Sunday, September 30, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 9/26/07 - 9/30/07



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V/A: You Got Yours!: East Bay Garage 1965-67 CD (Big Beat) - In this reissue crazy era, there is an almost endless stream of 60’s garage/punk/psych collections being released, most of which are pretty marginal, at best. Each year, however, there are a handful of real winners, like “Scream Loud!!! The Fenton Story” triple LP set (issued earlier this year by Way Back) and, now, this CD, the latest installment in Big Beat’s Nuggets From The Golden State series “You Got Yours!: East Bay Garage 1965-67”.

This collection focuses on the mid-60s garage scene in the San Francisco Bay Area’s East Bay, which contains cities and towns in the counties of Alameda and Contra Costa, like Berkeley, Castro Valley, Hayward (my home since 1985!), Oakland, and San Leandro. Its 24 tracks contain a nice mix of tracks from rare singles and previously unissued material, ranging from blue-eyed soul rave-ups (such as the Donnybrookes and the Spyders) to post-British invasion power pop pleasers (like the Baytovens and the Shillings) and, of course, tough garage punk. Personal favorites included “Her Heart Said No” by The Blue Lite Conspiracy, “I’m Feeling Good” from The Bristol Boxkite, The Gants’ “Look At The Sun”, “Humpty Dumpty” from The Epics and “Get Out Of My Eye” by The Soul Vendors.

My only slight criticism might be that this collection could have even been more representative of the overall scene during those years if it had tracks by groups such as the Crystal Garden, Misanthropes, and the Remaining Few (all of whom had either singles or, at least, recorded material with the legendary Leo de Gar Kulka at Golden State Recorders!), rather than multiple tracks from groups like the Baytovens and the Harbinger Complex (who were certainly one of the premier bands of the era, but whose tracks here pale in comparison to their other material) or, even worse, recycled tracks that Big Beat has already used on previous collections in the Nuggets From The Golden State series. That all being stated, “You Got Yours!: East Bay Garage 1965-67” is still a pretty solid and welcome overview of a previously overlooked and underappreciated scene.


Two Additional Notes - For the record, I must admit my slight personal bias/tangental connection to this collection, as I am an acquaintance with the curator of this set, Alec Palao, and have actually done business with Bill Quarry, the promoter who, to a great extent, enabled so much of this scene.

Also, if you’d like to get more info on the East Bay scene in the 60’s, I’d encourage you to check out Bruce Tahsler’s (of US Male) somewhat amateurishly written, but fairly definitive book, “Garage Bands From The 60’s - Then And Now. The San Francisco East Bay Scene” (more details are available at www.teensntwenties.com).


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Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 9/25/07


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AI ASO / WATA: She's So Heavy Split 7” Single (Diwphalanx) - This limited split 7” single from Japan’s Ai Aso and Boris’ guitarist/vocalist Wata has got to be one of the ultimate fetish items in recent memory. It comes enclosed in a 60 page booklet, the majority of which contains a series of full color photos of the two stars of this disc. Ai Aso initiates the proceedings with an excellent lysergic space pop version of King Crimson’s “Islands” on the A-Side, in which her ethereal vox and sweeping mellotron are combined with You Ishihara’s (White Heaven, Stars) tasteful, shimmering, tremeloed guitar tones. On the B-Side, Wata makes her "solo" debut (backed by an outstanding supporting cast which includes all the other members of Boris and legendary guitarist Michio Kurihara of White Heaven/Ghost/Stars fame) with the track "Angel". It's another dose of lush psychedelic pop, with the rhythm section and Kurihara’s beautiful guitar work providing the foundation for Wata’s soft, almost spoken word vocals until Wata takes the track out with one of her trademark sustained feedback solos - sweet! Given the steep price ($30+) of this single, it would be hard for me to make a compelling argument that a lot of people would view this as being an essential purchase, but it is a very cool and rare sonic artifact that’s a welcome addition to my library.


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Monday, September 24, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 9/24/07



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LITTLE CLAW: Spit and Squalor Swallow The Snow LP (Ecstatic Peace) - Little Claw is a trio that recently relocated from Metro-Detroit to Portland, OR, whose musical efforts continue in the spirit, if not the actual sound, of the noisy, boundary-pushing experimentalists of each city, running from OGs such as Destroy All Monsters (Detroit) and Smegma (Portland) to modern artists like Jackie-O Motherfucker (Portland) and Wolf Eyes (Detroit). “Spit and Squalor Swallow The Snow” is their second full-length release. It contains nine tracks ranging from dark, driving, lo-fi, vaguely pop-leaning pieces like “Hobo Baby Zeus” and “Polar Bear” to damaged punk with strong blues undercurrents such as “Brackish Stratum” and the slinky “Lake Crescent Freeway” and, even, a couple of blasts of primitive noise rock, “Wayward Chief” and the excellent “Shoplifting Cart pt.II”, which closes out the set. While Little Claw certainly aren’t charting any new sonic territory on this album, charismatic vocalist Kilynn Lunsford and the energetic performances make “Spit and Squalor Swallow The Snow” an LP worthy of repeated spins.



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Another Terrastock?!? Big Fuckin' Deal!!!

So, that egomaniac poseur, Phil Mc Muttonhead, has conned another group of wide-eyed, well-intentioned, sycophants into doing 90% of the work of producing yet another Terrastock Festival, while he’ll take 90% of the credit. Yawn...This whole Terrastock scene is sooooooooo played out. Many of these bands are way past their creative primes and just goin' through the motions. Furthermore, to the extent that some still have some relevancy, I find it hard to believe that people still come running, frothing at the mouth, like some Pavlovian dog, to see this festival, year after year, when 50%+ of the line-up is comprised of the exact same bands! To each his own, I guess, but, for me - not now, no way!

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 9/23/07


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V/A: West Coast Post-Asiatic LP (Urck Records) - The label’s website claims that this LP is dedicated to admirable goal of documenting “artists on the Western Coast of the US who focus on or dabble in Asian/Eastern influenced avant-garde art”. The psych ragas by the Refrigerator Mothers and, especially, Amps For Christ and the two short tracks of acoustic-based folk by Auto Da Fe are relatively successful examples of interesting, modern "Asian/Eastern influenced" sounds. The remaining material, however, consisted of rather unimpressive experimental drones and/or cacophony that failed to satisfy. Like I said, a solid concept, but the inconsistency of the performances makes “West Coast Post-Asiatic” a marginal addition to my library.

PS - At least the gray splatter vinyl provides some aesthetic compensation for the very unattractive cover art!


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Saturday, September 22, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 9/21/07 - 9/22/07


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V/A: Music of Nat Pwe: Folk and Pop Music of Myanmar, Vol. 3 CD (Sublime Frequencies) - Sublime Frequencies returns with the third volume in their ongoing series of releases documenting the folk and pop music of Myanmar. This set focuses on the ceremonial folk music created by various Nat Pwe “orchestras”.

In Myanmar, many people still believe in a folk religion (yeah, I know, ALL religions are really folk religions; some are merely able to present a more deceptive facade of legitimacy due to their large, formal, organizational structures and their varying, but significant, levels of influence over both cultural attitudes and governmental policies, but, I digress...) based on ghost spirits called Nats. Believers participate in ceremonies called Pwes in order to pay tribute to the various Nats with the hope of enjoining their assistance or, conversely, avoiding their wrath. The music on this disc was recorded live at various Nat Pwes throughout Myanmar and features some of top practitioners of the form.

These groups use an assortment of percussion (such as bamboo sticks, bells, cymbals, gongs, wood blocks, and xylophones, in addition to a wide variety of drums) to create an incredible foundation for layers of alternately melodic and chaotic oboes and reverb-drenched vocal stylings. The resultant music is an maniacal and hypnotic vortex of authentic, organic, asian folk sounds, which have been beautifully captured on these sixteen glorious tracks. Another fine and very much appreciated release from the sonic ethnographers at Sublime Frequencies!


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Thursday, September 20, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 9/16/07 - 9/20/07

My List Of Personal Shame - Part One:

Presented below are several releases that I liked and have added to my library in 2007, but, for a variety of reasons, for which I have failed to publish a review. As time passes and, due to embarrassing good fortune in life, the new releases pile up (I currently have over 50 items that I haven't even listened to yet, let alone reviewed!), older items tend to lose the focus of my attention. So, knowing that I'll, regrettably, never get around to publishing any proper reviews for these items, I do wish to, at least, publicly acknowledge and briefly describe them in order to give them some of the kudos they deserve.

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NELS CLINE SINGERS: Draw Breath CD (Cryptogramophone) - Having witnessed two mind blowing live sets by the Nels Cline Singers at Yoshi’s in Oakland, CA, earlier this year, I greeted their latest release ”Draw Breath” with much anticipation. As was the case with his recent live performances, Cline and his co-conspirators deliver a sylistically diverse set of musical creations ranging from somewhat minimal, yet spacious, free jazz experimentations to precise and beautiful post-rock stylings to incendiary outre rock extravaganzas, often punctuated by blasts of extreme experimental electronics, and, even, the occasional little pop-leaning gem. A couple of tracks tend to meander a bit and, as a result, are less satisfying, but overall, this a worthy release that displays three amazing improvisors using all of their collective powers to create an assortment of challenging and genre-blurring sounds.



EL-P: I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead DLP (Definitive Jux) - Legendary producer, rapper, and record mogul, El-P, returns with his first solo full-length release in almost 5 years. It was well worth the wait, too, as “I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead” is a worthy successor to his critically acclaimed solo debut “Fantastic Damage”. Clever rhymes, creative sounds (which incorporate many influences beyond hip-hop, such as hard rock, jazz, and so on), and outstanding production make “I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead” a winner with wide appeal.



GROUP DOUEH: Guitar Music From The Western Sahara LP (Sublime Frequencies) - This is a compilation of material from Morrocan guitarist, Doueh, whose real name is, Baamar Salmou. Doueh and his group (comprised mostly of family members) have been performing for over 20 years. Much like the people and culture of the disputed land which Doueh calls home, the music on this release reflects a unique mixture of Arabic and West African traditions, as well as the unmistakable influence of western blues and rock. Unique and genre-defying, this is a prime example of the kind of music fuels the fire of your Sonictroubadour and is another great musical discovery from the fine folks at Sublime Frequencies!



LA OTRACINA: Tonal Ellipse of the One CD (Holy Mountain) - La Otracina is a Brooklyn-based project led by drummer Adam Kriney. “Tonal Ellipse of the One” is this trio’s second full-length release. It contains five heavy and somewhat schizophrenic jams, which incorporate a wide array of influences ranging from classic psychedelia, prog, and krautrock to the noisy, improvisational psych of the modern Japanese underground. An excellent album of "user friendly" jams that earned repeated spins for me!


LOS YORKS: 68 LP (Get Back) - This is a reissue of the second LP by 60’s Peruvian garage-psych group Los Yorks. Originally released in 1968 (hence the album’s title) on the legendary MAG label (which also issued releases by groups such as Laghonia, Tarkus, and Traffic Sound among others!), this LP contains ten tracks of respectable garage-psych. Like so many bands from south of the US during that era, Los Yorks do rely heavily on covers of “hits” by the famous bands of the era. Unlike the majority of their counterparts, who merely sounded like cheap imitators of the classic groups/styles of the time, Los Yorks, for the most part, make the material they cover their own; check out "Mira Tu", which interpolates the Seeds' classic "Tripmaker". In addition, they do perform some cool originals. Certainly not among the top tier of non-anglo 60's psych artists, but surely worthy of the attention of collectors of authentic psych sounds.


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Saturday, September 15, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 9/15/07



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WILLIAM PARKER/RAINING ON THE MOON: Corn Meal Dance CD (Aum Fidelity) - William Parker must either go without ever sleeping or somehow be able to suspend time. His masterful bass work graces seemingly almost every significant contemporary free jazz release and he leads several of his own ongoing projects, in addition to working as a music teacher and author. This disc is the second full-length release from his Raining On The Moon project and all the material was composed (both the music and the lyrics) by Parker. In addition to Parker on bass, this sextet is rounded out by an outstanding cast of musicians: Rob Brown (alto saxophone), Hamid Drake (drums), Lewis Barnes (trumpet), Eri Yamamoto (piano) and Leena Conquest on vocals.

This album may be somewhat of a surprise to the uninitiated. There are very few moments of the extraordinary free jazz for which Parker is famous; although, the players do perform quite admirably in their limited opportunities to step out, with Yamamoto’s contributions being particularly noteworthy. The nine tracks on this album focus on music in the long-running tradition of jazz pop vocals. In particular, it would seem, comparisons to the Sun Ra Arkestra seem unavoidably appropriate. Musically, this fine ensemble, like the Arkestra, creates swinging celestial afro-jazz of a high order. In fact, “Gilmore's Hat” (a nod to long-time Sun Ra collaborator/right hand man John Gilmore, one might presume) includes lines such as “rocketship to the moon” and “a place in space”. In addition, the big star of this set, incredible vocalist Leena Conquest, sounds uncannily like Sun Ra’s famous “space vocalist” June Tyson, beautifully delivering socially conscious lyrics which focus on issues such as poverty, oppression, and racism. Despite the heavy subject matter, however, the overall tone of this material is joyous and optimistic. Highlights include “Doctor Yesterday”, “Tutsi Orphans”, “Soledad”, and the amazing “Land Song”. “Corn Meal Dance” is another triumphant release from one of the giants of contemporary American music.


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Friday, September 14, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 9/14/07



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VOICE OF THE SEVEN WOODS: S/T CD (B-Music) - Over the course of just a few releases the folks over at B-Music have proven themselves to be record stack rummagers and reissuers of a high order. It was, therefore, quite a surprise to learn that their latest release, this self-titled CD from Voice Of The Seven Woods, featured recordings by a contemporary project. Voice Of The Seven Woods is, essentially, the solo project of Rick Tomlinson, who plays a variety of stringed instruments (oud and sitar, in addition to guitar), piano, and miscellaneous percussion. On this release he is supported by Chris Walmsley on drums/percussion and piano and Pete Headley on electric bass and violin.

For the most part, the material on this disc continues in the tradition of the more adventurous British folk of the late 60s/early 70’s, when both individuals and select groups incorporated Eastern musical influences and exotic percussion into their sound, with “Sayat Nova” and “Return From Byzantium” being my personal favorites. There are also three tracks, however, which use awesome, Eastern-influenced electric fuzz leads and drums to increase the volume and intensity of the music, taking it from folk to psych, of which the excellent and pleasingly titled “The Fire In My Head” was the best example. While there are currently many practitioners of acid folk and retro-psych, with this strong self-titled release the Voice Of The Seven Woods moves to near the head of the pack and I look forward to hearing Tomlinson’s continuing development on future releases.

Note for Bay Area readers - Voice Of The Seven Woods will be opening for Prefuse 73 at Slim's in San Francisco on December 8, 2007.


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Thursday, September 13, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 9/13/07



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AKRON/FAMILY: Love Is Simple CD (Young God) - The talented crew from the Akron/Family return with their third full-length release “Love Is Simple”. The material on this disc seems to constitute some vague sort of “concept album” or, at the very least, a “song cycle”, based on the premise contained in its title that “Love Is Simple”. They’re not singing about “romantic love” in the micro, interpersonal sense (although one would suspect that they would readily acknowledge the role of such “love” as part of a greater, more generalized “love”), they’re singing about “love” in the macro sense; about love of life, love for humanity and, by extension, love for the planet. Everything about the material on this set, from the actual lyrical content to the heavy emphasis on choral passages to the pan-genre scope of the music, is intended to evoke the spirit of communal experience and brotherhood.

Over the course of this album, the Akron/Family, once again armed with a wide array of instruments and musical influences, delivers an amazing cornucopia of sonic diversity; sometimes all in one track! For example, “Ed Is A Portal” begins like some kind of rural freak folk revival, complete with chorus, which builds in intensity until it morphs into a beautiful segment of acoustic-based, uptempo pop, before abruptly changing gears to conclude with 90 seconds of neo-electronica. There are two additional excellent, lengthy, and similarly scizophrenic tracks “There’s So Many Colors” and “Of All The Things”; the former featuring the disc’s most straight-up “rock” moments, while the latter is highlighted by an incredible out-rock eruption. Still, other cuts are more focused, but equally stellar. Case in point, “Lake Song/New Ceremonial Music For Moms”, which is a riveting dose of communal psych, dominated by steady, almost tribal, percussion, layers of primal vocalisms and “Crickets”, a beautiful, countrified lullaby, tastefully augmented with field recordings.

Despite vibe of brotherly love that they’re obviously trying to promote with this recording, it is clear that the Akron/Family is also aware that the choatic nature of their approach may not always provide a welcoming, “user friendly” experience for some members of their potential audience. For example, in “Phenomena” they acknowledge, “Some might think this isn’t the right sound”. Although such introspective self-awareness is wise, I would submit to you that, for the most part on “Love Is Simple”, the Akron/Family has gotten the sound exactly right and the result is their best work to date.

Note - As a special bonus, the initial pressing of this CD also contains a DVD with footage from one of their live performances. Sweet!


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Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 9/6/07 - 9/12/07



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WOODEN SHJIPS: S/T CD (Holy Mountain) - After a couple of limited 7”s and one 10” EP comes the highly anticipated the debut full-length release from the Bay Area’s Wooden Shjips. It contains five tracks of excellent psych jamming. The rhythm section of Dusty Jermier (bass) and Omar Ahsanuddin (drums) lays down steady, stone grooves which provide the foundation for layers of Nash Whalen’s droning, pulsating keyboards and Erik "Ripley" Johnson’s fuzz/wah/echoplexed guitar freakouts. The tracks on this release seem to build in intensity as the album progresses, with the final two cuts “Blue Sky Bends” and “Shine Like Suns” being the highlights of this disc. A solid debut that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. I look forward with great anticipation to hearing the Wooden Shjips fulfill their full potential with even more peaked performances in the future.

Note - The first 2000 copies of this CD also include a bonus disc which contains all the tracks from their first 7” and 10” EPs. Since both of these releases were reviewed here on Sonictroubadour at the time they were first issued, I won’t waste time, space, nor energy by discussing them again at this time. Readers are encouraged to use the “search” utility on this blog if they wish to review my comments regarding those releases. If you, like so many people, however, were not fortunate enough to score the original vinyl editions, do yourself as favor and move on this quickly, as that material remains some of their most compelling work to date.


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Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Music I Liked And Didn't - 8/30/07 - 9/5/07



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JOE MORRIS/KEN VANDERMARK/LUTHER GRAY: Rebus CD (Clean Feed) - Portugal’s respectable and always interesting Clean Feed imprint brings us these six improvisations from the trio of Joe Morris (guitar), Ken Vandermark (saxophone), and Luther Gray (drums). Although it is not always readily apparent in the mix and nothing else (such as the writing credits), besides the listing of Morris’ name first, on this CD would necessarily indicate it - Morris is the leader on this date and the man that ties it all together.

On the majority of the tracks, Vandermark, who on this date focuses only on the tenor saxophone, is clearly the “lead” soloist. As such, he is excellent in all settings, whether adding minimalist skronk, crafting soulful phrases, or pursuing aggressive solos. Gray is solid throughout this disc, as well, keeping the proceedings moving along nicely, while also adding tasteful accents and colorful splashes of sound. Which brings us to Morris, the all-star utility player on this set. For example, in “Rebus 3”, Morris’ guitar work contributes beautiful textures to the sonic foundation for Vandermark’s solo flights of fancy in a style that recalls William Parker’s recent work on the hypnotic douson ngoni. On the next track “Rebus 4”, Morris engages Vandermark in a fiery dual freedom chase. Then, on “Rebus 5”, Morris focuses mainly on the lower register of the guitar and his playing takes on more of a role traditionally associated with the bass, reflecting, undoubtedly, his recent studies on that instrument. Still, on other tracks, such as “Rebus 2” and “Rebus 6”, Morris employs more familiar contemporary jazz guitar moves, providing both artistic comping support and pointillistic leads. Masterful musicianship, combined with stylistic diversity, makes “Rebus” an intriguing and satisfying release that features some of Morris’ most transcendent work since his efforts on the great “Eloping with the Sun” album from a few years ago.


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