Music for 11/29/19!!! Bessie Turner, The weeknd

@@@ Bessie Turner: Down 2 (Don’t Try/LAB, 2019)  A classic indie type single with a schmear of ambient sauce (at least at the beginning of the tune).  It’s a looking back on a romance tune with plenty of guitars and the classic sweet in the verse and crush it in the chorus.  Turner has a very pleasant voice and she effectively mines The Breeders formula for a bit more fun and nostalgia.

@@@ The Weeknd: Blinding Lights (Republic, 2019) #1 in the Apple Music hot tracks section.  I think the Weeknd is surfing on his looks as I’ve never really felt an original musical impulse in his music.  Look at that picture below and tell me you’re not panty quaking.  Musically this is straight ’80s with loverboy vocals on top.  The drumbeat is especially clunky but I guess this kind of appropriation of an awful white people’s beat is pretty hip.  The Weeknd can sing, it’s just the whole package is a bit less than his outfit.  Ooh, I really don’t cotton to this.

YTD recordings listened to: 618
Good music, not list worthy: 371
Not good music: 209

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise, Andre Bratten, Nathan Corder/Tom Weeks, Oli XL, Buzzherd, Logistic Slaughter, The Muslims, Tobe Nwigwe, Saint Abdullah, Bug Martin, Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, Toko Telo, Brittany Howard, The Garifuna Collective, Mariachi El Bronx, Bonnie Baxter, Danny Brown, clipping., Deafkids, Michael Kiwanuka, Kelly Moran, Canalon de Timbiqui, Pour Me a Grog, Loscil, The Good Ones

Music for 11/26/19!!! Allison Moorer, Gulcher Lustwerk, Gibson Wilbanks

@@@ Allison Moorer: Blood (Autotelic/Thirty Tigers, 2019)  I got to this record via its 5 star review in the Guardian.  Moorer is country musician Shelby Lynne’s sister and they share a violent family event.  The first tune, Bad Weather, is sweet and melancholy highlighted by some eerie electronic garnish in the background and female vocal harmonizing.  I like it without loving it.  It’s a pretty straight country singer-songwriter record but I’m feeling this third track Nightlight.  Lyrically, the chorus works very well for my ears.  The fourth tune pivots to a funky rock sound on a track called The Rock and the Hill.  I think this is a very good record, but it’s not a 5 star record for me.

@@@ Galcher Lustwerk: Information (Ghostly, 2019)  This techno record has been getting mad visibility on Twatter from Twatter ads I suspect.  After a half sweet synth intro track it gets into banging the dancefloor.  Lightly spiced funk is how I would phrase it.  I don’t like the capitalist striving message of the second track I see a Dime but the third track, Another Story, pops all right with some deliciousness on the hi hat.  There is some rhyming going on in this third track and the combination of hip hop and techno is pretty uncommon in my listening adventures.  Given how big a push this record is getting I was expecting more from the record, it is a bit light.

@@@ Gibson Wilbanks: Oh Sweet Baby (Self-released, 2019) I got to this alt country tune via a music publicist email.  This title track is a classic country with a whole lot of sweetness.  I guess that’s why he called it oh sweet baby.  I’m a sucker for slide guitar, I think it’s a great sound.  Wilbanks’ voice is not the core sweet component of the track, it’s got a bit of gravel to it.  He is, however, joined by a female singer backin him at many points in the tune.  It’s not a lonesome tune.

YTD recordings listened to: 616
Good music, not list worthy: 370
Not good music: 208

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise, Andre Bratten, Nathan Corder/Tom Weeks, Oli XL, Buzzherd, Logistic Slaughter, The Muslims, Tobe Nwigwe, Saint Abdullah, Bug Martin, Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, Toko Telo, Brittany Howard, The Garifuna Collective, Mariachi El Bronx, Bonnie Baxter, Danny Brown, clipping., Deafkids, Michael Kiwanuka, Kelly Moran, Canalon de Timbiqui, Pour Me a Grog, Loscil, The Good Ones

 

Music for 11/25/19!!! Nasty Cherry, Girl Ray, LSDXOXO

@@@ Nasty Cherry: Season 1 EP (Warner, 2019)  These first two listens are from the Line of Best weekly email.  This EP is connected to some show on Netflix so there’s the marketing there.  The first tune comes out as a hard bite on the early Controversy-era Prince sound.  I’m not sure I could sleep at night if I bit it this hard.  The second tune, Music with your Dad, switches the sound to a more mainstream electronic with no funk aspirations.  From where I’m listening I’m guessing these gals aren’t musicians or they aren’t experienced musicians and a bunch of corporate music types (my fucking favorite kind of music person) is giving the marching orders here.  Do what I say and you’ll be famous!!!!  Yes sir.  Unfortunately the music is xeroxed trash.  Sometimes in life you gotta call a garbage can a garbage can.  It’s trash because it’s so empty of any genuine emotion or connection.

@@@ Girl Ray: Girl (Moshi Moshi, 2019) Oh Lord it’s gonna be a rough listen day.  Apparently these gals went from indie pop to straight pop and I’m hearing some vanilla ass Lionel Ritchie shit.  Oy, what a shonda!  Not quite as calculated as the previos record but there is something about the craven lack of spontaneity and humanity in much of today’s music that makes me feel it’s not only not art, it’s the work of a fascist aesthetic.  The band assembled these in competent manner but there’s a coolness and aloofness to the pop which I find unappealing.

@@@ LSDXOXO: Burn the Witch (Independent, 2019) I saw this queer hip hop artist profiled on Crack Magazine but I can’t hit you with his latest single, Bed Rest, but this track is about a year old.  The sounds presented here are mostly upbeat dancefloor with some retro hip hop rhyming going on.  It’s an exhortation to get sweaty and move the body out on the dancefloor.  As it’s dance business the focus here is on the groove and building it rather the verse/chorus, verse/chorus.  It’s not as pornographic and shocking as I expected it to be but it’s a solid track.

YTD recordings listened to: 616
Good music, not list worthy: 368
Not good music: 207

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise, Andre Bratten, Nathan Corder/Tom Weeks, Oli XL, Buzzherd, Logistic Slaughter, The Muslims, Tobe Nwigwe, Saint Abdullah, Bug Martin, Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, Toko Telo, Brittany Howard, The Garifuna Collective, Mariachi El Bronx, Bonnie Baxter, Danny Brown, clipping., Deafkids, Michael Kiwanuka, Kelly Moran, Canalon de Timbiqui, Pour Me a Grog, Loscil, The Good Ones

 

Music for 11/22/19!!! mmmonika, Never Weather, Soweto Kinch

@@@ mmmonika: I Can’t (Youth Biking Global, 2019)  I got to this boy band with a darker message tucked into their music via a music publicist email.  I would not count myself as a huge boy band listener, in fact I hate boy bands and the format thereof, but I’m interested in seeing if this sophisticatedly undercover dark message is indeed happening in this song.  I associate boy bands with Disney and I think of the Disney contribution to American culture as dark and mindless.  It’s not a straight boy band format, it’s a combo of some indie sounds, a little dancefloor with boy band vocals over the top.  I’m not hearing that message which the PR folks sent my way.  I like the musical arrangement more than I thought and the singing is better than expected.  They do talk repeatedly about being sad a lot in the lyrics but there’s nothing here lyrically that seems at all sophisticated.  It’s an indie pop song with some dancefloor, period.

@@@ Never Weather: Never Catch Up (Ridgeway, 2019) A pre-release straight jazz tune I got to via a music publicist.  It pops out of the gate with a brisk energy, a dual trumpet and sax horn attack rocking some intricate melodic figures, and moments of electric guitar (unusual!!).  Other instruments include bass and drums.  A lengthy and tasty trumpet solo follows a briefer bass solo and this track is a blend of swinging and a lot of melodic horn playing.  It steps down for a slower sax solo about two thirds of the way through and I like the drop in swinging before they go out strong.

@@@ Soweto Kinch: The Black Peril Clips (N/A, 2019)  I saw this British sax player featured in the Guardian and scrounged around for this recent clips track.  This track is not up on Apple Music but they have it on the ol’ GooglePimpTube.  Here we have a few little tastes of a large ensemble record with strong black history influences.  It may actually be part of a play I’m not sure, but there are all manner of styles included in this brief clip — some New York style orchestral almost free jazz, some hip hop flavors, hand drumming which changes the tone of a record and some bluesier and straight jazz business.  I would check out more as it sounds authentic and heartfelt to my ears (I know that’s a problematic word).  So this work which commemorates a 1919 race riot in the United States will be premiered early next year and I would definitely listen to more.

YTD recordings listened to: 613
Good music, not list worthy: 366
Not good music: 206

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise, Andre Bratten, Nathan Corder/Tom Weeks, Oli XL, Buzzherd, Logistic Slaughter, The Muslims, Tobe Nwigwe, Saint Abdullah, Bug Martin, Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, Toko Telo, Brittany Howard, The Garifuna Collective, Mariachi El Bronx, Bonnie Baxter, Danny Brown, clipping., Deafkids, Michael Kiwanuka, Kelly Moran, Canalon de Timbiqui, Pour Me a Grog, Loscil, The Good Ones

 

Music for 11/21/19!!! The Phantom Broadcast, Juana Molina, Coldplay

@@@ The Phantom Broadcast: Antiquities Vol 2 (Vicarion, 2019)  I got to this genre mash of rock, jazz, metal via a music publicist in the Midwest.  The first tune is an ambient intro before things set to rocking.  As was described in the email it’s not gonna be a straight rock thing.  It does have elements of mainstream rock but it doesn’t come off as having the same goals as a mainstream rock tune.  So  a bit of prog, a schmear of classic rock, a little ’80s rock happening.  The third track, Burrowing Owl, opens acoustically with a figure, a wee bit of tinkly percussion and some intoned ooh ah vocals.  I would usually not respond to this type of music well at all but I don’t hate this, in fact I kinda like it.  I always say it’s partially the sounds, but also what you’re doing with the sounds.  In addition they seem into it.  I want musicians to be into what they’re doing and they sound into it.  The second to last tune, Leaving Appleton brings on the mellow once again so it’s less of a rock record and a bit more of a slightly proggy, arty acoustic thing.  I give respect to them for doing something different.

@@@ JUANA MOLINA: Forfun [EP] (Crammed Discs, 2019) Two releases (this one and the one below) from this week’s WRIR playlist email.  I’m a big Crammed Discs fan so I check their releases and I think I’ve even heard Juana Molina’s music before.  This first tune is a quirky rock thing, think a melted B-52s kind of vibe.  Thin driving guitars, an accelerated tempo, and vocals in Spanish.  Every track has the word punk in it so she does follow through on her pledge.  I would call this world punk, it’s executed well and she brings flavor to the tracks with her vocals.  I’m not super in the mood for it, I would recommend the new Muslims record over this one if you want a punk injection.

@@@ Coldplay: Champion of the World (Sony, 2019) I couldn’t find the Malaysian pop reissue from the ’70s that I wanted to review in this slot so I opted for the righteous and flaccid Coldplay.  This is the first single from their new biscuit.  I’m not sure what to say about this mainstream cheese comet — it’s hard to believe this is the work of grown men as it comes off as childish.  It’s got a classic feel good acoustic guitar strum, a big stack of background vocals, a simple guitar riff and the singer, oy the singer!!!  I’ve clipped the lyric video below but unless you’re strung out on Oxy I wouldn’t suggest it.  I think he’s the champion of the world because she (whoever she is is just so awesome).  Wow, let’s wrap up for the day.

YTD recordings listened to: 610
Good music, not list worthy: 364
Not good music: 205

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise, Andre Bratten, Nathan Corder/Tom Weeks, Oli XL, Buzzherd, Logistic Slaughter, The Muslims, Tobe Nwigwe, Saint Abdullah, Bug Martin, Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, Toko Telo, Brittany Howard, The Garifuna Collective, Mariachi El Bronx, Bonnie Baxter, Danny Brown, clipping., Deafkids, Michael Kiwanuka, Kelly Moran, Canalon de Timbiqui, Pour Me a Grog, Loscil, The Good Ones

Music for 11/20/19!!! The Good Ones, Charles Rumback, Mono

@@@ The Good Ones: Rwanda, You Should Be Loved (Anti-, 2019) Today’s listens came to this blog post the All Music notable release email which comes out every Friday.  The song titles here are very substantive — A Long Sad Journey Watching You Die is an example.  The opening tune (clipped below) is a vocal and acoustic guitar track.  Medium energy but with a slight melancholic feel to it.  The second tune opens up with the same formula plus a simple hand percussion beat so this is looking like it’s gonna be a stripped down unplugged set.  This second one is more beautiful than the first.  There are some hipster guest appearances from Nels Cline and a member of Sleater Kinney.  I will remain open minded on that concept until I hear it.  There are two singers here and they blend and stand out from each other quite beautifully.  I get why they’re having some gringos up in their tracks to get white folks to move towards them, but it doesn’t really add anything when I hear Nels Cline drop in a wannabe African figure.  I don’t have time to check this whole record but I can’t see how this wouldn’t make my year end list.

@@@ Charles Rumback: Little Common Twist (Thrill Jockey, 2019)  I thought I saw somewhere that this was jazz and there are some jazz signifiers here but it’s also got a very strong folk vibe to it as it’s a duo record between a drummer and an acoustic guitar player.  The focus here to my ears is on the beauty of the music whereas on a great jazz record I find the give and take between the players to be the central driving feature.  It’s not for me to say that this isn’t jazz, they can call it whatever they want but I do get to say how I hear it.  Some electric guitar wash makes an appearance in the third track but the basic formula remains the same.  This could work for a lot of folks — a lot of folks want their music to be first and foremost beautiful.  I’m not in it for that but I don’t insist on my point of view.

@@@ Mono: Before the Past (Temporary Residence, 2019) 3 songs recorded live at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio in Chicago.  I’m expecting some combination of rock, indie, noise and maybe some metal flavors in this first 16 minute track.  Gloom-ish, Tool-ey.  It is as it signalled at the beginning of the tune and it sounds great.  I’m not sure if I’m not in the mood for it or if I don’t like it so I will chill some more and see where it goes.  The sounds are absolutely huge rocks sounds and I like the playing but it doesn’t grab me.  Once again with the disclaimers, that’s just me, check it out for yourself.

YTD recordings listened to: 607
Good music, not list worthy: 362
Not good music: 204

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise, Andre Bratten, Nathan Corder/Tom Weeks, Oli XL, Buzzherd, Logistic Slaughter, The Muslims, Tobe Nwigwe, Saint Abdullah, Bug Martin, Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, Toko Telo, Brittany Howard, The Garifuna Collective, Mariachi El Bronx, Bonnie Baxter, Danny Brown, clipping., Deafkids, Michael Kiwanuka, Kelly Moran, Canalon de Timbiqui, Pour Me a Grog, Loscil,

Music for 11/19/19!!! Pat Metheny, Loscil, Sergei Bulat

@@@ Pat Metheny: America Undefined (Nonesuch, 2019)  A 13 minute pre release single from a full length dancefloor banger from Metheny due out in 2020.  I can’t wait for the next decade if it starts out with a bomb from Metheny!  I got to this tune via the Twatter, hmmmm the Twatter.  Instrumentation is piano, guitar bass and drums and opens at a firm and laidback pace.  Oooh, a few flute flourishes back in that mix.  I guess the discussion of Pat Metheny would have to revolve around a slightly philosophical discussion as to the purpose of music and the joy that it brings to each of us in its different ways.  If you listen to music as a comfort and you want some smooth improv to help you through your day you could turn to Metheny.  If you are looking for some fire to inspire you to rise above this thirteen minutes will not work for you.  This music makes me yearn for flavored coffee or a big glass of red wine and a thick sweater, all things that are not part of my life on a daily basis.

@@@ Loscil: Equivalents (kranky, 2019)  A twatter listen, I love the Twatter it’s good stuff.  This is ambient music, I dig ambient music but I have certain things I like in ambient music and certain things I don’t like in ambient music.  I don’t like guitars in ambient music, for example, they sound stupid to my ears.  This first tune is a stew of ambient synth clouds with lots of motion packed into the clouds.  It’s pretty dark stuff and I tend to prefer the darker ambient to the New Age stuff.  The second tune is slower with less motion in the mix but it has an ominous church feel to it without using a church organ patch.  Also a very nice bass pulse throbs tastefully at the bottom of the frequency range.  I’m on the third tune and I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve heard thus far.  I plan on circling back on this record when I have the full amount of time to digest the whole thing but this is primo dark ambient.

@@@ Serge Bulat: Kalah Folklore (Serge Bulat, 2019)  I got an email from the artist for this listen.  I’m not obligated to like music because somebody wrote me an email but I always treat the independent artists with more respect than I do the corporate dirty dogs like Bruno Mars and Lady GagMe.  It is a three song EP that I think combines electronic and world music.  It has a lighter rather than a darker feel without being to light or particularly.  He takes the female singer and puts a lot of delay onto her performance making it more of a color than an outright melody.  Overall it is a busy mix that percolates percussively.  I’m on the second tune Idiots don’t Exist and the arrangements are really well done.  A unique and interesting chill vibe is at work here.

YTD recordings listened to: 604
Good music, not list worthy: 361
Not good music: 203

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise, Andre Bratten, Nathan Corder/Tom Weeks, Oli XL, Buzzherd, Logistic Slaughter, The Muslims, Tobe Nwigwe, Saint Abdullah, Bug Martin, Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, Toko Telo, Brittany Howard, The Garifuna Collective, Mariachi El Bronx, Bonnie Baxter, Danny Brown, clipping., Deafkids, Michael Kiwanuka, Kelly Moran, Canalon de Timbiqui, Pour Me a Grog, Loscil

 

Music for 11/18/19!!! Keyah/Blu, Peng Ting, Maija Sofia

@@@ KEYAH/BLU: Choker (Keyah/Blue, 2019) I got to this London artist via a music magazine called Crack.  She is being namechecked alongside Frank Ocean.  It is slotted as hip hop on Apple Music and while it sports a funky beat, the breathy vocals and the pleasantly odd vocal stacks take it out of the hip hop neighborhood pretty quickly.  She also pops in a glitched and chopped section where the whole song stutters.  That catches my ear.  When she starts rhyming you know how I feel?  Like she shouldn’t!  But that’s just me.  She totally should rhyme but it’s not my cup of tea.  She only rhymes for a quick minute and moves back to half sung mode.  I like the beats, I like some of the vocals but I never got pulled into the track.

@@@ Greentea Peng: Downers (Different Recordings, 2019) I got to this sultry psychedelic soul singer via the Line of Best Fit.  I don’t know where Ms. Peng is from but she has a unique vocal inflection.   A world music sounding string sample that could be from any number of places drives the non-beat portion of the track.  It’s not a pick me up track as she’s been taking a lot of downers and wasting time getting high.  She resides in the UK but you can see from the video below she’s not a fish and chip eating Boris Johnson frat boy.  I like what she does but I’ve heard various trip hop versions of this approach.  I could use something that stands out a bit more to differentiate it.  She also wears the vocal hook out a bit.

@@@ Maija Sofia:  The Glitter (Trapped Animal, 2019)  A female, Dublin based singer also encountered on the Line of Best Fit email.  Right from the first measure you can hear this is gonna be an alt-country-ish heart string puller.  Lots of depth to the sounds, very Daniel Lanois-esque in its stylings.  She has a distinct Irish lilt to her voice and the vocal hook revolves around remembering how they danced through the glitter.  Indeed it’s about a romance in the past.  Because the tune doesn’t have a drumkit or percussion the whole tune has a floating feel to it, partially because the sounds (especially the slide guitar) are so huge and cloudy.  I like the sounds more than the lyrics but I do like the delivery.  Check for yourself, I’m just one dude running a music blog that sounds like the title of a porn flick.

YTD recordings listened to: 601
Good music, not list worthy: 359
Not good music: 203

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise, Andre Bratten, Nathan Corder/Tom Weeks, Oli XL, Buzzherd, Logistic Slaughter, The Muslims, Tobe Nwigwe, Saint Abdullah, Bug Martin, Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, Toko Telo, Brittany Howard, The Garifuna Collective, Mariachi El Bronx, Bonnie Baxter, Danny Brown, clipping., Deafkids, Michael Kiwanuka, Kelly Moran, Canalon de Timbiqui, Pour Me a Grog

 

Music for 11/14/19!!! Luke Combs, Slayer, SebastiAn

@@@ Luke Combs: What You See is What You Get (Sony, 2019)  Off this week’s All Music notable release email.  All three listens today.  This looks like some shaggy ass bubba new country (from the look of the cover) but we shall see.  I think I’ve heard this first tune, Beer Never Broke My Heart.  Clever but it’s still bubba ass pop country arena rock.  This could be a Budweiser commercial.  I think they lead with the best song as the second tune is a cheese ballad talking about his dad riding a John Deere tractor in 1996.  Signifiers people, signifiers.  Please remember this has nothing to do with class, I’m listening to this as music and its ability make me feel.  I don’t feel much even though he’s pulling hard at the nostalgia heart strings.  It says a lot about cliches and repeated themes.  What is super interesting here is how this is as sophisticated as an Ariana Grande record is in messaging to certain demographics and listeners.  I don’t like Ariana Grande either.

@@@ Slayer: The Repentless Killology (Nuclear Blast, 2019)  A live recording from 2017.  I’m a pretty big Slayer fan they’ve played a huge role in bringing metal to lots of people.  It’s not my favorite metal of all time but it certainly outperforms Metallica in its metal-ness and ability to stay away from redneck vibes.  These guys have been playing for a long time and it’s impressive that they can still put out so much energy.  I don’t care much that they’re focusing on their classic tracks, it’s just awesome to hear them dropping these tracks at this high level.

@@@ SebastiAn: Thirst (Because Music, 2019) Our last listen of the day, a huge figure apparently in the history of electronic music becoming mainstream.  The first tune is not great.  It’s that cheesy kind of shopping mall, electronic pop music with arena rock feels and no ambient trippy flavors to it.  I skipped to the second track but I’m guessing this this is gonna be a pretty quick listen.  This shit ain’t for me, it’s frat boy electronic. There is sophistication to this record.  Unfortunately that sophistication lies in the production and it is employed to cover what is a purposeful decision to have the music be mostly empty.  For example, on this third tune Movement there are some very nice subtle Beatles feels.  However the tune is not much more than these sounds though there are lyrics.  I would recommend this music to cows that are going up the chute right before somebody puts a metal bolt into their skull.  It will distract them.  It will do the same for humans.

YTD recordings listened to: 598
Good music, not list worthy: 357
Not good music: 202

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise, Andre Bratten, Nathan Corder/Tom Weeks, Oli XL, Buzzherd, Logistic Slaughter, The Muslims, Tobe Nwigwe, Saint Abdullah, Bug Martin, Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, Toko Telo, Brittany Howard, The Garifuna Collective, Mariachi El Bronx, Bonnie Baxter, Danny Brown, clipping., Deafkids, Michael Kiwanuka, Kelly Moran, Canalon de Timbiqui, Pour Me a Grog

Music for 11/13/19!!! Los Shain’s, Rachid Taha, Oumar Konate

@@@ LOS SHAIN’S: El Ritmo De Los Shain’s (Munster, 2019) All of today’s listens are off this week’s WRIR playlist email. WRIR is a most excellent world music radio station in Virginia. This is a re-issue from 1966 Peru and while the music is somewhat dated (early mid American rock ‘n roll) it sure is entertaining to hear these guys tuck some Latin flavors into these uber white tunes. I’m a white person, just so you know and don’t get all tighty whitey. The energy here is super high and old school rock ‘n roll partyistic. I would recommend to young, indie rock loving listeners to check this out if they don’t know this flavor and if you’re just up for some energy have at it.

@@@ RACHID TAHA: Je Suis Africain (Believe, 2019) I listened to the third record first so this is my second listen of the day. This is more African music, this time influenced by many different musics and sung in French. In the first tune there are strings and it’s more of a mash of African and southern European musics. Taha was Algerian (he passed in 2018) and this is quite interesting both culturally and sonically. Je suis Africain is his 16th and final solo record. I’ve heard his music before but I haven’t checked out a full recording. He was comfortable borrowing from whatever sounded good and useful to him and that’s what makes it interesting. It’s not borrowing as in trying to calculate something; it’s more of a stew and he’s throwing all manner of ideas into his stew while retaining ownership as the chef. I don’t hear the Clash vibe in the music as much as the Guardian review did but the mashing of all manner of sounds is certainly a branch of punk rock.

@@@ OUMAR KONATE: I Love You Inna (Clermont, 2019) A guitar player from Mali that I got to via the WRIR email. The record opens with a tune called Houndia and it is sweet with multiple guitars. I hear three and there may be another tucked in there. The tune ends with a violin solo over a hand drum which I hope to hear more of. The second tune, Oumar Bakoi, gets more into a rocking space, still multiple guitars but a bit of wah wah guitar and a firmer overall feel. I like Konate’s voice (I’m assuming Konate is singing which may not be the case) and I will end my listen with the third track, the title track. It lopes along with a slightly funky rock beat. This track is the most guitar hero-ish which is understandable as the folks who are trying to get non-African U.S./European folks to listen to African music arena rock is a good touchstone. I think this above average though I have a slight preference for Noura Mint Seymali’s debut as it cooks a bit more. I think if you’re going to rock you should really rip it.

YTD recordings listened to: 595
Good music, not list worthy: 355
Not good music: 202

Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0

Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel, Chaka Khan, Pom Poko, Fried Egg, Horndal, Wyxz, Tarek Atoui, Hawktail, Saicobab, Shannon and the Clams, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Emma Louise, Andre Bratten, Nathan Corder/Tom Weeks, Oli XL, Buzzherd, Logistic Slaughter, The Muslims, Tobe Nwigwe, Saint Abdullah, Bug Martin, Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, Toko Telo, Brittany Howard, The Garifuna Collective, Mariachi El Bronx, Bonnie Baxter, Danny Brown, clipping., Deafkids, Michael Kiwanuka, Kelly Moran, Canalon de Timbiqui, Pour Me a Grog