Music for 12/29/19!!! Christian aTunde Adjuah, Daisy the Great

@@@ Christian aTunde Adjuah: Ancestral Recall (Ropeadope, 2019) This New Orleans jazz musician is on Ted Gioia’s best of 2019.  It doesn’t open as straight jazz record might, it’s ambient with world music influences as well as hippie music.  The second tune switches to some pretty wicked hand drumming with Saul Williams (who I dig) doing some spoken word business.  The word sprawling might fit for this record.  Cosmic as well.  I’m feeling this second tune — the sounds, the playing, the vibe of it.  I appreciate this reimaging and merging of jazz ideas with other musics and concepts.  The drumming is especially welcome to my listening as it adds so much energy to the music.

@@@ Daisy the Great: I’m Not Getting Any Taller (Paper Moon, 2019)  A record that also appears on Ted Gioia’s best of 2019 list.  It is female driven, intimate bedroom folk indie.  In a rare turn for indie music the rhythm on the track opens up after the intro into some swinging.  The lyrics revolve around relationships and self reflection while the music continues to bounce in a way less annoying than most indie music.  It’s not really my thing but I get the appeal for sure.  Creative arrangements, nice sounds and production, and lyrics that some may like.  It’s not bedroom folk indie, that was just the intro to the first tune, it’s bouncy indie.

YTD recordings listened to: 671
Good music, not list worthy: 406
Not good music: 222

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 15

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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik, Moodymann, Pharmakon

Music for 12/27/19!!! Bat for Lashes, The Who

@@@ BAT FOR LASHES – LOST GIRLS (AWAL, 2019) #1 on ABC News best 50 albums of the year.  Cinematic synths that sound like sunset and the open road?  Fantastic!  Oh boy, this sounds like the ’80s cut a smelly fart.  Gated snare sounds, simple and unfunky drum machine beats and Madonna on cough syrup lyrics.  This was ABC News’ #1 record, that’s fucked up!  I would never say this music sucks, but it’s definitely not for me.  For me these are empty sounds and it’s frightening to me that people would consider this awesome.  I love electronic music but the lack of ideas and the sounds….

@@@ The Who: Who (Polydor, 2019) Off the same 2019 ABC News list.  I’ve seen a lot of praise for this record but I’ve held off listening as I love some of my old Who records.  I find bad records by former superstars depressing but this first tune has plenty of energy and pop to it.  The second tune, Ball and Chain, has an unmistakable Teenage Wasteland feel to it.  It’s a bit weird to hear these dudes going on about Guantanamo Bay but hey who cares, they be rocking.  These guys do a better job of reanimating rock/arena rock/ambitious rock in their ’70s than gents more than half their age.  It’s not a record I feel like I would spin all the time but I’m impressed with the energy and the music.  I think they’re purposely trying to not make a lyrically epic record, the third tune is called I Don’t Wanna Get Wise and is pretty mundane and everyday in its aspirations.

YTD recordings listened to: 669
Good music, not list worthy: 406
Not good music: 222

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 15

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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik, Moodymann, Pharmakon

 

 

 

Music for 12/26/19!!! Priests, Pharmakon

@@@ Priests: Seduction of Kansas (Sister Polygon, 2019) #81 on Vice’s best of 2019 and it’s a blend of rock, punk, a little indie dancefloor, and a little ’80 angular Devo style business.  I don’t understand why the worst rock sounds of the ’80s have been recycled while hardcore and freak punk has not been resurrected.  These questions are above my pay grade but I’m not a huge fan of these sounds and while I’m sure the female singer is a decent human I’m not feeling her microphone stylings.

@@@ Pharmakon: Devour (Sacred Bones, 2019)  Some dark ass industrial that sits at #77 on Vice’s top 100 of 2019.  The unique addition to the cruncy, incessant machine sounds is the processed and fucked up vocals the singer, Pharmakon herself injects into the proceedings.  I dig the fucked-up-edness of this first track.  The second tune, Spit it Out has more of a swampy and metal feel to it.  It’s a 7 minute banger so I’m betting it’s going to unfold a tad on the slow side but that’s fine as I dig the sounds.  At about 1:40 it goes threedly and high frequency aggro.  I’m in the middle of the third tune and while it’s a bit of a one tone situation I do dig the unique sonic darkness presented here.

YTD recordings listened to: 667
Good music, not list worthy: 404
Not good music: 222

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 15

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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik, Moodymann, Pharmakon

Music for 12/24/19!!! Moodymann, Resavoir

@@@ Moodymann: Sinner KDJ-48 (Moodymann, 2019)  Ooh some classic techno out of Detroit.  This first tune gets into some sharp dancefloor punk with something close to (if not) an electric guitar and a circular, popping bassline.  I read a quick bio of Moodymann on the Wikipedia and he’s been in the game for a long time.  I mention this as some of his sounds sound classic and even a bit Prince-like in flavors.  An ongoing, quasi stream of conciousness voice provides the vocal element to the record.  These are deliciously funky arrangements here that keep my interest than the vast majority of techno bangers.

@@@ Resavoir: Resavoir (International Anthem, 2019) Today’s listens come to you via Vice’s big ass top 100 records of 2019.  I saw this album described as being created by a jazz collective in Chicago.  I would say it’s more of proggy, r&b kinda thing, maybe jazz fusion if you’re feeling so inclined.  Sophisticated arrangements with a large ensemble, small bits of vocals, no lyrics but quasi-scatting.  All very smoothly presented.  Okay, it’s fuzion as a big horn solo comes in on the the title track.  I would describe this as an Earth Wind and Fire record without the dance feel to it.  Intricate horn lines, harps (!), maybe even more than one drummer.  It’s not my favorite strain of jazz but check it for yourself.

YTD recordings listened to: 665
Good music, not list worthy: 404
Not good music: 222

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 15

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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik, Moodymann

Music for 12/22/19!!! Gauche, Blanck Mass

@@@ Gauche: A People’s History of Gauche (Merge, 2019) I find the vast majority of indie disco and indie funk to be unsatisfying.  I saw this record on Bandcamp’s best of 100 and while I like the band energy of this first tune, the vocals kinda drag it down.  It sounds a bit like the Minutemen had a baby with the B-52s.  Angular, driving, and most definitely a white folks night out.  The driving energy here puts this release into a different category than the milquetoast indie funk but it does barely qualify as a dance release, it’s more of a ramped up pogo punk thing with a friendly vibe.

@@@ Blanck Mass: Animated Violence Mind (Sacred Bones, 2019) A dark electronic album I saw on Vice’s best 100 of the year.  After an intro it gets into a industrial dance vibe on a tune called Death Drop.  It brings in some video game sounds and it has an annoying synth string thing going and I’m not quite sure I’m up for 7 minutes of this.  I give it props for smashing up very disparate sounds but I’m not super enjoying it.  I’m in the third tune and these could either use more sounds to deepen the grooves and engage the listener or the songs should be shorter.  With better synth patches, the cheesy pop patches are at odds with the industrial feels.  It’s not word salad, it’s a sound salad.

YTD recordings listened to: 665
Good music, not list worthy: 404
Not good music: 222

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 15

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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik, Moodymann

Music for 12/21/19!!! Sheer Mag

@@@ Sheer Mag: A Distant Call (Sheer Mag, 2019)  If you’re up for some ’80s era AC/DC plus some hair band energy from that era as well as a little post hippie hard rock groovy,  then sidle up to Sheer Mag.  This burger does come with a fair amount of cheese so be forewarned if you have high cholesterol.  The singer is a cock walker, pimping and preening through the opener Steel Sharpens Steel.  This is clearly a theatrical re-enactment/homage to ’70s and ’80s arena rock which I find befuddling but I guess the rock star mythology is alive and well for some of us.   Thin Lizzy guitar licks, Def Leppard feels, and a pube or two of your other favorite bands maybe.

YTD recordings listened to: 663
Good music, not list worthy: 402
Not good music: 222

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 15

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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik, Moodymann

Music for 12/19/19!!! Pissgrave, Deserted

@@@ Pissgrave: Posthumous Humiliation (Profound Lore, 2019)  Wow!  This record opens up with a giant wall of ass static!  Impressive.  The playing is fierce but the mix has been contorted and squashed until it’s recognizable but painfully so.  Sorta like a deer that’s been hit by a car — it’s still a deer but it’s very fucked up.  I think there would be more impact if the music had some low end to it as it sounds like it’s being extruded by a transistor radio.  I’m enjoying the threedly guitar work on this fourth tune, Catacombs of Putrid Chambers, but the distortion and the lack of low end is a bit physically repulsive to my ears.  Which is the point I get that, the world is ugly so why not music?

@@@ Deserted: Gatekeeper (Relapse, 2019) Off Vice’s top 100 of 2019 which has the most variety of any list I’ve seen to this point.  It can have that as it’s 100 records, but still it’s not infested (Trump!) with nonsense indie rock.  This first tune comes out frog stomping and riffy with big big guitar sounds and arena rock drums.  It slowly builds to a thrashy thing and I enjoyed that transition.  I’m not a huge fan of this singing style and they definitely swirl more than a bit of rock boogie into what I’ve heard thus far.  I like it all right but I like my metal less classic and rougher and more molten.

YTD recordings listened to: 660
Good music, not list worthy: 400
Not good music: 222

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 15

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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik

Music for 12/18/19!!! Jordan Rakei, Teebs

@@@ Jordan Rakei: Origin (Ninjatune, 2019) #60 on Pitchfork’s top 100 best of 2019.  It is blurbed as alternative r&b and this first tune is somewhat alt while being uplifting and a wee bit gospel-y.  Very intricately layered production sounds going on here and I’m feeling that.  I peeped this musician’s bio and see that he’s a New Zealand/Australian human being headquartered in London.  He has funky aspirations that he does a good job with but there is a certain blue eyed soul vibe going through the three songs I’ve heard thus far.  I’m out on this fourth tune which combines a disco beat with smooth funk.  Excellent arrangements and production, could use some grit imho.

@@@ Teebs: Annica (Brainfeeder, 2019) #63 on Pitchfork’s list and the first tune is a very nice ambient lullaby kinda thing.    The second tune features the singers from Sudan Archives which changes the vibe to a chill lounge tune.   As the Apple Music blurb points out this is not a record focused solely on beats, which I dig.  However, there are times when I’m listening and I could use a blend of the maximum chill sounds as well as some muscular business as well.  I think they could co-exist.

YTD recordings listened to: 658
Good music, not list worthy: 398
Not good music: 222

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 15

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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik

Music for 12/17/19!!! Stormzy, Mannequin Pussy, MIKE

@@@ Stormzy: Heavy is the Head (Atlantic/Warner, 2019)  I’m a big Guardian reader and Stormzy is a huge ass deal in the UK.  Regular readers know of my ongoing love/hate with UK hip hop and how the British accent changes the listening experience more than you would think.  The first tune, Big Michael, sees Stormzy rapping over a bombastic synth part and a surprisingly unfunky drum loop.  Stormzy sounds tough and I appreciate that.  The second tune (clipped below) sports a better beat and Stormzy bringing it with more energy.  Even though I still prefer American hip hop I can see why Stormzy is a big deal in the UK.  He’s an energetic and skilled MC for sure.  The third tune is the title track and a slow ballad so I clicked through.  In a bad sign I’m on the sixth tune and I think the first two were the best tracks by far.

@@@ Mannequin Pussy: Patience (Epitaph, 2019) #35 on Pitchfork’s best of 2019 list.  Not a band I’ve heard til now but I guess they’re a Philly outfit making the leap to Epitaph.  On this first tune they come off as energetic and not as Southern California ramped up skate punk that I associate with Epitaph.  They sport a female singer who I think does really solid work on the mic.  They definitely lift indie sounds from the ’90s to put them into their updated punk sound and they end up sounding the way bands sounded back in the day before indie/punk and all that exploded into various genres and subgenres.  The second tune (clipped below) is the single for sure.  Confessional lyrics with nice vocal hooks.  The third tune, Cream really rocks and I’m a bit shocked it didn’t lead the album out of the gates.  The second and third songs are the best of what I heard.

@@@ Mike: Tears of Joy (10k, 2019) #31 on Pitchfork’s top 50 of 2019.   Described as a producer/rapper that is reshaping underground hip hop on Apple Music the first track Scarred Lungs Vol. 1&2 opens up with a cloudy flute loop mashed up with a keyboard vamp.  I’m guesing on that.  This tune has a pleasantly chopped feel but I’m not a huge fan of these drawling MCs.  The second tune Whole Wide World keeps the trippy/dreamy vibe but ditches the herky jerky sample placement and resembles more of a hippie hop chill listening experience.  He also puts more energy into the rhymes and their delivery.  I’m checking this third tune, Going Truu and I like it best of what I’ve heard.  He takes the sounds in the gospel direction and he gets a good head of steam to his rhymes. 

YTD recordings listened to: 656
Good music, not list worthy: 396
Not good music: 222

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 15

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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik

Music for 12/16/19!!! Magdalena Bay, Gordon Grdina, BigKlit

@@@ Magdalena Bay: Oh Hell (Luminelle Records, 2019). A single I got to via a twat on the Twatter.  Interesting about the music business this record is twatted by the gent who runs Luminelle but that’s not disclosed.  #details!! So he says these guys are one of the most underrated bands in the world.  It is a 1980s influenced synth pop tune with an early Madonna sounding female singer.  A much better sounding Madonnna.  It’s a tight arrangement which I appreciate but these synth sounds, oy I could use something a bit more interesting than these sounds.  I would compare this to a merengue cookie — how many super sweet merengue cookies can a person eat?  From the deluge of ’80s synth pop apparently our collective appetite for merengue cookies is huge.  Like the arrangement and the singer, the sounds, meh.

@@@ Gordon Grdina: China Clouds (Madic, 2019). I got to this guitarist/oud player’s record via a jazz publicist email.  I’m swimming in them over here, the publicist emails that is.  The record opens with an extended guitar solo which begs the question — is this a solo guitar record because I didn’t read the email!!!  The second tune switches from acoustic to electric guitar and I like the switch though he shreds on acoustic.  I think I hear at least three tracks of guitar here so it’s looking like this is a solo guitar record but it’s occasionally multi-tracked.  He busts out on a fairly massive oud solo on the fourth tracks and I like Grdina’s playing.  He’s energetic and exloratory at the same time.  He solos over an abstract and dark electronic loop on this fourth tune and I find to be a pretty creative decision.  There’s not a lot of jazz that dabbles in this ambient darkness so I’m really digging not just the loops but the darker playing.  This ain’t for swingers!

@@@ BigKlit: Beautiful (ROT$, 2019) I got to this female hip hop tune via a music publicist email.  It opens with the line ‘you’re so fucking beautiful’ repeating over and over.  It’s a off kilter track that goes full nuts as Ms. BigKlit starts screaming ‘you’re so fucking beautiful’ and then throwing in that she’s also a ho which is an interesting contrast to the repeating praise.  The arrangement is minimal and well done but it certainly takes a back seat to the lyrics and the vocalist.  Props for defying expectations!  You’re so fucking beautiful you ho!

YTD recordings listened to: 653
Good music, not list worthy: 394
Not good music: 221

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 15

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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik