This track percolates. Can't wait to drink up the full-length when it drops February 10th.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Shadow J. Brown - "Doctor Mister Wunderkind"
This instrumental from one of my favourite discoveries of 2016, Shadow J. Brown, is a nice easy way to slide into 2017. The bass is insistent but those keys are mellow af.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Dirty Projectors - "Little Bubble"
It's been a minute since we've had some new Dirty Projectors so this is among my most anticipated releases of the new year. Sounds like Dave's been listening to some James Blake in the interim.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
2016 - Top 20 Albums
So, after a healthy batch of great records profiled in seven longlist posts, it's time for the fantastic stuff. My Top 20 was revealed on the 12th annual countdown show on UMFM, but if you didn't catch that on NYE, here's the skinny.
20 Tiff The Gift - It Gets Greater Later [Don't Sleep Records]
19 Library Tapes - Escapism [Independent]
18 Wadada Leo Smith - America's National Parks [Cuneiform]
17 Dori Freeman - Dori Freeman [Free Dirt Records]
16 Bill Laurance - Aftersun [GroundUP]
15 Jamila Woods - HEAVN [Closed Sessions]
14 Klô Pelgag - l'Etoile thoracique [Independent]
13 Kadhja Bonet - The Visitor [Fat Possum]
12 Black Mountain - IV [Dine Alone/Jagjaguwar]
11 Shabaka and the Ancestors - Wisdom of the Elders [Brownswood Recordings]
10 Josef Leimberg - Astral Progressions [World Galaxy/Alpha Pup]
09 BADBADNOTGOOD - IV [Innovative Leisure]
08 Anderson. Paak - Malibu [Steel Wool]
07 HINDS - Leave Me Alone [Mom + Pop]
06 Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book [Independent]
05 Kaytranada - 99.9% [XL Recordings]
04 Margaret Glaspy - Emotions and Math [ATO Records]
03 Aidan Knight - Each Other [Fulltime Habit]
02 David Bowie - Blackstar [RCA]
01 A Tribe Called Red - We Are The Halluci Nation [Radicalized Records]
20 Tiff The Gift - It Gets Greater Later [Don't Sleep Records]
19 Library Tapes - Escapism [Independent]
18 Wadada Leo Smith - America's National Parks [Cuneiform]
17 Dori Freeman - Dori Freeman [Free Dirt Records]
16 Bill Laurance - Aftersun [GroundUP]
15 Jamila Woods - HEAVN [Closed Sessions]
14 Klô Pelgag - l'Etoile thoracique [Independent]
13 Kadhja Bonet - The Visitor [Fat Possum]
12 Black Mountain - IV [Dine Alone/Jagjaguwar]
11 Shabaka and the Ancestors - Wisdom of the Elders [Brownswood Recordings]
10 Josef Leimberg - Astral Progressions [World Galaxy/Alpha Pup]
09 BADBADNOTGOOD - IV [Innovative Leisure]
08 Anderson. Paak - Malibu [Steel Wool]
07 HINDS - Leave Me Alone [Mom + Pop]
06 Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book [Independent]
05 Kaytranada - 99.9% [XL Recordings]
04 Margaret Glaspy - Emotions and Math [ATO Records]
03 Aidan Knight - Each Other [Fulltime Habit]
02 David Bowie - Blackstar [RCA]
01 A Tribe Called Red - We Are The Halluci Nation [Radicalized Records]
Saturday, December 31, 2016
2016 - Longlist Part 7
Oddisee - The Odd Tape [Mello Music Group]
While nothing rises to the stratosphere of "That's Love" from his last record, the latest beat tape from Oddisee is quality through and through.
Alsarah and the Nubatones - Manara [Wonderwheel Recordings]
Sudanese singer Alsarah and her Nubatones craft "East African Retro-Pop" and it is the sound of now.
Quilt - Plaza [Mexican Summer]
Four piece pysch rock outfit from Boston that made a beautiful mess.
Tacocat - Lost Time [Hardly Art]
Seattle punk-rockers crafted one of the most visceral and quick records of 2016.
Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith - A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke [ECM]
The other record Wadada Leo Smith released in 2016, the a collab with long-time fave Vijay Iyer.
Yellowjackets - Cohearance [Mack Avenue]
Unfortunately I can't find an embed of this great jazz record, but you can stream samples on the group's website here.
Thumbscrew - Convallaria [Cuneiform]
Thumbscrew are a dynamite trio and Mary Halvorson had a particularly terrific year.
The Claudia Quintet - Super Petite [Cuneiform]
Speaking of having a terrific year, Cuneiform placed about a half-dozen records on my longlist including this one from the John Hollenbeck -led quintet
Lucy Dacus - No Burden [Egg Hunt Records]
Virginian acts made a mark on my year-end longlist (and Top 20) including this great rock record from Richmond.
Ross McHenry - Child of Somebody [First Word Records]
His last record, Distant Oceans, placed on that year's Top 20 and composer / bass player McHenry almost repeated with Child of Somebody.
Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus [Brownswood Recordings]
The London (UK) jazz scene is booming and it's no surprise to find Gilles Peterson and his label Brownswood Recordings in the thick of it. Yussef Kamaal is not one person, but two: drummer Yussef Dayes and keyboardist/drummer Kamaal Williams (aka Henry Wu).
Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp [Yellow K Records]
This one first caught my attention at the beginning of the year when I came across a couple tracks on Soundcloud. I played some on TGIFR and then it dropped off the radar for awhile. Good thing I keep a running list or I wouldn't have revisited this swirling LP.
A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service [Epic]
While I wasn't as taken with it as some folks who placed this in the Top 10 on year-end lists, any release from ATCQ (even partially posthumous) is a welcome addition to my listening list.
Angel Olsen - My Woman [Jagjaguwar]
It's a great record - it's on a bunch of year-end lists, and while I quite enjoyed this one (and bemoan missing her Winnipeg gig), I think there's a similar release that did a similar thing better and you'll find it on my Top 20.
While nothing rises to the stratosphere of "That's Love" from his last record, the latest beat tape from Oddisee is quality through and through.
Alsarah and the Nubatones - Manara [Wonderwheel Recordings]
Sudanese singer Alsarah and her Nubatones craft "East African Retro-Pop" and it is the sound of now.
Quilt - Plaza [Mexican Summer]
Four piece pysch rock outfit from Boston that made a beautiful mess.
Tacocat - Lost Time [Hardly Art]
Seattle punk-rockers crafted one of the most visceral and quick records of 2016.
Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith - A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke [ECM]
The other record Wadada Leo Smith released in 2016, the a collab with long-time fave Vijay Iyer.
Yellowjackets - Cohearance [Mack Avenue]
Unfortunately I can't find an embed of this great jazz record, but you can stream samples on the group's website here.
Thumbscrew - Convallaria [Cuneiform]
Thumbscrew are a dynamite trio and Mary Halvorson had a particularly terrific year.
The Claudia Quintet - Super Petite [Cuneiform]
Speaking of having a terrific year, Cuneiform placed about a half-dozen records on my longlist including this one from the John Hollenbeck -led quintet
Lucy Dacus - No Burden [Egg Hunt Records]
Virginian acts made a mark on my year-end longlist (and Top 20) including this great rock record from Richmond.
Ross McHenry - Child of Somebody [First Word Records]
His last record, Distant Oceans, placed on that year's Top 20 and composer / bass player McHenry almost repeated with Child of Somebody.
Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus [Brownswood Recordings]
The London (UK) jazz scene is booming and it's no surprise to find Gilles Peterson and his label Brownswood Recordings in the thick of it. Yussef Kamaal is not one person, but two: drummer Yussef Dayes and keyboardist/drummer Kamaal Williams (aka Henry Wu).
Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp [Yellow K Records]
This one first caught my attention at the beginning of the year when I came across a couple tracks on Soundcloud. I played some on TGIFR and then it dropped off the radar for awhile. Good thing I keep a running list or I wouldn't have revisited this swirling LP.
A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service [Epic]
While I wasn't as taken with it as some folks who placed this in the Top 10 on year-end lists, any release from ATCQ (even partially posthumous) is a welcome addition to my listening list.
Angel Olsen - My Woman [Jagjaguwar]
It's a great record - it's on a bunch of year-end lists, and while I quite enjoyed this one (and bemoan missing her Winnipeg gig), I think there's a similar release that did a similar thing better and you'll find it on my Top 20.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
2016 - Longlist Part 6
Basia Bulat - Good Advice [Secret City Records]
Bulat has earned a lifetime spot in my longlists. I have never not enjoyed one of her albums.
Lily and Madeleine - Keep It Together [New West]
The "keep it together" of the title refers to the sisters' perspective on the struggles their millennial peers are dealing with. It's also the secret to their harmonic success. Great interplay between the pair.
Jenny Berkel - Pale Moon Kid [Pheromone]
Berkel called Winnipeg home at one point and her latest, Pale Moon Kid, contains a swan song of sorts for the city. Beautiful and dark.
Yes We Mystic - Forgiver [Independent]
Speaking of Winnipeg, one of my favourite acts in the city is Yes We Mystic. Great live, great on record and just great people.
John K. Samson - Winter Wheat [Anti-]
While we're on the Winnipeg run, is there an artist more emblematic of / associated with the city than John K. Samson?
Paul Simon - Stranger To Stranger [Concord]
2016 was a bizarre year, and few things were as surprising as Paul Simon making one of the hippest, most interesting sounding records of the year. It's been a while since that was the case, but unfortunately you'll only get a taste on the Soundcloud preview.
Okkervil River - Away [ATO Records]
It's interesting that Will Sheff chose to lead the album off with "Okkervil River R.I.P." - it's like a eulogy for the group followed by a rebirth over eight more songs.
Devendra Banhart - Ape In Pink Marble [Nonesuch]
Just like Bulat, Banhart can pretty much be penciled in for a spot on my list. He's not everyone's cup of tea, but like the Brits, I'm always game for a cuppa.
The Pines - Above The Prairie [Red House Records]
Only a band from Minnesota or Manitoba could have written this sonic picture of wide open sky.
Laura Gibson - Empire Builder [Barsuk]
Slinky, cinematic and haunting, this is a fantastic return to recording for Gibson, whose last record was 2012's La Grande.
Sara Watkins - Young In All The Wrong Ways [New West]
Nickel Creek member Watkins apparently wrote the record as a break-up album with herself, or at least the person she used to be. When I first wrote about the album on this blog, I said I found it unfortunate she had to go through heartbreak to write a record this lovely, but it sounds like it wasn't quite the situation I pictured upon first hearing it...
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down - A Man Alive [Ribbon Music]
Speaking of cathartic writing experiences, talking with Thao Nguyen before her appearance at Interstellar Rodeo this summer, A Man Alive was just that for the San Franciscan. And if you want to hear that interview, check it out in its entirety here.
Merival - Lovers [Independent]
Looking back, I shouldn't have had this on my longlist as I don't include EPs on my Best Album list, but this gem from Torontonian Merival deserves a shout out as it stayed with me all year after I discovered it on Bandcamp back in January.
Explosions In The Sky - The Wilderness [Temporary Residence]
The cover art for this record manages to distill the music EitS make into one image - a wave crashing and shattering into the side of a red cliff. The colours, the lines, the chaos, it's all there, and it's all on The Wilderness.
Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow [Relapse]
Philadelphia rockers Nothing provided me not only with a great listen, but also one of the funnier existential moments of my life when I found myself typing "nothing" into the search bar of my computer to find the audio files.
Bulat has earned a lifetime spot in my longlists. I have never not enjoyed one of her albums.
Lily and Madeleine - Keep It Together [New West]
The "keep it together" of the title refers to the sisters' perspective on the struggles their millennial peers are dealing with. It's also the secret to their harmonic success. Great interplay between the pair.
Jenny Berkel - Pale Moon Kid [Pheromone]
Berkel called Winnipeg home at one point and her latest, Pale Moon Kid, contains a swan song of sorts for the city. Beautiful and dark.
Yes We Mystic - Forgiver [Independent]
Speaking of Winnipeg, one of my favourite acts in the city is Yes We Mystic. Great live, great on record and just great people.
John K. Samson - Winter Wheat [Anti-]
While we're on the Winnipeg run, is there an artist more emblematic of / associated with the city than John K. Samson?
Paul Simon - Stranger To Stranger [Concord]
2016 was a bizarre year, and few things were as surprising as Paul Simon making one of the hippest, most interesting sounding records of the year. It's been a while since that was the case, but unfortunately you'll only get a taste on the Soundcloud preview.
Okkervil River - Away [ATO Records]
It's interesting that Will Sheff chose to lead the album off with "Okkervil River R.I.P." - it's like a eulogy for the group followed by a rebirth over eight more songs.
Devendra Banhart - Ape In Pink Marble [Nonesuch]
Just like Bulat, Banhart can pretty much be penciled in for a spot on my list. He's not everyone's cup of tea, but like the Brits, I'm always game for a cuppa.
The Pines - Above The Prairie [Red House Records]
Only a band from Minnesota or Manitoba could have written this sonic picture of wide open sky.
Laura Gibson - Empire Builder [Barsuk]
Slinky, cinematic and haunting, this is a fantastic return to recording for Gibson, whose last record was 2012's La Grande.
Sara Watkins - Young In All The Wrong Ways [New West]
Nickel Creek member Watkins apparently wrote the record as a break-up album with herself, or at least the person she used to be. When I first wrote about the album on this blog, I said I found it unfortunate she had to go through heartbreak to write a record this lovely, but it sounds like it wasn't quite the situation I pictured upon first hearing it...
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down - A Man Alive [Ribbon Music]
Speaking of cathartic writing experiences, talking with Thao Nguyen before her appearance at Interstellar Rodeo this summer, A Man Alive was just that for the San Franciscan. And if you want to hear that interview, check it out in its entirety here.
Merival - Lovers [Independent]
Looking back, I shouldn't have had this on my longlist as I don't include EPs on my Best Album list, but this gem from Torontonian Merival deserves a shout out as it stayed with me all year after I discovered it on Bandcamp back in January.
Explosions In The Sky - The Wilderness [Temporary Residence]
The cover art for this record manages to distill the music EitS make into one image - a wave crashing and shattering into the side of a red cliff. The colours, the lines, the chaos, it's all there, and it's all on The Wilderness.
Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow [Relapse]
Philadelphia rockers Nothing provided me not only with a great listen, but also one of the funnier existential moments of my life when I found myself typing "nothing" into the search bar of my computer to find the audio files.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
2016 - Longlist Part 5
Myles Sanko - Just Being Me [Legere Recordings]
"My Inspiration" off his last record was among my Top 20 songs of 2014 and remains a favourite. I was hella excited to see the UK vocalist land on the great Legere Recordings and while there wasn't a Top 20 song on Just Being Me, it's a uniformly solid record.
Tanika Charles - Soul Run [Independent]
If you read this blog on the regular or listen to my Friday night radio show TGIFR, Charles' inclusion on this list should be no surprise. I played the heck out of this record and was front and centre when she played The Good Will earlier this year. Kudos to outgoing Jazz Winnipeg honcho Paul Nolin for bringing that show to town!
Lee Fields and the Expressions - Special Night [Big Crown]
Another winner from upstart label Big Crown. This one from the already established Lee Fields who killed it at Interstellar Rodeo this past August. Not sure what precipitated his departure from Truth & Soul, but glad to see him land on another quality roster.
Lady Wray - Queen Alone [Big Crown]
Speaking of folks landing at Big Crown, Lady Wray did just the same and I'm glad it happened. Nicole Wray was one half of Truth & Soul act Lady with UK vocalist Terri Walker. The duo disbanded with Walker working on a solo act back in England and Wray got to keep the Lady moniker and thus she's the Queen Alone of the title.
Emmy The Great - Second Love [Bella Union]
Just as you'll end up seeing Lady Wray and Tanika Charles above on my singles list, Emmy The Great provided one of my favourite songs of the year. Though it's not the one shared here, which was the first track I heard from this record and features Wild Beasts vocalist Hayden Thorpe. It's a great cut too that deserves a listen.
Jessy Lanza - Oh No [Hyperdub]
Hamiltonian Lanza followed up her great debut Pull My Hair Back with a great sophomore effort that garnered her a spot on this years' Polaris Prize Shortlist.
Eric Krasno - Blood From A Stone [Feel Music Group]
Krasno - guitarist for Soulive and Lettuce - makes his solo debut with Blood From A Stone and it's a fantastic first statement. Having worked with the Tedeschi Trucks Band as well recently, it's clear that the rugged blues hat group excels in has found its way into Krasno's songwriting, blending with the funk and soul he already exhibited a proficiency in.
Evan Geesman - Coils [Ubiquity]
Just as there always seems to be a silber title that finds its way onto my longlist each year, the same can be said for Bay Area label Ubiquity Records. Do yourself a favour and join their mailing list so you get updates on flash sales so you can start bulk-buying their catalog.
The Frightnrs - Nothing More To Say [Daptone]
Rough year for the Daptone Records family. The Queen, Sharon Jones, felled by cancer. But before that, recent signee The Frightnrs' frontman Dan Klein dies from complications due to ALS. The group's Daptone debut would prove to be their last.
E.GG - Alverstone [Independent]
One-third of local rap group 3PEAT (found earlier in this series of Longlist posts), E.GG was a busy dude. In addition to his group debut, dude also dropped a hella hot solo full-length that found him collabing with some talented local beat-makers (full disclosure: two of them I consider friends).
Weyes Blood - Front Row Seat To Earth [Mexican Summer]
She's on my favourite track from the previously listed Drugdealer record, but Natalie Mering is no guest vocalist. On this full-length under the Weyes Blood moniker, Mering makes a trippy record that sounds like seventies AM radio in an alternate-universe California.
The Seshen - Flames and Figures [Tru Thoughts]
What I said before about silber and Ubiquity? Same goes for Tru Thoughts - consistently good label with an interesting and growing roster. The Seshen are a San Francisco seven-piece that use production techniques and instrumentation that push classic r&b into the future.
Jimetta Rose - The Light Bearer [Temporary Whatever]
If you haven't checked out Bandcamp's Top 80 Albums of 2016, do yourself a favour and start bookmarking their recommendations, starting with one that their list and mine shares - Los Angeles soul singer Jimetta Rose.
Manu Katche - Unstatic [Anteprima]
French drummer/composer Katche was in the running for the Top 20 for quite some time. In a stellar year for challenging jazz records, Unstatic was among the best.
Naima - Bye [Cuneiform]
Do yourself a favour and bookmark this Bandcamp link. It's the homepage for Cuneiform Records. You can make worse decisions than clicking on a random release from them and delving into the soundscapes their world-class artists create. But maybe start with Spanish trio Naima...
"My Inspiration" off his last record was among my Top 20 songs of 2014 and remains a favourite. I was hella excited to see the UK vocalist land on the great Legere Recordings and while there wasn't a Top 20 song on Just Being Me, it's a uniformly solid record.
Tanika Charles - Soul Run [Independent]
If you read this blog on the regular or listen to my Friday night radio show TGIFR, Charles' inclusion on this list should be no surprise. I played the heck out of this record and was front and centre when she played The Good Will earlier this year. Kudos to outgoing Jazz Winnipeg honcho Paul Nolin for bringing that show to town!
Lee Fields and the Expressions - Special Night [Big Crown]
Another winner from upstart label Big Crown. This one from the already established Lee Fields who killed it at Interstellar Rodeo this past August. Not sure what precipitated his departure from Truth & Soul, but glad to see him land on another quality roster.
Lady Wray - Queen Alone [Big Crown]
Speaking of folks landing at Big Crown, Lady Wray did just the same and I'm glad it happened. Nicole Wray was one half of Truth & Soul act Lady with UK vocalist Terri Walker. The duo disbanded with Walker working on a solo act back in England and Wray got to keep the Lady moniker and thus she's the Queen Alone of the title.
Emmy The Great - Second Love [Bella Union]
Just as you'll end up seeing Lady Wray and Tanika Charles above on my singles list, Emmy The Great provided one of my favourite songs of the year. Though it's not the one shared here, which was the first track I heard from this record and features Wild Beasts vocalist Hayden Thorpe. It's a great cut too that deserves a listen.
Jessy Lanza - Oh No [Hyperdub]
Hamiltonian Lanza followed up her great debut Pull My Hair Back with a great sophomore effort that garnered her a spot on this years' Polaris Prize Shortlist.
Eric Krasno - Blood From A Stone [Feel Music Group]
Krasno - guitarist for Soulive and Lettuce - makes his solo debut with Blood From A Stone and it's a fantastic first statement. Having worked with the Tedeschi Trucks Band as well recently, it's clear that the rugged blues hat group excels in has found its way into Krasno's songwriting, blending with the funk and soul he already exhibited a proficiency in.
Evan Geesman - Coils [Ubiquity]
Just as there always seems to be a silber title that finds its way onto my longlist each year, the same can be said for Bay Area label Ubiquity Records. Do yourself a favour and join their mailing list so you get updates on flash sales so you can start bulk-buying their catalog.
The Frightnrs - Nothing More To Say [Daptone]
Rough year for the Daptone Records family. The Queen, Sharon Jones, felled by cancer. But before that, recent signee The Frightnrs' frontman Dan Klein dies from complications due to ALS. The group's Daptone debut would prove to be their last.
E.GG - Alverstone [Independent]
One-third of local rap group 3PEAT (found earlier in this series of Longlist posts), E.GG was a busy dude. In addition to his group debut, dude also dropped a hella hot solo full-length that found him collabing with some talented local beat-makers (full disclosure: two of them I consider friends).
Weyes Blood - Front Row Seat To Earth [Mexican Summer]
She's on my favourite track from the previously listed Drugdealer record, but Natalie Mering is no guest vocalist. On this full-length under the Weyes Blood moniker, Mering makes a trippy record that sounds like seventies AM radio in an alternate-universe California.
The Seshen - Flames and Figures [Tru Thoughts]
What I said before about silber and Ubiquity? Same goes for Tru Thoughts - consistently good label with an interesting and growing roster. The Seshen are a San Francisco seven-piece that use production techniques and instrumentation that push classic r&b into the future.
Jimetta Rose - The Light Bearer [Temporary Whatever]
If you haven't checked out Bandcamp's Top 80 Albums of 2016, do yourself a favour and start bookmarking their recommendations, starting with one that their list and mine shares - Los Angeles soul singer Jimetta Rose.
Manu Katche - Unstatic [Anteprima]
French drummer/composer Katche was in the running for the Top 20 for quite some time. In a stellar year for challenging jazz records, Unstatic was among the best.
Naima - Bye [Cuneiform]
Do yourself a favour and bookmark this Bandcamp link. It's the homepage for Cuneiform Records. You can make worse decisions than clicking on a random release from them and delving into the soundscapes their world-class artists create. But maybe start with Spanish trio Naima...
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