We continue our installment attempting to tell a brief story of music released in 2015. In Part Two, we widen our lens a bit and look at hip-hop, metal, and vinyl re-releases. These are some of the first articles from A Perfect Prescription, and a larger goal of this "Best Of" list is to give you an idea of the type of music we will be talking about in 2016. So stay tuned, and here is Part II of our 2015 Music Overview.
Kendrick Lamar - "To Pimp a Butterfly" (Top Dawg Entertainment)
Is there really a need to say anything more about this record? Even Mr. President himself has declared this the best record of the year, and I think it would be safe to say that it is one of the more important albums of the decade. The world waited for this record with baited ears ever since the release of good kid, m.A.A.d city, a record that flowed with intrigue like a masterful film. Expectations for what the rising young superstar would do with his third record were high, and to meet those expectations Kendrick immersed himself in studio life starting in 2012, immediately after the release of good kid, M.A.A.d. city. Surrounded by the same TDE crew that helped produce his first two records, and a huge list of producers and musicians including Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, and of course Dr. Dre just to name a few, Kendrick spent almost 3 years to make his dense vision a reality. Even while on the road, Kendrick reportedly would continue to record in a small studio on his tour bus. This commitment to the form comes through on this record. Every rhyme, texture, transition, and melody is meticulously detailed, a feat only possible from someone with a clear dedicated vision. To Pimp a Butterfly shows a man who is trying to stay true to his roots, stay true to the ones he grew up with in Compton, and also shows a man who is struggling to deal with a newfound fame. A kind of fame that calls on Lamar to be a voice for his generation, and as heard in the track "The Blacker the Berry," he is trying to grapple with that power and what it means. Throughout the record, the lyrics continue to be raw, honest, conflicted, and profound, all spit in an insanely rhythmic flow that can only be summarized as: jazz. To Pimp a Butterfly is a step forward in every direction, from the production, instrumentation, arrangement, content, and flow, this is the type of record that will be talked about for many years to come, and will mark an important point in musical history.
Suggested Tracks: The Blacker the Berry, How Much a Dollar Cost, Institutionalized and Hood Politics
The Internet - "Ego Death" (Odd Future)
This California R&B group, which features Odd Future members Syd the Kyd and Matt Martians, is appropriately named because their sound is redolent of the hip-hop and R&B produced during the dawn of the internet. The Internet found their stride with Ego Death, resulting in an intimate, jazzy and smooth record that carries similarities to the production work of ?uestlove in the early 2000's with the likes of Erykah Badu and D'Angelo. These are the type of songs you blare when you know you've done wrong but just want bae to come home.
Suggested Tracks: Palace/Curse, Under Control, and Just Sayin/I Tried
BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah - "Sour Soul" (Lex)
Since their beginnings in 2011, it seems as if Canadian jazz combo BadBadNotGood has been working towards a collaboration such as this. Early in their career, BBNG proved the range of their palette through jazzy hip-hop inspired covers of A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Kanye West, Flying Lotus, Earl Sweatshirt, and Tyler, The Creator. The latter of the two which led to live collaborations with Odd Future members Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. With their third record, BBNG also demonstrated their ability to write inventive heavy-hitting original tracks demonstrating that all they needed (if anything) was the right MC to spit over the top. And who did they find? None other than Ghostface Killah himself. With thick beats, verbed out guitars, vibes, and the occasional soaring string arrangements, these backing tracks are reminiscent of David Axelrod and crime soundtracks of the 70's, making them the perfect backdrop for the fierce flows of Ghostface Killah. It will be exciting to see who these young musicians decide to team up with next.
Suggested Tracks: Six Degrees (feat. Danny Brown), Stark's Reality, and Sour Soul
Is there really a need to say anything more about this record? Even Mr. President himself has declared this the best record of the year, and I think it would be safe to say that it is one of the more important albums of the decade. The world waited for this record with baited ears ever since the release of good kid, m.A.A.d city, a record that flowed with intrigue like a masterful film. Expectations for what the rising young superstar would do with his third record were high, and to meet those expectations Kendrick immersed himself in studio life starting in 2012, immediately after the release of good kid, M.A.A.d. city. Surrounded by the same TDE crew that helped produce his first two records, and a huge list of producers and musicians including Thundercat, Flying Lotus, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, and of course Dr. Dre just to name a few, Kendrick spent almost 3 years to make his dense vision a reality. Even while on the road, Kendrick reportedly would continue to record in a small studio on his tour bus. This commitment to the form comes through on this record. Every rhyme, texture, transition, and melody is meticulously detailed, a feat only possible from someone with a clear dedicated vision. To Pimp a Butterfly shows a man who is trying to stay true to his roots, stay true to the ones he grew up with in Compton, and also shows a man who is struggling to deal with a newfound fame. A kind of fame that calls on Lamar to be a voice for his generation, and as heard in the track "The Blacker the Berry," he is trying to grapple with that power and what it means. Throughout the record, the lyrics continue to be raw, honest, conflicted, and profound, all spit in an insanely rhythmic flow that can only be summarized as: jazz. To Pimp a Butterfly is a step forward in every direction, from the production, instrumentation, arrangement, content, and flow, this is the type of record that will be talked about for many years to come, and will mark an important point in musical history.
Suggested Tracks: The Blacker the Berry, How Much a Dollar Cost, Institutionalized and Hood Politics
The Internet - "Ego Death" (Odd Future)
This California R&B group, which features Odd Future members Syd the Kyd and Matt Martians, is appropriately named because their sound is redolent of the hip-hop and R&B produced during the dawn of the internet. The Internet found their stride with Ego Death, resulting in an intimate, jazzy and smooth record that carries similarities to the production work of ?uestlove in the early 2000's with the likes of Erykah Badu and D'Angelo. These are the type of songs you blare when you know you've done wrong but just want bae to come home.
Suggested Tracks: Palace/Curse, Under Control, and Just Sayin/I Tried
BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah - "Sour Soul" (Lex)
Since their beginnings in 2011, it seems as if Canadian jazz combo BadBadNotGood has been working towards a collaboration such as this. Early in their career, BBNG proved the range of their palette through jazzy hip-hop inspired covers of A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Kanye West, Flying Lotus, Earl Sweatshirt, and Tyler, The Creator. The latter of the two which led to live collaborations with Odd Future members Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. With their third record, BBNG also demonstrated their ability to write inventive heavy-hitting original tracks demonstrating that all they needed (if anything) was the right MC to spit over the top. And who did they find? None other than Ghostface Killah himself. With thick beats, verbed out guitars, vibes, and the occasional soaring string arrangements, these backing tracks are reminiscent of David Axelrod and crime soundtracks of the 70's, making them the perfect backdrop for the fierce flows of Ghostface Killah. It will be exciting to see who these young musicians decide to team up with next.
Suggested Tracks: Six Degrees (feat. Danny Brown), Stark's Reality, and Sour Soul
Gun Outfit - Dream All Over (Paradise of Bachelors)
Originally hailing from Olympia, WA, a place that never ceases to produce unique, diverse and bold music, the now LA-based band Gun Outfit returns with Dream All Over, an album with sounds that are hard to characterize, but are tinged with elements of blues, country, eastern-drones, and post-punk. Although Gun Outfit has been through a lot of changes since their last record, with a move to L.A. and a change up of bass-players, Dream All Over is more or less an extension of the sounds heard on 2013's Hard Coming Down. Lead singers Carrie Keith and Dylan Sharp possess the ability to create haunting melodies and drawls with lyrics of poetic poignancy all on top of dusty and drone-y Americana. While even the members of Gun Outfit thought that their time together was coming to an end, it seems there are still many exciting things to come from this band, with a new EP in a few months, and talk of an ambitious film project in the works, hopefully bringing more much deserved recognition to this extremely underrated group.
Suggested Tracks: Gotta Wanna, Compromise, and Worldly Way
Broken Water - Wrought (Night People)
Broken Water is a long time staple of the Olympia, WA music scene, a scene that often leans towards hardcore punk, black-metal, and the experimental. Although they don't really fit into any of these categories, they have successfully drawn appreciation from all areas, largely in part because of their punk ethos and political approach to music. Wrought is by far their most well produced and cleanest sounding record, engineered by Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Beat Happening, Unwound), and produced and mixed by the singer/drummer Kanako Pooknyw over a reported 180 hours. Although a well-polished final product, Wrought is still filled with beautiful guitar drones, moments of sonic experimentation, with the quiet reverb-drenched vocal melodies of Pooknyw brought more to the forefront than ever before, bringing more deserved attention to her bold and political lyrical themes. On songs featuring Jon Hanna on vocals, there is a definite similarity to the vocal stylings of Lee Renaldo mostly due to the nonchalant clear drawl on top of strangely tuned guitars. While this record is still very much DIY production, Broken Water put time, money, and passion into this record, throwing all the chips in, and making a downright beautiful record showing what they are capable of.
Suggested Tracks: Psycho Static, 1984, High-Lo, and Set-Free
Blank Realm - "Illegals in Heaven" (Fire)
Upon first stumbling on Blank Realm last year after their 2014 record Greased Inn, I was convinced I had discovered a re-release of a Flying Nun Records band, a small New Zealand label known for releasing records starting in the early 1980's from prominent kiwi-rock and Dunedin bands such as The Clean, The Chills, and the Bats, and was pleased to find that this was a modern Australian band continuing that "nearly falling apart" post-punk sound that I had grown to love, ESPECIALLY in bands such as The Clean. Illegals in Heaven is a record that does not take it self too seriously, and is filled with catchy, raw, and playful songs that will make anyone feel youthful again, and ready to dance along embarrassingly.
Suggested Tracks: Cruel Night, No Views, and Flowers in Mind
Originally hailing from Olympia, WA, a place that never ceases to produce unique, diverse and bold music, the now LA-based band Gun Outfit returns with Dream All Over, an album with sounds that are hard to characterize, but are tinged with elements of blues, country, eastern-drones, and post-punk. Although Gun Outfit has been through a lot of changes since their last record, with a move to L.A. and a change up of bass-players, Dream All Over is more or less an extension of the sounds heard on 2013's Hard Coming Down. Lead singers Carrie Keith and Dylan Sharp possess the ability to create haunting melodies and drawls with lyrics of poetic poignancy all on top of dusty and drone-y Americana. While even the members of Gun Outfit thought that their time together was coming to an end, it seems there are still many exciting things to come from this band, with a new EP in a few months, and talk of an ambitious film project in the works, hopefully bringing more much deserved recognition to this extremely underrated group.
Suggested Tracks: Gotta Wanna, Compromise, and Worldly Way
Broken Water - Wrought (Night People)
Broken Water is a long time staple of the Olympia, WA music scene, a scene that often leans towards hardcore punk, black-metal, and the experimental. Although they don't really fit into any of these categories, they have successfully drawn appreciation from all areas, largely in part because of their punk ethos and political approach to music. Wrought is by far their most well produced and cleanest sounding record, engineered by Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Beat Happening, Unwound), and produced and mixed by the singer/drummer Kanako Pooknyw over a reported 180 hours. Although a well-polished final product, Wrought is still filled with beautiful guitar drones, moments of sonic experimentation, with the quiet reverb-drenched vocal melodies of Pooknyw brought more to the forefront than ever before, bringing more deserved attention to her bold and political lyrical themes. On songs featuring Jon Hanna on vocals, there is a definite similarity to the vocal stylings of Lee Renaldo mostly due to the nonchalant clear drawl on top of strangely tuned guitars. While this record is still very much DIY production, Broken Water put time, money, and passion into this record, throwing all the chips in, and making a downright beautiful record showing what they are capable of.
Suggested Tracks: Psycho Static, 1984, High-Lo, and Set-Free
Blank Realm - "Illegals in Heaven" (Fire)
Upon first stumbling on Blank Realm last year after their 2014 record Greased Inn, I was convinced I had discovered a re-release of a Flying Nun Records band, a small New Zealand label known for releasing records starting in the early 1980's from prominent kiwi-rock and Dunedin bands such as The Clean, The Chills, and the Bats, and was pleased to find that this was a modern Australian band continuing that "nearly falling apart" post-punk sound that I had grown to love, ESPECIALLY in bands such as The Clean. Illegals in Heaven is a record that does not take it self too seriously, and is filled with catchy, raw, and playful songs that will make anyone feel youthful again, and ready to dance along embarrassingly.
Suggested Tracks: Cruel Night, No Views, and Flowers in Mind
Tribulation - "Children of the Night" (Century)
This is the kind of record that makes metal-heads of all shapes and sizes giddy, because frankly it contains it all, and is another one of those records of 2015 that surprised everyone and set the precedent for what it means to make a conceptual masterpiece. With Children of the Night, Swedish group Tribulation pushes the boundaries, and were able to make very heavy and challenging music extremely catchy and listenable. While Tribulation is often tagged as death, black, or thrash-metal, there is a kind of authentic straight-up rock n roll approach to this music, especially when it comes to the drumming of Jakob Johansson, who has cited The Doors and Led Zeppelin as influences. Children of the Night is dark, melodic, almost vampiric, and although most of the guitar tones are crisp and clean, the seamless dueling of guitar players Adam Zaars and Jonathan Hulten never ceases to rip in perfect head-thrashing fashion. This is a record for fans of Mercyful Fate, Watain, and those fond of excellent and cohesive concept records.
Suggested Tracks: Sjalaflykt, Melancholia, and The Motherhood of God
Chelsea Wolfe - "Abyss" (Sargent House)
On her fifth record Abyss, Chelsea Wolfe has made her darkest, and heaviest record to date. Even when Wolfe is featured with limited accompaniment and instrumentation, as in her first record The Grime and the Glow, and the wonderful collection of acoustic material Unknown Rooms, her songs have an incredible heaviness and eerie sensibility to them. The kind of somberness that pulls the listener in completely, much like one of her biggest inspirations, Townes Van Zandt. While Abyss is a large departure from her previous work, and there is less of a dark-folk vibe, and more elements of doom metal and industrial music, it sounds like a very authentic progression for the California songwriter. Wolfe seems to have a stronger confidence with her vocal style, and her artistic vision seems fully realized on this record. The title of this record is more than appropriate, because these are the kind of songs that capture the listener with haunting beauty, and then drag you down the unexplainable abyss.
Suggested Tracks: After the Fall, Dragged Out, and Simple Death
Elder - "Lore" (Armageddon/Stickman)
In songwriting, it is a challenging feat to make stark and surprising transitions within a piece sound seamless, and not only does Elder do this on their new LP Lore, but they make it sound effortless. Going from hypnotic battling guitar licks, reminiscent of the deuling of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd of Television, that are then transformed by drum breakdowns into a sort of stoner-sludge (see the album opener "Compendium"). At times, specifically during instrumental moments, this record has characteristics of post-metal or post-rock the likes of Russian Circles, and at other times demonstrates more "pop"-sensibilities similar to a band such as Baroness. Even though each song on this five song LP clocks in close to 10 min, not a single song seems tiring or drawn out, making this a wonderfully realized and articulate record.
Suggested Tracks: Compendium, Deadweight, and Legend
This is the kind of record that makes metal-heads of all shapes and sizes giddy, because frankly it contains it all, and is another one of those records of 2015 that surprised everyone and set the precedent for what it means to make a conceptual masterpiece. With Children of the Night, Swedish group Tribulation pushes the boundaries, and were able to make very heavy and challenging music extremely catchy and listenable. While Tribulation is often tagged as death, black, or thrash-metal, there is a kind of authentic straight-up rock n roll approach to this music, especially when it comes to the drumming of Jakob Johansson, who has cited The Doors and Led Zeppelin as influences. Children of the Night is dark, melodic, almost vampiric, and although most of the guitar tones are crisp and clean, the seamless dueling of guitar players Adam Zaars and Jonathan Hulten never ceases to rip in perfect head-thrashing fashion. This is a record for fans of Mercyful Fate, Watain, and those fond of excellent and cohesive concept records.
Suggested Tracks: Sjalaflykt, Melancholia, and The Motherhood of God
Chelsea Wolfe - "Abyss" (Sargent House)
On her fifth record Abyss, Chelsea Wolfe has made her darkest, and heaviest record to date. Even when Wolfe is featured with limited accompaniment and instrumentation, as in her first record The Grime and the Glow, and the wonderful collection of acoustic material Unknown Rooms, her songs have an incredible heaviness and eerie sensibility to them. The kind of somberness that pulls the listener in completely, much like one of her biggest inspirations, Townes Van Zandt. While Abyss is a large departure from her previous work, and there is less of a dark-folk vibe, and more elements of doom metal and industrial music, it sounds like a very authentic progression for the California songwriter. Wolfe seems to have a stronger confidence with her vocal style, and her artistic vision seems fully realized on this record. The title of this record is more than appropriate, because these are the kind of songs that capture the listener with haunting beauty, and then drag you down the unexplainable abyss.
Suggested Tracks: After the Fall, Dragged Out, and Simple Death
Elder - "Lore" (Armageddon/Stickman)
In songwriting, it is a challenging feat to make stark and surprising transitions within a piece sound seamless, and not only does Elder do this on their new LP Lore, but they make it sound effortless. Going from hypnotic battling guitar licks, reminiscent of the deuling of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd of Television, that are then transformed by drum breakdowns into a sort of stoner-sludge (see the album opener "Compendium"). At times, specifically during instrumental moments, this record has characteristics of post-metal or post-rock the likes of Russian Circles, and at other times demonstrates more "pop"-sensibilities similar to a band such as Baroness. Even though each song on this five song LP clocks in close to 10 min, not a single song seems tiring or drawn out, making this a wonderfully realized and articulate record.
Suggested Tracks: Compendium, Deadweight, and Legend
Metz - II (Sub Pop)
Once again, the second record from Ottawa based band Metz shows three musicians at their highest intensity, rarely ceasing in the 29 minutes of pure rock and roll noise that makes up this record. The best way to bluntly describe this record: If for some reason I directed skate videos, these songs would lace all of them. While these songs are in the best way adolescent and destructive, there is a newfound maturity to this record that at times reminded me of legendary noise and no-wave band Swans, with relentlessly repetetive bass lines and the shaky helpless tremolo heard in the yells of singer/guitarist Alex Edkins.
Suggested Tracks: Acetate, Wait in Line, and Spit You Out
Vietcong - S/T (Jagjaguwar)
The most recent project of Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace, formerly of the innovative and wonderfully creative Calgary, Alberta band Women. After the disbandment of Women in 2011, and the tragic death of guitarist Chris Reimer in 2012, I thought I would forever have a void that could never be filled.... and then Flegel and Wallace finally founded Viet Cong with Scott Munro and Daniel Christiansen, and everything was well in the world. As seen in the Women record Public Strain, Viet Cong has this incredible ability to transition from chaotic noise into cohesive rhythms that will find any listener uncontrollably bobbing their head with a slight grin, waiting to be surprised about what the band will do next, even in the context of the same song. If you enjoy this group, keep in mind that due to controversies behind their name, the band will be seeing a name-change in the near future.
Suggested Tracks: Bunker Buster, Continental Shelf, and Silhouettes
Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect (Hardly Art)
Detroit, Michigan. Home to the beginnings of the American Auto Industry, the incredibly important Motown sound that changed Soul and R&B forever, and one of the birthplaces of American punk-rock, due to bands often referred to as "proto-punk," such as the MC5, and of course the motherfuckin' Stooges. But as the infrastructure of Detroit begins to fall apart and the mass exodus continues, it is easy to ask: "Who still lives in Detroit?" Well even though the population of Detroit in 1950 was at 1.8 million, an estimated 700,000 (2012) remain, and of them: Protomartyr, coming back this year in force with their third record The Agent Intellect. As read in a 2014 article from SPIN magazine, frontman Joe Casey still lives and practices with Protomartyr in his Detroit childhood home, possibly explaining the sort of somber nostalgia to his lyrics, as if Casey is sitting on a living room couch telling you mundane stories full of moral depth and poetic one-liners while the band rages on in a dank basement below.
Suggested Tracks: Why Does it Shake?, Dope Cloud, Pontiac 87 and Ellen
Once again, the second record from Ottawa based band Metz shows three musicians at their highest intensity, rarely ceasing in the 29 minutes of pure rock and roll noise that makes up this record. The best way to bluntly describe this record: If for some reason I directed skate videos, these songs would lace all of them. While these songs are in the best way adolescent and destructive, there is a newfound maturity to this record that at times reminded me of legendary noise and no-wave band Swans, with relentlessly repetetive bass lines and the shaky helpless tremolo heard in the yells of singer/guitarist Alex Edkins.
Suggested Tracks: Acetate, Wait in Line, and Spit You Out
Vietcong - S/T (Jagjaguwar)
The most recent project of Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace, formerly of the innovative and wonderfully creative Calgary, Alberta band Women. After the disbandment of Women in 2011, and the tragic death of guitarist Chris Reimer in 2012, I thought I would forever have a void that could never be filled.... and then Flegel and Wallace finally founded Viet Cong with Scott Munro and Daniel Christiansen, and everything was well in the world. As seen in the Women record Public Strain, Viet Cong has this incredible ability to transition from chaotic noise into cohesive rhythms that will find any listener uncontrollably bobbing their head with a slight grin, waiting to be surprised about what the band will do next, even in the context of the same song. If you enjoy this group, keep in mind that due to controversies behind their name, the band will be seeing a name-change in the near future.
Suggested Tracks: Bunker Buster, Continental Shelf, and Silhouettes
Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect (Hardly Art)
Detroit, Michigan. Home to the beginnings of the American Auto Industry, the incredibly important Motown sound that changed Soul and R&B forever, and one of the birthplaces of American punk-rock, due to bands often referred to as "proto-punk," such as the MC5, and of course the motherfuckin' Stooges. But as the infrastructure of Detroit begins to fall apart and the mass exodus continues, it is easy to ask: "Who still lives in Detroit?" Well even though the population of Detroit in 1950 was at 1.8 million, an estimated 700,000 (2012) remain, and of them: Protomartyr, coming back this year in force with their third record The Agent Intellect. As read in a 2014 article from SPIN magazine, frontman Joe Casey still lives and practices with Protomartyr in his Detroit childhood home, possibly explaining the sort of somber nostalgia to his lyrics, as if Casey is sitting on a living room couch telling you mundane stories full of moral depth and poetic one-liners while the band rages on in a dank basement below.
Suggested Tracks: Why Does it Shake?, Dope Cloud, Pontiac 87 and Ellen
Pop Staples - "Don't Lose This" (dBpm)
This posthumous record from the one and only Pops Staples, who left this earth in 2000, is a kind of gift from heaven for Staple Singers fans. Produced by his daughter Mavis Staples and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, Don't Lose This is a simple presentation of this incredible and innovative guitar player and singer, with most of the songs containing no more than a drum set, a Wurlitzer piano, and the heart-melting back up vocals of Mavis and Yvonne Staples. The kind of songs that will make even a staunch atheist feel spiritual for a moment.
Suggested Tracks: No News is Good News, Somebody Was Watching, and Nobody's Fault But Mine
Alan Vega/Alex Chilton/Ben Vaughn - "Cubist Blues" (Light in the Attic)
The idea alone of Alex Chilton of Big Star and Alan Vega of Suicide teaming up to make a record is a music nerd's wet-dream. Along with the help of singer-songwriter Ben Vaughn, two nights of improv sessions in 1994 recorded by the trio would become the strangeness that is Cubist Blues, which was originally released in 1996 in a short run by Henry Rollins on his 2.13.61 label and now available this year to a wider audience from Light in the Attic Records. To call this record a blues record however would be like calling Suicide "doo-wop," which of course is not a completely far reaching statement, there is so much more there. Cubist blues is a minimalist record with huge sounds much like Suicide, and contains hypnotically repetitive rhythms, dark synthesizers, out of tune bar pianos, and occasional soaring guitars. Due to the improvisational circumstances of the record, this record is raw and experimental, but extremely listenable. Alan Vega really shines on this record, with his low croon that can at any time explode with intense vulnerable honesty.
Suggested Tracks: Freedom, Sister, The Werewolf, and Fly Away
David Kaufman & Eric Caboor - "Songs From Suicide Bridge" (Light in the Attic)
When Songs From Suicide Bridge was released early in 2015, I hosted a weekly radio show at a college radio station. Whenever I would play "Neighborhood Blues" from this record, almost without fail, someone would instantly call into the station wondering what the track was. Something about this track hits you in the right spot, which is why that particular song was my most played track of 2015. Originally recorded by the duo in a converted utility shed in Burbank, California on a 4-track recorder in 1984, and self-released in a run of 500 copies, this intimate, beautiful, and heart-wrenching record is now available to the world. The kind of sad-songs that make you feel better at those low times, like Leonard Cohen or the Red House Painters, this is another great rare-gem from Light in the Attic Records this past year.
Suggested Tracks: Neighborhood Blues, Angel of Mercy, and Life Without Love
This posthumous record from the one and only Pops Staples, who left this earth in 2000, is a kind of gift from heaven for Staple Singers fans. Produced by his daughter Mavis Staples and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, Don't Lose This is a simple presentation of this incredible and innovative guitar player and singer, with most of the songs containing no more than a drum set, a Wurlitzer piano, and the heart-melting back up vocals of Mavis and Yvonne Staples. The kind of songs that will make even a staunch atheist feel spiritual for a moment.
Suggested Tracks: No News is Good News, Somebody Was Watching, and Nobody's Fault But Mine
Alan Vega/Alex Chilton/Ben Vaughn - "Cubist Blues" (Light in the Attic)
The idea alone of Alex Chilton of Big Star and Alan Vega of Suicide teaming up to make a record is a music nerd's wet-dream. Along with the help of singer-songwriter Ben Vaughn, two nights of improv sessions in 1994 recorded by the trio would become the strangeness that is Cubist Blues, which was originally released in 1996 in a short run by Henry Rollins on his 2.13.61 label and now available this year to a wider audience from Light in the Attic Records. To call this record a blues record however would be like calling Suicide "doo-wop," which of course is not a completely far reaching statement, there is so much more there. Cubist blues is a minimalist record with huge sounds much like Suicide, and contains hypnotically repetitive rhythms, dark synthesizers, out of tune bar pianos, and occasional soaring guitars. Due to the improvisational circumstances of the record, this record is raw and experimental, but extremely listenable. Alan Vega really shines on this record, with his low croon that can at any time explode with intense vulnerable honesty.
Suggested Tracks: Freedom, Sister, The Werewolf, and Fly Away
David Kaufman & Eric Caboor - "Songs From Suicide Bridge" (Light in the Attic)
When Songs From Suicide Bridge was released early in 2015, I hosted a weekly radio show at a college radio station. Whenever I would play "Neighborhood Blues" from this record, almost without fail, someone would instantly call into the station wondering what the track was. Something about this track hits you in the right spot, which is why that particular song was my most played track of 2015. Originally recorded by the duo in a converted utility shed in Burbank, California on a 4-track recorder in 1984, and self-released in a run of 500 copies, this intimate, beautiful, and heart-wrenching record is now available to the world. The kind of sad-songs that make you feel better at those low times, like Leonard Cohen or the Red House Painters, this is another great rare-gem from Light in the Attic Records this past year.
Suggested Tracks: Neighborhood Blues, Angel of Mercy, and Life Without Love
Amen Dunes - "Cowboy Worship EP" (Sacred Bones)
A sort of thank you note for those who enjoyed Amen Dunes' 2014 record Love, a record that was reportedly a tedious and laborious task. Cowboy Worship contains reworked versions of songs from Love, a full band version of "Leezy Head" from his 2011 LP Through Donkey Jaw, and a masterful cover of Tim Buckley's "Song to Siren." These re-workings are neither improvements or lesser versions, but demonstrate the drastic alternate route a song can take through different instrumentation, arrangement and production. And although "Songs to Siren" has been covered by many, McMahon's version is beautifully haunting and stands up to the best of them.
Ty Segall - "Mr. Face EP" (Famous Class)
At the beginning of 2015, in collaboration with Famous Class class records, Ty Segall announced the release of his "Mr. Face EP," calling it "the world's first playable pair of 3D-glasses." Although this may seem like just a publicity gimmick at first glance, "Mr. Face" contains four wonderfully classic sounding songs showcasing Segall at his finest. Although Segall's already large discography is extremely diverse, my favorite records of his include his collaboration with White Fence: "Hair," and his almost psych-folk 2013 LP Sleeper which the four songs on this EP are reminiscent of.
Brian Jonestown Massacre - "Mini Album Thingy Wingy" ('A' Records)
Rejoice, The Brian Jonestown Massacre is alive and well. They are not just some lost relic of the 90's as shown in the documentary "DIG!" (although if you are new to this band watch this immediately), but have been maintaining their prolificness as of late through main songwriter and performer Anton Newcombe. Just this year, Newcombe released a collaboration LP with Tess Parks entitled I Declare Nothing, an album of so-called soundtracks inspired by French Cinema, Musique de film Imagine, and Mini Album Thingy Wingy, which is a sort of return back to the shoegazy-Rolling-Stones-inspired sound that BJM became known for in the mid-90's. Complete with hypnotic organs, plenty of shimmery tambourines (of course this is BJM we're talking about), soaring guitar feedback, and even a 13th Floor Elevators cover song making this a succinct collection of beautiful psych rock from a very under-appreciated band that influenced so many.
A sort of thank you note for those who enjoyed Amen Dunes' 2014 record Love, a record that was reportedly a tedious and laborious task. Cowboy Worship contains reworked versions of songs from Love, a full band version of "Leezy Head" from his 2011 LP Through Donkey Jaw, and a masterful cover of Tim Buckley's "Song to Siren." These re-workings are neither improvements or lesser versions, but demonstrate the drastic alternate route a song can take through different instrumentation, arrangement and production. And although "Songs to Siren" has been covered by many, McMahon's version is beautifully haunting and stands up to the best of them.
Ty Segall - "Mr. Face EP" (Famous Class)
At the beginning of 2015, in collaboration with Famous Class class records, Ty Segall announced the release of his "Mr. Face EP," calling it "the world's first playable pair of 3D-glasses." Although this may seem like just a publicity gimmick at first glance, "Mr. Face" contains four wonderfully classic sounding songs showcasing Segall at his finest. Although Segall's already large discography is extremely diverse, my favorite records of his include his collaboration with White Fence: "Hair," and his almost psych-folk 2013 LP Sleeper which the four songs on this EP are reminiscent of.
Brian Jonestown Massacre - "Mini Album Thingy Wingy" ('A' Records)
Rejoice, The Brian Jonestown Massacre is alive and well. They are not just some lost relic of the 90's as shown in the documentary "DIG!" (although if you are new to this band watch this immediately), but have been maintaining their prolificness as of late through main songwriter and performer Anton Newcombe. Just this year, Newcombe released a collaboration LP with Tess Parks entitled I Declare Nothing, an album of so-called soundtracks inspired by French Cinema, Musique de film Imagine, and Mini Album Thingy Wingy, which is a sort of return back to the shoegazy-Rolling-Stones-inspired sound that BJM became known for in the mid-90's. Complete with hypnotic organs, plenty of shimmery tambourines (of course this is BJM we're talking about), soaring guitar feedback, and even a 13th Floor Elevators cover song making this a succinct collection of beautiful psych rock from a very under-appreciated band that influenced so many.
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