A Short List for 2015

Here are the most memorable new 2015 albums I heard and kept returning to (in no particular order):

Sleater-Kinney: "No Cities to Love"

Courtney Barnett: "Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit"

Alabama Shakes: "Sound & Color"

Father John Misty: "I Love You Honeybear"

Olafur Arnalds: "The Chopin Project"

Max Richter: "Sleep"

Gina Chavez: "Up.Rooted"

Kamasi Washington: "The Epic"

Others considered for the list:

Leon Bridges   "Coming Home"

Calexico  "Edge of the Sun"

Didn't listen to music as diligently this year as previous; probably for reasons like distractions by my returning obsession with photography; not so much opportunity to compare notes with my dancing, music-loving daughter as she transplanted to Seattle; and computer woes, ranging from a music server drive crash to the obliteration of a major music library by an errant Mac OS update.

By the way, I noted that Olafur Arnalds made my fav list in a previous year, and I also previously cited Courtney Barnett.

Gina Chavez

More here:http://ginachavez.com/

Allen Toussaint, R.I.P.

Yesterday, the legendary New Orleans R&B songwriter/performer passed on.  You may have seen his appearance in the great HBO series, "Treme".  Here is a sample of his stuff.


Bob Lefsetz has also compiled an excellent selection of Toussaint covers on Spotify.

Quiet

Do you ever just want quiet?  Even if you’re a music lover like I am, there is no substitute for quiet when it is wanted or needed.  Apparently, Microsoft has now cornered the market on that commodity with its Quiet Lab:

The Road to Hell

In 1989, English singer-songwriter-guitarist Chris Rea, put forth this album. In a rare cross-blog moment, I spotted in the album's title track vid a glimpse of my own car (well, one like my own -- an old Porsche 944) at about 3:30 in and then again at about 6:33. So, as well as cross-posting to my Porsche blog, I will present it here as well, as it is a good sound, indeed.

Vivaldi Via Accordion

Boo Boo Davis: If You Ain't Never Had the Blues (BLu ACiD remix)

This great music is used as the soundtrack on this remarkable drone video by Ian Wood:

Los Angeles from Ian Wood on Vimeo.

For more remixes by this pair of Dutch musicians, find some BLu ACiD remixes on SoundCloud.

This Ain't No Mouse Music

Just saw this great documentary via Netflix tonight on Chris Strachwitz and the music he has brought to our attention over the years.

Just A Shot/Kiss Away

Another from the great movement/series, "Playing for Change".

Looping, The XX - Intro

I drifted away on this, forgetting that I was sitting at my computer ...

Oh, oh ... try this now ...

A Vinyl Bubble?

Read the arguments in this Stereogum piece by Marc Hogan: http://www.stereogum.com/featured/have-we-reached-peak-vinyl/

Boxed In: All Your Love Is Gone

Recommended by my wife ...
 

And another one:

Nina Revisited

Just the other day we discussed the Nina Simone film, "What Happened, Miss Simone".  Now Lauryn Hill and others are performing on a new tribute album, "Nina Revisited... A Tribute To Nina Simone".

The album can be streamed on NPR Music for a limited time, and you can read the story here.

My favorite Simone tribute album has been 2012's "Pour Une Ame Souveraine - A Dedication to Nina Simone" by Me'Shell N'Degeocello, but this one is good, too.

Ndir wach n7eeb

Friend Bill directs us to this Bob Marley-esq performer:

Savages: Husbands

Shades of Lene Lovitch, Dead Kennedys, et. al.  Just heard this tonight as the credits were rolling at the conclusion of "Ex Machina", a rather new Brit sci-fi film:

Eunice Waymon, aka Nina Simone

My then-girlfriend, a New Jersey-ite living across the river from New York City, would tell me of her discoveries and musical experiences when she returned home between our Midwest college breaks.  She spent as much time as she could in Greenwich Village, where (in addition to Bob Dylan) she told me of discovering Nina Simone.

I precisely remember my first week after moving to L.A., when I would set my clock radio to play long into the night.  While tuned to a just-found jazz station, I was abruptly awakened mid-sleep by an incredible and unmistakable voice, although the song itself was new to me: "Sinnerman".  I was unable to return to sleep until I had tracked down that music.  Nina's music would definitely accompany me to my own hypothetical desert island; she probably certainly is my single most favorite jazz/blues singer.

Since those early years, I have collected and digested almost Everything Nina I could.  Now, Netflix is streaming the stunning documentary, What Happened, Miss Simone? and last night, watching it, I saw and heard things I never experienced before. Here's the trailer:

Can't stop now. Here's Sinnerman:

And the amazing version performed at the 1976 Montreaux Jazz Festival

Song of the Day - End of the Line

Friend Herman sent me this link this morning.  And it just happened that, a few days earlier, I had cranked up a full Traveling Wilburys playlist from my music server to give my wife a listen while we shared cooking in the kitchen.

Ornette Coleman, March 1930 - June 2015, R.I.P.

The instigator of "free jazz". (Not that the tickets were free, referring to a story that Coleman tells of some early, mistaken fans, in an interview with Terry Gross (will link it if I can find it).

 My strongest and earliest memories of this controversial but influential genius, surely, are of his "The Shape of Jazz to Come" album, his 1959 debut. Here's a great piece from that album, featuring some of his legend-to-be band members, like Don Cherry and Charlie Haden:

 

Kate Tempest: Everybody Down

Kate Tempest (remember her?) is the subject of new NPR Music feature piece this week:

Frazey Ford

A Simple Twist of Fate, Visually

Bob Dylan - Simple Twist of Fate from Félix P. on Vimeo.

Subterranean Homesick Blues in Type

Bob Dylan Subterranean Homesick Blues - A HAND LETTERING EXPERIENCE from Leandro Senna on Vimeo.

The Thrill Is Gone - B.B. King, R.I.P.

B.B. King, September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015

See the official website: http://www.bbking.com/

Read more here, as one of zillions of tributes and news stories.

Nina Simone's Baltimore, Live

Roo Savill

Let's start with King of the Swingers:


And here's a nice cover of my favorite, Bad Girl (or Who's a Bad Girl Now):


Unexpectedly, I discovered Roo Savill while watching this unrelated video, and hearing the Amy Winehouse-esque sound at about 9:30:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddRAbC0Mkb8

Hotel California - Gabriella Quevedo

James A. suggests this one ...

Learn more about Gabriella Quevedo.

Song, er ... Soundtrack of the Day - True Detective

It started by listening to the Handsome Family, then the whole thing had to be consumed:


One of several playlists on Spotify

Percy Sledge, R.I.P.

Probably his best-known:


More about Percy Sledge.

Nils Frahm and the Klavins M450

Nils Frahm, whose post-classical and electronic music I have been listening to since his 2009 Wintermusik album, as well as the 2013 Spaces album, is now making his newest album, Solo, available for free download as he promotes a crowdfunding project to support the build of the massive Klavins 450 "super-piano", by David Klavins.  See the Piano Day site here and Frahm's main site.  And in the meantime, watch Frahms in performance with "Toilet Brushes", one of his more celebrated works:

Annabel (lee)

John does it again, with this find.  Learn more here:

Track of the Day: Ta Amarrado - OQuadro (Remix by Mangaio)

Fuel to the Fire - David Lynch Remix

Visit agnesobel.comhttp://www.agnesobel.com/?p=2667

Song of the Day - Up Against the Wall

From Swedish trio Peter, Bjorn & John's 2006 album, "Writer's Block":

Sleater-Kinney in DC

Last night, NPR streamed Sleater-Kinney live from a club in Washington, DC.  You can still see the video of nearly 90 minute concert here.  Some captures:

Here's what the band performed:

SET LIST

"Price Tag"
"Start Together"
"Fangless"
"Oh!"
"Surface Envy"
"Get Up"
"Ironclad"
"No Anthems"
"Youth Decay"
"What's Mine Is Yours"
"A New Wave"
"No Cities To Love"
"One Beat"
"Words And Guitar"
"Bury Our Friends"
"Sympathy"
"Entertain"
"Jumpers"

ENCORE

"Gimme Love"
"Little Babies"
"Turn It On"
"Modern Girl"
"Dig Me Out"

And if you jump over to Sleater-Kinney's website, you can get a single MP3, "Bury Our Friends" (from their new No Cities to Love album; it's great, btw) for signing up with their mailing list.

Bibi McGill, Beyonce's Guitarist and Kale Chip Entrepreneur

Last night, OPB's ArtBeat program featured a piece on Bibi McGill, probably best known as Beyonce's music director and guitarist.   Take a look:



And if you didn't already know about Bibi's yoga background and her health food adventures, you can learn about her kale chip entrepreneurial efforts here:

Flamenco with Juan Ramirez

Track of the Day: 7 Estrelo - As leis de um tambor

http://7estrelo.net/music/

Song of the Day: Happy Hour

Woke up this morning to this, from Tosca:


Tosca's website

A Tentative 2014 List

Again, my daughter and I, with some input from my son, are attempting to compile a list of our favorite 2014 albums.  This has been a tough year to get in as much listening as I wanted, due to competing distractions including photography projects and auto restoration.  Not to mention issues with my music servers.  Anyway, here is a starter list, recognizing that my favorites change from day to day:

Angel Olsen | Burn Your Fire For No Witness
Caribou | Our Love
Grouper | Ruins
FKA Twigs | LP1
Jack White | Lazaretto
Kassem Mosse | Workshop 19
Natalie Merchant | Natalie Merchant
Perfume Genius | Too Bright
St. Vincent | St. Vincent
The Black Keys | Turn Blue

At the moment, Grouper's Ruins is perhaps my most memorable.  A surprise, new to me, was Perfume Genius.  And I can't stop playing Kassem Mosse. Particular note should be taken of Natalie Merchant's eponymous album, after all these years -- especially noteworthy for its avoidance of the dreaded sin of compressing dynamic range.

And these contenders, almost any of which would be on my top ten on any particular day.

Aphex Twin | Syro
Elbow | The Take Off and Landing of Everything
Leonard Cohen | Popular Problems
Luluc | Passerby
Meshell Ndegeocello | Comet, Come to Me
Sharon Van Etten | Are We There
Sylvan Esso | Sylvan Esso
The Gloaming | The Gloaming
The War on Drugs | Lost in the Dream
TV On The Radio | Seeds

Not one of my favorites: The New Basement Tapes.