Track of the week!

Music for 11/27/20!!! Cautious Clay, Babeheaven, Litany, The Bottle Babies

@@@ Cautious Clay: Dying in the Subtlety (Self-released, 2020) The first three listens today are from last week’s Line of Best Fit email. Friendly coffee shop r&b with a super smooth singer layering up the vocals tracks. Lyrically I’m not sure what dying in subtlety means, I mean I know what the words mean but it’s a literate attempt and it may be too subtle for a simple ape such as myself. It’s a brief tune, about 2 minutes, with user friendly guitar solo at the end and that’s pretty much it. I’m a bit weirded out by the giant face below so Imma tip.

@@@ Babeheaven: Craziest Things (Babeheaven, 2020) I can’t think of a friendlier rock sound that could wash across anybody’s taint. A couple of guitars, soft reggae imitating as well as a single line thing, steady but not pushy drums, and female voice that is a hazy warm blanket. The vocal hook is ‘I’m sorry I can’t lay there anymore.’ I don’t know if that’s a sex strike anthem it certainly doesn’t have a protest vibe to the sounds. There’s a tambourine that makes an occasional shake and for once I don’t insist in demanding a cowbell replacement. A cowbell in this tune wouldn’t work. Cowbells are insistent, a look at me sound, hells yeah and all that. Here we have chips and dip, mostly dip. It’s not particularly cheesy so it’s not cheese dip but it’s dip nonetheless.

@@@ Litany: Uh-huh (Litany, 2020) Some upbeat funk with a poppin’ bass and a bit of video game blurp sauce. I like the minimalist arrangement thought the tune does fill up and push in the chorus. She’s got a fair amount of vocal tracks but they didn’t go overboard with the background vocals. I usually do not cotton to the pop funk that is completely electro, I like guitars for contrast, but this works. Not jumping up and down but it’s focused and it makes sense. I tend to enjoy music more when it makes some sort of sense.

@@@ Butcher Babies: Bottom of a Bottle (Blood Blast, 2020) I got to this metal track via a music publicist. Take a bit of glam and showboating and layer it onto some hard rock drumming and blasting guitar power chords. Some might say (me) that this is sports bar hard rock — it’s about getting pumped up and drinking and just hells yeah. Another barrier is down as a pair of women have cock walked through a hard rock track. Hells yeah!

YTD recordings listened to: 930
Good music, not list worthy: 500
Not good music: 397

Best: 7
Honorable Mentions: 7

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, 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, Alefa Madagascar, Janjao, Luge, Wiki, Mick Jenkins, Jeremiah Jae, Fera, Gambian Griot Kora Duets, Drama, Beatrice Dillon, Mass Worship, mmmonika, Les Deuxluxes, Tony Allen, Fra Fra, Nihiloxica, Hailu Mergia, Pokey LaFarge, Nico Gomez, Nohe and Sus Santos, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, Shy One, Protomartyr, Nnamdi, 25,000 Kittens, Tristan Arp

Music for 11/26/20!!! Vangarde, Susan Alcorn, Judith Hill, The Whitlams

@@@ Vangarde: The New Normal (Fat Beat Records, 2020) I got to to this independent hip hop tune via a music publicist email. I think the name of the beatmaker Stu Bangas is hilarious. The beats here are decidely pre-trap, they got some scratching going on with a nice panned keyboard part that helps to drive the track. Also a stylish horn sample. The lyrics are non-gangsta and they appear to be rocking a non-materialistic, black philosopher type of viewpoint in the vein of Boogie Down Productions. I like it, this formula is not common these days in hip hop so I appreciate it as it’s not super frequently encountered.

@@@ Susan Alcorn: Pedernal (Relative Pitch, 2020) Some pedal steel jazz I got to via the Twatter if I remember correctly. As long as it doesn’t take the Bill Frissell snoozytime tea approach I’ll be happy. This opens with a upright bass and pedal steel and it’s a pleasing contrast. A drummer comes in as well as a second guitar and a fiddle. Love the fiddle, agnostic on the second guitar, the pedal steel is a bit staid, like the bassist and agnostic on the drummer. I have to modify my view a bit as the tune devolves into bits and a simpler banging rhythm in places and the voices fall out of being in sync which I find more intereting. I could use a bit more fire myself but I like it, especially the fiddle.

@@@ Judith Hill: Americana (Regime, 2020) Another track I got to via a music publicist email. From the video image below it looks like season 2 of Watchmen and I’m up for that, great show! My first impression is that Ms. Hill has heard a lot of Curtis Mayfield records, but not in a bad way. It comes out of a strings and conga intro into a more Prince flavored funk. A very tricked arrangement with some fresh sounds up in here. There’s a bit of politics with a gunshot and the lyric ‘you better run away when you hear the bang bang’. The tune keeps turning over with new sounds and sections and I have to cough up some respect for this — it’s fresh. She takes sounds from various African American musicians and smashes them up into something her own. Most notable are the Prince feels. This is a pre-release track and I would check out more.

@@@ The Whitlams: Blow Up the Pokies (Black Yak, 2000) A long running Australian group I got to via one of the many Australian music magazines I have sliding into my inbox. This is a re-issued track from 2000 and it’s epic, UK/Scotland arena rock which is not my favorite flavor of popsicle. It’s intimate in the verse and it cheeses itself in the chorus, oh boy does that cheddar get slathered on. The string arrangements, the strummed acoustic guitar get your spoon out and lap up the corn that comes with the cheese. I have no clue as to what Blow Up the Pokies means but I’m not sure I’m interested in finding out. It’s some sort of tune about the destruction of the slot machines in Australia which makes it slightly more interesting, but just slightly.

YTD recordings listened to: 926
Good music, not list worthy: 498
Not good music: 395

Best: 7
Honorable Mentions: 7

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, 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, Alefa Madagascar, Janjao, Luge, Wiki, Mick Jenkins, Jeremiah Jae, Fera, Gambian Griot Kora Duets, Drama, Beatrice Dillon, Mass Worship, mmmonika, Les Deuxluxes, Tony Allen, Fra Fra, Nihiloxica, Hailu Mergia, Pokey LaFarge, Nico Gomez, Nohe and Sus Santos, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, Shy One, Protomartyr, Nnamdi, Ekiti Sound, Awa Fall, 25,000 Kittens, Anjimile, Tristan Arp

Music for 11/25/20!!! Kokoroko, Mista Savona, Dafnis Prieto, Songhoy Blues

@@@ KOKOROKO | “Baba Ayoola” [Single] (Brownswood, 2020) I think got to this via the Line of Best Fit; this label releases a lot of music that smashes up Afrobeat, fusion jazz, and a wee sausage of hip hop. This track is closer to pure Afrobeat than other releases I’ve checked out. Strong but not overpowering horns, a lot of guitar noodling, little rhythmic bits floating here and there and some funky drumming. I like the horns, agnostic on the guitars, agnostic on the drums, that’s the view from here. A spacious and cloudy synth solo has entered the picture and I dig that. It provides nice contrast with the horns. The bass player is working pretty overtime pumping a more jazz fusion flow than traditional Afrobeat. The vocals are cool.

@@@ MISTA SAVONA PRESENTS HAVANA MEETS KINGSTON | “Beat Con Flow (feat Cimafunk)” [Single]| (Cumbancha-Baco, 2020) Slotted as Rock Y Alternativo on Apple Music I hear it more as Latin funk than rock. Shuffle beat over which a pretty huge stack of vocals gets its rhythm on, including some group rhyming/rapping. I have no idea what the rhyming is about but it sounds partyistic that’s for sure. Outside of the drums and the vocals there’s a baritone horn providing an occasional rhythmic punctuation, a vamping keyboard and then some scratched up vocals and some melodic horns to take you out. I like it.

@@@ Dafnis Prieto Sextet: No Es Facil (Self released, 2020) I’m not the hugest fan of Latin jazz as it tends to be on the low energy side and I do love me the high jazz energy, that’s just how my shit is wired. This opens with a restrained beat focusing on some tasteful cymbal work and horn work. Big big respect for including an accordion here as jazz accordion works for me quite bigly. Other instrumentation includes bass, a couple horns, and some tinkling piano rocking outside garnish. Tinkle tinkle tinkle, let’s drink flavored coffee. Like the horns, like the drumming, agnostic on the bass, dig the accordion, don’t love the piano, that’s the scorecard for me. You can tell this record is led by a drummer as the drums are ultra detailed and up high in the mix, just how I dig it myself. The song pivots about 2/3s of the way through and goes out on a much more energetic tip and I enjoyed the back half more.

@@@ Songhoy Blues: Badala (Fat Possum, 2020) I thought their first pre-release single was blazing but I think they might have loaded up on too much classic rock corn for my taste with this track, the first tune off their record. It’s pretty fly to hear an African dude singing his shit over this but the sounds could be more compelling. The drummer holds his own and more, I guess it’s the guitar players I’m a bit disappointed in. A better chord progression, some full on African guitar shredding a la the dude in Noura Mint Seymali’s band and I would be more interested. Oy, the second song hits and their playing a more standard African single line thing (in fact two dudes doing it) with some classic rock/garage punk tones and the whole thing is much more interesting. They shouldn’t have put the track below as the title track.

YTD recordings listened to: 922
Good music, not list worthy: 496
Not good music: 393

Best: 8
Honorable Mentions: 7

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, 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, Alefa Madagascar, Janjao, Luge, Wiki, Mick Jenkins, Jeremiah Jae, Fera, Gambian Griot Kora Duets, Drama, Beatrice Dillon, Mass Worship, mmmonika, Les Deuxluxes, Tony Allen, Fra Fra, Nihiloxica, Hailu Mergia, Pokey LaFarge, Nico Gomez, Nohe and Sus Santos, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, Shy One, Protomartyr, Nnamdi, Ekiti Sound, Awa Fall, 25,000 Kittens, Anjimile, Tristan Arp

Music for 11/24/20!!! Vivien Goldman, Autechre, Rob Mazurek, Murat Baskaya

@@@ Vivien Goldman: Launderette (Staubgold, 1981) An old school punk rocker whose track I got to as I subsribe to an online art/philosophy/music/politics blog here in NYC called Triple Canopy. This is slotted as New Wave but it has a rhythmic funkiness that I don’t associate with New Wave. There appears to be a percussionist in each channel and a pretty happening bass player. Goldman is on about the basic scene in a Launderette, hence the title. It’s got a loose feel and I would put this more in the pretty cosmetic punk side of town — I like the stream of conciousness sing song vocals, I love the funky bass and almost the almost free jazz type percussion. There appears to be somebody sawing away on a fiddle and it’s all right. I mostly dig it.

@@@ Autechre: DekDre Scap B (Warp, 2020) I got to this via last week’s All Music notable release email. I’ve heard these guys before and have been on the fence. Like that they go for a rougher electro sound and sometimes don’t like where they go with it. This is the first track off their new record and it’s scrappy and a bit smashed up, not chopped up. Some splurting snare trills and a lot of here and there sounds as well as a lot of delays and morphong. Nothin’ wrong with that. If they wanted my love which they don’t they would descend into complete chaos but I’m not holding my breath, I believe they will remain in the sci fi dystopia neighborhood. It’s just under 3 minutes so it’s a bit of a table setter and I’m letting the player continue while I finish my pocket review. I like a bunch of the sounds but there’s nothing here that just grabs me and kicks me in the nuts. I want to get kicked in the nuts. Some of the processing is quite interesting — panning, step sequencers, and melting ‘alive’ type modulating synths but I want something more. Call me a bitch if you like, I don’t care.

@@@ Rob Mazurek/Exploding Star Orchestra: “A Wrinkle in Time…” (Nonesuch, 2020) I saw this large ensemble record from a leading Chicago jazz musician shouted out on the Twatter. It’s not a great sign that Nonesuch is involved with this record as they have become a significant music dealer to the brunch crowd. I’m more than a bit opposed to brunch music, it’s just so boring. It opens with a voice either processed by a megaphone plug or someone speaking through a megaphone into a microphone, it sits besides vibes and a plinky guitar. Then comes the rhythm section and a flute. Love the flute, the big fat bass, meh on the drums, don’t like the guitar tone and I’m not sure about the voice. I would prefer a tricked out Henry Threadgill record to this as they share a bit of DNA but Threadgill goes deeper and weirder than the ensemble here. I could use some contrast here besides the big drum sound as it is most definitely a brunch-y vibe. Some guitar distortion, more chaos, something to ground the hopefulness. The horns come in at 4 minutes and the ensemble sound completes itself. I’m not jumping up and down but I like it.

@@@ Murat Baskaya: Gunes Sabikali (Grimsi, 2020) Off this week’s WRIR world music email playlist. Opens with one piano, then two, two single note plinkers and slotted as hip hop, ah there’s the beat. Baskaya hits the mic with some gravel and breathiness to his voice. Most people who check out this track have no Turkish language skills so this is a listen to he music and the expressiveness of his rhyming. In addition to thwe two pianos plinking that I really like due to the confusion they sow, there’s a slow long tone melody that sounds a bit violin-y or cello, cello (maybe cello synth) and I like that too. He rhymes in a staccato sorta percussive manner and the beats, well the beats are pretty straight non trap sounds and they’re all right.

YTD recordings listened to: 918
Good music, not list worthy: 494
Not good music: 391

Best: 7
Honorable Mentions: 5

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, 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, Alefa Madagascar, Janjao, Luge, Wiki, Mick Jenkins, Jeremiah Jae, Fera, Gambian Griot Kora Duets, Drama, Beatrice Dillon, Mass Worship, mmmonika, Les Deuxluxes, Tony Allen, Fra Fra, Nihiloxica, Hailu Mergia, Pokey LaFarge, Nico Gomez, Nohe and Sus Santos, Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, Shy One, Protomartyr, Nnamdi, Ekiti Sound, Awa Fall, 25,000 Kittens, Anjimile, Superfonicos, Yves Jarvis, Jonsi, Tristan Arp

Music for 11/23/20!!! Anton Eger, Haseeb Haze, Tirini, Hypoluxo

@@@ Anton Eger: ‘HErb+++gA’ (Edition, 2019) I got to this jazz drummer’s music from the blog London Jazz News. I don’t know what’s going on with the syntax of the song titles here but there’s a lot of +++ and rando letters. I would say this track, the kickoff to the record, is trafficking in an upbeat fusion-y style with happy synth patches, a little bit of prog and Eger’s drumming. There’s also a fair amount of video game blurping as well as digital bug chatter going on so it’s tied to ambient music at points. Oy, this is some nerdy business. I like his drumming, don’t like the electric bass sound or the keyboard sounds, like the electro shit and overall you should put your smart hat on cuz this is mathy business.

@@@ Haseeb Haze: Pyaar Na Karna (Records DK, 2020) I saw this MC in the title of an email from Guitar Center of all places. I thought this was going to be a hip hop track and it does have some slow jam r&b flavors as well as a today sounding beat and bass but most notably it has some South Asian vocalizing that has been put it into this ‘urban’ framework. Nothing definitive turns up when I look for a bio on Mr. Haze but I’m gonna say with a fair amount of confidence that he’s Pakistani. I love this style of singing but I’ve never heard it presented in this manner. I like it but it’s very dramatical; I’m guessing it’s best I can’t understand the words and just groove on the melody. Myself I could have used more South Asian flavors in the arrangement but that’s just me. I would like to see the vocals and the r&b/hip hop flavors more fully integrated.

@@@ Tarini: Do you wanna dance? (Poopoobumface Records, 2020) I got to this what I think is gonna be a world music dancefloor banger via a blurb on the Happy Magazine weekly email. It opens small with a mournful bass line and some wheezy or processed vocals. I have a feeling this is going to explode out into a cheese bomb but that’s just a feeling. The melody is ascending and it’s building, the cheese is coming — can’t we just dance the pain away? That’s the hook. Instead of going full Disney cheesebanger a thick thick bass comes in and starts throwing its weight around with a tastefully skittery beat. Me like that. Now piano, cheesy piano and I’m thinking is going to remain a sad song about dancing the pain away. And that’s okay and not typical. Love the bass sounds here, love ’em love ’em love ’em, beats are standard, her voice is cool without standing out too much, don’t love the piano, lyrics have their moments. As she didn’t spray cheese everywhere (#grateful) I hope the dancing resolves her pain.

@@@ Hypoluxo: Nimbus (Flexible, 2020) I got to this track indirectly viat the Twatter when an undercover PR label guy namechecked a track and then I clicked through saw this other guy who is not an undercover but out in the open PR guy and this is the new Album of the week at Stereogum, which is like hipster fucking central (regardless of quality). This track opens up quite brisk with two guitars and some very ’80s sounding drums. Angular and slightly word singer doing a very literate schtick. He loses his shit a bit more in the chorus and I like that much more quite immediately. Don’t like the drums, meh on the guitars, like the lyrics and dig the singer most of the time, chorus especially. They’ll make it up, they’ll make it up as they go is the vocal hook in the chorus and I think that’s high quality. If they took the chorus off the guitars and put a little distortion on there I think the tune would be much better served.

YTD recordings listened to: 914
Good music, not list worthy: 492
Not good music: 389

Best: 4
Honorable Mentions: 5

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, 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, Alefa Madagascar, Janjao, Luge, Wiki, Mick Jenkins, Jeremiah Jae, Fera, Gambian Griot Kora Duets, Drama, Beatrice Dillon, Mass Worship, mmmonika, Les Deuxluxes, Tony Allen, Fra Fra, Nihiloxica, Hailu Mergia, Pokey LaFarge, Nico Gomez, Nohe and Sus Santos, Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, Shy One, Protomartyr, Nnamdi, Ekiti Sound, Awa Fall, 25,000 Kittens, Anjimile, Superfonicos, Yves Jarvis, Jonsi, Ellen Jewell, Homeboy Sandman, Gwenifer Raymond, Tristan Arp

Music for 11/20/20!!! Faten Kanaan, Lee Han, Zilo, Tristan Arp

@@@ Faten Kanaan: The North Wind (Fire Recordings, 2020) Some experimental electronic music off this week’s All Music notable release email. Apple Music has labelled this as alternative so we’ll see. It’s probably neither and I don’t mean that as a dick, it’s just mislabelling is rampant in the music marketing game. It opens with a bell synth patch and a medium buzzy chainsaw synth pulsing together. Waiting. Still waiting, let’s get on with it. Now a cloudy synth over the top and it’s a thick stew of long but not very long tone synths. I like it all right but it’s a bit of a thin synth gruel. Can I get some oscillation or morphing on these synths sounds? Or a step sequencer to put a little rhythm into these pretty staid sounds? I guess not. Not really my thing.

@@@ Lee Han: Piwa Pi (ghostplant, 2020) I got to this 1 track improvised organ music piece via a twat on the Twatter by Ted Gioia a prolific music critic with slightly narrow listening interests. You’re not gonna be able to rock an organ without evoking church and religion but she’s got some playfulness mixed into the churchy vibes. I like this a whole bunch as background music and I don’t mean that in a mean way. I’m not put into a trance by it but it has interesting moments and is compelling solo organ improv. I can’t tell if there’s some sort of Leslie speaker or rotary effect on the organ or if she’s playing in a way to produce that tremolo-y effect but it ups the energy and I enjoy listening to it.

@@@ Zilo: On a Wave (Zilo World, 2020) Also off the UK online music magazine, Crack. Talk ’bout breathing some life into a synthesizer this r&b chill banger gets ’em breathing on the opening to this track. I don’t partake of the broccoli/chronic but I imagine this would be a fantastic track if you were mad stoned. The sounds are lush and it’s right at the edge of too much and just right, it’s kind of bursting though it’s a pretty straightforward song with a hook. I find interesting sounds fascinating, they’re like medicine. Ms. Zilo works a light touch on the microphone but she’s got some undercover bounce in her delivery and it’s a tasty meld of sonics and lyrical energy here.

@@@ Tristan Arp: Slip (Bannoffee Pies, 2020) I saw this NYC based electro funk/sound design guy featured on this week’s Crack magazine email. This sits about halfway between abstract electronic and dancefloor banging. It’s funky but it’s got an industrial tinged flavor as well as some quirk that works against straight booty shaking. I flow all ways when it comes to booty shaking, both abstract and literal. I like this track it’s hot with some IQ infused into it, putting together disparate elements and making something different. I would listen to more of this, he’s good at building up layers of rhythms that are reminiscent of way back in the day hip hop and then threading somewhat South Asian melodies in here and there. Not overtly, you gotta listen.

YTD recordings listened to: 910
Good music, not list worthy: 490
Not good music: 387

Best: 4
Honorable Mentions: 5

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, 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, Alefa Madagascar, Janjao, Luge, Wiki, Mick Jenkins, Jeremiah Jae, Fera, Gambian Griot Kora Duets, Drama, Beatrice Dillon, Mass Worship, mmmonika, Les Deuxluxes, Tony Allen, Fra Fra, Nihiloxica, Hailu Mergia, Pokey LaFarge, Nico Gomez, Nohe and Sus Santos, Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, Shy One, Protomartyr, Nnamdi, Ekiti Sound, Awa Fall, 25,000 Kittens, Anjimile, Superfonicos, Yves Jarvis, Jonsi, Ellen Jewell, Homeboy Sandman, Gwenifer Raymond, Tristan Arp

Music for 11/19/20!!! Gwenifer Raymond, Stats, WL, Molchat Doma

@@@ Gwenifer Raymond: Hell for Certain (Tompkins Square, 2020) All of today’s listens are from last week’s AllMusic notable release email. Contemporary folk is a genre I enjoy peeping though the cover image for the video below is more freak punk or metal than what I envision as contemporary folk. Let me say on thing upfront, Ms Raymond puts some mustard on it, her tone is strong and projects with high energy. I’m a huge fan of the energy of others drawing me into their music. I’d like to know how she got to this point cuz she’s killing it. This is player’s music and Ms. Raymond is a player. It’s hard to entertain a listener like me with just a guitar but as I said I feel the energy when it is sent my way.

@@@ Stats: Naturalise Me (Memphis Industries, 2020) When you see the haircuts on the two main people who appear on the artist page of this band you know what yer gonna get. Yer gonna get a shot of ’80s white people funk dancefloor action which is a bit of a oxymoron. The beat is not straight kick snare but it’s not many slots above that. I’m vegetarian but when folks sit down and rock a burger (veggie burgers included) the fixings are key — some ketchup, mustard. This bad boy needs some funk sauce, the actual elements are there but it’s square. I like their falsetto singing though I confess I don’t understand what the vocal hook ‘set me free, naturalise me’ means in the least. I think if you’re gonna hit that hook this much it should be more apparent what it might mean. I would put more schwing into the bass synth and change up the beat. I understand I’m one dude but that’s the view.

@@@ WL: ADHD (Beacon Sound, 2020) I’m up for a track called ADHD, it’s a major problem for our, wait the pot on the stove is overflowing and what’s up with North Korea? This opens bell-y and maybe a bit too bell-y or something should get added here. Just after two minutes we get a couple of descending synth melodies with delay on them. Vocals at 3:10 and it’s a pretty slow and sweet song which is not what I imagined a tune called ADHD would be like. Maybe it’s ironic? I’ve always been too punk for irony I think, I’m not a single cell organism but I don’t believe in fuckin’ around. If you’re gonna rock an 8 minute slow jam like this, I need a bit more, you know what’s entertaining is the leader of North Korea’s haircut, that shit is engaging and wondrous. #ADHD

@@@ Molchat Dama: Discoteque (Sacred Bones, 2020) Hopped up on Red Bull Devo type synth rock, that’s my first impression. Without the red flowerpot hats and a more melody and less krauty though plenty krauty in the bass and rhythm parts. The singer comes in and he’s rockin’ it in Russian and composing the synth to melodically follow his vocals at most points but in contrast to at some points. Around 2:25 they take it up a notch with the addition of an arpeggiated synth and a keyboard solo. I like the energy and wonder how much funk a listener can expect out of Russia. I think that’s a valid question but I’m not sure if I’m up for that debate right now. He wants everybody to come and ‘dance with us’ and that seems to be a reasonable sentiment. I think a wee bit more funk in yer dance music is not an unreasonable desire.

YTD recordings listened to: 906
Good music, not list worthy: 488
Not good music: 385

Best: 4
Honorable Mentions: 5

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, 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, Alefa Madagascar, Janjao, Luge, Wiki, Mick Jenkins, Jeremiah Jae, Fera, Gambian Griot Kora Duets, Drama, Beatrice Dillon, Mass Worship, mmmonika, Les Deuxluxes, Tony Allen, Fra Fra, Nihiloxica, Hailu Mergia, Pokey LaFarge, Nico Gomez, Nohe and Sus Santos, Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, Shy One, Protomartyr, Nnamdi, Ekiti Sound, Awa Fall, 25,000 Kittens, Anjimile, Superfonicos, Yves Jarvis, Jonsi, Ellen Jewell, Homeboy Sandman, Gwenifer Raymond

Music for 11/18/20!!! Ana Roxanne, The Green Child, Tani Tabbal, Homeboy Sandman

@@@ Ana Roxanne: Camille (Kranky, 2020) I love ambient music and welcome any new additions to my collection. At the open I notice she’s using the drum machine sound from Prince’s Sign O’ the Times. The comes church-y organ and draggy vocals. By that I mean not that the vocals are a drag but they drag the energy of the tune down which I don’t like when vocals do that. So two droning elements, the vocal and organ and a chill but steady rhythm. When the spoken word sample comes I like that more. My taste for ambient centers around super slow and steady and engaging, this is more ambient flavored indie. I often don’t do well with ambient music with vocals.

@@@ The Green Child: Low Desk: High Shelf (Upset the Rhythm, 2020) An interesting title leads the listner into a track heavily indebted to ’80s synth rock. I don’t mind the synth sounds as much as I don’t cotton to the very straight beat. Once again we get vocals presented with not a lot of rhythmic energy and they lay on top of the music and drain it a tad. My favorite part of the track is the guitar solo when the delayed synth notes are conversating with a medium rocked out guitar.

@@@ Tani Tabbal: Just Woke Up (Tao Forms, 2020) A free jazz trio led by the drummer with sax, bass and drum instrumentation. It’s a wide mix and open sounding — I dig that. The energy here is more exploratory and I find myself listening most to the bassist then the drummer. Around 5 minutes in to the track the sax player took a coupla chugs of Red Bull and started sending out more energy. Very nice bass solo at the end of this track, I’m feeling that. Very nice sounds, I could use a bit more energy and I’m feeling the bassist.

@@@ Homeboy Sandman: Trauma (Mello Music, 2020) First off what an excellent name for an MC, Homeboy Sandman, I want to celebrate that even though I have no clue what it means. This is the first track off a record called Don’t Feed the Monster and he describes a turbulent childhood and the resulting trauma. The sonic arrangment has a ghostly whistle and chord slide and a retro type beat. I’m almost entranced by these lyrics and the story he spins and the way he frames the story he’s telling. He’s just talking about his life and what made him the person he is now and it’s really engaging and meaningful. I’ve checked out the second track and I dug that and I will return to this record when I have time but I think this record will end up on my year end list. This MC works for me — he’s odd in his lyrical approach and the things he’s talking about and I find the way he delivers these introspective lyrics in a pretty strong way it’s just awesome.

YTD recordings listened to: 902
Good music, not list worthy: 486
Not good music: 383

Best: 4
Honorable Mentions: 5

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, 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, Alefa Madagascar, Janjao, Luge, Wiki, Mick Jenkins, Jeremiah Jae, Fera, Gambian Griot Kora Duets, Drama, Beatrice Dillon, Mass Worship, mmmonika, Les Deuxluxes, Tony Allen, Fra Fra, Nihiloxica, Hailu Mergia, Pokey LaFarge, Nico Gomez, Nohe and Sus Santos, Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, Shy One, Protomartyr, Nnamdi, Ekiti Sound, Awa Fall, 25,000 Kittens, Anjimile, Superfonicos, Yves Jarvis, Jonsi, Ellen Jewell, Homeboy Sandman

Music for 11/17/20!!! Marieme, Alcest, Teebs, Amy O

@@@ Marieme: Freedom (Galseme, 2020) I got to this track by a Senegalese female via a music publicist email. They shit out thousands of emails and sometimes I listen. I don’t know what I expected, I guess I expected more African feels though she’s obviously not obligated, but this is a version of mainstream pop. A big stack of vocals, a little dancefloor crescendo drama and drum machine action, a string arrangement, it’s more of a pop diva thing to my ears than anything world-y. I like her hair, for real, I could not pull off blue hair but she rocks it and it’s a major statement. I’m enjoying her singing, it’s very strong, and I like the lyrics for the most part. I don’t hate the sounds but I’m not a huge fan. It’s a bit messy which I’m cool with but the strings and the less than funky beat don’t work for me. I always go to the cooking show metaphor. The tune has strength, it has plenty of salt, but there’s a flavor missing that makes me not like it as much as I would like to.

@@@ Alcest: Spiritual Instinct (Nuclear Blast, 2019) I’m trying to up my collection of metal and heavy music and saw this band listed on an October 2019 AllMusic notable release email. As it opens it looks set to be pretty polished hard rock business with arena drums and epic rock feels. Regular readers know of my love of a fully molten metal thing, I love it when the shit hits the fan. Here the shit is packaged like a cheese and cracker corporate lunch product, everything in its own compartment like a snack pack, there’s nothing wrong with it but it does go against the idea of the shit hitting the fan if it’s neat. There’s some dreamy vocals layered in here which gives it a Gregorian chant sorta vibe. This badboy is 7+ minutes so I don’t know if I can hang with the full biscuit. I like the guitars when they go for the power slam, the drums is all right and I’m not a huge fan of the vocals as they decaffeinate the proceedings. Hey that’s just me and if you’re up for some epicness, get up in here.

@@@ Teebs: Atoms Song (Brainfeeder, 2019) I got to this IDM track via the same October 2019 All Music notable release email. This is the opening track so it’s the table setter and it opens with a pleasantly distorted bouncing synth, some chords behind it and a shaker type sound. Why no cowbell? #eternalquestion It’s an almost 8 minute banger so things are gonna unfold slowly. There’s a keyboard progression behind the pinging and ponging, also some ambient space candy. I don’t know if I’m being selfish wanting more here, I like what’s here but I could use some action. It’s got a pleasant lo fi bedroom sound I dig but also a cloying slowness so I end up agnostic. Still waiting on a change. All I’m getting is a minimal string melody and some, you know that firework where it explodes and squiggles round and round like a comet or an unambitious sperm, there’s a sound like that in here. I’m now writing to entertain myself which means I’m not being sufficiently entertained by the music here. I like some of the elements here but not enough of them. I made it with 1 minute to go so that’s pretty good.

@@@ Amy O: Crushed (Winspear, 2020) Same AllMusic notable release email. Old school guitar indie with a female singer. The vocals are not super reverbed out but they’re spacious and pleasant. The drums have been mixed almost a toy kit with a small tight snare sound, classic slack rock guitar sounds. I like the energy of the drums and how the vocals don’t drain the track of its energy while remaining large. I’m not a huge indie fan at this point but this surpassed my expectations and is fresher than most indie specimens rolling down the pike.

YTD recordings listened to: 898
Good music, not list worthy: 484
Not good music: 381

Best: 4
Honorable Mentions: 5

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, 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, Alefa Madagascar, Janjao, Luge, Wiki, Mick Jenkins, Jeremiah Jae, Fera, Gambian Griot Kora Duets, Drama, Beatrice Dillon, Mass Worship, mmmonika, Les Deuxluxes, Tony Allen, Fra Fra, Nihiloxica, Hailu Mergia, Pokey LaFarge, Nico Gomez, Nohe and Sus Santos, Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, Shy One, Protomartyr, Nnamdi, Ekiti Sound, Awa Fall, 25,000 Kittens, Anjimile, Superfonicos, Yves Jarvis, Jonsi, Ellen Jewell