This Year In Music Pt. 3

The original plan of this list was to look back to albums that inspired me or were on heavy rotation at my place this year. Therefore I planned a series with six episodes showing this music in different categories. I also planned writing the post during my holidays until Christmas. As you know things happen and nothing is the same any more. So I finish this series with a little overview of some kind that was on my mind and most of lists are written by you mates.

Have a great start into 2018.

One of the best albums in 2017 were presented by veterans that appeared suddenly and unexpected. These albums found their way to my turntable and stayed there for long times. Best example was Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band. With Adios Senor Pussycat he appeared with a monument of an album filled with superb songs.

You can add Nick Heyward and  Mark Lanegan to this category and there are many songs to feature at this place (what happened during the year). But I have to name Peter Perret and Marc Almond right now.

Another category was reserved for guitar based bands. Mogwai, Spoon and The Horrors released great albums but I decided now to give Slowdive the place to appear once again. Not only for the return after almost 20 years in absence.

In retrospect these artists should be referred because they also released great and unique music this year:

Jane Weaver / The Afghan Wigs / The Charlatans / Algiers / Thurston Moore / A Tribe Called Quest / Jesus and Mary Jane / Richard Thompson / ...



Silent Times

I didn't planned to appear at this place before next year. But I had to interrupt my holidays and come back to Germany because my Mom died a week ago.  She lived 90 fulfilled years, grea up four sons and passed Away peaceful and without pain. All of the family will remember her these days.

I wish all of you a very peaceful Christmas time together with the ones you Love.

This Year In Music Pt. 2



Todays selection of eclectic albums feature some artist making songs without words. It is music I use to listen to when it was later in the evening to get grounded after a long working day.


First one is Moon Duo that released their Occult Architectures 1 and 2 also this year. After four records it seems like they found the sound of their own. Corroded guitars, loopy keyboard lines, krautrock rhythms, and psychedelic strains conjuring both the whirling cosmos and droning abyss. Some might say they sound too sinister but I am always ready if they take me out for a ride.

Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet is a long time traveller in electronic music. During many years he tried to combine different types of sound into his music and with New Energy he finally put them all together in one album. You can find his warm downtempo sounds as well as his free jazz adventures on this record. Not music for everyone but I often find new particles in his sound.

Since a few years I listen often to the output of Yorkshire musician and producer Mark Osborne aka Mono Life. He released his latest album called Sandalphon this year and it is still on a high level. Some might say it is only electronic music but I say it is different to many other artists trying to a job like this. Mono Life is able to create a carpet of sound filled with a downtempo rhythm and great melodies.


https://soundcloud.com/monolifemusic/dusky-sandalphon-version
https://soundcloud.com/monolifemusic/monochromatic-sandalphon-version




I cannot resist to feature a new German band that I listened often to this year even if they speak some words. Die Wilde Jagd enjoys with a warm percussive sound. Sadly I miss them while they play live at my place during my holidays.

ace.

This Year In Music Pt. 1



It is December and this year is almost gone. Most of you will probably find the time to have a musical retrospective on what has happened in music in 2017 and choosing your very own charts. So I will do as well. When I did this the last years I selected the most formidable records that passed my ears, add them up and selected 14 to 16 and featured them on this pages. So I did the same a few weeks ago and I suddenly I had more albums that this decade has years so far. I made a lot of thoughts how to manage it, thinking which album to delete from the list. So I deleted a few albums from the list and after a day I thought it would be wrong to delete just this. I did this for a couple of days and I found a solution. I sorted this records by different kind of groups and found a way to feature most of them.




Let us start with part 1 of the series, featuring artists that I just explored for the first time. Japandroids released their second album Near to the wild heart of life in spring and it was one that grew the more I listened to. The songs are built on simple material like guitar, drums and vocals but arranged absolutely perfect. It is pure rock played on a very high level.

Allvays is a Toronto based band and they also released their second album this year called Antisocialites. It is a fresh sound with crisp guitars, effervescent melodies and summery refrains. Someone reviewed it with this words Yet for all the noisy textures and shimmering sing-alongs on Antisocialites, Alvvays seem intent on masking pain while convincing others, and perhaps themselves, that everything’s fine. It’s a tricky balancing act, but that’s what makes this band so damn endearing.

Weather Diaries by Ride was an album that surprised me well. Not another shoegazing record by the boys from Oxford and it seems like they grown up already. It is a reunion that makes sense to me because they had the time to remember their roots and offer us an album filled with jangly guitars and harmonies





And finally for the first part a record I did not expected by Jane Weaver. I combined her as another folk singer from Liverpool but listening to the first songs on her excellent album Modern Kosmology she surprised me with a verz different sound. It seems as she listened long enough to Krautrock especially Can and Neu and arrived in space/rock and psychedelia. I really love their combination of keyboard sounds, the motor driven drums and her ethereous voice. I cannot remember how often I listened to this record this year.





Darktown Figures

Everything is packed and I start my trip in the next hour. Therefore just a small post. I just heard that Andrew Weatherall's new album is out now. So for those of you that are interested in electronic music song from Qualia. As most other tracks lead by a punchy live drum, spheric synths and a guitar riff.

Take care my friends.

Radar Love

Back in  1974 a Dutch band conquered the charts in Germany. Golden Earring was the newest big thing. Playing good old Rock 'n' Roll i a very unique style the had a lot of supporters since the. It was a ban a lot of mates could agree to, Since the I like to listen to this song for decades.

Marvellous

A few days ago Adam introduced Kelly Lee Owens to us. Since them I didn't knew her name or any song.But listening to her songs made me feel like a fan. Fantastic songs, mostly in downtempo but allways lead by her present voice that is t ancillary to the sound. Of course one of the best records coming up at he end of the year. This might be one of the last post of the year because I will travel tomorrow to South-East Asia to celebrate New Year there. I wish  to all of you a very good time over Christmas and celebrating New Yeas's Day.

A few days ago I listened to the newest song by Calexico. It will be released on their upcoming album and it is the way we know them. A dessert sound, good guitars, a drifty rhythm but now with a political message. Good to have them back.

Joey Burns tells us about this song:  “In the age of the extremes, when walls attempt stifling words, this song is inspired by the poems on postcards from those uprooted by war and oppression. It’s a song to remind us to open up our hearts and hear other voices sing their stories. I was listening to Mavis Staples, Bombino, Joe Strummer and Bob Dylan.”

Watusi Rodeo

It is Friday and working week is almost over. And only one more day on Monday to work until I will leave for a few weeks. As usually I go over the turn of the year to Sri Lanka again. I try to prepare some post including my very own review in music of this year. Today's song is one of those songs I can listen to at almost every time. Written  by Guadalcanal Diary, an forgotten band from Georgia in 1984. I really liked their jangly pop sound a lot these days and their records still find the way to my turntable. And the Reverend's version is also a good one even it sounds just like the original.

Guadalcanal Diary - Watusi Rodeo
Reverend Horton Heat - Watusi Rodeo

Grandbrothers

Seems like my musical preferences switch very quick and extreme these days. When I'm on the train home I use to listen to guitar sound in every variation and later at home I choose some ambient or something like the Grandbrothers. It is very warm and depressant sound. Mostly a classical piano dominates and a bit of ambient sound is added to the piaano chords. They describe their sound on bandcamp this way:

Grandbrothers are Erol Sarp and Lukas Vogel. After meeting at university in Dusseldorf, Erol and Lukas formed Grandbrothers to tie together their respective musical backgrounds and disciplines: Erol is a trained jazz pianist, while Lukas constructs synthesizers at Access Music. Together, they create a sound that combines classical composition with modern, experimental production and sound design. 

Just music to relax. If you are in the mood for something new - give them an ear.

Pool Hall

Since a few month I meet with some friends for playing pool at our local pub. I was sitting at the bar drinking my pint when I came in contact with an retired old man and we started talking about this and that, politics and sports and finally we talked about playing pool. Soon we started playing and I got a lot of lessons learned. I started playing when I was a kid of 15 years and played every couple of years later. Knowing that I was just a regular player that is able to play the rules the old man showed me the abilities of the game. He told me a lot about playing slow and waiting for the chance. Since then we meet with a couple of friends to play a weekly competition. And I have to say: the more I play the better I get. It is just another way to get rid of all the things that bothered me during the working week. Here are a few songs that were inspired by playing pool.

Enjoy.


 

L.A.M.F.

Even if you may not favour it, Christmas will come. At this time become also regular presenting us tons of best-of records and Christmas editions of albums. During the last weeks I have observed, that more and more albums was released on a 40th-anniversary edition. The most I welcome with a smile on my face and grab out my original ones. A few days ago the message arrived that there will be a 40th anniversary of Johnny Thunders and his one and only album with The Heartbreakers. Johnny Thunders is the link between mid 70's New York trash and the upcoming punk movement. In these days the New York Dolls were the ones who played the real rock music. Filled with glamour, hot guitars and songs with hooks. Johnny was one of them and after visiting UK he turned into a solo career. He was one of them who guided me into new and exciting music. Short songs with strong guitars and melodies made this record a classic. I don't know if I will get this new record added with outtakes and demos but this record is still worth to listen to.

Johnny Thunders and The Hearbreakers - Born To Lose
Johnny Thunders and The Hearbreakers - I Wanna Be Loved
Johnny Thunders and The Hearbreakers - Pirate Love
Johnny Thunders and The Hearbreakers - Do You Love Me

Skinny Lister

Almost two weeks ago I went to one of those concerts in my town that is worth to go to. Skinny Lister is not the band I usually listen to but I was in the mood for an evening with folk-rock played in a punk way. Following the road The Pogues primed they did a great show. It was pure fun to listen to this kind of music live once again

Viva La Quinta Brigada

Last weekend I saw a documentary about the rise of Francisco Franco in Spain almost 100 years ago and I remembered to my youngest days. We all learned about the fascist regimes before the days of world war two in school and had a great restistance against the Nazis in the early 80's. It was in this days Nazism tried to be compatible to many people in Germany. We had many fights with those backwards minded ultra right wings. I spent my first holidays in Spain in the year Franco died and I didn't made much thoughts about the political system in this country - just spending a few weeks off in a different country. During the years I read more and more about the history of Spain and the days of anarchy in the early 20's of the last century. The more I learned about the history and the way European communists stood aside the Spanish people against fascism the more I was impressed and ask myself if it could be possible in this way today. I have to admit that the answer is no. There was no solidarity to foreign people like it was in these days in Spain.