Can’t Get You Out Of My Head
For some great album reviews and artist information try pitchfork.com
Here are some of the albums that have grabbed me over the last year or so….
John Grant – Queen of Denmark, the singer from the much ignored Czars, a thoughtful poignant stonker
Gil Scott Heron – I’m new here, waited a long time for a great album from this guy
The National – High Violet, a proper band going from strength to strength. Try The Boxer and Alligator
Avi Buffalo – just a bunch of youngsters, but so were the Las and The Artic Monkeys
Yeasayer – I prefer All Hour Cymbals over this years Oddblood (this may be catching up now)
Not sure if it is 2010 but Beachhouse Teen Dream is a consistent joy.
I have also bought recently, The Sea and Cake – Car Alarm, Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate (just beautiful), and I cannot recommend Bellowhead and The Unthanks enough. Just fantastic energy and folky fun.
Some perennial favs here at the shop
Wilco, Sky Blue Sky – the first four tracks in particular are just stunning.
LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver – I can play this over and over.
Califone, Roots and Crowns – It never ceases to amaze me how much good music I miss. Thanks to Radio3 for playing this one.
Beirut, Flying Club Cup – Strange folky brassy tunefulness. If you like this try Fanfarlo – Reservoir
Sufjan Stevens, Illinoise – you’ve just got to hear it. Drives the other guys in the shop mad.
Arcade Fire, Funeral and Neon Bible – Don’t you think the Canadians are making great music right now.
Just about any Tom Waits but I do love Heart of Saturday Night
….and from 2011
PJ Harvey, Let England Shake, and so it should
Josh T Pearson, Last Of The Country Gentlemen, scary man from Lift To Experience, intense and introverted
Wild Beasts, Smother, probably the most creative British band around
Wilco, The Whole Love, perhaps just an OK Wilco album but that still makes it terrific, download in 24/96 and experience the joy of high resolution music
Iron and Wine, Kiss Each Other Clean, some beautiful melodies
Metronomy, The English Riviera, very English, very inventive
War On Drugs, Slave Ambient.
…….2012
A lurch towards the ‘far side’
I have always been amazed whenever I have picked up The Wire music magazine. I find myself bewildered and excited by the amount of music out there that I just don’t know about.
Well with the aid of Spotify even some of the most obscure artists are there to be heard.
Here is some of the music I have bought over the last month or two…….
Oren Ambarchi – Audience for One, gently step off the pavement and have a listen to voice and sounds from down under
Lee Gamble – Diversion 94-96
Carter Tutti Void – Transverse
Pye Corner Audio – Sleep Games
Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica
James Ferraro – Far Side Virtual
Thomas Koner – Novaya Zemlya
Just got the CD, haven’t even heard this one yet Shackleton – Music For The Quiet Hour
and not to overlook the staggeringly good Saint Motel – Voyeur and Dexys – One Day I’m Going To Soar
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE DAUGHN GIBSON, TRY ALL HELL ON SPOTIFY (CAN’T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO BUY IT ANYWHERE) AND HIS NEW ALBUM ME MOAN.
and a few blasts from the past
T.Rex – Electric Warrior, Robin Trower – In City Dreams and Bridge of Sighs, Deep Purple – Fireball, John Kongos – Kongos (remember He’s gonna step on you and Tokoloshe Man), Kevin Coyne – Dynamite Daze, A Certain Ratio – To Each, Yes – Close to the Edge, Getting into Wishbone Ash – Argus, absolutely love Man – Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day
Try out my nephew’s tunes on myspace. I think they have a bit of Yes flavour in there. And now my niece is at it – search for Georgia7842 on youtube.
Pretty keen on most stuff from Burial, spooky, disconcerting, surprising.
Have I mentioned Deerhunter? Halcyon Digest, Fading Frontier to name just two. Helicopter off Halcyon Digest feels……………like the end of a summer, the end….
Who on earth is Mondo Cozmo? What do you think of the track Plastic Soul? Maybe a bit David Gray like.There seems to be a yearning theme going on here.
Gorgeous stuff from Bahamas, Lost in light off Barchords does it for me.
It’s never too late to dip your toe into Oneohtrix Point Never or Laurel Halo or Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith or Holly Herndon or Cate Le Bon (Pompeii is brilliant) or Fennesz or Low
Dry Cleaning, New Long Leg. Scratchcard Lanyard takes me back to those hours and hours of listening to John Peel back in the 70’s when every song was a surprise and a challenge.
Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / The London Symphony Orchestra: Promises, sounds good to me.
Oren Ambarchi just keeps delivering album after album after album…try his latest Shebang
Loving Panda Bear, Reset. Main man from Animal Collective who always delight.
Album of 2022………….maybe Lucretia Dalt, iAy!
