[jwi]

Usually it falls to Falling Down to open this topic around Christmas eve. However, I am procrastinating so...

New music 2020
New music 2019
2018 New (and some old) Music
Best new music 2017
Best new music 2016
Best of 2015 music thread
Best of 2014 new music (a bit early)
Albums, music, songs of 2013..

Album of the Year: El Madrileño by C. Tangana.

The trap rap the Madrilenian Antón Álvarez Alfaro released as C. Tangana before this album did not indicate that he was capable of something of this scale. More noteworthy perhaps were the songs Antes de Morirme and Malamente, co-written with then girlfriend and flamenco-pop/urbano superstar Rosalía. Without reading too much into their breakup and public spates, it is not difficult to imagine Mr. Tangana. recording this pop/folk album out of spite.



(I assume that Rosalía has taken out a restraining order)

Whatever the cause, the songs resonates not only with me but was also well received by critics and the Spanish-speaking public on both the new and the old continent, especially in Spain were it broke all kinds of streaming records.

The record is full of collaborations with the most well-known new-flamenco artists of the world like France's Gipsy Kings, Sevilla's La Húngara and Kiko Veneno, Urugay's Jorge Drexler and Puerto Rico's José Feliciano—to name a few.

C. Tangana's friends and family, including his mother and aunt, also helped record what is likely the best Tiny Desk (home) concert of 2021:



See also: anything by Rosalía, for example the single La Fama from her upcoming album.  Rauw Alejandro, for example Todo de Ti.


Raï of the Year: Staying in the hispanophone sphere, I "discovered" TiiwTiiw through his collaboration with the popular Spanish rapper Morad on their hommage to the mediterranean crossing Frontera nada. TiiwTiiw is from Belgium but sings almost exclusively in his parent's Morrocan Arabic, which makes me classify him as a Raï artist. But what do I know.



I am pretty sure, however, that the audience in the Maghreb does not consume music on other platforms than youtube, so it is pretty meaningless to talk about albums but Jackson is another song from this year.


French hip-hop of the year: Leto

I have to admit that as the mythical four first albums of MC Solaar are finally available again after more than 20 years of lawsuits, I have not listened to many other French hip-hop artists than the godfather of francophone rap.

However, for those who are fine with west-coast influenced hip-hop with a great flow Leto is well worth checking out:



See also: SCH: JVLIVS II , Damso: QALF infinity


Come-back of the year: Stromae Santé.

Stromae - Maestro is back with the fantastic single Santé after six years of silence due to a severe burnout depression and having started a family. Full of tricky microrythms like the rushed dembow beat on the guitar-thingy pared with the dragged melody on the synth makes it impossible not to sway to the music. Cheers Mosaert!




Smooth Jazz of the year: Charles Lloyd & The Marvels Anthem




 

[Falling Down]

Nice one JWI. Consider the torch passed on  . I was prevaricating and have been posting less since the dig about ex-climbers just writing about books ‘n stuff, so, thanks for starting the annual thread.

I’ll pop mine up next week.

[Fiend]

It's been another great year for both guitar-based and electronic music...

Albums(-ish) only (there have been the usual great tracks and EPs too)...

My own 96 Darkness compilation / mix

https://soundcloud.com/fiend-ophobia/96darkness
If some actual DJ had released this as a mix or a CD, I'd have thought "Well the segueing is crude and basic, but fuck me the track selection and order is amazing, I'll be listening to this on repeat" (and would have absolutely wet my pants at some of the tracks if there had been no tracklist). The fact that I put it together, I still think  "Well the segueing is crude and basic, but fuck me the track selection and order is amazing, I'll be listening to this on repeat". So what-fucking-ever.

Deathmachine - Mutability

https://bandcamp.prspct.nl/album/mutability-lp
A brilliant hi-energy cross-genre dance music album that is also often on repeat, with good reason. The future is here and it's bright indeed.

Eximperituserqethhzebibšiptugakkathšulweliarzaxułum - Šahrartu

https://eximperitus.bandcamp.com/album/ahrartu
Yes that's the name. Yes it's excellent metal. Always intense, always interesting.

Raw - Gemstones

https://rawppl.bandcamp.com/album/gemstones-compilation
Come for Perc's brainwarping track Melter, stay for the rest.  Great throughout.

The Bug - Fire

https://thebugmusic.bandcamp.com/album/fire-2
Grime at it's most grimiest, more bass-driven bangers than an illicit car-mod meet-up.

Samurai - Outliers 3

https://samuraimusic.bandcamp.com/album/outliers-3
A typically excellent showcase of thoroughly proper and creative DnB, jungle and half-time from the ever reliable Samurai. Top quality throughout. Also worth seeking out label boss Presha's "RATS" EP on the label, ace stuff.

Divide And Dissolve - Gas Lit

https://divideanddissolve.bandcamp.com/album/gas-lit
Politically charged instrumental doom metal that is just great taken on it's own merits.

Elementz Of Noize - Empathy Overload

https://elementzofnoize.bandcamp.com/album/empathy-overload
A parting blow from old skool techstep legend and John Peel favourite, who reappeared in recent years with possibly the best melodic DnB track ever (Elementz Of Noize & Infinite Leap - Grand Escape, which gets completely ignored everywhere I post it) amongst a whole lot of other good stuff, and bows out with varied and energetic album.

Carcass - Torn Arteries

https://carcass.bandcamp.com/album/torn-arteries
A crowd and radio friendly pick for the masses, but taken objectively it really is very good very metal.

Scorn - The Only Place

https://ohmresistance.bandcamp.com/album/the-only-place
More great soundtracking for a dire winter season, down-to-earth, no bullshit, industrial dub.

[Yossarian]

Nice one JWI. Consider the torch passed on  . I was prevaricating and have been posting less since the dig about ex-climbers just writing about books ‘n stuff, so, thanks for starting the annual thread.

I’ll pop mine up next week.

What fucker said that?

[Fiend]

I'm guessing someone who is pretty naive about internet forums and doesn't really get that whilst sticking to the main subject matter (armchair arguments about split grades almost none of us would ever be able to climb), there is also good value in other topics and sharing other interests as part of a community and indeed often through the perspective of a climber's mindset even if one is not currently active. Maybe a grandad or someone who's fairly new to the internet??

[jwi]

I’ll pop mine up next week.

Looking forward to read and listen to your selection!

[andy moles]

Can't say I've listened to all of it yet, but I'll chuck in a couple of faves.

MOY
Prolific purveyor of cosmic breakbeat-propelled electro acid and melodic braindance.



Skee Mask - Pool
Sprawling trove of all manner of stunningly produced breakbeats, backed by all manner of sumptuous waftings.

[jwi]

Can't say I've listened to all of it yet, but I'll chuck in a couple of faves.

MOY
Prolific purveyor of cosmic breakbeat-propelled electro acid and melodic braindance.

Gives me flashbacks to 2004 when I spend two months furiously typing out my thesis while blasting Armin van Buuren et al.

The guy across the hall in a similar situation was more high brow in his choices and just played the Der Ring des Nibelungen, all of it, over every 15 hour session...

[andy moles]

Speaking of flashbacks, I discovered to my surprise that Iron Maiden are still a thing, like some sort of embarrassing long lost uncle. And I revelled in the grandiose excess like I was 15 again. 

[JamieG]

For suckers of the singer songwriter lark. I have really enjoyed this album this year. Cassandra Jenkins -
An Overview on Phenomenal Nature

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/cassandra-jenkins-an-overview-on-phenomenal-nature/



I would also like to put up Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine's album A Beginner’s Mind as a frontrunner for worst album art of the year! Supposed to be a decent album but the artwork. Wow! I hope it is ironic.

[jwi]

For suckers of the singer songwriter lark. I have really enjoyed this album this year. Cassandra Jenkins -
An Overview on Phenomenal Nature

Spotify informed me that in 2021 on their platform I mostly listened to
1) French pop 2) Baroque music (a complicated way of saying JS Bach) 3) Nuevo Flamenco 4) French hip hop 5) Jazz piano. Ignoring the ridiculously well defined genres, it is nevertheless clear from that list that I have no idea how many popular genres of music evolves. Thus I was very surprised by the sprechgesang in the above song. Apparently this is a thing? A popular thing? Was the bleeding idiot Schönberg right about something?

[JamieG]

I feel like sprechgesang (didn't realise it had a name) has been around forever, particularly in folk music. Woody Gutherie used that sort of style all the time. Do you like it or loathe it? Personally I quite like the style. The Schönberg reference is lost on me I'm afraid.

Music genres are like climbing grades, only supposed to point you in the right direction, not obsess over. The more specific the less ridiculous. Except for Jazz (at least post swing), which like off-widths, is best avoided and only suitable for deviants!

[Fiend]

Arguing about music micro-genres is almost as good as arguing about grades or styles of ascent.

But not quite 

[duncan]

The Schönberg reference is lost on me I'm afraid.

Not the techno classic!

[jwi]

I feel like sprechgesang (didn't realise it had a name) has been around forever, particularly in folk music. Woody Gutherie used that sort of style all the time. Do you like it or loathe it? Personally I quite like the style. The Schönberg reference is lost on me I'm afraid.

I am easy, I like most music where efforts have been made (except Schönberg's music). However, I have never much listened to Guthrie but I adore his lyrics in the few songs I know. I cannot recall him producing unpitched vocals on any of the songs I have heard 🤷🏼‍♂️

Schönberg wrote a lot about different forms of parlando (if you will) and was carful about the difference in how to notate different variants of un- or semi.pitched vocal performances in relation to melody and rhythm. His music was (mostly) shit though.

[JamieG]

Here's an example of Guthrie's sort of style. I suppose it is pitched, but very much in a spoken style. I like Gutherie. My friend described him as like listening to Dylan down the telephone.



(I mistyped in the last post, I meant to write "The more specific the MORE ridiculous", but hopefully it still made sense.)

[andy popp]

I feel like sprechgesang (didn't realise it had a name) has been around forever, particularly in folk music. Woody Gutherie used that sort of style all the time. Do you like it or loathe it? Personally I quite like the style. The Schönberg reference is lost on me I'm afraid.

His music was (mostly) shit though.

Probably a stupid question, but have you heard the Gurre-Lieder?

[jwi]

Can't say that I have, at least not in the sense of heard and begin able to recall something. I note however that it was composed before he went completely bananas.

(I like however that only a few posts into a thread on best new music in 2021 I start ranting about Schoenberg. Worst new music 1909.)
.

[Oldmanmatt]

Here's an example of Guthrie's sort of style. I suppose it is pitched, but very much in a spoken style. I like Gutherie. My friend described him as like listening to Dylan down the telephone.



(I mistyped in the last post, I meant to write "The more specific the MORE ridiculous", but hopefully it still made sense.)

I rally hadn’t come across Guthrie until around a month ago, when a few Yanks on my feed started talking about a specific track of his being a “family tradition” to play and sing along to during Thanksgiving.
Was intrigued so looked it up on YouTube and it turned out to be quite a clever anti-Vietnam war song:


Edit for wrong link

Shit! Edit for realising Arlo is Woody’s son!

[Falling Down]

It’s a film starring Guthrie too Matt. I remember watching it in my teens.

[Alex-the-Alex]

C. Tangana's friends and family, including his mother and aunt, also helped record what is likely the best Tiny Desk (home) concert of 2021:

That tiny desk concert is absolutely amazing. Cheers. So much warmth and familiarity, but sort of sad like the day after the night before. It's a lovely sound and atmosphere. Are any of his recordings similar?

[andy_e]

Andy's Ambient Bangers From This Year With No Write-Up Attached Because I Can't Be Arsed (AABFTYWNWUABICBA):

36 & awakened souls - The Other Side of Darkness https://pitp.bandcamp.com/album/the-other-side-of-darkness

Joachim Spieth - Ousia https://joachimspieth.bandcamp.com/album/ousia

KMRU - Logue https://kmru.bandcamp.com/album/logue-2

36 - Weaponised Serenity https://9128live.bandcamp.com/album/weaponised-serenity

ASC & Inhmost - Dimensional Space https://asc77.bandcamp.com/album/dimensional-space

[jwi]

C. Tangana's friends and family, including his mother and aunt, also helped record what is likely the best Tiny Desk (home) concert of 2021:

That tiny desk concert is absolutely amazing. Cheers. So much warmth and familiarity, but sort of sad like the day after the night before. It's a lovely sound and atmosphere. Are any of his recordings similar?

The songs are all from his latest record El Madrileño. There are a few other live recordings with songs from this album as well, but nothing matching this sobremesa with the avengers of flamenco around the table.

The decor of this apartment is a life goal however:

[Fultonius]

Other than on 6 music I really don't think I've listened to / bought any new music this year, which is a shocking state of affairs. So thanks for some pointers/ inspiration guys (and gals, who seem yet to post...)

[steveri]

I've been enjoying Dry Cleaning, Self Esteem, Public Service Broadcasting, Monster Florence, Do Nothing, Sleaford Mods, Loyle Carner, Sparks, Sun Kil Moon amongst others this year. Which sounds like I've listened to more music than I have this year. No attention sp...