The Best Of 2010 (and Merry Christmas)

01 MASSIMO VOLUME
Cattive Abitudini
 
02 GABRIELLES WISH
Processed
 
03 MARLENE KUNTZ
Ricoveri Virtuali E Sexy Solitudini

04 Skarnemurta - Traffic

05 Freebass - It's A Beautiful Life

06 Beautiful - Beautiful

07 Kalevala - Musicanti Di Brema

08 Exit Calm - Exit Calm

09 Blonde Redhead - Penny Sparkle

10 Jungle Radio - Live Session

11 Serena-Maneesh - S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor
12 Culpable - Culpable
13 Section 25 - Retrofit
14 Pet Shop Boys - Ultimate
15 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - History Of Modern

This year has been a weird mix of different trends for me. I've been discovering artists I've been guilty of overlooking in the past which haven't released albums this year, like the years of Brian Wilson as a genius in The Beach Boys (second half of the 60s) and Maxwell, a genius of contemporary black music. I've also been hearing a lot of singles released in the past few years in the Fidget house scene, especially Brooklyn artists like AC Slater and Udachi, who are doing the most inventive music heard (and danced) in this century so far.
I've also discovered 4AD (which was a cult label in the 80s with bands like Cocteau Twins and Pixies) is still releasing great albums, this year with bands like Blonde Redhead (who are progressing further in refining their sophisticated and melancholic synth pop) and Serena-Maneesh (who try too often to sound like My Bloody Valentine but still show a lot of talent, especially when doing something more personal).
Then we've had great comebacks, reissues or compilations of bands which have been around for ages. Massimo Volume came back with a studio album after 11 years. They had been playing half of the new songs in concert so we expected the new album would have been great, but nobody was really ready to hear their best album ever. Gabrielles Wish released for the first time on CD their excellent lost debut album, recorded 13 years ago, adding some bonus tracks. Marlene Kuntz involved production genius Howie B (he did Bjork's most inventive albums in the 90s) and he produced their less commercial album ever, a record full of ideas daring to take many different directions, mostly unconventional, with some wonderful sounds enhancing the formula. The collaboration went further in the project Beautiful (which sounds even more experimental), where Howie B plays keyboards and bass legend Gianni Maroccolo (formerly in Litfiba and CSI) comes back to complete the line-up and release the album on his own label Al-Kemi. Peter Hook finally released, after an EP with guest vocalists like Tim Burgess from The Charlatans) the Freebass debut album which is great, pity the band have already split. Another long awaited debut came from Exit Calm and, even if they haven't included all their best songs in the tracklists, the album is good enough to say they're the best new band in this century so far.
Section 25 survived the death of singer Larry Cassidy, his daughter Beth sings now, and have released an album with re-recordings of their classics. Pet Shop Boys released a compilation of hits missing some important singles but including their excellent new single Together, which also has a really beautiful video.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark came back with a new studio album after 14 years and it's alright but unfortunately, just like their last album before this long time off, shows their best inspiration is long gone, though it tries a return to the sound of their former glories.
2010 has also been a great year in my local scene in Parma. There are other great bands who haven't released records playing fantastic gigs, there are cool DJs in the dance scene, and we've had also some excellent releases. Skarnemurta had another triumphant tour in Ukraine and repackaged their last album and EP with a bonus track on one CD while recording a new album which should follow in a couple of months. Kalevala are selling promo copies of their astonishing and truly inspired new album while waiting for a wider release next year. Jungle Radio emerged with their inventive blend of DJ set and live performance and Culpable finally made available on iTunes the studio recordings of the wonderful songs they've been playing live for years.
Merry Christmas and Happy 2011, hoping to hear more great new music!

Freebass - It's A Beautiful Life, great album finally out!

 After five years and in line with Hooky's release schedule we are all delighted to announce that the Freebass Album: Its a beautiful life is ready for download.

www.fac51thehacienda.com/product/music/audio/freebass-its-beautiful-life

via fac51thehacienda.com

Absolutely excellent! Every song sounds great.

Posted via web from Mick's posterous

Freebass supergroup releases EP, Two Worlds Collide

In took some five years, but Freebass, the Mancunian bass supergroup comprising of three of music’s most notable strummers, Peter Hook (Joy Division), Gary “Mani” Mounfield (The Stone Roses/Primal Fear), and Andy Rourke (The Smiths), finally has a record to its name. In fact, this time next month, they’ll have two.
This week, Freebass released its debut EP, Two Worlds Collide. Coming some five years after its initial formation, the four-song effort hears the all-star bassists teamed up with the likes of The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess, The Mighty Wah’s Pete Wylie, and Howard Marks, all of three of who lent their vocals. The band had planned for even higher levels of supporting star power, such as Liam Gallagher and Billy Corgan, but scheduling conflicts prevented them from making an appearance. After all, they only had five years to make it work!

“We asked them but we’re all jobbing musicians so it’s impossible to fit it in,” explained Hook in an interview with the BBC. “I get asked, and Mani gets asked, to do a lot of sessions and stuff. Literally you have the best intentions of doing it. We had Liam at one point but you really just can’t fit it in.”
Two Worlds Collide serves as precursor to the band’s forthcoming full-length, which is due out next month. On that particular release, former Haven singer Gary Briggs will make his debut as the band’s full-time vocalist.
“We had a sort of indie Pop Idol,” Hook went on to explain. “It took us about a year and a half to find a singer and we came up with Gary Briggs.”
“In the mean time we’d asked a few friends of ours – Tim Burgess, Howard Marks, Pete Wylie – to help us out and we submitted some vocals. So we ended up with four guest vocalists and a proper vocalist… We thought we’d split it in two. So the EP with the guest vocalists is coming out first, and the LP will be coming out in four weeks with Gary.” Make sense?
Hook also jokingly called the band’s lightning fast gestation a “living hell.” “The problem with it was that when it started, we had a lot of time on our hands – Mani, Rourkey and I. And then as soon as we started it, our respective band leaders, in their wisdom, decided to work. So it’s had a lot of false starts.”
The EP can now be purchased from Hook’s Hacienda website. You can preview a few tracks here.
In support of the releases, Freebass has also announced its first two gigs: June 1st at 100 Club in London and June 3rd at FAC251 The Factory in Manchester.
TAGGED AS: Andy Rourke, Freebass, Mani Rourke, Peter Hook

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via consequenceofsound.net

You Don't Know This About Me is a great song with fantastic vocals by The Charlatans' Tim Burgess, Pete Wylie also sings wonderfully on The Milky Way Is Our Playground, Dark Starr with Howard Marks sounds like a great Velvet Underground track and Hooky sings the best song, Live Tomorrow You Go Down which recalls early electro New Order... don't miss this EP!

Posted via web from Mick's posterous