I've put together a playlist of some of my favourite songs of the year. This playlist isn't really complete as I've excluded some top 40 songs that I probably should have included, and simply forgot about others (ie. Lower Dens "Brains"). Nevertheless, it's a playlist that I'm satisfied with and hope you enjoy. The link will be up for 5 days for your downloading pleasure. Merry Christmas!
Here's the song order:
1. Oddisee - "Ready To Rock" (People Hear What They See)
2. Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland - "Baby" (Black is Beautiful)
3. Angel Olsen - "The Waiting" (Half Way Home)
4. Thee Oh Sees - "Flood's New Light" (Putrifiers II)
5. Dum Dum Girls - "Lord Knows" (End of Daze)
6. Julia Holter - "Moni Mon Amie" (Ekstasis)
7. Killer Mike -"Southern Fried" (R.A.P. Music)
8. Gonjasufi - "Nikels And Dimes" (MU.ZZ.LE)
9. Big Baby Ghandi - "Hi It’s Me, Baby" (NO1 2 Look Up 2)
10. Frank Ocean - "Forrest Gump" (channel ORANGE)
11. Fiona Apple - "Anything We Want" (Idler Wheel)
12. Chris Cohen - "Heart Beat" (Overgrown Path)
13. Pangea - "River" (Killer Dreams)
14. The Sea and Cake - "Harps"(Runner)
15. Daphni - "Cos-Ber-Zam Ne Noya (Daphni Mix)" (Jialong)
16. The Men - "Open Your Heart" (Open Your Heart)
17. Metz - "Wasted" (Metz)
18. El-P - "Oh Hail No (Feat. Mr. Motherfucking Exquire And Danny Brown)"
19. Earl Sweatshirt - "Chum"(single)
20. Flying Lotus - "See Thru to U feat. Erykah Badu" (Until the Quiet Comes)
21. Nas - "The Don" (Life is Good)
22. NHK'Koyxeи - "638" (Dance Classics Vol.I)
23. Andy Stott - "Sleepless" (Luxury Problems)
24. Oren Ambarchi - "Salt" (Audience of One)
25. Marth Wainwright - "I Wanna Make an Arrest" (Come Home to Mama)
26. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffitti - "Baby" (Mature Themes)
I'm trying to put some coherent thoughts together about my year of music. Mainly because I want to be able say with confidence that I played my part in the monster that is the "Year-End List" tradition, but also because I'm a music lover who likes to pretend that people actually care about my musical judgments. However, given that my writing on this blog generally only occurs during the F-man's naps (which can range anywhere from 45mins to 3.5 hours), this has become a more onerous project than in years past. So here's my plan (which I reserve the right to not follow through on). I'll put together some form of a top ten - in spite of being particularly uncomfortable about saying anything so definitive about music this year (more on that later), as well as a downloadable playlist of my 25 favourite songs. But to begin I thought I would give a bit of space to one of the many vibrant genres that, in my opinion, remains all-too ignored in our indie-centric current musical climate - jazz.
If there has been one genre of music that has fallen by the wayside as a result of me having to do the majority of my listening while also parenting a one-year old this fall, it's jazz. For the most part I've been pretty fortunate that my son is pretty patient with some of my music tastes. He's okay with me putting on noise records. He can ignore most minimalist stuff I enjoy. And he clearly loves listening to pop and hip-hop (one of his favorite songs, it appears, is "Work" by Gang Starr!). As a parent who also happens to be a music lover, I really couldn't ask for more.
Unfortunately, one genre of music he seems to actively dislike, is jazz. Or more specifically the brand of jazz that I typically gravitate towards - namely, jazz that carries rough edges. He's fine with older stuff - Coleman, Ellington, Coltrane, and even Steve Reid. But once I try to put on something more contemporary that I've grown to love - such as Vijay Iyer, Matthew Shipp and the AUM Fidelity - he quickly gets irritated. As a result, once I became a full-time stay at home dad this fall, I soon lost touch with what was going on in the jazz world. I still haven't found the time and space to enjoy records this year that I know would normally have made a list such as this one (think Neneh Cherry, Sam Rivers David Virelles, Moritz von Oswald, and Wadada Leo Smith's Ancestor record), and with whatever little chance I did get to put on some jazz, I tended toward something familiar rather than new. Thus, what follows should at no point be seen as something final. Instead here are 5 Jazz records that moved me most over the past 12 months, in spite of not really paying much attention to new jazz the last four months.
Wadada Leo Smith - Ten Freedom Summers (Cuneiform)
Consisting of four discs, and over five hours of music from the venerable Smith, Ten Freedom Summers proves to be the masterpiece so many have declared it to be. This shouldn't be surprising at all, given it comes from a horn player who has consistently proved himself to be one of the greatest composers and improvisers jazz has to offer for over six decades.
The Darius Jones Quartet - Book of Mae-bul (AUM Fidelity)
It's remarkable just how versatile a player Darius Jones is proving to be. At times he can be terribly challenging to listen to, pummelling our senses into submission with his roaring saxophone. At others he can encourage us into our comforts, playing some of the finest melodic lines in jazz. And on Book of Mae-bul, (the third, and last instalment in his Manish Boy series), it's Jones' ability to bring these seemingly competing aesthetics together in such fine fashion that proves that he is definitely one of the more compelling figures currently working in the jazz tradition.
Vijay Iyer Trio - Accelerando (ACT)
Easily one of the most talked about jazz records of the year, it seems silly to devout much space to it on this blog. All I will say is this, I love Vijay Iyer's playing, his ability to rework songs from a variety of traditions into one seamless work of art, and even the way he is able to articulate what it is he as attempting to do with his music so eloquently. However, what really grabs me about this record is how much this record sounds like one coming from a band. The Vijay Iyer trio - with Stephen Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums - work together on Accelerando in such remarkable ways - the above video is but one example. I could go on and on and on. So I'll just stop there instead.
Mary Halvorson Quintet - Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12)
Mary Halvorson has been my favourite guitarist in jazz for some time. Weirdly though, it was only until this year's Bending Bridges, with her quintet, that I got to see what she can do as band leader. The 10 pieces that make up this beast of a record all remain focused primarily on the playing of Halvorson, while never really compromising the unity of the group as a whole. I can't help but tribute this to the gifts of Halvorson as band leader. Oh yeah, and she can also slay on that axe as good as anyone.
Matthew Ship Trio - Elastic Aspects (Thirsty Ear)
Like the Vijay Iyer Trio, on Elastic Aspects it's the Matthew Shipp Trio's ability to play together as a band that really makes this record work. And like Accelerando, Elastic Aspects may not only be one of my favourite jazz recordings of the year, it may very likely also be one of my favourite's all together. This record is such a remarkable triumph, building on last year's brilliant Art of the Improviser, by showcasing both Shipp's remarkable talents as an improviser (bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Whit Dickey are equally talented in this as well), but relocating them within more strict song structures (Art of the Improviser was a live recording in which the songs all bleed into one another). If I were to have to recommend just one jazz recording from this year, Elastic Aspects very well may be it.
With American Thanksgiving behind us, we now find ourselves in midst of that awesome/terrible time of year where everybody and their dog starts pumping out year-end lists. In the music world there have already been a number published. NME and Paste both put out their indie-centric lists. Mojo has once again catered to the boomers, while Decibel has put together a fine list of strong metal records. One of the lists that has already caught my attention is Fact Magazine's "Record Label of the Year" list. While it seems odd to try to make a judgement call of this kind (how do we evaluate which record label has been most influential this year? And what is the benefit of making such a call?), it was great to see them give love to one of my favourite labels this year - PAN records.
Started in 2008 by Bill Kouligas, PAN has quietly built up a strong lineup of artists that includes everything from the Anthony Braxton-inspired jazz of Andre Vida, to the avant-classical work of percussionist Eli Keszler, to the bizarre Japanese pop of NHK'Koyxen (the 'n' is supposed to be backwards, but I can't figure out how to format my document to allow such a symbol). What I love most about the label though, is that while the artists being released by PAN appear to be pretty diverse in style, you still get the sense that there is a common vision being maintained among them. I can't help but think this is because of the diligent work being done by Kouligas. He has brought together artists from the fringes of the jazz, classical and electronic worlds in a way that illustrates a common desire for experimentation. Whether it's through screwing around with an upright piano, circuit-bending, or seeing just how many saxophones one man can play, there is a consistency of style among the diverse artists found on PAN. So, to celebrate the coming-out party for PAN that 2012 has been, here are some of my favourite tracks from the label's 2012 releases.
Andre Vida - Excerpt from Brud: Volumes I-III
Okay so this is from 2011. But this 3-disc set celebrating the Hungarian-by-way-of-Berlin saxophonist Andre Vida didn't get much love on this side of the Atlantic until this past spring. Vida's compositional, and improvisational style is such that you can never be sure whether you're listening to him make shit up, or if it is all orchestrated. This piece from the record, while from an earlier, and perhaps more reserved time in his career, is pretty indicative of his style. Loaded with intensity, and played with grace.
NHK Koyxen - "638" from Dance Classics Vol. 1
This is the kind of dance music I dream of making.
DADROCK's favourite thing to come out of Hoboken, Yo La Tengo, have released their first song from their upcoming LP Fade. "Before We Run"seems like a classic Yo La Tengo song, and comes along with a lovely video. Few things soothe me like Georgia's deep voice, so it's a bonus that this track features her on vocals. To celebrate, here's the new track, followed by some of my favourite Georgia-led Yo La Tengo moments.
So it appears that activity on this blog is going to be dependent on what kind of week Felix is having napwise (shocker!). Since the last week and a bit has been particularly busy - meaning Felix is currently cutting his 5th and 6th teeth of the fall, and is therefore currently anti-nap - I haven't had time to work on a actual post. Hopefully by next week I can have something up on two of my favorite records right now, Martha Wainwright's Come Home to Mama, and Andy Stott's Luxury Problems, two albums that reflect on the theme of loss in interesting, albeit significantly different ways. In the meantime, here are some links to keep you occupied.
- Holly Herndon just released her debut LP Movement, and on first listen it seems like a pretty strong record to me. NPR is currently streaming it here.
- Last week Stereogum interviewed Fucked Up's Damian Abraham for their Parental Advisory column. His reflections on parenthood are pretty fascinating, particularly how he articulates his approach to language with his children. You can find that piece here.
- Darkstar has released the first single from their upcoming album. It's called "Timeaway" and it has already become a hit in our household. Listen to it here.
- Last week I found an original pressing of The Fall's This Nation's Saving Grace.While it's no Slates or Hex Enduction Hour, it did remind me that no week is ever complete until you've watched Mark E. Smith read the football scores (old I know, but awesome nonetheless). Notice how he says "Arsehole" just to stick it to those North Londoners.
- In non-music news Jezebel has some helpful advise for those parents (read: me), who wish to cling to some form of coolness.
A couple of weeks ago I headed into Toronto to check out Flying Lotus live in concert. While the show was great - particularly the visual effects that accompanied the music - I was unsettled by how much Flying Lotus shifted his sound from the more ethereal and contemplative music encountered on his records to a more straight-up EDM aesthetic. In a way I shouldn't have been surprised. It must be so difficult for electronic artists to not succumb to the temptation to load their with dynamic drops and overly-heavy beats simply to please the crowds desires. But I do have to say that, for an artist who has created some of the genres most thought-provoking music, I was surprised by how rarely the show shifted away from the simple call to "get crazy!!"
More than anything though, the show cemented in me the realization that I like my dance music to be of the funky variety (something I now see being reflected in Felix - put on some Robert Hood or Araab Muzik and you get no response. Put on some Talking Heads and he can hardly handle himself). This is where Dan Snaith's new dance project Daphni comes in. Shedding the more psychedelic indie sound of his group Caribou, with Daphni's new record Jiaolong Snaith channels the likes of Arthur Russell and David Byrne, bringing into conversation a variety of global sounds with minimal electronic sounds. The result is a excellent dance album (perhaps even my favorite of the year) that is extremely funky, and light of hand. Carrying such a minimal aesthetic, Jiaolong makes for good company, never pounding you over the head with an idea or riff, while never losing your interest as well. It's an album that, in my view, stands out beautifully in a world of electronic music that in many ways become over-saturated with with a heavy handedness that at first demands the listener's attention, but rarely, if ever, remains capable of keeping it for any amount of time.
So here's a taste of the record. "Ye Ye", the track that we first heard last year as a single (and heavily promoted by Radiohead's Thom Yorke), remains the centrepiece of Daphni's overall sound, and serves as a wonderful taste of what to expect from the record as a whole.
So Felix has just recently got into the habit of taking 2-3 hour naps. Glorious I know. If this continues for a prolonged period of time, I will be able to do a bit more writing on music. I already have a Tumblr set up (3 New Rangers) where you can find updates of my family life on a more regular basis. Here on DADROCK I will focus more on writing about music I'm listening to with my 1 year old son Felix. Think of it as part reflection on parenting, and part music analysis. Oh, and be forewarned, my boy loves to dance, so the majority of music encountered on this sight will be of the rhythmic quality. Please come by to check things out!
In the meantime, here's a track that is a current favorite of Felix's - Arthur Russell's Dinosaur project and their song "Kiss Me Again". This is the B-Side version of the song which features co-production from David Byrne and is just the right amount of weird.
