New Sounds Year in Review 2014: 2
Our New Sounds Intern, Emma Munger, a guitarist and engineer, weighs in with the records that have impressed her most this year, with things that have been aired on our show, and not. Emma's curious ears and tireless fingers have been keeping New Sounds afloat throughout the fall of 2014, whilst the "staff" has been away. Here are some of her notable music finds for 2014.
Jon Hopkins--Asleep Versions EP (Domino)
In Asleep Versions, Brian Eno-collaborator Jon Hopkins revisits four tracks from his 2013 LP, Immunity, and re-imagines them in a more ambient style. The songs are contemplative but not underwhelming--stripped of many of their previous effects and beats, and full of subtle piano melodies, field recordings, and gentle percussion. It’s particularly fitting that the album was recorded in Mosfellsbær, Iceland; its expansive, floaty soundscapes are reminiscent of the vast landscapes of Iceland itself.
Marisa Anderson--Traditional & Public Domain Songs (Grapefruit Records)
Marisa Anderson, Portland, Oregon-based guitarist, rarely plays flashy guitar licks. Instead, in this solo guitar album of traditional American songs, she focuses far more on melody, tone, and emotion in her arrangements. She leaves space very skillfully, allowing notes to resonate in all the right places, and treating the melodies of these songs with great care, thought, and innovation, allowing us to hear familiar songs like “The Battle Hymn Of The Republic” in completely new ways.
Nels Cline and Julian Lage--Room (Mack Avenue)
Room, a duet album by guitar virtuosos Julian Lage and Nels Cline (Wilco), sounds incredibly intimate. It was recorded simply; Lage plays in the left channel and Cline in the right, there are no overdubs, and both guitarists have clean tones throughout. Inspired by jazz legends like Jim Hall and Ornette Coleman, Cline and Lage have created an album full of both tightly composed pieces (“The Scent of Light”) and lengthy improvisations (“Waxman”). Room is full of nearly atonal pieces rich with chord clusters and constantly-changing time signatures (“The Scent of Light”), as well as beautifully simple, sweeping tonal melodies (“Whispers From Eve,” “The Bond”). The album earns its title; listening to it with headphones feels like you’re actually in a room with this incredible duo.
Stream it via the NY Times.
Bryce Dessner/Jonny Greenwood--St. Carolyn By The Sea/ Suite from There Will Be Blood (Deutsche Grammophon)
Bryce Dessner and Jonny Greenwood, both prominent guitarists in the rock world (Dessner in The National and Greenwood in Radiohead), have also become giants in the contemporary classical world. These pieces, performed by the Copenhagen Philharmonic, are string-heavy and full of genre-bending techniques. They feature lush string arrangements--Dessner’s with occasional electric guitar swells and plucked melodies, and Greenwood’s with suspenseful and jolting melodic lines. Watch the trailer for the record:
Thom Yorke--Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes (self-released)
Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes grows on you. In many ways, it’s a characteristic Thom Yorke album; it relies both on innovative electronic beat-based grooves, synthesizers, vast soundscapes, and soaring vocals. Its melodies are subtle, rather than catchy. Its titles are strange, and a little humorous: “A Brain In A Bottle,” “There Is No Ice (For My Drink),” “Nose Grows Some.” And it rewards you; each listen brings new depth.
Greg Cohen & Bill Frisell--Golden State (Relative Pitch Records)
Recorded in one session with minimal rehearsal time, Golden State showcases the talents of bassist Greg Cohen and guitarist Bill Frisell as an improvisational duo. Cohen’s rhythmic bass lines set the foundation for Frisell’s classic floaty, melodic playing, in these blues, country, and jazz-infused songs. This is Santa Susana:
Aphex Twin--Syro (Warp)
Though I’d never listened to Aphex Twin (or known much about electronic music) before this album, Syro drew me in. The album is full of fascinating, new sounds--beats that transform in surprising ways, distorted synthesizers, and reverb-heavy, manipulated voices. It unfolds in exciting and unexpected ways, and keeps you on your toes by revealing moments of sudden clarity amidst distortion and complexity.
Check it out via Spotify:
Hugar--Hugar (self-released)
Hugar, a duet formed by Icelandic musicians Bergur Þórisson & Pétur Jónsson, just released their self-titled debut album, featuring the talents of Ólafur Arnalds. “Hugar” means “mind,” a fitting name for this band whose instrumental compositions are often introspective and gentle, but ultimately develop into something sonically massive. Most tracks rely on simple piano melodies which build with the help of marching drums, swelling strings, and skillfully arranged brass sections.
Medeski, Martin, Scofield, and Wood--Juice (Indirecto Records)
Juice, a groove-centric album of bass, piano, drums, and guitar, features the tasteful playing of John Scofield, who cleverly transitions from bluesy and lyrical guitar improvisations to distorted, frenetic, and even atonal ones. Juice is funky, bluesy, and anthemic, and gives listeners interesting takes on a few classics: Light My fire, Sunshine of Your Love, and The Times They Are A-Changin’.
The Bad Plus--Inevitable Western (Okeh Records)
The piano trio’s tenth album, this one of solely original compositions, does an incredible job of combining accessible techniques common to pop, rock, and folk music with unexpected rhythmic and melodic twists. The New York Times refers to this as “avant-garde populism”—accessible, intellectual music. The Bad Plus often sounds like more than a trio; their innovative sound makes you forget you’re listening only to piano, bass, and drums.
Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile--Bass & Mandolin (Nonesuch)
Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile are an impressive duo. Bass & Mandolin, ten original compositions by the bassist and mandolinist, features both players’ heavily rhythmic styles. Meyer switches from bow to plucking his bass while Thile alternates between virtuosic riffs and melodic strumming, resulting in an album that really grooves. Here's "Tarnation":
Kronos Quartet—A Thousand Thoughts (Nonesuch)
A Thousand Thoughts marks the 40th anniversary of the Kronos Quartet, and features all four cellists that have been a part of the group. Encompassing music from all over the world—from the American South (Blind Willie Johnson’s “Dark Was The Night Cold Was The Ground”) to tracks from Afghanistan and Vietnam—this album showcases the versatility and distinct sound of this accomplished quartet.
Emma Munger recently graduated from Kenyon College, where she studied music (with a focus on jazz guitar performance) and English. Now she resides New York City, and spends her time playing music, interning for New Sounds, writing freelance music reviews, and working for the Magic Shop Recording Studio in SoHo.
