Jlin - Autobiography (Music from Wayne McGregor's Autobiography) The blurb on bandcamp says this isn't technically a Jlin album. The music was written in collaboration with Wayne McGregor's dance company. I don't understand why they aren't calling it a Jlin album since she wrote and performs it. In any case, around 1/3 of the album is ambient. The rest is footwork like her album last year, Black Orgami. It's a nice mix. It would be very interesting to see the dance. Bandcamp: Autobiography (Music from Wayne McGregor's Autobiography), by Jlin
The only other thing I have by him is Timber and it's great. Edit: I also have some Bang on a Can albums that he composed music for.
"Yo Shakespeare" is his defining piece imho. There's a great version on the icebreaker album "terminal velocity" which he composed the whole thing. There might be a performance on your bang on a can stuff though as it's prolly one of his most famous works. Mind bending!
This Szun Waves is a borderline top 5 album of 2018, imo. Luke Abbott is an electronic wizard. Far out IDM jazzscapes. Was recorded live without overdubbing.
Great album. I bought it a couple of weeks ago and haven't gotten around to posting it yet. There's a lot of great improvised music coming out of the UK. The synth player in Szun Waves is also in Portico Quartet. They put out a nice album earlier in the year called Untitled (AITAOA #2). Nice as it is, it's not nearly as good as the Szun Waves album. More pleasant than outstanding. It's mostly leftovers from their previous album. It's more straight electronic sounding even though it does have acoustic instruments. Bandcamp: Untitled (AITAOA #2), by Portico Quartet [/QUOTE]
May or may not have been discussed before but anyone who does a "list" of best albums of the year, do you have a cut off point? I.e November, December released records don't count as not enough time for them to sink in?
Copying something I originally posted in the Grateful Dead thread, but two new albums that I just cannot get enough of in recent weeks: bandcamp: Cosmic Cash, by Garcia Peoples First up, Garcia Peoples. This New Jersey based quartet just released their debut long-player, Cosmic Cash, on Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records but have been winning fans over with their killer live sets and through tons of love from WFMU. Given that band name, you can imagine where some of their headspace spends time. I don't think I can sum them up half as well as the bio on their bandcamp page (provided by DJ Jeff Conklin at WFMU): "Top down, tunes up and cruising out of the Jersey suburbs into yr heart are Garcia Peoples and their debut LP "Cosmic Cash" on Beyond Beyond is Beyond. Originally a quartet (Tom Malach and Danny Arakaki on guitars, Cesar Arakaki on drums, Derek Spaldo on bass) but recently beefed up into a five-piece with PG Six (Tower Recordings, Wet Tuna) on keys, Garcia Peoples are just what our little psychedelic corner of the world needs right now…fun. "Cosmic Cash" effortlessly heaves joy. The low-key vocal hooks and melodies snag you quickly and don’t let go, not unlike mid-period NRBQ but loaded up on youthful longing and hallucinogens rather than RC Cola and Moon Pies. And then there are the jams, oh the jams! More reined in than recent live action, "Cosmic Cash" delivers sparkling twin leads, barreling keys and bubbling rhythms recalling the Dead’s tightest, most simple studio work, the Allmans’ most radio-friendly moments and the Band’s early 70s output." bandcamp: Everything's Better, by One Eleven Heavy Next, supergroup (of sorts) One Eleven Heavy. Featuring Hans Chew (Hiss Golden Messenger, Steve Gunn, killer solo stuff) and James Toth (Wooden Wand), among many others, Everything's Better is an absolutely killer debut that is getting much love from outlets as wide-ranging as MOJO and WIRE. This has been on near repeat since I bought it last week. Again, here's what others have to say more succinctly than I can: "‘Music From Big Pink or Workingman’s Dead being deconstructed by Royal Trux.’ *** MOJO ‘Sounding somewhat like The Band and Crazy Horse with a smattering of roots-era Dead, One Eleven Heavy is centred around a veritable roster of players… It’s organic, joyous, upbeat and natural.’ **** Shindig! 'An unabashed, triumphantly affectionate recreation of what Gram Parsons called Cosmic American Music - the country, folk and blues-informed psychedelic rock of the late 1960s and early 70s.' The Wire ‘It swings on a revolving door of goofball riffs, spun up and spun around all dizzy from an elastic rock and roll boogie.’ NPR ‘Taps into a collective consciousness of what was actually “classic” about rock, without being dictated by what was pressed, sold or spun through the static crackle of radio. This echoes the ’72-’74-era Grateful Dead as it was lived in the room, and not as it was felt from the runout.’ Raven Sings The Blues 'On its debut album, Everything’s Better, rock & roll combo One Eleven Heavy weave together various threads of choogling psychedelia —some Dead here, some Neil Young there, more than a little NRBQ and Little Feat — into a thoroughly joyful statement.' Aquarium Drunkard"
I usually wait a few weeks into January before starting on my list. I started a thread in January 28 and didn't finish posting until June. I never did compile a cross genre list. All the lists in the thread are by genre and 102 albums in total. I'll probably end up doing something similar this year. For me, some albums need to sink in, or just as likely tail off after five or so listens. The Portico Quartet album I just posted is one that tailed off. I liked it a lot for the first few listens but it didn't hold up. Others, I now within the first few seconds that it will be a favorite for the year. The Michael Gordon album I posted earlier today is like that. It's a style of music I've loved for years and I don't see that changing soon. My favorite albums of 2017
Really nice record, not sure the dove and crow vinyl is really worth the added expense, not the most attractive marbled color mix, I usually stick with black or some of the transparent colors, but beautiful music in these tan grooves...
They've stumped Me on that one. Wouldn't that mean black and white? Looks like coffee ice cream mmmmmm ice cream
Cat Power - Wanderer Fantastic album. Didn't at all expect to like this so much, but really loving it. Gets better with each listen too.
Brigid Mae Power with The Two Worlds. She's just amazing, the voice incredibly beautiful If you love Sandy Denny and Gillian Welch you should check her out, she really is up there...
I was on the fence after hearing the 4 songs that were released prior to the album, but this is one incredible listen. Every punk move from hardcore to post, a dash of industrial, some psych, with classic rock guitar and a bunch of disco strings thrown in for good measure, it earns every bit of its 80 minute run time. Hail Canada!
Don’t doubt it. Chan only makes superb records. A living legend. All you say is true. Among the best folk releases of this calendar year. Brigid has a bright future.
Miles Okazaki’s Work (The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Monk 1-6) is gorgeous. It’s a solo guitar album, and just beautifully done. Work (Complete, Volumes 1-6), by Miles Okazaki
Container - Album (note that apparently all of their albums are just called "Album" or "LP" (or arguably they're just untitled) so far . . . this is the 2018 one, obviously) I don't expect that there will be a ton of folks around here who like this, but I dig it. It's kinda avant-garde, kinda noise-influenced, kinda-minimalist techno. It slightly seems to me in the vein of if Zs would have been a techno band instead. (Figured an explanation would be helpful on this one, since folks might wonder what the frig it is otherwise.) I particularly like the polyrhythmic allusions on this particular track:
