Following music on Twitter, it sometimes feels as if a hyped album or a track is listened to for, at best, six hours now before it becomes in some way obsolete: if it’s not trending, it must be passé. Playing “Channel Orange” the day after the event, then, is a weird experience, not least ...
Following music on Twitter, it sometimes feels as if a hyped album or a track is listened to for, at best, six hours now before it becomes in some way obsolete: if it’s not trending, it must be passé.
Playing “Channel Orange” the day after the event, then, is a weird experience, not least because it’s a subtle, insidious record that repays close and multiple listens. My engagement with R&B has been pretty tangential for the past few years, so I might not be the best person to make recommendations in this sector, but I do like it a lot: there’s something fractionally dislocated, washed-out, other-worldly about the way Frank Ocean channels the vintage soul of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye etc. And while the fuss about Ocean’s sexuality is notable and justifiable, let’s hope “Channel Orange” is celebrated for its quality, not just its backstory. Have a listen to the stream linked below, and let me know what you think.
Moving on, plenty of other gold this week. The photo above is of Sic Alps, and is rather incongruous given that their new one is substantially mellower than most of their earlier work, and also maybe their best yet: some Alex Chilton vibes in places, I think. One of the mystery records can now be revealed, too: yet again, it’s Ty Segall, with his third excellent album of the year. Love, too, for the harmonious triumvirate of Fennesz, Evan Caminiti and Nico Muhly…
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1 Josephine Foster – Blood Rushing (Fire)
2 The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Meat & Bone (Shove!/Bronze Rat)
3 Sic Alps – Sic Alps (Drag City)
4 Samara Lubelski – Wavelength (De Stijl)
5 King Tuff – King Tuff (Sub Pop)
6 Tussle – Tempest (Smalltown Supersound)
7 Fennesz – Aun: the Beginning & the End of All Things (Ash International)
8 Jeff The Brotherhood – Hypnotic Nights (WEA)
9 Nico Muhly – Drones & Viola (Bedroom Community)
10 The Fresh & Onlys – Long Slow Dance (Souterrain Transmissions)
11 Evans Pyramid – Evans Pyramid (Cultures Of Soul)
12 Various Artists – All Kinds Of Highs: A Mainstream Pop-Psych Compendium 1966-70 (Big Beat)
13 Frank Ocean – Channel Orange (Listen here)
14 Timmy’s Organism – Raw Sewage Roq (In The Red)
15 Los Lobos – Kiko: 20th Anniversary Edition (Shout Factory)
16 Lee Ranaldo Band & J Mascis – Albatross (Listen here)
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18 Evan Caminiti – Dreamless Sleep (Thrill Jockey)
19 Ty Segall – Twins (Drag City)
20 Marty Marquis – Switched-On Goodbye Bread (Listen here)
21 Dead Rat Orchestra – The Guga Hunters Of Ness (Critical Heights)
