@MF - Out of the 65 - which (if any) are largely or wholly instrumental ?

(Nothing implied by that - just would be interested in knowing, thanks.)

Quote from: Original_Ken on January 01, 2014, 06:36:57 PM

@MF - Out of the 65 - which (if any) are largely or wholly instrumental ?

(Nothing implied by that - just would be interested in knowing, thanks.)

10. Omar Souleyman - Wenu Wenu
Syrian folk with processed effects -- some vocals in Arabic

Thanks for making this instrumental list.

I am sampling from both this list and the main list of 65 in numerical order.

Currently listening to the Omar Souleyman, which is interesting in several ways.

First is that if you spoke Arabic, you would not have put it on the instrumental list.  (Because it has just as many lyrics as most every other album.)  But since (presumably) you don't speak Arabic, then you approach the songs as music, where the voice is just another instrument.   Actually, this is how I approach all music.   Some of this comes from listening to a lot of stuff like early R.E.M. which was like listening to Souleyman - even though Peter Stipe was singing in English.   But largely it comes from being a person who is oriented towards the non-verbal.  So, I've never cared much about the lyrics.  And most lyrics I encountered growing up were always been "baby baby oh baby" and other similarly profound stuff.  Ultimately, I've always found that musicians never have anything more to say - in terms of a verbal message - than Plato or Shakespeare (and usually much less).

So, I always listen to all music with English lyrics as if I don't understand English.  If it passes that test, then I will look at the lyrics sheet  (Of course there are a few exceptions to this.)

Note that everyone approaches art - such as music - from their own perspective - there is no "right" or "wrong" - the above is just where I come from.

Someone elsewhere on this site mentioned Pitchfork.  A classic example of the exact opposite from the above.   You have to be a "wordsmith" to write reviews for that site.   Such as person is automatically oriented first towards the lyrics - and then maybe they notice that there are other instruments.  That is why you see "Vampire Weekend" on their lists.   I can't imagine anyone liking that album if they did not understand English.

------

Second is that the Souleyman album reminds me of 1990s "Bhangra" which was the South Asian movement to combine traditional sounds and rhythms with modern electronic dance music:

Alrighty. Bit late to this thread but trying to address such a topic is always difficult. I had initially pegged this year as a disappointing one for new music, but there was a period during and after my travels mid year where I missed out on a tonne of new releases. I've gone through the best new music thread to unearth some gems and suspect I may be going through a backlog for some time.

These albums are my standouts. They evoke distinct moments, places, people and experiences from the past year.


Rudimental - Home



Love love love the sassy, sexy female vocalists belting it out on this album.





Disclosure - Settle






London Grammar - If You Wait



Oh Hannah. You slay me. Every. Damn. Time.




Arctic Monkeys - AM






Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City






Lorde - Pure Heroine






Phosphorescent - Muchacho






Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe