NEW SITE REMINDER
***WE HAVE MOVED!***
Just as a reminder, you can now find Black Tar here!
Thanks Tumblr friends!
Year End top 10
This list is pretty late, but there’s a good reason for that. Unlike most other lists,this one has been compiled scientifically, so no subjective opinion here thank you very much, it’s just cold hard scientific fact. It’s as scientific as Kraftwerk having an orgy with a bunch of lady Cylons. That’s about as sciencey as science gets.
After weeks of painstakingly calculating the necessary equations and then running it all through some very complex machinery, I give you a 100% scientifically accurate list of the top 10 albums of 2011. And if you don’t agree with this list then I guess you’re just wrong aren’t you? You can’t argue with scientific fact.
James Ubaghs
10. Azari & III, S/T
9.Wild Beasts, Smother
8. My Disco, Little Joy
7.Walls, Coracle
6.The Men, Leave Home
5. Peaking Lights,
4.Space Dimension Controller, The Pathway to Tiraquon 6
3. Ice Age, New Brigade
2. Zomby, Dedication.
1. Oneohtrix Point Never, Replica
Lee Ranaldo “Off the Wall”
Sonic Youth have long been seen as the talismans of alternative indie rock. With Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon going through a divorce, it’s likely that fans of the band will have to turn to solo material to fill that void of feedback and slacker 90’s cool.
Lee Ranaldo has always been an outspoken member of the group, yet his guitar playing has undoubtedly influenced the current generation of noise freaks. Recorded with veteran Sonic Youth producer John Angelo, “Off the Wall” is a melodic piece of guitar pop, which deals with Ranaldo’s childhood, and the typical description of teenage alienation that defined much of his old bands perspective. While this track may be very listenable, for me that’s the big problem with this record; how safe it is. While it may have been equally as bad to duplicate the aggressive guitar tones of Sonic Youth, succumbing to the soft balls indie rock approach is a cardinal error. Maybe Ranaldo was doomed either way. Fans of this can expect a full length release in March, by the fine people at Matador records, and a tour to follow later this year.
You can get it for free below:
http://stereogum.com/923691/lee-ranaldo-off-the-wall/mp3s/
-A
NEW MUSIC: ∆ (or Alt-J) “Fitzpleasure”
Alt-J are an alternative pop outfit from Leeds, who are about to release their second double A-side single in February, and their yet unnamed album out in May on Infectious Music. I know what you’re thinking, what’s the deal with the smart- arse name? For those who have kept away from Steve Job’s technological genocide, by tapping Alt-J into your keyboard makes this- ∆ on a Mac. While this may be enough for some to run a mile, I advise you to look past this pretentious nonsense and let the music rip.
“Fitzpleasure” is the track under investigation, and it’s certainly interesting. Borrowing what sounds like Bollywood vocals, the track shuffles around a steady groove and Link Wray sounding guitar licks. The production is really great for the style too. Quite cavernous, and expansive, the moody synth lines give the track some real depth and time to breath. But after all this, I’m still not sure if I like it or not. While it may be different, and certainly not your run of the mill Indie pop, the vocal hook is pretty annoying and the chorus underwhelming. Make up your own mind below:
Is Paul McCartney still part of Liverpool?
The idea of Paul McCartney still is to the city, meaning the Echo Arena was sold out by the final day of his 2011 tour. Although baby-boomers made up more than 50% of the audience, a Macca gig is still very much a relevant musical experience. The Beatles arguably initiated the chain of events which made popular music what it is today. A gig involving one of its founding members and main songwriters is, therefore, just as significant as any of the current modern music and art which they made possible.
It may not be an overstatement to say that almost everyone present at the Echo Arena expected full musical gratification. One might suggest that it was a case of what McCartney left out of the set list rather than what he included. ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘Lady Madonna’, ‘Sgt Pepper’, ‘Saw Her Standing There’ were conspicuous by their absence. Likewise, many other ‘hits’ which might have been played were nowhere to be heard. It says something for the strength of McCartney’s back catalogue that this didn’t actually matter. He still managed to play for three hours and keep the audience right with him. At 69 years of age and a seemingly infinite repertoire of high-quality music on which to draw upon, it doesn’t appear as if anyone else has a chance.
‘Hello Goodbye’ was the opening number. Relentlessly powering through his set to a triumphant finish on ‘The End’, all McCartney did was play to entertain. This has been the aim throughout his career, with each song in the set emphasising it more and more. Anyone who disagreed with ‘Drive My Car’ or ‘Back in the USSR’ only had two minutes to wait for ‘All My Loving’ or ‘Paperback Writer’. Even when playing less well known tracks such as ‘I Will’, it was if the former Beatle was demonstrating that even his most obscure ones are darned catchy. Two of the most touching moments came in the shape of tributes to his deceased band-mates with ‘Something’ and ‘Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance’.
Two barnstorming encores, the second of which contained songs only listenable in a Paul McCartney gig – ‘Wonderful Christmas Time’, ‘Mull of Kintyre’ et al – topped off with an Abbey Road medley, meant that in three hours McCartney covered every period of his musical career, paid tribute to who that mattered most and brought almost total musical satisfaction to his audience, judging by the euphoria expressed throughout the performance. When he put to the crowd that “There comes a time when the band has to go home, which roughly coincides with you going home”, 10,000 people screamed “No!” in unison. That, in a nutshell, summarises the feeling shared by all present.
Paul McCartney the person left Liverpool for good a long time ago. However the musician, composer, performer and entertainer is still a very much permanent fixture in the everyday day lives of many Liverpudlians. He’ll probably never leave.
James Elson
Georgia Anne Muldrow- “Seeds” (prod. Madlib)
Well this is ace.
Georgia Anne Muldrow is a psych-soul singer who has had her entire album produced by the great Madlib. “Seeds” is the track we have been given to wet our appetites, and believe me, this thing is shit- hot. Based around a smooth sample, this cosmic groove features funk guitar, extended breaks and the chilled sassiness of Georgia Anne Muldrow’s voice, which travels up and down the vocal scales like a surfer on the milky way.
The album, also called ‘Seeds’, is due for release by the good folks at SomeOthaShip in March. This WILL be good.
Listen/ Download below:
http://downloads.pitchforkmedia.com/Georgia_Anne_Muldrow_-_Seeds.mp3
-A
Who is Evian Christ?
2012 may be young, but it has already birthed its own anonymous blog-hyped producer, only known as Evian Christ.
He-or-she uploaded 8 tracks to youtube at the turn of the year, and despite the biggest tracks only having had several thousand views, he-or-she is stirring up quite a fuss.
Most of the tracks feature manipulated vocal lines from Tyga’s ‘Snapbacks Back’, and one loops a Grouper track. The obvious contrasts in two source material seems to inform Evian Christ’s sound, which is equal parts banging and heady ambience. We’re really digging it, but you can make up your own mind by heading over to his-or-her-or-its youtube channel.
Alex’s Albums of 2011
Ok, so I’m late.
2011 was a strange year. Dictators were buggered with strange instruments and killed in real time for our enjoyment while we ate our lunch *gnarly*.
Aside from this pornographic violence, musically 2011 was the shit. Crazy angst hip hop washed down with a dab of disco glitter with a side order of danish punk. suck on it.
1) Nicholas Jaar- Space is Only Noise
2) Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues
3) Ice age - New Brigade
4) John Maus- We Must Become …
5) Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
6) Peaking Lights- 936
7) Death Grips - Ex Military
8) Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place
9) My Disco- Little Joy
10) Wu Lyf - Go tell Fire to the Mountain
Jack’s Albums of 2011
Happy new year! We’ve done our best of 2011 lists. They’re a bit late thanks to overly merry festivities… We’ve done them separately, because afterall, they are only ever opinion. The short reviews are for those we haven’t reviewed already elsewhere.
1. Death Grips - ExMilitary (thirdworld.net - free download)
2011: the year Osama bin Laden, Col. Gaddafi, and Kim Jong-Il died; the year of the Arab Spring; cuts; more cuts; Occupy; summer riots and so much more… What better way to reflect that than in some apocalyptic hip-hop?
ExMilitary was released in January, so it’s only with hindsight that I can say it reflected 2011. But it did. It’s like fire and brimstone in a Godless world. MC Ride covers globalisation, war, crime, sex, drugs, mental illness, and more in a menacing baritone. Samples as wide-ranging as Black Flag, Link Wray and the Pet Shop Boys reflect just how fragmented our music consumption has become. For such a loud and abrasive record, ExMilitary offers a lot of food for though. It is like nothing else I’ve ever heard.
2. Zomby - Dedication (4AD)
Dedication is further proof, if any was needed, that Zomby is a singular talent. He is known for constantly reinventing his sound, and here is no exception. Any sonic shifts that previously took place in Zomby’s music never took the anonymous producer’s aim far from the dancefloor. Dedication, on the other hand, is a personal listen. A melancholic feel gives fresh meanings to the glitchy arpeggios that Zomby has flirted with since his 2009’s One Foot Ahead of the Other EP. I reviewed the follow-up EP Nothing here.
3. Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise (Clown & Sunset)
Review by Alex.
4. Iceage - New Brigade (Abeano)
Review by Alex.
5. Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica (Software)
Review by James.
6. Space Dimension Controller - Pathway to Tiraquon6 (R&S)
After The Pathway to Tiraquon6, it seems safe to say that Space Dimension Controller is the funkiest Irishman on the planet (if he hadn’t cemented that reputation already with two years of stellar releases). The Pathway to Tiraquon6 is a sonic kaleidoscope, spanning beatless spacescapes, acid house and funky electro, sometimes all at once. All the more exciting considering it’s only been billed as a prelude to his forthcoming full-length Welcome to Mikrosector-50.
7. The Men - Leave Home (Sacred Bones)
8. Atlas Sound - Parallax (4AD)
I reviewed here.
9. The Roots - Undun (Def Jam)
In December, The Roots released one of the finest albums of their long career. Undun is an ‘existential concept album’, set in reverse-chronological order, about the life and death of fictional character Redford Stevens. Black Thought is on the top of his game throughout. The beats benefit from excellent production, from the heavy neo-soul flavours of ‘Kool On’ to the Music of My Mind-era Stevie Wonder boogie of ‘Make My’. Undun shows that The Roots are capable of maturing gracefully, still releasing great work 16 years after their debut.
10. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up (Sub Pop)
There was a lot of hype surrounding the first ever hip-hop release on Sub Pop. It did not disappoint. Shabazz Palaces expanded upon their experimental chamber-rap on their debut full-length, producing highlights such as ‘Recollections of the Wraith’, with its hyper-minimalist beat & haunting vocal line, and the dizzying fusion of styles found on ‘Youlogy’ or the concisely-titled ‘Endeavors For Never (The last time we spoke you said you were not here. I saw you though.)‘
