Favorite Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

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Who Shot Sam?
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Re: Favorite Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

Post by Who Shot Sam? »

The thing that 's different about TWL is that it has more outright stompers than their recent efforts. I'm thinking particularly of "I Might" and "Standing O". Also love the Nieve-like keyboards in places. I was worried that "One Sunday Morning" would be too long, but it's lovely and I could listen to it over and over again. I'm a bit annoyed with myself that I missed them on tour with Nick Lowe.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: Favorite Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Yeah, that 12 minutes goes so easily.

Can't find a clip of Impossible Germany with Duane Allman's guitar, but here it is from the loft:

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Re: Favorite Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

Post by Jack of All Parades »

I do not think I will hear anything that knocks me out between now and the official end of the year and have to believe if it is not in the stores by now it will not be there this year so here goes:

[ No particular order though I give more weight to the Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Paul Simon and Ron Sexsmith]

1- Wilco "the Whole Love"- what can they not do? is a better question. The whole is so cohesive and fun listen after listen.

2- My Morning Jacket "Circuital'- I always get excited about Jim James's voice. Yet another broadening of their musical palette. My favorite song of the year has to be "Holdin' On To Black Metal".

3- Paul Simon "So Beautiful, So What"- he makes contemplating one's later years so infectious.

4- Gillian Welch "The Harrow & The Harvest"- with David Rawlings she made a record that hinges seamlessly on their harmonies and her unique take on people. I am constantly playing this record.

5- Fleet Foxes "Helplessness Blues"- just beautiful ear candy and I love "Bedouin Dress".

6- Ron Sexsmith "Long Player, Late Bloomer"- is there not a more heartbreaking and human record this year? EC should have a go with this producer- I think it would do him a world of good, as well.

7- Bill Callahan "Apocalypse"- songs from the edge and the heartland. Urgent bulletins.

8- Miles Davis Quintet "Best of the Bootlegs Vol.1"-speaking of cohesion-there might not have been a better unit just listen to "Footprints".

9- The Decembrists "The King is Dead" and the late year ep "Long Live the King"- Gillian Welch shows up and they bounce back beautifully from the previous record for me.

10- Elbow "Build a Rocket, Boys"- again a voice that commands you pay attention with a band that works dynamics like no other band. The title song is sooooo beautiful.

Two reissues stayed with me:

Nick Lowe- "Labour of Lust" an example of why they should reissue still vibrant and repackaged so beautifully.

The Rolling Stones "Some Girls"- though the additional disc adds a few songs "So Young" and "Do You Think I Really Care", the main record still holds up for me because I lived that time in NYC and "Shattered" was a theme song for 1977 and 1978 and life in New York as I experienced it. This album made rock and roll vital to me that summer of 1978 and fueled my young man's energy. Nice to have it back, spiffed up.

Biggest disappointment for the year- Tom Waits "Bad as Me"- seven years in the making and this is the best he can do?
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: Favorite Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Well the Kate Bush one is out this week and has been getting some 5 star reviews:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/no ... words-snow

Sounds bonkers in parts, but would you settle for less. I thought Aerial was just that little bit dull, so am looking forward to this.

I also love the latest Björk, of course. Funnily enough, though, I bought both this and the Waits on release, extended editions, all excited, and at a time where university costs are making us really have to be careful, and yet I've hardly played them. Partly this is because I'm useless at making time for music, too much telly-vegging (there's too much good TV on!), and partly cos I've been doing things like obsessing over Lambchop's OH, and have also just received their earlier double Aw C'mon, No You Cmon, which I'm happy to say I got for £3.41 delivered off Amazon Marketplace, ordered at midnight, and in my hands within 34 hours, and genuinely like new. Gotta love the internet, who'd be bothered downloading albums?

I think it's been a pretty stonking year for music, all in all. Looking forward to seeing Gillian Welch live on Later later.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: Favorite Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

They were very good.

Mustn't forget Bon Iver. Very impressive progression from his debut, and very good in terms of non-repetition that he left the cabin and headed out for the wide world.
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Re: Favorite Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

Post by Jack of All Parades »

Otis- her record has really gone under the radar for the most part but it is one this year that I find myself returning to quite often. The characters she sketches in these songs feel lived in and Rawlings is the perfect partner- his instrumental and harmonic prowess really anchor the record. I also should have added Nick Lowe's "The Old Magic" for an eleventh album. It is the one that is my 'secret' sin this year. His understated approach just resonates in these songs- I never can get enough of " 'Till the Real Thing Comes Along".
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Re: Favorite Albums Of 2011 (So Far)

Post by Otis Westinghouse »



Her guitar is old, but his is really old:

@Gillian Welch’s main guitar is a ca. 1956 Gibson J-50 with a factory-installed adjustable bridge. "It’s pretty much just like a J-45," she says. "It’s blond, and it’s got a big ugly pickguard on it." A couple of years ago, she picked up a five-string Vega Senator banjo, which she’s specially modified "with a little bit of bubble wrap shoved under the head."

David Rawlings gets his signature, midrangey guitar sound from a 1935 Epiphone Olympic archtop with a carved top and plywood mahogany back and sides. He likens its sound to that of a resophonic guitar. "I bought it without a bridge," he says, "and had a one-piece mahogany bridge made for it. I think with a top this small it really behooves you to get as much stuff touching the top as you can, because the top doesn’t have that much flex to it." He says his guitar is unique in that every note on every string plays at the same volume. "It doesn’t have any dead spots or any high spots—which is very, very strange," he says. "It makes it fun to play lead, because you don’t have to worry where you’re at. It’s not much of a solo instrument, but I can’t really play by myself worth a darn, so it doesn’t make much of a difference."

Welch and Rawlings switched their stage amplification rig in 1996 from pickups and DIs to external microphones. Rawlings explains that the change has made setting up for shows easier, although they do need to be a bit more hands-on during setup than they used to be. "We carry Shure SM-58s and SM-57s," Welch says. "Fancy microphones can be very difficult. The one thing that’s nice about the Shures is that their quality control is low enough that they are all different. They’re like snowflakes. If we carry a complement of eight microphones, we can go into a hall and find the right one for the room and the system. We play the microphone game; we swap them out." "And it’s easy to control volume by changing the proximity to the mics," Rawlings adds.@
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