Kranky S&D

Um, whaddaya expect from a label named Kranky?

The two Spiny Anteater albums they put out are fine, under-rated gems that you should search out.

S: _Gravitational Pull vs. the Desire for an Aquatic Life_, Stars of the Lid
D: Everything past the first Godspeed album. One of the rare cases where Ned can summon more bile and invective than i can...

-Matt, who can't wait until their catalog is bought by Nike.

Anyway, search up through KRANK 024 or so. Particular faves: Dadamah, Labradford's self-titled, Bowery Electric's self-titled, both Magnog albums, first two Jessamine albums, the first Dissolve, Roy Montgomery, Windy And Carl, Low, and Stars Of The Lid.

Destroy: most of the other stuff

Destroy: Low - "Embrace" from _Things We Lost In The Fire_

Destroy:
Fontanelle, Amp, Low, Out Hud.

Cheers

Comments:

-- I like OutHud on compilations but still see no need to buy one of their albums

-- I'm not sure what to make of Clear Horizon (Jessica Baliff + Dave Pearce) ... the first half of the song is pleasantly Jessica Baliff, then it's all "cue Flying Saucer Attack" and there's an abrupt shift to an FSA droning thing. It's good, but it feels stapled together more than an actual collab. Interesting choice of track ... I'd like to hear the album so that I can judge properly

-- Why don't I own any Stars of the Lid albums? How can this be?

-- Two Pan.American tracks, which are both excellent, but I always find that PA albums drag.

Anyway, it's a very mellow comp overall ... worth my ten bucks with plenty of room to spare. Has anyone else heard it?

One of the unreleased tracks was a SotL song from their upcoming album. It's very much like the "Tired Sounds ..." material (judging from "Requiem for Dying Mothers Part II", also included on the comp).

The entire compilation is more drone/ambient (and psych-folk) than rock (or post-rock(!)). There's nary a percussive beat to be found.

Forgetting what music you have is a sign that you either have too much music, or aren't keeping track of it properly. Or both.

They're astounding live, too, but I'm sure you already know that.

Search: Nearly everything, especially SOTL, Dead Texan, Aix Em Klemm, Growing

Destroy: Outhud's second album. Ewww...

d: dunno, i'm not really a big bird show fan

Destroy: Hmm.. I don't know enough about the Kranky roster to play.

Magnog are still great, v. underappreciated.

-- chris andrews (frae...), October 31st, 2004.

typical ilx response, sir!

search: a load of bands the 'casual' listener probably won't have heard of, and definitely won't have heard.

destroy: low, gy!be, i.e. the ones that the 'casual' listener has probably heard and/or liked.

Rush are on Kranky now?!?

hi, i really like White Rainbow's "Prism of Eternal Now". however my friend told me it's boring "new age". getting old is a bitch.

Cloudland Canyon

^
^
awesome cd. i'm a big fan.

i've been ignoring kranky for years but i went and listened through their last year's releases on emusic and well fuck me if there isn't a bunch of really great stuff that's been flying beneath my radar. dig the cloudland canyon stuff, the latest valet album is lovely too, lotus plaza, strategy.. nice.

^ otm... Jonas Reinhardt is great, too

I just saw Windy & Carl / Benoit Pioulard the other night. Windy & Carl put everyone to sleep, which is to say they were wonderful!

Hahaha.

The new Jonas Reinhardt album 'Powers Of Audition' is all kinds of awesome. I'm really digging this. It's instrumental kosmiche synth-laden prog of the highest vintage-appreciating order, with a wee handful of totally propulsive krautrockers to get your head nodding, before you're transported back to soaring warmly on the higher astral plain... very nice.

The new Loscil album 'Endless Falls' is also rather lovely. Looks like I'm back on the Kranky collecting train when these ones filter through properly.

This new one, 'Endless Falls', is inspired by the hefty rainfall in Loscil's Vancouver hometown, and I think is really evocative, both musically and aesthetically (it has a great cover shot, apparently by his 4 year old daughter), of those long, slightly melancholy days when you're inside listening to and watching the rain blurring the world outside the window, immersing yourself in your house-bound self.

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drn500/n582/n58297nkvdn.jpg

Will have to check that Loscil, I really like what I've heard previously.

I can't claim this is an impartial recommendation, because he's a dear friend, but Chris Herbert's Mezzotint from a couple of years back is a slow-burner of the highest order. This is more recent than the album, but is a fair representation, and is wonderful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK-HL64XXaY

(it has a great cover shot, apparently by his 4 year old daughter)

Love this.

Ha, the other I just did a search to see if anyone had been talking about Loscil on ILX and there was absolutely zip in the search. Now there is, and good. Have really been enjoying the new one, and thought Plume was pretty good too. Wasn't actually aware he was from Vancouver (or part of Destroyer) until last night. Huh!

I seem to remember back in the mid-90s the big acts on Kranky were Labradford, FSA, Stars of the Lid, and Jessamine. Jessamine really seems to have been forgotten...

Did they tour much? Can't remember. A very good band for sure, maybe rediscoveries are nigh.

But wait, FSA? They were VHF and Drag City unless I've completely misremembered.

No, I'm mis-remembering. Coulda swore they were on Kranky but I'm mistaken.

Jessamine were hit and miss but when they hit they were terrific.

Really fond of Jessamine, but I wonder if they got overlooked a bit due to vocals (which were kind of ordinary indie-schmindie compared to their sound). Totally amazing drummer, whose name I don't know. I still play "You Have Ugly Talents, Martha" and "You May Have Forgotten" and "Pilot-Free Ignition" on a regular basis.

new Belong record on kranky is really really great

YES! New Belong! <3 I´ve only heard the one song they released online, I´m waiting for the vinyl to arrive!

Is the album pretty much like that song, ´Perfect Life´?

This band is so criminally overlooked. One of my greatest musical discoveries of the last decade I think. Somehow they found a place between all existing music and made it so uniquely their own. I know no other band that sounds like them, not on a deeper level.

I caved and downloaded the album. All your fault Ilxor! ;-)

Enjoying the shit out of this. Cannot wait for the vinyl!

hah nice, i have done my good deed for the day!

yeah loving the belong album. quite difft to the EP of theirs i have. like a more gentle soft moon

Which W&C is that? Forest Trails or something else?

New one:

https://windyandcarl.bandcamp.com/album/allegiance-and-conviction

I like the new Dean Roberts but can't help but feel like its deliberately prosaic lyricism detracts from it somewhat, as though he were weaving an aural narrative about failed interpersonal relationships from the wizened perspective of a 50-something divorcee or whatever and I just find that shit hopelessly dull, like a Jonathan Franzen novel.

Basically I hate psychosocial lyrics that make me feel like I'm supposed to relate to them, like 'wow so true man'.

Unsurprisingly, the new Windy & Carl is indeed fantastic.

Listened to it twice in a row last night. It’s terrific.

It is indeed. I'll have a piece running soon -- did a big ol' interview with them, though only a few samples of it will be used in the final result.

The Ana Roxanne album has been my safe space throughout November.

I love the bits where she doesn't use her speaking voice, otherwise it takes me a little too out of itself.

^really enjoying this, it's one of the few times I've discovered something via letting Spotify auto-play.

Her NTS show makes for good work music too

I missed this. What a gorgeous album.

What was going on with the Low hate 18 years ago

i wish i liked the mj guider record a bit more cos i loved her first one, but maybe it'll grow on me with time. not sure what's missing, maybe it's just me? probably worth a spin if you're into bowery electric or early HTRK though

The Ana Roxanne album has been my safe space throughout November.

― technopolis, Saturday, November 28, 2020 3:09 AM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink

love this

I'd like it better if there was less talking involved.

Anyone heard any more of the Niecy Blues album aside from what's on Bandcamp?

Oh look! https://justinwalter.bandcamp.com/album/destroyer

People are saying Dean Roberts has passed away - awful, awful news.

Waking to the heartbreaking news that Dean Roberts has passed away. Just crushingly sad. I can hear the song of his voice and the physicality of his mischievous, soulful laugh. RIP Dean, and sending love to all whose lives he touched. pic.twitter.com/XRAE31SBtR

— David Grubbs (@blackfaurest) August 14, 2024

Lovely piece on Dean Roberts from Radio New Zealand's Culture 101 show:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/culture-101/audio/2018967932/the-moth-has-flown-the-life-of-musical-adventurer-dean-roberts

thank you for that! i love dean - music that always left me feeling enriched, sad there's no more to look forward to