Tag Archives: 2015

Bloc Party: Hymns

On January 29, 2016, “BMG” label released “Hymns”, the fifth Bloc Party studio album. It was recorded March – August 2015, at “Lynchmob Studios” in London, and was produced by Tim Bran and Roy Kerr.

Personnel:

  • Kele Okereke – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, electric piano
  • Russell Lissack – lead guitar, programming
  • Justin Harris – bass guitar, synths, backing vocals
  • Alex Thomas – drums
  • Nicky Brown – choir, vocal arranger
  • Jesse Grant – choir
  • Geo Gabriel – choir
  • Jermaine Foster – choir
  • Max Hayes – engineer
  • Ben Jackson – co-engineering
  • David Wrench – mixing
  • Nigel Walton – mastering
  • Rachael Wright – polaroids
  • Phil Armson at Big Active – design, imagery

Track listing:

All tracks by Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack, except where noted.

  1. The Love Within
  2. Only He Can Heal Me
  3. So Real
  4. The Good News
  5. Fortress
  6. Different Drugs
  7. Into the Earth
  8. My True Name
  9. Virtue
  10. Exes
  11. Living Lux
  12. The God Vibration (hidden track)

Emma Polock: In Search of Harperfield

On January 29, 2016, “Chemical Underground” label released “In Search of Harperfield”, the third Emma Pollock studio album. It was recorded in 2015, and was produced by Paul Savage.

Personnel:

  • Emma Pollock – lead and backing vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, piano, xylophone, dulcimer
  • David McAulay – guitar, bass guitar, drum machine
  • RM Hubbert – guitar
  • Graeme Smillie – piano
  • Michael John McCarthy – keyboards, accordion
  • Paul Savage – drums, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, percussion, string arrangements, programming
  • Malcolm Lindsay – strings, cello, string arrangements
  • Cairn String Quartet – strings, string arrangements
  • Jackie Baxter – cello
  • Paul Savage – engineer, mixing, mastering
  • Niall Smillie – artwork

Track listing:

All tracks by Emma Pollock, except where noted.

  1. Cannot Keep a Secret
  2. Don’t Make Me Wait
  3. Alabaster
  4. Clemency
  5. Intermission
  6. Parks and Recreation
  7. Vacant Stare
  8. In the Company of the Damned – RM Hubert, Emma Pollock
  9. Dark Skies
  10. Monster in the Pack
  11. Old Ghosts

Natalie Prass: Same

On January 27, 2015, “Spacebomb Records”, “Startime International” labels released the self-titled, debut Natalie Prass album. It was recorded in 2012, and was produced by Matthew E. White and Trey Pollard.

Personnel:

  • Natalie Prass – vocals
  • Matthew E. White – guitar, arranger
  • Trey Pollard – pedal steel guitar, arranger, conductor, engineer, mixing
  • Daniel Clarke – piano
  • Cameron Ralston – bass, double bass
  • Pinson Chanselle – drums, percussion
  • Giustino Riccio – congas
  • Bob Miller – trumpet
  • Marcus Tenney – trumpet
  • Jason Scott – tenor saxophone
  • John Lilley – tenor saxophone
  • Bryan Hooten – trombone
  • Reginald Pace – trombone
  • Reginald Chapman – bass trombone
  • Jason Scott – clarinet, tenor saxophone, flute
  • John Lilley – clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Venessa Lopez – flute
  • Lauren Serpa – flute
  • Marcus Redden – French horn
  • Anna Bishop – violin
  • Faith Hofma – violin
  • Jessica Blanks – violin
  • Katie Wooldridge – violin
  • Melissa Sunderland Jones – violin
  • Garrett Pederson – viola 
  • Matt Jewell – viola
  • Amber Blankenship – cello 
  • Naomi Steckman – cello  
  • Stephanie Barrett – cello
  • Keety Dolfe – harp 
  • Matt Coyle – vibraphone
  • Gene Paul – mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by Natalie Prass.

  1. My Baby Don’t Understand Me
  2. Bird of Prey
  3. Your Fool
  4. Christy
  5. Why Don’t You Believe in Me
  6. Violently
  7. Never Over You
  8. Reprise
  9. It Is You

Panda Bear: Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper

On January 9, 2015, “Domino Recording Company” released “Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper”, the fifth Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) studio album. It was recorded 2013 – 2014, at “Miosotis Garage” in Almada, Portugal, “Estudio Namouche” in Lisbon, Portugal,and was produced by Panda Bear and Sonic Boom.

Personnel:

  • Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) – vocals, JoMoX Xbase 999, Yamaha TX81Z, Moog Voyager, Elektron DPS-1, piano, effects, percussion, art direction
  • Sonic Boom – EMS Synthi AKS, Fenix II Modular, Moog Voyager, vocoder, effects, mixing, art direction
  • Simon Davey – mastering
  • Joaquim Monte – engineer
  • Pedro Silve – engineer assistant
  • Rob Carmichael – layout
  • Hugo Oliveira – interior illustration
  • Marco Papiro – cover illustrations
  • Seen – art direction, layout

Track listing:

All tracks are written by Noah Lennox, except where noted. 

  1. Sequential Circuits
  2. Mr. Noah
  3. Davy Jones’ Locker – Peter Kember
  4. Crosswords
  5. Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker
  6. Boys Latin
  7. Come to Your Senses
  8. Tropic of Cancer
  9. Shadow of the Colossus – Peter Kember
  10. Lonely Wanderer
  11. Principe Real
  12. Selfish Gene
  13. Acid Wash

“Crosswords” contains a sample of “Ashley’s Roachclip”, performed by The Soul Searchers

“Tropic of Cancer” contains samples of “Fragments of the ballet “The Nutcracker” Pas de Deux”

“Lonely Wanderer” contains a sample of “Arabesque No. 1” in E major, composed by Claude Debussy, and performed by François-Joël Thiollier

Lemmy

On December 28, 2015, Ian Fraser Kilmister aka Lemmy died aged 70. He was musician (bass), singer, and songwriter, was member and worked with Hawkwind, The Rockin’ Vickers, Opal Butterfly, The Damned, The Head Cat, Girlschool, and Sam Gopal, but was best known as founder, leader, singer, primary songwriter, and bass player of Motörhead.

Nine Inch Nails: Not the Actual Events

On December 22, 2016, “The Null Corporation” label released “Not the Actual Events”, the fifth Nine Inch Nails extended play. It was recorded 2015 – 2016, and was produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

Personnel:

  • Trent Reznor – lead vocals, performance
  • Atticus Ross – performance, mixing
  • Mariqueen Maandig – backing vocals
  • Dave Navarro – guitars
  • Dave Grohl – drums
  • Chris Holmes – engineer
  • Dustin Mosley – engineer
  • Jun Murakawa – engineer
  • Chris Richardson – engineer
  • Alan Moulder – mixing
  • Tom Baker – mastering
  • John Crawford – art direction
  • Corey Holms – additional design

Track listing:

All tracks by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

  1. Branches/Bones
  2. Dear World
  3. She’s Gone Away
  4. The Idea of You
  5. Burning Bright (Field on Fire)

Grady Martin

On December 3, 2001, Thomas Grady Martin died aged 72. He was musician (guitar), founder and leader of the band Grady Martin and Slew Foot Five (later Grady Martin and his Winging Strings). As a session guitarist he was member of the Nashville A-team, and in his 50-year career he recorded and performed with Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Leon Russell, Patsy Cline, J. J. Cale, Woody Guthrie, Johnny Horton, Conway Twitty, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson,  Arlo Guthrie, Brenda Lee, Don Woody, Sammi Smith, Marty Robbins, and Johnny Burnette. In March 2015, Martin was inducted in the “Country Music Hall of Fame”.

Food: This Is Not a Miracle

On November 20, 2015, “ECM” label released “This is Not a Miracle”, the eighth Food album. The album was recorded in June 2013, at “Holand Sound” in Oslo, Norway, and was produced by Manfred Eicher.

Personnel:

  • Thomas Strønen – drums, electronics, percussion, Moog synthesizer, Fender Rhodes electric piano
  • Iain Ballamy – saxophones, electronics
  • Christian Fennesz – guitar, electronics

Track listing:

All tracks by Thomas Strønen.

  1. First Sorrow
  2. Where Dry Desert Ends
  3. This Is Not a Miracle
  4. The Concept of Density
  5. Sinking Gardens of Babylon
  6. Death of Niger
  7. Exposed to Frost
  8. Earthly Carriage
  9. Age of Innocence
  10. The Grain Mill
  11. Without the Laws

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: Mâché Dream Balloon

On November 13, 2015, on King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s “Bandcamp” was released “Mâché Dream Balloon”, band’s seventh studio album. One week later it was released on “Heavenly Records”.

Personnel:

  • Stu Mackenzie – vocals, acoustic guitar, drums, piano, flute, clarinet, double bass, bass guitar, violin, percussion, sitar, recording
  • Lucas Skinner – piano, bass guitar
  • Joey Walker – vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, double bass
  • Cook Craig – vocals, acoustic guitar, double bass, percussion
  • Ambrose Kenny-Smith – vocals, harmonica
  • Michael Cavanagh – drums, bongo, conga
  • Eric Moore – “nothing”
  • Lucas Skinner – recording
  • Joey Walker – recording
  • Jacob Portrait – recording
  • Mikey Young – mixing
  • Joe Carra – mastering
  • Jason Galea – artwork, photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Stu Mackenzie except where noted.

  1. Sense
  2. Bone
  3. Dirt – Joey Walker
  4. Paper Mâché Dream Balloon
  5. Trapdoor
  6. Cold Cadaver
  7. The Bitter Boogie – Stu Mackenzie, Ambrose Kenny-Smith
  8. N.G.R.I. (Bloodstain)
  9. Time = Fate – Cook Craig
  10. Time = $$$
  11. Most of What I Like – Joey walker
  12. Paper Mâché – Cook Craig, Stu Mackenzie, Joey Walker

Allen Toussaint

On November 10, 2015, Allen Toussaint died aged 77. He was musician (vocal, piano), songwriter, arranger, and record producer, an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century. His compositions were recorded by many musicians, and he was producer of hundreds of recordings. Toussaint recorded and performed with many musicians including Irma Thomas, Lee Dorsey, The Meters, Ernie K Doe, Rosemary Butler, Merry Clayton, Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Venetta Fields, Etta James, Labelle, John Mayall, Paul McCartney, The Meters, Bonnie Raitt, and The Band. As leader Toussaint released eleven studio albums.