06) Tim Darcy - Still Waking Up: Tim Darcy is the frontman of the magnificent Montreal band, Ought (who just signed to Merge Records), his debut album, Saturday Night, was released in February via Jagjaguwar. This is one of the more immediate tracks and has somewhat of a lullaby quality to it, I picked it up at Princeton Record Exchange and it’s different enough from Ought to justify the solo release. “Waking up alone, Was always a hard day's night, Oh-Ohh, Cause my head is full of popular songs, Old ones I never sang along to, Along to, Isn't it funny how that happens?”.
08) Josh Ritter - Thunderbolt's Goodnight: I bought a Josh Ritter album ( Historical Conquests) when it came out probably ten years ago and liked it but never kept it in rotation and probably didn’t give him another thought until this year. I saw him live last month and he put on a good show, his lyrics really came to the fore. This tune in particular resonated pretty strongly and comes from his latest record, Gathering, which was released in September this year. “ I see your face, In the window, I see your face in the reflections of the moon, I feel my own, Ancients shadows disappear when I am near to you, So take this heart, Take this feeling, take my dark and reeling mind, From these poor words, Find a meaning far deeper than these clumsy lines, And all my life, Before I met you, when I was trying hard in love, I thought the sun, Was going down, but the sun was comin' up”. 09) Bill MacKay & Ryley Walker - Stretching My Dollar In Piano: I decided to get out of town for a few days so headed to Asheville.
As always when I decide to go somewhere I scour for shows to attend and noticed that Bill MacKay and Ryley Walker were doing a show, I’d never heard of the former but admire Ryley’s work. Turns out the two of them have released two records together of instrumental acoustic music and thankfully it was exactly what I was in the mood for (earnest singer-songwriter lyrics would not have been welcome on yet another solo holiday). 11) The Beatles - Here, There and Everywhere: I saw Paul McCartney recently at Barclays Centre and he put on another excellent show, I was a little hesitant to see him again after the spectacular show I saw in 2010, but it was more than worthwhile. It got me thinking about underrated Beatles tunes and this might even be my second favourite song by them (after Here Comes the Sun). “ Here, making each day of the year, Changing my life with the wave of her hand, Nobody can deny that there's something there, There, running my hands through her hair, Both of us thinking how good it can be”.
13) The Rubinoos - I Want to Be Your Boyfriend: One of the great powerpop songs, I’ve had this in my head a lot for the last couple of months so figured the best way to deal with it was to throw it on the mix. The Berkeley, California quartet played a couple of shows in New York in the summer and I’m pretty bummed I had to miss them. “ Late at night when I, when I can't sleep, Picture in my mind, I see you and me, I, I'm telling you what I wanna be, You, you're saying you're in love with me, And oh, it feels so good in a dream, That I know in life it's just got to be, I wanna tell you.”. 15) Jackie Shane - Any Other Way: Another obscure treasure unearthed by Numero, Jackie Shane briefly made some waves in Toronto in the 60s. Born in Nashville in 1940 when being black and transgender alone would have been difficult, Shane identified as a woman in a man’s body by the time she was 13 and emigrated to Canada in 1959. This cover of the William Bell classic was her biggest success, reaching number 2 on the charts in Toronto, but since the early 70s she has been very much a mysterious recluse.
10) Curtis Harding - On and On: If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that I think Curtis Harding is just about the best new artist of the last few years. Soul Power was a complete triumph and having heard three new tracks from his new album, Face Your Fear, which is out at the end of October, he’s done it yet again. Produced by Sam Cohen, the new songs have more emphasis on keyboards and groove than the guitar and horns of his debut and I think the smoother direction compliments his vocals perfectly. I can’t wait to catch him at Rough Trade on the 2 nd of November. “ No more wasting time, I gotta get into this groove”. 12) Ryan Adams - Gimme Something Good: Considering that his album from this year, Prisoner, is my most played record of 2017, I had to go back through the discography somewhat. This opens his self-titled album from 2014 and is very similar to his latest effort (which I’m glad I heard first).
This track always gets stuck in my head when I ask a friend what we should have for lunch and I’m met with a simple reply of “something good”. “ All my life, Been shaking, Wanting something, Holding everything I have like it was broken.
Gimme something good”. 06) Waxahatchee - Sparks Fly: Katie Crutchfield just released Out in the Storm, via Merge Records, Waxahatchee’s fourth record. It’s probably the most guitar-driven to date and I caught a full-band show at Warsaw recently, which I was a bit sceptical if it would work given that her best material is stripped down with just an acoustic guitar (like this track, for the most part!), but it was perfect. “Death grip on some feigned humility, Effort executed beautifully, My pride clenched tight in my shaky hand, Til I let go and buried my head in the sand”. 07) Big Thief - Mythological Beauty: The band’s second album, Capacity, via Saddle Creek, and it’s one of the most beautifully delicate records I’ve heard in some time.
Given Mark Kozelek’s reluctance to actually write songs at the moment, it’s definitely filling some of my Red House Painters desires. I saw them recently at Prospect Park and while it’s quite hard to play this kind of music in a large outdoor setting, it was still a wonderful set. “You’re all caught up inside, but you know the way”. 16) Thundercat - Captain Stupido: I sometimes think that flicking through vinyl and CD racks is the only way I can clear my head, or at least forget what’s bothering me temporarily, and while stress-buying far too many records back in April at Rough Trade, I heard this song playing over the PA. I can’t remember the last time my ears truly pricked up and made me buy something but Drunk feels like the first time that has happened in a while. There are some fairly silly songs on the record, of which this is one, but the bass work in particular over is pretty captivating. “ I feel weird, Comb your beard, brush your teeth, Still feel weird, Beat your meat, go to sleep”.
18) Superchunk - 100,000 Fireflies: I got the re-issued Distant Plastic Trees by the Magnetic Fields recently from Merge which obviously has this wonderful track on it. Then I remembered that Superchunk covered it and I wanted to use a track by them on a different mix, this didn’t make it, but it’s a great cover. “I went out to the forest and caught, 100,000 fireflies, As they ricochet round the room, They remind me of your starry eyes, Someone else's might not have made me so sad, But this is the worst night I ever had.
Cause I'm afraid of the dark without you close to me, I'm afraid of the dark without you close to me, Always was”. Greetings once again. This is the first time I have ever missed a deadline which would have been the 31st of May (my own fault as I didn't bring the files with me on holiday so couldn't package it all together until I got back). Having spent just shy of three weeks back home (with a short jaunt in Lisbon), I'd like to say I'm pretty refreshed, but I spent a fair chunk of time wishing I was in New York still. This collection was thrown together pretty quickly just before I did go away but it has mostly new stuff on it and I'm very happy with how it turned out, aside from not paying attention to the levels in any of the songs, there are some fairly unforgivable moments in that regard.
07) Ryan Adams - Prisoner: Ryan Adams is one of those people I've known about for many years and just never gotten round to listening to. He was playing a show at the Beacon Theatre and so I got day-of Stubhub tickets to go with a friend, he was fantastic and this has, became somewhat of an anthem for me recently. The title track of his latest record, I've also since purchased Gold and Heartbreaker. “Free my heart, Somebody locked it up, Still waiting on parole, I can taste the freedom just outside that door, Same grey walls, Same grey clothes, I know my friends all know, Can't keep it under control.
I know our love is wrong, I am a criminal, Mmm, I am a prisoner, Mmm, I am a prisoner, For your love”. 09) Aimee Mann - Goose Snow Cone: Aimee's latest record, Mental Illness, seems like a response to everyone thinking all she does is write slow, sad, acoustic songs, as if she has double-downed on what people expect, it's arguably her slowest and saddest record to date. I just saw her play at the Town Hall and hadn't realised it was 12 years since I had last seen her, I certainly hope it isn't another 12. “Gotta keep it together when your friends come by, Always checking the weather but they wanna know why, Even birds of a feather find it hard to fly”. 10) Justin Currie - This Is My Kingdom Now: Del Amitri will always be my first love and Justin Currie has just released his fourth solo record (this is the title track), though this is his first self-release. It took me a couple of listens for it to gel but as usual it is filled with unmatched prose and is closer to his first solo release, What Is Love For. I was lucky enough to catch him live on the 3rd of June during my recent trip home.
Still the greatest. “I was sure that I could hear applause, And that I should take a bow, But no-one seems to care in here, That this is my kingdom now”. 12) Main Source - Just a Friendly Game of Baseball: Speaking of great 90s hip hop, Main Source released Breaking Atoms in 1991 which was reissued this year and is also of note for containing Nas’ first recorded delivery (on Live at the BBQ), the group have played a couple of reunion shows this year (including opening for George Clinton, which sadly I missed), “ Instead of innings, we have endings, What a fine way to win things, And hot-dog vendors have fun, Sellin you the cat rat and dog on a bun, And when you ask what is all of this called? It's just a friendly game of baseball”.
Del Amitri Albums
11) Holly Throsby – What Do You Say: Whilst realising I have yet to order the latest Sun Kil Moon album (I can’t remember the last time I didn’t pre-order one), I fell upon this song by Austrlian Holly Throsby, which includes a lovely contribution from Mark Kozelek (quite refreshing to hear him singing rather than the stream of consciousness, almost spoken word delivery he has been doing more recently). “What do you make? I make amends, What do you have? I have my friends, What do you own? I own up to it”. 14) William Bell – I’ll Show You: There aren’t too many soul legends left these days, and while William Bell is perhaps one of the lesser celebrated names on Stax, that’s unfair on someone who is one of the true originals.
Like most, the quality of his output dipped over the years but 2016’s This is Where I Live was released back on Stax (itself making somewhat of a comeback) and won a grammy. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform at the Appel Room in New York which is a lovely setting, and Bell’s voice is still in great shape.
This track is, however, was released all the way back in 1963. “If you let me, I know I’ll show you.”. 16) Alex Napping – Living Room: Austin quartet Alex Napping are not doing anything remotely original, and that’s ok when you release tunes like this. I was recently walking to meet some friends in the Upper West Side when this song came out, it was a cold day but the sun was shining and I just felt a moment of contentment, even if this song just makes me think about things I can’t have.
This is the lead single from the band’s second album, Mise En Place, out on the 5 th of May via Father/Daughter records. “I can dream all day about what it’d be like”. 19) The Sound – Total Recall: I don’t know why exactly I suddenly had a hankering to listen to The Sound but it did make me realise I was missing a couple of records including 1985’s Heads and Hearts, where this song lives. Adrian Borland is an amazing writer and The Sound had it all really. Unfortunately, Borland committed suicide in 1999 by throwing himself in front of a train, he had suffered from depression for years.
“ You trace back the seconds, Recall the details, From someone will, to someone does, To someone did, you know I did. Oh there must be a hole in your memory, But I can see, I can see a distant victory, A time when you will be with me”.
04) Nothing - The Dead Are Dumb: Nothing made our 2014 list with Guilty of Everything, and while the chunky guitars are still common two years later, it’s when the band tackle a more classic shoegaze sound on Tired of Tomorrow where they really excel; tracks like The Dead Are Dumb, Everyone is Happy and Our Plague have all the floating qualities of Slowdive (with whom they had a brief run-in then make-up over twitter). It’s hard not to get caught up in guitarist/singer Domenic Palermo’s life in the music and lyrics, he was attacked and left with a fractured skull, his father died and then found out the label they were on was being bankrolled by Martin Shkreli. This all makes for a rather downbeat record, but Vertigo Flowers, A.C.D and Curse of the Sun pack enough hooks and punch across the album to stop you falling too far down. “Isn’t it quite the same, And isn’t it such a shame, Too heavy for the lightness, But weightless in the rain, All our words are wasted”.
05) Radiohead – Identikit: I got a little nostalgic for this one - The closest I can imagine to living through Beatle-mania was being in Oxford just before OK Computer was released, there was a local build-up that I have never experienced at any time or place since (even though in reality they’ve always been left well alone when I’ve seen them walking the streets of Oxford). Who knows what we would have done if it was terrible. Radiohead’s legacy these days would remain untarnished if they released a 45-minute fart over Thom Yorke beat-boxing, though even after the somewhat tepid King of Limbs, the fervour of 1998 seemed as distant as it should, did the world even need another Radiohead album? For a band with nothing to prove to anyone, they certainly did anyway. A Moon Shaped Pool may be their darkest release yet. Jonny Greenwood’s string arrangements add an extra dimension and the band know when to drench songs in layers or let the arrangements breathe, leaving you hanging on every note. For a record that dips into the archives of unreleased tracks multiple times, it has a more natural flow than any album since Kid A and while some bands benefit from honing their skills on staying on track (more on that later), no band benefits more from pushing themselves into new territory, even after all this time.
09) La Sera - Too Little Too Late: Yet another of my Free Williamsburg reviews - Few musicians step out from the shadows of a band to produce better work on their own, but when Katy Goodman formed La Sera in 2010 while Vivian Girls (2007-2014) were still active, she has managed just that. Music for Listening to Music to is the band’s fourth album, and the first with with guitarist (and husband) Todd Wisenbaker officially on-board (though he was a major player on 2014’s Hour of the Dawn). Produced by Ryan Adams, the record bops between country twang and Johnny Marr/Peter Buck-influenced arpeggios, while Adams has also coaxed a much more confident vocal performance out of Goodman which you always felt was bubbling under the surface on previous records. Wisenbaker produces an understated guitar masterclass throughout which is worthy of celebration alone. “When it's too little too late, That's when it starts to make the most sense, sense to me, When I look back on my life, That's when I start to cry, my failures come to be, It kills me “.
16) Fear of Men – Sane: I’m just going to copy what I wrote for Free Williamsburg After the band’s wonderful 2014 debut, Loom, it would have been easy for the Brighton trio to simply rehash the formula of bright guitars and swaying harmonies backing Jessica Weiss’ longing vocals. Rather than accentuate their poppy tendencies, Fall Forever takes a daring step back, focusing on mood and texture, with barely a conventional guitar chord in sight. Fall Forever doesn’t get out of second gear and all the better for it, with sparse drumming and more emphasis on Weiss’ lyrics, who has skipped the metaphors and isn’t afraid to tell us what a terrible year she has had.
Everything is laid bare and would fall completely flat in lesser hands, but Fear of Men have made depression sound beautiful, and that is worth clinging to. 17) Springtime Carnivore - Rough Magic: Another of my Free Williamsburg picks If there is a more vivid break-up album in 2016 then I didn’t hear it, though despite the sometimes bleak lyrics, there is plenty of optimism to be found in the cracks. I was a big fan of the self-titled debut from 2014 and as with that record, Greta Morgan recorded most of the instruments herself, but Midnight Room benefits greatly from pushing her voice way up in the mix.
Providing my favourite vocal performance on record this year, her range is astounding as well as choosing when to deliver a restrained croon or belting it out. The record is mostly front-loaded with the upbeat tracks before sending you off on a lullaby, something we discussed in an interview when the album was released (“I only realized recently that the reason I love closing records with a slow song is because of “Goodnight” by The Beatles, which is the perfect closer to on The White Album. I’ve always been a fan of a lullaby goodbye.”). “ I couldn't wait, I took the bait, Of a broken fantasy, For a while I was walking tall, Now I'm falling to my knees”.
19) Nada Surf - Victory's Yours: Probably my favourite album of the year, and one I also picked for Free Williamsburg’s round-up Nada Surf should be considered one of New York’s greatest bands, which is a claim only strengthened with the release of You Know Who You Are, their seventh original studio album. Twenty years after their debut High/Low and subsequent surprise hit, Popular, the band have only improved over time (can you say that about any other band who are ever considered a one-hit-wonder early on?). With the addition of cult-guitar hero Doug Gillard as an official member, the now four-piece effortlessly crafted a power-pop record of love, loss, and trying to get by in bleak times; something pertinent in 2016. Matthew Caws has clearly listened to himself, as the chorus in Believe You’re Mine consist of the lines “one day, I’ll love somebody else, one day, I’ll be good to myself”, and as reported in the New York Times, he recently re-married. To hear these songs and see Caws come through the other side gives hope in what seems like a broken year, it has certainly been one of my most listened-to records in some time and I don’t know where I’d be without it. Musically the band don’t veer too far from a template they have near perfected over the course of their career, but sometimes you need that reassuring embrace of an old friend, or a favourite band Nada Surf have almost single-handedly saved 2016. “Some days just won't start, I wake up and it falls apart, Spend my time trying to figure you out but, I never get very far, I think I'm walking out of this fight, There's a spark and it's just within my sight”.
Console is a modular plug-in host that supports VST and DirectX Audio plug-ins. It can also work as VST / DX instrument / effect. MAIN SPECIFICATIONS Supported Plug-in Formats If using console as a host - VST2.0: VST effects, VSTi - DirectX: DirectX audio plug-ins (DX plug-ins), DXi If using console as a plug-in - Operates as a VST effect, VSTi, DX plug-in, or DXi. console can host all plug-in types (VST, VSTi, DX, DXi) even when being used as a plug-in. There is no limitation on the number of plug-ins that can be used by console. You may, however, be restricted by your environment (i.e.
CPU power, amount or RAM). When used as a VST plug-in or VSTi, console will support multi-in/out, from '0' to up to '16' outs. Audio I/O MME, DirectSound, and ASIO2.0 are supported. Use of ASIO makes low latency possible. Your soundcard must support ASIO. MIDI I/O Console supports multiple MIDI ports, regardless of whether it is used as a plug-in or as a stand alone application. Even when using console as a plug-in, plug-ins can be controlled by MIDI via external ports, independently from the host.
You can also use a physical MIDI controller or the likes to easily control multiple plug-in parameters.