The albums thread - 2014

[spring hall convert]

(cont.)

The Seer ('12) and To Be Kind ('14) are two of the strongest albums of the decade so far. Stuffed full of sprawling epics, they benefit from concentrated listening rather than track hopping. Wonderful albums.



I would work chronologically backwards with Swans, they have got better with age. If you find The Seer and To Be Kind too dense to penetrate I'd suggest the "easiest albums" are My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky ('10), The Great Annihilator ('95) and White Light From the Mouth of Infinty ('91.)

And seriously - ANY band that can leave this song off an album is great



Happy listening.

 

[Southy]

Here's my albums of the year. Been a good year for British jazz so quite a bit of that in there. Surprised not to see any other lists have the Melanie de Baiso in there, it's my album of the year, lovely album.


1. Melanie De Baisio - No Deal
2. Matthew Hasall - When we were One
3.Kasai Allstars - Beware the Fetish
4. Polar Bear - In each and Everyone
5. Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams
6. Goat - Commune
7. Afghan Whigs - Do the Beast
8. Toumani Diabate - Toumani and Sidiki
9, Phronesis - Life to Everything
10. Mica Levi - Under the Skin
11. Neneh Cherry - Blank Project
12. Mogwai - Rave Tapes
13. Thee oh Sees
14. Malawi Mouse Boys - Dirt is Good

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Don't get too close. They can apparently 'break your arm'.

And immigrants eat them.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

This is probably right up your street, [MENTION=5200]Buzzer[/MENTION].

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04vk1gd

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

I believe bbc I player is releasing his recent recording with the BBC philamonic orchestra featuring songs off the Pale Green Ghosts album. Should be worth a listen.

Did this happen in the end? Had a cursory glance but couldn't see anything. On the plus side, I did discover the link in my previous post.

 

[Buzzer]

This is probably right up your street, @Buzzer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04vk1gd

Ooh! Cheers. Gotta love a bit of John Grant.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Ooh! Cheers. Gotta love a bit of John Grant.

Nae worries, petal. You're also quite the Icelandic music fan as well, no? Perfect combo.

 

[Buzzer]

Nae worries, petal. You're also quite the Icelandic music fan as well, no? Perfect combo.

Yep. He relocated there and got in with the chaps from Gus Gus (the band that launched Hafdis Huld, no less) and he's also collaborated with a young Icelandic singer called Ásgeir. The Gus Gus connection has been instrumental in giving him this new sound and much wider range of music to explore. Wozza saw him with the BBS Orchestra on Sunday and said it was one of the best gigs he's ever been to.

Talking of Gus Gus, their new album Mexico is rather good. I think they're touring with it at the moment. Cheers once again. You going to Wolves? If so might see you there.

 

[tinycowboy]

And immigrants eat them.

Didn't Chris Tarrant once kill and eat a swan? Or is that an urban myth?

 

[Buzzer]

Here's my albums of the year. Been a good year for British jazz so quite a bit of that in there. Surprised not to see any other lists have the Melanie de Baiso in there, it's my album of the year, lovely album.


1. Melanie De Baisio - No Deal
2. Matthew Hasall - When we were One
3.Kasai Allstars - Beware the Fetish
4. Polar Bear - In each and Everyone
5. Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams
6. Goat - Commune
7. Afghan Whigs - Do the Beast
8. Toumani Diabate - Toumani and Sidiki
9, Phronesis - Life to Everything
10. Mica Levi - Under the Skin
11. Neneh Cherry - Blank Project
12. Mogwai - Rave Tapes
13. Thee oh Sees
14. Malawi Mouse Boys - Dirt is Good

Hey Hey! Great choices there at numbers 5 and 6. Will check out a few others on your list that I've not heard of.

 

[Southy]

If you like jazz in a Kind of Blue era style then I can really reccomend the Matthew Hasall. Not going to change the jazz world but lovely modal album. I listened to Hot Dreams after reading your recommendation and it's really grown on me, excellent album.

 

[Tarpon]

First ten past the post this year for me (in no particular order):

1. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
2. King Creosote - From Scotland
3. Ariel Pink - Pom Pom
4. Morrissey - World Peace Is None Of Your Business
5. Avi Buffalo - At Best Cuckcold
6. Beck - Morning Phase
7. Leonard Cohen - Popular Problems
8. Natalie Merchant - Natalie Merchant
9. Royal Blood - Royal Blood
10. Alvvays - Alvvays

 

[Theatre of Trees]

Ormonde - Cartographer/Explorer - released in November and well worth a listen - delicate, fragile and dark.

[yt]E3T4aFXmcEU[/yt]

Not usually a fan of folkie americana but this is really lovely.

 

[Machiavelli]

Here's my albums of the year. Been a good year for British jazz so quite a bit of that in there. Surprised not to see any other lists have the Melanie de Baiso in there, it's my album of the year, lovely album.


1. Melanie De Baisio - No Deal
2. Matthew Hasall - When we were One
3.Kasai Allstars - Beware the Fetish
4. Polar Bear - In each and Everyone
5. Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams
6. Goat - Commune
7. Afghan Whigs - Do the Beast
8. Toumani Diabate - Toumani and Sidiki
9, Phronesis - Life to Everything
10. Mica Levi - Under the Skin
11. Neneh Cherry - Blank Project
12. Mogwai - Rave Tapes
13. Thee oh Sees
14. Malawi Mouse Boys - Dirt is Good

Good list, as it contains a fair bit of stuff that don't feature on others' lists, particularly jazz. If you like Polar Bear and Phronesis, I'm wondering if you know of Fire! Orchestra, which I think is much better than the both.
Never heard of Melanie De Baisio -- any chance of a description?

 

[Machiavelli]

Right here goes my album of the year list:

1. Ty Segall -- Manipulator
2. Swans -- To Be Kind
3. Neneh Cherry -- Blank Project
4. Fire! Orchestra -- Enter!
5. Sun Kil Moon -- Benji
6. Vessel -- Punish, Honey
7. Angel Olsen -- Burn Your Fire for No Witness
8. Hurrah for the Riff Raff -- Small Town Heroes
9. Polar Bear -- In Each and Every One
10. Shellac -- Dude Incredible

Probably forgotten one or two, and there's a fair few that are appearing regularly on here that I haven't listened to, which include Timbre Timbre, Thee Oh Sees, King Creosote and, perhaps, Goat.

Gig of the year, by some considerable distance, was Fire! Orchestra -- all 28 of them -- at The Laundry in London.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Right here goes my album of the year list:

1. Ty Segall -- Manipulator
2. Swans -- To Be Kind
3. Neneh Cherry -- Blank Project
4. Fire! Orchestra -- Enter!
5. Sun Kil Moon -- Benji
6. Vessel -- Punish, Honey
7. Angel Olsen -- Burn Your Fire for No Witness
8. Hurrah for the Riff Raff -- Small Town Heroes
9. Polar Bear -- In Each and Every One
10. Shellac -- Dude Incredible

Probably forgotten one or two, and there's a fair few that are appearing regularly on here that I haven't listened to, which include Timbre Timbre, Thee Oh Sees, King Creosote and, perhaps, Goat.

Gig of the year, by some considerable distance, was Fire! Orchestra -- all 28 of them -- at The Laundry in London.

Definitely Goat. A quite magnificent album.

 

[Southy]

Good list, as it contains a fair bit of stuff that don't feature on others' lists, particularly jazz. If you like Polar Bear and Phronesis, I'm wondering if you know of Fire! Orchestra, which I think is much better than the both.
Never heard of Melanie De Baisio -- any chance of a description?

It's a stunning album. She's got a modern day Nina Simone quality, a very stripped down slightly jazzy album with some almost early massive attack feel for some of the tracks. It's on Spotify, well worth checking out particularly if you like jazz. Haven't heard of Fire Orchestra will give it a listen. Glad to see I'm not the only jazz lover on here!

 

[Machiavelli]

It's a stunning album. She's got a modern day Nina Simone quality, a very stripped down slightly jazzy album with some almost early massive attack feel for some of the tracks. It's on Spotify, well worth checking out particularly if you like jazz. Haven't heard of Fire Orchestra will give it a listen. Glad to see I'm not the only jazz lover on here!

Thanks. Shall go out and pick up a copy.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

Did this happen in the end? Had a cursory glance but couldn't see anything. On the plus side, I did discover the link in my previous post.

Sorry for the late reply, only just seen this. Still not available on I player but the full set is on Spotify. Well worth a listen.

 

[spring hall convert]

I've done a list of Brighton releases for the website that I've really got on with this year. It's been a superb year for local stuff, none of these bands are rolling in it and should be supported where you can.

1. Esben and The Witch - A New Nature
http://esbenandthewitch.bandcamp.com/
FFO - Godspeed, Swans, PJ Harvey.

2. Gazelle Twin - Unflesh
http://gazelletwin.bandcamp.com/album/unflesh
FFO - The Knife, Throbbing Gristle

3. The Soft Walls - No Time
http://fauxdiscx.bandcamp.com/album/no-time
FFO - Women, Deerhunter, Hookworms

4. Merlin Tonto - Tano Dragon
http://merlintonto.bandcamp.com/
FFO - Like a less mathy, more krauty Battles.

5. Lutine - White Flowers
http://fandf.bandcamp.com/album/white-flowers
FFO - Finders keepers label, gorgeous vocal harmonies, minimal folk. Completely original IMO.

6. Slum of Legs - Begin To Dissolve
http://riotsnotdiets.bandcamp.com/album/begin-to-dissolve
FFO - Bikini Kill, Electrelane.

7. Hypnotized - Telesto EP
http://hypnotized.bandcamp.com/album/telesto
FFO - Boards of Canada

8. AK/DK - Synths + Drums + Noise + Space
http://akdk.bandcamp.com/
FFO - I think the album title sums it up!

9. Fvnerals - The Light
http://fvnerals.bandcamp.com/
FFO - Gothic post -rock

10. Great Pagans - Cupid In Error
http://greatpagans.bandcamp.com/
FFO - Smiths, Wild Beasts, Dutch Uncles

Deliberately avoided better known stuff like Royal Blood or The Wytches. Both disappointed me but The Wytches record would have snuck in at the bottom there.

Other worthy releases - Keel Her, Fear of Men, Winston and Goldstein, Eva Bowan, Spit Shake Sisters, Teardrop Factory.