Wednesday, December 21, 2016

2016 - Longlist Part 3

Aoife O'Donovan - In The Magic Hour [Yep Roc]




Not sure what it is with some folks not posting on Bandcamp or Soundcloud, but Massachusetts singer-songwriter O'Donovan is among that lot, though I did find this live version of "Magic Hour" from her lovely Yep Roc record.

Courtney Marie Andrews - Honest Life [Mama Bird Recording Co.]



Honest Life is Andrews' sixth album. She's 26. I'll just be picking my jaw off the floor at that fact.

Mary Halvorson Octet - Away With You [Firehouse 12]



Halvorson is prolific and proficient - this isn't the only time you'll see the jazz guitarists' name come up on my 2016 list.

Jherek Bischoff - Cistern [The Leaf Label]



Twenty-plus musicians performed with Bischoff on Cistern, though ultimately it's his creation. The bassist composed, produced, mixed & mastered the album.

Sarah Davachi - Dominions [JAZ]



No foolin, BC drone artist Davachi released Dominions on April Fools' Day and has just dropped a brand new LP called Vergers that would likely end up on this list as well if I wasn't too busy re-reviewing all the music from my longlist.

Pajaro Sunrise - The Collapse [Lovemonk]



This is the first release I've heard from Spanish artist Yuri Méndez, who I discovered thanks to his sharing a  label with Bart Davenport. Dude's voice is peculiar, but in a charming way.

Carlos Niño and Friends - Flutes, Echoes, It's All Happening! [Leaving Records]



I found out about this one because I'm on Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's mailing list and he's among the 'friends' Niño collaborated with on this record. You might not recognize Atwood-Ferguson's name but maybe Madlib and Kamasi Washington are more familiar to you? Yeah, they're on here too. It's all happening indeed.

Adrian Younge - Something About April II [Linear Labs]



Younge has worked with the Delfonics, Ghostface Killah and more in the past. April II found him collabing with Laetitia Sadier, and much as I love soul music, I also have a huge thing for (a) french vocalists, and (b) Stereolab; so my head exploded.

Emapea - Seeds, Roots & Fruits [Cold Busted]



Funky, jazzy, slick beatmaking from Poland? As I'm quoted on the album's Bandcamp page: "Hot damn."

The Heliocentrics - From The Deep [Now-Again]



I know this is a first-world complaint, but there's almost too much music on From The Deep. It's all good - The Heliocentrics don't make bad stuff - but it's just a tad overlong.

Memoryhouse - Soft Hate [Memoryhouse]



Soft Hate wasn't just a departure from their label (Sub Pop) it was also a bit of a departure from the more muted music of their past.

Laura Sauvage - Extraordinormal [Simone Records]



I had the good fortune to see her open for Aidan Knight and if memory serves she closed with "No Direction Home." One-third of Les Hay Babies, Laura Sauvage is the stage name for Vivianne Roy's solo project and she displays songwriting- and guitar-chops abound.

Lionlimb - Shoo [Bayonet Records]



Eagle-eyed RR readers are already familiar with the track above. While the rest of Shoo doesn't quite match the pop-perfection of "Turnstile" that's a hard ask and an undue expectation.

saib. - Around The World [Cold Busted]



Moroccan beatmaker saib. has been a follow on Soundcloud for ages, so I was stoked to see him release this full-length on Cold Busted.

Atlantis Jazz Ensemble - Oceanic Suite [Marlow Records]



This Canadian jazz group was one of my favourite discoveries of 2016. Hadn't heard of them before Oceanic Suite landed on my desk at the station.

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