[Stabbsy]

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...)

Having consistently listened to a fair amount of new stuff every year until I had kids, I find myself in a similar position. A combination of less free time and less work travel during lockdown, which is when I used to get most time to listen to anything new. Only two new albums, one I’ve yet to find time to listen to in full (new War on Drugs album). The other is one of the best things I’ve heard for some years though, Stephen Fretwell - Busy Guy. Fifteen-ish years since his last album, but still got it. Maybe not quite as good as his first album (Magpie) but beautiful acoustic guitar and an amazing voice that fits well with the stripped back style of music.

[Neil F]

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...

Wot, no Shostakovich 

[steveri]

Our mutual friend sent that Leningrad link, I had to rest after 10 mins, sustained test piece if ever there was one 

[Falling Down]

Some musical highlights from the year.  I’ve put the bandcamp links in as it’s the best digital platform for artists themselves, but most of them are on the regular streaming services too.

Myriam Gendron : Ma délire - Songs of love, lost & found. French Canadian singer songwriter pulls a blinder of reworks and original material.  Beautiful.

https://myriamgendron.bandcamp.com/album/ma-d-lire-songs-of-love-lost-found

William Parker:  Migration of Silence Into and Out of The Tone World.  A 10 album collection of instrumental and songs for voice.  It’s incredibly diverse and rich.  “This is music as empathetic as it is intrepid, as philosophical as it is visceral, as resolutely modernist as it is attuned to tradition. Parker’s art not only draws from the deepest well of African-American culture; it breathes in inspiration from across the globe, with sounds drawn from Africa, Asia and Indonesia as well as Europe and the Americas; there is free improvisation and re-imagined sonic collage; there are album-length explorations of solo piano and solo voice, along with string ensembles and ancient wind instruments.”  I’ve barely scratched the surface and will be listening for years to come I suspect.

https://williamparker.bandcamp.com/album/migration-of-silence-into-and-out-of-the-tone-world-volumes-1-10

Richard Norris: Music for Healing, January to December.  I’ve become a big fan of Bandcamp’s subscription service where you pay a small fee annually or monthly.  Norris recorded and released a twenty minute ambient piece each month of the year. It’s now available as a complete album.  August is my favourite.  Recorded to coincide with Jennifer Lucy Allen’s book, The Foghorn’s Lament and it has lots of ‘em in it.  They’re all great though and very relaxing.

https://richardnorris.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-healing-january-december

Nala Sinephro : Space 1.8.  This is absolutely brilliant and too hard to pigeonhole into any genre.  I’ve listed to this a lot since it came out.

https://nalasinephro.bandcamp.com/album/space-18

The Last Ronin : Don’t Love. Lush, Rhodes driven drum ‘n bass in a shameless 90’s nostalgia tip.

https://akobeatz.bandcamp.com/track/ako10-011-the-last-ronin-dont-love-2

“Blue” Jean Tyranny : Degrees of Freedom Found.  A stunning six CD (or download/stream) box set of material from 1963 to 2019 just before he passed away in 2020.   This is gorgeous, idiosyncratic and somewhat outsider music from beyond the mainstream.

https://unseenworlds.bandcamp.com/album/degrees-of-freedom-found

Superwolves : Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Matt Sweeney.  Superwolves! Back in 2021. Marvellous!

https://mattsweeneybonnieprincebilly.bandcamp.com/album/superwolves

Ryley Walker : Course in Fable.  Walker takes an increasingly thoughtful take on modern rock.  Almost prog in places. It’s ace.

https://ryleywalker.bandcamp.com/album/course-in-fable

Jeff Parker : Forfolks.  Tortoise guitarist puts another cracker out.  Solo guitar loops and improvisations with the added bonus of a very welcome third version of La Jettee that now exists in the world. 

https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/forfolks

Straw Man Army : Age of Exile.  Spiky anarcho punk a-la Crass/Wire/Cravats.



https://d4mtlabsinc.bandcamp.com/album/age-of-exile

One of my favourite labels, Three Lobed Recordings put out a 20 year anniversary series of LPs by Six Organs of Admittance, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Pelt, Gunn-Truscinski, Daniel Bachman, Body/Dilloway/Head which are all stellar and an upcoming Sonic Youth release.  If you fancy a taster, there’s a comp here https://threelobed.bandcamp.com/album/three-lobed-recordings-at-20-an-overview pay any price.

Ben Chasny - The Intimate Landscape.  Really warm and beautiful guitar instrumentals.  For fans of Jack Rose, William Tyler and whatnot.

https://benchasny.bandcamp.com/album/the-intimate-landscape

Reissues:

Faust : Box Set. All of the Kosmiche legends LPs collected into one box, including the mysterious and unreleased ‘Punkt’.

Don Cherry : don cherry's new researches featuring naná vasconcelos - organic music theatre: festival de jazz de chateauvallon 1972.  Fab live performance with loads of musicians from all over the world and kids jamming along.

https://blankformseditions.bandcamp.com/album/organic-music-theatre-festival-de-jazz-de-chateauvallon-1972

All that said, I’ve spent a lot of the year deep into Bach, Grateful Dead concert recordings, Rod Stewart’s early LPs, Crass, much Fairport Convention and 90’s jungle rave tape rips on Mixcloud.

Have a good Christmas  and a healthy happy new year all.  I might even see you at the crag next year...

[fatneck]

Thanks for the recs everyone. As ever, lots of great stuff to browse through 

It seems I have been mainly listening to Hiss Golden Messenger in the last year! Great album in Quietly Blowing It and Sanctuary was the highlight for me and helped me through the second lock down immeasurably...



The War on Drugs had another album out which, whilst not matching the previous two still had a couple of good songs. Favourite for me being I Don't live Here Anymore...



On a William Tyler tip I came across Yasmin Williams - great guitarist, lovely melodies...



I have listened to lots of new music, from some new and old artists and don't really have time to add detail but have listed some highlights below in no particular order;

Snail Mail - new album, same excellent pop-y vibe
Phoebe Bridgers - continues to put out exceptional tunes and interesting collabs
Noah Gunderson - new album not incredible but good enough back catalogue that I'm excited about going to see him in May!
Meadows - the Emergency Album actually came out in 2020 but it sound tracked lock downs and I don't think i mentioned it last year! 
Leif Vollebekk - New Ways actually came out in 2019 but has some crackers in it

Saving the best till last, I stumbled across Bill Fay towards the end of the year via a song called I Hear You Calling which I still can't listen to without getting emotional...



Brilliant lyricist and beautiful heartfelt songs exploring faith and life. Fascinating story behind his initial albums and then reverting to a "normal" life before being re-discovered some 30 years later documented in a NY Times article here

Spotify Link to "An Introduction to Bill Fay" playlist

[Johnny Brown]

UKB way ahead on Bill Fay obvs: https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,6061.msg135638.html#msg135638

Agree on the standout track, weird that Copey doesn't mention it. I've also got Plan D (immortalized at Gardoms natch) Methane river and This World on long term rotation.

[jwi]

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!

The second single, L'enfer, got is first airing during an interview on live television on the eight o clock news on TF1 the biggest news program in France. The performance comes at the 2min mark and there should probably had been some form of warning before. Turn on the subs:



I was emotionally wrung out afterwards.

[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...)

Having consistently listened to a fair amount of new stuff every year until I had kids, I find myself in a similar position. A combination of less free time and less work travel during lockdown, which is when I used to get most time to listen to anything new. Only two new albums, one I’ve yet to find time to listen to in full (new War on Drugs album). The other is one of the best things I’ve heard for some years though, Stephen Fretwell - Busy Guy. Fifteen-ish years since his last album, but still got it. Maybe not quite as good as his first album (Magpie) but beautiful acoustic guitar and an amazing voice that fits well with the stripped back style of music.

Just on to this ^^^  Won't be on daily repeat (not that kind of thing) but I'll definitely sit in a quiet room with a dram and breathe it in once in a while!

[Fultonius]

Leif Vollebekk - New Ways actually came out in 2019 but has some crackers in it

Just giving this a spin now. Think it might be a grower!

[Oldmanmatt]

I know doing anything Russian right now is probably taboo; but indigenous Siberian rock/folk fusion is kinda bangin.

Otyken:

[crzylgs]

Team Ukraine enters the chat...



Silly jokes aside that might also be up your street?

The first track you linked it sounded like the guy on the keyboard had some old Prodigy guitar riffs programmed in and really wanted him to kick off more haha!