Albums Thread - 2015

[Whitechapel]

The new Young Father's album?

That and Kendrick Lamar were pretty much the last two new albums I've listened to (give or take a couple of Grime albums.) so literally any recommendations since the start of April(ish) is what I'm looking for as I don't have the time to browse the internet looking for new music all day like I used to.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Top 5 Albums of the year so far?

Young Fathers has to be up there
Jamie XX
EIY
Wand
Hot Chip for me.

 

[Buzzer]

A few more...

Mates of State - 'You're Going To Make It EP': Husband and wife synth-pop duo from Connecticut release an EP ahead of big European tour. They've been away for years and to be frank, if this is the result then they've not really been missed. Radio-friendly tunes for sure but the first track 'Staring Contest' apart there's nothing in this release that stands out as memorable. Far too MOR for me.

Jenny Hval - 'Apocalypse Girl' - Norwegian art-house performer with an album that will undoubtedly win plaudits for the subject matter, it's a feminist critique and nothing wrong with that at all but far too often the tracks just merge into each other to become one homogenous track. The music tends on the ambient and at times her voice is little more than a whisper. Sorry, not for me.

Daughn Gibson - 'Carnation' This is he third album (I think) from Pennsylvanian singer/songwriter. He's got a very distinctive and pleasant singing voice - it reminds me of the lead singer from 80s band Black (Remember 'Wonderful Life', 'Everything's Coming Up Roses'...?) and the music style is similar too - slow, melancholic, a touch of the crooner. There's some lovley tunes in there and nothing to ruin the flow although it does at times make you wish he'd change the tempo, maybe mix things up a little as it does get a little samey and safe.



PINS - 'Wild Nights' - This is an all-girl group from Manchester with their second album. A bit of background to them, I don't think it's unfair to say that they were signed and released their first album on the back of the hype surrounding Warpaint another all-girl band. Indeed, I did see PINS support Warpaint at Brixton a few years back too and they sounded bloody awful. Their first album was no great shakes either, it was quite ropey with some tunes that were too hastily cobbled together, dodgy singing and timid musicianship didn't help. I'm glad to say that since then they've developed a style that really suits and they've learnt to sing and play too. The album takes a few tunes to get going but when it does it harks back to early Charlatans and other Madchester guitar bands. They've got same great riffs now and sound very tight. There's still a couple of tracks where they sound like they're doing a bad cover of a Deep Purple track from their parent's garage but overall I like this album a lot.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Top 5 Albums of the year so far?

Young Fathers has to be up there
Jamie XX
EIY
Wand
Hot Chip for me.

On play counts my top three have easily been Public Service Broadcasting, Blur and Mbongwana Star. This thread alerted me to the first of those and the Santa / Easter Bunny thing the last. Cheers NSC

 

[spring hall convert]

A few more...Jenny Hval - 'Apocalypse Girl' - Norwegian art-house performer with an album that will undoubtedly win plaudits for the subject matter, it's a feminist critique and nothing wrong with that at all but far too often the tracks just merge into each other to become one homogenous track. The music tends on the ambient and at times her voice is little more than a whisper. Sorry, not for me.

This is the bit where I respectfully disagree. Perhaps, not the equal of 'Innocence Is Kinky' but a fine record nonetheless. She plays The Hope tomorrow and is fantastic live.

Nail on the head re PINS first record. Haven't heard the 2nd one, may give it a spin.

 

[spring hall convert]

Lonelady
Follakzoid
Vision Fortune
Holly Herndon
GNOD

When I first heard the Lonelady album I thought it was too good to be true - it's endured repeat listens n'all. Highly reccomended.

I strongly suspect the Sauna Youth album will be in here come year end.

 

[Buzzer]

This is the bit where I respectfully disagree. Perhaps, not the equal of 'Innocence Is Kinky' but a fine record nonetheless. She plays The Hope tomorrow and is fantastic live.

Nail on the head re PINS first record. Haven't heard the 2nd one, may give it a spin.

Fair dos, I think you have far more of an ear for the nuances than me.

 

[Trufflehound]

Top 5 Albums of the year so far?

GY!BE
Public Service Broadcasting
Viet Cong
Spectres
Slaves

Probably need to give the new Hot Chip more listens.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Finally bought that Panda Bear album as well. Very good, with plenty of hooks, on first few listens.

 

[spring hall convert]

Fair dos, I think you have far more of an ear for the nuances than me.

Or I might really fancy her. Even I'm not sure.

 

[tinycowboy]

Mates of State - 'You're Going To Make It EP': Far too MOR for me.

You're not wrong, but they've released some decent MOR in the past - I think Re-Arrange Us is the pick. If you like decent MOR, Get Better and My Only Offer are the best tracks. An album is probably too much.

On play counts my top three have easily been Public Service Broadcasting, Blur and Mbongwana Star. This thread alerted me to the first of those and the Santa / Easter Bunny thing the last. Cheers NSC

The first PSB album was somewhat maligned on NSC - unfairly in my opinion, but then, it's all about opinions on here. I've been a sucker for dialogue in songs since Double Dee and Steinski, and Hot Doggie by Colourbox......

 

[spring hall convert]

The first PSB album was somewhat maligned on NSC - unfairly in my opinion, but then, it's all about opinions on here. I've been a sucker for dialogue in songs since Double Dee and Steinski, and Hot Doggie by Colourbox......

Yeah sorry about that. Here's how you do dialogue in songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qkM7Tp3IvY

 

[Trufflehound]

I've been a sucker for dialogue in songs since Double Dee and Steinski, and Hot Doggie by Colourbox......

Steinski's 'The Motorcade Sped On' is one of my top tracks of the 80s. As is Colourbox's 'Just Give 'Em Whiskey'.

In fact it was the Colourbox similarities that got me into PSB. Sampling may be a 30-year-old idea, but if done properly it works for me.

 

[Trufflehound]

Here's how you do dialogue in songs

[yt]F3Cty-q73wk[/yt]

 

[Albumen]

Weird, I was thinking of putting together a spoken word album for myself, only last night.

 

[tinycowboy]

Weird, I was thinking of putting together a spoken word album for myself, only last night.

Here's another for your compilation: includes snippets from Annie Hall and Rebel Without A Cause.

[yt]7eXULrZFYoA[/yt]

 

[Albumen]

Here's another for your compilation: includes snippets from Annie Hall and Rebel Without A Cause.

[yt]7eXULrZFYoA[/yt]

(I'm at work so I can't hear it) but I was thinking of less samples, more poetry, spoken word etc, like the recent David Shrigley track, or the mid 90's triphop/big beat instrumental with the dark interview of Evel Knievel in front of school children.

 

[tinycowboy]

(I'm at work so I can't hear it) but I was thinking of less samples, more poetry, spoken word etc, like the recent David Shrigley track, or the mid 90's triphop/big beat instrumental with the dark interview of Evel Knievel in front of school children.

OK - In The Kingdom #19 off EVOL then. And Losing Haringey by The Clientele. Cuts Both Ways by Mogwai? Or that Puffy Daddy/Antichrist one with Iggy Pop instead. Dandelion by Boards of Canada. I'd better stop there - I could be a while. Maybe not The Stolen Child by The Waterboys though.

 

[Staly]

Or this seminal Fall track:

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

(I'm at work so I can't hear it) but I was thinking of less samples, more poetry, spoken word etc, like the recent David Shrigley track, or the mid 90's triphop/big beat instrumental with the dark interview of Evel Knievel in front of school children.

James Yorkston - Guy Fawkes' Signature