Motorik

Neu! formed after Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger left Kraftwerk in 1971, citing a lack of vision. Despite Kraftwerk being the greater household name, Neu! can be cited as a large influence on a variety of bands, from David Bowie to Sonic Youth, from Wire to Radiohead. Some would say they even influenced Kraftwerk to modify their own sound with 1974's "Autobahn" incorporating the motorik sound.

Neu! often gets cited for "inventing" motorik beat. If they didn't invent it, they definitely popularized it, and many bands use it as homage to their Krautrock forebears. Here are some songs I like in the motorik style. 

 

Thanks to Sick Mouthy and The Quietus for inspiring some of the choices.

Brian Eno

 Brian Eno has done it all. He's been a member of a successful art-rock band with Roxy Music, became a solo artist, "invented" ambient music, championed little know genres, and became a famed collaborator and producer. In this playlist, I highlight some of my favorite Eno moments from 1973 to the present. You may notice I have overlooked some of his well know efforts as I am not much of fan.

"Do the Strand" is good representation of early Roxy, with Eno lurking in the background wearing some unforgettable (and most likely unfortunate) getup while using synthesizer and tape effects. With tape recording loop experiments in full effect, "The Heavenly Music Corporation" from Fripp & Eno's 1973 effort (No Pussyfooting) highlights what came to be known as Frippertronics. Released around the same time was the more "rock" oriented Here Come the Warm Jets. Continued explorations in ambient came in 1978, which finds Eno recording his Ambient 1: Music for Airports record.

I always found it interesting that Eno keep exploring musically, and this can be seen by his curation of defining no-wave completion No New York. By 1978, Eno began working with the Talking Heads, co-produced their next three albums. On these albums, we find the band going from minimalist to maximalist while incorporating African music and polyrhythms. Also from 1977–79 we find Eno collaborating with Bowie on his seminal Berlin Trilogy.

In more recent times, Eno was hired by Microsoft to create a sound that was "inspiring, universal...optimistic, futuristic, sentimental, emotional". Even the uninitiated are familiar with this six-second composition. Eno continues to release ambient music on Warp, whose artist roster may not exist without his influence. In 2008, we find Eno collaborating with David Byrne again to create Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, their second album together.

My 2012 Listening Habits

2012, like every year before it, seems busier than ever. With some new projects on the plate, there was less time for deep listening. But, onwards and forwards!

 

There were a few things from 2011 that I didn't get to until this year.  Included was Feist's fourth album Metals. Lacking anything like 1234, Feist continues to progress as an artist. Metals reminds me of open coastal views near Big Sur where it was recorded.

Although I have been interested in African music for a few years, I hadn't caught up with Tinariwen. After hearing a track on NPR's Afro-Pop Worldwide show, I enjoyed hearing more on their latest album, Tassili, where they forge on, playing their brand of desert blues. Some of the other African bands I have enjoyed are long gone, so it's great to hear a modern group like Tinariwen still releasing essential music.

Ty Segall was my introduction to the psych/garage San Francisco scene. I  had seen him perform with just a kick drum and a guitar at SMOG a few years back, and his continual tour/release cycle has honed his skills. In 2012 alone, Segall released three records, which I have yet to hear. Goodbye, Bread was his 2011 release.  A hard man to keep up with.

 

After enjoying and listening to Bon Iver, Bon Iver last year, it somehow became overlooked in my review. Yes, he is no longer that man in the cabin. Yes, that's Colin Stetson on sax. No, I am still not a fan of Beth=Rest. Yes, the album is great.

Kurt Vile's Smoke Ring for My Halo was my sleeper hit of the year. On first listen, it sounded slow, laconic, and tired but, after multiple listens, the record opened up as something great. 

Marissa Nadler's Little Hells was my random library cd of the year. I think I first read about her when I was reading about Sharon van Etten (see below). Nadler's vocals pack a punch, even on first listen. It's the type of record you feel you have heard somewhere before, not too long ago. 

My favorites from 2012 are as follows:

Sharon van Etten: Tramp

For records that came out this year, 2012 didn't really break a lot of new ground for me. Of my favorites, most were from bands I already knew of and liked. The only "new" artist for me was the previously mentioned Sharon van Etten. On Tramp, Etten's hushed, haunting vocals play well with production from The National's Aaron Dessner. A great cathartic record.

Jack White: Blunderbuss

Jack White delivered the goods on his first solo title release, Blunderbuss. Sometimes it's hard to believe how much energy this guy has. So many releases in the last few years with all of his many bands, and he still delivers on this one. So many blues, so little time.

Grizzly Bear: Shields

Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan 

Despite sounding quite different, these bands are both connected in my mind because they both released records I loved in 2009 as well. Shields is beautifully recorded choral avant-pop with an increased emphasis on lyrics. Swing Lo Magellan is Dirty Projectors at their loosest. Both solid releases.

Beach House: Bloom
Beach House was a band that took a while for me to get into. I love the dream-pop sound of their previous albums, but I couldn't seem to find the patience to love any of their records. Bloom changed that. It made me go back to and fall in love with Teen Dream and Devotion. These guys aren't making huge stylistic shifts each album or following a trend. They are here for the long run. 

A Morning at Work

 It's not always fun to be at work, but having music along can really help the day go by. I created this playlist of old and new songs based mainly around the guitar. It has a few moods that I usually go through during the day. It starts and ends with The Fall. And yes, an budget espresso machine and a $7 usb turntable on the desk can really help the day go by as well.