First, the usual preamble. It has been a great year for music coming out of Scotland (see below) so even limiting ourselves to 50 albums is an impossibility (hence the musical pileup at the end of the chart).
And ordering them is just as difficult – as we always say, while some of Jockrock’s top tunes can be found towards the top end, please see the 50 as a general list of top recommendations to hear before another onslaught of quality music in 2019.
But to the winner. David McGregor, formerly (and still) vocalist of indiepop combo Kid Canaveral, reinvented himself for this side project – still rich in classic hooks and self-effacing lyrics, this delve into the world of folk(ish) tunesmithery has proven to be much more than a mere diversion, each song a swooning singalong that could grace stadia or backstreet bars alike. But with his band’s hiatus presumably ending soon, the only question for its creator (apart from, how does he find the time and energy) is, what next?
1. Broken Chanter – Broken Chanter (Last Night From Glasgow/Olive Grove)
2. A New international – The Dark Carnival (POUM)
3. Stoor– Fleam (Stereogram)
4. Kaputt – Carnage Hall (Upset The Rhythm)
5. Paul Vickers & The Leg – Jump (Tenement)
6. Harsh Winters – The Marriage Of A Killer And A Bird Song (629684 Records DK)
7. Sacred Paws – Run Around The Sun (Rock Action)
8. The Twilight Sad – It Won/t Be Like This All The Time (Rock Action)
9. Blue Tiles – Melancholitronica (Errant Media)
10. Siobhan Wilson – Suffering Fools (EVOL)
11. Rev Magnetic – Versus Universe (Rock Action)
12. Savage Mansion – Revision Ballads (Lost Map)
13. Bis – Slight Disconnects (Last Night From Glasgow)
14. Paper Machine Music – Glimpse (Much Better)
15. Citizen Bravo – Build A Thing of Beauty (Chemikal Underground)
16. Human Don’t Be Angry – Guitar Variations (Around7Corners)
17. James Yorkston – The Route To The Harmonium (Domino)
18. Yip Man of Scotland – Pure Zen, Ken? (Armellodie)
19. Neutrals – Kebab Disco (Emotional Response)
20. Blanck Mass – Animated Violence Mild (Sacred Bones)
21. Snide Rhythms – Welcome to Music Industry Fantasy Land (T shirt)
22. Faith Eliott – Impossible Bodies (OK Pal)
23. Dumb Instrument – Doubt (Bad Tool)
24. Future Pilot AKA – Orkestra Digitalis (Glass Modern)
25. Shhe – Shhe (One Little Indian)
26. National Jazz Trio of Scotland -( Standards Vol. V (Karaoke Kalk)
27. Paws– Your Church On my Bonfire (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)
28. Anna Meredith – Fibs (Moshi Moshi)
29. Astrid – Fall Stand Dance (Analogue Enhanced Digital )
30. Ela Orleans – Movies For Ears (Night School)
31. False Bliss – Ritual Terrains (Scottish Fiction)
32. Honeyblood – In Plain Sight (Marathon Artist)
33. Les Bof! – Voila (Dirty Water)
34. Kettle of Kites – Arrows (Nadir Music)
35. Andrew Wasylyk – The Paralian (Athens of the North)
36. Edwyn Collins – Badbea (AED)
37. You Tell Me – You Tell Me (Memphis Industries)
38. Lovers Turn To Monsters – Still Listening to the Paris, Texas Soundtrack and Thinking About Wanting to Die… (Rock Action)
39. Richard Luke – Glass Island (Moderna)
40. The Cathode Ray – Heightened Senses (Stereogram)
41. Peter Cat – Plays Well With Others (Ice Cream For Crow)
42. Jazzateers – Blood Is Sweeter Than Honey (Creeping Bent)
43. Mungo’s Hi Fi x Eva Lazarus – More Fyah (Scotch Bonnet)
44. Louise Connell – Squall Echo Rale (9th Story)
45. Lloyd Cole – Guesswork (earMUSIC)
46. Doghouse Roses – We Are Made Of Light (Yellowroom)
47. Cosmic Dead – Scottish Space Race (Riot Season)
48. Herschel 36 – Astrophysik (Lickety Splat)
49.Steve Mason – About The Light (Double Six)
=50. Half Formed Things – To Live In The Flicker (HFT)
=50. Snakeskin Shoe Review – Futurists (SSR)
*Usual E&OE. We’re bound to have forgotten some album or other, so if your favourite is missing then best just assume that rather than it being (IMO) rubbish, it simply got overlooked, perhaps by just being so good everyone was dazzled by its brilliance or it had become so much a part of our lives that it was hiding in plain sight.
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