Mixcloud

Friday, 2 January 2015

Sixteen albums from 2014

In no particular order...

Aphex Twin - Syro

Not quite the outstanding album that many people would have you believe, but even a pretty good Aphex album will have more jaw dropping moments than many artist's entire career. Check out track 2 (or XMAS_EVET10 (thanaton3 mix) if you want to be picky and use song titles) as an example.

St Vincent - St Vincent
The critics favourite of the year it seems. And who am I to argue? 'tis good.

Manic Street Preachers - Futurology
I was a bit underwhelmed by Rewind The Film, but this is great - a Manics album that might appeal to non-Manics fans. Any album that might have the word "motorik" in its reviews is always worth checking out.

Goat - Commune
Like their debut album, but different.

Spoon - They Want My Soul
Loved by the critics, bought by a small handful of people.

Brian Eno & Karl Hyde -Someday World/High Life
A collaboration that spawned two great albums. The melody heavy Someday World was quickly followed up by the more experimental robo-afrobeat High Life. Both are worth checking out.

The War on Drugs - Lost In The Dream
Artists that came up in conversation whilist listening to this: The Waterboys, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits, The Cars, Don Henley, Arcade Fire, The Eagles, early 80s Rod Stewart, and A-Ha. A great album for playing spot the reference point.

Tweedy - Sukierae
In the absence of a new Wilco album, I guess 20 wonderful new songs by Jeff Tweedy and his son will have to do.

Jack White - Lazaretto
As long as it's the vinyl version, obviously.

Wildest Dreams - Wildest Dreams
DJ Harvey's latest exploration into west coast psych rock.

The Phantom Band - Strange Friend
I was supposed to go and see the Phantom Band at the Deaf Institute in June, but managed to write off my car on the way there whilst listening to this album.

Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
Mr Tembo made me smile a lot. The best song about an elephant ever?

Todd Terje - It's Album Time
By far the best party album of 2014

Mogwai - Rave Tapes
More like "post rave comedown tapes".

Caribou - Our Love
Dan Snaith will always be Manitoba to me. Regardless of the name he's still churning out some great music.

Electric Youth - Innerworld
Lush, gorgeous dream pop.

Tuesday, 28 October 2014

35 Inches of British Electric Foundation

After releasing the entirely instrumental Music for Stowaways / Music For Listening To album(s), the next step for the British Electric Foundation was an album of cover versions - Music of Quality and Distinction Volume 1. The album, which contained mostly-electronic interpretations of others' songs, featured a host of guest vocalists and also managed  to relaunch the career of Tina Turner (her version of Ball of Confusion here led to a further collaboration with Let's Stay Together).

Best of all - and the reason for me posting here - the album got a limited release as a 7" box set with each of the 10 tracks being split across five 7" singles, which makes it that tiny bit more enjoyable to listen to.





Saturday, 4 October 2014

Well, this USED TO be clear vinyl...

Faust's debut album was released in 1971 on clear vinyl in a printed transparent sleeve; I bought it second hand at some point in the nineties for about £8. It was definitely clear then. In fact, the last time I listened to it (probably 4 or 5 years ago) it was still clear. So, when getting the record out a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to find it had transformed to this lovely brown marbled effect vinyl.


It seems as though the vinyl has reacted with the plastic sleeve causing this happen - can anyone give some sciencey type explanation for this? I'm not sure why it only happened after 40+ years and I'm sure some people would be distraught at the thought of a valuable record being 'ruined', but I think it looks great. Besides, I have plenty of other records that are clear vinyl (and yes, I've checked that they're all still OK).

Come to think of it, something similar happened with a Howard Jones picture disc I ownd back in 1985...

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Sacred Songs

This is the sort of album that people frequently flip past in record and charity shops, assuming that it's 'just' an album by that guy out of Hall and Oates. I've probably been guilty of that myself in the past until I learned of his collaborations with Robert Fripp (from hearing Fripp's Exposure album).

A lost classic - recorded in 1977, but shelved by the record label until they were persuaded to release it in 1980 - this album is allegedly the first proper use of the groundbreaking Frippertronics tape delay system that Robert Fripp pioneered. The best example being on the bonkers, and wonderfully jarring, Babs and Babs.

Saturday, 20 September 2014

Goat - Commune

The new Goat album has arrived, on delicious splatter vinyl and with a free 7" single.
Brief review 2 songs in - it's sounding gooood.


It's here...