Celebrating new music is important. In the subculture, we are constantly faced with a chorus of people who will tell you that the genres are dead and that there is nothing good coming out anymore. This opinion alone indicts how out of touch a person can be. There is a deluge of incredible new music coming out every year and it is important to take the time to praise the work of those who contribute to the subculture's sonic archive.
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Justified Arrogance
Best Hardcore / Punk LPs
1.) Skourge - Torrential Torment (Lockin Out)
2.) Destruct - Cries The Mocking Mother Nature (Grave Mistake)
3.) Rat Cage - Savage Visions (La Vida Es Un Mus)
4.) Stigmatism - Ignorance In Power (Toxic State)
5.) Mil-Spec - Marathon (Lockin Out)
6.) Physique - Again (Iron Lung)
7.) Stingray - Fortress Britain (La Vida Es Un Mus)
8.) Salvaje Punk - Salvaje Punk (Toxic State)
9.) Conservative Military Image - Casual Violence (Lionheart)
10.) Heavy Discipline - Your Scapegoat (Painkiller)
11.) Tozcos - Infernal (Toxic State)
12.) Existence - Go To Heaven (Quality Control HQ)
13.) Stiff Meds - Tales From The Slab (Quality Control HQ)
14.) G.U.N. - G.U.N. (Sorry State)
15.) Fairytale - Shooting Star (Toxic State / Quality Control HQ)
16.) Pest Control - Don't Test The Pest (Quality Control HQ)
17.) Abism - Abism (Toxic State)
18.) Mutant Strain - Murder Of Crows (Sorry State)
19.) Quarantine - Exile (La Vida Es Un Mus)
20.) Pain Of Truth - Not Through Blood (Daze)
21.) Illiterates - No Experts (Sorry State)
22.) Intention - Brand New Story (Break The / Beach Impediment)
23.) Human Garbage - Straight Not Giving A Fuck (Criminalized)
24.) No Time - Suffer No Fool (TKO)
25.) Planet On A Chain - Boxed In (Revelation)
26.) Speed Plans - Statues Of God (Iron Lung)
27.) Zorn - Zorn (Sorry State)
28.) Enzyme - Golden Dystopian Age (La Vida Es Un Mus)
29.) Vamachara - No Roses On My Grave (Closed Casket Activities)
30.) Skinhead - Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt (Closed Casket Activities)
Honorable Mentions
Spine - Raices (Convulse)
Castillo - Pleasure And Pain (Battled Scarred)
Geld - Currency // Castration (Relapse)
Artificial Joy - 100% Pure Joy (Shitkicker)
Sunami - Sunami (Triple B)
Blow Your Brains Out - The Big Escape (Quality Control HQ)
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1.) Arbor - Behold... The Age Of Pagan Blood (Blood And Crescent)
2.) Nuclae - Bringing Out The Beast (Self-Released)
3.) Gauntlet Ring - Raped In The Blood Of Angels (Blood And Crescent)
4.) Godflesh - Purge (Avalanche)
5.) Cruciamentum - Obsidian Refractions (Profound Lore)
6.) Gauntlet Ring - Beyond The Veil Of Night (Blood And Crescent)
7.) Trhä - §ºanΩë aglivajsamë cá nëlh¶iha i eddana pi¶e (Self-Released)
8.) Deathfucker - God Devourer (BlackSeed)
9.) Tetragrammacide - Typho-Tantric Aphorisms From The Arachneophidian Qur'an (Iron Bonhead)
10.) Suffocation - Hymns From The Apocrypha (Nuclear Blast)
11.) Lamp Of Murmuur - Saturnian Bloodstorm (Argento)
12.) Mortual - Evil Incarnation (Nuclear Winter)
13.) White Death - Iconoclast (Werewolf)
14.) Khanate - To Be Cruel (Sacred Bones)
15.) Moonlight Socrery - Horned Lord Of The Thorned Castle (Avantgarde)
16.) Fellwinter - The Dawn Of Winter (Blood And Crescent)
17.) Vargrav - The Nighthold (Werewolf)
18.) Arnaut Pavle - Transylvanian Glare (Amor Fati)
19.) Vastum - Inward To Gethsemane (20 Buck Spin)
20.) Sanguisugabogg - Homicidal Ecstasy (Century Media)
Honorable Mentions
Kommand - Death Age (20 Buck Spin)
Purulent Remains - Fermented Death (Headsplit)
Jesus Piece - So Unknown (Century Media)
Atheosophia - Shadowgate Of Winter's Spirit (Blood And Crescent)
Protrusion - Protrusion (Self-Released)
Autopsy - Ashes, Organs, Blood And Crypts (Peaceville)
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Best Rap / R&B Releases
1.) JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown - Scaring The Hoes (AWAL)
2.) Lil Peep & iLoveMakonnen – Diamonds (AWAL)
3.) Hackle - Haunted Nation (Haunted Mound)
4.) Westside Gunn - And Then You Pray For Me (Griselda)
5.) Channel Tres - Real Cultural Shit (GODMODE)
6.) billy woods & Kenny Segal - Maps (Backwoodz Studioz)
7.) J Hus - Beautiful and Brutal Yard (Black Butter)
8.) Rome Streetz - Wasn't Built In A Day (Big Ghost Ltd)
9.) Genesis Owusu - STRUGGLER (Ourness)
10.) Kaytraminé - Kaytraminé (CLBN)
11.) Danny Brown - Quaranta (Warp)
12.) Kali Uchis - Red Moon In Venus (Geffen)
13.) HiTech - Détwat (FXHE)
14.) Noname - Sundial (Self-Released)
15.) RXK Nephew & DJ Rude One - The ONEderful Nephew (Closed Sessions)
Honorable Mentions
ICECOLDBISHOP - Generational Curse (Epic)
Veeze - Ganger (Navy Wavy)
Bad Bunny - nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana (Rimas)
Sexyy Red - Hood Hottest Princess (Open Shift)
MIKE - Burning Desire (10k)
Jorja Smith - Falling Or Flying (Famm)
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Best Releases In Open Competition
1.) Home Front - Games Of Power (La Vida Es Un Mus)
2.) a.s.o. - a.s.o. (Low Lying)
3.) Nuovo Testamento - Love Lines (Discoteca Italia)
4.) Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan (Belting Bronco / Warner)
5.) Narrow Head - Moments Of Clarity (Run For Cover)
6.) Nothing & Full Of Hell - When No Birds Sang (Closed Casket Activities)
7.) Hannah Diamond - Perfect Picture (PC Music)
8.) Yves Tumor - Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) (Warp)
9.) Temple Of Angels - Endless Pursuit (Run For Cover)
10.) Slowdive - everything is alive (Dead Oceans)
11.) Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (Perpetual Novice / Sony)
12.) PinkPantheress - Heaven Knows (Warner UK)
13.) bar italia - Tracey Denim (Matador)
14.) Tanukichan - GiZMO (Company)
15.) Kumo 99 - Headplate (Self-Released)
16.) Kelela - Raven (Warp)
17.) ML Buch - Suntub (15 Love)
18.) Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We (Dead Oceans)
19.) yeule - softscars (Ninja Tune)
20.) André 3000 - New Blue Sun (Epic)
21.) Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good! (Interscope)
22.) 8485 - Personal Protocol (Helix Tears)
23.) Yaeji - With A Hammer (XL)
24.) Tyler Childers - Rustin’ In The Rain (Hickman Holler / RCA)
25.) Neggy Gemmy - CBD Reiki Moonbeam (100% Electronica)
26.) Black Magick SS - Burning Bridges (Creep Purple)
27.) Overmono - Good Lies (XL)
28.) Gia Margaret - Romantic Piano (Jagjaguwar)
29.) Sweeping Promises - Good Living Is Coming For You (Feel It)
30.) Belgrado - Intra Apogeum (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Honorable Mentions
Body Of Light - Bitter Reflection (Dais)
Midwife & Vyva Melinkolya - Orbweaving (The Flenser)
Croatian Amor - A Part Of You In Everything (Posh Isolation)
James Blake - Playing Robots Into Heaven (Republic)
Kali Malone - Does Spring Hide Its Joy (Ideologic Organ)
Sparklehorse - Bird Machine (Anti-)
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1.) Bloody Flag - Bloody Flag (Bunker Punks)
2.) Concealed Blade - 2023 Promo (Kill Nothing)
3.) Secretors - Comparing Missile Size Vol. 1 (Roachleg)
4.) Killing Frost - Killing Frost (United Forces)
5.) Rifle - Under Two Flags (Standard Process)
6.) Black Dog - Overthrow (Roachleg)
7.) Kinetic Orbital Strike (K.O.S.) - The True Disaster (Self-Released)
8.) Loosey - Winter Promo '23 (Self-Released)
9.) The Hope Conspiracy - Confusion/Chaos/Misery (Deathwish Inc.)
10.) Doomsday - Doomsday (Creator-Destructor)
11.) M.O.A.B. - Massive Ordinance Air Blast (Roachleg)
12.) Delco MF's – The March Of The M.F.'s (MF)
13.) 偏執症者 (Paranoid) - S.C.U.M. (Never Enough)
14.) Mock Execution - Circle Of Madness (La Vida Es Un Mus)
15.) New World Man - The Beast Is Back (Streets Of Hate)
Honorable Mentions
Anti-Machine - Too Many Eyes (Toxic State)
Stress Positions - Walang Hiya (Iron Lung)
Cold Decay - Cold Decay (Quality Control HQ)
Béton Armé - Second Souffle (Primator Crew)
Balmora - With Thorns Of Glass and Petals Of Grief (Ephyra)
People's Temple - I'm With The People's Temple (Roachleg)
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Best Demos
Best Demos
1.) Spleen
2.) Kato
3.) No Way Out
4.) Coin Toss
5.) Asinin
6.) Capsule
7.) Scarab
Cody DeFranco
Cody DeFranco Studio
Best of Bullshit for Jimbo
Andre 3000 - New Blue Sun (Epic Records)
I feel like everyone was taken by surprise with this release. Some were upset there were no bars but for me, I didn’t need em. I really enjoy ambient and experimental music so this fit right in with my taste and I preordered the LP immediately. It’s truly an immersive album, I also find it to be very mediative and relaxing. You have to give it up to this guy for taking on a new approach to a genre he’s never breached before all while learning new instruments. Absolutely love it and can’t wait to have in my collection.
Mizmor - Prosaic (Profound Lore)
When this came out I couldn’t stop listening to it. I am often so critical about new music in general but this one struck a chord within me. I really love the whole one person band approach, there’s a sense of primal intensity to it, raw so to speak without it sounding so.
Kelela - Raven (Warp Records)
I’ve been following Kelela’s work since back in 2013 or so with her album “CUT 4 ME” and I never looked back ever since. She was always in Fade to Mind mixes that I simply couldn’t get enough of. The hype is all there and it’s deserving too - I was really to see her continue on the path with Warp Records. I can blast this in the studio and immediately feel energized and motivated. Her voice is so beautiful and it just melts perfectly into the whole production. Always returning to this one and of course her others.
Yves Tumor - Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between World) (Warp Records)
Another artist I’ve been following since they appeared in the music world. This album takes a slight departure from previous albums because Yves has a full band backing them up. This album is so powerful and another one I find myself putting on to motivate and energize me in the studio. I feel like this is a glam pop punk album but with more of a pulse to it, every song is amazing. I was critical of the song “Echolalia” at first because they completely lift the instrumental from Neon’s “Lobotomy” but I quickly got over it because they kind of pay homage to it, both songs are great.
Reissues I was really happy with this year:
I’ve had Catherine Wheel’s albums on my want list forever on discogs. I would’ve pulled the trigger on some original copies but they were never in good condition / in the US for purchase. When “Ferment” (1992) and “Chrome” (1993) was announced to be reissued I waited patiently and it was all worth the wait. Really happy to have both of these in my collection and maybe one day upgrade to original copies - but these will do for now.
µ-Ziq - 1977 (Balmat)
I’ve bee enjoying the music of Mike Paradinas aka µ-Ziq (pronounced “music” or “mu-zik”) ever since I was in high school back in 2001-5. I go through waves of being completely mesmerized by IDM / Electronic music like this and sometimes I never come out of the damn hole I’m in. Though this album isn’t as loud and ntense as previous releases I find myself returning to it when working on designs on my computer because it’s consistent and gets me in some sort of zone. The whole series that Balmat came out with is also something worth exploring.
John Coltrane - Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy (Live) (Impulse Records)
I believe the story behind this unearthed gem was an archivist was going through the New York Public Library and stumbled upon this, which has been buried in time. I know a lot of people that were beyond ecstatic for this to be released on vinyl, simply because the song “Africa” had never really been recorded live before. We all know that Coltrane passed at such a young age too so we tend to cling on these relics from the past when they come to light. The album opens with “My Favorite Things” which is actually one of my favorites by Coltrane haha. Anyone that is reading this and a Coltrane fan already has this in their collection.
TV SHOWS
Blue Eye Samurai (Netflix Anime Series)
I had no clue what I was getting involved in when being told by a friend to watch this. There’s a lot of junk on Netflix but this one, this one is truly something special. The level of detail and style of animation is worth watching alone never mind the story which in it’s on respect is top tier. It’s a revenge driven story, I don’t want to get fully into it because I don’t want to give it away. But this is not a kid’s anime, it’s completely savage and beautiful - anyone that’s a fan of anime should watch it, unless you’re into the softer anime out there. This one is VIOLENT haha.
Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story (Hulu Series)
Those who know me they know I truly am obsessed with Formula 1, though it’s a fairly new obsession of mine it’s REAL. The 2023 F1 series just ended last month so I was simply jonesing for anything related to F1 (as I wait patiently for the new season of Drive to Survive coming in February) and then this mini series came out. It follows a truly rags to riches story of a F1 team that was dumped and discarded by Honda. Brawn is the last name of the team principal Ross Brawn, who didn’t actually choose to have his name associated like that. It’s an action packed docuseries showing the rise of Brawn who later becomes Mercedes-AMG Petronas. Oh and the host and narrator is Keanu Reeves…
Life on Our Planet (Netflix Series)
Narrated by the oh so soothing voice of Morgan Freeman, he takes us on a journey of Earth’s history far beyond the existence of humans. We see in this series the five times, yes fives times that our planet witnessed extinction. It’s extremely informative yet fun but also scary considering there was very large bugs that one roamed our Earth’s surface. I won’t get fully into this because I feel like anyone should watch it, even with their children. When will the sixth extinction happen? In another million years or in another year??
BOOKS
Bráulio Amado - 2022 (Stolen Books)
I am a complete sucker for ANYTHING Bráulio touches. This is one of several from his series of essential a year in review of the work he does. These books live in my studio so I can grab at random when I need a surge of inspiration. I honestly don’t think anyone is like him and how he approaches design blended with his illustrations. This guy will bring life to the most mundane things in life and is always snapping photos of trash on the streets and turning them into the foundation to amazing designs. I cannot stress enough how much this individual inspires me and I am fortunate enough to call him my friend!
Seeing <—> Making: Room for Thought / Susan Buck-Morss, Kevin McCaughey, Adam Michaels (Inventory Press)
Thought I just received this book last week and only just begun to scratch the surface I can say that it’s beautifully designed and well thought out. If you, like myself are into design and the philosophy of design and the process of constructing creative ideas with images look no further. There’s a lot of discussion on the works of Walter Benjamin (The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction) and John Berger (Ways of Seeing) whom I read and enjoyed back in college. I can’t wait to get into this one.
Brigade Cynophile Posters 2019-2023 (Animal Press)
This is the second book of posters from French artist Félicité Landrivon. I fell in love with her work from her Tumblr years ago and was excited to get my hands on her first book of posters (2014-2018.) It just seems like she has a lot of fun with designs, layout and source material. I find there to be a slight correlation between our work when it comes to finding use to the countless graphics one can find while digging through ephemera. People should definitely get their hands on this one before it slips away into obscure oblivion like her previous book.
There are countless books, records, tv shows, films that I enjoyed through out this year that I am simply blanking on because it’s not in front of me. Anyone that knows me knows I collect a lot of books and records and not all of them are new / or from this years. So I tried my best to compile some things that have stuck out for me. I hope you enjoyed reading my ramblings. <3
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Hunter Winstead
Into The Void Printing
Top of 2023
Albums
1. Narrow Head - Moments Of Clarity
2. VV - Neon Noir
3. Sanguisugabogg - Homicidal Ecstasy
4. Deluxxe - If You We’re Me
5. Nuovo Testamento - Love Lines
6. Dying Fetus - Make Them Beg For Death
7. Harms Way - Common Suffering
8. Final Gasp - Mourning Moon
9. Never Ending Game - Outcry
10. Year Of The Knife - No Love Lost
Tracks
1. Final Gasp - Mourning Moon
2. Code Orange - Mirror
3. Deluxxe - Sweet With Sin
4. Sanguisugabogg - Pissed
5. Harms Way - Terrorizer
6. Narrow Head - Flesh & Solitude
7. VV - The Foreverlost
8. Never Ending Game - Tank On E
9. Nuovo Testamento - Heartbeat
10. Fuming Mouth - I’ll Find You
11. Charli XCX - Speed Drive
12. ABRA - FKA MESS
13. Year Of The Knife - Heaven Denied
14. Kim Petras - Castle In The Sky
15. My Big Hot Wife - Hold Your Tongue
16. Faerie Ring - Silver Man In The Sky
17. Dying Fetus - When The Trend Ends
18. PinkPantheress - Mosquito
19. Skream - Summoned
20. Torture - Blinding Ignorance
Sets
1. Cold As Life - Detroit 10/7
2. The Killers - Louisville 9/15
3. Narrow Head - Chicago 5/19
4. VV - Cincinnati 4/8
5. Depeche Mode - Chicago 4/5
6. Nuovo Testamento - Louisville 10/2
7. Weekend Nachos - Chicago 11/19
8. VV - Louisville 9/10
9. Volcano - Louisville 3/17
10. Death Threat - Detroit 10/7
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Zechariah Ghosttribe
Angel Du$t
New York Hounds @ Brooklyn Monarch in Brooklyn, New York (December 16th)
High Vis @ Outbreak Fest in Manchester, UK (June 23rd)
Nosferatu @ Tunnel in Brooklyn, New York (July 15th)
Firewalker @ Bootleg Bar in Brooklyn, New York (July 29th)
Xibalba @ Tied Down Fest in Detroit, Michigan (June 4th)
(Special mention Romeo Taylor in London)
Firewalker @ Bootleg Bar in Brooklyn, New York (July 29th)
Xibalba @ Tied Down Fest in Detroit, Michigan (June 4th)
(Special mention Romeo Taylor in London)
- Zech Ghosttribe
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Chris Dooley
DJ 12XU
JA AOTY List
HC/Punk LP
Mil-Spec- Marathon (Lockin' Out)
Diztort - Vengeance Is Mine (Alternatives)
Stigmatism - Ignorance In Power (Toxic State)
Skourge - Torrential Torment (Lockin' Out)
Home Front - Games Of Power (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Truth Cult - Walk The Wheel (Pop Wig)
Quarantine - Exile (Damage United)
Salvaje Punk (Toxic State)
Brain Tourniquet - An Expression In Pain (Iron Lung)
Burden - Scorched Earth (RnR Disgrace)
Restraining Order - Locked In Time (Triple B)
Spirito Di Lupo - Veda La Tua Faccia Nei Giorni Di Pioggia (Iron Lung)
Mindforce - Excalibur (Triple B)
Hc Punk EP
Intensive Care Unit - Sand + Gravel (Active-8)
No Fucker - No Future (No Real Music)
Fury - Vie
Intimidation - Total Aggression (Mr Face)
Wreckage - Our Time (Scheme)
Golpe - Assuefazione Quotidiana (Beach Impediment
C-4/Worn (Triple B)
Delco MF's - March Of The MF's (MF)
Live It Down - Thy Kingdom Come (Triple B)
The Social - Dogs Of War
The Massacred - Post Mortem (Active-8)
Concealed Blade '23 Promo
HC Punk Demos
Contempt
Dimension
Collateral
Fatal
Asinin
Laughing Corpse
S.O.S.
Open Competition
Jim Kirkwood - Herongale (Dark Age)
Joseph Hammer Joe Potts John Wiese Elusive Flexure (Helicopter)
Bill Nace & Chik White - Off Motion (Open Mouth)
Thee Retail Simps - Live On Cool Street (total punk)
Los Llamarada - S/T (C-Site)
Kjostad/Matriarch (New Forces)
Animal Piss Its Everywhere (Half A Million)
Scald Hymn/Permanent Waves (Phage)
Red Herrings - Zax Amoire (Dot Dash)
Emily Robb - If I Am Misery (Petty Bunco)
Shirese - The Rose Of Smiling Faces (Grapefruit)
Carniverous Bells - Room Above All (Human Headstone)
Xard - Cerebal Circuitry Vol 1 (Dream Research)
Steve Gunn & David Moore - Reflections Vol 1 (Rvng)
Universal Cell Unlock - Power Of Misunderstanding (No Rent)
Headroom - s/t (Repressed recs)
Burnt Envelope - 1 For Croz (4th Eye Musick)
Sunburned Hand Of The Man - Hypnotape (VHF)
Nuclae - Bringing Out The Beast
Metal
Black Sorcery - Decipering Torment (Eternal Death)
Disengagement - Formless In A Violent World (Dry Cough)
Dream Unending/Worm - Starpath (20 Buck Spin)
Incantation- Unholy Deification (Relapse)
Torture Chain - Reign Of Deimos (Hospital)
One Master - The Names Of Power (Eternal Death)
Kommand - Death Age (20 Buck Spin)
Trha/Careus - Abcu (Flowing Downward)
Ahulubrum/Harlots Nest (Atrocity Altar)
Akitsa - Denevir Le Deible (Tour De Garde)
Sanguine Relic - Labyrinth Of Nightmares (Perverse Homage)
Rap
Juicy J - Mental Trillness (Trippy)
Armand Hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips (Fat Possum)
Larry June & The Alchemist - Great Escape (Empire)
Lola Brooke - Dennis Daughter (Arista)
Gucci Mane - Breath Of Fresh Air (Atlantic)
Kofi Flexxx - Flowersman In The Dark (Native Rebel)
Gunna - Gift & A Curse (300 Entertainment)
Conway - He Won't Do It (Empire)
Mike Wiki The Alchemist - Faith Is A Rock (ALC)
Armani Caesar - The Liz 2 (Daupe!)
Nas - Magic 2 (Mass Appeal)
Sexyy Red - Hood Hottest Princess (Heavy On It)
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