My personal cultural highlights of 2013

As in recent years… a few personal cultural highlights from this year.

Albums:

Kairos 4Tet – Everything We Hold

A bit of a strange album – part jazz album, part songs (and not necessarily jazz songs, though definitely jazzy).  But lovely.  And I keep playing it.

Opus 5 – Pentasonic

My kind of burning bost bop jazz.  Donald Edwards is one of my favourite drummers ever.

Tomasz Stanko – New York Quartet

I’ve always loved Stanko’s trumpet playing and composition.  Here he gives us a full double album of new material.  Exquisite.

Goldfrapp – Tales of Us

I loved their last album, the synth-poppy Head First, but this is a lovely, contemplative album and a good companion to Head First.

Prefab Sprout – Crimson/Red

I would have preferred a full band rather than Paddy playing everything himself, and some of the arrangements are a bit strange.  But it’s Prefab Sprout!!  The lyric-writing is just in a different league and the melody writing is effortless.

Suede – Bloodsports

Bloody good.  Sadly overshadowed by their idol Davie Bowie springing an album on us a week or so before, but this is a much better album.  More consistent, catchier and definitely one of their best albums.

Curt Smith – Deceptively, Heavy

Probably his best solo album to date.  Vibrant and catchy.  Every song is hook-laden.

Other releases:

Ready to Start – Tears for Fears (Arcade Fire Cover)

It sticks in my head – in a good way.  Roland’s voice is perfect for it.

Looking forward to in 2014:  New Joan as Policewoman, Jimi Goodwin (Doves), Tears for Fears, Phronesis

Books (I’ve read lots, but of those that actually were released this year, my favourites are):

A Delicate Truth – John Le Carre (blogged about here)

A Tale for the Time Being – Ruth Ozeki (I’ve found all her books incredibly moving.  Loved this)

Films:

The Great Beauty – Paolo Sorrentino

Argo – Ben Affleck

The Place Beyond the Pines – Derek Cianfrance

Haven’t been to the cinema as much as I would have liked this year, but these three films really stand out from what I’ve seen.

Gigs:

Phronesis – The Cockpit Theatre

Peter Gabriel – Back to Front Tour

Manu Katche – Ronnie Scotts

TV:

Homeland, Borgen

Some of my favourite things from 2010:

In no particular order…

The End of the Party, by Andrew Rawnsley

An insightful and gripping documentation of New Labour’s time in office

Perfectly, Still, by Curt Smith

One of three gorgeous slices of melancholic bliss released this year by Curt.  I can’t make up my mind though, on whether I wouldn’t prefer to wait three years and get a whole album at once.

This Is England ‘86 (Shane Meadows)

Probably the best TV ever.

The General Election

Not for the result and everything that’s followed, which is the worst government for this country since the early 80s, but for the sheer drama of it; for the great fall experienced by the BNP; for the unmasking of Nick Clegg as a power-crazed Tory scum; for the ability to say ‘I told you so’ to anyone who thought that the Tories weren’t so right wing anymore…

San Francisco, Karlsruhe, Copenhagen

Three great cities visited this year – all of which had so much to offer that I’ll definitely be going back.

Geeky Section:

Twitter

Android 2.2.1

Head First by Goldfrapp

A really nice, very 80s flavoured album of Electro Pop.

Luther (BBC)

Fantastic performances – Idris Elba is sensational.  Seemed a bit unbelievable at first, but the narrative arc took an idea and ran with it, leading to the most memorable conclusion.  “What now?”

A Single Man (Tom Ford)

He doesn’t just make nice suits, he makes nice films too.  Although Colin Firth deserves a lot of the credit.

Charles Lloyd Quartet + Norma Winstone Trio (Barbican – LJF)

A great double bill.  Charles Lloyd is okay, but Eric Harland is amazing and often dominates a bit (like Tain Watts).  But here he was beautiful and understated throughout.  Norma Winstone’s trio seems unsual, but is so perfect and perfect as a complement to her voice.  Memorable evening out.

A Prophet (Jacques Audiard)

A Prison drama that takes its time to tell its story (the growing in stature and rising through the prison heirachy from nobody to, well, Prophet) but is always involving and smart.

Chronic City (Jonathan Lethem)

Another sprawling[-ish] NY novel from Lethem.  It doesn’t hit the highs of Fortress of Solitude, but is much more than the enjoyable whimsical You Don’t Love Me Yet.  Always entertaining, its not till the end that the whole thing makes sense.

For the Ghosts Within (Atzmon/Wyatt/Stephen)

Robert Wyatt’s latest album, a collaboration with Sax player Gilad Atzmon and String player/arranger Ros Stephen, is beautiful.  Mostly standards, but for the odd re-visitation (Dondestan) and the odd new track (the stunning title track).  I was fortunate enough to be at the launch gig at Scala as well, sans Wyatt, but still an evening of enchanting and intricate music.

The Sea (Corinne Bailey Rae)

A late addition to the list – I just bought it, but I’ve listened to it 3 times in a row and know that I’ll listen to it a lot more.  I heard about it when it came out, knew that it was a heartfelt tribute to her partner who died recently.  But its a lovely mix of soul, funk, pop, jazz, gospel, never definedly either of them – a lot of Philly in it – a really talented artist and songwriter.  She’s be great too live, I bet.

And some things that came back in 2010 and were still great (or better):

Doctor Who (BBC)

Steven Moffat takes the reigns and the two-part finale goes from being over-the-top throwing in everything including the kitchen sink, to being clever, surprising and emotional.  Although the series as a whole had some weak moments, Moffat’s contributions were great and Karen Gillan is a great find.

Mad Men (BBC4)

A pleasant surprise to be brought forward to airing only a few weeks after its American showing – although now we have to wait a full year for anymore.  Is Don on the verge of a midlife crisis, about to collapse in the next series and surprise us all with his stupidity – or is he evolving into a higher order being?  Only a year [or so] to find out.

Miranda (BBC2)

I love this sort of stuff.

I may add more if I’m particularly gripped by anything in the next week – chances not high!