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Author Topic: Favorite Releases of the past Year?  (Read 7180 times)

Milos

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Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« on: 05 Mar 2015, 11:53 »

I'll say it loud and clear: The past year was amazing for me, music-wise. A ginormous amount of great releases plastered the entirety of alternative music across the board, and I am incredibly happy about it. 2014 was a year of incredible music, and the past two months have not been skipping out either.

In the spirit of this section, I wanted to ask you guys for your favorite releases of the past year? Because even though I've heard a lot, I'm far from having heard it all. So what about your favorite releases? (:

Here are mine anyway:

Open Mike Eagle - A Special Episode Of EP (everything about it is mesmerizing)
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2
Mastodon - Once More Around The Sun
The Dodos - Individ
Modest Mouse - Building Nothing Out Of Something
Royal Blood - Self-Titled (Rock is making a return!)
Interpol - El Pintor
TTNG - 13.0.0.0.0.0 (Although this is from 2013, I still consider it one of the best indie records in a while, and I can't help but include this on my list >.<)

That's the list of my favorite, definitely. So what about you guys? Any other favorites? (:
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Aziraphale

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #1 on: 05 Mar 2015, 12:00 »

For me, "In Conflict," by Owen Pallett. There were a few other things that I liked (the last Joe Henry disc was quite good, for instance), but that one's been in steady rotation for me since it came out.
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KingOfIreland

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #2 on: 05 Mar 2015, 13:33 »

Has anyone listened to the new Decemberists album yet? I haven't had the time, but I'm sure that's great.
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Aziraphale

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #3 on: 05 Mar 2015, 14:04 »

I actually haven't heard anything of theirs, though a friend of mine keeps telling me to give them a try.
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Milos

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #4 on: 05 Mar 2015, 15:14 »

The Decemberists, in my opinion, are sort of THE staple folk rock/indie folk band. Their sound is nothing particularly unique. They're worth checking out, but in my opinion, they don't serve anything worthwhile that has ever kept me stuck to their sound.

Their 2014 release is sort of... even more standard tuned than their past work. Imho, if you are looking for an interesting indie folk band, check out Little Tybee. The Decemberists just don't do anything significant within their music that would make me recommend them or tell other people to check them out. Their new release was just as expected, a standard indie folk album.

The only worthwhile title from "What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World" that stuck out to me was "Till The Water's Long Gone". I actually already forgot about the rest v.v

To wrap it up, they won't blow your mind. If you're looking for some good 'ol indie folk in its arguably purest form, they will hit your spot.
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Aziraphale

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #5 on: 05 Mar 2015, 15:23 »

I don't know. I find a lot of that sort of thing annoying (Mumford and Sons, for instance... Can't figure their popularity out for the life of me) or really derivative. It ends up sounding like someone listened to "Music from Big Pink" and decided they'd form a band right that minute. And I mean, I love The Band, but I prefer stuff that goes and does its own thing instead of retreading somebody else's thing over and over.
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A_S00

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #6 on: 06 Mar 2015, 20:57 »

I mean, I think the Decemberists have a lot more going for them than Mumford and Sons.  Better musicianship, Colin Meloy's lyrics are always clever and fun, they throw in some interesting and unexpected instruments once in a while, they have a well-honed faux-antiquated aesthetic thing going on thematically that works if you're into that.

They're not going to blow your mind with their originality if you've already listened to a lot of folksy indie pop.  But I think they deserve better comparisons than Mumford and Sons, which is like actually the most derivative band in the world.

As for the new release, I found it worth a listen but nothing to write home about.  Philomena did make me giggle a lot, though, because apparently I'm 12.
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KingOfIreland

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #7 on: 07 Mar 2015, 04:44 »

Yeah, I'm mostly a fan of The Crane Wife and various of their earlier albums. If you're into folk it's nothing special as you have all mentioned, but to be honest, that isn't the point. It's the lyrical themes that really stand out to me. Colin Meloy has a talent for creating coherent worlds and/or visions of past lives that few can rival, to be honest.

That and he's basically a walking thesaurus.
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Thrillho

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #8 on: 07 Mar 2015, 09:35 »

https://madcap156.wordpress.com/2015/01/03/review-2014-part-one/

My top releases of the year for 2014. I've still not written anything on my blog this year but I have a couple of posts in the pipeline at least.
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Aziraphale

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #9 on: 07 Mar 2015, 09:50 »

Yeah, I'm mostly a fan of The Crane Wife and various of their earlier albums. If you're into folk it's nothing special as you have all mentioned, but to be honest, that isn't the point. It's the lyrical themes that really stand out to me. Colin Meloy has a talent for creating coherent worlds and/or visions of past lives that few can rival, to be honest.

That and he's basically a walking thesaurus.

I've seen a few Colin Meloy solo performances on YouTube since making that last post. I see what you mean about the songwriting (reminds me in that respect of Colin Hay -- even though I liked Men at Work, his solo stuff is a better showcase for his talent as a songwriter).
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Milos

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #10 on: 07 Mar 2015, 10:57 »

I think it's tough to discern whether or not Mumford and Sons is really, actually popular. Numerically, maybe. A lot of people listen to them, but I rarely find any references to them, nor do I find people talking about their musicianship or newest releases. They're just not that kind of "interesting".

In that regarg, Aziraphale, don't you think it's harsh to call a band derivative? I mean, they're just some dudes who make music. Sure, it's not especially unique or all that interesting, but I'll bet 20 grand that they don't do it for any other reason than having fun making the music they do.

Coining them as derivative is disregarding of the entire process of musical creativity. I mean, sure, it's been done over and over, and I think they know that they're not unique in sound or execution, but they still have fun, I bet. Regardless of people finding their sound to be repetitive and bland (something you can say about most any band in anyone's playlist of favorites), they do what they love, which is make simple-sounding music that happens to have been done a thousand times over.

Not to attack your opinion, but I think a band that still takes to creating music with their real voices and instruments, engaging in a classical process of creativity deserves more than the term "derivative", even if the product is anything other than original or novel.

To relate all I've said back to The Decemberists, I do agree that they are more unique and original in execution, but I still don't find anything they do to be extremely engaging or enticing. There is nothing in their music (at least in the new release, the last one I heard of them was quite a while ago), that has ever strucken me to be especially deserving of recognition. Not to say they don't earn the wage of their work, they certainly do.

Yeah, I'm mostly a fan of The Crane Wife and various of their earlier albums. If you're into folk it's nothing special as you have all mentioned, but to be honest, that isn't the point. It's the lyrical themes that really stand out to me. Colin Meloy has a talent for creating coherent worlds and/or visions of past lives that few can rival, to be honest.

That and he's basically a walking thesaurus.

Perhaps I'm missing the point of the Decemberists. I usually seek for sound in music, in harmony between all instruments, vocals included. Especially when it is something such as indie music, where the lyrics stand at the very bottom of the list of things I pay attention to when listening to. I guess I'll give it another listen, but usually if I seek lyrical musicianship I walk to hip hop and rap in all of its facets and glory.

And I really like Gareth's list. It is especially good to see someone appreciate RTJ's novelty (:
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Aziraphale

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #11 on: 07 Mar 2015, 15:23 »

In that regarg, Aziraphale, don't you think it's harsh to call a band derivative? I mean, they're just some dudes who make music. Sure, it's not especially unique or all that interesting, but I'll bet 20 grand that they don't do it for any other reason than having fun making the music they do.

Coining them as derivative is disregarding of the entire process of musical creativity. I mean, sure, it's been done over and over, and I think they know that they're not unique in sound or execution, but they still have fun, I bet. Regardless of people finding their sound to be repetitive and bland (something you can say about most any band in anyone's playlist of favorites), they do what they love, which is make simple-sounding music that happens to have been done a thousand times over.

Not to attack your opinion, but I think a band that still takes to creating music with their real voices and instruments, engaging in a classical process of creativity deserves more than the term "derivative", even if the product is anything other than original or novel.

I get your point. I also get how hard it is to make a living doing anything creative. I don't disparage them their success. I just don't think they're particularly interesting, because I've heard so much of what they've done, done better and taken further by other musicians. There's an old expression: "It's not where you take it from, it's where you take it to that counts." I hear plenty of where they've taken it from; the issue I have with them is that they haven't really fashioned anything new from that material.

Let's step away from Mumford for a second. Stop to think of the Pogues. You can hear influences of the Dubliners, Ewan McColl, even a tiny bit of the Clancy Brothers in their sound. But they didn't stop there... besides filtering their influences through a decidedly punk sensibility, they also brought a lot of other sounds and influences into the mix. And there's other bands that I think likewise owe a big debt to the Pogues (like Mano Negra and Gogol Bordello, for instance), but there again, their predecessor was only a point of departure.

Similarly, look at Goya's old work (especially before the Black Paintings), or at Picasso's pre-Cubist work, or Pollack's pre-Abstract Expressionist stuff. Each of them did very staid, very ordinary figurative painting, but each of them also went far beyond the boundaries of the things they'd started with (some moreso than others). None of them was ignorant of, or ignored, what had come before, but they each went far beyond that.

Point is, everybody who creates is influenced by someone, or something; it is, literally, derived from something. You wouldn't get started otherwise, since others' work is an inspiration and a permission slip to do what they did. But if you don't bring as much of yourself to your work as you bring of what came before you, then yes, it's derivative (besides the fact, as you pointed out, that it's neither original nor novel).

Just my thoughts, mind you.
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Milos

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #12 on: 07 Mar 2015, 16:06 »

Just your thoughts, and very elaborate and valid thoughts (:

My interest in music lies more in what sounds good, and less in influences and history. The things about music that pique my interest are thereby, less substantial. You seem to have much more knowledge in the field of folk and acoustic music, which is why I'll take your point.

I just believe to call a music derivative, when it may be that, as well as many other adjectives, such as heart-wearming, story-telling, warm, soft, kind and simply all around just really kind of fun, is not too appreciative of my reason for music. Which is expression.

Which might just be my conception of something that can be understood in as many ways as there are people, but I like to appreciate music if it is expressive. Which Mumford and Sons is, to me. Albeit not original, or novel, or interesting, it's still expressive. It still has substance. Which for me, is enough to disregard the inherently derivative aspect of their music.

I dunno, maybe I make things too simple. Maybe I pay attention to the wrong things when it comes to music. I just think that sounding like someone else is not a death sentence in terms of my interest in that specific music.

But thanks for your thoughts, you sound versed and it's always nice to hear someone who has a bigger clue about the things you're talking about (:
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Aziraphale

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #13 on: 07 Mar 2015, 18:06 »

To clarify a bit, I don't think there's any right or wrong ways to make, much less enjoy, music, and there's nothing wrong with simplicity either. There are things that I listen to where I'm well aware of the things they're copying, or influenced by (or, hell, even derivative of). I'm past the point in my life where I refer to "guilty pleasures." I just enjoy stuff, and if someone gives me a funny look because I like something they don't think is sufficiently novel or substantial.

And some of this stuff is hard to nail down. Mumford just doesn't "speak" to me in the same way that some other things do. Not everything has to be A Grand Artistic Statement. I won't fault Foster the People for not being "Blood On The Tracks"-era Dylan, or The Killers for not being Joy Division, or Green Day for sounding like The Buzzcocks or Stiff Little Fingers, for instance. I guess what I'm getting at is that, besides the fact that I just like some music more than others, I also like some artists for being so immediately themselves, regardless of whatever else is going on in their music. I don't get that from Mumford. That doesn't make them bad, as such. Just not quite my cup of tea.
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chaospersonified

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #14 on: 07 Mar 2015, 18:41 »

Spoon- They Want My Soul

Felt like a solid album.
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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #15 on: 09 Mar 2015, 17:20 »

Robert Pollard's been on a roll.

Guided By Voices - Cool Planet
Teenage Guitar - More Lies From The Gooseberry Bush
Circus Devils - Escape
Ricked Wicky - I Sell The Circus
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Aziraphale

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #16 on: 09 Mar 2015, 18:12 »

So the new Mumford single is out. While I don't dislike it, as such, it sounds like their producer told them to split the difference between Coldplay and Kings of Leon.

Oh well.

Robert Pollard's been on a roll.

You ain't kidding.
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IDMG

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #17 on: 09 Mar 2015, 23:56 »

Swans, RTJ, Death Grips, Wife, Elise Melinand, St. Vincent, Godflesh, Cloudkicker, Kangding Ray, Aphex Twin, Nihill, Panopticon, Ben Frost, Shellac...

Yeah 2014 was bomb for music.
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KingOfIreland

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Re: Favorite Releases of the past Year?
« Reply #18 on: 11 Mar 2015, 02:14 »

Oh yeah, fucking SWANS!

I played that record in an empty club venue with smoke machines on and red and yellow pars set to follow the music along with intermittent strobes when it'd just come out.

Scared the shit out of people

Hands down my favourite album last year.
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