Favourite Records of the Year. Selected by: Messer
If the past twelve months proved anything, then that a year without a release from Messer is sub-par. But the road is clear to not worry about that next year: The Münster-based band – now consisting of Hendrik Otremba, Milek, Pogo McCartney, Philipp Wulf and Manuel Chittka – are recording the follow-up to Die Unsichtbaren right now, and get a slot as one oft he most anticipated releases of 2016 by default. And we very much appreciate it that they found the time to compile some of their favourite albums of the past year – because a Heavy Pop advent calendar without Messer would also be, well, sub-par.
Pogo McCartney:
Ought – [amazon_link id=“B0113D4L8O“ target=“_blank“ ]Sun Coming Down[/amazon_link]
After a very nerve-wrecking year I traveled to Spain in October to recreate via an immense intake of olives. Sadly, just in time for my flight, I came down with the flu. The whole trip was hell. Constant breaks into sweat and it was very hard to just move. I arrived in a bad mood and jumped into the shower.
Just before that I started to listen to this album fort he first time though, and it actually lightened up my mood from second to second and helped me to actually arrive. A record that manages to lighten up my mood in such a short amount of time, and that with the flu even, deserves to be my record of the year.
Disappears – [amazon_link id=“B00QMD32X6″ target=“_blank“ ]Irreal[/amazon_link]
The sound of the drums and the bands‘ increasing delusion is enough. I like that direction.
Deerhunter – [amazon_link id=“B0141UXTGQ“ target=“_blank“ ]Fading Frontier[/amazon_link]
The last records after the incredible [amazon_link id=“B001EGS556″ target=“_blank“ ]Microcastle [/amazon_link]did very little for me. This album has something back that just gets me. Despite the very poppy direction they keep going, I find the bit of dirt they have in their sound very affecting and thrilling.
Dagobert – [amazon_link id=“B00S1WX55Q“ target=“_blank“ ]Afrika[/amazon_link]
My friend Dagobert once again showing off what he does best: making people happy. Moonlight Bay managed to make me sway a few times this year.
Hendrik Otremba:
U.S. Girls – [amazon_link id=“B01167X49Y“ target=“_blank“ ]Half Free[/amazon_link]
Killer. Each track is so original, the whole record lives from this insane drive, and it has the best cover art of the year. Woman’s Work, the last track, is hard to stomach, it’s so good. The path of the unique Meg Remy is a very interesting one: her work so far has been pretty far out there, this here is pretty far… uh, inside?
Viet Cong – [amazon_link id=“B00OHKK8X8″ target=“_blank“ ]Viet Cong[/amazon_link]
Between the Beach Boys and the A-Team-score, retrofuturism and inspiration from John Carpenter or the movie Vertigo, but also a guitar-band and somehow detective-music as well (a genre I try establish as it’s own – suggestions?). Controversial name, which I always understood more as a popular-cultural reference tot he representation of the Vietcong in media than simple provocation. But how will they call themselves in the future? Doesn’t matter, just keep making music.
Jim O’Rourke – [amazon_link id=“B00W4SKOJ8″ target=“_blank“ ]Simple Songs[/amazon_link]
It’s so good – everything I can say is: Simple Songs! That is all. Ok, one highlight: Friends With Benefits – there’s one moment in there that just demonstrates why music is the greatest thing to ever exist (well besides some other things, admittedly).
Deerhunter – [amazon_link id=“B0141UXTGQ“ target=“_blank“ ]Fading Frontier[/amazon_link]
I’d like to know if Deerhunter will ever release something that won’t make my Top-whatever. More facing the world than [amazon_link id=“B00BZH7OI8″ target=“_blank“ ]Monomania[/amazon_link]. My favourite quote (from Snakeskin): „I was born with a snakelike walk.“ Bradford Cox is a great inventor, really!
Beach House – [amazon_link id=“B00Y1QSDRQ“ target=“_blank“ ]Depression Cherry[/amazon_link]/[amazon_link id=“B016E9KA1E“ target=“_blank“ ]Thank Your Lucky Star[/amazon_link]
Both albums are very well done, the second one has more hits. Altogether a bit more weird than previously, which isn’t a bad thing. Highlight on the second record: All Your Yeahs. I saw a concert shortly after the happenings in Mali, Paris and too much other places, and the singer – visibly shaken – said, that in this exact moment lots of other concerts take place all around the world, that the murderers will never be able to stop. So: go out, more than ever!
Jessica Pratt – [amazon_link id=“B00Q9H9ERS“ target=“_blank“ ]On Your Own Love Again[/amazon_link]
I don’t even know how I should describe this, but I just find her voice in combination with the unimpressing guitar laying enchanting, it feels like your first shared appartment, totally intense, and you don’t lose that joy in moving through the rooms and you feel this deep, melancholic satisfaction. Und the cover art is great, too!
Tobias Jesso Jr. – [amazon_link id=“B00QSX2VT6″ target=“_blank“ ]Goon[/amazon_link]
Totally simple songs, without too much gaudiness, a incredibly likable musician with black curls, looking shily over his piano to describe the world from there. Brought me lots of beautiful moments this year.
Marching Church – [amazon_link id=“B00V2D3OCU“ target=“_blank“ ]This World Is Not Enough[/amazon_link]
Even though it’s not that on-point as the record by his other band, Elias shows off his broad musical perspective. Marching Chruch always has been this crude solo-project, now it’s become an allstar-band around Danish label Posh Isolation: Puce Mary, Lower, etc. The pieces are imrpovised often, an das such hard to digest, but there’s very approachable songs like King Of Song as well. If you don’t like the strange way Elias sings though keep away – it’s carried to its extreme here.
Diät – [amazon_link id=“B015NGJVSC“ target=“_blank“ ]Positive Energy[/amazon_link]
My fellow Iffi on drums and some other crooks from all over the world. Almost every good band from the West that do something in Berlin take them as openers – without them being degraded to an opener. They played on the most thrilling festivals, like Berserktown in L.A.! Dark post-punk, a bit too nasty at times. I especially like the mixing on the vocals.
Institute – [amazon_link id=“B00W2WL7UQ“ target=“_blank“ ]Catharsis[/amazon_link]
Sacred Bones, most of what they put out is quality. Institute are a Fuck You turned into a band, .ike it’s been done a thousand times, but honestly, it’s always fun. The singer is infantile and distant in interviews, but his arrogance has always been an act. Well, if he’d be a totally nice guy, this would most likely have bored me. The artwork is great, too. Kinda circumvents the standartized Sacred Bones make-up all of their records have. That’s quite the achievement!
Messer online: Blog | Facebook | This Charming Man Records | Sammlung Jägers Website | Sammlung Jägers Facebook |
Thanks to Pogo, Hendrik and the Group Messer!
1 Trackback