YTD recordings listened to: 653
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 383
Not good music: 232
Buys: 21 (not all 2012 releases)
Possibles: Left Lane Cruiser/James Leg, Dennis Bovell, Seluah, Donnie and Joe Emerson, Zani Diabate, Isaiah Toothtaker (2011), Ondatropica, Lianne Le Havas, Sidsel Endresen & Stan Westerhus, The Ones to Blame, Boyd Rivers, Abdoulaye Alhassane Toure, Cryptopsy, Nick Waterhouse, Patterson Hood, Wahid.
@@@ Wahid: Inside Silence (ADW, 2011). I found this world music group over here at Splinters and Candy. These guys have a record coming out called Road Poem, but this record is up on MOG. I’m a fan of the oud — I dig the way it sounds and the contrast between the stringiness of the oud and the resonance of the frame drums is interesting. This is not party music, it’s headphone music or hookah music. If you are a fan of Indian classical music, this is similar. A bit less ecstatic, but heavy nonetheless. I’m gonna check this record out more when I have time.
I couldn’t find anything on Youtube but you can here a tune off the new record at the link at Splinters and Candy.
@@@ Loscil: Sketches from New Britain (Kranky, 2012). I found this ambient record over here at Fluid Radio. I think ambient music is very much like jazz — it can be a very personal like or dislike. I don’t like the ambient music that revolves a lot around mechanical sounds and static and I can’t stand the New Age influenced ambient music. I didn’t reall feel the first track on this record, but the second one heats up pretty good. It’s in a sort of no man’s land stylistically. There is a blend of repeating clouds of sound, and some synths and other assorted noises mixed in. I’ve clipped that tune ‘Hastings Sunrise’ down below for youer listening pleasure. This is some pretty high quality ambient music
@@@ Black Toe: Just Kids (Self-released, 2012). I found this acoustic duo over here at Dingus Music. I’m not the first in line for the confessional indie music, but this tune is as good as 95% of similarly styled music that’s being released by much larger outfits, multi-national companies even. The singer sounds a bit like Norah Jones, which is neither good nor bad and the tune is dramatic without collapsing under the weight of cheese. Check it out.
@@@ Other Lives: Mind the Gap (TBD Records, 2012). I can see why these guys toured with Radiohead — they sport a mid tempo ambient orchestral rock sound. A very British sound with a little beat of late Beatles vibe mixed in. One of the better bands I’ve heard through a music publicist email. I don’t think I like the singer that much and I don’t feel very drawn into the song, but it might work for you.
Read it and stream here.
@@@ Graph Rabbit: Snowblind (Butterscotch, out October 9th) A blend of Sigur Ros, Radiohead, and an ambient electronic outfit. Dreamy as hell, lush sounding and layered in a mindful and sophisticated way but not particularly powerful as a song. I dig the sleigh bells, maybe it’s best Sigur Ros sings in a language I don’t understand. Just a tad soft for my taste.
http://soundcloud.com/graphrabbit/only-fields
Deep In the Music 