[Music] Albums Thread - 2017

[Buzzer]

Imagine Dragons - 'Evolve'

Over 100 million hits for this song alone must be testament to their popularity. Auto-tune, lots of emoting and air-grabs and cheesy songs that wouldn't look out of place as the backing track for a montage video for X Factor. No thanks, not for me. I hated it from the first track to the last.

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

 

[Gwylan]

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.

Reviewed in The Observer last week. You compare her to King/Shocked, the Obs referenced Laura Marling and Leonard Cohen. I see the Indy compared her to Norah Jones, Katie Melua and Marling again.

You can see why Last/Spotify/Amazon find it hard to make recommendations.

The Indy also tells me that Justin Adams has a new album out - I really like his work, you heard it yet?

 

[Buzzer]

Reviewed in The Observer last week. You compare her to King/Shocked, the Obs referenced Laura Marling and Leonard Cohen. I see the Indy compared her to Norah Jones, Katie Melua and Marling again.

You can see why Last/Spotify/Amazon find it hard to make recommendations.

The Indy also tells me that Justin Adams has a new album out - I really like his work, you heard it yet?

I'm not hearing a lot of Laura Marling in that album. Laura Marling's music tends to be a bit less pop and a bit more intricate and she's certainly never been saccharine in the same way as Bedouine. Likewise, not hearing Leonard Cohen either. Can't comment on Norah Jones or Katie Melua as I don't really know their music. But yes, I think the problem with some recommendations is that where a music crosses genres or doesn't fit entirely with another artist's sound then it all gets very subjective and probably hit and miss.

I can't say I've heard of Justin Adams but will definitely look out for his album. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Tarpon]

**** me, having given it lots of listens, the Slowdive album is rather good.

 

[Machiavelli]

After their Glastonbury set which was described in the only review I've read as 'divisive' (it was stunning in my view), I've given NOTOK a few spins, and am really enjoying it, with Meeting in the Aisle (a nod to their then future) and Pearly (a nod to their then past) as the stand-out tracks.

I've also just discovered 'Artifacts' by Black Flower, which is another delicious addition to the avant-garde/alt-jazz repertoire, I can think of at least two on this residents of this thread that will get on to it.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

My latest mix can be heard here:

https://www.mixcloud.com/The_Airing_Cupboard/mix-29/

1. Terry - Take me to the city
2. Trance Farmers - Teleportal
3. Madonnatron - Tron
4. Ekin Fil - Before a full moon
5. Radiophonic Workshop - Not come to light
6. Modern Institute - False beards and diamond hooves
7. Lolina - Keep on movin'
8. Cowgirl Clue - Utopia
9. Zola Jesus - Exhumed
10. Pye Corner Audio - Do you hear them
11. Chump - Shut eye
12. Kristy & the Kraks - Ready
13. Borgesss - Darkest blue
14. Au Fait - Lutteur Francais
15. Club 8 - Lost
16. Rosemary Loves A Blackberry - Pay to play
17. Lone Taxidermist - Knicker elastic
18. Bloom Offering - Swallow (This city)

Playing time: 60 minutes.

 

[Buzzer]

The Public Service Broadcasting new album is a tour de force. Anyone not familiar with PSB, they have concept albums based around old news footage of a specific theme. The last PSB album was about the 60s space race and this one sees them exploring mining in the Welsh valleys. Each track is strong enough to stand on its own and coming in at 11 tracks with no fillers, it represents a hell of an album. There's guest appearances from Tracey Anne Campbell (Camera Obscura), Haiku Salut, James Dean Bradfield (Manics) and a wonderfully sounding Lisa Jen Brown (9Bach). This album will undoubtedly be on a lot of end of year lists. Highly recommended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWvK7Uffmts

 

[Buzzer]

Barbarossa has a new single out on Bandcamp on a pay what you like basis. It's a bloody brilliant tune too.

https://thisisbarbarossa.bandcamp.com/album/griptide

 

[Buzzer]

Ghostpoet's released a new single. Pretty good too and I'm liking the Mark E Smith style delivery as much as ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzF00zaK56I

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Since I saw them live, and got tickets for their arena tour, I've revisited the new Depeche Mode and it's grown on me a lot. Was surprised to read one of my favourite tracks was written by Dave Gahan...seems he started penning songs a few albums back.

It's not a classic by any means, the last one was Ultra, but very enjoyable none the less.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

Some precocious teenagers playing jangly indiepop, no album as yet though the singles show promise.



There is indie DNA at work here as the two girls are daughters of an ex-member of 80s band The Train Set.

 

[Buzzer]

Haim - 'Something to Tell You'

Haim's latest album is strictly pop without pretensions of something deeper and I say good luck to them with that. Anyone expecting Warpaint or First Aid Kit will be deeply disappointed, this is very commercial sounding. Once you've taken that fact on board and just go with the album it becomes a very good collection of tunes. There's a very 80s feel to some of the tracks and in others they sound a little like Wilson Phillips which should give you a good idea where they've pitched the album. The first few tracks are probably the weakest which is a real shame but once you plough through those, it does become almost like a guilty pleasure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZkAfvMa6s0

 

[Buzzer]

My favourite German record label Kompakt is re-releasing an old album by a Brazilian singer called Maria Rita. She's completely new to me but on hearing this tune I'm completely smitten. This is a quite extraordinary tune. I'm struggling for superlatives that do it justice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys9b6Wc-5wQ

http://www.kompakt.fm/releases/brasileira

 

[aftershavedave]

My favourite German record label Kompakt is re-releasing an old album by a Brazilian singer called Maria Rita. She's completely new to me but on hearing this tune I'm completely smitten. This is a quite extraordinary tune. I'm struggling for superlatives that do it justice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys9b6Wc-5wQ

http://www.kompakt.fm/releases/brasileira

she's the daughter of elis regina if you're interested in brazilian MPB. elis regina was a true legend. maria rita is no slouch either, check her first (and best imo) self-titled album. love brazilian music here!

 

[Buzzer]

she's the daughter of elis regina if you're interested in brazilian MPB. elis regina was a true legend. maria rita is no slouch either, check her first (and best imo) self-titled album. love brazilian music here!

Cheers matey for the heads up!

 

[Ludensian Gull]

Our friends son plays in a band called E!ectric Octopus , not my cup of tea at all but maybe of interest to some folk on this thread . Very spaced out Jazzy type of music , been finding gigs to play and on Spotify , YouTube , Google play music etc . Seem to have a good following .

 

[Buzzer]

Our friends son plays in a band called E!ectric Octopus , not my cup of tea at all but maybe of interest to some folk on this thread . Very spaced out Jazzy type of music , been finding gigs to play and on Spotify , YouTube , Google play music etc . Seem to have a good following .

A bit too jazzy for my tastes unfortunately but they do sound good and the production on the Bandcamp streamed albums sounds top notch.

Am I right in thinking you like a bit of folk and indie? If so then This Is The Kit's new album could be right up your street. Will get a proper mini-review up on this thread tomorrow hopefully.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

A bit too jazzy for my tastes unfortunately but they do sound good and the production on the Bandcamp streamed albums sounds top notch.

Am I right in thinking you like a bit of folk and indie? If so then This Is The Kit's new album could be right up your street. Will get a proper mini-review up on this thread tomorrow hopefully.

I do indeed , will have a listen thanks. Yeah these young lads seem to be taking off and good luck to them , but after 10 mins I've heard enough

 

[Buzzer]

I do indeed , will have a listen thanks. Yeah these young lads seem to be taking off and good luck to them , but after 10 mins I've heard enough

The world may be going to shit but there's still youngsters out there inspired enough to pick up an instrument and form a band. Never ceases to amaze me just how many talented musicians this country continues to produce and all without a single penny of help from the Government. It must be our number one export.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

The world may be going to shit but there's still youngsters out there inspired enough to pick up an instrument and form a band. Never ceases to amaze me just how many talented musicians this country continues to produce and all without a single penny of help from the Government. It must be our number one export.

Indeed , they are a nice bunch of lads enjoying music they've produced , good luck to them. By the way I'm now listening to that album . Very nice .