Albums you're looking forward to in 2013

[TurtleFu]

My preference towards avant-garde tends to lean towards the poppy side. I like Goldfrapp, for example, but true ambient music (like Brian Eno) is too loose for me.
What I mean is, Yoko Ono is too weird. She needs some catchy melodies.

[matan-san]

I'm not a big fan of Yoko's avant-garde stuff either (it's ok in small doses), but you'll be surprised at how much songs with catchy melodies she have
try her albums "Season of Glass" or or "Approximate Infinite Universe" for an example of her pop songs

like this one

Nobody Sees Me Like You Do

or her remix album Yes, I'm a Witch if you prefer Indie stuff

Toy Boat Ft Antony And The Johnsons

[Osiris12345]

I've always wondered how Yoko Ono is perceived in Japan. On the one hand, The Beatles are just as popular there as they are anywhere else but she's also arguably the most famous Japanese musician of all time. So whose side are they on?

[deadgrandma]

I'm not gonna start a new thread, but if you can pick 3, what's your favorite releases been so far this year (I'm not gonna include stuff in mine that isn't officially out yet but has leaked).

My top picks (no order)

The Knife- Shaking the Habitual. Goddamn I'm addicted to this. Every fucking day I'm spinning it. I gotta give props to Jihad to mentioning it else I woulda just ignored it as another Pitchfork darling... Love how unnerving this thing can get when you really pay full attention to it. The LP set is amazing too. Full of Fire is probably my Song of the Year too so far.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Push The Sky Away- was big on it before and still big on it now. But hey, it's Nick Cave. Not much to say apart from I love the fact that while it sounds restrained it's very brooding and sinister.

Boris- The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked Chronicle- OK, I know that its a compilation of mainly old stuff- so I'm talking about the new disc here- so, Solomon Extra to be exact. This is a solid album standalone by its own right- nothing like the other Solomon's except maybe its pure drone parts. Wata's work here is phenomenal as usual and the new element of death and black metal in these songs is truly exciting. (To be able to hear the Solomon albums in a non-dodgy vinyl rip- I can't afford the originals right now is a blessing too... the best drone albums this side of Sunn O))))

There's plenty of good stuff I'm sure I've missed here, the list is not meant to be comprehensive... I'll do a top 10 or 20 at the end of the year.

[EmilScherbe]

Originally Posted by Osiris12345

I've always wondered how Yoko Ono is perceived in Japan. On the one hand, The Beatles are just as popular there as they are anywhere else but she's also arguably the most famous Japanese musician of all time. So whose side are they on?

Her own work is basically ignored/unnoticed.

[matan-san]

I'm not sure about these days but Yoko there used to be a lot of hate towards Yoko in japan. an example of this is that her name is written in japanese media in katakana which is usually only used to write names of foreign people instead of writing her name in kanji. that indicates that she's percieved there as a foreign person.

and I would say that the beatles are even more popular in Japan these days than most of the rest of the world

[TurtleFu]

Eeeeeh...
Not necessarily.

Some Japanese artists who have native Japanese names still write their names in Katakana (or are written in katakana for promotional reasons). It's for style. It doesn't necessarily mean she is perceived as foreign.

[matan-san]

^ yeah some artists use it for style, but not in Yoko's case. read the 2nd paragraph here: http://superkatakana.blogspot.co.il/...sis-final.html

[Inseu]

My favourite album this year is The Stooges' Ready To Die...I haven't listened to much new music.

[TurtleFu]

That is super interesting Matan, a definitely bookmark for me.
"Foreignness" and its perception in Japan is a very interesting subject.