Posts

Misha Panfilov :: The Sea Will Outlive Us All

Misha Panfilov has been brewing a singular blend of psychedelic jazz, electronic lounge, and ambient exotica for the better part of a decade now, the results growing only more potent and intoxicating with each council. On his latest solo venture, The Sea Will Outlive Us All, he greets us at an “Albatross”-on-repeat level of bliss and ascends toward a mystical summit of sound . . .

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Angela Autumn :: Dancer

The song of the summer is transitioning nicely into the coming fall. Living up to her namesake, Angela Autumn’s “Dancer” drifts in with a sultry melodicism perfect for the days between seasons. It’s a bit of a departure from the Appalachian-inspired folk of last year’s excellent Frontiers Woman, but the markings of old weird Americana continue to gleam through the sonic development with each note she sings . . .

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Mad Anthony :: The Lost Tapes

Upcoming project The Lost Tapes by lost seventies band Mad Anthony is not your typical archival release. For Los Angeles-based musician Ben Schwab it's more than personal. Ben's father John was a member of the band, whose three part vocal harmonies recall the soulful, rootsy folk ethos of CSNY or Jackson Browne. Recorded in 1975, these demo songs represent the first time that any of the group's recorded music will be heard outside of friends and family. The aptly titled Lost Tapes are just that, sourced from a two track reel-to-reel of bare demos . . .

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First & Last: Japanese Private Press, Vol. 6

A dozen dusky acid folk songs for the waning days of summer. Welcome to the sixth 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 . . .

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The Lagniappe Sessions :: Kolumbo

The nom de tune of sonic chameleon Frank LoCrasto, Kolumbo features vast and intricate orchestrations reminiscent of the symphonic exotica and jazz-pop records birthed by Capital records in the 50s and 60s. Strings, woodwinds, brass, keyboard and percussion all make an appearance, buoyed by an edge of psychedelia complete with synthesizers and loads of tape echo. On the heels of the project's debut release, Gung Ho, LoCrasto and co. touch down with their inaugural Lagniappe Session, sonically juxtaposing the works of Stevie Wonder, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Brian Wilson, Duke Ellington and more . . .

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Ulaan Passerine :: Sun Spar

With a vast discography going back to the mid-1990s, Steven R. Smith is a man of many monikers — he’s released music as Hala Strana, Ulaan Khol, Ulaan Markhor, Ulaan Passerine, Ulaan Janthina. Don’t stress. Whatever name he goes by, Smith is nothing if not consistent. He’s an expert craftsman, a maker of (usually) guitar-based instrumentals that build wide-open sonic vistas upon sturdy rhythmic foundations. While Smith is a more than capable one-man band, on the latest Ulaan Passerine LP, Sun Spar, he drafts some outside talent to fill in the frame . . .

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Marc Emory :: Listening Music / Anfang

Ready to slide into autumn? If so, this should help: Marc Emory’s Listening Music / Anfang. Originally self-released in 1974, and resurrected last month via Scissor Tail Records, the mostly instrumental affair finds Emory handling all the guitars/vox. An obvious grip for devotees of William Ackerman’s Windham Hill and the greater Takoma family, the reissue is being limited to 200 copies in keeping with the spirit of the amount pressed for the original ’74 release. The skilled 12-string fingerpicking is perhaps the main draw, but don't skip the vocal numbers, with Emory finding a fully . . .

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Lagniappe SuperSession :: Birthday Blues | 33 Artists Interpret The Music Of James Toth

Surprise! The first Lagniappe SuperSession is a birthday party gathering of 33 artists interpreting the music of songwriter, James Toth. The songs in this collection cover over 20 years of music from James’ career, from his early band Golden Calves to his last Wooden Wand record, Clipper Ship. Featuring artists Woods, Marisa Anderson, Lee Ranaldo, William Tyler, Ryley Walker, Tashi Dorji (as Mount), Thurston Moore, Meg Baird, and 25 more, the range of styles and sounds on this compilation show off the universality of Toth’s impressive oeuvre . . .

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The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness :: The Third Wave Of…

The Feelies reference only tells part of the story here. Lush and teeming with geniality, The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness deliver jangly, sun-kissed pop melodies that subsist wholly within their own sphere. Ten melodic tracks breezing in at under thirty minutes anchored by the self-proclaimed "cult group's" signature Byrdsian guitar jangle, the album's no-frills power pop materializes like a sort of roadmap sampler of its many aesthetic predecessors . . .

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The Tony Rice Unit :: Live at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, July 17, 1982

Fresh off the recording of Backwaters, Tony Rice’s improv driven unit settled in on the stage at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. The band in tow reproduced Rice’s recent studio line-ups with John Reischman on mandolin, Fred Carpenter on violin, Todd Phillips on Bass, and Rice holding down rhythm and lead guitar. Not a banjo in sight. The Reischman-penned “That Waltz” starts off the set. With the band seeming to dance upon clouds, it is immediately apparent that the next hour of music – defying classification at the time – had no plan to be grouped . . .

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Bitchin Bajas :: Bajascillators

Just about 12 years into their trip, Bitchin Bajas just seem to get better and better. The Chicago trio, made up of Cooper Crain, Rob Frye and Daniel Quinlivan, has just released Bajascillators — and this new four-song collection is perhaps the most skilled and absorbing distillation of their sound yet. Things kick off with “Amorpha,” the kosmische groove strong right out of the gate, jewel-like textures swimming through the mix — this is undoubtedly a record that rewards headphone listeners . . .

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

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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Lou Turner :: Microcosmos

Lou Turner’s 2020 LP Songs For John Venn was a striking and assured debut, full of sage wisdom, lyrics that were both wryly funny and deeply felt, and plaintive melodies that drew from a deep well of country and folk influences. A fantastic first offering! But Microcosmos, Turner’s follow-up, is even better. Building on John Venn’s firm foundation, the Nashville-based singer-songwriter has delivered an album that solidifies her status as a modern master . . .

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Videodrome :: Trouble Man (1972)

Rather than become a pillar of blaxploitation, Trouble Man has been abated to a cinematic footnote of the subgenre. But the impeccable soundtrack from Gaye deserves to be held in the same regard as other blaxploitation soundtracks ranging from Edwin Starr to Bobby Womack. It's not only one of the best soundtracks you don't hear enough about, but one of the paramount releases of Gaye's prolific career, emblazoning him as a musical jack of all trades and a master of all of them . . .

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Transmissions :: The Stepney Sisters on Charles Stepney

We're sitting down with Chicago sisters Eibur, Charlene, and Chanté Stepney, who join us to discuss the work of their father, the late Charles Stepney. As a producer and arranger, Stepney was at the helm for incredible '60s and '70s work with Earth, Wind & Fire, Rotary Connection, The Dells, Muddy Waters, Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, Terry Callier, and many more before his passing in 1976. But on Step on Step, a mind-blowing new collection from International Anthem, a new vision of Stepney emerges: that of a home recording genius. The Stepney Sisters join host Jason P. Woodbury to . . .

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