Rolling fave tracks + albums 2014

20 albums I'm pretty happy with for the first half of 2014:
Bottin, <i>Punica Fides</i>
Brantley Gilbert, <i>Just As I Am</i>
Brian Culbertson, <i>Another Long Night Out</i>
The Bruno Republic, <i>Purple Mountains</i>
Cindy Bradley, <i>Bliss</i>
Girl Talk & Freeway, <i>Broken Ankles</i> EP
Hercules & Love Affair, <i>The Feast of the Broken Heart</i>
Lana del Rey, <i>Ultraviolence</i>
Lone, <i>Reality Testing</i>
Mary J. Blige, <i>Think Like A Man Too (Music from and Inspired by the Film)</i>
Me'shell Ndegeocello, <i>Comet, Come To Me</i>
Michael Jackson, <i>Xscape</i>
Miranda Lambert, <i>Platinum</i>
Pat Metheny Unity Group, <i>Kin<--></i>
Pharrell Williams, <i>GIRL</i>
The-Dream, <i>Royalty - The Prequel</I>
Todd Terje, <i>It's Album Time</i>
Toni Braxton & Babyface, <i>Love, Marriage & Divorce</i>
Various Artists, <i>Defected Presents Dimitri from Paris in the House of Disco</i>
Various Artists, <i>Red Hot + Bach</i>

2 albums from December '13 not included, but worthy:
<i>Beyonce</i>
R. Kelly, <i>Black Panties</I>

Well, that's annoying.

we're pseudo-BBCode around here rather than pseudo-HTML

Really feeling that new Dimitri From Paris mix, although the house disc is far better than the disco mix. What is the Bottin like? I loved "No Static" from a few years ago but everything I've heard since has been nowhere near as good.

Funny, I vastly prefer the disco mix - which, BTW, is great for working out, too.

Currently feeling:

Ibibio Sound System - s/t
Toyboy and Robin - Better Places EP
Torn Hawk - Through Force of Will
Caribou - Can't Do Without You
Fhloston Paradigm - The Phoenix
Quiltland - s/t
OOIOO - Gamel
Rabbitsss - Penguins
Sébastien Tellier - L'Aventura

More stuff in my 2014 tracks and albums lists, should ppl be scouting for talent.

fav track is gimme choco by babymetal
fav album is quartet/octet by taku sugimoto

I don't feel like I've heard a lot of new music this year. I could name you maybe only 3 or 5 key releases from 2014 that stick out in my mind, but it's nearly April already so what's going on? It usually starts hotting up from now one surely?

Spam off.

TOP 10 ALBUMS so far

Anne Guthrie - Codiaeum variegatum
Fennesz - Bécs
Glass Animals - ZABA
Jason Lescalleet - Much to My Demise
MØ - No Mythologies to Follow
Shabazz Places - Lese Majesty
TOPS - Picture You Staring
Todd Terje - It's Album Time
Valerio Tricoli - Miseri Lares
War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream

And a couple more which are EP's or which I'd rate below 3.5/5

Alt-J - This Is All Yours
Adanowsky - Ada
Marian Hill - Play EP
Natural Child - Dancin' with Wolves
Sylvan Esso - s/t
Work Drugs - Insurgents
Yumi Zouma - s/t EP
ZHU- the nightday

http://recordings.fataka.net/products/529458-a-field-perpetually-at-the-edge-of-disorder-john-edwards-mark-sanders-john-tilbury-fataka-9

holy fuck this is good. the soundcloud excerpt is not very representative of tilbury's liveliness throughout the recording.

kassem mosse on workshop

https://hardwax.com/39550/kassem-mosse/workshop-19/

Two Aussie takes on post-punk, one grown-up sounding and one bratty, completely taking over my listening lately.

Total Control - Typical System (the grown up one)
Ausmuteants - Amusements

One of them probably destined for favorite album of the year. 2nd one is much less stupid-sounding than reviews had led me to believe, kind of transcends its lyrics in a big way. I was looking for a thread but couldn't find one, but curious if there's a big Aussie scene that sounds like this, or if it's just random.

the Ausmuteants single "felix tried to kill himself" is excellent

curious if there's a big Aussie scene that sounds like this

yeah there kinda is

albums and one ep in alphabetical order

Alexander Turnquist - Flying Fantasy 
Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness 
Blank Realm - Grassed Inn 
Future - Honest 
Kassem Mosse - Workshop 19 
Lewis - L'Amour 
Maxwell August Croy & Sean McCann - I 
Meridian Brothers - Salvadora Robot
Moodymann - S/t 
Morgan Delt - S/t
Ought - More Than Any Other Day 
Shackleton - Freezing Opening Thawing EP
Sun Araw - Belomancie 
Swans - To Be Kind 
Triptykon - Melana Chasmata
War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream 
Wireheads - Late Great Wireheads

Enjoyed Grassed Inn much more than I would have thought.

curious if there's a big Aussie scene that sounds like this

yeah there kinda is

Try HTRK and My Disco.

albums so far:

taking back sunday happiness is
swahili amovreux
joey anderson after forever
miranda lambert platinum
ronika selectadisc
driver friendly unimagined bridges
neneh cherry blank project
the hotelier home, like noplace is there
yg my krazy life
young marco biology
triptykon melana chasmata
against me! transgender dysphoria blues
especia gusto
owen pallett in conflict
meshell ndegeocello comet, come to me
popcaan where we come from
braid no coast

roundup, thus far:

thomas ankersmit - figueroa terrace
marc baron - hidden tapes
Laurence Crane: Chamber Works 1992 - 2009
edwards/sanders/tilbury: a field perpetually at the edge of disorder
Anne Guthrie: "Codiaeum variegatum"
KLAUS LANG: SAIS.
Plaid - reachy prints
VHS head - the persistence of vision

beck - morning phase
al-namrood - heen yadhar al ghasq
angel olsen - burn your fire for no witness
eyvind kang - the book of angels, vol. 21: alastor
mamman sani - taaritt
va - calypso: musical poetry in the caribbean 1955-69
va - beyond addis
va - haiti direct: big band, mini jazz & twoubadou sounds, 1960-78
modern baseball - you're gonna miss it all
first aid kit - stay gold
zion80 - the book of angels, vol. 22: adramelech
goat - commune
braid - no coast
lewis - l'amour
eluveitie - origins
fka twigs - lp1
michiru aoyama - warm season
somi - the lagos music salon
distorted harmony - chain reaction

Gridlink - Longhena
Carla Bozulich - Boy
Neneh Cherry - Blank Project
Behemoth - The Satanist
Triptykon - Melana Chasmata
Lydia Loveless - Somewhere Else
Every Time I Die - From Parts Unknown
Gazpacho - Demon
Monarch - Sabbracadaver
Judas Priest - Redeemer of Souls
Nux Vomica - Nux Vomica

Surprised to see that Sharon van Etten hasn't been mentioned yet, deserves to be on here. Such a great new album.

roundup, thus far:

Laurence Crane: Chamber Works 1992 - 2009

KLAUS LANG: SAIS.

― braunld (Lowell N. Behold'n), Monday, August 11, 2014 7:56 AM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

convinced that these two are minor classics. esp laurence crane. did you check out the taku sugimoto record? it's my fav of the year so far, you'd def like it judging by your list

nice, haven't given it a proper listen yet.. wasn't too moved by Live in Saritote (kamura/sugimoto) from last year, and my appetite for these beuger/frey-like, sort of tenuously played sound worlds is not so strong. though the recordings are very nice, with a lot of room sound.

the edwards/sanders/tibury disk on fataka really shook things up for me.

the first piece (quartet) is gorgeous, on that new sugimoto.

This was released 2013 but it seems like it got an official single remix release this year so I'm counting it:

Tove Lo - Habits (Hippie Sabotage remix)

Not a fan of the original but the remix is amazing.

I'm too lazy to write them all down but here's my favorite songs 2014 playlist on Spotify. It's around 50 songs at the moment if anyone is interested.

http://open.spotify.com/user/moteldemoka/playlist/7KMO1OxFfqbHD17ssHvExq

spotify:user:moteldemoka:playlist:7KMO1OxFfqbHD17ssHvExq

Jason Lescalleet - Much to My Demise

What's this like, Moka? I've delved into Graham Lambkin's back catalogue but I don't know much about Lescaleet

if you told me i'd like a Rick Ross album better than a Future album this year I'd be wtf but unfortunately that was what happened

even though Ross still ain't shit as a rapper

What's this like, Moka? I've delved into Graham Lambkin's back catalogue but I don't know much about Lescaleet

― 3kDk (dog latin)

If you enjoyed the Lambkin/Lescaleet release you know what to expect. It's only three tracks long, the first song is a deconstructed, melancholic piano ballad (so, similar to Stars of the Lid or the Breadwinner collaboration with Lambkin), the second one is a drone/tape piece and the last one is between drone and noise music.

If you never heard him before I'd recommend starting with The Pilgrim instead of this one, but this one is definitely one of the top 5 albums I've heard of him for me.

will check. 'photographs' was my second fave album of last year.

Mentioning this because it's so out of left field. Turning into one of my favorite albums of the year. Anyway...

Revolution in the Elbow of Ragnar Agnarsson Furniture Painter (soundtrack) - Ivar Pall Jonsson

This has been discussed in the afrobeats thread, but it deserves a mention here. Possibly my song of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDHBe1BA-Nk

Don't have much to add here at the moment (everyone has heard of Twigs and my year is fairly backloaded with forthcoming releases).

But I do think Novos Mistérios, by Italian percussion duo Ninos du Brasil deserves a bigger audience:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO5BOLIV2S4

Great recommendation Sanpaku! I'm listening to it now and it sounds amazing.

The suggested artists on Spotify is confusing though:

Connan Mockasin, Fuck Buttons, Broadcast, Actress

I'd say it's more in line with Shackleton, Africa Hi-tech, Tokimonsta or A tribe called Red.

the whole album, especially that track and the final (title) track, is terrific

whoa this is good stuff!

yeah, that sounds good! another italian thing i'm kind of enjoying atm is the clap! clap! album 'tayi bebba' which is basically samples of various african recordings over footwork beats. might sound like a clunky concept but it's pretty engaging music. there's definitely the whole issue of cultural appropriation to be wrestled with though

10 random albums that could all do with more love:

Vessel - Punish, Honey
Jenny Hval & Susanna - Meshes of Voice
Esben & the Witch - A New Nature
Suicideyear - Remembrance
Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
Emma Ruth Rundle - Some Heavy Ocean
Leon Vynehall - Music For The Uninvited
HTRK - Psychic 9-5 Club
OOIOO - Gamel
Ital - Endgame

thanks, haven't heard many of these. I like the OOIOO album - intend to spend a bit more time with it though as I'm not always in the mood.

get on that vessel album imo, it's kind of this year's answer to last year's james holden album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RhJY9ZeYqw

*whisper it* wasn't mad on the holden album but i'll give it a go.

So far:

Meshell Ndegeocello - Comet Come to Me
Seven that Spells - Death and Resurrection of Krautrock: IO
David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights - End Times Undone
Khun Narin Electric Phin Band - s/t
Black Bananas - Electric Brick Wall
Sungod - Vision Space

I need to hear the HTRK. i liked their last one.

Never listened to HTRK before this album. I bought it off a whim and have listened to it a few times nothing really caught my attention. Guess I'm still waiting for it to sink in.

(in no order)
Julius Steinhoff ‎– Flocking Behaviour
The Bug - Angels and Devils
Grouper - Ruins
Gesloten Cirkel - Submit X
Kassem Mosse - Workshop 19
EyeHateGod - Eyehategod
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Pinata
Aphex Twin - Syro

One of my friends turned me on to Broncho last year, but the new album Just Enough Hip To Be Woman came out two weeks ago and it's so goddamn good. Indie rock and me rarely see eye to eye anymore, but I'm definitely feelin' what this band is doing.

^^^ I second that, their album is excellent.