Gen Pop - On The Screen (Lumpy Records/Upset the Rhythm)

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I happened upon this band, courtesy of Youtube. Their EP, Off Screen (Chapel Of Crimes), drew me in with brusque vocals (think Lydia Lunch) and high-octane percussion. And from that point on, I made it my point to get a damn copy. Though my initial search yielded no results, I found they were releasing a 7-inch with the same songs, in addition to new material. That release, On The Screen, is a culmination of pogo-able jams that I have yet to forget.

Les Filles de Illighadad - Eghass Malan (Sahel Sounds)

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Filled to the hilt with polyphonic vocals and Tuareg-style guitar workings, Les Filles de Illighadad's debut album is nothing short of stunning.

The World - First World Record (Lumpy Records)

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A dance-y and angular release that's nothing to funk with.

Group Rhoda - Wilderless (Dark Entries)

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A whole album of tropical darkwave - need I say more?

Rakta - Oculto Pelos Seres (Iron Lung Records)

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A new batch of dirges for those under the influence of gothy post-punk.

Honorable mention:

Strawberry Switchblade - 1982 4-Piece Demo (Nightschool Records)

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I know, I KNOW - Strawberry Switchblade hasn't been a band for thirty some-odd years. But this year, one previously unreleased song was retrieved from the polka-dot, day-glo ribbon-covered vault. It counts - I swear!