Originally posted by anbc: It feels like ages ago since I first listened to Balmorhea's Rivers Arms.
I don't know what gave me the urge to listen to this album again, but I did, and I remembered why I was considering this to be one of the best records of the year again. (Albeit, this thought came to me after only a month or two into the year when there weren't many good albums out there.)
A great post-rock instrumental band and a very beautiful/comforting album.
Hmm, I've never heard of them. I like the sound of your description though. Sort of a Explosions in the Sky circa The Earth is Not A Cold Dead Place maybe?
They use almost all acoustic instruments. Piano, acoustic (mainly) + electric guitars, banjos, strings. It's not rock, it's folky, jazzy...classical...alternative post-rock I guess. (I'm not great at describing sounds of bands very well.)
I'm going to go ahead and recommend the new Mogwai (there's mention above). I haven't really heard too much in the way of good post-rock this year, so this is doing it for me right now.
It basically sounds like Mogwai... Surpise?
I finally got the Clutchy Hopkins album (don't know why it took so long), and now am wondering "Who is Clutchy Hopkins?" Some claim it's DJ Shadow, some think it's RJD2, and still other believe it's the great MF Doom. Either way, it's great.
Also, i've been going back to earlier albums of the year, and i realized the Magnetic Fields' "Distortion" is their best album in nearly 10 years. It's good, somehow keeping me interested regardless of the fact that it's an admitted ape of JAMC.
Also, Women's Self-Titled gets the debut album of the year award. Just wait until it gets more press (via the Jagjaguwar release coming up) and people will salivate over it. It's that good... I'm sure others have mentioned that.
And Skeletal Lamping is pretty good to me right now.
Posts: 460 | Location: California | Registered: 06 March 2008
Originally posted by CleverName84: I'm going to go ahead and recommend the new Mogwai (there's mention above). I haven't really heard too much in the way of good post-rock this year, so this is doing it for me right now.
I didn't care for the Batcat EP (though the title track wasn't bad). I'm hoping the album is a lot better.
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Posts: 4167 | Location: NE Indiana | Registered: 14 April 2005
Originally posted by CleverName84: I'm going to go ahead and recommend the new Mogwai (there's mention above). I haven't really heard too much in the way of good post-rock this year, so this is doing it for me right now.
I didn't care for the Batcat EP (though the title track wasn't bad). I'm hoping the album is a lot better.
Neither did I since it's really mediocre, and I'm a really big Mogwai fan, but this album is imo their best and most consistent since Young Team after I listened to it around 7 times.
Originally posted by RavingLunatic: [QUOTE]Originally posted by CleverName84: I'm going to go ahead and recommend the new Mogwai (there's mention above). I haven't really heard too much in the way of good post-rock this year, so this is doing it for me right now.[/QUOT
I didn't care for the Batcat EP (though the title track wasn't bad). I'm hoping the album is a lot better.
Neither did I since it's really mediocre, and I'm a really big Mogwai fan, but this album is imo their best and most consistent since Young Team after I listened to it around 7 times.
Thanks. It had been happily on my "buy the day of release" list for a long time, but I was worried about everyone's disapointment. Just one good recommendation is enough to put it back on my list though.
Oh. I have to say though. I still really hate, the album name, the cover art, and every one of the track titles. It's embarrassing, like watching a group of grown men roll around laughing at their own inside joke that really doesn't seem possible of being funny.
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2008 has now produced an album that I think will join my list of all-time favourites. Limbo, Panto the debut album from English group Wild Beasts is just phenomenal. Those of you who follow drownedinsound will have seen them featured quite regularly on that site.
The vocals on this album will certainly divide people into love/hate camps. Imagine interesting guitar indie-pop with theatrical falsetto/baritone vocals.
I can't recommend this album highly enough.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Thisheregiraffe,
Posts: 66 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 17 September 2006
Originally posted by Thisheregiraffe: It took a while but..
2008 has now produced an album that I think will join my list of all-time favourites
This is better than London Zoo, Fleet Foxes, For Emma, Forever Ago, Third, Microcastles, Women, New Amerykah, In Ghost Colours, and The Hills OST? If so, it should appeal to the folks from the Avant-Garde thread.
Originally posted by goathouse's enlarging prostate:
quote:
Originally posted by Thisheregiraffe: It took a while but..
2008 has now produced an album that I think will join my list of all-time favourites
This is better than London Zoo, Fleet Foxes, For Emma, Forever Ago, Third, Microcastles, Women, New Amerykah, In Ghost Colours, and The Hills OST? If so, it should appeal to the folks from the Avant-Garde thread.
Well I really like several of those albums you listed (particularly fleet foxes and microcastle) but in my opinion Wild Beasts' Limbo, Panto is above and beyond any of them. And it's not avant-garde by any stretch.
Posts: 66 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 17 September 2006
Originally posted by goathouse's enlarging prostate:
quote:
Originally posted by Thisheregiraffe: It took a while but..
2008 has now produced an album that I think will join my list of all-time favourites
This is better than London Zoo, Fleet Foxes, For Emma, Forever Ago, Third, Microcastles, Women, New Amerykah, In Ghost Colours, and The Hills OST? If so, it should appeal to the folks from the Avant-Garde thread.
Well I really like several of those albums you listed (particularly fleet foxes and microcastle) but in my opinion Wild Beasts' Limbo, Panto is above and beyond any of them. And it's not avant-garde by any stretch.
I don't know man. Sounds like they are doing quite a bit of experimenting. I could see someone being justified in saying it has Avant-garde tendencies. I liked "the Devil's Crayon", but the other song I heard was "Woebegone Wanderer" and it made my stomach churn a little. Maybe it is his vocal style, but I think I can handle quite a bit in that area, so it's probably a combination of things.
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Originally posted by goathouse's enlarging prostate:
quote:
Originally posted by Thisheregiraffe: It took a while but..
2008 has now produced an album that I think will join my list of all-time favourites
This is better than London Zoo, Fleet Foxes, For Emma, Forever Ago, Third, Microcastles, Women, New Amerykah, In Ghost Colours, and The Hills OST? If so, it should appeal to the folks from the Avant-Garde thread.
Well I really like several of those albums you listed (particularly fleet foxes and microcastle) but in my opinion Wild Beasts' Limbo, Panto is above and beyond any of them. And it's not avant-garde by any stretch.
I don't know man. Sounds like they are doing quite a bit of experimenting. I could see someone being justified in saying it has Avant-garde tendencies. I liked "the Devil's Crayon", but the other song I heard was "Woebegone Wanderer" and it made my stomach churn a little. Maybe it is his vocal style, but I think I can handle quite a bit in that area, so it's probably a combination of things.
Okay, I can concede that you could possibly classify Wild Beasts as "avant-pop", but it's still got that pop.
Interesting that the two songs you picked out are sung by two different singers. "The Devil's Crayon" is sung by the one with the baritone and "Woebegone Warrior" is sung by the one with the falsetto. I'd recommend listening to more of the album because "Woebegone Warrior" is probably the most "stomach-churning" song.
Even though Wild Beasts don't really sound like Wolf Parade their album brings to my mind that band for some reason. Could be because it's a debut by a band with two vocalists and they sing and yell like they really mean it.
Posts: 66 | Location: New Zealand | Registered: 17 September 2006
Due to your persistence, I'll give it another chance. After posting my last response I listened to "Woebegone Warrior" again, only on headphones, and I was able to get through it without any trouble, and could see some promise in what they were doing.
I'm scared of actually liking it though, since I could only order it on Amazon as an import for 32 dolalrs...
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Originally posted by Shadrach: I'm scared of actually liking it though, since I could only order it on Amazon as an import for 32 dolalrs...
No, here's what you do - go back to amazon and search for your album, then click on the used & new link. Then see what third party sellers are offering the CD. I just looked this one up to prove my point; right now you can get it from 2 different sellers for $15.03 plus shipping (and Caiman is extremely reliable, I've bought from them before). It's completely safe because Amazon is charging your credit card and then paying the seller - your info never goes to the seller.
I always do this for imports - well, first I check iTunes, then I see if there's a U.S. release scheduled, then if I'm having no luck with all that, I'll buy if it's a) under $20 with shipping included and b) I'm skeptical of a U.S. release anytime soon if ever.
I just did this with Karine Polwart's Scribbled in Chalk and got it this week. Unfortunately her others are rather expensive even from the third party sellers, but I got that one for $13. The rest are available on iTunes.
So speaking of Karine Polwart (and back to best records of 2008), This Earthly Spell is really great. And so are all four Jon Foreman EPs: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. And what's really cool is that the packaging allows you to put all 4 together as a boxed set. Not gonna lie, I found out about both artists I think in this very thread (and probably from Raving Lunatic) but wanted to promote them again nonetheless.
_______________________ I was born to laugh I learned to laugh through my tears
Posts: 246 | Location: Virginia | Registered: 14 August 2006
Originally posted by Shadrach: I'm scared of actually liking it though, since I could only order it on Amazon as an import for 32 dolalrs...
No, here's what you do - go back to amazon and search for your album, then click on the used & new link. Then see what third party sellers are offering the CD. I just looked this one up to prove my point; right now you can get it from 2 different sellers for $15.03 plus shipping (and Caiman is extremely reliable, I've bought from them before). It's completely safe because Amazon is charging your credit card and then paying the seller - your info never goes to the seller.
I always do this for imports - well, first I check iTunes, then I see if there's a U.S. release scheduled, then if I'm having no luck with all that, I'll buy if it's a) under $20 with shipping included and b) I'm skeptical of a U.S. release anytime soon if ever.
Cool! Thanks for the tip.
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