2014 Music Recommendations? What ya got spinning?

[Davey]

Long time, site is obviously in need of some overdue remodeling and repair work :)

Anyway, some of the old gang have been hanging out at the Hoffman site, pretty good mix of new and old music topics nowadays, and lots of in-depth discussion at times. Very fast moving, so you can't know everybody like here, and probably very few will know you, but fun to meet and discuss whatever shakes your monkey bones. Still too much Beatles, but what ya gonna do?

Here's a recent post with an old name you probably recognize ... I only have a few albums from this year, need recommendations!! | Page 4 | Steve Hoffman Music Forums (http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/i-only-have-a-few-albums-from-this-year-need-recommendations.359756/page-4#post-11239403)

[Finch Platte]

Thanks for the Hoffman link. Looks like a lot of good reading there.

Spinning now: Flying Colors- Second Nature. Review- meh.

Shellac- Dude Incredible Review- unsure, need more time.

Alt J- Review- too much slow sh!t.

Coming soon: Primus- Primus And The Chocolate Factory.

[ForeverAutumn]

Spinning now: Flying Colors- Second Nature. Review- meh.


I've only spun this a couple of times, but I like it so far. I haven't heard the first album, so I don't know how it compares.

Last week the new Spoon arrived. Spoon always takes a while to grow on me and I end up loving it. So I'll wait a while before I chime in on it.

I also picked up the Vance Joy disk. I wasn't really sure what to expect since the only song I'd ever heard was Riptide. But it got great reviews so I took a chance on it and I'm totally digging it.

[Snowbunny]

It was nice to see a friendly face in a new crowd!

When it looked like they were hoping this forum would wither and die w/o any support, I did a google search for music forums and SH came up, and there were so many interesting thread topics, I decided to join.

I just skim over the stuff that doesn't interest me and post when the urge hits me. The sad part is that I am unlikely to venture out of my sandbox to explore other genres of music in the way I did on Rave Recs.

I originally considered changing my User Name but I wanted to be recognizable if any old friends showed up there. I was glad to see you did the same, since it was likely we'd show up in the same threads at some point. As happened on my first forum search. Go figure, eh? :lol:

But it's hard to stop the habit of checking in here after all these years. I mean look - ForeverAutumn just bought the new Spooon!

[Swish]

So there is still a pulse here? Hmmm. I'll have to check out that Hoffman site, although I just don't have the time (or interest?) to be on music sites as much as I had in the past.

The new Spoon is quite good if you can get past the terrible recording of the first track. I was concerned the entire CD was going to sound awful, unlike their past recordings, but it's just fine and the songs are pretty good. I'm also still enjoying the latest from War on Drugs called Lost in the Dream, Benji from Sun Kil Moon, and Beck's Morning Phase. On the alt country side I'm really digging Jason Isbell. Saw the Drive By Truckers without him and they sucked. Going to see him in Philly in February by the way.

Going to see Slowdive, who some of you may be familiar with (shoegazer) and Low is opening for them, so that should be a great show!

Heard Sleater Kinney are back together and making an appearance in Philly, so I may have to get to that show too. "All hands on the bad one...."

[Slosh]

I like Spoon - They Want My Soul a lot. A return to form. I have to 24-bit/96KHz version. Sounds good in spite of not much dynamic range (Spoon always records their albums pretty well, IMO).

Andrew Bird - Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of (The Handsome Family covers) is really sort of great :)

Augustines s/t you probably already have. If not you should

Beck - Morning Phase is decent

Broken Bells - After the Disco very meh

Gruff Rhys - American Interior I need to spin some more. I haven't given it much of a chance yet

The Notwist - Close to the Glass meh

Old 97s - Most Messed Up is one of their better efforts

Stephen Malkmus - Wig Out at Jag Bags not bad but I guess I'm a little burned out on Malkmus/Pavement-esque type stuff at the moment

Tweedy - Sukierae sounds like Wilco minus the rest of the band. What a surprise!

Zeus - Classic Zeus meh

[Slosh]

Andrew Bird - Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of... (Handsome Family covers) is really sort of great :)
Augustines - s/t You probably already have this but if you don't you should
Broken Bells - After The Disco meh
Gruff Rhys - American Interior I haven't listened to it very much yet
Stephen Malkmus - Wig Out at Jag Bags same as above
The Notwist - Close To The Glass not liking it
Old 97s - Most Messed Up liking it
Spoon - They Want My Soul Hell yes! I got the 24-bit/96KHz versions. Sounds good in spite of little dynamic range
Tweedy - Sukierae What a surprise. It sounds like a stripped down Wilco
Zeus - Classic Zeus meh
Beck - Morning Phase could be titled Sea Change II

[Slosh]

I'm trying to post but this site is broken. Testing...

[ForeverAutumn]

I feel like I just time travelled. Davey, Snowie, Swish and Slosh? Am I in 2005?

Snowie, why are you surprised that I bought the new Spoon? I've bought everything since Gimme Fiction. I even went to see them this summer.

My musical tastes runs through many genres. :)

[ForeverAutumn]

I'm trying to post but this site is broken. Testing...

The site is ****ed and there's no one to fix it. You'll get an error message, but your post will take.

[Snowbunny]

I'm trying to post but this site is broken. Testing...

Hey Sloshie,

This kind of glitch is why we're checking the vacancy rate in other neighbourhoods. :frown2:

You've probably figured out by now that after you hit Submit Reply you get a white page even though your post was posted.

And the only way to know if there's replies to a thread is to open it up.

Looks like a good list there. Thanks for reminding me that Andrew Bird has a new album, although I am taking a break from buying music.

I don't have my music on my phone and I am frustrated by the battery life of both it and my ipod.

I miss the days when I could listen to a new CD on repeat while out on a long walk and carry a couple of AA's in case of emergency.

I guess I'm probably just in a slump. But that new Spoon might get me out of it. And it looks like St. Vincent might just get me excited again.

Good to see you. If you decide to try on a different persona on another site, give us a wink and a nod so I know it's you. :wink5:

[Snowbunny]

Swishie!

Yeah, these days it's just too easy to find out everything you need to know about music with a search. But it's still fun to talk about music sometimes.

I've noticed that SH site has a lot of topics where people reminisce about "the good old days" of music. You know the stuff - first album you bought, first time you saw a band, what decade of music was the best...

It seems like every possible topic has been explored at some point on that board, so people are always trying to find a "unique" topic.

Some are kind of fun, like Favourite Album Cover Art, and there are members from all over the world. But it moves quickly and threads have so many posts people just add on to the end of the thread, resulting in a lot of repetition.

I hope this place doesn't disappear completely though, cause it's nice to keep tabs on old friends.

Snowie

[Snowbunny]

Just yanking your chain, FA. :smilewinkgrin:

You are the most open-minded listener I know, but you do have a softness for prog, and sometimes fans of that genre can be a little resistant when exposed to alternative styles of music. :D

Snowie

[ForeverAutumn]

Just yanking your chain, FA. :smilewinkgrin:

You are the most open-minded listener I know, but you do have a softness for prog, and sometimes fans of that genre can be a little resistant when exposed to alternative styles of music. :D

Snowie

You're being very diplomatic. I would not have phrased that so politely. :) I spend a lot of time over at Progressive Ears and there are some folks there with serious tunnel-vision. If it's not 22 minutes long with at least 7 signature changes it must suck.

Too bad for them. They lose out on some killer tunes.

BTW, you don't have to click on a thread to see the most recent post on a forum. If you click on the Forums button on the black bar at the top of the page, you can see when the last post in RR was and just click on it. If there's nothing new, you don't need to click.

I'm going to go check out that other site now. :)

[Davey]

I feel like I just time travelled. Davey, Snowie, Swish and Slosh? Am I in 2005?

:)

A few months ago I noticed a post on the SH site from someone with name cc--, which peaked my interest because one of our old buddies here used to go by the name cc. And it was in a Stones thread, and we used to talk about the Stones and Bowie and a lot of new stuff too since he had recently been in a band and had played at shows with a lot of the indie bands we used to talk about all the time. But we lost track over the years, and I couldn't really tell if it was him, and suspected not so didn't say anything. And there were some times we were in the same threads, and I liked his post and he liked mine (likes are used a lot over there). But then he added a soundcloud link to his recent music and band, and I listened and knew it was him since I have one of his old CDs and knew his voice, so responded to one of his posts as though it was still like 2005 and we had been talking all the time. And it was funny because at first he wasn't very responsive, and I thought maybe he was done with those old days and people at Rave Recs. But then he sent me a nice PM, at first he didn't recognize me as Davey since I was mostly dbi back then, but then it clicked and we exchanged some more PMs.

Anyway, fun to connect with old friends, or somehow stay in touch. This site is so limited nowadays, and I kinda gave up on it late last year, but really nice to see some new words from some of my old friends.

<article>I've been listening some to Stian Westerhus & Pale Horses Maelstrom, and pretty amazing! I'm not familiar with his past work, apparently it can be quite experimental, but this seems pretty special right now. It does have some moments reminiscent of Radiohead's Kid A explorations, and Stian's voice can be a bit like Yorke's (and I guess the guy from Coldplay too), but this is more in the post-rock world... think maybe a mix of The Swans and Sigur Ros as popular touchstones. But you might have to add some King Crimson to the mix because Stian is quite an interesting guitar stylist and the music does have a proggish flair, though not overtly so. Anyway, highly recommended listen at this point. Love it so far. Nice review at Quietus, which is how I connected ... The Quietus | Reviews | Stian Westerhus & Pale Horses (http://thequietus.com/articles/15295-stian-westerhus-pale-horses-maelstrom-review) ... the digital download sounds pretty good for modern stuff, with DR9 overall, but mostly up around DR11 and definitely crankable. And I have read that the vinyl sounds nice too, and includes the CD, but I guess it's all sold out now, too bad.
</article>

[noddin0ff]

I've been sampling a lot of stuff this year, but haven't been putting in the ear time to really nail down which are hits and misses. Here's my best guesses.

Hits so far:
Ought - More than any other day (kind of album that makes me want to take an adventure, brings that paranoia/beauty/optimism combo that the Talking Heads captured so well)
The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers (power alt-pop, first album for me from them)
Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence (Noir candy, a little silly, but seductive anyway)
Spoon - They Want My Soul (Solid Spoon)
Cold Ward Kids - Hold My Home (Maybe a move to the more conventional, but I like it)
Real Estate - Atlas (a gem of an album)

More of the same, but good:
Sun Kil Moon - Benji (very good)
The Antlers - Familiars
The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream

More of the same but fell short for me:
Beck - Morning Phase (wonderful production though)
Andrew Bird - Thinks are really great here, sort of (maybe I’ve just had enough)
Jack White - Lazaretto (probably be a great album by anyone else. Anyone who didn’t already have some ground breaking albums behind them. Probably should give it another listen)
Camper Van Beethoven - El Camino Real (called it in)

[Davey]

I've been sampling a lot of stuff this year, but haven't been putting in the ear time to really nail down which are hits and misses. Here's my best guesses.

Hits so far:
Ought - More than any other day (kind of album that makes me want to take an adventure, brings that paranoia/beauty/optimism combo that the Talking Heads captured so well)
The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers (power alt-pop, first album for me from them)
Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence (Noir candy, a little silly, but seductive anyway)
Spoon - They Want My Soul (Solid Spoon)
Cold Ward Kids - Hold My Home (Maybe a move to the more conventional, but I like it)
Real Estate - Atlas (a gem of an album)

More of the same, but good:
Sun Kil Moon - Benji (very good)
The Antlers - Familiars
The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream

More of the same but fell short for me:
Beck - Morning Phase (wonderful production though)
Andrew Bird - Thinks are really great here, sort of (maybe I’ve just had enough)
Jack White - Lazaretto (probably be a great album by anyone else. Anyone who didn’t already have some ground breaking albums behind them. Probably should give it another listen)
Camper Van Beethoven - El Camino Real (called it in)

The two I like best on your lists are The Antlers and The War On Drugs, both pretty great. No idea what my top three may be at the end of the year, I do seem to change my mind a lot, and the ones near the top of my list are usually kind of fuzzy-rated, not a real ranking. But right now it would probably look like this based on number of listens and how likely I am to listen a lot more ...

Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
I have a lot of admiration for what she is doing on this latest record, and it just keeps getting better and better, more powerful with each listen. I can't remember a recent album from the last few years that has taken me by such surprise, she's amazing. Caught her performance on a couple recent shows too, including a really nice solo spot on Jools Holland doing "I Know", that has done nothing but boost her stature in my mind, very enchanting, just Sharon and a piano. Said on her facebook page how honored she was to play Jools' piano, but the truth is she really stole the show for many of us. The recording isn't so great, but I'm over that now and listen to it over and over.

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Revelation
This came as another complete surprise, hadn't even followed the last few BJM records, but still love those mid-90s gems and listen all the time, and this one takes me back there through much of it. Shame it hasn't gotten more attention, but guess not really, some of us just love what Anton does and maybe aren't as critical as the rest, there's a strong connection even when it doesn't all come together just right, but this one does come together pretty much just right. Typical BJM recording, they were even loud back in the mid-90s.

Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like a Bell
I've really been liking this one, not completely electronic, lots of processed piano, and it does have very nice female vocals making it somewhat reminiscent of Portishead, pretty enchanting overall. Tends to get stuck on repeat, just feels too good to stop. Second record, no slump at all. Electro-organic-folkiness with a bit of indie pop, really nice feel, understated female vocals, sometimes laid bare and not much more than a coo, other times layered and more majestic, and still other times sounding a bit like Laurie Anderson with a touch of Kate Bush, both music and vocals.

Hard not to mention The Delines and their great Colfax, excellent sounding too. Combining the great words and music of Willy Vlautin, with soulful female vocals by Amy Boone, the whole band is fantastic. And the great new one from MC Taylor and his Hiss Golden Messenger, Lateness of Dancers. And Jolie Holland Wine Dark Sea. The new Caribou Our Love just came out, but is already a big favorite. Maybe a bit light in substance, but fun. And many more, including that Stian Westerhus & Pale Horses I mentioned above, some amazing music on there. And the new one from Jenny Hval and Susanna has some very adventurous (and likeable) music too. The latest from Pere Ubu is great, I mean really great, and rocks from the gate too. And weird as anything, classic Ubu. New one from Steve Gunn, I do seem to love everything that touches him lately, including that amazing Golden Gunn record from last year collaborating with Hiss Golden Messenger, and the Black Dirt Oak record from early this year, and now his new solo record Way Out Weather, definitely check it out. Frazey Ford, Warpaint, Cibo Matto, quite a few other really nice records this year.

[jonnyhambone]

I do need to pick up the new Steve Gunn, I've only heard good things of it.
My tastes have been a bit more loud and heavy lately but I'm really struck by the new Grouper album, Ruins. She (Grouper is just Liz Harris) has typically created very ambient atmospheres thru layers of reverbed guitar and her beautiful voice acting as an instrument more than vocalist. This new one is mostly piano with the lyrics much clearer but just as darkly atmospheric and emotive as anything she's done. It also makes great use of the spaces she recorded in - a small house in South America - with frogs and cicadas filling in the empty spaces and the occasional rumble of thunder and rain.
Still streaming at NPR First Listen --> First Listen: Grouper, 'Ruins' : NPR (http://www.npr.org/2014/10/24/357630343/first-listen-grouper-ruins)

Also, not music from 2014, but I just splurged on the new Sleater-Kinney boxset. All their albums remastered from analogue tapes, pressed at RTI, each on different color vinyl even. Gorgeous set and fun to revisit some really stellar music.

[Feanor]

For Classical music lovers ...

See Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2014 (http://www.gramophone.co.uk/awards/2014?utm_content=Gramophone%20Awards%202014&utm_campaign=2014%20Gramophone%20Award%20winners%2 0revealed%20-%20Julian%20v&utm_source=Gramophone&utm_medium=adestra_email&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gramophone.co.uk%2Faward s%2F2014&utm_expid=32540977-1.mFVUKl9eQ9mjowTYqeLMAA.0)

[dean_martin]

Glad I checked back in. It had been longer than I thought. I kind of lost my path to new releases when this board went down hill. Oh well, the only new release I've picked up since Spring (or maybe early Summer) is Wyatt Cenac's Brooklyn - an effin' comedy album (my first since high school)!!!!!!

Been listening to the following:

Jerry Lee Lewis Live at the Star Club - just smokin' rock and roll.
Vampyros Lesbos: Sexadelic Dance Party
Soundtrack to Camille 2000
Jazz from Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, John Coltrane, Horace Silver, and Art Blakey
Various Stereolab albums
Various old instrumentals
Lead Belly
DJ Shadow

I've been mining my collection for stuff I haven't listened to in a while.

[tentoze]

Umm, where was I...

NQ Arbuckle~ The Future Happens Anyway
Bobby Bare Jr's Young Criminals' Starvation League~ Undefeated
First Aid Kit~ Stay Gold
Simone Felice~ Strangers
St. Paul & The Broken Bones~ Half The City

Stuff like that.
Carry on.

[3LB]

I like Spoon - They Want My Soul a lot.

Andrew Bird - Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of (The Handsome Family covers) is really sort of great

Broken Bells - After the Disco meh

The Notwist - Close to the Glass meh

Zeus - Classic Zeus meh

I have the Spoon - like it but hey, its Spoon

I wasn't impressed with the Broken Bells last one, so I didnt pull the trigger on this, same with the Notwist.

I didn't know that Zeus had a new one out. Loved their first two...

Andrew Bird is someone I like in small doses. I'll prolly wind up getting it eventually

[3LB]

And it looks like St. Vincent might just get me excited again. Snowy, did you ever check out the collaboration twixt St Vincent and David Byrne from a couple of years back called Love This Giant?

[3LB]

Oh, and I forgot....

The New Pornographers-Brill Bruisers is good but not great. Yeah, the songcraft is there, but not the great melodies that were on Challengers or Together.

[Slosh]

I picked up the new Lucinda Williams' a few weeks back but haven't spent much time with it.

I put all of my 2014 albums in a playlist and have been playing it on random and some of it is starting to seep in. I guess I just get bored listening to a whole album at once.

I've been in kind of a musical rut lately, I guess. I haven't found any new bands I really like and new albums from established bands usually don't measure up to their past albums.

[Davey]

I've been in kind of a musical rut lately, I guess. I haven't found any new bands I really like and new albums from established bands usually don't measure up to their past albums.

Wow, tentoze even stopped by! Last time I saw him was in response to a once-every-few-years post I made at Audio Karma about last years great Willard Grant Conspiracy record in an old thread that he was alerted on ...

Anyway, hey, looks like this board's software is working again, I can actually see that people have responded to a thread. Not that there are many out there to respond, but still an improvement :)

So, someone in that thread I linked above mentioned the debut record from John Schmersal (Enon and the great Brainiac) and Christian Beaulieu under the name Vertical Scratchers, Daughter of Everything. So I just hunted down a copy (yea, I know, not much of a hunt in the modern world) and listening now and this is pretty fun stuff. Still lots of Kinks sound around the edges, not quite as quirky and spastic as some of Enon's and Brainiac's best, but Beaulieu really has a good rhythmic sense on the drums, and the songs are over and moving on in 2 minutes or less! May be worth a listen, I mean, unless you like moping around in your rut ... :)

Vertical Scratchers: Daughter of Everything | PopMatters (http://www.popmatters.com/review/179395-vertical-scratchers-daughter-of-everything/)

[Davey]

My tastes have been a bit more loud and heavy lately but I'm really struck by the new Grouper album, Ruins. She (Grouper is just Liz Harris) has typically created very ambient atmospheres thru layers of reverbed guitar and her beautiful voice acting as an instrument more than vocalist. This new one is mostly piano with the lyrics much clearer but just as darkly atmospheric and emotive as anything she's done. It also makes great use of the spaces she recorded in - a small house in South America - with frogs and cicadas filling in the empty spaces and the occasional rumble of thunder and rain.

That is a nice record, I do really like the sound, very lofi recording with the piano pretty closely miked, as you say it has a great ambience. I can't really understand anything she's singing, though from reading some about it, the words match the somber sound. Not sure how much I really like it, getting some great reviews but I'd be reluctant to recommend it to anyone. I've only listened a couple times, and not all at once, which it probably needs.

[Davey]

On a little different note since this is at heart a "what ya got spinning" thread ....

The one I'm listening to right now, and I think one of my most listened to albums this year, is from 1993 but I really only discovered it this year. I mean, I've had it for a few years, but never really listened to it. If I recall, it came out of a post I made on obner many, many years ago when a few of us wandered over to that site for a while during another of the many down times around here. Some good people there, but I didn't stay too long for one reason or another. There were some that had a great knowledge of modern obscure music though, and so when I made a post about my love for Laika, and especially Sounds of the Satellites, someone came back and said Insides Euphoria is better. Wow, and so it went on my wishlist, and I eventually grabbed a copy but never really got to know it ... until this year. And then I discovered it is a great record, even predating the first Laika record by a year or two, while Margaret Fiedler was still with Moonshake this British duo put out a very nice record, a little darker and more sexual than Laika, and not as twitchy, maybe a little more of the 80s, but a similar feel overall and really good. Not better than Laika, that part was silly, but still very nice and one of those albums that just seems to float by, and if time is there, floats by again. The late 80s to early 90s was quite a time for 4AD bands. Pretty nice sounding CD too, DR 12 and well recorded.

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_400/MI0002/470/MI0002470646.jpg

There's a nice review at AMG ... Euphoria - Insides | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic (http://www.allmusic.com/album/euphoria-mw0000110210).

[tentoze]

Wow, tentoze even stopped by! Last time I saw him was in response to a once-every-few-years post I made at Audio Karma about last years great Willard Grant Conspiracy record in an old thread that he was alerted on ...



And, btw, I bought that WGC, and wasn't as impressed with it as you were. The songs all sounded....unfinished, like demos left un-fleshed out. But hey, that's just me.

Anyway, if there's anyone who still gets knocked out by REAL 60's-era soul music, that St. Paul & The Broken Bones is your new drug. Those young boys from Birmingham will get your attention.

[Davey]

And, btw, I bought that WGC, and wasn't as impressed with it as you were. The songs all sounded....unfinished, like demos left un-fleshed out. But hey, that's just me.

I'd guess there's probably a lot more people that are like you than me, at least when it comes to music :)

But yea, I do really like it, you can tell it's very personal music for them, and I feel a pretty strong connection too. Kind of unconventional in song structure and instruments, but I don't have that unfinished feel. Very nice sounding recording too. Not surprising, we've diverged in the past on other records that tend toward the experimental side. Nothing wrong in that regard with either of us, we just like a lot of the same stuff, but not all the same stuff.

I made a post about it over on SH forums too, and it went down the same as just about all of my posts over there ...a pretty quick trip to the archives ... Willard Grant Conspiracy | Steve Hoffman Music Forums (http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/willard-grant-conspiracy.352466/)

[noddin0ff]

I'm going to have to find that WGC. I like the unfinished, maybe deconstructionist feel of the albums as they waltz their way along. I have to agree that many songs come up short of their potential. However, there's always a couple tracks per album that just blow me away. I put them in that category of artists I want to listen to because they have something to say and say it differently from everyone else, even if the music's got some warts--Sun Kil Moon, Jason Molina, Lucinda Williams, Phosphorescent, Howe Gelb, Bill Callahan...

I'm still exploring this branch of Americana. Any I'm missing?

[noddin0ff]

Hmmmm. Just got inspired to troll my library. I think I'm going to make a massive shuffle playlist of favorite, forgotten, and sometimes unlistened to, artists I've collected that fit a *theme* rattling in my head now. Not sure how this will work as I have tons of some (Tom Waits, e.g.). Guess I'll build it, let it rip and annoy my family.

16 Horsepower
Bill Callahan
Califone
Father John Misty
Feist
Fink
Fleet Foxes
Giant Sands
Heartless Bastards
Hem
Howe Gelb & Band of Gypsies
Jason Molina
Jessica Hoop
Julia Holter
Laura Marling
Lucinda Williams
Magnolia Electic
Mutual Benefit
Phosphorescent
Real Estate
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
Silver Jews
Smog
Songs:Ohio
Sun Kill Moon
The Antlers
The National
Tom Waits
War on Drugs
Willard Grant Conspiracy
Wooden Wand


[walks away for a bit; comes back]

heh. 1154 songs, 3.4 days according to iTunes. I'm sure there's some duplicates in there, but still a bit of a surprise.

[Davey]

I'm still exploring this branch of Americana. Any I'm missing?

That's a big topic to hide down at the end of this slowly dying thread, this board could surely use some interesting topics like this on the front page.

That said...

Richard Buckner had a string of incredible records in the mid 90s, especially the trilogy of Bloomed, Devotion + Doubt and Since. There's a lot I've said over the years, still a huge favorite even without new records that quite reach those peaks.

And Califone continue to put out good records in that dirty country folk blues style, including one of my favorites from last year in Stitches. Not quite as dirty or country anymore, but everybody gets old sooner or later. There's been an ongoing vinyl reissue program over the last couple years bringing back some of those beloved records from Red Red Meat, and Califone, and some of the family bands. Mostly really well done and appreciated. Just put in an order for There's a Star Above the Manger Tonight a few days ago. Love that CD, be great to have in a big vinyl package. Bunny Gets Paid to follow next.

The amazing Court and Spark (listen to Bless You for the evidence of their greatness) morphed at some point in the last few years into the also amazing Hiss Golden Messenger, and continue to make some of the best swampy gospel funky country blues around. A few of us around here had Haw as one of the best of the year for 2013, and Lateness of Dancers is one of the best of 2014, and the Hiss Golden Messenger/Steve Gunn Golden Gunn record from last year is one of the best in a long, long time. If you don't get anything else out of this rambling list of records, write down Golden Gunn and find someplace to download. It was a RSD vinyl release, and digital download is available. The vinyl can still be had, but it's scarce. Not enough people really know about it to make it too costly yet, though.

Silver Jews have a few great ones, but nothing to overshadow American Water from '97. Lots in the archive on this modern classic.

Richmond Fontaine is another band with a string of great records that hardly anyone has heard. Post to Wire is a really nice starting point, with a great mix of rock and country. Kind of a modern classic in my mind. New one early next year, and the debut of Willy's other band, The Delines Colfax Avenue that I mentioned above is excellent too.

Sixteen Horsepower was another 90s band that rocked the alternative gospel dark country sound, Low Estate from '97 with producer John Parish may be my favorite of those 90s records, but they are all good. The last one, the amazing Folklore, is indispensable, full of Southern gothic anthems built upon harrowing soundscapes.

Could go on and on, this kind of music is where I spend a lot of my time in the modern life....

And Jason Molina, yea, can't say enough, I really miss him, nothing released in the last 20 years stands above Black Ram for me. And he's got at least a couple others that are just as good on different days.

[3LB]

anyone check out this band

Phantom Limb

Phantom Limb - The Pines - YouTube (http://youtu.be/ZvcVcd-WJas)

[Slosh]

So, someone in that thread I linked above mentioned the debut record from John Schmersal (Enon and the great Brainiac) and Christian Beaulieu under the name Vertical Scratchers, Daughter of Everything. So I just hunted down a copy (yea, I know, not much of a hunt in the modern world) and listening now and this is pretty fun stuff. Still lots of Kinks sound around the edges, not quite as quirky and spastic as some of Enon's and Brainiac's best, but Beaulieu really has a good rhythmic sense on the drums, and the songs are over and moving on in 2 minutes or less! May be worth a listen, I mean, unless you like moping around in your rut ... :)

Vertical Scratchers: Daughter of Everything | PopMatters (http://www.popmatters.com/review/179395-vertical-scratchers-daughter-of-everything/)Gave it a listen, not doing it for me. Songs just never go anywhere. Sounds to me like a lot of ideas for songs that never got fleshed out. High Society is still one of my most-listened-to albums so I had high hopes for this.

[Davey]

Gave it a listen, not doing it for me. Songs just never go anywhere.

Yea, I guess, but how far do you expect to go in 2 minutes?

:)

I know, it's easy to start feeling that way, maybe I just don't have as many expectations so I still get taken by a lot of new bands, even when they're not all that original sounding, or a little unfinished, or unpolished. I was listening to the debut from Alvvays earlier this morning, sunny indie pop from Canada, and it kinda falls in that category too. Fun record, sounds kind of crap, but I guess that blown speaker sound is what they wanted. No masterpiece, but sometimes I just want to hear music that I've never heard before, doesn't matter if it reminds me of someone else, I tend to turn off that sense until later.

But getting back to what I like without any thought to others, now playing is the fairly new record by Emma Ruth Rundle Some Heavy Ocean that has me pretty enchanted lately, can't remember if I said anything above, but completely on the opposite side of the world from Alvvays. Very dark and somewhat experimental. She's pretty amazing. There's live session footage from audiotree on youtube for most of the songs, and it's just her ... voice, and guitar, and a bunch of effects, sounds great. The song below closes the record, and I've listened to this video more times than I'm gonna say right now ...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=diJnY8EA3aE



On another unrelated but all inclusive note, wonder if our old buddy Jim C ever stops by anymore, nice to see that the Moonbabies have some new music out, and a new record on the horizon. Double single at their site, first side by Ola and second side by Carina.

1# 'CHORUS'/'RAINDROPS' ? MOONBABIES (http://www.moonbabiesmusic.com/digital1/)

[unleasHell]

Recently bought the new CD release by MY BROTHER THE WIND: Once There Was a Time When Time & Space Were One.

You can get it on Amazon, and read about the band here: MY BROTHER THE WIND discography (top albums), MP3, videos and reviews (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=5692)

It is all instrumental, so for those of you who need lyrics to enjoy your muzak, i guess pull out an old Dylan cd. But for those who miss the days of yesteryear when MUSIC was about MUSICIANSHIP, then this disc will amaze...

If I had to describe their style, I would say they are a blend of progressive and psychedelic, with a dash of Space & Post Rock for good measure...

They also recent released a Live recording, available only on LP and Download, which is also very goooood...