THE LOUDER STUFF
BLOOD CEREMONY – Lord Of Misrule
Look, I like Blood Ceremony, I really do. But Wizard Fist’s showcase in the opening scene of Vinyl Season 1, Episode 5 sort of ruined this stuff for me, at least for a while. (7)
CULT OF LUNA & JULIE CHRISTMAS – Mariner
I’ve always discounted these Swedes as Isis wannabes but recruiting the great Mrs. Christmas has been a very smart move on their part, resulting in the best post-metal you’re likely to hear until Neurosis drops a new album. (8)
FRONTIERER – Orange Mathematics
If you’re into “Calculating Infinity”-era Dillinger Escape Plan and the more extreme Meshuggah stuff, prepare to have your face melted. (8)
MIKE & THE MELVINS – Three Men And A Baby
The Melvins augmented by godheadsilo vocalist/bassist Mike Kunka still sound like the Melvins. (7)
THE BODY & FULL OF HELL – One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache
This is seriously creepy stuff and probably the most extreme metal record you’ll hear all year. (7)
ZUN – Burial Sunrise
Bong? Check. Beer? Check. Yesterday’s cold pizza? Check. Screensaver set to play kaleidoscopic images on infinite loop? Check. Alright, let’s do this! (7)
THE OTHER STUFF
CLINT MANSELL – High-Rise
Darren Aronofsky’s go-to soundtrack guy composes claustrophobic score for movie based on “unfilmable” J.G. Ballard novel. Haven’t seen it but I guarantee the music will make you feel uncomfortable. (7)
KARSH KALE – Up
Global fusion electronica, just the type of music the DJ at a really expensive cocktail bar will play and mix it with Thievery Corporation. You can’t drink beer to this, order a Tom Collins or a Blueberry Vodka Martini or something. (7)
MARGO PRICE – Midwest Farmer’s Daughter
The latest exciting addition to the long list of Country Artists For People Who Don’t Listen To Country Music. This one’s Jack White-endorsed. (8)
PARKER MILLSAP – The Very Last Day
This is more blues than country but in any case keep your eyes on this kid, he’s going places. (8)
THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS – Everything You’ve Come To Expect
You can read about this elsewhere, you don’t need me. (-)
VARIOUS ARTISTS – Aloha Got Soul: Soul, AOR, & Disco in Hawaii 1979-1985
This compilation of rarities by forgotten Hawaiian musicians has gotten rave reviews from everyone. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE??? Every single song sounds like a cheap demo cover version the “Love Boat” theme. (4)
Καθώς το πρώτο τρίμηνο του 2016 ολοκληρώνεται αποφάσισα να κάνω στους πολυάριθμους αναγνώστες του I Was A Teenage Music Geek ένα δωράκι: Mixtape με κάποιες από τις πιο ενδιαφέρουσες μουσικές στιγμές της χρονιάς μέχρι στιγμής.
Και πάλι, επειδή κάθε mixtape οφείλει να ακολουθεί κανόνες, οι κανόνες είναι απλοί: Εξηντάρα κασέτα σε δύο πλευρές των 30 λεπτών, με σχετικά ομαλή ροή. Τα τραγούδια που περιλαμβάνονται δεν εκπροσωπούν απαραίτητα τα καλύτερα άλμπουμ του πρώτου τριμήνου της χρονιάς, αλλά οφείλουν να "κυλάνε" το ένα μετά το άλλο. Επίσης λόγω ομαλής ροής αποφεύγουμε τις ακρότητες: Ας πούμε δεν βάζουμε metalcore γιατί δεν κολλάει με τίποτα πριν ή μετά, ούτε βάζουμε κάποιο 25-λεπτο prog μεγαθήριο, ούτε βάζουμε απόσπασμα από την 3η Συμφωνία του Gorecki ερμηνευμένο από avant-garde τρελαμένους.
Καλή ακρόαση και, αν ακούσατε κάτι που δεν γνωρίζατε και σας άρεσε, καλό ψάξιμο.
ΠΛΕΥΡΑ Α
1. Aubrie Sellers - Light Of Day (από το άλμπουμ New City Blues)
Γόνος country αριστοκρατίας σε ντεμπούτο άλμπουμ που λοξοκοιτάει προς το ροκ.
2. Chuck Ragan - Loup Garou (από το άλμπουμ The Flame In The Flood)
Πάνκης που το γύρισε στην americana.
3. The Hanging Stars - Golden Vanity (από το άλμπουμ Over The Silvery Lake)
Άγγλοι που το 2016 παίζουν σαν Αμερικάνοι το 1967.
4. The Long Ryders - Looking For Lewis And Clark (από το box set Final Wild Songs)
Η πιο ενδιαφέρουσα επανακυκλοφορία της χρονιάς μέχρι στιγμής, τα άπαντα μιας ξεχασμένης αλλά επιδραστικής μπάντας από τα 80s.
5. Bob Mould - Voices In My Head (από το άλμπουμ Patch The Sky)
Οι παλιές αγάπες δεν ξεχνιούνται.
6. Hipshot Killer - Gimme Something Better (από το άλμπουμ They Will Try To Kill Us All)
Οι καινούργιες αγάπες οφείλουν να διαδίδονται.
7. Bonnie Raitt - I Need You Tonight (από το άλμπουμ Dig In Deep)
Η δεύτερη καλύτερη διασκευή της χρονιάς ως τώρα.
8. Charles Bradley - Changes (από το άλμπουμ Changes)
Η καλύτερη διασκευή της χρονιάς ως τώρα.
ΠΛΕΥΡΑ Β
1. Esperanza Spalding - Good Lava (από το άλμπουμ Emily's D-Evolution)
Τζαζίστρια παίζει ροκ σε παραγωγή Tony Visconti.
2. David Bowie - Lazarus (από το άλμπουμ Blackstar)
Ροκάς παίζει τζαζ σε παραγωγή Tony Visconti.
3. RNDM - Comfortable (από το άλμπουμ Ghost Riding)
Bowie worship από τον Jeff Ament των Pearl Jam.
4. Massive Attack - Ritual Spirit (από το EP Ritual Spirit)
Άντε, πού είναι το άλμπουμ;
5. Karsh Kale - Up (από το άλμπουμ Up)
Κάπου μεταξύ Νέας Υόρκης, Λονδίνου και Βομβάης.
6. Aziza Brahim - Calles De Dajla (από το άλμπουμ Abbar El Hamada)
Κάπου μεταξύ Αλγερίας, Βαρκελώνης και Sky Valley.
7. Savages - The Answer (από το άλμπουμ Adore Life)
Μ' αρέσει να κλείνω τα mixtapes μου ανεβάζοντας τους τόνους. Τι κορίτσια! Τι ντραμάρα!
8. The I Don't Cares - Done Done Done (από το άλμπουμ Wild Stab)
Done.
Κατεβάστε το mixtape εδώ.
3 DOORS DOWN – Us And The Night
“Kryptonite” and “When I’m Gone” were guilty pleasures whenever they would play on the radio in the 00’s, but a history of two good songs does not a great band make and in 2016 I’d rather cut my ear off like Van Gogh than suffer through the sub-par AOR chug-along of this album one more time. (4)
AZIZA BRAHIM – Abbar El Hamada
Early contenter for world music album of the year by a Sahrawi (google it) singer blending North African, flamenco and blues influences. (8)
BLACK MOUNTAIN – IV
Some of their stuff sounds like The Cult songs being hijacked by Hawkwind but that’s fine, really. (8)
BOB MOULD – Patch The Sky
Another solid effort from ex-Husker Du frontman, a bit more melodic than “Beauty & Ruin” but still amped-up and in the Sugar vein. It’s not going to win him a new audience but fanboys will be delighted. (8)
BRIAN FALLON – Painkillers
The Gaslight Anthem mainman explores his inner Springsteen. (7)
CHARLES BRADLEY – Changes
Attention music journalists under 30: The guy’s certainly likeable but just because you don’t know who James Brown is doesn’t make this a masterpiece. (7)
COLIN STETSON – Sorrow: A Reimagining of Gorecki's 3rd Symphony
Avant-garde saxophonist puts together an orchestra with electric guitars and synths on top, featuring members of Liturgy, Arcade Fire etc. and reinterprets Gorecki’s most famous classical piece. Fantastic, haunting stuff. (8)
FRANK TURNER – Mittens EP
A single from 2015’s somewhat disappointing “Positive Songs For Negative People” plus 4 unreleased songs from the same sessions, just to keep the fans on their toes until a hopefully stronger new album drops. (6)
HIPSHOT KILLER – They Will Try To Kill Us All
Given their exciting mix of power-pop and punk, describing themselves as “powerpunk” is pretty accurate. (8)
KANYE WEST – The Life Of Pablo
Revised version of his album doesn’t really offer anything spectacularly different from the previous version. (7)
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE – Incarnate
Metalcore fans will be thrilled with this, one of KE’s strongest efforts to date and an album that might just breathe some life into a dying genre. (8)
RICHMOND FONTAINE – You Can't Go Back If There's Nothing to Go Back To
You can’t be excited if there’s nothing to be excited about. (6)
RNDM – Ghost Riding
Side project of Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam) is all over the place, moving from 90’s Brit indie sounds to Bowie/Peter Gabriel rip-offs to electronica lite. (6)
SOUL ASYLUM – Change Of Fortune
Grunge-era “could-have beens” make half-baked attempt at a comeback. This is too glossy, almost AOR. (6)
SPIRITUAL BEGGARS – Sunrise To Sundown
Deep Purple from Lidl. (6)
THE BODY – No One Deserves Happiness
Punishing distorted noise and vocals that sound like a rooster being electrocuted, as another reviewer very accurately put it, combined with industrial dance rhythms and angelic choirs defies all expectations and produces something suffocating, but totally original. (8)
THE HANGING STARS – Over The Silvery Lake
Wow. Excellent debut from London-based psychedelic folk/rock band evokes the spirit of 1967, Buffalo Springfield and the Byrds. I’ll be playing this a lot. (8)
THE TREATMENT – Generation Me
Awful album cover but great tunes – UK youths turn their songwriting up a notch and rock out like Tesla pretending to be an AC/DC tribute band. Great performance from the new singer. (8)
VARIOUS ARTISTS – Brown Acid: The First Trip 1969-79
Fantastic collection of underground 45’s from totally unknown American proto-metal bands. Most tracks are from 1969-74 so the addition of Tour and Josefus from 1979 is a bit baffling, but they rock nonetheless. (8)
BENJI KIRKPATRICK – Hendrix Songs
Folk musician is a Hendrix fan, strips his hero’s songs down to their barest elements and plays them on acoustic instruments to reveal the songsmith behind the guitar God. (7)
BIG UPS – Before A Million Universes
I bet that New York’s music-scribing hipsterati will hype these Brooklynite Fugazi disciples to death but don’t hold that against the band, this is actually a pretty good album. (7)
CALEB CAUDLE – Carolina Ghost
OK, I give up: I can’t tell anymore what’s country and what’s americana and what the difference between the two is and why this country/americana record sounds so much like a compilation of Eagles ballads. (6)
DIAMOND HEAD – Diamond Head
Excellent return to form by one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, the songs here wouldn’t feel out of place on any of the band’s first three albums. New vocalist Ras Andersen does a great job holding his own and avoids the mistake of emulating the great Sean Harris. (8)
ESPERANZA SPALDING – Emily’s D+Evolution
Spalding goes miles beyond her jazz roots on this, a funky, proggy, rocking, ambitious little gem of a concept album co-produced with the legendary Tony Visconti. One extra point because I have a thing for girls with guitars and she totally slays her 5-string fretless bass. (9)
JIM BRYSON – Somewhere We Will Find Our Place
Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter sings songs about Canada, sounds very Canadian. (7)
LORETTA LYNN – Full Circle
83-year old country legend returns to bid us farewell with wonderful and appropriately titled album. I’m diluting my beer pint with tears as I listen to this. (8)
MATT ANDERSEN – Honest Man
Supposedly an americana/folk artist, Andersen comes across more like a 70’s Stax/Motown soul throwback with a smooth voice that can melt panties. (7)
NEVERMEN – Nevermen
Supergroup consisting of Mike Patton, TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adembimpe and rapper Doseone is sonically closer to Peeping Tom than to any other project its members have been involved with. (7)
NORTHCOTE – Hope Is Made Of Steel
The kind of anthemic North American rock you always want to blast at full volume while driving down an open highway. “Just Kids” will probably be my favorite new song until The Hold Steady release another album. (8)
OCEANS OF SLUMBER – Winter
If you’re anything like me you’ve probably refused to listen to any band featuring dual vocalists of the cliché "Female Ethereal Nymph/Male Cookie Monster" combo variety for the last 15 years or so. Well folks, it’s time to reconsider because this Texan prog/death metal sextet makes it sound totally fresh. (8)
VARIOUS ARTISTS – God Don't Never Change; The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson
Contemporary re-interpretations of songs first recorded between 1927 and 1930 by influential early bluesman. Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Cowboy Junkies, Sinead O’Connor, Rickie Lee Jones and others pay their respects. (8)
VOIVOD – Post Society EP
Prog/psychedelic thrash metal pioneers still relevant and kicking ass despite being two original members down. Two new songs, two more from recent splits with Napalm Death and At The Gates, and a Hawkwind cover. (8)
WILLIE NELSON – Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin
This is his 71st solo studio album so I guess smoking pot is good for the work ethic. Outlaw country legend goes jazz and visits the great Gershwin songbook. The surreal but wonderful pairing with Cyndi Lauper (!) on “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off” is among the album’s most enjoyable moments. (8)
