Angus' 2014 Music Picks

I have to kind of / sort of agree with Tyler that 2014 didn't smack me like 2013 did. Getting an incredible record from MBV after all those years and discovering Waxahatchee and Unknown Mortal Orchestra is not the kind of year one can have every year.

But there was a lot of great stuff this year as well.

I have to start with a confession though. I started out high on The War on Drugs' record, but Mark Kozelek made me face facts and realize that, dammit, it really was beer commercial guitar solos! I really have to ding it for that. I almost can't stand to listen to the thing now.

Parquet Courts (or Parkay Quarts) really solidified their claim on "next great American band" for me with two great releases: Sunbathing Animal and Content Nausea. Sure they're from New York. Sure they sound a bit like the Velvets, but people, Lou Reed ain't walking' through that door, so jump on this!!

Spoon arose from the somewhat ho-hum nature of Transference to produce a stunningly good album, "They Want My Soul". To me it just keeps getting better and better the more I listen. Me and Mrs. A saw them play up in Tulsa this year and the show was incredible. Mrs. A stayed through two encores and never gave me the "ok it's late so let's get out of here" look.  Kudos to Brit Daniels.

Tijuana Panthers are a new discovery for me this year. Their 2014 release "Wayne Interest" is quite good but I also really like their older album "Semi-Sweet".  By the way, they are not from Tijuana. If you like Harlem or King Tuff or Tav Falco's Pantherburns.....

Another top new discovery and top new band is Happyness. Their debut is called "Weird little birthday" and I really like it. Here's a link to one of the songs. OK, maybe it sounds a little like Sparklehorse, but then again Mark Linkous ain't walking' through the door either so............

Khun Narin's Electric Phin Band. This is not old, this is brand new music from Thailand. Pretty awesome.

White Fence, For the Recently found Innocent. Guided by Voice + Rain Parade + Soft Boys. I am a sucker for exactly this kind of music.

White Fence and Parquet Courts were on my list last year. This year's entries by them are even stronger than 2013's. I'd say they were both still on the rise.  Spoon just stubbornly refuses to start sucking. It's really quite amazing. I am really looking forward to more stuff from the others on my list.

When I look at say, Pitchfork's list, I just can't relate. A Sunny Day in Glasgow was aiight, and they got Spoon and Parquet Courts on there (along with the beer commercial guys), but most of it is weak sauce. Though to be fair, Mrs. A won't let me listen to Run the Jewels enough to come to an informed opinion.

Man Wins!

Why is the "news" that "Man Wins $1 million Picasso with $138 lottery ticket"?

Why isn't the news that 49,999 people won nothing at all with $138 lottery tickets?

After all, if you multiply 50,000 x $138 you get more than $6.5 million.  So the "news" is "Somebody makes $5.5 million from bunch of chumps."

Focusing on the winner makes it sound like such a great deal.  I suppose, if given the chance to buy the WINNING ticket, $138 is cheap.  I'll try that for the NC Lottery:  please sell me a WINNING ticket.  I'll pay double for that!

Angus' 2012 Music Picks

OK people, forget about Frank Ocean and Grizzly Bear. I got the 2012 musical goods for you right here.

My favorite 10 albums, in no particular order.

Moon Duo: Circles

the Duo have reigned themselves in a bit this time around, but their fuzzed out glory never ever gets old.

 Peaking Lights: Lucifer

Perhaps not quite as good as "936", but lo-fi pysch dub has not yet gotten remotely old for me.

Tame Impala: Lonerism

A little on the polished side for me, but just so good. Sure, it's "retro" get over it and get into it!

Purity Ring: Shrines

I didn't think I'd like this album. Thought I was too old and grumpy. This is amazing music. Part Sundays, part 4 Tet, mesmerizing.

Waxahatchee: American Weekend

Wow! So happy that music like this is being made in 2012. A little Mountain Goats a little Liz Phair and a lot of awesome.


Tindersticks: The Something Rain 

A return to form from one of my all-time favorite bands. I read a review that called Tindersticks the spiritual father of The National. I think that might be right.

King Tuff: King Tuff

This guy is just the bizzle. Makes up for Harlem not putting out a record this year.


Royal Headache: Royal Headache

So so so good. Can Australia be the cradle of rock nowadays?

Beak: >>

Very Krauty and very cool. Give it some time.

Deep Time: Deep Time 

Man, Austin TX just keeps spawning great music.

Wow. Seems Impossible....

This would be a really interesting, beautiful photograph.

Except that it is NOT a photograph.  It is drawn with a ....pencil.  Click for an even more absurdly realistic view.

HIstory got sides?

"we want to go to our graves feeling we were on the right side of history" ~Tyler Cowen

(more here)

Now I hope Tyler lives a long and interesting life, but his language just reminded me of the incredible Mae Shi song "Run to Your Grave". I couldn't get it out of my head so I decided to share it with you people.

Money quote:


"Cause they're coming for your brain but
They will leave with your head
And they've got money and science
And they will leave you for dead"


Great quotes from the comments section of MR as well:


"Whichever way history runs, when you go to your grave you are on the wrong side of it". ~ Andrew'

I doubt that online education is really what you will be thinking about when you “go to [y]our graves” ~ Andreas Moser

Mungo move over, let Angus take over

Mungo may have run for Governor of NC, but this morning I realized that I, Angus, want to be President of the USA!

It hit me this morning when I saw this (more info here):

The President can put art from the National Gallery in his/her house!

So I could live for 8 years (people you KNOW I'm getting re-elected) in a House full of Richters, Hodgkins, Keifers, and more.

I can be surrounded by Rothkos! Pollocks! Johns!

I can have that huge, awesome Max Ernst statue in my rec room. I can have Brancusis on my coffee tables. Marino Marinis on my patio (q: what's horseback and overly happy? a: the rider in a Marini sculpture).

All this could be IN MY HOUSE! (hey it's a better reason for running than Romney's!)

PS: I'd lean on the Hirshhorn to lend me some Bacons!!

There must be something wrong with my iPad

Because it won't do this:

and apparently, David Hockney's will.

Hat tip to the Roving Bandit.

Alejandro & the Idea Machine

Check out this amazing video of one of my favorite artists (Souther Salazar) setting up one of his pieces for a show:





more work from Souther can be seen here.

"I was just so relieved and so happy he didn't write a song about giraffes"!

What do you get the jaguar who has everything?

Indoor plumbing, of course!!

Hat tip to Karl de la O

One size fits all

In this excellent interview, Werner Herzog allows that all of his movies could have been appropriately given the same title: "Gazing Into The Abyss".

Coolest.Speakers.Ever.

source is here.

Musical gifts: Box Sets and Reissues

As I noted yesterday, there are some truly fantastic box sets / re-issues out this year (and early next year). Here are my favorites:

#1. Neutral Milk Hotel's self-released vinyl only box set.

This is the present of the year. I bought it for myself the day it was announced. Damn thing still hasn't arrived.

#2. Domino Records is re-releasing Palace Music's (Will Oldham) first five albums in digital, cd and vinyl formats.

These are killers. If you don't own "Viva Last Blues" you have holes in both your record collection and your soul.

#3. A company called Dust to Digital (and somehow NOT Revenant Records) is releasing a 5 CD John Fahey box set in an LP sized package.

As LeBron would say, this is self-recommending.

#4. 5 Throbbing Gristle albums have been re-mastered and re-releasedin CD, Vinyl, MP3 and FLAC formats!

Big ups for the high quality digital format. Even the faintest of hearts should try "20 Jazz Funk Greats" or "Greatest Hits"

#5. Chunklet ("Chafing America's Ass since 1993") has re-issued Olivia Tremor Control's "Dust at Cubist Castle" and "Black Foliage" on deluxe vinyl.

These are fantastic trippy, sound collage-y albums that stand the test of time and still feel great today. Vital.

#6. 4AD's "house band" This Mortal Coil, also gets the box set treatment.

I'll get this one just because. It's a great gift for a goth significant other!

By the way, if you don't own a record player, it's way past time to get one. I'll post soon on some affordable options.

Angus' 2011 Best Music Guide

Here's my version of the best albums of the year.

1. Peaking Lights: 936

This is druggy drone-y dubby and delicious! "Hey Sparrow" is one of the best songs of the year.

2. Twerps: Twerps

One of two band from OZ on the list. They coulda been in the Paisley Underground. "Dreamin'" is the killer track.

3. Kurt Vile: Smoke Rings for my Halo. This guy is the bizzle. Strong record from top to bottom. Here's "Jesus Fever"

4. Tune-Yards: Who Kill

Gotta love Merrill Garbus. She is movin' on from the territory that MIA has abandoned (no they don't sound anything alike). Here's the video for "Bizness":

5. The War on Drugs: Slave Ambient

Kurt Vile's Philly friends have put out a great great record. Here's "Baby Missles"

6. Moon Duo: Mazes

Stoned out, droned out, sublime fuzz from San Francisco. Here's the video for the title track:

7. Air Waves: Dungeon Dots

A tad uneven, but the high points are just terrific. My favorite song is "Knock-out":

8. Dom: Sun-Bronzed Greek Gods

It's a cheat. This came out in 2010, but I didn't catch on to it til this year (so it's not on my 2010 list and it has to be memorialized somewhere). I've put the "Living in America" video up elsewhere so here's "Jesus":

9. Eddy Current Suppression Rings: So Many Things

This is kind of a cheat because, though it was released this year, it's a compilation album. But I just discovered these guys and have to give them the props they deserve. Here's the title track:

It's been a tremendous year for box sets and re-issues too. I'll post about that very soon.

Happy Listening!

Two songs about my favorite Hindu God

People, you KNOW it's Hanuman.

First up Mexican guitar heros Rodrigo & Gabriela:

Now for something completely different, Krisha Das:



just beautiful.

Angus at the Opera

Last night, Mrs. Angus and I went to the Santa Fe Opera and saw "The Last Savage" by Gian Carlo Menotti.

It was amazing.

It started out with a gaggle of tattooed Osama Bin Ladens in diapers dancing around, and also insulted women, gays, and pretty much any other group you could think of.

Basically it was like an episode of South Park set to incredible music, where every so often an excellent real musical interlude would hit you between the eyes.

The parts of the greedy servant girl and the loutish prince were sung especially well overall and their two solos were the musical highlights.

Them dancing Bin Ladens were really something though!

Van the Man

Check out this interview where Van Morrison says he's written 300 songs better than brown-eyed girl and that there is zero new music that he likes.

Vile McBride of the abused Ukulele

Six new inches of snow and I am not yet in the mood to finish my paper with Aaron (sorry dude!), so here you go.

1. I love Kurt Vile's music. Here is a video:

2. I discovered Kurt by watching Eastbound & Down, so here's a Danny McBride video (in two parts)

3. This guy is obviously talented but this is exactly how NOT to play the ukulele

Angus's 2010 Music Guide

I decided to go with a different kind of top ten list this year:

1. Great music not found on many year-end lists.

Big Troubles: “Worry” If I had to pick one work as “album of the year” this would be it. Simply fantastic. “Bite yr Tongue”, “Georgia” & “Freudian Slips” are my current favorite songs from this album, but it is an absolute monster! You can stream the whole thing here, and buy it here.

Harlem: “Hippies”. Harlem blew me away with their debut album “Free Drugs” and “Hippies” is even better. Here's a video from the album:

No Joy: “Ghost Blonde” If it wasn't for Big Troubles, this would be my record of the year. Kevin Shields should be very proud. You can buy it here, and here's a video:

No Joy - Hawaii from Mexican Summer on Vimeo.

2. Great music that is on many year-end lists

The National: “High Violet” I still can’t decide if I like this better than “Boxer”. I think “Boxer” is more consistently great, but the high points of “High Violet” are incandescent.

LCD Soundsystem: “This is Happening”. James Murphy outdoes himself. I loved “Sound of Silver” but have now grown to believe that “This is Happening” is even better. Not sure where Murphy can go from here.

Joanna Newsom: “Have one on me”. It’s a bit un-nerving how she keeps changing her voice, but this triple CD is a nice step forward for her.

3. Good music from old favorites

Clinic, Spoon, No Age, Teenage Fanclub, Wolf Parade, Phosphorescent & The Fall all put out very good, listenable albums. Just not their best work ever.

4. Biggest disappointments

I can’t put Arcade Fire as a disappointment; I expected them to stink it up and they did. So my two biggest disappointments are M.I.A.’s “Mia” and Sufjan Stevens’ “Age of Adz”. These are artists who’ve made some of my alltime favorite music and this year’s works are crap. Sufjan is a particularly troubling case; I guess he’s now “too good” for the kind of music he’s made in the past and wants to be a freakin’ composer or something.

5. Best 2010 discoveries of existing artists

Kurt Vile (discovered from “Eastbound & Down”). This guy is awesome! Highly recommended to buy his whole catalog and soak.

Radar Brothers (discovered by arriving unfashionably early to the Vaselines / Teenage Fanclub show in DC). The above advice also applies here.

6. Best live shows I saw in 2010

Dan Mangan / Wooden Birds

Radar Brothers / Vaselines / Teenage Fanclub.

7. Winter 2011 release I’m most looking forward to

Deerhoof: “Deerhoof vs. Evil”

8. Best re-issues

Orange Juice: “Coals to Newcastle”, and the double CD versions of Galaxie 500’s three albums.

9. Best rap/hip-hop (NB I am not an extremely qualified person here)

Earl Sweatshirt: “Earl Sweatshirt” All I can say about this is “wow”. Pretty amazing stuff.

10. Favorite artist on Twitter

Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips from right up the road in OKC. You should definitely follow him.

Don Van Vliet, RIP

Captain Beefheart has died. I still listen to his first two classic albums (safe as milk and trout mask replica) and he was an accomplished artist. He was 69 years old.