he sent out an email blast with the subject line "TEN", assume he wouldn't mind me sharing (and congrats, Connect_icut!)...
he sent out an email blast with the subject line "TEN", assume he wouldn't mind me sharing (and congrats, Connect_icut!)...
C418: "Volume Beta". As the soundtrack to MINECRAFT, C418's "Volume Alpha" might be the most widely heard Ambient Music album ever. His beautiful Roedelius and Eno meet Belbury Poly stylings, on tracks like "Dead Voxel" which graces 2013's "Volume Beta", will be familiar to all explorers of The Nether.
Connect_icut: "Crows & Kittiwakes Wheel & Come Again". Massive album which effortlessly squared the circle between post-MBV Indie Rock noise and Fennesz-style glitch. Macklin gets better and better.
Haim: "Days Are Gone". Faultless. Can't agree with the 80s Soft-Rock dialog round these ladies, in spite of its seductive logic. This doesn't sound retro to me at all! Listen to the charts and compare. Utterly bewitched by Danielle's wounded but tough persona - heard best on "Don't Save Me". Witness her elegantly withdrawn, gently sceptical presence in interviews on YouTube. This story must run and run.
Lorde: "Royals". The whole LP isn't up to much - but "Royals", barring embarrassing lyrics ("cut my teeth"/"my fantasy") was breathless and quite lovely. When she hits that swoony high note on "Queen Bee" - there's been nothing as exquisite this year.
Robin Thicke: "Blurred Lines". I first heard this on Capital Radio. It seemed fourth dimensional the way it leapt out the speakers. Immediately reminiscent of multiple August Darnell projects: Kid Creole's "Mister Softee", Machine's "There But For The Grace Of God" and Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band's "Cherchez La Femme" but at once refreshing and current. I was, perhaps foolishly, surprised that Thicke was a white man. Then both titillated and slightly appalled by the song's music video. There came soon, at first a trickle, then a torrent of backlash against its "rapey" undercurrent - some of which seemed understandable. Finally we had the stomach-churningly ghastly spectacle of Miley Cyrus duetting with Thicke at the MTV awards. The whole experience was like watching someone turn tricks on a motorbike before crashing into the crowd.
The Focus Group "Elektrik Carousel". The Focus Group donned their black leather and wraparound shades this year to explore gently surprising but still consistent aesthetics. Imagine the clockwork whirr of The Velvet Underground's "Here She Comes" were to warp and weft - or the dream-noir tin can of The United States of America's "Cloud Song" was banged till it was empty. House seemed to get a contact high from the Can outtakes; fresh from designing the cover for their Lost Tapes.
Vampire Weekend: "Modern Vampires of the City". As much as their hipster jet-stream frolic can grate... Were Spandau Ballet ever this aspirational? Notwithstanding, the aching emotion of Ezra and Rostam's songs get me every time. They are never afraid of being tender, of having emotions, of having something (albeit oblique) to say.
Kanye West: "Yeezus". He lunges from one sensational position to the next. The last two LPs - "Watch The Throne" (2011) and "MBDTF" (2010) didn't appeal (too chummy - too bombastic) - but "Yeezus" is thrilling - especially "Black Skinhead's" Glitter Band redux. Can't think of a more radical gesture from the Hip-Hop community...ever.
Xylitol: "Kunst Ist Tot". Awesome neo-NDW with mind-bending artwork from Steve Stapleton.
Various Artists: "Purple Snow: Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound". Timely Hipster revival comp which inspired me to compile this Spotify Playlist dedicated to the joys of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. So many gems in Janet Jackson's back catalogue: pitch "Alright" up +2 on your Technics and it's practically 2 Bad Mice, and the 'Nuum parallels don't stop there - check the jaw-droopingly extraordinary "Empty" - they were listening to LTJ Bukem?! The unfeasibly sly Kraftwerk sample on her "Show Me". Too many highlights - but Boyz II Men's "4 Seasons of Loneliness" - devastating innit.
