Saturday, June 30, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/30/07


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LARRY YOUNG Lawrence Of Newark LP (Perception) - Larry Young was a jazz organist who was known for his modal playing style and performed with some of the biggest names in the jazz world of the 60’s and 70’s, including Grant Green, Elvin Jones, Sam Rivers and, most notably, Miles Davis, on his legendary album “Bitches Brew”. He also had several releases as a leader in his own right on the esteemed Prestige and Blue Note labels. This is a reissue of his rare 1973 release on the tiny Perception label. It features five tracks of engaging, organ-led, celestial afro-jazz, highlighted by the mind-blowing “Khalid Of Space, Part Two (Welcome)” which crosses over into the drone rock zone with a battery of percussionists laying down a foundation for Diedre Johnson’s droning cello, Young’s bleeding organ, James “Blood” Ulmer’s wah wah workouts and blasts of freaked out electric sax and trumpet. A sweet treat for the ears, mind, and soul, that’s a welcome addition to the Sonictroubadour’s archives!


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Friday, June 29, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/28/07 - 6/29/07


Adds - Finally, I get around to reviewing this fine LP, as it was long overdue!

HALA STRANA: Heave The Gambrel Roof LP (Music Fellowship) - Steven R. Smith is, in my humble opinion, a nearly criminally overlooked and underappreciated musician who has been creating great music as both a solo artist and as a member of such projects as Thuja and Mirza for many years. He began his Hala Strana project in 2002 and “Heave The Gambrel Roof” is the fourth full length release under the Hala Strana name. Although numerous musicians have contributed to the project over the years, most Hala Strana recordings are solo productions and only the opening track of this LP features any outside contributors. As always, Smith uses an array of instruments (many which he built himself!) such as the bouzouki, cello, harmonium, hurdy gurdy, spike fiddle, and, of course, the more common tools of the modern music trade, the electric guitar and organ, to create this collection of dronescape miniatures and dazzling, pan-global acid folk.

Four of the eleven tracks are interpretations of Albanian folk tunes and two of these are among the highlights of the album. The spectacular “Wedding Of The Blind” opens the B-Side with a rich dronescape that builds until Smith cuts in on guitar with a righteous, almost rockin’ groove. The title track displays, at least, a reflection of its Balkan roots, combining layers of plucked, strummed, and frenetically bowed acoustic instruments to mesmerizing effect. Several of Smith’s original pieces are also quite impressive. “Grain” is the best among several more contemporary sounding acid folk tracks on the LP. “Molars Of Smoke” exhibits a Far Eastern influence, with lots of hand percussion, bells, and, in general, a spacious ambience that makes it the album’s most psychedelic track. “Marl” is a jubilant piece that borders on “pop” territory. “Heave The Gambrel Roof” is a carefully constructed, beautiful, and hypnotic release that’s truly one of Smith’s best!

Oh - And hell yes I bought one of the collector scum, limited to 250 copies, first pressings of the LP, with the 12"x12" hand cut and hand sanded, screen printed wood cover!


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Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/17/07 - 6/27/07

Sorry for the lack of reviews I've been posting lately. I've been out of town a lot this month, which makes it difficult to do a lot of serious listening/writing of reviews; especially since 50% of what I purchase is vinyl. Unfortunately, I don't have the technology to listen to records while hurtling across the desert at 90 miles per hour!!!!!


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TIED + TICKLED TRIO: Aelita CD (Morr Music) - The Tied + Tickled Trio’s 2003 album “Observing Systems” was one of my favorite releases of that year. Its unique and well-executed combination of upbeat electronic pop and funky jazz elements really appealed to me. Unfortunately, the group’s fifth album “Aelita” has a decidedly different sonic focus. The majority of the material on this disc is somewhat dark, minimal, mechanically precise electronica. Nary a hint of the jazz influences that were so prominent and successful on “Observing Systems” is to be heard. And only a few tracks (the pop-oriented “Other Voices Other Rooms”, the dub-wise “Tamaghis”, and “You Said Tomorrow Yesterday” which is, more or less, a sonic synthesis of the two aforementioned tracks) are vaguely upbeat. While 2007, like all years, has already yielded a substantial quantity of great new music, it has also been a somewhat bittersweet year for me, having relegated releases by long-time favorites such as Ghost, Low, and, now, this disc by the The Tied + Tickled Trio, to the rejection pile.


Running Count For The Year

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Saturday, June 16, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/13/07 - 6/16/07



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RACCOO-OO-OON: S/T 7” EP (Gilgongo) - Hot on the heels of their amazing LP “Behold Secret Kingdom", comes this excellent three song 7” EP from Raccoo-oo-oon. The A-Side features two outstanding tracks. “Mud Mound” opens the side with a dark, organic, acid folk vibe created with miscellaneous percussion, cello, and a murky, low-level mix of tripped-out electronics and patented Raccoo-oo-oon outro-vocalisms. “Behold Secret Kingdom” (which is not on the album of the same name) is probably the group's most "pop" sounding track ever, with waves of synths and joyous, soaring (and almost "normal"!?!) vocals propelled by a driving beat and guitar. The B-Side's "Slobbery Masses" is a less focused and, as a result, in my humble opinion, a slightly less successful affair. It begins with a segment of percussive racket and vocal moans which eventually evolves into a jammin’ basement psych groove. Stylistically diverse, while maintaining a fairly high quality level throughout, this is truly one of the best 7" slabs I've heard in quite a while. All hail another triumphant blast from Raccoo-oo-oon!!!!!

I can hardly wait for their Northern California shows coming up in a couple of weeks:

7/02 - 21 Grand, Oakland,CA

7/03 - Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, CA

7/04 - Terrestrial, Sacramento, CA

7/05 - Boy's Club Santa Rosa, CA


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Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/7/07 - 6/12/07



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SIR RICHARD BISHOP: While My Guitar Violently Bleeds LP (Locust) - Sun City Girls’ co-founder Richard Bishop returns with his fourth solo release “While My Guitar Violently Bleeds”, which contains three distinctly different explorations on guitar. The opening track “Zurvan” is a flamenco influenced improvisation that sounds very similar to the material from his 2006 album “Fingering The Devil”. The second piece “Smashana” is an out-guitar extravaganza which combines layers of droning feedback and other miscellaneous guitar destruction. Sir Richard returns to the acoustic guitar (accompanied by excellent droning tambura!) to close out the LP with an intricate and lengthy raga. “Mahavidya” begins with a relaxed pace and graceful guitar work that builds in intensity until it develops into an impressive and fiery display of both speed and precision. “While My Guitar Violently Bleeds” is a unique and well-crafted album that is Bishop’s most varied and best solo release to date.


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Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/6/07

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BOY IN STATIC: Violet CD (Mush) - I swear that my experience with releases on the Mush label are much like those of a gambler - while the majority of my “plays” (i.e., purchases) are losers, there are enough occasional winners to cause me to keep exploring their catalog, rather than just give up on the label. Unfortunately, this over-hyped new release from Boston resident Alexander Chen’s project, Boy In Static, is another release that can be added to Mush’s list of losers. Yes, “Violet” certainly contains 10 tracks of delicate and precise dream-pop electronica which reflects the strong influence of a variety of British pop movements since the late 80’s, but they’re just too calculated, too precious to really strike an emotional chord - at least with me.


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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/1/07 - 6/5/07



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Iowa City’s prolific Racoo-oo-oon returns with their most cohesive, raucous, and best release to date, “Behold Secret Kingdom”. The
Racoo-oo-oon sound is built on a foundation of percussion - ranging from simple, heavy tribal pounding to minimal, organic basement percussion improvisations, and even the percussive effects of elements not traditionally associated with the “rhythm section” of a "rock" band, such as tripped-out electronics. They then pile on (in varying combinations and intensities on each track) noisy blasts of guitar, droning, gurgling synths and electronic washes, wailing saxophone, and seemingly wordless, reverbed and delayed vocals (more like moans and wails) that function more as an additional instrument in this awesome aural assault, than as a means to convey any actual lyrical content. The final result of this sonic synthesis are these eight incredible tracks of joyous free-psych
noise-rock.

The excellent opening track “Black Branches” sets the tone for the entire album. Like most of the tracks on this release, it begins with a vaguely “normal” heavy rock progression that builds as it develops, with additional dissonant guitar, wailing vocals, electronic noises, and percussion increasing the tempo, intensity, and volume of the piece until it reaches the breaking point - collapses - and then coalesces, only to begin the cycle all over again on the next track. So proceeds the rest of the disc: from the epic “Antler Mask” to the absolutely scorching “Invisible Sun” and on to the ultra-heavy stoner crush of the album’s closing track “Tail At Prospect Peak”. There are a couple of more ambient pieces that provide a brief respite from this outstanding sonic onslaught, but even these, especially “Fangs And Arrows”, eventually evolve until they reach a fairly feverish peak. With “Behold Secret Kingdom”, Racoo-oo-oon has delivered a potent dose of artistic psychedelic out-rock that’s not to be missed!


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