@@@ Jamie Lidell: Building a Beginning (Jamie Lidderdale, 2016). White boy Lidell goes for the Al Green sexy soul crown on this record that I got to via this week’s All Music notable release email. He got a lot of the sounds right on this opening tune, Building a Beginning. The second tune, Julian, moves the clock forward to late ’70s/early ’80s soul with more pop bounce and a Stevie Wonder vibe. I understand why a musician would seek to recreate music that he/she adores but I’m not sure why I would listen to it. I have all the Stevie Wonder/Al Green records.
@@@ MONO: Requiem for Hell (Temporary Residence, 2016) A Steve Albini produced post-rock record I got to via the All Music weekly email. It’s got a dual guitar attack and this first tune Death in Rebirth is going for an epic guitar rock feel. I wish it hit a little harder, maybe it will it’s an 8 minute tune. And when it goes and whips up more noise I still wish it was a bit harder. I’m almost through the second tune and i think the tunes could be cut down or stuffed a bit more but that’s just me.
@@@ Bushman’s Revenge Bushman’s Fire (Rune Gramofone, 2016) An electric jazz (Imma guessing mostly free jazz) record off this week’s All Music notable release email. It consists of three pieces, one twenty minute banger and two twelve minute bangers. The opening tune opens up ambient and minimally squally. These guys are a trio from Norway, drums, bass and guitar and as the first tune moves onward it’s starting to smell like a loose and giant guitar jam. I’m in the second half of the second tune ‘Total Fucking Marmalade’ and it is a combo Phish/late Hendrix jam — energetic but not particularly engaging. This could work as background music at a hipster bar but it’s a stretch after that.
YTD recordings listened to: 811
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 455
Not good music: 303
Buys: 15
Honorable Mentions: 12
Possibles: Chris McGregor, Dave Arner Trio, Zomby, Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, The Ballantynes, Slidhr, The Chewers, Toxic Holocaust, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, Lenguas Largas, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Fofoulah, Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Leviathan, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Janelle Monae, Luther Dickinson, Destruction Unit, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Gentleman Surfer, Satoko Fuji, Mystic Braves, Divanhana, Unrestrained, Moken, Systema Solar, Brian Eno, Juan Atkins, Drone, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, Miramar, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Joe Sticky, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Neurosis, Magrudergrind, Gorguts, Solange, Acid Arab, Brent Cobb, Xylouris White
Deep In the Music 