POS Tops Tens - Andrew Grannis ( Flower Coronet )

Happy holiday week to one and all.

Welcome to another exciting installment of our top ten album series. This week we are treated to a list by Andrew Grannis, the one man jazz-math power house behind Flower Coronet.

A special event truly because Andrew has just dropped his newest release since 2013 called Hyperconformist EP.

I urge every living breathing organism to really dive in to this stuff as it's truly inspired composition. Mr. Grannis has graced us with two versions of his list. One a post-modern send up explanation as well as an abbreviated version. Hit the links to be transported.

Flower Coronet Domum Inspirationis 

Flower Coronet's Top Ten 

PoS TOP TEN: Bob Baxter (Delicious Death)

     Another hair raising installment of our top ten album series is upon us and I've invited Mr. Bob Baxter (one man math show Delicious Death) to...dish on some of his favorites. Delicious Death dropped a killer release this year and i figured it only fitting to ask the man....What are some of your favorites?

10.Jonny Classic and the Classic Johns:Your New Favorite Record:

This is the brainchild of Brendan Bell.  I've been listening to him since the early Gruvis Malt days and this album equally plays on my loves for video game music and the art of writing nontraditional ideas into palatable music.  One day I'd like to release an album that follows in the footsteps of this one.

9.  Keaton Henson - Birthdays:  

I love when I can introduce this album to fans of similar artists (e.g. Daughter and older City and Colour) because Keaton's songs change people.  The content in this album is dark and heavy and hits you in those spots that you tend to keep to yourself.  His music is like a masterclass in expressing yourself in song.  I'm a very rigid writer, so Keaton's songs are a reference I like to come back to every now and then to help me break out of my stiff style.

8.  Grammatics - Grammatics:

This album is densely packed with complex instrumentation, interesting song arrangements, and sometimes odd time/feel; however, you could simply just listen to it for the catchy vocal melodies.  Every time I come back to this album I feel like I take something away to use in my latest music project.








7.  Proceed - Curious Electric EP:

Proceed released this album in 2010 and it completely flew under my radar.  I found it about a year or so ago and I feel like the music they wrote is still relevant today.  The vocals and musical direction take me back to older Dance Gavin Dance material and the drums have a faint resemblance to Beloved.  I'm a massive DGD fan, yet this EP bumped them off the list for me.

6.  A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide:

This is their melodic thrash punk masterpiece.  I love all of their albums, but this one has it all.  It's technical, the production is very high, the guitars are blazing fast yet so crisp (especially that bass!!!), the album flows well with no lulls, the vocals are dead on, and the content is clever.  This record changed punk music for me.  It completely shifted me towards raspy vocalists in the genre.

5.  Plini - Sweet Nothings:

I've always been a fan of instrumental music, but this release unlocked something new for me in writing for the genre.  The structure, the voicing, the instrumentation; this album was a huge influence on my latest EP.  I wish I had his talent a decade ago when I was his age.  It totally excites me that he has gained enough traction to start playing live and continue writing for the project.






4.  Circa Survive - Juturna:

I feel like Circa opened up a niche for higher ranged male vocalists within the post-hardcore scene.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel many good bands like Closure in Moscow, Hrvrd, and Vela Ceras are pulling a lot of influence from Circa.  As for this particular album, I can remember some of my first times listening to the record and trying to deconstruct it.  I love that it's simple, catchy, and at that time they were doing something that no one else had done before.





3. Counterfit - Super Amusement Machine for your Exciting Heart:

I found out about this album from a local college radio station.  My sister would record the radio episodes on cassette tape and we would listen to them on repeat.  For years I would try to replicate the things they did on this album.  Three of the four members played their instruments left-handed, which was the catalyst for me to start playing drums left-handed myself.  Lucky for me, the Allen brothers are still writing fantastic music as Helen Earth Band.








2. Damiera - M(US)IC:

Dave Raymond is a beast of a musician.  What I love about M(US)IC is that it's raw and fast yet well planned out; logical writing and visceral execution.  My best friend showed me this record back in 2007 and I'm still using it as a reference for my latest tracks.  I feel like I'll forever be trying to write songs as well thought out as the ones on this record.








1.  Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness:

Three out of four times people will tell me that my music sounds like Coheed, and I have no shame about it.  They've been my favorite band since the first album was released and I remember being on the message boards when In Keeping Secrets was in production.  I feel like Good Apollo One was their pinnacle; it was also the last time the four primary members recorded together.  Even though I like Zach Cooper more on bass, I still have a sentimental attachment with the writing direction of the original members.  With every new release following Good Apollo One I go through a period of 'Eh, I'm not sure,' but then within two weeks I know the whole thing.

POS Top Ten: Chris Harry (Toucan Slam)

           Previously we had featured a top ten from Will Conrad Byler (Piles and Piles) and I loved it so much I bugged another of my buddies for one. Though the most important question is why?
           My first touch point with Chris Harry was drumming in a band called Civil (which still owns btw) and now in the excellent two piece Toucan Slam hitting the skins. I asked Chris what made his top o' the heap...

(1) Gong - Camembert Électrique

In 1967, founding member of Soft Machine Daevid Allen was denied re-entry into the UK after a
tour of France. Being at that time more or less completely at the peak of his creative powers (there are stories from that tour of Soft Machine playing 'We Did It Again', which is a 3 minute song off of their debut LP that consists of one perpetually propulsive riff for over 44 minutes at the Bataclan in Paris) he decided to form Gong. The space jazz style they are often associated with is in its primal form here, later albums would have a lot more framework, even an entire mythology about "Planet Gong" along with a main character "Zero the Hero". I prefer it for that very reason, the band is just cutting loose and creating these deep walls of psychedelic noise that hover around every song and structure. Allen approaches song writing with a very playful, almost childlike delicacy amidst the organized chaos unfolding all around him, which for me translates into utmost accessibility. Space jazz is not for everyone I imagine, but Camembert Électrique is a good opportunity to open up some windows to those who may not be able to stomach the more intense avant garde jazz from that era.  Also it was recorded in a castle, which is just awesome.

(2)Ruins - Hyderomastgroningem

Ah, Tatsuya Yoshida, you absolute madman. This album was my introduction to Ruins, and it didn't take very long to convince me. Something about their absolute relentlessness like songs on Speedball, or Memories of Zworrisdeh is just nothing short of legendary. Their pared down drum and bass set up is somehow never lacking or empty, unless they mean it to be. People like to call them Zeuhl, simply because of the frantic pace and complex rhythmic changes that serve as the building blocks for that genre, but also for the fact that Tatsuya composed an entire language to sing his music in (Hint: It's not Kobaïan). Don't be fooled by the veil of insanity: Tatsuya is first and foremost a composer, literally scoring out every single note on paper before ever performing it. If that doesn't impress you, I don't know what will.  

(3)Magma - Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh

Now THIS, this is Zeuhl.   This band literally coined the term. Zeuhl, which is Kobaïan for 'Celestial', is quite possibly the best way to describe it. Drummer and leader Christian Vander is just another language inventing drummer dude who took way too much LSD during the student protests in France in 1968 and writes with an affinity for space mythology on this list. Comparable to Gong in that sense of being its really dark and Nihilistic brother, as well  having shared a member or two in the early 70's. This album employs a very polyrhythmic feel throughout, juxtaposing a 7/4 build up against a straight 4/4 drum pattern, to great effect I might add. This album lends itself to a very dark and almost, John Williams or Gustav Holst brand of compositional fabric. It sounds like the Empire coming down hard on the Rebels. I usually play it on my phone at the bar, sort of like a pickup line. Women fucking love some good Zeuhl.

(4)CAN - Tago Mago

Despite being made in the 70s, this album probably featured more sampling than anything up until DJ Shadow's Endtroducing in 1996. Holger Czukay, the band's bassist and de-facto leader employed tape splicing to great effect on this album, incorporating everything from recordings of various whistles, flutes, drums, filters, etc. (Halleluhwah) to some impressively tasteful tape echo (Aumgn) to absolutely jarring beat machines (Peking O) and even the sound of a nuclear bomb (Mushroom). On top of all that, the band is unbelievably tight considering how much improvisation lies at the core of this album. Jaki Liebezeit, CAN's drummer and resident asshole, keeps better time than the Sun. He sounds like a helicopter at times, others a train engine. The break beats on Mushroom are some of the best you'll ever hear. Just a little forewarning though, this band is not exactly "about" traditional vocals. They literally found their second singer, Damo Suzuki, busking outside of a cafe (Malcolm Mooney, the draft dodging original singer had a mental breakdown on stage in 1969). They then proceeded to invite him, without rehearsal, to play a sold out show at a sports hall that same night. One of the grooviest albums around.

(5)Love - Forever Changes

Arthur Lee used to be the king of the Sunset Strip. Before Los Angeles was Doors town, it was Love town. He's even allegedly responsible for showing Elektra records founder Jac Holzman The Doors in the first place. By the time this album rolled around, the early days of his bands unbridled success were starting to fade, along with the overall health of the bands relationship. Conflicts over  drugs and women, along with addiction and a lack willingness to even perform was taking its toll. All of this contributes to the albums overall sombre tone. Arthur Lee was, for one reason or another, convinced that he was going to die in 1967, and he wrote Forever Changes in that time. His mercurial outlook and little lyrical puzzles are noteworthy, along with the string and horn arrangements, which don't play out the way they often did on other records in those days. Instead of having that 'cut and paste' feel, they tend to be more important sounding when they appear, very cleanly and vitally woven to the songs themselves.

(6) Bert Jansch - Bert Jansch

Having a dark period in your life? This album is the one for you. When it comes to British folk in the 60s, there are three names that stick out to me: Davey Graham, John Renbourn and Bert Jansch. (The last two are also in folk rock band Pentangle, who are absolutely magical) The exasperation in Bert's voice can be as warming as it is haunting. This is the voice of somebody who's spent a lot of time alone, walking around the middle of nowhere with nothing but cigarettes, a few dollars and a guitar. He doesn't slack on the former either, his playing is incredibly elastic and appropriately tailored to suit every lyric or chord progression. He tears it up on songs like Angie and brings you through some darker sides of himself on Alice's Wonderland and Veronica. For fans of Big Bill Broonzy.

(7)Idiot Flesh - Fancy

This album is very difficult to describe in terms of genre, it is very influenced by 20th century classical music and avant garde traditions, but at the same time retains a hardcore edge found on a lot of straight ahead metal or rock. Nils Frykdahl is one hell of a composer, he can turn absolutely anything into a song. This band was pretty famous for its elaborate stage presence as well as making their own instruments. Nils went on to form the legendary Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, who have permanently set the freak flag so high up the pole that Captain Beefheart standing on the shoulders of Wild Man Fischer atop of a ladder secured by The Shaggs couldn't even reach it. Huge wafts of Zappa here, if you pay close enough attention. Not necessarily in the arrangements themselves, but the attitude and way they fuse different styles together into something very new and different. Not for the faint of heart, these guys can bring you to some pretty dank places, if you let them.

(8)Meat Beat Manifesto - At The Center

It's my opinion that Jack Dangers is one of the best producers ever to be offered up by our species. He's been at the helm of electronic dance music before there even was one, the elder statesmen if you will. As a drummer, this album is particularly enticing as it features Dave King of The Bad Plus on almost every track, along with pianist Craig Taborn and flutist Peter Gordon. The majority of this record is just psychedelic uncut studio jams (. Two songs are soundscapes built around old recordings of beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti reading want ads in the 1950s, these are some very beautiful pieces of work. Jack's knowledge of recorded sound and film, along with just talent overall, is far too vast to even begin to extrapolate here. He's playing the friggin bass clarinet, sampling everything from just about every source imaginable, mixing a well as mastering. Needless to say, he's that type of creative catalyst that is so dedicated to his craft that nobody hears about him. We wouldn't have Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy or The Future Sound of London, along with a lot of others were it not for this guy.

(9)Steve Lehman - Dialect Fluorescent

Steve Lehman is that hot new thing in experimental jazz, the rising star of the last few years. He's worked with Anthony Braxton, Vijay Iyer, and Jackie Maclean. You name it, he's done it. This album catches him in trio format, which lends itself to the swift and booming nature of the album. You can actually sort of, you know...keep up with what's happening, for the most part. The drumming and bass playing in this album can only be described as post mortal, the level of interplay between Matt Brewer and Damion Reid escapes definition, both literally and musically, as they bounce back and forth on the beat. "Mr. E" is a particularly hard swing/bop, a relentless one at that. "Foster Brothers" is one of the more straightforward songs on the album, having a very pronounced beat, regardless of how intensely Damion flies over it (That song was previously featured on Lehman's octet album with Rudresh Mahanthappa, so it's nice to be able to hear it in core form). The crown jewel here though, is the cover of 'Pure Imagination' from the Willy Wonka soundtrack. I know, right? Don't expect to be hearing any chords on this album. Thoroughly post modern jazz at its finest.

(10)Fela Kuti and Africa 70 with Ginger Baker - Live!

Yeah, I watched that documentary on Netflix. The one where Ginger Baker is smashing his cane in the director's face within the first 5 minute of the film. I'm fine with it too, it brought me this absolutely amazing piece of work I would never have imagined even existed otherwise. For those who don't know, Ginger Baker left randomly for Nigeria in 1970 after the collapse of Blind Faith. He set up the first 16 track studio that country ever had, but most ultimately, teamed up with Fela Kuti for some live performances. If you like Cream and you think Jimi Hendrix is the most influential guitarist of all time, chances are you won't be super fond of Ginger's drumming on this album. There isn't a whole lot of flash, mostly because that's not what this music requires. He just simply holds everything together and still manages to do it with a lot of panache. A great shag record, if you know what I mean. Literally oozing with rhythm and so goddamn groovy, I was absolutely stunned when I heard this last summer, and it continues to be very high on my list of favorites.

Another fine installment for sure and some incredibly intense picks. Stay tuned for more of these two come as well. Again, check out Chris in the very excellent Toucan Slam. They dropped a new burner in August that is more than worth a look see. 

PoS Top Ten: Will Conrad Byler (Piles and Piles)

Greetings fellow's and fellettes. This post kicks off what will be a normal feature of the site where I ask individuals and/or groups to slap down a Top Ten music list for all times. I've always found the task particularly interesting and have more on deck so stay tuned. 

Will Conrad Byler is the current bassist of the "mathgaze" group Piles and Piles from the Boston area. Having been featured on the site before I asked Will....what makes your top ten?

Will~

10) Deathconsciousness – Have A Nice Life

this is the first album I’ve ever listened to that is truly exhausting to get through. 

Shoegaze/black metal/ post punk encompassing dreary, 

suicidal lyrics does not get as old as you might think. Dan Barrett can do no wrong.

9) World’s Bliss: Medieval Songs of Love and Death – John Fleagle

Fleagle was given two years to live when he was in his mid-20s, and with that came this album. Rather than using music as a buffer between his own mortality, World’s Bliss is a lens into facing death head-on. Fleagle played all of the instruments on the album (harp, lute, sinfonia, fiddle, and bodhran), providing a mournful backdrop for poetic lyrics, sung entirely in old English (olde englishe?) that gives the listener an awareness of their own mortality. Personifying death as an old friend has been done so many times before, but never has it carried so much weight.

8) King of Limbs – Radiohead
This isn’t even my favorite Radiohead. Shit, I doubt it breaks the top three or four best Radiohead releases. KOL was the first Radiohead album that I heard right when it came out. OK Computer, The Bends, Kid A – all those great records had seeped into my subconscious so
listening to them is more nostalgic, whereas KOL is a deliberate first-time listen.  

7) 12 – The Notwist

I picked up this album because the album art looked so cool. Neon Golden may be their claim to fame, but it doesn’t compare to their first full release A noisy album with the most understated 

vocals I’ve ever heard. Somber somber somber.

6) The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts – Refused

I know I don’t get any punk street cred for this because it’s the Rubber Soul of hardcore punk, but               it’s still the best album from start to finish in its genre. TSOPTC holds my personal favorite                           production of any album.

5) Wish – The Cure

This is a perfect album, from start to finish. Only Robert Smith can open an album singing about how anxious and bored he is at a party. Wish also has some of the most bitchin bass lines of the 1990s – with all the layers that The Cure heaps onto each song, the only way to find the beat is through the bass and drums.

4) Dude Ranch – Blink 182

It’s hard to admit it, but when I’m asked why I started playing music, I have to say it’s because of this album. Dude Ranch is saturated with believable angst, something that I haven’t heard from the pop-punk scene since. Tom actually sounds good on this album for the last time – listening to him sing now embarrasses me. For him.

3) This Year’s Model – Elvis Costello and the Attractions

I’ve been listening to this album since it was released in 1978, and I was born in 1993.  My bass instructor at school once learned all the bass lines off of TYM, a feat I plan to do when Subway isn’t eating all my time. Elvis Costello gets you to sing “I keep thinking about your mother, no I don’t want to lick them” with no trace of shame.  A cooler album than This Year’s Model does not exist.

2) Nothing Sadder Than Lonely Queen – From Bubblegum to Sky

            These last two are no-brainers for me. All three From Bubblegum to Sky albums are unbelievable – there isn’t a single song I don’t like on any of them. Nothing Sadder is their saddest and most beautiful work. While the idea behind Me Amy and the Two French Boys of over-the-top cheery instrumentals with lyrics about how much they (he – it’s just one guy) hates the universe makes for a really cool juxtaposition, Nothing Sadder writes the instrumentals to fit the lyrics. It’s a perfect portrait of the day-to-day life in Brooklyn, while you’re in your late twenties and the shallow relationships that come with it. Straight up pop music has never had so much depth - Mario Hernandez is a pop genius, and good god I wish he’d come back  

1)    The Goat Rodeo Sessions – Yo Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Myer, Chris Thile

The Goat Rodeo Sessions is easily the greatest album and music I’ve ever heard. Yo Yo Ma and company break and manipulate and combine classical, bluegrass, jazz, and Appalachian music into one final product (thus a “goat rodeo” or for the layman, clusterfuck). For those of you who get sick of Chris Thile (Nickel Creek and the Punch Brothers are just super cheesy I’m sorry) and think he’s a pretty boy, he takes a back seat while working with the three greatest musicians alive today, while still managing to absolutely make the mandolin his bitch. Yo Yo Ma has bridged another musical and cultural gap with his usual grace. As celebrated as he is, we really don’t fully appreciate and understand all that he has done for music. The hard-nosed/unapologetic face of the institution of classical music will forever be replaced with a handsome, slightly nerdy looking, gleefully grinning cellist.

Just missed the cuts: 

The Pink Album – Sunny Day Real Estate, 

Crimes – Blood Brothers, 

Crack the Skye – Mastodon, 

Trouble Will Find Me – The National, 

The Dreaming – Kate Bush, 

Teethed Glory and Injury – Altar of Plagues, 

See You in Another City – Blakfish, 

World of Echo – Arthur Russell