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Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor

 

Top 10 of 2011 1: Matt Chamberlain, Viktor Krauss and Dan Phelps - MODULAR When Matt Chamberlain tweeted that a new instrumental project he was involved in was available, I was pretty much already sold. I adored (and still do) his solo album from a few years ago. When I realised that it also involved Dan Phelps, whose guitar work as part of Tori Amos’ band in 2007 I found absolutely amazing (indeed, revelatory in places), then it was an instant purchase, no question. This collection of six sprawling tracks is just amazing. It does what all good improvised music should - players start, move around each other, come together, separate, know when to make a noise and when not to. It’s not all improvised, according to the notes - it has been ‘improvised, mangulated and overdubbed’, so the best of all worlds I would suggest. It also helps that the liner notes are a beautifully produced book featuring scientific notes on the ‘hum of the natural world’, and photographs of some beautifully designed technology capturing this hum in varying locations. It never makes clear whether this equipment has actually recorded anything or if it’s just a conceptual conceit used to inspire, or simply categorise the pieces. Either way, I don’t think it really matters, and I probably don’t want to actually know. I like thought that someone’s recorded a few hours of rocky outcrop and worked that into a piece of music. I should tell you about my favourite track off here, “Hollow Earth”. The first half is pretty neat, consolidating and then breaking up, lots of melodic percussive sounds, and over the first few minutes really building up to the solid groove it finally hits at around four and a half minutes. This groove is worked through for another few minutes before dissolving into a few guitar wails and some more melodic percussion stuff, layers up to a nice shuffle of odds and ends, all very nice and casual, and then slides down into the last three minutes which left me just awestruck. As the shuffle trails to a halt, like a slowing train, noises build up around it and…I can’t describe it in a way that does what it sounds like any justice. These noises (all drone-like) all come together, rising in pitch and urgency until they eventually find a moment of harmony, which then lifts and carries up and out and my word it is divine - possibly literally, but I might just be getting carried away. I do that sometimes. So, too long; didn’t read? I love this record, which has been put together by very talented musicians whose work I admire. It’s really very good. Top Tracks: Hollow Earth…oh man, they’re all good. there’s only 6 of them anyway. Here’s my Molly Meldrum moment - do yourself a favour and go pick yourself up a copy.

Top 10 of 2011

1: Matt Chamberlain, Viktor Krauss and Dan Phelps - MODULAR

When Matt Chamberlain tweeted that a new instrumental project he was involved in was available, I was pretty much already sold. I adored (and still do) his solo album from a few years ago. When I realised that it also involved Dan Phelps, whose guitar work as part of Tori Amos’ band in 2007 I found absolutely amazing (indeed, revelatory in places), then it was an instant purchase, no question. This collection of six sprawling tracks is just amazing. It does what all good improvised music should - players start, move around each other, come together, separate, know when to make a noise and when not to. It’s not all improvised, according to the notes - it has been ‘improvised, mangulated and overdubbed’, so the best of all worlds I would suggest.

It also helps that the liner notes are a beautifully produced book featuring scientific notes on the ‘hum of the natural world’, and photographs of some beautifully designed technology capturing this hum in varying locations. It never makes clear whether this equipment has actually recorded anything or if it’s just a conceptual conceit used to inspire, or simply categorise the pieces. Either way, I don’t think it really matters, and I probably don’t want to actually know. I like thought that someone’s recorded a few hours of rocky outcrop and worked that into a piece of music.

I should tell you about my favourite track off here, “Hollow Earth”. The first half is pretty neat, consolidating and then breaking up, lots of melodic percussive sounds, and over the first few minutes really building up to the solid groove it finally hits at around four and a half minutes. This groove is worked through for another few minutes before dissolving into a few guitar wails and some more melodic percussion stuff, layers up to a nice shuffle of odds and ends, all very nice and casual, and then slides down into the last three minutes which left me just awestruck. As the shuffle trails to a halt, like a slowing train, noises build up around it and…I can’t describe it in a way that does what it sounds like any justice. These noises (all drone-like) all come together, rising in pitch and urgency until they eventually find a moment of harmony, which then lifts and carries up and out and my word it is divine - possibly literally, but I might just be getting carried away. I do that sometimes.

So, too long; didn’t read? I love this record, which has been put together by very talented musicians whose work I admire. It’s really very good.

Top Tracks: Hollow Earth…oh man, they’re all good. there’s only 6 of them anyway. Here’s my Molly Meldrum moment - do yourself a favour and go pick yourself up a copy.

Top 10 of 2011 3: Washington - Insomnia The release of this caught me completely by surprise - as in I missed it being released and came to it I think months afterwards. I think it’s being called an EP, but at 8 tracks, and clocking in at over 30 minutes, if this was the 60s or 70s, it would be an album right? I’m calling it an album. It definitely plays like one. Every single song is important here, telling stories surrounding what sounds to me like different stages in a relationship. Some tracks are big pop production numbers featuring kazoo hooks, some delicate piano and string ballads. Everything here cuts right to the chase, there isn’t a wasted note, and who could say that of pretty much any music release these days? Top Tracks: Skeleton Key, Insomnia, Holy Moses

Top 10 of 2011

3: Washington - Insomnia

The release of this caught me completely by surprise - as in I missed it being released and came to it I think months afterwards. I think it’s being called an EP, but at 8 tracks, and clocking in at over 30 minutes, if this was the 60s or 70s, it would be an album right? I’m calling it an album. It definitely plays like one. Every single song is important here, telling stories surrounding what sounds to me like different stages in a relationship. Some tracks are big pop production numbers featuring kazoo hooks, some delicate piano and string ballads. Everything here cuts right to the chase, there isn’t a wasted note, and who could say that of pretty much any music release these days?

Top Tracks: Skeleton Key, Insomnia, Holy Moses

Top 10 of 2011 5: Jonathan Johansson - Klagomuren I have my dear friend John to thank for getting me into this fellow’s music. He played the role of Darwin in ‘Tomorrow, In A Year’, which is where we first heard him, and then John went and looked up his own work. This is his second album, and it’s an amazing work. If you wanted me to boil it down, it’s probably ‘European electro-pop’, but it’s way more than that. The production is very considered and not at all over the top, and there’s the feeling that these songs have been crafted exquisitely from the ground up. It’s very mature feeling, but given that I don’t speak Swedish I have no idea what he’s singing about. I just can’t stop listening to it. It’s exquisite from start to finish. Top Tracks: Som Om, Centrum, Min Ljusaste Röst

Top 10 of 2011

5: Jonathan Johansson - Klagomuren

I have my dear friend John to thank for getting me into this fellow’s music. He played the role of Darwin in ‘Tomorrow, In A Year’, which is where we first heard him, and then John went and looked up his own work. This is his second album, and it’s an amazing work. If you wanted me to boil it down, it’s probably ‘European electro-pop’, but it’s way more than that. The production is very considered and not at all over the top, and there’s the feeling that these songs have been crafted exquisitely from the ground up. It’s very mature feeling, but given that I don’t speak Swedish I have no idea what he’s singing about. I just can’t stop listening to it. It’s exquisite from start to finish.

Top Tracks: Som Om, Centrum, Min Ljusaste Röst

Top 10 of 2011 8: The Jezabels - Prisoner I had very high expectations of this record, coming off the brilliance of their previous three EPs. They stepped up the production, creating a very heady, rich sound which, I will admit, took a little getting used to in places as it runs the risk of burying some quality songwriting, but is thoroughly engrossing. It’s not all heavy and layered though - when they bring it down to something more sparse and delicate, it’s still rich (sparse and delicate are comparative terms here) and packs one hell of an emotive punch. The best part is that, apart from the strings (used sparingly) they perform everything themselves. One drummer, one guitarist, one keyboardist and one stunning vocalist. They’re pretty kick-arse live too. Top tracks: Horsehead, Long Highway, Catch Me

Top 10 of 2011

8: The Jezabels - Prisoner

I had very high expectations of this record, coming off the brilliance of their previous three EPs. They stepped up the production, creating a very heady, rich sound which, I will admit, took a little getting used to in places as it runs the risk of burying some quality songwriting, but is thoroughly engrossing. It’s not all heavy and layered though - when they bring it down to something more sparse and delicate, it’s still rich (sparse and delicate are comparative terms here) and packs one hell of an emotive punch. The best part is that, apart from the strings (used sparingly) they perform everything themselves. One drummer, one guitarist, one keyboardist and one stunning vocalist. They’re pretty kick-arse live too.

Top tracks: Horsehead, Long Highway, Catch Me

Top 10 of 2011 9: Nils Frahm - Felt My first listen to this album didn’t feel quite right. The choice to record not just the music but all the ambient noise and instrument mechanisms (largely piano keys and hammers) didn’t quite make sense initially. But as I listened further, it all opened up. Well, the opposite of opening up. All those little things that recording engineers probably usually try their best not to capture to tape were featured here. This is what making music actually sounds like! All of it! This is what my aging upright sounds like all the time when I play it, and here someone is recording that! Once that all clicked into place, it was amazing to listen to, all these noises just as crucial to the creation of the melody as the melody itself. Since one of the greatest sounds ever, to my ears, is the sound of the sustain pedal lifting at the end of a piece, it was disconcerting, then surprising, then wonderful to have that all part of a record. Top Tracks: More, Keep, Unter

Top 10 of 2011

9: Nils Frahm - Felt

My first listen to this album didn’t feel quite right. The choice to record not just the music but all the ambient noise and instrument mechanisms (largely piano keys and hammers) didn’t quite make sense initially. But as I listened further, it all opened up. Well, the opposite of opening up. All those little things that recording engineers probably usually try their best not to capture to tape were featured here. This is what making music actually sounds like! All of it! This is what my aging upright sounds like all the time when I play it, and here someone is recording that! Once that all clicked into place, it was amazing to listen to, all these noises just as crucial to the creation of the melody as the melody itself. Since one of the greatest sounds ever, to my ears, is the sound of the sustain pedal lifting at the end of a piece, it was disconcerting, then surprising, then wonderful to have that all part of a record.

Top Tracks: More, Keep, Unter

Top 10 of 2011 10: Agnes Obel - Philharmonics This album was a complete impulse buy - just because I liked the poster they had up on display in the record store. As a result, I didn’t really know what I was getting into other than Scandinavian woman playing the piano and singing. I was very pleased with the result. Some wonderful arrangements, beautiful understated delivery, some instrumentals - a great collection of songs that hasn’t left my car CD changer, which is always a sign of an LP I’m happy to listen to at any time. Top Tracks: Avenue, Close Watch, On Powdered Ground

Top 10 of 2011

10: Agnes Obel - Philharmonics

This album was a complete impulse buy - just because I liked the poster they had up on display in the record store. As a result, I didn’t really know what I was getting into other than Scandinavian woman playing the piano and singing. I was very pleased with the result. Some wonderful arrangements, beautiful understated delivery, some instrumentals - a great collection of songs that hasn’t left my car CD changer, which is always a sign of an LP I’m happy to listen to at any time.

Top Tracks: Avenue, Close Watch, On Powdered Ground

2011 - Live Shows Review I’ve just finished putting together my photobook from shows I went to this year, so as per tradition, here we go… Top 6 shows of the year? Sufjan Stevens Joanna Newsom Bat For Lashes Frente Owen Pallett Olof Arnalds That was a tough list to whittle down. Outside of one show (see later on), everything I saw this year was top notch. Total number of shows? 23 (wow, half as many as last year) First show of the year?Kate Miller-Heidke Last show of the year?Neil Gaiman & Fourplay String Quartet Most surprising show? Sufjan Stevens. My word. I was not expecting dancing, I was not expecting black lights, and I was definitely not expecting balloons to fall from the Opera House ceiling. Most disappointing?Amanda Palmer’s Australia Day debacle. It was terrible to the point where I would seriously consider spending money to go and see her perform again. Farthest traveled? States attended shows in? Brisbane, to go see Frente perform. Venue most visited? Sydney Opera House (5 shows) Worst injury? I did something weird to my ankle at the Gang Gang Dance show. Not so as you’d know at the time, but the next day I was hobbling around. Most expensive ticket? I can’t even remember. Probably Sufjan or Martha Wainwright. Band seen the most? Owen Pallet - two solo shows, and opening for Sufjan. Best new discovery? Olof Arnalds, playing at Sydney Festival. Man, what a show. And it was just one woman and a guitar (or charango). Bands seen this year that also broke up this year? None that I’m aware of! Friends made at shows? Did have fun conversations with people sitting around us at the Neil Gaiman show, but otherwise no. Band members met? Apart from the usual suspects, just Olof Arnalds, which turned into this big embarrassing thing with people taking photos which I then forced them to delete. I just wanted to say hi and get an autograph on my record.. Best souvenir from a show? Only memories and photographs this year. I couldn’t even manage to grab the Frente setlist, breaking my run of regularly getting an Angie Hart-related setlist. Longest time in line? 15-20 minutes for any shows at the Spiegeltents. Nothing bananas. Shows seen from the barricade [front row]: None this year, not so as you’d say technically front row or barricade. Most shows in one month?7 for January Most shows in one week? 4 Biggest crowd? Anything in the Concert Hall at the Opera House Top 5 best 2011 show moments: 1- Balloons from the Opera House ceiling. Oh man. That was just the icing on the cake that took the show from ‘amazing’ to ‘this could be the best show I have ever been to’. 2- Washington’s live performance of ‘I Believe You Liar’. Oh my god. It went from this (string-laden piano piece not out of place on Kate Bush’s first record) to this (giant live rock vamping). 3- Olof Arnalds singing a song without words twice, each time in a different mood, by changing her inflection on the “la la la”s. Also closing her performance with my favourite song of hers, and getting the audience to join in. 4- Martha Wainwright breaking up her set of Edith Piaf covers by performing songs her mother had written. Absolutely beautiful. 5- Bat For Lashes performing ‘Solsbury Hill’ with a string quartet, as well as a new song (not with quartet) that was amazingly hot. Honourable mentions: Finally getting to hear Kate Miller-Heidke perform ‘Psycho Killer’, Josh Pyke playing with his new looping pedal, John Malkovich joining Philip Glass on stage. Top 5 worst 2011 show moments:1- Amanda Palmer not having a clue how to rein in her ramshackle show. Outside of a couple of worthwhile moments, it was just hubris on stage. 2- Imogen Heap only playing one track from ‘I Megaphone’. I have to let go of the fact that she’s never going to play ‘Rake It In’. (I’m never going to let go of the fact that she has to play ‘Rake It In’). That’s it this year. Even #2 isn’t an issue with the show itself (which was great) so much as my own ridiculous expectations that she play songs from an album over 12 years old.
2011 - Live Shows Review

I’ve just finished putting together my photobook from shows I went to this year, so as per tradition, here we go…

Top 6 shows of the year?

  1. Sufjan Stevens
  2. Joanna Newsom
  3. Bat For Lashes
  4. Frente
  5. Owen Pallett
  6. Olof Arnalds

That was a tough list to whittle down. Outside of one show (see later on), everything I saw this year was top notch.

Total number of shows?
23 (wow, half as many as last year)

First show of the year?
Kate Miller-Heidke

Last show of the year?
Neil Gaiman & Fourplay String Quartet

Most surprising show?

Sufjan Stevens. My word. I was not expecting dancing, I was not expecting black lights, and I was definitely not expecting balloons to fall from the Opera House ceiling.

Most disappointing?
Amanda Palmer’s Australia Day debacle. It was terrible to the point where I would seriously consider spending money to go and see her perform again.

Farthest traveled? States attended shows in?

Brisbane, to go see Frente perform.

Venue most visited?

Sydney Opera House (5 shows)

Worst injury?

I did something weird to my ankle at the Gang Gang Dance show. Not so as you’d know at the time, but the next day I was hobbling around.

Most expensive ticket?

I can’t even remember. Probably Sufjan or Martha Wainwright.

Band seen the most?

Owen Pallet - two solo shows, and opening for Sufjan.

Best new discovery?

Olof Arnalds, playing at Sydney Festival. Man, what a show. And it was just one woman and a guitar (or charango).

Bands seen this year that also broke up this year?

None that I’m aware of!

Friends made at shows?

Did have fun conversations with people sitting around us at the Neil Gaiman show, but otherwise no.

Band members met?

Apart from the usual suspects, just Olof Arnalds, which turned into this big embarrassing thing with people taking photos which I then forced them to delete. I just wanted to say hi and get an autograph on my record..

Best souvenir from a show?
Only memories and photographs this year. I couldn’t even manage to grab the Frente setlist, breaking my run of regularly getting an Angie Hart-related setlist.

Longest time in line?

15-20 minutes for any shows at the Spiegeltents. Nothing bananas.

Shows seen from the barricade [front row]:

None this year, not so as you’d say technically front row or barricade.

Most shows in one month?
7 for January

Most shows in one week?

4

Biggest crowd?

Anything in the Concert Hall at the Opera House

Top 5 best 2011 show moments:

1- Balloons from the Opera House ceiling. Oh man. That was just the icing on the cake that took the show from ‘amazing’ to ‘this could be the best show I have ever been to’.

2- Washington’s live performance of ‘I Believe You Liar’. Oh my god. It went from this (string-laden piano piece not out of place on Kate Bush’s first record) to this (giant live rock vamping).

3- Olof Arnalds singing a song without words twice, each time in a different mood, by changing her inflection on the “la la la”s. Also closing her performance with my favourite song of hers, and getting the audience to join in.

4- Martha Wainwright breaking up her set of Edith Piaf covers by performing songs her mother had written. Absolutely beautiful.

5- Bat For Lashes performing ‘Solsbury Hill’ with a string quartet, as well as a new song (not with quartet) that was amazingly hot.

Honourable mentions: Finally getting to hear Kate Miller-Heidke perform ‘Psycho Killer’, Josh Pyke playing with his new looping pedal, John Malkovich joining Philip Glass on stage.

Top 5 worst 2011 show moments:
1- Amanda Palmer not having a clue how to rein in her ramshackle show. Outside of a couple of worthwhile moments, it was just hubris on stage.

2- Imogen Heap only playing one track from ‘I Megaphone’. I have to let go of the fact that she’s never going to play ‘Rake It In’. (I’m never going to let go of the fact that she has to play ‘Rake It In’).

That’s it this year. Even #2 isn’t an issue with the show itself (which was great) so much as my own ridiculous expectations that she play songs from an album over 12 years old.