Albums of 2015

[Mike]

He needs some help with the production (this sounds self-produced again) if he wants to go with the full sound. I think I like the song but the production makes it difficult for me to process everything.

[bodysnatcher]

Shit guys, sorry for the triple post, but this one just has to be shared. New Godspeed You! Black Emperor release! 'Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress. Release date is March 31. It's just over 40 minutes long, making it the shortest God's Pee full length, yet.

Here's an excerpt of opener "Peasantry, or 'Light Inside of Light!'":



It's a little tough to make out from the press release (http://cstrecords.com/cst111/), but it appears as though this whole album might be the 45ish minute, multi-part suite known as "Behemoth" that has been a part of their live set for the last several years. Then again, I did hear something about a new piece played at a show late last year, so who knows.

Fuck. Yes.

[bodysnatcher]

http://pitchfork.com/news/58399-the-tal ... d-is-home/

2015 is my year. First Sufjan, now this.

A'ite. I'm intrigued, but unfamiliar. Where do I start?

The Wild Hunt is his most acclaimed and a good starting point but I love all three of them. I'd start with that one and if you like it you can follow with Shallow Graves and then his newest one. The EP 'Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird' is good, too.
From The Wild Hunt

as great as The Wild Hunt is, Shallow Grave is better for me.

and yeah, i wasn't too taken by his last one sadly... hoping for better with this new one.

His new song is up at Pitchfork:
http://m.pitchfork.com/news/58596-the-t ... band-tour/

I dunno, I am in favor of this kind of creative growth but I can't escape the fact that the further he gets from his traditional guitar/voice setup, the less visceral and urgent the music feels -- which I suspect is the opposite of what most of these folkie-type guys intend when they inevitably reach the point where they feel compelled to put together these "full band" albums. Not all folkies are meant to grow into Bob Dylan; some are Leo Kottke, or Dave Van Ronk, guys who more or less end where they begin. Let their acoustic guitars twang for all to hear.

My thoughts exactly. I really want to grow with him but im afraid he may have peaked at Tallest Man on Earth as far as what I need from his music. The more he adds to his sound the less intimate it feels.

When did copping Tom Petty become the cool thing ?

[epilogue]

http://pitchfork.com/news/58399-the-tal ... d-is-home/

2015 is my year. First Sufjan, now this.

A'ite. I'm intrigued, but unfamiliar. Where do I start?

The Wild Hunt is his most acclaimed and a good starting point but I love all three of them. I'd start with that one and if you like it you can follow with Shallow Graves and then his newest one. The EP 'Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird' is good, too.
From The Wild Hunt

as great as The Wild Hunt is, Shallow Grave is better for me.

and yeah, i wasn't too taken by his last one sadly... hoping for better with this new one.

His new song is up at Pitchfork:
http://m.pitchfork.com/news/58596-the-t ... band-tour/

I dunno, I am in favor of this kind of creative growth but I can't escape the fact that the further he gets from his traditional guitar/voice setup, the less visceral and urgent the music feels -- which I suspect is the opposite of what most of these folkie-type guys intend when they inevitably reach the point where they feel compelled to put together these "full band" albums. Not all folkies are meant to grow into Bob Dylan; some are Leo Kottke, or Dave Van Ronk, guys who more or less end where they begin. Let their acoustic guitars twang for all to hear.

My thoughts exactly. I really want to grow with him but im afraid he may have peaked at Tallest Man on Earth as far as what I need from his music. The more he adds to his sound the less intimate it feels.

When did copping Tom Petty become the cool thing ?

I.... I like Tom Petty...

[bodysnatcher]

Oh me too, but seems like he's become the cool thing to mimic and doesn't get any of the credit

[Kevin Davis]

I don't think any of these artists really sound like Tom Petty (and honestly I would argue that he doesn't really have a terribly discernible style to "mimic"). I think he's just a go-to comparison for musicians who write straightforward, relatively unchallenging rock music with a singer-songwriter flavor. When a reviewer compares an artist to Tom Petty, I usually take it to mean, "I like this, it has endearing qualities, but I want to make clear that I realize that it is somewhat middle-of-the-road."

[Brett]

More new stuff. Also happens to be Canadian. Sometimes I wonder if I'm actually a Canuck and just don't know it.

First up is Drub, a duo out of Montreal who play what they call a drone-dub hybrid, thus their name. They've put out an EP on Cuchbata Records called Glitch Heart. It's available as a digital format right now, for free download, but is apparently supposed to be getting a casette release at the end of the month.



Then there's the debut album from Cluttertones, a project led by composer/bassist Rob Clutton. The album's called Ordinary Joy and it's being put out by Healing Power Records. The style's hard to pin down, since it pulls from several traditions, but there's elements of jazz, chamber music, new composition, folk, and even a bit of electronic music.

[William Bloke]

I've been really enjoying Silk Rhodes - Silk Rhodes, which technically may be a v.late 2014 issue. A very smooth, assured listen from start to finish, and with enough variety to keep me interested the whole ride.

This is Pains, which is the lead track and nice enough, but there's much more interesting stuff on the disc.

[pappas]

Love Cream - First Taste

a new aussie hard rock band, sounds like a mashup of AC/DC & Guns N Roses with a dash of Steel Panther. They beat 400+ other bands to the Australian title for the Emergenza music festival , and are now performing at the festival in Germany in August representing Australia

Spend The Night Together


BDL (Back Door Lover)

[epilogue]

I don't think any of these artists really sound like Tom Petty (and honestly I would argue that he doesn't really have a terribly discernible style to "mimic"). I think he's just a go-to comparison for musicians who write straightforward, relatively unchallenging rock music with a singer-songwriter flavor. When a reviewer compares an artist to Tom Petty, I usually take it to mean, "I like this, it has endearing qualities, but I want to make clear that I realize that it is somewhat middle-of-the-road."

Could be. I understand what you're saying completely. But I feel the need to say that Tom Petty has made some of my absolute favorite songs of the past 35 years. At his best, "middle of the road" feels like an unfair and possibly lazy slight.

[bodysnatcher]

I don't think any of these artists really sound like Tom Petty (and honestly I would argue that he doesn't really have a terribly discernible style to "mimic"). I think he's just a go-to comparison for musicians who write straightforward, relatively unchallenging rock music with a singer-songwriter flavor. When a reviewer compares an artist to Tom Petty, I usually take it to mean, "I like this, it has endearing qualities, but I want to make clear that I realize that it is somewhat middle-of-the-road."

Could be. I understand what you're saying completely. But I feel the need to say that Tom Petty has made some of my absolute favorite songs of the past 35 years. At his best, "middle of the road" feels like an unfair and possibly lazy slight.

Agreed with KD that Tom Petty doesn't have a discernible style musically, but definitely does in his vocal tone

[Brett]

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/11279

Pre-order pledge for the new Mike Vennart "solo" album; though I guess it's going under the name of just Vennart now. Pre-order nets a download of "Infatuate," the first single from the album. As was "Operate," the single released last year, this is a little more straight ahead rock than the more complex Oceansize stuff, or the more electronic British Theatre music. I have a feeling that the rest of the record will probably be better than this song, but I'm just happy this is being released at all.

[Mojopin]

Dat album!

[Kevin Davis]

I don't think any of these artists really sound like Tom Petty (and honestly I would argue that he doesn't really have a terribly discernible style to "mimic"). I think he's just a go-to comparison for musicians who write straightforward, relatively unchallenging rock music with a singer-songwriter flavor. When a reviewer compares an artist to Tom Petty, I usually take it to mean, "I like this, it has endearing qualities, but I want to make clear that I realize that it is somewhat middle-of-the-road."

Could be. I understand what you're saying completely. But I feel the need to say that Tom Petty has made some of my absolute favorite songs of the past 35 years. At his best, "middle of the road" feels like an unfair and possibly lazy slight.

For sure -- Tom Petty has written some wonderful songs, and I mean him no disrespect at all. There is something gorgeously unpretentious about what he does -- straightforward songs with straightforward arrangements, the best of which are very good. I do understand the temptation to use "middle of the road" as a criticism -- too many things never rise above mediocrity -- but I've never cared for the smug implication that something which is "middle-of-the-road" insults the sophisticated listener by being merely ordinary. Sometimes you just wonder what more people want from a good song other than to be a good song.

[Mike]

Modest Mouse and Sufjan leaked. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

[super nintendo chalmers]

Best 7" of the year so far.

[Brett]

I know I'm just talking to myself when I post stuff in this thread, but here's another thing: Clot Valencia is a live album by Eric Chenaux, recorded in 2008 in the venue that shares the album name. It's an interesting piece to contrast with his Skullsplitter studio album that came out last month.

I'm mulling getting the cassette, because I like having the object, and it's pretty cheap, but I don't really like the format, and am leery of what the shipping costs to the US from Spain would be. I might just get the Bandcamp download and live with it.

Audio:

[Mike]

Pretty bland. Not that I expected anything exciting.

[Brett]

Paul de Jong was one half of The Books before they split up in 2012. He's returning to music with his first solo release, IF, being put out by Temporary Residence who released the final Books album as well as re-released the first three (not to mention the two Zammuto albums, the brainchild of The Books' other half). This music is a little closer sonically to the early Books records, so it's quite welcome to hear.

"This is Who I Am":

"Auction Block":

[zeb]

I know I'm just talking to myself when I post stuff in this thread...

I enjoy your posts in this thread, Brett.