2018 didn't quite match the nadir for us story-telling wise that was 2017. Oh how, I often though, we tried.... 2017 though, was a shitty year for our readers, and our writing at outsideleft.
Too soon to call it a comeback, 2018 at OL was not without it's highs, more French translations (thanks Guilaine and Christian), Boxing! (thanks Kirk); Our first Italian piece (on watercolor wonder, Emma Archer), a miliion selling author (thanks Tim!), more music than would respond well if you shook a stick at it (thanks Jason) and The Will Buckingham (thanksWriteMeave) yep, enough highs to encourage us to look forward with some excitement to seeing more contributors and more stories in these pages in 2019. Everyday, every single day I think we should stop. Instead, given the excitement, I think we'll be sloping on into another year...
So the list... Outsideleft's most popular stories of 2018...
- This is how Maurice Deebank Felt by Ancient Champion
Ancient Champion asked Maurice Deebank, founding member of Felt, legendary guitarist and unparalleled aural architect, to look back at Felt's early career, and the fidelity of Cherry Red's remastered vinyl reissues... There was a public thirst for Maurice. - Thierry Barthole: Meticuleuse du Monochrome by Guilaine Arts
Le prestigieux artiste Haitien, Edouard Thierry Barthole, connu surtout pour son utilisation meticuleuse du monochrome, fait encore la Une - The Boxer by Ancient Champion
The poet and former boxing champ, Stephen Morrison-Burke's had an incredible year, his TV spot in a Nationwide commercial opened new doors for his work. He's in outsideleft, still fighting. - Joe Ambrose is Back by LamontPaul
Writer and outsideleft contributor, Joe Ambrose died suddenly this year. This interview occurred just a few weeks before he died, when obviously he still had so much living and writing to do. - Swans: Sacrifice and Transcendence. Jason Lewis reads the runes by Jason Lewis
Nick Soulsby Week was huge fun. Here it continues as music editor Jason Lewis reviews Nick's book, Swans: Sacrifice and Transcendence - an Oral History - Bowie on a Budget might be Pillycock by Jason Lewis
Jason Lewis listens to a lot and he reckons out of that lot, Pillycock by Momus is worth your shilling and is the second best album of 2017... - L'art ne reproduit pas le visible, il le rend visible by Guilaine Arts
Je visualise, je realise, je suis art - Fils Du Cri-Monde by Christian Present
Christian Present revient - Nihiloxica Now by Ancient Champion
The drums of Kampala's Nihiloxica are shaking the world - Will Buckingham Says a Lot by Meave Haughey
Will Buckingham talks about his fab new book, Stealing With the Eyes, and so so much more... - Nameless has a name and it is pure Joy by Ancient Champion
Dominique Fils-Amié's new LP, Nameless, is beautifully, wholly conceived and joyfully delivered, we stumbled onto this great record on Bandcamp. Oh What a place that is. - The Insatiable Fun of Coal Black Mornings by Jason Lewis
Brett Anderson's autobiography avoids all of the autobiography pitfalls - Sudan Archives, This Changes Everything by Ancient Champion
Sudan Archives new EP Sink is unique, uniquely experimental and accessible - Horses. Great or Greatest? by Jason Lewis
Jason argues that Patti Smith's Horses is simply the greatest debut LP of all times - The Last Night of the Leamington Licker by Lee Paul
Kirk Lake's new Randy Turpin short story is available now from Rough Trade Books - Kate Groovy! by Ancient Champion
Kate is Grrreat! Award winning artist Kate Groobey talks about her show Pure Pleasure at the IKON. And other stuff too. - Still Revolutionary After All These Years by Ancient Champion
What a thrill to chat to Steel Pulse founder Basil Gabbidon about his legacy, 40 years on from recording Handsworth Revolution - The Queen of all That Jazz by Ancient Champion
Poetry rock star Hera Lindsay Bird sometimes makes me think of Morrissey when he meant something. Except she's funnier and she doesn't see things like that. - Blues For Fighters - A Boxing Playlist by Lake
Kirk Lake's Rought Trade book The Last Night of the Leamington Licker was a favorite of ours, taking us home again in some respects, later in the year Kirk delivered the ultimate boxing playlist to listen to while reading. If you're a slow reader since the playlist is long. - You Goat, Girl by Jason Lewis
Goat Girl's Debut LP is the Delamere to your more Monotonous Milk. Or something....
2019, this way ->->
