Entertainment For Lively Minds
What's the best thing you've heard all year ?
Most "Reviews of The Year" are based on records released this calendar year. I don't seem to relate to music in that way, so much. There are some things released this year that have grabbed me straightaway but a lot of my listening has been older things : some re-discoveries of CDs I bought and filed without listening to much, some older CDs I only caught up with this year, and of course a cluster of great recommendations from The Massive.
Mojo has a year-end review titled "What's the best thing you've heard all year ?" and it is one of the few aspects of Mojo that chimes positively with me.
So, in a homage, I'd like to ask the Massive the question - "What's the best thing you've heard all year ?".
My thoughts -
Three belters that were tipped by my invisible friends here :
The Very Best Of Ethiopiques (http://ethiopiques.info/)
An Introduction to Alejandro Escovedo
Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking
Five albums from this year that have stood up well to repeated listens:
Madness - The Liberty of Norton Folgate
The Unthanks - Here's The Tender Coming
Dinosaur Jr - Farm
The Duke & The King - Nothing Gold Can Stay
Wooden Shjips - Dos
But the best thing I have heard all year is Grails - Burning Off Impurities. It's instrumental, you could call it post-rock, soundtrack-ish, moody, brooding, intriguing.
- More from el hombre malo.
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The Unthanks for me...
it's a wonderful record that reveals new delights with every listen.
The other album I've absolutely loved is Sacred Music: Polyphonic Voices of Georgia. 'Haunting' is an overused word with regards to music, but I can't think of a better one to describe it.
New & Old
New
Madness - Liberty of Norton Folgate
Duckworth Lewis Method
Old
Marillion (particularly Misplaced Childhood)
Big Country - The Crossing
Traffic
Well
new
Folgate
Unthanks
Graham Coxon - Spinning Top
Richard Hawley - Truelove's Gutter
Luke Haines
Old
Kats Karavan - History Of John Peel Show
Big Star 1-3
That's easy
The last verse of "Ain't That The Way" on Devon Sproule's latest album makes me smile every time I play it. I just makes me feel good. Most of the Willie and The Wheel album makes me grin inanely as well.
Jim Jones Revue - the rock and the roll
Has to be this. The Jim Jones Revue make Rage Against the Babysitter and that X Factor poppet sound indistinguishable:
Another dose of Revue here: http://bit.ly/8z9fwx
Saw 'em on Saturday
My gig of the year without a doubt (Siralan). The kind of band that restores your faith in rock & roll.
I discovered them for the first time this year too
probably from a mention on this Blog - can't wait to see them live.
You won't be disappointed
Jazz Cafe, Camden in Feb is their next London date, i think, if that's any use.
What the...? Who is this band and where
have they been all my life?
I'm off to google them right now...
Thanks for the tip but...
the Jazz Cafe...?!?! Got a busy February but I'll try and make it.
Does the Jazz Cafe...
still look like a nightclub on Minder? Sooooo 80s. It was in dire need of a facelift.
It is indeed a rotten venue…
… but I saw Rachel Unthank & The Winterset (as was) there and they managed to transcend the setting, so it IS possible.
Heard for the first time this year:
- The Grateful Dead live at the Lyceum on the 1972 tour. A lovely, lovely gig.
- The sound of a Roland CR-68 rhythm box - I often leave it pattering away in the corner of the studio.
- Most of the Bee Gees output. I knew the hits and the 'cult' albums but I finally worked my way through the entire catalogue and came to the conclusion that they are one of THE greatest bands in the history of popular music.
New - Duckworth Lewis
New - Duckworth Lewis Method
Old - the 3 King Crimson reissues
Rosanne Cash
The List. Knocked me for six.
a bumper year of new for me:
White Lies ~ To Lose My Life
Bat for Lashes ~ Two Suns
Friendly Fires ~ Friendly Fires
Secret Machines ~ Secret Machines
Silversun Pickups ~ Swoon
some old:
Boston ~ various on Spotty
Mott the Hoople ~ various on Spotty
Strawbs ~ Ghosts
Big Audio Dynamite ~ This is Big Audio Dynamite
The Pink Floyd ~ Animals
Siouxsie and the Banshees ~ Hyena
Siouxsie and the Banshees ~ A Kiss in the Dreamhouse
'Animals'...
there's more rage, bile and invective on there than most of the punk groups managed.
Oops! I did it again
totally missed the Moody Blues, what is it with this band that they passed me by at the time and now I forget my 'find of the year'?
Pony
Sara Watkins cover of the Tom Waits song Pony. Her singing on this just knocks me out completely, I heard it in a shop when in the US and bought the album on the spot. I had no idea who it was but it stopped me in my tracks.
http://open.spotify.com/track/2NXkXGBJ2bMXpojuAz0i4q
2009 was probably my worst year for "new"
didn't think much of the new indie bands, female singers or American lumberjack bands unfortunately.
Faith in good old fashioned RocknRoll and garage restored by releases by King Khan, New York Dolls, Kid Congo, Woggles, Black Lips and Raveonettes and finding out about Jim Jones Revue.
I liked Duckworth Lewis which led me to Pugwash which is all very pleasant and jolly, and in a similar vein some decent power pop jangly stuff from Young Fresh Fellows, 1990s, Minus 5 and Robyn Hitchcock.
Favourite records by far though were Madness and A Camp's "Colonia".
If you want more new
I'm being a bit evangelical about a band called fun. that I just discovered in the last few weeks. Their album Aim & Ignite is now a firm favourite. One of their songs stood out on last months Paste CD and luckily Emusic had it.
This year
Has been a year of 3 discoveries:
Yo La Tengo: picked up their compilation (Prisoners of Love) just after Christmas last year, and that led me to rediscovering a couple of their's I already had on my shelf, along with picking up the whole of the back catalogue.
Arctic Monkeys: came to them via Last Shadow Puppets, picked up the first two LPs and then hoovered up all the singles (along with a couple of download onlys). Haven't spent too much time in the company of Humbug, but really enjoyed the first two albums..
Robert Pollard: bought Normal Happiness early in 2009 because I liked the cover (not familiar with GBV at all), then revisited it later in the year - superb! Since picked up From A Compound Eye (my album of the year) - and have requested other of his vast canon from Santa (roll on 25 December!)
There hasn't been time for much else, but have also very much enjoyed Cable (two albums and loads of singles).
GBV & Robert Pollard...
...it's a slippery slope. There's so much back catalogue that you (or your relatives/friends) could spend a small fortune gathering it all together. This year alone I think he's put out at least 4 new releases, and I think a third GBV 'Suitcase' boxset has recently been released too. His recent solo stuff has been excellent; Normal Happiness was one of my favourite albums amongst last years releases. Check out his Boston Spaceships alter-ego too.
As for my faves this year; The Phantom Band's 'Checkmate Savage' was an early year purchase and nothing has managed to knock it off its perch. I also discovered Sad Day For Puppets via a compilation CD and really like their album.
Coincidence...
I'm just in the process of burning a GBV compilation ready for tomorrow's long drive to see the folks for Xmas.
It's taken me all bloody evening to whittle down my collection of 181 songs to a 28 track "best of" compilation...!
And I just realized I left off "Your Name Is Wild" - drat and blast!
I waxed lyrical about Introduction to Alejandro Escovedo
earlier in year and am glad I am not the only one. It is without doubt the best £4.99 I spent this year. His last album proper was not even released in this country which tells you more about us than we probably want to hear.
Aside from that I have been spellbound by Teitur, have heard Fela Kuti for the first time and also Andrew Bird. Best album would probably go to Gretchen Peters and best song to Candi Staton for 'lonely don't'
thanks for the tip on that one, Steve
I bought it after your plug here, and it's a fine fine piece of work.
My year ended on a sad note
... with the death of a beloved eccentric uncle. I attended his funeral yesterday at Kensal Green cemetery and although the setting was as Dickensian as can be imagined, with the snow, the cold which chilled to the marrow and the crows picking over the ground, the order of service began with Mozart's Soave Sia il Vento from Cosi Fan Tutti - a more beautiful piece of music cannot be imagined.
It's going to stay with me a while.
Serious oldies, chronologically, courtesy of..
J.S.Bach's Wohltemperierte Klavier, as played by Keith Jarrett (ECM)..
Bob Dylan's Radio Hour, loads of great stuff, like the Inkspots..
Frank Sinatra, Wee small hours from 1955..(what a star!)..
Back to mine, as mixed by Lamb, only 5 years old..(mix tape heaven)..
Radiohead, In Rainbows, still clever bastards..
Unthanks, both albums, bit exotic this Northumbrian, just wonderful!
Now I'm off to play my old Rage Against the Machine LP and marvel at how funny life is sometimes..
The Cribs
Friendly Fires
Lady Gaga
Not a good year for new.
A very good year for old, though. All thanks to The Massive.
Big Star - #1 Record & Radio City (Can't get on with Third and Sister Lovers, though..)
The Pernice Brothers - all the lot thus far. Lovely.
Splitsville - ditto. Fine band.
Aren't we all contractually obliged to like Duckworth Lewis and Norton Folegate? And Them Crooked Whatsits?
Splitsville
Great to see them get a mention on the Blog, they are wonderful.
If you haven't already try and get hold of their previous band The Greenberry Woods "Rapple Dapple" album.
I'd also recommend anything by The High Dials and Myracle Brah along with most of the stuff on the Rainbow Quartz label:
http://www.rainbowquartz.com/default2.asp
Sorry if you already know this but just in case...
Retro Man..
It was you who put me on to them in the first place..
Oh dear...
It's my age you know, the memory is failing...
I will also have to check out Rhishi's new album, only heard a couple of tracks.
Cheers!
Somewhere over the RainbowQuartz...
...I purchased the new album by Rhishi Dhir's (ex-High Dials) new combo, Elephant Stone. And very good it is too, particularly the final track, 'Don't You Know'.
New & Old
New: Phantom Band, White Lies, Passion Pit, Doves, Empire Of The Sun, Madness & Duckworth Lewis Method.
Old: ELO - A New World Record , Martin Stephenson & The Daintees - Boat To Bolivia & the Awaydays Soundtrack (new album but old songs; http://open.spotify.com/album/6jqAXcSDGJhdJuDrsZYZ3x)
This one......
'Need You Now' by Lady Antebellum - all over USA Radio and a true crossover song. Will probably make UK Radio in 6 months time.
David Ackles
Hadn't listened for years and suddenly felt an urge to hear "Down River" again. (Quite why I'd overlooked this brilliant song for so long is beyond me but there we go...) And then I listened to the entire album and then I dug out "American Gothic" and then I remembered what a marvellous songwriter this man is/was.
I also played some Popol Vuh recently. Stunning. And Neu 75! - brilliant.
The Decemberists were the best act of recent vintage for me. And I agree with CharlieB above about Lady Antebellum - a terrific song.
A good year for...
...I have to say for new tunes this year has been a bit slim on classics though Madness "Liberty..." was a really good album and the Doves' "Kingdom of Rust" a great single (though once again they failed to impress over the course of a longplayer)...
The best thing I heard this year has to be "Rainy Night House" from Joni Mitchell's "Ladies of the Canyon". I've known Blue, Hejira, Court and Spark and (my fave) Hissing of Summer Lawns for many years now but have always been reluctant to investigate her early "folk / hippy" era. However, "Ladies of the Canyon" is a remarkably mature album and "Rainy Night House" the most beautiful song she ever wrote...
Some more...
...albums that rarely get mentioned in yer brit-centric mags (but are very fine nonetheless):
Nits - Strawberry Wood (Dutch chamber pop with the brilliant Mr. Stips on keyboards)
Atom - Liedgut (Electronic, melancholic, and feat. Florian Schneider from Kraftwerk)
Element Of Crime - Immer da wo du bist bin ich nie (Imagine Morrissey lyrics sung to a Bo Diddley Beat. With solo trumpet.)
Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub - Diamonds Fall (Krautpop legend, with the mighty Pia Lund on vocals and Jaki Liebezeit on drums)
Demis Roussos - Demis (his wonderful comeback album, incl. the psychedelic 9-min.track "Who Gives A Fuck")
St. Vincent - Actor (Dreamy and disturbing, like some weird Disney nightmare: "I'm sleeping under the bed with my dad's Smith & Wesson...")