The Best Of 2016

01 NEW ORDER - Complete Music

02 SORGE - La Guerra di Domani

03 GABRIELLES WISH - Debunking The Myth Of Being A Slave

04 Marlene Kuntz - Lunga Attesa

05 Pixies - Head Carrier

06 Robert Paul Corless - Volumes

07 Diaframma - Siberia Reloaded 2016

08 Spartiti - Austerità

09 Incognito - In Search Of Better Days

10 Afterhours - Folfiri o Folfox

11 Egle Sommacal - L'Atlante della Polvere
12 G4shi - Stairs
13 Wu Ming Contingent - Schegge di Schrapnel
14 Fourplay - Silver
15 Drake - Views
16 J Balvin - Energia
17 The Rippingtons - True Stories
18 Cerrone - Red Lips
19 Rihanna - ANTI
20 Robert Glasper and Miles Davis - Everything's Beautiful

21 Luke Howard - Two Places 22 Immaginisti - Immaginisti 23 Gregory Porter - Take Me To The Alley (deluxe) 24 David Bowie - Blackstar 25 Zo! - SkyBreak 26 Sia - This Is Acting 27 Pooh - The Collection 5.0 28 Phonte and Eric Roberson - Tigallerro 29 DJ Snake - Encore 30 Future - EVOL 31 Lemongrass - Beauty 32 Crispy Ambulance - Random Textures 33 Morgan e Bluvertigo - I Grandi Successi 34 Elio E Le Storie Tese - Figgatta de Blanc 35 Pet Shop Boys - Super 36 Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble - Under The Tree 37 Drama B - Vybez 38 Laura Mvula - The Dreaming Room 39 Starless - Starless 40 dvsn - SEPT 5TH

41 Kaytranada - 99.9%
42 Hecq - Night Falls
43 Badbadnotgood - IV
44 Ambarchi Pupillo Pilia - Aithein
45 Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti - Inumani
46 Gidge - Lulin
47 All India Radio - The Slow Light
48 Carbon Based Lifeforms - ALT:01
49 Furns - Only Through Your Eyes
50 FM-84 - Atlas

In 2016 there has been a lot of great music, the only thing missing was time to hear it all, even this post comes much later than the usual Christmas.
New Order did again the album of the year. It's true the songs are from the previous year's Music Complete, but they're all extended versions, not only extended mixes, but with additional elements. They've always been a band giving their best at the 12" length, and this album makes no excepetion, all the songs are even better than the originals.
The Top 10 saw the return of indie. Pixies came back with a great album though not all at their best standards. Gabrielles Wish released a fantastic EP with a couple of really beautiful ballads. Their prolific leader Robert Paul Corless released more than a dozen albums of instrumentals!
Massimo Volume frontman Emidio Clementi debuted his new project Sorge mixing his poetry with electronica thanks to Marco Caldera. Their guitarist Egle Sommacal released a new wonderful solo acoustic album and collaborated with the Wu Ming Contingent which released a superb post punk album. The other guitarist Stefano Pilia did nice experimental records with Immaginisti (formerly known as Cagna Schiumante) and Ambarchi and Pupillo.
Marlene Kuntz came back rocking with an inspired record and Diaframma made a new version of their legendary album with excellent additional tracks featuring Gianni Maroccolo from Litfiba. The new album by Afterhours is amazingly beautiful and one of the debuts of the year is Spartiti, the new project of Max Collini from Offlaga Disco Pax with Jukka Reverberi from Giardini di Mirò.
The best non-indie album has been Incognito's contemporary funk masterpiece but there has been plenty of eclectic records in 2016 as well, a year which saw a huge step forward in hip hop and pop blended with it. G4shi is a bright new hope, Drake and Rihanna released two excellent duets on their great albums, it would be interesting to get a full album of their duets. Innovative and exciting records in the genre came from Zo!, Phonte and Eric Roberson, Future, Drama B, dvsn, Kaytranada.. some of this artists have various links with Drake.
Even mainstream pop had quality albums, like the new from Sia and, on the dance side, DJ Snake which confirmed Justin Bieber is not your enemy. This will be remembered as the year we lost Prince, George Michael and David Bowie who had just released a great album. Italian prog and AOR legends Pooh closed their 50 years long career with a compilation. Bluvertigo also released a compilation which should have anticipated a new album after the new great single premiered at the Sanremo festival, but the new album has been then put on hold after new problems emerged within the band. Pet Shop Boys and Elio E Le Storie Tese came back with two albums which are good but slightly disappointing for their standards.
Fourplay and The Rippingtons gave us two smooth jazz masterpieces. Gregory Porter did a sophisticated soul gem.  J Balvin certainly made the best reggaeton album of the year. Disco legend Cerrone came back with two afro funk releases which sound amazingly fresh. Proper afrobeat came from the Akoya Ensemble. Robert Glasper did a fantastic album with Miles Davis material.
A bit lower in the chart there's proper chillout like Lemongrass, but as this year I missed time to hear more music I've yet to hear the new releases from favourites of the genre like Afterlife and Cantoma.
There have been great albums in the darkest ambient genre by the likes of Luke Howard, Hecq, Gidge and Carbon Based Lifeforms.
This year will bring a new Slowdive album, and this alone is enough a great reason to have great expectations!

The Best Of Mick's Transmission

The Best Of 15 years of Records Of The Year on http://mtransmission.info

Video Version (including nine extra tracks)


With New Order, Bad Lieutenant, Bjork, Radiohead, Gabrielles Wish, Prefab Sprout, Paddy McAloon, Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, The Blue Nile, Morrissey, Mew, Happy Mondays, Section 25, A Certain Ratio, My Bloody Valentine, Exit Calm, Pixies, Aandra, Swervedriver
Italian bands Verdena, Subsonica, Marlene Kuntz, Elio E Le Storie Tese, Offlaga Disco Pax, Massimo Volume, Diaframma, Santo Niente
Bands from Parma: Gli Antonio Benassi, Karne Murta, Soupaczar, Kalevala, Jungle Radio

Audio Version

The Best Of 2015 (and Merry Christmas)

01 NEW ORDER - Music Complete

02 MASSIMO VOLUME - Luce Mia

03 GABRIELLES WISH - Hypnagogic

04 Emidio Clementi - Notturno Americano

05 Swervedriver - I Wasn't Born To Lose You

06 Gabrielles Wish - Propaganda

07 ElDera - In Memory Of You

08 Johnny Marr - Adrenalin Baby (Johnny Marr Live)

09 Paul Hardcastle - The Chill Lounge, Vol. 3

10 Jake Evans - Day One



11 Robert Paul Corless - Robert Paul Corless + Volume Two and singles
12 Stefano Pilia - Blind Sun New Century Christology
13 Halftribe - Memory Module
14 Alex H - There's No Turning Back
15 Karima - Close To You (Karima Sings Bacharach)
16 Verdena - Endkadenz Vol. 1 + 2
17 Four80East - Positraction
18 Bjork - Vulnicura
19 Il Teatro Degli Orrori - Il Teatro Degli Orrori
20 Hot Vestry - A Scene In Between

21 Fabi Silvestri Gazzè - Il Padrone della Festa Live 22 Various Artists - Hackney's Finest (original soundtrack) 23 Anthony Mea - True 24 Lemongrass - Meditation 25 Jacob Gurevitsch - Lovers in Paris 26 Brian Wilson - No Pier Pressure 27 Cesare Malafatti - Una Città Esposta 28 Dan Solo - Classe A 29 City Lies - Camera 30 Henrik Lindstrand - Steppeulven 31 Killing Joke - Pylon 32 Simply Red - Big Love 33 Pitbull - Dale 34 Post CSI - Breviario Partigiano 35 Toto - XIV 36 Disclosure - Caracal 37 The Hamsters - Branches EP 38 The Names - Stranger Than You 39 Fabryka - Sparkles 40 Wire - Wire 41 Scisma - Mr. Newman 42 Ernest's Liver - Ernest's Liver 43 Nonostante Clizia - La Stagione Animale 44 Nek - Prima Di Parlare 45 Jazmine Sullivan - Reality Show 46 Novalima - Planetario 47 LTN - People I'll Never Forget 48 Giovanni Caccamo - Qui Per Te 49 Aly & Fila - The Chill Out 50 Andrew Odd - Life

This has been a pretty eclectic year! New Order released their first album in 10 years and the first with Tom Chapman replacing Peter Hook, with Gillian Gilbert welcome back, and it is an amazing masterpiece beyond any expectation met with unanymous critical acclaim.
Massimo Volume have made freely available a wonderful soundtrack only as download and on SoundCloud and that's why the most beautiful track is embedded separately above. Massimo Volume leader Emidio Clementi released his first excellent solo record, a collaboration with two members from Giardini di Mirò tributing poet Emanuel Carnevali. Stefano Pilia from Massimo Volume released a solo album with his wonderful guitar skills.
The new Gabrielles Wish album Hypnagogic has been another long awaited comeback and found them on top form with inspired songs and their trademark post punk sound. The band also released Propaganda, a compilation of their electronica sessions from the start of the century. Some of their classic songs were included in the Hackney's Finest soundtrack. Gabrielles Wish leader Robert Paul Corless had a really prolific year releasing two albums and a string of singles of charmingly dark ambient.
Swervedriver have been missing for a long time, and how: this superb album reminds us why. Johnny Marr released an excellent live album and former Bad Lieutenant singer Jake Evans made a truly amazing debut, basically indie music as it really should be made today.
The comeback of great indie and post punk, then, but also more excellent chill out releases, and label of the year has certainly been Silk Music, bringing us emotional masterpieces from the likes of ElDera (debut of the year and just the best of the many promising Russian artists in this field), Halftribe, City Lies and Andrew Odd. More great music came from the master of chill out, Paul Hardcastle.
Alex H definitely released the best progressive house EP (more good music in this genre from LTN) while the best smooth jazz/fusion album came from Four80East though Karima finally did her Bacharach covers album. Jazmine Sullivan did the best forward looking RnB.
Anthony Mea made possibly the best deep house release while chill out veterans Lemongrass did a surprise ambient album. The concept of Egyptian artists releasing great chill out on Armada made sense with Aly & Fila.
Verdena and Il Teatro Degli Orrori released excellent albums of Italian alternative rock, and we also had the surprise comeback of Scisma. (Post) CSI reunited with Angela Baraldi replacing Giovanni Lindo Ferretti as singer. Another good album from the massively underrated Fabryka. Former Marlene Kuntz bassist Dan Solo released his long awaited solo debut. Two interesing debuts in the Italian underground came from Ernest's Liver and Nonostante Clizia (produced by Riccardo Tesio from Marlene Kuntz). More great music from former La Crus Cesare Malfatti.
The Sanremo festival brought two surprises: a monster single and a pretty decent album by the usually more predictable Nek, and the emerging talent of Giovanni Caccamo.
Bjork's comeback has been a real surprise, because after years and years of pretentious avant garde she finally managed to balance it with some rediscovered emotional impact, most possibly because this is a breakup album.
An interesting debut came from Hot Vestry, a band featuring Steve and Gillian Morris' daughter Mathilda at the keyboard, the EP might have been definitely produced by Martin Hannett.
The Quiet Please label gave us some excellent chill out releases in the past, this year two main artists from that label came back with different stuff: an acoustic effort from Jacob Gurevitsch and a soundtrack from Henrik Lindstrand.
Latin anthem of the year is certainly El Taxi by Pitbull and his album is also decent enough. Novalima are a band from Peru doing great afrobeat.
The legendary Brian Wilson came back with his trademark pop genius, while I was expecting a little more from other classic pop giants like Toto and Simply Red. Disclosure's debut was very promising but this second effort is a bit underachieving.
Killing Joke did an amazingly good comeback, I still prefer their classic post punk sound to the more recent harder version, but this album is inspired. More punk and post punk returns from the likes of The Hamsters, Wire and The Names.
Merry Christmas and a Happy 2016, a year which will certainly bring us more great music!

The Best Of 2014 (and Merry Christmas)

01 PIXIES - Indie Cindy

02 MARLENE KUNTZ - Pansonica

03 KARNE MURTA - Swingin' Taboo

04 Egle Sommacal - Il Cielo Si Sta Oscurando

05 Anemine - MeeresWeiten

06 Il Mercato Nero - Società Drastica

07 Aandra - Meraki

08 Elizabeth Rose - Elizabeth Rose

09 Snarky Puppy - We Like It Here

10 Various Artists - Exit From The Cage

11 Michael E - Morning Sun
12 Various Artists — Latin Hits 2014 Summer Edition
13 Johnny Marr - Playland
14 The Hamsters - Bloody Hell!
15 Various Artists - The Organisation of Pop - Thirty Years of Zang Tuum Tumb
16 Cagna Schiumante - Cagna Schiumante
17 Motionfield - Optical Flow
18 Giancarlo Onorato & Cristiano Godano - Ex (Live)
19 Pharrell Williams - G I R L
20 Il Sogno del Marinaio - Canto Secondo

21 Cesare Malfatti - Una Mia Distrazione 22 Fabi Silvestri Gazzè - Il Padrone della Festa 23 Various Artists - Space Station Vol. 1 24 Ruggine - Iceberg 25 Jes - Unleash The Beat 26 PNFA - Sylmar 27 Dan Solo - Avrei 28 Miguel Migs - Dim Division 29 Svenj - Dreams 30 Aiemo - Forgotten Sun 31 Saint Petersburg Disco Spin Club - Galernaya Live Sessions, Vol. 1 32 Peter Pearson - Where Dreamers Go 33 Riccardo Sinigallia - Per Tutti 34 Citrus Sun - People Of Tomorrow 35 The Aston Shuffle - Photographs 36 Vessel - Le Difese 37 Various Artists - My Summer Mixtape 2014 38 Seahawks - Paradise Freaks 39 Simon Le Grec - Best Of 40 Various Artists - Late Night Tales Presents Automatic Soul 41 Perturbazione - Musica X 42 Tiromancino - Indagine Su Un Sentimento 43 Monodeluxe - Best Of 44 Mo'jardo - La Cultura 45 Thamza - On That Tip 46 Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers - Que Chevere 47 Ficture - Roads To Everywhere 48 T.A. - Feel Me 49 Velvet - Storie 50 Jana Soleil - Lounge Nights

Another amazing year in music, we had not only fantastic comebacks like in 2013, but also some excellent debuts which proved making innovative music is still possible, and it was about time. A pretty eclectic year too, even by my standards, enjoying many different genres.
Pixies released more EPs and collected all their new songs in the Indie Cindy album. While we can dislike the way these songs have been basically released twice in a year, or we can think they don't sound as good as 25 years ago, the truth is most of these songs are as good as Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde mixed together, as the epic Silver Snail proves. Marlene Kuntz's early demos of unreleased songs have been the bootleg treasure for two decades to their fans, this year they rerecorded them (quite true to the originals) and they still sound amazing, it's unbelievable a rock'n'roll monster like Capello Lungo had remained officially unreleaed for so long. Karne Murta cut the "Las" off their name and came back with another wonderful album where they alternate between punk and the modern swing of the title track.
Egle Sommacal from Massimo Volume released his third solo album going back to the graceful acoustic sound of his first album. Debut of the year is the virtually unknown Anemine, a true hidden gem, their L'Orizzonte Rosso is simply the most beautiful track by anyone this year. Italian debut of the year comes from Il Mercato Nero, two former Ulan Bator members collaborating with Egle Sommacal.
This has been the year of chillout music for me, I've even started a blog dedicated to the genre, ChillOut Map. It's true Anemine have been released by LemongrassMusic, but I find their contemporary music to go a lot further than chillout, so the best true chillout album must be Aandra's.
If Anemine aren't innovative enough for you here are the two most amazing talents emerging this year: the first is Elizabeth Rose, a girl sounding like Bjork, Britney Spears and Janet Jackson squeezed together in what should become an international diva if there's any justice. Her single Sensitivity is possibly the most beautiful pop song this year, it has the tune, the rhythm, the sound to be emotional and sheer perfect pop. The other is Snarky Puppy, a band which has basically reinvented fusion, just watch the live video of Sleeper and you'll understand what I mean, a jaw dropping performance which is intricate without sounding pretentious, being emotional and sophisticated in fact.
Exit From The Cage is the compilation of the year, a tribute to the genius of John Cage featuring Egle Sommacal and Rickyjam (AKA Riccardo Nanni) doing a touching version of In A Landscape. On the YouTube playlist you find Cage's original, while on the Spotify playlist there's Rickyjam's version.  Michael E is another great composer of chillout bordering on contemporary music, while calling him a new Morricone would be exaggerated, this music would be perfect for soundtracks.
Another genre I'm hearing a lot, but more in clubs than at home, is Latin, the excellent Planet Records released Latin Hits Summer Edition 2014, a compilation packed with hits by the likes of Fly Project, Gente De Zona, Omega, Manolito Simonet, Maykel Blanco and Los Teke Teke. One of the best is Sammy's remix of Dile by La Nueva Escuela, a great innovative dembow collective, unusually mixing their genre with bachata in this song.
Johnny Marr carried the torch of British indie and we finally had a compilation of The Hamsters, a truly underrated original punk legend from Manchester. ZTT celebrated the thirty years of the label and at the end of the compilation The Organisation Of Pop, which features the usual suspects like Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Propaganda, 808 State and Art Of Noise, there's this wonderful track by underrated genius Andrew Poppy.
Stefano Pilia from Massimo Volume worked in two excellent avant garde supergroups: Cagna Schiumante with Xabier Iriondo from Afterhours and Roberto Bertacchini from Starfuckers and Il Sogno Del Marinaio with Mike Watt (former leader of Minutemen and Firehose) and Andrea Belfi. Motionfield released a masterpiece of dreamy ambient chillout. Cristiano Godano from Marlene Kuntz toured also with Giancarlo Onorato (former leader of Underground Life), one of the videos is a beautiful cover of Velvet Underground's classic. The best mainstream album is certainly Pharrell Williams', a genuine talent which is basically updating funk for the 21st century as in his masterpiece, Gust Of Wind. Other great records came from former La Crus Cesare Malfatti, the super trio Fabi Silvestri Gazzè, former Marlene Kuntz Dan Solo, Riccardo Sinigallia, Citrus Sun (a side project of Bluey from Incognito), and Vessel (a side project of Corrado Nuccini and Emanuele Reverberi from Giardini di Mirò). Ruggine are still a great underrated rock band. More great chillout from PNFA, Peter Pearson, Aiemo, Seahawks, Simon Le Grec and two great compilations: Space Station from LemongrassMusic and My Summer Mixtape from Melodica Recordings. Some great electro and deep house from Jes, Miguel Migs, Svenji, Saint Petersburg Disco Spin Club and The Aston Shuffle. Groove Armada's Tom Findlay released Automatic Soul, a good compilation of vintage electro soul featuring Change and 52nd Street.
Slightly disappointing, but still alright albums came from Perturbazione, Tiromancino and Velvet. Ray Lugo made us rediscover the boogaloo. More nice instrumental stuff from Monodeluxe, Mo'jardo, Ficture, T.A. and Jana Soleil.
Merry Christmas and happy 2015, a year which should bring us a brand new album from New Order since they've just signed to Mute Records!

The Best Of 2013 (and Merry Christmas)

01 NEW ORDER - Lost Sirens

02 PIXIES - EP1

03 MASSIMO VOLUME - Aspettando i Barbari

04 Marlene Kuntz - Nella Tua Luce

05 Prefab Sprout - Crimson/Red

06 My Bloody Valentine - m b v

07 Litfiba - Trilogia 1983-1989 (live)

08 Jungle Radio - Jungle Radio

09 Johnny Marr - The Messenger

10 Exit Calm - The Future Isn't What It Used To Be

11 Pet Shop Boys - Electric
12 Santo Niente - Mare Tranquillitatis
13 Diaframma - Preso Nel Vortice
14 Various Artists - La Tempesta al Rivolta 2013
15 Virginiana Miller - Venga Il Tuo Regno

16 Cosmo - Disordine
17 New Order - Live At Bestival 2012
18 Peter Hook And The Light Live At Christ Church Macclesfield 23rd Jun 2013
19 Peter Hook And The Light - Live At Manchester Cathedral
20 Elio E Le Storie Tese - L'Album Biango

21 Rubberbear - Let's Move Somewhere Else EP
22 Section 25 - Dark Light
23 In Zaire - White Sun Black Sun
24 Diaframma - Studio Sessions (95-96)
25 David Bowie - The Next Day
26 Paolo Spaccamonti e Stefano Pilia - Frammenti / Stand Behind The Men Behind The Wire
27 Gianni Maroccolo e Claudio Rocchi - VDB 23 / Nulla è Andato Perso
28 Storm Of Change - Hidden In Plain Sight
29 Various Artists - Distant Drums
30 Major Lazer - Free The Universe

31 Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
32 MIA - Matangi
33 Wire - Change Becomes Us
34 Grizzly Bear - Shileds B Sides
35 Blastema - Lo Stato In Cui Sono Stato
36 Various - SOS For Gaza
37 Deetron - Music Over Matter
38 Cut Copy - Free Your Mind
39 Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
40 OMD - English Electric

This has been the most amazing year in music for at least two decades. We have had some really amazing comebacks and this has made possibile to place my three favourite bands ever as the top three of this chart, for the first time.
New Order released some fantastic outtakes from their last album. While we wait for new material, we've had four new great songs from Pixies, the first proper release in 22 years. The best full length album of new songs comes from Massimo Volume, Marlene Kuntz confirmed themselves as another top Italian band with an excellent album.
Prefab Sprout released an absolute masterpiece, first new songs in 13 years, while we've had to wait 22 years from a new fantastic album by My Bloody Valentine and even more to see the original line up of legendary Italian band Litfiba playing live again.
Debut of the year must be Jungle Radio's self titled album, Johnny Marr and Exit Calm came back with two excellent albums. Pet Shop Boys released a surprisingly good album after the disappoining Elysium.
Santo Niente, Diaframma and Virginiana Miller made three really convincing returns in Italy, Cosmo from Drink To Me did a wonderful solo effort. Elio E Le Storie Tese came back with an album which is a bit disappoining by their stellar standards, but still pretty good.
While New Order and Peter Hook released live albums, Tom Chapman, the bassist who has replaced Hook in New Order, released a very promising EP with his side project Rubberbear, and the former Revenge bassist Brian Whittaker released nice songs with the name Storm Of Change. Two other convincing returns came from veterans David Bowie and Section 25.
Stefano Pilia from Massimo Volume released an album with In Zaire and one with Paolo Spaccamonti, Gianni Maroccolo from Litfiba did an amazing collaboration with Claudio Rocchi and various guests.
I've had the chance to hear many other albums, mainly through Deezer (which helped me discover a lot of great chill out and smooth jazz too), and some of the best include dance stuff like Major Lazer, Daft Punk, MIA, Deetron and Cut Copy, the comeback of Wire, the emerging talents of Grizzly Bear from America and Blastema from Itay. I've also heard two more disappointing albums by Depeche Mode and OMD, but that's hardly any news since those bands have lost inspiration a long time ago.
Merry Christmas and a happy 2014, which looks promising again with new albums from Gabrielles Wish and Las Karne Murta coming soon!

The Best Of 2012 (and Merry Christmas)

01 LAS KARNE MURTA - Dirty Swing

02 DONALD FAGEN - Sunken Condos

03 MARLENE KUNTZ - Canzoni Per Un Figlio

04 Kalevala - There And Back Again

05 Offlaga Disco Pax - Gioco Di Società

06 Elio E Le Storie Tese - Enlarge Your Penis, Live 2012

07 Bastian Contrario & Diverba - Al-kemi Split, Vol. 1

08 Udachi - Oo-Daa-Chee Remix EP

09 Deproducers - Planetario

10 Il Teatro Degli Orrori - Il Mondo Nuovo

11 The Beach Boys - That's Why God Made The Radio
12 Diaframma - Niente Di Serio
13 SMS - Da Qui A Domani
14 Pet Shop Boys - Elysium
15 Paul Buchanan - Mid Air

This year I've been catching up, listening to a lot of music from Cuba and the Ivory Coast where there are truly exciting scenes, and a lot of funk, soul and disco I had yet to hear.
But there have been quite some good fresh releases too. Las Karne Murta reached their creative peak with an absolute masterpiece, good old Donald Fagen came back with an excellent album which is even better than the last Steely Dan album. Marlene Kuntz have made a wonderful compilation with new versions of their classics, Kalevala and Offlaga Disco Pax both confirmed their talents with great albums.
Elio E Le Storie Tese released a good live album, even if it doesn't do full justice to the truly amazing experience of seeing them in concert, could have been even better. Bastian Contrario and Diverba are two really well promising bands from Italy and have released a split debut album. Udachi came back with more excellent fidget house. Deproducers is a very interesting super-project including Gianni Maroccolo (Litfiba, CSI, Marlene Kuntz), Max Casacci (Subsonica), Riccardo Sinigallia (Tiromancino) and Vittorio Cosma (PFM). Il Teatro Degli Orrori has become one of the most important alternative bands in Italy, and rightly so.
The Beach Boys made an unsuspectingly good return, Brian Wilson showed he can still write a tune at 70! Diaframma released a good but slightly disappointing album (the previous one was their best in ages) while former singer Miro Sassolini released a really beautiful album with his new project SMS. Quite disappointing returns from the Pet Shop Boys (especially since the previous Yes was excellent) and Paul Buchanan (we just expected more from The Blue Nile singer).
2013 looks to have a promising start with the return of the original Litfiba line up and a compilation of New Order's outtakes from the last album.
Merry Christmas and a happy 2013, a year in which I'll try to rock at 40, and if Brian Wilson can still do it at 70...

The Best Of 2010 (and Merry Christmas)

01 MASSIMO VOLUME
Cattive Abitudini
 
02 GABRIELLES WISH
Processed
 
03 MARLENE KUNTZ
Ricoveri Virtuali E Sexy Solitudini

04 Skarnemurta - Traffic

05 Freebass - It's A Beautiful Life

06 Beautiful - Beautiful

07 Kalevala - Musicanti Di Brema

08 Exit Calm - Exit Calm

09 Blonde Redhead - Penny Sparkle

10 Jungle Radio - Live Session

11 Serena-Maneesh - S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor
12 Culpable - Culpable
13 Section 25 - Retrofit
14 Pet Shop Boys - Ultimate
15 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - History Of Modern

This year has been a weird mix of different trends for me. I've been discovering artists I've been guilty of overlooking in the past which haven't released albums this year, like the years of Brian Wilson as a genius in The Beach Boys (second half of the 60s) and Maxwell, a genius of contemporary black music. I've also been hearing a lot of singles released in the past few years in the Fidget house scene, especially Brooklyn artists like AC Slater and Udachi, who are doing the most inventive music heard (and danced) in this century so far.
I've also discovered 4AD (which was a cult label in the 80s with bands like Cocteau Twins and Pixies) is still releasing great albums, this year with bands like Blonde Redhead (who are progressing further in refining their sophisticated and melancholic synth pop) and Serena-Maneesh (who try too often to sound like My Bloody Valentine but still show a lot of talent, especially when doing something more personal).
Then we've had great comebacks, reissues or compilations of bands which have been around for ages. Massimo Volume came back with a studio album after 11 years. They had been playing half of the new songs in concert so we expected the new album would have been great, but nobody was really ready to hear their best album ever. Gabrielles Wish released for the first time on CD their excellent lost debut album, recorded 13 years ago, adding some bonus tracks. Marlene Kuntz involved production genius Howie B (he did Bjork's most inventive albums in the 90s) and he produced their less commercial album ever, a record full of ideas daring to take many different directions, mostly unconventional, with some wonderful sounds enhancing the formula. The collaboration went further in the project Beautiful (which sounds even more experimental), where Howie B plays keyboards and bass legend Gianni Maroccolo (formerly in Litfiba and CSI) comes back to complete the line-up and release the album on his own label Al-Kemi. Peter Hook finally released, after an EP with guest vocalists like Tim Burgess from The Charlatans) the Freebass debut album which is great, pity the band have already split. Another long awaited debut came from Exit Calm and, even if they haven't included all their best songs in the tracklists, the album is good enough to say they're the best new band in this century so far.
Section 25 survived the death of singer Larry Cassidy, his daughter Beth sings now, and have released an album with re-recordings of their classics. Pet Shop Boys released a compilation of hits missing some important singles but including their excellent new single Together, which also has a really beautiful video.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark came back with a new studio album after 14 years and it's alright but unfortunately, just like their last album before this long time off, shows their best inspiration is long gone, though it tries a return to the sound of their former glories.
2010 has also been a great year in my local scene in Parma. There are other great bands who haven't released records playing fantastic gigs, there are cool DJs in the dance scene, and we've had also some excellent releases. Skarnemurta had another triumphant tour in Ukraine and repackaged their last album and EP with a bonus track on one CD while recording a new album which should follow in a couple of months. Kalevala are selling promo copies of their astonishing and truly inspired new album while waiting for a wider release next year. Jungle Radio emerged with their inventive blend of DJ set and live performance and Culpable finally made available on iTunes the studio recordings of the wonderful songs they've been playing live for years.
Merry Christmas and Happy 2011, hoping to hear more great new music!

The Best Of 2009 (and Merry Christmas)

01 BAD LIEUTENANT 
Never Cry Another Tear
 
02 MASSIMO VOLUME
Bologna Nov. 2008 

03 PREFAB SPROUT
Let's Change The World With Music 

04 Marlene Kuntz - Best Of 

05 Elio E Le Storie Tese - Gattini (deluxe edition)

06 Diaframma - Difficile Da Trovare

07 Pet Shop Boys - Yes

08 Section 25 - Nature + Degree

09 Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today

10 Egle Sommacal - Tanto Non Arriva


11 Morrissey - Years Of Refusal
12 Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe
13 Coldplay - LeftRightLeftRightLeft
14 Grand Duchy - Petit Fours
15 Mimes Of Wine - Apocalypse Sets In

This has been a pretty good year in music, well at least by the standards of the decade we're wrapping up, which has been frankly pretty useless. We must be happy that the artists from the 80s and 90s are still carrying on, those who have emerged in the 00s have been a pale comparison. Bands who would have deserved more have been underrated (see Gabrielles Wish), bands who deserve a bright future are still struggling to emerge (see Exit Calm).
New Order have split up, but we find three fourths of their latter line up in Bad Lieutenant. Hooky is missing in action, still trying to do something with his supergroup Freebass (formed with Rourke from The Smiths and Mani from Primal Scream), but the other three have recruited Jake Evans from Rambo And Leroy to form a band with three guitarist and release an excellent album of guitar pop which retains some of what we like about New Order but it's different enough to that legendary band to sound refreshing and escape embarassing comparisons.
Massimo Volume have released a live album from a triumphant concert of last year's comeback tour while we wait for the new studio recording, Paddy McAloon has resurrected the name of his band Prefab Sprout to release an amazing demo recorded in his kitchen in 1992. Marlene Kuntz and Elio E Le Storie Tese released two compilations, the first band addes some covers to their hits, the second re-recorded all their hits with an orchestra, and the result is obviously sublime.
Back to proper new studio albums, Diaframma have made their best album in ages, astonishingly inspired music and lyrics. The same can be said for Pet Shop Boys, nobody was expecting such a masterpiece like Yes. Section 25 followed Part Primitiv, their great comeback of two years ago, with another excellent album.
Mew confirmed themselves as the best new band of this decade with an eclectic and emotional release, if all the new bands were half as inventive as Mew, music would be a lot more interesting.
Massimo Volume guitarist Egle Sommacal made his wonderful second instrumental solo album, this time with an electric guitar and a brass band.
Morrissey and Depeche Mode have released two albums which are quite good, but only just, once again far from their former glories.
Coldplay's live album is pretty good too, especially since it's free.
When back home from rocking the world with the Pixies, Black Francis has formed Grand Duchy, a project with his wife, which sounds a bit like messing with indie for fun, but it's still fun for the listener as well...
Mimes Of Wine have left their mark on the same label of Egle Sommacal with an album of acoustic indie which sounds classic, emotional and disturbing at the same time.
Merry Christams and Happy 2010, hoping that new bands like Exit Calm will start a more exciting decade than this, which won't be remembered with much nostalgia...

The Best Of 2008 (and Merry Christmas)

01 NEW ORDER
Movement (Collector's Edition)

02 JOY DIVISION - The Best Of Joy Division

03 GABRIELLES WISH - Live

04 ELIO E LE STORIE TESE - Studentessi

05 A CERTAIN RATIO - Mind Made Up

06 GLI ANTONIO BENASSI - Parma Parallela

07 SECTION 25 - Are XXX

08 SKARNEMURTA - Dirty Swing: L'Aperitivo

09 BLAKE/E/E/E - Border Radio

10 THE BREEDERS - Mountain Battles
11 OFFLAGA DISCO PAX - Bachelite
12 VARIOUS ARTISTS - Il Dono
13 KALEVALA - Promo 2008
14 STEFANO PILIA - Action Silence Prayers
15 THE CHARLATANS - You Cross My Path

The best of 2007 saw New Order at number 1 and Joy Division at number 2. The best of 2008 is no different, those dear old bastards have made their way to the top once again with yet another useless, but ultimately precious reissue/best of. While Joy Division's collectors editions added concert recordings, New Order's add all the non-album singles and b-sides. Movement is of particular interest for those who haven't been avid completists so far because it finally rediscovers a gem which has remained hidden in their discography. The real Mesh (the track which has been titled Mesh until 2002 was actually a mis-labelled Cries And Whispers) which had appeared on CD so far only on the 1981-82 US compilation. One of their best songs ever. And there are all those versions of Ceremony, Temptation etc. you might have missed until now. Now you have no excuse. Yet another best of Joy Division, but better compiled than Permanent, and hey, it's been 13 years since that compilation, so they have an excuse for this release, after all.
Gabrielles Wish brought us their first Live album since Live And Bobbins, and hey, it's been 11 years, so they have an excuse for this release, after all.
Elio E Le Storie Tese came back after five years and it was well worth the wait. Yet another masterpiece from this Italian band making unique sophisticated pop matched by funny but extremely intelligent lyrics. An unlikely clash between Steely Dan and Monty Python if you wish, but it works, it really does.
A much needed comeback comes from A Certain Ratio, we had to wait 11 years for this great album which rediscovers Factory sounds lost ages ago and includes songs like Starlight, one of their best ever.
Antonio Benassi is a legend in Parma, leader of underground veterans Le Borchie, he has been around for decades and finally releases his first proper album with a great band carrying his name. Sort of local Elio E Le Storie Tese, slightly more trad rock oriented but also slightly funnier. The title track is already an anthem in the town.
Section 25 came back last year, and this year have celebrated their 30 years with a compilation of Peel sessions and demos available for free download for a limited time. Nice to have another Factory band in the Top 10.
Skarnemurta released a wonderful EP heading the fans to their new direction, evolving their trademark sound to a Dirty Swing. Listen and get what it means.
I think I'll remember 2008 as the year I saw Massimo Volume coming back, six years after their split, with a hugely successful tour. We can hope for a new album next year, meanwhile last year we had the debut album by guitarist Egle Sommacal and a welcome CD reissue of his first band, Detriti. This year we have the debut of the band of former guitarist Marcella Riccardi, Blake/e/e/e. If you think the name is weird, wait for the music, which is also really inventive and emotional. What? A debut album in my chart! I know the artist has been around for ages, but at least this band has made a debut and it's fresh music, so let's get content with this.
It's unlikely we can wait for a new album by the Pixies, but at least we've had the welcome comeback of The Breeders with a small gem of rough and psychedelic post-country.
People had high expectations for Offlaga Disco Pax after their acclaimed debut. It was impossible for the follow-up to match it, but it's still a great album.
Il Dono is a tribute to Diaframma made by some other important bands of the Italian alternative scene like Marlene Kuntz and Santo Niente, but also promising emerging bands like Magnolia and Oshinoko Bunker Orchestra.
Kalevala have warmed up their ever growing audience for their next album with an excellent EP of great celtic folk metal. I know it doesn't sound really credible, after all the crap released under that tag by other bands, but Kalevala are different, they are really talented and make you believe that great music can be done that way as well.
Speaking of talent, Stefano Pilia is the new second guitarist of Massimo Volume, he is a precious addition to their sound and has a solo career as well releasing guitar ambient soundscapes.
The Charlatans have released one of their best albums, if not their best at all (less retro, more groovy)... for free!
Finally a mention for a band which would have definitely made the Top 5 in 2007 if I hadn't discovered them only this year. We haven't heard shoegazing as good as Airiel's since the glorious days of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Swervedriver at Creation. Less ethereal than their British influences, and with a stronger rhythm section, but still extremely emotional, this band from Chicago floods an ocean of sound in your ears. And you want more and more. Many bands try do something like this, but get nowhere near.

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2009, time is short to save this decade from being the worst ever since rock'n'roll was invented, let's hope more new bands will do some effort, and that we'll be able to discover them in time... let's keep an ear for those youngsters struggling on MySpace... suggestions by streaming music sites like Last.FM might be useful as well... that's how I discovered Airiel...

The Best Of 2006 (and Merry Christmas)

01 GABRIELLES WISH
Reformer
02 DONALD FAGEN
Morph The Cat
03 MEW
And The Glass Handed Kites
04 SKARNEMURTA
Oilà Masnada
05 DELTA V
Pioggia Rosso Acciaio
06 MARLENE KUNTZ : S-Low
07 PET SHOP BOYS : Fundamental
08 FRANK BLACK : Fast Man Raider Man
09 MORRISSEY : Ringleader Of The Tormentors
10 FEDERICO FIUMANI : Donne Mie



Not many records this year, I wish I could have heard more, this chart is obviously based on the few I've heard.
I guess there have been other great records released this year but my priority was on the artists I already love, I've bought quite some other albums but they've all been released in the past.
For example how could I buy an album released this year by anyone when I hadn't yet the excellent Fin by Crispy Ambulance?
Also no New Order as we were expecting, in fact the band seems about to split, as you can read on New Order Online.
Still, I don't complain as Gabrielles Wish came back with what's probably the best record released in this decade so far, and I don't say this because I'm their webmaster, honest!
I also do the site for Skarnemurta but they're not number 2... well, their excellent album couldn't appear nowhere below number 5 in this chart, actually. It's packed with killer tunes and it's the first for a proper label and distributed nation-wide so they're a sort of best new band for the general audience in Italy.
Personally, Mew have been a great find. Describing them as My Bloody Valentine going prog while meeting Prefab Sprout doesn't even do justice to the innovative vision of pop and rock they have, they're that rare. They've made other albums before, which are definitely worth to have.
Few records, but high quality. And if you're going to talk about high quality you're going to mention the god of quality pop, Donald Fagen from the mighty Steely Dan. Other great frontmen made their solo comebacks: Frank Black from the legendary Pixies, Morrissey (20 years ago The Smiths were about to split) and Federico Fiumani, usually known as Diaframma.
Marlene Kuntz released a fantastic live album and Riccardo Tesio found the time to produce Un Altro Giorno D'Amore, the wonderful debut album by Kessler which almost made the Top 10.
Another great album bubbling under is Incontri A Metà Strada by Riccardo Sinigallia, the genius behind many beautiful records of the Roman scene (from Tiromancino to Niccolò Fabi and Max Gazzè).
The top 10 is completed by two fabulous synth pop albums: from England we have the return to form of Pet Shop Boys and in Italy we've had yet another great album from Delta V.
I've also downloaded quite some tracks from iTunes, both old and new, for example I have the original vinyl of Crispy Ambulance's The Plateau Phase, which doesn't include the bonus tracks of the CD, which I have downloaded from iTunes, I'm definitely more willing to spend 3 Euros on tracks I want than buying the entire CD or downloading them from illegal file sharing. Also, while I'm not entirely convinced to buy the new Robbie Williams album I firmly believe his cover of Lewis Taylor's Lovelight is one of the best songs of the year, definitely worth to be downloaded.

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2007, hoping to continue the tradition seeing every year finishing with 7 bringing great music.
Check the Records Of The Years section in Mick's Mix to see the previous years charts since 2001.

The Best Of 2005 (and Merry Christmas)

01 NEW ORDER
Singles
02 NEW ORDER
Waiting For The Sirens' Call
03 REVENGE
No Pain No Gain - Live 1991
04 MARLENE KUNTZ
Bianco Sporco
05 OFFLAGA DISCO PAX
Socialismo Tascabile
06 TSUJI GIRI : Tsuji Giri
07 SANTO NIENTE
Il Fiore Dell'Agave
08 MORRISSEY : Live At Earls Court
09 PLANET FUNK : The Illogical Consequence
10 ULAN BATOR : Rodeo Massacre


11 MADONNA : Confessions On A Dance Floor
12 DEPECHE MODE : Playing The Angel
13 COLDPLAY : X & Y
14 DIAFRAMMA : Passato, Presente
15 FRANK BLACK : Honeycomb

Other good albums bubbling under came from Jovanotti (Buon Sangue), Bjork (Music From Drawing Restraint 9) and The Darkness (One Way Ticket To Hell).
Excellent singles came from New Order (Waiting For The Sirens' Call), Gabrielles Wish (Here From The Neck Down EP) and Opium (Clarisse).
For the first time in quite a long while we have the best new bands: check out Tsuji Giri in England and Offlaga Disco Pax in Italy.

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2006, waiting for some more releases from New Order, Gabrielles Wish and La Skarnemurta!

The Best of 2004 (and Merry Christmas)

01 NEW ORDER : In Session
02 REVENGE : One True Passion V 2.0
03 VARIOUS : Twice As Nice

04 THE BLUE NILE : High
05 SWAMP CHILDREN : So Hot (expanded reissue)

06 MORRISSEY : You Are The Quarry
07 BJORK : Medulla
08 EL MUNIRIA : Stanza 218
09 LA SKARNEMURTA : Neruda!
10 DIAFRAMMA : Volume 13

Still waiting to hear essential releases like Frank Black's Frank Black Francis etc...
Label of the year: LTM with THREE records (02, 03 and 05) in the top 10!
Merry Christmas and a Happy 2005, waiting for a new New Order album in spring and some new releases by Gabrielles Wish and La Skarnemurta!

The Best Of 2003

Top 10
01 GABRIELLES WISH: Portal
02 MARLENE KUNTZ: Senza Peso
03 ELIO E LE STORIE TESE: Cicciput
04 VARIOUS: Cool As Ice
05 ULAN BATOR: Nouvel Air
06 PADDY MCALOON: I Trawl The Megahertz
07 STEELY DAN: Everything Must Go
08 DURUTTI COLUMN: Someone Else's Party
09 FRANK BLACK AND THE CATHOLICS: Show Me Your Tears
10 OTTO OHM: Pseudostereo
Almost made it:
11 VARIOUS: Hope
12 JOHNNY MARR AND THE HEALERS: Boomslang
13 PECKSNIFF: Elementary Watson
14 ROBIN GUTHRIE: Imperial
15 SAMULELE BERSANI: Caramella Smog

The Best Of 2002

Top 10

01 NEW ORDER: International
02 A CERTAIN RATIO: Early
03 DURUTTI COLUMN: Return Of The Sporadic Recordings
04 VARIOUS: 24 Hour Party People OST
05 FRANK BLACK AND THE CATHOLICS: Black Letter Days
06 FRANK BLACK AND THE CATHOLICS: Devil's Workshop
07 VARIOUS: In The Beginning There Was Rhythm
08 INTERPOL: Turn On The Bright Lights
09 SUBSONICA: Amorematico
10 VARIOUS: New Order's Back To Mine

Almost made it:
11 BREEDERS: Title TK
12 DOVES: The Last Broadcast
13 DIAFRAMMA: Sassolini Sul Fondo Del Fiume
14 COLDPLAY: A Rush Of Blood To The Head
15 DIAFRAMMA: I Giorni Dell'Ira

The Best Of 2001

Top 10
01 NEW ORDER: Get Ready
02 JOY DIVISION: Les Bains Douches 18 12 79
03 PIXIES: Complete B Sides
04 BJORK: Vespertine
05 PREFAB SPROUT: The Gunman And Other Stories
06 RADIOHEAD: Amnesiac
07 MAX GAZZE': Ognuno Fa Quello Che Gli Pare?
08 VARIOUS: Almost Blue OST
09 LA CRUS: Crocevia
10 VERDENA: Solo Un Grande Sasso

Almost made it:
11 DIAFRAMMA: Il Futuro Sorride A Quelli Come Noi
12 OTTO OHM: Otto Ohm
13 DURUTTI COLUMN: Rebellion
14 MINA: A To B
15 NADA: L'Amore E' Fortissimo Il Corpo No

Unlistable disappointment of the year:
DEPECHE MODE: Exciter