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Music

The 50 Albums Everyone Needs to Own, 1963-2013

By Tom Hawking on

No one buys albums anymore, goes the music industry truism. And yet, for all that the format’s commercial viability may or may not be on the wane, sitting and listening to a great album from start to finish is one of the greatest pleasures that music can bring. Flavorwire recently got to thinking about how one might build a record collection if you really only did buy one record a year. So here’s the result of our thought exercise: 50 albums you really should own, one a year from 1963 until the present day. Yes, of course this mean things are gonna get left out. Do feel free to argue the merits of our choices in the comment section. Just be nice. (And no, Random Access Memories isn’t the best album of 1976. Smartypants.) … Read More

Music

65 Immortal Brian Eno Quotes for His 65th Birthday

By Tom Hawking on

Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno turns 65 today. He’s been one of the most erudite, intelligent, fascinating (and quietly, delightfully batshit crazy) people in the music industry for the best part of 45 years, and so to celebrate his birthday, we thought we’d do what we’ve done for John Waters and Michael Caine, and round up the most illuminating, interesting and occasionally bewildering things he’s said over the years. Enjoy the collected wisdom of the great man after the jump! … Read More

Music

The Best Musician Appearances on ‘The Colbert Report’

By Tom Hawking on

Iggy and the Stooges were in cracking form on The Colbert Report last night, making them the latest in a long line of bands who’ve appeared as guests on Stephen Colbert’s long-running satirical chat show. Of all the late-night hosts on TV, Colbert seems to get the most amusing interviews and performances out of musicians; here are a selection of The Colbert Report‘s very best musical moments. You’re more than welcome. … Read More

Art

10 Beautiful Nature-Inspired Sound Installations That Soothe

By Alison Nastasi on

Brian Eno made music for airports in 1978, but his newest composition, an audiovisual installation, was created for hospitals. Commissioned by an orthopedic surgeon after he observed the calming effects of Eno’s work on a family member, the installation debuted last week in a British private hospital and involves a special waiting room where patients, family, and staff can escape the stressful environment by relaxing to ambient noise and changing panels of color. Eno’s work restores balance between inner and outer worlds, and today we are reminded once again about the importance of harmony among life’s vast network of systems. It’s Earth Day, and we’ve selected ten nature-inspired sound installations that soothe the soul and promote tranquility. … Read More

Music

Fascinating Photos of Famous Musicians in Their Studios

By Tom Hawking on

We’re constantly fascinated with the creative process here at Flavorwire, and one of the most important components of that process is the space in which it takes place. For musicians, at least as far as the recording process goes, this place is the studio, and as such we thought we’d take a look at the studios of some of our favorite musicians. The contrasts on display are intriguing, from the endearingly chaotic to the pristine and very expensive, from analog to digital, from minimalist to decked out in all sorts of crazy-looking… Read More

Music

10 Great One-Track Albums to Lose Yourself in This Winter

By Tom Hawking on

The fancy vinyl reissue of Sleep’s proto-stoner classic Dopesmoker has been on high rotation at Flavorpill central now that we’ve descended into the depths of winter, and the necessity to get up and flip the LP halfway through has got us thinking about other great records that contain precisely one track. It’s a pleasantly music geeky topic to address for a quiet Tuesday afternoon, and we’ve amused ourselves by scouring our iTunes library for some of our favorite albums by artists with one-track minds. As it were. Check out our selections after the jump, and let us know if you have any to add. … Read More

Music

Serenity Now: 2012's Most Relaxing Albums to Get You Through Christmas

By Tom Hawking on

This time of the year can be a strain, to say the least — between finding last-minute presents, the ensuing financial headaches, most likely traveling out of wherever you are to wherever it is you’re from, and dealing with your family when you get there, the festive season can feel less festive than stressful as fuck. But wait, we’re here to help! This has been a fine year for music that’s designed to relax you and soothe a troubled soul, so we thought we’d put together a playlist of the finest such records of 2012 for your tranquility-inducing enjoyment. Click through to listen, and by all means thank us later. If you like. No pressure. No stress. We promise. … Read More

Music

Christmas Gifts for the Music Geek in Your Life

By Tom Hawking on

It’s not even December and we’re already tiring of the “It’s that wonderful time of the year” jokes. If you’re anything like us, the festive season is at best tiresome and at worst a regal pain in the ass — but shit, we’re here to help, so over the next few days we’ll be offering various gift guides. We’ve already discussed potential gifts for movie geeks and Instagram addicts, and now it’s time to address the needs of music geeks. Over the next few pages, we’ve gathered a selection of gifts for the music-obsessed — box sets, books, crazy instruments, and a gloriously ghastly Slayer Christmas sweater. Who could ask for more? … Read More

Music

10 Great Rock Albums Produced by Electronic Musicians

By Tom Hawking on

It’s nice to be pleasantly surprised once in a while, and Free Reign, the new album by UK band Clinic, has been on high rotation here at Flavorpill of late. We’ve always rather liked Clinic’s work, but we’ll be honest — we didn’t expect to enjoy this record nearly as much as we have been. Perhaps the most notable thing about Free Reign in comparison to Clinic’s other records is just how interesting its production and general sound is, which is perhaps not surprising since Oneohtrix Point Never assumed production duties. There have been plenty of examples of electronic artists producing songs for rock-inclined types over the years, everything from Giorgio Moroder working with Blondie on “Call Me” to Alec Empire collaborating with the John Spencer Blues Explosion and, um, Chris Cornell working with Timbaland on the ill-fated Scream. Here are some of our favorites. Did we miss any? … Read More

Music

15 Hilariously Negative Early Reviews of Classic Albums

By Tom Hawking on

Everybody likes reading a really nasty review every now and then, but sometimes critics get it wrong. Here’s a look at misguided reviews of albums that’d go on to be acclaimed as… Read More