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Thread: Half Gone 2011?

  1. #1
    very clever with maracas Davey's Avatar
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    Half Gone 2011?

    What's good this year? Any hot rave recs that haven't been talked up all over the place yet? Seems like some high quality releases this year, but I haven't been really knocked out by anything. Can't think of one that I've had to play over and over for days and days in the first half.

    I have been listening some to the new Gillian Welch, and that one is very good, but isn't one that I''ll usually listen all the way through, or repeat. Kinda spare and depressing.

    And the new Brian Eno is fun as I reported previously, but with a collection of vocalists and styles, it doesn't have a very unified sound. I like it a lot, though.

    I was a little disappointed in the new Antlers. Nice to hear them expanding their sound, but I also miss the sound of Hospice. And the CD is way too loud and compressed.

    The James Blake we have talked about, and it's a good one. The Lucinda Williams is very good, but to be honest, I didn't find the spark in that one. Some good songs to be sure.

    And the new Bon Iver is really good, if you like the Bon Iver sound, and don't mind all the hype that surprisingly is following this new one around. I do like it a lot, but don't think I've hit repeat for it yet.

    That Joan as Police Woman is fun and cute, both the woman and the music, but kind of lightweight and not a style that I tend toward.

    I've listened a lot to the Murcof La Sangre Iluminada, but it's generally as an ambient backdrop, kind of like the Tindersticks Claire Denis scores that we had a thread on a couple months ago. The Murcof is pretty powerful, commissioned as the soundtrack to a Mexican movie of the same name, it's like a series of intense little viginettes, and very recommended for ambient/electronica fans. Some of it does really harken back to the early days of Eno, and it's one of the only I could imagine showing up on my 2014 playlist. The Murcof would be the highlight of the year so far for me. Don't know anything about the film.

    Still listen to PJ Harvey's Let England Shake, and still like it a lot, but not 100%. I currently have it packaged on a CDR for my car with her Is This Desire (minus a couple songs from Desire for the fit), and frankly I wind up listening to Desire more. For me, Desire has some of her most amazing music, but unfortunately also has some of her worst. Cut it in half and call it a EP, and I may call it my favorite PJ Harvey.

    And so it goes... love the new one from the Feelies, which pretty much sounds just like the old ones from the Feelies, just not quite as memorable. A lot of fun while it's playing, but I often forget to play it. Could say the same about a few other big releases too (Iron & Wine, Decemberists, Elbow, etc). Hopefully I'm just getting a little jaded and the new music isn't really getting that predictable. What's got you going on repeat from this year?
    Last edited by Davey; 07-07-2011 at 08:12 AM.

  2. #2
    Man of the People Forums Moderator bobsticks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Davey View Post
    Hopefully I'm just getting a little jaded and the new music isn't really getting that predictable. What's got you going on repeat from this year?
    You wouldn't be the only one. I have nothing to contribute.
    So, I broke into the palace
    With a sponge and a rusty spanner
    She said : "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing"
    I said : "That's nothing - you should hear me play piano"

  3. #3
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    I know we've covered this ground before, but I think the Decemberists disc is too good to ignore. The songs are all solid. And hell, I'm not even a big fan of theirs.

    Aside from the ones already mentioned by dbi-bones...

    The Joy Formidable is holding my interest lately. Lots of shoe-gazey noise, and some interesting stuff happening under the roar.

    The new Arctic Monkeys is decent. More of a return to pop songcraft, not breaking any new ground, but certainly listenable (except for that Brick by Brick song, which is horrid).

    The new MMJ has its moments, but I'm going to need more time with it.

    And for those on a nostalgia trip, the Cars' new album is... a Cars album.

    I like what little I've heard from Wye Oak, the Vaccines, Explosions in the Sky, Lykke Li and the Smith Westerns... but I will reserve judgment (and possible acquisition decisions) until I see them play live.

    Till then, I'm just waiting for the new Wilco, man. Same as always.

    Oh, and the new songs I heard from the Jayhawks last weekend were actually pretty good, too.

    EDIT: Forgot to mention the Boxer Rebellion's Cold Still album. It's good, but not as good as their last one (Union).
    Mr. MidFi
    Master of the Obvious

  4. #4
    Can a crooner get a gig? dean_martin's Avatar
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    Somebody released somethin' at the end of May that I wanted to check out but I can't remember who. Do you know that band that plays that song? C'mon, you know. It goes something like da da di da da do.

    Seriously though, a band that gets some luv around here released an album at the end of May (or perhaps first of June). Who was it?

  5. #5
    Indifferentist Slosh's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Troy: She has that same kind of cleft-pallet, slightly retarded way of singing that so many other people find endearing.


  6. #6
    Can a crooner get a gig? dean_martin's Avatar
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    Thanks, Slosh. It was DCfC. I'm surprised none of you got that given the rather obvious clues.

  7. #7
    Big science. Hallelujah. noddin0ff's Avatar
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    I've been giving this a few listens lately



    It's a good listen. Not sure where it falls in the spectrum of music descriptors. Its fun and propulsive. Lots of stuff going on. Not quite party music, not quite prog, At one point I thought that if you took last years Circulatory System album and forced it to become a dance album by adding power rock riffs and a hint of Ska... then I gave up. I'm terrible at knowing upon first listens whether an album will grow on me with time or get tiresome. Guessing I'll continue to like this.
    TCA ATT GGA

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    I'll play

    Only one gets constant play for me, Social Distortion - Hard Time and Nursery Rhymes, haven't listened to them for years and then they bring this out, how do they keep on doing it.

    But lots of other 2011 releases I'm liking, I've put 3-4 throw away complilations together for in the car based on the following. Mostly covers, folky/jangly pop/electronica stuff

    James Vincent McMorrow – Early in the Morning
    My Morning Jacket – Circuital
    Roddy Woomble – The Impossible Song and Other Songs
    Nicolas Jaar – Space is Only Noise
    The Braids – Native Speaker
    Telekinesis – 12 Desperate Straight Lines
    Metronomy – English Riviera
    Tedeschi Trucks Band – Revelator
    Alex Turner – Submarine EP
    The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow
    Bell X1 – Bloodless Coup
    Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math
    The Antlers – Burst Apart
    Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears – Scandalous
    Noah & the Whale – Last Night on Earth
    The Boxer Rebellion – Cold Still
    Jamie Woon – Mirrorwriting
    Elbow – Build a Rocket Boys
    David Kilgour & Heavy 8's - Left By Soft
    Decemberists - King is Dead
    Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting
    Yuck - Yuck
    Vetiver - Errant Charm

    And some from 2010 I came late to, Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard and The Phoenix Foundation - Buffalo

    Cheers
    Mike

  9. #9
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    That's why I should spend more time here

    Quote Originally Posted by Slosh View Post
    I'd forgotten what a good source of info it is. Looking at your playlist I spotted 13 & God - Own Your Ghost, not so keen on the rap but hearing Marcus Achers voice is sublime. Thanks for the prompt.

    Cheers
    Mike

  10. #10
    very clever with maracas Davey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    David Kilgour & Heavy 8's - Left By Soft
    What the ... where did that come from? I'm off to find out. Seeyalaterbye...

  11. #11
    Forum Regular nobody's Avatar
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    I stole your half gone tag to title this comp...

    One Way Ticket to the Moon - Roy Ellis
    Shari Vari - The Dirtbombs
    Tinsel & Glitter - Fujiya and Miyagi
    The World (Is Going Up in Flames) - Charles Bradley
    Go Outside - Cults
    Calyer - Beach Fossils
    Already in Love - Exene Cervenka
    Let U Down - Those Darlins
    Bad Boy - Hunx and his Punx
    German Reggae - Teenage Panzerkorps
    Diablo! - Davilla666
    No Romance - Mind Spiders
    Post Break-Up Sex - The Vaccines
    You Gotta Lose - Obits
    Heart is a Beating Drum - The Kills
    Love Me Like You Used To Do - Skybombers
    Cannibal Courtship - Dengue Fever
    Forget That You're Young - The Raveonettes
    Openings - Zomes
    Limit to Your Love - James Blake
    Creep On Creepin In - Timber Timbre
    Portland - Middle Brother



    I'm also really digging Mountains: Air Museum, great ambient drone...as well as the lastes from Barn Owl, ambient but more acoustic oriented.

  12. #12
    Indifferentist Slosh's Avatar
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    Haven't had a chance to spin it yet....
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Half Gone 2011?-nw6204-old97s-grandtheatrevol2-72dpi.jpg  
    Originally Posted by Troy: She has that same kind of cleft-pallet, slightly retarded way of singing that so many other people find endearing.


  13. #13
    all around good guy Jim Clark's Avatar
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    I've been enjoying Actor Castor by the Generationals quite a bit. To me it's been quite a bit more than 80's kitsch but there are obvious influences there. This album is a whole lot of fun. There's a vid on the website. If the vid intrigues you, you will dig the album.

    http://generationals.com/

    jc
    "Ahh, cartoons! America's only native art form. I don't count jazz 'cuz it sucks"- Bartholomew J. Simpson

  14. #14
    slightly, all the time jonnyhambone's Avatar
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    I've been enjoying 2011 so far...in all it's incarnations but certainly including some really good music releases. I just wrote up a nerdy blog posting about this and it can and should be read right here -->

    HERE

    thanks.
    ps...the new Jessie Sykes I talk about there is really pretty awesome. I know a couple folks around here liked her at some point

  15. #15
    all around good guy Jim Clark's Avatar
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    I went out and grabbed the Bon Iver. Then I went ahead and picked up everything else by Bon Iver which was only an EP and album so it's nice that it was so affordable. So, yeah, I liked it a lot. Also the Washed Out album is simply amazing and ought to make at least a few top 10's this year.

    I have yet to spend much time with the Vetiver release but that's something I need to do soon. Ditto with the Black Lips. Something I'll probably end up liking a lot once I get some uninterrupted listening time.

    jc
    "Ahh, cartoons! America's only native art form. I don't count jazz 'cuz it sucks"- Bartholomew J. Simpson

  16. #16
    Forum Regular nobody's Avatar
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    Yeah, I dig that Washed Out album, picked up the vinyl over the weekend.

    I need to get a good listen to the new Sons & Daughters.

  17. #17
    very clever with maracas Davey's Avatar
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    I've finally been knocked out by something this year, now that I've spent a few days listening to the new Richard Buckner "Our Blood". Really starting to get special. Sounds quite a bit better than I was expecting too. This one is destined for a lot of repeat action in the coming months.

  18. #18
    very clever with maracas Davey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Davey
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike
    David Kilgour & Heavy 8's - Left By Soft
    What the ... where did that come from? I'm off to find out. Seeyalaterbye...
    Well, that was about 4 months ago, and I did go off to find the latest from my old favorite David Kilgour that day, and it was just in the form of a mp3 download, and I still listened to it a bunch. So I was at the local Rasputin going out of business sale yesterday (will there be any record stores left in a couple years?) and grabbed a physical copy and ripped the flac to my PC and I've been in jangle-rock heaven all weekend. I really love this CD, it's got that trademark guitar sound he's so good at, kind of like his "other" band, the Clean, and the Feelies and Luna and REM and all the others, but lots of beautiful guitar playing on this one, which is usually the case on his later solo records, but this one is really special, almost like a NY & Crazy Horse record at times, but with more of that shimmer I love so much. One of my favorites this year. And as usual, sounds pretty nice too, and feels like they are really playing together. Good band. Thanks again for the heads up, Mike, I can see this winding up my favorite record of the year, or at least my most played.

    Nice Ned Raggett 4.5 star review at AMG ... Left by Soft - David Kilgour | AllMusic

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