My Records of the year...

Sorry for typos...ipad scks 

Some interesting recordings there that I have not yet heard - will try them out - thanks. I have the Julie Byrne....

Ralf, thank you for sharing these.

1. Jamie Saft: loneliness road (can‘t stop spinning this, best Jazz trio recording- Not a single boring note imho)

Outstanding recording with an exceptional band - picked this up on Qobuz for £7.99. Although, I have to say the decision to bring Iggy Pop in on vocals on three of the track was just completely wrong and I really love Iggy - Raw Power is up there with the great albums of all time. 

2. Matthew Halsall: when the world was gone (2016?- it‘s like a musical flood, diving into...)

Beautiful album - sourced it on Boomkat for £6.99 

3. Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunk: Bach H-Moll Messe (download, it sounds great too)

I'm sure this is awesome but alas, not my bag.

4. Pegido: greetings from Amarillo (tip from audiostream, great guitar transformiert me in the planes...)

Interesting but I have binged too much this year on Steve Gunn, Daniel Backman and William Tyler.

5. The Still: the Still (bronze rat recording, Vinyl, guess this is hard to find but worth it)

Another bargain on Qobuz at £5.59 and a plus as Bronzerat on Qobuz have a Gemma Ray album Down Baby Down which somehow slipped through my net.

6. Aldous Harding: Party (strange and beautiful recording....dont watch the video called Blend :–) 

Already had this wonderful follow-up to her debut album.

7. Julie Byrne: Not Even happiness (took me 5sec to buy the record)

This was on my radar, so thanks for jogging my memory - agree 5 seconds and it's a buy. Some nice stuff of her's on Bandcamp which is worth checking out.

So out of your 7 recommendations:-

4 buys (Jamie Saft, Matthew Halsall, The Still, Julie Byne) for an outlay of around £25

1 not my genre (Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunk)

1 a possibility on further listening (Hayden Pegido) 

1 purchased on release (Aldous Harding)

Thanks again,

Andy

wow - good catch for that money....must say I paid much more:-) but glad you like it as well !

Grateful Dead: Cornell 1977

Tommy Smith: Embodying the Light

Thelonious Monk: Liaisons Dangereuse

IF Music Presents You Need This: An Introduction To Black Saint & Soul Note (1975 to 1985) Compiled By Jean-Claude

Bill Evans: On A Monday Evening

Jack DeJohnette: Hudson

Denys Baptiste: Late Trane

Shabaka: Wisdom of Elders

Are we talking music we have played most this year or specifically 2017 releases?

Take it as you like:-) I‘m not a teacher... so what was your favorite spin?or most played record?

A little cliche maybe but 

Roger Waters & Leonard Cohen would be up there for me

Gary

Okay - of this years releases I've listened constantly to Life, Love, Flesh, Blood by Imelda May.  Compelling record.

Historically on vinyl i've been exploring Stan Getz and Charles Mingus. 

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Okay - of this years releases I've listened constantly to Life, Love, Flesh, Blood by Imelda May.  Compelling record.

Superb album - a reminder for me to stick it on my playlist for a listen tonight. 

My 2 most played albums this year are:

Aldous Harding - Party:  This is a wonderful album and highly addictive 

Courtney Marie Andrews - Honest Life: A superb country album

Another album that has been getting regular plays is the new one from Cara Dillon - Wanderer:  yet another wonderful record from the Irish folk singer.

Will do it in bits and pieces in no particular order

More to follow

I was hanging on before posting my best of the year in the hope that December might throw out something brilliant because it has been a mediocre year for new music I think. Albums that were good but not brilliant. Few disappointments (Alt-J for example)

Here's my top 5 new albums (not re-issues) in no particular order.

London Grammar: Truth is a Beautiful Thing. Took a while for it to grow on me, but the extended edition with demos sealed it. Possibly most played of the year.

Joan Shelley (eponymous). Lovely lyrical and delicate country folk album. Produced by Jeff Tweedy.

Iron + Wine: Beast Epic. A decent return to form and also a simpler style to his last few, but Our Endless Numbered Days remains the top of his output for me.

Slowdive: Slowdive. Not a band I had encountered before but I really liked this, and it also opened up a bit of an exploration of their back catalogue and the shoe-gaze genre. Ended up buying My Bloody Valentine as a result so must have been a good thing. The Cigarettes After Sex album is in a similar vein to Slowdive and is pretty good. Daft name though.

Public Service Broadcasting: Every Valley. Generally good. Love the welsh choir in the final track-proper tingle factor.

Hope someone can find something in this they can enjoy

Bruce

Live at Pompeii for me. A lovely event beautifully recorded.

Stu

I bought 37 CDs in 2017, only four of them were released this year. One was an ECM dud and the two worth mentioning are:

Um. So far I've bought 129 albums that were first released this year (which I'm taking as my criteria as otherwise I'd just give up). I've whittled that down to a short (!) list of 37 (one per artist, and some cruel exclusions), which I'll work into a readable list with a breakdown by genre and a couple of words to give guidance and hopefully links/videos where available.

I may be some time.

2017 - Part One (Part Two or Three, as this took me forever, another day)

Excuse the categories, it's a personal view and a rough guide. Videos and Bandcamp links where available.

Pop

Saint Etienne - Home Counties

Anyone familiar with any of their albums will find themselves at home here. Gentle melodic pop that takes you back to 1994.

 Dreadzone - Dread Times

Poppier, in a roots way, than their more dub/house style on the 90’s this is a terrific album full of bouncy tunes. They tour regularly and never fail to reduce the venue to a pulsating heap.

Psych

62 Miles From Space – Time Shifts E.P.

Languid pop-psych 1967-style

Bandcamp Link

Cobalt Chapel - Cobalt Chapel

One half (the not-so-good-looking half) is Jarod from I Monster, Regal Worm etc. The music is very much in the if-you-like-Broadcast camp. One of the contenders for my top album of the year.

Bandcamp Link

Heron Oblivion - The Chapel

Pretty much the studio album from last year played live, with the addition of two other numbers. But that doesn’t do this justice. The twin guitars show their true wildness here, eve if Meg’s voice is straining a bit to keep up the intensity (she’s wonderful, but no Grace Slick in that way).

Bandcamp Link

Jane Weaver - Modern Kosmology

This could equally be in the pop section though it shows both psych and bits of krautrock roots.

Bandcamp Link

Eat lights Become lights - Nature Reserve

Krautrock from the Moon Duo/Silver Apples end of things. They’re all dead good and this one’s as strong as the rest.

Bandcamp Link

Berlin Electronica

Arcane - Live @ E-day 2017

Arcane (aka Paul Lawler) tends to specialise in Schmoelling-era Tangerine Dream sounds (with a touch of Jean-Michel Jarre) – i.e. a mixture of sequencing and tunes – frequently the big ones that were a feature of Poland, Exit et al. This is a live concert and covers several of his old and new stuff.

Bandcamp Link

Michael Brückner - Trees Of Olivandá

Another tuneful Tangerine Dream- inspired album. Lots of lovely synth sounds throughout! This is an album teaser:

Bandcamp Link

Perge – Catharsis

This Perge album purports to be a live recording from their 1977 American tour. Of course, with all things Perge it’s nothing of the sort and is in fact a modern studio tribute to Tangerine Dream’s Encore tour of that date. Doesn’t stop it from being just perfect though! Another trailer:

Bandcamp Link

Pyramid Peak – Roots

Atmospheric (with sequencers, of course)

Bandcamp Link

Syn - fauni-genus

No videos for this, but if you liked Tangerine Dream’s Atem and/or Edger Froese’s Epsilon In Malaysian Pale then you’ll love this – no sequencing, just washes. Perfect late night music.

Bandcamp Link

Electronica/Chill

Siddhartha Barnhoorn - Tears in the Rain

Neon Vandal - Tears In The Rain: Music From The Motion Picture

These two need to be considered as an item, as they are both contributing soundtracks to the fan-made sequel short to the original Blade Runner film, Tears In The Rain. There’s no hiding from (and no shame in that) the fact that they channel Vangelis’s score directly – and they’d sit very well as an extra additional disk to the Anniversary set.

Bandcamp Link

Bandcamp Link

Jon Brooks – Autres Directions

(Aka The Advisory Circle, King Of Woolworths) makes electronic music that’s reminiscent of Biosphere and other more abstract, beatless musicians. This is a travelogue of a journey to France and back. If you like this then check out Agri Montana (Bandcamp Link).

Bandcamp Link

The Irresistible Force - Kira Kira

Chill like it’s 1998 with Mixmaster Morris, thanks to Tobyjug!

Bandcamp Link

Moon Wiring Club - Tantalising Mews

Hauntology. Creepy samples, with creepy music. To be played late at night with little or no lighting. Best listening position: behind the sofa. He’s been at it now for 10 years and they tend to come out at around Christmas. This year it’s a double CD (and there’s also a new LP – Cateared Choclatiers which is damned fine too) and it’s possibly his best.

Website Link

There’s a Bandcamp site but the latest stuff isn’t there yet:

Bandcamp Link

Roedelius, Chaplin & Heath - Triptych in Blue

Lovely, quiet afternoon music, mixing electronics with acoustic instruments. And yes, it's that Roedelius.

Bandcamp Link

Pauline Anna Strom - Trans-Millenia Music

This a collection of her work from the mid-eighties. Classic Hearts Of Space type space music. A double CD and all excellent.

Bandcamp Link

Com Truise – Iteration

Modern electronica with a strong Vangelis (to my ears) influence. Warning: the video’s a bit disturbing.

Bandcamp Link

Carbon Based Lifeforms – Derelicts

Swedish chill, formerly of Ultimae Records fame.

Bandcamp Link

Forest Swords – Compassion

It’s modern electronica, but vaguely unclassifiable. Whilst the video is reminiscent of Massive Attack, this doesn’t necessarily apply across the album. But there’s something really gripping about the whole thing. Another contender for my album of the year.

Bandcamp Link

wow Gary! Excellent stuff!

ralf

gary

Thanks so much. I'm sure I can find something good here

Gary Shaw posted:

2017 - Part One (Part Two or Three, as this took me forever, another day)

Gary - considered, informative and interesting (WHY might anyone be interested?).

I wish similar purpose could be shown in the "What are you listening to .... ) thread.

Although: I am a fan of the uncaptioned, untitled cover art - especially when that art is also artfully anonymous. A quantum package of information that approaches zero magnitude.