Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/27/07 - 11/30/07

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DAVID BUCHBINDER: Odessa/Havana CD (Tzadik) - “Odessa/Havana” by Canadian brassman David Buchbinder is the latest release in Tzadik’s long-running and consistently fascinating Radical Jewish Culture series. Although it might seem, in theory, that the fusion of klezmer music and Cuban jazz that Buchbinder and award winning pianist/composer Hilario Duran have created might come off sounding incongruous and forced, the fact is that it actually works quite well, as both musical forms share such stylistic elements as an emphasis in minor chord modalities, intricate rhythms, and so on. This successful synthesis of sounds is best displayed on tracks such as “Impresionés”, the ultra-suave “Colaboracion”, and the slow-burning, smokey “Cadiz”. The ensemble is incredibly tight throughout the set and the solo features of the principles, Buchbinder and Duran, as well as those by Quinsin Nachoff (reeds) and Aleksander Gajic (violin) are first rate. Bright and bold, “Odessa/Havana” is a unique and compelling blend of sounds that transcends genres and geography.


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Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/22/07 - 11/26/07

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THE VALERIE PROJECT: S/T DLP (Drag City) - When I initially heard about this self-titled double LP by the Valerie Project, I must admit that I didn’t intend on purchasing it, as the reissue of the soundtrack to the film “Valerie and Her Week of Wonders” was one of the few releases from B-Music that I didn’t enjoy and didn’t keep. Upon further investigation, however, I learned that this album did not contain a mere modern recreation of that soundtrack, but rather, entirely new music inspired by the soundtrack. In addition, my research revealed that the Valerie Project was comprised of some of the premier practitioners of modern acid folk and psychedelic sounds, including Tara Burke (Fursaxa), Margie Wienk (Fern Knight), and several members of Espers, among others. Then, by amazing coincidence, it turned out that the Valerie Project was actually doing a live performance of this material at a screening of the film (one of the very few times the film has ever been shown in the US!) at the historic and very cool Brookdale Lodge, located deep in mountains near Santa Cruz, CA. So, needless to say, I had to check that out and, not surprisingly, the music was incredible, even if it didn’t always seem to correspond exactly to the action on the screen. So, of course, still in the high of the moment after that positive experience, I bought a copy of album, which was available, well in advance of its actual “street date”, at their merch table.

I’m certainly glad that I did, too, as the 30, mostly instrumental, tracks on this release even surpass, perhaps, the music I witnessed live that night. Rich organ drones, alien synth oscillations, fuzz leads, sweeping strings, delicate harp tones, ethereal vocal choruses and an assortment of percussion (bells, etc.), are all woven together to form a beautiful sonic tapestry, a seamless collage of traditional folk, modern acid folk, psych, and, even, prog sounds. In fact, as glorious as this material sounds rolling out of the grooves, I almost wish I had the CD version of this album just so I could let this lush flow of psychedelia wash over me for 75 minutes uninterrupted. “Tour de force”. “Masterpiece”. One can almost always dismiss such descriptions as merely being the hyperbolic ad copy of overly aggressive record label marketing, with respect to this debut by the Valerie Project, however, the use of such superlatives is both accurate and appropriate.


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Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/9/07 - 11/21/07

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MOUNTAIN HOME: S/T CD (Language Of Stone) - Mountain Home is a collective led by the duo of Joshua Blatchley (acoustic guitar, harmonium, and vocals) and Kristin Sherer (dulcimer) and this is their first full-length album. It is also the second release on Espers leader Greg Weeks’ new Drag City-affiliated label, Language Of Stone. Supported by an outstanding cast of musicians, including Marissa Nadler (her trademark haunting vocals gracing all but the last of the disc’s tracks), Margaret Wienk (strings), and Weeks, himself (electric guitar and who also produced this glorious sounding album entirely in analog formats at his Hexham Head studios!), Blatchley and Sherer have crafted five tracks of beautiful, crystalline acid folk with skillful precision. In fact, the only slight criticism I can really make about this material is that it is a little too perfect, it seems a little too “by the numbers” at times. I might, personally, prefer a bit more personality, more edge, some dissonance, some slight imperfection to cause ripples on the perfectly glass-like surface of this sonic lake of acid folk. These are trivial concerns, however, and gorgeous tracks like the lengthy "Battle, We Were" and the one track that features Blatchley on vocals, the amazing rendition of the traditional Celtic ballad “Nottamun Town”, make Mountain Home’s eponymous debut a clear winner that makes me look forward with great anticipation to hearing the group’s continuing development on future releases.


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Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/8/07

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NICOLE MITCHELL’S BLACK EARTH ENSEMBLE: Black Unstoppable CD (Delmark) - Acclaimed jazz flutist Nicole Mitchell has been among the leading lights of Chicago’s thriving improvised music scene for many years now, performing with projects such as Frequency, the Indigo Trio, and Rob Mazurek’s Exploding Star Orchestra. The Black Earth Ensemble, however, is the primary vehicle for Mitchell’s compositions and creative vision and “Black Unstoppable” is their fourth full-length release.

As would befit a group led by the current co-president of the legendary Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), the material on this album incorporates the diverse range of “Great Black Music” from the blues, the sounds of New Orleans, pop vocals, and straight forward jazz to more modern, avant-garde jazz, and even hints of R & B/soul and African musical influences. Mitchell is excellent on flute and piccolo throughout and the ensemble, which includes such luminaries as Josh Abrams (bass), David Boykin (tenor saxophone), Jeff Parker (guitar/mindblowing effects), and rising star David Young (trumpet/flugelhorn), is incredibly tight, the somewhat brief solo segments impressive, and the overall production top notch, clear and clean. Highlights include the alternately swinging and slammin’ opening track "Cause & Effect", the blues stomper "Love Has No Boundaries" (which is one of several tracks featuring vocalist Ugochi Nwaogwugwu), the better of the disc’s two more experimental pieces “Sun Cycles”, and the album’s centerpiece "The Creator Has Other Plans For Me". With “Black Unstoppable”, Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble have created an excellent set of music that honors the traditions of jazz, while also looking forward to potential future musical horizons.


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Music I Liked And Didn't - 11/1/07 - 11/7/07

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THE THING: Action Jazz CD (Smalltown Superjazzz) - “Action Jazz” is the appropriately titled fourth full-length release from Scandinavian free jazz trio the Thing. Led by reedmaster, Mats Gustafsson (alto, baritone, and slide saxophones), the group rips through a nicely varied set of originals and surprising covers of compositions by artists ranging from Ornette Coleman to Lightning Bolt. So, there’s a couple of short, pummeling, jazz-punk tracks, like “Sounds Like A Sandwich”. Then, there are several, more standard, free jazz compositions (if that description isn’t oxymoronic?!?), like “Chisma” and “...Through BBQ”, in which Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (double bass) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) laid down an incredible sonic foundation for the aggressive growls and wailing cries of Gustafsson’s adventurous solos. There’s even one fairly straightforward and soulful track “Danny’s Dream”, a cover of a melody by one of Gustafsson's musical heroes, Swedish jazz pioneer and great baritone sax player, Lars Gullin. Finally, there are also a couple of minimal improv pieces that failed to satisfy. Overall, however, the Thing delivers a powerful dose of challenging 21st Century improvised sounds - “Action Jazz”, indeed!


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Music I Liked And Didn't - 10/24/07 - 10/31/07

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V/A: Black Mirror: Reflections in Global Musics (Dust To Digital) - The sonic ethnographers at the fine Dust To Digital imprint return with this collection of recordings of folk music from around the globe. It contains 24 tracks, all transferred and mastered from 78 rpm discs of recordings originally issued between 1918 and 1955. Among my personal favorites were the double reed mayhem of India’s Thiruvazhimilalai Subramanian Brothers and Needamangalam Meenakshisundaram Pillai (yeah, easy for you to say - maybe!) “Manasa Sri Ramachandra”, Irishman Patrick J. Touhey’s amazing solo performance on the Uillean pipes "Drowsy Maggie", the evocative, haunting "Smyrneiko Minore" from Greek folk singer Marika Papagika (pictured above), the hypnotic “Nakhone Prayer” by Laotian Buddhist monk Sathoukhru Lukkhamkeow, and the incredible mix of tortured vocal stylings and percussion of "Songs in Grief" by Japan’s Sinkou Son and Kouran Kin. There’s even a Burmese Pwe (I assume that all but the most hard core musicologists among us just received our primer on this form of ceremonial folk music via Sublime Frequencies recent collection “Music of Nat Pwe: Folk and Pop Music of Myanmar, Vol. 3”), the disc’s final track, "Yein Pwe". Stylistically diverse and consistently interesting, “Black Mirror: Reflections in Global Musics” is a solid collection of archival recordings of international folk music and a welcome addition to any music collection.


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Music I Liked And Didn't - 10/23/07

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PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE / KEN VANDERMARK: Dual Pleasure CD (Smalltown Supersound) - Ken Vandermark and Paal Nilssen-Love began their musical relationship in 2000, when the group School Days was formed. Since then, they have collaborated on numerous projects, such FME and the Territory Band, among others. They have also recorded a number of duo dates, with this title “Dual Pleasure” being their debut in 2004.

This release is a model of conceptual continuity, with everything being in pairs: two players, Vandermark focusing on a different horn (baritone sax, tenor sax, and Bb clarinet) for two tracks each, even the cover artwork (see above) is composed of duplicate images. The disc begins with “ Flashpoint”, an outstanding freedom chase, with Nilssen-Love providing a solid foundation for Vandermark’s aggressive baritone work. “Anno 1240 “ is next and features Vandermark on tenor sax. It, too, is a fairly aggressive freedom chase until the closing moments of the track. Which provides a suitable lead-in to the next piece “Closed Doors, Open Windows”, a minimalist improv feature for Vandermark on the Bb clarinet that failed to satisfy this listener. The album’s other Bb clarinet showcase “Storefront Materials“ follows and, while still fairly subdued, it is decidedly more lively and entertaining than its predecessor. On “Jean S” Vandermark returns to the tenor and delivers a very soulful, slow burning improvisation of a high order. “Dual Fiction” closes out the set, with Nilssen-Love, once again, both propelling forward and providing excellent splashes of color for Vandermark’s solo flights on the baritone sax. Consistently creative and highly entertaining, “Dual Pleasure” is an outstanding release that displays two world class improvisors at the top of their game!


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Music I Liked And Didn't - 10/16/07 - 10/22/07

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AMIR EL SAFFAR: Two Rivers CD (Pi Recordings) - I must confess that I had never previously heard of Iraqi-American Amir El Saffar nor of any of the members of his solid ensemble. As the material on the appropriately titled “Two Rivers” (referring, literally, to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, but also, symbolically, to the combination of two different musical traditions in the music on this CD) reveals, he’s a talented multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. Not only has El Saffar received extensive training in classical and jazz music in the United States, but he has also traveled to Iraq and immersed himself in a traditional form of the Iraqi music, the maqam.

Your introduction to maqam begins with the opening track “Menba’ (Maqam Bayat) / Jourjina”, a showcase for El Saffar on trumpet, voice, and the beautiful and hypnotic santoor, which is an Iraqi hammered-dulcimer. While a few other cuts, most notably, the album’s other lengthy piece “Blood and Ink (Maqam Awshar) / Aneen (Maqam Mukhalif)” also focus mainly on the traditional sounds of maqam, the majority of the compositions on this disc are an excellent synthesis of the instrumentation (like the buzuq, dumbek, and oud) and stylistic elements of the maqam form and those of modern jazz. The resultant music is what one might expect/hope for: an organic, flowing, Middle Eastern-influenced style of ethno-jazz, which is best exemplified by tracks such as “Flood (Maqam Hijaz Kar)”, “Diaspora (Maqam Lami)”, and “Khosh Reng (Maqam Awj)”, in which El Saffar and Mahanthappa engage in a fiery exchange of short solos. Genre-blurring, innovative, and well-executed, “Two Rivers”, for the most part, hits all the right notes!


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Music I Liked And Didn't - 10/4/07 - 10/15/07

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V/A: B-Music - Cross Continental Record Raid Road Trip CD (B-Music) - The record stack rummagers at B-Music return with their latest international collection of rare funk, pop, psych, and rock sounds from the 60’s and 70’s. It contains eighteen tracks which cover a lot of ground, both geographically and stylistically: ranging from a variety exploito-psych sounds (Caribbean steel drum funk, faux Middle Eastern themes, and so on) and fuzzy, Eastern European pop-rock to dated, stereotypical sounding 70’s hard rock and lightweight, jazz-influenced lounge pop stylings. Personal favorites included the Stylers excellent dose of asian psychedelic pop “For You” (which would be consistent with the material on any number of Sublime Frequencies releases!), the groovin’ sitar beat of “Da Klagar Mina Grannar” by Sweden’s Charlie & Esdor, “Un Soir Chez Norris “ a driving, exploito-psych track, featuring massively effected guitars and an ethereal space chorus, by Frenchman Pierre Cavalli, and Zafer Dilek’s swinging Andolu pop instrumental “Yekte”. Always interesting, if not uniformly successful, B-Music’s “Cross Continental Record Raid Road Trip” is, overall, another fairly satisfying fix of vintage sounds from around the globe.

Sonictroubadour readers may look forward to learning more about the efforts of the B-Music crew in the near future, as I have already ordered copies of their forthcoming “Bearded Ladies” LP (a collection of psych-tinged femme folk from luminaries of the past, such as Wendy & Bonnie, Heather Jones, and Susan Christie, as well as the revivalists of today, including Emma Tricca, Magphai, and Cate Le Bon) and the second volume in their “Welsh Rare Beat” series.


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Space Is The Place!!!!!

What better way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of man's entry into deep space than with a little celestial jazz from the great Sun Ra?!?

Music I Liked And Didn't - 10/1/07 - 10/3/07

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SAMARA LUBELSKI: Parallel Suns CD (Social Registry) - Amidst her busy schedule, providing support for luminaries such as Thurston Moore and MV and EE with the Golden Road, talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Samara Lubelski, somehow found enough time to craft her third solo album. While the material on this CD, as that of her previous releases, would still be properly categorized as falling under the general rubric of psychedelic folk and pop, the nine tracks on “Parallel Suns” display a somewhat sharpened sonic focus. Whereas some of the material on her earlier solo efforts reflected the more dark, lo-fi, and improvisational modern free folk approaches favored by the groups with which she has previously participated, such as Hall of Fame and the Tower Recordings, on this outing Lubelski (backed by a solid supporting cast, including members of Metabolismus, P.G. Six, and Hamish Kilgour of the Clean) has created nine tracks of polished, light, and dreamy psychedelic folk and pop that almost perfectly capture the sound and spirit of those classic and highly prized private press rarities from the 60’s. I’ll readily admit that listeners who were expecting and seeking the somewhat more experimental sounds of her earlier work may be slightly surprised and disappointed by “Parallel Suns”, but lysergic pop gems like “Taste The Candy”, “The Cloistered Palace” and “Ego Blossoms” make this disc a winner (if also a slightly guilty pleasure!) in my book.


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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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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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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!

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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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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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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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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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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Running Count For The Year

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