Albums: a break

Since it's halfway through the year, I thought I would address a question a few people have asked me when I requested their album choice; what two albums would I recommend? I've not been able to give anyone a good answer, but here's an attempt (I can't stick to two, though!) So, in no particular order, here are 6.
(You may notice it differs a bit from what I've been listening to on recommendation!)

1) Andy Palacio 'Watina' (2007)
Andy Palacio is a figurehead of Garifuna/Belizean Punta music (I lived in Belize for 7 months). He died in 2008, just a year after this album; it's in the Garifuna language, and although I didn't listen to it for the first time until just before I left Belize, it's now one of my favourites.

2) The Streets 'Original Pirate Material' (2002)
This album is brilliant. The beats are divine and lyrically it's genius (political too:- I defy anyone to produce a more effective argument about the relative impact on English society of weed and alcohol than "The Irony of it All".) I remember listening to songs from this live from One Big Weekend (I think) while revising for my GCSEs. Happy days. Also, for anyone who instantly thinks 'fit but don't you know it', that's on "a grand don't come for free"- you are safe!

3) Lauryn Hill 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' (1998)
Great album. I think I was heart-broken on two different occasions and this album got listened to A Lot. Still a great album now all's good with the world.

4) Various Artists "Handel's Messiah: A soulful Celebration" (1992)
This is possibly the most obvious of a long list of musical influences that I wouldn't have if I hadn't been part of what's now called OneSound (which I should blog about another time... but for now http://www.onesound.org.uk/). In short it's a place of fellowship, sharing faith, life-long friendships (I'm not exaggerating- I have 10year friendships, I know people with 15 year friendships, and at our forty year anniversary concert there were people with, well, 40year friendships!) and stonking music (and rather fabulously diverse repertoire). I can trace an awful lot of my favourite music back to music performed there, or recommendations from friends met there, or activities I've only taken part in due to OneSound!
Anyway. The repertoire we've covered is something else (as implied above) and this gem is a part of that (we only did a few of the tracks, I should clarify). It's a reworking of Handel's Messiah influenced by a whole heap of African-American musical styles. Some tracks work better than others but 'But Who May Abide' is something else. It kicks in at 2:05 and I go a bit mad. And 'Unto Us...' starts like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air...

5) Hypnotic Brass Ensemble "Hypnotic Brass Ensemble"
This one is attributable to Greenbelt, and so possibly to OneSound, as I first went with friends from there and it now forms an annual extra reunion. Seven brass-playing brothers from Chicago. And a mate who plays the drums. (I think). Funktastic, and you may recognise a track from 'The Hunger Games' (which I haven't seen...)

6) Bellowhead "Broadside" (2012)
And here's another musical influence that appeared indirectly as a result of OneSound! One of the friends I made there (hey Liz!) was my housemate for a year in Reading, and by the time she had spent a year telling me how great this lot were, only for me to miss them at Greenbelt festival because I was stewarding, I went to see them in Reading a while later. And, erm, wow. If you don't like this, go to see them live. If you still don't like them, then if you're very lucky I might still trust your judgement occasionally. But probably not. Folky madness.

Albums 2014: June

Welcome to the June installment (I'm halfway there!) This month we have hiphop and possibly the strangest musical comparison you've ever seen...
I should add that I've introduced some colour coding, because someone asked me whether I was buying, borrowing, spotiyfing, etc... so generally I'm borrowing or spotifying, but there are a few I've bought (in green), either because I like them a lot or because I wanted something to listen to in the car; and a few I intend to buy, because I really like them, which are in red.

48)   Athlete ‘Vehicles and Animals’ (2003) (Ian)

Great album. I’m astonised I’ve not listened to it before. It contains the familiar ‘El Salvador’ and ‘You Got the Style’ so I had a good singalong (although I thought I  knew the words, and didn’t); some religious allegories (good Samaritans and houses built on rocks); some quirky bits; all in all I like it. 'Westside' and 'One Million' are both good songs that sound like they could be on a TV or movie. I really like the fact that they aren't just soppy love songs. I can't quite work out what they are, really, but in an interesting way, not a 'they make no sense at all' kind of way. On that note, I like 'vehicles and animals', it’s cute. 'Out of Nowhere' is my favourite I think, a bit of a genre crossover.

49) Velvet Underground ‘White Light/White Heat’ 1968. (Sean)

The award for ‘album most likely to give me nightmares’ goes firmly to this, for its pure (lyrical) weirdness. I listened to it in the car, so had a relatively large amount of attention to spare for said lyrical weirdness, and I think this was probably apparent on my face. Anyway, a bit of a mix of responses here; first an ‘OHHH it’s Lou Reed’, then a ‘this is weird, and somewhat self indulgent’ (basically it feels like listening to a long jamming session) and then ‘hmmm, there’s some cool guitar going on’- it’s a very raw 60s guitary sound and mostly I find it goes on too long and does nothing for me but there’s also something pleasing about the sound.  I should clarify I bought this one before I listened to it!

50) Lifehouse 'Lifehouse' (James H) 

This is one of husband-to-be’s favourite albums so I felt I should give it a proper listen (rather than half listening in the car). It’s kind of generic, guitar-led, American-TV-show-scene-music (things like Scrubs…) which explains why I didn’t really know it, and also why it’s always seemed to me a bit like background music. However, some of the songs are really beautiful lyrically and good for singing along to, so I have to say I quite like it!

51) Dire Straits 'Brothers in Arms' (no one really)

This was a cheat; I started listening because we were playing ‘Walk of Life’ in a band I play in and it was stuck in my head, but mostly in a good way... Anyway, I suspect I am turning into an old man when I admit this; but it's impossible not to like it! It’s catchy, sing-along-able, and there's even a nice touch of sax 'Your Latest Trick'. I’d forgotten I’d already listened to another Dire Straits album, but it’s very different- it's much less involved, i.e. poppy and requires no thought input to enjoy, than 'Love Over Gold'.

52) Nas ‘Illmatic’ (Ray Bell) 1994

Since  my knowledge of 'old school hip hop' is fairly limited, this instantly reminded me of the Fugees: The Score, which is my only other venture into this (and which I love- I blame this on middle-big-sis, who used to play it into my ear on car journeys and remove it at diplomatic moments. Listening to it as a Grownup I understand why her 14-yr-old self decided to shelter my 8-yr-old self from certain bits...). Anyway, I have quite a lot of love for this- I'm always impressed by the lyrical skills (skilz) in anything rap/hiphop, and plus, it makes me want to drive around like a Gangsta with my windows down. (Because y'know, I strongly resemble a gangsta when I drive around in a Yaris in my converse, Next jeans, and geeky tshirt...)

53) Local Natives 'Hummingbird' (Matt Y) (2013)

Nice album- chilled, I don’t really know how to describe it. So I won’t try, you can google it. But I really like it. I’ve listened to it a lot at work.

54) Passenger 'All the Little Lights' (Ekbal) (2012)  
Now, it's weird musical analogy time:- he's like a folk-pop mike skinner; or a cross between Mike Skinner and Paulo Nutini, maybe! The link with Mike Skinner (of The Streets) is partly subject matter, partly how poetic it is, and partly that it’summer lying-on-a-clifftop-enjoying-life music. However, the best thing about this album is that the song “All the little lights” sounds just like cult kids TV classic “spider in the bath”. Don’t believe me? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgQ1JuUIexA 45seconds in. Bet you didn’t expect that. That said, this is one of my favourites of the albums I've listened to. I think.