Aside from an assist from Trinidadian bassist Luther Coffey, and American guitarist David T. Walker, 1974’s Lumumba was entirely recorded in Los Angeles by a grip of Ghanaian players, including (funky) drummer Rim Kwaku Obeng . . .
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A love-struck slice of mid-tempo soul, Betty & Roy’s “I’ll Be There” is a timeless, off-the-beaten-path B-side that’s too much of a treasure to be lost. Originally released in 1964 via Eddie Floyd’s Safice imprint, the duo step in line with processional horns, shuffling piano, and twinkling, islandic guitar before getting swept up in a crescendo of their steadfast vow. It’s the kind of rare gem that, even if you’re hearing it for the first time, sounds like it’s been with you your whole life . . .
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Masses is an album of composed and improvised violin solos recorded in the hollows of an old church, and it vibrates with a sense of hallowed unknowing. Deftly interlacing strands of chamber music, ambient minimalism, and Appalachian fiddle, Connor Armbruster conjures a music that feels simultaneously ancient and new, poised between instant and eternity . . .
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It was a tough sell to get greenlit. Following a slew of canceled meetings, Harry Nilsson managed to secure an airplane seat next to an ABC executive to finally pitch his idea for an all-ages animated film. Like a true passion project, Nilsson feverishly sold his concept of an unconventional children's fable based around fictitious characters with pointed heads (and an archetypal “outsider” protagonist). Fifty years on, it's hard to imagine the musician's legacy without it . . .
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Via satellite, transmitting from northeast Los Angeles — the Aquarium Drunkard Show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 35. 7pm California time, Wednesdays.
34.1090° N, 118.2334° W . . .
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French musical saw virtuoso, Emmanuel Brun. Released in 1975 (via the lp, Magie de la scie musicale), Brun's supernatural singing saw takes a backseat on "La Voix Psychédélique", allowing guitarist Geny Detto to work up a nice, frothy choogle. Dig it . . .
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Likely a precursor to the 2004 ECM double-duo-album Which Way Is East, which was Higgins’ final recording, the '93 duet contains a familiar acoustic ambience—beautiful, ragged, scruffy—and sounds imprecise but locked in: theme and un-variation that could only be crafted by these two Americans . . .
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Matthew E. White joins us on Transmissions to discuss K Bay as well as his duo recording with former guest Lonnie Holley, Broken Mirror: A Selfie Reflection. Along the way, he touches on his communal approach, Miles Davis, his youth in the Philippines, and the transcendent qualities of The Flamingo's "I Only Have Eyes For You . . .
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The penultimate track from her 1985 lp, Gallop, Lena Platonos’ “Bloody Shadows From Afar” is a dark-wave tinted sonar of synth-pop-industrialism. It creeps in forebodingly and, as seductive as she is stealthy, the Greek composer’s voice hovers over undulating analog synths and a Roland 808 . . .
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Weather Station’s Tamara Lindeman moves further into jazz in her sixth album, paring back from the large-ensemble, elaborately instrumented sounds of Ignorance to find a smoky, late-light club vibe. The result is a set of songs that are feather light and full of space, sonically, but lyrically and emotionally heavy . . .
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Presenting Philomath: The Aquarium Drunkard Journal. Issue 01, Spring 2022. Featuring contributors include Tim Presley, William Tyler, Willy Vlautin, Devendra Banhart, Jesse Jarnow, and Jason P. Woodbury. Art by Denis Boudart, printed in collaboration with Cereal Box Studio. Only available at our Patreon . . .
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Pavement’s debut long-player hits its 30th anniversary in April. To celebrate its lasting appeal, here’s a version of the album re-created from live tapes cherry picked from over the years, from the Gary Young era to the Westie days, and even with a little solo Malkmus thrown in there for good measure.Beautifully rough around the edges, occasionally on the verge of falling apart completely, it’s an appropriately enchanting listen, with style for miles and miles . . .
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12+ minute elongated funk groove with mic heat courtesy of a seven year old. 1977, Paris . . .
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Welcome to the opening installment of First & Last, a series of mixes providing a glimpse into the world of Japanese private press, or 自主盤, pronounced "jishuban”, which loosely translates to “independent board.”
This first mix, a menagerie of songs from across the spectrum of Japanese private press, serves as an introduction to subsequent mixes. Tanosh . . .
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The Holy Mountain is offensive and grotesque in the same breath that it’s beautiful and transcendent, challenging all methods of interpretation and blowing the doors off meta-narratives in its rejection of form. It's as subversive and tripped-out as any contemporary piece of media, serving as a gateway drug into the hardcore realm of mind-bending world cinema . . .
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