thenewobjective@gmail.com
End of Year Wrap Up
Top Albums of the Year, 2008
Over at the silent ballet, we recently posted out top 50 albums, top 30 tracks, top 30 electronic records, etc. Please check it out.
www.thesilentballet.com
Although it seems the years go by faster and faster as we get older (yet another thing our elders warned us about,) and usually I agree, something about 2008 has seemed to drag for me. Since returning to NY, on one hand it seems that the time has flown by, yet I’ve also been fairly busy, and when I think back to what I was doing at this time last year, it seems like ages ago. I’ve spent a lot of time this year playing music with friends, listening to music made decades ago, ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifr longer.
I realized that certain records just don’t do it for me, not because of any deficit on the composition or energy or virtuosity or fidelity, but because certain tones, certain sonorities, just don’t communicate anything to me. This isn’t necessarily a pure analog v. digital debate, although it is much harder for a record entirely made of digital sounds to speak to me. There needs to be something organic. Quantized dance music is great for it’s utility, of making a body dance, keeping a perfect time, but I’ve been much more impressed with fusions of the organic with the electronic.
I hate lists. I don’t have time to get drawn into message boards to discuss things that basically have no real world consequences. I’m more than happy to write about music all year and discuss in person, but the whole *this is better than this* stuff that goes on this time of year is silly. But, there are a good bunch of artists whom I’ve really enjoyed this year, and who I think should be shared. They don’t get enough attention, and they really do deserve it. Like others I’ve seen, I’m making no attempt at ranking. Instead, these are records released in 2008 that I enjoyed.
There were a slew of mainstream records that we all know are pretty great; Santogold, The Roots, TV on the Radio, MGMT, Eryka Badu, Death Cab, Wolf Parade, Fleet Foxes, Portishead, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird. These all got tons of attention in mainstream publications, so I will just basically ignore them. So, most of you, hopefully, will discover some lesser known artists..
Albums
A Silver Mt. Zion- 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons- I love Godspeed. I’m sure you do too. And I love all of ASMZ’s records too. This is a bit more controversial, apparently. He Has Left us Alone… has it’s own magic. Born of Trouble… is just downright beautiful. Pretty Little Lightning Paw EP sounds pretty shitty, but the songs are solid, and are some of my favorites live. This is our punk rock thee… seems to be the band at their most pretentious. However, people who say that don’t get their humor, just like those that accuse Morrissey of being depressing. (I really love the Smiths by the way.) Horses in the Sky has some great full songs. 13 Moons features a new drummer, and tons more energy and much better production. I have a full review of it in my blog here: http://thenewobjective.blogspot.com/2008/01/13-blues-for-thirteen-moons.html
Earth- The Bees made Honey in the Lions Skull This album was a huge shock. I remember being 16 or 17 and discovering Sunn 0)). (I still laugh when I think of the description of Sunn as “baby pleasing sounds” from initial records back then.) Anyway, I knew Earth in the context of Sunn, who formed to fill a void left by their decline. (The main figure behind Earth was a heroin addict, and is infamous for being the dude who bought Kurt Cobain his shotgun.) I was never a huge fan of Earth, although I do appreciate the occasional drone album. This record is surprisingly beautiful and majestic. The main reason this record is so much better than all their previous output combined is the addition of the lap steel.
Bersarin Quartett- s/t- I know nothing about this band. Except they are one of my best new things I’ve heard this year. New to me anyway. I guess they’re German. Or Austrian. Or maybe German-Swiss? In anycase, it’s… chill, electronicky horn piano music whtvr.
http://www.myspace.com/bersarinquartett
Emmanuele Errante- Humus What can I say? Italy is a strange country. So many amazingly talented musicians, and yet, the scene there sucks, and their artists (Port-Royal, Giuseppe Ielasi, Nicola Ratti, Giardino di Miro, etc) get more respect in other countries. Errante’s Somnia debut is a stunning. Check it out.
Mogwai- The Hawk is Howling- I love Mogwai. Have since high school. Have even more since I started to smoke weed. People like to give them a hard time, but they are fucking awesome. If you like any of their old material, I can’t see you not liking this too. They continue to evolve (The Sun Smells too Loud is a new direction) but they continue to be heavy and amusing.
Sparkle in Grey- A Quiet Place- Another talented group from Italy, this record was produced by Giuseppe Ielasi. Originally a solo project of Hue, this is their first release as a proper band. Not that that means much. A Quiet Place is a mix of found sound, field recordings, conventional instrumentation, electronics, and downright noise. Somehow, something beautiful has emerged.
Sigur Ros- Me_ su_ í eyrum vi_ spilum endalaust- Fuck you if you don’t think they are the best band in the world. You are wrong. That’s all. I see their shortcoming, I do, but it doesn’t matter. If this were a church, I’d be a preacher.
http://www.sigurros.com/main/home/
Max Richter- 24 Postcards in Full Color- This is a collection of 24 tracks. An experiment to see if meaningful music can be written for use as ringtones. I love the concept. I love the results.
http://www.maxrichter.com/
Sumner McKane-What A Great Place To Be – I think, more than any other artist, I want people to know Sumner. He sells himself, really, if people could just hear this stuff. Honestly, he blows me away. Please check this out, and see my reviews on TSB. Just, beautiful, talented, wonderful production, and full of soul and love.
http://www.sumnermckane.com/howdy_yall.html
Kayo Dot- Blue Lambency Downward- This is not an easy record to absorb, but with repeat listens, and close attention, it pays off. Most people will hate it. They’ve been on Tzadik, Robotic Empire, and Hydra Head, but that alone will not give you a hint of what they sound like. On tour 2 years ago, all the members but Toby and Mia quit, leaving the band a chance to reinvent themselves. Finally pulling out of the metal shadow of Maudlin of the Well, BLD marks a milestone for the group.
MGMT- Oracular Spectacular- You all know this shit. They’re huge, they’re played all over the place, everyone loves them. It’s silly, they’re having fun, we’re having fun. Sometimes we don’t need serious. There is still something sincere about what they are doing, though, not in the lyrics, or the sound, but just the energy. Fun fun fun.
Grails – Doomsdayer’s Holiday, Take Refuge in Clean Living- Many of us at TSB loved their last 2 records, particularly Burning Off Impurities which was our #1 last year. I first saw Grails at CMJ in 06, at Sin-e, and they blew me away. I loved their EP this year, and the new lp is pretty good. A bit different, doesn’t really top BOI, but still classic.
The Drift-Memory Drawings- Again, see my review for more on this. If you miss old DMST, you’ll probably love this. Organic, jazz infused post-rock from the Bay. http://www.thesilentballet.com/dnn/Reviews/2008/April/tabid/127/ctl/Details/mid/548/ItemID/1383/Default.aspx
Neil on Impression- ...l'oceano delle onde che restano onde per sempre- Yes, another Italian band. Yes, they are really great too. The thing I love is that each of these three groups are entirely distinct from each other. The Perfect Tango (2006) was pretty impressive, but they’ve really solidified their identity here.
http://www.neilonimpression.org/
This is Your Captain Speaking- The Eternal Return- Name checking Nietzsche in the title in a subtle way? They win. Glad to see Australia is still putting out great records too.
Samuel Jackson 5-Goodbye Melody-- Nice followup to 2005’s whtvr it was called. Good solid instrumental rock. Goes beyond the loud/soft dynamic, doesn’t rip off mono/eits/gybe/mogwai. Scandinavia ftw!
Beneva v. Clark Nova- Sombunal- I don’t know much about these guys, but another great electronic record. The cover of the album has a bunch of naked baby dolls all over it. Kinda creepy. But they turn what should be a bizarre inaccessible record into surprisingly catchy pop glitch.
Akira Kosamura- Tiny Music- Another TSB favorite. Japanese, very pretty. As opposed to last years collaboration with Haruka Nakamura, Aftetglow, which was composed of 2 long tracks, Tiny Music consists of many shorter tracks. Mostly Akira’s piano, and some classical and acoustic guitar.
Juxta Phone v. offtheky- !escape kit!- Wow. This was a great year for electronic artists collaborating to create amazing records. Offthesky releases a good deal of music, but we don’t seem to know anything about this ‘Juxta Phona’ cat. In anycase, it shows that these guys must have put an incredible amount of time into making this record. Slight tweaks, hundreds of filters and effects. The result is hard to define, but dense and smoky electrojazz comes close.
Kira Kira- Our Map to the Monster Olympics- Finally a female electronic/sound artist! Another original group from Iceland. She weaves together various toy instruments and recordings with guitar, glockenspiel, and laptop. http://this.is/kirakira
Autistici- Volume Objects- You know the drill. Italian. Careful electronic collage. Organic development of electronic sounds. Check TSB for the review.
Gang Gang Dance- Saint Dymphna - I won’t even try. Pretty original stuff. Out there. Lots have been written about this Manhattan it-band, and they deserve it.
DJ Spooky- Sound Unbound- Following Rhythm Science, his book on remix culture on MIT Press, and last years Africa mixtape for the Venice Bienniale, Sound Unbound is a collection of essays Paul D. Miller edited. The book comes with an accompanying CD, a collage mix culled mainly from the archives of Sub Rosa. Where else can you hear Iggy Pop reading Burroughs, and Dada mixed with Sonic Youth, etc.
http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=11401
Nico Muhly- Mothertongue - I’d like to hate him. 27 year old polymath prodigy. It’s hard not to be envious. But, he’s too talented. This album has some missteps, and is nowhere near as pretty as his last, but I think that’s the point. Everything shouldn’t be conventionally pretty. The album has three movements, each exploring a different idea. The eponymous piece is sung by Abigail Fischer, and was performed early this year at a Wordless Music show. Nico was trying to capture the incredible array of information crowding our brains, and succeeds by programming a sampler with all the numbers and addresses Abigail could remember, and creating an electronic backdrop of monotonous numbers that she then sings over. I’m a sucker for conceptual art. The piece with Sam Amidan is also very striking, a reworking of an old folk song whose mood had been altered to better suit the lyrical content.
I have also become a great fan of his blog. It is the most interesting mash up of intelligent fragments on pop culture, linguistics, classical and pop music, food, etc. www.nicomuhly.com
My Education-Bad Vibration- They are from Texas? I dunno. Mad chill though. These guys pull off the folksy-postrock aesthetic amazingly. Recommended.
Flying Lotus- Los Angeles- Phat intrumental hip hop beats!!!!!!!!!!! Did a great remix of Radiohead this year too. Signed to Warp last year, and his debut for them didn’t disappoint. Looking forward to future work.
Silian Rail- And I You, To Pieces I saw Silian Rail open for FMTM out in SF last year, and was very impressed by this duo, enough that I reviewed their debut EP of my own volition. Their proper debut was recently released, and was just what I thought it’d be. Amazing. Has some of my favorite tracks of the year. Just guitar and drums, with occasional glockenspiel, they manage to craft a really distinct sound. There is something honest and sincere about their music that is lacking is a lot of instrumental music.
Colin Stetson- I love jazz, but most of what I love was made from 1950-1976 or so. Obviously there are great players still playing, but most of them either had their hayday in those years (Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, Mccoy Tyner, Anthony Braxton, Ornette Coleman, etc) or are young lions who don’t really know their history or are rather just trying to mime the same forms that have already been made. Stetson is in the jazz tradition, but is one of these young cats who is busting out doing something totally new. This record is pretty much unclassifiable. There is little I can say that would describe what it actually sounds like. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it is a single take with no effects of one guy playing horns. Stetson makes use of circular breathing, plays various horns at once, and has a great sense of composition, at times sounding akin to electronic artists. And it’s good too.
Bohren & Der Glub of Gore- Dolores These Germans used to be way heavier. Apparently they’ve been around since the ‘90s, influenced by Gore. Now they play beautiful chill music with horns and shit. TSB ranked them as album of the year. I wish I’d discovered them sooner.
Gifts from Enola/ y/m/d/i/t/d- Harmonic Motion. Hell yea. Best post-rock record of the year.
Peter Broderick- Homes Efterklang did not release any full length records or Eps this year, so I had to put Peter Broderick on the list. Honestly though, great record.
Ghostland Observatory- Robotique Majestique- I liked last years Lightning Paparazzi better, but I didn’t hear them until this year anyway, courtesy of my man Lee.
Machinefabriek- This dude puts out so many records, I’m sure one of them should be on this list. But I can’t remember.
The Very Best- Esau Mwamwam + Radioclit = the very best This record is really good. A singer from Mali fusing Malinese music with European dance beats and pop remixes. I do not hate Vampire Weekend. But their vague references to early ‘90s Paul Simon does not count as African. They are Ivy league white preppy boys. Which is fine, I aspire to be such a thing. Doesn’t make their music authentic. Anycase, why am I talking about them? Because THE VERY BEST (esau + radioclit) is way better. Download their record/mix tape here for free. http://www.myspace.com/theverybestmyspace
And some others that I’ve run out of momentum to write about.
Le Chat Blanc Orchestra
The Alps
ARP
White Denim
Helios
Te’
Sgt.
En Plein Air
Lykke Li
Haushka
Label
Somnia seems to be the stand out label this year, releasing fantastic records by Juxta Phona vs. offthesky, Evan Barthalomew, Evan Marc +Steve Hillage, Bluetech, and Emmanuele Errante, all just in 2008. Check them out. Some of the best chill out, ambient, psycbient, glitch, etc going out.
http://somniasound.com
Stand Alone Single
Redhooker- "Telling Time"- This is a group I discovered a few years ago after receiving their EP to review. Basically the sideproject of the guitar player from Slow Six, I really connected with their music, and had the chance to see a wonderful performance in a special place called Monkey Town in Williamsburg during CMJ. The Silent Ballet released a new song on our 9th compilation with Lost Children earlier this year. The track is called Telling Time. Download it here. www.archive.org/details/LostChildren051
Singles
Coco Tea- Barack Obama – What with Obama winning the election and all, this tune got a huge boost. The fact that it has been played all over the world makes it relevant enough, but it is also catchy as hell on it’s own.
N.E.R.D- All the girls waiting in the line for the bathroom- This single and accompanying video is pretty funny. Stand out pop song for me this year.
And Past Stuff
Max L. introduced me to a band called Kneebody. They are amazing. No proper releases this year, but their improvised electronic jazz blows pretty much everyone else out of the water. Mostly because they are compositionally mature and can play their instruments amazingly well.
I love the Smiths.
Music for 18 by Steve Reich is still one of my favorite pieces of music.
I really love Brazilian music. After getting some mix tapes from my friend Matt last year, I’ve continued my exploration of Brazilian music. Some of the best stuff I’ve heard ever, combining music with traditional roots, community, musical virtuosity and experimentation.
Reissues
Sonny Rollins- Freedom Suite
Nina Simone
Stars of the Lid, "Music for Nitrous Oxide"
Gavin Bryars “The Sinking of the Titanic”
Things to keep an eye out for in 2009
Saxon Shore
Bob Ostertag
From Monument to Masses
Moving Mountains- This is kind of out, but not really, so I’ll wait till next year. It’s awesome. I hope they don’t dilly dally on the next lp. Guys?
Looking Glass Wars
I took part in Rhys Chatham’s Crimson Grail this summer, but our actual performance got rained out. So, look for that this year.
The Watchmen movie- not music, but hey.
Over at the silent ballet, we recently posted out top 50 albums, top 30 tracks, top 30 electronic records, etc. Please check it out.
www.thesilentballet.com
Although it seems the years go by faster and faster as we get older (yet another thing our elders warned us about,) and usually I agree, something about 2008 has seemed to drag for me. Since returning to NY, on one hand it seems that the time has flown by, yet I’ve also been fairly busy, and when I think back to what I was doing at this time last year, it seems like ages ago. I’ve spent a lot of time this year playing music with friends, listening to music made decades ago, ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifr longer.
I realized that certain records just don’t do it for me, not because of any deficit on the composition or energy or virtuosity or fidelity, but because certain tones, certain sonorities, just don’t communicate anything to me. This isn’t necessarily a pure analog v. digital debate, although it is much harder for a record entirely made of digital sounds to speak to me. There needs to be something organic. Quantized dance music is great for it’s utility, of making a body dance, keeping a perfect time, but I’ve been much more impressed with fusions of the organic with the electronic.
I hate lists. I don’t have time to get drawn into message boards to discuss things that basically have no real world consequences. I’m more than happy to write about music all year and discuss in person, but the whole *this is better than this* stuff that goes on this time of year is silly. But, there are a good bunch of artists whom I’ve really enjoyed this year, and who I think should be shared. They don’t get enough attention, and they really do deserve it. Like others I’ve seen, I’m making no attempt at ranking. Instead, these are records released in 2008 that I enjoyed.
There were a slew of mainstream records that we all know are pretty great; Santogold, The Roots, TV on the Radio, MGMT, Eryka Badu, Death Cab, Wolf Parade, Fleet Foxes, Portishead, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird. These all got tons of attention in mainstream publications, so I will just basically ignore them. So, most of you, hopefully, will discover some lesser known artists..
Albums
A Silver Mt. Zion- 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons- I love Godspeed. I’m sure you do too. And I love all of ASMZ’s records too. This is a bit more controversial, apparently. He Has Left us Alone… has it’s own magic. Born of Trouble… is just downright beautiful. Pretty Little Lightning Paw EP sounds pretty shitty, but the songs are solid, and are some of my favorites live. This is our punk rock thee… seems to be the band at their most pretentious. However, people who say that don’t get their humor, just like those that accuse Morrissey of being depressing. (I really love the Smiths by the way.) Horses in the Sky has some great full songs. 13 Moons features a new drummer, and tons more energy and much better production. I have a full review of it in my blog here: http://thenewobjective.blogspot.com/2008/01/13-blues-for-thirteen-moons.html
Earth- The Bees made Honey in the Lions Skull This album was a huge shock. I remember being 16 or 17 and discovering Sunn 0)). (I still laugh when I think of the description of Sunn as “baby pleasing sounds” from initial records back then.) Anyway, I knew Earth in the context of Sunn, who formed to fill a void left by their decline. (The main figure behind Earth was a heroin addict, and is infamous for being the dude who bought Kurt Cobain his shotgun.) I was never a huge fan of Earth, although I do appreciate the occasional drone album. This record is surprisingly beautiful and majestic. The main reason this record is so much better than all their previous output combined is the addition of the lap steel.
Bersarin Quartett- s/t- I know nothing about this band. Except they are one of my best new things I’ve heard this year. New to me anyway. I guess they’re German. Or Austrian. Or maybe German-Swiss? In anycase, it’s… chill, electronicky horn piano music whtvr.
http://www.myspace.com/bersarinquartett
Emmanuele Errante- Humus What can I say? Italy is a strange country. So many amazingly talented musicians, and yet, the scene there sucks, and their artists (Port-Royal, Giuseppe Ielasi, Nicola Ratti, Giardino di Miro, etc) get more respect in other countries. Errante’s Somnia debut is a stunning. Check it out.
Mogwai- The Hawk is Howling- I love Mogwai. Have since high school. Have even more since I started to smoke weed. People like to give them a hard time, but they are fucking awesome. If you like any of their old material, I can’t see you not liking this too. They continue to evolve (The Sun Smells too Loud is a new direction) but they continue to be heavy and amusing.
Sparkle in Grey- A Quiet Place- Another talented group from Italy, this record was produced by Giuseppe Ielasi. Originally a solo project of Hue, this is their first release as a proper band. Not that that means much. A Quiet Place is a mix of found sound, field recordings, conventional instrumentation, electronics, and downright noise. Somehow, something beautiful has emerged.
Sigur Ros- Me_ su_ í eyrum vi_ spilum endalaust- Fuck you if you don’t think they are the best band in the world. You are wrong. That’s all. I see their shortcoming, I do, but it doesn’t matter. If this were a church, I’d be a preacher.
http://www.sigurros.com/main/home/
Max Richter- 24 Postcards in Full Color- This is a collection of 24 tracks. An experiment to see if meaningful music can be written for use as ringtones. I love the concept. I love the results.
http://www.maxrichter.com/
Sumner McKane-What A Great Place To Be – I think, more than any other artist, I want people to know Sumner. He sells himself, really, if people could just hear this stuff. Honestly, he blows me away. Please check this out, and see my reviews on TSB. Just, beautiful, talented, wonderful production, and full of soul and love.
http://www.sumnermckane.com/howdy_yall.html
Kayo Dot- Blue Lambency Downward- This is not an easy record to absorb, but with repeat listens, and close attention, it pays off. Most people will hate it. They’ve been on Tzadik, Robotic Empire, and Hydra Head, but that alone will not give you a hint of what they sound like. On tour 2 years ago, all the members but Toby and Mia quit, leaving the band a chance to reinvent themselves. Finally pulling out of the metal shadow of Maudlin of the Well, BLD marks a milestone for the group.
MGMT- Oracular Spectacular- You all know this shit. They’re huge, they’re played all over the place, everyone loves them. It’s silly, they’re having fun, we’re having fun. Sometimes we don’t need serious. There is still something sincere about what they are doing, though, not in the lyrics, or the sound, but just the energy. Fun fun fun.
Grails – Doomsdayer’s Holiday, Take Refuge in Clean Living- Many of us at TSB loved their last 2 records, particularly Burning Off Impurities which was our #1 last year. I first saw Grails at CMJ in 06, at Sin-e, and they blew me away. I loved their EP this year, and the new lp is pretty good. A bit different, doesn’t really top BOI, but still classic.
The Drift-Memory Drawings- Again, see my review for more on this. If you miss old DMST, you’ll probably love this. Organic, jazz infused post-rock from the Bay. http://www.thesilentballet.com/dnn/Reviews/2008/April/tabid/127/ctl/Details/mid/548/ItemID/1383/Default.aspx
Neil on Impression- ...l'oceano delle onde che restano onde per sempre- Yes, another Italian band. Yes, they are really great too. The thing I love is that each of these three groups are entirely distinct from each other. The Perfect Tango (2006) was pretty impressive, but they’ve really solidified their identity here.
http://www.neilonimpression.org/
This is Your Captain Speaking- The Eternal Return- Name checking Nietzsche in the title in a subtle way? They win. Glad to see Australia is still putting out great records too.
Samuel Jackson 5-Goodbye Melody-- Nice followup to 2005’s whtvr it was called. Good solid instrumental rock. Goes beyond the loud/soft dynamic, doesn’t rip off mono/eits/gybe/mogwai. Scandinavia ftw!
Beneva v. Clark Nova- Sombunal- I don’t know much about these guys, but another great electronic record. The cover of the album has a bunch of naked baby dolls all over it. Kinda creepy. But they turn what should be a bizarre inaccessible record into surprisingly catchy pop glitch.
Akira Kosamura- Tiny Music- Another TSB favorite. Japanese, very pretty. As opposed to last years collaboration with Haruka Nakamura, Aftetglow, which was composed of 2 long tracks, Tiny Music consists of many shorter tracks. Mostly Akira’s piano, and some classical and acoustic guitar.
Juxta Phone v. offtheky- !escape kit!- Wow. This was a great year for electronic artists collaborating to create amazing records. Offthesky releases a good deal of music, but we don’t seem to know anything about this ‘Juxta Phona’ cat. In anycase, it shows that these guys must have put an incredible amount of time into making this record. Slight tweaks, hundreds of filters and effects. The result is hard to define, but dense and smoky electrojazz comes close.
Kira Kira- Our Map to the Monster Olympics- Finally a female electronic/sound artist! Another original group from Iceland. She weaves together various toy instruments and recordings with guitar, glockenspiel, and laptop. http://this.is/kirakira
Autistici- Volume Objects- You know the drill. Italian. Careful electronic collage. Organic development of electronic sounds. Check TSB for the review.
Gang Gang Dance- Saint Dymphna - I won’t even try. Pretty original stuff. Out there. Lots have been written about this Manhattan it-band, and they deserve it.
DJ Spooky- Sound Unbound- Following Rhythm Science, his book on remix culture on MIT Press, and last years Africa mixtape for the Venice Bienniale, Sound Unbound is a collection of essays Paul D. Miller edited. The book comes with an accompanying CD, a collage mix culled mainly from the archives of Sub Rosa. Where else can you hear Iggy Pop reading Burroughs, and Dada mixed with Sonic Youth, etc.
http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=11401
Nico Muhly- Mothertongue - I’d like to hate him. 27 year old polymath prodigy. It’s hard not to be envious. But, he’s too talented. This album has some missteps, and is nowhere near as pretty as his last, but I think that’s the point. Everything shouldn’t be conventionally pretty. The album has three movements, each exploring a different idea. The eponymous piece is sung by Abigail Fischer, and was performed early this year at a Wordless Music show. Nico was trying to capture the incredible array of information crowding our brains, and succeeds by programming a sampler with all the numbers and addresses Abigail could remember, and creating an electronic backdrop of monotonous numbers that she then sings over. I’m a sucker for conceptual art. The piece with Sam Amidan is also very striking, a reworking of an old folk song whose mood had been altered to better suit the lyrical content.
I have also become a great fan of his blog. It is the most interesting mash up of intelligent fragments on pop culture, linguistics, classical and pop music, food, etc. www.nicomuhly.com
My Education-Bad Vibration- They are from Texas? I dunno. Mad chill though. These guys pull off the folksy-postrock aesthetic amazingly. Recommended.
Flying Lotus- Los Angeles- Phat intrumental hip hop beats!!!!!!!!!!! Did a great remix of Radiohead this year too. Signed to Warp last year, and his debut for them didn’t disappoint. Looking forward to future work.
Silian Rail- And I You, To Pieces I saw Silian Rail open for FMTM out in SF last year, and was very impressed by this duo, enough that I reviewed their debut EP of my own volition. Their proper debut was recently released, and was just what I thought it’d be. Amazing. Has some of my favorite tracks of the year. Just guitar and drums, with occasional glockenspiel, they manage to craft a really distinct sound. There is something honest and sincere about their music that is lacking is a lot of instrumental music.
Colin Stetson- I love jazz, but most of what I love was made from 1950-1976 or so. Obviously there are great players still playing, but most of them either had their hayday in those years (Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, Mccoy Tyner, Anthony Braxton, Ornette Coleman, etc) or are young lions who don’t really know their history or are rather just trying to mime the same forms that have already been made. Stetson is in the jazz tradition, but is one of these young cats who is busting out doing something totally new. This record is pretty much unclassifiable. There is little I can say that would describe what it actually sounds like. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it is a single take with no effects of one guy playing horns. Stetson makes use of circular breathing, plays various horns at once, and has a great sense of composition, at times sounding akin to electronic artists. And it’s good too.
Bohren & Der Glub of Gore- Dolores These Germans used to be way heavier. Apparently they’ve been around since the ‘90s, influenced by Gore. Now they play beautiful chill music with horns and shit. TSB ranked them as album of the year. I wish I’d discovered them sooner.
Gifts from Enola/ y/m/d/i/t/d- Harmonic Motion. Hell yea. Best post-rock record of the year.
Peter Broderick- Homes Efterklang did not release any full length records or Eps this year, so I had to put Peter Broderick on the list. Honestly though, great record.
Ghostland Observatory- Robotique Majestique- I liked last years Lightning Paparazzi better, but I didn’t hear them until this year anyway, courtesy of my man Lee.
Machinefabriek- This dude puts out so many records, I’m sure one of them should be on this list. But I can’t remember.
The Very Best- Esau Mwamwam + Radioclit = the very best This record is really good. A singer from Mali fusing Malinese music with European dance beats and pop remixes. I do not hate Vampire Weekend. But their vague references to early ‘90s Paul Simon does not count as African. They are Ivy league white preppy boys. Which is fine, I aspire to be such a thing. Doesn’t make their music authentic. Anycase, why am I talking about them? Because THE VERY BEST (esau + radioclit) is way better. Download their record/mix tape here for free. http://www.myspace.com/theverybestmyspace
And some others that I’ve run out of momentum to write about.
Le Chat Blanc Orchestra
The Alps
ARP
White Denim
Helios
Te’
Sgt.
En Plein Air
Lykke Li
Haushka
Label
Somnia seems to be the stand out label this year, releasing fantastic records by Juxta Phona vs. offthesky, Evan Barthalomew, Evan Marc +Steve Hillage, Bluetech, and Emmanuele Errante, all just in 2008. Check them out. Some of the best chill out, ambient, psycbient, glitch, etc going out.
http://somniasound.com
Stand Alone Single
Redhooker- "Telling Time"- This is a group I discovered a few years ago after receiving their EP to review. Basically the sideproject of the guitar player from Slow Six, I really connected with their music, and had the chance to see a wonderful performance in a special place called Monkey Town in Williamsburg during CMJ. The Silent Ballet released a new song on our 9th compilation with Lost Children earlier this year. The track is called Telling Time. Download it here. www.archive.org/details/LostChildren051
Singles
Coco Tea- Barack Obama – What with Obama winning the election and all, this tune got a huge boost. The fact that it has been played all over the world makes it relevant enough, but it is also catchy as hell on it’s own.
N.E.R.D- All the girls waiting in the line for the bathroom- This single and accompanying video is pretty funny. Stand out pop song for me this year.
And Past Stuff
Max L. introduced me to a band called Kneebody. They are amazing. No proper releases this year, but their improvised electronic jazz blows pretty much everyone else out of the water. Mostly because they are compositionally mature and can play their instruments amazingly well.
I love the Smiths.
Music for 18 by Steve Reich is still one of my favorite pieces of music.
I really love Brazilian music. After getting some mix tapes from my friend Matt last year, I’ve continued my exploration of Brazilian music. Some of the best stuff I’ve heard ever, combining music with traditional roots, community, musical virtuosity and experimentation.
Reissues
Sonny Rollins- Freedom Suite
Nina Simone
Stars of the Lid, "Music for Nitrous Oxide"
Gavin Bryars “The Sinking of the Titanic”
Things to keep an eye out for in 2009
Saxon Shore
Bob Ostertag
From Monument to Masses
Moving Mountains- This is kind of out, but not really, so I’ll wait till next year. It’s awesome. I hope they don’t dilly dally on the next lp. Guys?
Looking Glass Wars
I took part in Rhys Chatham’s Crimson Grail this summer, but our actual performance got rained out. So, look for that this year.
The Watchmen movie- not music, but hey.
posted by tno at 23:36
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