favourite music 2006-2010

A LITTLE FOREWORD

so much music listened to in those four years! the list below is huge, so if i really had to make some kind of restricted choice, of all the artists, albums and songs below, i would choose: arthur russell (definitely fell in love head over heels with his music), townes van zandt, violeta parra, john coltrane, brigitte fontaine, stina nordenstam, shirley collins, tim buckley, moondog, mozart’s piano music, and the beatles (yes – again – i guess this will be a constant throughout my life).

i’ve been pretty drastic in my choices for contemporary music: there is actually a lot more contemporary music than what i wrote down which i do like, but somehow, as a musician who has toured quite a bit and therefore has become acquainted with many musicians, either on a personal level or in a more purely “professional” way, it’s easy to get caught up and mixed up between the feelings for the musicians as individual beings (and thankfully, most musicians i’ve met are really great people) and the music itself.

i also feel that it’s hard to completely escape the influence of music reviews when it comes to contemporary music, even though i actually read very few reviews (i much prefer to read interviews) and think that the majority of music journalism should be taken with a (sometimes very large) pinch of salt – and yes, that would also include the positive reviews of my records: i’ve been mostly lucky in that respect, but i remain of the view that a review is just somebody’s opinion, even if that particular somebody is a journalist who knows his/her stuff. when i see the amount of brilliant records from the 60s/70s/80s that are almost completely unknown, it really floors me to think such talented people never got any recognition for what they did (although of course it’s not all due to lack of press coverage – i’m aware of that)… but i’m digressing ! all this to say that when making the selection for contemporary music, i tried to imagine that those records had been released much earlier, to see whether or not i would have included them in the list…

extra special thanks to iker spozio for unearthing and sharing many of the 60s-70s-80s gems!

non-western music

AFRICA

toumani diabaté – the mandé variations
hamza el din – escalay the water wheel – eclipse
cesaria evora – radio mindelo (early recordings)
the soul of mbira: traditions of the shona people of rhodesia – nonesuch explorer series
ali farka touré – radio mali
emahoy tsegué-maryam guèbrou – ethiopia song (éthiopiques volume 21 – buda musique)

CENTRAL ASIA

the musical silkroad / la route musicale de la soie (accords croisés) – especially monajat yultchieva “the beseecher” and angelique ionatos “asteron panton”
munadjat yulchieva and ensemble shavkat mirzaev – a haunting voice (world network)
alim qasimov ensemble – the legendary art of mugham (world network)
tengir-too – mountain music of kyrgyzstan

SOUTH AMERICA

violeta parra – las últimas composiciones de violeta parra – canciones reencontradas en paris – composiciones para guitarra – el folklore y la pasion
maximo damian – el violin de ishua

EUROPE

albanie: polyphonies vocales et instrumentales (le chant du monde)
françoise atlan – sephardic song : from the rose to the jasmine –  especially “durme querido hijico”- sephardic songs: romances sefardies : noches
chants de la liturgie slavonne – choeur des moines de chevetogne (harmonia mundi)
sephardic romances – especially “a la nana” – ensemble accentus
mikel laboa – lau-bost

western music from early music to now

la comtessa de dia “a chantar” – from la musique des troubadours – clemencic consort
luzzaschi et agostini – le concert secret des dames de ferrare – doulce mémoire
speculum amoris : lyrique de l’amour médiéval du mysticisme à l’érotisme – especially “ laude novella sia cantata” – la reverdie
“li solaus luist et clers et biaus”– from tristan et yseut – alla francesca
schutz “erhöre mich, wenn ich rufe” – oxford camerata
mozart – piano works : fantasy in d minor, k397 –sonata no 2 in f, k280 – sonata in f, kv 332 – rondo in a minor; kv511 – adagio in b minor, kv540 – sonata in a major “alla turca”, kv 331 – sonata in d maj, k576 – sonata no 4 in eb, k282 – sonata in c min, kv457 – mitsuko uchida
haydn – les 7 dernières paroles du christ
schumann – kinderszenen
schubert – piano trio in e flat, d.929 « andante con moto »
carl orff – schulwerke

film music

“oh willow waly” – george auric / paul dehn – sung by isla cameron – in the innocents (1961)
“once upon a time there was a pretty fly (lullaby)”walter schumann / davis grubb – sung by sally jane bruce (dubbed by kitty white) – in the night of the hunter (1955)

20th century popular (and not so popular) music

1920s

harry smith anthology of american folk music
washington phillips – the key to the kingdom

1930s

kurt weill and bertolt brecht – die dreigroschenoper / the threepenny opera (telefunken edition)

1940s

john lee hooker “hoogie boogie”

1950s

the crickets – the chirping crickets
buddy holly – buddy holly
john lee hooker “queen bee” “rock house boogie” “gotta boogie” “jump me one more time”
the isley brothers “shout”
alan lomax southern journey :
vol. 1 voices from the american south
vol. 3: 61 highway mississippi
vol.5: bad man ballads
vol.6:  don’tcha know the road
vol. 8: velvet voices
vol. 12: georgia sea islands
vol.13: earliest times
alan lomax and ed mc curdy “all the pretty little horses”
moondog – moondog on the streets of new york – moondog and his honking geese – moondog (prestige album) – more moondog – the story of moondog
the staple singers – the best of the vee-jay years
sarah vaughan with clifford brown “lullaby of birdland”

1960s

13th floor elevators – the psychedelic sounds of … – easter everywhere
atlantic gold – 100 soul classics (boxset)
graeme allwright – le jour de clarté
kevin ayers “the lady rachel”  “religious experience (singing a song in the morning)” feat. syd barrett
anne briggs – a collection – “fine horseman”
tim buckley:
from tim buckley: “song of the magician”“song slowly song”
from goodbye and hello: “hallucinations” “phantasmagoria in two” “morning glory”
from happy sad: “love from room 109 at the islander (on pacific coast highway)” “dream letter” “sing a song for you”
from blue afternoon: “happy time” “chase the blues away”
from the monkees tv show: “song to the siren”
dream letter: live in london 1968
vashti bunyan – some things just stick in your mind: singles and demos 1964-1967
canned heat “poor moon”
the chambers brothers “time has come today”
the chocolate watchband “in the past”
cold sun – dark shadows
shirley collins –– love, death and the lady – anthems in eden  – fountain of snow – within sound
john coltrane “syeeda’s song flute” – my favorite things –  “olé”– africa/brass – a love supreme
the common people – of the people / by the people / for the people from …
the contours “do you love me”
the cookies “in paradise”
elizabeth cotten “shake sugaree” “ruben”
creedence clearwater revival “bad moon risin” “run through the jungle” “proud mary” “born on the bayou”
bo diddley – hey bo diddley – bo diddley – bo diddley rides again – in the spotlight
doctor john – gris-gris
donovan –“the lullaby of spring”
simon dupree and the big sound “please come back”
the factory –“path through the forest” “gone”
jackson c.frank – blues run the game – and all the other recordings
the freeborne “images” “land of diana”
fuchsia “shoes and ships” “me and my kite”
bobby fuller four “never to be forgotten” “ don’t ever let me know” “my true love”
gandalf – gandalf
girl group sounds: one kiss can lead to another boxset
tim hardin “how can we hang on to a dream”
heron “for you”
the id –the inner sounds of the id – especially “the rake” “boil the kettle mother” “the inner sound of the id”
the index – anthology
the jelly bean bandits – the jelly bean bandits
kaleidoscope – faintly blowing
kathy and carol “wondrous love”
johnny kidd and the pirates “shaking all over”
pat kilroy “star dance”
yusef lateef – eastern sounds
peggy lee “is that all there is ?”
bob lind “black night” “it wasn’t just the morning”
the lost “everybody knows”
john d.loudermilk – the open mind of … – especially “laura”
the millenium “prelude”
the misunderstood “i unseen” “find a hidden door” “i can take you to the sun”
the moody blues – days of future passed
moondog – moondog 2
the mystic tide “mystery ship”
neon pearl – 1967 recordings
nuggets – original artyfacts from the first psychedelic era 1965-1968
the outsiders “i love her still, i always will”
pentangle “ cruel sister” “when i was in my prime”
the poets “call again” “in your tower” “that’s the way it’s got to be” “dawn”
ramases – space hymns
jean ritchie – mountain hearth and home
max roach – we insist ! freedom now suite
saffron “vision is a lonely word”
sonny sharrock – black woman
nina simone “ plain gold ring” “pirate jenny” “strange fruit” “when i was in my prime” (from 1962 live session)
phil spector  – back to mono boxset
spike drivers “often i wonder” “strange, mysterious sounds” “portland town” “i know”
the tammys “egyptian shumba”
them “square room” – the story of them
richard and linda thompson “the great valerio”
time – before there was … – especially “a song for you”
van morrison – astral weeks
townes van zandt: for the sake of the song – our mother the mountain – townes van zandt
caetano veloso – 1968 album – 1969 album – … and gal costa : domingo
west coast pop art experimental band “i won’t hurt you”
mary lou williams – black christ of the andes – especially “st martin de porres”

1970s

a to austr “thumbquake and earthscrew”
kevin ayers “the oyster and the flying fish” feat. bridget st john
sybille baier – colour green
chico buarque – construção
dorothy carter – troubadour
chrisma – hibernation
ivor cutler – velvet donkey
brian eno – here come the warm jets
brigitte fontaine – brigitte fontaine – l’incendie – vous et nous – le bonheur – je ne connais pas cet homme
lole y manuel – pasaje del agua
arthur russell – first thought, best thought
townes van zandt: delta momma blues
from high low and in between: “highway kind” “high low and in between”
from the late great townes van zandt: “pancho and lefty”
from studio outtakes: “the spider song” “at my window”
from live songs from 1973: “two girls” “only him or me”
live at the old quarter 1973
caetano veloso “terra”
lal and mike waterson – bright phoebus
stevie wonder – talking book

1980s

algebra suicide – the secret like crazy
batang frisco – 1986 album
kate bush “army dreamers”
confetti – retrospective
fall of saigon (les zutopistes reissue)
family fodder – more great hits !
the feelies – crazy rhythms
the gist “this is love” “love at first sight”
happy mondays “this feeling”
the hypothetical prophets “person to person”
loop “arc-lite”
the kiwi animal – music media – mercy
opal “all souls”
prince “when doves cry”
arthur russell – another thought – world of echo – love is overtaking me – calling out context –  springfield
spacemen 3 – taking drugs to make music to take drugs to
bruce springsteen “state trooper”
this heat – deceit
this mortal coil – it’ll end in tears
tom tom club – tom tom club
gareth williams and marie currie – flaming tunes – especially “generous moon”
xex “svetlana”

1990s

dominique a “j’ai tué l’amour” (barbara cover)
pierre bastien “mangbetu”
beat happening – you turn me on
electroscope – journey to the centre of electroscope – “welcome to planet barrett” “harmonic hiatus” (from vanishing pulsar planet ep) – “unhappy soul”(from unhappy soul ep) – “toledo trio” (from split lp with minmae on rocket racer) – split 7’’ ep with stasola on lykill – “the blue you never knew” (see through but solid compilation) – “glycerine gold /out on the edge of time” 7’ on boa records
lisa germano – geek the girl
chris knox – croaker – songs of you and me
loop “afterglow”
low – christmas – transmission
magnetic fields – 69 love songs
mahogany “métro” “semaphore stream-lines”
mercury rev “chasing a bee”
neutral milk hotel – on avery island – in the aeroplane over the sea
stina nordenstam – “alone at night” “a walk in the park” – and she closed her eyes
red house painters – red house painters
ultra milkmaids – lou 7’’– borray ep (both available on oldies vol.1) – “yorjc jyrpurporoc” (tape including a track on which i played guitar, in 1995)

2000s

axa hour of dora bleu “meaning and wrath”
bat for leashes “seal jubilee”
beach house – devotion
the beautiful schizophonic “un étourdissant réveil en musique” “un jardin encore silencieux avant le lever du jour”
broadcast – tender buttons
peter broderick “with the notes in my ears” “below it” “not at home””maps”
cacoy “mo ma w maw”
drawn “di-o-day”
efterklang “i was playing drums”
el perro del mar “party” “dog” “coming down the hill” “this loneliness” “i can’t talk about it”
grouper “invisible”
grizzly bear “all we ask”
pj harvey – white chalk
here we go magic “fangela”
yuko ikoma – esquisse
ilona “fall song” “the never-ever” “good morning”
konono n°1 – congotronics
lau nau “kuula”
lhasa – lhasa
library tapes “leaves abstract in a village plunged into mourning”
the magical folk of the faraway tree “time to go home”
micachu “lips” “golden phone” “turn me well”
stina nordenstam “clothe yourself for the wind” “i’m staring out the world” “the morning belongs to the night” “the world is saved”
nalle – the sirens wave
joanna newsom “bridges and balloons” “sprout and the bean” “the book of right-on” – ys
birte nordahl “and still the caged bird sings” (myspace)
nuda veritas “captain” “nellie and peter”
the peep show “isthmus christmas” (myspace)
rhodesia “my horizon” (myspace)
jeanette sollén “split” (myspace)
tiago sousa and joao correia “folha caduca” “surrealismo impressionista”
town and country “shirtless”
townparks foundry “lights on daytime”
ultra milkmaids “the heat”
xela “drunk on salt water” “wet bones”

2010

arlt – la langue
family fodder “primeval pony”
glasser “ring”
ceylan hay “love that lasts”
joanna newsom – have one on me
wildbirds and peacedrums “fight for me”

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