@@@ GA-20: Crackdown (Karma/Colemine, 2020) I peeped this yesterday after getting a music publicist email and it’s a hard punky, bluesy, rockin’ typa thing and I don’t usually go for that formula these days but I like this. It’s got a sinewy guitar line that drives it and keeps it fresh. It opens with a slack-y, roomy drump beat, then the guitar, then the rhythm guitar comes in, and then the rhythm becomes the lead, and then the singer comes in at around, ah no I got confused and this is a slowly building blues jam I don’t find annoying. I like the guitar players and the arrangement, it’s cool. There are other songs that have a singer and he’s very good as well. I haven’t heard a really good blues for a long time and I really like this record. Great guitar playing, lots of really nice melodies, a good singer, a great drummer and a straightforward production that flatters the tracks.
@@@ Boots and Mr. Motherfuckin’: Space InvaderZ (In Souls Music, 2022) Some retro NYC sounding hip hop with tight beats and tight rhymes right out of the gate. I got to this via a music publicist email. It’s a tinkly percussive arrangement with plenty of shooshing and whooshing that contrasts well with the smooth singing in the chorus. The highlight here for me is the rhythmic lock of the MCs with the beat and how that breaks when the sung chorus happens. It’s a really good indie hip hop track.
@@@ Gabe Gurnsey: Push (N/A, 2022) I got to today’s listens via this week’s All Music notable release email. This is an electronic record and whether it’s a dancefloor banger or an abstract chunk or a blend thereof remains to be seen. Oh, it’s gonna be a cheesy banger, four on the floor, squiggly synths both in the lower frequencies and higher plus what I find to be a blue eyed shortage of funk. It’s got just a wee bit of Prince feel to it but the clunky feel of the rhythmic components is not present if at all in Prince’s music. Once the groove gets established for better or for worse it could us some small variations or some dropping and/or evolution of components. I’m giving a quick listen to another track and the woodenness/krautiness is also strong here. I don’t like how the monotone vocals drain the track instead of building it higher, I don’t get that.
@@@ Walter Trout: Waiting for the Dawn (N/A, 2022) I don’t listen to a lot of modern electric blues but I do like to peep once in a blue moon as I love me a great guitar player when I come across one. First off big ups for the old school organ sound which pillows and contrasts with the sharp guitar tone. I don’t protest any of the sounds on offer here and outside of some unexpected turns to the guitar shredding there’s also not anything particularly noteworthy to draw you in. I get that this is pretty usual for a traditional music form but there’s always room to squeeze some weird individuality into any music no? I’m giving a quick peep to another track and he comes out with some bluesy Neil Young style crunch which I dig. This tune Hey Mama has more urgency and energy than the video clipped below. I guess lately I’m more interested in how established formulas can be reinvigorated, I’m really into that.
@@@ Saint Etienne: Pond House (Heavenly, 2021) A couple of listens today off this week’s All Music notable release email. This is the second track and it’s a lush indie mellow banger with Fleetwood Mac style singing, a decent but pretty straight beat, some dubby but whitebread basslines and some pong melody action. Overall it’s not a slack energy and you can trip out on it while I think maybe some more funk might help it out, it’s pretty straight in it’s path. Boy she really means it when she sings ‘here it comes again’ because that’s pretty much the only line she rocks here. I’m peeping the beginning of the next tune and it’s got a set it and forget it type feel to it as the last one, in fact it’s more static than that one. So nice indie electronic sounds, not a lot of motion. Not really my thing. The sounds are, but the presentation not so much.
@@@ Eric Bibb: Emmett’s Ghost (Mascot Label Group, 2021) This track is an acoustic blues with a guest appearance by Ron Carter on upright bass. The production is awfully intimate, especially the presentation of the voice that leads to a different listening experience. It’s the blues but it’s pretty chill and more poetic than what I usually associate with the genre. Lyrically he keeps mentioning Emmett Till’s ghost and then he brings in a pretty slight keyboard part that sounds ghost-ish. Tastefully done for sure. I’m giving a quick listen to the second tune and while it’s driven by acoustic guitar there’s electric guitar. Recent electric blues is not known for its modesty but I like Bibb’s playing and arranging here. He is rightly concerned with larger issues facing black people and American society. The blues are an older form but this is a fresh take with the upright bass, the stripped down non-macho sounds, I like it.
@@@ Ad Nauseam: Imperative Impercebtible Impulse (Lazy Didn’t look it up, 2021) Some metal off Loudwire’s best metal of 2021. This is punishing mathy business that is unfortunately not on Apple Music so I’m forced to stream it off bandcamp and bandcamp streaming is 128k and thin. These are all long bangers, 8-12 minutes in length, complex and tweedly backed by an absolutely freaked out drummer driving the bus here. I’m on the second tune ‘Inexorably Ousted Sente’ and it’s a hot fucking mess. An enjoyable hot fucking mess, quite possibly hotter than two rats fucking in a wool sock. The best description for this is somebody took Captain Beefheart, shot him with 14 cans of Red Bull into his eyeballs, gave him a bunch of distortion pedals and twinkies and locked him in a studio. It’s very intense and impassioned music and I give that huge respect. This is no reproduction of another record. I might have to swing back on this and I would like to hear it in higher quality but once you get past the initial blasting chaos there’s a lot going on here.
@@@ Ayron Jones: Child of the State (Big Machine, 2021) I’m a bit surprised to see this record on a metal roundup as it’s a black dude rocking a modern blues with a twinge of arena rock. Also surprised to see Taylor Swift’s old label trafficking in this kind of business. I understand there’s a smattering of non white folks in heavy metal, no lectures please. The guitar sounds are epic, huge and noisy and I can’t decide whether I like the production overall. It does seem a bit inflated. I wish also the guitar playing was more adventurous, he seems set on a particular set of classic rock riffs. I’m on the fourth track and I like it all right but it’s a bit of a reproduction of something that came before.
@@@ Jenny O: God Knows Why (Mama Bird, 2020) I saw this record on last week’s All Music notable release email. There’s no greater lover of indie rock than not me! This tune is the leadoff track from the record and it sports a retro vibe — huge tunnel-y type reverb on the voice a la the ’60s era San Fran hippie-psych (not as much), I mean just look at her outfit on the cover in the video below. But never fear there’s plenty of indie slack to be had here. You got your major chord guitar strum and straight rock drumming so if you need that, mission accomplished. The twist here is the vocal arrangement and the organ swell and I’m agnostic on the formula. I like it all right without jumping up and down while realizing that a lot of folks don’t want to jump up and down. A lot of people want background music. The drummer is doing good work here.
@@@ Immanuel Wilkins: Warriors (Blue Note, 2020) Also off last week’s All Music notable release email. Wilkins is the sax player and bandleader and he’s joined by a piano player, bass and drums. This tune kicks off the record and I’m finding myself listening to the piano player quite a bit and feeling like the drummer could use some flavors. I know this contained drumming is a core feature of straight jazz but I don’t have to love it. Some wild drumming here would make me happy. Micah Thomas is the piano player here and I haven’t heard him before, but I wanted to give him a special hat tip for his playing. I also have to upgrade the drummer as he does turn it up over the course of the tune. From a bit of interwebz reading I’m seeing Wilkins saying the record is connected to recent African American protests and fighting for one’s beliefs. About a minute from the end the tune reaches a straight jazz peak before building to another peak and then seguing into the second track entitled Ferguson – An American tradition. Solid, could use some more fire.
@@@ Joe Bonamassa: Why Does it Take So Long to Say Goodbye (J&R, 2020) I got to this via big mouth music writer Bob Lefsetz. I’ve heard Bonamassa before and like his stuff while not being enthralled with his modern blues electric guitar tone, it’s a bit too rock for me, but hey that’s just me. This is a tear jerker with lots of late ’70s classic rock feels so it’s an equal marriage of blues and classic rock. The chorus gets more earnest and a bit cheesier right before he hits that vocal hook and if this doesn’t make you reach for a Bic lighter and spark it in the air, well then you’re not a lover of classic rock. The production is pretty polished which doesn’t make the tune work better for me,. It’s a six minute long super rock biscuit which gives plenty of time for a proggish breakdown which sounds more math-y, ooh they just hit a thick guitar riff section so I get that, meh I don’t need that myself that’s just a bit too arena rock for my style. Big shred about two minutes from the end. When he leaves, he leaves for good, that’s the hook. I feel the same.
@@@ Arca: Mequetrefe (XL, 2020) I saw this artist with a feature on the Nation website. Pretty out there electronic dancefloor banging from a Brazilian female artist. Small references to drum and bass in the rhythms but plenty of Brazilian feels up in here — there’s also a bucket of glitch, rhythmic acceleration and postmodern sonic deconstruction going on as well so it’s a three dimensional stew that requires some mental focus. I’m not sure I find the almost complete wrecking of the track enjoyable though I’m not in it strictly for the joy. I’m feeling the track after the one I started with and find it to be a better blend of voices, sounds and production. What seems to be most visible here is the defiant combination of different sonic ideas expressed at a high level of energy.
YTD recordings listened to: 623
Good music, not list worthy: 314
Not good music: 279
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, 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, schroothoop, Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood, Pole, Naeem, Mekons, Santrofi, DJ Nigga Fox, Flor do Toloache, Alexander Hawkins/Tomeka Reid, STORMLIGHT, Venomous Concept, Chezidek, Shy One, Muqata’a, Protomartyr
***All of today’s listens come from this week’s All Music notable release email.***
@@@ Four Tet: Sixteen Oceans (Temporary Residence, 2020) I’m a fan. Over the years he’s moved from more abstract electronic stuff to more classic dancefloor bangers with some abstraction on top. This album opens up with the track School which is an active drum loop with a percussive type synth melody over it. It’s well put together and should be as this his 10th record but it’s pretty staid. The second tune, clipped below, is the pre-release single and it’s hot. Not the sounds as much as the vocal processing/arrangement, it’s got heat to it and the tune works as a whole. I recommend people check that out. The heat of the second track dissipates on the third track Harpsichord which returns to a mellow place (even drum machine-less). He’s a pro but I think he could use some Red Bull.
@@@ Circa Waves: Sad Happy (Prolifica, 2020) From chilled electronica to upbeat, frat boy rock. The first tune, Jaqueline, builds to a pretty explosive chorus and hmmm, not sure what to say to that. It’s classic, let’s go with that for politeness. The second tune, Be Your Drug, recycles a very common lyrical cliche within the upbeat rock framework. This really isn’t my cup of tea. Big production, big feels, not much originality to lyrics or song structure, a plate of stale cookies slathered with more than a bit of cheese. Cookies and cheese for me, no thanks.
@@@ Early James: Singing for My Supper (Easy Eye/Nonesuch, 2020) Opening with some space rock feels I’m guessing this is gonna be an epic journey down the lonely rock highway. Mr. James comes in with a weathered voice and he sounds tired, really worn down by the world. Grab a ticket dude. I dig his voice, it’s quite limited but somehow more authentic than what is usually chosen for us these days. The second tune, Stockholm Syndrome, starts slowly and builds to a crescendo. I don’t know who’s playing guitar on this but they squeezed a lot of guitar melody into this rock record. I wish the playing was a bit more interesting — it’s a pretty standard blend of rock and blues and even a wee bit of soul. More than a wee bit. As I often do I would like to see a bit more fire and originality here.
@@@ Hilary Woods: Birthmarks (Sacred Bones, 2020) A dark record about motherhood. I’m guessing that it’s about motherhood as a female hand on a pregnant belly is the front cover. It’s a cello, a fluttering rhythmic sound, a thick big drum sound and Woods’ singing. It doesn’t appear to be directly lyrically about motherhood so maybe it’s not so don’t hold me to that. There is a line about ‘it growing inside of me’ and it grows and it grows but the tune is called ‘Orange Tree.’ I’m on the third tune and it has the dark theatrical feel of a heavy metal record without the sounds. It’s a lot of arpeggiated guitar (acoustic/clean electric), somber cello notes and Woods’ voice. I like it all right, I’m not super in the mood for it but I dig it.
YTD recordings listened to: 192
Good music, not list worthy: 109
Not good music: 83
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, 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
@@@ Maximum Joy: Station MXJY (Maximum Joy, 2017) I saw this reissue of an 1982 release in an email from Stranded Records. Blurb clipped here:
This music is from a less locked down time. Before algorithms, before the self censoring of social media, they’re just playing and enjoying it. It’s a blend of rock, world and jazzy sounds smashed up into one. I like the spirit and the energy and the combination of sounds, but I don’t really like the tunes. That’s just me so check it for yourself.
@@@ Marcus King: One Day She’s Here (Fantasy/Concord, 2019) I got to this updated electric blues track via music biz honcho/loudmouth Bob Lefsetz. He usually has very pedestrian taste with a bent towards cliche lyrics about love. He’s a white boy and I’m justifiably nervous of the white electric blues god, but this is more of a funky white boy thing as he sings in a solid falsetto and plinks more than shreds. The arrangement is full on ’70s ensemble with string flourishes and some percussion to go with the drum kit. The vocal hook is ‘she disappears like the dawn, one day’s she’s here and the next she’s gone.’ It’s all right as a hook and I would say if you don’t like the chill ’70s funky rock vibe you won’t like the tune. I find it all right.
@@@ Fenne Lily: On Hold (Fenne Lily, 2018) Artist of the week of at Line of Best fit. This first tune is a mope-pop mash with twinkly guitar. This first tune Car Park has a tambourine in it, and I love tambourine. Lily’s voice is slightly wispy and melancholy and I like it, but I find the music here to be a tad simple for my taste. Let’s peep a bit more. I don’t like her voice enough to offset the music which I find a bit retro and predictable. If she put some more interesting sounds underneath her voice she’d be onto something.
YTD recordings listened to: 41
Good music, not list worthy: 25
Not good music: 18
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, Tarek Atoui, Saicobab, General Purv, Shipping News, Big Thief, Mariachi El Bronx, Pour Me a Grog, Sudan Archives, Lakou Mizik, Moodymann, Pharmakon
@@@ Maquinas: O Cao de Toda Noite (Mercurio Musica, 2019) I got to this Brazilian jazz/electronic music/theatrical rock record from a label email. It is quirky while retaining some accessibility, especially the spaghetti western guitar sound. The vocalist comes in darkly in front of some cinematic movie blasts of sound. I’m on the second tune and they have a pretty fresh energy going here — it’s dramatic and large sounding while not coming off pretentiously. The music does not always retain its size and breaks down into a smaller guitar driven sing a long so the section changes in the tunes keep things turning briskly both sonically and compositionally. The mixes here sound really good and the playing is very good as well. As the record unfolds it is clearer that this is a theatrical rock record and a good one, but its jazz and electronic threads are less prominent.
@@@ Binker Golding: Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers (Gearbox, 2019) Some UK jazz off last week’s All Music notable release email. It opens with a tune called I Forgot Santa Monica, a peppy upbeat track with sax, piano, drums and bass. I like the sounds and the energy and the tight mix, the improv less so. About two minutes they dig and push harder. Great drum sound. The second tune Exquisite She-Green is taken at a slightly slower tempo and while I find straight jazz to be, well a bit straight, these guys are definitely listening to each other and there are some nice moments of connection here. The tunes are not of pop song length with the majority weighing in at five and one half to eight minutes. I like fire, but that’s me.
@@@ Beth Hart: War in My Mind (Provogue, 2019) Modern electric blues also off last week’s All Music notable release email. I keep hoping for a return to dirty ass Howlin’ Wolf style blowing the roof off the shack style of blues, but it is not going to be this record. This is arena blues or bombastic blues rock with Hart’s big voice, lots of background vocals and modern production. The second tune, War in My Mind, is a ballad and the swelling organ is nice and I dig the simple piano. My basic feeling is every tune could be built to a huge crescendo and I dig much more of a small scale boogie/groove kind of thing. I’m out.
YTD recordings listened to: 520
Good music, not list worthy: 313
Not good music: 174
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
@@@ Miguel Zenon: Las Tumbas (N/A, 2019) I got to this jazz record inspired by an old school Latin composer via a music publicist email. I think it’s a Cuban dude, the inspiration that is as the horn player is Puerto Rican, but I set up this post a bunch of days ago and deleted the email, but whatevs, it’s the music that counts. It’s piano, bass and drums and horn with the piano player stealing the show in the beginning of the track. Plus he’s much higher in the mix though the horn player is the leader of the band. The track really explodes outward halfway through with the horn taking over the lead with a series of short melodic phrases and drum crescendos. I prefer the piano player but the energy is high and if you dig straight jazz then have at it.
@@@ Geiger Von Muller: Blue Moon Frequency (N/A, 2019) The same is true for this track as above — I pasted the videos and the artist names a few days ago so the details are fuzzy. I got to this via an email from the artist. It’s starts out as a solo guitar piece and I like it all right, it’s bluesy but not hardcore and the guitar sound is very bright and percussive which is working for me right now. I don’t usually watch the videos but I have to watch this one as I’m typing and streaming in the same window and it looks like a lot of effort went into these videos. Maybe some of this effort could have gone into the music not as a criticism of the music but the video is more interesting than the music and that doesn’t seem right to me. I can’t tell if these are excerpts all bundled into one video, that’s my first impression as it feeds me a bunch of short bits of tunes.
YTD recordings listened to: 398
Good music, not list worthy: 237
Not good music: 137
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
@@@ VAUDOU GAME: Otodi (Hot Casa, 2018) I got to this record via this week’s WRIR playlist email. Vaudou Game is a top flight African funk outfit. This is some Trans Atlantic James Brown shit for sure. Fatness at all positions — chicken scratch guitar, tighter than a well digger’s ass drummer, funky bass player, and swinging horn section. What more can you ask for? I’m not going to go on and on as this is the internet age and you can peep music for yourself but this is the shit. The record sounds great and I’m on the third tune and they’re all funky as fuck. This will make my list for 2018 for sure.
@@@ Ras Medy: All I Want (Thr33land Enterprises, 2018) Modern dancehall also off the WRIR weekly email. Smooth sounds in the arrangement as well as the vocals. Think a couple shades darker than Drake, naimsayin’? Drake flirts more with dancehall while this guy is swimming in the pool. It’s not my favorite style of Jamaican music but I will take this over Drake in a hot minute.
@@@ Tallawit Timbouctou: Hali Diallo (Sahel Sounds, 2018) I was combing through the WRIR playlist email to replace a record that I had put up for review but I had heard it before. So down the bottom of the page there was this record and it’s happening. I often write about super clean African music and how I don’t prefer it and here we have an electrified lute and it’s the opposite of that. It’s got a bite to it that I find invigorating. After the 7 minute opening jam they get into the title track (clipped below) and it is the same hand drumming, monster lute and trance style singing. It most definitely have jam band vibes to it but this guy shreds up one side and down the other. It is rare for me to find two bangin’ records in one day, but here we are. I’m going to swing back for the full show but this is happening African music for sure and folks should check it out! If you compare this to white boy psychedelic music this stomps it.
YTD recordings listened to: 649
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 352
Not good music: 255
Best: 11
Honorable Mentions: 8
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, Janelle Monae, 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, A Tribe Called Quest, 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, Converge, Open Mike Eagle, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Tal National, Portal, Hernan Sama & Marcelo von Schultz, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Orlando Lopez, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Gouge Away, Barro, Daniel Khan, Vaudou Game, Tallawit Timbouctou
Deep In the Music 