Happy new year, folks. Albums you’ve discovered in 2023 NOT released in 2023
Slowcore is definitely one of my ‘like in theory rather than practice’ genres, so it’s rare something sticks. I’m mildly addicted to C by Rex though. The occasional cello and violin might be what sells it for me. It’s been a nice soundtrack to my recent head-scratching uni assessments.
My band supported Cosse on Tuesday. They’re a post rock/hardcore band from Paris and are very good. Been listening to them solidly for the past couple of days. They’re amazing!
sort of cheating as i’ve listened to it here and there over the years but in 2024 so far i have become absolutely obsessed with Randy Newman’s Good Old Boys
Fair few in the two Greatest Albums threads, but specifically
Listening along with the What Is Music podcast - mostly unmoved by the first three REM records (increasingly believe Murmur to be the most overrated record in history) then I hit Life’s Rich Pageant, which was absolute and instant love.
Turns out Cluster are right up my street
An EP rather than an LP but Phantasea Pharm by Cumgirl 8 hitting good - cross between Noisy Sleazy Pop and dreamy guitar work
I got into this in 2023 thanks to the Numero Group re-issues…really excellent record that grew in my affections steadily and now I’d have it up therewith Codeine, Low, Seam records as genre highlights etc
Love this thread - thanks go to @AtTheBorderGuy
My picks so far are:
Lee Morgan - Search for the new land - my 50s and 60s hard bop incursions has branched out beyond Coltrane, Davis, Coleman and Sonny Rollins but still loads of gems to unearth. I am ashamed to say i’d never heard of this trumpeter but pleased to have stumbled across him and ended up buying 2 x 8 album boxsets. One good thing about jazz collecting is these 5+ album cds for less than a tenner. Joe Henderson is the other name from the scene I am now delving into.
V/A - In the light of time (UK post-rock and leffield pop in the 90s) - Resident’s comp of 2023 - I’d heard of most of these acts and approaching half the tracks but this is superbly curated LP and the couple of new names “Spoonfed Hybrid” and “Electic sound of joy” were definitely welcome discoveries. Also nice to have a Seefeel track from Quique on vinyl (even if it wouldn’t have been quite my choice)
Mewithoutyou - catch us for the foxes - already a fan of and have their first and last 2 records. Julien Baker namechecked this as her fave record so I dug out and dug very much. Just pips A-B Life in my affections.
Jesu EPs - Hard to reach (technically released this year but written a good time ago) and Pity/Piety - the heavy sad gazey brilliance of Terminus (my LP of 2020) prompted some back catalguing (was already familiar with he acclaimed self-titled debut) - Conqueror was my yesteryear discovery of last year and my favourite after Terminus but still a bit of the discography to unearth and these EPs keep up the quality. A shame he never seems to tour much with this outfit. I saw a show at Primavera 2009 but was only mildly acquainted in those day and observed more than participated. Would love to put that right.
Carlton and the shoes - Love me forever - The reggae I favour tends to be the kind of stuff Don Letts selected on his excellent Dread Meets Punk Rockers collection but this is from the more soulful softer end of the spectrum (rocksteady, lovers rock) and really struck a chord
Kool Keith - Black Elvis / Lost in Space (1999)
Main one so far that isn’t from just last year. Discovered this through a non-DiS music league in January. I’d heard some KK before but the track “Livin’ Astro” really struck a chord.
Black Milk - No Poison No Paradise (2013)
Pretty sure I had this on my radar long ago but never got to it. I don’t remember how it came back to the surface in February but I’m glad it did. Maybe a newer track was in music league.
Same for me (although murmur is a real grower). Life’s Rich Pageant absolutely slaps
It’s their best album - only rivalled by Automatic for The People, New Adventures in Hifi, Murmur, Reckoning, Monster and Out of Time
my dead girlfriend - Hades (the nine stages of change at the deceased remains) from @Yesiamaduck weekly playlist threads
The big DiScovery from the all timers thread is Judee Sill’s discography.
Grant Green - Alive! From @riverwise’s top 100 thread along with a couple Dub picks
The Loma albums really clicked with me today. Looks like Loma and Shearwater will be releasing new tunes very soon.
I’d only listened to S/T II before, but I gave this a listen and thought it was great
Not exactly a discover cos I listened to them loads in the mid/late 00s but I’ve become mildly obsessed with this Mates of State best of, after discovering they had one when the Instagram algorithm started showing me their posts (they’ve been touring in the US, for the first time in years I think)
So many of the songs are just absolutely magic, they twist and turn in such delightful ways. I’m not sure they ever nailed a full album so this is a good compilation to exist imo.
Been listening to Jim Nothing all week after hearing a track over the PA before last week’s Chime School gig - thanks to the Google ‘Search for a song’ function.
He’s from New Zealand so Flying Nun’s heritage can be heard throughout the album (mostly the Bats, the Clean and the 3Ds). Interestingly he discovered Flying Nun through Pavement who are technically a Flying Nun band because the label released their albums in NZ. Anyway, with perfect timing I have a new Jim Nothing album to look forward to on Friday.
Not sure why I never listened to them at the time, since I was very much into similar music. Fantastic album. Remind me a lot of Protomartyr.
Been really into Cleaning Women this year…
Love some tracks off the debut, which is turn of the millennium underground electronic ffo Add N to X and Neubauten:
But they go almost folky on later stuff…
Excellent album by a great band.
The albums either side of it though (‘Venus Luxure No.1 Baby’ and ‘House Of GvsB’) are even better imo. You’re in for a treat if you’ve not heard them.
Fabulous Diamonds - II (2010)
Australian duo whose interview style is to pretend to hate each other. One plays organ, the other drums, both sing a bit. Unusual vibe, spacey, ffo Tomaga, experimental Oneida.
All their records are good.