It’s the party end of the year (well it was when I started this post) and it’s time for the first ever inaugural Stubbadub top 10 albums of the year list!

Even without any significant contributions from Mike Patton this year, which can be directly attributed to a certain reunion tour, there have been many great Stubbadub related releases to tickle our ear drums.

So lets get started. Counting down from 10 to 1:

10.  Zu – Carboniferous (Mike Patton) - Italian metallers Zu released their latest album Carboniferous via Mike Patton’s label Ipecac Recordings. Mike appears on a couple of tracks (Soulympics and Orc) along with Buzz from the Melvins (Chthonian).

09. Shrinebuilder – Self Titled (Dale Crover) - Featuring Dale Crover of The Melvins fame on drums and Neurosis frontman Scott Kelly on Guitar, Shrinebuilder released their stoner fueled debut album in October.

08. MadLove – White with Foam (Trevor Dunn) – Trevor Dunn’s Rock Album. Nuff said. Go get it.

07. Jello Biafra And The Guantanamo School Of Medicine – The Audacity of Hype (Billy Gould) – The latest installment from outspoken ex-Dead Kennedys’ vocalist, Eric Reed Boucher aka Jello Biafra is a kick in the sack from start to finish. The album features Billy Gould on bass and one has to assume that he would have toured with the band if he hadn’t been side tracked by the recent reformation of Faith No More. Hopefully he can make the next tour (and they bring it to Australia )

06. Chuck Mosley and the VUA – Will Rap over Hard Rock for Food (Chuck Mosley) – It’s been a while since Chuck released anything of significance, but it was worth the wait. A good album over all and the rework of Faith No More’s We Care a Lot (Featuring special guest Mr Roddy Bottum on keys) is very interesting and worth grabbing the album for alone.

05. Umlaut – Self Titled (Bar McKinnon) – Bar’s first release since becoming an Aussie. Recently toured with Les Claypool. A very tidy album all round with some very nice Bungle-esque/Secret Chiefs 3 moments.

04. Isis – Wavering Radiant (Ipecac Recordings) – The latest installment from rockers Isis as usual does not disappoint.

03. Secret Chiefs 3 – Traditionalists : Le Mani Destre Recise Degli Ultimi Uomini (Trey Spruance) – The newest SC3 album took everyone by surprise as Trey bucked his usual trend of announcing an album release and then missing that date by large margins. A great release by sub band “Traditionalists”, but leaves you hanging for the next book release.

02. The Fantastic Terrific Munkle – Music to Dance To (Danny Heifetz) – It is very difficult to keep up with what Danny is working on nowdays as he does not have any established online presence, but the best thing he is involved with at the moment is the Munkle band. Check this album out

01. John Zorn – O’o (Trevor Dunn) – The latest in Zorn’s “Romance” series and the follow up to 2008′s “The Dreamers”, this is an amazing record and by far my album of the year.

Honourable Mentions:

• SUNN O))) – Monoliths & Dimensions (Timb Harris, Eyvind Kang)

• Crank: High Voltage Soundtrack (Mike Patton)

Hopefully next year we will see the highly anticipated release of Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane, possibly Crudo and fingers crossed another Fantomas would be most welcome.

Also March 23rd sees the release of the Dillinger Escape Plan‘s latest album, Option Paralysis, and from the new song making the rounds (Farewell Mona Lisa), it’s gonna be kickarse.

Feel free to post your thoughts on albums in this list, or your own top 10 lists in the comments or in the forum.

Happy New Year Stubbers!

Hey party people, it’s almost the weekend and to help get you through the working week here’s a few little tidbits of news not worthy of their own posts. A new Faith No More news site has now opened for business, FNM 2.0. Bad news on the Mondo Cane front, word is the album release has been pushed back till at least November. A nice review of the new Fantastic Terrific Munkle album, Music to Dance To, at dBmagazine. A new Kids of Whidney High comic book is due to hit streets shortly (more info on this to come soon).

A new mexican interview with Mike (headsup, it’s in spanish). An interesting excert:

Coinciding with his concert with Zu in the country, Mike Patton has spoken to Mexican newspaper La Jornada and given his first public comment on the Faith No More reunion. He said: “I wasn’t ready before, I had too many things to get rid of that I had inside of me. Now I am a different person, I have my own thing. I feel more comfortable about my past now, compared to my previous attitude, the “the fuck with this” attitude I used to have..well, in a way I still have. The article also mentions that Faith No More will likely play in Mexico and South America later this year or early next year.

Also keep an eye on the blog for the Umlaut debut album give-a-way (sorry for the delay, I’m so slack I know), my munkle album review, and possibly a Munkle album give-a-way as well (fingers crossed).

BTW, I got to see Munkle last night at the Basement in Sydney for their album launch. so good…..

On that note, here’s a goatee with a life of it’s own:

Finally some Danny Heifetz related news! The Fantastic Terrific Munkle has a new album ready to go. Titled Music to Dance to, it is looking like it will be released late March through Jazzgroove Records. They have some previews up on their myspace, go check them out!

The Fantastic Terrific Munkle Album Launch: Music To Dance To
The Basement, Wednesday 25th March 8.30pm-late

“Jazzgroove Records is proud to announce the release of Music To Dance To.

Martin Kay – clarinets
Julian Curwin – guitars, banjo
Sam Golding – tuba, trumpet, flute
Danny Heifetz – drums, percussion

‘……erasing the line between satire and beauty, managing to be mock-serious and rather exquisite simultaneously.’- John Shand, SMH

This second album from Sydney based The Fantastic Terrific Munkle could be seen as dance music, from swinging romps to delicate waltzes. There’s also a bit of bluesy goodness, music from other lands and seemingly from other planets.”

www. myspace. com/thefantasticterrificmunkle