The albums thread - 2014

tinycowboy · Oct 21, 2014

Buzzer said:
Please do. I found his previous album 'Bisch Bosch' practically unlistenable, a giant free-form jazz w*nkfest. I'm curious to know what this collaboration with an ambient metal band sounds like.

Sort of Sun-Ra to Sunn O)))....

It sounds like an operatic Scott Walker singing over lengthy drones of guitar, replete with buzzes and the occasional flourish. Very dense, raises the question of whether you are listening to something profound or something, as you say with Bish Bosch, unlistenable. It's a challenge, but at least it's challenging - it's up to the listener whether they want to accept the challenge or not. I've listened to it twice and am none the wiser, and am not sure how many times I would need to listen to it before I could form an opinion on it - an aural equivalent of Tree Of Life.

spring hall convert · Oct 21, 2014

I grew to love Bisch Bosch but it took sometime. Soused is much easier, I reckon it's the most straightforward thing he's done for 30 years.

It's still batshit mental though.

tinycowboy · Oct 21, 2014

spring hall convert said:
I grew to love Bisch Bosch but it took sometime. Soused is much easier, I reckon it's the most straightforward thing he's done for 30 years.

It's still batshit mental though.

It IS straightforward - ie it's not particularly complex - but I find it hard to measure what my reaction is as my feeling is that it's interesting but, at the same time, overblown and a bit boring taken in one sitting.

spring hall convert · Oct 22, 2014

Does anyone still read the NME? As I understand there is a feature on Brighton/ Sussex D.I.Y. scene with my personal favourite local label Faux Discx getting coverage.

I may have to purchase it.

Herr Tubthumper · Oct 22, 2014

spring hall convert said:
Does anyone still read the NME? As I understand there is a feature on Brighton/ Sussex D.I.Y. scene with my personal favourite local label Faux Discx getting coverage.

I may have to purchase it.

Check your personal email inbox....I've saved you the purchase.

spring hall convert · Oct 22, 2014

Herr Tubthumper said:
Check your personal email inbox....I've saved you the purchase.

Herr Tubthumper · Oct 22, 2014

spring hall convert said:

Given the level of information and news you provide it is nice to pay back part of our debt to you!

Buzzer · Oct 22, 2014

Only ever read NME online and even then only a cursory glance every so often, I find the website too much like reading Smash Hits of old. The format they've gone for is a bit like the Guardian music website - it's a bit all over the place and comes across as superficial, almost like a gossip mag. (I used to love Smash Hits, grew up reading it every fortnight and memorising song lyrics printed in it but then you grow out of it...)

Forgive my ignorance but what does DIY scene mean? Is it similar to the anti-folk/alt-folk movement that was popular in Brighton a few years back?

On other note, I've been listening a lot to the Caribou album and it's getting a bit samey for me, I can't say that it will be up at the very top of my albums of 2014 list. There's too many weak tracks in between the stand-outs. And the realisation that it sounds a lot like a particular Terence Trent D'arby album that I used to play a lot.

I've also returned to a few others that have got better with a few more listens: Esben and the Witch is a wonderfully dark album that skits between Portishead-y blues to something akin to a pissed off and pre-menstrual All About Eve. Orenda Fink's album 'Blue Dream and Sharon Van Etten 'Are We There' are similar-ish but it's a similar that I'm very keen on - that Mazzy Star/'David Lynch soundtrack' genre that isn't quite pop, isn't quite country, isn't quite blues but have female lead singers.

spring hall convert · Oct 22, 2014

Buzzer said:
Only ever read NME online and even then only a cursory glance every so often. Forgive my ignorance but what does DIY scene mean? Is it similar to the anti-folk/alt-folk movement that was popular in Brighton a few years back?

No strict definition. People doing what they want to do for the love rather than money. Promoters, labels, bands, venues - there's an excellent network in Brighton now.

It's not a genre term.

Buzzer · Oct 22, 2014

spring hall convert said:
No strict definition. People doing what they want to do for the love rather than money. Promoters, labels, bands, venues - there's an excellent network in Brighton now.

It's not a genre term.

Ah, cheers. Thanks for the info, I don't know an awful lot about that side of things as I don't go gigging that much anymore so tend to go to see bands I've heard of.

One thing I have noticed though about Brighton is that the town has finally got its arse in gear and producing commercially successful local talent. For years and years it seemed that Brighton was chock-full of talented musicians but with slacker attitudes. I did wonder if it's anything to do with the internet age and Brighton being a very clued up place where that's concerned so that there was a bigger push to get the music out there. Saying that, a disproportionate number of the successful acts seem to be the whimsical folky bands who don't fit that stereotype. Whatever the reason, online I come across new bands from round here weekly and the quality is consistently high.

spring hall convert · Oct 22, 2014

Buzzer said:
One thing I have noticed though about Brighton is that the town has finally got its arse in gear and producing commercially successful local talent. For years and years it seemed that Brighton was chock-full of talented musicians but with slacker attitudes. I did wonder if it's anything to do with the internet age and Brighton being a very clued up place where that's concerned so that there was a bigger push to get the music out there. Saying that, a disproportionate number of the successful acts seem to be the whimsical folky bands who don't fit that stereotype. Whatever the reason, online I come across new bands from round here weekly and the quality is consistently high.

Whilst I'm not keen on the institution or what they do, I think BIMM has had a massive influence on this.

spring hall convert · Oct 22, 2014

Buzzer said:
I've also returned to a few others that have got better with a few more listens: Esben and the Witch is a wonderfully dark album that skits between Portishead-y blues to something akin to a pissed off and pre-menstrual All About Eve.

It's a really, really good record, that stands up to repeat playing. Very different from what they've done before and a variety of sounds - the post-rock of Press Heavenwards, Jesus Lizard-like scuzz punk of No Dog, whilst Dig Your Fingers In sounds like PJ Harvey at her most tender.

I've seen them live plenty in the last 12 months, they have improved beyond recognition.

http://www.brightonnoise.co.uk/record-review/?p=89332

tinycowboy · Oct 22, 2014

Buzzer said:
that Mazzy Star/'David Lynch soundtrack' genre that isn't quite pop, isn't quite country, isn't quite blues but have female lead singers.

Try Haley Bonar.

Buzzer · Oct 22, 2014

spring hall convert said:
It's a really, really good record, that stands up to repeat playing. Very different from what they've done before and a variety of sounds - the post-rock of Press Heavenwards, Jesus Lizard-like scuzz punk of No Dog, whilst Dig Your Fingers In sounds like PJ Harvey at her most tender.

I've seen them live plenty in the last 12 months, they have improved beyond recognition.

http://www.brightonnoise.co.uk/record-review/?p=89332

Spot on, if you compare the first and third albums it's like comparing a game of draughts to chess. They've left behind the halloween power ballad (for want of a better phrase that I can't think of!) that Lykke Li has got stuck in and explored lots of new areas. I did wonder if they'd replaced the guitar section in the band because the new album is a lot more accomplished guitar-wise and shows a confidence they definitely didn't have previously.

Hotchilidog · Oct 22, 2014

Funny that Esben and the Witch get a mention they going on tour with the band that has made my album of the year, Solstafir. Their new album Otta is an epic windswept soundtrack to their home Iceland. Well given that it's all sung in Icelandic I have no idea what they are singing about, but the music is certainly suggestive of the land of fire and ice. They were initially a black metal band, but like quite a few others have outgrown the genre and become expressive and progressive in outlook. I think this album may appeal to some the frequenters of this thread, definitely worth a listen.

CorgiRegisteredFriend · Oct 22, 2014

spring hall convert said:
Does anyone still read the NME? As I understand there is a feature on Brighton/ Sussex D.I.Y. scene with my personal favourite local label Faux Discx getting coverage.

I may have to purchase it.

It's not as bad as it was pre 2010. Has had a bit of a makeover ( now the size of a magazine) and includes a good section called Radar which covers new bands. Album reviews I never trust as they will support whatever band they are promoting at the time. For example The Honeyblood album was given a great review and suprise suprise they are playing on an NME tour. Features vary too, there was a good bit on C86 recently and the Nick Cave Documentary. They also dig into the past and publish old interviews which are interesting.

Herr Tubthumper · Oct 22, 2014

Buzzer said:
Forgive my ignorance but what does DIY scene mean? Is it similar to the anti-folk/alt-folk movement that was popular in Brighton a few years back?

Hey. I send the pages about the DIY Brighton scene to Spring Hall Convert earlier. I've just send them to you as well.

Ps does Disco45 or Flexipop mean anything? They were lyrics mags I bought and read around the time Smash Hits started.

CorgiRegisteredFriend · Oct 22, 2014

Herr Tubthumper said:
Hey. I send the pages about the DIY Brighton scene to Spring Hall Convert earlier. I've just send them to you as well.

Ps does Disco45 or Flexipop mean anything? They were lyrics mags I bought and read around the time Smash Hits started.

Remember both of those but Disco 45 in particular. Clearly they had an appeal but can't see now in 2015 what was so special about being able to read the lyrics to the top thirty songs for that month. I did buy it though!

Ludensian Gull · Oct 23, 2014

Not something most on here will have probably listened to, but have enjoyed Europa by Holly Johnson.

Buzzer · Oct 29, 2014

I've been listening to the Flaming Lips (and friends) not quite murdering Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It's certainly better than their cover of Dark Side of The Moon and they've already announced they're working on a cover of the Stone Roses first album. I'm somewhat confused about this series of albums. Why bother with such a vanity project? I can only guess this is a filler whilst they try to re-capture their muse.

The album isn't too bad but they've made it far too psychedelic and the most indulgent tracks being the first and last doesn't leave a great impression. The production really lifts it, it's superbly constructed which is saying something when they've thrown everything including the kitchen sink at it. The best track is definitely Lovely Rita feat Tegan and Sara and this is quite err...lovely . The rest tend to merge into one wall of noise. I'd give it 5/10

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