Calling all Loungers
So, what's your favorite musical discovery of the past year?
Which band/song/artist/genre/whatev has captivated your attention recently like none other?
Kick the discussion into high gear in the comments (and for those who haven't yet, ya still gotta comment on the last post).
3 Comments:
Iron and Wine.
I'd heard of them through a Chumbler recommendation but precious little music until "In The Reins" - with my favorite Calexico - came out.
Then I saw them together on tour and it was incredible, then downloaded a whole show, then bought/acquired several albums.
Check out "The Trapeze Singer" for my favorite song of the past year. Amazing lyrics...
With the advent of soulseex and the speed with which we aquire new music these days, it might be better to limit this to the last month or 3 months, you know what I mean?
I've got more than one. I'll start with the most recent:
Brightblack Morning Light - they made the cover of Arthur magazine so I decided to check em out. Oh heavenly comedown sounds. Not only are the songs and arrangements gorgeous, but they have the most beautiful instruments as well. Very warm soul sounds. After a while I realized they cross over into the same territory as Spiritualized, altho these guys seems much more organic.
Black Mountain - Got into this album a few months ago. Just about every track on this album is awesome, and there's lots of variety so it's good for an entire listen. This band, along with 'Blood on the Wall', reminds me of the best of the 90's alternative bands we liked back in the day.
tie: Vladislav Delay (luomo, uusitalo, etc...) and Ricardo Villalobos - this may be your introduction to microhouse. Characterized by minimal repetitive beats that sound like clicks or wet throats clearing. Preceded by stuff like Aphex Twin, Pole, Autechre, but microhouse returns the steady low end house beat although it is so disguised and mutated by drug use you may not recognize it at first. This stuff is hypnotic and beautiful. (Also see Jan Jelinek and Marc Leclair if you were totally into Lifeforms and Orbus Terrarum like I was in high school.)
Loefah - the best dubstep I've found so far. I really like this guy and Skream. I guess it could be described as really slow drum and bass, which is funny because drum and bass is just really sped up something else. So they play the 45 at 33 and you get these crazy head bobbing hip hop grooves. This is some futuristic shit being cooked up by 17-19 year old ex-ravers in the UK.
The Clipse - we got it for cheap vol. 2. Hardcore gangsta rap. how many incredibly smooth metaphors for cooking crack can you come up with? This album has the r.e.u.p.g.a.n.g. rapping over other people's beats. It reads like a best-of hip hop production from 04-05. And these guys outdo the originals.
Last but not least: Mulatu Astatke. Anyone who's seen Broken Flowers has heard the best of this Ethiopian jazz master. Start with Ethiopiques Vol. 4. When that's not enough, go find the other 2 albums that are available. This is a totally unique sound you can't find anywhere else, unless you listen to other Ethiopian jazz.
This is my first of possibly many ammendments.
Electrelane! omg Electrelane. Start with 'the power out' and when you are in love with it you will seek out the follow up 'axes' and be extremely disappointed because it doesn't have as much singing. But slowly, oh so slowly, it will grow on you. 'axes' captures their live sound perfectly which is very jammy and buildy. Electrelane sounds exactly like the band that I wish I was in. If that means I have to be a lesbian from France that gets recorded by Steve Albini, then so be it. So be it.
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