Here´s a list of music that stood out alittle extra this year. Plenty of good music came out 2010 and perhaps this list will have some add ons later, maybe not.
In no particular order
Much talk and anticipation over Enos latest album before it came out. It´s well crafted and has some great songs but perhaps it doesn´t reach the levels of Plateaux of mirrors, Apollo or Thursday Afternoon. Doesn´t matter. Eno is a master.
Massive Attack is the type of band that´s always there. Perhaps not always played but always coming back to. I can listen to Paradise Circus over and over. I love how Hope Sandoval sounds sedated and french and yet distinctively Hope Sandoval. Magic!
Mr Sylvian is another artist that has reemerged in my playlists this year. We go way back together. I was a huge fan of Japan, a fan with pimples and bangs too long for anyones own good. Sleepwalkers is a compilation from the 00s. A fairly wide range of styles held together by his voice. Highlights: Ballad of a Deadman, World Citizen, Playground Martyrs and Pure Genius
Well produced pop! ”A Funneled Stone’ is a pure modular synth release, tracked in the old-shool, 1970′s way: one monophonic line at a time. Every sound you hear was created, patched and recorded for that moment in time. When a new sound is needed, the patch is torn down and a new one is built. Polyphony is achieved by tracking each voice individually.”
James Murphy sings I can change. Please don´t. We want to continue the party
Kieron James as Somió created Organised sound. Came out late this year but made it right into the favorites list. Inspired by Edgard Varèse and Northern Spain among other things. Under the wings of “Father of electronic music” (Varèse) this is a world of beautiful sounds and beats. A bit meditative. Kind of like smart party music and headphone music at the same time.
Trent Reznor after Nine Inch Nails collaborating with his wife Mariqueen Maandig. This is an ep that was supposed to be followed up with an album last summer. Suppose it´s delayed for some reason or other. Ep is fantastic!
His debut single came out december 1966, less than four years later he was dead. An album with archive material 40 years later. Can it be any good? YES! Creams Sunshine Of Your Love. Tempo raising, speeding away from Mr. Clapton. A good version of Stone Free. I´m glad this came out.
More goodness from Kieran Hebden
This year has also been a year of netaudio and netlabels for me. So much good music to be found through Twitter and on the net. Clear Notice being one of the favorite labels. The host of Somió, Stretta and Thomas L Raukamp to name a few. TLR does it all. He´s a journalist, music writer and writes music. “Ologie is a journey into sound and an exploration of the possibilities of today’s music technology”
Pop, Rock, label it any way you want. This is plain great!
This album makes me happy.
Arcade Fire is a band you´re supposed to like. I didn´t really get them until The Suburbs. It´s kind of gentle, fragile and a bit angsty. Like great pop music often is. Win Butler describes the overall sound of The Suburbs as “a mix of Depeche Mode and Neil Young,” stating that he wanted the album to sound like “the bands that I heard when I was very young, and wondered what those crazy noises were.” That sums it up :)
Maybe Neil Young is for a more mature audience? I thought he was just whiny and sounded the same. Then when I reached 30 someone played After The Goldrush and I was hooked. Le Noise is his 34 album! Daniel Lanois adds distortion and loops and it just fits.
I played Roscoe endlessly, like everyone else did and all of a sudden I could´t listen to it anymore. Then The Courage of others came and they seem to be an entirely different band. Proving a thesis that growing up isn´t so bad. All those traditions and references yet managed to create something new.
This is so well crafted. Down to the last note. And it grows on you for every listen. Just like a good album should do. I loved All is Wild, All is silent and I love this album too.
It´s like a soundtrack to something indescribable. Sets you in semi trance. It can be ignored or dived into head first. The music is somewhat stupid and absolutely fantastic.
Even when Swans were the angriest, loudest, foulest and coolest they were always melancholic at the same time. maybe because of Giras voice. Now that he´s aged the melancholic side seems deeper. It´s remarkably angry, loud and foul too. It´s in your face and can´t be played at all times. But when it can be played!
Lots of electronic stuff this year! I´ve been listening to a lot of pop, rock and distortion too but not really anything that came out this year.
