Monashee Sun and Rodrigo Falcao are responsible for what is, hands down, the most captivating listen Uza had in 2010. Fools is their sophomore effort and boy is it an ippon: think of Amon Düül II condensed to a duo, charge with the task of remaking Hölderlins traum. This if folk-psych at its best, rivaling the best the golden age of European prog and kraut has to offer (albeit in a completely different time). There is sheer beauty, in its raw captivating sense, lurking behind each and every note and bar of this album. This is a rare example of great musicianship meets mesmerizing song crafting. These are artists in an almost pagan, pantheistic meaning, real wizards that can bewitch the listener and take control of his emotions. To top all this, the album is free for download! If this is not a gift then I do not know what is. There is something excellent brewing the drinking water across Canada if this great country is responsible for the best two albums Uza heard this year (F&M and Sam Shalabi's Land of Kush), plus a handful of other releases. If there is one album you must have from the ocean of releases you may have missed out on in 2010, this is it.
Russian theatricals draped in a somber 80's delivery make these young Canadian one of the most bizarre things out there. This music is best served in dimly lit, underground clubs, where the chances of a non-Russian to survive the night hang on his ability to jug down a bottle of vodka. A safer, yet undoubtedly less entertaining, option would be to put on Beineix's Diva, mute it and play Show me the face instead. This is old-school atmosphere, not the contemporary connotations of electronic ambience: a woman, her voice and here delivery. In that category, Chinawoman is a serious contender to the great chansoniers of old. Her presence is bound to overpower any listener and I cannot wait for a new album.
Another musician who is by no means stranger to drama is Douglas Pearce, aka DiJ. Pearce has been around forever, and need not emulate dark 80's giants, as he is one of them. The British experimental folk scene that had emerged from the post punk scene has given us some of the greatest musical moments of the 80's, most notable of which are Current 93 (Pearce has collaborated with the great David Tibet of C93 and with Boyd Rice of NON). For the better part of his career Pearce has employed a revolving door policy under the moniker of DiJ and this time around he teams up with pianist Miro Snejdr to deliver a minimal interpretation (in style, not in scope) of the same old themes and ideas. While DiJ has grown to bore Uza repeatedly in the 90's, this release is a refreshing take on old material and everything simply clicks. Pearce was never one to boast complicated melodies, D-E-F parts or intricate arrangements, yet what he does best is sculpture the optimal musical support for his heady, cultish and often political texts. This is more of a cabaret drastically slo-moed than anything else, but – just as was the case with Chinawoman – pigeonholing it is futile: peaceful snow draws its strength from delivery and atmosphere. All of the sudden it seems as the cold war is back.
Glen Johnson is no stranger to Uza's best-of lists simply because he is the musician of the last decade, Uza's go-to guy. However, home recordings is perhaps a watershed mark for PM, as it seems that there is a need for another change, similar to the one Johnson performed with the breathtaking 2000's Artsits' rifles. Johnson has by now a solo career and other side projects, and so does Angèle David-Guillou. This may be the last solid release by this monumental band if they do not change something in a somewhat stagnant performance.
Another band that Uza loves dearly is Puerto muerto. Alas, Drumming for pistols has proved to be PM's last album, as the duo (also in life) has called it quits. One can read in whatever one wants (as in the case of the Thompson's Shoot out the lights) but musically this album remains a beautiful slab of Americana spiced with pop, rock and other American herbs.
Prog-pop? Forget all the negative connotations the term prog has come to bare and open your ears to the truly wonderful world of Icelandic wonder Hjaltalín. This guys have taken everything good from the more accessible side of the magical period of 1967-1973: prog, Canterbury, psych, folk, rich and lush orchestrations and the oh so vital 60's spirit. This is equal parts Caravan, The free design and King crimson with a dash of soul. Since 1973, few were able to reconstruct the recipe for bringing back the 60's, and by bringing back I do not mean dull regurgitations, covers and replicas; rather an hommage, original material taking a bow before the masters of old without compromising one bit their own take on things. Although Uza likes things rugged and rough, this tasty cotton candy is granular enough to swallow.
Mike Patton - Mondo cane (Ipecac, 07/05/2010)
Patton is the ferocious ringleader, the master of cermoy far out of reach of any mortal musician. Patton has carved for himself a status second to none which allows him to do just whatever the fuck he wants to. Devilishly uber-talented, Patton can take on any subject matter, any genre and bend it seven sheets to the wind. He's done experimental, free-jazz, hip hop, lounge, pop, metal, you name it. Pattons' Italian connection has produced several musical outputs (the collaborations with Zu and with Corrleone) but here Patton does the impossible and turns the cheesy trash of San Remo to sheer gold. First off the bat, Patton shines through the clever song selection. San Remo is not new to him and he has performed some such songs already in FNM shows (the mondo cane project first performed in 2008 and some songs did not make it to the album). While seemingly not much different from the originals, Patton's nuances make a world of a difference, and backed by a razor sharp band, he transforms these Italian lard soaked tunes into shiny and sweeping musical triumphs.
Amanda Palmer has never been a friend to Uza, but Jason Webley sure has, since his sophomore effort Against the night. Webley's schizophrenic musical persona helps Palmer produce her best work to date. This collaboration dates back to 2007, and has since garnered a devoted fan base, much like the Rocky horror show. Evelyn Evelyn isan innovative cabaret/sketch whose narrative takes a back seat to the charming, playful and humorous nursery folk/Americana. All the Webley hallmarks are there to be found and the chemistry with Palmer works perfectly. This is a feel-good album (though some will find it hard to see the what is so delightful in the protagonists' story). Evelyn Evelyn is a refreshing concept album, offering not only great tunes, but also a direly needed sense of humor (albeit macabre) in the ever so somber and heavy-headed "indie" scene.
Catchy as hell poptronica that has zero pretensions: it is here to make fun, make you dance but never to insult your musical intelligence. This is an aggressive version of 90's electro with a dash of techno all fused into pop mastery. This German band manages to tread the extremely thin line between cheesy and mainstream to intelligent and "indie". This borders the category of a guilty pleasure only I have not a milligram of guilt here: pure fun that hits the spot right on exactly when you need it. Definitely an album to get wasted to.
With her imaginative and creative exploration of the boundaries between jazz and pop, Canuck Kristmanson is highly reminiscent of early Emiliana Torrini (second time!). A perfect collection of little gems of minimal production that accompanies best the jazzy interpretations of the poppy melodies Kristmanson had crafted. Nothing here is ground breaking, but since nobody wants to be tied to his seismic monitor at all times, this is a highly pleasant and rewarding listen. This is simply put a clever album, late night lounge for those who are conscious enough at the wee small hours to still pay attention to the music playing rather than snorting.
Hailing from the tiny Faroe islands, Eivør Pálsdóttir is the chilled mixture of Kate Bush, Emilian Torrini Magga Stina. Heavy on the melodrama and theatrical presence, Larva has its feet firmly in 80's country while drawing great inspiration from the Scandinavian (mainly Icelandic) electronica. It is basically a pop album hiding behind barrages of sophisticated atmospheric arrangements. It is a captivating experience that might prove to be demanding at first, but once the ambience sinks in, it draws the listener powerfully in.
The only Aussie ambassador in this list, Boy & bear are a refreshing addition to the armada of pseudo baroque pop revival movement that is most known by the boring Fleet foxes. Boy & bear do not take themselves so damn seriously as the foxes do and that is crucial when doing this kind of music: it's an extensively arranged pop music that still leaves the front stage to what makes it pop: catchy melodies. Boy & bear do not compromise an inch of their unique take on this genre but still manage to pull through with a sweeping and uplifting short EP that ends prematurely.
Beliayeva is a relative newcomer, releasing only since 2006. Beliayeva specializes in minimal metal-cold, glossy electro and her artisanship has culminated in her last effort, Ever since. Those who follow Beliayeva's career won’t find something new and surprising here except for the fact that Beliayeva has perfected her formula to the extent that she can now offer a full-length rife with electro hymns and floor-devastators juxtaposed with ambienty-electro. As it stands now, it seems that Beliayeva is to electro what the great Andrea Parker is to IDM.
Nostalgic electronia? Romantic IDM pop? Grasscut are definitely your ordinary electronic act: combining baroque pop sensibilities with coarse and at times abrasive sounds, bits and glitches, Grasscut maybe the leftfield hybrid of Coldcut and The beach boys. Grasscut utilize the knobs and oscillators to generate an atmospheric backdrop like no other. This album transcends genres while clearly being locale bound with its northern-cold lush landscapes.
It is no secret that Herbert is one of Uza's all-time favorites, a giant in a land of the extremely vertically challenged. For two decades now Herbert has unfolded a unique sound and approach to production backed by a well-structured philosophy that puts his music in a social and cultural context. Often pompous, usually grandiose, Herbert never rests on his laurels, like an art junkie on a constant hunt for a new fix. Herbert will go to any lengths to find/create a new sound and his perfectionism is evident in every bit and bar. This year has been very productive for Herbert (albeit the third installment in the One trilogy missed its 2010 date) and showcased the awe-inspiring breadth of his range. From his 2010 work, Uza fancied One one the most. Perhaps the most subtle, gentle and nuanced release Mr. Herbert has produced in a long while, One one reads like a dreamy and airy time out from the hectic and feverish hunt for compositional complexification. It is a laidback, breathing collection of tiny gems that trick the listener to get carried away by soothing melodies while bombarding him with the ever so convoluted production skills that Herbert pushes through the backdoor.
