Albums Thread - 2016

[Machiavelli]

I caught them at a very hot and sweaty Komedia Studio 3 years ago. Really, really good.

If it was as far down as you can go, I was there too.

 

[Albumen]

Which poster said they intended to make all this year's purchases vinyl? Curious as to how it's going.

I've done that for the past 5 years.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

Which poster said they intended to make all this year's purchases vinyl? Curious as to how it's going.

It could have been me as this is my intention. So far-apart from one CD which was a gift-its going to plan. Have bought a lot of second hand vinyl and probably less new stuff than I would normally during a year. It's certainly a more expensive way of buying stuff but with so many records coming with download codes its a good choice. So far favourite puchases are
Future Of he Left- The Peace And Truce Of
The Fall- Wise Ol Man
Field Music-Common Time
Parquet Courts- Human Performance
Best second hand find was an old Jimi Hendrix radio one session that I picked up for a bargain fiver.

 

[spring hall convert]

Maybe one for the indie-pop thread but the side project of Rose Keeler-Schaffer (KEEL HER) The Bin Bags has released an album and it has a lovely vaguely laid back indie-pop meets country vibe and some cracking tunes. One for summer listening, I suspect.

I found it pretty shocking that song-a-day Rose had time for a side project really (http://thequietus.com/articles/14743-keel-her-interview)

https://permanentslump.bandcamp.com/releases

 

[spring hall convert]

GNOD's new one 'Mirror' is a belter. They've disappeared back down the psych-rock bolthole rather than the electronics they experimented with on last years 'Infinity Machine's' triple LP (which came 3rd in my run down of 2015 albums.)

They also play Green Door Store tonight. Absolute must for anyone with a fondness for psych-rock.

 

[Albumen]

Loving the Tim Hecker record.

It's rather bloody beautiful. The clear vinyl edition (500 only) looks and sounds gorgeous.

 

[spring hall convert]

I like the 'new' Radiohead plenty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI2oS2hoL0k

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Just heard Wounded Wing live on R6, wonderful...cannot wait for the album tomorrow. One for the 'Boro trip certainly.

 

[spring hall convert]

Anyone here big on Fever Ray?

Pretty sure Eva is - https://evabowan.bandcamp.com/album/ringwoodite

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Just heard Wounded Wing live on R6, wonderful...cannot wait for the album tomorrow. One for the 'Boro trip certainly.

View attachment 74339

Played this many times on the 'Boro journey both ways, bloomin' love it.

 

[Buzzer]

I've been listening a lot to the new Radiohead album. I'm going to give it a solid 7/10. The pluses for me are that the production is just stunning, for an album that is so ethereal, there is an awful lot going on but at no point does it seem over-egged. I'd even go so far as to say that it's Nigel Godrich's masterpiece. I'd also say that the album maintain a very high quality throughout, there's no real dip in form although that's to be expected considering this is almost a compilation of orphan songs they've had for years. My main gripe though is that it is a little bit one-paced. Tracks such as Burn The Witch, Desert Island Disk and Identikit amble along quite merrily but the slower tracks: Daydreaming, Decks Dark aren't that much slower and there lacks a killer tune where they can let themselves go. the album feels like a place marker for something. I get the same feeling reading a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. A pastoral, dreamy collection of chapters cleverly described but without plot twists. One of those albums you have to be in the right mood to listen to otherwise it's not going to register.

I've been listening as well to a few others: Marissa Nadler - 'Strangers'. I'm not sure I've done justice to this album yet with a proper listen but this is another that lacks a change of tempo. I'm a big fan of hers and I'm almost tempted to say that she's gone full Lana Del Ray but I'm going to give it another couple of listens. I particularly like this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWO7Vg7wpyU

And lastly I'm a bit late to the James Blake party but his new long player (17 tracks!) is a melancholic beauty. I've only listened so far to the first 5 tracks but so far it has all the hallmarks of a classic break-up LP and is not disssimilar in part to the new Radiohead album and I reckon Thom Yorke's break-up played a part in the tone of their latest.

 

[Albumen]

I downloaded the album last night following the (stupidly can't resist a deluxe box) deluxe box purchase. I then left the house without headphones. I wasn't happy.

 

[Buzzer]

Anyone here big on Fever Ray?

Pretty sure Eva is - https://evabowan.bandcamp.com/album/ringwoodite

Yes, yes I am. Thanks for the heads up. Can I return the favour and suggest Ringa Manner aka The Hearing? https://www.facebook.com/Ringasofi/

My brother who lives in Finland got me onto her and I like her sound a lot. Apparently she is booked in for The Great Escape.

 

[tinycowboy]

the album feels like a place marker for something. I get the same feeling reading a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel.

And they say this forum is too middle class....

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I have been loving the Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith album which has hints of Animal Collective and Bat for Lashes in parts.

There are some real moments of beauty.

https://youtu.be/LGPDMMqhwe8

 

[Buzzer]

That James Blake album 'The Colour In Anything' is a bit heavy going when you listen to it from end to end. I think it's just shy of 80 minutes and every single track is a melancholic break-up song. The idiosyncratic singing style doesn't help because it dominates almost every tune so much that it can be difficult to discern one from the next. I think it's one of those that you need to take in smaller chunks or have as background music because with headphones on and concentrating I found it a bit too full on. That's not to say that it's not very good because each tune in isolation is a beautiful thing. He released the video to I Need A Forest Fire featuring the additional vocals of Bon Iver yesterday as it happens. This'll give a good clue as to what to expect if you were wondering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAJgs1P-uUE

Anohni - 'Hopelessness'

I think this is the best and most accessible album since 'I Am A Bird Now' and it's great to see the subject matter broadening from her personal life to the world at large. I understand (well, empathise if not understand) how difficult it must be to be a transgender person but it got to the point that it seemed every song was about that, this time around we have her opinions on her adopted America, CCTV surveillance and the environment amongst others. Maybe the final transition from man to woman has lifted her spirits too because there's a lightness to the album that previous ones have lacked. My favourite track is the final one 'Marrow' but it seems to have been removed from Youtube so here's the first track instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pei4SnavUk

The Limiñanas - 'Malamore'

My favourite album out of these 3, this is a lot of fun. Southern French band The Limiñanas have a new album out and it's bloody brilliant. Sadly there's only one track released on the Net from it, the title track as it happens and it's a corker but you really need to listen to the entire album to get a full appreciation of the range. It starts off with typical French garage pop but then whammo - track 5, Malamore and they go full on psychedelic and if you're a sucker for retro psychedelia then you'll love this. It reminds me in part of Dengue Fever. They alternate between English and French quite often but they mix their styles too. There's a few tracks where their sound is so authentic they could be playing Tex-Mex blues somewhere deep in a Nevada truck stop. And the lyrics...you've got to take your hat off to any band that can come up with "I'm Robert Mitchum, I'm Bob Duvall, So sit yourself down and shut your mouth"...

https://theliminanas.bandcamp.com/album/malamore

I'd seriously recommend checking this band out. (Edit - I guess it might be on Spotify or other streaming site but I don't do any of these so can't point anyone to the full album).

 

[Buzzer]

And rumours of that Stone Roses album are gathering pace. Apparently there have been cryptic posters going up around Manchester and Twitter has lots of music sites hinting at a new single released this week or next. I guess we'll see soon enough.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Like many I'm in full Radiohead mode at present. I read Alexis Petridis' review and in it, he claims, King Of Limbs is "patchy". Anyone else think this?

 

[Albumen]

Like many I'm in full Radiohead mode at present. I read Alexis Petridis' review and in it, he claims, King Of Limbs is "patchy". Anyone else think this?

I do. It'd struggle to be in my top 5 Radiohead albums (excluding the new one).

 

[Mellotron]

Like many I'm in full Radiohead mode at present. I read Alexis Petridis' review and in it, he claims, King Of Limbs is "patchy". Anyone else think this?

I found KOL a tough one to crack. Am a huge fan of The Eraser and you can hear a fair bit of Yorke's solo electronic stuff on KOL, but it just didn't quite work for me. Possibly my least favourite Radiohead album.