ONSLAUGHT “Power From Hell” (1985)

You know, even if I was a big Heavy Metal listener in the mid-late 80’s, it doesn’t mean I listened to them all.  We didn’t have Internet and I was living in a small village (300) near a small town (40000).  This week while listening to a classic Slayer record on Rdio I looked to the similar bands suggestions and clicked on Onslaught, which I only knew by name.  My very first reaction was, Wow! I really wish I knew this band in the 80’s! Totally my genre.  And further in the album I thought, this guy sings like someone I know very well.  Then it came to me.  Paul Mahoney sings like GBH singer Colin Abrahall!  In fact, Onslaught sounds like GBH but plays their instruments like a Thrash Metal band…or vice versa…you know what I mean?  Huge Punk influence, perfect blend of Thrash and Punk. Great record…btw!

BEASTMILK "Climax" (2013)

Another band that is taking their influence from the 80’s Post Punk, Alternative and Goth wave.  Yes it’s easy to compare to some 80’s bands and singers.  And you know what?  I love it!  I don’t care about copycats as long as it’s good.  And Beastmilk isn’t copycat anyway.  I prefer to say they’ve been influenced by the generation X movement.  So what about this album besides the fact that it’s one of the best of 2013 (hell yeah!)?  Let’s take the energy of Post Punk and the sound of Alternative (80%), drop a small dose of Goth in the way he sings and the melodic lines (20%) and you got a perfect mix.  One last thing, I can guarantee you it’s not a boring album, some great upbeat anthems in here.

What your favorite track from this album?

NO JOY "Wait To Pleasure" (2013)

There are never enough good Shoegaze band.  In 2012 it was the amazing debut album from UK Shoegazer 2:54.  This year it’s Montreal band No Joy….and thanks to my Internet friend Miguel on Google+ which suggested me this album as one of his best of the year, because this one would’ve slipped through my fingers.  Most of you knows what to expect, fuzzy guitars and ethereal-dreamy vocals.  The recipe hasn’t been change but let’s be honest, not anybody can execute a good recipe even with the all the ingredients on hand.  This album is solid.  11 tracks condensed in 36 minutes, no fillers!  Is "Wait For Pleasure"  in my Best 2013 Albums list? Absolutely!

Best 2013 Albums

1. Savages - Silence Yourself
2. Holograms - Forever
3. The Haxan Cloak - Excavation
4. Beastmilk - Climax
5. Glasser - Interiors
6. No Joy - Wait To Pleasure
7. Valérie Carpentier - L'été des orages
8. Dusty Kid - III
9. K-X-P - II
10. Eivor - Room
11. Yamantaka / Sonic Titan - Uzu
12. Chelsea Wolfe - Pain Is Beauty
13. Oothèque - Oothèque
14. Teen Daze - Glacier
15. Young Galaxy - Ultramarine
16. Tricky - False Idols
17. Haim - Days Are Gone
18. Pierre Lapointe - Punkt
19. Dog Party - Lost Control
20. Camera Obscura - Desire Lines
21. Gesaffelstein - Aleph
22. The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law
23. Champion - Degree One
24. The History Of Apple Pie - Out of View
25. Thee Oh Sees - Floating Coffin
26. Udumbal - Junua Inferni
27. Throwing Up - Over You
28. Sally Folk - Sally Folk
29. Millionyoung - Variable
30. Jon Hopkins - Immunity
31. Year Of No Light - Vampyr
32. Grouper - The Man Who Dies in His Boat
33. Au Revoir Simone - Move in Spectrums
34. Cunter - 27

HAROLD BUDD (With Ruben Garcia and Daniel Lentz) "Music For Three Piano" (1993)

Harold Budd is my Ambient hero since the 80s.  His solo albums are amazing, he did great collaborations with Brian Eno and Robin Guthrie.  Now I have to agree that it's the first time ever that I am not excited by one of his project.  It's not bad, don't get me wrong....but I need his fluffy magical touch and it's not quite there.

Best 2013 Songs

1. Husbands - SAVAGES
2. Vacances de 87 - LE COULEUR
3. Talk To Her - YOUNG GALAXY
4. The Ghastly Rictus - TWIN PEAKS
5. Guard - DATA ROMANCE
6. How - THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
7. Big TV - WHITE LIES
8. Chicken Drippers - PALMA VIOLET
9. A Sacred State - HOLOGRAMS
10. Oh Pioneer - HELOISE & THE SAVOIR FAIRE
11. Reflektor - ARCADE FIRE
12. Barbara - PIERRE LAPOINTE
13. True Love - EIVOR
14. Mystic - WAAVES
15. Notre amour - VALÉRIE CARPENTIER
16. FU - MILEY CYRUS
17. Swish - MILLIONYOUNG
18. Say That - TORO Y MOI
19. Dancing Tropical - IS TROPICAL
20. Maw Maw Song - THE JOY FORMIDABLE
21. The Scent Of Love - WAX IDOLS
22. Ice Cube in an Ocean - THE ROPES
23. Magnetic north - K-X-P
24. Ommadawn (Mike Oldfield & York remix) - MIKE OLDFIELD
25. Run Cried The Crawling - AGNES OBEL
26. Exposure - GLASSER
27. Mopped - PINKUNOIZU
28. Happy Home - WILD BELLE
29. Passion of the Christ - TRICKY
30. If I Could Change Your Mind - HAIM
31. Whalesong - YAMANTAKA & SONIC TITAN
32. Pursuit - GESAFFELSTEIN
33. Shake - LITTLE BOOTS
34. Into Air - CLUB 8
35. Robothérapie - OOTHÈQUE
36. Far - DUSTY KID
37. Medicine - THROWING UP
38. New Year's Resolution - CAMERA OBSCURA
39. Hero Brother - SARAH NEUFELD
40. Mixte - THE HAXAN CLOAK
41. Horns Surrounding Me - JULIA HOLTER
42. Animal Games - EMILIANA TORRINI
43. Alaska - TEEN DAZE
44. Collider - JON HOPKINS
45. Another Love - ALICE SMITH
46. Burn - MAGNETA LANE
47. Au bord du lac - NADJA
48. Devotion - JESSIE WARE
49. The Long Road Home - INTER ARMA
50. Jewel - GOLD & YOUTH
51. Radio - DARK HORSES
52. The Deserters - RACHEL ZEFFIRA
53. Sound It Out - ROSIE JUNE
54. Brainfreeze - FUCK BUTTONS
55. Network - DREAM MC LEAN
56. Giorgio by Moroder - DAFT PUNK
57. Offertorium - UDUMBAL
58. So Blue - LOW
59. Forever - HAIM
60. Photon - PANTHA DU PRINCE & THE BELL LABORATORY
61. Metatron - DARKSIDE
62. Ice Age - HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS
63. More Than - AU REVOIR SIMONE
64. Transition State II - DUB TAYLOR
65. Heureux infidèles - SALLY FOLK
66. Planet 1&2 - VISTA CHINO
67. How Are You Doing? - DOG PARTY
68. Ombres - YEAR OF NO LIGHT
69. Hermilia - SHOUT OUT LOUDS
70. To Keep Me Warm - EMMA LOUISE
71. I Want You - LINDA ORTEGA
72. Don't Fuck With Joe - THE BLACKWATER FEVER
73. Biting Down - LORDE
74. Temporary Touch - SELEBRITIES
75. Hurricane - MS MR
76. Never - DRIFTING IN SILENCE
77. Seemless Boogie Woogie II - CLINIC
78. Saeclum In Favilla - UDUMBAL
79. Dreamhouse - DEAFHEAVEN
80. Thether - CHVRCHES
81. Hit The Waves - THE MARY ONETTES
82. Let The Groove Get In - JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
83. Slyd - !!!
84. Bad Dream - WILDLIFE
85. Burning Hand - ICEAGE
86. Lucky - LUSINE
87. Aquarius - PHÈDRE
88. One Bright Days - DROWNER
89. Truth - DADUB
90. Full of Fire - THE KNIFE
91. This is Gonna Hurt - RAINE MAIDA
92. Feels Like I'm Coming Down - HERVÉ
93. Zombie Ritual - SEPULTURA
94. Preservation - HOOKWORMS
95. VQ - DJ DAY
96. Fire - AUSTRA
97. Torus - SUB FOCUS
98. Hollow - ALICE IN CHAINS
99. A Dragonfly in the city - SUN GLITTERS
100. True (feat. James Bay) - MONTAG