@@@ Chris Walla: Tape Loops (Trans, 2015). I saw an interview with this musician in the recording enthusiast’s magazine Tape Op, which is absolutely one of my favorite toilet reading periodicals. Mr. Walla used to be in Death Cab for Cutie which is right up there with the Wilco on the hate-meter. I’m gonna get over that for the course of this recording. The album is composed of tape loops with additional performances either looped or added to loops. This first tune, Kanta’s Themes is both ambient and melodic and it sounds a tad indie as well as New Age-y. Big, epic piano sounds give me New Age vibes. I like the abstract loops he has here but I wish they were louder. Let’s check out another tune, I’m not feeling this first one much. Same with this second tune, the loops are interesting but the piano dominates the soundstage. One more quick listen and we out-y. I like this third piece best of what I peeped as it switches over to electric organ and the vibe is somewhat different.
@@@ Lissie: My Wild West (Lionboy Records, 2016). I’m on Lissie’s music publicist’s email list and he’s doing a pretty good job because as I scour the intertoobz there are little Lissie story-droppings all over. She’s got three bangers up on Apple Music ahead of her Feb. 12 release. This first tune is pretty cheesy indie — big club diva vocal melody, a tambourine, and that gated ’80s snare sound. Oh boy, here comes a crashing wall of whoa hoas that would make Jon Bon Jovi recoil. Let’s peep another biscuit. This tune is called Don’t You Give Up on Me and I’m expecting some real shit lyrics. Don’t give up on Lissie, she’s swimming in the stars and breathing in eternity. I could just type all the lyrics as the are extruded from the big ol’ box of inspiration pop rock lyrics. I’m sorry Lissie, I don’t want to, but I’m giving up on this song because it’s so cliche and stinky.
YTD recordings listened to: 79
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 45
Not good music: 29
Honorable Mentions: 2
Buys: 1
Possibles: Chris McGregor, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Dave Arner Trio, MAKU Soundsystem, Zomby, Retox, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Bone Dance, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Debruit, Slidhr, The Whammies, The Chewers, Alexander Hawkins, Toxic Holocaust, Equal Stones, Comeback Kid, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Fofoulah, Lozen, Erase Errata, Dawn Richard, Mastery, Leviathan, Xibalba, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Akitsa, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Destruction Unit, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Mystic Braves, Reverend Peyton, James McMurtry, Living in Hell
Deep In the Music 