1997 Readers Poll: The Results

In 1997, the independent music business was thriving worldwide, musical acts were reaching new audiences via the World Wide Web, and the economy was booming. Brainwashed.com was a year old, and we had not even begun to start conduction Annual Readers Polls. However, we began expanding the domain to host sites for independent labels and distributors like Kranky, Thrill Jockey, Happy Go Lucky, RRRecords, and World Serpent Distribution along with the multitude of sites we were hosting for musical acts.

It has been a pleasure to revisit the music of 1997 and we appreciate all the time and effort put in by the readers to make your opinions known.

Album of the Year

  1. Godspeed You Black Emperor!, ""F# A# ‚àû"" (Constellation)
  2. Spiritualized, ""Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space"" (Dedicated)
  3. Autechre, ""Chiastic Slide"" (Warp)
  4. Labradford, ""Mi Media Naranja"" (Kranky)
  5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, ""The Boatman's Call"" (Mute)
  6. Stars of the Lid, ""The Ballasted Orchestra"" (kranky)
  7. Nurse With Wound / Aranos, ""Acts of Senseless Beauty"" (United Dairies)
  8. Mogwai, ""Young Team"" (Chemikal Underground)
  9. Matmos, ""Matmos"" (Vague Terrain)
  10. Stereolab, ""Dots and Loops"" (Duophonic)
  11. The Legendary Pink Dots, ""Hallway of The Gods"" (Soleilmoon)
  12. Panasonic, ""Kulma"" (Mute)
  13. Squarepusher, ""Hard Normal Daddy"" (Warp)
  14. Mouse On Mars, ""Autoditacker"" (Too Pure)
  15. The Legendary Pink Dots, ""Chemical Playschool 10"" (Soleilmoon)
  16. Mouse On Mars, ""Instrumentals"" (Thrill Jockey)
  17. Current 93, ""In A Foreign Town, In A Foreign Land"" (Durtro)
  18. Scott Walker, ""Tilt"" (Drag City)
  19. Third Eye Foundation, the, ""Ghost"" (Domino)
  20. Yo La Tengo, ""I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One"" (Matador)
  21. He Said Omala, ""Catch Supposes"" (Origin)
  22. Pan•American, ""Pan•American"" (Kranky)
  23. Biosphere, ""Substrata"" (All Saints)
  24. GusGus, ""Polydistortion"" (4AD)
  25. Keiji Haino, ""So, Black is Myself"" (Alien8)
  26. Jessica Bailiff, ""Even in Silence"" (Kranky)
  27. Scala, ""Beauty Nowhere"" (Touch)
  28. Main, ""Deliquescence"" (Beggars Banquet)
  29. Amp, ""Astralmoonbeamprojections"" (Kranky)
  30. Songs: Ohia, ""Songs: Ohia"" (Secretly Canadian)
  31. Elliott Smith, ""Either/Or"" (Kill Rock Stars)
  32. Robert Wyatt, ""Shleep"" (Hannibal)
  33. He Said Omala, ""Matching Crosses"" (Origin)
  34. Mark Van Hoen, ""The Last Flowers From The Darkness"" (Touch)
  35. Locust, ""Morning Light"" (Apollo)
  36. Squarepusher, ""Burningn'n Tree"" (Warp)
  37. Download, ""III"" (Subconscious)
  38. Sigur Rós, ""Von"" (Smekkleysa)
  39. Christoph Heemann, ""Days Of The Eclipse"" (Barooni)
  40. Dead Voices On Air, ""How Hollow Heart... [Live]"" (Invisible)
  41. Fennesz, ""Hotel Paral.lel"" (Mego)
  42. Isotope 217°, ""The Unstable Molecule"" (Thrill Jockey)
  43. Godflesh, ""Love And Hate In Dub"" (Earache)
  44. The American Analog Set, ""From Our Living Room To Yours"" (Emperor Jones)
  45. Trans Am, ""Surrender to the Night"" (Thrill Jockey)
  46. Scorn, ""Whine"" (Kk)
  47. Aerial M, ""Aerial M"" (Drag City)
  48. Laika, ""Sounds of the Satellites"" (Too Pure)
  49. Cornelius, ""Fantasma"" (Matador)
  50. Amon Tobin, ""Bricolage"" (Ninja Tune)
  51. Bruce Gilbert, ""In Esse"" (Mute)
  52. To Rococo Rot, ""Veiculo"" (Emperor Jones)
  53. Sandoz [Richard H. Kirk], ""God Bless The Conspiracy"" (Touch)
  54. µ-Ziq, ""Lunatic Harness"" (Planet Mu)
  55. Aranos, ""Transfixatio"" (Noise Museum)
  56. Pizzicato Five, ""Happy End of the World"" (Matador)
  57. Dark Magus [Richard H. Kirk], ""Night Watchmen"" (Alphaphone)
  58. The American Analog Set, ""Bliss Out Vol. 9 - Late One Sunday & The Following Morning"" (Darla)
  59. Bill Laswell, ""City Of Light"" (Sub Rosa)
  60. The Sea and Cake, ""The Fawn"" (Thrill Jockey)
  61. Amp, ""Bliss out v.4 - Perception"" (Darla)
  62. Fridge, ""Ceefax"" (Output)
  63. Add N to (X), ""Vero Electronics"" (Blow Up)
  64. Whitehouse, ""Great White Death"" (Susan Lawly)
  65. Blonde Redhead, ""Fake Can Be Just As Good"" (Touch and Go)
  66. Aube, ""Aqua Syndrome"" (Manifold)
  67. Pavement, ""Brighten the Corners"" (Matador)
  68. Twilight Circus Dub Sound System, ""Bin Shaker Dub"" (M)
  69. Bowery Electric, ""Vertigo"" (Beggars Banquet)
  70. Mark Eitzel, ""Lover's Leap USA"" (self-released)
  71. Muslimgauze, ""Zuriff Moussa"" (Staalplaat)
  72. O.Rang, ""Field And Waves"" (Echo)
  73. Ida, ""Ten Small Paces"" (Simple Machines)
  74. Can, ""Sacrilege: The Remixes"" (Spoon)
  75. The Bug, ""Tapping The Conversation"" (WordSound)
  76. Bardo Pond, ""Lapsed"" (Matador)
  77. Scorn, ""Zander"" (Kk)
  78. Babacar, ""Babacar"" (Mesmer)
  79. Jessamine, ""Don't Stay Too Long"" (Kranky)
  80. Mick Turner, ""Tren Phantasma"" (Drag City)
  81. Surgeon, ""Basic Tonal Vocabulary"" (Tresor)
  82. Smog, ""Red Apple Falls"" (Drag City)
  83. Philosopher's Stone, ""Preparation"" (Kranky)
  84. Lustmord vs Metal Beast, ""Lustmord vs Metal Beast"" (Side effects)
  85. OOIOO, ""‚àû8‚àû"" (Time Bomb)
  86. Magnog, ""More Weather"" (Kranky)
  87. Nocturnal Emissions, ""Tharmuncrape An'goo"" (Soleilmoon)
  88. Boxhead Ensemble, ""Dutch Harbor: Where The Sea Breaks Its Back (Original Film Soundtrack)"" (Atavistic)
  89. Rapoon, ""Easterly 6 Or 7"" (Staalplaat)
  90. The Fall, ""Levitate"" (Artful)
  91. Bill Laswell, ""Oscillations Remixes"" (Sub Rosa)
  92. Einstürzende Neubauten, ""Ende Neu Remixes"" (Mute)
  93. Sleater-Kinney, ""Dig Me Out"" (Matador)
  94. Aube, ""Cardiac Strain"" (Alien8)
  95. Scanner, ""Delilvery"" (Earache)
  96. Nocturnal Emissions, ""Sunspot Activity"" (Soleilmoon)
  97. Thomas Dimuzio, ""Sonicism"" (RRRecords)
  98. Mick Harvey, ""Pink Elephants"" (Mute)
  99. Long Fin Killie, ""Amelia"" (Too Pure)
  100. Tied + Tickled Trio, ""Tied + Tickled Trio"" (Payola)

 

Single of the Year

  1. Stereolab & Nurse With Wound, ""Simple Headphone Mind"" (Duophonic)
  2. Autechre, ""Envane"" (Warp)
  3. Squarepusher, ""Big Loada"" (Warp)
  4. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, ""Into My Arms"" (Mute)
  5. Low, ""Songs for a Dead Pilot"" (Kranky)
  6. Stereolab, ""Miss Modular"" (Duophonic)
  7. Autechre, ""Cichlisuite"" (Warp)
  8. Marc Almond And Foetus, ""Flesh Volcano - Slut"" (Some Bizzare)
  9. Windy & Carl, ""Bliss Out Vol. 2 - Antarctica"" (Darla)
  10. Mogwai, ""4 Satin"" (Chemikal Underground)
  11. Organum, ""Kammer"" (Matchless)
  12. Low, ""Venus"" (Sub Pop)
  13. Mouse On Mars, ""Twift"" (Too Pure)
  14. Sonic Youth, ""Musical Perspectives 2: Slaapkamers Met Slagroom"" (Sonic Youth Records)
  15. Scala, ""Slide"" (Too Pure)
  16. New Order, ""Video 5-8-6"" (Touch)
  17. Mouse On Mars, ""Cache Coeur naif"" (Too Pure)
  18. Sonic Youth, ""Musical Perspectives 1: Anagrama"" (Sonic Youth Records)
  19. Spiritualized, ""Think I'm In Love"" (Dedicated)
  20. Windy & Carl, ""A Dream of Blue"" (Ochre)
  21. HÖH / Current 93, ""Crowleymass"" (Durtro)
  22. The Legendary Pink Dots, ""Sterre"" (SPV)
  23. Wir, ""Vien"" (Touch)
  24. Stereolab, ""Iron Man"" (Duophonic)
  25. Squarepusher, ""Vic Acid"" (Warp)
  26. Fridge, ""Lign"" (Output)
  27. Mogwai, ""New Paths to Helicon"" (Wurlitzer Jukebox)
  28. Low, ""If You Were Born Today (Song for Little Baby Jesus)"" (Wurlitzer Jukebox)
  29. Pram, ""The Last Astronaut"" (Kooky)
  30. Labradford / Stars of the Lid, ""The Kahanek Incident, Vol. 3"" (Trance Syndicate)
  31. Spiritualized, ""Electricity"" (Dedicated)
  32. GusGus, ""Believe"" (4AD)
  33. Dirty Three / Low, ""Obvious Is Obvious (Instrumental Version)/No Need"" (Touch and Go)
  34. Fridge, ""Anglepoised"" (Output)
  35. Fridge, ""Lojen"" (Output)
  36. Mika Vainio, ""Onko"" (Touch)
  37. Hood, ""Useless"" (Domino)
  38. Praxis, ""1984"" (Subharmonic)
  39. Foetus, ""Null/Void"" (Big Cat)
  40. Ida, ""Poor Dumb Bird"" (Simple Machines)
  41. Belle and Sebastian, ""Lazy Line Painter Jane"" (Jeepster)
  42. Piano Magic, ""For Engineers"" (Wurlitzer Jukebox)
  43. Yo La Tengo, ""Autumn Sweater"" (Matador)
  44. Aerial M, ""M is ..."" (Drag City)
  45. [V/A], ""Whine And Missingtoe"" (V/Vm Test Records)
  46. Babacar, ""Midsummer"" (Mesmer)
  47. Bowery Electric, ""Blow Up/Electro Sleep"" (Happy Go Lucky)
  48. Brokeback, ""Returns to the Orange Grove"" (Thrill Jockey)
  49. GusGus, ""Standard Stuff for Drama"" (4AD)
  50. Sugar Plant, ""Licorice / Impure"" (World Domination)



Vault/Reissue of the Year

  1. Coil, ""Unnatural History III"" (Threshold House)
  2. Nurse With Wound, ""Spiral Insana"" (United Dairies)
  3. Nurse With Wound, ""A Missing Sense"" (United Dairies)
  4. Stars of the Lid, ""Gravitational Pull vs. The Desire for an Aquatic Life"" (Kranky)
  5. Psychic TV, ""Force the Hand of Chance"" (Some Bizarre)
  6. Broadcast, ""Work and Non Work"" (Warp)
  7. Current 93, ""Horsey"" (Durtro)
  8. Mogwai, ""Ten Rapid"" (Rock Action)
  9. The Legendary Pink Dots, ""Under Triple Moons"" (ROIR)
  10. Zos Kia/Coil, ""Transparent"" (Eskaton)
  11. Current 93, ""Dog's Blood Order"" (Durtro)
  12. Death in June, ""Discriminate '81-'97"" (NER)
  13. Wire, ""Coatings"" (WMO)
  14. Cranes, ""EP Collection Volumes 1&2"" (Dedicated)
  15. Ø, ""Tulkinta"" (Sähkö Recordings)
  16. The Legendary Pink Dots, ""Stained Glass Soma Fountains"" (Soleilmoon)
  17. The Legendary Pink Dots, ""Ancient Daze"" (Terminal Kaleidoscope)
  18. Ghost, ""Ghost"" (Drag City)
  19. The Legendary Pink Dots, ""Live 1989"" (Terminal Kaleidoscope)
  20. The Legendary Pink Dots, ""Live 85-88"" (Terminal Kaleidoscope)
  21. Ghost, ""Temple Stone"" (Drag City)
  22. The Notwist, ""12"" (Zero Hour)
  23. The Missing Brazilians, ""Warzone"" (On-U Sound)
  24. Throbbing Gristle, ""Kreeme Horn"" (Dossier)
  25. Pankow, ""Wodka, Erdbeeren Und Weitere Katastrophen"" (Blank Your Mind)




Various Artist Compilation of the Year

  1. ""Four Years in 30 Seconds"" (Dirter)
  2. ""Terra Serpantes"" (World Serpent)
  3. ""The Conet Project: Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations"" (Iridal Discs)
  4. ""Natures Mortes - Still Lives"" (4AD)
  5. ""Paradigm Shift"" (Subconscious)
  6. ""Macro Dub Infection Voume 2"" (Gyroscope)
  7. ""Skampler"" (Skam)
  8. ""Das Digitale Vertrauen"" (Soleilmoon)
  9. ""Chill Out"" (Sabotage)
  10. ""Globus and Decibel"" (Freedom in a Vacuum)
  11. ""Dubwise & Otherwise"" (Blood and Fire)
  12. ""Sonics Everywhere"" (Invisible)
  13. ""Mort Aux Vaches: Flying Saucer Attack / Main / White Winged Moth"" (Mort Aux Vaches)
  14. ""Touch. Sampler"" (Touch)
  15. ""Joyride: Music from the Motion Picture"" (4AD)
  16. ""What's Up Matador?"" (Matador)
  17. ""The Corners Of The Mouth"" (Bubble Core)
  18. ""0161"" (Skam)
  19. ""We Hate You - A Small Tribute To Throbbing Gristle"" (Jazzassin)
  20. ""Wow! & Flutter"" (Too Pure)

 

Boxed Set of the Year

  1. Bruce Gilbert, ""The Haring"" (WMO)
  2. [V/A], ""Anthology of American Folk Music"" (Smithsonian Folkways)
  3. The Residents, ""Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses"" (Euro Ralph)
  4. Primal Scream, ""Vanishing Point"" (Creation)
  5. [V/A], ""Anon"" (Castle Von Buhler)
  6. [V/A], ""Sally's Photographic Memory"" (Volume)
  7. Roland Kayn, ""Tektra"" (Barooni)
  8. Aube, ""Dazzle Reflexion"" (The Releasing Eskimo)
  9. Pixies, ""Death to the Pixies"" (4AD)
  10. Death in June, ""Die Schuldigen Und Der Nebel"" (NER)

 

Artist of the Year

 


The Legendary Pink Dots

Label of the Year

  1. Kranky
  2. Warp
  3. Soleilmoon
  4. Mute
  5. Too Pure
  6. Drag City
  7. Thrill Jockey
  8. Matador
  9. Duophonic
  10. United Dairies

 

Worst Album of the Year

  1. Coldcut, ""More Beats + Pieces"" (Ninja Tune)
  2. Rehberg & Bauer, ""Faßt"" (Touch)
  3. Sofa, ""Grey"" (Constellation)
  4. Ordo Equilibrio, ""The Triumph Of Light... And Thy Thirteen Shadows Of Love"" (Cold Meat Industry)
  5. Damon & Naomi, ""More Sad Hits"" (Sub Pop)
  6. Lambchop, ""Thriller"" (Merge)
  7. Cerberus Shoal, ""Elements Of Structure / Permanence"" (AudioInformationPhenomena)
  8. Future Bible Heroes, ""Memories Of Love"" (Elefant)
  9. Michael Brook, ""Albino Alligator"" (4AD)
  10. The Herbaliser, ""Blow Your Headphones"" (Ninja Tune)