Califone

Music
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Friday saw the release of a new Califone album - a set of outtakes and companion pieces to their last album - which is excellent. I had a search and couldn’t find a thread.

They are one of my favourite bands of the past 25 years. They’ve released around 10-14 albums of music with its roots firmly in Americana/folk/blues but deconstructed and overlaid with abstract sounds, tape hiss, loops, drones, and odd instruments to create something familiar but new.

I love all their albums but if I had to pick a favourite it would be from that mid 2000s run of Quicksand/Cradlesnakes (2003), Heron King Blues (2004) and Roots & Crowns (2006).

Any other fans? Anyone seen them live?

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Yes, love them! Just saw them live at the end of last year at the 100 Club, they were so good. He has such a unique sound and voice I’m pretty much a sucker for anything he does, but I do particularly love All My Friends are Funeral Singers and Stitches.

I picked up an advance copy of the Villagers Companion at the gig and loved it. I think I prefer it to the actual Villagers album.

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yeah, big fan of Red Red Meat and Califone, and that Loftus s/t

Tim’s one of my favourite lyricists + Brian Deck’s production is pretty much always really cool

thought the most recent Califone album proper was up there with anything they’ve done

will think of more words to say when I get home

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recognise the name but dont think i’ve ever deliberately listened to them. New one just autoplayed and a few tracks in - sounds great! the exact type of indie alt country twang which is having a real moment now, lovely and warm

think fans of this should check out Why Bonnie, new band I can hear sharing a lot of DNA with Califone

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Excellent. I’ve loved their music since Quicksands but for some reason have always missed them live. Sometimes just happens with certain bands. Need to correct that.

Listened to All My Friends tonight. So good.

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I’ve never properly explored Red Red Meat. Going to do that this evening.

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Ooh I was also at that 100 Club show last year. Absolutely magic stuff, the 2hrs they played for absolutely flew by.

(I also really liked the support, Lou Terry, definitely one for Califone fans to check out)

Quicksands is my favourite, I first spent time listening to it on a solo trip to Falmouth at the tail of summer 2021, walking around the town at sunset with Leon Sphinx playing on my headphones :saluting_face: but all the recent records have been really good as well. Looking forward to the new one!

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Gone back to The Villager’s Companion, so good

I need to explore more, is there an album or two generally considered their best?

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My favourites are still ‘All My Friends Are Funeral Singers’ and ‘Stitches’

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‘Roots & Crowns’ is the best Califone

you checked out Red Red Meat?

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My top ten albums are:

  1. Roots and Crowns
  2. Quicksand/Cradlesnakes
  3. Heron King Blues
  4. All My Friends are Funeral Singers
  5. Villagers
  6. Villagers Companion
  7. Stitches
  8. Roomsound
  9. Echo Mind
  10. Sometimes Good Weather Follows Bad People

I’d say the top 6 are essential.

There are a number of other albums that collect together odd tracks, bits of soundtracks etc that are worth exploring

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Would massively recommend Bunny Gets Paid by Red Red Meat on top of the great Califone recommendations, it’s so good

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also ‘There’s a Star Above the Manger Tonight’

and the Loftus album

just a continuum of Tim Rutili, Brian Deck and Ben Massarella, innit

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You can spend days listening to bands they’re in, contributed to, worked with, produced etc. Quality control is insane

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