Category: Music

Bad Timing, Eureka, Insignificance and other such things

24rd August – From Rome with Love – Another Woody Allen film, and another one that I enjoyed without being totally bowled over by it. There is quite a lot going on, and the multiple narratives can get confusing at times, but it was well acted and directed, and I am certainly glad I watched it. One thing that struck me is that Woody Allen is looking really old (probably because he is), and I was also quite surprised by how much of this film was in Italian, as I wasn’t actually expecting that despite the title.

2nd September – Ab-normal Beauty – I’ve been meaning to watch this for ages, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s visually stunning, with a spellbinding soundtrack, and was obviously made with a lot of love. It’s an 18 rating (and deserves to be), but if you’re not put off by that (or by the fact it’s subtitled) then it is well worth a watch.

2nd September – Bad Timing – Jim O’Rourke’s Bad Timing is one of my all time favourite records, and was inspired by this film (or at least named after it). O’Rourke also named his next two albums after Nicolas Roeg films (Eureka and Insignificance), and I thought it might be interesting to watch all three films back to back (or as it turned out over a three day period) as I’ve recently listened to the albums they inspired. Bad Timing stars Art Garfunkel, and is what I would probably describe as a psychological thriller. It’s fairly non-linear, but does have a strong narrative once you assemble the component parts, and if you can get past some of the dubious 80s fashion sense then it is certainly very watchable. I think this is a film I want to watch more than once, and I have a feeling that repeated viewings may divulge more meaning.

3rd September – Eureka – As with Bad Timing, I know the music inspired by Eureka far better than the film itself. Eureka was actually the first Jim O’Rourke CD I bought (in 1999, when it came out). From Eureka I worked backwards to Bad Timing, and then further back to his more experimental work that probably influenced me more than anything else I currently listen to. Although I was impressed by Bad Timing (the film), I had no such expectations for Eureka, due to the very mainstream casting choices and the fact it was based on a true story that didn’t particularly engage me. The first ten minutes changed my mind, and I really think whoever wrote the blurb and designed the DVD cover for this one should have tapped into the darkness that is definitely present rather than try and sell it as yet another 80s blockbuster. I also think it could have done with some serious editing, as the pacing in the middle is far too slow for my tastes, but then I’ve always said 90 minutes is my perfect film length, and this adds around 35 minutes to that. All in all, it’s a watchable film, but one that I don’t particularly want to watch again any point soon.

4th September – Blood and Chocolate – This film is named after my favourite Elvis Costello record, and is also about werewolves. As such, it was almost certainly going to be disappointing on some level. Blood and Chocolate isn’t a bad film as such, it’s just a film that is not quite sure what it wants to be (specifically it does not know if it wants to be horror or romantic comedy). It’s visually impressive, but once you scratch beneath the surface then there isn’t a great deal of substance until the final half an hour, and I wish that the care and attention that was obviously taken on the locations and sets permeated the rest of the film. I suppose the closest point of reference I have is Hemlock Grove, which I much prefer, and which does a very good job of making the supernatural element subtle and understated. Blood and Chocolate is neither of these things, and as such is far less satisfying.

5th September – Glass : A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts – This is a documentary about Philip Glass. I’m not massively familiar with his music, and as such had no real expectations regarding this film. It’s actually a really interesting snapshot into a creative mind, and it makes me want to check out more of his music now. I also have no idea why I added this to my watch list, but I’m glad that I did, because I really enjoyed it.

5th September – Insignificance – Marilyn Monroe, Joseph McCarthy, Joe DiMaggio, and Albert Einstein walk into a room. By that of course I mean The Actress, The Senator, The Ballplayer, and The Professor walk into a room. And hilarity ensues. Insignificance is the third Nicolas Roeg film to influence a Jim O’Rourke album title. It’s a comedy drama, with characters who look and behave a lot like famous people from 1954. As a premise, it’s fairly original, and it does work on some levels. I suspect I would have got more out of this if I’d known more about the famous people’s lives, but it is still entertaining enough for a lazy Friday night. Talking of which, I should get round to posting this before I leave for London in the morning.

Working to music

I remember writing a blog post ages ago about how I’m one of the few people I know who doesn’t appreciate the presence of music when I’m working. This now isn’t true, and probably hasn’t been true for a year or two. Generally if I’m working (and music is an option), then I’ll listen to one of two playlists. One contains a great deal of post rock and other such things, and very much takes me back 15 years or so when I listened to very little else. There other one is a newer playlist, that is derived from a blog I read called Free Jazz (http://www.freejazzblog.org/). I don’t always find what they are blogging about on Spotify (some of it is fairly obscure), but I’ve built up enough of a playlist to make it worthwhile now, and I’ve found myself listening to it more, especially early in the morning. Both of these playlists contain largely instrumental music, and I find that it is the presence of words, rather than the presence of music, that I find distracting.

I’m sure I’ve linked to the post rock one before, but I thought the other one was worth adding here, just in case anyone is interested.

10 things beginning with K

This is another old post that never quite made it here. It’s probably about 3 years old at least, and is a response to a meme where I had to choose 10 things beginning with the same letter and write about them.

1. Knowledge. I’ve always liked to know things, and to learn as much as I possibly can about any subject which holds my interest. I have quite a few odd specialist knowledges, and I would like to hope that I will never stop learning new things.

2. Kafkaesque. Not only is it a great word, but it also reminds me of the time when I started ready properly, and devoured everything Kafka had ever written in a period of a couple of weeks.

3. Ka. In Ancient Egypt the supposed spiritual part of an individual human being or god, which survived (with the soul) after death and could reside in a statue of the person. This word (and many other words) reminds me of how much obscure Egyptology knowledge I have squirrelled away (despite never actually having studied it formally), and I remember being fascinated by the Egyptian concept of souls as a small child.

4. Kismet. A tricky one to explain, so I’ll go with the dictionary definition first “fate, destiny, fortune, providence, the stars, God’s will, what is written in the stars, one’s doom, one’s portion, one’s lot, one’s lot in life, karma, predestination, pre-ordination, predetermination, what is to come, the writing on the wall; luck, chance“. The idea of fate, destiny, and free will fascinate me, and probably also crop up a fair bit in things I write.

5. Kings and Queens. I was the strange child who learned the names of all the Kings and Queens of England and Scotland and could recite them in order and come up with random facts about each one. I probably still have this knowledge somewhere, but it may have now been replaced with other things.

6. Karma. Ties in with Kismet a little, and is just one of those words I like the sound of.

7. Kurt Wagner – Lead singer of Lambchop, who are a band I’ve liked for many years and always keep coming back to. I love the fact that at the height of their popularity he still worked sanding floors, and he’s always struck me as a totally down to earth bloke who just happens to make very good music.

8. Kid A. My favourite Radiohead album, which takes me back to my early days of working for the University where I had a lot less money but still somehow managed to buy more music and travel more. I like it when a band takes their sound in a new direction and takes their fans with them, and I think this record is a classic example of how to do it well.

9. Knives Don’t Have Your Back. And for my final musical choice, the (as yet) only solo album by Emily Haines of Metric. There are some days where this is the only record that makes sense for reasons I’m not sure I can articulate except to say that it is a thing of beauty.

10. Keys. My keys are one thing I always know the physical location of. They get me into my house and my office, and act as a sort of symbol of having a home, having a job and having responsibilities. I sort of like the idea of biometric keys, but I’m not sure it would be quite the same.

World peace and nostalgia

The new Morrissey album reminds me how much both Morrissey and The Smiths played a huge part in my musical upbringing. The Smiths were probably the first band who meant something to me at school, and while Morrissey has made a few substandard records, the new one is great, and is in fact the 4th consecutive album of his that I’ve loved, which hasn’t happened since The Smiths.

I’ve read two reviews that pretty much say what I want to say. The first is from The Quietus, the second is written by Luke Haines, another singer I’m a big fan of.

48 hours with the Blue Note Records Spotify app

I thought it might be worth documenting the albums I’ve streamed from the Blue Note Spotify app –  (full list of content available here), which is a thing of wonder for discovering 1950s/60s jazz music (and in fact a lot of more modern music as well). My basic plan is to try and alternate between artists I’ve heard of and artists who are new to me, in the hope that I’ll broaden my knowledge of the genre, and maybe uncover a few hidden gems as well. I plan on choosing what to listen to largely by what the album cover looks like, and will probably try and concentrate on music recorded before I was born.

John Coltrane – Blue Train (1957) – This requires no introduction. I’ve heard it before, but it’s been a while, and I wanted to start with the artist who got me interested in jazz in the first place. It didn’t disappoint, and the two bonus tracks are worth a listen, even if you’re familiar with the main album.

Lou Donaldson – Midnight Creeper (1968) – Fairly lightweight commercial jazz, which makes good background music. I’m not sure I’d listen to this over and over again, but I didn’t skip any tracks and it was enjoyable enough.

Ornette Coleman – New York is Now! (1968) – Another artist I really like (with Free Jazz being one of my favourite records in the genre). This is one of two records he released in 1966, and I think I’ll be checking the other one out based on how much I’ve enjoyed this one. In particular, We Now Interrupt you for a Commercial sounds a lot like Free Jazz, and marks a very interesting end to the album.

Cecil Taylor – Conquistador! (1966) – Piano and trumpet jazz from the mid 60s. I know nothing about this artist at all, but might very well check out more as it reminds me a little of some of John Zorn’s more conventional jazz records, which can only be a good thing. Wikipedia tells me that Taylor is still alive at time of writing (he’s currently 85), and that he was one of the pioneers of the Free Jazz movement. There is another album on Blue Note from the same era called Unit Structures which I think I also need to check out as part of this project.

Ornette Coleman – Love Call (1968) – The second half of the session that also spawned New York is Now! It occupies a lot of the same musical territories, without being particularly memorable.

Andrew Hill – Lift Every Voice (1969) – Jazz music with choral accompaniment sounds like a brave choice. And I suppose it is a brave choice. It does really work though, and I can see this being a record I come back to over and over again, and one that I’m surprised I’ve not heard before, because it is the sort of thing that I would imagine was quite critically acclaimed when it was released. The original album contains five tracks, with an additional six recoded a year later that were added to this re-release. There are subtle differences to the sound of the two sets of tracks, but they all work really well, and are well worth a listen.

Cecil Taylor – Unit Structures (1966) – I really enjoyed Conquistador! so I thought I would check out the album that immediately proceeded it. Cecil Taylor only recorded two records for Blue Note, so I’m quite glad I spotted him in my random flick through the album covers, and if this is anything to go by then I might be tempted to check out more of his work. This is experimental, without being atonal, and occupies a similar musical area to Conquistador!

Brother Jack McDuff – Moon Rappin’ (1969) – Another random choice, and one that sounded intriguing if nothing else. It’s quite funky in places, and definitely sounds like something that was recorded as the 60s were starting to die, and with the organ as the lead instrument it also sounds sufficiently different to everything else I’ve listened to.

Herbie Hancock – Speak Like a Child (1968) – I recognise the cover to this one, and I have heard some of Herbie Hancock’s work before, so it’s quite possible I’ve encountered this at some point. It’s quite mellow, but really beautifully played, and is one I’ll definitely come back to again.

Jackie McLean – Demon’s Dance (1967) – Chosen because I like the cover. It’s a pleasant enough record, but not particularly memorable.

Wayne Shorter – The All Seeing Eye (1965) – Another artist I have a vague familiarity with, although I’ve not come across this record before. The All Seeing Eye is one of his earlier works, but one that seemed to garner a fair amount of critical acclaim at the time, and definitely one I’ll come back to.

Grant Green – I Want to Hold Your Hand (1965) – I remember once hearing a muzak version of If You Tolerate This…  in a shopping centre. I think this must be the 60s equivalent. I don’t think I need this in my life.

Andrew Hill – Judgement! (1964) – I’ve enjoyed everything of his that I’ve listened to, so thought I would try more. This sounds a lot like some of John Zorn’s more recent records, with vibraphone very reminiscent of Kenny Wollaston, and it’s a real treat. It also sounds nothing like other Andrew Hill records I’ve heard, which actually makes me want to check out more of his less well known records.

Horace Silver – Live at Newport ’58 (1958) – In my ideal world this is is the sort of record that you can find on vinyl for 50p in a charity shop. Alas, the world is not quite ideal, but at least there is Spotify. Wikipedia tells me that Silver is another still-alive 85 year old, so I imagine there is a lot more of his work out there to sample. This album is recorded live, and the sound quality is outstanding considering it’s over 50 years old. I put it on as background music, but I soon found myself getting drawn in, and if this is what 1950s jazz sounds like then I think I may be heading further back in time for my next foray into the Blue Note back catalogue.

Herbie Hancock – Empyrean Isles (1964) – I enjoyed Speak Like a Child so I thought I’d check out this album from four years previously. If anything, I think I like it even more, and it has a great deal of the sort of energy that I associate with good jazz music. All the tracks are outstanding, and there are a couple of alternate takes as bonus tracks, which are also worth a listen.

Jimmy Smith – The Sermon (1958) – I know nothing about the artist or the record, but the cover looks interesting. This one does sound like it was recorded in the 1950s, and it is interesting to see how much the genre changed between the late 50s and the late 60s. It’s not a bad record, and although it took me a few minutes to get used to the sound, once I did I found it remarkably enjoyable. Looking at eMusic, I can instantly see that the copyright on these recordings has lapsed, as there are four different repackages of the album, three of them identical and one with bonus tracks. Possibly something to check out when I’m trying to blow 3 eMusic credits at the end of a month.

Horace Silver – The Tokyo Blues (1962) – I enjoyed his live album, so thought I would check this out. Again, this is largely chosen because it has the most interesting cover, although I note that the version on eMusic has a different cover, which again suggests it has lapsed out of copyright for being over 50 years old. It should be possible to pick up these older recording for around £2-3 an album, which is certainly pretty good value. That said, a fair few records I’ve written about here are available on CD for around £5, which is also not bad. This is pretty standard 1960s jazz, without much of a nod to the Japanese influence it promises, but it’s certainly listenable enough.

So there you go. Seventeen records, and a long list of artists I now want to know more about. Time to do some research I think.

Factory Girl, Avengers, and potential projects

In my holiday writeup I mentioned I’d watched Factory Girl whilst I was away. As my viewing time is currently largely taken up with the World Cup, I thought I’d better write something about Factory Girl before I forget.

30th May – Factory Girl – Factory girl tells the story of Edie Sedgwick, but also of Andy Warhol, and a mysterious character called “The Musician” (more about him later). It’s a biopic, which as far as I can tell does a fairly good job of portraying the late 60s, and which I certainly found enjoyable enough. I watched this on holiday, and so didn’t do my normal trick of seeing who was in the film, and what else they had been in. When I got to the credits I was a little surprised (in a good way) to see Guy Pearce (as Andy Warhol) and Hayden Christiansen (as “The Musician”) listed, as I’d not recognised either of them (which I always regard as a good thing). I was also not at all surprised to read the disclaimer that whilst this was a biopic, some characters and scenarios might be made up. The character of “The Musician” was very obviously meant to be Bob Dylan, and I think the only think I would change about this film is to soundtrack it with Dylan’s music (and also the music of the Velvet Underground who feature to a lesser extent). It’s a pity Dylan didn’t want his name associated with this film, because it’s actually well worth watching and made me want to tap into his back catalogue again (which I did as soon as I got home). I have no idea how accurate some of the scenes in the film were, but as a story it really works, and it was certainly more thought provoking than the sort of thing I usually watch on holiday.

Which brings me on to…

8th June – Avengers Assemble – A lot has already been said about this film, and I don’t have much to add. It does what is says on the tin, and was a couple of hours of mindless enjoyment on a Sunday afternoon. I suspect I should have watched a few other films in the series before this one, but I’m glad I did it this way round because I now have a better idea of which characters I want to explore further (Captain America, The Hulk) and which ones leave me cold (Iron Man, Thor, pretty much everyone else). I suspect several people I know really love this film, but I also suspect the same people would balk at a lot of films I really value. I don’t see this as a bad thing though, as it’s good to be surrounded by people with diverse tastes as it ensures that I’m exposed to a much wider range of things I may never have discovered otherwise.

I was also toying with a couple more projects this morning. The idea of trying to watch (live or pre-recorded) every single match of the World Cup sort of appeals, as does writing something around the Blue Note channel on Spotify, which has a huge catalogue of old jazz records that I’ve never heard and really want to explore properly at some point. I’ve created Evernote notes for both of these, so something may happen at some point.

My soundtrack for 2014

The following records have pretty much soundtracked my year so far:

James Vincent McMorrow – Post Tropical
Mogwai – Rave Tapes
The New Mendicants – Into the Lime
Dum Dum Girls – Too True
Step Brothers – Lord Steppington
Angel Haze – Dirty Gold
Thee Silver Mt Zion – Fuck off Get Free we Pour Light on Everything
Snowbird – Moon
Xiu Xiu – Angel Guts : Red Class
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – Wig out at Jagbags
Actress – Ghettovillle
Sun Kil Moon – Benji
Marissa Nadler – July

I’ve also found myself listening to my Post Rock Classics playlist a lot over the last couple of weeks. Lots of Mogwai, Tortoise, Caspian, Pelican and other such things. Maybe I am just in the mood for wordless music right now.

Reading habits – January 2014

I should probably write proper reviews of some of these, but for now I will just make a list.

Ken McClure – The Secret
Adrian Barnes – Nod
Anne O’Brien – The Virgin Widow
Donna Tartt – The Goldfinch
Jon Ronson – The Psychopath Test
Scott Stossel – My Age of Anxiety

I also made a Spotify playlist of music released this year, to help me remember what I’ve listened to.

Albums of the year – 2013

This year, as well as a list of albums that I’ve liked and would recommend, I’m also going to try and narrow it down to 10 that are interesting, that I think people really need to hear, and that define 2013 for me.

This is going to be a challenge. And whilst the top three are definitely in an order, I really can’t differentiate between the rest.

The National – Trouble Will Find Me

This record would have been my number one any year since I started keeping detailed stats about what I listen to, and it is number one this year because I’ve listened to it the most, like it the most, and really feel that it soundtracks my year perfectly. Yes, it’s mournful and introspective in places, but it explores emotions that I’ve felt intensely this year, and as such there really isn’t another record that compares. Everyone reading this should listen to all of it, but if I have to pick songs then I’d go with Demons, Heavenfaced and This is the Last Time (as the three that mean the most to me right now). Musically, I’d say it was a grower, but if you’re a sucker for mournful alternative rock with a gorgeous baritone then you can’t go wrong with this, and I’ve generally had pretty good take up with people I’ve foisted it on already.

Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City

If The National represent my introspective side, then Vampire Weekend are the other side of the coin. This is the music I play when I want to feel positive and energised, and it is the record where they take their influences (Talking Heads, Paul Simon) and forge them into something new, unique, and surprisingly modern. This is another grower, and another one where I struggle to pick a favourite song, although if you have to pick three then go for Unbelievers, Diane Young and Everlasting Arms.

Autre Ne Veut – Anxiety

And just when you thought this was going to be a list of American alternative bands, then along comes something totally different. I don’t even know what genre this is, except to say that it’s a stunning vocal performance on top of beautifully minimal instrumentation, and that I can’t listen to it without having to stop and actually listen to it. This is a recommendation from someone who knows my taste very well, and probably represents one of the biggest shifts in my musical listening habits this year. Listen to all of it, and accept that I’m terrible at recommending individual songs.

Moonface – Julia with Blue Jeans On

I wonder if anyone reading this has heard this album. It’s certainly not mainstream, and is could be considered quite musically difficult as it’s just vocal and piano. This speaks to me in much the same way Trouble Will Find Me does, but it is sparser, and more intimate. I’ve heard pretty much every note this man has recorded, and I think this is by far the best collection of songs, and the one that feels like it is telling a definite story. It sounds like there was heartache and heartbreak involved in this record, but it also sounds like the kind of catharsis that allows someone to move on. Definitely a record for 2013.

Ghostpoet – Some Say So I Say Light

I’ve listened to a lot of rap and hip hop this year. I could quite easily talk about one of the superstars like Drake or Jay-Z here, but instead I’m going to pick Ghostpoet, for making a highly accomplished record that manages to avoid sexism, racism, and the kind of lyrics that this genre really needs to move beyond. I listened to this record for the first hour of my working day for weeks, and it takes me back to a time of being very productive in the quiet hours of the morning before descending into a day of stress and chaos. It’s also really thought provoking, and would act as a good introduction to people who are not too familiar with this kind of music.

Julianna Barwick – Nepenthe

This is what I listen to if I want to become as disconnected from the real world as it’s possible to get. I’m not sure how this music is made, or what it means, but it takes wordless vocals and instrumental textures are forges them into something spellbindingly beautiful. It reminds me of a Cocteau Twins record in some ways, but also has even more spaces between the sounds, and it is the sort of record that makes me interested to meet the person who conceived it, because I think she must have seen or otherwise experienced something of otherworldly beauty. The title is also absolutely fitting.

Manic Street Preachers – Rewind the Film

This is a band I never thought would make my top 10 again. I love their earlier stuff, but have not really found a lot to inspire me in what they have released recently. This record is an exception to that, although (as with The National) I suppose they are of my generation, and they sing about things that are relevant to my life, but this time round they do it well enough to warrant a mention. I’m particularly impressed that they have made a largely acoustic record that doesn’t sound acoustic at all, and that there are new ideas here, from a band who have not had many new ideas in the best part of 20 years.

Los Campesinos! – No Blues

Putting this list together is a fairly solitary process, but I do talk to other people over the course of the year. The week before this record was released, I couldn’t find anyone who would disagree with my top 3, although we were all excited that a new Los Campesinos! record was due, as it was likely to shake things up a little. I don’t think it has, although I do like it more with every listen, and I can’t really pass over a record that I listened to pretty much constantly for days. It also makes me feel alive and energised in the same way Vampire Weekend do, but with a definite UK slant to the things they sing about. That is important, right?

Barbarossa – Bloodlines

I know even less about this one that I do about Autre Ne Veut, but it occupies a similar place in my heart. It’s soulful, tuneful, and in some ways quite commercial, but it also taps a deep emotional vein that epitomises this year. I think this is another one most people will not have heard, but it’s definitely worth a listen.

Darren Hayman and the Short Parliament – Bugbears

Another one I’m not sure if anyone will have heard, but one that nicely epitomises my love of folk music, and of songs that tell stories. And yes, it’s the same Darren Hayman who was in Hefner all those years ago, although you wouldn’t know it from this. I’d very much recommend his whole back catalogue, but this is a good enough starting point, and a record I found myself coming back to over and over again in the latter portion of this year. Which is largely why it is last on the list.

But there are plenty of other things I’ve listened to this year that have caught my ear, and the list below is just some of them.

  • Jay-Z – Magna Carta Holy Grail
  • Villagers – {Awayland}
  • Breathe Owl Breathe – Passage of Pegasus
  • Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away
  • John Zorn – The Mysteries
  • Shearwater – Fellow Travelers
  • Tomahawk – Oddfellows
  • Drake – Nothing Was the Same
  • Mark Lanegan – Imitations
  • The Fall – Re-Mit
  • Jesu – Everyday I get Closer to the Light from Which I Came
  • Midlake – Antiphon
  • Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavalle – Perils from the sea
  • British Sea Power – Machineries Of Joy
  • Bill Ryder-Jones – A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart
  • Ed Harcourt – Back Into The Woods
  • Julia Holter – Loud City Song
  • !!! – THR!!!ER
  • Phoenix – Bankrupt!
  • Mark Lanegan – Black Pudding
  • These New Puritans – Field of Reeds
  • Primal Scream – More Light
  • My Bloody Valentine – mbv
  • John Zorn – Dreamachines
  • Blouse – Imperium
  • Mazzy Star – Seasons of Your Day
  • Kanye West – Yeezus
  • Mark Mulcahy – Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You
  • Joseph Arthur – Redemption City
  • Daughter – If You Leave
  • Mark Kozelek & Desertshore – Mark Kozelek & Desertshore
  • Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer – Child Ballads

Albums that will probably make my end of year list

Because I’ve been asked twice now, I thought it was worth posting a preliminary list of things I think might make my end of year list.

If you’ve not heard these, then find them on Spotify or add them to your Christmas wish list.

The National – Trouble Will Find Me
Jay-Z – Magna Carta… Holy Grail
Los Campesinos! – No Blues
Manic Street Preachers – Rewind the Film
Autre Ne Veut – Anxiety
Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
The Indelicates – Diseases of England
Villagers – {Awayland}
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away
Tomahawk – Oddfellows
Mark Lanegan – Imitations
Barbarossa – Bloodlines
Primal Scream – More Light
Drake – Nothing Was the Same
Breathe Owl Breathe – Passage of Pegasus
Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavalle – Perils from the sea
Mark Lanegan – Black Pudding
The Fall – Re-Mit
Editors – The Weight of Your Love
Ed Harcourt – Back Into The Woods
Phoenix – Bankrupt!
Darren Hayman & The Short Parliament – Bugbears
Julianna Barwick – Nepenthe
!!! – THR!!!ER
These New Puritans – Field of Reeds
Julia Holter – Loud City Song
Ghostpoet – Some Say I So I Say Light