We’re into the top 20 albums from the year that I heard and reviewed. Let’s do this.
#20 – Blackwater Holylight – Veils of Winter
Blending goth, psychedelia, and doom, Blackwater Holylight crafted one of the coolest and creepiest records of the year. Witches coven vocal harmonies and cosmic horror synths roll along like fog across a moor and draw you into what at first sounds like the end of your mortal coil but turns out to be a pretty neat party.
#19 – Khruangbin – Hasta El Cielo
Khruangbin’s Con Todo El Mundowas already amazing, but then they released this dub version of it, and it’s just as good. It’s richly layered and probably the best chill-out record of 2019.
#18 – Comacozer – Mydriasis
Be sure to check out these guys if you’re a fan of dwarf star matter-heavy stoner metal. Comacozer’s Mydriasis consists of only four tracks, but they add up to enough time for a full album. They take delight in exploring long jams, cosmic highways, and hanging out with ancient gods.
#17 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Infest the Rats’ Nest
Speaking of heavy, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard decided to release two albums this year. The first was Fishing for Fishies (#26 on this list), and the second was this thrash metal album. Like “Fishies,” it’s also heavy on environmental themes and even heavier on shredding. They pretty much did it as a lark and it ended up being one of the best metal albums of the year.
#16 – Chromatics – Closer to Gray
Everyone was expecting the long-awaited (and long since destroyed) Dear Tommy, but we got Closer to Grayinstead. It’s pretty much a giallo film soundtrack with plenty of sexy synthwave, Ruth Radelet’s haunting vocals, and a stunning cover of “The Sounds of Silence.”
The top 15 are coming up later today. Stick around!
We’re almost to the halfway point. Who’s in the top 15?
#15 – Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor – “Godshe”
Detroit’s Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor released four singles this year, and this was my favorite. It’s bright, trippy, and moves along like a sports car set on cruise control.
#14 – Diagonal – “Negatives”
I’m calling it now. These Chicago shoe gazers are on track to be one of the Next Big Things. This cut blends psychedelia with shoe gaze and we’re all better for it.
#13 – Claude Fontaine – “Pretending He Was You”
Half of this album is dub, and the other half is bossa nova. All of it is good, and this was the first song I heard from it. I swooned.
#12 – Shopping – “Initiative”
Post-punkers Shopping slipped into the end of 2019 with one of the best singles of the year, poking fun at the rat race and The Man with a ripping bass line, typewriter-precise drumming, and that skittering guitar work only they can seem to play.
#11 – Public Practice – “Disposable”
Speaking of post-punk, Public Practice do it very, very well indeed. This single was a delightful treat in the latter half of 2019 and bodes well for hopefully a full album ahead.
The newest record from Khruangbin, Hasta El Cielo, is a dub version of their excellent album Con Todo El Mundo. Khruangbin’s beautiful psychedelic world music is ripe for dub remixing, and Hasta El Cielo (“See you in heaven.”) is lovely.
“With All the World” is sends you along a warm river cruise with the first track, stripping away your cares. “Sisters & Brothers” has a crisp drum groove and some of Laura Lee‘s funkiest bass riffs. “Mary Always,” the dub version of “Maria Tambien” from Con Todo El Mundo is suitable for Italian spy thrillers.
Donald Johnson’s drums on “Four of Five” are so slippery that the song almost sounds like it was recorded underwater. “How I Love” uses delay and echo effects well (as any good dub recording should), with Mark Speer’s guitar sounding a hundred miles away and yet right in the room with you. The organ work on “Sunny’s Vision” is a nice lead-in to a top shelf tequila smooth tune. “A La Sala” has some neat ambient electro touches. “The Red Book” and “Order of Operations” are other trippy tracks that take away your day-to-day worries.
The title track is a snappy track that not only relaxes you but also makes you feel like a bad ass at the same time. The digital version of the album comes with two extra tracks – “Rules” (with superb echoed vocal sounds) and “Como Te Quiero” (a soft track with sharp as a razor drums).
This is such a cool, mellow record that trying to describe it is nearly useless. It’s best if you hear it. It’s best if everyone hears it.
The dynamic duo of vocalist / songwriter Sharon “Miss Red” Stern and producer / DJ Kevin “the Bug” Martin have returned with The Four Bodies – a four-song EP of their brand of “toxic dancehall.” The two of them work so well together that it’s difficult to tell where the influence of one on the other begins or ends.
Each song represents a different universal element. “Shut In Your Head” is Earth, and its deep bass and lyrics of Red’s inner power being like a simmering volcano are evidence of this idea. “Loco” is the Fire element, and the Bug’s drums crackle like a campfire until Red’s sharp vocals turn it into a raging blaze that cannot be stopped by any conventional means.
“Don’t Text Back” (water) bubbles and rolls along like a lotus flower on a lazy river while the Bug’s dub beats cause concentric ripples across the surface and Miss Red calls to us from dark depths. The universal element of air is represented by “Prayers” – an ethereal instrumental well-suited for meditation and / or spell casting. Stern has made it known that some of the inspirations behind The Four Bodies were shamanism and witchcraft (and the EP’s cover alone tells us this), so the mystical feel of the record is prevalent throughout it.
It’s not surprising because Miss Red’s other collaborations with the Bug often sound otherworldly and are tinged with a bit (or more, depending on the song) of menace. The Four Bodies is no exception and an intriguing addition to Miss Red’s already fascinating discography.
Keep your mind open.
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“On their second album, the Houston-based instrumental trio crafts a unique, psychedelic vibe that hangs between continents and eras.” — Pitchfork
“The result is a border-blurring convergence, one likely to propel whatever dance floor is lucky enough to receive it.” — Los Angeles Times
“Buy it, stream it, hear it, get it, live it: It’s been a spell since one of those all-things-to-all-people albums has come along, but Khruangbin’s second full-length, Con Todo El Mundo, seems to be just that.” — VOGUE
“…Khruangbin gives us a window seat on an invigorating musical experience with a serious groove.” — NPR Music (Best Albums of 2018)
“…funky, jumpy tendrils of guitar, mixed with hazy washes of surf rock…” — Vulture
Globetrotting Texan trio Khruangbin are set to release Hasta El Cielo, the band’s glorious dub version of their acclaimed second album Con Todo El Mundo, on July 12th via Dead Oceans/Night Time Stories. The full album has been processed anew along with two bonus dubs by renowned Jamaican producer Scientist. Stream lead single, “Mary Always,” below.
The band’s exotic, spacious, psychedelic funk aligns with the dub treatment particularly well. Indeed, keen fans won’t find this a surprising release. Dubs of tracks from their first album The Universe Smiles Upon You appeared on limited vinyl releases of “People Everywhere” for Record Store Day 2016 and “Zionsville” on the BoogieFuturo remix 12”. The especially eagle-eared will have caught a dub of “Two Fish And An Elephant” playing over the credits of the track’s celebrated video.
“For us, Dub has always felt like a prayer. Spacious, meditative, able to transport the listener to another realm. The first dub albums we listened to were records mixed by Scientist featuring the music of the Roots Radics. Laura Lee learned to play bass by listening to Scientist Wins the World Cup. His unique mixing style, with the emphasis on space and texture, creates the feeling of frozen time; it was hugely influential to us as a band. To be able to work alongside Scientist, a legend in the history of dub, is an honor. This is our dub version of Con Todo El Mundo.” — Khruangbin
Formed of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums; Khruangbin’s sounds are rooted in the deepest waters of music from around the world, infused with classic soul, dub and psychedelia. Since the release of Con Todo El Mundo, Khruangbin have continued their almost non-stop approach to touring, playing over 130 dates in 2018 alone, most of them selling out well in advance, including sold-out shows across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Khruangbin closed out 2018 supporting Leon Bridges in North America, and have already graced the stages of numerous festivals this year, including Coachella, Marfa Myths, Fortress Festival, FORM Arcosanti, Lightning in a Bottle, and more.
They’ll kick off their summer tour with select shows in the Northeastern US, including a sold out show at Central Park’s SummerStage in NYC, before heading overseas for festival performances at Green Man, Latitude, Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival and Barclaycard British Summer Time. They’ll return to North American to play Pitchfork Music Festival, Pickathon, Lockn’, and THING. A full list of dates is below.
Hasta El Cielo Tracklist: 01. With All The World 02. Sisters & Brothers 03. Mary Always 04. Four of Five 05. How I Love 06. Sunny’s Vision 07. A La Sala 08. The Red Book 09. Order of Operations 010. Hasta El Cielo 11. Rules – Scientist Dub (Bonus Track) 12. Cómo Te Quiero – Scientist Dub (Bonus Track)
Pre-orderHasta El Cielo — https://khruangbin.ffm.to/hastaelcielo
Khruangbin Tour Dates: Fri. June 21 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre Sat. June 22 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre — SOLD OUT Fri. June 28 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter Sat. June 29 – Sete, FR @ Worldwide Festival Sat. June 29 – Sat. July 6 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival Tue. July 2 – Montreux, CH @ Montreux Jazz Festival Sat. July 6 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival Sun. July 7 – Beuningen, NL @ Down the Rabbit Hole Thu. July 11 – Bilbao, ES @ BBK Sat. July 13 – London, UK @ British Summer Time Sun. July 14 – Moseley, UK @ Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival Wed. July 17 – Athens, GR @ Ejekt Festival Thu. July 18 – Bern, CH @ Gurten Festival Fri. July 19 – Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival Sun. July 21 – Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival Sun. July 28 – Fuji, JP @ Fuji Rocks Wed. July 31 – Honolulu, HI @ The Republik Fri. Aug. 2 – Sun. Aug. 4 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Sun. Aug. 4 – Kaslo, BC @ Kaslo Jazz Festival Fri. Aug. 9 – Gothenburg, SE @ Way Out Fest Festival Thu. Aug. 8 – Sat. Aug. 10 – Rees, DE @ Haldern Pop Festival Sun. Aug. 11 – Helsinki, FI @ Flow Festival Tue. Aug. 13 – Budapest, HU @ Sziget Festival Thu. Aug. 15 – Paredes de Coura, PT @ Paredes de Coura Festival Thu. Aug. 15 – Sun. Aug. 18 – Brecon Beacons, UK @ Green Man Festival Thu. Aug. 22 – Sun. Aug. 25 – Arrington, VA @ Lockn’ Fri. Aug. 23 – Miami, FL @ The Ground (DJ Set) Sat. Aug. 24 – Sun. Aug. 25 – Port Townsend, WA @ THING Fri. Nov. 15 – São Paulo, BR @ Popload Festival
Stream Khruangbin’s Con Todo El Mundo – https://spoti.fi/2DN1Y2N
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert – https://youtu.be/vWLJeqLPfSU
Pitchfork Live Session – https://youtu.be/q4xKvHANqjk
Book A Playlist Curated By Khruangbin via AirKhruang – https://www.airkhruang.com/
“Como Te Quiero” video – https://youtu.be/cxrotrIvqyY
“Friday Morning” video – https://youtu.be/KjQSSYOTXzk
“Maria También” video – https://youtu.be/7hlGqj3ImQI
“Evan Finds The Third Room” video – https://youtu.be/QcD_YXCxxZM
“Cómo Me Quieres” video – https://youtu.be/GHzIl82165g
PurchaseCon Todo El Mundo — https://khruangbin.lnk.to/contodoelmundo
Get ready to meet your new crush – Claude Fontaine. Her debut self-titled album is one of the best world music records so far this year, combining reggae, dub, and bossa nova with Fontaine’s lovely voice behind a knock-out backing band including gents who have worked with Miles Davis, Ziggy Marley, and Steel Pulse.
The opening track, “Cry for Another,” is a heartfelt reggae cut about longing. The bass riff alone will make you move. “Hot Tears” has Fontaine singing about being alone and waiting for a call from her lover that she knows in her heart will never come. “Hot tears in my coffee, cold sheets in my bed. If he really loved me, he’d be here instead,” she sings in a voice so lovely that you and everyone else who hears this track will agree that this guy’s an idiot. “Little Sister” brings up the raga tempo (Seriously, the groove is outstanding.) and has Fontaine warning her sister / friend that the guy she’s falling for is a faker.
The horn section is a great addition to the smooth reggae beats (by legendary drummer Airto Moreira) on “Love Street.” The breakdown on it slides you into a dub-fueled sexy dream. Fontaine sings about finding love with someone for whom she’s pined for a long while – perhaps the subject of “Hot Tears.” “Play by Play” keeps the dub touches, and Fontaine’s voice is perfect for the psychedelic, trippy touches of dub music. She’s almost a ghost you keep trying to catch, but she always playfully slips away before you can grab her.
The album moves into bossa nova territory on “Pretending He Was You” – one of my favorite singles of the year so far. It blends Fontaine’s sad lyrics with tropical bird sounds, simple hand percussion, and classic Brazilian guitar strumming. “I’ll Play the Fool” is just as good, with Fontaine telling her lover not to worry about the “how’s” and “why’s” of their relationship and that she’s willing to be the silly one who embraces life if he won’t.
The soft percussion on “Strings of Your Guitar” is outstanding, and I’m pretty sure Fontaine’s lyrics are about wishing her lover would treat her with the same care as his instrument. #swoon. “Footprints in the Sand” is a heartbreaking ballad about a lover who has walked out on Fontaine. “Footprints left in the sand are all I have,” she sings, knowing that even her memories of him will fade in time. If you aren’t completely under her spell by the time you reach the closer, “Our Last Goodbye,” you might want to consider seeing a psychiatrist because you are probably an emotionless sociopath. Fontaine’s vocals about parting too soon from a lover make you want to buy her a glass of wine and just sit with her to watch the sunset.
Ms. Fontaine’s debut is a gorgeous record, and easily the most beautiful work I’ve heard so far this year. Don’t sleep on her (as the kids say). You need these songs more than you might realize.
Keep your mind open.
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‘Claude Fontaine’ promises 10 tracks of artful reverence and tasteful reimagining of globetrotting sounds.” — Noisey
Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter ClaudeFontaine shares a new single, “Hot Tears,” from her forthcoming debut, self-titled album, out April26th on InnovativeLeisure. Following the “hypnotic and romantic” (Noisey) “Pretending He Was You” and lead single “Cry For Another”, which the Los Angeles Times described as “a straight-up rocksteady song that conjures the essence of Kingston, Jamaica, in the late 1960s,” “Hot Tears” is another standout nod to the early 1970s StudioOne, Trojan, and TreasureIsle records of Jamaica. Over muted percussion and flutters of trumpet, Fontaine tells a story of unrequited love.
Claude Fontaine was tracked in two potent sessions with guitarist TonyChin, whose playing with Althea and Donna, KingTubby, DennisBrown and so many more very arguably defined a significant part of the classic reggae sound, and AirtoMoreira, the Brazilian drummer whose work both solo and in collaboration—with MilesDavis, AstrudGilberto, ChickCorea, AnnettePeacock—make him an actual living legend. They also enlisted a murderer’s row of additional session players—bassist RonnieMcQueen of SteelPulse and ZiggyMarley drummer RockDeadrick, NowAgainRecords guitarist FabianoDo Nascimento, SergioMendes percussionist GibiDosSantos and FloraPurim bassist AndreDeSantanna. The ten tracks that comprise ClaudeFontaine were tracked at both KingsizeSoundLabs in Northeast Los Angeles and SageandSound, Chet Baker’s legendary old studio in Hollywood.
Fontaine will celebrate the album’s release with a show at ZebuloninLosAngeles on Fri. April 26th. Tickets are available here.
Los Angeles-based songwriter and singer, Claude Fontaine, is thrilled to announce she’s signed with Innovative Leisure (LA-based label who has worked with the likes of BADBADNOTGOOD, Rhye, Allah-Las, Nosaj Thing, Hanni El Khatib, Nick Waterhouse, Classixx, etc). Today, she shares her debut single, “Cry For Another,” a heartfelt nod to the Studio One, Trojan, and Treasure Isle records that inspired it. “‘Cry For Another’ is about the feeling when someone is slipping through your fingers, and even though you know that person may not be right, you’re still pining for more,” says Fontaine. “Possibly to remind yourself of why they’re wrong for you, or perhaps to remember what you’re going to miss.”
Watch Video For “Cry For Another” – https://youtu.be/ztHTOL_EJWM
Fontaine wrote and demoed “Cry For Another”, a track which sounds like it came out of Jamaica in the 1970s, after a living in London and stumbling into Honest Jon’s, a long-lived spot for fringe records. Recorded at Chet Baker’s legendary old studio in Hollywood, Fontaine recorded the track with a murderer’s row of session players, including guitarist Tony Chin, (Althea and Donna, King Tubby, Dennis Brown), drummer Rock Deadrick (Ziggy Marley), bassist Ronnie McQueen (Steel Pulse), and piano/organ player Jaime Hinckson (Hollie Cook, Daniel ‘Bambaata’ Marley).
Set to be released later this year, Fontaine’s debut album is a love song to classic reggae and Brazilian music, and an album honoring that feeling of finding a home away from home. In addition to Chin, Deadrick, McQueen, and Hinckson, Fontaine is joined in the studio by Airto Moreira, the Brazilian drummer whose work both solo and in collaboration—with Miles Davis, Astrud Gilberto, Chick Corea, Annette Peacock—make him an actual living legend, Andre De Santanna (Sergio Mendes, Flora Purim), Gibi Dos Santos (Sergio Mendes), Nando Duarte (Gal Costa, Elza Soares), and Fabiano Do Nascimento (Mia Doi Todd).
“I hope this record will transport people,” she Fontaine. “I want it to feel like those lost records, like it got lost in the dusty bottom bin of some world music store in London because that’s how I felt when I walked in to that record store. I want it to be its own world.”
Keep your mind open.
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We’ve reached the top. Here are my five favorite albums of 2018.
#5: CHAI – Pink – These Japanese ladies are not only challenging your concepts of attractiveness and what is or isn’t “cute” by being fiercely DIY, they’re also challenging anyone who dares to try rocking as hard as they.
#4: Miss Red – K.O. – This is a dangerous and sexy dancehall record featuring fast, stunning vocals by Miss Red and powerhouse beats by the Bug. They’re the best tag team since the British Bulldogs.
#3: Here Lies Man – You Will Know Nothing – “What if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat?” is how this band was described by their label. I can’t describe it better than that. It’s full of dark beats, heavy bass, and African rhythms. You can’t miss.
#2: BODEGA – Endless Scroll – Easily my favorite post-punk record of the year and one of the best records reflecting life in 2018. It skewers hipsters, relationships, partying, and technology and is even heartbreaking a couple times.
#1: A Place to Bury Strangers – Pinned – Any record by APTBS is going to be among my top picks of the year, and I knew as soon as I heard the interesting direction they took with the addition of Lia Braswell on drums and vocals that anyone trying to dislodge this record from my #1 spot would have to bring its A-game (as APTBS does at every live show). It’s dark, loud, creepy, and sinks deep into your brain when you hear it.
Thanks for all the views in 2018. A lot of good records are already slated for 2019: The Night Beats, the Chemical Brothers, the KVB, and (let’s hope) the Chromatics just to name a few.
Weighing in at…I have no idea, actually, but she can’t be more than a featherweight, Miss Red has unloaded an album worthy of its title – K.O.
I described Miss Red’s music to a coworker as “Jamaican dancehall by way of Israel and Germany.” He claimed not to understand it, but his head was bobbing and his hips were moving before he realized what was happening.
Collaborating once more with beat master the Bug, Miss Red throws out “Shock Out” like a quick jab testing her opponent’s guard. When it lands at the 43-second mark, it about splits your nose open. Red’s rapping is fast, smooth, sexy, and dangerous. Bug’s beats are like a growling, prowling bear emerging from its den ready to devour anything in its path. “Give me the money and pass me the mic,” Red sings on “One Shot Killer.” “One move wrong and you’re gonna see me bite,” she warns / tempts before her vocals take on a smoky quality that is difficult to describe but wonderful to hear.
She bobs, weaves, and shuffle steps with amazing speed on “Money Machine.” I don’t think she’s keeping up with the Bug’s thumping beats so much as they’re keeping up with her. “Alarm” is a short banger, almost like a blitz of punches that disappears as quickly as it begins, like a set-up for a stronger blow. That stronger blow is “War” – a dub mind-trip that feels as punch-drunk as it sounds. “Come Again” has Red claiming her heavyweight (in terms of skill) title from people who can’t match her game. The synth-bass on it is some of the biggest on the record, too. “Big” has her letting everyone know she’s far bigger than her size would have you believe. She might be small, but Miss Red is a giant throwing lighting bolts from thunderclouds once she grabs the mic.
“Clouds” is another trippy dub track, and the electronic beats on “Dust” bubble into a wicked brew. “Dagga” is the first single off K.O., and it’s a good choice. It highlights Red’s vocal chops and the Bug’s wicked beats well. As good as that is, however, “Slay,” is downright jaw-dropping. It’s an instant floor-filler and one of the hottest club tracks of 2018. I can’t wait to hear this live. Red brings a kinky swagger to her lyrics (more than usual) and the Bug’s beats and breakdowns almost aren’t fair to practicing DJ’s like yours truly. The haunting “Memorial Day” belongs in a modern-day giallo film. Red opts for more singing than rhyming, and the Bug’s beats crackle like a bowl of your favorite cereal. The title track closes the album, and it’s a quick fadeout with Miss Red mostly chanting, “K.O.” throughout it. It’s like having your bell rung and seeing the lights go out as you fall to the mat in blissful stupor.
Miss Red is a fierce opponent. I wouldn’t want to face her in a rap battle, let alone in a street fight. She’d probably seduce you with her agile vocals and then break at least one limb while your guard was down. Still, you’d have a great story to tell afterwards.
