
It’s that time once again, as the countdown to the end of 2018 rapidly approaches we take a personal look back on familiar names, features and musicians’ best releases of the past 12 months. In what has been another crazy year of highs and lows- it’s the releases that have pulled a lot of people through the year. Now in it’s 8th year, Circuit Sweet will be hosting takeovers from the featured artists/musicians/labels and promoters of the site with their personal top releases of the year.
Continuing our annual end of year tradition; we let our favourites take over the site to tell us the records that have made their end of year lists. Telling us their favourite events/gigs and what we can look forward to from them next year.

Our next Rad Releases takeover comes from a promoter we absolutely
1: IDLES – Joy As An Act Of Resistance

I
have been aware of IDLES
since they released “Brutalism” back in 2017 and from the moment they released “Colossus” at the end of May this year I was excited for this new album. They delivered with my top album of the year and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
Release 2: My Name Is Ian – The Point Of No Return

My
Name Is Ian have been doing the rounds in
Cardiff for a few years and this album is the perfect blend of clever indie/anti-folk tunes and loopy electronic lo-fi hip hop beats. Keep an eye on My Name Is Ian in 2019!
Release
3: Boy Azooga – Loner Boogie
(Single)

My
only criticism of this single is that it isn’t 9 minutes long! Davey and co have written one of the catchiest singles of the year and played some incredible shows and festivals, all well earned. (The rest of the album is amazing too by the way).
Release 4: Haggard Cat – Challenger

Riffs.
Riffs EVERYWHERE. Like everyone, I was gutted when I heard that HECK had called it a day, but this album by Matt and Tom fills the gap with Hardcore blues riffs and huge choruses. Expect big(ger) things from these guys in 2019!
Release
5: BUZZARDBUZZARDBUZZARD – Double
Denim Hop (single)

The
first official release from the Cardiff 4 piece oozes so much cool it seems unfair to everyone else. Live, these lads are a force to be reckoned with, closing SWN Festival 2018 to a packed out O’neills is one of the gig highlights of the year!
Best show I’ve put on
In May of this year we ran our first Little Cavalier Festival at The Flapper in Birmingham, headlined by Gallops and Demob Happy. We’d wanted to do a 2 day event for the past few years and we were incredibly proud to have worked with everyone who helped out and all the bands involved.
One
of our main reasons for running the event was to raise money for our incredibly talented friend Dan Wild-Beesley who sadly lost his battle with cancer in October. Next years event, set over the same May Bank Holiday weekend, will have a celebration of Dan’s
life and music at its heart.
Best gig attended
Seeing
IDLES perform tracks from “Brutalism” and “JOY…” to around 60 people in a packed out Spillers Records in Cardiff is the gig highlight of the year for me. Performing a fan lead set list in the intimate venue and being able to meet the guys afterwards topped
off the experience. More in stores please!
Artists
to watch 2019
False Hope For The Savage – FFO ASIWYFA, Russian Circles
Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam – FFO Mac DeMarco, Tellison
JOHN – IDLES, The St Pierre Snake Invasion
To The Wall – Black Flag, Blakfish
Plans for 2019
I will be getting more Tone Deaf Creatures shows announced in
A huge thank you Rich at LC/ Tone Deaf Creatures- looking forward to what you plan next year and totally in love with the RR18 choices this year! https://www.facebook.com/pg/LittleCavalierHQ/
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