This is Perfume Genius. I listened to his newest album ‘Put Your Back N 2 It’ yesterday and it made me cry.
When I first started using tumblr it wasn’t for this blog, which itself started out as something totally different. I used tumblr as a web-based companion to my old Aberdeen Uni Student Radio show which was called ‘Kick out the Jams’. It was two hours of the best music you’ve ever heard in one place, not to toot my own horn or anything. I would post the playlists, tracks, videos etc. from artists I’d featured on the show. It was mostly hipster nonsense but I’d thrown in classics like Patti Smith, David Bowie, Dusty Springfield and, of course, Carole King. Because damn.
MUSIC OF 2011
So I’ve already posted this in a bunch of places and it will be up on Hercules Moments at some point, but there’s no harm in posting it to my Tumblr.
Here is my top 10. It’s not really in any set order (because I keep changing my mind about the Low and The Antlers albums) apart from number 1 which should come as a surprise to no one who knows me.
1. WILD FLAG – Wild Flag
2. Men – Talk About Body
3.King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine
4. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
5. Kate Wax – Dust Collision (if you like Ellen Allien and Apparat do yourself a favour and check this out!)
6. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
7. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Belong
8. Fucked Up – David Comes To Life
9. Low – C’mon
10. The Antlers – Burst Apart
I feel bad for having to leave out Yuck, Washed Out, Tim Hecker, Atlas Sound, Feist, Fleet Foxes and Tune-Yards who all made albums I listened to loads this year because they were ace. 2011 has been fucking great for music. I also really liked Jay Z and Kanye West’s ‘Watch The Throne’ as well. The A$AP Rocky mixtape was really good as well but I’ve only listened to it a couple of times. Man, the We Were Promised Jetpacks album was really good too. Fucking 2011.
Stuff I’ve fallen in love with over the past few weeks of my mission to listen to as many things as possible but couldn’t put on the list because i’ve only listened to the album once or twice include:
SubRosa - No Help For The Mighty Ones
Gem Club – Breakers
Craft Spells – Idle Labor
Little Scream – The Golden Record
Football, Etc. – The Draft
Wooden Shjips – West
Holy Ghost! – Holy Ghost!
Drake - Take Care
Okay, I’m done. Too much musics. No such thing I guess, but such a bitch for making end of year lists. I mean, I could make another list that just has my favourite songs and it would be wildly different. It would include the Beyonce single ‘Countdown’ because it is AWESOME. I’ve also realised that I have been totally neglectful of hardcore music this year. It’s just something I don’t listen to as much as I used to but I still enjoy it. I’m just not as exposed to it for some reason. However, some ROCKING albums I’ve heard in the past few weeks include Ampere’s ‘Like Shadows’ and Touche Amore’s ‘Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me’.
Hey you guys!
You know how Carole King is basically awesome and that ‘Tapestry’ is probably one of the best albums anyone has ever written? Shit came out in 1971. NINETEEN SEVENTY FUCKING ONE! How amazing is that?
Basically, this came from me wondering about how if I had a time machine I’d use it to go back and see all these awesome bands at their peak. But, if I could only see one band/group/act, who would it be? I’d be torn between:
Iggy and The Stooges touring ‘Raw Power’
David Bowie around the Ziggy Stardust era
Patti Smith anytime around ‘Horses’. My mum saw the Patti Smith Group when she was a teenager. Fuck you mum. I love you and all, but seriously.
Then I almost forgot Carole King.
Who would you guys go see?
Excellent Music I’ve Heard Recently
I’ve been reviewing the new record by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. It’s an absolute stoater. You can listen to two tracks from their upcoming album Belong at their myspace page here: http://www.myspace.com/thepainsofbeingpureatheart
If you like fuzzy indie-pop that sounds massive then you’ll love the album. If you heard their debut then imagine what it would have sounded like if it had been produced and mixed by men that helped create the best Smashing Pumpkins albums. Yeah, it’s big.
The Banjo or Freakout album is also exceptionally good. It’s perfect for listening to at night with a cup of tea or just chilling out to at anytime. You can listen to tracks by him here: http://www.myspace.com/banjoorfreakout
Last, but definitely not least, Low have an album out next month called C’mon. I’ve listened to it, it is brilliant. If you haven’t wrapped your lugs round anything by them before then I suggest you do so imemdiately. A fine, fine band. http://www.myspace.com/low
Hercules Moments
Hercules Moments is a music blog run by Eoin Smith. He has himself a music column in our local evening paper. I’m writing reviews for this site now. The link is to my first, a review of the new single by Ensemble.
Listening to music while writing
What do you listen to when you write creatively? I can’t listen to anything with lyrics, I think most people would agree with me there. I can write in the quiet, sometimes it is necessary especially with poetry as the rhythms in the music can upset the rhythms of the poem when you read it aloud to make sure it is working they way you want it. Sometimes when you are searching for a rhythm you can find it in what you are listening to. Here is a list of music I listen to when writing:
Peter Broderick - Music For Falling From Trees (album)
Arvo Part - Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten
Philip Glass - Glassworks (album)
Olafur Arnalds - Euology For Evolution & …and they have escaped the weight of darkness (albums)
Max Richter - Infra & Blue Notebooks (albums)
The Joy Formidable have an album out today. It’s really fucking good. If you like really massive sounding indie-pop songs then this is definitely going to be your thing.
Driftwood - a very good band.
This Americana/foksy/indie band were busking and selling CDs at the Portland farmer’s market this afternoon. It was wonderful music to listen to eating nummy Dal in the shade. So I bought their album and am thoroughly enjoying it. Maybe you will enjoy it too!
