Rough Trade Album of the Month Club: December 2015 Pack

Usually in December the selection is not as strong and usually does not have bonus discs. This month's pack was a teensy bit disappointing. I'm not complaining though as the Jan to Nov packs were amazing. Anyway, here we go: Core cd: Golden Teacher - The First Three EPs - I did not expect this at all and it came as a pleasant surprise. It's basically dancey post punk rhythms. It's a fun album and I will definitely try incorporate some tracks in my dj sets. 7/10. Sheer Mag - I/II. Excellent. Catchy, fun and short. I'm expecting big things from this band. 8/10. Various Artists - Ghosts of Christmas Past (remake). Every December the club releases a Christmas themed cd or two and in my 8 years as a member I have never received one. It seemed that this year it was my turn. Ghosts of Christmas Past is a reissue of a classic post punk compilation with an added second cd of new material. On the whole it is ok but not something I would play often 6/10. Upcoming core albums January: Hinds (Yes!) or maybe Bill Baird (no clue) February: Sunflower Bean (YES!!!) March: Unloved (no clue here)

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club - November 2015 Pack

Not too shabby Core Album Floating Points - Eleania + Bonus cd. 9/10. Great Electronica album. British Sea Power - Sea of Brass + Bonus Dvd. 8/10. I haven't seen the dvd yet though. Fuzz - II. 7/10. Good riffs but a bit overlong. December - Evangelist January - Hinds or Bill Baird February - Sunflower Bean (YES) March - Unloved.

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club- October 2015 Pack

Great selection! Core Album: John Grant - Grey Tickles, Black Pressure + Bonus Cd. 9/10. In 2012 Grant's second album Pale Green Ghosts was the album of the month, this one is much better. Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect. 8/10. Great post punk. Rhodes - Wishes. 7/10. A bit too poppy for my tastes and too many bonus tracks. However there are some soaring tunes. November: Floating Points December: ???? January: Hinds???, Bill Baird??

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club - September 2015 Pack

This month I did not receive my pack due to it being lost in the mail. HOWEVER Rough trade sent me a replacement (yay) and I got it on Monday 28th so I have to listen to the cds properly before I rate them. Watch this space. Core Album Max Richter - From Sleep + Bonus Disc 7.5/10. Now and then the club will send an album by a neo classical composer. In the past I've received Chilly Gonzalez's Piano Concertos, A Winged Victory for the Sullen, Riceboy sleeps and now Max Richter. I admit that these albums require a lot of patience and take a few years to sink in fully. At the moment From Sleep is a seven but could be a ten in a few years. Royal Headache - High - 8/10 Excellent, perky indie. The Arcs - Yours Dreamily - 8/10. Anything with Black Keys on it gets a thumbs up from me! Next up October: John Grant November: Floating Points December ????? (no idea whatsoever) January - Hinds

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club, August 2015 Pack

A solid selection: Core album: Georgia - Self-titled + bonus cd. 8/10 Good accessible dance music. Innovative at times and fun too. Mac DeMarco - Another One + Bonus cd. 7.7/10 I'm a Mac DeMarco fan so I'm glad I got this one from the club. It's also the first time they've sent me something from the Captured Tracks label. My gripe is that it's only 23 minutes long. The last time I received a mini album was Eugene McGuinness' The Early Learnings of Eugene McGuinness back in 2007. Dornik - Self-titled 7.5/10. This one took ages for me to get but eventually it did and the smooth beats made my hot summer afternoons more tolerable. Coming Up: September: Max Richter or Dam Funk ( i think it will be Max Richter, the club loves piano based modern composition) October - John Grant (yay) November- Floating Points (wow)

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club July 2015 Pack

Not many bonus cds but a strong pack: Core Album : Ezra Furman - Perpetual Motion People + Bonus cd. 8.5/10 - One of the best moments was walking around Camden with this album blasting out of my ipod. Leon Bridges - Coming Home 8/10 - Great Soul Fraser A. Gorman - Slow Gum 8/10 - The next Bob Dylan? some terrific melodies. Coming up August: Georgia, Royal Headache, Mac Demarco - my money's on Georgia September - Max Richter??? , Dam Funk?? October - John Grant

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club June 2015 Pack

An excellent month Core album: FFS - Self-titled + Bonus cd 8.5/10 - pure summery pop. An addictive album! I also played htis one a lot. The rest: Algiers - Self-titled 8/10 Political afro indie Pins - Wild Nights + Bonus cd 7.5/10 Good but not wow. July - Ezra Furman August - Georgia September ???? October - John Grant

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club May 2015 Pack

Tons of goodies!! Core album: Django Django - Born Under Saturn + Bonus cd. At first I wasn't too sure about this and thought it was inferior to their debut but it grew on me and I'm enjoying it 8/10. Bernard + Edith - Jem + Bonus Cd. A grower but totally enchanting 8/10. Joanna Gruesome - Peanut Butter + Bonus cd. A ton of fun. A peppy 21 minutes of fast indie pop/punk. Probably myfave of this month's batch. June: Pins or FFS - I think Pins will win. July: Ezra Furman??

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club April 2015 Pack

Top Quality, as always. Core album: Wand - Golem + Bonus Cd - 8/10. Great psychedelic rock with touches of stoner metal. Kind of Hawkwind meets the Velvet Underground meets Tame Impala. With added Ty Segall. The other two albums were: Nadine Shah - Fast Food + Bonus cd - 8/10. Weirdly this one took ages for me to get into so I played it the most. When it all clicked, I found out that I had a terrific singer/songwriter record. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I sit and think and sometimes I just sit - 8.5/10. Definitely one of the albums of the year. May I think it will be Django Django but there's also Bernard and Edith. June Girlpool?? Pins???

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club March 2015 Pack

Core Album: Matthew E. White - Fresh Blood + Bonus Cd 8/10 - Not as good as his debut but I still enjoyed it. Out of the three albums, this was the one I played the most. Clarence Clarity - No Now + Bonus cd 8/10. This one took me AGES to fully like. Once the tunes crept out of the fuzz and bombast, I saw this album for what it is; a collection of r 'n' b songs. It is highly original though. Also third time I've received an album from Bella Union this year :) Public Broadcasting Service - The Race for Space - 8/10. A lot of fun and educational too! April - I think it will be Waxahatchee but there's also Wand, Nadine Shah and Duke Special. May - Django Django, Bernard and Edith or Joanna Gruesome June - Pins or Girlpool

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club - February 2015 Pack

Core Album The Districts - A Flourish and a Spoil + Bonus Disc 8/10 - An indie album stuffed with great hooks and choruses. the Rest: Father John Misty - I love you, Honeybear 8.5/10 - Excellent songwriting Andrew Combs - All These Dreams + Bonus Disc - 8.5/10 - This was the album I listened to the most. Quality lyrics and tunes. March: Matthew E White??? April: Wand??, Waxahatchee?? Nadine Shah?? Duke Special??? - my money's on Wand. May - Django Django?? Bernard and Edith??? Death and Vanilla?? - I have a feeling it's Django Django.

Rough Trade Album of the week 2014 - Complete list

Rough Trade Album of the week 2014 1. September Girls – Cursing the Sea (Fortuna Pop) 2. East India Youth – Total Strife Forever (Stolen Recordings) (got) 3. Damien Jurado – Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Sun(Secretly Canadian) 4. Drowners – Self-titled (Frenchkiss) 5. Broken Bells – After the Disco (Columbia) (got) 6. Halls – Love to Give (No Pain in Pop) 7. Quilt – Held in Splendor (Mexican Summer) 8. Neneh Cherry – Blank Project (Smalltown Supersound) (got) 9. Eagulls – Self-titled (Partisan Records) 10. Withered Hand – New Gods (Fortuna Pop) 11. Lyla Foy – Mirrors in the Sky (Sub Pop) 12. Linda Perhacs – The Soul of all Natural Things (Asthmatic Kitty) 13. Arc Iris - Self-titled (Bella Union) 14. EMA – The Future’s Void (City Slang) 15. Thee Oh Sees – Drop (Castle Face) 16. Fear of Men – Loom (Kanine) 17. The Delines – Colfax (Decor) (got) 18. Roddy Frame – Seven Dials (AED) 19. Little Dragon – Nabuma Rubberband (Because) (got) 20. Sleaford Mods – Divide and Exit (Harbringer) (got) 21. Sharon Van Etten – Are we there (Jagjaguwar) 22. Diamond Version – CI (Mute) (got) 23. Bob Mould – Beauty and Ruin (Merge) 24. Lone – Reality Testing (R & S) (got) 25. Makthaverskan – II (Run for Cover) 26. The Vacant Lots – Departure (Sonic Cathedral) 27. Sebastien Tellier – L’aventura (Because) 28. Honeyblood – Self-titled (Fat Cat) 29. Alvvays – Self-titled (Transgressive) 30. Shabazz Palaces – Lese Majesty (Sub Pop) 31. Childhood – Lacuna (Marathon) (got) 32. FKA Twigs – LP 1 (Young Turks) 33. Shit and Shine – Powder Horn (Diagonal) 34. Souls of Mischief – There is only now ( Linear Labs) 35. Sinkane – Mean Love (City Slang) 36. Flowers – Do what you want to, it’s what you should do (Fortuna Pop) 37. Vessel – Punish Honey (Tri Angle) 38. Goat – Commune (Sub Pop) (got) 39. Lucinda Williams – Down where the Spirit meets the Bone (Highway 20) 40. Allo Darlin – We Come from the Same Place (Fortuna Pop) 41. Kindness – Otherness ( Female Energy) (got) 42. Scott Walker and Sunn O))) – Soused (4AD) 43. Ultimate Painting – Self-titled (Trouble in Mind) 44. Aca – Xen (Mute) (got) 45. Various Artists – Tim Sweeney: Beats in Space 15th Anniversary (Beats in Space) 46. Ariel Pink – Pom Pom (4AD) (got) 47. St Etienne presents: Songs for a London Winter –Rare Festive Recordings from the 50’s and 60’s (Cherry Red) 48. The Drink – Company (Melodic) (got) 49. Parkay Quarts –Content Nausea (Rough Trade) 50. Ciudad Lineal – El Neuvo Hombre (Universal Music Spain)

Rough Trade Album of the Month Club - January 2015 Pack

Core album Ghost Culture - Self-titled + Bonus cd 8/10 The rest: Liam Hayes - Slurrup + Bonus cd 8/10 good psychedelic pop BC Camplight - How to Die inthe North 8.5/10 on constant rotation for the full month. I'm a sucker for Beach Boy style indie. Very happy - all three albums never left my stereo or discman February : The Districts March: Clarence Clarity April - Wand or Waxahatchee