Overlooked on the phorum in 2009

[Ian]

This thread is to pimp the releases that you think deserve more representation in the music journals.

Here's some I think most of you could enjoy:

James Blackshaw - Glass Bead Game:

In five short years, 12-string guitarist and composer James Blackshaw has not only been prolific, he's created for himself a musical catalog that is dazzling in its range, complexity, and mystery. In addition to releasing his own recordings, he's collaborated with vanguard lute master Jozef Van Wissem in the Brethren of the Free Spirit, and has appeared on Current 93's 2009 album Aleph at Hallucinatory Mountain. In 2008, the venerable Tompkins Square indie re-released his previous catalog in the United States — some of it was originally privately issued in very limited and/or vinyl-only editions. The label also released a then new effort, the beautiful Litany of Echoes, in the same year. The Glass Bead Game, issued on Michael Gira's Young God, named no doubt for the Hermann Hesse novel of the same name, is another step — in fact, a leap — forward. In addition to his own gorgeous 12-string playing, he has employed the talents of vocalist Lavinia Blackwell, and Current 93 members John Contreras on cello and Joolie Wood on violin. Blackshaw also plays harmonium and piano here. The pieces on this set are ambiguously titled with single words. The opener, "Cross," is among the most startlingly beautiful pieces he's written. A reverbed 12-string plays a series of repetitive phrases as the strings play harmonic drones in the backdrop, propelling the sense of motion on until the guitar begins its melodic journey through the foreground, repeating the original phrase often enough to keep the listener grounded even as the lyric nature of the overdubbed guitars drones and pines away at a complex and haunting yet springlike melody. "Bled" is a sparser piece. The guitar, kissed with reverb and in places overdubbed, is accompanied by a harmonium playing a single chord as it begins a slow but methodical journey toward the center of a maelstrom that embodies everything from rags and blues to even Eastern folk styles in its complex, contrapuntal melody.

A lilting chamber piece for piano and strings that is full of space and delicate textures and seems to portray stillness as a place, "Fix" is followed by "Key," a guitar journey that seems to answer the former piece by tracing movement from a single place to a wide-open field of possibilities and directions. It is songlike rather than simply atmospheric. The final track — and also the longest at nearly 20 minutes — is "Arc," which begins as a solo piano piece. The piano is once again caressed in reverb, playing what seems like the halting beginning of a nearly forgotten melody. As the strings enter, they do so in single-note drones and begin very slowly to emerge in harmony, creating their own melodic frames while holding a series of chromatic changes very closely. The piece begins to evolve from its snail-like tempo into something beautifully pastoral and then pronounced; it's an open space of possibility for engagement between the three instruments and, eventually, Blackwell's beautiful contralto. The control by Contreras and Wood is exceptional here. Blackshaw is working out his melody very purposefully, repetitively, and in controlled bits and pieces. That said, by the time the piece reaches its center, the density of melody, sound, and texture is one of almost unbearable beauty and the release of tension is full to the breaking point of bliss itself. The Glass Bead Game is the most forward-thinking and sublimely executed of James Blackshaw's releases to date. It is a work that will hopefully introduce him to an entirely new audience who can appreciate the depth, sensitivity, and vision he brings to modern acoustic music.

Easily the most beautiful record I've heard all year.  Well, it was until I heard...

Johann Johannsson - And in the Endless Pause There Came the Sound of Bees

Couldn't find a good review, so here's some random blog:

This mini album, limited to just 1000 copies, was only sold while Jóhann Jóhannsson was on his US tour. At under 37 minutes, the eleven tracks are taken from the Jóhannsson’s award-winning score for Marc Craste’s animated film Varmints. Here are gentle strings and beautiful modern classical piano arrangements wrapped in light electronic processing that Jóhannsson is known for. His 2008 release Fordlandia left many critics in standing ovation. And this short soundtrack does not disappoint. The production is top notch with a performance from City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, and beautiful ghostly vocals from Michaela Srumova. Released on NTOV Phonoautogram, this is a must have for every fan.

Mouse on the Keys - An Anxious Object

'Nother random blog:

Last year some time i discovered Mouse on the Keys' Sezession EP and was instantly hooked. "An Anxious Object" has been one of the albums i've had my eye on for a while, big expectations. They've stepped it up even another notch here! The drumming throughout is phenomenal, but i knew that coming in. The second half of the album in particular is mind blowing. The funky 'Double Bind' has one of my favourite beats in a long long time. The drumming + bass here is just awesome. The next track 'Soil' cruises along at a nice pace before unleashing an absolutely incredible extended sax solo, the definitive highlight of the album for me.

One of the sleeper albums of the year for sure. It won't quite be top 5 material for me, but it will be up there somewhere. If you dig some of the other jazzy Japanese post-rock bands like Toe, this is for you.

I agree with the reviewer, this will be just outside my top 5.  Jazz + post rock to it's full potential.

[murlough23]

Shoulda titled this thread, "Things We Haven't Had the Chance to Argue About Yet". 

[danny316]

Two I think were overlooked here - neither is particularly groundbreaking, but they both have some solid songwriting and performances of the sort people here tend to like:

David Bazan - Curse Your Branches
It's essentially Pedro the Lion with actual pop production values. The lyrics are a bit more doubtful than on his other albums (people seem to be making a big deal about how he's now sober and billing himself as an agnostic), but still make for interesting food for thought.

WPA - Works Progress Administration
A new Mutual Admiration Society style supergroup including the Watkins siblings (from Nickel Creek) and Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) - also including some semi-famous friends of theirs. Some of these tracks are previously unrecorded Watkins Family Hour hits, but others (you may remember "Not Sure" from Fiction Family) have surfaced elsewhere already.

As a sidenote, both of these also have some pretty clever album art - full liner notes in both cases, round cut-outs on Bazan's, and awesome FDR WPA style graphics for each song on the WPA record. In a year where I've only actually bought 3 current CD's, it's been pretty great to see that the artists are really trying to deliver the whole package.

[murlough23]

WPA - Works Progress Administration
A new Mutual Admiration Society style supergroup including the Watkins siblings (from Nickel Creek) and Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) - also including some semi-famous friends of theirs. Some of these tracks are previously unrecorded Watkins Family Hour hits, but others (you may remember "Not Sure" from Fiction Family) have surfaced elsewhere already.

I was going to check that out, but after my lackluster response to Sara Watkins' solo album, I realized that Fiction Family was the exception rather than the rule in terms of me liking Nickel Creek side projects, so I kind of lost interest. I also heard that Nickel Creek's previous collaboration with Phillips wasn't all that great.

[Aaron]

I also heard that Nickel Creek's previous collaboration with Phillips wasn't all that great.

It was enjoyable but not amazingly great.  It was worth me picking it up for 5 bucks.

[murlough23]

It was enjoyable but not amazingly great.

That's kind of how I already feel about Fiction Family's record. They are the rare act for which I think the live show far exceeds the recorded material.

[Ian]

You don't know it yet, but you need this record:

Lights on the Highway - Amanita Muscaria

Code:

http://www.mediafire.com/?yvjztnnmzy2

[murlough23]

You don't know it yet, but you need this record:

Care to explain?

[Ian]

It's a really good CD?  

Eh, "need" is pretty hyperbolic, but I think it would go over really well with a lot of people here.  Very solid songwriting, some very lush arrangements as far as indie/country/baroque tinged rock is concerned.

[murlough23]

It's a really good CD? 

Well, yeah, but what's good about it that other folks here might also find worthwhile?

[Ian]

Well there are no reviews on it and I can't really describe it any better than I did in my last post... you can try out their myspace if you want: http://www.myspace.com/lightsonthehighway

[murlough23]

Oh, come on. You can at least tell me what the heck kind of music it is.

[Ian]

I did (although it was an edit which is prolly why you missed it): "Very solid songwriting, some very lush arrangements as far as indie/country/baroque tinged rock is concerned."

Another release to listen to:

Grand Hallway - Promenade [2009]

Grand Hallway has created quite a unique place in pop music. Their songs are an interesting medium between baroque orchestral pop and traditional Japanese music. Given their prior releases, hearing the sounds on Promenade is no surprise. Led by master songwriter Tomo Nakayama, Promenade finds Grand Hallway expanding on their musical abilities.

Promenade is much more dramatic than Yes Is The Answer, their debut LP. It takes the listener on a journey; each song follows a romantic storyline. The path is one that finds Nakayama joining with artists as diverse as The Maldives, Voyager One, and Sleepy Eyes of Death to total an impressive eight. The octet, then, produces a sound full and encompassing. Each run through Promenade will draw forth new elements, providing the listener with another chance to listen to the album for the first time.

“Raindrops” may begin soft, with a patter of plucked guitar strings, but it grows into one of the more beautiful melodies heard this year. “Blessed Be, Honey Bee” continues with a strength only eight can provide, while “Elinor With The Golden Hair” brings forward the Japanese influence with an oriental string sound. Toward the end, “Sirens” shines with multiple vocals compounding and swirling amidst an array of orchestration.

The rumors are that Grand Hallway is poised to break out with this release, and I can sure believe it. Promenade is an impressive journey, one that blurs reality with a fictitious dream-world both colorful and mysterious. In Promenade, Grand Hallway has pieced together a masterpiece, one that will certainly garner Nakayama and the seven that accompany him fame in the world of independent music.

That was the only review I could find on it, but you will absolutely want to check this out before finishing off your eoy lists.  

Code:

http://www.mediaf!re.com/?rvga4k2nn2n

[murlough23]

I did (although it was an edit which is prolly why you missed it): "Very solid songwriting, some very lush arrangements as far as indie/country/baroque tinged rock is concerned."

Yeah, we don't get notified about ninja edits.

[bloop]

Links are nice and rickroll-free.  Thank you.

[dgp11776]

Here are three that come to mind for me:

Paper Route - Absence
Wonderful blend of pop, rock, and atmospheric electronic.  At times joyous, haunting, and soaring.  Quiet when it needs to be quiet, and loud when it needs to be loud.

Joy Williams - Songs From This and That Double EP
Indie pop with a twist of folk.  Nothing like her past music.  Playful, sexy, and a lot of fun packed into these songs.  Her voice is the central draw - sultry and breathy at times, quiet and reflective at other times.

Sherwood - Qu
Quirky pop with a heavier dose of indie rock.  Great vocals, great musicians, and well-written songs.  The last three songs, "Ground Beneath My Feet," "Free," and "No Better" end the album with a powerful punch.

I also wish more would give Emery's new one a try, but I can understand people not getting into it. 

[murlough23]

Paper Route - Absence
Wonderful blend of pop, rock, and atmospheric electronic.  At times joyous, haunting, and soaring.  Quiet when it needs to be quiet, and loud when it needs to be loud.

Ah yes, I was going to check this out.

Who uploaded that fun. track to the Phorum? I just recently got around to checking out their album. The band name aptly describes it.

[Brenden]

Ah yes, I was going to check this out.

Who uploaded that fun. track to the Phorum? I just recently got around to checking out their album. The band name aptly describes it.

That was me, it's still my favorite album of the year.

[ajyouthguy]

It was enjoyable but not amazingly great.

That's kind of how I already feel about Fiction Family's record. They are the rare act for which I think the live show far exceeds the recorded material.

man i'm glad you said that about Fiction Family...that's how i've felt almost from the beginning...i don't dislike it, i just never could get into it fully and it wasn't bad, just not great and not memorable for me.

[murlough23]

man i'm glad you said that about Fiction Family...that's how i've felt almost from the beginning...i don't dislike it, i just never could get into it fully and it wasn't bad, just not great and not memorable for me.

I figure it's the kind of mish-mash you expect for a project that was back-burnered by two guys for several years, done mostly over the Internet, and done mostly for fun. It demonstrates some interesting talents but doesn't really seem designed to be a full-fledged coherent album project. Which is OK, if you take it as just a collection of interesting songs/experiments between two unlikely collaborators. But now that I've seen the live show and know that they plan to continue working together, and I know what they're capable of cooking up with a full group of musicians, I expect a lot more from their next disc.

[ewok20t3]

I haven't been around much the last couple of years, but I did a search and didn't see this band mentioned anywhere in The Phorum. I recommend the album, The Things We've Grown To Love by All The Day Holiday. If I had to describe the band I'd say they sound like a mix of Mute Math and U2. If anyone gives it a shot, let me know what you think.

[danny316]

I was going to check that out, but after my lackluster response to Sara Watkins' solo album, I realized that Fiction Family was the exception rather than the rule in terms of me liking Nickel Creek side projects, so I kind of lost interest. I also heard that Nickel Creek's previous collaboration with Phillips wasn't all that great.

All of these Watkins Family Hour grown super-groups are the same at some level - they get a chance to play additional older hits live among the new material. I'll vouch for WPA as good on it's own (not must-hear, but I'd highly recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed Nickel Creek or Glen Phillips in the past), but you're absolutely right about the live show being better. Having hits to lean back on (in my case, "Walk on the Ocean", "Windmills", "Whatever I Fear", "Somebody More Like You", covers like "Exit Music", etc) definitely makes it easier to knock a live show out of the park.

With all the live-streaming, NPR, etc stuff out there for the three albums I have actually bought in to this year, I don't know if there's much need for pubbing - but if anyone would prefer, I could upload some favorites from WPA, Curse Your Branches or Stockholm Syndrome (please tell me that last one has been universally heard here!). I'm noticing my listening/buying habits have been increasingly aimed at not missing any good live shows and familiarizing myself with a band's latest album before they come to town - so I've easily overlooked more than the rest of the gang here.

[murlough23]

I'd be up for hearing some WPA. I try to get to everything that's been Pubbed eventually, or at least everything I grab during a sporadic login that I haven't already heard. So if you upload David Bazan stuff, I'll check it out at some point.