My biggest musical influence of the year was Africa. I started a little last year exploring sounds related to Vampire Weekend high-life copping debut and thinking about how much music comes out of that continent alone that I am unfamiliar with. I also realized that in many ways, music I
love has a large African influence. I trace this back to the Talking Heads. I was never a world music fan per say, which I always felt was just skimming the top surface of music from around the world and probably missing the really cool stuff underneath the surface. But really, all music is “world” music when considered in the broad context. That being said, I really loved last years exploration of world music with DJ/Rupture. Uproot was amazingly sequenced with great sounds that made me want to hear the samples in their original context, and was definitely my most spun record of the past year. What's not to like about mashing up dub, French house sounds, German breakcore, turntablism, Brooklyn beats, modern classical, etc in one mighty mix that showcases music from all over. A record of travels and a truly sublime look at the unity between music from all continents.
Getting back to the Talking Heads: they used music from around the world to influence their sound and continued to explore that throughout their career. Byrne later when on to form Luaka Bop records and release music from around the world as well. I enjoyed his second album with Eno, which I caught up with this year.
Talking Heads also had a large funk influence on their bass sound throughout their career, and
Tina Weymouth cited James Brown as an influence, the “originator” of funk. Following that thought, it could be argued that all funk originates in Africa. One record that really struck me as a “wow” moment was Analog Africa's African Scream Contest. With some mighty sounds from Togo and Benin in the 70's, it was a record that reminded how much great music is out there, even from 30 years ago. It also showed that James Brown was not just influenced by Africa, but that he influenced them back. Tons of grooves, lots of screams, amazing drumming, and a whole lot of funk. Just amazing.My African interests also extended to Fela Kuti and other Afro-Beat bands he influenced. I really liked the new Nomo disc, which had lots of Fela-like sounds going on. Even last years TV On The Radio disc had Fela to thank, with Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra adding cool horns throughout.
I find my interest in older music widening every year, but I find it especially fun to go back and revisit legacy artists that I grew up with, but maybe have not listened to for quite a few years, especially critically. The library cd lending system let me get to hear lots of Bruce Springsteen this year. I also went back to Elvis Costello's Get Happy!! with it's great R&B sounds. It reminded me of my younger days, but also had lots to offer on renewed listens.
Other older library favorites were the Nuggets I and II box sets. Both had interesting tracks from the best of American garage rock and from around the world. I can see why record collectors dig through crates to find albums and singles by these forgotten (and remembered) songs. It was an interesting take on the 60s pre-hippie era that I really love, and the tracks therein influence most all the music I enjoy from the last 50 years in various forms.
I also caught up on a few of last years albums, including, Fleet Foxes Northwestern take on psych-folk harmonies, Deerhoof's Offend Maggie angular jams, and M83's John Hughes baiting Saturdays=Youth.
Two (quite different) live albums that I really enjoyed listening two this year were Kraftwerk Minimum-Maximum and Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963. If anyone doubts Kraftwerk's influence on modern sounds and music as diverse as Bowie (!!), electro, early hip-hop, synth rock, etc, this album documents why they were innovators. The audience clearly enjoys hearing these tracks played in a live setting, and everything sounds fresh, even through most of the material is quite old. Sam Cooke, on the other hand, really made me appreciate his voice. Most of his material I have heard was soulful, but did strike me as particularly raw. This live album shows him completely in control of the crowd and his voice (ha ha!), with great urgency. Highly enjoyable.
Finally, I get to the 2009 stuff that I really dug. Number one was definitely Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca. Having listened and enjoyed there previous work, this album took their sounds to another level without compromising there unique sound. Great vocal harmonies from the girls, lots of enthusiastic drumming, David's crazy falsetto and high necked strumming made for a great album that really stood out as completely different from anything else going on. Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest was another highlight. When Grizzly Bear opened for Radiohead in 2008, Jonny Greenwood, at the end of the tour, thanked his "favorite band in the world" for opening for them. That was some high regard, which I questioned whether Grizzly Bear deserved. After Veckatimest, that question is answered. They continue to expand on there baroque-psych harmonies and deliver a great album. A fun album from last year was Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Having heard of them before but never listening to an entire an album, this band arrived fully formed and ready two go, with three albums behind them. A great driving album with fun sounds from the French boys. Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion arrived to high critical acclaim, and although I still like Feels the best, the super deep, dubby bass lines and fun songs (for me at least) made it a highlight. On opposite spectrums of the albums sounds, I especially loved My Girls and No More Runnin. The hooks were hooky and the sounds were out there. Still a love it or hate it band for most it seems. Finally, I really liked Passion Pit debut for some crazy synth sounds and male high high falsetto.
Overall a fun year in music listening for me. If I can cover half the stylistically ground next year, maybe it will be an Asian year? Probably not. Until then though...
