The Quarterly Review: Jul-Sept '10

The third quarter of this year provided further evidence that 2010 really has been one of the best in recent memory for music. There was the usual glut of September releases, including my Album of the Quarter, Deerhunter's Halcyon Digest. If truth be told though, picking a favourite album from the last three months was extremely difficult as the competition was fierce; Andrew Cedermark's fabulous solo debut was the big surprise, whilst the sheer consistency and vision of the new Arcade Fire record confirmed that they have well outgrown any doubts over their longevity. The new Working For A Nuclear Free City record showed that the Manchester band was as ambitious as ever. Then there was the first Swans record in 14 years, a glorious black smear across the bright blue sky which has been most of this year's output.

This quarter also saw a couple of bands take big diversions with their sound. Some (Abe Vigoda) were surprisingly successful, others (Blonde Redhead) rather less so.

Album of the Quarter

Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest

On Heavy Rotation

Andrew Cedermark: Moon Deluxe
Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
Sufjan Stevens: All Delighted People EP
Swans:  My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky
Women: Public Strain
Working For A Nuclear Free City: Jojo Burger Tempest

Doing The Rounds

Abe Vigoda: Crush
Black Mountain: Wilderness Heart
The Electronic Anthology Project: The Electronic Anthology Project
Les Savy Fav: Root For Ruin
Grinderman: Grinderman 2
Matthew Dear: Black City 
Menomena: Mines
M.I.A: /\/\ /\ Y /\
Lower Dens: Twin Hand Movement
Mogwai: Special Moves/Burning
Of Montreal: False Priest
School of Seven Bells: Disconnect From Desire

On The Shopping List
No Age: Everything In Between
Arab Strap: Philophobia (Reissue)

On The Discard Pile

Blonde Redhead: Penny Sparkle
The Thermals: Personal Life

The Quarterly Review: Apr-Jun '10

Sadly, I've not been able to keep this blog as up-to-date as I would've liked, but that doesn't mean I've taken the foot off the pedal with regards to digesting this quarter's new releases. Indeed, the last three months has thrown up a vast array of treasures, and having stated in my last Quarterly Review that the year had got off to a slow start but was gathering steam, 2010 has now positively raced into the distance and is turning out to be an absolutely cracking year for new music. LCD Soundystem's reported swansong This Is Happening just shades it for me, but the competition couldn't have been stiffer from the likes of Sleigh Bells and Ariel Pink, all of these proving to be immensely enjoyable records. Pleasantly surprised too by the new Caribou and Crystal Castles records, having not been blown away by their previous releases. Roll on the rest of the year!

Album Of The Quarter
LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening

On Heavy Rotation
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today
Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record
Caribou: Swim
Sleigh Bells: Treats
Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles (II)

Doing The Rounds
Emeralds: Does It Look Like I'm Here?
Frog Eyes: Paul's Tomb: A Triumph
Ganglians: Monster Head Room (UK release)
Here We Go Magic: Pigeons
Holy F*ck: Latin
Keepaway: Baby-Style EP
The National: High Violet
Meursault: All Creatures Will Make Merry
Wild Nothing: Gemini
The Whiskers: War Of Currents

On the Shopping List
Avi Buffalo: Avi Buffalo

On the Discard Pile
Devo: Something For Everyone
Mountain Man: Made The Harbour (nice, but just a bit too one-note)

The Quarterly Review: Jan-Mar '10

So we are already at a quarter-past 2010, and I've decided that 4 times a year I will do an overview of the year's releases. 2010 started out relatively slowly (nothing of Merriweather Post-Pavilion proportions came out within the first couple of weeks of January), despite Pitchfork's best attempts to convince me otherwise (they hand out Best New Music awards on a seemingly daily basis these days). However, the year is now starting to shape up quite nicely; I've made no secret of my love for the new Titus Andronicus release which, alongside new Liars, Besnard Lakes and Gorrilaz records, made for one of the best weeks for new releases in recent memory. The new Xiu Xiu album also threw up a pleasant surprise, with Jamie Stewart's quirkiest set of tunes for some time, whilst These New Puritans are early contenders to be this year's Band I Least Expected To Be Listening To (last year's winners, The Horrors).

Album Of The Quarter
Titus Andronicus: The Monitor

On Heavy Rotation
The Besnard Lakes: The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
Liars: Sisterworld
These New Puritans: Hidden
Xiu Xiu: Dear God, I Hate Myself

Doing The Rounds
Animal Collective: Campfire Songs (re-issue)
Beach House: Teen Dream
Clipd Beaks: To Realize
DeathPodal: Exu-Wow EP
The Delta Mirror: Machines That Listen
Moonface: Marimba and Shit-Drums
Thee Silver Mount Zion Orchestra: Kollaps Tradixionales
Vampire Weekend: Contra

On the Shopping List
The Low Sea: Las Olas
Owen Pallett: Heartland
Pantha Du Prince: Black Noise
Spoon: Transference

On the Discard Pile
The Magnetic Fields: Realism
The Ruby Suns: Fight Softly