Sunday, September 25, 2011

Acclaimed Music Top 20 Albums of 1964

The Last Lunch

This is a kind of "history of music" project, based on aggregated charts found on Acclaimed Music. It features Top 20 playlists for decades 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and yearly Top 20 playlists (both songs and albums) for each year from 1960 to 2010. It should be a weekly project (though I'm not very consistent with weekly projects). To keep track of it, I made the Acclaimed History of Music page.

Do you prefer Beatles or Rolling Stones? I hope the latter. In this 1964 playlist you'll find two albums by Rolling Stones and - as usual - zero by The Beatles (A Hard Day's Night and Beatles For Sale are in the chart, but they're not on Spotify). Same sad destiny for a couple of Bob Dylan records and for Albert Ayler's Spiritual Unity. Nevertheless, the offer is good. With the Stones, the Beach Boys, some early pop/soul (the Ronettes and the Supremes), some late rock'n'roll (Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry) and the habitual bunch of masters of jazz (Eric Dolphy - who died few months after Out To Lunch! release - Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, the magic trio Stan Getz/João Gilberto/Antonio Carlos Jobim). Enjoy!


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TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 1964
Source: Acclaimed Music
Missing from Spotify: 4 albums
(legenda: the number preceding the artist name is the ranking in Acclaimed Music Top 3000 chart)

- (182) The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
1 (328) Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch!
2 (366) Stan Getz and João Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto [feat. Antonio Carlos Jobim]
3 (430) The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones/England's Newest Hit Makers
- (564) Albert Ayler - Spiritual Unity
4 (794) Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
- (813) Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin'
5 (966) Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club, Hamburg
- (972) The Beatles - Beatles for Sale/Beatles '65
- (1190) Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan
6 (1201) Chuck Berry - St. Louis to Liverpool
7 (1265) Muddy Waters - Folk Singer
8 (1456) The Ronettes - Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes feat. Veronica
9 (1651) Herbie Hancock - Empyrean Isles
10 (1679) The Rolling Stones - 12 x 5
11 (1705) The Beach Boys - All Summer Long
12 (1783) Lee Morgan - Search for the New Land
13 (1808) The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
14 (1820) Wayne Shorter - Juju
15 (1843) Charles Mingus - Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
16 (1993) John Coltrane - Crescent
17 (2004) Gil Evans - The Individualism of Gil Evans
18 (2093) Charles Mingus - Town Hall Concert
19 (2248) John Coltrane - Coltrane's Sound
20 (2287) Archie Shepp - Four for Trane

Listen to it on Spotify:
Mammoth (full albums): HTTP, URI. (SR0732)
Lite (3 tracks each album): HTTP, URI. (SR0733)

The Complete Acclaimed Music Series

Friday, September 23, 2011

The Last R.E.M. Waltz - A 69-song concert



People don't know it. Media failed to cover it. Even Twitter was silent. Just few hundreds of fans got the news, but they shared it only in private (and perfect) circles, with the power of telepathy and rapid eyes movements. Last night, while trillions of desperate facebookers were mourning the departure of R.E.M. and youtube-linking their beloved songs, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe and Bill Berry (yes, him too) went back to Rockville and played their very last concert. A big party: you know, something like the farewell match of soccer stars. But in a small venue. An almost 5-hour show that chronologically retold the story of 31 years, through 69 songs, plugged & unplugged. From Radio Free Europe to The Great Beyond. And beyond. A lucky guy taped the gig and telepathically (again) sent it to me. I can't tell you how, but I managed to put it on Spotify. Here it comes.


P.S. Liked the story? It really happened, in another dimension. One of the parallel universes opened to us by the faster-than-light neutrinos. In our boring one, unfortunately, the story is not so exciting. And it goes like this: Spotify collects a wonderful series of R.E.M. past live recordings (live albums, b-sides, songs hidden in the albums' deluxe editions). I listened to them, selected my favourite 69 and put them in this playlist. Some hits are missing (Shiny Happy People, It's the End of the World..., Nightswimming), some not-so-known gems are shining (Country Feedback, Electrolite...). That's the second little Spotirama tribute to this great band (the first one was a rather happier celebration). Enjoy! (and if you think that five hours are too much, even for a last waltz, look below at the 23-song greatest hits-oriented version)



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THE LAST R.E.M. WALTZ
(A 69-song concert)

(from Murmur, 1983)
1. Radio Free Europe
2. Pilgrimage
3. Talk About the Passion
4. Perfect Circle
5. Catapult
6. 9-9
7. We Walk
8. West of the Fields
(from Reckoning, 1984)
9. Harborcoat
10. 7 Chinese Brothers
11. So. Central Rain
12. Pretty Persuasion
13. Second Guessing
14. Letter Never Sent
15. (Don't Go Back To) Rockville
(from Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985)
16. Maps and Legends
17. Driver8
18. Life and How To Live It
(from Lifes Rich Pageant, 1986)
19. Begin the Begin
20. These Days
21. Fall On Me
22. Cuyahoga
23. Hyena
24. I Believe
25. Just a Touch
26. Swan Swan H
(from Document, 1987)
27. Finest Worksong
28. Exhuming McCarthy
29. Disturbance at Heron House
30. The One I Love
31. King of Birds
(from Green, 1988)
32. Pop Song 89
33. Get Up
34. You Are Everything
35. Stand
36. World Leader Pretend
37. Orange Crush
38. Turn You Inside Out
(from Out of Time, 1991)
39. Losing My Religion
40. Low
41. Country Feedback
42. Me in Honey
(from Automatic for the People, 1992)
43. Drive
44. Everybody Hurts
45. Monty Got a Raw Deal
46. Man on the Moon
(from Monster, 1994)
47. What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
48. Crush With Eyeliner
49. I Took Your Name
50. Circus Envy
(from New Adventures in Hi-Fi, 1996)
51. New Test Leper
52. So Fast, So Numb
53. Electrolite
(from Up, 1998)
Nada. Sorry, folks.
(from Reveal, 2001)
54. I've Been High
55. Imitation of Life
(from Around the Sun, 2004)
56. Leaving New York
57. Electron Blue
58. Final Straw
(from Accelerate, 2008)
59. Living Well Is the Best Revenge
60. Man-Sized Wreath
61. Houston
62. Accelerate
63. Until the Day Is Done
64. Mr.Richards
65. Horse To Water
66. I'm Gonna DJ
(from Collapse Into Now, 2011)
Nada. They hadn't the time to learn how to play it.

Encore (b-sides, soundtracks...)
67. Gardening At Night
68. Bad Day
69. The Great Beyond

Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0730)
Lite version (23 songs): HTTP, URI. (SR0731)

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Stereogum's 40 Best New Bands of 2011


Her name is Laurel Halo. And she doesn't play indie folk. 


From Stereogum: "Last year, right around the time summer turned to fall, we at Stereogum published our list of the 40 best new bands of the year. The idea of a “new” band is a pretty nebulous one, since many of the kids we listed were probably planning out their musical ventures in their basements since they were 11, but these were all artists who started to make a dent in our collective consciousness last year. This year, we’ve got another crop of 40 new artists who deserve your attention. So here we go again."

Yep, here we go again! I spotified Stereogum's list last year, and this is the 2011 version. With a big gain in percentage of artists available on Spotify: last year, it was only 52%. This year, even if many of them have not published an album yet, it's a good 77,5%. In the playlist, each artist gets one song (the one chosen by Stereogum, where available). Enjoy!



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STEREOGUM'S 40 BEST NEW BANDS OF 2011
Source: Stereogum (go there to find some info & comments about each artist and to listen to those not available on Spotify)
Artists available on Spotify: 31 out of 40 (77,5%)

Action Bronson – Shiraz
araabMUZIK – Streetz Tonight
Smoke Dza – 4 Loko (feat. ASAP Rocky)
Austra – Beat And The Pulse
Big Troubles – Sad Girls
Cant – Dreams Come True
Caveman – Decide
Clams Casino
Cult of Youth – New West
Dirty Beaches – Sweet 17
Elite Gymnastics
EMA – Milkman
Frank Ocean – Novacane - (Explicit Version)
Gauntlet Hair – Out, Don't
Grimes – Avi
Holy Other
I Break Horses – Hearts
iceage – Broken Bone
Jamie Woon – Street
Lana Del Rey
Laurel Halo – Aquifer
Light Asylum – A Certain Person
These New Puritans vs. Main Attrakionz – 3000
Mr. Muthafuckin' Exquire
Off! – Upside Down
Peaking Lights – Tiger Eyes (Laid Back)
Pure x
Purity Ring – Belispeak
Sbtrkt – Wildfire (feat. Little Dragon)
Shabazz Palaces – Swerve... the reeping of all that is worthwhile (Noir not withstanding)
Sleep ∞ Over – Casual Diamond
Spaceghostpurrp
Star Slinger – Mornin'
Soft Moon – Breathe The Fire
The Weekend
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – FFunny FFriends
Weekend – Coma Summer
Wild Flag – Future Crimes (7" Version)
Youth Lagoon
Yuck – Shook Down

Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0728)

One year ago: Stereogum's 40 Best New Bands of 2010

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Mercury Prize on Spotify (final 2011 update!)



And so PJ Harvey's Let England Shake won the 2011 Mercury Prize. Hurray!

It means it's time to update my Mercury Prize winners playlist. And to remind you all about the whole packet. Enjoy!


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MERCURY PRIZE WINNERS (all winning full albums from 1992 to 2011!)
(Primal Scream, Suede, Pulp, Badly Drawn Boy, Arctic Monkeys... PJ Harvey)
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0208)

MERCURY PRIZE 2011 (shortlisted albums and winner)
(Adele, Anna Calvi, James Blake, Metronomy, Tinie Tempah...)
Listen to it on Spotify:
Mammoth (full albums): HTTP, URI. (SR0709)
Lite (3 tracks each album): HTTP, URI. (SR0710)


MERCURY PRIZE 2010 (shortlisted albums and winners) 
(XX, I Am Kloot, Paul Weller, Villagers, Laura Marling...)
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI. (SR0207)

THE COMPLETE MERCURY PRIZE (shortlisted albums and winners, 1992-2011)
(U2, PJ Harvey, Prodigy, Blur, Oasis, Manic Street Preachers, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Beth Orton, Coldplay, Goldfrapp, Doves, Dizzee Rascal, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Muse, Amy Winehouse, British Sea Power, Bat For Lashes, Biffy Clyro...)
Listen to it on Spotify: 
Mammoth (full albums): HTTP, URI (SR0209)
Lite (one track each album): HTTP, URI (SR0210)

THE MERCURY PRIZE 69 
(my personal 69 songs collection from shortlisted and winning albums since 1992 to 2011)
Listen to it on Spotify: HTTP, URI (SR0211).

For the complete lists of albums, look at these two old posts: 2011 Shortlisted Albums and All The Rest.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Acclaimed Music Top 20 Songs of 1963

All the Kingsmen

I'm happy. Just got back from the stadium, where my football (= soccer, for U.S. friends) team won. After three matches, we are on the top spot... and before going to sleep I wanna celebrate this incredible circumstance with some music... a new playlist. Well, actually, a new playlist with old songs. It's the Top 20 from year 1963, according to Acclaimed Music time machine. With only five missing tracks from the original chart: I Want To Hold Your Hand, She Loves You, Please Please Me, I Saw Her Standing There and Blowin' in the Wind. Beatles and Bob Dylan: still out of the Spotify club. Fortunately, in 1963 there were many other great musical ways to celebrate. Surfin' with Beach Boys and Jan & Dean. Rockin' with The Kingsmen and Johnny Cash. Dirtydancing with The Ronettes and Martha & The Vandellas. And coverin' that Bob Dylan song about how many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man (Peter, Paul and Mary). Enjoy a little one-hour long jump back to the jukebox era!

(This is a kind of "history of music" project, based on aggregated charts found on Acclaimed Music. It features Top 20 playlists for decades 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and yearly Top 20 playlists (both songs and albums) for each year from 1960 to 2010. In a perfect world, it should be a weekly project...)

Stay in touch with the new playlists!
Follow Spotirama on Twitter and Facebook
 


TOP 20 SONGS OF 1963
Source: Acclaimed Music
(legenda: the number preceding the artist name is the ranking in Acclaimed Music Top 3000 chart)

1 (11) The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
2 (13) The Ronettes - Be My Baby
- (23) The Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand
- (103) The Beatles - She Loves You
3 (163) The Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron
4 (233) Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
- (279) Bob Dylan - Blowin' in the Wind
5 (497) The Beach Boys - Surfin' U.S.A.
6 (566) Roy Orbison - In Dreams
7 (594) The Chiffons - He's So Fine
8 (665) Martha and The Vandellas - Heatwave
9 (855) The Beach Boys - In My Room
10 (894) The Chiffons - One Fine Day
11 (938) The Drifters - On Broadway
12 (971) The Surfaris - Wipeout
13 (1026) The Crystals - Then He Kissed Me
-- (1057) The Beatles - Please Please Me
14 (1065) Peter, Paul and Mary - Blowin' in the Wind
-- (1155) The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There
15 (1246) The Four Seasons - Walk Like a Man
16 (1272) The Chantays - Pipeline
17 (1276) The Jaynetts - Sally, Go 'Round the Roses
18 (1286) Jan and Dean - Surf City
19 (1442) Bobby Bare - Detroit City
20 (1705) James Brown - Prisoner of Love

Listen to it on SpotifyHTTP, URI. (SR0724)

The Complete Acclaimed Music Series

Friday, September 2, 2011

Pitchfork Best New Music of 2011 (september update)

Their majesties requests (picture source)

Is the quality of music sinking or are Pitchfork writers becoming more demanding? That is a endsummer night's question. In the last month, just two albums have been added in the Pitchfork Best New Music page: The War On Drugs' Slave Ambient and Jay-Kanye's Watch the Throne. Fortunately, they're both available on Spotify, pushing the percentage of available albums in these playlists to an astonishing 91%. Enjoy! 


PITCHFORK BEST NEW MUSIC OF 2011
Source: Pitchfork Best New Music
Albums available on Spotify: 30 out of 33 (90,90%)

(links lead to Pitchfork reviews,  Pitchfork-like votes are Pitchfork votes, new entries/additions are in bold)

Dye It Blonde (Smith Westerns, 8.4)
Kaputt (Destroyer, 8.8)
Zonoscope (Cut Copy, 8.6)
James Blake (James Blake, 9.0)
Let England Shake (PJ Harvey, 8.8)
Space Is Only Noise (Nicolas Jaar, 8.4)
Ravedeath, 1972 (Tim Hecker, 8.6)
The Magic Place (Julianna Barwick, 8.5)
Underneath the Pine (Toro Y Moi, 8.4)
Wounded Rhymes (Lykke Li, 8.3)
Smoke Ring For My Halo (Kurt Vile, 8.4)
House of Balloons (The Weeknd, 8.5)
Belong (The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, 8.2)
Tomboy (Panda Bear, 8.5)
w h o k i l l (tUnE-yArDs, 8.8)
Return of 4Eva (Big K.R.I.T., 8.2)
Wit's End (Cass McCombs, 8.4)
The Book of David (Dj Quik, 8.4)
Helplessness Blues (Fleet Foxes, 8.8)
Eye Contact (Gang Gang Dance, 8.5)
Past Life Martyred Saints (EMA, 8.5)
Burst Apart (The Antlers, 8.2)
Cults (Cults, 8.5)
David Comes To Life (Fucked Up, 8.6)
Bon Iver (Bon Iver, 9.5)
Go Tell Fire To The Mountain (WU LYF, 8.4)
Black Up (Shabazz Palaces, 8.8)
New Brigade (Iceage, 8.4)
Electronic Dream (AraabMuzik, 8.2)
We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves (John Maus, 8.4)
Within and Without (Washed Out, 8.3)
Watch the Throne (Jay-Z / Kanye West, 8.5)
Slave Ambient (The War on Drugs, 8.3)



Listen to it on Spotify:
lite (3 tracks each album): HTTP, URI. (SR0576)
mammoth (full albums): HTTP, URI. (SR0577)

Previously about Pitchfork:
Top 100 Tracks of 2010
Top 50 Albums of 2010
Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s
Top 100 Albums of the 1980s
The Pitchfork 500
(and more)