Listing To Starboard: Favorite Albums 2014

TOP 25: 2014

It's almost a shame to close the door on 2014, another phenomenal year for music. So much greatness out there, and non-list honorable mentions go out to White Lung, Flying Lotus, EMA, Shabazz Palaces, Hiss Golden Messenger, Bob Mould, Woods, Wye Oak, Reigning Sound, and Curtis Harding--all LP's well worth following up on. The entries here run the gamut, leaning heavily on first timers, and showing my usual noisy biases. Geographically, it wanders further afield than my usual diet of US/Canadian/UK indie-noise, with Australia (Courtney Barnett and Mere Women) and Costa Rica (Las Robertas) represented. One interesting trend is a number of tuneful and melodic (for me) records, (Peaking Lights, Fear Of Men, La Sera), that, back in the pre-internet radio days, would have yielded a number of singles. With the usual caveat, (favorite vs. best), here's the 25 that kept me going through the year, turntable-wise and otherwise, the guests that wouldn't leave...

25) SOME EMBER: Some Ember (Dream Recordings)

24)SHARON VAN ETTEN: Are We There (Jagjaguwar)

23) CHASMS: Subtle Bodies (Sleep Genius)

22) PAWS: Youth Culture Forever (Fat Cat)

21) PRIESTS:  Bodies and Control and Money and Power (Sister Polygon/Don Giovanni)

 20) MITSKI: bury me at makeout creek (Double Double Whammy)

19) MERE WOMEN: Your Town (Poison City Records)

18) tUnE-yArDs: Nikki Nack (4AD)


17) LAS ROBERTAS: Days Unmade (Arts and Crafts/Dead Labour)


16) FEAR OF MEN: Loom (Kanine)


15) LA SERA: Hour Of The Dawn (Hardly Art)


14) PEAKING LIGHTS: Cosmic Logic (Weird World)


13) SPOON: They Want My Soul (Loma Vista)


12) ORENDA FINK: Blue Dream (Saddle Creek)


11) BABY GHOSTS: Maybe Ghosts (Lost Cat Records)

10) GIRLPOOL: Girlpool EP (Big Joy/Wichita)


9) CHEATAHS: Cheatahs (Wichita)


8) PERFECT PUSSY: Say Yes To Love (Captured Tracks)

7) TACOCAT: NVM (Hardly Art)

6) ANGEL OLSEN: Burn Your Fire For No Witness (Jagjaguwar)

5) RUN THE JEWELS: Run The Jewels II (Mass Appeal)
As initially announced, Run The Jewels was a curious endeavor. The combination of Killer Mike and El-P leveraged years of good will amongst the heads, and dropped an LP that showcased an amazing chemistry, and it was no surprise when they went back to the well. Sharpened by touring, Run The Jewels II tears up the modern Hip Hop template, kicking in the door and demanding a place at the table for two 39 year olds. Delving into both the personal and political, while not sacrificing the fun that got them there, Run The Jewels has struck a chord as an unlikely conscience. High points abound, but the summit of the record is the closing combo of "Crown" and "Angel Dusted", with the 'Monk on acid' keyboard lines of the latter proving to be one of the final recorded testaments of the late Ikey Owens.

4) AFGHAN WHIGS: Do to the Beast (Sub Pop)
 The only surprise about Do to the Beast was that it could be recorded in secret in this day and age. Stoked on by a reunion tour, the band hunkered down and knocked out a classic, their first LP in sixteen years standing comfortably next to their classic titles Gentlemen and Black Love. It's an older and wiser, but no less lethal Greg Dulli, and he's kept his ear close to the ground, utilizing beats and symphonics to buttress the classic Afghan Whigs sonic template. Thematically, there's never a doubt as to what's coming at you, just Dulli's method of delivery, and his control is the key, heightening the suspense to increase the payoff when he hits full howl. "Lost In The Woods" stands with any of the band's songs, and opener

3) COURTNEY BARNETT: A Sea Of Split Peas (Milk! Records/Mom and Pop)
Billed as "The Double EP", Courtney Barnett's first stateside release is a compilation of two Australian EP's, I've Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris and How To Carve A Carrot Into A Rose, serving as the perfect introduction to a singular talent. Lyrically and musically, you drift along with her shaggy dog stories through unexpected twists and turns, until an unexpected blitz of feedback or a caustic turn of phrase makes you realize she had the whole thing mapped out. "Avant Gardener" and "History Eraser" are the best places to jump in, but it's the encapsulated yearning of "Anonymous Club" and "Porcelain" that will keep you coming back.

2) CLOUD NOTHINGS: Here And Nowhere Else (Carpark/Mom and Pop)
With Here And Nowhere Else, Cloud Nothings trimmed down to a trio, and went even further down the noisy trail, thickening the arrangements and compressing multiple songs worth of hooks into one. It's not just that no punk record this year came close to this one-comets like this only appear every few years on the horizon, (Husker Du's New Day Rising and ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead's Source Tags and Codes leap to mind), records that start at eleven, and somehow seem to push further out.

1) RADIATOR HOSPITAL: Torch Songs (Salinas)
Sam Cook-Parrott's Radiator Hospital project transcended becoming the name he slapped on his varying whims with last year's Something Wild. Putting together a full band as well as drawing on his circle of friends, Torch Songs ups the ante, drawing you in song by song, sometimes cryptic, sometimes bitingly universal. "Cut Your Bangs" is the most perfect, concentrated blast of "what the hell was that" since Pavement's "Zurich Is Stained". Everyone I know seems to have a different song for a favorite, always a good sign, and while in interviews, Sam Cook-Parrott has noted the influence of Willie DeVille on "Venus Of The Avenue", for me, the connection was made when I realized that it has the grace and lift of a classic Drifters song. The crowning glory and unifier of the record is the dual versions of "Fireworks, a song that stays with you long after the record ends.

Eyes Glowing In The Dark: Sharon Van Etten In LA

SHARON VAN ETTEN

JANA HUNTER

EL REY THEATER, LA

28 JUNE 2014

Sharon Van Etten came to Los Angeles on the West Coast swing of a tour promoting her brand new release Are We There.  Words on the show come courtesy of The Owl Magazine, along with some primo pictures from Jennie Tan. She and her band have only gotten tighter since the last time we caught up with Van Etten, touring her last LP, Tramp, and putting in an appearance at Outsidelands, in Golden Gate Park. Stellar support was provided by Jana Hunter, (Lower Dens), working with guitar and laptop to weave a spell, and set the tone for the whole evening.

JANA HUNTER

Shadows And Light: Angel Olsen live

ANGEL OLSEN

CIAN NUGENT

GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL, SF

03 MARCH, 2014

 

While the Noise Pop Festival concluded its yearly run on Sunday, the following day offered up a gentle reminder that San Francisco never sleeps, as the Great American Music Hall welcomed Angel Olsen. Olsen's been making her way up the state, selling out in San Diego and wowing Los Angeles.

Her newest album, Burn Your Fire For No Witness, saw her transition to a full band, and the show reflected accordingly. Opening with "Hi Five", Olsen cast her spell from the get-go, milking a fat fuzz-tone to offset the longing and dislocation of the lyrics. Along with "Forgiven/Forgotten", they've opened her up to a whole new audience, but one gets the impression that it would be dangerous to trap her in any one place, as evidenced by her droll observation, "Got that one out of the way...", at the song's conclusion.

"Stars" showed off the band in full flight, and with "Lights Out", the groove was locked in. With her sardonic stage presence and unshakeable mien, she would make a fine denizen of The Roadhouse, should David Lynch ever get moving on that rumored reboot of Twin Peaks. The records only half prepare you or what's to come, and when she finally cuts loose with The Voice, it's truly one for the ages, and all the sudden those Roy Orbison comparisons are starting to make sense. The foundation of that comparison is not purely the voice, but the subtext, the songs of finding strength in the pain, the literal forging of one's self in the fire. The peak of the evening was a dynamic take on new album closer "Windows", starting soft and lulling one in, before the band came in on a wave and rode the song to an immense conclusion. The band left the stage on that high note, but Olsen remained to essay a gut-clenching solo take on "Enemy" that reduced the noisy dinner hall to utter silence. A musical E.F. Hutton moment, to be sure, and an exclamation point to the evening. While her musical pallete has broadened, the roots are strong, and the only question seems to be where she wants to go.

Cian Nugent opened things up in style, with the Irish folkie picking his way through a meandering acoustic journey, seemingly oblivious to the rustling crowd. As the song progressed and his technical expertise became undeniable, engagement began. On "Double Horse", a stark cut that built to an intense conclusion, he thoroughly made his mark, and received a thundering ovation. Switching over to electric, he pulled out a Michael Hurley cover, a perfect choice for a San Francisco audience. As a lesson in faith in one's own vision, and as a prelude of what was to come, it was a fitting start to the evening.

The Needle Drops: Favorite Songs 2012

Continuing the year-end housekeeping, here's the songs that kept me going throughout 2012.  Some were the singles/focus tracks...whatever the hell they're called these days, and some are deep cuts that jumped out and grabbed me, and refused to let go.  There's no small amount of crossover with the previous Favorite Album List, but this is the place to explore the nooks and crannies of stand-alone tracks and EP's released during the year.  For obsessive compulsives, here's the top 10:

10) "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" TAME IMPALA from Lonerism (Modular)

9) "Give Out" SHARON VAN ETTEN from Tramp (Jagjaguwar)

8) "Seaside, Lowtide" CATE LE BON from Cyrk II (Control Group)

7) "Gun Has No Trigger" DIRTY PROJECTORS from Swing Lo Magellan (Domino)

6) "Erika America" JENS LEKMAN from I Know What Love Isn't (Secretly Canadian)

5) "Star Of The Age" SHEARWATER from Animal Joy (Sub Pop)

4) "Troublemaker" BEACH HOUSE from Bloom (Sub Pop/Bella Union)

3) "Now I'm Learning To Love The War" FATHER JOHN MISTY from Fear Fun (Sub Pop)

2) "Sleepover" HOSPITALITY from Hospitality (Merge)

1) "Somewhere There's A Someone" JASON LYTLE from Dept. Of Disappearance (Anti-)

Here for your convenience on this handy dandy playlist:

On a personal note, this post marks four years of this blog. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to visit, comment, heckle, and otherwise keep the faith.  There's always another show on the horizon...

(Stay tuned for the final housecleaning episode: The Year In Photos)

Bon Iver, Bon Iver: live, live

BON IVER/ALL TINY CREATURES

SANTA BARBARA BOWL

22 APRIL, 2012

Fresh from his dual weekend turn at Coachella, Justin Vernon brought his Bon Iver road show to the Santa Barbara Bowl for a surprisingly intimate Sunday night show.  He didn't hesitate to exploit the full dynamic range of the Bowl, taking full advantage of his beefed up touring unit to press the outer limits of the local noise restrictions, or performing simply with guitar to a rapt and hushed audience.  The songs from last year's "Bon Iver, Bon Iver", on Jagjaguwar, were ably fleshed out live, growing beyond the LP versions.

The elephant in the room, of course, is For Ever, For Emma, and he artfully seeded the set with songs from that LP from the middle of the set on, not allowing it to overshadow the newer material. The rearrangement of "Creature Fear", (below), shows off just how far he's come, evolving from it's home recorded origins into a jazzy strut that explodes into a noisy conclusion.

The highlight of the evening was a stark reading of "Re: Stacks".  His acoustic version was a brave choice, given the size of the audience, and the highest compliment one can give is the lack of the usual talkers that destroy quieter songs.  He silenced them all.

Keep your eyes out for an upcoming Austin City Limits that the band is taping at this very moment!

Thinking Inside The Box...

The devaluation of music has recently reached a new low, what with Amazon pimping the entire new Lady Gaga LP for just .99 in a recent two day release special...And one can say it worked, shifting 1.2M 'units' in its first week, 600K of which were digital, & who knows how many of those were the .99 variety, because, along with paying taxes, Amazon is not fond of releasing sales numbers. Looks like the 'Opening Weekend' box office mind set is taking over what's left of the music biz...



But we come here today to dwell on the opposite, to celebrate 'value per dollar', and examine the last vestige of quality in the industry, the Deluxe Box Set! (or, the insane money grab from suckers like me, but fill in your own...)

So far this year, I've fallen for four ventures that fall into the DeeLux category...Here's the breakdown for the morbidly curious in order received, not, (ahem Radiohead), order ordered:




Decemberists: The King Is Dead comes in a lavish cloth box, (Bogart came separately), and includes: one LP on white vinyl no less, a hardcover book with session polaroids done by Autumn De Wilde as well as the CD and the bonus Pendarvia short film on DVD, a print by Carson Ellis, (wife of Colin Meloy), as well as one of the actual polaroids done by Ms. De Wilde.




That they did this under the eye of Capitol Records might be the craziest thing of all. The album itself, featuring guest spots from Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Gillian Welch, asserts itself as one of their most musically cohesive collections, and if rumors having it to be their last are correct, the beauty and work that went into this box set are an impressive monument to leave behind.






Los Campesinos! have taken an entirely different turn with the first issue of Heat Rash. Their latest endeavor is a quarterly 'zine to fill in the gaps between records, and provide a more literary experience than blogs & files.

On the left is a 7" single of two new songs that will stand alone from the new album, recorded last month and being mixed as we speak. On the right is Heat Rash #1, (the Romance issue), full of lyrics, band poetry, essays, recipes, and closing words from Neil Gaiman!

Okkervil River went all the way with their newest effort, I Am So Very Far in every sense. Their box set, (which came before the CD street date-yay Jagjaguwar), lives up to the name, arriving in a wooden box!

Said wooden box contains: CD, bonus songs/demos on 7'' single, bound hardcover chapbook of lyrics, poster, laser cut cover art from William Schaff, (longtime affiliate of the band), and a signed letter from Will Sheff...



The main event, I Am Very Far, is stretched over three sides of vinyl, the fourth given over to a laser etching of Schaff's artwork. Very cool.













Worth the wait, Radiohead's King Of Limbs (newspaper LP edition) finally arrived after much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Heeding to their In Rainbows random announcement here it is strategy, they notified the world, released the download a week later, then we who ordered the physical package settled in for The Wait. Like the music itself, it's no so much understated as distilled.
Not overflowing with a million goodies, but it does contain the newspaper, the cd, the traditional out of control artwork, and the LP done as two ten inch clear vinyls, mastered at 45rpm, and it sure does sound swell.









What i haven't fallen for yet, although truth be told I had one in a cart and backed off at the last minute, is what might be the piece de resistance of all of the above...Only the Flaming Lips would conjure up the idea of a gummy life size skull enclosing a USB drive with new music. If you wondered exactly how Wayne Coyne would top last years tour posters done in part with his own blood, well, let this be your answer...



And we can't close without mentioning the continued good works of Mr. Jack White, whose latest endeavor is the Third Man Records Rolling Record Store, a mobile truck equipped equally to sell records, merch, and whose custom sound system allows it to do gigs on the go! Someday i'll run into this wonder on wheels, and I will be taking pictures.

Even with the industry in a state of flux, it's nice to know that there's folks out there doing things a little differently...