Winstonsdad Albums of the year 2021

I have the last few years shared my favorite albums of the last 12 months in no particular order here they are-

Big green Field – Squid

A mad mix of New wave, krautrock, and post-punk it is a crazy mix of sources that is one of the most original records of the year I first heard them on my favorite radio show, Marc Riley he has turned my to so many good bands in recent years

Cavalcade – Black Midi

Another album rooted in post-punk and her with a chunk of industrial sound songs of cult leaders and Marlene dietrich the second album is maybe less frenzied than their debut was and an easier listen to the listener. As it was recorded with less ad hoc ness than the debut.

Eps – Cranes

A collection of their EP from the shoegazing band Cranes was one of the shoegazing bands collection of Eps was one of this year record store day offerings I had seen them years ago and brought the first album at the time the late 80s but hadn’t heard anything for years this was a trip down memory lane with Alison Shaw’s childlike voice and a heavy mix of guitars behind her.

A common term Anna B Savage

I love her voice it reminds me of Nico at her best her album is maybe the one I have played most this year

Henki – Richard Dawson and Circle

The Newcastle-based singer-songwriter joined with Finnish death metal band Circle for a series of songs with flowers as their titles but the songs are about various subjects like Lily a tribute to his mother a nurse.

Nick Cave – B sides and Carnage

Two albums this year the first a lockdown collection with Waren Ellis stripped bare recorded over lockdown one of his best records for years we also got the second series of b sides and other projects I brought the first collection and this maybe isn’t as good as the first selection but some lost gems here.

Blind Date Party – Bill Callahan and Bonnie Prince billy

Two of the greats of the alternative country scene  team up for a covers album record in lockdown with a various guests I love the cover of Sea song they do one of my favorite Robert Wyatt tracks

Badgers of Wymeswold – The surfing Magazines

An indie supergroup of members of Slow Club and Wave pictures another Riley discovery Ten days of shiver and sports bar were played lots by Marc Riley both very catchy songs

Barn – Neil Young

His latest album 41st album is his best in years mellow in parts it harks back to his classic albums.

Spencer Cullum’s coin collection – Spencer Cullum

The Nashville based London artist is another gem from Riley something that echos back to the 70s in this collection of songs  a modern take on Psyche pop an album that is underrated and worth listening to if you haven’t

An Album I also listen to was Martin Stephenson and the Dainteess who rerecord their This boys heart Album He has a few albums on Spotify but this isn’t there Martin has been around for years and is one of my favorite singers so this new recording which saw the album tracks rearranged and rerecorded was a gem to play alongside the original record so that is my dozen records what were your tunes of the year?

Winstonsdad top albums of the year

I spent this year buying more vinyl than other years a lot of the record store day records and a lot off either the record fair or monthly record fair so it was a mix of old and new but I have chosen 8 new albums from the last year and two reissues. They may be all fall under the rock indie umbrella.

SO in no particular order

1 . Tom Sanders – Only Magic a member of the various bands over recent years this came out late last year and got a lot of airplay on the Marc Riley show subtle acoustic songs haunting at times.

2. Porridge Radio Every Bad – I was reminded of riot girl and early punk bands with female singers with this band something unique ion the singers voice and almost a child-like wonder to the sings.

3 Robert Forester Danger in the past – One of the two reissues on the list this was his debut solo album from thirty years ago in fact last year his last release made the list. This features Nick cave backing band as the band. I missed this years ago which was a shame he is a singer I really love.

4. Pale Saints – The comfort of Madness – I think I mentioned this as an album when I was young I loved so when the reissue of this shoegazing classic came out on vinyl I had to get it the bonus of a Japanese only release issued for the first time in the UK it made a bonus year for this under known band from the shoegazing era.

5. Bob Dylan – Rough and rowdy ways – Well this is album … from a singer that has been around for over fifty years how can he still make great songs well the track Murder Most foul an epic song about JFK is maybe his best song since blood on tracks era Dylan.

6 Fontaines DC  –  A hero’S Death another band that feature last year this was their second album a bit more polished but still full of punk joy and Irish wit at times this is a band that could be huge or if they take it carefully the best regard band if recent times.

7. Destroyer  – Have We Met – Well when Dan Bejar said he had watched Wim Wenders films when making this album I had to get it a mix of indie and jazz like his other albums it is uniquely him a voice rich and dark at times.

8. BC Camplight – Shortly after takeoff another one I found via Marc Riley he has been around for a number of years this is his latest album the last of a trilogy of records he has made in recent years.

9. Bill Calahan – Gold – The former smog lead singer is another singer I came late to maybe ten years ago but this album is him at his best bittersweet songs Especially the track I pick here a story of a lost son.

10. Nick Cave – Idiot Prayer – simply stunning this solo reworking of his songs one of two records near the end of the year from him the other the litanies he wrote for a Belgium composer sung by various singers.

That is what I choose today it may change the been so many great reissues like the vinyl version of Cale/Reed’s songs for drella, the lockdown songs coming from Jeffrey lewis that Marc Riley had played. What have been your favorite records of 2020 what was you lockdown companions?

 

 

winstons music

It has been a while since I did a post about what I am listening to at Winston’s towers. A big thanks to the guys that suggested the Orville peck album after my records of the year. First of is a female lead punk, the post-punk band I caught this a couple of times on BBC six music I usually capture a bit of Marc Riley’s show his shows last year brought me a lot of new music. Anyway, the band called Porridge radio the four members of the band were all involved in bands in and around Brighton this is the lead single from there second album sweet it has a hint of something and I just can’t put my finger on it at the mo. But it is a great mix of slow then fast music with a singer with an engaging voice and clever line in lyrics.

 

Then I went back with the release of the 30th anniversary of the Pale saints Debut Album. Which I have brought on a double vinyl rerelease of the Leeds based shoegazing group they were never big stars but for me, this album was on I played and played as I an 18-year-old and staying in the East Neuk of fife at my gran’s on my walkman as I had the original album on tape I was always and still am a fan of Vaughn Oliver’s artwork for $ad like Factory’s peter Savile made 4ad records stand out. He sadly passed away earlier this year. This is a wonderful mix of a sonic wall of guitars and those mumbling shoegazing vocals. still haunting and evokes memories of a summer many years ago which is what some of the best music does, isn’t it.

Then another lead single from a forthcoming album and it is off to Destroyers new album I have been a fan of this Candian group for a few years now they have a unique singer in Dan Bejar and this has again a stream of consciousness set of lyrics he said were evoked by Korean horror films80’s movies like Pretty in pink and the five-hour version of Until the end of the world (Wim Wender woefully underrated world road movie) I have yet see this version I have the three version. Crimson tide is a song that just draws you in like a lot of his music.

Lastly another bit of nostalgia I love our flea market I think I have mentioned the books I get from there but there is a couple of record stall selling vinyl which I have been looking and getting some records to fill a number of gaps I had in the past well as I can afford when I see 40 or 50 pounds for some lps I think it isn’t worth it so it is smaller leftfield choice I pick this week was the third album from the Irish band Microdisney I was always a fan of The main singer Cathal Coughlan second band Fatima Mansions well I decided it was time to listen to his first band again I did have the tapes of a couple of other albums by them in the day on tape but I have long since got rid of most if not all my tapes there is a same political conviction behind the lyrics. One of the greatly missed bands of the eighties.

What new and old has been on your stereo or phone this new year? What reissues have you brought recently?

 

 

 

That was the month that was Novemeber 2019

1. Air raid by Alexander Kluge
2. Concrete by Thomas Bernhard
3. An answer from the silence by Max Frisch
4. The Pledge by Frederich Durrenmatt
5. Homage to Czerny by Gert Jonke
6. The trap by Ludovic Bruckstein
7. All my cats by Bohumil Hrabal
8. And where were you, Adam by Heinrich Boll
9. The Cold Centre by Inka Parei
10. Stand in Companion by Kazufumi Shiraishi

I managed to review ten books last month seven for this year’s German lit month I had hoped to get the Eighth life finished ut time was against me so that be coming later this week hopefully. Last month took me from the effect on one town of an air raid in world war two through a writer suffering writer’s block and hating Viennese life, then a man finding himself in the Alps a cop gets his man that wasn’t the man he thought it was in the start. Then a pair of siblings recreate a party from a year earlier then we visit a town where we see the war creeping in on the Jewish families there. A man suffers from two many cats a german soldiers at the end of the war see the horrors they have committed and the wrongs they have done then a man rushes to his ex-wife and a past event in East Germany and then I left Europe for a short novella from Japan about androids standing in for our partners. Where did your reading take you last month?

Book of the month

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I popped for Air raid it was a close month reading-wise by Alexander Kluge had been on my list of writers to read in the last few years. This textured account of his home town and the after math of an air raid that was only caused when the original target was canceled and the bombs dropped on Halberstadt a town now famous for doing the longest piece of music in the world John Cages As slow as possible is currently being performed in the organ at Halberstadt for the next 600 years . A fact I discovered after reading this book and looking up info on his hometown.

Non book events

Well this year is the first in many I have to listen to a lot of new bands and this month it has been a new album by the  Canadian experimental band Deliluh they remind me a little  of the post-rock group  slint  with there often spoken-word lyrics and slow melodic guitars and then more noise-based guitar anyway here is a track from youtube of there new album.

Then a film from the  BYnwr website Murder in Mississippi  described as Torn-from-the-headlines exploitation or daring social commentary? Joseph P. Mawra’s film is a little of both, using the true story of the killing of civil rights workers in the American deep South as a gritty springboard for another ultra-low-budget entry from the director of Chained Girls. on MUbi where I watched it a take on the south in the 60s restored from the last 35mm film of it. A film worth watching as a low budget gem of the time. Nicholas Winding Refn love of old rare and forgotten gems has led to his website reshowing the gems He and his guest editors have found and restored.

My top ten albums 2017

I’m at work the today and tomorrow so I wrote this as a short post about my albums of the years

There is a Spotify playlist Here in no order are the ten Albums

1. Goths by The mountain goats- I have been a fan of this band for about 15 years since there album on 4ad. A quirky album here remembering the goth bands of the eighties this track is about the sisters of mercy lead singer going back to his hometown.
2. A crow looked at me by Mount eerie – A new band to me I was touched as this is a lament to his late wife and has some of the most touching lyrics I have ever heard.
3. Pure comedy by Father John Misty – This album has been one of my all time favourites especially this 13 minute dig at the music industry and moving to la to be in a band. He may be a bit outspoken in real life but I liked this album a lot.
4. Salutations – Conor Oberst – another favourite the former Bright eyes singer came back with the songs from the album ruminations with a band this time, both albums show how these songs can be fragile and full on at the same time.
5. I tell a fly Benjamin Clementine – a mad second album about migration aliens and just surreal lyrics the man with the most distinctive voice of recent years made a personal rather than a commercial second album and it is utterly brilliant.
6. New facts emerge – The Fall I always been a fan, thanks to my early years listening to John Peel. Mark E Smith carries on making great records after nearly forty years in the business.
7. Together at last by Jeff Tweedy – He revisits some of his old songs it is more than twenty years since I brought Being there his second Wilco album. Great see him putting an acoustic turn on his songs.
8. Hitchhiker- Neil Young – done in one night in 1976. He then sat on it until this year. Neil’s voice is at his best soul searching and tender in places.
9. Mount the air by The Unthanks – I have been a fan for a while, but when the track Magpie was used on The detectorist, I had downloaded this album again The magpie is a real earworm.
10. At Saint Thomas the Apostle Harlem – Diamanda Galas I been a fan of her since my college years her voice is disturbing and eerie. This was her first album in ten years this and a new studio album.

I suppose the only theme is these aren’t happy songs, but more ones that make you think.

 

Kendrick Lamarr Who and don’t forget the fall

Well it is that time of year when the Uk music Magazines run the end of year lists, I have always been a huge fan of these list. I use it to see how my dwindle current taste is doing but also maybe to find a gem that has been missed from the last year and when the same record came second in both Mojo and Uncut and it was one I maybe didn’t grasp me in the reviews earlier in the year, so off to Spotify to listen and it was the opposite to earlier in the week when Benjamin Clementine won the Mercury prize ( I first mentioned him the week the winning album his debut album came out ) , this is the other side the how did that pass me by . The album is To pimp a butterfly by Kendrick Lamarr I ‘ve always had a liking for rap and hip hop from the early days of it hitting the uk in the early 80’s so this is a mix of what I love best of the genre clever lyrics, poltics , spoken word and jazz .

But missing the lists was The fall now I didn’t listen to John Peel as much as I did when I was teen in those last year, but at the time we didn’t know it was going to be the end. But I did worry for his favourite bands like The fall as he was the main person to play Mark E smiths unique brand of  Mancunian rock is a mix of Punk, Poetry, ladism, Drink and ever changing band members, So this year saw well Album 31 from the studio Sub Lingual Tablet is classic fall what more can you say. If you not heard Mark E smith go have a listen with a back catalogue of 60 plus albums there is a whole journey awaiting you.

Autobahn to Van the man

Well I was going to do my music post tomorrow sunday as usual , nut I went to bed late last night watching west wing episodes til half one in the morning then was back awake before half seven this morning so today I have just chilled somewhat .But as the opening video is by Van Morrison , I feel it is worth saying it is a great week for his fans as finally he has reissued on digital format for the first time most of his classic albums , this song from Avalon sunset is a favourite as I know the place he mentions in the song especially strangford lock  wheere I got the ferry earlier this year .So if you have itune apple music or spotify it is worth checking out his albums he has made so many great albums

Then I want to talk about a debut album from a band that come out of leeds , which over time has provide a few good bands Wedding present and sisters of mercy to name two .Autobahn (I’m suprised there isn’t more bands used this name ) come out with a sound the coukld have come from the heyday of the sisters and wedding present , to me I get a tingle of Joy divison fronted by Andrew Eldrich the sister of mercy’s lead singer , I don’t know about anyone else .I’m pleased I saw them mention in the Guardian as these are my find of this year so far and this track seizure links back to joy divison .here is there labels page  .

Winston’s Music frozen blue aeroplanes !

Well its been a while since I done a Sunday music post , so what has made it on to my phone (my main way of listening to music these day is downloading and listen offline via spotify ) .First up is one of those bands that at the time I vaguely like and had one album from and thanks to spotify have now been able to go back and listen to again and that is the Bristol band Blue aeroplanes , an art pop ensemble with various members over time but a core of two brothers and a dancer .Any way beat songs by them has been one of my main listening in the last month .

Well by the title now the other thing I have been listening to is the Frozen soundtrack, I got to finally watch the Kids favourite at christmas as it premiered  on Sky tv over Christmas .So I got to see what all the fuss is about , I loved it as a kids film  it had something more than usual Disney offering but two songs stuck in my head” let it go” which as we all know is the big hit the other is “do you want build a snowman “.So yes in my old age I am going soft but sometimes we all have to be a kid at heart .