The best-kept secrets of 2001

New "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" answers.

'Whatever' - Green Velvet. Only Reynolds seems to have noticed. It's ace, sort of miserabelist house with a twist.

Twerk - _Now Im Rendered Useless_ on Force Inc.

... hefty records ... Telefon Tel Aviv - Farenheit Fair Enough

Posthuman - the Uncertainty of the Monkey. I don't remember seeing a thread about this. Two fellows in London, possibly cousins, affiliated with SKAM Records and who apparently throw parties in the Aldwych Disused Tube station.

They put out their debut as Posthuman on their own record label, Seed Records. In terms of overall music it's not essential, but in terms of electronic music it's a supremely confident, sinister little album. Think Autechre's stark aesthetics mixed with Download's emphasis on jittery rhythms (but without the smacked-up emphasis on house grooves). Add in bits of Future Sound of London (appropriate!), they share a certain narrative approach to their long works. Very dark and uncompromising, without many readily- identifiable 'organic' sounds, but it's IDM that doesn't forget to place an emphasis on dance because there are some great beats ..

not particularly obscure, but Harry Nilsson's 'The Point!' psychedelic childrens' story concept album thing

the boredoms REBORE series...especially vol. 0...why dont more of you bore freeks rate these?

arse, i posted to the wrong thread

was meant for the 'stuff that only you seem to like thread', before someone points out it was released 31 years ago...

Jess -- It's cuz those Rebores run about $35.00. I want all three very badly but don't have the scratch these days.

I haven't heard much about it in general, but I really really like the new Richie Hawtin. It might be that he's sort of old news to everyone here, but I just got into him this year, so this album was really a treet.

Also, didn't the Boards of Canada EP come out earlyearly this year, or am I crazy?...

"Een Rondje Holland" by Ex Orkest. Floats like a butterfly, stings like a Mack truck. Is the fact that the lyrics are in Dutch keeping people wary? 'Cause it shouldn't. I'm considering flying to England in April just to see them play.

Also, I'm amazed that none of the other bleeding-edge-IDM types here have mentioned We're Twins Records...

...And has anyone else heard 'Ayahuasca' by Pelt? GREAT drones.

I was dissapointed by the BoC release, which is why I've fogotten about it. I got it at the same time as the Hi-Scores EP and it made me wonder if they were moving in the right direction. Haven't listened to it in a few months, though.

The Braintax LP. Great stuff.

Anja Garbarek's Smiling and Waving. It was released on Virgin in Norway but it's pretty easy to obtain. Sorta inbetween Stina Nordenstam and a stripped down Bjork. Mark Hollis, a couple of the Japan fellers, and Robert Wyatt are on it. Very fragile, wide-eyed, and lovely art-pop.

why dont more of you bore freeks rate these?

Vol. 0 was one of the best records I heard this year. I love it. Haven't heard the other ones though. I'm about to get Shock City Shockers 2, and I already have DJ Pica Pica Pica. Boredoms and related mixes are neat.

As far as best kept secrets, I didn't hear much about Funky 16 Corners on Stone's Throw. Pretty good comp of super obscure funk 45s. But really, with the internet, what's secret anymore?

The Boards of Canada release is great. It is definately a hot or cold sensation though, with listeners. Being a minimalist nut, I dug the hell out of it.

Clogs. The name of the album is Thom's Night Out. Classical combo w/ a gypsy flair. Makes Rachel's sound like little Timmy trying to practice on his detuned violin. (And I like Rachel's.) Information is available here.

The New Richie Hawtin CD is great, the ultimate CD mix, lots of Edits!

Zorn - The City is Collapsing (but not tonight) - more supreme berlin IDM..

Alphawezen's l'apres-midi d'un microphone
- like a tasty cliff-notes for all the best goings-on in chilly electronic dub, moving from Aphex Twin to microhouse to Kruder & Dorfmeister to jungle to dub-techno to vocal pop in a seamless manner, and with an impressive flair, and yet its consistent use of gorgeous dub basslines and icy synth motifs also gives it an artistic unity that prevents it from coming off as "eclectic". It's own diversity probably prevented it from getting the attention it deserved, but as a primer it would be invaluable. One of the more hypnotically beautiful releases of the year.

(If you like this, try: ...... Mathias Schaffhauser's similarly lovely Love & Business album which, its cover of Icehouse's "Hey Little Girl", was also criminally overlooked).

i'll say it again, my morning jacket "at dawn"

I'm surprised the My Morning Jacket record didn't wind up on more lists.

Well that's a coincidence if I've ever seen one.

Les Sexareenos - 14 Frantic Shakers

Damn, I forgot about My Morning Jacket! That's a fine CD, it is.

So My Morning Jacket then. Info? Links?

Best kept secret...oh right, duh, anything Chris and Carla/the Walkabouts did. New Walks album, a slew of live shows that got recorded, etc. The new Marc Almond solo also keeps growing a bit in my estimation.

Haven't read many critics' polls, but is Destroyer's "Streethawk" making them? It seems quite wonderful to me. It's not properly obscure, but I'm a little surprised that Daniel Bejar hasn't inspired the sort of hero-worship afforded to Will Oldham -- Bejar really deserves it. NB Not sure if the critical love-fest that broke out in the wake of the New Pornographers counts as Bejar-worship or not.

Paul Burch's Last of my Kind has been my favorite cd of the year. Paul Burch is a part time member of Lambchop and wrote these songs to go along with Tony Earley's novel, Jim the Boy. Gentle, old-timey folk at it's finest.

Califone - "Roomsound"
Phoenecia - "Brownout"

It's not properly obscure, but I'm a little surprised that Daniel Bejar hasn't inspired the sort of hero-worship afforded to Will Oldham -- Bejar really deserves it.

could not agree more. maybe its do to the fact that Bejar really brings a bright-pop feel to his singer-songwriter music. Oldham (though i am a huge fan of I See A Darkness...)seems, to me at least, to bring a sort of insincerity to his lyrics when compared to Bejar. I know they are completely diffrent entities, but i find Bejar's lyrics to be so on point(even when they are all coming from second person), that they mesh with the music in a way that seems more fluid than Oldam's Bonnie Billy output. Streethawk: A Seduction is def. one of the best cd's of the year.

I think the problem is that the record title sounds like a terrible videogame.

the only My Morning Jacket song I've heard is their cover of Erykah Badu's "Tyrone" on the last Darla compilation. its nice!

my votes go to Alsace Lorraine "Through Small Windows" and The Four Corners "Say You're a Scream".

The album Desert Rose by Suv, the one in Reprazent who looks like an indian (not that Roni Size looks like biker or a builder or anything..). This album (released on Full Cycle) is a beautiful, somehow totally uncontrived sounding combination of Spanish flamenco and top of the range drum 'n bass. Unlike anything else you've heard.

'From Memorial Crossing' by Pinkie Maclure is my favourite album of the year - kind of post-rock electronica type thing but with a voice and passion that towers above anything that similar groups ever come up with, e.g. Laika. An interview in The Wire and a live set on Radio 3's Mixing It, but little else.

A hit in its native Holland, Dutch rap act Brainpower's sorrowful single 'Je moest waarschijnlijk gaan’ is a minor gem unlikely to feature on many lists.

A hip-hop lament, slow mournful chords and minimalist beats over which Dutch rapper Gert-Jan Mulder grieves the premature death of his best friend. Sharply observed, and lightly satirical on Dutch funeral traditions (e.g. coffee and cake with the family after the service) I find it genuinely moving, though here only Job De Wit would probably concur. .

This band from NYC called The Strokes.

Mark, was that joke ever funny?

Hot damn, I forgot about Destroyer. Doofus, I am. Never thought of comparing Mr. Bejar to Mr. Oldham (unless you're just saying that Bejar deserves the type of cult following that Oldham has gathered, a sentiment I wholeheartedly support).

Speaking of a bass / drum duo that sounds like the best spastic post- punk duo you've never heard (a post-punk duo singing overly poetic songs about movie stars, to boot), Edie Sedgwick is a fine musical combo. Information is available here. Enjoy the movie star rhetoric.

Oh, and here's the super-obvious My Morning Jacket link.

I'll second Califone and raise with Solvent's "Solvent City." (Also re: My Morning Jacket - Never did much for me but I can't believe I knew about a band Ned didn't.)

I'll gladly pump
More Plastic - 60 Watt Party as the greatest album of the year
Also up there is
A Northern Chorus - Before We All Go To Pieces.
By virtue of being Canadian got ignored by the majority of the world.

Pump it more. I can't feel it. I don't really need it, of course, but more descriptions regarding those (& other bands) would be appreciated by music phreex all over.

You're right David -- not funny. Not sure what came over me there ;).

Califone I liked -- interesting to hear, though, that Roomsound was voted #1 at the Amazon critics poll. At least that's what the Perishable dispatch said.

The two Sunroof! records this year were not talked about much, but both were essential for drone music fans.

Argh, remind me not that I'm behind on both my Sunroof! and Pelt listening...

Jess -- It's cuz those Rebores run about $35.00. I want all three very badly but don't have the scratch these days.

::coughcough::audiogalaxy.com::coughcough::

(and mark, you NEED vol. 0...even if you have to [ugh] buy it.)

The Seafood album. It is genuinely fantastic. The two singles from it are the least interesting things on there by a screaming mile.

Yeah, I may need to plunk down for Vol. 0. Heard too many good things. I never regretted spending that for VCN when it was import- only (that was store credit, though.)

I don't have a CD burner so downloads don't do it for me. Plus, with a 56K connection, wouldn't downloading an album take like a month?

I don't have a CD burner so downloads don't do it for me. Plus, with a 56K connection, wouldn't downloading an album take like a month?

it took me approx. 6 hours last night. (and thats with multiple times being kicked off-line.) in any event, i -do- have a burner (now), so if you want, email me off board and maybe i can get you some copies.

Kristin Hersh - "Sunny Border Blue"

I can't remember seeing this reviewed anywhere, and Kristin Hersh isn't exactly obscure. I heard a couple of tracks by her on the Shanti Project Vol. 2 compilation and thought she'd be worth investigating further. Wow!

Also, the Sing-Sing album has had bugger-all attention. Sure, it's not amazing, but it's still a decent listen and you'd think with the Lush connection and all that more people might have been interested.

Unless it's part of the ongoing Poptones backlash (frontlash? lash?)

Not in my top ten (it's actually like 50th or so), but I really dig Azeem's Craft Classic (Stray), a very funny indie-hop record that's not Paul Barman-like ha-ha--more like Aesop Rock if he cracked more (obvious) jokes. I saw no coverage of it, though granted I didn't look that hard either. Also, Gavin Hardkiss's Through Rose Tinted Glasses demolishes Scott Hardkiss's United DJs of America even if Jeff Salamon in Spin thought otherwise. There's more, but this is what I can think of off top of head.

maybe i'm looking in the wrong places but lift to experience-the texas jerusalem crossroads was fantastic, in my opinion.

Two answers:

jetone/tim hecker

the new twilight circus

I'll second Lift to Experience, and the new Jackie-O Motherfucker is pretty good too. It's not -really- secret, but I haven't seen it mentioned much here.

Oh, and Li'l Wayne's "Get off the Corner." Good second record from far and away the most talented of the Cash Money crew (though the rest of them are great, too--Turk's "Freak Dem Hoes" single was great).

Morgan Geist - formerly a member of Stasis. Until this year I thought his best stuff was on Clear records in the mid-90s, but he's been knocking out great EPs and collaborations under all year.
Circulation - Deeeeep House. They dole it out by the tonne

Yo, Kreg are you taking about the Circulation eps because the album colours came out in March 2000, and was a big fave in my top 10 of 2000.

By the way Swayzak have signed to Studio K7.

[Both Corculation and Swayzak will release new albums in 2002, along with new albums from 16B (hOOJ choons), MR C (plink plonk/end recordings), Layo & Bushwacka - newly signed to XL.]

Several sadly-overlooked French records are likely to make my LPs of 2001 list if and when I get around to it. My nominee for this thread - "Kekeland" by Brigitte Fontaine - probably won't, but it's still a damn fine LP.

On this collection, Brigitte tries a dozen different musical styles, and decides - yes they are worthy of her. The record's not as electrifying as the live performance I saw this autumn, but still pisses over the rest of this year's chanson efforts.

Yes, Ned, unfortunately you might be behind on your Pelt. ;- ) 'Ayahuasca' got released this year, and I think it kinda passed under everyone's radar (mine, too, until a couple weeks ago!). But it is incredible--I just listened to it, in fact. There's a heavy Appalachian feel to some of it, but it probes that otherworld wherein backwoods folk and deep drone meet and create intensely zoned-out progeny.

Almost sounds like you're describing the newest No Neck Blues Band album (_Sticks and Stones..._, out on John Fahey's Revenant label), albeit with less emphasis on the droning, and more emphasis on the Appalaichian moonshine & peyote jamboree vibe.

peyote jamboree vibe.

are there country bears involved?

How is that No-Neck-Blues record? My roommate told me about it, and it sounds potentially really cool...

It's very good. I think the description I cribbed up there is pretty apt - meandering old-blues-type music, messy and disjointed in the best ways. It's an acquired taste, sure, but if you like stuff like US Maple, Captain Beefheart, or Pip Proud (or other like-minded droney messy stuff), you'll be in your own beautiful blue heaven with this puppy. (Not to say NNCK sounds much like those folks, but the aesthetic - going back to basics, and constructing something that's both old and new - is very similar.) And it comes in an interesting package, too.

posthuman - the uncertainty of the monkey