Todd Trickknee's Best of 2005
The year 2005 was...uh, I dunno. I wasn't really paying as much attention as
usual. I know there were good shows, and in the course of writing the
useless list below, it looks like there were some good records, too. Sweet!
As usual, I will not rank releases I put out (Hue Blanc, Real Losers) or
bands I've released shit by (the great "Under My Tongue" ep by the Mystery
Girls or the Catholic Boys singles). I will not speculate on cool stuff I've
heard but do not own (like the Terrible Twos!). So don't e-mail me with what
I "missed" - I don't give a Coppens ass. You can't prove nuthin, nohow.
SEVEN INCH
1. Carbonas "Blackout" EP - There isn't a punk rock band out there writing
better straight-up shit than the Carbonas. Too bad Tardwell has been sitting
on LP #2 for like 12-13 years. (Shattered Records //
www.shatteredrecords.net)
2. Knugen Faller "Inte Som Ni" 7" - There isn't a punk rock band out there
writing better straight-up shit than Knugen Faller....except the Carbonas.
Given their pedigree, I don't have a lot of hope for follow-ups, but this
one's a gem either way. (Wasted Sounds // www.wastedsounds.com)
3. The Rebel “Exciting New Venue for Soccer and Execution of Women” 7” - My
favorite Rebel release, in the perfect Rebel format. Weird and funny and
mean and surreal. (SDZ Records // www.sdzrecords.fr.st)
4. Black Time "Beat Of the Traps" 7" - I like everything this band has done,
but it seems like this is the record that gets the shortest shrift, and it's
my favorite of theirs beyond the debut LP. The best Cramps update I can
think of right now. (Yakisakana // www.yakisakana.tk)
5. The Evolutions/The Fatals "Pathetic Split" 7" - The Fatals side has a
couple nice slow-groove rockers, but the Evolutions side goes from perfect
punk rage to art-shards to one-man ape-rock garage and back again (cuz I
always play it more than once). (Kryptonite Records // www.thesores.com)
6. Black Lips "Hippys" 7" - I, like TB School Marm Phinneas K Rich, didn't
think this one could light a fart upon early listens, but catching these
fools lead their sets off w/ "Be a Man" a couple times changed my ears.
Great, hoedowny singalong fun. (Varmint Records // www.varmintrecords.de)
7. Indian Jewelry "In Love With Loving" 7" - From Suicide to the Butthole
Surfers to Spacemen 3 and back. Three lightheaded brane-nummers. (On/On
Switch // www.ononswitch.com)
8. The Busy Signals s/t 7" - Who put the douche in the douchey douchey
douche? How much for that douchey in the winder? Eric Lastname, that's who.
(Douchemaster Records // douchemasterrecords@hotmail.com)
9. A Frames "Police 1000" 7" - I can't remember the last time the A-Frames
didn't put out a great single....five years? Six? Someone check with
Soriano. (S-S Records // www.s-srecords.com)
10. Luxury Rides "She Just Don't Care b/w Workers" 7" - My favorite of the
recent SSLD batch. Liked it from the first time the needle dropped. Clone
Defects roots show through loud and dirty. (Solid Sex Lovie Doll //
solidsexloviedollrecords@siol.net)
11. Final Solutions "My Love is Disappointing" EP - I can't remember the
last year Jay Reatard wasn't involved in a great single. There were several
others this year (I just can't keep up with it all), but it wouldn't kill
you to start here. (Shattered Records // www.geocities.com/shatteredrecs)
12. Tokyo Electron "Will Put a Charge in You" 7" - Not quite as great as the
debut, but at least you can find this one. (Shattered Records //
www.geocities.com/shatteredrecs)
13. Gorilla Angreb/Lokum "Split in Half" 7" - Danish punk trib to "Texas Chainsaw
Massacre" and Leatherface. Two cool bands, fun stuff. (Hjernespind //
hjernespind@hotmail.com)
14. The Horribly Wrong "Bleeding for You" EP - Nice sorta out-of-nowhere (I
mean...Indiana) punk rocker. (Spin the Bottle and Eradicator Records)
15. Beat Beat Beat "Cheap Time" EP - If nothing else, just for one of the
best tunes of the year in "Savage Girl." (Douchemaster Records //
douchemasterrecords@hotmail.com)
16. A Feast of Snakes "Ghosts of You b/w Coal Black Heart" 7" - One of my
favorite AFOS records. Are there more unreleased gems just sittin' around
like this? (Solid Sex Lovie Doll // solidsexloviedollrecords@siol.net)
17. The Flying Dutchmen "Winter Dunce Party Tour" EP - I continue warming up
to these retards and their shitty sounding records. (Tear it Up Records //
www.tear-it-up-records.com)
18. Hot Machines "Hole in My Heart" 7" - Finally on vinyl. Not great, but
really good. The live record? Some day, I hope. (Cass Records //
www.cassrecords.com)
19. Demon’s Claws “Tomcat” 7” - My favorite Claws stuff - it took me a while
to fully "get" these fuckers, and this is the closest they've come to
capturing their live squall. (Perpetrator Records // www.demonsclaws.com)
20. Throbbin Urges/Glorified Trash split 7" - The GT side is OK but unremarkable;
producer BradX did a good job drawing out their best aspects. The 'Urges
side, though, is pretty kick-ass, and bodes well for these youngsters.
(Emaciated Records)
TWELVE INCH
1. Time Flys "Fly" LP - Best punk rock record of the year! The one band that
actually lived up to its early singles on their debut LP. (Birdman Records
// www.birdmanrecords.com)
2. The King Khan & BBQ Show s/t LP - Best pure rock 'n roll record of the
year! Two Titanic Talents Unite! (Goner Records // www.goner-records.com)
3. Human Eye s/t - Best weirdo/artpunk record of the year! Timmy has yet
to do entirely wrong! (In the Red Records /// www.intheredrecords.com)
4. Black Lips "Let it Bloom" LP - Best live band I saw this year, and that's
saying something. Great record, though I prefer the last (second) one
overall. I like 'em so much I bought a BL collector plate! Duh! (In the Red
Records // www.intheredrecords.com)
5. BBQ "Tie Your Noose" LP - One Titanic Talent Unites! Docking! Piss
Fights! Horse Fisting! Infectious Melodies! Golden Vox! Hup! (Bomp! Records
// www.bomp.com)
6. Birthday Suits s/t CD - Should be called "Half Sweet JAP." I can't identify
what it is they're doing, but I like it a lot. (Nice & Neat //
www.nice-neat.com)
7. Frustration s/t 12" - France continues to rule. Only 4 songs, but "On the
Rise" is one of the best ones I've heard all year, and the other 3 also make
the molecules dance. Moody, arty punk w/ strong hooks. (Born Bad //
bornbad@wanadoo.fr)
8. Black Time "New Vague Themes" 12" - Way the fuck too expensive (it's a
one-sided record for 20 bucks or something like that), but this ruffshod
p-galore/artpunk rip is still better than the last few Gearhead records
combined or a couple t-bones or whatever else you waste yer money on.
(P.Trash Records // www.ptrashrecords.com)
9. The Feelers "Learn to Hate the Feelers" LP - Everyone rips the production
on here, but it's still better than the treatment on the debut 7", if you
ask me. Midwest artpunk with good energy and creeper hooks. (Deadbeat
Records // www.dead-beat-records.com)
10. Intelligence "Icky Baby" LP - Thick & fractured & fuzz-warm & glowing &
torn around the edges. (In the Red Records // www.intheredrecords.com)
And Ten more long players (no order):
- Kill-A-Watts "Circuit Breaker Love" LP - Possibly the best-ever of the
nth-gen Rip Off rip offers. R.I.P. (Rip Off Records //
www.ripoffrecords.org)
- Tokyo Electron LP - Not as explosive as the debut ep (very little is), but a
good, expansive kick. (Shattered Records // www.geocities.com/shatteredrecs)
- The Krunchies “In De Winkel” LP - Hardcore garage? Garagey hardcore? I dunno.
(Criminal IQ Records // www.criminaliq.com)
- The Ponys “Celebration Castle” LP - I actually like the 80s teen dance
feel/production on this. I never considered the Ponys a garage or punk band
- they're a new wave/pop/indie band, and this is the most accurate record
they've produced. (In the Red Records // www.intheredrecords.com)
- A-Frames “Black Forest”LP - The sound of the A-Frames stretching out a bit,
and hitting the target more often than not. (Sub Pop Records //
www.subpop.com)
- A-Lines "You Can Touch" LP - Just a fun record w/ catchy originals, cool
covers, and more of an "edge" than I would have suspected going in.
(Sympathy for the Record Industry // www.sympathyrecords.com)
- The Dirtbombs "If You Don't Already Have A Look" 2XCD - This dubbler shows
how great Mick & Co. were until entropy hit post-'glide. If you're too cool
to admit they were once a spellbinding rock machine, eat a dick, or puss
if'n yer a cocksucker or ass if yer bi or if yer a bisexual Corprophilic
bestial-pedophile, eat a pastry.
(In the Red Records // www.intheredrecords.com)
- The Flakes "Back to School" LP - Not nearly as good as their classic
singles, but still a mighty fun, unpretentious listen. (Dollar Record Records //
www.dollarrecord.com)
- Regulations s/t LP - Their debut ep was so great that I've heard way more
grumbles than hosannas regarding this album, but hell, there are a bunch of
cool tunes on here, so lighten up, crank "Annas Eyes" & go fuck a tree.
(Havoc Records // www.havocrex.com)
- Lightning Bolt "Hypermagic Mountain" LP - I couldn't identify why LB's
records hold any sway over me, but I keep going back to them alla' time.
(Load Recrds // www.loadrecords.com)
-Todd
Contact:
Todd Trickknee
PO Box 12714
Green Bay, WI 54307-2714
trickknee-at-hotmail.com
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