The albums thread - 2014

[tinycowboy]

What's better indie of the 80s or 90s?

There's a 25 page thread in that question. You can consult the legendary C86 thread for the 80s part, although it addresses all eras really. I think there are enough screaming classics from both to satisfy even the pickiest fan (or customer).

I am buying more music than ever before- all on CD or vinyl and seeing more live stuff but that's due to having more surplus cash now that my kids are older. I know what you mean about being demanding though. A few of my favourites have disappointed with their releases such as EMA and Mogwai this year.

I am buying less because I have a subscription to Spotify which enables me to sort the wheat from the chaff before making a purchase. However, it possibly leads to me being less careful about listening to more difficult music because I haven't directly spent any money on it. However, the last purchase I really didn't like that I failed to preview on Spotify was one of the two you named above - EMA. Really feel no compulsion to ever listen to that one again, unfortunately. I do occasionally still impulse buy though. Almost exclusively in Resident. Feel I should support them as I remember when they opened when I was living in Tidy Street.

I think I'm the same as I was at 14. Trouble is I have the same attention span that I had when I was 14 too. Just listening to La Roux's album again and quite forgotten how good that was too. She was certainly let down by the marketing dept of her record company this year. This album should have been mahoosive.

I've got the first album, but still haven't got round to the second. It's on my imaginary list.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I am buying more music than ever before- all on CD or vinyl and seeing more live stuff but that's due to having more surplus cash now that my kids are older. I know what you mean about being demanding though. A few of my favourites have disappointed with their releases such as EMA and Mogwai this year.

Same here. I buy much more music and many more gig tickets than ever. I don't have kids, a car and have few out goings and with age my disposable income has risen a bit. I get to most gig venues on my bike as well. It's not exactly rock and roll but I can be home in bed well before half eleven for the vast majority of gigs. When I lived in London many gigs were an epic adventure across town.

 

[Machiavelli]

I am buying more music than ever before- all on CD or vinyl and seeing more live stuff but that's due to having more surplus cash now that my kids are older. I know what you mean about being demanding though. A few of my favourites have disappointed with their releases such as EMA and Mogwai this year.

Haven't heard either of these, despite liking their previous outputs. I can't stand that new Death From Above album, despite loving their first. Having had a difficult half decade or so financially, I've got some more disposable income, and am all the more eager to spend it on whoever has the talent and bloodymindedness to showcase what they're up to.

 

[rcf0712]

Got Burnt Offering by The Budos Band on Friday, very nice. Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks'' one from earlier this year the Friday before, very good for mine. Going to see them both in February, should be good. Also got Simian Mobile Disco's Whorl which is pretty cool too.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Well, I quite like the Temples album. It's not a world beater, but it has a nice groove. A bit derivative, yes, in a late sixties kind of way. A mate is a big fan, and I am accompanying him to The Concorde to see them live next weekend.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think the last few months have been the strongest for releases. On the whole though I think 2013 was the better year.

Agree. Last year was a incredibly strong though, best for a long time IMHO.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Well, I quite like the Temples album. It's not a world beater, but it has a nice groove. A bit derivative, yes, in a late sixties kind of way. A mate is a big fan, and I am accompanying him to The Concorde to see them live next weekend.

It's good but I was surprised it was number 1. As an aside they have an amazing knack for finding a melody and I reckon they'll be great live.

 

[spring hall convert]

Well, I quite like the Temples album. It's not a world beater, but it has a nice groove. A bit derivative, yes, in a late sixties kind of way. A mate is a big fan, and I am accompanying him to The Concorde to see them live next weekend.

Which is pretty much my point. It's not bad by any stretch of the imagination, I'd go as far to say they are pretty good at what they do.

But Rough Trade's album of the year? Come annnnnnnnnnnn.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

Haven't heard either of these, despite liking their previous outputs. I can't stand that new Death From Above album, despite loving their first. Having had a difficult half decade or so financially, I've got some more disposable income, and am all the more eager to spend it on whoever has the talent and bloodymindedness to showcase what they're up to.

The trouble with EMA s album is that her first was just so good that my hope for the follow up was probably too high. This is unfortunately often the case. She is great live though and well worth seeing.

 

[Machiavelli]

The trouble with EMA s album is that her first was just so good that my hope for the follow up was probably too high. This is unfortunately often the case. She is great live though and well worth seeing.

Saw her at GDS. I saw DFA at The Freebutt about a decade ago too, and Mogwai for the first time in about 15 years at The Dome a few weeks back. All very good.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

It's good but I was surprised it was number 1. As an aside they have an amazing knack for finding a melody and I reckon they'll be great live.

Which is pretty much my point. It's not bad by any stretch of the imagination, I'd go as far to say they are pretty good at what they do.

But Rough Trade's album of the year? Come annnnnnnnnnnn.

Yeah, agreed. Number 1 is an absurd placing.

I have quite a lot of the albums in that list, more than is usually the case. But as usual, these Top 100 lists are gonna cost me money. I HAVE to delve further. I always end up with a few turkeys...

 

[spring hall convert]

Saw her at GDS.

That was a stunning show.

 

[Machiavelli]

The trouble with EMA s album is that her first was just so good that my hope for the follow up was probably too high. This is unfortunately often the case. She is great live though and well worth seeing.

Thanks to this post, I've just gone back to that first album, which is so much better than I remember.
On a different album, I got that Scott Walker & Sunn O album the other week, and listened to it once, and thought it was the oddest thing I've listened to. The best I can do is to describe it as goth opera -- which isn't A Very Good Thing in my book. I've gone back to it, and it still sounds like goth opera, but I'm beginning to get it. You need to listen to it at selective moments, and it works and you immerse yourself in it. It's the kind of album that I wouldn't want to listen to very often, but get plenty out of it when doing so.
I'm not so sure I'd recommend it to anyone though, simply because it's so different.

 

[wadhurstseagull]

Thanks to this post, I've just gone back to that first album, which is so much better than I remember.
On a different album, I got that Scott Walker & Sunn O album the other week, and listened to it once, and thought it was the oddest thing I've listened to. The best I can do is to describe it as goth opera -- which isn't A Very Good Thing in my book. I've gone back to it, and it still sounds like goth opera, but I'm beginning to get it. You need to listen to it at selective moments, and it works and you immerse yourself in it. It's the kind of album that I wouldn't want to listen to very often, but get plenty out of it when doing so.
I'm not so sure I'd recommend it to anyone though, simply because it's so different.

I had a similar reaction to the Scott Walker album. Initial reaction wtf. Then began to hear something there but still mighty confused. I really enjoy it now but it still makes me think throughout.

 

[Buzzer]

I bought the Real Estate album 'Atlas' over the weekend and am very impressed with it. I didn't know too much about them before then but have been doing some digging around and it turns out this is their 3rd album. They're an East Coast guitar band that cross a few genres: they do jangly, they do surf-rock, they do indie and they do very lovely melodic riffs. They're extremely accomplished guitarists, the last time I was that impressed with musical ability was with I Am Kloot. I listened to the album as background firstly whilst making the Sunday roast and the music just kind of washed over me without much effect but it was only listening to them with headphones on that I got to appreciate just how clever the album is.

Another early 2014 album that I'd only got round to listening to is Morrissey's 'World Peace Is None Of Your Business'. I now understand all the hype surrounding it. He's still bloody-minded, infuriatingly bombastic and as indignant and angry as ever but the flip-side is that it does make him a better songwriter. There's very little filler on this album and I've not heard the breadth of orchestration on a Morrissey album since Bona Drag. I need to go back to the sleeve-notes to see who the session musicians were and who produced it because they deserve a lot of plaudits. My one complaint if you can call it that is that I listened to it all (incl. the bonus tracks) and it was exhausting because there's not much whimsy to be found amongst the 18 songs. Ordinarily, you get 3 or so songs that are more light-hearted but the album is much more full on. Morrissey is seething throughout.

 

[tinycowboy]

I bought the Real Estate album 'Atlas' over the weekend and am very impressed with it. I didn't know too much about them before then but have been doing some digging around and it turns out this is their 3rd album.

I think I like their second album best, and the new one second best. You're right in that their music can wash over you if it's played as background music - it's all one big melodic chime and jangle with pleasant, but not strong vocals, but it rewards the repeat listener. Perhaps like Scott Walker? My wife will NOT tolerate that Scott Walker album in the house. The wide Missouri holds no charm for her.

 

[Buzzer]

I think I like their second album best, and the new one second best. You're right in that their music can wash over you if it's played as background music - it's all one big melodic chime and jangle with pleasant, but not strong vocals, but it rewards the repeat listener. Perhaps like Scott Walker? My wife will NOT tolerate that Scott Walker album in the house. The wide Missouri holds no charm for her.

Yes! You describe it perfectly. Turns out I blogged about them nearly 3 years ago and subsequently forgot all about them thereafter. I like this album a lot though but if I hadn't had them on headphones I'd have missed a lot of the nuances.

Talking of tolerated albums in the household, I bought that recent Dirty Beaches swansong album 'Stateless'. My prior experience of Dirty Beaches was as a scuzzy-sounding retro rockabilly act with real passion and attitude. This album is about 35 minutes long, is pure instrumental and sounds like those experimental and ambient noise CDs that The Wire magazine give away monthly with their mag.

(I kid you not - I've got one of their freebie CDs that has live recordings of the ambient noise at Tallinn Docks on a Monday morning in November. What's that all about?)

Suffice to say that playing that on a Saturday morning didn't go down well with my other half. She said that I might as well have taped the sound of someone hoovering and listened to that. And she's got a point.

 

[Mellotron]

It's good but I was surprised it was number 1. As an aside they have an amazing knack for finding a melody and I reckon they'll be great live.

Actually found them incredibly boring live, but then they were coming on after Royal Blood and before Interpol, and most bands would sound a bit dull and lifeless after RB. This isn't even a bumlick, RB do have phenomenal dynamics live, regardless of what people think of the songs/style.

I like Temples' album but live they had no peaks and throughs, light and shade at all. The volume was constant throughout.

 

[spring hall convert]

I've actually now looked at the Rough Trade list and they are backing one of my finds of this year . An Austalian band called Total Control at no. 11, only known to me as they'd previously done a split with Thee Oh Sees.

http://hengebeat.bandcamp.com/album/typical-system

The Delines at no.9 are worth a go as well

http://thedelines.bandcamp.com/

 

[Buzzer]

Just listened to the Temples album and I'm glad to say I'm hooked. I'm a complete sucker for retro-psychedelic rock and there's a fair few bands doing this sound: Amorphous Androgynous, Phosphorescent, Allah-Las... and this is as good as any I've heard for a long, long time. They have a direct channel to the likes of 13th Floor Elevators, I really think they are that good.

Saying that though, they do have a 'sound' and it does get a bit samey towards the end, tracks 10 and 11 are interchangeable and psychedelia by numbers, they could cut those 2 out and still have a fantastic album. But the album starts magnificently - as grand an opening to an album as you'll get. I always thought the Charlatans should have had 'Only One I Know' as track 1 on Some Friendly because it's so in your face and sets the tone for the rest of the album. Structures by Temples does precisely that, 'Shelter Song' is a wonderful start.

Now this is where I have a big disagreement with Mellotron. I'm only going by their respective albums as I've seen neither Royal Blood nor Temples live but Royal Blood's entire album is one giant feedback distortion loop to me. It just screams 'RAAAAAR' throughout and I now can't listen to the album. I've listened 3 times straight through with the Temples and it moves up and down beautifully. Tracks 1 and 2 set the scene but then track 3 'The Golden Throne' could be from one of those cult soundtrack albums to Italian Vampire films of the seventies, it's very cinematic and quite gothic sounding. Keep In The Dark is just pure 60s with acoustic guitar and plenty of high hat. The likes of Amen Corner would be proud of that track, it's extremely pop-friendly. I'm guessing that if their live act is a wall of sound then they don't play the last track from the album. It's an authentic touch with a big nod to how a lot of rock albums from the 60s used to end - with a short mock-baroque tune.

I don't know if it will be my number one but it's definitely one of the finest albums I've heard this year.