I’m fairly sure this is entirely based off of the good feelings I still have after watching a truly satisfying series finale for the TV Series LOST, but I’ve had this song “Sentimental X’s” stuck in my mind and in my ears all day long, and it’s now become my theme song of the day as I continue to grade finals from the semester. I love how lyrically it’s based on fairly simple phrases, but sometimes they are reversed or changed slightly which changes the overall meaning too (for example “Off and On is what we Want,” “What We Want Is Off and On,”). Something about the way it ends with the phrase “All Of You” becoming “I Love You” at times, admist that huge wash of sound, seems to capture the big message out of the LOST finale last night. Though these feelings might wash off in a day or two, this one is still likely to be a contender for song of the year come December.
Far Out has just now issued this very hard to find record from Cuba’s legendary Irakere. This set was originally recorded and released in 1980 out in Japan. Featuring the original line-up including acknowledged masters Chucho Valdes and Arturo Sandoval, and a really nice sound. I don’t normally pick up on jazz/funk records from this period of time, but this is a really solid set. I especially love this track, “Sea Mall” with the real subtle and funky changes in rhythm about mid way through.
Nothing beats hearing music from a part of the world you’d never heard it before and from a collection you haven’t heard yet. French label Syllart has been putting out this series, African Pearls, since 2006, and I’ve been doing some heavy duty sleeping on it. This particular volume features two CDs worth of work from the Ivory Coast, which, aside from Alpha Blondy, I hadn’t ever really paid much attention to. From this it sounds like the 60s and 70s were most definitely swingin’ in Abidjan and else where in this west African nation. This track from Francois Lougah is literally just a taste (though maybe the best of the bunch) from a top-flite collection. Highly necessary!
This record’s been out for a long minute, but I’ve only recently become addicted to the off-kilter garage sounds of this Austin, Texas group. Actually, the sound of the group is quite polished, it’s Ryan Sambol who gives the group an odd sound, all because of his vocals. It’s hard to describe the appeal of them, he sounds like a cross between Bob Dylan and Pat from Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s, but appealing they are. That’s especially so in this track as Sambol considers some deep thoughts while his friends are having sex in next room, including this gem, “I smile and think, sex is like laughter, you do it differently with different people and sometimes you feel sick after.”
This one has been out for well over a month and virtually every DJ at KCRW had been playing it for two months, so I have no excuse for not picking up on it earlier, there’s just so much music that sometimes you miss a few. Luckily I heard something from the group on KALX (which is fitting considering they were originally based out of Berkeley) during my recent trip to the Bay Area and since then I’ve been smitten. In addition to having quite possibly the best band name I’ve heard in the last 5 years, the group delivers with big epic arrangements, great production and just a great sound combining all the best parts of the Walkmen & Grizzly Bear (in fact, Chris Taylor of the latter has production credits on this record). A sure fire inclusion on my year end best of list.
With his 5th album under the Bonobo moniker, Simon Green has created a minor electronica masterpiece. Multiple styles, themes and tempos converge, often featuring Andreya Triana’s lovely vocals (when will this woman put out a record of her own??? {updated 7/19/2010…the answer is apparently August 23rd in the UK and Sept. 3rd in the US!}), from the epic sounds of the opening “Prelude” and closing title track, to bubbling soul of “The Keeper” and “Eyesdown” to my personal fave “El Toro” a simply gorgeous vamp with strings where Green makes use of virtually every part of an exceptionally long drum break from a Port Authority Band track, and chops it up to the point where if you didn’t recognize the break, you’d think there was a live drummer. Nothing short of bloody brilliant.
Was listening to this one on my way to work and almost spilled my morning tea everywheres. From this post on Super Sonido, Afrosound followed the Chi-Cha movement in Colombia and provided some exceptional heavy weight vibes. Vampi Soul has now put together a two disc/lp comp of the freshest sounds…so very necessary.
Finders Keepers has released yet another stellar collection of obscured music, this time from the French BYG / Actuel record label. Though some American avant-garders make appearances (especially of note is a funky track from the Art Ensemble of Chicago), most of 22 tracks on this comp. are French psych with a slightly proggy, hippie rock sound, but all very very cool. I thought about posting the funky psych tracks from Coeur Magique or Ame Son, but instead decided to bring you a smoother side of breaktastic dopeness from Valerie Lagrange. Don’t Sleep!
Third record from this post-twee/post-post-punk outfit from Sweden. In total, the record is pretty mellow but the upbeat tracks are rather stellar, including the track that leads off the record, “Bigger, Bolder” and this one which is closer to the end. Must be something about those snare rolls that I find irresistible…and by the way, whatever they have in the water up there in Gothenburg, Sweden (where Love Is All hail from as well as The Knife, El Perro Del Mar, Little Dragon and Jose Gonzalez) they seriously need to bottle that isht and send it out to music deprived corners of the world.
I’ve only literally started listening to this record just today (though I’ve been listening to it almost ALL day long), so this could be the first “Heavy Rotation” to later find its way into “Under Review”…this record is such a HEAVY TRIP!!! Some people are calling this “Psych-Hop” but that title seems woefully inadequate to describe the flurry of sounds put together by (primarily) Gaslamp Killer and Gonjasufi. Sufi’s vocals aren’t quite otherwordly but they don’t really sound as if they belong to man himself. They seem too weathered, too unpredicatable to come from someone so relatively young. This one is an early favorite for my Top 10 of the year.
The Bamboos feat. Kylie Auldist – Like Tears In Rain
The latest release from Australia’s Bamboos keeps them on the front line’s of all things funky here in the 21st century. Now in their 10th year, and with guest vocals from Lyrics Born, King Merc and (on 7 of the 12 tracks) Kylie Auldist, the band is firing smoothly on all cylinders on their latest record 4 (due out 3/30), especially on the tracks “Keep Me In Mind,” “The Ghost” and the first single “On The Sly.”
In thinking about how the Bamboos’ sound has progressed over the years and in listening to this particular record I’m stuck in a bit of a critical conundrum. What should this type of soul/funk be called? It’s not purely “retro,” a title that I would give to Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, who attempt to 100% emulate the “original” soul sounds of the late 1960s. It’s not necessarily “modern” soul, since the sound is so clearly influenced from the past. It could be “post-modern” since these sounds are connected to the past, but (like Mayer Hawthorne’s “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out”) they are read through post-Hip-Hop ears. But at the same time it doesn’t seem as “po-mo” as an artist like say Gnarls Barkley. So, I guess that makes it neo-retro po-mo soul???? Whatever the sub-genre, it is yet another solid effort from one of Australia’s finest.
As an added treat here’s a little behind the scenes video of the group having some fun at their photo shoot for the album cover and on the sets of the “You Ain’t No Good” and “On The Sly” videos:
If you want to see the finished version of “On The Sly” click here
This one has “summer song” written all over it, even though it’s out here in the Spring. The Hawk is basically one dude, Scott Milsom of the UK Funk outfit Big Boss Man. He has very good taste in vocalists with this track featuring Little Hannah Collins who might be familiar to many of you as a frequent collaborator with The Heavy. The song sticks to a real basic formula, retro styled instrumentation and samples, sweet vocals from Collins’ and a little soul clap to boot…how can I resist and I suspect you won’t be able to either. Needless to say, Little Hannah really needs to quit teasing and put out a full-length record all her own (come to think of it, she was featured on another summer song from the Snugs a little while back too (still available on her myspace)…this girl has summer written all over her).
Since this is literally all they’ve done, I’m posting the video and not the song. It’s on a split 45 available at Record Kicks, but hopefully there will be much more to come in the near future.
To be perfectly honest, I still don’t know exactly what to think about Georgia Anne Muldrow. She’s definitely respected by her peers, including Erykah Badu and Mos Def. She’s got a great voice, eccentric personality, seriously funky sensibilities. But over the course of her several records, there seem to be too many hit and miss moments for an artist of this caliber. Not too much of a good thing, just too much, too many songs, too many ideas, just too too much! Maybe it’s just me, but I want her artistry focused, not so all over the place all the time. This is however the nature of genius (which Muldrow might be, let’s see in another 10 years…), a focused Muldrow wouldn’t be the same artist, she’d be conventional and not nearly as interesting. So,I’ll just have to get over it, because as long as she is producing songs like this tribute to Michael Jackson, she remains one of the most talented and enigmatic performers in modern music today.
Out of Brooklyn, NY comes one of the records I am most excited to play when I return to KCRW, courtesy of Golden Triangle. I’m not sure how they manage to sound crisp and clean (especially with the vocal harmonies) and all garagey and gritty (especially in the guitars) at the same time, but I ‘effen love it and soon you will too.
I’d never heard of Cuban singer El Gran Fellove until I received this collection of his music from Vampi Soul. Most of the tracks on this 21 song retrospective I would classify as mambo, but towards the end as the sounds shift into the 1960s, things get subtly funky as on this track “El Jacarandoso”…Que Sabroso!
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