After loving his early, stripped back vibe, I found the move into more jammy, eclectic, fuller arrangement stuff a bit of a misstep. Resurrection Fern is lovely though.
Have you listened to the Woman King EP? I only got into that one this year but it’s fantastic
Yeah, Woman King is cool.
Grace and Danger - John Martyn
Searching for the Young Soul Rebels - Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Both fantastic albums that I can’t believe I’d overlooked for so long.
I saw Iron & Wine bang out Our Endless Numbered Days with an orchestra earlier this year. Special stuff.
Oh wow. Where was that?
I haven’t done a deep dive yet, but I will do eventually. I’ve listened to This (Is What I Wanted To Tell You) a few times and scattered songs from their other albums in playlists. Will make sure to give Damaged a go, thanks for the recommendation!
The Taft Theatre, Cincinnati.
I think it was one of only a handful of dates he did with an orchestra.
Forgot to include Palm Haze’s Tangy Dream EP. A great blend of shoegaze and trip-hop.
Pixies - Trompe le Monde
O Emperor - Hither Thither, Vitreous
Holy Fawn - Death Spells
Jay Som - Turn Into
Alcest - everything pre-2019
The Cure - Seventeen Seconds, Faith, Pornography
The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Lana Del Rey - Born to Die, Ultraviolence
White Ward - Futility Report
Employed to Serve - Greyer Than You Remember, The Warmth of a Dying Sun
Have tried to listen to a bit more hip hop this year and discovered Isaiah Rashad’s - The Suns Tirade via the album of the decade thread I think. Brilliant album.
Thirteenth Floor Elevators - Easter Everywhere (what an album!)
Jenny Hval - Innocence is Kinky/Apocalypse, Girl
Psychedelic Furs - Psychedelic Furs
XTC - Apple Venus vol 1
Syl Johnson - Is It Because I’m Black
The Montgolfier Brothers - Seventeen Stars
Autoclave - Autoclave
Best things have been reggae:
*Tapper Zukie - MPLA
*The Wailers - catch a fire
and a couple of comps
*V/A - Don Letts - Dread meets punk rocker downtown Vol II
*V/A - Punky reggae selecta
But also loved
Lilys - In the presence of nothing - was surprised as a big shoegazer that I’d missed this superb 1992 release until now.
Trentemoller - The Last Resort - easily in my top 10 electronica releases this millenium
Deacon Blue - Raintown (my favourite band as a 9-12 yr old but started with When the World know your name and never checked out their debut in full till now)
Elbow - Best Of - never really been a fan…liked the debut a bit when it came out and got back into them through listening to Guy Garvey’s show and on the strength of Little Fictions. My friend urged me to give them a proper chance. Glad I did - surprised myself how much I dug this extensive handpicked summation.
Other higlights:
Whipping boy - submarine
Prince Far I - Silver & Gold
Life without buildings - no other city
Bluetile Lounge - Lowercase
Ida - Tales of brave Ida
Cay - nature
Brian Eno - music for installatons
Keith Jarrett - la fenice (live)
Rival Consoles - Odyssey & Sonne
La Dusseldorf - s/t
Oooft the holy trinity!
Indeed. I’d listened to bits and pieces before but this year I put them on back to back and paid more attention. So dark, so good
The Last Resort really is brilliant. His subsequent releases just haven’t lived up to it sadly.
Haley Heynderickx - I Need To Start A Garden
Loscil - Monument Builders
Tiny Ruins - Brightly Painted One
Chromatically - Night Drive
Rilo Kiley - The Execution Of All Things
Bvdub - Serenity
Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger in the Alps
Outstanding
Great autocorrect… thanks phone!