Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/29/06



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CLINE, NELS: New Monastery: A View Into The Music Of Andrew Hill CD (Cryptogramophone) - Guitarist extraorindaire, Cline, has assembled a sextet of talented musicians to explore the music of pianist/composer/leader, Andrew Hill. Cline is excellent throughout, delivering tasteful pointillistic leads and subuded jazz chording, in addition to his trademark fiery freedom chases and experimental effects. Cline and crew cover a wide range of styles on this release. There’s one funky slammer (“Yokada Yokada/The Rumproller”); two excellent pieces (“Dedication” and “Reconciliation/New Monastery”) which, in alternating segments, highlight the talents of the group’s members both as soloists and as a unit with tight and sweet ensemble passages; and the album closes with the tour de force, “Complusion”. A couple of tracks are more minimal, tend to meander a bit and, as a result, are less satisfying, but overall, this a worthy, if at times uneven, release.


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Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/28/06



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NEWSOM, JOANNA: Ys 2XLP (Drag City) - I greeted this new release from Joanna Newsom with both anticipation and trepidation. Anticipation, because I knew that giving Newsom’s music the full orchestra treatment offered great potential for fabulous sonic results. Trepidation, because I feared it was equally possible that such radical intervention might somehow smother the charm of Newsom’s very unique and personal approach to folk and pop. In addition, this release arrived with so much advance positive hype (the main reason I decided to wait two weeks to get around to listening to it!) and came in an incredibly deluxe package (beautiful gatefold sleeve, with inserted booklet of lyrics) and I tend to be suspicious of such things, as I often think that both are designed to help generate more interest in a release than the music it contains really merits. Well, I’m pleased to report that my concerns were unfounded and this project’s promise was fulfilled. The marriage of Newsom’s otherworldly vocals (delivering her trademark lyrics that seem to draw equally from “traditional” folk themes and dada-esque images) and intricate harp work with the swell of strings and other well placed orchestral accents is quite successful. Newsom has achieved her goal to combine experimental elements and beautiful melodies with this gorgeous sounding record. Excellent!


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Monday, November 27, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/23/06 - 11/27/06




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CYANN AND BEN: Sweet Beliefs CD (Ever Records) - The third full-length release from France’s Cyann And Ben comes to us, via import only, on the emerging German imprint, Ever Records. While they’ve remained fairly faithful to their unique blend of pop, psych, and krautrock that was so successful on their previous two releases, the material on, “Sweet Beliefs”, focuses more on their quieter, more subdued side and, in general, the compositions here just do not seem to be quite as strong. As a result, this is clearly their weakest release to date, in my humble opinion. That all being stated, there are still several solid tracks that make this quite worthy of owning, but I do hope that this release only indicates a temporary lapse, rather than the beginning of a new and unfortunate career trajectory.


More archival additions from my recent numerous Amoeba used vinyl scores:

DOG FACED HERMANS: Hum Of Life LP (Konkurrel) - I corrected an embarrassing and unexplicable oversight in my collection when I recently scored an original vinyl copy of this classic LP from these great art punk counterculturalists.

WHITE MAGIC: Through The Sun Door 12” EP (Drag City) - I was so impressed with the recent Dat Rosa Mel Apibus album that I decided I should probably catch up on this earlier release from White Magic, too. The six tracks on this 12” EP are very similar to the material on the double LP (i.e., unique, contemporary acid folk and pop), except on this recording Billotte is supported by a smaller cast of guests and, as a result, the songs are a little more straightforward, a little less fully developed sounding. Overall, still quite an engaging release.


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Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/20/06 - 11/22/06


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MUNDY, MARC: S/T CD (Companion Records) - Way over-hyped reissue of this 1971 release from Marc Mundy (the stage name for Turkish performer, Marc Emin), that has, incorrectly, in my humble opinion, been favorably compared to other recent Turkish (re)discoveries like Ersen and Selda and even to already known Turkish legends such as Baris Manco and Mogollar. To be truthful, the majority of the material on this release is sappy pop, including some of the truly most vomit-inducing lyrics/vocals of all time. It is only saved (and even then, just barely!) by a few tracks which add enough Eastern influences and psychedelic touches to satisfy. Probably for vintage Turkish completists (like me) only. In the words of the great PE: “Don’t Believe The Hype!”.


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PARLANE, ROSY: Jessamine CD (Touch) - Despite all the cool instruments listed in the notes and the presence of many well-known guests, the three tracks on this latest solo release from former Thela member, Parlane, are a decidedly average and relatively uninteresting series of lengthy experimental drones. To be fair, the last track works up a pretty satisfying and frothy lather, but who has 30 minutes to waste before getting to the final 20 minutes of the worthy material? Maybe someone does, but not me.


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Sunday, November 19, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/19/06



ISIS: In The Absence Of Truth CD (Ipecac) - Isis takes the next logical step in its ongoing sonic evolution. While they’re still pretty heavy sounding, the passages with thick, heavy riffage and throaty vocals are less present, serving more as a contrasting punctuation to the quieter passages which are composed of icy synth drones, angular guitar work and precise rhythms. Sometimes the transitions between these segments can be somewhat abrupt (almost bordering, in a sense, on being “proggy”), but overall, Isis successfully strikes a nice balance on this release. I’m not so certain that, if they continue to hone the more precise, sterile aspects of their sound, I’ll continue to greet their future releases with such favor, but the “math core” of, “In The Absence Of Truth”, is quite satisfying, especially after giving it repeated listens to really absorb it and let it sink in.

SAN UL LIM: 3 CD (World Psychedelia) - Reissue of the third San Ul Lim release, originally released in 1979 on the Korean label SRB. Another great dose of their over the top garage/pop-psych (but with a distinctive Asian flavor!) stylings. There’s a cool webpage (http://progressive.homestead.com/sanulrim.html), if you’d like to learn more details about San Ul Lim.


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Saturday, November 18, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/18/06



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CARR, MILLER: S/T LP (Isota) - Based on the sounds contained within this, his debut release, Miller Carr must be one unique and intriguing dude. Aided by a creative cast of co-conspirators, the nine tracks on this release are a virtual sonic stew of influences. Elements of ‘60’s psych and blue-eyed soul, blues, country, and even lounge/film noir and reggae (!) are all used in various combinations and intensities to create the unique and personal songs on this album. As is invariably the case with such loner/outsider documents, this release can be a bit uneven at times, but the hits significantly outnumber the misses and, as a result, this is a pretty satisfying trip.


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Friday, November 17, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/15/06 - 11/17/06




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WOMEN AND CHILDREN: Paralyzed Dance, Tonight CD (Narnack) - This is the third release from acoustic duo, Women And Children. A wide range of acoustic-based styles are represented on this album. Some tracks contain fairly simple and straightforward folk. Other tracks add electric guitars and other little lysergic touches to produce some engaging acid folk sounds. Finally, there are a few tracks that use up beat, bouncy piano stylings and sweet harmonies to create some fairly tasty pop. Overall, a solid and enjoyable release that’s deserving of attention, even within the currently crowded folk/psych/pop field.

As coincidence would have it, they’re playing in the SF Bay Area this weekend, if you live here and are interested:

Friday Nov. 17 at the Hemlock Tavern in SF

and

Saturday Nov. 18, 2006 in Big Sur at the Fernwood Lodge as part of the, “Folk Yeah Festival”.


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Let Me Get This Straight



Right wingers always insist that Americans need to be more personally responsible and stop looking to the Government to solve their problems. Individuals and the private sector, they claim, will provide the best solutions to any number of societal problems. Furthermore, they assert, Democrats consistently, and wrongly, support the concept that the Government can and should take an active role in helping citizens in need.

For the sake of discussion, I won’t debate these general points (although even casual scrutiny reveals a number of obvious fallacies in such assertions), rather, I’ll stipulate that they are true.

Please explain to me then, the Right’s attitude with respect to our ongoing occupation of Iraq. The supporters of our ongoing occupation of Iraq now seem to be claiming that the end game, our goal, is to get to the point where a stabile, pro-US government is in place in Iraq. Once that happens (cynics, such as myself, might say if and when it ever happens, but I digress...), we will have finished the job and our troops can come home. Mission accomplished. Really, this time. They say we can’t withdraw now, because the Iraqi Government can’t yet stand on its own. Furthermore, they can’t even estimate when they may be able to do so. All they can say is that this is their current plan and that their intent is for us to stay in Iraq to support the Iraqi Government indefinitely, at the cost of many American lives and billions of your dollars, until they can stand on their own.

So, let me get this straight. Right wingers insist that people who are US citizens and, in most cases, tax payers, should stand on their own two feet and stop looking to our Government for help, yet they’re more than willing to have our Government expend billions of dollars and thousands of lives indefinitely into the future to support and rebuild Iraq?!?

This is not only a completely hypocritical position, but it is also insulting and flat out wrong to treat non-citizens, who don’t pay taxes nor contribute to the growth/benefit of this country in any way, better than tax paying US citizens!

No, we can’t rebuild your local schools or roads, we’re building them in Iraq!

Now I’m sorry that the misguided policies of the Bush Administration have led to death, destruction, and chaos in Iraq, and I don’t deny that we do really owe it to them not to just fuck everything up and then leave them holding the bag. That all being stated, however, at some point (and that point needs to come sooner, rather than later!) we need to withdraw and the Iraqi’s will need to stand on their own two feet and make it (or not) on their own - just like the Righties, supposedly, want and insist their fellow Americans do. That is right thing to do, not only as a strategy to move forward in Iraq, but also to be consistent and fair to the American public!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/14/06




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WHITE MAGIC: Dat Rosa Mel Apibus 2XLP (Drag City) - This is the debut full-length from NYC-based duo, White Magic. The echos of the ‘60’s reverberate throughout this release’s 12 tracks of acid folk and pop. Mira Billotte’s unique vocal stylings remind me of any number of underground folk singer-songwriters from those long ago destroyed days. Her somewhat off-kilter piano playing, which dominates many of these tracks, is also reminiscent of the 60’s in both style and tone. One should not conclude, however, that this is some obvious, clumsy, and, as a result, relatively unsatisfying attempt to merely imitate the sounds of the ‘60’s. Rather, it’s more like Billotte has absorbed and integrated those sounds and now those influences have almost organically emerged in these songs to offer a nice blend of comfortable, familiar elements and a unique, modern sound. On many tracks (and these are the most developed/best tracks, too!) they are supported by a revolving cast of luminaries, including Samara Lubelski and the Dirty Three’s, Jim White. Gorgeous sounding and beautifully packaged, this album is excellent in every aspect!


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Gas Prices?!?


I don’t know if it’s the same all over, but here in the SF Bay Area gas prices started going up immediately after the Republicans got hammmered in last Tuesday’s elections and now, just a week later, are up 12 cents per gallon. Oil men in the Administration and the big oil companies lowering gas prices before the elections to help the politicians who are in their pocket? Oh, that’s crazy talk, you say. It’s just a coincidence.

And ironic, too, that Prop 87 (the oil tax that opponents warned would raise your gas prices at the pump if it passed!) failed, yet up go those gas prices, 5% in just one week! But, hey, it’s just a coincidence. There’s no collusion here. Stop being paranoid.

Yeah, right.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/13/06



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HIGGS, DANIEL (A. I. U.), INTERDIMENSIONAL SONG-SEAMSTRESS: Ancestral Songs LP (Holy Mountain) - Another installment from loner/outsider, Daniel Higgs. This one contains a couple of pretty straightforward acid folk tracks, with only acoustic guitar and vocals, a couple of lo-fi electro freakouts, and each side is anchored by a lengthy basement psych raga. The A-Side’s, “Thy Chosen Bride”, begins with some nice solo out-banjo (damn, second review in as many days with out-banjo, WTF?!?) before the LP’s most gripping lyrics/vocals begin around the middle of the track. The B-Side’s, “Are You Of The Body?” is an outstanding instrumental that combines drones with some tasty acoustic and electric guitar work.

NELSON, WILLIE: Songbird LP (Lost Highway) - A big, beautiful sounding recording from this true American icon. A nice blend of classic country, basic rock, and blues elements, combined with that rich voice delivering lyrics that speak to the human condition on many levels.


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Sunday, November 12, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/6/06 - 11/12/06


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HUNTSVILLE: For The Middle Class CD (Rune Grammofon) - This is the debut release from experimental Norwegian trio, Huntsville. The foundation for Huntsville’s sound (for the majority of this material) is the driving, relentless, repetitive almost to the point of being trance inducing percussion (on drum kit, a variety of “indiginous” instruments, like tablas, and electronics) of Ingar Zach. Over this foundation the other members layer, in varying combinations and intensities, experimental noise drones, hypnotic guitar figures, organ, and other interesting sonic accents. The album’s centerpiece is the 20+ minute, “Add A Key Of Humanity”, which features some of the most mind altering out-banjo I’ve heard since Joe Morris on the great, “Eloping With The Sun” CD from 2003. A unique, genre-busting sound, just the way the Sonictroubadour likes it!

Several new reviews (Isis, Daniel Higgs, and so on) to follow in the next day or so!


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HU VIBRATIONAL: Universal Mother 2XLP (Soul Jazz) - As much as I respect Hamid Drake and enjoy music that includes African influences created on authentic African instruments, I really am not that into percussion only LPs, which, with the exception of a couple of tracks, is what this release contains.


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Sunday, November 05, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/4/06 - 11/5/06


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More archival additions from my recent numerous Amoeba used vinyl scores:

GORDONS: Vol. 2 LP (Flying Nun) - Wow! I recently scored a copy of this NZ mega-rarity from ‘84. The Gordons were an early 80’s post-punk, noise-exploration trio who created heavy, evocative music that featured dense, shifting walls of distorted sheetmetal guitars. They had three releases (an EP and two LPs). The EP and the first LP have been reissued and are fairly easy to find, but, “Vol. 2” has never been reissued and is so rare that, even with all the hard-core collecters I know, I have never seen a copy nor heard the music it contains before now. I had heard that the material on, “Vol. 2”, was not as good/was a little more mainstream sounding than their earlier material. Personally, I found this description to be half true. I thought the material on the A-Side was fairly consistent with their earlier (and best) work. Some of the B-Side material does sound like the less developed, still unfinished work of a band that was breaking up and was just used to complete the LP. Or maybe it just reflects the changes in sound the band was going through, changes that may well have been the reason the band chose to split up (to soon morph into Bailterspace!). Whatever the case, some of the B-Side tracks do sound decidedly more song oriented, with more of a verse-chorus regularity and a few somewhat lamentable stereotypical 80’s sonic elements. Overall, I’m still thrilled to have this rarity and was pretty pleased with the sounds it contains, especially on the A-Side.


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Friday, November 03, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/3/06


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WOODEN SHJIPS: Shrinking Moon For You 10” (Wooden Shjips) - Three more tracks of droning, fuzzy, Kraut/Spacerock bliss, this time with a somewhat more pop feel. Not as good as the 7” I discussed yesterday, but cool to have.


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Thursday, November 02, 2006

Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/1/06 - 11/2/06


First off, thanks to the mysterious (and pleasingly named) DJ Martian for listing Sonictroubadour (unbeknownst to me/not at my request, as I’ve never even heard of him before, so this isn’t like the self congratulatory exchanges on myspace, which are virtually meaningless, as they amount to, “I’ll say you’re cool, if you say I’m cool” - so, what validity do such recommendations really have?!?) as being among his favorite sites for the Music Blogosphere based on his criteria, which is to find and promote weblogs for the discerning listener with an interest in creative artistic music across the contemporary sound spectrum. That’s certainly the sonic territory that I’m trying to cover and it’s good to get some positive feedback that I’m accomplishing that mission. Now, on to the music...


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SELDA: S/T CD (B-Music) - This reissue of the first Selda LP, originally issued in 1976 on the Turkuola label, comes hot on the heels of the reissue of her second LP (also from 1976 on Turkuola originally) earlier this year. As good as her second LP was, this one is even better. While it contains a similar mix eastern-influenced psychedelic rock and acid folk tracks, the balance of each type of track is reversed. On this release, outstanding electric (with fuzz guitars, electric saz, and primitive synthesisers) psych tracks dominate, while the acid folk tracks (which are also quite good) are in the minority. Frankly, the only real negative comment I can make about this reissue is that it is not from tapes, unfortunately, but it’s still well worth having, despite the slightly compromised sound. Another public service from B-Music.

WOODEN SHJIPS: Dance, California (Radio Edit) / Clouds Over Earthquake 7” (Sick Thirst) - Big thanks to Karl of Anopheles Records (I’d recommend you check his entire catalogue at www.anophelesrecords.com) for hooking me up with this 7” from local project, Wooden Shjips. A-Side, “Dance, California”, is an amphetamine driven mixture of white hot, acid punk guitar leads over crunching, Kraut/Spacerock rhythms that would fit quite comfortably next to bands like Simply Saucer, Chrome, and Shatter. B-Side, “Clouds Over Earthquake”, is an excellent, more traditional take on the classic Kraut/Spacerock sound. To make matters even better, Wooden Shjips also has a 10” out now (which will be reviewed here within the next day or two) and a full-length coming out on Holy Mountain soon. Outstanding !


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