Austin's Strange Boys gigged in LA Friday night at Club Los Globos. After the jump, the fellas pay tribute to the Saharan rebel blues of Group Doueh on their new video culled from Live Music.
MP3: The Strange Boys :: Doueh
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I had planned focusing on the ongoing Fugazi live archives for this week's Spotify entry. Turns out those are not yet available, so I switched gears and carved out twenty favorites culled from the band's seven studio albums and Instrument soundtrack. There are very few bands/artists I've had this kind of longevity with. The playlist is set up sonically/aesthetically vs. chronologically and I . . .
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(Sevens, a recurring feature on Aquarium Drunkard, pays tribute to the art of the individual song.)
I've become obsessed with segues and album structure over the years. I appreciate, probably to excessive levels, a record that puts all of its parts together in a way that shows the strength of even the album's weakest moments. Beginnings and endings, as with most things, are the toughest to nail, and it's with that in mind that Sharon . . .
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Our weekly two hour show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 35, can now be heard twice, every Friday — Noon EST with an encore broadcast at Midnight EST.
SIRIUS 238: Jean Michel Bernard - Generique Stephane ++ Gentleman Jesse - Highland Crawler ++ Mikal Cronin - Apathy ++ The Orwells - In My Bed ++ Thee Oh Sees - Tidal Wave ++ Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Zig Zag Wanderer ++ Pet Politics - The Ghost Mary And Her Friends ++ The Art Museums - So Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore . . .
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As Dylan fandom knows no bounds, a couple of years back I came across Linda Mason Sings Bob Dylan. Privately pressed and released in 1964, it is the earliest known Bob Dylan artist tribute LP. If you're interested in its contents, Heirloom Records just scored a couple of sealed copies linking to streams of both sides A and
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Twelve or so years ago Birdman Records released More Oar, a 17 track tribute to the music of Alexander 'Skip' Spence. Outside of his work with Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape, the compilation served as my introduction to Spence's solo work. Among others, participants include Mark Lanegan, Robert Plant, Beck, Robyn Hitchcock, Jay Farrar and Alejandro Escovedo. And while all of the aforementioned interpretations hold up, it's Tom Waits' midnight graveyard reading of "Books Of Moses" that remains . . .
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"Who's the funkiest man in town? You are Bo Diddley."
Sans, say, drugs, the closest you'll ever come to hearing an album again for the first time is through the ears of another - i.e. their reaction. In this case the album in question is Bo Diddley's 1970 psych-funk monster, The Black Gladiator - the ears on loan from my wife. While spinning the new Light In The Attic Records reissue en route to pick her up, she stepped into the car just as
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If you hit up our party in Austin last Thursday you likely noted the man spinning records between sets: Ryan Wilson, aka DJ Sir Pall McCartney. Every 30 minutes for seven hours he cued up the good shit. This one was a personal favorite, Neal Creque's feel-good "Whatcha Wanna Do, Do It," off 1973's Sextet & The Hand of Time. Go ahead. Do it.
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(Volume 11 of Clifton’s Corner. Every other week on the blog Clifton Weaver, aka DJ Soft Touch, shares some of his favorite spins, old and new, in the worlds of soul, r&b, funk, psych and beyond.)
“Well...I got a woman, way over town . . .
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It’s been said that, “Hidden treasures bear the greatest riches” and in my opinion, this quote is more applicable than ever. On the surface, it looks like there is a dearth of quality music. The charts have never been more vapid and TV contests have reduced musical art to a game show. But fear not, dear readers, all is not lost. For those willing to dig deeper, there is a treasure trove of great music being produced and released right now.
A while back I wrote about the song “Look Around The Corner” by Quantic & Alice Russell with the Combo Barbaro and since then, I’ve been privileged to hear the entire album of the same name. In fact, I haven’t stopped listening. Soulful pop, a la The 5th Dimension, with the Latin backing of the Combo Barbaro, and topped with Alice Russell’s flawless vocals is an instantly addicting aural combination. As well as the excellent “Look Around The Corner,” other stand out tracks are a cover of Caston & Majors “I’ll Keep My Light In My Window,” a Latin re-imagining of Pentangle’s “Traveling Song,” and the Motown-ish “Magdalena.” Not only is the record stunning but Quantic, Alice Russell, et al can deliver live. Two one-take performances on YouTube demonstrate the live prowess of these musicians.
Another exceptional artist, just outside of the mainstream, is Robert Glasper. Part of a new vanguard of jazz musicians, the pianist and record producer has just released his fourth LP, Black Radio, on the revived Blue Note label. I’m relatively new to his music and only became aware of him through internet buzz over his cover of Nirvana’s “Smell Like Teen Spirit.” Intrigued, I watched his performance on Letterman. Joined by Lupe Fiasco and Bilal, Glasper proved that America’s classical music was still very much alive. Despite the efforts of some musicians to codify (calcify?) the form and keep it frozen in time, Robert Glasper has brought the music into the 21st century and made it relevant to the hip-hop generation.
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One of the more interesting traditions of country music has been its professional stagecraft. More than just about any other style of modern music, there's a sense that the performers approach their craft in a workmanlike manner. The same goes in the studio - a feel of slick veneer and presentation. When the 'alt-country' movement erupted in the late 80s, it did so in the wake of punk's clarion call of authenticity-above-all-else and since bands like Uncle Tupelo were just as influenced by Roy Acuff as Black Flag, it created an interesting clash of cultures. The type of stage and studio craft celebrated by country music just didn't fly in the face of sneering, judgmental listeners raised to question the cred of any music that sounded that well done.
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Our weekly two hour show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 35, can now be heard twice, every Friday — Noon EST with an encore broadcast at Midnight EST.
SIRIUS 237: Jean Michel Bernard — Generique Stephane ++ X - The Once Over Twice ++ The Gories — Hey, Hey We’re The Gories ++ Canarios — Trying So Hard ++ The Arrows — Blue’s Theme ++ Screaming Lord Sutch — Flashing Lights ++ Alex Chilton - Jumpin' Jack Flash ++ Thee Headcoats — Diddy Wah Diddy ++ The Pebbles — We Love The Beatles . . .
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Old Ideas, Leonard Cohen’s first studio release since 2004’s Dear Heather, sets a new paragraph in what has been an exhilarating late chapter in a lengthy career. After breaking with his management following an ugly legal battle that left him essentially penniless, Cohen embarked on a lengthy tour, selling out arenas throughout Europe and his native Canada. Though always revered among his fellow songwriters--his work has been covered by everyone from Willie Nelson to Antony to Jonathan Richman . . .
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Howlin Rain burned through L.A. a few weeks back in the midst of their Winter tour in support of their latest LP, The Russian Wilds. Visceral in execution, it was one of the best shows I've seen this year. HR's Ethan Miller put together the following compilation for us - a seven track companion of tour highlights. Get on it after the jump, and if you're in Austin this week for SXSW, do yourself a favor and check out the new material live.
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John Coltrane's favorite vocalist, Andy Bey made his name in the 60s and 70s honing his chops with the likes of Gary Bartz and Horace Silver. Tall company. Bey's 1998 album, Shades of Bey, is comprised of interpretive covers including a dark reading of Nick Drake's "become a member or log in.