#2 Brad Hamers - Post No Dreams

I am well aware that the official release of this album was at the end of 2010, but honestly, I don't care. I got my hands on it at the beginning of the year so that's why it ends up on this year's list. And just so you know, it would easily have fitted on last year's list too. Hell, if you had put both years lists together it would still have been at the absolute top. But enough of that now.  
Hearing Brad Hamers rap is always a treat for my ears. If I would make a top 5 list of my all time favourite lyricists Brad would be one of them without a doubt. Ever since I first heard him as a part of Phlegm I've been a big fan of his music. Since then he has released music together with Big Pauper under the name Two Ton Sloth (who early readers of this blog might remember from the compilation Du Ska Inte Tro Det Blir Sommar which I put together back in 2007) and two great solo albums. His last one Ligature came out in 2007. 
This follow up to that album has been a long time in the waiting, but it has been worth the wait. His melancholy lo-fi productions create images in front of my eyes and take me on a ride to another place. And on top of that we have his amazing lyrics. Brad Hamers is one of the few artists that I like to have the lyrics in front of me at the same time as I listen. In that way I don't risk missing out on any of the beautiful poetry that he layers upon the tracks.  
Post No Dreams is a wonderful piece of art, plain and simple.


When asked about his own musical reflections of the past year, this is what he had to say:

To be honest with you…I feel pretty disconnected from what’s been happening in music this year…I guess I’ve just been busy working on my own projects…and unfortunately haven’t had the time to discover much…
But let’s see..as far as what I have heard this year…I am digging on:
the new Tom Waits – Bad As Me (as well as Big Pauper’s remix tape..Broke As Me)
of course Big Pauper’s long awaited – Beyond My Means LP ..(and Big Pauper has also been doing a lot of amazing things with video this year: http://bigpauper.virb.com/)
Bill Callahan – Apocalypse (especially the track: Riding For The Feeling)
the new 13&God – Own Your Ghost
I love the song Virus off the new Bjork LP
I’m also loving the solo tracks by Nick Zamutto (of The Books) that I’ve heard…particularly: YAY and Idiom Wind…can’t wait to hear the full-length..
I’m really digging on everything Walter Gross is doing…(his video work is dope too!)..and his ectoplasmic podcasts get a lot of play over here while I’m collaging...especially #2…which is where I discovered another new artist I’m really feeling: The Savage Young Taterbug…dope shit! …hmm what else…well I know this record dropped last year..but I’ve gotten into it a lot more as of late..Xiu Xiu – Dead God I Hate Myself…(Xiu Xiu is still my favorite ish I think)….I’m also looking forward to hearing the new Kate Bush record.. I think it just dropped…
I recently got my hands on some live recordings of Godspeed! You Black Emperor’s last tour..with some new songs!.....
I was feeling Death Grips a bit…
And Beck’s Record Club – Songs Of Leonard Cohen.
...I feel like I’m missing some stuff…but there’s a taste…