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!

Hear the new Morrissey single!

You can hear the new Morrissey single streaming on MorrisseyMusic.com. Irish Blood English Heart will be released on May 10 on Sanctuary Records and will include three B sides.

My Life With Morrissey, the movie!

Interesting: "My Life with Morrissey is a dark comedy that chronicles the adventures of an off-kilter office girl whose life unravels when she meets her idol (British rock icon Morrissey) and sets off on a journey of obsessive self-delusion." Check the site about the movie.

Morrissey resurrects Attack label as his own subsidiary at Sanctuary Records

Before he hadn't got a contract with a record label, now he has a sub-label of his own! Moz rules again!
From http://www.morrissey-solo.com/:
Sanctuary Records Group and Morrissey have announced that they have resurrected the Attack label to release the forthcoming new album by Morrissey.
The label will be distributed via BMG in the US, Pinnacle in the UK and Sanctuary Records Group's various distribution partners in the rest of the world.
The Attack label - part of the legendary Trojan Records family - released records by The Pioneers, Gregory Isaacs, The Upsetters, Big Youth and I Roy amongst many others between 1969 and 1980.
The Sanctuary Group Inc Chief Executive Officer Merck Mercuriadis commented, "Morrissey is one of the most important artists of the last 20 years and we are delighted that he has given us the opportunity to lead the charge on this significant next phase of his career with a deal that is as innovative as his music. Early on in our discussions Morrissey proved himself to be a connoisseur of our Trojan Records catalogue and expressed an interest in using the Attack label for the release of his records much as he did the HMV label when he was with EMI. We are very pleased to accommodate and hope that he will also find new artists to release on Attack. Attack Records will be a reflection of his creative vision and his exclusive domain. "
The Sanctuary Records Group's labels and artists include Rough Trade Records, Fantastic Plastic, Trojan Records, The Strokes, Spiritualized, The Libertines, Ween, Death In Vegas, British Sea Power, Pet Shop Boys, The Beatings, Tricky and The Futureheads.

Debut by Johnny Marr And The Healers coming soon

From http://www.cdnow.com: "Boomslang", the debut album by Johnny Marr And The Healers is due Feb. 4 on iMusic, and Marr will play select club dates in the U.S. in January and February.

Johnny Marr's new band The Healers

From CD Now (http://www.cdnow.com): Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has signed with iMusic, a division of ArtistDirect. His debut album under the deal will be from his band, Johnny Marr And The Healers, in January 2003. The group features Ringo Starr's son, Zak Starkey, on drums and Kula Shaker's Alonsa Bevan on bass.