From: Douglas P Mosurak <marumaru+ AT andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: top 20s and shit
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 12:42:37 -0500 (EST)

doug,

here you go...

Top 20 Rock/Non-Jazz Recordings of 1997
by Doug Mosurak

1.  Hurl: Not a Memory (Peas Kor/My Pal God)
2.  Panel Donor: Surprise Bath (Sonic Bubblegum)
3.  Dianogah: As Seen From Above (Ohiogold/Actionboy)
4.  Run On: No Way (Matador)
5.  Witchknot: Squawk (Flat Earth)
-----     -----
6.  Okara: Months Like Years (Spectra Sonic Sound)
7.  Fat Day: Burrega! (100% Breakfast)
8.  Harriet the Spy: Completely Unfuckwithable (Troubleman Unltd.)
9.  X-Ecutioners: X-Pressions (Asphodel)
10. Meisha: s/t (Gingkoba)
-----     -----
11. Champs: III (Frenetic Records)
12. Smog: Red Apple Falls (Drag City)
13. the Great Unraveling: s/t (Kill Rock Stars)
14. Reflection Eternal: Fortified Live 12" (Rawkus)
15. Four Hundred Years: Suture (Great American Steak Religion)
-----     -----
16. Sun City Girls: Box of Chameleons (Abduction)
17. US Maple: Sang Phat Editor (Skin Graft)
18. Sleepy Time Trio: Speak Again Twice 7" (Nervous Wreck Kids)
19. Behead the Prophet No Lord Shall Live: I Am That Great and Fiery
Force (Outpunk/K)
20. Karp: Self-Titled LP (K)

top 5 records from 1996 that I discovered in 1997:

1. Evergreen: s/t (Hi-Ball) [this is one of the best records of the 90s]
2. the Party of Helicopters: 6 song 7" (Donut Friends)
3. Shotmaker: Mouse Ear [forget-me-not] (Troubleman Unltd.)
4. Rye Coalition: New Sheriff In Town 7" (Gern Blandsten)
5. Carbomb: any/all released records (various labels, like Troubleman
and Buddy System)

most overrated bands of 1997:
1. Isotope 217
2. Storm and Stress
3. the Shipping News
4. Belle and Sebastian
5. Broadcast
6. the High Llamas
7. Mogwai
8. the Promise Ring
9. Joan of Arc
10. Invisible Skratch Piklz

best live sets of 1997
1.  Cecil Taylor, at Point State Park, Pittsburgh
2.  Hurl, at the Beehive in Pgh. w/ the Shipping News and Human Investment
3.  Four Hundred Years, at the Tompkins Square Riot Gathering and
Tainted Candy, Pittsburgh
4.  Crom-Tech, at Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh
5.  US Maple, at the Speak in Tongues, Cleveland, and the Nyabinghi
Dance Hall, Morgantown, WV
6.  Frodus, at the Tompkins Square Riot Gathering, Pittsburgh
7.  Resin, at the More Than Music Festival, Columbus, OH
8.  the Hal al Shedad, at the More Than Music Festival, Columbus, OH
9.  the Party of Helicopters, in a dirty basement, Kent, OH
10. Sleepy Time Trio, at the Tompkins Square Riot Festival, Pittsburgh
11. Tim Berne's Bloodcount, at Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
12. Panel Donor, at Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh
13. Run On, at the Beehive and Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh
14. the Silver Apples, at Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh
15. Jumbo, anytime between January and May 1997, Pittsburgh
16. Operation Re-Information, at Tainted Candy, Pittsburgh
17. Spazz, at the More Than Music Festival, Columbus, OH
18. Creta Bourzia, various locations, Pittsburgh, PA
19. Arab on Radar, at the 31st Street Pub, Pittsburgh, PA
20. De La Soul, at Graffiti, Pittsburgh


top 20 Jazz records of 1997
1.  William Parker and the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra: Sunrise
in the Tone World (AUM Fidelity)
2.  Marc Edwards Trio: Red Sprites and Blue Jets (CIMP)
3.  Anthony Braxton: Quartet (Santa Cruz), 1993 (Hat Art)
4.  Fred Anderson: Chicago Chamber Music (Southport)
5.  Joe McPhee and Survival Unit II: Live at WBAI's Free Music Store,
October 30, 1971 (Hat Art)
-----     -----
6.  Parker/Guy/Lytton/Crispell: Natives and Aliens (Leo)
7.  Sam Rivers Trio: Concept (Rivbea)
8.  Luther Thomas Trio: Saxcrobatic Fanatic (CIMP)
9.  Herb Robertson/Dominic Duval/Jay Rosen: Falling in Flat Space (Cadence)
10. Tim Berne/Paraphrase: Visitation Rites (Screwgun)
-----     -----
11. Roscoe Mitchell: Sound Songs (Delmark)
12. Gold Sparkle Band: Downsizing (Nu)
13. Tom Varner: Martian Heartache (Soul Note)
14. Zusaan Kali Fasteau/Noah Howard/Bobby Few: Expatriate Kin (CIMP)
15. Joe Morris Trio: Antennae (AUM Fidelity)
-----     -----
16. Ellery Eskelin, Andrea Parkins and Jim Black: One Great Day (hatOLOGY)
17. Tom Bruno and Sabir Mateen: Getting Away With Murder (Eremite)
18. Raphe Malik: The Short Form (Eremite)
19. the Vandermark Five: Single Piece Flow (Atavistic)
20. Tim Berne's Bloodcount: Unwound (Screwgun)