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Quimper Sound's Top 10 Staff picks for 2006
(previous
year's lists)
Steve's
Top 10 of 2006
1.)
Zero 7: The Garden A
rarity for me. An "Electronic/Dance" title that I *love*. The problem is, as it
so often can be, that genre label is completely misleading. There's nary a backbeat
to be found. The album is mellow, melodic and throughly listenable. Synth lines
weave into the acoustic guitar and horn lines seamlessly - a totally organic sound.
Jose' Gonzales and Sia provide the vocals - gorgeous...
2.) Vandermark
5: A Discontinuous Line You
can always count on Ken Vandermark to produce thoughtful, powerful and totally
unadulterated albums of avant-garde jazz. Not gratuitous in any way and featuring,
as always, impeccable arrangements - this record puts the lie to the stereotype
of "Skronky" and "Unlistenable" modern jazz...
3.) J.Dilla: Donuts
James Yancy (AKA J. Dilla, AKA Jay Dee) made this album (literally) on his death
bed. Working from both his studio and his hospital room 'Donuts' was released
three days before he died. Ironically, if he hadn't passed away, most people would
never have heard of him - myself included. Folks are getting to know him now.
Long a favorite of the genre's best MCs and producers, J.Dilla a shining example
of the new creative breed of DJs and Producers that work behind the scene keeping
Hip-Hop alive, vibrant and evolving. Oh, and the album is fantastic too...
4.) Various: Never Let The Same Bee Sting You Twice Thanks
to the Centrum Country Blues Festival I seem to discover new (to me) and exciting
blues stuff than I would ever find on my own. This compilation is put out by the
'Document' label and contains known (to me) and unknown artists - from Mississippi
John Hurt to Hambone Willie Newbern. Raw and authentic, the real deal always sounds
better than the imitation...
5.) Oliver Messiaen: The Messiaen Edition All
the Messiaen. All of it. If you know and love this composer, this is a must have.
If you don't know him - well, stay away - you might just drown in wonder...
6.) Luc Ferrari: Far-West News (1998-1999) The
J.Dilla of the European Classical Avant-garde (or is it the other way around?).
On this album Ferrari documents his travels to the American Southwest. Found sound/conversations
from diners, tour guides, gas station attendants and even a small town mayor are
interweaved deftly with short synthesizer effects and environmental sounds. A
fascinating sonic dreamscape...
7.) Ornette Coleman: Sound Grammar Steve
says: "His best recording in 20 years!". Drums, Two Bass Players and Ornette (on
alto, violin and trumpet). It's straight ahead acoustic Ornette more reminiscent
of his late 60's records then any of his more recent acoustic records. This record
is so listenable that even the New York Times recommended it... 8.)
Residents: River Of Crime: Episodes 1-5 It's
2006 and the Residents are still going strong. Visual artists at heart, this music
is thoroughly engaging and evocative on its own (though I'm sure the stage show
is stunning). As a bonus there is an extra disc of instrumental only versions
of all the songs. If you haven't heard the Residents before, be prepared to be
chilled to the bone...
9.) Joseph Holbrooke Trio: Moat Recordings It
seems like having a Derek Bailey record on your list is all the rage this year
- so here's my entry. "Joseph Holbrooke" was the alias that the 'supergroup' (*ahem*)
of Derek Bailey (guitar), Gavin Bryars (bass) and Tony Oxley (drums) took in the
mid-60's for their free-jazz explorations. Sadly, no recordings survive from that
period. However, 30-years after the fact, the group reunited for a brief tour.
This album was recorded during some down time in the tour and shows the group
in fine form. Even though Bailey was very ill and Bryars hadn't played bass seriously
for years, the group shows an incredible empathy. The album is entirely a group
improvisation but, thanks to the remarkable sensitivity of the musicians, gives
plenty of room to the individuals - particularly Bailey - to stand out. The freely
improvised trio format also also allows for (demands, really) focused listening
on the part of the participants and as a result you can hear an amazing amount
interaction between the players. I know it's cliche' - but this recording really
does reward repeated listening...
10.) Various: What It Is! Funky
Soul & Rare Grooves The
much maligned music of the 70's has become a goldmine for todays generation of
producers, djs and remix artists. Unfortunately, it would seem by now that all
the best stuff has all been dug up and regurgitated in "this" remix or "that"
rap record. But - Oh Joy! - it has not. Much like DJ Spinna's "Strange Games"
of a couple years ago, this set proves that there is no shortage of righteous
Soul and Funk from the Solid Gold Decade if you know where to look. Rhino has
access to the Atlantic catalog and was able to unearth four CDs of rare cuts -
many only issued originally as 7" singles - that will leave you wondering why
you were listening to Edison Lighthouse when you could've been listening to these
guys... Honorable
Mention: Sonic Youth: Rather Ripped / Matthew Shipp: One / Jack
DeJohnette: The Elephant Sleeps But Still Remembers / Dave Douglas: Meaning
& Mystery / John Adams: The Dharma At Big Sur / Tortoise: Lazarus
Taxon / Yo La Tengo: I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
/ William Parker: Long Hidden: The Olmec Series
Michael
T’s Top Ten Spins 2006
1)
STRANGER BLUES - Bo Ramsey Like a redneck John Lee Hooker, Bo delivers the
goods with confident restraint. This record is the laconic Texan's tribute to
the blues legends who inspired him, with classic tunes by Willie Dixon, Muddy
Waters and Howlin' Wolf.
2) CONGOTRONICS II - Various Artists Take
a joyride through the streets of Kinshasa, Congo and check out some amazing inter-tribal
funk. Electric thumb pianos, makeshift amplifiers and hubcap hi-hats combine to
create a rowdy groove for some colorful dancing, as can be seen on the accompanying
DVD.
3) TO PLAY - Derek Bailey It doesn't get any more left field
than this. For half a century Brit guitarist Bailey championed free improvisation,
inventing a new language in the process - angular, atonal, inexplicably compelling.
Produced by David Sylvian, these tracks were among Bailey's last, recorded shortly
before the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome.
4)
OPHIUCHUS BUTTERFLY - Liberty Ellman An alumnus of jazz maestro Henry Threadgill's
ensemble, Ellman crafts an album of poignant, painterly sound sketches. Somewhat
derivative, in the best possible way, this music is sweeter than Threadgill's
and maybe more accessible.
5) LAGOS NO SHAKING - Tony Allen Since
the death of Fela Kuti, architect of Afrobeat, no one has built upon his legacy
more solidly than his long-time drummer Tony Allen. Relentless grooves, smoky
vocals, chanky guitars and punchy horns make this recording a modern classic.
6)
MOONDOG Of course you already have his eponymous 1969 recording, a charming
collection of rounds, madrigals and short compositions. This new release is essential
and features highlights from the oeuvre of a truly original artist, the blind
Viking of 6th Avenue. Join Moondog on a busy New York street corner while he mesmerizes
passersby with 'snaketime' rhythms and homemade instruments.
7) SON
DE LA FRONTERA One might suppose that acoustic flamenco music would be too
esoteric for the masses, yet everyone who hears it is taken by the passionate
playing and great melodies. With nylon guitar, Cuban tres, vocals, percussion
and foot taps, this beautifully packaged disc exemplifies "mestizaje", the Spanish
concept of racial and cultural blending.
8) BIRDY NAM NAM
Turntable mash-ups for the discerning listener. BNN is a disc jockey collective
that will keep your attention as they weave together beats, samples and noise
with plenty of imagination, skill and humor.
9) VIDA - Luis Muñoz
Different latin styles blend surprisingly well on this release and varied
instrumentation is used to good effect. Afro Cuban moods snuggle up to sambas,
sultry tangos flirt with cha chas, there's even a lonely waltz. Hey, was that
a pedal steel in the mix? 10)
REMEMBERING THE RAIN: THE MUSIC OF BILL EVANS - Stephen D. Anderson These
haunting, timeless compositions live again, artfully realized on the guitar. Like
his mentor Lenny Breau, Anderson was smitten with Bill Evans' piano style and
plays his intricate transcriptions with clarity and nuance. The 24-bit mastering
sounds great and the mood is perfect for a gray winter afternoon, when you're
just hangin' around the house warmin'.
Steve
A's 2006 top 10 list
…in no particular order…
1.)
Jazz: Christian McBride / Live at Tonic - I like jazz, but I also enjoy
louder, more visceral kinds of music. This package brings the two together. McBride
is a confident player who can make his bass heard, and he's brought a keyboardist
who plays big, a powerful (and fast and loud) drummer and a sax player that can't
miss on rhythm. Plenty of jazz dabbles in funk, but McBride's band attacks it
with a passion. Discs 2 and 3 feature guitar (that, alongside the funk, comes
uncomfortably close to sounding like jam rock to me), another piano and guitar,
violin, turntables and beat-boxing. It would all sound like a crazed experiment
if it weren't so tightly focused.
Value for money: 19 bucks for 3 CDs
2.) Not quite rock: Tortoise / A Lazarus Taxon - This Chicago group
was the first called 'post-rock', which is a clumsy (and disliked) description
for playing rock-type instruments without following rock's rules. There is guitar,
bass and drums, but there are also vibraphones and edited tape loops. They create
structures - both ambient and driving - by playing these elements against each
other and, more importantly, they allow the spaces between notes to breathe and
work into the outcome. This release is 3 CDs of out-of-print, unreleased and remixed
material, and come with a DVD. Almost all of it is top notch, and the video of
'Salt the Skies' filmed for 'Burn to Shine' itself is worth the sticker price.
VFM:
20 bucks for 3 CDs and a DVD
3.) World/rap: Orishas / El Kilo
tour edition - The best thing about Orishas' debut continues on their second
outing: they are too world music (whatever that means) to be rap and too much
fun to resist. There's probably not a form of music in Cuba that these guys don't
work into the act, and the vocals are still the focus. Even the rapping is far
more musical than we are used to hearing, living in the market that we live in.
The end result is a spicy and viscerally engrossing music that transcends what
you know about the genres.
VFM: 'Tour Edition' features a DVD of videos
4.) Ameri-Afro-Cuban: Yerba Buena / Island Life - From the
opening cumbia to the crooner's finale, YB's second album mixes every kind of
groove you've ever heard with production, hip hop and old school musicianship
to produce a nonstop good time. They take on all the subjects that matter - food,
women, George Jr. - and invite all sorts of guests, from Buena Vista Social Club's
Celia Cruz to activist rapper M1. The album stretches from languorous love ballads
to rave-ups in excess of 150 beats per minute without missing an intricately-layered
beat.
5.) Rappin': Aceyalone / Grand Imperial & Magnificent
City - An old school West Coast figure (see Freestyle Fellowship) with conscious
lyrics and a do it yourself sensibility, his flow is powerful live and nimble
on record. Grand Imperial is like his other solo records: thoughtful in
content, musically jazzy and free spirited, and progressive in attitude. Fans
have come to love - and expect - a poignant Song About A Girl, and here he augments
it with a twist: he includes a live medley of previous albums' Songs About A Girl.
To fully appreciate it, you should buy all his other albums first… For Magnificent
City he worked with producer RJD2, a member of New York City's Def Jux crew.
He and his label mates are associated with darkly looming, thudding beats, but
here he laces beats and melodic sounds that compliment the more laid-back California
rapper. Like jazz, even when the result isn't dead on, the feel is right and the
music moves on.
6.) Remixin': Nina Simone-Remixed and Reimagined
- As the risk of repeated myself, I'll say that a lot of remixes are just an existing
tune with a 4/4 thump added on. This disc, though, does the Greatest Voice Ever
- I mean Nina - well. There is variety and reverence: a look at the old with a
twist of the modern. Hearing it this way proves just how good the material was
to begin with, and it's more accessible to people that weren't raised on jazz
and other crooners.
7.) Producin': J Dilla / The Shining
(available with vocals or as an instrumental) - In a world where pop icons like
Dr. Dre and Timbaland are called the best in the business, people like J Dilla
are too important to be taken lightly. A quiet industry insider, he made his way
around the scene producing tracks and albums for all sorts of better-known performers,
but there is nothing like his own artist albums. His more complex beats often
have their own thread of interior logic, something that takes active listening
to decode, and his simpler beats feel like classics the first time you hear them.
In a genre known to outsiders as lacking musicality, these aural setups are far
denser than you would expect. The vocals are good and bad; many might prefer the
instrumental version of this record. Either way, it's a shame Dilla's not with
us anymore; this album, like 'Donuts' before it, shows that he could have shone
for a long time to come. 8.)
Not quite rock: Sonic Youth / Sonic Youth EP - This is not the latest
SY album - it's a re-release of their first. The sound quality has been cleaned
up, and it is packaged with an earlier live recording and a studio tune that is
a quantum step away from Sonic Nurse, Goo or even Daydream Nation. Richard Edson
is on the drums, and the kids hadn't started bothering with song form yet. The
youthful Youth show a naive belief in self that allows these quiet songs to thunder
with brooding and hang on breezy whim, and the formlessness of the songs becomes
a part of the puzzle.
9.) Country swing: Wayne Hancock / Tulsa
- At the far end of the country spectrum from Faith Hill and Toby Keith you can
still find down-home artistry like that of Wayne 'the Train' Hancock. Wayne has
always played the kind of swing that country music was born with, but this album
goes a step further. Look no further than the opening track for horns and rhythm
trading solos, and on the whole album there is a sense of fun and also of musical
space - like the old saying: The most important note is the one you didn't play.
While the themes are familiar and Hancock's delivery is comfortably off, it's
the full band arrangements and a loose and easy feel that set this one apart.
10.) Out-of-the-Blue award: Lady Sovereign / Public Warning
- Straight outta London, a young lady that can hold her own with the big boys
- too much attitude, but she backs it up with real skills and a charm that actually
made me laugh out loud. Europeans don't tend to segregate their musical forms
as we do, so the depth of styles on this disc is worth the ride as well: there's
jungle, D&B, break beats, garage, techno and even some prime 80s brit-ska. Totally
enjoyable, but you have to pay attention: she's goes fast, gets dirty and doesn't
hide her accent. Oi! Honourable
mention: Dave
Sheehan / Summer Flowers - Crisp and clean thoughtful Americana from local
folks.
Caveman Cyborg - Local gadget-head makes loopy loops that come
off like deranged dub.
Bob Dylan / Modern Times - Hesitating about ol'
Bobby's latest? It's a return to strengths - so go for it.
Ween / Live in
Toronto Canada - With a cast of Nashville session men, D&G muck up Up North.
American
Hardcore / Soundtrack - A flawed but blistering set of early 80s young (mostly)
white anger.
Ojos de Brujo / Techari - See last year's review of Bari.
Chris
Gunn's Top Ten of 2006
(in no particular order.
. .numbered for convenience)
1.)
Sparklehorse "Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain" worth the
wait. beautiful, gritty, lo-fi, beatlesque and ambient. consistently Sparklehorse.
2.) Gnarls Barkley "St. Elsewhere" elements of hip-hop, soul and indie-rock
(violent femmes cover!) all combine to form my feel good pick o' the year. crazy,
just crazy!
3.) Nels Cline "New Monastery" covers, re-worked takes,
a tribute to Andrew Hill. . .music of extreme beauty and gnarled passages of clock
cleaning majesty.
4.) Califone "Roots & Crowns" Like O' Brother
in outer space. Ziggy Stardust on moon-shine. Wah-wah banjos, decayed drum loops
and ghostly vocals gorgeously tucked behind de-tuned guitars. Their best, yet.
5.) East River Pipe "What Are You On" nothing like a boy, a guitar,
a cheap keyboard and a cheaper dum-machine. . .alone in his room composing and
recording some of the most depressingly beautiful pop songs. elements of Elliott
Smith, Flaming Lips and Sparklehorse
6.) Band Of Horses "Everything
All The Time" So my inner "indie-rock-snob" wants to tell you that the internet-exclusive
demos were ten times better, but this CD has grown on me so much! Just good-old-american-like-rock
with amazing songs "The Funeral" and "St. Augustine". Very nice touches of pedal-steel
and reverb. Features 3 former members of Carissa's Wierd.
7.) Willie
Nelson "Songbird" I just like it. Ramshackle production and Ryan Adams involvement
aside, Willie just sings and plays with so much soul. Not yer run o' the mill
blue-eyed-american-soul, either. Again,I just like it.
8.) Tom Waits
"Orphans" It's beautiful, it's ugly, it's loving, it's hateful, it's political,
it's uplifting, it's depressing, it's new it's improved, it's the only product
you'll ever need, it mows your lawn, it's a companion, it spends your money and
gets rid of your wife. . .
9.) Tin Cup Prophette "Liar And The Thief"
Tincup is violin player/singer Amanda Kapousouz recording of beautiful plucked
and bowed musical soundscapes over drum-loops, cello, piano and lo-fi organ. .
.mysterious and haunting.
10.) Brightblack Morning Light Like
a stripped down acoustic Portishead, hypnotic and enchanting. My version even
came with "prismatic" eyeglasses. Not to be listened to while driving late at
night or operating heavy machinery.
Corey's
reluctantly compiled 2006 top 10
1)
Bailey, Derek -To Play
Culled from the David Sylvian "Blemish" session
(an album I cannot recommend highly enough) "To Play" stands out as
a testament to Bailey's prowess as a, a . . . hrm. What exactly is he really doing,
anyway? I play this for people and they invariably ask "What is wrong with this
guy - are his fingers broken?" or "What is wrong with YOU? Are your ears broken?"
I dunno, maybe. Bailey is one of those amazing people who can absolutely transfix
me with his, er, uh, what IS he doing? Is he just playing with me, tricking me
into thinking he has intent, or is there actually something there, after all?
My heart says Yes to the latter but my intellect says, and I quote: "I dunno".
In any case, "To Play" is one of my favorites from the Bailey catalog
of, uh, whatever.
2) Campbell, Isobel & Mark Lanegan -Ballad of the
Broken Seas
Like a soundtrack to an unshot film - seen through a vaselined
lense, ironic, occasionally gooey - Campbell and Lanegan's "Ballad of the Broken
Seas" is atypical fare for me. I don't tend towards wispy female vocals, dramatic
flourishes, and gimmicky production but, somehow, the subtle (or not so subtle)
elements of said on this album fit together in a hypnotic weave. Perhaps it is
the inclusion of Lanegan's deeply graveled voice and tangible integrity that helps
to knit the package together. Whatever the case, I picked it up with reservations
and slid under its spell - maybe you will, too.
3) COIL -The Ape Of
Naples
Strikingly
accessible, like so little of their work, COIL's "Ape of Naples" is a haunting,
beautiful, disturbing, hypnotic, meditation on the ultimate trip - one taken,
rather ironically, by the experimental/electronic duo's lyricist and singer before
the album was even complete. Jhonn Balance's unfortunate and fatal alcohol fueled
tumble over a high balcony in his home only serves to make "Ape of Naples" that
much more compelling. "Does death come alone, or with eager reinforcements?" he
asks on the first track; "Pay your respects to the vultures, for they are your
future", he commands on another; then "There's a man lying down in a grave, somewhere,
with the same tattoos as me - and I love him" and "I don't expect I'll ever understand
how life just just trickled through my hand". The list of ironies here is endless.
Perhaps most amazing and eerie is the final track: an unlikely transformation
of BBC sitcom's "Are You Being Served" sprightly theme song "Going Up" into a
haunting, ironic (there're those words again) dirge. Ape of Naples is a fitting,
if sad and unplanned, endcap to an odd, dark, yet inspiring catalog of albums. 4)
Dysrhythmia -Barriers And Passages
Finally:
another Dysrhythmia album! I'm not a metal fan - and Dysrhythmia's not really
metal - but there are a few who can take the better elements of the metal sound
- the crash, crunch and burn - and transmute it with thoughtful energy into something
that feels like metal but beneath the heavy brows of which, there burns a quick,
not-brute intelligence. Dysrhythmia takes excessive fingerings, heavy math, lightning
quick changes, distortion, sweat, and hones it into something worth cleaving your
skull with. 5)
Rashanim -Shalosh
Not quite as strong as their first outing but more experimental,
more diverse in genre, Rashanim's "Shalosh" still resounds with the heartfelt
fervor, precise arrangements, and balance of fire and water that entranced me
so much in 2003. A melding of rock, jazz, klezmer, and occasionally reverbed out
beach boogie, Jon Madof's guitar, backed with equal talent by the drums and bass
of trio Rashanim, takes you places you didn't know you could go - but you should,
you really should.
6) Sparklehorse -Dreamt for Light Years
in the Belly of a Mountain
Sparklehorse continues to entrance and delight
with the ridiculously long-titled album "Dreamt for Light Years in the blah blah
blah . . . Luckily the album does not go on as endlessly and unnecessarily as
the title but, instead, ends leaving you wanting more. The spaces Mark Linkous
manages to create with his lyrics and music are unnerving because his pop sensibilities
are such that you'd think you'd been here before - and you have, only Mark insists
on tearing up the carpet, overturning the trash cans, and making you to peer under
the refrigerator to see what you missed the first time you passed through, for
it is here where he holds court: down with the weary bugs, the bent, stained playing
cards, and the forgotten spirits who play their broken instruments with fingers
of lint.
7) Tortoise -A Lazarus Taxon
"Lazarus Taxa"
is a paleontological term for a species that disappears from a fossil record,
only to reappear at a later era in the strata, thus it is an apt title for this
boxed set of rarities and singles, long since gone from the scene. In that respect,
there is little new about this amazing collection - yet, for a person arriving
late to the party, as am I, A Lazarus Taxon is all new. Tortoise's brand of not
quite jazz and not quite rock has to be heard to be understood and this boxed
set is a real treat for those who already know and those just finding out.
8) Waits, Tom -Orphans
Tom Waits could put out a recording of clearing
his throat (and some would have you believe he has) and I'd be first in line to
buy it, so it is no surprise that the gargantuan "Orphans" set made my list this
year. On the other hand, so often these boxed collections that appear deep into
an artist's career contain only a small handful of new pieces among a sea of old
material - and it is often quite obvious why they weren't released in the first
place. Despite "Orphans" being just that - a retrospective collection of mostly
older songs- the material contained within is so good, so perfectly Tom, that
it may be the best thing he's ever released. The older material here is rarities
and b-sides, many of them long out of print, while the rest are either brand new
pieces, re-recorded rarities, or songs that were previously only available to
those not averse to bootlegs. The resulting three-cd set is a stunning mix of
styles, genres and approaches - everything from spoken word to pop to the indefinable.
I've been collecting Tom Waits rarities and b-sides religiously (minus bootleg
recording - eccccchhh!) since 1989 yet I didn't have half the previously released
material in this set. The only disappointment here is a lack of a DVD inclusion.
C'mon, Tom - where're the videos?
9) Yoshihide, Laswell, Yoshida -Episome
Episome
is what you get when you apply the concept of free jazz to the world of rock.
Performed by some of the greats in the field - Otomo Yoshihide, known for his
jazz, electric, and experimental work, here on electric guitar, Bill Laswell,
producer extraordinaire and acclaimed bassist, Yoshida Tatsuya, one of the most
creative and driven drummers in the Japanese experimental/jazz/rock scene - Episome
is an endless exploration for the edges of the sonic universe. At times becalmed,
at others menacing, the tracks twist and curve, first falling out of themselves,
then knitting neatly back in -thus the album's title. Here's to hoping this wasn't
a one shot deal.
10) Zorn, John -Electric Masada: Live At the Mountains of Madness
Though
technically released last year, this album came out after I was strong-armed into
making my 2005 Top 10 list, so I will happily and unabashedly include it now.
One of the strongest live albums in the John Zorn Catalog, "At the Mountains
of Madness" documents pieces from Zorn's Masada songbook as played, twisted,
and retooled by the most talented and incendiary combination of musicians he's
put together since Naked City. The level of communication and versatility between
the musicians on these two live recordings has to be heard to be believed. Utterly
astounding, breathtaking, exhilarating - what on earth are you waiting for?
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