2019 Albums for President Obama

January 4, 2020 by A.S. Van Dorston

I love that my former Chicago South Side neighbor @barackobama takes the time to make a list of his favorite music of 2019. Impressive range, including Burna Boy! But knowing his first love is exploratory soul like Stevie Wonder, and despite the lack of jazz in his list, I think he’d dig these.

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Tagged: 2019 Albums for President Obama, Afro Pop, Chicago jazz, Chicago soul, psychedelic soul

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Albums that are 10 years old. At the time I though

Albums that are 10 Years Old 1. Syd Arthur – So $Albums that are 10 Years Old 1. Syd Arthur – Sound Mirror Syd Arthur are a psych prog band from Canterbury, England. Given their name, one might assume the band partake in complicated, extended prog jams with inscrutable lyrics along the lines of perhaps Gong and Caravan. Despite what it’s title seems to indicate, even their first album On And On (2012), has an average song length of just over three minutes. Brothers Liam, Joel and Josh Magill and multi-instrumentalist Raven Bush (yes his auntie is THE Kate Bush) came from a background of forest party raves. They are equally comfortable with technology, bucolic elemental mysticism, otherworldly musicianship, jazz inspired improvisation and disciplined songwriting. With their arpeggiated keyboards, guitars and tricksy time signatures, of course they were chosen to open for Yes on a tour leading up to this album's release. Far from difficult listening, the music drifts easily, not like a sea breeze, but rather the delicate fog of the Westbere Marshes. They were by far my favorite performance at Riot Fest in 2016, but since then, the band has been conspicuously missing from the world other than backing up Jack Hues' (Wang Chung) jazz fusion excursions. No one else gets close to the particular goosebump-inducing vibe this band induces, therefore they must return. https://sydarthur.bandcamp.com/album/sound-mirror-3 2. Truckfighters – Universe 3. Motorpsycho – Behind The Sun 4. Wovenhand – Refractory Obdurate 5. Spiders – Shake Electric 6. The Sea Kings – Woke In The Devil’s Arms 7. Swans – To Be Kind 8. Witch Mountain – Mobile Of Angels 9. Shellac – Dude Incredible 10. Dark Blue – Pure Reality 11. Papir – Papir IIII 12. The New Christs – Incantations 13. Colour Haze – To The Highest Gods We Know 14. Lola Colt – Away From The Water 15. Floor – Oblation Spoon – They Want My Soul Bask – American Hollow Purson – In The Meantime EP Nothing – Guilty Of Everything TV On The Radio – Seeds Blues Pills – Blues Pills The Oath – The Oath Spidergawd – Spidergawd Purple Hill Witch – Purple Hill Witch Serpent Venom – Of Things Seen And Unseen Electric Wizard – Time To Die Protomartyr – Under Cover Of Official Right D’Angelo and$

Albums that are 10 Years Old 2. Truckfighters – $Albums that are 10 Years Old 2. Truckfighters – Universe Those who have seen them are treated to one of the best, most energetic live shows in rock. Singer/bassist Ozo (Oskar Cedermalm), with his moppety blonde hair, stature and voice, reminded me a bit of Kurt Cobain when Nirvana were touring Bleach with TAD. Back then, it could have been conceivable had Nirvana continued to pursue their Melvins, TAD and Sabbath influences that they could have developed along the lines of Truckfighters. But none of those bands had a Dango. What’s a Dango? Dango (Niklas Källgren) is their secret weapon, an overly caffeinated Captain Caveman armed with a mind-blowing arsenal of fuzzy guitar tones and brilliant riffs. After seeing them the first time, I bought the tour t-shirt that proclaimed them “Probably the best band in the world.” It may be tongue in cheek, but as far as a band that you can still see in a small club, I wear it without irony. https://fastnbulbous.com/truckfighters-universe-fuzzomania-2014/ 3. Motorpsycho – Behind The Sun 4. Wovenhand – Refractory Obdurate 5. Spiders – Shake Electric 6. The Sea Kings – Woke In The Devil’s Arms 7. Swans – To Be Kind 8. Witch Mountain – Mobile Of Angels 9. Shellac – Dude Incredible 10. Dark Blue – Pure Reality 11. Papir – Papir IIII 12. The New Christs – Incantations 13. Colour Haze – To The Highest Gods We Know 14. Lola Colt – Away From The Water 15. Floor – Oblation$

Albums that are 10 Years Old 3. Motorpsycho – B $Albums that are 10 Years Old 3. Motorpsycho – Behind The Sun Norway’s venerable psych-prog institution Motorpsycho are just getting better with age, and more prolific than ever. When it’s become common for many bands to take 2-5 years between albums, Motorpsycho has been cranking them out, with 7 albums in the past 9 years, with remarkably consistent quality and ambition. The double The Death Defying Unicorn (2012) was one of their best, and while Still Life With Eggplant (2013) was less cohesive than usual, it still offered many highlights, featuring Reine Fiske of Swedish psych prog legends Dungen as practically a full-time member (check out the riffs on “Hell, Parts 1-3”). Great news for Dungen fans, Fiske’s guitar playing is featured on the majority of the new one too, and it’s a great one, emphasizing all of the band’s recent strengths, from pastoral prog to hard rocking stoner psych. Bent Sæther’s vocals are featured higher in the mix than usual, bringing to mind at times both Mercury Rev and Yes. “Cloudwalker (A Darker Blue),” “Ghost” and “The Promise” are some of the best songs they’ve done, with the rest of the album holding up with such strength many will find their own favorite highlights. A perfect introduction to this band’s huge catalog. 4. Wovenhand – Refractory Obdurate 5. Spiders – Shake Electric 6. The Sea Kings – Woke In The Devil’s Arms 7. Swans – To Be Kind 8. Witch Mountain – Mobile Of Angels 9. Shellac – Dude Incredible 10. Dark Blue – Pure Reality 11. Papir – Papir IIII 12. The New Christs – Incantations 13. Colour Haze – To The Highest Gods We Know 14. Lola Colt – Away From The Water 15. Floor – Oblation$

Albums that are 10 Years Old 4. Wovenhand – Ref $Albums that are 10 Years Old 4. Wovenhand – Refractory Obdurate After the influential Sixteen Horsepower, David Eugene Edwards kept up a prolific pace with Wovenhand, releasing over a half a dozen albums in 12 years, all worth hearing. On the latest and greatest, the basic elements remain, a spooky, gothic mix of Americana, country, folk and gospel, but with a much heavier dose of post-punk. Think Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds/Grinderman, Gun Club, Joy Division and Swans/Angels of Light, but with extra apocalyptic hellfire and brimstone. It's no wonder this album attracted a strong fanbase among metalheads. https://deathwishinc.bandcamp.com/album/refractory-obdurate 5. Spiders – Shake Electric 6. The Sea Kings – Woke In The Devil’s Arms 7. Swans – To Be Kind 8. Witch Mountain – Mobile Of Angels 9. Shellac – Dude Incredible 10. Dark Blue – Pure Reality 11. Papir – Papir IIII 12. The New Christs – Incantations 13. Colour Haze – To The Highest Gods We Know 14. Lola Colt – Away From The Water 15. Floor – Oblation$

Albums that are 10 Years Old 5. Spiders – Shake

THE RECORD WALL I don't have them up all at once.

Albums that are 10 Years Old 6. The Sea Kings –

Albums that are 10 Years Old 7. Swans – To Be K

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