Excellent live album by Big Big Train "A Flare on the Lens (Live in London)", recorded at a concert last year and released last week.
To quote from Bandcamp "In 2023, Big Big Train were rapturously received by audiences across the UK and Europe, concluding the tour with two triumphant appearances at London’s Cadogan Hall. ‘A Flare On The Lens’ features the band’s full show at Cadogan from the second of their two nights there last year and also includes seven songs which were played only on the first night.
‘A Flare On The Lens’ is the sight and sound of Big Big Train back on an upwards curve and re-establishing itself as one of the rock music scene’s most compelling live bands"
This one's actually a big free/NYOP 77-track compilation album that seems mostly in the electronic/pop/dance realm. Some quite enjoyable tracks and some noise I don't care for.
If you are in the mood to fill your boots, the label's discography of 30 albums is available for $1. The ones I've looked at are all 70+ track compilation albums. Listed genres include electronic, drum & bass, dubstep, house, metal, orchestral, pony, pop, rap, rock.
Debating whether I have the energy to sift through 2000+ tracks for a dollar :-).
Field Recordings 1995-2002 by Fennesz Not actually field recordings. Fennesz's releases do not often resonate with me greatly, but these early recordings I like better than some of the later stuff. It helps that I have a memory attached - I bought the CD on ebay years ago from a seller who turned out to be in Vancouver where I was headed the following week, so I picked it up in person rather than having them ship it.
Kirst Maccoll would have been 65 today, BBC had two great programmes about her last night so playing Titanic Days today, her albums are so good very much worth a listen
I kind of prefer Labradford's debut, but the opening track of "Mi Medea Naranja" is one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces I have ever laid ears on, and nearly thirty years after I first encountered the song, it still sends shivers up my spine.
The album I'm listening to right now was one I only gave a brief mention to in my Sept BC column's Other Albums of Note section; I just didn't have time to really give it a fair listen before my submission deadline hit, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be included in my year-end best-of list. Yolk Records is a gem. Every year they release at least one album that sweeps me off my feet.
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To quote from Bandcamp "In 2023, Big Big Train were rapturously received by audiences across the UK and Europe, concluding the tour with two triumphant appearances at London’s Cadogan Hall. ‘A Flare On The Lens’ features the band’s full show at Cadogan from the second of their two nights there last year and also includes seven songs which were played only on the first night.
‘A Flare On The Lens’ is the sight and sound of Big Big Train back on an upwards curve and re-establishing itself as one of the rock music scene’s most compelling live bands"
Lovely...
Par vents et marées by Andrew Heath & Christian Wittman
Not actually field recordings. Fennesz's releases do not often resonate with me greatly, but these early recordings I like better than some of the later stuff. It helps that I have a memory attached - I bought the CD on ebay years ago from a seller who turned out to be in Vancouver where I was headed the following week, so I picked it up in person rather than having them ship it.
Close to, if not the best 60s Psych album and was orginally released in December 1968.
Listening to Labradford's first s/t album released in 1996.