Music - Album of the week - Page - 4
30th Aug 10
Super Melody - Destination Unknown
Love+Mercy/Shock
The creation of Melbourne's James Cecil, Super Melody is a well named experimental pop ensemble whose bold songs traverse boogie, yacht rock, r'n'b, disco and 60s Chanson. Included in the project are superlative musicians and producers Cornel Wilczek (Qua), Sashi Dharann and Tom Gould, Kaman Tsoi and World End's Press.
Past Albums of the Week
2nd Mar 09
Various Artists - Spunk! Singles Club
Spunk!
The result of a careful and comprehensive search for the new and next wave of Australian artists, Spunk! Singles Club offers twelve tracks from twelve exciting and innovative local bands. Including contributions from Townsville's pastoral folk purveyors The Middle East, Sydney's electronic specialists Seekae and Wollongong's subdued but electrifying Lola Flash, the compilation is a superbly curated showcase of some very interesting and exciting Australian bands.
23rd Feb 09
Harmonic 313 - When Machines Exceed Human Intelligenceq
Warp / Inertia
The latest of Mark Pritchard's many musical incarnations, Harmonic 313 delves deep into the Sydney-based producer's love of Detroit techno, synthetic beats, dirty dub and heavy, heavy bass. Whilst the album includes collaborations with Steve Spacek, Phat Kat, Elzhi, and a speak and spell machine, the fifteen tracks are mostly instrumental in nature, varying from the haunted hip hop bump of Koln, to the tense sci-fi electro bashment of Quandrant 3. Ultimately When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence is as eerie, inventive and compelling as the disquieting future it foreshadows.
16th Feb 09
M Ward - Hold Time
Spunk!/EMI
Hold Time is the latest full length from the singer-songwriter best known for his understated and sparse folk-blues, as well as his collaborative project She & Him with musical partner Zooey Deschanel. Hold Time continues to explore M Ward's interest in the classic songwriting school of writers such as Buddy Holly, but at times reminds more of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson's elaborate pop productions than the more minimalist arrangements of earlier releases.
9th Feb 09
Various Artists - Dark Was The Night
4AD/Remote Control
Featuring 32 exclusive tracks from some of independent music's most popular and compelling artists, Dark Was The Night is a double album of vast scope and depth. Produced to assist the Red Hot Organisation, a charity that raises funds for AIDS research, this compilation astounds with its generosity of ideas and fascinating range of collaborative work, including contributions from Feist, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stephens, Iron & Wine, Yeasayer, Antony, Beirut, Cat Power, Sharon Jones, Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, My Morning Jacket and more!
2nd Feb 09
David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
POD/Inertia
David Byrne of Talking Heads and Luaka Bop Records, and Brian Eno of Roxy Music and Music For Airports and producing U2-and-other-bands-as-well fame are not unknown entities in popular music. And while individually the two have accomplished much, together Mr Byrne and Mr Eno are respected for their adventurous and beautifully experimental album My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts. 'Everything That Happens Will Happen Today' is their second collaborative album since that 1981 release, and combines their talents to form a Gospel-infused electronic pop record of striking songwriting strength.
26th Jan 09
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
Domino / EMI
With a well documented history of experimentalism in the pop realm, Animal Collective have earned a loyal legion of followers that await each new musical outing with avaricious anticipation. Merriweather Post Pavillion is the apotheosis of Animal Collective's efforts; a complete and accessible respresentation of the band's numerous interests that has deservedly attracted fervent admiration from writers and fans around the world. Melodic, noisy, abstract, dense and vibrant, the music eludes easy categorization but rewards those that engage with its textured sounds.
15th Dec 08
Exile - Radio
Knowfoowl / Inertia
Composed entirely of sampled signals from the airwaves of L.A., Exile's latest album 'Radio' is an experimental record of abstract instrumental beats and fragmented narratives. Having earned a strong reputation as a producer for MCs such as Blu, Mobb Deep and 50 Cent, and Kardinal Offishall, this second solo outing represents the depth and diversity of Exile's skills and musical interests. Released early in Janurary 2009, 'Radio' represents the next step in the evolution of the sampling craft.
8th Dec 08
Coconot - Cosa Astral
Mistletone/Shock
Before he became known to the world as El Guincho, Pablo Diaz-Reixa was simply Pablo (or Mr Diaz-Reixa), and his music was released through the band he started with friends Jens Neumaier and Christian Subira called Coconot. Cosa Astral is Coconot's second LP and features their singature blend of latin, Carribean, folk, experimental rock and punk. The compositions have a slightly more organic feel than El Guincho's solo material, based as they are on instrumentation more than sampled loops.
1st Dec 08
School Of Seven Bells - Alpinisms
Speak n Spell/Inertia
Named after an infamous and possibly mythical academy for pick-pocketers in South America, School of Seven Bells is a New York group comprising former guitarist of Secret Machines Benjamin Curtis and sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza from On!Air!Library! Alpinisms is the band's debut full-length, revealing their mastery of ethereal, dissonant and ultimately beautiful pop music.
24th Nov 08
Beaches - Beaches
Mistletone
The debut self-titled album from five-piece Beaches is an epic series of dreamy garage jams and hazy blues excursions. Featuring members of bands such as Love of Diagrams, Panel of Judges, and Spider Vomit, Beaches is a local Melbourne supergroup at the forefront of retro-rock futurism.
17th Nov 08
Buraka Som Sistema - Black Diamond
Fabric/Inertia
Lisbon's chief international exponents of the uptempo kuduro sound, Buraka Som Sistema are taking this Angolan dance movement to the world. Their debut album is a rhythmically dynamic and explosive representation of the band's party style, fusing techno, hip-hop and the traditional carnival music of North Africa with a new school of Portuguese rap.
10th Nov 08
Menahan Street Band - Make The Road By Walking
Daptone/Fuse
Make The Road By Walking is the soulful debut album from New York supergroup Menahan Street Band, led by Thomas Brenneck and comprising other members from The Dap-Kings, El Michels Affair, Antibalas and the Budos Band. Together they create some incredibly funky songs, blended with an Ethiopian jazz vibe, every bit as powerful, original and arresting as the 60s sounds that inspired the record.
3rd Nov 08
Deerhunter - Microcastle
4AD/Remote Control
The third studio album from Deerhunter exhibits a noisy, abstracted but nonetheless refined style of songwriting that has characterised the Atlanta band's compelling catalogue of work. From the plaintive arpeggios of album opener Cover Me Slowly to the metronomic rock of Nothing Ever Happened, Microcastle is a fascinatingly diverse exploration of contemporary ambient punk practice.
27th Oct 08
Brightblack Morning Light - Motion To Rejoin
Matador / Remote Control
A mediative and meandering album of psychedelic-infused blues, Motion To Rejoin is an album that encourages the listener to slow right down. Languid, languorous, and otherwise laid-back, this second album from New Mexico duo Brightblack Morning Light also adds elements of Gospel and soul to their deep sea of sound, washing over the listener in waves.
20th Oct 08
Amaya Laucirica - Sugar Lights
In-Fidelity/Inertia
The debut album from Amaya Laucirica is an ethereally beautiful record of assured songwriting and masterful arrangements. Throughout its ten tracks Sugar Lights constantly impresses the listener with its vibrancy, engaging storytelling and subtle craft.
13th Oct 08
Mountains In The Sky + Qua - Electron Suite + Q&A
Love + Mercy / Shock
Electron Suite and Q&A are the two latest albums from Melbourne based musicians and producers Mountains in the Sky and Qua, otherwise known as John Lee and Cornel Wilczek. In contrast to earlier works from both producers, the albums favour bold and heavily percussive arrangements over ambient atmospherics and sample-based compositions. Taken together the albums offer an insight into the work of two artists who are individually and collectively playing with the boundaries of instrumental music.
6th Oct 08
TV On The Radio - Dear Science
4AD/Remote Control
The fourth studio album from TV On The Radio is a slightly sparser but no less intricate record than their widely acclaimed Return To Cookie Mountain back in 2006. At turns angry, revolutionary, anxious and occasionally joyous, the New York band here present some of their most intense and rewarding music to date.
29th Sep 08
The Bamboos - Side Stepper
Tru Thoughts/Creative Vibes
World-renowned masters of soul, funk, and jazz, Melbourne based group The Bamboos offer their third studio album Side Stepper. A brilliant extension of their funk and breaks fuelled sound, Side Stepper showcases the band in top form, accompanied by a selection of top vocalists including Kylie Auldist, Megan Washington, Ty, and Paul MacInnes.
22nd Sep 08
The Drones - Havilah
ATP/MGM
This fifth studio album from The Drones continues the Perth band's commitment to experimentalism and innovation in modern rock. Contrasting shades pervade the record, with the frenetic tone of The Minotaur balancing the more measured Cold And Sober.
15th Sep 08
Chad VanGaalen - Soft Aiplane
Sub Pop / Stomp
Using various analog recording devices, synthesizers, guitars and a collection of his own handmade instruments, Chad continues to craft a unique style of pop song, at once experimental, delicate and immediately endearing. Soft Aiplane is Chad's third album on the seminal Sub Pop record label, created and designed entirely by this talented Calgary resident.
8th Sep 08
Late Of The Pier - Fantasy Black Channel
Parlaphone / EMI
Fantasy Black Channel is a bold debut that encompasses a broad and ambitious range of musical styles. Produced by Erol Alkon, the album is a bold, experimental and entirely satisfying survey of the front lines of indie rock in 2008.
1st Sep 08
Clue To Kalo - Lily Perdida
Pop Frenzy
Lily Perdida is the third full-length release from Adelaide's electro-acoustic pop perfectionists Clue To Calo. The work of Mark Mitchell and duet partner Ellen Carey, the folk-infused album combines ten musical perspectives on the fictional character Lily Perdida, each song from the point of view of a different person in her life.
18th Aug 08
War On Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues
Secretly Canadian / Longtime Listener
Wagonwheel Blues is one of those rare records that feels like an instant classic, at once familiar and yet much more than the sum of its influences. Drawing upon the Americana traditions of songwriters like Dylan and Springsteen, War On Drugs also recalls the ambient experiments of Brian Eno and early eighties nu wave to create a strong collection of beautiful and memorable songs.
11th Aug 08
Coner Oberst - Coner Oberst
Spunk! /EMI
First solo album in 13 years from Conor Mullen Oberst, the American songwriter, singer, and poet best known for his work in Bright Eyes. A shade lighter than his more politically driven work in the past, Conor Oberst nonetheless bears traces of quiet despair amidst the country-blues influenced compositions.
4th Aug 08
Pivot - O Soundtrack My Heart
Warp / Inertia
The latest singing to Warp Records, Australian electro-acoustic outfit Pivot offer a fascinating selection of avant-beat instrumentals, ranging from delicate cinematic soundscapes to complex psych-rock arrangements. Compelling and utterly original.
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