Top 10 For 2011: Dance Music
#10: Poolside – Harvest Moon
#9: Breakbot – Fantasy (Jacques Renault Remix)
Recommendations
Chris Recommends:
Resident Advisor’s RA Exchange Podcast
Resident Advisor’s podcasts have been killing it for years now, but it wasn’t until a few months ago that I started getting into their Exchange series. Rather than DJ mixes, the Exchange series is a series of interviews with legendary musicians and producers. They really are a treasure trove of information, and any musician can benefit from the perspective that each episode offers. Whether it’s Dixon talking about growing up in East Berlin, Greg Wilson talking about DJ contracts in the 70s, or DJ Harvey’s hilarious stories about running amok in NYC during the 1980s, it really does make for a fantastic resource. And it’s free! Don’t sleep.
Chris Recommends:
Mark McGuire – A Young Person’s Guide To Mark McGuire
Mark McGuire’s a guitarist from Ohio, maybe slightly more well known for his involvement in the cult band Emeralds. He popped up on my radar at the end of last year, but he’s been getting a lot of listens from me recently, especially with all of this gloomy weather we’ve been enjoying in NYC this week (not being sarcastic, I’m psyched on it). His sprawling, swirling and droning guitar works just really add a nice cinematic touch to early autumn weather. This album collects selections from his enormous back catalog (at 13 albums in the last four years, prolific only begins to describe it), and true to its title, it does give you a pretty good idea of what he’s all about . Even though it’s two discs and nearly 2.5 hours of music, it’s just the tip of the ice berg. So, if you’re still hungry for more, I also give a hearty recommendation to his Living With Yourself LP, which offers some poignant meditations on family and childhood. Check out “Stranger Than Paradise,” then maybe go buy it (or stream it on Spotify? I think people are doing that these days) if you like it.
Mark McGuire – Stranger Than Paradise (right click, save as)
Purchase A Young Person’s Guide To Mark McGuire
Chris Recommends:
A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Steep Hills Of Vicodin Tears
Picked this one up via Altered Zones and have been listening to it almost ritually since then. A Winged Victory For The Sullen consists of two composers, Adam Wiltzie (of Stars Of The Lid) and Dustin O’Halloran (whose recent album, Lumiere, has also been in heavy rotation for me lately). ”Steep Hills Of Vicodin Tears” is a gorgeous, cinematic piece, the kind of thing you’d want to hear while watching the sun rise. The track is taken from their upcoming self-titled album, set to be released via Kranky and Erased Tapes on September 12th.
A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Steep Hills Of Vicodin Tears
Chris Recommends:
Poolside’s Day & Night Mixes
Really excellent pair of mixes from the guys in Poolside. As you may have guessed, one is a daytime disco set, great for the beach or (believe it or not) the poolside. The second is a little dancier, a great transition from dusk to evening. Both easily get the seal of approval. No track lists, but you probably know a lot of these jams already. Stream/download them here:
Chris Recommends:
Southern Shores – Night Is Young
Loving the summer vibes on this one. Southern Shores are from Nova Scotia (via Berlin), and “Night Is Young” is set to be released on their Atlantic EP on July 12th on Cascine (a label that’s been after my own heart lately). It pairs well with the sound of crashing waves and the smell of sunscreen.
Chris Recommends:
Friendly Fires – Pala
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the new Friendly Fires album. I was hot and cold on their debut LP, but I liked the bits and pieces I heard leading up to Pala‘s release, so I gave it a shot. As it turns out, Paul Epworth’s production has helped their sound immensely (you may also know him as Phones, or as that guy that produced Adele’s juggernaut of a sophomore album), and Ed Macfarlane’s voice has somehow gotten even stronger. Doesn’t hurt that the cover art is awesome, either. The excellent summery disco track “Hurting” is below, but the album is solid from front to back and definitely worth a listen.
Friendly Fires – Hurting (right click, save as)
Chris Recommends:
Washed Out – Eyes Be Closed
I’m sure this record is getting/will get all the hype it deserves, but it’s been damn-near on repeat for me so I’m gonna throw it up here anyways. Washed Out’s two EPs were staples for me last summer, and helped inspire a whole mix of hazy songs that was designed for poolside listening. This is taken from his upcoming album Within And Without, and it’s great to hear that he hasn’t lost a step since being crowned the Chill Wave ambassador (kind of kidding about that last part, but mostly not). Sometimes you just want to hear songs that make everything shimmer, you know? I’m really looking forward to the full length, but this single does the trick just fine in the meantime.
Chris Recommends:
diskJokke – Panutup
So, this one showed up on the internet a few weeks back, alongside the announcement for diskJokke’s next album, Sagara. The story here is that Norway’s Oye festival comissioned diskJokke for a one off project, for which he could travel to any location in the world and study a particular type of music. He chose Indonesia’s Gamelan music and jetted off to Java, and the results of his time there will be released on Sagara on June 14th. In the mean time, check out a little preview below. It’s got a sound that’s a bit like an ambient John Hughes score, which is about as up-my-alley as it gets.