ILM 2023 Listening Club

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LepUxNYiFuV00PWeQ3Hap

I really enjoyed listening to songs others ilxors queued on turntable/plug/outloud but it was live so you had to be there to queue songs and there was no easy way to archive and listen later. Would there be interest in a “ilm listening club” in the form of a private, collaborative spotify playlist? Only rules would be to not delete other people’s songs and only post one track before another ilxor adds another, so if there’s at least two people sharing back and forth the playlist keeps rolling…
Idk I’ve discovered some amazing tracks via this year’s noms playlist and get lost in the individual rolling threads so if several ilxors are interested in participating it could turn out into something great.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, January 24, 2023

I like the idea of a current year listening club starting after the polls with a thread where people comment on latest additions (offhand or Tim F style). I would aim for 3-7 songs per week, either on first-come first-served basis, or people mention when they have a song they want to post and Moka adds it.
― Nabozo, Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Post whatever you want to share here in accordance with the general guidelines above and it will be added to the playlist if it's available on Spotify US.
YouTube, Tidal, Apple playlist copies are welcome and encouraged; please post here.

youtube or just song titles is fine.

starting myself with Royskopp's "There, Beyond the Trees"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbRtVZzR0xg

For the moment, what say we try to keep recommendations here to late 2022/2023 tracks only?

We can change that or start another listening thread for "released whenever" as best meets interest.

(at which point he notices that the royskopp came out in April 22, lol)

Thanks! Looking forward to this.

ok this is good i think? Avalon Emerson working with Bullion - I don't know who did what but it's a fairly unexpected curveball from Emerson, an indie song apparently about our smallness as individuals against the vastness of time. Very pretty and serene but there's also this undercurrent of strangeness and unease. Anyhow, two very disparate artists but both generally liked by ilxors, seems worth mentioning at least...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kutp_SR9QcU
Avalon Emerson - Sandrail Silhouette

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxvhZRtyHV0

Cécile McLorin Salvant’s new album, Mélusine, is due March 24 on Nonesuch; vinyl is due May 19. Mélusine is a mix of five originals and interpretations of nine songs, dating as far back as the 12th century, mostly sung in French along with Occitan, English, and Haitian Kreyòl. They tell the folk tale of Mélusine, a woman who turns into a half-snake each Saturday after a childhood curse by her mother. The track “D’un feu secret,” Michel Lambert’s 1660 air de cour, is available today, along with an animated video by Amanda Bonaiuto that may be seen here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPG4XX_X9rs

New single from Rosalia is seemingly one of her most straightforward pop songs to date, including a chorus sung in English, but still experiments with styles, textures, and tempos.

FWIW, as somebody who counts the new album as a favorite for the year, i really don't like it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q9UN5-zNXk
Rian Treanor & Ocen James • Agoya

from the Rolling Club Music (Non-Bobbins, Non-Techno) 2023 thread:

Jordan said:

First great release of the year, Rian Treanor & Ocen James (a Ugandan fiddle player) on Nyege Nyege, really fun and interesting record
https://nyegenyegetapes.bandcamp.com/album/saccades

count me in as well. first album to go in my 2023 Potential EOY Albums playlist.
not all the tracks work for me (I find things like “As It Happens” too ‘experimental’, for want of a better descriptor), but the highs are Himalaya-like (“Agoya” and “Naassaccade”!).

bonus points for occasionally triggering my Palais Schaumburg pleasure centres.

"Old Note" by Lisa O'Neil. I'm not familiar with her work. I know she sung on the first Yorkston/Thorne/Khan album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQGUYgNhQa4

this avalon emerson is wonderful

Cosign on the Avalon Emerson.
It was the track I was going to post too

Also loving the sound of Agoya, good one!

All of these are good to great to my ears, so a very nice start and proof of concept for the thread.

new Yves Tumor album on the way and this is the (very catchy) first track off it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxk-QeZ6Rus
Yves Tumor - Echolalia

making me think of outkast for some reason

New Caroline Polachek song “blood and butter” sounds great on headphones and has a very gorgeous 90’s vibe. William Orbit-esque?

https://open.spotify.com/track/1QmWunl2nbV9o9lujiLIDn

This album is going to be the best in her career.

Echolalia is 0 experimental for Yves Tumor! Sounds fun. I’m not quite hearing Outkast… I know it will probably sound insane but the first band that came to mind was Dandy Warhols.

Yeah Caroline Polachek is definitely on my most-anticipated list.

My favorite album of 2023 so far is the new Margo Price. It has lots of good songs, but this one sounds most like Led Zeppelin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvzRPv23zU0

breaking my own rules again but I'm enjoying drag hip hop duo The Dragon Sisters' 2021 EP The Fine Print
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBqRL50Lb7k

Aiming for Enrike: a Norwegian guitar + drums duo formed 10+ years ago. That lineup may put you (ie me) in mind of e.g. Hella, and their early stuff seems in that vein (or it could just be that I lack better references), but they've certainly gone places from there.

I first heard "Empty Airports" blind, and assumed it was one of those electronica producers/projects that liked their sounds beefy rather than spare; was then happy to find a live youtube video. The thing is split across three tracks on Spotify; I'm not sure how well that fits with playlist policies, but there you are. I'd recommend something else from the album, except I haven't got around to it, being somewhat obsessed by this bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em-l1-XcFAE

Song of the month for January was this unofficial Knife reunion track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpxEXMIY64c

Morgan Wallen performs country songs well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBkpoTbJAsI

Not playlistable but I want to recommend this killer bandcamp collection of 1920's Shanghai pop
https://deathisnot.bandcamp.com/album/waiting-for-your-return-a-shidaiqu-anthology-1927-1952-pt-i

This piece from Third Coast Percussion composed by Tyondai Braxton is sick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XE4rN-Xt4M

(album forthcoming, but I believe this is the only Braxton collab)

Some hyper-garbage from Denmark. I'm kinda obsessed with the time signature of this track (apropos the year-end thread)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUbutpdbe5s

The verses are in 6 (3+3) and then the chorus is in 4 (2+2), so the pre-chorus switches back and forth, and is in 8, then 7, then 5 (or rather 3+3+2, 3+2+2, 3+2). Check it from 0:37. It's a great way to connect the two different parts of the song.

The whole album is out today, and is very good, imo.

"Nightstand" - dreamy little ballad from Dev Lemons, who I guess runs a fairly popular music account on TikTok? this was my first exposure to her via spotify recs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EZre5OC9cA

checked out her other stuff and she's got a bunch of great hyperpop tracks as well

That Dev Lemons song is great! Nice find.

The Avalon Emerson/Bullion is enjoyable in a very The Sundays kind of way, sort of a drastically different direction from what I know of AE.

That Treanor/James track was good enough that I am working through the album. Plenty of keepers!

Lisa O'Neil's "Old Note" is very much a song where I can connect if I'm in the right headspace and otherwise I run screaming. Nice to have those kind of tracks available to help accentuate moods properly.

Aiming for Enrike are another major find for sure. The full Empty Airports cycle is worth bathing in.

Fever Ray's new one is great of course; they're playing at Terminal 5 later this year and I may have to force myself to get over the ticket price and the venue just to have the experience.

Will dig into the Braxton and Aperly High shortly.

Liking that Dev Lemons song a lot

I don’t know when this will be out on spotify - I guess at midnight? - but I stan Men I Trust and their new song “ring of past” sounds good and has a nice archival music video of skating rings to boot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSGwL5wORJY

i just started a thread for her but I'm adding Anna B Savage's new one, Pavlov's Dog, here too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiRT-49MXcI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT1XdNPCH0Q

Zoran Simjanović - Dvije Polovine Srca

Hopefully being reissued this year

have been really enjoying the new album from abracadabra (a duo from oakland who have been at it for a few years now i think), an enjoyable mix of talking heads/tom tom club/esg/lizzy mercier descloux-style post-punk along with more dubby/psychedelic sounds and some good bloopy synths. bandcamp blurb also references deerhoof and mort garsson, and as the album goes on you do feel there's a richer fusion of influences than your initial impressions might have led you to believe. anyhow this is the lead track from it, the steel pan drums lending a lovely sparkle to things, like sunshine reflecting off a lake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT6eesjkSL4
abracadabra - talk talk

Yeh good little album

does it... reach out and grab ya?

i really like the idea of this thread - essentially a non-genre based rolling 2023 thread - and had been trying to get the motivation to start something like it when i saw that this thread was already going. i listened to the playlist so far and there's lots of cool stuff on there. the abracadabra song was the one that jumped out the most.

i'm adding wretched lie by the tubs, from their album dead meat. it is indie rock, kind of halfway in between a new zealand jangle and a more aggressive u.s. sound. their singer sounds like richard thompson and writes some great vocal hooks. fans of the goon sax or the smiths might be into it.

pretty terrible video though

I just got the Tubs and it RULES, haven't loved an indie rock record like this in a while.

Trouble in Mind is such a great label.

the Richard Thompson thing is kind of uncanny but seems like it's just his voice.

another influence that stuck out is Bob Mould, but specifically early solo and some Sugar stuff not Huskers

"wretched lie" might not be the most representative song bc it is on the extreme end of their jangliness/smithsiness but the hooks are undeniable. "i don't know how it works" and "sniveller" are two other favorites but the whole album is good

they've just got the tunes

I really am liking this new collab between Ilxor mainstay, Javiera Mena and the legendary Mexican band Moenia . It definitely takes and samples from other songs, mainly Donna Summer I Feel Love and New Orders Bizarre Love Triangle, but sounds great blasted through speakers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5v9r2vlfrY

I really am liking this new collab between Ilxor mainstay, Javiera Mena and the legendary Mexican band Moenia . It definitely takes and samples from other songs, mainly Donna Summer I Feel Love and New Orders Bizarre Love Triangle, but sounds great blasted through speakers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5v9r2vlfrY

It is actually a cover of a well known 80’s song in spain/latinamerica

Ivan - fotonovela

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XNscCzSL6s

Listening to this 2022 album from Adrian Quesada (Boleros Psicodelicos), the instrumental half of Black Pumas. He's kind of like the the American Inflo, flawlessly retro production & playing, but less idiosyncratic and more pop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGUGd0m8CxY

I've been digging the Oakland-based Zamrock band Orchestra Gold, whose new album Medicine was released in January. The lyrics are in the Bambara language. I can see some people here dismissing this as sounding too retro, but they know how to kickstart the old sounds in a contemporary, rough-edged but hypnotic way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M5lBYBbcC8

I would have believed you if you told me it’s a reissue of an album from 1978. Sounds interesting will give the full album a listen.

This electronic/jazz collaboration between Saint Abdullah & Jason Nazary (drummer who was in Anteloper with Jaimie Branch) is out today and is sounding really interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLAQkX_KWf0

Presuming this remains a relatively benign space to make contributions, I figure this might be the one thread I continue posting to on ILX as I almost always have a new song that I want to share and would likely otherwise be abandoning the shared playlist.

Composer/saxophonist Sam Gendel continues his remarkably prodigious, diverse and and excellent recording output with the just released COOKUP LP. It's a clever, loving and suitably twisted selection of 90's/00's R&B covers. I'm only two listens in and my fave cut on the album is still a toss-up, so I'd really recommend exploring the whole thing. It's on the streaming services or Bandcamp.

That said, it's hard not to like this reimagining of "Are You That Somebody?" as a recitation of a Woman-Seeking-Man personal over synths, vibraphone and assorted trippy percussion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbcLS5tFnAk

I don't know much about this catchy, romantic, house tune but I do enjoy it a lot (seems four tet might be in on the drums/samples)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peIBCNTY8hA

Fred again.. - adore u (feat. Obongjayar)

For the moment, what say we try to keep recommendations here to late 2022/2023 tracks only?

We can change that or start another listening thread for "released whenever" as best meets interest.

― POLIZISTEN VERSINKEN IM SCHLAMM (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 26 January 2023 17:09 (seven months ago) bookmarkflaglink

did a "released whenever" thread/spotify playlist ever get started? I'd be interested in something like this thread but not restricted to tracks from the current year

catching up on this thread and just wanna say thanks everyone for all the recs - but esp for the Nourished By Time record, instant fave

did a "released whenever" thread/spotify playlist ever get started? I'd be interested in something like this thread but not restricted to tracks from the current year

― soref

It did not but also heavily invested in this one! I’m sure without the release date brake we can chime in some great recommendations. Will do a thread and start a playlist if there’s enough interest!

oh yeah, I meant a new thread/playlist as a complement to this one, if that wasn't clear, not suggesting that we change the criteria for this one. I'm also enjoying everyone's 2023 recommendations.

this is from 2023. SANAM are a "Beirut-based,free-rock,post-folk sextet"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgI9aMvM12U

96 Back - Laco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uPnCjKlPaQ

sheesh, i really gotta go through this thread. so much stuff.

i made my own playlist. gonna listen at home with the big t.v. and big speakers. cheers, you guys!

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE1-7P1reTFingvjHD6aleth0VPwqqKDj

Rose Gray - Happiness

Pop banger taking inspiration from a certain early 90s smash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfkoaS6-pxU

at this point random interpolations like that are just kinda annoying more than anything else

it's just jarring to go into "groove is in the heart" for a bit

So I got an idea for two collaborative playlist/threads in this same vein, let me hear what you think:

ILM club listening

ILM home listening

Two playlists with no genre/decade restrictions, one for sharing “party” music that we’d play to make ILM dance… cumbia, house, pop, salsa, hip hop, funk, disco… and one playlist for more introspective listening jazz, ambient, experimental, singer-songwriter…

Not sure about the names and of course what some would find as party/home music might not fit the bill for the next person but you get the idea.

I think separating them into two main moods could help into making them workable playlists. Of course we’d probably end up with a playlist that shifts into a scorching soul piece from the 60’s then into a 20 min IDM piece or bubblegum pop followed by 60s ska but I think it’d be interesting either way.

thank you for that pompidoo remix!

good idea Moka!

I also like the idea of party/home playlists

vince clarke - the lamentations of jeremiah

i don't know what to make of this but i watched the whole thing and vince is some sort of god and i won't make a gollum joke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQK95AtGi0U

Ok I’ll probably make a new thread tomorrow. I can’t decide on the verbalization for them…

Ideas:

ILM Home Listening / ILM Club Listening
ILM: Sunrise / ILM: Sunset
ILM Café / ILM Bar
ILM Office Stereo / ILM Dance Party

Help lol I have no idea what would be a good title to separate moods between playlists.

No restrictions in genre or decade.

Also no restrictions on the number of tracks you want to add, I’d even encourage to post two or three tracks to set a vibe that might or might not be disrupted by the following person. That said, please try not to add too many tracks at once so it doesn’t become a solo session.

There’s no contest if a song is better suited for the opposing playlist… some genres like say r&b could be suited for both home and club listening… it’s up to your criteria where to add them. If you think a 20 min sludge metal track makes for a dancefloor filler, well why not?

Ok here we go:

ILM Listening Club --- collaborative playlists: HOME / CLUB

This is not streaming anywhere that I can find it, but I'm extremely interested in this record by goat (Japan):

https://boomkat.com/products/joy-in-fear

vyva melinkolya's unbecoming is an album of room-enveloping, dreamy, slow doomgaze that has created a strangely comforting world for me to sink into. this was my fav track on the album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRvven46Ot8

Added!

can't find much info on Sulah Jordan, she seems to be from San Fransisco and I gather she sings and plays... guitar?

anyway, "Jasmine" is an understated delight, soulful vibe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VlWgZwPu20

Ah got recommended that one via “discover weekly” last week and loved it.

My 22 year old cousin told me Remi Wolf's "Prescription (extended)" is her song of the year. I knew some of her music before, but I hadn't been paying attention that much, but this is kind of good? Strongly influenced by Prince which is always a good thing. Also, 7min+ pop songs for the tiktok generation? hell yes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNw1c5iRdsM

also while I'm at it adding

Andrea - remote working

as that song and the album it comes from has been my fave discovery of the week.

Also forgot to add

melenas - bang

An early stereolab copy but good one.

This is not streaming anywhere that I can find it, but I'm extremely interested in this record by goat (Japan):

https://boomkat.com/products/joy-in-fear

― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Thursday, 12 October 2023 23:35 bookmarkflaglink

This seems to be the only mention of this album on ILM - I don't know if there are any discussions of their earlier albums (they're not the easiest band to search for), but this album is great on first listen.

let's do 2024?

yyy

So there’s some options.

Empty the playlist and Change the name of the playlist to 2024… previous songs can be send to an archive.Or make a new playlist… but if we’re doing this every year I’ve found is easier to just keep using the same playlist otherwise you end up with a bunch of playlists.

sounds like a good idea with an archival catch all playlist and then just keep going with this one

Aight every song from 2023 has been moved to this archive playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4nDuSiSubdcuTA1u9Fh9sd

Previous playlist has been clean slated and changed name to ILM LISTENING CLUB 2024!

Adding the first song:

Bullion feat Carly Rae Jepsen - Rare

I haven’t even heard it yet but it’s Bullion and CRJ and we love them on ILM don’t we? Worth a mention methinks. Will report later on if it was a good choice or not.

Oh also new Fabiana Palladino produced by Jai Paul. And new Discovery Zone… I won’t hog the thread and add them yet but yeah probably should listen to those too.

You know what forget the Bullion track, I’m leaving it clean until I can decide which song I want to throw in. I’m seeing so many updates

oooh i look forward to hearing the discovery zone! need new thread though??

Oh wow. Had no idea that track even existed.

Thanks Moka

ILM also loves a bit of Nia and the new track finds Ms Archives in a more reflective mood

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

anyone starting a matching playlist on Tidal? I would but work often keeps me too busy to keep up regularly and Tidal doesn't do collaborative playlists

and I reckon "Lucky" by Erika de Casier should go on it:

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

I was just about to post that one! But then let me post another good Danish one: Astrid Sonnes dubtechno/chamberpop hybrid Say You Love Me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTPiJqVgh78

enjoying this record

Posted this in the Tinashe thread and loving it now so think it deserves to be added to the playlist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlV8zVUgdLM

Agreed!

Also this one suggested by groovypanda on the other thread is great:

Open Space x Laura Groves - Tied

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvpQ3hbhERI

ahem: ILM 2024 Listening Club

Lol I think mods should lock this thread

This is not streaming anywhere that I can find it, but I'm extremely interested in this record by goat (Japan):
https://boomkat.com/products/joy-in-fear

― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Thursday, 12 October 2023 23:35 bookmarkflaglink

This seems to be the only mention of this album on ILM - I don't know if there are any discussions of their earlier albums (they're not the easiest band to search for), but this album is great on first listen.

― toby, Wednesday, 20 December 2023 08:01 (eleven months ago)

Yeah, very hard to trawl through old threads on goat and this / their earlier albums (NEW GAMES and Rhythm & Sound), but they're all sounding great in a This Heat / Battles / Moin / 70s Miles / "live Autechre" kinda way. Great woodwinds!