For a Westerner like myself, the sounds of Russia and Algeria are (no pun intended) completely foreign. They use non traditional scales and key signatures, making Vinculum feel deeper and more mysterious than it might to people who are already deeply familiar with the regions’ music.

But were I to guess, I’d assume Vinculum would even be surprising for folks who are already aware of Bartok and Tchaikovsky. The album mixes original Bartok recordings from Algeria, new orchestral recordings, and electronics and unique performances from Ellis Cage. It’s a heady brew.

In many ways, I am reminded of mid-century jazz music. Daring and inspired, but certainly not for everybody, Vinculum is all about exploration. It’s about pushing the boundaries, while remaining conceptually bound to the original songs and sounds.

Similarly, jazz was trying to expand the vocabulary of the music without entirely abandoning the traditional work that came before. Jazz players wanted to introduce the genre to new people without totally abandoning their existing audience.

Ellis Cage’s Vinculum is playing along these lines. It’s at once familiar: classical compositions surrounded by electronic ambience. Today, this isn’t an unfamiliar sound. But Ellis brings it, thanks to the unique sounds of Russia and Algeria, to a new level of creativity.

There is something fundamentally uneasy going on throughout Vinculum, a constant point of tension that makes the music both discomforting and enthralling. It grabs you and doesn’t let you go. There are no standout tracks because they flow together. Without iTunes notifications telling me when the track had changed, I’m not sure I’d be aware the track had changed at all. So it’s impossible to recommend a single track, but it is easy to recommend the album as a whole.

Vinculum isn’t for everybody. It might not be to your taste; I’m somewhat surprised it’s to mine. It’s dark, ambitious, and sometimes difficult to approach. But there’s a majesty and mystery to it that few other independent composers are able to put on display.

The post Ellis Cage: Vinculum appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

Human is such a different album that Rag’N’Bone Man almost needs a new name. (His earlier work, particularly Disfigured, suited it much better).

But all that withstanding, this new style suits Rory Graham so much better that it’s hard to complain. From the opening (titular) track, Graham totally dominates Human. In fact, his old style was so dominating musically that I had no idea Graham was this good of a singer!

Nearly every track is worth writing about. The afore-mentioned title track is a stunning opener that capitalizes on everything that Human is about: swaggering bass lines, blues influence, and a huge pop sheen overtop of everything. “Bitter End” is a track that simmers thanks to an incredible performance from Graham. “Be the Man” is incredibly pop-heavy, but Graham’s baritone voice carries it through the entire song.

There are some songs that are particularly strong. “Love You Any Less” is a song that will no doubt capture the radio the same way Sam Smith does. It’s an incredible, raw performance from Graham overtop of a remarkably bare backing track that lets his voice breathe.

“Die Easy” is an a cappella performance that simply captivates. There’s nobody with a voice like Graham’s on the market.

Even his older tracks, like “Wolves”, are given a bit of a sheen make-over here that put an extra focus on Graham’s voice. But “Wolves” doesn’t sit as well with this new, cotton candy style that Graham’s performing as now.

And the occasional track features a hip hop performance, which is something that Graham was doing in 2014 too (with a Vince Staples nod then). But these days, it doesn’t sit as well.

When the old Rag’n’Bone Man collides with the new one, there’s a slight disconnect.

But despite that, the debut record from one of the most intimidating voices in neo-blues is an astounding effort, and one that I’ve been listening to again and again over the past week. It’s easy to get into, and it sticks in your head. Rag’n’Bone Man is one of the most promising new performers of the past five years.

The post Rag’n’Bone Man: Human appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

Alejandro Bento is a tremendous pianist. Each track on the album shows him demonstrating a wide range of skills, but “Mar” is the track that most impresses me. Bento plays through a ten minute track that feels more like a brief suite than it does a single track, with a simple theme that Bento pushes beyond its limitations and into new and exciting places.

Bento’s also an incredibly dynamic pianist. His music stays interesting because of the masterful control that he has over the power of his fingers, allowing the volume to ebb and flow with seemingly little effort. He plays with so much grace that it’s easy to listen to the album on repeat, picking up minor things you hadn’t noticed on each new listen.

In many ways, Bento reminds me of some of Nils Frahm’s older work. But where Nils Frahm dove deep into electronic, Bento takes a different approach.

The most interesting track on the record, though, is the surprisingly well-done Robot Koch remix of “Rain”. The remix takes the song in an entirely new direction. It’s an elegant mix of electronic music and traditional classical.

I think the folks at Subtempo Records must have agreed with me, because this week also sees the release or Ripples Remixed, a seven-track collection of remixes by artists who are pushing the bounds of what’s possible with electronic music. The remixes are as elegant and beautiful as the original music — which is a surprising (and triumphant) surprise.

In many ways, it’s easier to love the remixes than it is the original. I suspect everybody will find something to love in the remixes, and the original record will appeal largely to fans of modern classical.

The remixes add a lot of texture to what was already a very textured record, giving an impression of added depth and meaning to each track.

You can listen to Ripples on Apple Music, iTunes, Soundcloud, and Spotify.

You can listen to Ripples Remixes on Apple Music, iTunes, Soundcloud, and Spotify.

The post Alejandro Bento: Ripples appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

You folks call the music you play “Cosmic Country”. Describe how that style came to be. How would you describe it to somebody who’s never heard of SUSTO?

We used the term “cosmic country”  early on, but I’m not sure we would use that anymore. I felt like it fit what we were trying to do with the first record, we were going for a type of country that was both rough around the edges & far out.

Thinking in terms of the new album, I haven’t really thought of it as a “cosmic country” album until this interview, but I guess in a lot of ways, that description fits & I’m Fine Today better than the self-titled album. There are country or alt-country undertones throughout the album, but it’s wrapped in all these different genres to help keep it fresh and (we hope) interesting. It’s a fusion of roots, electronic, rock, and world music.

& I’m Fine Today is your sophomore album. Now that you’ve been playing cosmic country for a couple of years, have you met any imitators yet?

I wouldn’t say we have encountered imitators, although I hope that we have inspired some people. I mean, I think one of the coolest things about music is that everyone is influenced by everyone. We definitely have some heavy influencers, and it would be an honor for someone to consider themselves influenced by what we are doing.

& I’m Fine Today is a big step up from your debut. It feels like a whole other level, from the songwriting to the production. What’s changed since SUSTO came out in 2014?

I think the more time you spend doing something, the better you get at it. Plus, we actually had the time and money to make this record pretty much exactly like we wanted — within reason. I think that’s why there is such progress between the two albums. I still love our first record and I’m thankful for it, because people really latched onto it. And it made it possible for us to make & I’m Fine Today, to move forward and get better.

I think that continuing the conversation and making art for the sake of social progress is worth pissing a few people off.

You guys are from South Carolina, and I know your hearts are there. In the current political climate, what’s the response been to some of these topical songs, like “Gay in the South”, in the southern states you call home?

The reaction has been what we’d expected. A lot of people are very supportive and are happy to hear music that addresses real social/cultural issues at hand. Others have definitely pushed back. People have tweeted at me saying that I’m going to hell. Some of my family members have stopped talking to me. But you know what, I don’t care. I knew that would happen but I think continuing the conversation and making art for the sake of social progress is worth pissing a few people off.

Trump and others have made a lot of us feel like there are two very distinct sides in this country. I just don’t think that is true. There are definitely far right and far left ends of the spectrum but I think we have a lot of good people in this country (and in the whole world for that matter) that want to find common ground.

There’s a lot of fear mongering out there, a lot of “us vs them” mentality, and our goal as a band is to help combat that. We want to spread love and respect for humanity. We are trying to be a different voice than what people hear on the news or read on Facebook. Hope is a powerful thing. People told me when I was young that, when I got older, I’d realize that the world can’t be changed — that it is how it is and it will always be that way. Those people were fucking wrong about the world and wrong about me.

What’s a day look like for you when you’re on tour?

(laughing) It’s usually pretty boring. We spend a lot of time in the van just getting from one place to the next, or in hotels. This tour we have had a lot more press stuff to do, like this interview + radio, TV & a few in-store performances at record stores, that helps break up the monotony. Still, the best part of everyday is playing the show. That’s why we’re all really out here and that’s what we really enjoy.

We are trying to be a different voice than what people hear on the news or read on Facebook. Hope is a powerful thing.

Any current albums on repeat?

Still listening to a lot of favorites from 2016 (Whitney, Jonny Fritz, JPKS). But I’m looking forward to some upcoming releases this year!

As a band, what kind of legacy do you want to leave?

I hope that we can bring some joy to the world and help bring about some real positive change. Big or small, we just want to help if we can.

Thanks for spending some time with us, Justin!

The post Cosmic Country: Justin Osborne of SUSTO Wants to Inspire Hope appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

Parker Millsap

The Very Last Day

Parker Millsap’s sophomore album is filled with some of 2016’s rowdiest country-influenced folk tracks. Telling the story of the end of the world, it sees Parker wrestle with everything from his faith to our culture. Often funny, sometimes irreverent, and full of charm, The Very Last Day isn’t worth missing. Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

School of Seven Bells

SVIIB

SVIIB is this year’s most authentic pop record. Born of tragedy, the record is vocalist Alejandra Deheza’s way of saying farewell to her best friend and former bandmate, Benjamin Curtis. Curtis passed away shortly after completing SVIIB in 2012, and Deheza spent time tinkering with it for years after the fact before finally releasing it as School of Seven Bells’ final parting letter.

SVIIB is one of the saddest records I’ve heard all year, but Deheza manages to find optimism in even the worst situations. While the album doesn’t break ground musically the way that some of the other albums on this list do, it’s filled with such emotional catharsis that it’s impossible to ignore. Sad, beautiful, and optimistic, SVIIB is a hidden treasure you need to hear. Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Kaytranada

99.9%

Kaytranada is the king of the electronica pack right now. With 99.9%, he’s put almost everybody else in the genre to shame. It’s a tremendous record for anybody who likes bits and bops in their music, but it’s also one of those albums that just indicates a total prodigy is at work behind the scenes. Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

A Tribe Called Quest

We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service

We Got It From Here isn’t a comeback for ATCQ. It’s a farewell. This is the group’s final album, largely because of the death of Phife earlier in 2016. But more importantly, it’s a reminder of the “service” of ATCQ throughout years. When Kanye guests on “The Killing Season”, it’s a reminder that ATCQ was one of his progenitors, one of the groups that birthed modern hip hop.

It’s not so much that We Got It Here is bringing anything new to the table; rather, it’s reminding us of what used to be. It’s like eating a meal with an old friend who just happens to be in town for a little while. It’s nice to reminisce.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Angel Olsen

My Woman

Angel Olsen’s latest record is her best yet. Olsen is an enigma, and My Woman doesn’t change that. But it does reveal that Olsen is getting better and better at her craft.

If Olsen is anything, she’s a woman who deserves to be celebrated for being a woman. At this point, it feels like she represents women everywhere. She’s the feminist in all of us. Read our full review here.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Kanye West

The Life of Pablo

The Life of Pablo is a good record, but it’s ranking on this list for reasons other than just its music. I believe Kanye has stumbled upon the future of music with The Life of Pablo. I love the way he changed the music after release, often changing the production or verses on certain tracks. (You can read our piece on that here.)

That being said, the album was originally noted for combining hip hop and gospel. But Chance the Rapper ended up doing that much better only a few weeks later with Coloring Book, dethroning The Life of Pablo in the process. What we’re left with is an excellent record that nonetheless proves Kanye isn’t the king of hip hop anymore.

Listen: Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Noname

Telefone

Telefone is one of the best hip hop debuts of recent years. Coming from the same crowd as Raury, Noname is quickly making a name for herself in the scene. She’s a clear example of the Chicago sound throughout her record, and not unlike Raury, wears all her influences clearly on her sleeve.

What makes Telefone work so well is its accessibility Telefone is one of the few albums this year that you could put on at a chill party without anybody raising an eye. Read our full review.

Listen: Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Esperanza Spalding

Emily's D+Evolution

Esperanza Spalding’s second record is a huge turnaround for her. No longer traditional jazz, Esperanza is making jazz-influenced rock. With Evolution, she’s at the forefront of the jazz fusion revival.

But more importantly, she’s making a statement about the validity of traditional jazz. Like when Bob Dylan went electric, she’s saying there isn’t a lot left for her to mine in that genre, and it’s time for her to go on to more exciting pastures. I think D+ Evolution is a brave step in a bold direction, and I’m excited to hear what’s next from Spalding. Read our full review here.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Run the Jewels

Run the Jewels 3

I think most “Best Of” lists were written too late to include RTJ3, which was a late December surprise and one of the best hip hop records of the year. It’s a stronger record than RTJ2, with tracks that are more approachable despite the fact that the band isn’t losing their edge at all.

At this point, it feels like Run the Jewels might be one of the most important hip hop acts in our new political era. They speak their minds and don’t care what you think, and they’re willing to get involved on the ground floor (Killer Mike campaigned for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential campaign). But most importantly, they’re completely fearless. RTJ3 was my favourite surprise album this year. Read our full review here.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Blood Orange

Freetown Sound

Freetown Sound is authentic black music. When I was in university, I took a course on modern music history. The course started with slave music, which was music that the slaves used to sing together while they worked. The rhythm helped them stay on track with their work, and the singing made them feel a sense of solidarity despite their awful working conditions.

Much of Freetown Sound reminds me of that record — not because it has a lot in common with the rhythms of slave music, but because it feels like it’s music that’s meant to create solidarity. It’s not a protest record, but it’s a record that is birthed out of protest. Freetown Sound is an important record, and one that sadly still feels necessary in 2016. Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam

I Had a Dream That You Were Mine

In lieu of a new Vampire Weekend record, I Had a Dream That You Were Mine stood in nicely this year. Leithauser’s vocal performance, may be an acquired taste, but Rostam’s music is clearly coming from his work at Vampire Weekend. It’s a beautiful album that I hope begets more work from the duo. They work together so naturally you’d think they’d been playing in a band together for years. Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

The Lemon Twigs

Do Hollywood

I think Do Hollywood might be the best debut of the year. The Lemon Twigs are clearly Beatles fans, but their music feels so modern — despite its retro leanings — that it’s impossible to draw the comparison too strongly.

If anything, Do Hollywood is an astonishing record because it proves that there’s still room for unique voices in indie rock. The perfect driving record, Do Hollywood is the sort of album that gives you hope for rock again. And it’s only The Lemon Twigs’ debut! Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Kendrick Lamar

Untitled Unmastered

I mean, seriously, how much does it say about Kendrick Lamar’s clear and obvious talent when his B-sides are better than all of his contemporaries’ real albums this year? The rap star is an unequivocal genius whose voice is only becoming more important.

Untitled Unmastered also succeeded in the difficult measure of following up To Pimp a Butterfly, largely thanks to its non-title and the clear attitude towards each track. Kendrick and Co. know that Untitled Unmastered isn’t going to become anybody’s favourite over TPAB, so they released it without fanfare and removed some of the weight from the difficulty of being a follow-up. The strategy worked. Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Radiohead

A Moon Shaped Pool

There’s no way we could avoid putting the latest Radiohead release in the list. But A Moon Shaped Pool is seriously one of the best records of the year. There isn’t a single track that feels like filler, and the band hasn’t lost their edge even as they’ve aged.

The true pride and joy of A Moon Shaped Pool is the inclusion of fan favourite, “True Love Waits”. The song has been a live staple for over a decade, and Radiohead finally made an album they felt it was a good fit for. An impeccable song that truly captures the mood of the whole record. Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Leonard Cohen

You Want It Darker

Another one of the greats lost. You Want It Darker will be, for obvious reasons, Cohen’s final record. Even at the end, he continued to wrestle with his spirituality and all his inner demons. Maybe because it was the end for him.

As it is, You Want It Darker is the best Cohen record in a long time. Impeccably produced with beautiful songwriting and an unbelievable performance from Cohen, it’s easily one of the year’s standouts in a year filled with great music.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Solange

A Seat at the Table

What is their left to say about this record that hasn’t already been said? A Seat at the Table is simply tremendous. There’s a reason Solange is on this list, but Beyonce is not: at this point, Solange has overtaken her sister’s music. A Seat at the Table is that good.

There’s nothing more to say. (Frankly, we said it all in our full review.)

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Sturgill Simpson

A Sailor's Guide to Earth

You don’t have to like country to love Sturgill Simpson. I still can’t get over his cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom”. But beyond that single track, what makes A Sailor’s Guide to Earth so special is its dedication to Simpson’s son. From the opening track on, you know that Guide to Earth is going to be something special.

And what Simpson is doing is special: beyond the dedication, and beyond the “hip dad” Nirvana cover, he’s expanding the language of country. He’s proved that the genre still has lots of room to grow. And he’s done all that without going down the pop road that country went down in the ‘90s. This is an alternative country album that any diehard country fan will love, and any non-country listener will find approachable. Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Frank Ocean

Blonde

Frank Ocean made us wait too long for this. And while it can be a little long on occasion, it’s hard to be irritated that Ocean gave us more music than we originally wanted. There are so many great tracks here that it’s hard to recommend just a few.

Blonde proves that, no matter how many imitators come along, there’s nobody else who can be like Frank Ocean. Read our full review.

Listen: Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Anderson .Paak

Malibu

Malibu is an album that doesn’t care about genre, position, or what’s hip. .Paak knows none of that matters, because he’s the future. It’s absolutely one of the most exciting records of the year (if not the most exciting), because of the classy ways it blends hip hop and R&B without missing a beat (pun not intended).

There are sixteen tracks on the record, but it doesn’t feel too long or like there’s a lot of filler. This is just Anderson .Paak, making it clear to the world that he’s here to stay and to show us the way. Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

Chance the Rapper

Coloring Book

Coloring Book is Chance the Rapper coming into himself. It’s also a pure representation of what the future of hip hop looks like. Kendrick and Chance have come to take over the world, and Coloring Book is Chance’s stake in the ground.

Featuring an incredible roster of guests and a ton of great tracks, Coloring Book feels like the sort of album we all wish Kanye West was still making. With tracks like “How Great”, “Blessings”, and “Same Drugs”, Chance the Rapper is doing something unique with the way he’s blending his gospel roots with hip hop. He’s creating the future. Read our full review.

Listen: Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

David Bowie

Blackstar

Before Bowie passed away, it was clear that Blackstar was easily going to be among the year’s best. Jazzy and unapologetic, Blackstar was Bowie once again experimenting with the forefront of the future of rock music. (We wrote more about that here.)

And then, Bowie suddenly passed away. Unbeknownst to almost everybody in the industry, he had been preparing for his death for a long time. The metaphor of many of Bowie’s songs on the record became much clearer in the weeks after he passed. Blackstar was meant to be a parting gift to his fans. And it’s a beautiful one. Read our full review.

Listen: Amazon / Apple Music / iTunes / Spotify

The post Best of 2016 appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

And for good reason. Sampha is one of the most talented performers to come out of Britain in recent memory.

Process is his debut solo record. Unlike the music where he’s provided one voice among many, Process is a chance for Sampha to open up and get personal. And boy, does he get personal. Process sees Sampha dealing with the loss of his mother to cancer in 2015 — and consequently, reflecting on the death of his father from cancer in 1998. The songs are intensely emotional, occasionally dark, but almost always revelatory.

Like any good novel would, each track on Process reveals something new about its central character. And Sampha is one of the best storytellers in the business right now. The album’s lead single, “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” is one of the most beautiful ballads of the past five years, and it feels like you’re being given Sampha’s private diary.

It doesn’t hurt that his music is so good. While the emotions are raw, the production is anything but. Everything is smooth as butter. Sampha’s voice is amazing — velvety smooth, but rich and textured at the same time.

The album is also difficult to define. It’s one thing to call Process electronic music, but Sampha also frequently dabbles in R&B. Precisely labelling his music is like fitting a square peg into the hole of some complex, hard-to-recognize shape.

At his best, on tracks like “Kora Sings” or “Blood On Me”, Sampha channels the best in his genre. There are times when he sounds like Chet Faker, and others when he sounds like Frank Ocean’s more organic-sounding cousin. Each track is surprising and engrossing, and none of them overstay their welcome.

With unbridled creative enthusiasm, Sampha isn’t interested in defining a genre or fitting into one. He’s making R&B-influenced electronic that defies explanation, but that’s fitting for a clear first contender for Album of the Year.

What Sampha has done, beyond all that, is something tangibly more difficult: he’s captivated us. He’s earned our attention. In 2017, Sampha has made a forty-minute album feel ten minutes long. It’s over in a breeze, and it never feels like it’s repeating itself.

Without a doubt, Process is an incredible success.

The post Sampha: Process appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

That makes Snowdonia a slightly difficult affair.

In 2015, Thomas Feteke, Surfer Blood’s guitarist, left Surfer Blood after being diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer. Snowdonia is the band’s first release since his death, and the only one in Surfer Blood’s career thus far to be written without any input from him.

To complicate matters even further, longtime bass guitarist Kevin Williams left the band in October last year to “pursue other opportunities” (I haven’t heard what he’s up to yet).

That left only two members of the original group: singer John Paul Pitts and drummer Tyler Schwarz. The band brought in an old friend of theirs from high school, Lindsey Mills, to replace Williams on bass. Mike McCleary has the even-more-difficult job of filling in for Thomas Feteke.

So Snowdonia is very much a record with roots in loss, starring a band in transition.

Sometimes, this is obvious. There’s new ground broken on Snowdonia that has little in common with Surfer Blood’s roots. Tracks like “Six Flags in F or G” are more experimental than anything the band has done before. (And you can tell they’re a direct result of Feteke’s death: Pitts describes what he feels as “parasitic grief” on the track.)

If anything, tracks like these make it clear that the band is going through a phase where everybody has to get to know each other again. Things don’t necessarily gel the way they used to.

But on occasion, they do gel very well. “Frozen” is one of the best indie songs I’ve heard in a while, with an astoundingly catchy riff and melody that reminds me of their output circa 2010. But unlike that year’s Astro Coast, Snowdonia feels less focused and less refined. Tracks like “Instant Doppelgängers” and “Taking Care of Eddy” feel like vintage Surfer Blood, even while they tread new ground, but they don’t hit below the belt the same way that Astro Coast did (and does).

All that being said, Snowdonia is an impressive record because it feels like lightning in a bottle. Few bands are willing to be this openly vulnerable with their audiences, opening up the most difficult chapters in their lives for all to see. It might not go down as a classic, but Snowdonia is better than anybody had any right to expect. It’s a fun record, with some great ideas and new directions for the band.

And as a case study of bands in transition, it’s hard to beat.

The post Surfer Blood: Snowdonia appeared first on Unsung Sundays.