Top Five Albums of 2020 (no particular order)

Tame Impala - The Slow Rush

Expectations were high for this one, after the absolutely masterful Currents in 2015. And although it didn't deliver the same ridiculously catchy hooks as its predecessor, The Slow Rush was a demonstration of Kevin Parker's growth as a lyricist while retaining his incredible precision in the studio. The album really sinks in after repeated listens, from the meandering melody of "One More Year" to the vulnerable "One More Hour", it's an honest expression of a 34-year-old musical savant who struggles with the same existential questions we all do. And man, does he know how to construct some badass synth lines. 

The Strokes - The New Abnormal

What a pleasant surprise when The Strokes dropped this in April - a time when the world was adjusting to its own "new abnormal." After bursting on the scene with their superb debut in 2001, The Strokes had seemed to lose a bit of magic with each subsequent album. And yet somehow, with their sixth record, over 20 years since the band formed, The Strokes delivered the goods again. The songs are catchy as hell, while Julian Casablancas increased confidence in his falsetto allows their melodies to take off in unexpected directions. Comeback of the year, or maybe even the century!

Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

In William Schulz' biography of Elliott Smith, the author repeatedly states that Smith "was incapable of writing a bad song." Phoebe Bridgers is the heir apparent to Elliott Smith, in that she too, seems to have the Midas touch for perfectly crafted melancholic songs. The talented Bridgers turned just 26 this year, and already has two solid albums to her name, not to mention releases from Boy Genius and Better Oblivion Community Center.  On her sophomore solo effort, she covers quite a bit of musical terrain. There's the soaring full-bodied chorus of "Kyoto" confessing at the end "I'm a liar, who lies, cause I'm a liar." And then there's "Savior Complex", a lilting waltz, filled with regret and longing, on top of an absolutely sublime chord progression, shifting between major and minor chords as violins and clarinets slide in an out of the musical tapestry. Can't think of anyone whose next album fills me with more anticipation than Ms Bridgers.

Fleet Foxes - Shore

Like The Strokes' album, Fleet Foxes' Shore transported me to another era of my life, when the reverb-soaked harmonies of Robin Pecknold and company rang out beneath the hot sun at the now-defunct Sasquatch Festival in 2008 in rural central Washington. It was my generation's Crosby, Stills and Nash, heralding from my hometown of Seattle no less! Their second record was even better than their debut and this band was on quite a trajectory. But fast-forward several years and the band was on a hiatus with no clear end in sight. Thankfully the hiatus ended with 2017's Crack-Up and now, Shore. Fleet Foxes continue to carry the torch for 21st century folk rock. The songs' jangling guitars, brass fanfares and strident countermelodies provide the tried and true accompaniment for Pecknold's crisp tenor, but the production is more polished than ever, making their fourth long play offering of polyphony wondrous indeed. 

Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas

Every now and then an album comes along that makes you close your eyes, just wanting to soak in every delicious note from every instrument and voice, without the distractions of sight. British songwriter Lianne La Havas magnificent fusion of R&B, jazz, South American and many more flavors create an absolute feast for the ears. Of all the albums on this list, this is the hardest to write about, as the chemical reaction of La Havas expansive jazzy guitar chords, her rich, soulful melodies, over bass/drums in groovy lockstep, is just impossibly magical and therefore impossible to capture with the written word. The fact that the album represents La Havas own journey through the challenges of an evolving romantic relationship just makes it all the more entrancing.  

Tweeting Music Critic

"Do you think you were put on God's green earth to listen to music?" 

...is something my dearly departed grandmother said to my dad when he was kid, frustrated that he was glued to his phonograph rather than doing yard work or some such household chore. I've always loved that quote as I can imagine my teenage father taking in every glorious note of a favorite record, just like I've been doing since I was a similar age. And yes, often to the point of neglecting other tasks. It's in my blood I suppose; the excitement I get from listening to and/or discovering good music is an indescribable high. And to quote master music critic Tom Moon, "The more you love music, the more music you love." 

This desire to share the music that I think deserves to be shared is nothing new for me. During college at PLU, I created this very blog as way to publish my thoughts about music, often through album reviews. Around the same time, I spent a year as a music critic for Seattle-based music website SSG Music, while simultaneously hosting a weekly radio show on campus and writing a music column for the school newspaper. To top it all off, my final university capstone was a paper and presentation on two contrasting rock critics: Greil Marcus and Lester Bangs. 

Three and a half years removed from college, I'm as obsessed with music as ever (good thing I'm a music teacher now) but I'm still searching for the perfect web avenue to share the music I've been listening to. I've done my "Song of the Week" on Facebook from time to time, but I'm not sure if that's the right place as people don't usually go on Facebook with the intention of discovering new music. And anyone can randomly post a link from YouTube on their Facebook page. I'm looking to be more thoughtful and careful with my sharing. This website has been my place for best-of-the-year lists and such, but it's more about longer pieces than short daily or semi-daily posts that keep up with the faster pace of today's Internet. Can you see where this is going?

Inspired by a recent conference where the presenter coined the corny but clever phrase "meaty tweets", I've decided to take my musical recommendations to Twitter. Facebook is mostly for keeping up with friends, near and far, but Twitter seems best for succinctly sharing the music that I think needs to be heard. I think I have an unusual obsession with searching high and low for good music, so my goal here is to turn all that time and energy into something others can gain from. 

So if you're reading this and you're interested in getting tips from this young, but not inexperienced music critic, follow @bentully31! Also, stay tuned for another announcement regarding changes in my Internet presence. 

Alphabetical Poem

I was bored in my university class the other day so I decided to find something more interesting to do. Here's a metered poem that's completely in alphabetical order.

Loopy

As some of you may know, I'm about a month in to my new job as a music teacher here in HK, for 160 kids, aged four to fifteen. So far, I'm having an absolute blast. One of my favorite aspects is the variety of every day, as would be expected with such a wide age range. For the older kids, we've started using GarageBand in our once a week Music Tech class. My co-teacher Aaron is the expert in all things tech so I've pretty much sat back and become a student for many of these classes, rediscovering the wonders of GarageBand. I still remember when my family got the new iMac in 2005 and playing around with that recording software for the first time. It was magical.

But even after ten years, this is the first song I've made entirely of loops. No original parts in this song, but an original result, just like the kids' assignment. In my three years of teaching, one invaluable thing I've discovered is that the teacher can learn tons when s/he takes the time to do the students' activities. It's one thing to teach through instruction but another to test out and model!

Another thing the middle school students did was set up their own SoundCloud account, as did I. So here it is, the first song on my newly created SoundCloud account, created in a classroom of young kids navigating music composition for the first time. Follow me, yo!

L
O
O
P
Y

Fake Plastic Trees

This week's post is a cover of a song I've loved for a long time. I tried my best to do it justice. Radiohead is my favorite band of the last twenty years. No question about it. Thanks for listening :)

Twelve Views of Shun Yung Street

My home for the last two months has been on Shun Yung Street, in the Hung Hom area of Hong Kong. The street itself appears about as ordinary as streets get, but that's part of why I decided to do make this photo essay. Shun Yung (信用) means trustworthy or promise-keeping in Chinese and there is something quite straightforward about the street. It takes two minutes to walk from one end to the other and is home to exactly six residential buildings, including Lederle Garden where I live. But in the tradition of Andy Warhol or Pablo Neruda, I am here to present beauty in the mundane. Inspiration for the title comes from Katsushika Hokusai. 

View from Lederle Garden, 17th Floor

This week's post is a photo taken today from my home. Just an elevator ride away from my flat, but getting it involved a fair amount of struggle. I went to the top of my building just to see the view, ignored a sign written in Chinese at the door to the rooftop, set off an extraordinarily loud alarm, ran back down to my flat on a much lower floor, went back up once the coast appeared clear, and got this photo from the SECOND highest floor. I hope there was no CCTV as I'm possibly the only foreigner in the building. It's not a crime to be illiterate, right?

Click to make bigger

Ode to Beastmaster

I never thought that I would write two tributes to departed legends in two consecutive weeks. It is a most unfortunate truth. But both Robin Williams and my high school teacher Bob McAllister deserve all the accolades they receive in the days following their respective deaths.

Since Mr. McAllister was a poet, I’ve decided to write a poem for him. I’ll always treasure the book of poetry he signed for me after my college graduation (for which he also wrote my recommendation letter).

Ode to Beastmaster

I first met Mr. McAllister in a class with no windows

But he put two posters of windows on the wall, looking out onto a splendid ocean view.

I signed up for ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ in that room,

Second trumpet in the pit.

Just one of many players on Team Mac

'West Side Story', 'Once on This Island' and 'Ivanha.'

It’s the worst high school play in the world.

His words, not mine!

He wanted us to think outside the box

But hated clichés like ‘outside the box’

“How about outside the cantaloupe?

Or outside the socks?”

“What words CAN’T you rhyme with burrito?”

He coached us as we wrestled with Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Hardy, McCarthy

He showed us videos of street artists and Paul Simon concerts

A good friend came out as gay in McAllister’s class

Upon which Bob turned into a sage cheerleader, proud as a teacher could be.

A storyteller of the highest order, transforming athletic teenagers into quivering white knuckled children during 'The River Boys.'

A sensitive carpenter, decorating his classroom with photos of feminists taking to the street and a popped collar James Dean.

Never seen without a pair of Converse sneakers, always wondered how did he store them all at home.

Thanks Mr. M for memories, mayhem and Mercutio.

For humor, heart and heavenly literature.

For that laugh, that smile and that voice.

Thanks for putting your spirit into every lesson and every rehearsal.

The world is your moisture, tomorrow is another sway, life’s not square.

Thank You Robin

I can safely say that I’ve never been so devastated by a stranger’s death as I have by Robin Williams passing (a sentiment echoed on Twitter by…uggh…Miley Cyrus). Obviously, in recent years, I’ve been shocked and saddened by the unexpected deaths of people like Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Dave Niehaus and several others. But for some reason, after watching and reading a handful of tributes from celebrities, my friends and even President Obama, it was just too much to handle. Obviously, I never met Robin Williams but the amount of powerful experiences I’ve had with him on a screen cascaded into one giant avalanche of sadness.

I learned the news from my mom this morning, which is somehow appropriate because of something that happened twenty odd years ago, when I was three or four. My mom tells this story frequently, so I know it well despite being too young to really remember it. According to her, the biggest temper tantrum I ever threw as a kid was due to her not letting me rent the movie “Hook” from our local grocery store. She thought I wasn’t yet mature enough for some of its scarier moments, but I wanted nothing more in the world than to see that film, creating something of an embarrassing scene, to say the least. I'm not sure why I wanted the film so desperately, but I imagine it had something to do with Peter Pan's charm on the cover or in the movie trailer.

But “Hook” is just one of the dozens of Robin’s movies that hit me in one way or another—I did finally get to see it, in case you were wondering. “Mrs. Doubtfire” was one of the staples of my childhood along with “Aladdin” and “Aladdin: Prince of Thieves.” “Patch Adams” and “Dead Poets Society” inspired me to fight for what is right. “Jumanji” and “What Dreams May Come” made my head explode with their imagination and complexity in alternative worlds. “Good Morning Vietnam” and “Good Will Hunting” left a deep imprint on my young brain with their darker themes. Even films “Bicentennial Man” and “One Hour Photo” that I didn’t particularly love were memorable in their strangeness. “The World According to Garp”, “Awakenings”, “Flubber”, “Fern Gully”, “The Birdcage”, I had to consult Wikipedia to even compile all the films I’ve seen with Robin.

But a lot of actors have been in a lot of movies. What made Robin special was that he WAS the movies he performed in. Every film listed above was defined by his contribution, no matter the size of the part. I cannot think of another animated film with as memorable a character as Genie from “Aladdin”, with Batty Koda from “Fern Gully” coming close. Mrs. Doubtfire was one of the best, most original comedic performances anyone could possibly conceive of. Even his Oscar speech for “Good Will Hunting” was one for the ages.

Yet saying Robin was legendary doesn’t necessarily explain why my heart is so heavy. His comedic roles brought tears of laughter and side-aches, his serious roles were thought-provoking and unique. Losing him is like losing a great teacher. I've spent hours and hours watching him personify the power of his craft, a craft that has been ever present in my life, performing. And in a way, even his death taught me the massive effect cinema has had on me. I never knew that I could possibly care so much about the death of a movie star.

This post is just one of thousands coming in every minute from around the world. I’m writing this because my brief sentences on Facebook didn’t seem to be enough to convey Robin’s enormous positive impact on my life, whether or not I realized it before now. Thank you and Rest In Peace.

Roy G. Biv

Fourteen days in Japan, seven photos. 

Cameo

This week's post comes from the good fortune of having my old friend Peter here in HK for the past few days. We met in middle school band over ten years ago and have stayed in touch since, now briefly together again on the opposite side of the world. After Peter joined me on my monthly gig at Cafe Ancient, we followed up with this video recording of the Avett Brothers song "Shame." Spontaneity. Harmony. Enjoy.

Japan

I'm in a ryokan in Kanazawa at the moment. Soon, my girlfriend Sharman and I will head to the famous Kenroku-en and a variety of other sights in this lovely town. But before we do, I wanted to post this acrostic poem. I sort of regret not writing a Haiku, but the simplicity of this is similar. Here it is, the creative offering of the week.

JAPAN

Joined together by shared history, identity and Shinkansen

Awe-inspiring, from skyscrapers to gardens to train maps

Polite and patient, even when the language barrier presents a great challenge

Artistic, with extraordinary care put into the tiniest of details

Never-ending possibilities of exploration and enlightenment

Renaissance!

Hello family, friends and strangers. Thanks for visiting Page 43. When I was in university, I updated this blog frequently—writing essays on musical thoughts and dozens of album reviews. But since moving to Hong Kong in 2011, there hasn't been very much activity here. This mostly has had to do with me being busy working, but also because I haven't really been motivated to post anything here. I've posted on my other blog, A Mariners' Fan in Hong Kong, regularly for these three years. But though my love of music remains as strong as ever, I just haven't had the desire to use my precious free time writing about it.

Well, as you may have guessed, I'm trying to resurrect the ol' 43. Staring now, my plan is to post one small piece of art here on a weekly basis. This art may be anything, absolutely anything that can be loosely defined as art. Limitations are for losers! For me, nothing is as fulfilling as the process of creation, so I'm hoping to use this site as a platform for my creativity. It doesn't hurt that in August, I'll be starting a new job as an elementary and middle school music teacher :)

For the week of July 14th, I present, my cover of "Mother Nature's Son." I've played this song a few times at my monthly restaurant gig here in Hong Kong. The accompaniment is from my tenor ukulele, an instrument I dearly love due to its harp-like timbre. 

This song appeals to me for so many reasons, and really hits home in its connection between nature and music. Thanks Sir Paul McCartney. 

Living in the Material World

I just finished watching the Martin Scorsese documentary on George Harrison with the same title of this post. I can’t believe it had taken me this long, considering that Harrison is as close to an idol as I have. I remember being thrilled when I heard of this film was coming out, then I sort of forgot about it. Busy with other things, as it goes. 

Well, as you may have expected, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Scorsese is a master documentarian, George was a master human being; master + master = superb. Halfway through the film I wrote an email to my dear friend Evan, whom I share a birthday and deep admiration of the Quiet Beatle. In the message, I wrote the following paragraph. 

“Thinking of George made me begin to think of you and how we now are both about the age George was when he went through some of his big life transitions. You know I'm obsessed with dates and all that so to be exact, George was our age (24 yrs, 3 mos) during June of 1967. Burgeoning as a spiritual thinker, songwriter, Indian influenced musician. Definitely starting to wonder about life after the Beatles, despite the band being more brilliant every day with Sgt. P just coming out. I read a book recently about the importance of NOT modeling yourself on someone else and instead focusing on your own 'inner light' but nonetheless, cautiously, I often find myself thinking of what George was up to when he was my age.” 

Though musically inclined, introspective, Pisces, and occasionally clever, I am quite far from being anything like George Harrison. He had bigger ears for one thing. Still, watching this movie was a gentle reminder to focus on both my spiritual and artistic, gulp, journey. My pretentiousness meter is at max after that sentence, but I’m afraid I’ve gone too far to turn back.

My neglect of this blog is a good indicator of how my own life in the material world has taken center stage from my other pursuits. After writing countless songs and artsy blog posts during university, my post-college life has consisted of a few album reviews and a brief EP. I don’t feel too guilty about this, for I have taught hundreds of children and seen amazing sights around Hong Kong and Asia instead of churning out songs and artsy essays. As my mentor and professor Greg Youtz might optimistically say, I am simply collecting dozens of interesting thoughts and occurrences, later to be explored through music. 

At this moment, I’m sitting in my living room, contemplating when to go to bed. Exciting activity in this brain, as you can imagine. In six weeks, I’ll be in Liverpool. It’ll only be for two days, but I’m thrilled to go to the place where my heroes were born. I have been learning about this city and its significance in the Fab legend since the Beatles Anthology came out when I was six year old. Until then, expect a bit more activity on Page 43. Oh and I'll also visit Dublin, the birthplace of Oscar Wilde, who once said, "Art is the only serious thing in the world. And the artist is the only person who is never serious."

2000

Gold Medal: Figure 8 by Elliott Smith

Elliott’s name has popped up on this blog many times as he is one of the artists that I adore like few others. And even after showing up on just about every era post he qualifies for, Elliott’s Figure 8 album may be my favorite album of his. Taking the jump from lo-fi to hi-fi, the music here is bigger and bolder than his previous albums, though it’s still got some acoustic gems as well. Every note is precise in creating a totally uplifting album centered around extremely depressing themes. That may be hard to understand, but once you’ve listened to this, you’ll know what I mean.

Silver Medal: Parachutes by Coldplay

In my eyes, Coldplay’s career trajectory ran the opposite direction to the quality of their music. As the group grew more and more popular throughout the 2000s, their music became less interesting. And before they were mega rock stars, Coldplay was busy working on this album, which is simply superb. Parachutes is Coldplay making anthemic choruses before it got old. These tracks are just well-crafted songs, with tinges of mystery and splashes of clarity. Tracks 2-7 all have one-word titles, which is appropriate, as here Coldplay was at its most understated and hence, at its best.

Bronze Medal: Kid A by Radiohead

Here it is. Pitchfork’s Number One album of the decade. Since Radiohead is my favorite modern artist, this may be a surprise down at #3. But honestly, Kid A hasn’t shaken me the way some of the bands other work has. Nonetheless, it’s brilliant and revolutionary. “Everything In It’s Right Place” is one of the great openers of all time and a great foretaste of the delicious electronic textures Radiohead would create on this album and many more to come.  The album is inseparable from its album art, which gives us a view of the bleak, frigid environment where Radiohead was coming from at this time.

Favorite Ten of 2012

10. Tramp by Sharon Van Etten

9. Channel Orange by Frank Ocean

8. Plumb by Field Music

7. Lonerism by Tame Impala

6. The Heist by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

5. Swing Lo Magellan by Dirty Projectors

4. Bloom by Beach House 

3. The Lion's Roar by First Aid Kit

2. Shields by Grizzly Bear

1. There's No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man on Earth

1980-1

Gold Medal: Remain in Light by Talking Heads

I remember the first time I heard this record as a teenager, I thought, “What the hell is this weirdness?” But after a few listens, I caught the funky bug and was hooked. I’ve heard this album described as a man’s life summed up in 40 minutes, from the opening shout of “Born Under Punches” to the droning fadeout of “The Overload.” Who knows if that’s what Byrne and company desired but no matter how you think of it, this album is one lively set of songs. Inspired by African rhythms as much as sonic experimentation, Remain in Light is a true classic never to be replicated.

Silver Medal: Peter Gabriel (Melt) by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is one of the great dramatists of rock. Though I’m more familiar with his work with Genesis, this thespian touch carries over into his solo career. Melt kicks off with “Intruder”, one of the creepiest tracks you’ll find from a mainstream rocker. And as the record continues, PG adopts a multitude of different characters, such as the amnesiac of “I Don’t Remember” or the children’s narrator of the satirical war tale “Games Without Frontiers.” Oddly enough, African influence is also found on this album, particularly in the civil rights anthem, “Biko.” Add the synthy production and you have another remarkably original record.

Bronze Medal: Zenyatta Mondatta by The Police

The last of the so-called early Police albums, Zenyatta Mondatta is simply a crisp record. A lot of this has to do with Stuart Copeland’s able drumming, but the blonde trio had just about perfected their special brand of punky reggae at this point. Their sense of humor was still intact but the group was starting to mention real issues such as bombings of Afghanistan (“Bombs Away”) despite the danceable rhythms. “Man in a Suitcase” reflects the busy schedule of the band at the time, and though it’s a cute and catchy, conflict about this and other issues would soon mark the end of the Police. Fortunately, they left behind a handful of fine releases such as this one.

1970

It’s no secret that I’m rooted in the music of this era. 1970 holds four absolute treasures in my collection and I had no choice but to include all of them in this post.

Gold Medal: Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel

“The Only Living Boy in New York” is easily in my top five favorite songs of all time. It is perfect in every way and there may never be a song that hits me so hard. But even after that, the rest of Simon and Garfunkel's final album is nearly as good. Paul Simon was on the top of his game and the wave of success he'd been riding gave him the resources to dabble in whatever new styles he wanted to. The result is a masterpiece of wit, power and creativity. The songs ebb and flow between plain fun (“Cecilia”) and  breathtaking beauty (“The Boxer”). This record makes me proud to be an American.

Silver Medal: Déjà vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

While we’re talking about top five songs of all time, “Carry On” may be another.  After their folky debut (see 1969) CSN added Y and became a bit more serious and ambitious. In the end, this may have gotten the best of them as the quartet never made another great album. But for one brief moment, CSNY was recording some absolutely incredible music. Each of the four were writing classics and adding their talents to each of ten outstanding songs. Crosby had his paranoia, Nash his beautiful simplicity, Stills his bluesiness, and Young his strange darkness. Together they captured lightning in a bottle until the bottle broke soon after.

Bronze Medal: All Things Must Pass by George Harrison

To put it simply, this was the best solo Beatles album. In his own words, George Harrison was constipated with songs in the late sixties after Lennon/McCartney put a strict cap on how many songs he could contribute to each album. Once the band broke up, he recorded a triple LP of songs, mostly devoted to his God, like the biggest hit "My Sweet Lord". The songs here are superb but what makes this album special is the unforgettable production by the now infamous Phil Spector. It may not have always worked on Let it Be, but here, the Wall of Sound is huge and heavenly. This album went to number one on the charts and it seemed that George may become the most successful ex-Beatle. But admirably, he focused less on commercial appeal and more on solid material until the end of his days.

Bronze Medal Two: After the Gold Rush by Neil Young

As if recording the silver medal album on this list wasn’t enough, Mr. Young recorded his finest solo work in 1970 as well. That’s saying something considering that he has literally dozens of great solo albums. Part of what I like about After the Gold Rush is that it’s how transparent it is. An androgynous voice with a unique guitar style AND piano style, Neil’s one of the greatest songwriters ever and this album is the best example why. I tried to perform it with many of my friends in high school at rehearsing the songs over and over again showed us just how well-crafted this record is. 

2009

As a preface, I’d like to point my dear readers to this post, written nearly three years ago, just after these records had been released. It’s been fun to listen to them all again and see how much my opinions have changed. One and two remain the same but there’s been a slight change in the number three slot.

Gold Medal: Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear may be the most exciting band in existence today. At this moment, I’m reveling in their newest release, but Veckatimest remains the band’s turning point. It was here that the Brooklyn foursome really defined their musical language, with its incredible depth and maturity. “Two Weeks” remains one of the great songs of the last decade for me and I still remember the exact spot I was when I heard it, walking my dog, thinking "WHOAH THIS IS GOOD." The band writes incredible songs and ornaments them with fireworks of harmonic glory, both in the vocals and the instrumental work. What will they think of next??

Silver Medal: Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle by Bill Callahan

When I acquired this album, I had no idea who Bill Callahan was. But after a friend’s recommendation, I got this record and instantly loved it. The voice was the first thing to strike me. A rich bass is a rare thing in pop music and it fits these songs so well. After the initial satisfaction with the timbre of Callahan's pipes, you realize how enigmatic the songs are. Are they metaphors? Weird tales of fantasy? Nonsense? I still remember the first time I heard, “If you could only stop your heartbeat for one heartbeat.” I’d never heard someone do that with lyrics before, and probably never will again. So strange, so smart.

Bronze Medal: Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective

Until this album, I’d never been able to enjoy an AC release from start to finish. They have their moments, but the weirdness just lasts too long and I would lose focus. But this is a bit more accessible and united. The album cover is such a perfect visual representation of this music. It makes you a bit dizzy, but it’s attractive and after a while, you’re really a fan. On Merriweather, the strange sounds and atmospheres are just the style of the cinematography. The substance of this album is just pure the maniacal creativity that reaches its glorious climax on the final track, “Brother Sport.”

Summer Concerts

As I'd hoped and planned, I attended a number of various concerts this summer. Despite being busy in a city that doesn't exactly churn out exciting new music, I continue to believe that live music is an essential part of existence.

First, I went to see the album premiere show of a band called Shaolin Fez. Shaolin Fez is the brainchild of my acquaintance, American Sam Ferrer, who plays double bass in the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. The music he makes with SF is a unique blend of jazz, funk, rock and world music led by talented singer Jennifer Palor and accompanied by dozens of multi-talented musicians. This was the first real “gig” I’ve attended in Hong Kong and it happened in a place called the Fringe Club. I liked the Fringe Club, with its intimate setting and well-balanced sound. Overall, this concert was great fun, and gave me hope that there are some, not many but some, unique acts coming right from Hong Kong-based pop musicians.

The next three concerts I attended were all in the Hong Kong City Hall, a well-sized concert hall in downtown HK. The first was Chu Yi-Bing and his Cello Quintet. Cellist Chu Yi-Bing is a monster, as was another performer at that concert, violinist Lu Siqing. They performed a pleasant program of classical music from various eras, and the sound of the cello is always glorious, especially five of them. It’s nice to see that classical music is alive and well on the other side of the world. All the musicians in this concert were from mainland China.

Next was “The Sound of Bamboo Music.” This was essentially twenty-odd musicians playing instruments made almost entirely out of bamboo. It’s always fun to see and hear people performing on instruments I’d never heard of before. For example, there was one that looked like a giant panpipe laid flat on a stand like a marimba. But the way to play it was to clap directly in front of the different bamboo chutes, creating distinct bass pitches. The concert was very creative and enjoyable, particularly in the fact that it was brand new, entirely Chinese and preached sustainability. They group called themselves Beijing’s Green Bamboo Orchestra.  The only downside was that the director explained everything about the group and its selections in Mandarin. I went alone so I could only guess what he was saying. Fortunately, the program had an English section so I was able to follow along to some extent.

Last, I attended the Hong Kong Bach Choir’s concert devoted to modern English composers. It was excellent, and hearing a choir brought me back to my PLU days and got me all excited about choral music again. In fact, I decided to audition for this group for the upcoming season. I made it into the Bass I section and will be a part of the group’s performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony come December. I look forward to performing with an ensemble again and writing more about my first participation in the HK live music scene right here on this blog at a later date!