Albums Thread - 2016

[spring hall convert]

Has anyone mentioned the Kate Jackson (ex-Long Blondes) album?

It's really, really good imo. Demonstrates a real breadth of songwriting, her voice is ace and Bernard Butler's production is worth every penny.

 

[spring hall convert]

Has anyone mentioned the Kate Jackson (ex-Long Blondes) album?

It's really, really good imo. Demonstrates a real breadth of songwriting, her voice is ace and Bernard Butler's production is worth every penny.

Actually the 'breadth of songwriting' thing might be overegging the pudding somewhat.

 

[Buzzer]

Has anyone mentioned the Kate Jackson (ex-Long Blondes) album?

It's really, really good imo. Demonstrates a real breadth of songwriting, her voice is ace and Bernard Butler's production is worth every penny.

Cheers, will check this out.

 

[Buzzer]

A few albums I have been listening to recently off the back of recommendations from that lovely bald bloke at Rough Trade Records in Brick Lane:

DM Stith - 'Pigeonheart'
He's been around for some time apparently but very quiet for the last few years. He's a NY singer/songwriter with an experimental and minimalist approach but with hard-hitting lyrics. The Rough Trade chap compared him to Harry Nilsson but I'd say it's a bit more Sufjan Stevens. You can stream/buy the album on Bandcamp here.

https://dmstith.bandcamp.com/album/pigeonheart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osZ5Ojh7nmY

Japanese Breakfast - 'Psychopomp'
Jangly indie guitar band fronted by fey sounding female singer. They're a bit rockier than the Sundays, not quite My Bloody Valentine or Cocteau Twins though. It's taken a little while for me to get into this but I think it's because of the production rather than the sound. The album sounds like it was done very much on the cheap which is a shame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3bMacoqgCg

 

[Buzzer]

And a couple more:

Get Well Soon - 'Born With Too Much Love'
It's the band name for a Southern German bloke, Konstantin Gropper. I think this is an earlier EP that was turned into a full album (but not sure - will try to find out more). His sound is very mid-80s New Order/Kraftwerk. He sounds fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BerJTd2wfAY

Yama Warashi - 'No Face'
I came across this quite randomly on Sunday and have made it my life's mission to find out more. She's from Japan but now lives in Bristol and she merges both cultures brilliantly to come up with stuff like this. Seriously, just how good is this? It's blown me away. It's trip-hop, jazz, electronica, traditional Japanese - it's amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFgFAt2fK7o

Angel Olsen - 'My Woman'

The new album is an instant favourite. I keep finding new and different things about it with each listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nleRCBhLr3k



And I'm still trying to get my head around the 2 new Bon Iver tracks he's released from his upcoming new album. I think I like them but don't quote me on that.

 

[spring hall convert]

And I'm still trying to get my head around the 2 new Bon Iver tracks he's released from his upcoming new album. I think I like them but don't quote me on that.

I'm definitely on board. Loving the completely alienating 75% of their fanbase vibe, seems an almost Radiohead circa Kid A style about turn.

 

[Buzzer]

I'm definitely on board. Loving the completely alienating 75% of their fanbase vibe, seems an almost Radiohead circa Kid A style about turn.

It's interesting how upset fans get when musicians go off on a tangent from their previous sound. Clearly it's not a new phenomenon, just look at the grief that Bob Dylan got when he did his electric guitar album, but I don't quite get the aggression that some people show. Why not just don't listen/buy the new stuff and try to find something else that you might like instead?

I think I only really get upset when it looks like the band have stopped trying or look like they are out of ideas. See Nick Cave, Paul Weller...



Edit - actually that's not quite true. I was extremely upset when I heard the Pipettes second album but that was more to do with how very, very bland it was.

 

[Exile]

It's interesting how upset fans get when musicians go off on a tangent from their previous sound.

I think I only really get upset when it looks like the band have stopped trying or look like they are out of ideas. See Paul Weller...

Although Weller was pretty much KING of the 'upsetting your devotees' gang, in his day of course. The reaction of the more rabid Jam fans when they heard the first Style Council releases cannot have been pretty.

 

[Machiavelli]

It's interesting how upset fans get when musicians go off on a tangent from their previous sound. Clearly it's not a new phenomenon, just look at the grief that Bob Dylan got when he did his electric guitar album, but I don't quite get the aggression that some people show. Why not just don't listen/buy the new stuff and try to find something else that you might like instead?

I think I only really get upset when it looks like the band have stopped trying or look like they are out of ideas. See Nick Cave, Paul Weller...



Edit - actually that's not quite true. I was extremely upset when I heard the Pipettes second album but that was more to do with how very, very bland it was.

I was about to entirely agree with you, until you claimed that Cave had stopped trying. Have you heard Lyre of Orpheus, for instance?

 

[Albumen]

I'm definitely on board. Loving the completely alienating 75% of their fanbase vibe, seems an almost Radiohead circa Kid A style about turn.

OK now I'm interested. I didn't bother listening to it as his previous stuff left me cold.

 

[Buzzer]

I was about to entirely agree with you, until you claimed that Cave had stopped trying. Have you heard Lyre of Orpheus, for instance?

I hear you on that, Nick Cave is my number one music idol but I think there's been a few points in his career where he's got a bit stuck in a rut. Immediately before the brilliant Abbatoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus were Nocturama and No More Shall We Part which were both pedestrian at best apart from one or two killer songs and I think most fans would agree that these are his least-inspiring albums.

And over the last few years, probably since Dig Lazarus Dig, he's been a bit iffy in my opinion. The second Grinderman album was not a patch on the first and he even broke his own rule for the Grinderman concept - no pianos, no ballads. I found Push the Sky Away quite dull too and we've spoken before about how the Grinderman 2 and Push The Sky Away covers and videos were just becoming blatantly dirty old man misogynist. His Death of Bunny Monro novel was weak too and solely about a dirty old man trying to get his end away. His soundtrack albums with Warren Ellis have been the most interesting music he's made over that period for me. I do worry that he's lost his mojo but I've got very high hopes for the new album that's out next month.

 

[Machiavelli]

I hear you on that, Nick Cave is my number one music idol but I think there's been a few points in his career where he's got a bit stuck in a rut. Immediately before the brilliant Abbatoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus were Nocturama and No More Shall We Part which were both pedestrian at best apart from one or two killer songs and I think most fans would agree that these are his least-inspiring albums.

And over the last few years, probably since Dig Lazarus Dig, he's been a bit iffy in my opinion. The second Grinderman album was not a patch on the first and he even broke his own rule for the Grinderman concept - no pianos, no ballads. I found Push the Sky Away quite dull too and we've spoken before about how the Grinderman 2 and Push The Sky Away covers and videos were just becoming blatantly dirty old man misogynist. His Death of Bunny Monro novel was weak too and solely about a dirty old man trying to get his end away. His soundtrack albums with Warren Ellis have been the most interesting music he's made over that period for me. I do worry that he's lost his mojo but I've got very high hopes for the new album that's out next month.

Once again you're demonstrating that your musical understanding is far in advance of mine, and I agree with much of what you say especially re soundtracks, and am incapable of responding to much else. All I can say which is/might be different is:
-- as much as I like Abattoir Blues, Lyre of Orpheus is stunning and a step beyond
-- he's surely playing on the dirty old man persona, exploring metaphor, irony, etc not just in Monro, but also with some of his lyrics (Grinderman especially)

 

[spring hall convert]

OK now I'm interested. I didn't bother listening to it as his previous stuff left me cold.

To be totally fair to Justin Vernon, I suspect the success of For Emma... surprised him as much as it did anyone else. His work outside of Bon Iver has always been pretty interesting as well.

I didn't really get on with the second Bon Iver album though, I must say.

Here they are anyway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNy7VtSsmu8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISCEilPMNak

 

[spring hall convert]

And over the last few years, probably since Dig Lazarus Dig, he's been a bit iffy in my opinion. The second Grinderman album was not a patch on the first and he even broke his own rule for the Grinderman concept - no pianos, no ballads. I found Push the Sky Away quite dull too and we've spoken before about how the Grinderman 2 and Push The Sky Away covers and videos were just becoming blatantly dirty old man misogynist. His Death of Bunny Monro novel was weak too and solely about a dirty old man trying to get his end away. His soundtrack albums with Warren Ellis have been the most interesting music he's made over that period for me. I do worry that he's lost his mojo but I've got very high hopes for the new album that's out next month.

Brave but definitely some truth in it. Cave's probably one of those guys that even on autopilot is better than most of the other other stuff out there.

I hate myself for thinking this but I have a suspicion that recent life events will have him back at his cathartic best on the next one.

 

[Machiavelli]

Brave but definitely some truth in it. Cave's probably one of those guys that even on autopilot is better than most of the other other stuff out there.

I hate myself for thinking this but I have a suspicion that recent life events will have him back at his cathartic best on the next one.

With you on this, and also on Bon Iver's second album which was just dreadful. How are you going to describe those two new songs?

 

[Buzzer]

Once again you're demonstrating that your musical understanding is far in advance of mine, and I agree with much of what you say especially re soundtracks, and am incapable of responding to much else. All I can say which is/might be different is:
-- as much as I like Abattoir Blues, Lyre of Orpheus is stunning and a step beyond
-- he's surely playing on the dirty old man persona, exploring metaphor, irony, etc not just in Monro, but also with some of his lyrics (Grinderman especially)

Cheers but it's not greater music understanding it's just years of being a Nick Cave obsessive. I'd say I've got a fairly broad knowledge of music but a lot of it is not particularly in-depth except for only a few bands: New Order, Tricky, Beth Orton, Nick Cave, Sugarcubes - I'm a bit of an anorak about.There's probably one or two others but that's about it.

You're right, Nick Cave has always played up to the seedy side of sex: Staggerlee, No Pussy Blues etc but it's been done with a lot of dark humour - I don't see much irony or artistic merit to the Jubilee Street video nor the recent album/singles covers. Interestingly (or maybe not) I think The Flaming Lips have crossed this line too. The Erykah Badu incident and hanging out with Miley Cyrus in the hope she'll take her kit off for instance - AND they've definitely got lazy with God awful re-hashes of classic albums.

 

[Machiavelli]

Cheers but it's not greater music understanding it's just years of being a Nick Cave obsessive. I'd say I've got a fairly broad knowledge of music but a lot of it is not particularly in-depth except for only a few bands: New Order, Tricky, Beth Orton, Nick Cave, Sugarcubes - I'm a bit of an anorak about.There's probably one or two others but that's about it.

You're right, Nick Cave has always played up to the seedy side of sex: Staggerlee, No Pussy Blues etc but it's been done with a lot of dark humour - I don't see much irony or artistic merit to the Jubilee Street video nor the recent album/singles covers. Interestingly (or maybe not) I think The Flaming Lips have crossed this line too. The Erykah Badu incident and hanging out with Miley Cyrus in the hope she'll take her kit off for instance - AND they've definitely got lazy with God awful re-hashes of classic albums.

You are of a similar age than me although, given that I prefer Joy Division (and obsessed about them in my teenage years) to New Order, I'm probably three years older than you. But you have a greater understanding and depth of knowledge of music than I.
Haven't seen any of those videos.

 

[spring hall convert]

With you on this, and also on Bon Iver's second album which was just dreadful. How are you going to describe those two new songs?

I'm glad I don't have to. R&B, gospel, Oneohtrix Point Never and Mantana Roberts (seriously) spring to mind across them.

Take his voice out of the picture and there is absolutely no way you'd know who it was.

 

[Buzzer]

I hate myself for thinking this but I have a suspicion that recent life events will have him back at his cathartic best on the next one.

I didn't want to say so either but I completely agree. And another reason for thinking that the new album will be a belter is that he hasn't been anywhere near as prolific since Push The Sky Away as he was before.

 

[spring hall convert]

Cheers but it's not greater music understanding it's just years of being a Nick Cave obsessive. I'd say I've got a fairly broad knowledge of music but a lot of it is not particularly in-depth except for only a few bands: New Order, Tricky, Beth Orton, Nick Cave, Sugarcubes - I'm a bit of an anorak about.There's probably one or two others but that's about it.

You're right, Nick Cave has always played up to the seedy side of sex: Staggerlee, No Pussy Blues etc but it's been done with a lot of dark humour - I don't see much irony or artistic merit to the Jubilee Street video nor the recent album/singles covers. Interestingly (or maybe not) I think The Flaming Lips have crossed this line too. The Erykah Badu incident and hanging out with Miley Cyrus in the hope she'll take her kit off for instance - AND they've definitely got lazy with God awful re-hashes of classic albums.

The Flaming Lips have totally jumped the shark. It's completely embarrassing. I don't think Cave has got there.