richard youngs - sapphie

i felt as if a relaunch or such was in order. this blog is meant to be a place for me to share music that has been truly effective in my own personal development. so, from now on there will probably be a far more expansive description in relation to each album that is posted on here. this isn't a blog dedicated to hype or new release, but rather records that are bluntly emotional and transcend simple genre descriptions. i was thinking about leading this new phase of with one of Nation of Ulysses' records (the inspiration behind this blog.) but instead have settle with one of my more recent favorites, Richard Youngs' "Sapphie".

richard youngs.

so, why exactly does Richard Youngs get the honor of starting of this new trend of realism? well for starters, his music is bluntly obvious. drawing from a steady background of folk and "classical" guitar, his instrumental sections are almost always highly dense and minimal arrangements usually relying on the sounds of acoustic guitar. over top this Youngs can go many ways from heavily effect ridden vocals (his latest, 2007's "Autumn Response".) to totally demented guitar playing (see his collaboration with Tirath Singh Nirmala.). Although Youngs covers a variety of ground through all of his various releases, "Sapphie" is perhaps his most basic and bleak. simple acoustic guitar lines, Youngs unmistakable voice, and nothing else. "Sapphie" features compositions inspired by the loss of one of Youngs' pets among other things and the amount of emotional presence he is able to put into the performances can only be heard.

"sapphie" cover.

"Sapphie" was recommended to me by rateyourmusic.com user, ormi. i'm not sure if there was ever a specific moment it clicked, but this record has seen my obsession of yet another peculiar songwriter come yet again. perhaps the intense personal nature of the recording struck me the hardest. as Youngs himself described it, "Sapphie's" recording was "recorded round my friend John's flat and it was the first time I'd ever done more than one take." the process was apparently intimate as Youngs said the early takes of the record were marked by their background ambient noises of neighbors leaving and appliances at work. Youngs also made an important note about the recording in the fact that "there's no overdubbing and no remixing. everything went straight to DAT. what you hear is the best of what went on." and of course that is what draws me to constantly play this record, its intense personal nature. for sure, a late night listen.

richard youngs - sapphie (1998)

Six Organs of Admittance - Shelter from the Ash

Six Organs of Admittance - Shelter from the Ash

http://www.mediafire.com/?9o3nmmtajzo

"Six Organs of Admittance may sometimes confound and surprise but disappointment is not a word I associate with Chasny. Thankfully after several runs through Shelter from the Ash my prediction has been proven to be true. This is a captivating album, full of passion and power. Here's to another ten albums."

Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion

Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion

http://www.mediafire.com/?5j3jchzwkqy

"The inspired debut album from the duo of Prince Poetry and Pharoahe Monch was arguably the underground rap album of the 1990s...Organized Konfusion may be, alongside Main Source's Breaking Atoms, the quintessential cult hip-hop album from a decade full of forward-looking efforts."

This Heat - Deceit

This Heat - Deceit

http://www.mediafire.com/?4zgdw2vtxtw

"The whole speak, 'Little Boy', 'Big Boy' [sic], calling missiles cute little names. The whole period was mad! We had a firm belief that we were going to die and the record was made on those terms.… The whole thing was designed to express this sort of fear, angst, which the group was all about really. " - Charles Hayward

Deceit is considered by many as a classic of the post-punk era and was ranked by Pitchfork Media as the 20th greatest album of the 1980s. The Trouser Press Record Guide called the album "austere, brilliant and indescribable."^"

Coco Rosie - La Maison de Mon Reve

Coco Rosie - La Maison de Mon Reve
http://www.mediafire.com/?c0tgjjrfhfx"Sierra Casady may have sung opera around the world but Montserrat Caballe she is not. Rather than blasting her tonsils, Sierra turns Billie Holiday and angelically croons over her sister Bianca's odd percussion - a jangly belt, squeaky toy, kitchen sink. Recorded in a poky flat in Paris, the New York siblings' lo-fi debut owes more to Williamsburg than the Ride Of The Valkyrie. Their haunting, homesick lyrics yearn for apple pies, Jim Morrison and Madonna. This is pop which crackles like a wartime gramophone. "

Hisato Higuchi - She

Hisato Higuchi - She

http://www.mediafire.com/?bybz9cjm2ub

"The seven songs on She (some of them very brief) all share a sensibility that holds them together, despite a range that spans field recordings and shadowy guitars. Higuchi's created a very personal, effective set of songs here that clearly stem from a singular personal vision despite the variation in approach. "sister.girl" is constructed from splashes of buzzing noises with low keyboard tones mixed in amongst the spattering static. It's an unexpectedly pretty song: the noises and keyboards blend to create compelling overtones. "

Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane

Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane

http://www.mediafire.com/?dt32zmoo9vr

"There is a strong sense of thematic unity tying each song's various riffs and sections together, and the soaring, darkly majestic guitar melodies are consistently memorable. Sure, there is a little bit of melodrama here, but Dissection is most certainly on top of their game, and Storm of the Light's Bane is deservedly hailed as a landmark in the melodic black/death metal genre."

Ryan Adams - Heart Breaker

Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
http://www.mediafire.com/?ezgmbd52xzs

Sorry about the lack of updates, one of my good friends came and visited me for a couple of days so I was busy being obsessed with that nonsense. In honor of mixed feelings and hurt hearts Ryan Adams classic "Heartbreaker" will be the upload for today. This is a fantastic bare recording that basically Adams has based an entire career off of. Every track is a stunner and if as one reviewer described it, this album with leave you "wanting a bad break up".

Epic Soundtracks - Good Things

Epic Soundtracks - Good Things

http://www.mediafire.com/?9hjtjzximob

"The album is chock full of stripped down, reverb heavy, pop songs. Led by Epic’s gentle and often sad piano playing and backed by thin sounding acoustic guitars and minimal backing vocals for the most part, the album delivers a low key musical feast"

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
http://www.mediafire.com/?fzbxfb1lwxf

With the release of "Ire Works" soon to come to pass, it is important to look where a once great band came from. "Calculating Infinity" is one of the coldest albums ever, there is hardly any emotion in this entire 11 track masterpiece. Everything is technical, over the top, and pissed off in a stoic manner. Beautifully arranged with softer instrumentals casually giving breaks from the insanity of the rest of the album, this is a record that clearly helped generate an entire new type of music. "Ire Works" sucks by the way.

Idaho - Hearts of Palm

Idaho - Hearts of Palm

http://www.mediafire.com/?0in1wypjykl
"Hearts of Palm might not be as bleak as the Idaho of old, but there's still that undeniable sense of melancholy that's guaranteed with the sound of Martin's voice. Even when he seems genuinely happy in "Alta Dena," there's still a sense of pain and tension. Idaho might never be in a hurry, but there's enough going on to warrant your attention. Don't miss the stunning instrumental closer, filled with lovely Durutti Column-like guitar wriggles and mournful, echoed piano." Thanks to Chance for the heads up.