Active Music Listening Monday June 30, 2014

YTD recordings listened to: 485
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 303
Not good music: 141

Honorable Mentions: 3
Buys: 4

Possibles: Boyd Rivers, Chris McGregor, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Dave Arner Trio, Bill Horist, MAKU Soundsystem, Zomby, Retox, Owiny Sigoma Band, About Group, Jello Biafra, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Kendl Winter, Shigeto, Bone Dance, Defeater, Sidi Toure, Lindi Ortega, Jonwayne, Christian Kjellvander, Okkyung Lee, Tiger Hatchery, The Ballantynes, Debruit and Aljawal, Slidhr, The Whammies, The Chewers, La Misa Negra, Melingo, Alexander Hawkins, Cheryl Pyle,  Toxic Holocaust, Equal Stones, Comeback Kid, Third Coast Kings, Jack White, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Charming Axe, Eccodek, Noura Mint Seymali, Bio Ritmo, Pacifika, Kasai All Stars

@@@ Kyle Rapps: Where We Go (Diamond Media, 2014).  A classic hip hop beat with a lounge-y background vocal hook that I got to via a label promo email.  I like the MC and I thought the lyrics were really interesting — more unpredictable than what you usually get with hip hop.  Bravado, introspection, literary quotes, bam — all rolled up in one tune.

@@@ Vacationer: Relief (Downtown, 2014).  Off the All Music weekly email.  Opens up doo wop-ta-cious, oh here comes the boogie beat.  The vibe is super laidback, think blue eyed frat boy soul with drum machine beats.  The singer is bit light for my taste, and since he’s such a central component of the record….check it for yourself.

@@@ Channel Zero: Kill All Kings (Metal Blade, 2014).  Straight out of the box with the killer bee guitar sound and the power chord ka-chunk!  Off the All Music weekly email.  The singer is going for epic and there’s both a bit of glam and a tad of grunge up in this record.  Big arena rock drum sound and the whole record in general.  Also off the All Music weekly email.

@@@ Circulatory Systems: Mosaics within Mosaics (Cloud, 2014).  Some indie psychedelia off the All Music weekly email.  A tad of Sgt Peppers, a bit o’ Flaming Lips, and some quirky indie.  The tunes feel a bit more like sonic sketches/slides rather than formal tunes.  There’s some down moments and some engaging ones as well.

@@@ French Style Furs: Turn or Burn (Frenchkiss, 2014)  A tune I got to via a music publicist email.  It’s a mainstream power ’80s tune.  Very nice bass sound/hook, a lot of criss crossing vocal tracks and a straight rock beat.  It’s a nice vibe but it doesn’t really feel like it goes anywhere.

2014 Honorable Mention Pick 3

Curtis Harding: Soul Power (Burger, 2014)

There are a lot of things I like about this record and a couple that I don’t like as much.  I like that the record is called Soul Power, but there are plenty of distorted guitars on here.  I really like Harding’s voice, it’s a classic American soul voice.  He doesn’t oversing, he sounds comfortable, etc.  I like the band — there’s a good balance of rock and soul elements going on.  I like the drummer and the arrangements of the tune.

I like the first two tunes a whole bunch, but I don’t like the third tune/single ‘Keep on Shining’.  The quasi-dance vibe feels a bit pandering and there’s another feel good tune towards the end of the record that doesn’t work that well either.  I’ve clipped ‘Keep on Shining’ down below.

Otherwise this is a really strong record dropped at exactly the right time of the year.

Best of 2014 Pick 4

Trap Them: Blissfucker (Prosthetic, 2014)

A sonic beatdown.  Part post-rock, plenty of hardcore punk, some metal, a bit o’ thrash and a delicate balance of precision and squall.

Not a tremendous amount of riffage, but a very satisfying melding of excellent guitar tones with a tough, buzzy bass sound pumping underneath an unintelligible but appropiately pissed off singer.

The drummer really drives the bus here as the tunes jump around — slower power chord sections that segue into trash sections into straight heavy rock sections.  He’s an excellent anchor for the rest of the band to drill a hole in your skull.

Tight as shit with interesting jumps.  The record sounds great and there are strong musicians at all positions.  What more could you ask for?

Active Music Listening Saturday June 28, 2014

YTD recordings listened to: 480
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 300
Not good music: 139

Honorable Mentions: 2
Buys:

Possibles: Boyd Rivers, Chris McGregor, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Dave Arner Trio, Bill Horist, MAKU Soundsystem, Zomby, Retox, Owiny Sigoma Band, About Group, Jello Biafra, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Kendl Winter, Shigeto, Bone Dance, Defeater, Sidi Toure, Lindi Ortega, Jonwayne, Christian Kjellvander, Okkyung Lee, Tiger Hatchery, The Ballantynes, Debruit and Aljawal, Slidhr, The Whammies, The Chewers, La Misa Negra, Melingo, Alexander Hawkins, Cheryl Pyle,  Toxic Holocaust, Equal Stones, Comeback Kid, Curtis Harding, Third Coast Kings, Jack White, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Charming Axe, Eccodek, Noura Mint Seymali, Bio Ritmo, Pacifika, Kasai All Stars

@@@ Kasai Allstars: Beware the Flesh (Crammed disc, 2014).  I try to check out the Crammed Disc releases as their hit to shit ratio is pretty good.  The first tune here is guitar and vocal driven with thumb pianos and other percussion bringing up the rear.  There’s a super low bass drum way underneath that brings a thick pulse.  I like the second tune to the first and I’m going to have to check out this 90+ minute monster shot when I have more time.

@@@ Xeno & Oaklander (Ghostly Int’l, 2014).  Some indie blurps and squirbs and ping pong synths off the All Music weekly email.  Krautrock beats and a highbrow, top button buttoned male singer backed by the dreamy reverbed out female singer on the microphone(s).  Synth bass and a pretty high wank factor on this one.

@@@ People Get Ready: Physiques (Brassland, 2014).  Slotted as experimental rock, to my ears it sounds like Kate Bush had a secret love baby with the band Yes.  Sinewy bass melodies, outbursts of drums, and some semi-out female vocals.  Occasional dirty guitar blasts, lots of toms.  The second tune is more oddball indie.– think Phish without drugs.  It’s all right.

@@@ Total Slacker: Super Big Gulp (Black Bell, 2014)  Clean, chorus guitar, straight rock drums that does a classic tension/release thing in the chorus.  The main vocal hook is ‘when America gets you down, you got to the seven eleven and get yourself a super big gulp’.  Hard to tell if it’s ironic or a true hymn to the Super Big Gulp — I probably won’t spend the time to figure that question out.

Active Music Listening Friday June 27, 2014

YTD recordings listened to: 476
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 300
Not good music: 139

Honorable Mentions: 2
Buys: 3

Possibles: Boyd Rivers, Chris McGregor, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Dave Arner Trio, Trap Them, Bill Horist, MAKU Soundsystem, Zomby, Retox, Owiny Sigoma Band, About Group, Jello Biafra, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Kendl Winter, Shigeto, Bone Dance, Defeater, Sidi Toure, Lindi Ortega, Jonwayne, Christian Kjellvander, Okkyung Lee, Tiger Hatchery, The Ballantynes, Debruit and Aljawal, Slidhr, The Whammies, The Chewers, La Misa Negra, Melingo, Alexander Hawkins, Cheryl Pyle,  Toxic Holocaust, Equal Stones, Comeback Kid, Curtis Harding, Third Coast Kings, Jack White, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Charming Axe, Eccodek, Noura Mint Seymali, Bio Ritmo, Pacifika

@@@ Phish: Fuego (Jemp, 2014).  Ah, the Phish.  Not my favorite crew but I love checking shit out.  I must say I’m pretty impressed with the rhythm section on the first tune, Fuego.  The drummer especially, he’s killin’ it.  I like this less sleepy version of Phish.  I’ll check out a couple more tunes.  The lyrics have little crumbs of cheese falling off them, but the playing is top notch.

@@@ Clipping.: Clppng (Sub Pop, 2014) Record of the week off the Aquarius weekly email.  Aggro arrangements over staccato mic rockin’.  All sharp edges with an emphasis on machines over funkiness.  I like the third tune Work Work a whole bunch.  A lot of lyrical emphasis on the almighty Horny, doin’ it and what not.

@@@ Herzog: Mad Men (Exit Stencil, 2014).  Straight ahead guitar indie that I saw in the big ass Aquarius records list.   Tasty guitar work, Alex Chilton traces, think Weezer with some musical integrity.  These guys really rock this formula with style.

@@@ Mastodon: Once More ’round the Sun (Reprise, 2014).  Some mainstream heavy rock from the All Music weekly email.  Think Pearl Jam if they went to the gym for a couple of months.  Big riffage, dramatic lower register vocals, and some spraying mainstream heavy drums.  I like the guitar player and the drummer, they got it going on.

 

 

 

Active Music Listening Thursday June 26, 2014

YTD recordings listened to: 472
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 292
Not good music: 139

Honorable Mentions: 2
Buys: 3

Possibles: Boyd Rivers, Chris McGregor, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Dave Arner Trio, Trap Them, Bill Horist, MAKU Soundsystem, Zomby, Retox, Owiny Sigoma Band, About Group, Jello Biafra, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Kendl Winter, Shigeto, Bone Dance, Defeater, Sidi Toure, Lindi Ortega, Jonwayne, Christian Kjellvander, Okkyung Lee, Tiger Hatchery, The Ballantynes, Debruit and Aljawal, Slidhr, The Whammies, The Chewers, La Misa Negra, Melingo, Alexander Hawkins, Cheryl Pyle,  Toxic Holocaust, Equal Stones, Comeback Kid, Curtis Harding, Third Coast Kings, Jack White, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Charming Axe, Eccodek, Noura Mint Seymali, Bio Ritmo, Pacifika

@@@ Alias: Pitch Black Prism (Anticon, 2014)  Hip hop heavily influenced by club music that I saw on the All Music weekly email.  Mostly instrumental although the second tune has an MC.  Old school beats, West Coast style, a lot of trippy club sounds.  Solid B.

@@@ How to Dress Well: What is this Heart? (Weird World, 2014).  I honorably mentioned this guy’s last record, Total Loss and I saw this listed on this week’s All Music weekly email.  It’s a little strange to see this guy pegged as an indie r&b singer, even though his voice is reminiscent of r&b.  Thus far I’m not feeling this record — there’s too much of him singing and not enough memorable tunes and it’s funk is flaccid.

@@@ Claire: My Audacity (Astralwerks, 2014).  An electronic pop song I got to via a music publicist email.  A basket of synthesizer squirbles, wahs, and erps, over a standard 1980’s gated snare drum sound.  Complete with hand claps!  And a breathy, yearning female voice.

@@@ Orenda Fink: You Can Be Loved (Saddle Creek, 2014).  Some retro-sounding indie I got to via a music publicist email.  Big reverbed female vocals, a shaker, and a lot of arpeggiated guitars over a down beat. Sleepy time tea, people.

https://soundcloud.com/saddlecreek/orenda-fink-you-can-be-loved

Active Music Listening Wednesday June 25, 2014

YTD recordings listened to: 468
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 289
Not good music: 138

Honorable Mentions: 2
Buys: 3

Possibles: Boyd Rivers, Chris McGregor, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Dave Arner Trio, Trap Them, Bill Horist, MAKU Soundsystem, Zomby, Retox, Owiny Sigoma Band, About Group, Jello Biafra, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Kendl Winter, Shigeto, Bone Dance, Defeater, Sidi Toure, Lindi Ortega, Jonwayne, Christian Kjellvander, Okkyung Lee, Tiger Hatchery, The Ballantynes, Debruit and Aljawal, Slidhr, The Whammies, The Chewers, La Misa Negra, Melingo, Alexander Hawkins, Cheryl Pyle,  Toxic Holocaust, Equal Stones, Comeback Kid, Curtis Harding, Third Coast Kings, Jack White, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Charming Axe, Eccodek, Noura Mint Seymali, Bio Ritmo, Pacifika

@@@ Ed Sheeran: X (Asylum, 2014). Off the All Music weekly ‘notable’ releases.  Notable meaning paid for, but that’s beside the point.  Opens up with an intimate acoustic guitar/voice ballad, One.  Nice tune, I could have used a bit less reverb on the voice but this is the Age of Cheese.   Here come the string swells!  These guys are gettin’ it on for sure.   Lots of confessional lyrics about being drunk and being a mess, even a tune entitled ‘I’m a Mess’.  This self-lacerating folk music is not really for me — I would rather listen to him sing about a horrible rash on his genitals.  More unique at least.

@@@ Killer Be Killed: Killer Be Killed (Nuclear Blast, 2014).  A mainstream metal record I found on my heavy metal mailorder weekly email.  Big drums spraying, plenty of guitar ka-chunk with occasional spurts of shred, and a singer that is intelligible and sort of epic in vibe.  When you fast forward to the second tune, Face Down, you are greeted with a much stronger anti-social hostile energy, which I really enjoy.

@@@ Kampfar: Djevelmakt (Indie Recordings, 2014).  Some Norwegian black metal also off my heavy metal mailorder email.  Very pleasant grinding guitars, tres hardcore, with a thrashy drummer and a singer that sounds straight out of the Lord of the Rings.  Man, this dude really rocks the orc vibe.  I really like the post-rock midtempo grind of the band, and if you’re into the blackness of it get yer candles out and bring on the horned one.

@@@ David Weiss: When Words Fail (Motema, 2014).  We switch gears from the bone crushing and skull splitting to check out some straight jazz I found on the London Jazz weekly newsletter.  Instrumentation on the first tune is trumpet, sax, piano, bass and drums — the tempo is up with plenty of room to solo.  I like it all right — very pretty and nobody’s feelings get hurt.

 

 

Active Music Listening Tuesday June 24, 2014

YTD recordings listened to: 464
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 286
Not good music: 137

Honorable Mentions: 2
Buys: 3

Possibles: Boyd Rivers, Chris McGregor, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Dave Arner Trio, Trap Them, Bill Horist, MAKU Soundsystem, Zomby, Retox, Owiny Sigoma Band, About Group, Jello Biafra, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Kendl Winter, Shigeto, Bone Dance, Defeater, Sidi Toure, Lindi Ortega, Jonwayne, Christian Kjellvander, Okkyung Lee, Tiger Hatchery, The Ballantynes, Debruit and Aljawal, Slidhr, The Whammies, The Chewers, La Misa Negra, Melingo, Alexander Hawkins, Cheryl Pyle,  Toxic Holocaust, Equal Stones, Comeback Kid, Curtis Harding, Third Coast Kings, Jack White, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Charming Axe, Eccodek, Noura Mint Seymali, Bio Ritmo, Pacifika

@@@ Pacifika: Amor Planeta (Six Degrees, 2014).  Off the CFUV weekly playlist email.  If it’s on the Six Degrees label it’s gonna be lush and a tad New Age-y and the opening tune is a lone female voice drenched in a big reverb patch connoting big-ness.  It’s like a Mexican Daniel Lanois record.  Medium slow moving, big sounding.  At first I was not into the sound of it, but it’s growing on me and I think this might be a solid release for all the cubicle dwellers out there.  Big respect for the bass player as I find myself listening a bunch to the bass melodires.

@@@ Ringworm: Hammer of the Witch (Relapse, 2014).  Also off the CFUV weekly email.  Opens up buzzy/shreddy then monster walking with the tune Dawn of Decay.  Drum sound is part metal/part heavy rock.  Oh, here’s some tasty thrash.  The second tune, Bleed, continues the same formula of thrash with occasional power chord breakdowns.  The singer is an almost intelligible shouter, which I prefer to the throat shredding caveman prototype.  I saw on the Beats description that these guys formed in 1991 and you can hear it.  You could bounce a nickel off these guys — tight as shit.

@@@ Actual Water: Waldo Jackson (Bad Actors, 2014).  Off a publicist email.  A trashy, garage rock tune referring back to Alex Chilton, the Byrds (just a tad) and a schmattering of Tom Petty.  Nice sound, average tune.

@@@ NONONO: We Are Only What We Feel (Warner, 2014).  Off a Warner promo email.  Well, if it’s out of Sweden it’s gonna be poppy and it’s gonna hurt your teeth.  Big label production and synth-y with a measure of guitar work to keep some rock vibe.  Breathy female singer with a generous helping of delay on her voice.  If anybody thought ABBA was gone, think again…..

You can stream here.

Active Music Listening Monday June 23, 2014

YTD recordings listened to: 460
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 283
Not good music: 136

Honorable Mentions: 2
Buys: 3

Possibles: Boyd Rivers, Chris McGregor, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Dave Arner Trio, Trap Them, Bill Horist, MAKU Soundsystem, Zomby, Retox, Owiny Sigoma Band, About Group, Jello Biafra, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Kendl Winter, Shigeto, Bone Dance, Defeater, Sidi Toure, Lindi Ortega, Jonwayne, Christian Kjellvander, Okkyung Lee, Tiger Hatchery, The Ballantynes, Debruit and Aljawal, Slidhr, The Whammies, The Chewers, La Misa Negra, Melingo, Alexander Hawkins, Cheryl Pyle,  Toxic Holocaust, Equal Stones, Comeback Kid, Curtis Harding, Third Coast Kings, Jack White, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Charming Axe, Eccodek, Noura Mint Seymali, Bio Ritmo

@@@ Bio Ritmo: Puerta Del Sur (Vampisoul, 2014).  I’ve been waiting for this record to make it up on my streaming service.  I’m a pretty big Bio Ritmo fan — for a new band to recreate the thickness of the old school salsa while adding new elements into it is impressive.  To me at least.  Excellent singer, stacks of rhythm, and a high level of arranging skills.  I’ll check more of this record out, but it looks like this will be on my honorable mention list at the very least.

@@@ The Binz: How to Freak Out Responsibly about the Rise of the Robots (Not yer Buddy, 2014).  In the loud section of the CFUV weekly email, this record is a rock record, quirky and a bit proggy with some muscle.  It’s a bit of an odd duck — there’s a shouter vocalist and then a singing vocalist.  There’s some old school freak punk influences, there’s some mainstream bits and pieces floating around.

https://soundcloud.com/shake-records-1/the-binz-what-can-you-do-to-me

@@@ Chin Injeti: Black Skeletons (Sparks Music, 2014).  A left field hip hop tune I got to via the CFUV weekly email.  It’s a party tune, with hip hop beats, some soul elements, and even a joyful indie vibe.  I can’t tell if the black skeletons theme is a political statement or it’s all just a lyrical trip but it’s an above average tune and I would check out more of this record if I had access.

@@@ Death Has No Domion: Coming Like a Hurricane (SQE Music, 2014).  Semi-haunting falsetto vocal over delicate, reverbed out guitars.  I got to this tune via a music publicist.  Has sort of a Radiohead vibe, but not as mopey.   Solid sonic vibe, lyrics didn’t super stand out.

https://soundcloud.com/sqemusic/coming-like-a-hurricane

 

Best of 2014 Pick 3

Boulpik: Konpa Lakay (Lusafrica, 2014)

A beautiful record of Haitian music for your summer listening.  These guys sing as if they’ve been singing together since they were five, which is possible.

Accompanied by banjo or a Haitian equivalent of the banjo and hand drums the songs are a great mix of melody and understated rhythm.  Accordion rounds out the instrumentation on some tracks.