the brainwashed brain
a weekly digest from the staff of brainwashed
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
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THE BEST/WORST OF 2001

THIS YEAR'S RESULTS...
In order to preserve the goals, mission and identity of Brainwashed, this is the last year the poll will be conducted in such a way. There will be no major label artists allowed next year and there will be separate votes from the writer/contributors. There were serious considerations this year in throwing out all major label votes, but that could constitute censorship, despite the statements made in the "About" section of Brainwashed with regards to our position with the major label industry. Somebody even suggested we send the ballots to Florida for a mysterious recount, but we will let the votes remain as is.

MUSIC

album of the year

  1. Low - Things we lost in the fire
  2. Fennesz - Endless Summer
  3. Autechre - Confield
  4. Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds of...
  5. Mogwai - Rock Action
  6. Cannibal Ox - A Cold Vein
  7. Fridge - Happiness
  8. Matmos - A chance to cut is a chance to cure
  9. Four Tet - Pause
  10. Aphex Twin - Drukqs
  11. Angels of Light - How I Loved You
  12. Tortiose - Standards
  13. Labradford - Fixed::Context
  14. Silver Mt. Zion - Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward
  15. Squarepusher - Go plastic
  16. Current 93/Nurse With Wound - Bright Yellow Moon
  17. Jim O'Rourke - Insignificance
  18. Múm - Yesterday Was Dramatic, Today Is OK
  19. Nick Cave - No More Shall We Part
  20. Set Fire To Flames - Signs Reign Rebuilder
  21. Strokes - Is This It?
  22. Dntel - Life Is Full Of Possibilities
  23. Fugazi - The Argument
  24. Spiritualized - Let It Come Down
  25. Lali Puna - Scary World Theory
  26. Stereolab - Sound-Dust
  27. Hood - Cold House
  28. Microphones - The Glow Pt 2
  29. Mouse on Mars - Idiology
  30. Prefuse 73 - Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives
  31. white stripes - white blood cells
  32. Telefon Tel Aviv - Farenheit Fair Enough
  33. Ulrich Schnauss - Far Away Trains Passing By
  34. Bonnie Prince Bilie - Ease down the road
  35. Cex - Oops, I Did It Again
  36. clouddead - clouddead
  37. Cyclobe - The Visitors
  38. Fantomas - The Director's Cut
  39. Red House Painters - Old Ramon
  40. Skinny Puppy - Doomsday Back and Forth Vol. 5
  41. Sparklehorse - It's A Wonderful Life
  42. Bardo Pond - Dilate
  43. Beta Band - Hot Shots II
  44. Calla - Scavengers
  45. Godflesh - Hymns
  46. Herbert - Bodily Functions
  47. Jan Jelinek - Loop Finding Jazz Records
  48. Plaid - Double Figure
  49. Thighpaulsandra - I, Thighpaulsandra
  50. Explosions In The Sky - Those Who Tell The Truth...

single or ep

  1. Mogwai - My Father My King
  2. Low & the Dirty Three - In the Fishtank
  3. Squarepusher - My Red Hot Car
  4. Thighpaulsandra - Michael Publicity Window
  5. Low - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
  6. Belle & Sebastian - Jonathan David
  7. Matmos - California Rhinoplasty
  8. Antony & the Johnsons - I Fell in Love with a Dead Boy
  9. Squarepusher - Untitled
  10. Autechre - Peel Sessions 2
  11. Fugazi - Furniture
  12. Hood - Home Is Where It Hurts
  13. V/A - 2 Remixes by AFX
  14. COH - Love Uncut
  15. Anti Pop Consortium - The Ends Against The Middle
  16. To Rococo Rot & I-Sound - Pantone
  17. Mouse On Mars - Actionist Respoke
  18. Boards Of Canada - In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country
  19. Calexico - Even My Sure Things Fall Through
  20. Tortoise - Gently Cuping the Chin of the Ape

fave remix

  1. 808 State - Flow Coma - Remix by AFX
  2. Slag Boom Van Loon - Poppy Seed - Remix by Boards of Canada
  3. Missy Elliot - Get Yr Freak On - remix by Kid 606
  4. Depeche Mode - Dream On - remix by Kid 606
  5. Foetus - Cirrhosis of the Heart - remix by Amon Tobin
  6. Kings of Convenience - Weight of My Words - remix by Four Tet remix
  7. Matmos - Disco Hospital
  8. Múm - Please Smile My Spring Reverb AMX - remix by Uwe Zahn
  9. Slag Boom Van Loon - Fallen Angels Entering Pandemonium - remix by Coil
  10. Yann Tiersen - Lost - remix by Third Eye Foundation

best various artist compilation

  1. Tigerbeat 6 Inc.
  2. Clicks & Cuts 2
  3. All Tommorrow's Panties
  4. [O]acis.Box
  5. Bip Hop generation 4
  6. Emre - Dark Matter
  7. Snow Robots Vol. 1 & 2
  8. Braindance Coincidence
  9. House Of Distraction
  10. The Wire Tapper 7
  11. Warp - Routine
  12. electric ladyland 7: glitch-hop compilation 2CD
  13. Immediate Action
  14. Putting the Morr Back in Morrissey
  15. RKK 13 remix comp

best single artist compilation

  1. Einsturzende Neubauten- "Strategies Against Architecture III"
  2. Coil - A Guide for Beginners
  3. Coil - A Guide for Finishers
  4. Coil - Moons Milk In four Phases
  5. Dead Can Dance - 1981-1998
  6. Godflesh - In All Languages
  7. Piano Magic - Seasonally Affective (1996-2000)
  8. pigface 'best of - preaching to the perverted'
  9. Cabaret Voltaire - Conform To Deform
  10. Third Eye Foundation - I Poo Poo On you Juju

best double or multi-lp/cd release

  1. Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid
  2. Aphex Twin - Drukqs
  3. Thighpaulsandra - I, Thighpaulsandra
  4. Unwound: Leaves Turn Inside You
  5. Einsturzende Neubauten: Strategies Against Architecture III
  6. Clicks & Cuts 2
  7. Current 93 / Nurse With Wound - Bright Yellow Moon/Purtle
  8. Xhol Caravan - Motherfuckers Live
  9. Coil: Moon's Milk (in Four Phases)
  10. Orbital - The Altogether
  11. Cabaret Voltaire - Corform to Deform
  12. Low - Things We Lost in the Fire (2LP version)
  13. Miles Davis - In A Silent Way complete sessions
  14. Nuggets II
  15. Rewriting The Book
  16. Ride - Box Set
  17. Velvet Underground - The Quine Tapes
  18. Nart Nibbles
  19. Dead Can Dance box set
  20. Faust - The Wumme Years

coolest unusual packaging

  1. Aranos - magnificent! magnificent! no one knows the final word
  2. Set Fire To Flames - Signs Reign Rebuilder
  3. Silver Mt. Zion - Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward
  4. Aphex Twin - drukqs (vinyl version)
  5. Cyclo
  6. No-neck Blues Band - Sticks & Stones...
  7. Shipping News "Carrier"

nicest cover design

  1. Fridge - Happiness
  2. Jim O'Rourke - Insignificance
  3. Tortoise - Standards
  4. Set Fire to Flames - Sings Reign Rebuilder
  5. Angels of Light - How I Loved You
  6. Björk - Vespertine
  7. Radiohead - Amnesiac
  8. thighpaulsandra - i, thighpaulsandra
  9. Silver Mt Zion - Born Into Trouble as Sparks Fly Upwards
  10. Current 93 / Nurse With Wound - Bright Yellow Moon

best rerelease/repackage/reissue

  1. Coil - Love's Secret Domain
  2. Neu! - Neu!
  3. Neu! 75
  4. Neu! 2
  5. Coil - Horse Rotorvator
  6. Coil - Scatology
  7. Nurse with Wound - Chance Meeting
  8. Miles Davis - In a Silent Way
  9. Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information
  10. Love - Forever Changes
  11. Nurse With Wound - Automating vol. 1
  12. 23 skidoo - 7 songs
  13. This Heat - Deceit
  14. Current 93 - Imperium
  15. Gescom - Keynell

most amusing song/album title

  1. Cex - Florida (Is Shaped Like A Big Droopy Dick For A Reason)
  2. Matmos - A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure
  3. Aphex Twin - Drukqs
  4. Múm - Please Smile My Noise Bleed
  5. Third Eye Foundation - I Poo Poo on your Ju Ju
  6. Cex - Oops! I did it again
  7. Current 93 - Cats Drunk on Copper
  8. Stars of the Lid - The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid
  9. Massimo - Hey babe, let me see your USB and I'll show you my FireWire
  10. Tenacious D - Fuck Her Gently

worst album you bought

  1. Aphex Twin - Suqks
  2. Radiohead - Amnesiacrap
  3. Autechre - Confield
  4. Depeche Mode - Exciter
  5. Death In June - All Pigs Must Diet
  6. Spiritualized - Let it Come Down
  7. Weezer - Weezer
  8. Stephen Malkmus - Stephen Malkmus
  9. Squarepusher - Go Plastic
  10. Mogwai - Rock Action

most anticipated disappointment

  1. Aphex Twin - Drukqs
  2. Autechre - Confield
  3. Spiritualized - Let it come down
  4. Death In June - All Pigs Must Die
  5. Squarepusher - Go Plastic
  6. Tortoise - Standards
  7. Weezer - Weezer
  8. Air - 10,000 hz Legend
  9. Mogwai - Rock Action
  10. Current 93 - The Great in the Small

guiltiest pleasure

  1. Strokes - Is This It?
  2. Britney Spears - I'm a Slave 4 u
  3. Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out of my Head
  4. Madonna - Greatest Hits Vol. 2
  5. Missy Elliot - Miss e... so addictive
  6. Daft Punk - Discovery
  7. Depeche Mode - Exciter
  8. Destiny's Child - Bootylicious
  9. N'Sync - Pop
  10. Radiohead - Amnesiac

band of the year

  1. Coil
  2. Low
  3. Mogwai
  4. Sigur Ros
  5. Matmos
  6. Stars of the Lid
  7. Autechre
  8. Cannibal Ox
  9. Mouse on Mars
  10. Tortoise

best solo musical artist

  1. Jim O'Rourke
  2. Christian Fennesz
  3. Thighpaulsandra
  4. Jimmy Lavelle (Album Leaf)
  5. Tom Jenkinson
  6. Will Oldham
  7. cEvin key
  8. Kid 606
  9. Michael Gira
  10. Richard D. James

new act of the year (band or solo artist)

  1. Explosions In The Sky
  2. Cannibal Ox
  3. Set Fire To Flames
  4. Strokes
  5. Múm
  6. Avalanches
  7. Baby Dee
  8. Dntel
  9. Clinic
  10. Amenti Suncrown

best live show/concert experience

  1. Coil
  2. Radiohead
  3. Low
  4. godspeed you black emperor!
  5. Sigur Ros
  6. Mogwai
  7. Mouse on Mars
  8. Tortoise
  9. Björk/Matmos
  10. Autechre

sexiest musical artist

  1. Björk
  2. Kyle Mnouge
  3. Britney Spears
  4. Cex
  5. Peaches
  6. Hope Sandoval
  7. PJ Harvey
  8. Shakira
  9. Jennifer Lopez
  10. Alison Goldfrapp

most overrated band/artist

  1. The Strokes
  2. Radiohead
  3. White Stripes
  4. kid 606
  5. Aphex Twin
  6. Sigur Ros
  7. Björk
  8. Godspeed you black emporer
  9. Matmos
  10. Mogwai

most irritating band/artist

  1. Fred Durst/Limp Bizzkit
  2. The Strokes
  3. Creed
  4. Radiohead
  5. Kid 606
  6. Britney Spears
  7. Aphex Twin
  8. Destiny's Child
  9. V/Vm
  10. Ryan Adams
  11. p. diddy
  12. Björk
  13. White Stripes
  14. Vincent Gallo
  15. U2

lifetime achievement

  1. Coil
  2. Michael Gira
  3. John Fahey
  4. George Harrison
  5. sonic youth
  6. Radiohead
  7. Autechre
  8. David Tibet
  9. Johnny Cash
  10. Richard H Kirk

fave producer/engineer

  1. Steve Albini
  2. JIM O' ROURKE
  3. John McEntire
  4. Steven Stapleton
  5. Dave Fridman
  6. el p
  7. Timbaland
  8. Nigel Godrich
  9. Brian Eno
  10. Michael Gira

who will break big next year?

  1. Cex
  2. Sigur Ros
  3. Explosions In The Sky
  4. Lali Puna
  5. The White Stripes
  6. Múm
  7. Clinic
  8. Fourtet
  9. Coil
  10. Calla

record label

  1. Kranky
  2. Warp
  3. Morr Music
  4. Constellation
  5. drag city
  6. Thrill Jockey
  7. Temporary Residence
  8. Matador
  9. Eskaton / Threshold House
  10. Young God
  11. World Serpent
  12. City Centre Offices
  13. Def Jux
  14. Domino
  15. Schematic

music video

  1. Sigur Ros - Viðar vel tl loftárasa
  2. Add N to (X) - Plug Me In
  3. Björk - Pagan Pottery
  4. Gorilaz - Clint Eastwood
  5. Björk - Hidden Place
  6. Coi Live in NY
  7. Mouse on Mars - Actionist Respoke
  8. Ohgr - Cracker
  9. Tortoise - Seneca
  10. Low - Dinosaur Act

OTHER STUFF

movie of the year

  1. Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amelie)
  2. Memento
  3. Mullholland Drive
  4. Lord of the Rings – Fellowship of the Rings
  5. Ghost World
  6. The Man Who Wasn't There
  7. Waking Life
  8. Royal Tenebaums
  9. Amores Perros
  10. Hedwig & The Angry Inch
  11. Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone
  12. Moulin Rouge
  13. Monsters Inc
  14. Sherk
  15. The Others
  16. A.I.
  17. Apocalypse Now Redux
  18. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
  19. Blow
  20. Brother
  21. From Hell
  22. In the Mood for Love
  23. Oceans 11
  24. Battle Royale
  25. Odishon (Audition)
  26. Otanesek (Little Otik)
  27. State and Main
  28. The Anniversary Party
  29. Vanilla Sky
  30. L.I.E.

tv show

  1. Simpsons
  2. Daily Show
  3. Sopranos
  4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  5. Futurama
  6. Family Guy
  7. The West Wing
  8. Absolutely Fabulous
  9. Invader Zim
  10. Malcom in the Middle
  11. That '70s Show
  12. South Park
  13. Will & Grace
  14. Brass Eye special (UK)
  15. 24

magazine/newspaper

  1. The Wire
  2. The Onion
  3. Magnet
  4. alternative press
  5. Chunklet
  6. Q
  7. grooves
  8. Tape Op
  9. XLR8R
  10. Devil in the Woods
  11. guardian (uk)
  12. urb
  13. uncut
  14. The Nation
  15. Mojo

book of the year

  1. Neil Gaman: American Gods
  2. No Logo by Naomi Klein
  3. Choke - Chuck Palahniuk
  4. Eric Schlosser - Fast Food Nation
  5. Haruki Murakami - Underground
  6. How to be Good - Nick Hornby
  7. our band could be your life-azerrad
  8. Salman Rushdie "Fury"
  9. Alain de Botton "The Consolations Of Philosophy"
  10. David Foster Wallace - Infinite Jest

fave actor

  1. Johnnny Depp
  2. Philip Seymour Hoffman
  3. Brad Pitt
  4. Billy Bob Thornton
  5. Guy Pearce
  6. Anthony Hopkins
  7. Benecio del Toro
  8. Christopher Walken
  9. Jack Black
  10. Jason Lee

fave actress

  1. Thora Birch
  2. Audrey Tautou
  3. Nicole Kidman
  4. Reese Witherspoon
  5. Carrie Anne Moss
  6. Julianna Moore
  7. Asia Argento
  8. Cate Blanchett
  9. Jennifer Connelly
  10. Gwyneth Paltrow

fave director

  1. David Lynch
  2. Peter Jackson
  3. Jean Pierre Jeunet
  4. Coen Bros
  5. Darren Aranofsky
  6. Wes Anderson
  7. andrei tarkovsky
  8. Christopher Nolan
  9. Guy Ritchie
  10. John Waters

fave writer (book/tv/film/play,...)

  1. Kurt Vonnegut
  2. Neil Gaiman
  3. Chuck Palahniuk
  4. David Foster Wallace
  5. David Lynch
  6. David Mamet
  7. Haruki Murakami
  8. nick hornby
  9. Thomas Ligotti
  10. Bret Easton Ellis

best website

  1. Brainwashed
  2. Pitchfork
  3. The Onion
  4. Threshold House
  5. Allmusic Guide
  6. Audiogalaxy
  7. eBay
  8. Warp Records
  9. Buddyhead
  10. Fake Jazz

most annoying trends

  1. Nouveaux Patriotism/American Flags on cars/Cheap Patriotism/Flag Waving/Cashing in on 9/11
  2. rap metal / rap rock / dysfunction rock / nu metal / sports rock
  3. misdirected patriotism / violent nationalism / rampant fervor
  4. Cell Phones / Everything becoming wireless
  5. Clicky glitch music
  6. corporate garage rock / the strokes / the white boy blues rock revival (again) / pop punk
  7. IDM
  8. war & terrorism / bioterrorism / fear
  9. Emo
  10. SUVs
  11. Scooters
  12. boy bands
  13. 1980s retro music/clothing
  14. Approval of George W. Bush
  15. Harry Potter
  16. Rock bands going electronic and being considered innovators
  17. Icelandic music obsession (Sigur Ros/Björk)
  18. Indie rock fashion fascist kinder-punks
  19. big pants
  20. Increased Commercials (everywhere, in movie theatres)
  21. Reality TV
  22. Benefit concerts
  23. Manufactured Bubble Gum Pop
  24. Stale electronic music
  25. Mods

dumbest category on this poll

  1. This one
  2. Sexiest
  3. Guiltiest Pleasure
  4. Who Will Break Big Next Year
  5. TV show
  6. Most Annoying Trends
  7. all of the them
  8. Fave Remix
  9. Music Video
  10. None of them

COMMENT

WHEN INDIE LABELS LOSE, WE ALL LOSE
Many readers are well aware that within the last month, one of the bigger indie labels in the US (who releases a ton of Brainwashed artist music) decided to split with one of the biggest indie label distributors in the USA because of dealings with Tower Records. Tower has become notorious for defaulted payments on numerous indie labels and over the past year have come dangerously close to filing for bankruptcy protection. Labels with AOL, Sony, and Universal's lawyers behind them can obviously be more powerful in holding stores to their payment terms, while numerous smaller bands, labels and distributors go unpaid longer.

Walking into Tower Records, it's easy to see exactly why shit like this goes on. #1 Overstocking a major-label dud: Major labels will give a "discount" on a major label star if they order bulk of some crappy item they'll eventually have to return. I remember once upon a time at Tower when there were hundreds of copies of Color Me Badd's second album collecting dust while Slint's "Spiderland" was constantly out of stock. The result of the overstock limits budget for other music. #2: Underpaid, unqualified buyers: Most buyers in major chains are unreachable and out of touch with the buying public and only listen to smarmy sales reps. Many small shops are doing okay because the buyers actually interact with their customers! What a novel concept!!

There's of course other things that you can't actually physically see, but only read about. You can catch up on last year's price-fixing lawsuit on CNET, Wired, or the New York State Attorney General's Office to name a few places. On the "we fuck our artists" side, there's always the classic essay, "The Problem With Music" by Steve Albini. Even less surprising is the uncovering of ballot-stuffing by major labels on MTV's Total Request Live as reported in an article on Salon. (We can at least safely say that didn't happen on the poll this year!)

Not all major label employees and bands are pigs. On the other side of the coin, not all indie labels are angels. Every major label player, however, is a cog in the bigger machine that makes the fat cats wealthier and the struggling artists have to work harder. Support of the major industry is something Brainwashed has no intentions of doing. Brainwashed will continue the promotion of indie label music and hope that the message gets discussed, debated amongst your friends, co-workers, associates, etc,...

feedback and submissions:
Brainwashed Academy of Arts & Sciences
PO BOX 1231 / E. Arlington MA 02474 / USA
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