Bunch of Nonsense
Music, Books and Life in the SpiritArchive for keep it safe – wild ones
Best Music of 2014
1. Havens Dumb by Augie March
After a five year hiatus, (and one great solo album by band leader Glenn Richards) this Australian band reformed this year and went in the studio and pretty much picked up where they left off. Actually, this is much better than their last album and its best moments flirt with overtaking their previous great heights. Angie March makes what I would call very deliberate, poetic and layered pop-rock songs. You can’t dance to it, but you can sway to it nicely. This is music George Harrison might have made if he’d been from Australia and read a lot more literature. The best songs here are things of beauty, epic, lush, grand, stately. Strangely in the middle of this killers row, are suddenly two songs, The Faking Boy and St. Helena, that seemed like bad demos. St. Helena is kind of a country song with long notes that kind of worble off-pitch. Vocally The Faking Boy is a high wire act which was very ambitious and sounds like something The Beatles might have tried, but here its just beyond reach. For a band which is clearly very meticulous and always sonically perfect, it’s kind of shock. Anyway, apart from these two mild anomalies, this album is more than a return to form and has way more than enough exceptional material to make up for it. For fans of The Church, Crowded House, late period Beatles and the melodious side of the Kinks. Best Song: “After The Crack Up.”
2. Afro-Fire by The KutiMangoes
A generous slice of consistently strong afro-jazz which somehow is very melodious and funky and swinging all at the same time. They never overstay their welcome or get (see what I can do) skat-crazy, always keeping the rhythm number one and having confidence in their solid melodies. The song “Slowly” sounds like something Duke Ellington might have written. If you mixed some of the pop oriented 70’s jazz artists like John Handy or the Jazz Crusaders and gave them a good dose of Fela Kuti afro-beat, you might end up with something like this. Best Song: “Feeling Good.”
3. Yesway by Yesway
Yeaway is really not like anything else, two women (old friends apparently) who play a multitude of instruments and sing harmonies like angels. These pieces are usually built around an acoustic guitar (often a classical guitar with some excellent finger picking) but from there, there’s no telling where things my go, nice electric guitar chord touches, sweet vibes layering off in the background. And oh, did I mention the vocals? For all the musical gymnastics, the vocals are the real star here and they are wonderful, layers of harmonies, soulful, folky, real, great! Not a bad track here. Fans of Grizzly Bear, Joanna Newsom and the french group Incredible Polo would all dig this. Best Song: “Heart Does Not Lie.”
4. Morning Phase by Beck
Definitely the second coming of Sea Change, Beck’s release 12 years ago, but I loved that record so, I’m good with it. The best songs here are maybe not better than the best songs on that one, but overall this is a more consistent album, flowing along nicely. It probably suffers a little with the fact that nearly every song is a long slow gorgeous blissed-out piece of work, but Beck has never sounded better vocally and eventually it wins you over to its methodical world. For fans of Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen. Best Song: “Heart Is a Drum.”
5. Into the Lime by The New Mendicants
Joe Pernice is joined by Teenage Fanclub alum Norman Blake and Mike Belisky of The Sadies and makes a gorgeous Pernice Brothers album? Yes, Pernice dominates this, but Blake has some moments, particularly his nearly solo turn of Sandy Denny’s “By The Time It’s Dark.” Hvae loved that song for over forty years and this version does it justice. “If You Only Knew Her” is a classic Pernice Brothers song, but I sense it might be Blake that gives it its sublime Byrds-harmonies. For Fans of Pernice Brothers, Teenage Fanclub. Best Song: “If You Only Knew Her.”
6. Chronicle Man by Mother Hips
As I understand it, these are songs which were ‘shelved’ during the making of ‘Part-Timer Goes Full’ back in 1995 and this year they resurrected them and gave them the 2014 Mother Hips treatment. In other words, improved them about 100% for Mother Hips in 2014 are a band at the height of their powers. The songs also benefit from much better production values than the band had access to in 1995. This sits along nicely with last year’s release Behind Beyond, if just a little more spotty. For Fans of Sensations, Greg Loiacono, Wilco, Neil Young. Best Song: “The Flood.”
7. Aeroporto EP by Breezewax
As the artwork claims, this is a collection inspired by Brazil. Indeed it is, wonderfully. Breezewax, the Oxford DJ musician pretty much nails the vibe and groove Brazilian music while giving it his own spin and not becoming a caricature. I played this a ton this year. For fans Antonio Jobin, Joao Gilberto, etc.,. Best Song: “With Wings.”
8. Sound Mirror by Syd Arthur
If these guys are the second coming of Caravan, then their first album was a brilliant take on Caravan’s classic debut, but this album jumps over about five years to Caravan’s “Cunning Stunts” and “Blind Dog At St. Dunstan’s” mid-70’s era. This is definitely more pop/song oriented, but still very much sounds like the same band and is very good. Overall this is an unexpected and interesting left turn and who can ever fault a band for not playing it safe and not repeating what worked before. Their first album paired nicely with big sounding fusion-prog-pop bands like Kiev, Knifeworld or the new version of Midlake, while this album would go better with Snowmine or Real Estate. Best Song: “Hometown Blues”
9. Land Called Lonely by Delta Haymax
I’m not sure how many people remember this Seattle band, but I do. They made one album in 1997 (when music was bottoming out with the sludge-fest of Limp Bizkit and co.). These guys fit into that era about as much as they were from 1700s. That album was unabashedly a pop album, part 1950’s prom music with a dose of twee-punk and cool indie vibe. It’s been 18 years and I still listen to it often. So imagine my surprise when I saw this on bandcamp. All these years later and here they are again, shockingly nothing (and kind of everything) has changed. There are definitely traces of the first album here, but the twee-punk has been replaced by the Everly Brothers and early British Invasion. Toby’s vocals have changed quite a bit, obviously more mature, clearly in a different register, but he’s a more assured polished vocalist now. And the production here is much better (the debut sounds like it might have been made in an hour or two). And this also feels little more like a Toby solo record when the other felt more group-orientated, but there is much here that feels the same. The guitar sounds like its coming out of the same amp, the drums, the same. Almost a dozen two minutes (and change delta) haymax songs, with hooks galore, cool vibe throughout, what a pleasant surprise. For fans of early British invasion, Hollies, Zombies, Everly Brothers. Best Song: “Days Of Happiness.”
10. Fourth Dementia by Sandys
A solid album of sweet California surf-pop. If you are like me and are still listening to the Botticellis one album, “Old Home Movies” (released in 2008) this is a very pleasant and welcome surprise. Botticellis’ leader Alexi Glickman has made a nice continuation of what Botticellis started, with just the right sunny California vibe, wearing his Brian Wilson influence lightly. If anything, this might be more consistent, with not a bad track in the mix. For fans of Earlimart, Grandaddy, Beulah (maybe a little Mother Hips) and especially Morning Benders. Best song: Great Highway.
11. French Exit by TV Girl
So-Cal duo of Trung Ngo and Brad Petering create great little pop songs from audio clips and music samples from the past which they mash up here nicely. Catchy, fun, danceable. Birds Don’t Sing is just a great song. For Fans of Breezewax and ProleteR (with 60’s references instead of 40’s). Best Song: “Birds Don’t Sing.”
12. Songs For Dads EP by The Walters
This Chicago band lays down five simple old fashioned dreamy beachy songs with every chord in place and harmonies floating around like soft butterflies. All of which sounds like a fairly terrible idea, like some kind of Beach Boys cover band with flowery shirts playing the hits in the park for the Grandparents (or for the Dads like their title says), but this works because the songs are perfect little pop nuggets and that’s never a small feat and never ever anything to be ashamed of. In a strange way, they kind of remind me of Dr. Dog, if Dr. Dog had all their rough edges polished off. Here’s hoping The Walters record again and add a little edge (but not too much) to their brew. For fans of Shoes, The Hang Ups, Blacks& and The Silver Seas. Best Song: “New Girl (Tom’s Song)”
13. Always Room by Diners
A little indie band from Arizona that’s got the goods. Imagine the oxymoron idea of a lo-fi Phil Spector recording and you’ll get a good idea of how this sounds. But most importantly, these guys have good songs, nearly every one a two and half minute winner. For fans of The ACBs, Paper Drums, and The Walters. Best Song: Cool Kids
14. Dialects by Snowmine
This shoe-gazer pop band from Brooklyn NY deliver a consistently good album here. Shimmery guitars and sweet vocals keep everything very ethereal and yet down to earth. For fans of Coast Jumper or Icewater. Best Song: Glide
15. So It Is With Us by Horse Feathers
This Portland band leaves their stark minimalist music behind and join the human race and have a little fun. This music opens the band up from the past doldrums and what do you know? They can write good songs. The lead off track ‘Violently Wild’ is all but ready for radio. For fans of Great Lake Swimmers and Pinetop Seven. Best Song: “Old Media”
16. Atlas by Real Estate
Improving and refining their sound even more, this release reaches high points not witness before, great production, immaculate and clean shimmery guitars all blissed out appropriately. Good songs abound here, Crime, Talking Backwards, Had to Hear, etc.,. Best Song: “Past Lives.”
17. Driving to Hawaii EP by Summer Salt
This little 6 track EP is fun from start to finish without a bad track to be found. Simple power pop with a easy way with a lyric and melody. Prom music at its finest. For fans of The Walters, Beach Boys, Delta Haymax, Matthew Sweet. Best Song: “Driving to Hawaii”
18. Little Boats by Pale Son
Andrew Glencross, a Halifax Nova Scotia artist who has worked with the Canadian rapper Buck 65 and the band The Lodge and others, decided to release ‘a bunch of solo recordings’ and the result is a nice collection of John Lennon-ish pop songs, the best of which are quite good indeed. Glencross has a nice voice and can write too, the songs Unfamiliar, Caroline and Real Love will simply get stuck in your head. Simple but effective arrangements. For fans of Carl Wilson, unplugged John Lennon and 70’s acoustic music. Best Song: “Unfamiliar”
19. Simple EP by Skapel
Marcin Cichy & Igor Pudło are producers/Dj’s from Wrocław Poland who somehow incorporate eletronica in a very down-to-earth blend which feels more like a modern take on 60’s west coast cool jazz than something from Chemical Brothers. Great background music, but definitely not muzak. For fans of Dakota Suite and Breezewax. Best Song: “On the Road”
20. Keep It Safe by Wild Ones
This Portland band is all about their layers of shimmery guitars and simple keyboards and best of all, great girly vocals (with multiple harmonies) all of which add up to some sweet pop music. For fans of The Sundays and Best Coast. Best Song: “It’s Real”
21. Rookie EP by ProleteR
This french sampler/DJ picks up where he left off with last year’s breakthrough Feeding the Lions EP, with seven more tracks slicing and dicing old 40’s and 30’s vocal tracks into modern hip hop beats, something he just does so well. This might not have anything as spectacular as last year’s ‘It don’t mean a thing’ but overall this one might be more consistent. Best Song: “By The River.”
22. Wild Animals by Trampled By Turtles
These amazing pickers have seemed to have got the lets-play-every-note-faster-than-anyone-has-ever-played out of their system and have decided to sit down and write some songs. Not that they have all their speed-bluegrass out yet as a couple tracks here show, which is fine in small doses, as long as they write songs this good. For fans of Avett Brothers and Lord Huron. Best Song: “Wild Animals.”
23. Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son by Damien Jurado
Okay, I’ll state the obvious, this is simply not up to the standards of his last two releases (2010’s Saint Bartlett and 2012’s Maraqopa) both of which were my number one picks of their respective years. Still this has it’s moments (Magic Number, Silver Timothy) and its a concept album and the fact that I just don’t get it probably doesn’t help. Still anything Damien Jurado releases is an automatic purchase for me and he has had such an amazing run, even before the last two, going back to ‘Rehearsals For Departure’ which is 15 years ago, so hey let’s give Damien some slack here. This is in no way terrible and maybe some day I’ll get it, but the fact is, this simply didn’t get the constant play his releases usually do. Here’s hoping his next release is back up to this past standards, or at least within ear-shot of it. Best Song: “Magic Number.”
24. Favela EP by Question
This LA beatsmith/sampler/DJ does a excellent job of mix/mashing modern beats and arrangements into these five Brazilian bossanova classics. Best Song: “Una Nota.”
25. King’s Canyon by River / Saint
Los Angeles based progressive folksier Christian Bidwell releases this solid effort with nice touches here and there, but overall its the songs that bring this through, nice work. Best Song: “Horse Race”
Other Favorite Tracks:
- Portrait Gallery (Tim Shiel Remix) by Luke Howard
- Lucianna feat. Sistah Sofia by Kill Emil & The Yumas
- Tokuta (Grant Phabao Remix) by Jungle Fire
- Odessa by Astronauts, etc.
- Respect feat. Mara Hruby & Van Hunt by The Decoders
- Most Birthdays by Nathan K.
- Some Walls by Evan Geesman
- Be There by Ex Norwegian
- Find my Blood by New Madrid
- Mezame by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
- Ella Fitzgerald/Basin Street Blues by ProleteR
- Sinesrat by Dexter Story
- The Cobweb Song by Jason Howell
- Black Lotus by Shogun Orchestra
- Travis by Incredible Polo
- Eyes Crashed by Mr. Z
- The Glooms by Tape Runs Out
- Unrevenged by Floating Action
- Blessed Sun by Spencer Burton
- Something by Yoofs
Bunch of Nonsense 