Well, I guess we’ve finally reached that moment, but before I reveal my favourite song and album of the year, I do want to give out consolatory honours to some albums and songs that, had I been ranking things this year, would’ve been right up there at the top, competing for bearded glory. I’ve already mentioned Black Mountain’s Wilderness Heart, Sweet Apple’s Love & Desperation, Dirty Sweet’s American Spiritual, and The Kings of Frog Island’s III, all of which should be highlighted, but I want to add the following albums and songs into their company…

High On Fire’s Snakes for the Divine, The Sword’s Warp Riders, Year of No Light’s Ausserwelt, Agalloch’s Marrow of the Spirit, Tweak Bird’s Tweak Bird, Souvenir’s Young America’s The Name of the Snake, and The Adjusters’ Reckless Relations. Every single one of ‘em is highly recommended.

Shit, I don’t think I can stop there. Okay, let’s also add Night Horse’s Perdition Hymns, Alcest’s Écailles de lune, Dead Trooper’s Cynicist, Brother Dege’s Folksongs of the American Longhair, Trap Them’s Filth Rations, the Melvins’ The Bride Screamed Murder, Electric Wizard’s Black Masses, Torche’s Songs for Singles, Violent Soho’s Violent Soho, Daughters’ Daughters, and Year Long Disaster’s Black Magic; All Mysteries Revealed. I could probably keep going, but these stand-outs will have to do.

As for songs, there was Black Mountain’s “The Hair Song” and “Sadie,” and Sweet Apple’s “Do You Remember,” and “Flying Up a Mountain,” but there were two others I had a tendency to play over and over again all year long, and those were Against Me!’s “Spanish Moss” and The Sword’s “Night City.”

But now, let’s just get this damn year-end thing over with…

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As I’ve made quite clear in two previous posts (here and here), I fucking LOVE the Biters. Now they’ve gone and released a new video, so I have even more reason to love ‘em. So check it out…it’s “Melody for Lovers” from It’s OK to Like Biters!

Biters
It’s OK to Like Biters
Underrated Records

Another Biters EP? Oh, that’s right, Jack. I guess releasing one outta-this-world album in 2010 wasn’t enough for these power pop superheroes because they’ve gone ahead and dropped yet another five-song masterpiece on us like a sack full o’ diamonds. Seriously, if they keep this up my heart’s gonna explode in a shower of cocktail napkin confetti. But really, can you think of a better way to go? Sure, you’re saying, when I’m balls deep in a teenage scream queen. Well, I got news for ya, friend. This is better than that. I’ll take your juicy thighs and smeared lipstick and raise you an orgy of rock n’ roll, cotton candy, jungle cats, wet tongues, and champagne bubbles. It’s just all sorts of crazy good stuff, ya know? When I had a go at their self-titled EP, I said that  if the Biters weren’t the biggest band in the world real soon that we’d all be doomed, and I believe that now more than ever. So do the Biters apparently, who are doing their part by releasing the most amazing music at a roller-skate pace. It may be OK to like Biters, but it’s better to fucking love Biters. In fact, it’s pretty much mandatory.

Listen to “Melody For Lovers” from It’s OK to Like Biters!