We’re forever posting youtube clips here. From well known songs that are unlikely to prompt anyone to press ‘play’ to obscurities that might well arouse enough curiosity to prompt a listen. So my question is this: What songs, albums or artists are you grateful to the Afterword for having introduced you to? (No need to remember or acknowledge individual posters, I see this more as a thank you to this place and everyone who contributes.)
AW! What is good for? Absolutely something! (Say it again)
by 32 Comments
My favourites:
Spirit of Eden (Talk Talk)
Dis Side Ah Town (Roger Robinson)
No Deal (Melanie de Biasio)
Spiegel Im Spiegel (Arvo Pärt)
November (Dennis Johnson)
Fuckers (Savages)
Harold Budd
Yes, Dennis Johnson’s “November” for me, too. What a remarkable work that is. I know of nothing like it.
Also recommended by Afterworders:
Steve Mason
Leveret
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
Well I’ve been playing this all day. Thanks JC.
Fitter Stokes encyclopedic knowledge of Jazz, the Freer the better, which has turned me on to some amazing new far out sounds.
My most played record a the end of last year was Frazey Ford’s Indian Ocean (released in 2014). I would never have heard if it not for a review of a gig on here.
That’s a marvellous list of stuff, Gary. And a first class idea for a thread. My listening today would be completely different were it not for this place.
You mention Melanie de Biasio. She appears on this fine track by Ghostpoet.
Oooh loads, but off the too of my head…
The Decemberists
The Shins
Joanna Newsom
Jason Isbell
Yes (only passing acquaintance back in the day)
Dawes
Arlet
Holly Williams
Honey River Swap Band
Father John Misty
Ryley Walker
There must be loads more but they are the ones which immediately occur to me…
Two instantly from me – Lorde (I’m sure I would have ignored the hype and dismissed her as pop) and Jason Isbell who had simp!y passed me by.
I think Twang has got a point there. Sometimes there’s an artist who is on my radar but thanks to the AW I investigate more fully. Like the amazing Necks who played a stonker of a gig here last autumn.
Lord Huron
Noah Gundersen
The Mutton Birds
Real Estate
I can’t remember who to thank, but thanks anyway.
Parts & Labor
Richard Thompson (only owned Rumor & Sigh, and never really considered going much further)
The Outlaws
Public Service Broadcasting
Prog – lots of it, including Caravan, Soft Machine, Peter Hammill, Hatfield & The North, Kevin Ayres, Robert Wyatt, and loads more (and my wallet knows it)
Steven Wilson
Sensible Grey Cells
John Grant
Hal
and probably a host more (can’t remember).
forgot:
Len Price 3
and
The Jetsonics
Quite a list.
Some of whom I’d known or known of, but not paid much attention to previously and some which were completely new to me.
Animal Collective
Arrival
Ash
Billy Fury
Bjork
Carlos Paredes
Charlie Haden
The Coral
DJ Shadow
Harmonia
Hatfield & the North
Jesse Winchester
John Cooper Clark
Judee Sill
Nils Frahm
Dead Skeletons
Dorothy Ashby
Kokomo
The New Jazz Orchestra
The Rutles
Tabla Beat Science
Dwight Yoakam
Gyorgy Ligeti
Tom Moulton
John Barry
Count Basie
And then there are other artists who I had half forgotten and was reminded how good they were.
Like John Renbourn.
The Rabbit
Big Big Train
Graham Bond
Duffy Power…
…and First Aid Kit….
John Grant
Ryley Walker
The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
Sufjan Stevens
Joanna Newsom
Julia Holter
Big Black Delta
Da Bizkit, yo.
I had never known bankruptancy so closely, and now he is a close chum.
I think it is the jazzers I thank most, Duco and Squeezer, as my eyes gradually open to the wealth they have already heard. Some of it is right old shite, mind, but, by and large. This includes their tastes for modern chamber classical stuff.
Black Roots. I thought listenable reggae* stopped in the ’70s.
(*) I am a white, middle-aged, middle-class, man from the home counties.
Actually it was in about 1984, when the mechanisation process was complete. A perfect analogy of what was happening in rock music at the same time.
The concert reviews really help to put an artist on our radio.
Like BigStevie Cook’s recent review of this gig which got me dashing off to the Tube to give TT a listen.
It’s always worth writing a few lines if you’ve enjoyed a gig. I even enjoy reading reviews of gigs in exotic places I’m unlikely to ever get to visit. Like Nashville, Sydney or Birmingham.
There seem to be several good clips from Celtic Connections 2016 on the Tube.
Let’s have another!
Rhiannon Giddens
and so I watch you from afar
Battles
Aphex Twin
C Duncan
and another mention for that Ryley Walker who must have to thank the AW for much of his fanbase.
Note that this is the stuff straying from my usual folk / prog axis, so it’s this blog I have to thank for diversity.
But that’s the pleasure of it. Being dragged away from my usual pleasure zones by someone’s enthusiasm and discovering something I like that I normally wouldn’t give a second listen to.
This is my favourite song of the week, discovered on the AW 2015 List
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFAOP9CWq4s&index=3&list=PLfNn7YNos7V6pXJZ1HYdshgXwrqQI58Hf
If that doesn’t work in your country, try this
Ooops! The song I like is Scowling Crackhead Ian.
Ryley Walker
Richard Hawley
Jonathan Wilson
The Egg
Erroll Garner
Stacks more (but not Stackridge, sorry…)
Can I mention an author?
I think I’m going to anyway
In fact I’m sure I am.
Patrick Hamilton
Told you.
Although I’m always interested in reading Blogger Takeover, I tend not to pick up on film or book reckies here. I get enough from my friends, and know whose suggestions are likely to work for me. Whereas my friends know feck all about music (bloody civilians).
I don’t think I would have read Patrick Leigh Fermor if it wasn’t for this place, so I have to offer thanks for that. I would have missed out terribly there.
Blimey loads and loads of music and books over the years, not to mention all the other acts of enormous generosity and friendship that have come my way from far too many wonderful folk to single out anyone individually.
I can honestly say that getting involved with all you marvellous people has changed my life.
My gratitude towards you is unbounded and completely sincere. Thank you.
Given that the default setting for a lot of the music liked on this site is ‘Roots/Americana/Country/acoustic simpering’, a quick glance at my music collection reveals a surprising amount of records/CDs I would never have given a second glance at: Melanie Di Biasio, Ryley Walker, C Duncan, Big Big Train, Steven Wilson, Public Service Broadcasting, the Beano album!!, Moonshine and Avocet, Jah Wobble’s Redux, Santana
Not to mention books too many to mention but which include the Elvis Costello autobiography, Olivia Manning’s Balkan Trilogy, Station Eleven…
(I’m currently working my way through ‘A History Of Seven Killings’ right now – It’s a good book but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was hard work)
Previously: Laura Nyro, Jackie Leven, Sufjan Stevens
Recently: Julia Holter
Plus the occasional book (especially music biographies) or film.
Not just the culture of course, but also sundry advice about Life, The Universe and Everything. I have in mind here Twang’s top tip for Bloody Mary – add a touch of horseradish.