Bonnie Prince B and his funny folk. |
Bonnie “Prince” Billy & The Cairo Gang - The Wonder Show Of The World (Drag City)
Another year, and another wonderfully realised record of melodic narratives cloaked in raw, emotive beauty. Track to try: Troublesome Houses.
Sun Kil Moon - Admiral Fell Promises (Caldo Verde)
Shhhhhh... Soothing gorgeousness now comes with sporadic flamenco guitar riffs. But they work wondrously, as do most things created by a man in a perennial audition to play the soundtrack to Eternity. Track to try: Third and Seneca
Gayngs – Related (Jagjaguwar)
A gift box of styles and surprises built on a glowing fire-bed of compelling hooks. Track to try: The Gaudy Side of Town
Phosphorescent - Here’s To Taking It Easy (Dead Oceans)
Wins the award for least agit-prop album title since Black Lace’s last party LP. This record also more than makes up for the absence of any Jason Molina/Magnolia Electric Co. output this year, though it’s inspired enough by the latter to stand alone as an Americana landmark. Track to try: Los Angeles
Laura Veirs - July Flame (Bella Union)
Seventh album of fluttering, quirky brilliance could even be her best yet. Track to try: Life Is Good Blues
Natalie Merchant - Leave Your Sleep (Nonesuch)
Who makes double concept albums in a time of quick-fix downloads? Fatboy Slim and David Byrne tried with their musical opus on the theme of Imelda Marcos, but there were way too few highlights. Silver-toned Merchant bewitches us by trawling the annals of English-language poetry and setting its lyrical peaks to a mix of musical mannerisms. Endlessly delightful. Track to try: The Man In The Wilderness
The National - High Violet (4AD)
The critical backlash was long overdue, but in no way warranted. The avid listeners still know this is music to sink into for the aural equivalent of ongoing mild electrical shock. Like a prickly fruit that makes you work to get to the sweet centre. Track to try: Sorrow
The New Pornographers – Together (Matador)
Another terminally rewarding instalment of uplifting popular song. Track to try: Your Hands (Together)
Pantha du Prince - Black Noise (Rough Trade)
When German men realised they were not born to fight after all, they were re-born messing around with electronic instruments to produce earnest, understated symphonies that are all the more outstanding for their deceptive simplicity. If you’ve the temperament to ease yourself into this lush, synthetic world, you’ll rarely want to leave. Track to try: Abglanz
The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night (Jagjaguwar)
Sprawling, epic song-blankets that sheath you in crystal guitars and dreamy voices, helping you to close your eyes and mentally sail to better places. Track to try: Land Of Living Skies Pt. 2
Positions 11-41:
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars - Rise & Shine (Cumbancha)
A riveting, life-affirming hotchpotch of reggae and African style that makes you want to get up and do something. Anything. Track to try: Dununya
Maximum Balloon - Maximum Balloon (Polydor)
Track to try: If You Return
Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love (Rough Trade)
Track to try: I Want The World To Stop
Caribou – Swim (City Slang)
Track to try: Leave House
Dawn Landes - Sweet Heart Rodeo (Cooking Vinyl)
Track to try: Money In The Bank
Innocence Mission - My Room In The Trees (Badman)
Track to try: The Leaves Lift High
Kristin Hersh – Crooked/Crooked Beginnings EP/Crooked Remainders EP (self-released)
Track to try: Glass
Tift Merritt - See You On The Moon (Fantasy)
Track to try: Never Talk About It
Tracey Thorn - Love And Its Opposite (Strange Feeling)
Track to try: Late In The Afternoon
Josh Ritter - So The World Runs Away (Pytheas)
Track to try: Change Of Time
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Hawk (Vanguard)
Track to try: You Won't Let Me Down Again
Lissie - Catching A Tiger (Fat Possum)
Track to try: In Sleep
Horse Feathers - Thistled Spring (Kill Rock Stars)
Track to try: Belly of June
Bettie Serveert - Pharmacy Of Love (Second Motion)
Track to try: The Pharmacy
Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep (Heavenly)
Track to try: All My Days
Cheikh Lo - Jamm (World Circuit)
Track to try: Sankara
Sufjan Stevens – All Delighted People EP/The Age of Adz (Asthmatic Kitty)
Track to try: Enchanting Ghost
Goldfrapp - Head First (Mute)
Track to try: Rocket
Azure Ray - Drawing Down The Moon (Saddle Creek)
Track to try: Larraine
Damien Jurado - Saint Bartlett (Secretly Canadian)
Track to try: The Falling Snow
Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM (Because Music)
Track to try: Time Of The Assassins
Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma (Warp)
Track to try: Zodiac Shit
Donna Regina - The Decline Of Female Happiness (Karaoke Kalk)
Track to try: The Decline Of Female Happiness
Eels - End Times/Tomorrow Morning (E Works)
Track to try: In My Younger Days
Four Tet - There Is Love In You (Domino)
Track to try: Sing
Wildbirds & Peacedrums – Rivers (The Leaf Label)
Track to try: The Wave
Half-Handed Cloud - As Stowaways In Cabinets Of Surf, We Live-out In Our Members A Kind of Rebirth (Asthmatic Kitty)
Track to try: Sonar Sends Bells To And Fro
Josh Rouse - El Turista (Bedroom Classics)
Track to try: Valencia
Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses - Junky Star (Lost Highway)
Track to try: Yesterday's Blues
The Weepies - Be My Thrill (Nettwerk Records)
Track to try: Be My Thrill
5 comments:
Ian -
Although my car and headphone music tends toward what my wife would call crazy ass shit (Swans, Autechre, Demdike Stare, etc.) I genuinely loved many of the records on your list, particularly the Natalie Merchant. We went for the whole shebang - double CD hardcover with the signed picture and have not regretted it for a moment. A new record from Tracey Thorn is always welcome as well. I feel like I have grown up with her.
By the way, have you ever given CocoRosie a listen?
Never heard of it/her. Can you point me in the right direction? The new Authechre didn't do much for me. though it probably requires more concentration than I've yet been bothered to devote to it.
CocoRosie - Grey Oceans, out now on Sub Pop. Ignore the inexplicable cover art.
Autechre released Overteps and Move of Ten this year. Oversteps is the more accessible of the two, although I adore both.
I am impressed by your determination to seek out in such large numbers new album (even by acts you already know). For much of the year, I almost exclusively listened to old stuff.
The more I hear Ryan Bingham, the more I love the album. And Tift Merritt's song about making a mix-tape tells the story of my life.
I would have had you down as a fan of Lloyd Cole's new album, which tops my list.
I've just got the Justin Townes Earle album. After the first spin, I'm suitably impressed. Pity I've already done my year-end list.
AMD - didn't even know Lloyd Cole was still recording, haven't bought anything by him since Rattlesnakes...
I'll definitely Give Earle Jnr. a try.
Nathan - ta for the tip.
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