What have you been listening to this week?
We're at roughly 7 days since the last weekly thread, so here's another! Imo we should have more regular threads like these, if anyone has ideas then drop them here! Personally I like the idea of doing "listening clubs," where we choose an album for the week, all listen to it, and have a regular discussion thread for every week. If there's any interest, I would love to run a hip hop focused one, though I could definitely do a lot of other genres if the desire was there. Anyway, drop a comment if anything like that sounds appealing to you!
Shamelessly copying my own prompt for this one:
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What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something!
Feel free to give recs or dicuss anything about each others' listening habits.
You can make a chart if you use last.fm:
Minor Victories - Minor Victories - This is a shoegaze album by a group that includes Rachel from Slowdive and one of the guys from Mogwai. It also features Mark Kozelek from Red House Painters on one track. It's kind of run of the mill, but also a bit oddball on a few of the tracks that get more ambient, and of course Mark on a shoegaze track is something very different.
Valium Aggelein - Dweller on the Threshold - Duster with a different name. Very early Duster style, lofi, quiet, calm slowcore.
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique - I have no idea why I put this off for so long, it's the most fun I've had with a hiphop album in forever. Love it.
Edit:
On listening clubs: I would love to participate in these (any genre) and I could probably run one for something like shoegaze, dream pop, krautrock, or something else on my own.
The Seven-Ups dropped a new album a month or so back -- Drinking Water was absolutely the best afro-beat album of last year, so I'm pretty stoked on that.
I was fairly obsessed with Krzystof Sadoski and his Group's Three Thousand Points last week, some serious Zappa vibes embedded in there (it sounds a bit like if the Petite Wazoo was melded with the early Mothers). Really interesting polish jazz-funk-fusion
I was digging thru the Numero group's Syl Johnson release (purchase link) last month, it's ludicrously good.
Phil Cook just dropped a new album, People Are My Drug, a week or two -- a real nice blend of soul / rock / and laid back blues. Lives up the promise of to Southland Mission.
I also found out Dr. John had a Ultrasonic show back from '73 (is there any radio station that had more going on than Ultrasonic in the early 70's????). This show is top-notch throughout, the best I've ever heard the good Doctor.
Finally, I found what may be literally the best video on youtube -- Doug Sahm, At the Crossroads, Live in Austin TX, 1974. This performance is unreal, he owns the room.
Big Star! Especially their cover of Femme Fatale. They did such a decent job on it. Blue Moon by them is pretty good too.
Agreed on those two, although I find #1 Record/Radio City far, far superior to Third/Sister Lovers. The Ballad Of El Goodo, Thirteen, Give Me Another Chance, Try Again, Way Out West and I'm In Love With A Girl are all perfect sappy songs and there's enough grit (Don't Lie To Me, O My Soul, Feel) to balance things out brilliantly. Just a near-perfect power pop band all round.
I actually agree with you. I didn't like most of the songs (as much) on Third as much as I enjoyed their first two albums. I discovered them because of Femme Fatale though as I really like The Velvet Underground and didn't think anyone could do justice to the song as The Velvet Underground/Nico did a very good job but I really think Big Star did an extremely good job as I keep listening to their cover over and over.
Some new and old jazz:
Benito Gonzalez, Gerry Gibbs and Essiet Okon Essiet - Passion Reverence Trancendance (A Tribute To McCoy Tyner) - brand new modern jazz. Great group of songs and spiritual performances.
Wardell Gray - Memorial Volume 1 - bebop studio sessions from the late '40s. This is part of another batch of CDs and records I got at yet another local record sale last week.
Shirley Horn - Live At The 4 Queens - archival release from Resonance Records, who specializes in finding unreleased tapes like this. Unlike their most recent Grant Green releases, this one is perfect. Very swinging performances.
Charlie Hunter Quintet - Right Now Move - interesting, funky and somewhat mellow record from Charlie Hunter. If you have never heard of him all you need to know is that he plays both the guitar and bass parts simultaneously on an 8-string guitar. He sometimes works in trio and duo formats but he expands to a slightly bigger band here with sax, trombone and harmonica as the other lead voices. The harmonica gives the record an interesting texture.
I also saw some good live shows over the weekend: a CD release party from a local jazz singer named Amy Cervini (included a horn section with Anat Cohen on tenor sax), and a festival in New York's Hudson Valley with Ani DiFranco, They Might Be Giants, the Louisiana cajun band BeauSoleil, and an incredible set by zydeco accordionist C.J. Chenier.
Madeon - Adventure - summer, I can always use some Madeon :)
1788-L - Cyberspace - 1788-L is quickly becoming one of my favourite artists, this release does not disappoint.
Virtual Riot - Continue - really loving this release, one of my favourite Virtual Riot releases.
No Mana - Assorted Repititions - great new album
Varien - Monarch Butterfly - Varien is an incredible musician, I'm loving his newer style. This song is kinda synthwave-y, but also reminds me of Rezz. Awesome track.
dark cat - Underwater Pool - Great little drum & bass track.
Karma Fields - Body Rush - Song released late last month, sorta forgot about it until now. It's Karma Fields, I can't not like it.
I recently discovered a bunch of great small country artists, my current top listened to is a band called Reckless Kelly. If anyone enjoys country music, check them out, they have a classic feel too them and great songs.
Nothing super obscure, lots of Battles, Animal Collective, Their / They're / There, Jeff Rosenstock, Ratatat, The Black Keys. Mostly I've just been shuffling my library until I find a song I like and decide if I want to listen to the full album.
Discord has a playlist on Spotify that their employees collaborate on. I hit shuffle on that and, since it has something like 85 hours of music, it lasts me for a while. Lots of EDM and a good sprinkling of Hip Hop and Pop to keep it interesting. I've discovered and re-discovered a bunch of good songs by listening to that.