Sigur Rós have created some fantastic music but for me Untitled #2 from the ( ) album is my favourite. The way the whole track drifts with all instruments fitting together perfectly really makes it stand out add to that the fantastic guitar tone which is truly the icing on the cake.
Ok I’ve Cheated… A little bit. Although the opening track is my TOTW, The album “Benji” by Sun Kil Moon is truly outstanding and easily my favourite album this year up till now, so I had to include the whole thing.
If you have an hour, sit back and listen to it. It takes you on a journey. A dark voyage that you may not like to travel down often. The album may be bleak in many ways and full of death but it still manages to convey that life goes on and you should appreciate what you have for the brief time you have it:
This is my favourite track by Simon & Garfunkel and that’s no mean feat considering they are some of the finest songwriters in history. Although the track is stunning lyrically, what really sets this above their other works is the mix. The track slowly blossoms into something darker as we go deeper into the profile of the subject. Instrumentation is built upon from a traditional acoustic guitar setup to feature rich tapestry from many different instruments from across the spectrum.
All of these instruments feel like they are suited to fit the story. The heavy tom that sounds like a hard punch on the chorus, the sorrowful and contemplative sound of the pedal steel guitar and then the string swells and deep brass towards the end all contribute to the piece.
The Boxer is quite simply a masterpiece. Something that was made by artists at the top of their game and with the love, care and attention of people who truly believe in what they are doing. I will never tire of it and it will never leave me:
This track was grating when I first heard it a few years ago but it has slowly become a track I have to listen to regularly. Old style punk with slightly tongue in cheek lyrics and a classic punk guitar riff that keeps the track bouncing along:
City to City is one great album. Most tracks end up being overshadowed by the amazing baker street but Right Down the Line has its charm:
Summery,catchy power pop at its best. With Class Historian the Oklahoma based BRONCHO have knocked it out the park. A track that suites the current heat wave but is addictive enough to stay in my playlist when the inevitable rain comes:
Bon Iver Has released a new track, part of the soundtrack for Zach Braffs new film “I wish I was here” and it’s another winner.
The way Justin Vernon blends his soulful voice and traditional folk aesthetics with modern electronic forms of production always lead to new and exiting things. Heavenly Farther is another example which shows a development in his work.
He has always played with his voice in production especially with autotune in the past. In this track he implements a sampler to turn his vocals into a large collection of elements within the track. This and the addition of a heavily compressed kick drum make for some unusual choices. But these are choices that work and have led me back to multiple listens of the song.
I look forward to his next full album but untill then this is a great piece of work to tide me over:
My Love for the FEZ soundtrack has been mentioned many times on this blog and it deserves to.
Disasterpeace managed to create a soundtrack that both suits the game perfectly but also stands the test of time for its own with instrumentation and melodies that manage to excel for remixing.
Solar Fields did this as part of Side F of the Fez Remix album for the track Puzzle and turned an uplifting and bouncy track into something slower and allot darker. I really like the sence of power throughout this track as it slowly ebbs and flows to its conclusion:
The Go! Teams debut album Thunder, Lightning, Strike is still a joyous melting pot of different genres of music nine years after its release.
The Blending of Hiphop with Indie/Garage rock creates something infectiously joyous and a perfect accompaniment to the warm weather were currently having in the uk.
Listen to Ladyflash Below:
The opening track from Royksopp & Robyn’s mini EP is an absolute stunner. A masterclass in restraint, you get a track over 9 minutes long that teases but never follows the traditions of a floor filling lead synths. Instead we get a brooding soundscape with great stereo extension of vocals mixed with woodwind instruments and a pulsating bass line that drives the track along:
Röyksopp & Robyn – Monument from It’s Forever Kids on Vimeo.