#kurtvile

BEST OF ’22:

ALBUMS_of_the_YEAR…

‘GOD GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE’ was the latest LP from COLD GAWD & it found the Rancho Cucamonga-based project carving out their own niche w/in the nascent NeoGaze scene by bringing all kinds of melancholic haze across 8 tracks that seamlessly blended decades worth of guitar-driven & pedal_gazing genres under one dreamy AltRawk umbrella.

The stoic NYC-based institution known as INTERPOL used their time in the clampdown to get mad productive & did so in a “counterbalancing” way as their latest LP titled ‘THE OTHER SIDE OF MAKE BELIEVE’ found them homing in on the details, earnestness & embracing their sense of minimalist space courtesy of Flood/Molder’s on point production.

There was a palpable melancholy running throughout KNIFEPLAY’s latest LP titled ‘ANIMAL DROWNING’ & it’s a continuously deep feeling that persisted throughout a 10-track spread that reveled in their acute ability to marry many-a-guitar-driven genre, ranging from ShoeGaze, SlowCore & SoftGrunge under one wearily grandiose DreamPop umbrella.

KURT VILE is a fucking vibe… Call it timing, mood or perspective but no KV album has ever hit me THIS hard, whilst I’ve always been a fan ‘(watch my moves)’ had a profound effect on your boy & found the Philly-based artist deploying that acute ability to package those charmingly slackerish AltRocking odes that combined Classic/College/Psych ROCK under one universally lauded umbrella.

‘UNDERNEATH, BESIDE ME’ was the debut album from LESSER CARE & it found the West Texan trio homing in on a vibe/sound, one which nodded to the past w/out fixating on the revivalist rearview as they set their sights beyond “post-punk” when it came to their sonic spaces & business practice as the former seen them apply their own stamp in the gothic sounds of yore across 9 moody & bodied-up offerings.

Crate Digger’s Corner…by DJ Musically Rich

Here is the seventh part to my 2017 list. For those that missed the earlier parts (and haven’t taken a look at them yet), I’m giving a quick list of albums that I heard from 2017 7-10 albums at a time. There will be a few more parts to the list over the coming weeks. I may do a listening to some of the ones that I know I like, but want to revisit, and use that as an opportunity to review some of those more deeply (If there are any you see that you would particularly like to see a review of, leave a note). This list does not include reissues, live material or compilations.

Artist- Album (general genre)- and brief description

Motorpsycho- The Tower (hard rock)- The long-running Norwegian rock band continues the avenue they have been mining the past decade with a double LP filled with killer guitar work, an amazing drummer and a bass player that just lays down rock solid grooves. Get ready for plenty of musical fireworks on this one.

Robert Plant- Carry Fire (rock)- Plant continues with his Space Shifter band and continues to look at late night rock with doses of Middle Eastern vibes intermixed.

Courtney Barnett/Kurt Vile- Lotta Sea Lice (alt rock)- This is a lazy, rainy afternoon album. It has a few cuts that really standout, but unfortunately about half of the songs just sort of float in the haze without going anywhere.

Tony Allen- The Source (jazz)- Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti’s drummer delivers a jazz album that has very good playing and hints of his afrobeat background littered throughout the music.

Wu Tang Clan- The Saga Continues (rap)-Wu Tang Clan release another fairly average album that begins to feel more like a lot of individual tracks from the individual members rather than a true group effort.

Alex Cline’s Flower Garland Orchestra- Oceans Of Vows (modern classical/avant-garde jazz)- Alex Cline put together a 13 person orchestra (plus a conductor and some pre-recorded voices) that includes Jeff Gauthier (electric violin), Nels Cline (electric guitar), G.E. Stinson (electric guitar), Yuka C. Honda (electric keyboards, samples) and Scott Walton (bass, keyboard). The album covers a wide range of material across the 2 CDs and includes influences as varied as Stereolab, DeBussy, minimalism, Mahavishnu Orchestra as well as many others. This is a must listen for any adventurous music listener.

 Here are 6 albums I heard from 2017, there will be more from this list coming in the future, and this isn’t necessarily a ranking, just in the order that I was writing them down. I hope you enjoy and happy hunting!