Noteworthy albums, 2011

Indeed.

It's been a generous year for new music in many genres! Here's most of what got my attention in 2011 and what's part of my year's best considerations.

Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip (Club AC30)
Nils Frahm - Felt (Erased Tapes)
Ben Frost + Daniel Bjarnason - Solaris (Bedroom Community)
Deaf Center - Owl Splinters (Type)
Seefeel - Seefeel (Warp)
Christina Vantzou - No. 1 (Kranky)
Biosphere - N-Plants (Touch)
Alva Noto - Univrs (Raster-Noton)
Boris - Attention Please (DiwPhalanx/Sargent House)
Boris - Heavy Rocks 2011 (DiwPhalanx/Sargent House)
Boris - "New Album" (DiwPhalanx/Sargent House)
CoH - Iiron (Editions Mego)
Cyclo. - Id (Raster-Noton)
Vadislav Delay - Vantaa (Raster-Noton)
Group Doueh - Zayna Jumma (Sublime Frequencies)
Hildur Gudnadottir + Hauschka - Pan_Tone (Sonic Pieces)
Jacaszek - Glimmer
Frank Bretschneider - Komet
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (Sub Pop)
HTRK - Work (Work, Work) (Ghostly)
Mist - House (Spectrum Spools)
Leyland Kirby - Eager To Tear Apart The Stars (HAFTW)
Kode9 + The Spaceape - Black Sun (Hyperdub)
Kangding Ray - Or (Raster-Noton)
NHKyx - yx aka 1ch aka SOLO (Skam)
Mountains - Air Museum (Thrilljockey)
Simon Scott - Bunny (Miasmah)
Peter Broderick - Music For Confluence (Erased Tapes)
Max Richter - Sarah's Key: soundtrack
Ringo Deathstarr - Sparkler (Club AC30) [reissue]
Ride - Nowhere 20th Anniversary (Rhino Handmade) [reissue]
Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto - Summvs (Raster-Noton)
Still Corners - Creatures Of An Hour (Sub Pop)
Omar Souleyman - Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts (Sublime Frequencies)
The Son Of P.M. - Hey Klong Yao! [reissue]
Seapony - Go With Me (Hardly Art)
Ultralyd - Inertiadrome (Rune Grammofon)
Tim Hecker - Ravedeath 1972 (Kranky)
The Men - Leave Home (Sacred Bones)

Rough Trade

Pretty cool docu on Rough Trade from BBC4 a few years ago

http://vimeo.com/25951380

and here's your companion reader, which is in stock at Easy Street Queen Anne:

VAPOUR TRAIL. Sunday Nov 13 2011

Vapour Trail: A DJ night of pure washes of shimmering sound, sonic textures, waves of distortion, vocals and melodies disappearing into walls of echo-laden guitars, languid soundscapes. Dream pop, shoegaze, space rock, dark ambient and more are featured: Early 80s to present.


The Living Room Bar
1355 E. Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122
1 206.708.6021
http://thelivingroombar.com/
facebook.com/thelivingroombar

VAPOUR TRAIL: Nightmare edition this Sunday 23rd Oct

Sunday , 23 Oct

This weekend : VAPOUR TRAIL / Sunday 25 Sept 2011

Location	1355 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122
Hours	Sun: 9:00 pm - 2:00 am
About	an evening of atmospheric sonic introspection and swirly visuals

Description	2nd and 4th Sunday of each month at the Living Room 1355 E Olive Way Seattle, WA 98122 (206) 708-6021 Never a cover

Next VAPOUR TRAIL upcoming Sunday 14 Aug

Location	1355 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122
Hours	Sun: 9:00 pm - 2:00 am
About	an evening of atmospheric sonic introspection and swirly visuals

Description	2nd and 4th Sunday of each month at the Living Room 1355 E Olive Way Seattle, WA 98122 (206) 708-6021 Never a cover

VAPOUR TRAIL / playlist 24_Jul_2011

DJ Retina Burn solo set: 2 vinyl decks / 2 CD decks / 4 air conditioners / 2 variable strobe lights / a proper amount of booze

Galaxie 500 / Fourth of July
Seefeel / Airless
The Jesus and Mary Chain / Blues From A Gun
m83 / Colouring The Void
Hammock / When The Sky Pours Down Like A Fountain
Tim Hecker / Analog Paralysis, 1978
Moose / The Moon Is Blue [Live]
Swirlies / In Her Many New Found Freedom
Broken Little Sister / Still
The Verve / The Longest Day
Cocteau Twins / Musette & Drums
Voyager One / IO
Tears Run Rings / How Will The Others Survive?
Bexar Bexar / kt4
Curve / No Escape From Heaven
The Telescopes / I Fall, She Screams
Ringo Deathstarr / You Don't Listen (7")
Closedown / Red Opal
Altar Eagle / B'nai B'rith Girls
Ride / Paralyzed
The Raveonettes / Love In A Trashcan
Casino Vs. Japan / The Deadest Bar
Sway / Base Audit
Airiel / Blowin' Cool [Swervedriver cover]
The Fauns / Deranged
14 Iced Bears / Rise
Pluramon / Difference Machine
Television Personalities / A Picture Of Dorian Gray
Suicide / Ghost Rider
Dif Juz / No Motion
Starflyer 59 / Truckers' Son
Astrobrite / Peachfuzz
The Wake / O Pamela
Inspiral Carpets / Commercial Rain
My Bloody Valentine / Map Ref
Kitchens Of Distinction / Get Over Yourself
Malory / Ajar Door [Live]
Blonde Redhead / Will There Be Stars
Pale Saints / Hunted
Revolver / Molasses
Lush / Leaves Me Cold
Pale Sketcher / Wash It All Away
Spacemen 3 / Things Won't Be The Same [First Demo]

VAPOUR TRAIL / SUNDAY 10 JUL 2011

Vapour Trail continues on Sunday Jul 10th with more shoegaze and atmospheric, ambient music old and new. Your DJ hosts Chris, James, and Jessica play a diverse mix from all eras, styles, and sources. This event is always free!

Join us from 9pm-close - it happens at The Living Room on Capitol Hill in Seattle. 1355 E Olive Way

VAPOUR TRAIL / 26 JUN 2011

James Grindle and Troy Wadsworth went all vinyl and dueled it out with a bunch of 4AD and Creation records, while I snuck away to catch Blonde Redhead ! Here's what I brought to the mix when inevitably the concert was over by 11:30..

Ringo Deathstarr / 8-time intro/Imagine Hearts
Ride / Seagull
Secret Shine / Way Too High
Seefeel / Dead Guitars
Starflyer 59 / Concentrate
Surface of Eceon / The Grasshopper King
Tamaryn / The Waves
Pale Saints / She Rides The Waves
My Bloody Valentine / Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)
Morella's Forest / One Glorious Night
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma / Stained Glass Body
The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa / Ice Cream Star
Chapterhouse / Something More
Adorable / Everything's Fine
A Place to Bury Strangers / I Know I'll See You
Robin Guthrie / Love Never Dies A Natural Death
The Field Mice / Letting Go
Guitar / Just Like Honey

A retroactive appreciation for PHDJ: 18 Jun 2011

My humble contributions to a fantastic night of diverse DJ-ing at The Living Room in honor of a certain DJ finishing their Ph.D! Most of these came direct from the vinyl decks!

A Certain Ratio - Guess Who

Film School - March Hike

New Order - Lonesome Tonight

Television Personalities - Silly Girl

Talking Heads - Girlfriend Is Better

Orange Juice - Wan Light

14 Iced Bears - The Wonder of Coincidence 1

Chapterhouse - Lady Godiva's Operation (VU cover)

Josef K - Heads Watch

Cloudland Canyon - Temperature's Rising (G500 cover)

A Place to Bury Strangers - Strictly Looks

Winston Tong - Broken English (12" mix)

Ride - European Son (VU cover)

The Body Snatchers - Big Ass Mini Skirt

Chapterhouse - Precious One (remix)

VAPOUR TRAIL :: WELCOME THE SIGHT BELOW, DJ VIPERS, DJ SHANI __ 12 JUN 2011

these were setlists.

rai:

teenage filmstars - loving
curve - want more, need less
love & rockets - mirror people
swervedriver - sunset
jesus & mary chain - something i can’t have
the velvet underground - white light/white heat
brian eno - needle in the camel’s eye
ultra vivid scene - bloodline
los planetas - si esta bien
jesus & mary chain - tower of song
slowdive - slowdive
chapterhouse - treasure
franke - jag älskar dig
joy division - isolation
my bloody valentine - soon
seefeel - more like space
bowery electric - only sometimes


dj shani:

Great sets last night from DJ Sight Below and co.!
Here's some stuff I played- not necessarily in any order...

Slowdive- When the Sun Hits
Cocteau Twins- Lorelei
Cranes- Everywhere
Medicine- 5ive
My Bloody Valentine- You Made Me Realise
Red Martian- Edo
Seapony- Dreaming
A Place to Bury Strangers- Keep Slipping Away
Chris & Cosey- Dancing on Your Grave
Spacemen 3- Losing Touch with My Mind
A Sunny Day In Glasgow- 5:15 Train
This Mortal Coil- Tears
Ulrich Schnauss- Passing By
Crystal Stilts- Through the Floor
Wild Nothing- Drifter
Black Tambourine- Black Car
Wire- Kidney Bingos
The Chemical Brothers- Swoon (Radio Edit)
The Stone Roses- I Am the Resurrection

Seapony gets it

In addition to the insanity of 14 Iced Bears somehow playing a show in Seattle, the band they opened for turned out to be surprisingly worthy. Seapony shattered my ultra-cynical/dismissive attitude (fortunately before the show so I arrived as a fan knowing it was already legit). Almost the one band in 20 years to understand this style of music & create something like it in a worthwhile fashion. It was apparent why at their show, as they had a clear understanding of the importance of 14 Iced Bears, and they closed their show with a cover of Emma's House (one of the most-recognized songs of The Field Mice). Check this band! This was their album release show and here's a rare current pop band that I totally back.

http://www.hardlyart.com/seapony.html

VAPOUR TRAIL THIS SUNDAY MAY 22 2011

sunday may 22 / 9 pm
the living room bar / 1355 e olive way / seattle
always no cover

sonic galaxies explored
audiovisual feedback to the future

Edited to include playlist:

Guitar - Sign Waves
Astrobrite - Crasher
Loop - Vapour
m83 - In The Cold I'm Standing
The Verve - This Is Music
Voyager One - Little Ruin
/ / / /
The Field Mice - White
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Coast To Coast [Peel Session]
The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa - Pistacchioplaces
The Boo Radleys - Tortoiseshell
Chapterhouse - More Than I Can Take [demo]
Morpheme - Infection
The House of Love - Scratched Inside
Highspire - Chipping Campden
/ / / /
SPC ECO - For All Time
Mahogany - Synchromie No. 1
Maribel - Euphoric Licks
Exit Calm - With Angels
Medicine - Lime 6 [live]
Slowdive - Slowdive
Auburn Lull - Broken Heroes
Spacemen 3 - When Tomorrow Hits
Ride - Nowhere
Tamaryn - Love Fade
Morpheme - Stratosphere
Moose - Last Of The Good Old Days
LSD and the Search For God - This Time