@@@ Bedoine: Birdsongs of a Killjoy (Spacebomb, 2019) I got to this record via a Line of Best Fit weekly email. The first tune is a combination of indie sounds, a little folk, and more than a little late ’70s soft rock. The second tune, Sunshine Sometimes, features more intricate guitar playing and the same comforting voice of Ms. Bedoine. This is a pretty established formula that goes all the way back to Nick Drake. And I’m not sure I find the addition of the soft rock vibe to be a plus for me. When I put on Five Leaves Left I feel Drake’s misery acutely and I find that really really beautiful. I find the soft rock here to dilute the impact of the tunes.
@@@ Emma Louise: Lilac Everything (Henry’s Castle, 2019) Here we have some shit that’s pretty creative at least if you’re interested in sonic issues and have dabbled in recording. This female artist has pitched her vocals down to a point that is more traditionally associated with the male vocal range. It’s hard to describe the sensation of listening to these songs — would they be as interesting if you didn’t know this was a woman? The sounds are anchored in the ’70s – a little r&b in this second tune, more than a little John Lennon in the opener. It would be great to see how somebody else feels about this music without knowing of the pitch shift. While I don’t think this is the greatest thing ever there is something to it that makes it stand higher than a lot of what’s coming out now. Check it out.
@@@ Lipphead: Slippery Fingers (YHS Records, 2019) I got to this hip hop single via a music publicist email. It’s medium left field with some more unusual old school samples that go along side some synth horns, some squirgly funky synth playing, and a pretty insistent and churning bassline. Instrumental and swinging.
YTD recordings listened to: 313
Good music, not list worthy: 185
Not good music: 107
Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0
Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise
Deep In the Music 