Albums of the Decade - 64. Six Organs Of Admittance - Burning The Threshold (2017)

64. SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE - BURNING THE THRESHOLD (2017)
Posting a quick one-two here of folk, which as swift as a Ferrari one two in the days of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barichello. Gotta hit up the Wikipedia here for a change:

"Six Organs of Admittance is the primary musical project of guitarist Ben Chasny. Chasny's music is largely guitar-based and is often considered new folk; however, it includes obvious influences, marked by the use of drones, chimes, and eclectic percussive elements"

It is a tres rich and balanced, meditative kind of folkoid - and I would give it the colour orange - but which shade? I am saying definitely not 5.1, 5.6 or 5.10 - perhaps 5.4, 5.15, 5.22 or 5.27 ;)

• 5.1Papaya whip
• 5.2Peach
• 5.3Light orange
• 5.4Apricot
• 5.5Melon
• 5.6Atomic tangerine
• 5.7Tea rose
• 5.8Carrot orange
• 5.9Orange peel
• 5.10Princeton orange
• 5.11UT orange
• 5.12Spanish orange
• 5.13Tangerine
• 5.14Coral
• 5.15Pumpkin
• 5.16Saffron
• 5.17Giants orange
• 5.18Vermilion (cinnabar)
• 5.19Tomato
• 5.20Syracuse Orange
• 5.21Bittersweet
• 5.22Persimmon
• 5.23Butterscotch
• 5.24Persian orange
• 5.25Alloy orange
• 5.26Burnt orange
• 5.27Bittersweet shimmer
• 5.28Jasper
• 5.29Tiger’s eye
• 5.30Brown

Albums of the Decade - 65. Julie Byrne - Not Even Happiness (2017)

65. JULIE BYRNE - NOT EVEN HAPPINESS (2017) 

A sweet and tender trip into a folk kind of nostalgia. Last FM has her down as a mix of Leonard Cohen and Vashti Bunyan. Easy shapes. I'm deep into her. Don't marry him. Don't carry him into paradise. Melt into the heat of the passion. Don't turn away from me. Send me away from me. Was listening to James Blake and RZA again as I wrote this.

I felt pretty blue yeterday morning (Monday) - so I played this album and it really calmed my chambers, as I worked out some semi-structure to the week. I managed to bang on the blackboard in my kitchen to buy some tea, pesto, sandwich filling, milk and vegetables - and that was achieved, plus a can of tuna I recall - a cheap legendary shop.

Albums of the Decade - 66. Clams Casino - Instrumentals (2011)

66. CLAMS CASINO - INSTRUMENTALS (2011)

Chunky with the bleak; this is the best pre-game manifesto still out there - as in if you want to play songs before the pub - these instrumental jams will see you through. If there was a Grand Theft Auto game to be made, set in the chillwave, cold and broken isolation of the last 10 years, then surely this album would be apt as the whole soundtrack - just saying.

Pitchfork described this mixtape back in 2011 as "woozy" and I think that it is as close as it gets. Further, I just checked up on said site, and Michael Volpe has just today announced his new album drops on November 2nd this year - I am listening now and I can't believe how opportune and seasonable this all is. It is chilly outside, but things are looking up and this can go soundtrack that shit.

Albums of the Decade - 67. James Blake - The Colour In Anything (2016)

67. JAMES BLAKE - THE COLOUR IN ANYTHING (2016)

Tonight is James Blake night once more; autumnal and wet. Perfect. For anyone new to this man, it's not James Blunt or James Joyce or Blake Yeager (a 2 year old youtube star - wtf.) If you ever feel like you're walking a tightrope with someone (and believe me - this is currently happening to me more than ever) - then this is the soundtrack. Piano and vocals with a bunch of candle and a pinch of bluetooth speaker.

I write and jam my head to Put That Away and Talk To Me which is very lamentable a notion - that whole smartphone thing. It's an epic journey this album, bundling up 17 tracks into 76 minutes - messy as a messy room, but all good :) - He is my singer-songwriter of the decade for sure - catching him in concert in Taiwan in 2014 was incredible.  I won't write some sloppy journalism like "so good I can't describe" - but it was something along those lines.

James Fake. Fake Jimbo. Plain Blake. Plan Blake. He's a star, depite the plain name. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Albums of the Decade - 68. Tim Hecker - Love Streams (2016)

68. TIM HECKER - LOVE STREAMS (2016) 

Love style poem, high-school style.

Total
Immersion of impluse
Manifesting itself into every audio corner

Hatred can back-off
Especially when love is like....
Crack cocaine and occasionally like...
Ketmaine, popping ito a hole, but impossible to..
Erase from memory, as it's
Recorded forever like all your data

This one's about to play a gig that I'm regretfully not gonna attend. Nevertheless, a pair of phones will dutifully do, as Love Streams gives a whole lotta love the closer it spuzzes into your ear.The glitch and pulse of the noise of the drone of the white noise of the dissonance. Nobody does it better. Nobody.

Albums of the Decade - 69. Cavern of Anti-Matter - Void Beats / Invocation Trex (2016)

69. CAVERN OF ANTI-MATTER - VOID BEATS / INVOCATION TREX  (2016)

Motor
Stereo
Cog
Whir
Rev
Spin
Clutch
Aibag
Dirt Machine
Plug
Spark
Free
Boost
Conscrict
Screech
Halt
Go
Speed
Deck
Emergence
Juice
Over and clear

Albums of the Decade - 70. Forest Swords - Engravings (2013)

70. FOREST SWORDS - ENGRAVINGS (2013)

Could pick either three of his dusty records for an entry on-board these parts, but this sophomore LP secures it, as it is just dusty enough before his dub became widescreen. Think Ry Cooder mixed with Lee Scratch Perry mixed with Burial mixed with garlic and onions.

When the drums rumble through the sensational "Onward," it makes this gravelly journey feel paradoxically smooth; a smooth rumble. Also the superb densened vocal jam on "Gathering" is wedged into such a tail section of the wagon overall, that the dust wags off.

I just shot down a glass of apple cider vinegar, and while it might take for some tough-going at first, the benefits pay off later with some perseverance and trying. With the fantastic and optimal closer "Friend, You Will Never Learn" we know that we've secured the dub record of the decade. Not everything is pretty on the outside, but it's what's buried beyond the surface that counts.