BRNLV11: A List of Beautiful Music From the Year 2011

Hello! 7:56pm, December 31st, 2011. In a few hours, it's the end of the year. What better time to post an end-of-year list?

So: here are BRNLV's ten favourite albums of the last twelve months. From icy, weirdly spiritual techno to acoustic punk, from Scandinavian alt-pop to homegrown ambient soundscapes, each of these contains something very special.

Each comes with a standout track to listen to, and you can listen to them sequentially here on Spotify if you prefer not to watch video or get mouse-click related RSI. (Note: Gus Gus has been taken down from Spotify - maybe Kompakt were part of that dance music distro who pulled their catalogue. So no Gus Gus on playlist).

(nb. You may notice both albums released by Brainlove are present. That's because they are two of my favourite albums that came out this year. For a lot of record labels, signing and releasing is as much an extended form of fandom as a business arrangement. And if we hadn't released them, I'd still have given them both 10/10. So, I included them here, as seems fair and just.)

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1. = Gus Gus - Arabian Horse Spotify
Dark, sensual, perfect Icelandic techno. Sung from the heart. A rare thing: an emotional, moving 'dance' album.

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1. = Dad Rocks! - Mount Modern Spotify
Eleven beautifully humane and melodic songs about real life; family, domesticity and the modern world.

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3. Austra - Feel It Break Spotify
Ostensibly a dark, danceable pop album, Austra's record reveals lyrical depth and hidden resonance on repeated listening.

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4. Sacred Harp - Window's A Fall Spotify
An album quite unlike anything else, Window's A Fall is an elegant tumble of ideas.

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5. Blanck Mass Spotify
Benjamin Power's solo album is rich with warmth, emotion and a sense of enveloping kindness.

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6. David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding Spotify
DTB plays the poet and the clown in a brave and rewarding collection, his best since the seminal "Complete Guide to Insufficiency".

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7. When Saints Go Machine - Konkylie Spotify
Several striking high points make this sophisticated alt-pop debut something special. Arthur Russell influenced finale "Add Ends" is one of the songs of the year.

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8. Planningtorock - W Spotify
A direct, complete, stylish art-pop album with a pleasingly limited palette revealing a clear vision.

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9. John Maus - We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves Spotify
More unhinged, washed out, impassioned earworms from a man who's allegedly a professor of philosophy. In Hawaii.

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10. Active Child - You Are All I See Spotify
Pat Grossi's debut is a grower that sneaks in above Future Islands due it's consistency, glossy texture and open-heart lyrics.

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JHNBRNLV's gigs of the year:



15/02 - Zebra and Snake - Fisk og Vilt, by:Larm Festival, Oslo
25/03 - Kreatiivmootor - Tallinn Music Week
31/03 - When Saints Go Machine - Ja Ja Ja @ The Lexington, London
20/05 - David Thomas Broughton - Kings Place, London
09/06 - Future Islands - Upset The Rhythm @ Plan B, London
14/06 - Deerhunter - Slottsfjell Festival, Tønsberg
24/06 - Gus Gus - Kompakt Party @ ℅ Pop, Bootshaus, Cologne
24/07 - Portishead - I'll Be Your Mirror, Alexandria Palace, London
14/09 - Battles - Berlin Music Week @ Tempelhof Airport, Berlin
12/10 - Björk - Harpa, Reykjavík



And finally, a double-sided mixtape of BRNLV artists' songs and selections. See the tracklist (and who picked what) here.



Enjoy the music. See you in 2012.

John // BRNLV

David Thomas Broughton Announces UK Dates

VIDEO FOR "ELECTRICITY": http://youtu.be/fp-Behi0IXI (Directed by Claire McArdle)

David Thomas Broughton has announced two rare UK live shows in London and his hometown of Leeds, on the 12th and 13th of January.

His mesmerising live show has become the stuff of legend: from his hypnotically strange, mannerism-packed stage presence, to his use of rape alarms, improvised props and unpredictable tactics, always to enthralling effect. His songs appear and retreat through a bed of looped sound both beautiful and jarring. Broughton is an engaging and startling performer truly like no other.

Broughton will play songs from his seminal debut, "The Complete Guide To Insufficiency", and the well-received 2011 follow up "Outbreeding", out now on CD and digital formats via UK indie label Brainlove Records. More information can be found here http://www.brainloverecords.com/outbreeding and here http://www.davidthomasbroughton.co.uk.

FREE MP3 - Ain't Got No Sole: http://snd.sc/tKawp9

Thu 12 Jan Brudenell Leeds
Wegottickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/148906

Fri 13 Jan Lexington London
Tickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/148954

Björk at Iceland Airwaves

I reviewed some of Iceland Airwaves Festival 2011 for the Reykjavík Grapevine, one of my favourite music and culture publications in the whole world. It was a privilege to write for them, and my allotment of shows happily included Björk's Biophilia set at Harpa. CLick below to read the piece, and you can read my other two reports via the little author box at the bottom if you'd like to.

Brainlove Mixtape #8

Brainlove Mixtape #8: sAddEnds by Brainlove on Mixcloud

Brainlove Release Debut Album by SACRED HARP

"Window's A Fall"
released 05/12/11 on Brainlove Records

"Sacred Harp is an imaginary movie directed by David Lynch, where Billie Holiday, Deerhoof, Earth and Low are picking mushrooms with John Cage."
It's almost hard to believe "Window's A Fall" is the debut album by Norwegian four-piece Sacred Harp, such is the assuredness displayed throughout it's eight kaleidoscopic tracks.



From atonal blues to teutonic prog; from jazz tinged freakouts to delicate lullabies to arena-sized climaxes, the album writhes, seduces and entices, all the time refusing to be pinned down to a signature sound. A surprise hides around every corner, and the imagination and variety of "Window's A Fall" fills the imagination of the listener with colour.

In the past two years, Sacred Harp has inadvertently grown into one of Oslo’s favourite new bands. Their self titled EP, released in 2009, startled reviewers into bewildered praise and set off word of mouth that created widespread anticipation for what was to come next. After developing and polishing their extraordinary sound in the studio, they now present their debut album “Window’s a Fall”. Recorded and mixed by Bjarne Stensli (of Harrys Gym) and by Sacred Harp´s own Juhani Silvola, the record has one foot in the Norwegian rock aesthetic, but that narrow categorization doesn’t begin to cover their sonic breadth.



Sacred Harp is a four-piece band, comprising Jessica Sligter (vocals, guitar, keys), Juhani Silvola (guitar, bass, keys), Øystein Skar (keys) and Andreas Lønmo Knudsrød (drums). All come from the tight-knit community of Oslo musicians embracing experimental, free improvised music, as well as rock and alternative popular music, and they shamelessly blend and combine elements of their collective musical fancy into their endeavours. In fact, Sacred Harp, started out as an improv-trio, without drums, but soon they realized that their strength as a group lay in another direction. With Jessica´s expressive vocals and ability to create unique, strong melodies and lyrics, Juhani´s wide-ranging experience working in genres like noise, rock and folk music, and Øystein´s colorful pallet and versatility on keyboards, the trio found that in bringing together their strongest qualities they could construct powerful compositions and intricate arrangements. Sacred Harp found it’s fourth member in Andreas, the two-metre-tall anchor that creates a rhythmic foundation to their recordings and performances.

The music of Sacred Harp clearly reflects the eclectic mindset of the environment they sprouted from. As the title conveys, “Window´s a Fall” is an ominous record, inspired by the work of greats like David Lynch, Alfred Hitchcock, and also by regular TV, for example the TV series True Blood. Danger is always present, evidently or subtly insinuated, but it’s the uncertainty that it is exciting and enchanting. Their influences also lead to a combination of polished and freakish elements, tied in a highly cinematic and dynamic aesthetic. Needless to say, Sacred Harp´s music has great theatrical potential that makes their live show the ultimate Sacred Harp experience.



"Window's A Fall" comes out via Brainlove on December 5th 2011, in partnership with Trust Me Records of Oslo.

http://www.facebook.com/sacredharpmusic
http://www.myspace.com/sacredharpmusic

BRNLV Loves #2

BRNLV Loves #1

The National "APARTMENT STORY" from Banner Gwin on Vimeo.

New BRNLV Band: Bleeding Heart Narrative

"Vintage tones and instrumentation - a truly enticing sound" - Clash
"Musically sumptuous and highly arresting... pulled off with an enviable sense of beauty and inspired musicality" - The Quietus
"Filled with lush instrumentation" - The Line Of Best Fit
"Satisfying and dramatic" - Breaking More Waves

Bleeding Heart Narrative are a London sextet who weave together beautiful sounds with a haunting intensity. As interested in textures and orchestration as they are with rhythm and melody, theirs is a distinctive and captivating style that never settles on a single genre or approach. In creating their own music, Bleeding Heart Narrative incorporate their more abstract influences into traditional song structures, applying pop sensibilities to them as they go. You might hear the shimmer of Tortoise or Steve Reich built into a song that could be played on an Arcade Fire-sized stage, or pick out a Battle-esque repetition in a Mogwai-sized crescendo - but it'll always be Bleeding Heart Narrative you're listening to.

Live, Bleeding Heart Narrative are inspired. Having been the loudest band at the Shhh! All-dayer (Cecil Sharp House), they attracted the biggest attendance of 2010 at the Daylight Music Sessions (Union Chapel); they've also soundtracked films & readings for the British Film Instute and Whitechapel Art Gallery, and performed at arts spaces like Cafe Oto, The Shunt Vaults and Bristol's Cube cinema, and at festivals such as Truck, Green Man and the Huw-Stephens-curated SWN.

"Bison" is their first release on Brainlove Records, and follows their acclaimed 2010 album "Tongue Tangled Hair". But there are long-standing links twixt band and label: BHN ringleader Oliver Barrett (also of Petrels) is currently working on new material with emergent BRNLV artist Mat Riviere, having played cello with him at Brainlove Festival 2011 and turned in an orchestral reworking of "The Give In".

LIVE:
Aug 7th Fat Out Till You Pass Out @ Islington Mill, Manchester
Aug 11th HOWL presents @ The Others, London
Aug 21st Green Man Festival, Wales
Sept 17th Southsea Festival
Oct 20th SWN Festival, Cardiff, Wales

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bleedingheartnarrative
Soundcloud: http://www.myspace.com/bleedingheartnarrative
EP PAGE: http://www.brainloverecords.com/bhn
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BHNnoise

Brainlove: Label News / New Releases / BRNLVFSTVL Film

Recent Label News:
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Three new CDs on Sale: http://www.brainloverecords.com/order
A film of Brainlove Festival 2011: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlS9SK8xveY
A new mixtape: http://www.mixcloud.com/brainlove/brnlv-mixtape-7
An interview in Bearded: http://www.beardedmagazine.com/features/article/label-love-brainlove
John starts an artist management company: http://projekta.co
Follow us on Facebook to get news like this: http://facebook.com/brainloverecords
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Hello Readers!

I'm not going to do small talk, for once. Big talk only.

Brainlove tends to make only 5 or 6 physical releases a year, at most. I kind of think of them as special little artefacts, not just CDs like any other. Each one is brimming with magic, in it's own way, and each one means something. The manifesto of the label has long been "to support musicians exhibiting creativity, spirit, intelligence and imagination, regardless of genre, commercial potential, or technical ability. As such, Brainlove is a record label with artistic values at it's core".

I am certain that all of these releases fulfil these criteria, and I'm very, very proud to be releasing each of them.

Three new ones are now out to buy, here - http://www.brainloverecords.com/order

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1) David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding. A stunning proto-folk collection, with a 12 page lyrics & illustrations booklet by DTB himself.
LISTEN: http://www.brainloverecords.com/davidthomasbroughton

2) We Aeronauts - Chalon Valley EP. Four ambitious constructions, bright-eyed and bristling with youthful optimism, earthy folk and grand post-rock. This one is a short run of card wallets with very pretty artwork.
WATCH: http://www.brainloverecords.com/weaeronauts

3) Bastardgiest. A very very limited run of his album, on CD in hand-stamped card cases with lace and string decorations. Beautiful drones, a spine-tingling one-off voice, and bass-heavy melodies... gorgeous stuff.
LISTEN: http://www.brainloverecords.com/bastardgeist

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Please do buy them. Postage is free in the UK and it's a huge help for our continued activities.

Thanks

John / Brainlove

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Join / Follow / Friend Us:
http://facebook.com/brainloverecords
http://myspace.com/brainloverecords
http://twitter.com/brainlove
http://vimeo.com/brainlove
http://mixloud.com/brainlove
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New BRNLV Cloudcast

BRNLV Mixtape #7 by Brainlove on Mixcloud