2008 Round Up Pt. 1

There was a lot of good stuff that came out last year that I’ve listened to and loved but never got around to writing about. Sometimes it was writers block, other times the albums got trampled by other releases, but mostly I just had too much school and work. Either way, here is a late, brief shotgun style tribute to some pretty great albums that I know I would never get around to otherwise.

Dungen
4
(09.2008, Kemado)

Swedish rock band Dungen seems to be frozen in an era of classic 70’s psych rock and lush folk. Even before bursting into the indie mainstream with the success of Ta Det Lugnt, the band had always had a retro fitted swagger. So, even though things haven’t changed drastically from the band’s beginnings and 4 is still satisfies with its muted drums, fuzzy guitars, smooth vocals.

James Blackshaw
Litany of Echoes
(06.2008, Tompkins Square)

Finally getting distance from some of those Fahey comparisons, on Litany of Echoes, Blackshaw sounds more like a disciple of Steve Reich. Though not quite as good as 2007’s The Cloud of Unknowing, Blackshaw’s latest builds and invents upon his previous works and promises only good things to come.


Dj/Rupture
Uproot
(10.2008, Agriculture)

Seems like dub has become a pretty fashionable genre in the last year or two, marked by plenty of reissues of dub classics, dub compilations and the introduction of dub aesthetics to hip hop and indie rock alike. And you know what? For the most part I’m not a big fan. On Uproot, Dj/Rupture has provided the perfect entry point with an eclectic mix that proves that there aren’t many Djs at working at Rupture’s standard.

-Mr. Thistle

Marissa Nadler - Song III: Bird On The Water

Marissa Nadler

Song III: Bird on the Water

(2007, Kemado)

8.0/10.0

Listening to Marissa Nadler sing is like transporting yourself centuries into the past of some forgotten country village. Her ghostly voice echoes only a hint of modern familiarity, instead opting for eerie otherworldliness. Accompanied with a folk guitar and a river of strings, Nadler’s damp beautiful songs are curiously magical, casting an unlikely spell that requires repeat listens. Nadler also employs an occasional organ and backing vocals by additional specters, affecting a thin amount of dust to envelop your listening station before you can free yourself from her enchantment. Admittedly, this is my first time listening to Nadler and my initial “not bad but not great” reaction has been called into serious question. Continually building momentum and supernatural strength, Song III: Bird on the Water is destined to grow to be a 2007 favourite.

-Mr. Thistle

Marissa Nadler - Diamond Heart

Dungen - Tio Bitar

Dungen
Tio Bitar
(2007, Kemado)
8.5/10

Tio Bitar is Swedish import Dungen’s effort to complete the impossible task of following up 2004’s almost perfect Ta Det Lugnt. While Tio Bitar could only be expected to dwell in the shadows of its towering older brother, it is still an apt younger sibling. For those unfamiliar, Dungen take the best of Led Zeppelin and The Who and somehow enhance it using some type of Scandinavian voodoo wizardry. Where Ta Det Lugnt built on the unimaginable prospects of those former bands, Tio Bitar dwells as a slightly mellowed yet fulfilling companion piece. Buried in their influences, Dungen takes great lengths to ensure they capture the soul of their guitar heroes, using only vintage equipment to play and record the psych rock balladry. The effect is stunning. Tio Bitar feels like a hazy summer afternoon, awash with occasionally searing guitar riffs and nostalgic, galloping drums stirred into a layered mess of audible joy, circa 1977. Definitely the only album on my year end list that has successfully incorporated the jazz flute.

-Mr. Thistle

Dungen - Tio Bitar streaming