After watching the most recent Wes Anderson film I was reminded of Coconut Records the pseudonym of Jason Schwartzman and one of Andersons regular cast members. With Coconut Records, Jason Schwartzman manages to craft novel pop rooted in nostalgia. West Coast is my favourite track from his first album nighttiming and is available below:
Every year in either February or March I will hear an album that should have appeared in last years album of the year list and this year its Inform-Educate-Entertain By Public Service broadcasting.
Another gem heard on NPR’s SXSW Playlist. Everest like all of Public Service Broadcastings work adds a musical accompaniment to samples of documentary narrations to create really wonderful music. Everest is only the tip of the mountainous talent that the their first full album demonstrates. Every track being feeling part of the whole whilst having its own voice a fantastic work:
This week I want to bring attention to not only this track but also the fantastic sampler NPR are offering on their site which it features on. SXSW is on and to celebrate NPR music have gathered together a collection of 100 of their favourite tracks from the bands playing the festival and can be downloaded for free here:
http://www.npr.org/2014/02/28/283974226/the-austin-100-a-sxsw-2014-mix
All of the tracks are worth listening to and have given me inspiration for several weeks of TOTW. I will start with the Hundred Waters track Down From the Rafters. This track starts in the realms of traditional celtic folk but at the 2:30 mark were treated to an overlaying structure modern production on top of its traditional routes creating something unique and exiting:
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It’s been four years since Jun Seba aka Nujabes died in a car accident and he is still sorely missed. His albums Modal Soul and Metaphorical Music still feel fresh and exiting to this day and I cherish and listen to them regularly. To decide on a track was hard but as an album Modal Soul is my favourite so I thought I would buck the trend and put a stream of the whole thing up below. I hope you enjoy and love this unique mix of jazz and hiphop as much as I have over the years:
Warpaints most recent album has been out for a month now and it’s taken quite a bit of time to grow on me. They’ve always had the qualities of a Jam Band engrained in their sound but in their latest self titled album it takes the forefront at expense of some of the more pop sensibilities of their ep and first full album.
This at First gave me less to latch onto and was therefore a bit harder to like from the get go but with time these slowly evolving tracks with less focus on guitar and more on synths have become a part of my late night listening regime:
Borland have made several albums over the years available on their bandcamp page and all of them are worth listening to. I have thoroughly enjoyed their works and was surprised when I went on their site to see they had created an album almost a year ago that I had missed.
Their earlier works are a more ambient and lighter than Thranics which is a darker and heavier affair. Therefore I have decided to include a couple of tracks to show you both sides of the spectrum. Fox Nebula Kiss from the album Quantum Woman is a slowly developing piece that bursts into action with a synth arpeggiated line towards its conclusion. Thranicis from the album of the same name feels bleaker and more sparse but the instruments fit beautifully together with the vocal which is pitched and blended into a separate instrument in its own right:
I Break Horses debut album “Hearts” was one of my favourite albums from a few years ago and made its way into my album of the year list. Now two years later were treated to their second album Chiaroscuro. The grand oppressive weight to their sound is still there but now rather than being juxtaposed with more uplifting guitar and synth melodies found in Hearts, Chiaroscuro focuses on a darker approach which is taking a bit longer to grow on me.
Faith is the Second Track on the album and a fine example of the album as a whole:
The FEZ Soundtrack is truly remarkable. It manages to convey a vast array of emotions with a limited palate. Age consists of a throbbing synth line that feels like it could lose control and fall apart at any moment.
With a collection of single notes the track manages to hold a majesty and grandeur worthy of the tracks title:
LCD Soundsytem Have always had great videos to go along with their tracks and Losing My Edge is an early example. The track has an Ironic and self-deprecating tone which is complimented perfectly by the videos structure.
Burial bookended last year in music for me. Truant/Rough Sleeper and Rival Dealer EP’s were the first and last things i bought and have both been great works. Managing to develop and evolve the iconic sound, synonymous with the artist.
Rival Dealer starts harsher and more abrasive than any of his previous works on its opening and title track. But then goes to the other end of the spectrum with a softer and gentle approach that almost borders on the romantic.
Tracks Hiders (below) and Come down to Us as with the rest of Burials work over 2013 have managed to show an artist developing their sound in unique and refreshing ways that manage to completely defy my expectation of their work.
If these mini EP’s continue over a full album from burial and offer this diversity i hope they continue into 2014 and beyond: