[Music] Albums Thread - 2017

[redoubtable seagull]

Enjoy Zu. Not going to make it myself (too much on), which is a real shame.

Went to see them last might in London as I doubt I'll get to the Brighton show tomorrow. I'm at the Oval for the cricket final.
But... they were so good last night, that I may just have to make a special effort! They really were on top form.

 

[We're the Stripes]

Kevin Morby and Songhoy Blues both out yesterday, both living up to expectations on the first few listens.

Also, for any Parquet Courts fans out there, Austin Brown has started a new project called Rips - their self-titled debut also came out yesterday and is really quite good:

https://youtu.be/kLVtBVE0V4A

 

[Machiavelli]

Yup and it is in a more digestible format than Nothing's Important which is good/bad (delete as appropriate)

Wonder if having a band will take away or add to the live experience.

I'm new to him, so can't comment on either. I have noted that you indicated that two of his gigs featured in the top two of your year, and a friend who is well-versed in such things said the same about one of them. Can't wait for the gig.

 

[spring hall convert]

Kevin Morby and Songhoy Blues both out yesterday, both living up to expectations on the first few listens.

Also, for any Parquet Courts fans out there, Austin Brown has started a new project called Rips - their self-titled debut also came out yesterday and is really quite good:

https://youtu.be/kLVtBVE0V4A

The Rips record is also out on Faux Discx. Local record label run by Dan Reeves of Cold Pumas/ Soft Walls, that never fails to deliver the goods.

http://brightonnoise.co.uk/news/?p=80353

 

[CHAPPERS]

Fans of the Super Furry Animals rejoice!

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/super-furry-animals-radiator

RADIATOR is the acclaimed Welsh indie rockers seminal 2nd album. A fusion of power pop, punk rock, techno and progressive rock – creating a shimmering, melodic, irreverent and artsy rock & roll. A heady, impressive kaleidoscope of sounds which, giving Radiator an intoxicating, otherworldly atmosphere. One of the few late-’90s albums that sounds inventive, vibrant, and utterly contemporary.

The 2CD Deluxe edition contains the original 1997 album beautifully remastered from the analogue tapes + B-sides, alternate versions and unreleased demos. The extended CD booklet includes booklet notes with new band interviews.

The 2LP is a special gatefold edition of the remastered original album on heavyweight vinyl. CD and LP feature the original, iconic Pete Fowler ‘Monsterism’ album artwork and the Super Furry Animal’s hit singles: Hermann ♥’s Pauline, The International Language Of Screaming, Play It Cool, Demons.

This release has been produced in association with Super Furry Animals and management.

This release follows last year’s critically acclaimed 20th Anniversary re-issue of their remastered debut album ‘Fuzzy Logic’ (2CD/LP/DD) and ‘Zoom! The Best Of SFA’ (2CD/DD). These releases were accompanied by a sold-out UK auditorium tour, on which the band played the ‘Fuzzy Logic’ and ‘Radiator’ albums in full.

In addition we are offering exclusively on PledgeMusic 12 × 12 art prints of the album cover signed by Pete Fowler and a limited number of Test Pressings and copies of the 2CD and 2LP signed by the band.

These orders will be delivered as close to the release date of the 28th July as possible.

 

[Buzzer]

A few albums that have been on constant play on my iPod:

Thurston Moore - 'Rock N Roll Consciousness': Sonic Youth frontman takes no prisoners with this very awesome album. Just 7 songs but only one coming in under 6 minutes and a couple are over 10 mins long. Lots of very long, very guitar heavy solos with the emphasis on rock. This will put a big smile on any shoegaze fans but also those who appreciate a slightly more nuanced guitar plucking as both styles are evident.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lSH_NGAKo8

Alt-J 'Relaxer'

Candidate for my album of the year, they flit effortlessly from indie-folk to epic stadium rock to new wave with a barnstorming album. Impossible to pin this down and it will constantly surprise, even a very novel take on the "House of the Rising Sun" blues standard. Once again, a short-ish album with just 7 tracks but well worth it. Can't stop listening to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqdSvVpv3Zk

Larkin Grimm - 'Chasing An Illusion'

Another album that's difficult to pigeon-hole. She's described as an experimental folk singer but you'll find lots of mainstream sounding pop amongst the more esoteric tracks. Despite being out there it never sounds self-indulgent and there's a lovely retro feel to the production. It's also got a bit of a jazzy feel to it but very much in a good way. Available to but from Resident and Rough Trade but also you can stream the album from Bandcamp. My favourite track here:

https://larkingrimm.bandcamp.com/track/beautifully-alone-2

Also been listening to J. Bernardt, Hundred in the Hands and James Vincent McMorrow and will try to bung reviews of these up soon. The Cigarettes After Sex album is still one of my go to albums of late. Along with Alt-J, they're my half-year favourites.

 

[Buzzer]

UNKLE has a new album soon with lots of A-list collaborators, this is the first release featuring Mark Lanegan and Eska. It's "very" UNKLE-sounding so have high hopes for the rest of the album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl3Y5-Qrbk8

 

[Buzzer]

The new Nev Cottee album "Broken Flowers" is quite something. One for fans of Richard Hawley. He starts conventionally enough but when you get to "Be On Your Way" you are treated to something that starts off sounding similar to the Korgis "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" and ends with a quite epic soulful guitar solo that could easily have been lifted from Isaac Hayes "Black Moses" album. It really is that good. And straight after is another track "Nobody's Fool" that just floats effortlessly around forever but ends all too soon. I can't find any Youtube streams of these tracks but they are on Bandcamp. It's a quite brilliant album.

https://wonderfulsound.bandcamp.com/album/nev-cottee-broken-flowers

 

[Is it PotG?]

The new Nev Cottee album "Broken Flowers" is quite something. One for fans of Richard Hawley. He starts conventionally enough but when you get to "Be On Your Way" you are treated to something that starts off sounding similar to the Korgis "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" and ends with a quite epic soulful guitar solo that could easily have been lifted from Isaac Hayes "Black Moses" album. It really is that good. And straight after is another track "Nobody's Fool" that just floats effortlessly around forever but ends all too soon. I can't find any Youtube streams of these tracks but they are on Bandcamp. It's a quite brilliant album.

https://wonderfulsound.bandcamp.com/album/nev-cottee-broken-flowers

Good review, sounds up my street so giving it a go today.

Thanks

 

[Buzzer]

Trying desperately hard to get into the new Algiers album but it's basically the same as the first album except a lot noisier and messier. Sounds much better with headphones on than out of speakers but even so, the album doesn't really go anywhere new in a genre that has been so overdone of late that the novelty wears thin very quickly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGZXzmM1smM

 

[Mellotron]

Not had a chance to fully digest the album but I am hopelessly in love with this track;

[yt]LncJE2otRVA[/yt]

FFO - Stevie Wonder, late Beatles/McCartney/Wings, Elton John

It's SO good. I can't believe how young they are, to come out with such a mature and considered tone. Plenty of bands have done the "look and sound like the 70s but its from now" shocker, but you can hear the genuine love these guys have for their source inspiration.

Reverence, not reference, if you will. I hope you like it.

 

[redoubtable seagull]

Wow. Surprised no-one's mentioned it, but Richard Dawson's Peasant is right up there in AotY territory for me. It weaves a fine tapestry, great songs, his voice is great as are the backing singers, his guitar playing is just something else, and the whole thing takes you to another distant world, yet feels so timely.

Big shout out for Binker & Moses too. Just seen them in Resident, and the album is a real treat too. I suspect [MENTION=222]Southy[/MENTION] and [MENTION=3076]redoubtable seagull[/MENTION] will be enticed.

Thought you might be interested to know that Binker and Moses are on Radio 3 on Saturday at 5pm and on the 'listen again' service after broadcast.

 

[Buzzer]

Wet Hair - 'The Floating World'

A bit of an odd one, this album. It's basically an extension of their 2012 album 'Spill Into Atmosphere' and was recorded in 2013 shortly before they split up and I've no idea why but only now has it just been released. It's a very "heavy" album. Retro-synth sounds dominate this psych/kraut rock album so heavily that it could be accused of bullying. The first few tracks set the mood perfectly - imagine Grumbling Fur or Depeche Mode on steroids.

I can't find any streams on Youtube but Soundcloud has this, track 2 from the album and it's well worth indulging 5 minutes of your time with.

https://soundcloud.com/wharf-cat-records/wet-hair-dear-danae

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Not usually a big fan but Ryan Adams The Prisoner is a good listen. This is my favourite track , albeit a live version

 

[Buzzer]

Bedouine - 'Bedouine'. The eponymously titled album is the debut from a young woman who is of Armenian heritage but born in Syria and then moved to the US via Saudi Arabia. You'd think with that pedigree that there might be some middle-east flavour to the album but there's not even a hint of that throughout. There's blues, pop, country & Americana aplenty though and it's all right up my street musically. She's clearly influenced by Carole King and this shows but a word of caution, the album does veer into sounding very twee at times. In fact, her inoffensiveness paradoxically makes this album a musical Marmite. You will either love it or hate it. I've no idea if she's a Michelle Shocked fan or not but there are similarities in Michelle Shocked's much quieter moments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p-OFHW5WGA

 

[Buzzer]

Warm Soda - 'I Don't Wanna Grow Up'

A completely new band to me and they're a lot of fun. Power-pop at its finest with a direct line to the Monkees and Ramones. They stick loyally to the format with none of the 12 tunes from the album clocking in at over 3 minutes, little if any fade out or fade in, the emphasis on catchy choruses and no soppy ballads. Not normally my cup of tea but these chaps play with such passion and fun that you can't help but get taken along on the ride and leave with a slight ringing in your ears and a big smile on your face.

https://soundcloud.com/castle-face-1/dont-leave-me-for-another-guy

(Sorry - another one that I can only find on Soundcloud)

 

[Buzzer]

Now this is the good stuff.

Erased Tapes are releasing an EP 'Golden Times 1', it's a remix album of songs that features on Ben Lukas Boysen's 'Spells' album last year and there's already been a Hecker remix of Nocturne 4 but this remix of the title track by Max Cooper is nothing short of perfection. It's sublime, it's got Cooper's trademark under-statement and the attention to detail shows as it builds and builds. Scroll down to halfway on the Tiny Mixtapes webpage to listen to this 9 minute piece of musical genius.

https://www.tinymixtapes.com/chocol...-x-max-cooper-golden-times-1-max-cooper-remix

 

[Buzzer]

Heather Trost - Agistri

Yet another out-there album with 70s synths, late-60s hippy sounding choruses and tunes that really mess with your mind. There's a strong cinematic feel to this album with most of the tracks best described as instrumentals (although not quite). It's a real shame that Me and My Arrow from the album isn't available to stream as it's easily the best track on there but this one is also pretty damn good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWjJ3FAbPR8

 

[Buzzer]

Anyone else into Brighton band GAPS? they are a male/female duo on Maya Jane Coles label I/AM/ME and the latest album seems to have slipped completely under the radar. Can't see anything about it on Resident, Piccadilly, Norman or Rough Trade. The new album is all on Soundcloud and that's where I've picked up on it. This is their 2nd album and if the first album was a trippy, folky electronic affair then this album goes even further. The production is extremely good and it needs to be with so much reliance on drum machines and keyboards accompanying the singer Rachel's soaring vocals. Her singing voice is extremely good and her ability to hold a note without resorting to warbling is a rare treat.

I mentioned the drum machines and whoever does their programming deserves a lot of praise. The track 'Shatter' especially seems to be written specifically for him/her to let their talents loose. It's quite something. If you're a fan of Danish band 'Our Broken Garden' or Icelandic singer Soley then I don't think you'll be disappointed if you add this album to your collection. It's quite lovely.

This is the link to the entire album and it's one I'm going to try hard to get on CD. https://soundcloud.com/gaps/sets/as-it-is-5

 

[Buzzer]

The new King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard album is absolutely mental. It's a 3 CD/LP concept album charting the fall of mankind and although prog-rock is definitely not my usual listening material I was hooked by this. There's absolutely no relenting with crunching guitars, manic drumming, long solos and so much more. It's a lot of fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e8ElS6E_Os