Got through a lot a bit quicker than usual this week, so here we go. Highlights reel: a couple of fantastic live sets from Hiss Golden Messenger (the live debut, I think, of their Grateful Dead cover) and the stellar Bitchin Bajas/Natural Information Society hook-up; Stephin Merritt’s latest grand project; Jeff Parker doing Frank Ocean’s “Super Rich Kids” (sorry; I can’t find a link); expanded versions of the first Grateful Dead album, and Animals That Swim’s “Workshy”, both of which still sound very fine (a bit surprised the latter has stood up so well, to be honest). Oh and I finally made a move on the big new Dylan box, starting at Liverpool. If anyone has any recommendations of which ’66 shows to try next, please let me know.
As plugged tirelessly, the end-of-year Uncut is out now, with all our 2016 charts in there. I’ll try and do a ridiculously long one of my own in the next week or two, if you can bear the tension…
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1 A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service (Epic)
2 The Magnetic Fields – 5 Selections From 50 Song Memoir (Nonesuch)
3 Jeff Parker – Slight Freedom (Eremite)
4 Japandroids – Near To The Wild Heart Of Life (Anti-)
5 Gareth Dickson – Orwell Court (12k)
6 Hiss Golden Messenger – November 15, 2016 Music Hall of Williamsburg (nyctaper.com)
7 The Necks – Unfold (Ideologic Organ/Editions Mego)
8 Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Julie’s Place (Sub Pop)
9 Tinariwen – Elwan (Anti-)
10 Grateful Dead – Grateful Dead (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (Rhino)
11 Brian Eno – Reflection (Warp)
12 Neil Young – Peace Trail (Reprise)
13 Natural Information Society & Bitchin Bajas – November 15, 2016, The Hideout, Chicago (Soundcloud)
14 Chris Abrahams – Climb (Vegetable)
15 Deutsche Ashram – Deeper And Deeper (Bandcamp)
16 The XX – I See You (Young Turks/XL)
17 Bob Dylan – The 1966 Live Recordings (Columbia)
18 Rob Noyes – The Feudal Spirit (Poon Village)
19 Solange – A Seat At The Table (Saint/Columbia)
20 Animals That Swim – Workshy (One Little Indian)