(not in any specific order)
ArtScience - Robert Glasper Experiment
Robert Glasper Experiment continue with their mix of contemporary jazz, hip-hop, neo-soul, and pop and for the first time with a release from this ensemble there are no guest vocals The arrangement of Herbie Hancock's "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" and "Find You" are highlights.
Solid State Entity - Petra
Boston's Solid State Entity creates hypnotic minimal post-techno that is haunting and atmospheric. This dark and psychedelic record is filled with complex rhythmic phasing and unsettling textures which distort the listener's sense of time and space.
Boston's Solid State Entity creates hypnotic minimal post-techno that is haunting and atmospheric. This dark and psychedelic record is filled with complex rhythmic phasing and unsettling textures which distort the listener's sense of time and space.
The Wilderness - Explosions in the Sky
Explosions reinvent themselves on this record with mixed results. It favors texture and groove over typical dynamic post-rock builds - and even if it doesn't rank up their with their best records, there's enough here that make it a worthwhile release for EITS fans.
American Football LP 2 - American Football
The emo rockers return with their first album since their debut in 1999. It's a whole lot sadder and not as good as their landmark debut - but there's still some great guitar work and some of the most emo lyrics ever - which make it an entertaining listen, such as on "I've Been Lost for so Long" in which Mike sings as if he's addressing a doctor, "I feel so sick / Doctor, it hurts when I exist / This isn’t the pain I’m usually in / I hope it’s not contagious"...w h o a - it doesn't get much more emo than that.
At first I thought I just didn’t get it - and I listened to it a bunch because I wanted to love it, and I definitely get what he was going for in trying to keep it skeletal and having ideas fall apart before they really have time to develop to support the lyrical themes of existential questioning and create a certain experience for the listener - and I think there are some great moments where everything comes together, but unfortunately sometimes it doesn't work. This is on the honorable mentions list since I appreciate that he is trying something different...but it just isn't as good as it could be. But definitely worth checking out for fans of Bon Iver.
This record actually came out at the end of last year - but came too late for me to digest and include on that list - so figured better late than never. It features one of my favorite and one of the most minimalist Sound Shaman tracks "Voidnoise"
Bes - The Dwarfs of East Agouza
The Dwarfs of East Agouza is a trio from Cairo, Egypt. Their album “Bes” is a double record full of minimal, psychedelic, jammy vibes
Day of the Dead - Various Artists
As you may expect from a 60 track three disks long Grateful Dead tribute album with a wide variety of high profile acts - it's is a really mixed bag with some gems, some really unnecessary stuff, and some clunkers. Some of the The National’s covers on here are pretty uninteresting - and Bryce Dressner’s piece sounds like a shitty imitation of Steve Reich (which is funny since they're the ones who put this compilation together). But the tracks from folks like Sam Amidon, Bonnie Prince Billie, members of Grizzly Bear, as well as some more unexpected artists such as Tim Hecker and Vijay Iyer make this worth checking out for Grateful Dead fans and folks who dig the acts enlisted on here.
Bes - The Dwarfs of East Agouza
The Dwarfs of East Agouza is a trio from Cairo, Egypt. Their album “Bes” is a double record full of minimal, psychedelic, jammy vibes
Day of the Dead - Various Artists
As you may expect from a 60 track three disks long Grateful Dead tribute album with a wide variety of high profile acts - it's is a really mixed bag with some gems, some really unnecessary stuff, and some clunkers. Some of the The National’s covers on here are pretty uninteresting - and Bryce Dressner’s piece sounds like a shitty imitation of Steve Reich (which is funny since they're the ones who put this compilation together). But the tracks from folks like Sam Amidon, Bonnie Prince Billie, members of Grizzly Bear, as well as some more unexpected artists such as Tim Hecker and Vijay Iyer make this worth checking out for Grateful Dead fans and folks who dig the acts enlisted on here.
Young Death / Nightmarket - Burial
Not as good as Burial's last releases - but still solid and worth checking out if you're a fan of his work
All of the music "You're Useless I Love You" is made almost entirely from melodic sample material is derived from taylor swift songs (as well as actual samples from Taylor Swift songs, such as "Love Story") and recorded human voice sounds. It's a cerebral, fun, electronic record that flows together as one composition.
Painting With - Animal Collective
Animal Collective will probably never be as great as they once were - this collection of songs mostly written and sung by Panda is them trying to go for a more stripped down electronic pop sound. Ultimately it's a record that's redundant and unnecessary - but there are some songs on here where what they're going for works and the subtle experiments make for great psychedelic pop songs.
Randoms - Four Tet
There's some gems on this collection of B-sdies from Four Tet
Plays the Music of the Weather Report - Miroslav Vitous
New interpretations on early exploratory Weather Report vibes.
Telefone - Noname
Sleep Cycle - Deakin
Not sure if it was worth the wait, but the debut album from Animal Collective's guitarist Deakin is surprisingly solid.
Rising Grace - Wolfgang Muthspiel Quintet (Wolfgang Muthspiel, Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier, Ambrose Akinmusire, Brian Blade)
Getting Mystic - Listening Woman
Dark Territory - Dave Douglas
Vol. 1: An Unauthorized Presence During Hours Of Darkness - 237
Sélébéyone - Steve Lehman
Blues and Ballads - Brad Mehldau Trio
Plays the Music of Twin Peaks - Xiu Xiu
Ez Minzoku - Foodman
De La Soul were one of the greatest hip-hop groups ever and their first four albums are all classics in the genre. They don't have anything new to offer the world now - and probably won't ever have anything to offer ever again. But they're trying their hardest to do so on this album. They are isolated from the current world of hip-hop - making the features on this not work. They put the decision making into the wrong hands in the production of this album at times which you can see in the documentary about this record. Even though this album does not give anything new to the genre of hip-hop and isn't a great album - there are some really heartfelt songs and enough great moments on this to make it worth a listen to anyone who was a huge fan of their work in the 80s and 90s.
The Constant (Jim Black)
Stage Four - Touché Amoré
Side Pony - Lake Street Dive
My Woman - Angel Olson
Dance - Gutbucket
Splendor & Misery - Clipping
Teens Of Denial - Car Seat Headrest
When You Wish Upon a Star - Bill Frisell
The Deer's Cry: William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, Arvo Pärt - Sixteen
Emily's D+Evolution - Esperanza Spalding
Cistern - Jherek Bischoff
Mangy Love - Cass McCombs
A Sailor's Guide To Earth - Sturgil Simpson
Puberty 2 - Mitski
Goodness - The Hotelier
blackSUMMERS'night - Maxwell
I Had A Dream That You Were Mine - Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam
Black Terry Cat - Xenia Rubinos
Varmints - Anna Meredith
Patch the Sky - Bob Mould
Freetown Sound - Blood Orange
Nonagon Infinity - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Potential - The Range
Nearness - Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau
Mark Kozeleck Sings Favorites - Mark Kozeleck
ATOMIC - Mogwai
Country for Old Men - John Scofield
(I promise the music is better than the title of this one)
Abbath - Abbath
Dissociation - Dillenger Escape Plan
Worry - Jeff Rosenstock
Impossible Kid - Aesop Rock
Between Waves - Album Leaf
A Mineral Love - Bibio
James Blake – The Colour In Anything
Shapeshifter - IAN SWEET
Cass McCombs – Mangy Love
Kamaiyah – A Good Night In The Ghetto
ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP
Mitski – Puberty 2
Subtle Creature - Shira
In Movement - Jack DeJohnette / Ravi Coltrane / Matthew Garrison
Ponta Delgada - Skinny Bones
Post-Pop Depression - Iggy Pop
SPLIT / PROP004 - Paralycyst / Sun Rad
'Agua' Split / PROP003 - My Brother Daniel / Sun Rad
Entropía - I Can Chase Dragons
Grow the World You're Dreaming Of - Hannah Christianson
Honor Killed the Samurai - Ka
Timberdoodle EP - Woody
Gore - Deftones
Ritual Spirit - Massive Attack
Creatures - Sound the Call
Part 1- Yairms
Love Shapes - Matt Bachman
Salt - Matt Bachman
Bodies Touching, Holding Hands - Pachanga
Midwest Farmer's Daughter - Margo Prince
Prima Doma - Vince Staples
Malibu - Anderson .Paak
Anti - Rihanna
The Dreaming Room - Laura Mvula
Fires Within Fires - Neurosis
Adore Life - Savages
Guidance - Russian Circles
Stranger Things, Volume One and Two - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
Schmilco - Wilco
We Are KING - KING
Heavn - Jamila Woods
Still Brazy - YG
Numbers (four selections) - James Discovers
4 Hour Body - Causings
Piano Songs - Joss
Ears - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
Day Breaks - Norah Jones
Wishing By the Well - Oliver Jacobson
Hardwired… to Self-Destruct - Metallica
-back to the early 90s Metallica vibes - a few flops - but better than they’ve been for a good while
Awaken, My Love! - Childish Gambino
Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight - Travis Scott
I also made this record with Sound Shaman:
Serenity - Mike Sim / Sound Shaman
Anti - Rihanna
The Dreaming Room - Laura Mvula
Fires Within Fires - Neurosis
Adore Life - Savages
Guidance - Russian Circles
Stranger Things, Volume One and Two - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
Schmilco - Wilco
We Are KING - KING
Heavn - Jamila Woods
Still Brazy - YG
Numbers (four selections) - James Discovers
4 Hour Body - Causings
Piano Songs - Joss
Ears - Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
Day Breaks - Norah Jones
Wishing By the Well - Oliver Jacobson
Hardwired… to Self-Destruct - Metallica
-back to the early 90s Metallica vibes - a few flops - but better than they’ve been for a good while
Awaken, My Love! - Childish Gambino
Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight - Travis Scott
I also made this record with Sound Shaman:
Serenity - Mike Sim / Sound Shaman
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