- Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Further Out. This is the sequel to their incredible "Time Out" (even though there were three other Dave Brubeck Quartet albums released between the two). It has that same mix of hummable jazz tunes played in odd time signatures. It's not as great as "Time Out", but that's fine. It's still good.
Dave Brubeck - Unsquare Dance
- Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be. Lo-fi pop that recalls a specific very-early-90s SubPop sound: the sweetly strange DIY sound of bands like Vaselines and Beat Happening, not the fury and thunder of Nirvana and Tad. And there's a touch of Siouxsie and Blondie, in there too. Fun stuff. 12 songs in 32 minutes.
Fifa 11 Soundtrack - It Only Takes One Night
- Sons Of Kemet - Your Queen Is a Reptile. Raucous hypnotic NoLa street marching band Afro-Caribbean modern/old-school jazz/dub. There are so many things going on in here, it's hard to come up with a suitable description. Maybe just "funky" will do. Amazing and funky. Mostly instrumental, but when the vocals do appear, they're amazing too. I love it.
Sons Of Kemet - My Queen Is Ada Eastman (Audio) ft. Joshua Idehen
- David Bowie - Station To Station. I'm taking my time going through Bowie's stuff. He was hit and miss - I love "Hunky Dory" and "Ziggy...", but "Low" and "Scary Monsters" not so much. This is a hit. It's only six songs, but lasts 38 minutes. Golden Years and TVC15 are great, as is the title track. Stay rocks a bit. The other two are good enough.
DAVID BOWIE - TVC15 (Live At Musikladen 05.30.78)
- The Ventures - The Ventures In Space. Surf rock! It's the only surf rock I own, and I think this will probably be enough. But it sure is fun.
- Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy (remaster). I was listening to the original version a couple weeks back and decided that the sound was a bit flat and muddy. So, I picked up the remaster, and it does sound better. I hear a lot of small details in the guitar and vocals that I'd never heard before, and even the bass is audible here and there! The songs remain the same, just better. I think this might be their best overall record, even if II is still my favorite.
Led Zeppelin - Over The Hills And Far Away
- FONTAINES D.C. - Dogrel The great-grandsons of Gang of Four, or the grandsons of Bloc Party, or the sons of Protomartyr? All of the above! But it's an honorable lineage and they represent it well. The tracks at the front of the album are taut and searing and angular but soften and pick up more melody as they go. I prefer the start.
Fontaines D.C. - Hurricane Laughter (Darklands Version)
You?
Stay is a great track. Probably my fave from Station to Station.
I’ve been listening to a lot of Joy Division. I’ve been a huge New Order fan since the 80s but never really clicked with JD (I know, weird) but it’s finally burrowed in. It’s 40 years since Unknown Pleasures was released btw.
I saw the OK Computer minidisc leak but held off seeking it out as, well it was stolen. But then the band released it so I spunked £18 for 18 hours of demos and snippets from one of my favourite records. It’s vast – rough – and is probably only of interest to hardcore fans but there are some gems like a 12 minute Paranoid Android jam, etc. TBH the best of those sessions was released in 2017 with the special edition 20 year OK Computer remaster. But completeness! I own quite a few special edition Radiohead records – actual vinyl – but have nothing to play them on. lol.
I also discovered Give Up by The Postal Service recently thanks to Spotify. Late to that party (it came out in 2003) but I like it very much and had no idea Jenny Lewis was involved. I quite like her solo stuff and some of the Rilo Kiley albums are very good.
And I seem to be entering a Beatles phase – this happens every 15 years or so. Started playing Abbey Road *by accident* the other day and it just tripped something in my head and now I’m consuming all that lovely remastered goodness.
The latest Muse record is so over the top, and they seem to annoy “serious music fans” so I’ve been digging all their stuff. I’ve always liked them but they’ve been touring and although I didn’t see them, friends that did were gobsmacked.
Saddest music anecdote is that I can’t warm to the latest National album and I’ve tried really hard. Mrs C and I are seeing them in December so hopefully it will work it’s way into me by then. If not it will still be a great show.
But 2019 hasn’t seen me listening to a lot of new stuff. Maybe that’s it now, I’m too old for new bands and will have to live off scraps these predominately middle-aged bands see fit to throw me. Ha!
i do a run on the Beatles ever few months. SiriusXM added an all-Beatles channel recently so my last Beatles run was listening to a couple of different “Rank all the Beatles songs in ____ order!” lists.
that Postal Service record is great.
Maybe that’s it now, I’m too old for new bands and will have to live off scraps these predominately middle-aged bands see fit to throw me.
been feeling the same thing.
Unrelated but have you watched Chernobyl yet Cleek? Holy shit: it’s fucking brilliant.
not yet. it’s on my list, though.
I’ve been obsessing over the new Wand record “Laughing Matter”. I think they’ve finally achieved the sound they’ve been working on since their inception. The garage attack of their earliest recordings (“Ganglion Reef” (2014) and “Golem” (2015) has tempered. The change was beginning on “Plum” 2017 and more pronounced on “Perfume” 2018. This record is psychedelic without sounding like a tribute. It’s modern but not poppy.
I can’t recommend it highly enough.
I’ve also been digging on Aldous Harding’s “Designer”. Just some good old weird freak folk.
The Sonic Youth release of the Battery Park concert from July 4th 2008 is a ripper. Really good.
Finally, for you old-heads: Ned’s Atomic Dustbin “Greatest Hits Live” is a walk down memory lane that (surprisingly) stands up!
Long live rocky roll!
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin “Greatest Hits Live”
i saw them and Jesus Jones on my 21st birthday. i barely remember it. but i do have a lovely bumper sticker from the show on my guitar case!