Etuk Ubong :: Black Debtors

Etuk UbongPosted on

Etuk Ubong was born and raised in Lagos, but you don’t need me to tell you that; “Black Debtors,” his latest single, is built on a truncated rhythm so thick it feels like Fela Kuti’s “Open and Close” groove folded over on itself four or five times – a rhythmic orientation Ubong knows plenty about as a former sideman for Femi Kuti. But he’s a trumpeter, not a saxophonist, and he loosely . . .

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Etuk Ubong

SIRIUS/XMU :: Aquarium Drunkard Show (7pm PST, Channel 35)

SIRIUSPosted on

Tonight, my guest is Yosuke Kitazawa, discussing Light In The Attic Records upcoming Japanese reissue series -- a series that kicked off last year with the compilation "Even A Tree Can Shed Tears" and picks up next month with a grip of Haruomi Hosono reissues. Also, music from the new Anthology Editions book on the subrosa history of Library Music, entitled Unusual Sounds.

SIRIUS 529:

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on SIRIUS

Casual Water / Summer Crate Mixtape

Mixtapes Reverberation RadioPosted on

Floated this medley of selections from our summer crate over to our friends at Reverberation Radio last week as part of their ongoing guest mix series. Lots of dub. Lots of reverb. Laisse rouler.

King Tubby & Yabbu U - Conquering Dub (excerpt)
Serge Gainsbourg - Javanaise Remake
Rikki Ililonga - Fire High
Mono Mono - Give A Beggar A Chance
Luiz Melodia - Baby Rose
Bob Chance - Jungle Talk
Ryo Kawasaki - Hawaiian Caravan
Brian Eno & David Byrne - Regiment
Basa Basa - African Soul Power (excerpt)
Talking Heads - Fela’s Riff (Unfinished Outtake)
Serge Gainsbourg . . .

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Mixtapes Reverberation Radio

Strange Stars :: David Bowie, Pop Music, And The Decade Sci-Fi Exploded

Jason Heller Strange StarsPosted on

Six days before he died in a car crash in 1977, Marc Bolan of T. Rex published a review of  George Lucas’ new film Star Wars  in his weekly column for Record Mirror. Praising the space opera as a "classic," he noted, “Now perhaps more people will pay attention to the science fiction field, where so many great poets, writers, and musicians are lurking unsung.”

Jason Heller is not the first writer to take science fiction and its poets and musicians seriously, but you get the sense that Bolan was distinctly forecasting something like Heller's new book, Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded.  In it, the science fiction field – and specifically its impact and influence on the music of the 1970s – gets its due. Focusing on under-recognized connections and moments when the science fiction establishment embraced music, like when the animated Yellow Submarine film and Paul Kanter's Blows Against the Empire earned Hugo Award nods -- the equivalent of Emmys in sci-fi, Heller’s sharp, lyrical, and evocative pages bring the relationship between music and science fiction to life.

Heller, the author of the satirical novel Taft 2012, whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and elsewhere, knows his stuff. Here, he connects Robert A. Heinlein’s Starman Jones to David Bowie’s Major Tom, traces hard SF pioneer  Samuel Delany's early forays into rock criticism  for Crawdaddy,  examines the "myth science" ethos of Sun Ra, how Michael Moorcock's  consciousness-expanding literature crossed over into the psychedelic rock of Hawkwind, and explores a  dozen  more corners of the pop spectrum where the influence of the space program, technological advancements, experimental science fiction novels, and films gave musicians license to showcase their most  propulsive ideas.

Though  his original idea for the book was to  broadly chart science fiction's influence on pop music -- encompassing everything from Billy Lee Riley's 1957 rockabilly rave-up "Flyin' Saucers Rock & Roll" to Janelle Monî¡e's current Do Androids Dream of Electronic Bangers aesthetic -- Heller instead chose to focus on the 1970s, a decade that found the tone and character of pop music tilting toward potential ideas about the future.

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Jason Heller Strange Stars

Unusual Sounds: The Hidden History of Library Music

David Hollander Library MusicPosted on

Last month saw the release of artist and filmmaker David Hollander's book Unusual Sounds: The Hidden History of Library Music, via Anthology Editions. A comprehensive must-read for those who relish and celebrate the expansive, often subrosa, world of Library Music, the work takes a deep dive into its varied history. With stunning original art by Robert Beatty, Unusual Sounds features histories and interviews, along with visuals from the field’s most celebrated creators. On the eve of the book's release, Hollander put together the following hour-long Library mix for Aquarium Drunkard. The author, below . . .

Library Music, or Production Music as it is sometimes called, is music pre-made for budget-conscious film, television, and radio production. It was never commercially released but pressed to LP in small quantities for filmmakers to preview. It was made mostly in Europe, with some of the most legendary libraries coming from the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. This Library mix includes tracks from all over, but focuses on Italian Library from the 70's, which provided the soundtrack to countless giallo and  poliziotteschi films.

Download: Unusual Sounds: The Hidden History of Library Music (zipped folder)

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on David Hollander Library Music

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Rosali

Lagniappe Sessions RosaliPosted on

Lagniappe (la ·gniappe) noun ‘lan-ˌyap,’ — 1. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit. 2. Something given or obtained as a gratuity or bonus.

Yup, we're big fans of Rosali Middleman’s new album Trouble Anyway. Cut with an arsenal of who’s who players of the Philadelphia scene, the album soars and burns with the raw emotion of being scorned while falling in and out of love. It’s not surprising Rosali picked three covers by women who have walked similar paths and come out the other side stronger and bolder. Trouble Anyway is out now via Scissor Tail/Spinster Records. The artist in her own words, below . . .

Rosali :: Metal Heart (Cat Power)

There is something about this song that strikes something deep in me. Maybe it's the way it rides a loose wave with members of The Dirty Three backing Chan or how there isn't a set A/B section, it just spills over itself with something that can't be contained. For the cover, I wanted to put a little Crazy Horse vibes on it and make it rock but still keep true to the emotional aspect of the original. This and "One More Dollar" were recorded and mixed by my friend Gerhart Koerner, who also plays drums on this cut.

Rosali :: One More Dollar (Gillian Welch)

I was working in a biology lab the summer after my freshman year of college when I first heard this song and it gave me chills. So I went home and taught myself how to play it that night. The way Gillian runs her phrases and melodies resonate with me so deeply and she's been a big influence on my songwriting. I wanted to keep the simple and natural quality of the original while adding some harmonies to bring out the hook of the chorus.

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Lagniappe Sessions Rosali

Sonya Spence :: In the Dark

Sonya SpencePosted on

Sonya Spence’s “I Love You So” — a slice of downbeat reggae soul from 1978 - comes across so fragile and dreamlike, it feels as if it might drift away at any moment; either taking the listener with it or, like the title of the album it calls home, leaving them in the dark.

Spence hailed from Jamaica and enjoyed a brief impression of success with her cover of John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” Listen to the way she reinterprets the jaunty melancholy of both Denver and Peter, Paul, and Mary’s recordings, cutting straight to the heartache with soft wailing guitar and the porcelain delicacy of her ethereal vocal touch. Fittingly, she would record the song simply as “Jet Plane.” The leaving was a given.

Sonya Spence :: Jet Plane

While success vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, Spence recorded three original albums all of which were met with commercial failure, sending a pure wonder into obscurity. The first of these records, 1978’s In the Dark, finds desperation, loneliness, and unrequited love lining the grooves with Spence’s velvety mid-tempo range and beautifully restrained arrangements of rocksteady rhythms and quietly sorrowful soul. Perhaps no moment is more potent than on “I Love You So,” its cascading twinkles of piano and minimalistic groove offering Spence her only company in a life lived firmly alone, as she leaves her heart on the floor, pouring with doubt, anguish, and desire. At the two minute and twenty second mark, you can literally hear her trying to catch her breath.

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Sonya Spence

Bandcamping :: Summer 2018

BandcampingPosted on

More buried treasure to check out. As a digital institution it’s hard to beat Bandcamp. It’s ridiculously easy to use, it puts money directly into artists’ (and labels’) pockets and there’s a seemingly endless amount of music to discover there – new, old and in-between. Of course, that endlessness can be a little overwhelming. Here are 10 more recommended releases — old, new and in-between.

Bitchin Bajas / DSR Lines — The Encyclopedia of Civilizations vol. 2: Atlantis: A split LP inspired by the lost city of Atlantis! Hell yeah. The contributors here are Bitchin Bajas Chicago’s finest kozmik kosmische collective and DSR Lines, the brainchild of Antwerp electronic music wiz David Eldren. Together, they’re absolutely perfect, plunging into the depths to find a spacey sonic dreamscape.

ABST 005 - BITCHIN BAJAS / DSR LINES "The Encyclopedia of Civilizations vol. 2: Atlantis" Lp by Abstrakce Records

The Fossil Lickers: You could easily call The Fossil Lickers’ debut effort “old-timey” — the trio’s music definitely conjures up visions of front-porch picking sessions from days gone by. But there’s a freshness and liveliness to the 15 tracks here that take it out of the throwback realm. The players (violinist James Trimble, banjo player Cameron Knowler and guitarist Will Csorba) have an easy, joyous rapport; everything flows beautifully from moment to moment.

The Fossil Lickers by The Fossil Lickers

Matthew De Gennaro - Conversation With A Roadside Skull: Not entirely sure what to call the latest effort from Matthew De Gennaro … mystic loner folk? There are moments when I’m reminded vaguely of Vic Chesnutt or Howe Gelb, but De Gennaro has a distinct/unique vibe, accented by his gorgeous viola da gamba and easygoing guitar work. A mix of instrumentals and vocal numbers, Conversation With A Roadside Skull feels personal and deeply felt, a little universe of its own.

Conversation With A Roadside Skull by Matthew De Gennaro

Donnie and Laurie: Who knew that Don Christensen (drummer in James Chance’s Contortions) collaborated with electronic music pioneer Laurie Spiegel in the late 1970s? Not I! But the Unseen Worlds label has dug up  “Donnie and Laurie” a downright thrilling drum/synth jam. Really cool stuff. It’s paired with an alternate version of Spiegel’s always amazing  “Patchwork,” which bubbles along for almost 10 glorious minutes.

Donnie and Laurie by Laurie Spiegel & Don Christensen

Kyle Bobby Dunn / Wayne Robert Thomas - KBD / WRT: Dig in/bliss out to two deep droners from Kyle Bobby Dunn and Wayne Robert Thomas (both RIYL Stars of the Lid, Tim Hecker, etc). Both clocking in at over 20 minutes, these meditative, glacially paced compositions are just the thing to kick the work week off in celestial fashion.

KBD / WRT by KYLE BOBBY DUNN

Spiritual Jazz 7 — Islam: This fantastic comp uncovers the fertile blend of Islam and jazz from the 1950s through the 1980s. Recorded by Muslim jazz musicians (some of which are well-known names and others of which are very obscure), the tracks here avoid Middle Eastern “exotic” clichés, but still manage to conjure up a dreamy landscape of rich, transporting sound worlds.

Spiritual Jazz 7: Islam by Yusef Lateef

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band — Rare Dreams: Live 2.27.18: Recorded at London’s Café Oto earlier this year, this digital-only EP captures Chris Forsyth’s SMB in lean/mean trio mode, tearing through extended/righteous renditions of “Dreaming the Non-Dream” and “The First Ten Minutes of Cocksucker Blues” — the latter of which achieves some kind of unbelievable lift-off in its last few minutes. And don’t miss the choice Neil Young cover, either.

Rare Dreams: Solar Live 2.27.18 by Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Bandcamping

SIRIUS/XMU :: Aquarium Drunkard Show (7pm PST, Channel 35)

SIRIUSPosted on

Our weekly two hour show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 35, can now be heard every Wednesday at 7pm PST with an encore broadcasts on-demand via the SIRIUS/XM app.

SIRIUS 528: Richard Swift - Dressed Up For The Letdown ++ King Tubby & Yabbu U - Conquering Dub (excerpt) ++ Serge Gainsbourg - Javanaise Remake ++ Rikki Ililonga - Fire High ++ Monomono - Give A Beggar A Chance ++ Luiz Melodia - Baby Rose ++ Bob Chance - Jungle Talk   ++ Ryo Kawasaki - Hawaiian Caravan ++ Brian Eno & David Byrne - Regiment ++ Basa Basa - African Soul Power (excerpt) ++ Talking Heads - Fela . . .

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on SIRIUS

Richard Swift :: 1977-2018

Richard SwiftPosted on

Richard Swift, songwriter, producer, visual artist, and genuine American weirdo, has passed. A prolific producer and sideman -- known for his work with Damien Jurado, the Shins, the Black Keys/Dan Auerbach, Lî¦titia Sadier, Foxygen, David Bazan, the Pretenders, Starflyer 59, Kevin Morby, and countless more -- Swift was also responsible for a series of difficult to classify solo recordings. Distilling wide-reaching influences, from Prince to Beefheart, Kraftwerk to Randy Newman, Swift's discography serves as a testament to his wide taste and restlessly creative nature.

Following an ill-fated turn in the world of CCM, Swift . . .

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Richard Swift

Mary Lattimore :: Hundreds of Days

Mary LattimorePosted on

It's easy to lapse into cliches when writing about Mary Lattimore's music – her gorgeous harp work practically demands that you use the words "ethereal" or "celestial." But though you may not hear a downright prettier record in 2018 than her new Hundreds of Days, there's more to it than mere ambient drift. Much . . .

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Mary Lattimore

Mamman Sani Abdoulaye :: Kok Kok Kok

Mamman Sani AbdoulayePosted on

A delightful, hypnotic video clip of Saharan keyboardist Mamman Sani Abdoulaye has surfaced via Sahel Sounds' YouTube Channel. An extract from a 2016 DVD, Sani presides over his double-decker setup with a zen-like cool, backlit in soft red light and sporting a smart, white goatee under his Kufi. In this take of "Kok Kok Kok," Sani piles Chaî¯bou Ayerou's keening theme on top of itself, serenely tapping out a syncopated polyrhythm with a fluty synth. Once the arrangement has fully blossomed, it seems to take on a life of its own as Sani's hands press . . .

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Mamman Sani Abdoulaye

Transmissions Podcast :: Jim James + Cornelia Murr/Talk Show: Robbie Simon

Cornelia Murr Jim James Podcast Robbie Simon Talk ShowPosted on

And we’re back. Welcome to the June edition of the Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions podcast, our monthly series of features, interviews, and audio esoterica. This month, we have two in-depth conversations. Up first, Jim James of My Morning Jacket and singer/songwriter Cornelia Murr. They've both got new records at the ready. On June 29, James releases Uniform Distortion, a collection of celebratory and clamorous rock & roll jams, via ATO Records. And on July 13th, Murr releases Lake Tear of the Clouds, a spooky set of songs produced by James, featuring guest vocals from Lola Kirke of Mozart in the Jungle and a stunning cover of Yoko Ono's feminist anthem  “I Have a Woman Inside My Soul.” Though the records sound vastly different, they also feel connected and of a piece. Together, the two had fascinating insights about the worlds of social media, David Lynch, and the act of creating -- and sustaining -- the proper mood on a long-player record.

Then, painter and photographer Robbie Simon. Our conversation was recorded live at Gold Diggers in East Hollywood as part of our new monthly series of conversations there called Talk Show, centered around the worlds of music, art, film and beyond. You’ve likely seen Simon’s work with the former Transmissions guests the Allah-Las, and their Reverberation Radio series. His images are bold – referencing the geometric shapes of Alexander Calder – but soft too, evocative of ‘60s West Coast pop art and jazz album illustrations.

Transmissions Podcast :: Jim James and Cornelia Murr/Robbie Simon

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Cornelia Murr Jim James Podcast Robbie Simon Talk Show

SIRIUS/XMU :: Aquarium Drunkard Show (7pm PST, Channel 35)

SIRIUSPosted on

Get here, now. Our weekly two hour show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 35, can now be heard every Wednesday at 7pm PST with an encore broadcasts on-demand via the SIRIUS/XM app.

SIRIUS 527: Jean-Michel Bernard — Genérique Stéphane ++  Dr. Alimantado - Can't Conquer Natty Dreadlocks ++ MonoMono - Give A Beggar A Chance ++ Milton Henry - Gypsy Woman ++ Singers & Players - Thing Called Love ++ Starship Commander Woo Woo - Master Ship (excerpt) ++ Lee “Scratch” Perry - City Too Hot ++ Rikki Ililonga - Fire High ++ Luiz Melodia - Baby Rose ++  Earth . . .

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on SIRIUS

Charles Mingus :: Live at Montreux, 1975

Charles MingusPosted on

These days, when Charles Mingus is remembered, it’s primarily for records like Mingus Ah Um, Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus or The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. All great records, but Mingus kept recording and playing for another decade-plus -- indeed, he was recording almost up until his death from ALS in 1979.

Live in Montreux, released earlier this year by Eagle Rock as a two-CD set and as a standalone DVD, is a look at Mingus in his autumn years. He’s older and has less to prove, but he’s still full of fire and outrage. Who else would write a composition about Governor Rockefeller’s decision to send armed police into the Attica prison?

At this juncture, Mingus had been playing with the same core group for some time. Don Pullen was on piano, George Adams on reeds and Danny Richmond was on drums. All three had appeared live with him on the Carnegie Hall record, not to mention studio ones like Mingus Moves or Changes. As such, when they appeared live at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 20, 1975, they were a solid unit.

The set opens with ‘Devil Blues,” where Adams shouts like a preacher and the band wails behind him. Set against a slow, plodding beat, the tune is downright dirty and bluesy, especially with a tasty trumpet solo by Jack Walrath, where he stretches out with a rich, full tone. From there, Pullen takes a nice solo, and Adams alternates between raging vocals and overblown saxophone. Anchoring it all is Mingus’ walking bass line and Richman’s steady beat.

On the next tune, which Mingus pointedly introduces as “Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA,” the band crashes into another later Mingus composition, but one which shows his talent for creating a distinctive melody — with a hook could have fit right into the Ellington songbook — before Adams launches into a twisting solo, where his sax sounds like it’s struggling against the amount of effort Adams is throwing into it.

Charles Mingus :: Cell Block F

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support.

To continue reading, become a member or log in.

Posted on Charles Mingus