Un Blonde - Good Will Come To You [Egg Paper Factory]
I said there'd be another one on Egg Paper Factory and here it is. Un Blonde's LP was on my Polaris longlist this past year and thus it makes its way onto the Year End Longlist as well.
Drugdealer - The End Of Comedy [Weird World]
Here's another instance where one standout track (the above collab with Weyes Blood) kept this album in contention. Not that the rest of this one is bad. Far from it.
ELWD - There's Light Somewhere [Bad Taste]
Great hip-hop tape from an up-and-coming UK producer.
Thorn1 - The Leave of Leaves [silber]
It seems like every year there's at least one record that silber puts out that just strikes a chord - this year it's Russian act Thorn1. Shout out to Brian John Mitchell for plugging away at releasing great drone and experimental music.
Fatima Al Qadiri - Brute [Hyperdub]
Al Scorch - Circle Round The Signs [Bloodshot]
I think this is his actual last name, but damn if it's not appropriate for the blazing bluegrass the Illinoian makes.
The Amazing - Ambulance [Partisan]
The Stockholm quintet pick up right where they left off on last years' Picture You.
Classixx - Faraway Reach [Innovative Leisure]
If lead-off track "Grecian Summer" doesn't grab you, then you're unlikely to enjoy the rest of Faraway Reach, but if it wins you over, it plays for keeps.
MOP MOP - Lunar Love [Agogo]
If you ever wished that Sun Ra connected with a downtempo beatmaker for a collaboration, then weep no more m'lady. MOP MOP are the peculiar pairing you didn't even know you were searching for.
Beach Slang - A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings [Polyvinyl]
Hot on the heels of The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us, Beach Slang dropped another blistering batch of punk tunes.
Teenage Fanclub - Here [Merge]
My love for this Scottish power-pop act goes back to 1990 and A Catholic Education. That is twenty-six-frickin'-years. God am I old.
The Bad Plus - It's Hard [Okeh Records]
This jazz trio never takes a misstep and they never fail to surprise with their choice of covers and rearrangement of pop songs for jazz purposes. Sadly, all the tracks are on Preview mode.
Andy Shauf - The Party [Arts & Crafts]
This is probably the biggest surprise for people I know as to what didn't make my final 20. I LOVED Shauf's set opening for Low at First Avenue in 2015 where I heard some of these tunes for the first time, but as much as I enjoyed The Party, it's not where I wanted to hang out at the end of the year.
Aleem Khan - URBANA CHAMPAIGN [Independent]
I stumbled across this one during a Bandcamp deep dive and tripped out for it. While it doesn't make the Final 20 for 2016, it's still on my longlist for next years' Polaris Prize.
Charles Bradley - Changes [Daptone]
The Screaming Eagle of Soul soars on this collection of tunes including a devastating Black Sabbath cover.
Friday, December 23, 2016
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.
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.
Monday, December 19, 2016
2016 - Longlist Part 2
Jaimeo Brown Transcendence - Work Songs [Motema Music]
Released in the midst of Black History Month and centered around modern reworkings of archival recordings as a commentary on the industrialized incarceration of black men, this would be an important record regardless of quality. But it's also a great listen.
Jay Arner - Jay II [Mint Records]
Unsurprisingly this is Arner's second record. The Vancouver B.C. artist doesn't venture too far from his Mint Records debut, but there's more synths and it's a brisk and breezy effort.
LAL - Find Safety [Coax]
I had the good fortune to talk to Nicholas Murray (one half of LAL) for my show when the group released Find Safety, and the misfortune to miss their appearance at The Good Will when they played Pride. Would have loved to pick up a physical copy of this record.
Rick Parker and Li Daiguo - Free World Music [eleven2eleven]
America's Parker and China's Li describe their collaboration as "An avante garde psychoacoustic project dedicated to facilitating the recovery of individuals suffering (from anything) through the use of exposure to representations of the Infinite which come in the form of flowing rivers of the illest lusciousness."
Jenny Gillespie - Cure for Dreaming [Narooma]
It's not necessarily at the level of Joni Mitchell's The Hissing of Summer Lawns, but that's the record that comes to mind when listening to Gillespie's effort.
Olof Melander - The Path [Project Mooncircle]
Berlin's Project Mooncircle just marked its 15th anniversary and while I came to the label through Flako, Melander's full-length was an early discovery (January) that stayed with me throughout the year.
Photo Ops - Vacation [Bad Friend Records]
"Memories That Glow" totally took me back to the New Radicals. And I mean that as a compliment. While the rest of the record doesn't quite achieve that pop bliss, it's still front-to-back a great listen.
The Painters - Specks of Dust [Egg Paper Factory]
If you're a fan of indie / lo-fi and oddball music and you're not keeping tabs on Egg Paper Factory then you're missing out, not just on The Painters, but also Telstar Drugs and Un Blonde.
Tindersticks - The Waiting Room [City Slang]
Tindersticks go back over two-and-a-half decades at this point and Stuart Staples isn't necessarily any happier now than he was in 1991, but if you dig his melancholic music, you'll enjoy The Waiting Room.
Manuel Volpe and Rhabdomantic Orchestra - Albore [Agogo Records]
Not the last time you'll see Agogo Records on this list. This is at the mellower end of material the Hanover-based label released in 2016, with Italian Volpe incorporating Middle Eastern percussion and spiritual jazz.
Saroos - Tardis [Alien Transistor]
Drawing membership from Lali Puna, The Notwist and Driftmachine, German trio Saroos crafted a trippy, space-y batch of beats and electronic soundscapes.
Venetian Snares - Traditional Synthesizer Music [Planet Mu / Timesig]
Not as punishing an aural assault as he's employed in the past, Traditional Synthesizer Music is still as crisp and precisely structured as anything Funk has done in the past.
Submotion Orchestra - Colour Theory [Counter]
Leeds, UK electronic outfit Submotion Orchestra craft a blissful soundscape on Colour Theory.
Andrew Bird - Are You Serious [Wegawam / Loma Vista]
Yet another 30 second preview only set-up so you'll only get a taste of Are You Serious at the link above, but if you're a fan of Bird's prior efforts (Noble Beast anyone?) then it stands to reason you'll enjoy the latest.
Frank Ocean - blond / blonde [Boys Don't Cry]
I can't embed any tracks from Ocean's website, but if you've got Apple Music you can check out the stream. His Soundcloud page only has previews from two tracks on channel Orange so Ocean's divestment from his label and move to go out on his own seems to be fully executed.
Released in the midst of Black History Month and centered around modern reworkings of archival recordings as a commentary on the industrialized incarceration of black men, this would be an important record regardless of quality. But it's also a great listen.
Jay Arner - Jay II [Mint Records]
Unsurprisingly this is Arner's second record. The Vancouver B.C. artist doesn't venture too far from his Mint Records debut, but there's more synths and it's a brisk and breezy effort.
LAL - Find Safety [Coax]
I had the good fortune to talk to Nicholas Murray (one half of LAL) for my show when the group released Find Safety, and the misfortune to miss their appearance at The Good Will when they played Pride. Would have loved to pick up a physical copy of this record.
Rick Parker and Li Daiguo - Free World Music [eleven2eleven]
America's Parker and China's Li describe their collaboration as "An avante garde psychoacoustic project dedicated to facilitating the recovery of individuals suffering (from anything) through the use of exposure to representations of the Infinite which come in the form of flowing rivers of the illest lusciousness."
Jenny Gillespie - Cure for Dreaming [Narooma]
It's not necessarily at the level of Joni Mitchell's The Hissing of Summer Lawns, but that's the record that comes to mind when listening to Gillespie's effort.
Olof Melander - The Path [Project Mooncircle]
Berlin's Project Mooncircle just marked its 15th anniversary and while I came to the label through Flako, Melander's full-length was an early discovery (January) that stayed with me throughout the year.
Photo Ops - Vacation [Bad Friend Records]
"Memories That Glow" totally took me back to the New Radicals. And I mean that as a compliment. While the rest of the record doesn't quite achieve that pop bliss, it's still front-to-back a great listen.
The Painters - Specks of Dust [Egg Paper Factory]
If you're a fan of indie / lo-fi and oddball music and you're not keeping tabs on Egg Paper Factory then you're missing out, not just on The Painters, but also Telstar Drugs and Un Blonde.
Tindersticks - The Waiting Room [City Slang]
Tindersticks go back over two-and-a-half decades at this point and Stuart Staples isn't necessarily any happier now than he was in 1991, but if you dig his melancholic music, you'll enjoy The Waiting Room.
Manuel Volpe and Rhabdomantic Orchestra - Albore [Agogo Records]
Not the last time you'll see Agogo Records on this list. This is at the mellower end of material the Hanover-based label released in 2016, with Italian Volpe incorporating Middle Eastern percussion and spiritual jazz.
Saroos - Tardis [Alien Transistor]
Drawing membership from Lali Puna, The Notwist and Driftmachine, German trio Saroos crafted a trippy, space-y batch of beats and electronic soundscapes.
Venetian Snares - Traditional Synthesizer Music [Planet Mu / Timesig]
Not as punishing an aural assault as he's employed in the past, Traditional Synthesizer Music is still as crisp and precisely structured as anything Funk has done in the past.
Submotion Orchestra - Colour Theory [Counter]
Leeds, UK electronic outfit Submotion Orchestra craft a blissful soundscape on Colour Theory.
Andrew Bird - Are You Serious [Wegawam / Loma Vista]
Yet another 30 second preview only set-up so you'll only get a taste of Are You Serious at the link above, but if you're a fan of Bird's prior efforts (Noble Beast anyone?) then it stands to reason you'll enjoy the latest.
Frank Ocean - blond / blonde [Boys Don't Cry]
I can't embed any tracks from Ocean's website, but if you've got Apple Music you can check out the stream. His Soundcloud page only has previews from two tracks on channel Orange so Ocean's divestment from his label and move to go out on his own seems to be fully executed.
Friday, December 16, 2016
2016 - Longlist Part 1
So, New Years' Eve is just around the corner, which means that UMFM Station Manager Jared McKetiak and I will once again be counting down our Top 20 Songs and Albums of the year (pretty sure this is the 13th [!] year, though I'm losing count). I am still finalizing my album list and whittling it down from over 120 entries so I'm going to start sharing some of the records I thought were great but didn't make the cut. In no particular order, here's the first batch.
History of the Highways - Petals of a Rose [Independent] Technically released in 2015 (December 31st) it was way too late for last year, so I considered it for 2016.
Karl Blau - Introducing Karl Blau [Bella Union] I wrote about this one shortly after it dropped. Usually I rule out any albums that are covers, best-of's or live, but Blau nearly swayed me to abandon that practice.
JD and the Sunshine Band - Soaking Up The Rays [Transistor 66] Sunshine House is near and dear to my family. My wife works with the organization providing on-site healthcare and my friendship with JD dates back to his days in Ultra Mega. Soaking Up The Rays is the sophomore record from Ormond and a great group of street-involved folks and as the title implies, it's a batch of warm songs.
Zaum - Eidolon [I Hate] 2014's Oracles is where I first discovered Moncton doom-metal act Zaum. Their follow-up halves the number of tracks from 4 to 2, but the album is just as long and just as trippy.
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band - 55 [Big Crown] This won't be the last time you see Big Crown Records. The new label started by Leon Michels & Danny Akalepse in 2016 came out with both guns blazing and released several records I loved. I have a big thing for steel drums so this one didn't need more than a few minutes to win me over.
Flamingosis - Great Hair [UNKNOWY] Been following Flamingosis on Soundcloud for ages now and they're always dropping tasty one-offs, but Great Hair is front-to-back goodness. If you like carefully crafted beats, this one's for you.
Kratos Himself - Stay True [Independent] Here's another great electronic producer - Stay True just dropped a week ago so I really haven't had more than a couple passes through it, but it deserves mention as they've certainly been enjoyable listens.
CHOCOLAT - Rencontrer Looloo [Dare To Care] Shout out to the Quebec contingent of Polaris jurors who brought this one to my attention. La Belle Province has a long history of prog-rock goodness and Rencontrer Looloo definitely continues that tradition.
3PEAT - 3PEAT [Independent] As the group name suggests, this is a trio - Dill The Giant, Egg & Steve - and they're a group of young dudes who rep my hometown of Winnipeg and continue on a great tradition of rap in this city.
Bateau Noir - Bateau Noir [Independent] Instrumental post-punk from Montreal? OUI.
Katie Dey - Flood Network [Joy Void] I came across Dey's asdfasdf and was particularly taken with "you gotta get up to get up." Flood Network continues on in that vein.
Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter [Third Man] I'm still kicking myself for having to miss Price's performance at Interstellar Rodeo. Kids, man.
White Lung - Paradise [Domino] Vocalise Mish Barber-Way had one of my favourite quotes of the year: “There’s this stupid attitude that only punks have where it’s uncool to become a better song writer... I have no interest in staying in kindergarten"
Kvelertak - Nattesferd [Roadrunner] Unfortunately, all the Soundcloud clips from this epic record are set to preview mode, so you're only going to get about 30 seconds of any track, but that should be enough time to convince you to seek out this Norwegian metal act's full-length.
Warpaint - Heads Up [Rough Trade] Here's another one set to preview mode. But if you liked their self-titled LP, I can guarantee you'll dig Heads Up just as much if not more.
Helen Money - Become Zero [Thrill Jockey] Cellist Alison Chesley first crossed my radar with the first album recorded under the name Helen Money and the gorgeous track "Birds." Since then she's landed on the inestimable label Thrill Jockey and Become Zero is an emotional piece of work.
History of the Highways - Petals of a Rose [Independent] Technically released in 2015 (December 31st) it was way too late for last year, so I considered it for 2016.
Karl Blau - Introducing Karl Blau [Bella Union] I wrote about this one shortly after it dropped. Usually I rule out any albums that are covers, best-of's or live, but Blau nearly swayed me to abandon that practice.
JD and the Sunshine Band - Soaking Up The Rays [Transistor 66] Sunshine House is near and dear to my family. My wife works with the organization providing on-site healthcare and my friendship with JD dates back to his days in Ultra Mega. Soaking Up The Rays is the sophomore record from Ormond and a great group of street-involved folks and as the title implies, it's a batch of warm songs.
Zaum - Eidolon [I Hate] 2014's Oracles is where I first discovered Moncton doom-metal act Zaum. Their follow-up halves the number of tracks from 4 to 2, but the album is just as long and just as trippy.
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band - 55 [Big Crown] This won't be the last time you see Big Crown Records. The new label started by Leon Michels & Danny Akalepse in 2016 came out with both guns blazing and released several records I loved. I have a big thing for steel drums so this one didn't need more than a few minutes to win me over.
Flamingosis - Great Hair [UNKNOWY] Been following Flamingosis on Soundcloud for ages now and they're always dropping tasty one-offs, but Great Hair is front-to-back goodness. If you like carefully crafted beats, this one's for you.
Kratos Himself - Stay True [Independent] Here's another great electronic producer - Stay True just dropped a week ago so I really haven't had more than a couple passes through it, but it deserves mention as they've certainly been enjoyable listens.
CHOCOLAT - Rencontrer Looloo [Dare To Care] Shout out to the Quebec contingent of Polaris jurors who brought this one to my attention. La Belle Province has a long history of prog-rock goodness and Rencontrer Looloo definitely continues that tradition.
3PEAT - 3PEAT [Independent] As the group name suggests, this is a trio - Dill The Giant, Egg & Steve - and they're a group of young dudes who rep my hometown of Winnipeg and continue on a great tradition of rap in this city.
Bateau Noir - Bateau Noir [Independent] Instrumental post-punk from Montreal? OUI.
Katie Dey - Flood Network [Joy Void] I came across Dey's asdfasdf and was particularly taken with "you gotta get up to get up." Flood Network continues on in that vein.
Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter [Third Man] I'm still kicking myself for having to miss Price's performance at Interstellar Rodeo. Kids, man.
White Lung - Paradise [Domino] Vocalise Mish Barber-Way had one of my favourite quotes of the year: “There’s this stupid attitude that only punks have where it’s uncool to become a better song writer... I have no interest in staying in kindergarten"
Kvelertak - Nattesferd [Roadrunner] Unfortunately, all the Soundcloud clips from this epic record are set to preview mode, so you're only going to get about 30 seconds of any track, but that should be enough time to convince you to seek out this Norwegian metal act's full-length.
Warpaint - Heads Up [Rough Trade] Here's another one set to preview mode. But if you liked their self-titled LP, I can guarantee you'll dig Heads Up just as much if not more.
Helen Money - Become Zero [Thrill Jockey] Cellist Alison Chesley first crossed my radar with the first album recorded under the name Helen Money and the gorgeous track "Birds." Since then she's landed on the inestimable label Thrill Jockey and Become Zero is an emotional piece of work.
The Sadies ft. Kurt Vile - "It's Easy (Like Walking)"
Here's a little early Christmas present for you! The Sadies just debuted a new collaboration with Kurt Vile on CBC's Q today and the track can be heard on Youtube (below). You can follow this link to get the album Northern Passages.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Oddisee - "Things"
Does Oddisee sleep? Does The Iceberg refer to the fact that he's got so much music that most of it is buried beneath the surface?
After dropping Alwasta and The Odd Tape in 2016, he's already poised to drop a new record in 2017 (February 24th to be exact). "Things" is the first track to drop and as with everything else dude does, it's fire.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Little Scream - "People"
In all the Year End insanity of catching up on records people loved throughout the year, it can be easy to overlook NEW music, but don't sleep on the new track from Montreal's Little Scream. "People" came out on Merge December 9th.
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