Kim Free

My latest guest list is from Los Angels local Kim Free, who just released one of last year's most singularly beautiful records, Angel Shadow. For years Kim recorded and performed as Black Church, releasing several limited edition cassettes on various labels. Now recording under her own name, Kim's new work is filled with an enormous sense of calm and an equal feeling of wonder and clarity. Using primarily guitar, violin, and synth, along with her wide-eyed, echoing vocals, these songs sound personal, true to life, and more than anything: sincere.

One thing that strikes me about these songs is their sense of time, or rather of being lost in time. The record almost plays out in the same way as I imagine a perfectly quiet day in life to sound- even ending with Silver Screen as the perfect lullaby. Her violin songs in particular sound like faint flickers long-lost since the '20s, while her vocal songs have the dreaminess and immediacy of the early-80s Cherry Red/Crépuscule/Postcard/Factory Records sound. A truly gorgeous, heart-shaped record through and through- one I encourage you to spend some time with this year.
















Angel Shadow was released digitally on iTunes by LA's Fine, with a vinyl release forthcoming. Three songs from the record are available to listen to on Kim's Soundcloud. You can also find out more information on her official Facebook page.
Photos courtesy of Jeana Sohn, creator of Closet Visit.

Here is Kim's list, along with a mix she made of all ten tracks.


KIM'S FAVORITE TRACKS FROM 2011

These are my ten favorite tracks from 2011. Hope you like them too, and happy 2012. Counting down:

10. Scheherazade - PANDA BEAR
9. Love Triangle - HTRK
8. Let Me See You - OCTO OCTA
7. Soft - WASHED OUT
6. John Is The Last Of A Dying Breed - RANGERS
5. A Love So Strong - MARIA MINERVA
4. Electric Chair - BLEACHED
3. Separator - RADIOHEAD
2. Into Black - BLOUSE
1. Wish You Were Mine - TERIUS NASH

My fave 10 tracks from 2011 by kimfree

Isabelle Antena

As part of the trio Antena, Isabelle Antena created one of my very favorite records ever, and one that couldn't be any closer to my heart: Camino Del Sol. Released by Les Disques Du Crépuscule in 1982 and later expanded by Numero Group in 2004, there are very few things in this world that come close to the inner-Riviera, sun-soaked perfection of these songs. Exotic, gentle, breezy, insular, and pure, the sound of this record is transportive, mysterious, and comforting. These songs sound like a faded postcard, a fuzzy memory.. like they were trapped in a bottle washed up on shore. I really can't say enough about how special this record is to me. There is no reason for anyone not to be close to these songs.












Since Antena, Isabelle has released several beautiful solo albums, each combining elements of bossa-nova, café-bleu cool jazz, and synth-pop samba. Her debut solo release, En Cavale, was released in 1986, again by Les Disques Du Crépuscule, followed by 1987's Hoping For Love. These records, filled with everyday dreams and far-off longing, are equally evocative, easy, and smart. Her next two albums, Tous Mes Caprices and Jouez La Cinq, expanded to include more of a late-'80s sophisti-pop, lounge-torch sound.

Isabelle has also worked in several side projects, including Fragile On The Rocks, The Powaga Sisters, and Pause Cafe. She continued releasing records through the '90's and 2000's and still performs live. Truly a personal vision, expanded upon for decades, the music of Isabelle Antena is filled with a timeless beauty that stands alone.












LTM has reissued many of her albums which are available through iTunes or from Darla. Camino Del Sol is available on CD, download, or vinyl from Numero Group. For more information, you can also visit Isabelle's website here.

Isabelle was kind enough to send me a list of some of her favorite music.


FAVORITES FROM ISABELLE ANTENA

Innervisions - STEVIE WONDER
Harvest - NEIL YOUNG
West Side Story - LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Porgy And Bess - MILES DAVIS & GIL EVANS
Radio-Activity - KRAFTWERK
Songs In The Key Of Life - STEVIE WONDER
Take It Off - CHIC
My Favorite Things - JOHN COLTRANE
Off The Wall - MICHAEL JACKSON
Other Directions - NICOLA CONTE

...I guess there's too many to tell but let's also say that some of my favorite artists, such as Peggy Lee, recorded plenty of singles that were collected onto albums after, but don't exist officially as a long playing recording. And also, some of my favorite music (like classical, from Handel to Bartok, or Chopin, or ....too many), is recorded in too many versions to tell exactly which is the best recording.

Bridget Hayden

Bridget Hayden's music is equal parts scuzz, drift, echo, and dream. She started in the late '90's as part of the Leeds-based psychdrone quintet Vibracathedral Orchestra. Since then, she has released four solo records in addition to collaborations with Melanie Delaney and Stephen Lawrie (The Telescopes). The first record of hers I fell in love with was her 2002 self-released Just Ideas, followed by the incomparable Ground Zero Cerebration Pessary with Ashtray Navigation's Melanie Delaney.

Her most widely-available solo release to date, A Siren Blares In An Indifferent Ocean, was released earlier this year. The sounds here are truly sounds to get lost in and lost to. Self-assured, deeply focused, and blisteringly/quietly emotive. From the opening detritus of Silk Wheels to the naked blues of closer Waste, this record is easily one of my favorites of the year. Bridget's latest record, Exquisite Falling Dust, is an equally enveloping study in stasis, outsider abandon, and hard beauty. The music is vast, filled with tiny elements of ambient, voice, drone, blues, and tidal unease.








An Indifferent Ocean is available now on iTunes or on vinyl directly from (K-RAA-K)³. Also be sure to visit Bridget's website here.

Here is a list of favorites she sent me.


RECORDS

I Feel Good - JOHN LEE HOOKER
Evil - HOWLIN' WOLF
After The Goldrush - NEIL YOUNG
The Blues - NINA SIMONE
Heavier Than A Death In The Family - LES RALLIZES DENUDES
Trapdoor Fucking Exit - THE DEAD C
My Ancestors - CHRISSY ZEBBY TEMBO
Superstars Of Greenwich Mean Time - UNCLE JIM
Heart Shaped World - CHRIS ISAAK
In Utero - NIRVANA
Rare Little Batch Of Wonder - BOB DYLAN
Moth Lake - VAMPIRE BELT
Gravest Hits - THE CRAMPS
Transparent Day - WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND
Clearwater - CLEAR PEOPLE
Hex Induction Hour - THE FALL

The best show I ever saw was Hijokaidan at Install. Also Lightning Bolt, ESG, Josephine Foster, Portishead (recently).









OTHER STUFF (not records - just songs from YouTube or unidentifiable memories)

Mad Dogs And Englishmen - JOE COCKER/LEON RUSSELL
Whoopin The Blues - SONNY TERRY/BROWNIE MCGHEE
King Bee - SLIM HARPO
Pretty Polly - DOCK BOGGS
I Lost Something In The Hills - SIBYLLE BAIER
Lovely On The Water - FRANKIE ARMSTRONG
Sex Problem - HARRY PUSSY
Lonesome Dog Blues - LIGHTNIN HOPKINS
Careless Love - MAE MERCER
Cool Water - HANK WILLIAMS

I also recommend Bo Diddley, Mutual Extermination Club, Stephen Lawrie, Mick Flower, Hototogisu, The Piss Superstition, Obey, Richard Dawson, Jazzfinger, and Ignatz.

Lieven Martens

Since 2007, Lieven Martens has been making some of the most vividly aquatic and deeply meditative music under the name of Dolphins Into The Future. His most well-known release may be 2009's ...On Sea-Faring Isolation, which was released by Not Not Fun. Everyone I have played this for has fallen in love with it almost immediately. The level of pure calm and letting go that this record creates is sincerely gentle, somnambulant, and deep. Its sonar lullabies are kind of like the sonic equivalent of Luc Besson's The Big Blue. Other excellent points of entry include: The Music of Belief, Ke Mirning Pu'uwai, and Voyage Shopibo Coast, Pacific City.

In addition to Dolphins Into The Future and various other pseudonymns, Lieven has performed and collaborated with Orphan Fairytale, Wietskie Van Gils, James Ferraro, Spencer Clarke, Ducktails, and Ada Van Hoorebeke. Lieven has also curated several labels including Dreamtime Taped Sounds, Bread And Animals, Imvated, Dutch Beer, Cauliflower Dreams, and most recently, Cetacean Nation Communications. His latest releases, Ke Ala Ke Kua and Two Romantic Landscapes are available now. Past releases can be found at Tomentosa and Volcanic Tongue.












I was thrilled to receive such a beautifully written list of favorites and poetic descriptions from Lieven. Find out for yourself.


SOME FAVORITES FROM LIEVEN MARTENS

The Landscape Paintings by Caspar David Friedrich

The quintessential lesson in learning to construct a landscape, with both mystique and depth. With originality, and creativity. Beyond the Polaroid.

Philip K Dick’s Final Valis Trilogy (including the fourth volume of …Albemuth)

A magnificent turn in his pretty intense bibliography. Going beyond all things usual, to grasp the real truth. With the only truth being a message of hope.

Werner Herzog Interviews

A master in using emotions to construct landscapes. And using landscapes to construct emotions. And using sound to construct landscapes. And… A truly liberated modern poet.

Annea Lockwood’s Sound Map Releases, Chris Watson‘s Radioplays

For the obvious reasons.

Being At Big Island Hawaii & Ilha Do Pico

Putting the pieces together with or without Aguardente. Using the landscape to ponder on what we’ve learned.

Scuba Diving

The pressure of three atmospheres on your head is a more liberating feeling than any induced, faked schizophrenia.

Theosophy Viewpoints On History, Islands, The Sky, Folk

The many atmospheres of knowledge and heat. Out there in many volumes of book.

The Micronesian / Melanesian / Polynesian Island Music Collections on Folkways, Nonesuch, Lyrichord, Music City, & Ocora

Master Musicians inspired by nature. Inspiring nature, Koinos Kosmos.

Steiner’s Ideas On Colours, Van Hoorebeke’s Batiks

Because we want to be convinced of the color blue, and the color green, and the color red. The waters and the plants. The earth.

Steven Halpern’s Electric Piano Sound, “The Creator Has A Masterplan” by Pharoah Sanders, “Tezeta” by Mulatu Astatke, “Leapday Night” by Behrman, Organic Music Society, etc.

Since there’s a place for the experiment and a place for the beauty. In our Idios Kosmos.

The Constructed Sound Records of Joe Jones, Bill Fontana, Robert Ashley, Henning Christiansen, Floris Vanhoof, etc.

Because there’s no such thing as a full day of work. And when the moon prompting the many dreams, we need a landscape to wander.

A Mixtape With Songs by Prefab Sprout, China Crisis, Microdisney, Etienne Daho, Rick Ocasek, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Ocean, etc.

Because our happy glass of daylight's red wine needs a background volume.

Leslie Keffer

The first time I came across Leslie Keffer seemed like a revelation: noise music with a real feminine side. Using mainly guitar, vocals, and electronics, she makes noise music that doesn't sound like noise, and isn't easily mistaken for anyone else.

Her first release on her own Action Claw Records, was 2003's Dielectric Lull. She followed it with several tapes and cassettes (Pollutes, Devestates, Represents...) many of which were packaged in hand-sewn fabric cases.









She has performed live with Tusco Terror and in duos with both Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore. Her 2007 release on Ecstatic Peace, Feels Like Frenching (probably my favorite record title ever), is almost like a noise version of shoegaze. The static, drifting, and psychedelically glamorous music on this record sounds infinite and even strangely soothing. Her latest release, Give It Up is a bit of a departure, with beats, vocals, and pop elements. You can hear some of Leslie's more recent songs on her Soundcloud, which open up and expand on this sound even more.

Leslie also created the world's first and only noise tabloid, Noisebloid.

Here is a list/guest-post of some of Leslie's favorite records and how she came to love them.


LESLIE'S FAVES

The first records I really got into when I was in grade school were:

Madonna- Like A Virgin, True Blue, You Can Dance, Like A Prayer
Whitney Houston- Whitney

My dad and my late step-mother used to hold flashlights on me and my sister and we would have all the lights off and they would shine the flashlights on us like spotlights and we would lip sync all these songs from these tapes and make up these dances. One year we got Star Stage toy microphone stands. They were these kid toys that lit up and amplified your voice and put an echo on it so we could be real stars. I can only imagine how annoying this thing was after about 10 minutes out of the box.









Other songs we would dance to (i.e. cassette singles):

Cathy Dennis -Move To This
C.C. Peniston - Finally
U2 - Pride In The Name Of Love
Martika - Toy Soliders
Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror
Janet Jackson - Escapade
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is A Place On Earth

As I got a little older, like 6th grade I got more into Tori Amos. Serious obsession. The red hair, the fairytale whacked-out lyrics. I loved her. Under The Pink changed my life, and I was so fanatic about her I would save up all my money from working at Arby's so I could go see her or buy her bootlegs at the nearest record store to my hometown, Quonset Hut, which was 30 minutes away. I was also completely into REM. Life's Rich Pageant is their best record, or at least my favorite. Michael Stipe was my first crush. He has pretty eyes and a deep, sexy voice when he talks. I finally got to see him naked last week when he posted nude photos of himself on his tumblr, but it was so penis-y and hairy....i guess it was a good thing REM broke up the same week.

http://www.dlisted.com/2011/09/21/open-post-hosted-michael-stipes-peen

I also fell in love (like everyone in the early 90s) with Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Hole. I had a crush on Thurston Moore until my best friend's older sister told me he was married to Kim, who I basically worshiped and wished was my best friend. I was horrified! So I just stuck with Michael Stipe because no one knew if he was gay or straight and I was a prude so it was safe. I even liked Dave Matthews back then. I mean y'all know what goes down at a DMB concert. When I got to college I started listening to indie rock and riot girl stuff. This boy I liked, my first real love, liked all this stuff and he got me into all kinds of new and weird music. And he could take me to shows. He got me into Helium and took me to cool local shows like the Party Of Helicopters. It all blew my mind and inspired me. My favorite bands then were Low, Helium, Stereolab, and My Bloody Valentine.

We broke up my sophomore year and I was depressed and hated all the music he got me into because it reminded me of our relationship. My friends were going to raves and were DJs. I started going to these parties and dancing all night. (Like the DMB concerts, we all know what went down at these raves.) I was introduced to techno, house, drum-n-bass, electro, you name it. It was some of the most memorable music and times of my life.

After I graduated college I started messing around with radios and making music like I make now. This was about the time my friend Issac introduced me to Kate Bush. He couldn't believe I was so into Tori and never had heard Kate Bush. He made me a tape and I heard Hounds Of Love and Running Up That Hill and it changed my life. The album Hounds Of Love has definitely influenced how I make and listen to music. Listening to Kate Bush brought me back to my pop roots and now I'm a hardcore pop fan again. Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj, and my new absolute favorite, Robyn. BUY BODY TALK BY ROBYN PEOPLE!!! No excuses. One of the best pop records ever. I mean its a tie with Hounds Of Love for my favorite record of all time, and in my opinion, if you can place with Kate Bush, you've made a perfect record.

Mary Lattimore

One of my very favorite sounds in music right now is Mary Lattimore's harp. Her sound is so distinct: clear, celestial, and pure. I first heard her playing on Kurt Vile's latest record, Smoke Ring For My Halo, and since then on Thurston Moore's Demolished Thoughts and Meg Baird's Seasons On Earth. The depth and beauty she adds to these records is unmistakable. All three of these records tap into something every-day, but infinite. Life echoes and post-modern folk songs.

This summer I saw her play with Thurston, et al. here in L.A. at the Troubador. The way the five of them played together was really beautiful- open, yet with such discipline: unplugged but not soft, flickering, dreamy, like late-night black & white poetry. Two guitars, drums, violin, and harp.

Mary has also played with Jarvis Cocker and Fursaxa and is currently working on her first solo record, as well as on projects with Annabel Alpers and Steve Moore. I recently asked her to send me a list of some of her favorite records, which she shares here.


Some Of Mary's Favorites Right Now And Maybe For Forever:

Disintegration - THE CURE
And Don't The Kids Just Love It - TELEVISION PERSONALITIES
Lost Album 78-79 - THE GO-BETWEENS
III - ESPERS
Constant Hitmaker - KURT VILE
Soft Winds - DOROTHY ASHBY (Thurston gave this to me for my birthday recently)
Armchair Boogie - MICHAEL HURLEY
Goat's Head Soup - THE ROLLING STONES
What Are They Doing in Heaven Today? - WASHINGTON PHILLIPS
EVOL - SONIC YOUTH
Lounge Lizards - PURLING HISS
Alone In The Dark Wood - FURSAXA
S/T - ERNIE GRAHAM

Amanda Brown

Countless times during the past several years I have considered Pocahaunted to be my favorite band ever. There have been very few duos as mysterious, addictive, or consistently curious as the self-described Olsen Twins of blissed out drone. If you haven't heard them, start at Moccasinging and go all the way through; there's not a bad sound in the lot. They tried on every sound imaginable, but my favorites will always be the far away haunted trails of Rough Magic and the earth-shaking gospel doom of Chains. Seriously, if any band deserves a lavish box set made of feathers, beads, and tapestries- it is them.

Since Pocahaunted, Amanda Brown has been all over the place. Wire magazine cover star, half of Topaz Rags, her solo work as LA Vampires, DJ, and head/curator of not one, but two labels: Not Not Fun and the recently launched 100% Silk. The new label focuses on "45 RPM 12 inch singles of diamond-life dance & bliss-disco & basement luxury grooves by friends and lovers from all over the world." There are 11 releases to date, including the intoxicating Noble Savage by Maria Minerva and the minimal high-rise sound of Let Me See You by Octo Octa. Her lastest release as LA Vampires with Ital, Streetwise, is available now on iTunes and from Not Not Fun.











I recently asked Amanda to send me a list of some of her favorite records, so here is a list of what she's been spinning lately along with her thoughts on them.


TOP 10 RECORDS WITH DECEPTIVELY LAME COVERS THAT ARE SECRETLY AWESOME TO DJ (not in order)


1. JOMANDA - The True Meaning (Of Love) (Big Beat)
Not even the poor man's En Vogue, but the poor man's Jade. This cover is like the poster for a Tommy Davidson movie directed by a Wayans brother. The song is unbelievably good though, especially if you sub-out the words 'The True Meaning (Of Love)' for 'The True Meaning (Of House)', which they do on side B.

2. DERUVO - Boy I Need You Now (SBK)
This cover is like a bad trance flyer from the era of Bjork's Homogenic – think CG paintbuckets. Visually it makes no sense. Sonically it only makes sense. The 'Sensitive Mix' is a tearjerker.

3. TYCIE AND WOODY - The Rhythm's Gonna Get You (Elektra)
Props for afro-futurism and the MOST ridiculously spot on title for a dance track, maybe ever. But on first glance this could either be sub-R&B overproduced ballads or sub-Monie Love overproduced rap tracks. Fortunately it's amazing. There's even a Larry Levan remix and two techno/house mixes.

4. DELICIOUS - Stand Up (Calypso)
Looks like a half-assed Deee Lite knockoff. They're Italians though, dressed like uptown Keith Haring art/dance/jazz cats, so obviously something about it is gonna be special.

5. CULTURE BEAT FEAT. LANE E AND JAY SUPREME - I Like You (Epic)
This is the kind of confusing record you always think is going to be good but never is, but this one actually IS good, every mix. The lyric 'I like you' is dangerously simple-minded genius.










6. MOSAIC III FEAT. ZION - Dance Now (Look/BMG)
Hideous early Photoshop pixelated nonsense. Play the "E-Gasm (Overdose Mix)" – and then throw the jacket under your bed.

7. HOUSE NATION -Everybody (Yo) (Discomagic)
Maybe the most disgusting of the lot. There's cut-out jpegs of pickles and....radishes (??) floating over a blurry photo of indistinct people. But it's awesome, and if you collect dance vinyl you're NOT going to pass on a 12" by 'House Nation' entitled 'Everybody (Yo).' Duh. It's just not gonna happen.

8. S-EXPRESS - Theme From S-Express (Rhythm King)
This looks like a page torn from Raygun Magazine: graphic design excess, letters and text all over the place, weird phrases ("brilliance for a better world," "I got the hots for you," "Oh that's bad! No that's good!"). Worth getting through for the B side track, "The Trip (Microdot House Remix)".

9. STEVIE V - Adventures Of Stevie V (Mercury)
Like a legend from the bygone 'In Living Color' era, you might assume this is just style-less rapping. But he has a definite knack for naming tracks: "Butterflies Are Free," "Body Language," "Hooked On The Groove."

10. SERGE PONSAR - Out In The Night (WB)
The cover is forgettably new wave and on the back Serge looks like a silky Rick James (in a bad way). Skip the A side and jam the B side instrumental dub.

Julia Holter

One of the best records I've come across in a very long time is Tragedy by Julia Holter. Inspired by Euripedes' Ancient Greek tragedy Hippolytus, the vision and scope of these songs is stunning. Lyrical passages from the text along with her massive-minimal sound of synth/drum/classical/slowed-down otherness create something deeply ancient, personal, and unmistakably original. These songs are like a labyrinth: startling, illuminating, and flat out beautiful.

Julia is based in Los Angeles and has collaborated with both Nite Jewel and Linda Perhacs. She is also involved in a project called Lady JJ with Jana Papenbroock, which is a monthly transatlantic video collaboration.

Tragedy was released earlier this month by Leaving Records in an edition of 300 and sold out almost immediately. The album will be repressed soon and is also available on iTunes. There is no excuse for not hearing this music.

You can find out more about Julia at her website. Below is a list she sent of some of her favorite records.


JULIA'S FAVORITES

1. Rock Bottom - ROBERT WYATT
2. Live Evil - MILES DAVIS
3. Court And Spark - JONI MITCHELL
4. Have One On Me - JOANNA NEWSOM
5. Parallelograms - LINDA PERHACS

High Places

Drifting, tropical, shape-shifting, and dreamy, High Places make some of my favorite sounds. High Places is Rob Barker and Mary Pearson, originially from Brooklyn, but now based here in L.A. Their records are always a go-to for me when I'm feeling something refreshing, gorgeously jarring, elusively far-off, and tranquil. To date, they've released a compilation and two full-lengths on Thrill Jockey, and are currently at work on their third album. Definitely check out From Stardust To Sentience, Late Bloomer, Namer, On Giving Up, and Can't Feel Nothing- all classics in my book.

Below are the lists they sent me of their favorite albums along with their comments on each.

Find out more about High Places on their blog or at Thrill Jockey.


ROBBIE B'S FAVORITES

Strange Days - THE DOORS

Ever since I first visited LA, and especially when I moved here, I always LOVED records that made me feel really connected to LA. This record really makes a great soundtrack for it, maybe a bit obvious, but perfect nonetheless. You drive around with the windows down, blasting this... and you almost want to walk into Barney's Beanery and pee on the bar. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2008/11/barneys-beanery.html

S/T - SCHOOLLY D

Perfect record for being a dark druggy teenager growing up in Philadelphia. Production sounds deleriously under water, or more specifically dusted (as in PCP, it's a Philly thing trust me) . Supposedly there was definitely dust present in the studio. Which explains the reverb on P.S.K. and Gucci Time.

Space Ritual - HAWKWIND

Mary already nailed Burial, which is a perfect soundtrack for London. But I will add in this insane live record that i jammed on while camping and hiking along country roads in the UK back in the late 90's. Seeking out these areas long enough, you might just find the Hawkwind commune. Heavy trip of a record. Incredible String Band is good for this as well, although much less heavy...

Moment Of Truth - GANG STARR

When this came out I was living in Bed Stuy and this record was THE soundtrack.

Age Of Quarrel - CRO-MAGS

Such a good and intense soundtrack to teenage years running around NYC. Totally knucklehead, but pretty darn honest in a way… these dudes were honestly pretty "street", for better or for worse… They basically lived what they talked about in the lyrics, which not all of which i am a fan of. But that is reality, I guess.

Surrealistic Pillow - JEFFERSON AIRPLANE

San Francisco. I love SF's vibe. I know it has changed a lot since this record came out, but this makes me feel really connected to the city's history.

Paid In Full - ERIC B & RAKIM

Another good NYC growing up record… the Marley Marl production reminds me of the feel of the subway tunnel acoustics. Like something about the reverbs on the scratches and how crunchy the drums are…

Suicidal Tendencies - SUICIDAL TENDENCIES

WAY before I lived in LA, or even visited LA, I sorta fantasized what it would be like to be in the world these dudes occupied.. seemed so foreign from NYC and Philadelphia… I pictured surfboards with like razor blades taped to them… I don't know… I was like 12….

DJ Too Tuff's Lost Archives - TUFF CREW

More Philly rap that just defines Philadelphia. This record is actually a comp of unused tracks from the late 80's, and it blows me away there were the outages!! This is a seriously dense pile of jams. The first 3 TUff Crew records are some of the best rap records PERIOD, and this collection is mind blowing.

The Crew - 7 SECONDS

Doesn't really define a place, but definitely a time. Jr High, this record was such a breath of positivity, which i definitely needed at the time.

MARY'S FAVORITES

Let England Shake - PJ HARVEY

I'm usually hesitant to declare a brand new album an all-time favorite, but with Let England Shake, Harvey really hit the nail on the head for me. The album is simultaneously timely and timeless. Listening to Polly sing, "What if I take my problem to the United Nations?" the day the UN resolved to intervene in Libya, was an eerie experience. I love Mick Harvey and John Parish's contributions to the record, and Polly's lyrics and vocals are some of her best.

Beggars Banquet - THE ROLLING STONES

This album is so classic to me. I find it to be the most "jangly" Rolling Stones album, and let's be honest, the toy drum kit kind of sounds like a hot mess. But there's a charm and creativity to this album that makes it my favorite of the Stones' output.

Blue - JONI MITCHELL

Joni will always be my ultimate songwriting hero. Blue is one of those albums where every track is a great song. I always sing "California" during sound checks. High Places has covered "River" for a benefit compilation, and "My Old Man" is the ringtone that plays when my boyfriend calls me.

Untrue - BURIAL

This album conveys such a strong mood. It is the best late-night driving music.

Ready To Die - THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.

Really any Biggie album is great, but Ready to Die introduced the world to the greatest rapper it had ever heard and perhaps ever will hear. I wish we still had him around.

The Goldberg Variations (Bach BWV 988, 1981 recording) - GLENN GOULD

I never tire of Glenn Gould's interpretations of Bach. The 1981 recording has a contemplative character that wasn't heard in his 1955 rendition. Gould was a true artist who left his mark on every piece he performed.

Apichatpong Weerasethakul

I recently contacted Apichatpong Weerasethakul and asked him for a list of his favorite albums. What I got instead was a Warmest Regards and these three photographs. A misunderstanding, a mystery... whatever it was, his indirect and off-handed reply certainly makes sense when compared to his films. He is one of my very favorite directors for that very reason: his elusive, fever dream, jungle fantasies are just as difficult to explain or entirely comprehend.

Jessica Rylan

Jessica Rylan is an electronic musician, noise singer/songwriter, and synthesizer designer from Boston. I first came across her work through the beautiful 2005 picture disc album New Secret by her noise project Can't. It would be easy to say that her work is based on power electronics and noise, but there's more to her music than that. Jessica is one of the only musicians I know of that can mix the industrial with the personal and make it work. If you listen close enough, you'll come across acoustic guitar ballads, piano lullabies, and a cappella confessionals laced through the home-made machines and stuttering feedback. It's rare to find emotion in most music of this kind, but Jessica does: the sound of a real girl beneath the noise.

Aside from New Secret, other favorites of mine include her 2004 cassette/book release, Juliette, Who Broke My Heart (this tape seriously rules!), Lush Life, her self-titled Can't LP on Ultra Eczema, Private Time (Part 2) on Weird Forest, and Key Cutter, her collaboration on Load Records with Vampire Belt as Vampire Can't.

Jessica releases many of her albums on her own IRFP label, which can be found here.

Also be sure to check out Flower Electronics, where you can find information on her synthesizers and instruments.

Jessica will be playing at the San Francisco Electronic Music Festival in September.

Here are her favorite albums, along with her comments about them.

"I really like first records/first recordings. Even in some cases, where the first record is clearly not "the best", it's still my favorite one. But I also like later recordings some times. Anyway here are a few."

FIRST ALBUMS/RECORDINGS

Severed Survival - AUTOPSY

All-time favorite - I got a copy accidentally in high school and the band's own name was mis-spelled on the cassette. Between that, the out of tune bass, and the blurt of defeat "Ok - I'll do it!", how could I not fall in love?

The Smiths - THE SMITHS

I listened to this 1000 times alone in my room when I first went off to college.

Lickety Split - JANE LECROY

Regolith Records, 1993 - she was a huge influence on me.

Demo '87 - BREAKDOWN
Space Our Sex Out - DRIVER UFO
S/T - L.A. DRUGS
Trophy - BLOODYMINDED
Uncool, Unclean, Unleashed It's... - THE MURDERERS
Demo CD-R For Clarinettis Qoonotations - ALAS ALAK ALASKA!

Jocelyn gave it to me at a show in 2008 - it sounds nothing like the cd, more like PJ Harvey 4 track demos - totally stripped down and intimate, and captivatingly angry.

Downtown Battle Mountain - DANCE GAVIN DANCE

SECOND LP's

On Fire - GALAXIE 500
South Of Heaven - SLAYER
White Light/White Heat - THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

I used to check this out of the public library over and over when I was 13 - in retrospect, I don't think that was a good idea on my parents' part!

Drugs Are Nice - SUCKDOG

I've never actually listened to this - even though a nice person gave me a copy. I just like to imagine it.

Words And Music By... - NAOMI ELIZABETH

SECOND THROUGH FOURTH

Macy's Day Bird - DIANE CLUCK
Black With Green Leaves - DIANE CLUCK
Oh Vanille / Ova Nil - DIANE CLUCK

Kim Ki O

Today's list of favorite albums was sent to me from that most mysterious and far-off city of Istanbul by Ekin Sanaç and Berna Göl from the modern classic synth/bass girl group, Kim Ki O. Kim Ki O (Turkish for Who Is That Anyway?) began in 2006 and have toured with Jens Lekman and The Radio Dept and are currently on tour with Moon Duo.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for all-girl bands, but that is hardly what makes Kim Ki O so great. Kim Ki O combine reverb-washed keyboards, vocals, drum machines, samples, minor keys, and bass into something evocative and familiar, yet completely singular. Dreamy but not soft, insularly coastal, quietly loud, and intimately hazy. Definitely one of my fondest discoveries of the past year- they are welcome anytime on my iPod.

Kim Ki O have self-released two albums, En Az İki, En Fazla Sekiz (2007) and Diğerleri Nerde?(2008), followed by their latest, Dans, which was released in a limited vinyl edition by Enfant Terrible in 2010. These albums in addition to their 2010 single, Vize, are available on their website for download.

Here's their list of favorite albums in no specific order.

KIM KI O'S FAVORITES

OMD - OMD
Tallulah - THE GO-BETWEENS
Nancy & Lee - NANCY SINATRA & LEE HAZLEWOOD
Tom Tom Club - TOM TOM CLUB
Different Class - PULP
COCTEAU TWINS - (Not a single album on its own, Cocteau Twins as a whole actually)
The Glasgow School - ORANGE JUICE
Behaviour - PET SHOP BOYS
So Tonight That I Must See - MAZZY STAR
The Noise Made By People - BROADCAST
Weaponry Listens To Love - HUGGY BEAR
69 Love Songs - THE MAGNETIC FIELDS
Holiday - THE MAGNETIC FIELDS
Bleach - NIRVANA
You Turn Me On - BEAT HAPPENING
Sister - SONIC YOUTH
Passive Aggressive - THE RADIO DEPT
Power, Corrpution, And Lies - NEW ORDER
Today - GALAXIE 500
The Power Out - ELECTRELANE
Gemini - WILD NOTHING
Eden - EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL
Holy Bible - MANIC STREET PREACHERS
Generation Terrorists - MANIC STREET PREACHERS
Love At Absolute Zero - MY FAVORITE
The Queen Is Dead - THE SMITHS
Fabulous Muscles - XIU XIU
Pleasure - GIRLS AT OUR BEST!
Happy Birthday - ALTERED IMAGES
George Best - THE WEDDING PRESENT
What Makes A Man Start Fires - MINUTEMEN
Cruise Yourself - GVSB
Where Did You Learn To Kiss That Way - THE FIELD MICE
Roast Fish Collie Weed & Cornbread - LEE PERRY
Dig Me Out - SLEATER-KINNEY
Swim - CARIBOU
Future Weather - THE WAR ON DRUGS
Computerwelt - KRAFTWERK
The Future Of What - UNWOUND
The Argument - FUGAZI
Lilies - AROVANE
Come Away With ESG - ESG
West Coast - STUDIO
Sap - ALICE IN CHAINS
Like Swimming - MORPHINE
Tri Repatae - AUTECHRE
Alien Lanes - GUIDED BY VOICES
Reject All American - BIKINI KILL
Hungry For Stink - L7

James Jackson Toth

The lastest in my series of favorite albums comes to us from James Jackson Toth (aka Wooden Wand). He has released several true masterpieces throughout the years, both solo and with The Vanishing Voice and The Sky High Band. Favorites of mine include Xiao, Buck Dharma, Gipsy Freedom, Second Attention, and Harem Of The Sundrum & The Witness Figg. Nothing else sounds like these albums. They feel like lost records found: old and new, fable and truth, black magic, death chants, and gospel blues. Wooden Wand's latest release, Death Seat, is available now from Young God. Here are some of his favorites.

WOODEN WAND'S FAVORITE ALBUMS

Thank You - ROYAL TRUX
My War - BLACK FLAG
Tonight's The Night - NEIL YOUNG
Time Fades Away - NEIL YOUNG
Rust Never Sleeps - NEIL YOUNG
On The Beach - NEIL YOUNG
Disintegration Loops I-IV - WILLIAM BASINSKI
S/T - DANZIG
The Drift - SCOTT WALKER
Harlan County - JIM FORD
Around The Horn - SOULED AMERICAN
Jungle Rot - GEORGE BRIGMAN
Desire - BOB DYLAN
Playing It Cool - KEITH HUDSON
The Fraternity Of Moonwalkers - THE TOWER RECORDINGS
Alien Lanes - GUIDED BY VOICES
Wee Tam - THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND
S/T - THE FAMILY JAMS
Penitentiary Blues - DAVID ALLAN COE
S/T - AREA CODE 615
Put The Music In Its Coffin - THE SHADOW RING
I'm Your Man - LEONARD COHEN
S/T - RELATIVELY CLEAN RIVERS
Most Things Haven't Worked Out - JUNIOR KIMBROUGH
No Silver / No Gold - BAPTIST GENERALS
Siamese Dream - THE SMASHING PUMPKINS
Firewood - WITCHCRAFT
Decoration Day - DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS
Don't Forget To Boogie - TETUZI AKIYAMA
Red Cross - JOHN FAHEY

Eri Hoxha

Los Angeles by way of Eastern Europe fashion icon, designer, blogger, and film expert, Eri Hoxha, shares some of her favorites.

"There are too many, but I decided only the ones that either changed my life or saved it..."


ERI'S FAVORITES

1. BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS
2. Let's Dance - DAVID BOWIE
3. Let It Be - THE BEATLES
4. Led Zeppelin II - LED ZEPPELIN
5. Everything - NINA SIMONE
6. O - DAMIEN RICE
7. I Got You (I Feel Good) - JAMES BROWN
8. The Best - CHARLES AZNAVOUR
9. Dio, Come Ti Amo - DOMENICO MODUGNO
10. Grace - JEFF BUCKLEY
11. 808s & Heartbreak - KANYE WEST

Initials B.B.

Coming on like a modern-day Brigitte Bardot or a West Hollywood Kate Moss, Blerina is a fixture of the LA party scene and one of the chicest and sweetest people I know.

"95% is make believe, the rest is Chanel No. 5." - B.B.


BLERINA'S FAVORITE ALBUMS

Des Visages, Des Figures - NOIR DESIR
Histoire De Melody Nelson (actually every Gainsbourg album/song) - SERGE GAINSBOURG
Purple Rain - PRINCE
The Very Best Of - NINA SIMONE
Blonde On Blonde - BOB DYLAN
Western Sous La Neige - DIONYSOS
Greatest Hits - TUPAC
Back To Black - AMY WINEHOUSE
The Libertines - THE LIBERTINES
Ascenseur Pour L'Échafaud: Original Soundtrack - MILES DAVIS

Ryan Beckemeyer

Ryan Beckemeyer is an artist, friend, and neighbor based in Los Angeles. He is also an incredible chef- a dinner invitation from him is one you never want to pass up. If you're lucky, you can catch him Thursday nights at Banquette singing La Vie En Rosé with a certain special redhead. You should definitely check out his awesome blog, Love Letters, and his website.

Here is Ryan's list, including his thoughts about it.

I haven't put much thought into all time top ten before now. Top ten of the moment, sure, never more than that. All time is an end to things. Though, inevitable. No order, please. Also, this isn't completely "all time" for me. I just have trouble with the phrasing.

RYAN'S FAVORITES

LIE: The Love and Terror Cult - CHARLES MANSON
Self Titled - DO MAKE SAY THINK
Self Titled - ELLIOTT SMITH
Self Titled - FLYING SAUCER ATTACK
White Light/White Heat - THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
Different Trains - STEVE REICH
Blue - JONI MITCHELL
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, And Thyme - SIMON & GARFUNKEL
Help!/Let It Be/Beatles For Sale–Fuck, everything. - THE BEATLES
Glider/Loveless - MY BLOODY VALENTINE
Antithesis - KEITH FULLERTON WHITMAN
To Be You And Me - BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
What I Mean To Say Is Goodbye - TOM BROUSSEAU
Falls - SPARROW HOUSE
Song Cycle - VAN DYKE PARKS
Astral Weeks - VAN MORRISON
Being There/Summerteeth - WILCO

I'm sorry, I can't stop. This is a terrible list. I've cut it in half twice and now I give up. I am sure I've skipped my typically favorite albums and most listened to and whatever other importance. Fuck it.

John A Dolio

John Dolio is the founder of the LA-centric lifestyle blog Man-Front and has represented up-and-coming designers Franc Fernandez and Olima. John is a native Angeleno that knows these streets better than anyone. He is an expert in palm trees, catching the breeze, and in the written works of E.M. Forster and Bret Easton Ellis.

JOHN'S FAVORITES

1. Moon Safari - AIR
2. Heaven Or Las Vegas - COCTEAU TWINS
3. Living With Yourself - MARK MCGUIRE
4. Temperamental - EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL
5. Quiet Is The New Loud - KINGS OF CONVENIENCE
6. Ministry Of Sound Ibiza Chillout Session - VARIOUS
7. Pretty Hate Machine - NINE INCH NAILS
8. Souvlaki - SLOWDIVE
9. Café Bleu - THE STYLE COUNCIL
10. In The Mood For Love - SOUNDTRACK