[Music] Albums Thread - 2017

[Buzzer]

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 .

Yes! Her voice is quite traditional folk-y sounding but the tunes are written with quite a dark edge and a fair amount of humour to them and I love the guitar arrangements (The National's Aaron Dessner has a big part in that). She played instore at Resident yesterday, sadly I missed it but my youngest tells me that she was brilliant. No idea how Bedouine was chosen as Resident's album of the week over this as I think This Is The Kit blows Bedouine out of the water.

And good luck to your mate's lad's band. I'll keep an eye out for them.

 

[CHAPPERS]

The weird Carl Craig techno/classical album Versus is certainly worth a listen. Sounds like a Star Wars score in places but in a really good way. Didn't realise how long he's been putting it together for.

Look and listen

 

[nigeyb]

This Is The Kit - Moonshine Freeze

Bloody gorgeous and a cut above most alt-folk. I've only recently caught on to her but she's wonderful and this album is quite possibly her best yet.

This Mojo review sums it up better than I could...

http://www.mojo4music.com/25594/this-is-the-kit-moonshine-freeze-album-of-the-week/

 

[Buzzer]

Just catching up with some music tonight and seeing as it's now past the halfway mark of the year, here are my top albums of 2017 so far and in descending order:

Cigarettes After Sex - 'Cigarettes After Sex'
Alt-J - 'Relaxer'
Alice Jemima 'Alice Jemima'
The Mountain Goats - 'Goths'
Alison Crutchfield - 'Tourist In This Town'
Fufanu - 'Sports'
Markia Hackman - 'I'm Not Your Man'
The Flaming Lips - 'Oczy Mlody'
Vök - 'Breaking Bones'
UNKLE - 'The Road Pt1'
Rose Ellinor Dougall - 'Stellular'
Vanbot - 'Siberia'

The top two: Cigarettes After Sex and Alt-J are the stand-outs for me. It's been a pretty good year for music so far and there's about another 20 albums that almost but didn't make that list. Nev Cottee, Thurston Moore, Austra, Dan Auerbach, Mersault, Einar Stray Orchestra, Public Service Broadcasting, Aesgir, This Is The Kit and Temples have all had excellent 2017 albums. Although it's not my favourite, the fact that Flaming Lips are back to making great music has been one of this year's feel-good stories for me. I had previously written them off completely.

There's been a few flops too. The Algiers album is the biggest disappointment. They've not moved on from their first album and this second album sounds like tracks that didn't make the first. The Gorillaz album has tried to cash in on the Algiers sound in places and sounds quite forced. Too much rap as well on there. Rag N'Bone Man is another that's riding the Algiers "sound" zeitgeist and I got bored very quickly with a lot of tracks sounding very samey. Saint Etienne's comeback was a complete waste of time and effort. The XX have gone from edgy to very comfy, their latest album is all a bit commercial radio. Ulrika Spacek's latest is another where they are playing well within themselves. The attraction of Sleaford Mods continues to baffle me. MC Pitman was doing that schtick 10 years ago.

 

[Buzzer]

An artist that has a profound effect on me is Tricky. I've got just about everything he's ever done and I'm delighted to see he has a new album out in September and ahead of that he's released this track in collaboration with Martina Topley-Bird. It's so great to hear them collaborating again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIH0CSqmo7o

 

[daveinprague]

'I Promise' New album from Steve Stone Huff. Was supposed to be released last year, but finally managed it. Nice to see old school style soul coming back.

 

[Buzzer]

3 of my favourite Icelanders have launched a long-term project going where all 3 of them, Sóley, Sin Fang and Örvar Smárson (from Múm and FM Belfast), write and record a song each month together. They're now 3 months in and this is the latest offering. This track is very Sóley-sounding: folky, ethereal and sparse at times.

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

 

[hans kraay fan club]

This Is The Kit - Moonshine Freeze

Bloody gorgeous and a cut above most alt-folk. I've only recently caught on to her but she's wonderful and this album is quite possibly her best yet.

This Mojo review sums it up better than I could...

http://www.mojo4music.com/25594/this-is-the-kit-moonshine-freeze-album-of-the-week/

View attachment 87123

Like the sound of that. Nice

 

[Mellotron]

Just catching up with some music tonight and seeing as it's now past the halfway mark of the year, here are my top albums of 2017 so far and in descending order:

Cigarettes After Sex - 'Cigarettes After Sex'
Alt-J - 'Relaxer'
Alice Jemima 'Alice Jemima'
The Mountain Goats - 'Goths'
Alison Crutchfield - 'Tourist In This Town'
Fufanu - 'Sports'
Markia Hackman - 'I'm Not Your Man'
The Flaming Lips - 'Oczy Mlody'
Vök - 'Breaking Bones'
UNKLE - 'The Road Pt1'
Rose Ellinor Dougall - 'Stellular'
Vanbot - 'Siberia'

The top two: Cigarettes After Sex and Alt-J are the stand-outs for me. It's been a pretty good year for music so far and there's about another 20 albums that almost but didn't make that list. Nev Cottee, Thurston Moore, Austra, Dan Auerbach, Mersault, Einar Stray Orchestra, Public Service Broadcasting, Aesgir, This Is The Kit and Temples have all had excellent 2017 albums. Although it's not my favourite, the fact that Flaming Lips are back to making great music has been one of this year's feel-good stories for me. I had previously written them off completely.

There's been a few flops too. The Algiers album is the biggest disappointment. They've not moved on from their first album and this second album sounds like tracks that didn't make the first. The Gorillaz album has tried to cash in on the Algiers sound in places and sounds quite forced. Too much rap as well on there. Rag N'Bone Man is another that's riding the Algiers "sound" zeitgeist and I got bored very quickly with a lot of tracks sounding very samey. Saint Etienne's comeback was a complete waste of time and effort. The XX have gone from edgy to very comfy, their latest album is all a bit commercial radio. Ulrika Spacek's latest is another where they are playing well within themselves. The attraction of Sleaford Mods continues to baffle me. MC Pitman was doing that schtick 10 years ago.

No space for Father John Misty? Some of the lyrics are stunning.

Another shout for Vök, really enjoyed that. And Cigarettes After Sex, a really nice midpoint between Slowdive, early Interpol and Beach House. Which also makes me very surprised there's no mention of Slowdive?

 

[Mellotron]

My 2017 so far;

slowdive - slowdive - All been said on here already really. Transcendent. Takes me back to first hearing Interpol and Sigur Ros. Otherworldly beauty.
Mew - Visuals - Back on track after the last couple of albums for me. Prog-pop with some of the early and much needed bite back. Always inventive.
Cigarettes After Sex - Cigarettes After Sex - Slightly more underplayed than slowdive. Really nice.
Father John Misty - Pure Comedy - Not something I find that exciting musically, but some of the lyrics really resonate.
Brian Eno - Reflection - Always delivers, this man.
Clark - Death Peak - incredibly atmospheric IDM.
Beach Fossils - Somersault - beautiful, perfect summer driving music.
Maggie Rogers - Now That The Light Is Fading (EP) - no one this viral is going to be "cool" to admit liking but I don't care. The critics have this one wrong. Dog Years is utter pop perfection, very strong melodies. And she is some producer for her age.

 

[nigeyb]

I can't pretend to listen to that much new music but here's what's done it for me so far in rough order of preference...

This Is The Kit
Pete Fij / Terry Bickers
Peter Perrett
Hurray For The Riff Raff
Jens Leckman
Dan Auerbach
The Charlatans
Cigarettes After Sex
Depeche Mode
Dreadzone
Flo Morrissey and Matthew E. White
Slowdive
Paul Weller
Julian Cope
The xx
Julie Byrne
Dave Davies & Russ Davies
Ride
Jain
Ray Davies
Gentlemen's Dub Club
British Sea Power
Real Estate

 

[Machiavelli]

I also can't pretend to listen to much new music, but these are the ones that I've particularly liked this year:

Laura Marling -- Semper Femina
Idles -- Brutalism
Thurston Moore -- Rock n Roll Consciousness
Richard Dawson -- Peasant
Max Richter -- Three Worlds: Music from Woolf Works
Binker & Moses -- Journey to the Mountain of Forever
GNOD -- Just Say No to the Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine
Will Stratton -- Rosewood Almanac

This is in no particular order, but Idles and Laura Marling are currently vying for pole position.

 

[nigeyb]

Just Say No to the Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine

Worth it for the title alone

 

[Buzzer]

No space for Father John Misty? Some of the lyrics are stunning.

Another shout for Vök, really enjoyed that. And Cigarettes After Sex, a really nice midpoint between Slowdive, early Interpol and Beach House. Which also makes me very surprised there's no mention of Slowdive?

I haven't heard the Slowdive album... or if I have I don't remember it. I'll give it a listen at the weekend if I can.

Re. FJM his lyrics are clever but I'm undecided still as to whether the music is just sub-Elton John/Gilbert O'Sullivan. He's certainly no John Grant. And also it's difficult to look past FJM's appallingly arrogant personality. He comes across as a complete arsehat.

 

[Machiavelli]

Worth it for the title alone

The title lacks subtlety, not unlike the music, which is somewhat brutal.

 

[Mellotron]

I haven't heard the Slowdive album... or if I have I don't remember it. I'll give it a listen at the weekend if I can.

Re. FJM his lyrics are clever but I'm undecided still as to whether the music is just sub-Elton John/Gilbert O'Sullivan. He's certainly no John Grant. And also it's difficult to look past FJM's appallingly arrogant personality. He comes across as a complete arsehat.

I acknowledge he does come across rather....preachy (pun intended), and I struggle for a whole album at once. Give Ballad of the Dying Man a go.

For slowdive, I feel confident you should enjoy it if you like Cigarettes After Sex. Especially Slomo, Sugar for The Pill and No Longer Making Time.

 

[Machiavelli]

Neglected to include IV by Part Chimp on my list, which is another assault on the senses

 

[nigeyb]

I can't pretend to listen to that much new music but here's what's done it for me so far in rough order of preference...

This Is The Kit
Pete Fij / Terry Bickers
Peter Perrett
Hurray For The Riff Raff
Jens Leckman
Dan Auerbach
The Charlatans
Cigarettes After Sex
Depeche Mode
Dreadzone
Flo Morrissey and Matthew E. White
Slowdive
Paul Weller
Julian Cope
The xx
Julie Byrne
Dave Davies & Russ Davies
Ride
Jain
Ray Davies
Gentlemen's Dub Club
British Sea Power
Real Estate

Forgot....

Will Stratton

http://bellaunion.com/2017/02/will-stratton-to-release-rosewood-almanac-on-bella-union/

 

[tinycowboy]

My middle-aged man's quick picks include:

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - French Press
Slowdive - Slowdive
Ride - Weather Diaries
Perfume Genius - No Shape
Laura Marling - Semper Femina

Hoping to be inspired by some "new" new music this summer at festivals.

 

[spring hall convert]

About time we had some new Ariel Pink.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYtsUdD921E