Blood –  Astro Coast (Kanine Records)
Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart (Jagjaguwar)
Mi Ami – Steal Your Face (Thrill Jockey)
Thee Oh Sees – Warm Slime (In The Red Records)
Lower Dens – Twin-Hand Movement (Gnomonsong)
Ty Segall – Melted (Goner Records)
Liz King – All Songs Go To Heaven (Ehse Records)

Aron Gagliardo
High on Fire-Snakes For The Devine (E1 Music)
Les Savy Fav-Root For Ruin (Frenchkiss Records)
Swans-my father will guide me up a rope to the sky (Young God Records)
Floor-Below & Beyond (Robotic Empire)
Janelle Monae-ArchAndroid (Bad Boy/Wondaland)
Goatsnake-1+Dog Days Reissue (Southern Lord)
Grinderman-2 (Anti/Epitaph)
Black Breath-Heavy Breathing (Southern Lord)
Liars-Sisterworld (Mute Records)
The Sword-Warp Riders (Kemado Records)

Shane Gillis
Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones (Century Media)
Opeth – In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (Roadrunner)
Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier (EMI)
Accept – Blood of the Nations (Nuclear Blast)
Ihsahn – After (Candlelight)
Cloudkicker – Beacons (Cloudkicker)
No – self-titled (Subversive Workshop)
Dio – At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 (Niji)
Heaven and Hell – Neon Nights: 30 Years of Heaven and Hell – Live at Wacken (Eagle Records)
Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky (Young God)

Nick Flanagan
Earl – Sweatshirt (Independent)
Curren$y – Pilot Talk 2 (Bluroc/Def Jam)
Danny Brown – The Hybrid (Independant)
Big Boi – Sir Luscious Left Foot (Def Jam)
Tyler, The Creator – Bastard (Independent)
WTF With Marc Maron – Carlos Mencia 2 Part Interview (WTFpod.com)
No Age – Everything In Between (Sub Pop)
Devo – Something For Everybody( Warner Brothers)
Best Show On WFMU – Four Loko Holiday Party (WFMU.ORG)
Anagram – Majewski (Dead Astronaut)

Atom Goren
Kylesa-Spiral Shadow (Season of Mist)
Marnie Stern-Marnie Stern (K Records)
The Austerity Program-Backsliders and Apostates (Hydra Head)
Les Savy Fav-Root For Ruin (Frenchkiss)
Wolf Parade-Expo 86 (Sub Pop)
Titus Andronicus-The Monitor (XL)
Fang Island-Fang Island (Sargent House)
High on Fire-Snakes For The Divine (Koch)
Vampire Weekend-Contra (XL)
Arcade Fire-The Suburbs (Merge)

Patrick Reed
The Vaselines – Sex With An X (Sub Pop)
Sage Francis – Li(f)e  (Anti-)
Harvey Milk – A Small Turn Of Human Kindness (Hydra Head)
The Fall – Your Future, Our Clutter (Domino)
John Grant – Queen Of Denmark (Bella Union)
Neil Young – Le Noise   (Reprise)
Grinderman – Grinderman 2 (Mute)
Scout Niblett – The Calcination Of Scout Niblett (Drag City)
Faust – Faust Is Last   (Klangbad)
Timbre Timbre – Timbre Timbre (Full Time Hobby)

Derek Fricano
Torche – Songs For Singles (Hydra Head)
Superego – Podcast Season 2
Statues – Holiday Cops (p. trash)
Harvey Milk – A Small Turn Of Human Kindness (Hydra Head)
Kyle Kinane – Death Of The Party (A Special Thing)
Ted Leo / Pharmacists – The Brutalist Bricks (Matador)
Bottomless Pit – Blood Under The Bridge (Comedy Minus One)
Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be (Sub Pop)
Tricia Yates Fanclub – s/t (555 Recordings)
Superchunk – Majesty Shredding (Merge)