Some acquisitions over this month.
Ambient pickups:
Satoshi Ashikawa -
Still Way
Grouper -
A I A: Alien Observer
Slow Dancing Society -
My Blue Heaven
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The second entry in the Wave Notation series isn't quite as compelling for me as
Music For Nine Post Cards, but still serene and lovely. I certainly feel the music soundtracks well to colder seasons, as we are experiencing currently in Portland!
Alien Observer is my favorite of Elizabeth's work, and it is truly cosmic and divine. I'll be turning to this on those sleepless days where I'm up at 2 AM and am indecisive about falling further into my feelings or finding comfort.
The above Slow Dancing Society record is not quite as focused as the other I purchased last month, but I was able to get an excellent price for it. On his BandCamp, he normally prices this album for $15 before shipping. He found a batch of 25 of his stock with corner damage and is selling them for $5 off (so $10 before shipping). The corner damage on the discounted copy I purchased is easy to ignore and barely noticeable. This album has a mixture of ambient, slow and guitar progressions, and some downtempo, although some sections are not really quiet at all. Comes on 2xLP colored vinyl with a purple and a seafoam record.
VMP package from 2 weeks ago:
The Notorious B.I.G. -
Ready To Die
Angel Olsen -
All Mirrors
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Not really feeling the Biggie record, even though it sounds OK and the music is classic. Just not my cup of tea. Not anticipating this album to be a part of my long-term collection.
Loving the new Angel Olsen album. She's embraced a synth-friendly sound (foreshadowed from "Intern" from
My Woman, perhaps?) throughout, and I love the swelling string sections on many of the tracks. Although, I will say that her voice does get swallowed up by some of this grandiose, lavish instrumentation at times and it may be a turn-off to some. To me, it's fantastic overall.
Assorted goods (mostly in the pop realm):
Barrie -
Happy To Be Here
Charli XCX -
Charli
Kishi Bashi -
Omoiyari
Lana Del Rey -
Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Lingua Ignota -
Caligula
Sunn O))) -
Life Metal
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Took a chance on the Barrie record, seeing as a lot of people on N+G seem to be enjoying it. Certainly fun, but it feels like I got it a season late. I don't anticipate spinning it a lot for this cold autumn and winter seasons. Got it for only $17 sealed on red vinyl at my local!
Had a lot of fun at the Charli XCX concert from three weeks ago, and I like a lot of her new output. The songs in the middle of the tracklist tend to be a bit 'eh' for me, but they've been growing on me. See her live if you can!
Never heard of Kishi Bashi prior to this year, and the live performance (also from three weeks ago) was so lively and full of character! The packaging on the album is quite creative, and the theme of the album alone is worth the price of admission. Captivating.
Probably should have waited to pick up Lana's album (the only album in her discography that I've enjoyed front to back so far). I purchased the UO edition with alternate art, and with my luck this will be discounted under $20 by the end of the year. Pressing sounds great, surprisingly!
Another artist that I haven't heard of prior to this year, but the music of Lingua Ignota (Kristin Hayter) drew me in with her brooding, yet extravagant backdrop. I cannot wait to see her in a little over a month. Harrowing, disturbing backstory to this album.
The more I listen to Sunn O))), the more I view their music as an alternative form of ambient music. I most likely would not have enjoyed them at all had I listened to their music before ambient became a favorite genre of mine. Majestic and powerful in its scope.