Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/17/06 - 6/23/06

Adds -

BUNALIM: S/T LP (Shadoks) - One might have thought that the well of high quality 60’s/70’s underground music from Turkey must have just about run dry, but the fairly recent releases of gems by Selda, Ersen, and, now, this LP by Bunalim prove otherwise. This LP compiles tracks from singles recorded by various permutations of the band between 1969 and 1972. The majority of the tracks are the cool mix of Eastern folk and Western rock (Anadolu rock!) that I’ve come to expect, know, and love from Turkey. A couple of the tracks veer into less satisfying hard rock territory. Overall, pretty cool, despite the high price.

EVOLUTIONARY JASS BAND: Change of Scene CD (Community Library) - Drawing inspiration from artists such as Sun Ra, Mulatu Astatke, and the pantheon of modern free jazz musicians, Jef Brown (JOMF!) and Co. work out over five cosmic Jazz groovers. Not “high art” jazz, but very enjoyable jams.

RHYTHM AND SOUND: See Mi Ya LP (Burial Mix) - Mark Ernestus and Moritz von Oswald have released pioneering hybrids of reggae, dub and electronica under the name Rhythm & Sound since 1996. I’m just catching up on this 2005 release which features stoney dub vocals from Walda Gabriel, Bobbo Shanti, Rod Of Iron, Ras Donovan and Ras Perez, among others. Irie!

Did Not Add -


Running Count For The Year

Adds 81/61%

Did Not Add 52/39%

Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/15/06 - 6/16/06

Now I'm getting busy!!!!!

Adds - JAZZ IS BACK!!!

JORDAN + HAMID DRAKE + WILLIAM PARKER, KIDD: Palm of Soul CD (AUM Fidelity) - Outstanding new release from this trio of world class improvisors led by veteran New Orlean’s musician, Jordan. A wide array of instruments and influences from Asia and Africa are used to create the music on this release. Highlights include the trancedant, “Forever”, with gongs setting the atmosphere for some excellent, soulful, blues wailing and the burning, “Unity Call”. A beautiful release that continues to expand the concept of what Jazz is and can be!

SHEPP, ARCHIE: On This Night LP (Impulse) - Found an original LP version of this somewhat “straighter” early Shepp title. Good post-early 60’s Coltrane informed sounds, most notable for the battery of percussionists/instruments (traditional trap kit, vibes, and africian “rhythm logs”, the latter, courtesy of the late, great Ed Blackwell!) that provide an excellent sonic foundation for Shepp’s saxophone excursions. Nice.

VARIOUS: Ethnic Minority Music of Northeast Cambodia CD (Sublime Frequencies) - The latest blasts from the usually dependable and interesting Sublime Frenquencies imprint are in! This volume features cosmic Cambodian folk music created on a wide variety of indigenous instruments. Excellent!

VARIOUS: Radio Algeria CD (Sublime Frequencies) - A wide range of musical styles are represented on this disc: folk, modern pop (in both Arabic and French), sacred Islamic music, and so on. Overall, very good, but I must admit that I still don’t care much for the “cut and paste” aspect of the all the “radio sourced” discs in this series. At least on this one most of the transitions are less jarring and the “real” musical pieces actually run 2, 3, or more minutes, unlike some of the earlier discs which were very audio collage-like.

It’s a wonderful world we live in. Access to so many cool sounds that would have been unknown to all but locals and a few hard core musical ethnologists only a few years ago.

Did Not Add -

LATERNA: S/T LP (Obuh) - Unfortunately the minimal, jazz-influenced improv contained on this fine vinyl LP from the usually reliable Polish label, Obuh, failed to sufficently capture my interest.

Running Count For The Year

Adds 78/60%

Did Not Add 52/40 %

Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/8/06 - 6/14/06

Adds

SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE: The Sun Awakens LP (Drag City) - On the A-Side, Chasney and Co. put the “acid” in “acid folk” with some of the loudest, most over the top electric guitar to ever grace a Six Organs release, especially on “Black Wall” and “Attar”. The B-Side is a respectable side-long, late night, deep space droner. Not his best, but certainly an interesting and worthy release.

Music I Liked And Didn't - 6/6/06 - 6/7/06

Adds

CONNERS, LOREN: Night Through - Singles And Collected Works 1976 - 2004 3 CD (Family Vineyard) - Conners has been a figure in the underground music scene for a long time and has over 60 releases to his credit. Unfortunately, most of these have been in micro pressings on obscure labels and, as a result, his music has not been very widely circulated. Therefore, this new compilation of tracks from singles, rarities, and previously unreleased material is a welcome addition to any collection. It provides an excellent overview of Conners’ varied musical stylings, from his broken blues, to poignant, reverb drenched, solo instrumentals, and dense, distorto, free rock improvisations. Most of the material is solo guitar instrumentals, but some tracks feature additional musicians (most notable are the two great tracks from his group, Haunted House on disc 3!) and a few have vocals (usually from his wife and long-time collaborator, ethereal chantuese, Suzanne Langille). A late night treat!

SANDOZ - Sandoz In Dub Chapter 2 Live In The Earth 2 LP (Soul Jazz) - Although much of Richard H. Kirk’s output over the years is not really my cup of tea, I’ll still readily acknowledge him for being among the leading trailblazers in the underground music scene for many years. This is his second release of dub on the fine Soul Jazz imprint and, overall, it’s pretty solid and authentic sounding. Perhaps a bit too sterile a times, but that could be expected/understood, since Kirk reached this point via experimenting with technology/electronic music, rather than through the warm, organic, sounds of Rock Steady and Reggae that influenced the genre’s Jamaican originators. Righteous!


Running Count For The Year

Adds 73/59%

Did Not Add 51/41 %

Music I Liked And Didn't - 5/30/06 - 6/5/06

Adds

BORIS: The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked Vol. 2 LP (Conspiracy) - Another blast from these Japanese doom drone/noise punk/heavy psych masters. This one mainly focuses its attention on the amplifier worshipping, noise drone facet of the Boris sonic attack. Not nearly the winner their recent, “Pink” double LP was, but still it has its worthy moments and is, therefore, bordering on essential to hardcore Boris completists, like me.

Not much new to add, just been too busy to process all the cool new releases out there. Hopefully, I'll soon have more info about a spate of new releases on Sublime Frequencies and other things

Running Count For The Year

Adds 71/58%

Did Not Add 51/42 %

Music I Liked And Didn't - 5/27/06 - 5/29/06

Adds

CHATHAM, RHYS: Die Donnergotter (The Thundergods) 2LP and An Angel Moves Too Fast to See LP (both Table Of The Elements) - Like so many artists from the NYC avant garde scene over the years (Tony Conrad, La Monte Young, and so on), Chatham’s work is better known for the influence it had on those who followed and has been “heard” mainly as filtered through the music of those who he influenced (Glenn Branca, Sonic Youth, and so on). Very little of Chatham’s own material has remained available in print. Thankfully, the fine folks at Table Of The Elements have been doing their part over the years to make us more aware of Chatham’s work through an ongoing series of reissues. “Die Donnergotter” reissues a compilation which included most of Chatham's most famous pieces, the highlights of which are the title track and, “Drastic Classicism”. "An Angel Moves Too Fast to See" is Chatham’s legendary composition that was scored for an orchestra (army?!?) of 100 electric guitars! Essential music that’s great to have available for a wider audience once again!

Note, if you already own the 2003 3CD Compilation on Table Of The Elements, with the similar title of, “An Angel Moves Too Fast to See: Selected Works 1971-1989”, then you already have all the material on these two releases and more, but, if you’ve missed out on Chatham’s works up until now (or you just want this material on cool vinyl - my only reason for buying these titles filled with material I already own, I’ll admit!), then get hip and pick these up today!

MV & EE WITH THE BUMMER ROAD: Mother of Thousands 2LP (Time Lag) - I’ve got to admit that I think that a) the whole MV/EE thing is way overhyped and b) they were better when acting as part of a greater whole in the Tower Recordings. So, I’ll admit that I was skeptical about this new double LP release from MV, EE, and The Bummer Road on Time Lag that has been getting lots of hype as being their best work to date. Reluctantly, I’ve got to admit that it is. There are several tracks of fairly pleasing acid folk, most notably, “Sunshine Girl“ and “Canned Heat Blues“. That being stated, however, about 50% of the material here is still only semi-competant basement ramble that, quite frankly, is no better than the hundreds of hours of tapes that I have of me and my friends jamming, so I could hardly call this release an unqualified winner. If you’re really into the whole acid folk, basement psych, drone raga scene, then you probably want this. If not, well...you’ve been warned. A keeper, but barely, for me.

Damn, it's been a good run for me; again, nothing in the "did not add" category! I must not be experimenting enough!

Running Count For The Year

Adds 70/58%

Did Not Add 51/42 %

Music I Liked And Didn't - 5/21/06 - 5/26/06

Adds

CORSANO, CHRIS And Ben Chasney/Metzger: S/T Split LP (Roaratorio) - So, of course, the big deal side of this split LP (which comes in a cool poplar veneer jacket!?!) is supposed to be the Corsano - Chasney side, coming off their recent collaboration on the most recent Six Organs Of Admittance release. Their side, however, contains some fairly uninteresting improvisational percussion and guitar clatter. The saving grace is the side by Paul Metzger, on which he combines droning tampura and guitar, excellently punctuated with trippy, ringing, tones from modified music boxes to create a satisfying late night psychedelic raga.

ELLMAN, LIBERTY: Ophiucus Butterfly CD (Pi) - When it comes to current Jazz, my interest is mainly in Free Jazz. This CD by Henry Threadgill associate, Liberty Ellman, is a rare exception. It combines a nice array of instruments and styles. There are a couple of jaunty stompers, a slow bluesy moaner, a couple of experiments in electro-ambinence, a track that features a heavy eastern influence, with lots of bells, and the releases's highlight, the outstanding, "Chromos", features a tuba! One of my favorite Jazz releases of the year, so far.

YEAR OF: Slow Days LP (MORR Music) - Interesting and gorgeous sounding LP of electronica, marred somewhat, IMHO, by irritating vocals. "Calling Sky", in particular, is outstanding!

Running Count For The Year

Adds 67/57%

Did Not Add 51/43 %

Music I Liked And Didn't - 5/16/06 - 5/20/06

Adds

BLACK ANGELS: Passover 2LP (Light In The Attic) - This is a perfect example of why I feel fortunate to have enough money that I can experiment, instead of only being able to buy things that I have some reason to believe (previous history, label identity, etc.) I'll like.

I knew nothing about this band, but I was intrigued by the cool, textured, psychedelic black and white gatefold jacket, so I picked it up. Turned out to be some pretty cool contemporary psych-influenced rock, as informed by a musical tradition beginning with 60's underground heros such as the 13th Floor Elevators and the Velvet Underground (check out, "Call To Arms"), carrying right through to the 80's with say, Spacemen 3, and bringing it into the present artists such as the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Not life changing, but pretty damn enjoyable.

EDDIE MARCON: Shining On Graveposts CD (Preservation) - This new duo, composed of Japanese Underground veterans, delivers a dose of atmospheric acid folk. Almost too light, at times, for me, but still has some worthy moments.

Did Not Add

HOWLING RAIN: S/T CD (Birdman) - Ya know, I really like Comets On Fire and I also hate to dis locals. That all being stated, however, I couldn't dig this release of contemporary choogle with overwrought vocals.

Running Count For The Year

Adds 64/56%

Did Not Add 51/44 %

Fundamentalism - Any Way You Go It's A One Way Road Trip Down The Highway To Hell!

Ironic, isn't it, that the most vehement supporters of Imperial America's widespread military actions, often using the rationalization that that such actions are necessary in order to defend ourselves from the dangers of evil, fundamentalist Islam, are, in fact, themselves Christian Fundamentalists?

Wikipedia (at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalism) describes Fundamentalism as follows:

"Fundamentalism" describes a movement to return to what is considered the defining or founding principles of the religion. It has especially come to refer to any religious enclave that intentionally resists identification with the larger religious group in which it originally arose, on the basis that fundamental principles upon which the larger religious group is supposedly founded have become corrupt or displaced by alternative principles hostile to its identity.

This formation of a separate identity is deemed necessary on account of a perception that the religious community has surrendered its ability to define itself in religious terms. The "fundamentals" of the religion have been jettisoned by neglect, lost through compromise and inattention, so that the general religious community's explanation of itself appears to the separatist to be in terms that are completely alien and fundamentally hostile to the religion itself. Fundamentalist movements are therefore founded upon the same religious principles as the larger group, but the fundamentalists more self-consciously attempt to build an entire approach to the modern world based on strict fidelity to those principles, to preserve a distinctness both of doctrine and of life.

Fundamentalism is therefore a movement through which the adherents attempt to rescue religious identity from absorption into modern culture, where this absorption appears to the enclave to have made irreversible progress in the wider religious community, necessitating the assertion of a separate identity based upon the fundamental or founding principles of the religion.

Fundamentalists believe their cause to have grave and even cosmic importance. They see themselves as protecting not only a distinctive doctrine, but also a vital principle, and a way of life and of salvation. Community, comprehensively centered upon a clearly defined religious way of life in all of its aspects, is the promise of fundamentalist movements, and it therefore appeals to those adherents of religion who find little that is distinctive, or authentically vital in their previous religious identity.

The fundamentalist "wall of virtue", which protects their identity, is erected against not only alien religions, but also against the modernized, compromised, nominal version of their own religion. In Christianity, fundamentalists are "Born again" and "Bible-believing" Protestants, as opposed to "Mainline", "liberal", "modernist" Protestants, who represent "Churchianity"; in Islam they are jama'at (Arabic: (religious) enclaves with connotations of close fellowship) self-consciously engaged in jihad (struggle) against Western culture that suppresses authentic Islam (submission) and the God-given (Shari'ah) way of life; in Judaism they are Haredi "Torah-true" Jews; and they have their equivalents in Hinduism and other world religions. These groups insist on a sharp boundary between themselves and the faithful adherents of other religions, and finally between a "sacred" view of life and the "secular" world and "nominal religion". Fundamentalists direct their critiques toward and draw most of their converts from the larger community of their religion, by attempting to convince them that they are not experiencing the authentic version of their professed religion.

For religious fundamentalists, sacred scripture is considered the authentic, and literal word of God. Fundamentalist beliefs depend on the twin doctrines that God articulated his will precisely to prophets, and that followers also have a reliable and perfect record of that revelation. Since Scripture is considered the word of God, fundamentalists believe that no person has the right to change it or disagree with it. As a result, people are "obliged" to obey the word of God. The appeal of this point of view is its simplicity: people must do what God tells them to do. END

So, in a geo-political atmosphere, such as we have today, in which the governments of nations are directly (i.e, Iran, etc.) or indirectly (i.e. the United States! I highly recommend Kevin Phillip's fine book, "American Theocracy", for more on that subject) controlled by religious fundamentalists, whose attitude towards those holding differing views is "my way or the highway", is it any wonder that the world is on a collision course for disaster?!? Of course, not! Especailly given the fact that there are multiple large, strong, groups that hold diametrically opposing views! Now being merely intolerant, on a personal level, of others' opposing views might be stupid and counterproductive, but it's not necessarily that dangerous to the world at large. Taking actions, however, to impose their beliefs on everybody else throughout the world via the control of various nations is another matter entirely and is, quite possibly, the greatest threat to the future survival of humanity! Even more of a threat than global warming, over population, or disease and so on.

And the real threat revealed by this analysis of the philosophies of religious fundamentalism and their impact on the actions of many present day governments is only exacerbated by the fact that you have unethical scumbags (as oppossed to well-meaning, but, perhaps, merely misguided "men of God") leading the charge for their forces worldwide!

The murderous and hypocritical actions of Osama and Co. are well documented and I carry no water for them. That all being stated, I'm an American and I can only do so much about them. I'm sure, however, many people (in fact, sadly, a much larger number than I would hope) would be surprised to learn that many of the trusted, respected leaders of their Churches, their "men of God" are just as dispicable as Osama and just as unworthy of being followed/supported.

Take Pat Robertson, as just one example. Yeah, everybody knows about all the whack comments he's made over the years (and his words should surely be both stupid and ugly enough to undermine his credibility and fitness to lead as a "Holy Man"), but his actions are twice as disgusting and dangerous.

For example, from The Nation (at http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050919/blumenthal), we get the following:

Far from the media's gaze, Robertson has used the tax-exempt, nonprofit Operation Blessing as a front for his shadowy financial schemes, while exerting his influence within the GOP to cover his tracks. In 1994 he made an emotional plea on The 700 Club for cash donations to Operation Blessing to support airlifts of refugees from the Rwandan civil war to Zaire (now Congo). Reporter Bill Sizemore of The Virginian Pilot later discovered that Operation Blessing's planes were transporting diamond-mining equipment for the African Development Corporation, a Robertson-owned venture initiated with the cooperation of Zaire's then-dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

After a lengthy investigation, Virginia's Office of Consumer Affairs determined that Robertson "willfully induced contributions from the public through the use of misleading statements and other implications." Yet when the office called for legal action against Robertson in 1999, Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley, a Republican, intervened with his own report, agreeing that Robertson had made deceptive appeals but overruling the recommendation for his prosecution. Two years earlier, while Virginia's investigation was gathering steam, Robertson donated $35,000 to Earley's campaign--Earley's largest contribution. With Earley's report came a sense of vindication. "From the very beginning," Robertson claimed, "we were trying to provide help and assistance to those who were facing disease and death in the war-torn, chaotic nation of Zaire."

(Earley is now president of Prison Fellowship Ministries, an evangelical social-work organization founded by born-again, former Nixon dirty-trickster Charles Colson. PFM has accepted White House faith-based-initiative money and is currently engaged in hurricane relief efforts in Louisiana. Earley remains a close ally of Robertson.)

Absolved of his sins, Robertson dug his heels back in African soil. In 1999 he signed an $8 million agreement with Liberian tyrant Charles Taylor that guaranteed Robertson's Freedom Gold Ltd.--an offshore company registered to the same address as his Christian Broadcasting Network--mining rights in Liberia, and gave Taylor a 10 percent stake in the company. When the United States intervened in Liberia in 2003, forcing Taylor and the Al Qaeda operatives he was harboring to flee, Robertson accused President Bush of "undermining a Christian, Baptist president to bring in Muslim rebels to take over the country." END

And you wonder why, so many people, like myself, reject all forms of organized religion (forgetting about, for the moment, all the philosophical/logical inconsistencies inherant in all religious systems of belief; I refer you to http://www.ravingatheist.com for lots more resources on that topic!) - because people do not want small minded, regresssive groups led by immoral scumbags to impose their definition of "morality" on America (and, by extension via foreign policy, the world!) through legislation, and use the government (and taxpayer money) to further their religious agendas!

Yep, whether you live in America or the Middle East (or anywhere else for that matter - in today's world, do you really think you can escape the fall out if you live in Australia or some other remote place? Ha!), whether you're Christian, Muslim, or Jew (or Hindu or Buddist, etc.), the facts are clear that with Fundamentalism - Any Way You Go It's A One Way Road Trip Down The Highway To Hell! These religious fundamentalists, of all stripes, must be stopped in their tracks now, before they destroy the entire planet!

Music I Liked And Didn't - 5/13/06 - 5/15/06

Adds

BORIS: Pink CD (Southern Lord) - While I'm actually among those lucky enough to have the original double vinyl issue, this recent re-issue on CD by Southern Lord gives me the opportunity to comment on this great release. Boris is in fine form on, "Pink", putting all facets of their sonic attack on display, from killer stoner rock, to scorching distorto punk, and noisy, doom drones. Among their best!

ESPERS: "II" LP (Drag City) - Weeks and Co. combine fragile, ringing, acoustic guitars, organic drones, exquisite vocals, and killer fuzz guitar to deliver another awesome dose of acid folk. An instant classic!

UFOMAMMUT: Godlike Snake LP (Beard Of Stars) - My exposure to Italian stoner doom outfit, Ufommamut, came with their second release, "Snailking". I also have their third (and latest release), "Lucifer Songs". So, I was quite pleased to see that this, their debut, had been re-issued (on limited vinyl) by Beard Of Stars. This may be my favorite release by them, as it's a little less slow grind and a little more heavy spacerock oriented than their other two releases.

Too Fucking Funny

So Mark Fuhrman has written a book about the Kennedy assassination. Let me get this straight - the bungling detective whose, err, "contributions" to the shambolic prosecution of OJ Simpson led to a not guilty verdict is going to solve one of the greatest murder mysteries of all time?!? Yeah, right. Sure.

BTW, I also do wonder how having "documented racist" and "incompetant police officer" (I know, probably redundant!) as the highlights of your CV, can lead to becoming a media celebrity instead of being known as a pathetic loser?!? Oh, only in the right-wing dominated American media - and all this time you've been hearing about/thinking there was a liberal bias to the media?!? And why should I be surprised? This is nothing new. After all, convicted felons such as Oliver North and G. Gordon Liddy are also held up as heros and have been turned into media celebrities.

Music I Liked And Didn't - 5/6/06 - 5/12/06

Adds

THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE: Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble CD (Planet Mu): This duo combines an unique mix of elements to create a release with tracks ranging from loungy, dark, film noir-type soundtrack jazz (material that would sound comfortable on, say, some of John Zorn's, "Filmworks" releases) to bombastic "electrockica" (the highlight being the amazing, "Lobby"!). Not uniformly successful - based on the name, I had hoped for a little more of an organic jazz influence/sound, whereas, in reality, this is mainly jazz (and to a lesser extent, rock) informed electronica - but interesting and certainly worth knowing about. I'm looking forward to seeing how they may develop in the future.

ODAWAS: Vitamin City CD-EP (Birds And Rockets): Liked their recent full-length debut so much that I tracked down their "demo" EP, too. More classic and indie rock informed lo-fi goodness. Sweet!

YOUNG, NEIL: Living With War CD (Reprise): OK, guilty pleasure time. Actually, I'm a little disappointed with this. Given the subject matter, I expected this to be more aggressive and rockin'. Probably would have been better (and more rockin') if Neil had teamed up with Crazy Horse again. They always provide the best support for Neil, IMHO. Instead, this sounds similar to Greendale, only not quite as engaging, at least to these ears, as I actually liked Greendale quite a bit. Still, tracks like, "The Restless Consumer", "Shock And Awe", "Let's Impeach The President", and " Lookin' For A Leader" are pretty solid, especially lyrically.

Did Not Add

SHEARWATER: Palo Santo CD (MSR 040CD): Overwrought pop/rock that didn't work for me.

Coming up

A spate of releases from Boris, the new Espers, and more!

Music I Liked And Didn't - 4/22/06 - 5/5/06

Well, I've been busy, so I've been slow to process and post the results of my latest musical expeditions...

Adds

EXTRA GOLDEN: Ok-Oyot System LP (Thrill Jockey) -Two guys from D. C.'s Golden meet two guys from Kenya's Orchestra Extra Solar Africa. The result is an interesting mix of African rhythms and guitar work augmented with a light psychedelic (i.e., lots of wah wah, etc.) treatment. Unlike so many other attempts at blending seemingly disparate musical cultures, this sounds very natural and unforced. Like people of like minds trading ideas and licks and having fun. Quite enjoyable and unique.

KANE, JONATHAN: I Looked At the Sun CD-EP (Table Of The Elements) - A driving beat and clean, repetitive guitar figures (augmented by tasteful, atmospheric pedal steel !) are combined to create a unique musical space where the blues and the minimalist sounds of the 60's NYC avant garde happily co-exist. Excellent!

Hey, after playing this EP and last year's, "February" (see below) in succession, I was inspired to put on Terry Riley's, "Reed Streams", which is a good thing and, IMHO, proves the connection between Kane's music and the greats of the early 60's NYC avant garde. Yeah, I know Riley wasn't a NYC guy, but, at various points, he travelled a similar sonic path as Conrad, Young, et al.

KANE, JONATHAN: February CD (Table Of The Elements) - Liked the recent EP enough to check out his release from late last year, too. Sonically similar, though a little more aggressive and dense, with "Sis" and "Motherless Child" being the highlights. Another winner!

PAIK: Monster Of The Absolute CD (Strange Attractors Audio House) - Paik takes the next logical step in their musical progression. Overall, this is pretty similar to their previous releases (i.e., heavy, stoney shoegaze/psych), but a little more "direct" (i.e., a little cleaner production, drums farther up in the mix, some more up tempo tracks, etc.) sonically. Still quite enjoyable, but not a threat to either, "Corridors" nor, "Satin Black" as my favorite Paik albums.

FAKE, NATHAN: Drowning In a Sea of Love CD (Border Community) - OK, so electronica isn't my strong suit, but I do try to be aware of all types of music and I have certainly bought some electronica releases that I really enjoyed (Stars As Eyes, etc.), so I do buy some electronica from time to time. Sonically, this ranges from trippy electro pop ('Bawsey', etc.) to driving Kraut-inspired rockers like the album's highlight, "The Sky Was Pink". Overall, I found this release to be quite satisfying. It's still pretty hard for me to describe in words which/how/why some electronica works for me...

Did Not Add

ROOMMATE: Songs the Animals Taught Us CD (Plug Research) - ...and some doesn't. Although, it was close. The interesting moments just didn't outnumber the less interesting moments.

RED KRAYOLA: Introduction LP (Drag City) - Mayo's band was great in the 60's and has had a few good moments since their heyday, but, despite all the hype to the contrary, this isn't one of them - ZZZZzzzz.

Music I Liked And Didn't - 4/18/06 - 4/21/06

Adds

OM: Conference Of Birds CD (Holy Mountain) - Sophomore effort from these former members of the great Bay Area group, Sleep, continues to mine a similar vein to their debut - heavy stoner grooves combined with mystical lyrics. A little quiter and more developed, perhaps (especially the "Kosmische" inspired, "At Giza"), but still pretty satisfying.

VANDERMARK 5: Free Jazz Classics Vols. 3 & 4 2CD (Atavistic) - I must admit that I've never been that impressed with previous Vandermark 5 releases, but this one really blew me away. Two discs, both live. The first covering compositions by Sonny Rollins, the second covering Rahsaan Roland Kirk. The Rollins disc is close to brilliant from start to finish, with the highlights being, "Freedom Suite, Part 2" and the slamming version of, "East Broadway Rundown". The Kirk disc isn't quite as solid from start to finish, but still has its worthy moments.

Did Not Add

SWAGGER JACK: The Feral Blood of Swagger Jack CD (Last Visible Dog) - This CD of noisy, disjointed "pop" from this one-man NZ band failed to satisfy.

VERLAINE, TOM: Around CD (Thrill Jockey) - Try as I might, I just couldn't get into this original Punk hero's latest solo release of introspective instrumental guitar minatures.

On Deck

Major Stars, Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, and more!

Music I Liked And Didn't - 4/16/06 - 4/17/06

Well, it's been a busy couple of days of listening. Here's the latest list of the releases I added and didn't add to my music collection:

Adds

HOWARD, NOAH (QUARTET): At Documenta IX CD (Boxholder) - More Jazz "back fill" from the catalog of the great Noah Howard in his best setting, the quartet. Solid live date, featuring excellent support on piano by Michael Joseph Smith. Not the definitive Howard document, but good to have it in the collection.

JESU: Silver CD-EP (Hydra Head) - Sonically similar to their other material, but certainly the weakest of the three Jesu releases. Still, two of the four tracks are really good, which makes this release worth having.

MECCA NORMAL: The Observer CD (KRS) - Thought provoking, emotion evoking songs delivered in Jean Smith's unique style!

VA: The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of 2CD (Yazoo) - Despite all the hype and deluxe packaging (including artwork by R. Crumb!), this isn't the be-all/end-all of rootical Americana 78 collections. Still, enough moments of interest to be of merit.

Did Not Add

ACKLEY, BRUCE (TRIO): The Hearing CD (Avant) - Another Jazz "back-fill" title on Avant that I picked up cheap. Now I know why it was in the cut-out bins and I hadn't bought it before. Good personnel and solid playing. Just didn't hit the mark with me for whatever reason, possibly even just a Jazz overload recently, in which this release was merely comparatively weaker than other titles I added.

BARON, JOEY (+ BARONDOWN): Crackshot CD (Avant) - Interesting trio concept - drums, trombone, and sax. Players I enjoy and respect - Baron, Swell, and Eskelin. Unfortunately, this never gets very "out there" (the drumming is particularly boring, which is really surprizing since this is a drummer-led trio!) and, as a result, failed to satisfy sufficently.

GROWING: Color Wheel CD (Trouble Man Unlimited) - Should be renamed Boring. If I didn't know that the friend of mine who recommended this to me (and whose musical tastes I, generally, respect) was completely straight-edge, I'd swear he must be smoking crack to have extolled the virtues of this turkey to me.

NO NECK BLUES BAND AND EMBRYO: EmbryoNNCK CD (STAUB 067CD) - Marginal 70's Krautrockers, Embryo, join the often entertaining, NNCK, around the campfire for a percussion-oriented circle jerk that falls flat, IMHO.

VALLEY OF ASHES: Cavehill Hunters' Attrition 3LP (BVF VA) - Lots of similar late-night improv folk racket going around lately, from Jackie-O Motherfucker to that whole North Eastern crowd. Some of it works for me and some of it doesn't. I'll even admit that it's often hard to describe why some hit while others miss, but this one definitely missed me. Bordering on being a waste of vinyl and surely a waste of $30+!

Still lots more to go through (new OM, Major Stars, and so on), so more updates/mini-reviews coming soon!

Where Have We Heard This Before?

I find the Bush Administration's comments that questions/concerns about the potential for military action against Iran are simply "wild speculation" and that they wish to exhaust all "diplomatic measures possible" in resolving the current (artificially created) crisis over Iran's development of nuclear technology to be both laughable and frightening. I mean, c'mon, aren't those the exact same assertions they made before invading Iraq?!? Yep. absolutely. Even though it has now been made abundantly clear to all (except, perhaps, the few remaining people who are either so committed to the concept of an Imperial America that they don't care about the truth or are so blind/uninformed that they honestly don't know any better - and that latter group has gotta be a small number of people at this point) that Bush planned to go to war with Iraq from the get go, they still think the American public so stupid that they'll forget the facts of recent history and buy this bullshit. There was never any interest in nor chance of the US not invading Iraq. All of Bush's pre-war fear mongering was a pretext to justify an invasion he had long contemplated and desired. Well, at least we now know what the Bush Administration's exit strategy for Iraq is - invade Iran!

By the way, if you're pushing (or past) 50 and/or are really interested in politics, I'd highly recommend a new book, "31 Days", by Barry Werth. It details the first 31 days of the Ford Administration after Nixon's resignation. Not only is it a fascinating exposee to those, like me, who lived through that period, but Werth also clearly demonstrates how the events of those days cast a long, dark shadow on the geo-political landscape of today. Also a lot of familar names in this book - Rumsfeld, Cheney, and so on - seen in their relatively formative political years.

New Adds To My Library 4/1 - 4/15/06

A rare couple of weeks - only adds, no rejects. Mostly "back filling" on Jazz titles, but whatever...

DICKEY, WHIT: In A Heartbeat CD (Clean Feed) - Clean Feed is a pretty cool Portugese label I recently discovered.

ERSEN: Dünden Bugüne CD UNDERGROUND MASTERS (FRANCE) - Another quality 60's/70's Turkish ethno-psych reissue.

GAYLE, CHARLES: Shout CD (Clean Feed) - A quiter and more structured, but still worthy, outing by the great Charles Gayle in his best format, the trio setting.

MORI, IKUE: Painted Desert CD (Avant) - Mori's drum machines provide the foundation for some pretty enjoyable dry surf guitar sonic landscapes by Marc Ribot and the late Robert Quine.

PSYCHIC ILLS: Mental Violence II 12” EP (TSR 014) - Debut 12" EP from this modern psych/kraut inspired outfit, who have a decent LP out now, "Dins", also on The Social Registry label. One track remixed by Pete "Sonic Boom" Kember.

I also purchased a lot more releases (22 in all!) whose fate I haven't yet decided. Among them new releases from Mecca Normal, Valley Of Ashes, the old-timey collection, "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" and more Jazz "back fill" by Joey Baron, Bruce Ackley, and Noah Howard. More on those later...

Raphe Malik...RIP!

Some Releases I've Reviewed Over The Years

Just to give you an idea of what kind of music I'm into, here's a few reviews I've made for KFJC over the years. Some are from many years ago, like the early 90's. Listed in no particular order.

Mono - “Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky ” - [Virgin Records Limited]

Japan’s Mono returns for their third full-length release with only slight refinements in their sound . Most tracks feature
Mono’s characteristic song structure: slowly building lengthy tracks, with delicate, icy guitar figures riding layers of droning strings and thick distortion that increase in waves of intensity and volume, until they explode in soaring crescendos of transcendent noise. Their sound on this outing, however, is a little more lush, with a greater emphasis on strings and more orchestral arrangements than previous recordings. There’s also a couple of shorter, quieter, less dynamic tracks that failed to impress this listener. For the most part, however, this is dynamic, almost sweepingly cinematic music, that achieves Mono’s stated goal of evoking feelings and emotions via music that are difficult to capture and describe in mere words. Play! DL

Comets on Fire - “Blue Cathedral ” - [Sub Pop Records]

Bay Area-based, KFJC favorites, Comets On Fire, return with their third studio full-length release. The material on this LP
represents the next logical step in the continuing developmentof the group’s sound. It is very similar to their previous efforts, however, the songs are a little more structured and the keyboards play an increasing role in their sonic attack. Nevertheless, from the ripping, heavy, psychosludge of the opening track, to the early-70’s Floydian prog-psych of “Brotherhood Of The Harvest", to the Chasney fueled acid folk of “Wild Whiskey", this LP is anoutstanding soundtrack for substance abuse. A little more subtle and refined, perhaps, but these guys are still just about the coolest stoners west of Dead Meadow. Highly recommended! DL

Electric Masada - “John Zorn 50TH Birthday Celabration ” - [Tzadik]

Electric Masada is a new variant of Zorn’s long running and multi-facted Masada project. The group, which may be Zorn’s
most exciting and creative project ever, features many of the top players in the Downtown NYC scene such as, Marc Ribot
(the big star of this CD, IMHO) and Ikue Mori. On this disc, they are captured live in September 2003 as part of Zorn’s
incredible month long series of concerts at Tonic (NYC) to celebrate his 50th birthday. Rocking riffs, free jazz skronk,
hard swinging grooves, and atmospheric electronic exoctica are all blended together to create the unique and incredible
Electric Masada sonic attack. Powerful, yet lyrical; this is improvisational music at its finest. Genre blurring; this casts
a light down the path of the future of music and beautifully represents the forward thinking aesthetic of KFJC. One of
the top releases this year - don’t miss out! DL

Dara - “S/T ” - [Ecstatic Peace]

Dara has been a multi-media underground artist for a number of years (including, most notably, a stint in His Name Is Alive), operating in both the Ann Arbor/Detroit and NYC areas. This one-sided 12” is her debut solo release and she’s responsible for all sounds contained withiin. Organs, synths, guitars, and assorted electronic noisemakers generate white noise drones and electro beats to create little lo-fi pop gems and instrumentals. Vocals, when present, are almost spoken, not sung,
and are delivered in a little girl voice that reminded me of Cynthia Dahl. Nothing here is gonna change your world, but a quick hit of her outsider electro-noise pop will surely leave a smile on your face. DL

Masada - “John Zorn 50TH Birthday Celebration ” - [Tzadik]

Masada is one of Zorn’s longest running and most popular projects. For those who may be unfamilar with Masada, the project represents Zorn’s attempt to create a new form of Jewish music, one that celebrates and preserves Jewish musical traditions while integrating elements of modern music, as well. Elements of klezmer, Eastern and Middle Eastern music, jazz, avant-garde, and classical are integrated to create the unique Masada sound. On this disc, they are captured live in September 2003 as part of Zorn’s incredible month long series of concerts at Tonic (NYC) to celebrate his 50th birthday. The quartet is in top form, with Zorn and Douglas weaving complex lines around each other (especially on tracks 4 and 7 - yow!) over the solid rhythm section of Cohen and (the great) Joey Baron. Whether they’re executing ensemble passages with cool precision or blowing freely, for the most part, this is improvisation at its finest. Inspiring! DL

Nadler, Marissa - “Ballads of Living and Dying ” - [Eclipse Records]

NYC-based musician and artist, Marissa Nadler, throws her hat into the ring of the, currently hot, solo femme acid folk scene with her debut release, “Ballads of Living and Dying”. Nadler’s obviously been exposed to a diverse array of influences from
old-timey americana folk to modern avant acoustic guitarists, such as Fahey, etc., to psychedelia and beyond. The tracks on this LP range from pretty straightforward solo folk to atmospheric, late night folk-psych. As the title suggests, the lyrical content explores dark themes (death/suicide, ill-fated loves, etc.), all delivered in Nadler’s sweet, ethereal vocal style. Nadler also appears to be a fairly accomplished musician and performs on a variety of stringed instruments (six and twelve string acoustic guitar, banjo, ukelele, and autopharp), as well as organ, to weave her tapesry of sound. Personal favorites include “Fifty Five Falls”, ”Mayflower May”, and her haunting treatment of Poe’s “Annabelle Lee”. An interesting and excellent release
from this promising new artist. Recommended! DL

Boris “Akuma No Uta” [Fangs Anal Satan]

Although they are not as well known as such Japanese underground heavyweights as Fushitsusha or High Rise, Boris (yes, the name was inspired by the Melvins’ song) have been producing high quality heavy psych/rock/doom/drone for more than a decade. The highlights of the album are the lengthy tracks that begin each side. “Introduction” (on the A-side, naturally) is an incredible, heavy feedback drenched, doom droner. The B-side’s, “Naki Kyoku” is a heavy psych epic that features some awesome guitarwork. The remaining four, shorter tracks are all heavy rockers, with some being in the slow grind vein and others being more punkish, up tempo scorchers. Stylistically, this is certainly their most varied release to date and, perhaps, their best, as well. Play! DL

Fursaxa - “Madrigals in Duos ” - [Time-Lag]

Fursaxa is the (mostly) solo project of Tara Burke, a Philadelphia resident who has been intriguing us for years now with her efforts in a number of groups, most notably, Un. On “Madrigals In Duos” , her third full-length release, she displays all the required skills to earn her “acid folk” merit badge. Some tracks are more straightforward, in a lo-fi folk-psych vein, featuring mainly acoustic guitar and vocals. Other tracks shoot straight for the heart of that 3AM vibe, combining cosmic organ drones with ghostly, wailing vocals. Finally, there are a couple of noisier tracks, with dissonant electric guitars and repetitive, driving, hand percussion. Beautiful and otherworldly music. Mandatory for play on late night shows. DL

Trans Am - “Liberation ” - [Thrill Jockey Records]

“Liberation”, the 7th full-length release from Washington D. C.’s, Trans Am, finds the band continuing to feature a familar mix of sonic elements - Krautrock, 80’s Synthpop, Electro-Ambience, Punk, and Post Rock. Despite its similarity to their
previous work, however, this album represents a new pinnacle of acheivement for the band. On “Liberation”, which features a strong theme of opposition to the policies of the Bush Administration, the band has a acheived a nearly perfect synthesis of cover art, “lyrical” content, and music. The cuts on this album (most of which track) flow almost seamlessly from synth-driven Krautrock grooves to danceable synthpop to late-night, electro-ambient pieces and driving rockers. The combination of political soundbites/synthesized vocals and ominous analogue sounds works perfectly to convey their damning indictment of Bush’s war in Iraq and evoke fear of Big Brother’s ever intrusive gaze/grasp. A beautiful record - sonically diverse and conceptually complete. Highly recommended! DL

Parker, William/Joe Morris/Ham - “Eloping with the Sun ” - [Hypo Production]

Three of the leading lights in the world of improvised music combine forces to create this very unique release. Performing respectively on the sintir (a Morroccan bass lute usually associated with Gnawa music), banjo and banjouke (a ukelele hybrid), and frame drum, these remarkable musicians create a sound that is both reminiscent of traditional instrumental Middle Eastern and African folk music and seemingly totally new at the same time. On each of the five tracks, Parker and Drake lay down a rhythmic groove while Morris freestyles over them like Earl Scruggs on crack. Innovative and hypnotic - play! DL

Jackie-O Motherfucker - “Change” - [Textile Records]

Jackie-O Mofo checks in with this field report as they continue on their journey down the path of musical exploration and cut-out bin obscurity. Always a fairly “free” unit, Jackie-O has toned down the louder, more raucous elements of their earlier releases in favor of a more textured, organic approach. The opening track, “Everyday”, sets the standard for that new (sub)genre that all the alleged “Americana” experts have completely missed: late-night, downcast, “free country”. “Sun Ray Harvester” is an eastern-tinged piece of atmospheric, bang and clatter, basement improv/psych. “7” is a 47 second waste of vinyl. “777 (Tombstone Massive)” mines a similar vein as ”Sun Ray Harvester”, except the eastern influences are replaced by more jazzy elements and the track is way more chaotic, in general, due to the abrupt changes that occur as a result of the track’s “cut and paste” editing.The album’s final track, “Fantasy Hay Co-Op” is another tense, late-night offering that centers around a couple of repetitive figures and is, as a result, more focused and satisfying (IMHO) than “777 (Tombstone Massive)”. Overall, this is quite an interesting and enjoyable release. Play! DL

Kinski - “Airs Above Your Station ” - [Subpop]

After 30+ years of psych/spacerock, it takes something pretty special to really make an impact on me. Unfortunately, this latest full-length from Seattle’s Kinski (their third) is not such an album. It is, however, an enjoyable record of (mostly) instrumental contemporary psych/spacerock, filled with the standard elements of the (sub)genre: analogue synth tones and drones, Krautrock rhythms, and thick, shoegaze, distorto-haze, applied in different combinations and intensities on various tracks to create music that is at some times spare, delicate, and melodic and other times is propulsive and soaring. “Semaphore” (which should already be familar to you, as a live version of it was included, under a different title, on KFJC’s, “…Devil’s Triangle, Vol. 4” compilation) and “Rhode Island Feakout” are the most straight-up rockers on the album. Both versions of “I Think I Blew It” are blissed out, ambient solo pieces by leader Chris (Ampbuzz) Martin. I find “Your Lights Are (Out Or) Burning Badly” to be reminiscent of GYBE, but in a shorter and way stripped down form. “Schedule For Using Pillows And Beanbags” is the album’s epic centerpiece. As I said, certainly nothing groundbreaking, but still an enjoyable listening experience. DL

Migrantes - “Monsoon Moods ” - [Eclipse Records]

This is the second full-length release from the Arizona Duo, Migrantes. Two tracks (A2 and B2) are actual songs in a folk psych vein. The remaining four tracks are more “otherworldly”, Featuring mainly droning organ and Caroline’s ethereal, effected vocals. “Gesture”, which features Jason on electric guitar, is the most loud/aggressive of these tracks, while “Baboquivari”, offers the most pure drone bliss. A nice soundtrack for rainy days and late nights. For those about to float…DL

Davis Redford Triad - “Code Orange ” - [Holy Mountain]

Hot on the heels of their recent stunning live performances (one at the Hemlock and one here at KFJC), comes this new disc from the Davis Redford Triad. “Code Orange” is a live collage of performances from their Spring 2002 tour. It includes material from their prvious releases, as well as rocked-out, electric versions of material from leader Steven Wray Lobdell’s excellent solo album, “Automatic Writing By The Moon“. In addition, there are three new pieces, which will appear onthe next DRT studio album. All the tracks are instrumental psych jams, some more Krautrock influenced, others more middle-eastern tinged, but all driven by the unique, effects-laden, colorful sonic attack of Lobdell and his old ES335. Overall, this certainly is worth a spin or two, but I can’t deny that it seems a little pale in comparison to the scorching brilliance of their recent shows. More proof that Dolphy was right. DL

Shipp, Matthew - “Equilibrium ” - [Thirsty Ear Recordings]

Anybody who has been at KFJC for, oh, more than a week or two, should already know that Matthew Shipp is widely regarded as the finest pianist in Jazz today. What is, perhaps, even more impressive to me than his incredible talent as a pianist, is the fact that he continues to explore new territories, rather than resting on his laurels. He could easily and, quite rightly, be satisfied with the adulation of his colleagues and fans and with the fact that he, unlike the majority musicians of any style, can make a living creating music he loves. But Shipp, through both his performances and his work as curator of Thirsty Ear’s peerless “Blue Series”, continues to push his limits and expand the concept of what Jazz is and can be. This outstanding release is the logical “next step” down Shipp’s personal path of sonic exploration, in that it brings together all the aspects of his recent recordings into a seamless mix of Jazz, beats, and electronic music. There are tracks (3) that remind you of the organic, ambient, post-music soundscapes of the “New Orbit” CD. There are tracks (2 and 4) that mix Jazz with electronics and beats, as heard on the “Nu Bop” CD. The remaining material is reminiscent of his “Pastoral Compusure” CD, in that fairly “straight ahead” Jazz tracks combine, in a less heavy handed manner, some of the elements described above to organically morph into a more modern, new form of Jazz. This is a brilliant album that, truly, can (and should) be played on almost every show. Don’t be afraid of the blue dot. Enjoy!!! DL

Sole - “Selling Live Water ” - [Anticon.]

Anticon member, Sole, returns with a very ambitious and successful second full-length release. Musically, he throws everything but the kitchen sink at you, as jazzy horns, vibes, ambient drones, bleeding Krautrock electronics, and seductive pop guitars are all integrated quite comfortably with traditional hip-hop beats, scratches, and classic soul samples. Lyrically, he also covers a lot of ground, with compelling rants about things we can all relate to (work, relationships, life/death, geo-politics) and deeply personal, soul baring sketches (that you also might be able to relate to, depending on your particular
psychoses), as well. Overall, this is a stunning release that fulfills the goals of the Anticon”mission statement” by transcending the traditional preconceptions/lmitations regarding what hip-hop is and/or could/should be. Music for the advancement of hip-hop, indeed! Play! DL

Drake, Hamid and Assif Tsahar - “Soul Bodies, Vol. 1 ” - [Ayler Records]

Having been duly impressed with, “Piercing The Veil”, Drake’s outstanding 2001 duo release with William Parker, I was looking forward to this release with great anticipation. As the liner notes indicate, Drake is currently one of the most respected percussionists in the Free Jazz scene and, like Parker, his playing impresses in seemingly every context. Tsahar, while less known, has been a major contributor in the NYC Free Jazz scene for the last decade or so, through his performances and his efforts as the head of Hopscotch Records and co-founder of the awesome Vision Festival. After the useless introduction track, there are three lenghty tracks. Two of them (the first and third tracks) are awesome freedom chases that are reminiscent of John Coltrane’s duo blowouts with Rashid Ali. The first of these, “Soul Bodies”, starts out slowly, with Tsahar soloing, before it really takes off; whereas the latter, “Heart’s Mind” is pretty scorching from beginning to end. The second track, “Clay Dancers”, is an excellent Middle-Eastern flavored piece in which Drake chants in Arabic while playing the frame drumand Tsahar adds some very tasteful bass clarinet. Excellent! DL

Howard, Noah - “Live at the Unity Temple” - [Ayler Records]

Like all but the biggest names in free jazz, Noah Howard has labored in relative obscurity for many years, despite performing with such luminaries as Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, and Sun Ra and having releases on such legendary labels as ESP, Freedom, and so on. On this release, Howard leads his long-running and very tight quartet through five original compositions, including two of his signature pieces, “The Blessing” and “Schizophrenic Blues”. Howard’s playing is crisp,
melodic, and clear: alternating intense freedom chases with passages of mournful, Coleman-esque alto wailing. Pianist Bobby Few is also quite impressive on this date, providing an appropriate foundation in every instance for Howard’s alto flights. In fact, my only real complaint with this release is that Few’s incredible assaults on the keyboard are often times difficult to fully
hear (and appreciate) amongst Howard and Duncan’s sonic attack; such is the nature of live to two track recordings. Overall, a very satisfying blast of free jazz - enjoy! DL

Gate - “Metric ” - [Majora]

This latest LP from Gate (the solo/side project of Dead C. guitarist, Michael Morley) is a reissue of a 1991 cassette only release on Morley’s own Precious Metal label. The sound here is similar to the Dead C. (in fact, “Hope” and “Constellations” were later recorded by the Dead C.), although these tracks have a noticeably more “normal” song structure. Each side begins with a quietier, somber track which is followed by two tracks of dense Dead C. distorto-disintegration. The final track on each side is short. “Evidence” is a spliced tape sampler and “Forced Sight” is an excellent track with thick feedback over a droning organ. A great record: possibly my favorite by the Dead C. or any of its members. Play! DL

Sun City Girls - “Kaliflower ” - [Abduction]

Another blast from the prolific Sun City Girls. Most of the tracks exhibit their trademark eastern influences with lots of chanting, an emphasis on percussion, and twisted, psychotic instrumental workouts. A couple of the tracks, however, have an almost “normal” pop/rock sound. Yes, this is probably their most accessible release to date, but it is still great. Hopefully, those of you who’ve been scared by their previous releases will now give some airtime to one of the most innovative artists going. One of the bestreleases of the year. Play! DL

Cohran, Philip & the A.H.E. - ”S/T ” - [Aestruarium]

Although he has been credited on only a few releases, Phil Cohran has been among the leading lights of the Chicago Jazz scene for over 40 years. Highlights of his resume include being a member of the Arkestra in the early 60’s and being one of the founders of the AACM, along with such notables as Richard Muhal Abrams, Lester Bowie, and so on. This release documents previously unissued recordings of Cohran’s Artistic Heritage Ensemble from the mid-60’s. The music sounds like what you’d expect from an associate of Sun Ra and the Art Ensemble crew: extended jams that display a heavy African/Middle Eastern influence, with lots of hand percussion, bells, and exotic, homemade instruments like the violin uke and the Frankophone (an amplified Kalimba). Highlights include the showcase for the droning violin uke, “Unity” and the two Frankophone showcases, “On The Beach” and “New Frankophone Blues”. Truly a great discovery. Play! DL

Music I Liked And Didn't - 1/1/06 - 3/31/06

Well, a quarter of the year has come and gone. Here's a list of the releases I added and didn't add to my music collection during that the first quarter. Note - While the majority of these are new releases (or new reissues), a few are just things I recently became hip to and purchased.

2006

ADDs - 43

ASSEMBLE HEAD IN SUNBURST SOUND “S/T” lp (sunburst sound)

BADAWI: Safe CD ASPHODEL ASPH 2030CD

BAIN WOLFKIND: Music For Lovers & Gangsters CD (Hau Ruuk)

BLACK MOUNTAIN: “S/T” LP (JAG LP)

BLIND ALLEY: “The Ruby Kennel Club” CD (FREEK)

CASTRO, NICK AND THE POISON TREE: Further From Grace LP (Eclipse)

CAT POWER: The Greatest LP Matador

CROOK WITH THE RENDERERS, MARYROSE: Ghosts of Our Vegas Lives CD (3BOS 1009CD)

DER BLUTHARSCH: When Did Wonderland End? LP (NKW)

Drake, Hamid & Assif Tsahar: Live at Glenn Miller Café Soul Bodies Vol 2 CD aylCD-025

Drake, Hamid & Bindu: Bindu CD

ELECTRIC MASADA: At the Mountains of Madness 2CD (TZ 7352)

FEATHERS: CD-EP (Self Released)

FORSETI: “ERDE” CD

FROST, EDITH: It’s A Game LP (Drag City)

FUNCTION: The Secret Miracle Fountain CD (LOCUST 076CD)

GHQ “COSMOLOGY OF EYE” lp (TIME-LAG 031)

HJARNIDAUDI: Pain:noise:march CD (Paradigms)

ILK: Canticle CD (VHF 087CD)

LAMP OF THE UNIVERSE: Earth, Spirit & Sky LP (September Girls)

LUBELSKI, SAMARA: Spectacular of Passages LP (DESTIJL 054LP)

MAMMATUS: Mammatus CD (HOLY 17974CD)

MC BAIN, JOHN; The In-Flight Feature CD (Duna 011)

MEDESKI, MARTIN, & WOOD: Note Bleu: Best Of The Blue Note Years 1998 - 2005 2XLP (Blue Note)

OCTOPUS SYNG: Beyond the Karmadelic Coldness, There's the Lovadelic Warmth LP (Nasoni)

ODAWAS: Aether Eater LP (Birds And Rockets)

PARKER, WILLIAM: Long Hidden: The Olmec Series CD AUM FIDELITY AUM 036CD

PERERIN: Teithgan LP (GUESS 024LP)

PSYCHIC ILLS: Dins CD (TSR 024)

PINK MOUNTAINTOPS: Axis of Evol LP (JAG 083LP)

SELDA: Vurulduk Ey Halkim Unutma Bizi CD (WPC6 8492)

SUISHOU NO FUNE: Where The Spirits Are CD (HOLY 261283)

UFOMAMMUT : Lucifer Songs LP (Rocket)

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE: Buck Dharma LP
(TIME-LAG 026)

WOODEN WAND: HAREM OF THE SUNDRUM & THE WITNESS FIGG
LP + 7” (TIME-LAG 028/029)

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE: Gipsy Freedom 2XLP

ZORN, JOHN: Filmworks XIII CD

ZORN, JOHN: Filmworks XIV CD

ZORN, JOHN: Filmworks XV CD

ZORN, JOHN: Filmworks XVII CD (TZ 7353)

ZORN, JOHN: Filmworks XVIII: The Treatment CD (TZ 7355)

VA: Fonotone Records (1956-1969) 5CD BOX (DTD 003CD)

VA: Looking For Europe 4CD BOX (Auerbach Tonträger)


NOT ADDED - 39

AGAMENON: Todos Rien de Mi LP (GUESS 025LP)

BEANS: Only CD (THS 357167)

BIG STAR: In Space LP (DBK 115LP)

BUCKLEY, TIM: Goodbye and Hello LP (4M 132LP)

Causa Sui - S/T DBL LP (Nasoni)

CITAY: Citay CD (IMPREC 071CD)

Earthling Society - Albion LP (Nasoni)

Es - Sateenkaarisuudelma DBL LP (K-RAA-K)

FLOATING DI MOREL “REAL PEOPLE PSYCH” lp (marshy power, germany)

FOSTER, JOSEPHINE: A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing CD (LOCUST 079CD)

GYSIN, BRION: One Night @ the 1001 2CD SUB ROSA

LARSEN: SeieS CD (IMPREC 083CD)

LEAKH - Et Cetera CD (Prophecy Productions)

LIARS: Drum's Not Dead LP/DVD (STUMM 246LP)

LOS JAIVAS “EL VOLANTIN” lp (shadoks music, germany)

MASSACRE: Killing Time CD (FRO 010CD)

SHAWN DAVID MCMILLEN "CATFISH" lp (emperor jones)

MONO: You Are There CD (TRR 098CD)

MUDDY WORLD: Finery of the Storm CD (TZ 7261)

MULDROW, GEORGIA ANNE: Worthnothings CD (STH 2135CD)

OF THE WAND AND THE MOON: Midnight Will CD-EP (Heidrunar Myrkrunar)

OSTARA: Kingdom Gone CD (Eis Und Licht)

Painting Petals on the Planet Ghost - s/t LP (Time-Lag Records 030)

PEARLS AND BRASS: The Indian Tower LP (DC 300LP)

PEDRO: Pedro 2CD (MH 240CD)

POREST: Tourrorists! CD (ABD 034CD)

7 YEAR RABBIT CYCLE: Wind Machines LP (FPS 008LP)

SUPER NUMERI: The Welcome Table 2LP (ZEN 097LP)

TOWN AND COUNTRY: Up Above CD (THR 165CD)

MARK TUCKER “BATSTEW” lp (destijl)

VON, RONNIE: A Misteriosa Luta do Reino de Parassempre Contra... LP

WITCH: S/T CD (TP 065)

WIZARDZZ: Hidden City of Taurmond CD LOAD RECORDS

WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE: The Flood CD

ZORN, JOHN: Filmworks VIII CD

ZORN, JOHN: Filmworks IX CD

VA: And To The Disciples That Remain CD (AMI 023CD)

VA: Tibetan and Bhutanese Instrumental and Folk Music CD (SR 230CD)

VA: Wayfaring Strangers: Ladies From the Canyon CD NUMERO GROUP
NUMERO 008CD

Adbusters Rules!

One of the best magazines out there today. Always thought provoking in an artful way. If you're not familar with it, then do yourself a favor and check out Adbusters!