vanmega.com

vanmega is a vancouver-based music blog (sorta). we've been posting since 2000.

[vanmega]

Hand crafted with love and html, special just for you, here’s my completely subjective compilation of the best songs of 2016:

+ click here to download or stream the vanmega 2016 audio almanac

This is the thirteenth year I’ve put out a year-end almanac. And just like in previous years the web / visual components of the almanac are great.  This is 100% due to the efforts of Leigh.  She created the liner notes microsite AND made it completely compatible and sexy for mobile devices. Did I mention she created the cover art too?  She the best.

Thanks for listening and sharing and stuff.

Update: Apple Music playlist here

Update 2: Spotify playlist here

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Previous almanacs:

2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

[vanmega]

I think I’ve pinned down my favorite 3 minutes of music is 2016.  The pseudo-surprise A Tribe Called Quest album that came out this fall was bitter-sweet (duh!) but it’s so good and so NOT a bunch of old dudes trying to ride contemporary trends. It’s perfect... except for the part where Phife died before the album came out (also duh!).  Tribe wrestles with this through out the album and it times the result is a tribute album and at other times it’s the original line up firing on all cylinders.

The track Black Spasmodic doesn’t actually take place in a specific moment. For the first minute and a half Phife leads while Q Tip backs him up in real time.  The second half of the track is just Q Tip by himself rapping about his posthumous relationship with Phife and his dedication to preserving his legacy through creating more music.  I realize that when I try to explain it sounds a bit cliche, but when it's actually delivered in the song it is WONDERFUL.

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My 2016 audio almanac will be out later this week.

In addition to the ATCQ album my other favorite albums of the year were by Frank Ocean, Chance The Rapper, and (grudgingly) Kanye.

[vanmega]

Nearly forgot about that watch 16 movies in 2016 “resolution” I created for myself.  Again, I’m in no way qualified to be a critic of any movie, so I’ll keep it short.

10. Rock the Kasbah - I honestly watched this one about 3 - 4 months ago, and in turn I don’t have a detailed opinion on it.  I like Bill Murray, but I also recall thinking it wasn’t that great.

11. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - This wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I was actually nice to see Tiny Fey not constantly riff jokes.  It was also good that the movie explored some of the psychological aspects of being an embedded journalist. Between this and Rock the Kasbah it’s obvious that there are some really hack “American out of their element in the Middle East” tropes in modern film. e.g. if a US jeep convoy is traveling on single track road in a remote desert it MUST be ambushed.

12. Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru - this is an excellent movie/doc to watch if you want to low grade cry for 90 minutes.

[new-aesthetic]

rivals’ ‘la línea roja’ is conceived as a journey through spain, one that seeks to connect man and nature. the images are not digital compositions, nor 3D post-production works, but rather the result of physical installations in nature at night, captured with long exposure photographic techniques. indifferent to symmetry, the glowing forms mysteriously intersect the surrounding landscape and eerily illuminate areas of thick brush that would otherwise be completely dark. an intensely red ray of light is seen as a triangle, squeezing in between a series of nearby trees; a rectangle, rising vertically from a rocky mountain; and a square, peeking out from beneath the surface of a shallow pool of water.

(via nicolas rivals weaves a luminous red line across natural landscapes in spain)

[vanmega]

Ok, this is cool and all but I think Maroon 5 beat the artist to the punch?

[siik]

SIIK RADIO | 002

[vanmega]

Rebs 4 later!

[vanmega]

Solid Steel Radio Show 18/11/2016 - Mighty Atom - Endtroducing Tribute Mix

20 years ago this weekend in November 1996, Josh Davis aka DJ Shadow released his landmark album 'Endtroducing'. It was made almost entirely of samples and with the help of his Akai MPC60, he produced an iconic album that sits firmly in many top album lists. To celebrate this anniversary, Mighty Atom has put together an amazing tribute mix deconstructing the album and rebuilding it track by track, sample by sample, along with some remixes, covers and interview clips.

Ugh, this is very great. A mixtape composed of all the samples used in Endtroducing DJ Shadow.

UPDATE: mp3 download here.

[vanmega]

The xx - On Hold

The internet is a portal of despair these days, so I’m going to blog about some things I like this week.

I like this new track by The xx.  Here’s why:

The xx are no longer sounding like their shadowy former selves.  They’re more confident and emotive. Also, the production style has completely crossed over into Jamie xx’s solo work esthetic... which is the best.

The chopped up vocals sampled in the chorus are from Hall & Oats’ I Can’t Go For That.

[vanmega]

The most trusted voice in music.

File under: good news during a bad week

[ondremichael]

Visit Original Link

[vanmega]

Well this is a departure.

[vanmega]

I realize my blog persona has become "guy who is constantly bewildered by the decline of Tumblr" but COME ON. The algorithm that serves ads on Tumblr has now decided I fall into the demographic of "AGED DADS". I'm younger than Marissa Mayer, FFS!

[vanmega]

The Election Profit Makers Mixtape

Brought to you by David Rees of Get your War On fame.

This is the insane / absurd conclusion that the US election season deserves.

[vanmega]

This my working late on a Friday / haven’t found time to shower yet / drinking a beer while my daughter climbs all over me and spills a juice box everywhere vibe

[leighpeigh]

Okay.

[vanmega]

I see that Main Street is still the epicenter of arts and culture in Vancouver.

[vanmega]

How Yahoo derailed Tumblr

If you’re like me and you have no idea what tumblr is anymore or why you’re still here this is a very satisfying read. It doesn’t fix anything but at least you gain an understanding why the ground this platform rests on is so damn shaky. Yay?

[vanmega]

Hey, this is pretty good! Though it’s called a “Halloween mix” there’s nothing seasonal or corny about it.

Anyways, commence dancing at your desk.

[blownspeakers]

raised_hands.emoji

[vanmega]

New Japandroids!

[vanmega]

Understanding the Millennial Obsession with Kanye West

“Ye’s popularity has less to do with the quality of his product and more to do with social media value”

This is actually a really good read and really cuts to the drivers behind zillions of people trying to carve out some sort of relevance on social media.

“The tour’s placement of Kanye on a floating and moving stage above the floor conveyed his ability to design in a way that is conducive to what we value in culture today. Millennials love sharing the exciting things that happen to them over social media. Thus, we are attracted to things that have the highest shock value because these things will give the most attention to our online brand. With this in mind, the Saint Pablo Tour set makes perfect sense. Kanye knew that this would provide the best opportunity for everyone in the stadium to get the best look at him, but more importantly, to get the best photo of him.”

Two things:

It’s a bummer than any piece of writing that includes “understanding the Millennial“ in the title immediately makes me cringe

This line makes me feel like a senior citizen because I was an adult when Kanye’s first album came out: “Kanye  inspired me to read aloud his verses during class in elementary school”. (ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!!!)