hungry for new music?

Posted by: the other nickc on 12 December 2002

in the spirit of sharing and all that..

cd's I've bought recently and can thoroughly recommend:

Ralph Stanley - Ralph Stanley
(Fantastic latest album from one of the elder statesmen of bluegrass, great album. The first track is amazing)

Johnny Cash - The man comes around
(Latest in the series - he just keeps getting better, just listen to 'I hung my head' and his cover of depeche modes 'personal jesus')

Alison Krauss - New Favourite
(If you think you don't like country - get this & change you mind)

Gillian Welch - Time the Revelator
(Ditto - revelation is the right word for this album

The Rough Guide to Bluegrass
(great 'taster' got me hooked on the bloody stuff, although some of the older tracks may not sound too good on your high end systems)

Be Good Tanyas - Blue Horse
(Picked up this tip from Chunny, only had it a day, it's just gorgeous)

Billy Bragg - Victim of Geography
(Just got into Billy Bragg, if you doubt his talent just play 'waiting for the great leap forward')

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
(well it just sort of er.. rocks really)

Arab Strap - Mad for Sadness
(I love this band, this is a fab live album that includes the wonderful 'new birds')

Nick Cave - No More Shall We Part
(Definately his most accomplished album to date IMHO, can't go more than a week without playing it)

John Cale - Fragments of a Rainy Season
(I'm new to John Cales solo stuff, this is a live cd with just his own piano accompaniment; a sort of avant garde Elton John. It contains some beautiful, sublime music. If you've never heard 'I keep a close watch on this heart of mine' or 'the ballad of cable hogue' you are in for a treat)

Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall
(Really good alt. country album with some great songs on it, kick back and enjoy)

Tom Waits - The Heart of Saturday Night
(I envy anyone who has not heard this album; a great place to start you Tom Waits addiction)

Richard & Linda Thompson - Pour down like silver
(pure quality, gorgeous songs, it's now my favourite Richard and Linda Thompson album)

Laurie Anderson - Ugly one with the Jewels
(I know, she did the dreadful/silly oh superman, but this cd is brilliant. It's a 'spoken word' recording of Laurie Anderson's amazing storytelling. Pretentious, well maybe but i've not heard anything quite as magical for a long time. Take a chance...)

Arvo Part - Alina
(This is just about as profound as music gets. quite extraordinary)

Inese Galante - Debut
Track 8 - Ave Maria, test your emotions, test your hifi!


Feel free to contribute!
Posted on: 12 December 2002 by Roy T
A few years ago I saw Laurie give this show on the South Bank, it was her just talking with a bit of singing and I enjoyed it a lot. If this is as good as her show then I think purchasing a copy will be money well spent.

I throughly agree with six of your selection and may now be temped to give some of the others a try.
Posted on: 12 December 2002 by Bruce Woodhouse
In the same spirit, if you like that try these-

Billy Bragg-Don't Try This At Home
A really undervalued artists by those who have usually never listened to any of his work! This album is my favourite combination of the political and personal, spiced with great humour. Tank Park Salute is a very poignant song.

Linda Thompson-Fashionably Late
Folk for those that do not really like folk. Well I loved it.

Arvo Part-Te Deum on ECM is my favourite. i started a thread on this composer when I 'discovered' him a while ago, it is in the archive with more recommendations.

..and if you like the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club try The Vines-Highly Evolved. It just spits with energy!

I may try the Alison Krauss or Be Good Tanyas myself since we seem to have somewhat overlapping tastes!

Bruce
Posted on: 12 December 2002 by the other nickc
Shame I wasn't into Laurie Anderson earlier, those live shows sound pretty special. I've been trying to get hold of her book 'stories from the nerve bible' but it seems to be deleted, has anyone got a copy, is it worth tracking down?

Richard
I don't have any of Laurie's other albums so i might check out the new 'Live at Town Hall New York' album.

Travelogue sounds interesting, I'm very fond of Blue and Court and Spark but don't have any of Jonie's other albums.

I've been meaning to check out Lyle Lovett for a while, you've given me the excuse I need!

I've got the Late Junction 1 album - just through word of mouth really - but i've never heard the show. When's it on?

Bruce

I've got 'don't try this at home' and I love it to death. Tank park Salute is wonderful.

I've been tip-toeing around 'fashionably late'- picking it up and putting it back on the shelf in HMV! Just wasn't sure if Linda would be any good without Richard, might have to proceed to the cash desk next time.

ditto with the vines..

I'll check out your Arvo Part thread.
I am becoming completely fascinated by him.
I'm also particulary fond of his 'cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten' If you've not done already check out John Tavener another 'holy minimalist'. His marvellous 'song for athene' was sung at Diana's funeral (but don't let that put you off!). His 'innocence' album is the best place to start and contains a magical performance of 'the lamb'.

p.s. there's another album that should be on my list: Stina Nordenstam - and she closed her eyes.
Contains the wonderful 'Little Star', amongst others.

cheers

Nick
Posted on: 12 December 2002 by Bruce Woodhouse
Here is the Arvo Part thread.

http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=67019385&f=38019385&m=3741980383

It pleases me enormously that Bragg, Part and the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club can be mentioned, and enthused about, in the same thread.

It was my Birthday yesterday, I took the afternoon off, had a long (cold) run and settled to an evening of musical indulgence. Somehow travelled from Kate Rusby to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan via Jethro Tull, Phillip Glass and Massive Attack. I love these eclectic journeys!

Bruce
Posted on: 12 December 2002 by Chunny Nochubb
Nick Lees - She is the Queen of Barnsley (so says Mike Harding)
Sings beautifully arranged traditional folk songs and ones she's written, that sound trad with her now husband John McCosker? on various guitars and other instruments. She has just released her 4th which I have not heard yet which has zapped into no 1 on which ever chart she appears on. I have the other 3 of which I like them best in reverse order 3,2,1.

I picked up Sunflower by Darden Smith yesterday, a very pleasant if slightly restrained texan folk singer (about the only thing that I have bought recently that my wife might not object to if it was played very, very quietly) and the first Patty Griffin - Living with Ghosts (as per steve catterall's recommendation and that it was £11.50), who on this one was as in your face as you can be with a guitar/voice. I said "CALM DOWN". It is a good thing she has since 1996 otherwise she would not have made it into the new millenium.

CNC
Posted on: 12 December 2002 by Roy T
Nick,
BBC - Radio 3 - Late Junction Playlist and Late Junction Record Label are why Naim tuners, Ron Smith and credit cards exist! You can catch the music on BBC R3 22:15 most weekdays.
Posted on: 12 December 2002 by J.N.
Kate Rusby - Yes, indeed. Beautifully described by 'Q' magazine as a "Vowel mangling songstress".

In no particular order; these are the current spinners:-

John Tams - Home

Jackson Browne - The Naked Ride Home

Gemma Hayes - Night On My Side

Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk

Beth Orton - Daybreaker (Bloody awful 'art work')

Nickel Creek - Eponymous (Not Nickleback!)

Santana - Shaman

Eleanor Mc Evoy - Yola

James Taylor - October Road

Patty Griffin - 1,000 Kisses

Toy Matinee - Special Edition

I get my new discoveries from my circle of Hi-Fi buddies and the Bob Harris show.

Happy listening.

P.S. Why is the new David Gray album such a crap recording, and IMHO no where near as good as 'White Ladder'? I should be grateful that the production isn't as bad as the new Coldplay album (which is great, musically).

It's a fashionable Lo-Fi sound I'm sure and I'm missing the point, but Buddy Holly stuff recorded live in a studio in 1958 murders this rubbish.

Those responsible should be taken out and shot!
Posted on: 18 December 2002 by Malcolm Davey
Chunny, he is her husband/producer etc. Had the good fortune to spend some time chatting with both of them after their Stables outing.

Genuinely funny and infectious (in the best possible taste) pity I was too shattered to listen to Late Junction last night..
Posted on: 19 December 2002 by Bruce Woodhouse
The latest album '10' is getting lots of spins at home. She seems pretty prolific, any others from her back catalogue that stand out which I should explore?

Bruce
Posted on: 19 December 2002 by the other nickc
Bruce
Re: Kate Rusby:

I'm playing her 'Little Lights' album a lot at the moment. There's a song on it called 'my young man' which is absolutely wonderful.

Nick
Posted on: 19 December 2002 by Lo Fi Si
J.N. said

It's a fashionable Lo-Fi sound I'm sure and I'm missing the point, but Buddy Holly stuff recorded live in a studio in 1958 murders this rubbish.

[rant on]
The production on Cold Play’s latest is not what I’d call Lo-Fi, it’s just crap!
A lot of the current(ish) bunch of Lo-Fi exponents (Pavement, Yo La Tengo etc) were influenced by Chris Knox and his TEAC 4 track recordings of NZ guitar bands (the mighty Clean especially). I remember hearing an interview where CK was disgusted by the amount of compression that was needed to get his tapes to cut properly on vinyl. Lo-Fi aint poor production, its just minimal studio faffery.
[rant off]

Simon
Posted on: 19 December 2002 by Chunny Nochubb
Well, Malcom - I have never met her but I've seen her on TV and that's almost the same(?). the first time I ever heard of her was when she appeared on a Cambridge Folk festival 1999(?) highlights program, playing Jolly Ploughboys, solo. which was just brilliant and this is probably what got me back listening to British folk music again after a break of 20 or so years (excluding billy bragg and dick gaughan), but overall i think that her first is not as good as her 2nd - Sleepless, which is not as good as little lights. So far as I remember "my young man" is a soung about her grandfather. my favorite on it is "Who will sing me lullabies"

CNC