Archive
My Favorites of 2012
Life has been a been busy/hectic lately, to say the least. Not enough time to do the usual extended blogs for best of instrumental, vocal and whatnot with lots of descriptions. And since, hell, it’ll be 2014 before too long; so I figured I’d get out my favorites of 2012 list in some fashion now before it’s officially too late.
Here’s what was my favorite music from last year…
vocal top 10
(in no particular order beyond #1)
instrumental top 10
(in no particular order beyond #1)
Charlie Hunter & Scott Amendola –
Not Getting Behind is the New Getting Ahead
ep, internet, etc
Best Novelty: Sufjan Stevens’ Silver and Gold boxset
Best Internet-only releases: Glen Phillips Coyote Sessions,
Greydon Square Type II : The Mandelbrot Set,
Sufjan Son Lux & Serengeti (s/s/s) beak and claw
Best EPs: Levi Weaver’s I Am Only A Tiny Noise
Peter Mulvey’s Chaser (OOP)
Best Vinyl-only: Wussy “Dangerous Highway” 7″
Sufjan Stevens & Rosie Thomas “Hit & Run” 7″
Enjoy! I’ll sort of promise to do better with timeliness on next year’s lists!
Talkdemonic “City Sleep” & Radiohead ‘TKOL Live from the Basement’ DVD
If you came here for the My Brightest Diamond (Portland 11/6) show review, photos will be posted HERE soon.
If you came here for the Puscifer (Seattle 11/7) show review & photos, go HERE.
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Portland post-rock duo Talkdemonic just premiered their video for “City Sleep” (from their newest album Ruins) on MTV Hive. The video was directed by Alicia J Rose. And don’t worry, the high-pitch buzz goes away about 2:30 minutes in as the video gets really interesting…
Talkdemonic is Kevin O’Connor & Lisa Molinaro
talkdemonic.com
Radiohead also just announced that their The King of Limbs – Live from the Basement performance will be released on 32-page booklet DVD, Bluray and digital download on December 19th. There are also performances of “The Daily Mail” and “Staircase,” which haven’t been released yet. “Supercollider” has been added as a bonus track. It’s available on TKOL.com and in other shops (and Amazon) near the end of January.
Tracklisting:
1. Bloom
2. The Daily Mail
3. Feral
4. Little By Little
5. Codex
6. Separator
7. Lotus Flower
8. Staircase
9. Morning Mr. Magpie
10. Give Up The Ghost
11. Supercollider
~Dan – np: Jeffrey Foucault – Shoot the Moon Right Between the Eyes (The music of John Prine)
Jason Ludwig’s 2 new albums / Dave Douglas boxset
This fall is turning into a flippin’ brilliant season for new music… My Brightest Diamond, Wussy, and Puscifer… all gems. Now some more…
Cincinnati-based singer-songwriter Jason Ludwig (formerly of Noctaluca) released two new albums last Friday. I’ve spent a few days with them, and I LOVE-love-LOVE them. I can’t say which one, Lost in Love or Tanglings, that I like more – but they’re both vying for a spot on my Best Albums of 2011 List. They’re only available as a digital download (mp3 or FLAC) via Jason’s bandcamp page, but the awesome part… they’re only $5 each.
Go to jasonludwig.com for samples and then buy them. Well-produced, well-arranged, creative singer-songwriter that reminds me of a cross between the pop of Glen Hansard (of the Swell Season and the Frames) and the creative of Daniel Johns (of Silverchair). If you don’t like them, I’d be surprised.
More new music news…
My favorite living trumpet-player/composer, Dave Douglas, started a new digital download music series this year on his record label, Greenleaf Music, called GPS (Greenleaf Portable Series). Greenleaf recently launched a cloud player with their entire catalog, they’re putting out an iPad/iPhone App, and they just announced that they’re going to put out the three GPS releases thus far (Rare Metals, Orange Afternoons, Bad Mango) as an extremely limited 3-CD boxset called Three Views.
More info coming soon from Greenleaf, but it’s expected before year’s end.
Dave Douglas & So Percussion – Bad Mango [new jazz]
New “Greenleaf Portable Series” release from Dave Douglas & So Percussion… GPS Vol 3: Bad Mango:
The digital album comes out October 11th, 2011, on Greenleaf Music on mp3/FLAC.
Coldplay – Every Tearderp Is A Waterderp
British
knockoff rock act Coldplay have announced an Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall digital EP, featuring two more brand new tracks “Major Minus” and “Moving To Mars.”
The digital EP comes out Sunday (6/26). It also comes out on CD and 7″ vinyl on Monday (UK) and Tuesday (US). The title track is already available (see Amazon for sound sample).
If Chris Martin releases a video of him dancing by himself in an alley, well… you know where he got the idea.
Sorry, I hate to be negative (or do I?). I just have very little patience for Coldplay.
Glen Phillips & Sean Watkins / WPA – “4×4” EP (2011)
Glen Phillips & Sean Watkins project Works Progress Administration just put out a new EP, entitled 4×4, with buddies Sebastian Steinberg and Jerry Roe.
2. Don’t Say You Love Me 03:22
3. It’s Over Now 02:47
4. Wild Side 02:40
Four friends, four songs, most of a day, many tacos.
released 05 March 2011
Made by WPA
Mixed by Jerry Roe at Ed.
Glen Phillips – vocals, guitar
Jerry Roe – drums, vocals
Sebastian Steinberg – bass, vocals
Sean Watkins – vocals, guitar
$4, that’s all. http://wpamusic.bandcamp.com/
Radiohead – The King of Limbs
Screw the Grammys… there’s a new Radiohead album coming out!
The King Of Limbs by Radiohead
Pre-order Radiohead’s The King Of Limbs now. Release dates: Digital: Feb 19, Retail: Mar 28 (Europe) Mar 29 (US/N.A.), Newspaper Edition: May 9. The newspaper edition includes:
- Two clear 10″ vinyl records in a purpose-built record sleeve.
- A compact disc.
- Many large sheets of artwork, 625 tiny pieces of artwork and a full-colour piece of oxo-degradeable plastic to hold it all together.
- The Newspaper Album comes with a digital download that is compatible with all good digital media players.
- The Newspaper Album will be shipped on Monday 9th May 2011 you can, however, enjoy the download on Saturday 19th February 2011.
- Shipping is included in the prices shown.
- One lucky owner of the digital version of The King Of Limbs, purchased from this website, will receive a signed 2 track 12″ vinyl.
- mp3 & Wav formats available $48 (mp3) or $35 (wav).
- It’s also available as digital only download for $9.
http://www.thekingoflimbs.com/
As you can imagine, the server is working overtime… maybe wait a few hours to order.
What is the significance or meaning of the name The King of Limbs? Here’s some thoughts on the album name & artwork, courtesy of The Jammin Jabber blog…
King of Limbs is apparently a thousand year-old tree that inhabits Savernake Forest, which is in close proximity to the house the band recorded In Rainbows in. It is also a term referenced in the Koran (those wacky liberal musicians!)
But the true King of Limbs is older than any future paper or book of fairy tales. He’s been prowling the murky depths for millions of years, biding his time- and now’s his time to shine! That’s right, I’m talking about a little cephalopod who goes by the name of Octopus vulgaris. No one has more limbs than that motherf*cker! And Radiohead knows it, because guess who graces the cover of the new album in all their majestic glory? Not Allah or some goddamn tree, but your garden variety ghost octopus, commonly referred to as a ghoctopus. Long live the king!
Visit TheJamminJabber
Radiohead album #8… octopus cover. Makes sense to me.
~Dan – np: Ozomatli – Ozomatli
File Sharing Policy: There are no free mp3 download or FLAC torrents for any albums on this blog (nor will there ever be). On occasion, there are links for songs for free download (legally provided by the artist). If you like music, support the artists. Buy it!!