Topic: The Music Thread

@nessisonett Little Dark Age is amazing, and Mgmt.

@nessisonett @themcnoisy what do you reckon of Brian Eno as a creative artist and producer?

@Draco_V_Ecliptic hope u had a great Chrimbo mate. Eno is a great producer.

@Draco_V_Ecliptic Yep, big fan of Brian Eno, more on a production side than the Roxy Music side of things. His work on Bowie’s Berlin albums is second to none. It was ingenious to stick 3 different microphones at varying distances for Bowie to sing into, that’s why the screaming on Heroes sounds that good.

@Draco_V_Ecliptic

So, I found this thread, I’ve posted my reply to you from the other thread. Probably won’t go down well as I’d imagine the frequenters of this thread have a diametrically opposed view of music to my own:

‘Sorry for the reply in this thread but I’m here now so here goes, as ‘uncool’ as it seems to most people I’m far more of a ‘visual’ than an ‘auditory’ person, which is not to say that I do not appreciate music but that it doesn’t ‘hit’ me in the same way it does most other people. Having said that, I frikkin loved the Death Stranding soundtrack. All of the From Soft games have unbelievably good scores and the Nier: Automata OST is phenomenal.
I rarely actually listen to music but every now and then a song ‘creeps’ in to my being and I can’t do anything but keep listening to it. No particular consistency of genre either, could be anything: James Blake - Retrograde, Galantis - Peanut Butter Jelly, Jay Z - Encore, Lourdes -Team, Radiohead - Karma Police, Midge Ure’s version of Bowie’s - The Man Who Sold The World... and many others. As boring as it sounds, I would normally have a podcast on in the background over having some music on though.’

@colonelkilgore I am increasingly becoming less interested in music, I go through phases, like trying to knock a soft-drink dispenser over (see Seinfeld) to the point where I lose interest in music almost entirely. I think I am more of a game person than a music person overall, despite my frequent contributions to this thread, maybe that's because I was much more musical in the past, and am slipping out of music only now. Thanks for sharing anyway though, and I appreciate the time you took to go into depth and respond to me here.

@Draco_V_Ecliptic

No problem at all DVE, much like you, I actually used to be quite into music in my youth. I even played quite a bit of guitar and wrote quite a few songs (much of which were terrible... some were passable, at least to me). I have a sneaking suspicion that it was merely for the ‘clout’ though and the fact that i assumed it would improve my chances with the ladies (as cliche as it was). I then realised in my twenties that I was far more into Film and TV... and got a degree in Film Production as a result. Now, I wish I had studied game design as I’m even more into gaming than those, so I definitely get you in regards to going through phases etc.

@nessisonett Yeah Heroes is an all-time classic. @themcnoisy Thanks noisy hope you had a good one too. @nessisonett What do you and @themcnoisy reckon of Eno's solo work? If you've heard any.

@Draco_V_Ecliptic
I'm listening to this song.

Fatman jam of the week goes to:

Waveshaper - CRT Days (Droid Bishop Remix)

https://waveshaper1.bandcamp.com/track/waveshaper-crt-days-dr...

@nessisonett Have you heard of the Sleaford Mods? They are a bit of a novelty act and need to be taken with a pinch of salt, but once you're on board for the ride they can be really great. The Nottinghamshire accent is a unique selling-point or the exact opposite of that, depending on how you take it.

@Draco_V_Ecliptic
Yo, i'm listening to this music.

Such a shame to hear about MF DOOM, I’d go as far to say that he’s one of my favourite rappers of all time. The worst thing is that apparently he died two months ago, it’s just that it’s only being reported now. It’s when you see the vast outpouring of obituaries from rappers, producers and musicians from across the industry that you realise what a massive impact he had and how many people he influenced. He was a true legend.

Guess it’s time to rank my favourite albums and songs of 2020!

Albums:

5: Anna Von Hausswolff - All Thoughts Fly
43 minutes of organ. Played with good headphones it’s revelatory. Granted, I was somewhat off my face and this album seems engineered to make you see visions of Leonardo Da Vinci snorting lines off Jesus’ torso.

4: Yves Tumour - Heaven to a Tortured Mind
This album oozes sex appeal. It’s a mishmash of so many sounds, genres and feelings that it’s hard to define but it’s a brilliant ride if you can keep up with it. Again, the production’s fantastic so listen to this one with a good pair of cans.

3: Jessie Ware - What’s Your Pleasure?
This was such a good year that the top 3 could take each other’s place given my current mood. The fact Charli XCX and clipping didn’t make the list says a lot about how good this year was for music. This album however, it’s a masterclass in disco-infused pop. This year saw a mini-revival of sorts with Kylie and Roisin Murphy also releasing really quite good disco albums. This rises to the top because every single track on here is a hit. It doesn’t let up and is sheer unadulterated fun from start to finish.

2: The Microphones - Microphones in 2020
I went as far as to say that this album was one of the best albums I’d ever listened to when it came out. It incorporates many motifs from across Phil Elverum’s life and career to create a layered canvas on which he tells his life story. It’s painful at times, euphoric in others. It’s a genuine masterpiece. But not my number one for just the one reason - I loved another album more and felt it defined the year slightly better.

1: Black Dresses - Peaceful as Hell
For the average listener, this album will sound like a headache waiting to happen. In many ways, it is. However, the catchy lyrics, insane production and overarching themes and message beat out all the rest for me this year. With the world falling apart, the duo essentially created a record that’s summed up by one of the track’s titles - Please Be Nice. It might be naïve in many respects but they just ask us to be nice and respect each other for who we are, even if we’re different. It’s a shame to see that despite some influential reviewers actually really enjoying this record, the amount of hate seen surrounding it by people who listen to their voices for 2 seconds and turn it off is staggering. In fact, the attitude seen by TikTok users who appropriated one of Black Dresses’ songs for jokey videos when it was about their childhood sexual abuse went a way towards them breaking up, along with widespread invasions of privacy and harassment by fans. It’s one of the most pure records out there, free from studio interference, commercialism or external pressures. They created the record they wanted to make and it’s a force of nature.

Tracks:

A special mention to Mac Miller’s Good News, which very narrowly misses out on the top 5 but is fantastic regardless.

5: Black Dresses - Damage Suppressor
It’s all over the place, harsh and noisy but through all the static is an extremely catchy pop song, with one of the best choruses of the year.

4: Jessie Ware - Save A Kiss
Jessie Ware produced a lockdown banger to compete with the best of them, which keeps the energy throughout the song, never going too far or not far enough. She actually lets the beats shine too, which is really important for club music and something that’s missing from quite a lot of especially female solo artists in recent years.

3: Yves Tumour - Kerosene
If the album oozes sex appeal, this is sex appeal distilled in a bathtub for months until it’s as pure and valuable as liquid gold. It’s a superb track, with both Yves and the featured artist putting in a masterclass of a duet. The result is a truly sensual track which swirls all around and threatens to engulf you at any point.

2: Terrace Martin + lots of artists - Pig Feet
Probably the best of the protest songs released post-George Floyd. No song captured the incredulousness and sheer rage that these events were still happening despite everything going on in 2020 and the slow progress being made. Kamasi Washington kills it with his particular blend of uneasy sax capturing the rising tensions throughout the song. It holds up even this long after the original wave of protests, although I’d say that there have been so many other events that it will unfortunately be relevant for years to come at this rate.

1: Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion - WAP
Yeah, I’m putting this top. In a year without much fun, this song was a breath of fresh air. The lyrics are absolutely ridiculous and extremely fun, it never fails to make me laugh. Both their flow would give the most prolific of rappers a run for their money too. It’s also my number one for the wider impact it’s had on the industry and culture throughout this year. Porno Rap is nothing new, however it’s always from a male perspective, from Kanye to OutKast. The reaction from people like Ben Shapiro only cemented that it was something truly special.

I listened to a few albums in the car today,

Craig David - born to do it
Madness - greatest hits CD1
Johnny Cash - American IV
Queens of the stone age - songs for the deaf

I thought I'd be alright with Johnny cash but it's one of those albums that really chokes me up that I've mentioned before, like Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith. For some reason, his version of Bridge over Troubled Water nearly had me in tears. My favourite songs on the album are Hurt which was originally by Nine inch Nails and Personal Jesus originally by Depeche Mode. John frusciante from the chili peppers actually plays the guitar on this version of Personal Jesus if I remember correctly. It also has a version of that vera Lynn song that was really popular again this year, We will meet again. Such a good album though, even if it makes me a little emotional.

Craig David was good too, a bit of a blast from the past. I don't think I really picked up on how creepy some of it sounds though when he whispers stuff like "Craig David" and "break it down". To put it politely, it makes me feel like he has me in a compromising position and he is whispering it into my ear 😂

@nessisonett that really sucks about MF Doom. I haven't heard a lot of his stuff but what I have heard is really good. An RIP message from Frankie Boyle popped up on my Instagram for some reason (I don't follow FB) and it had a shocked reply from Paddy Considine too. Maybe the news just wasn't announced until recently, sometimes the families do that so they can have a private mourning period.

@nessisonett What do you reckon of Late Junction last Friday night? Did you listen? @ralphdibny Props to your choices in Johnny Cash and QOTSA, I think we may have discussed Kyuss before? Their vinyls are phenomenally expensive on ebay and whathaveyou.

@Draco_V_Ecliptic

Here's my ten favourite albums of 2020:

10. Lady Gaga - Chromatica
09. Moses Sumney - Grae
08. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
07. Charli XCX - how i'm feeling now
06. Yves Tumor - Heaven To A Tortured Mind
05. Yaeji - What We Drew
04. Arca - KiCk i
03. Run The Jewels - RTJ4
02. Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
01. Grimes - Miss Anthropocene

Here's my ten favourite songs of 2020:

10. Run The Jewels - Walking In The Snow
09. 070 Shake - Guilty Conscience
08. Grimes - Delete Forever
07. SUNMI - pporappippam
06. Jessie Ware - Spotlight
05. Dua Lipa - Physical
04. Charli XCX - forever
03. PREGOBLIN - Gangsters
02. Yard Act - The Trapper's Pelts
01. Bob Dylan - Murder Most Foul

I don't know what you can do with this information but there you go.

@johncalmc
Speaking of Lady Gaga...

@johncalmc I really wanted to like Miss Anthropocene as I love Grimes’ older albums but it just didn’t click for me. IDORU is a great song but the rest, especially all the weird nu-metal influenced tracks, just feel a bit flat.