best of/current # 1 jams

a couple musicians I know and admire got best of props in the village voice the other day. Kevin Shea got best drummer, Weasel Walter's ugExplode got best record label, and Dave Buddin got best composer. Buddin getting best composer is kind of extraordinary in that the guy really does not market himself and is really kind of an odd genius operating at the fringes. Dave's got a strong southern drawl, color-blindness and, uh, enjoys a drink. He's an eccentric in the Charles Ives tradition of American music, blending serious atonal compositions with a strong compulsion for satire and an undercurrent of Americana that is both nostalgia and sneer. There is a link to the music on the description of his page and it's worth checking out, so is the stuff with American Liberty League.

In other news, here are my two #1 jams going right now, mid-fall, 2012:

Ducktails, "surf's up": Ducktails is the side-project of one of the guys in Real Estate, this is the last song one the self-titled album, ten minutes or so of beautiful, ambient music.

Frank Ocean, "pyramids": That Ducktails song is 100% in my wheel-house and anyone who knows my taste in music would nod and not be surprised I've been listening to it several times a day for the last couple of weeks. Not sure about this one, and I realize I might be exposing myself to some ridicule, but this is a really bad-ass song. It's also about 10 minutes long and at the half-way mark its time to grab your lady and get your relax on, you guys, "working at the pyramids tonight".....

The Roots of Drone

Read about this on Boing Boing and there it is on Spotify. Pretty great (and it's really rainy here in dirty jersey today, so it works).

It's a very varied compilation of artists from "Pipe Major Macintosh" playing, duh, a Scottish reel to Howlin' Wolf, to the Royal Philharmonic all--you guessed it--droning.

GEAR PORN ALERT

Tour of the dude from Portishead's vintage synth collection.

dc

Helen Burns

Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame did a solo joint that he put out to raise $$$ for the Silver Lake Conservatory of Music in LA.  

It's actually not bad.  It has some really nice moments of acoustic bass, trumpet and effects, but then erupts into techno synth workouts, but all in all it works and is enjoyable.  It's mostly instrumental with the exception of a cameo by Patti Smith.  He plays all the instruments, and is actually a really talented dude. 

It's worth a check out for free on Spotify.

dc

Michael Kiwanuka

Buy this man's music.  If there's any kind of justice in the universe, this man should be making a comfortable living playing his music.  The album is amazing, and I can say from personal experience that his live show is even better.

I saw him last week in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  I guarantee it's the last time I will be able to see this guy from 30 feet away.  Next time he blows through town, it will probably be at some enormous venue and I won't even be able to afford the tickets. 

His voice was flawless.  Soulful as soulful gets.  His guitar playing was top-notch.  His presence and delivery were enthralling.  I was pretty much entranced from the the first song onward.  A really great moment was when he took a few minutes to talk about one of his heroes, one of the people that inspired him to even pick up the guitar in the first place.  He felt he owed it to his hero to pay respect by playing one of his songs...then he launched into "Waterfall" by Jimi Hendrix and it was incredibly moving.  Instead of trying to be like Jimi, he tried to say thank you to Jimi, and it was one of the most open and vulnerable performances I've ever seen. 

His band.  His band were not just a random group of professional road-warrior types.  They seemed like close, trusted friends and they had a vibe of joy to be playing together.  None of them were flashy; they were all there to support Michael and support the songs.  I think this intention came through with the unbelievable groove they created all night.  I mean, they had a pocket that would make any funk band envious.  This show is going up there in the top all-time shows I've seen.  So, again, check out the songs, and if you like em, support the music and buy some stuff.  See a show when he comes through. 

I Not Only Listen to Noise, I Make It

Going to play an interesting little festival called Cropped Out here in Louisville this weekend.  On the bill will be Eugene Chadbourne, Jandek, Lil' B, R. Stevie Moore, Neil Hamburger, Chain & the Gang, Zerang/Gray, and a whole bunch more.  I'll be doing the set at an outdoor stage in the middle of the afternoon.  That should be interesting.

The e.p. is up on bandcamp.  Anybody who wants a free download code let me know.

Ciao!

DC MEGA POST FALL 2012

What's up, dudes.  There is so much noteworthy music-related shit popping off right now I don't know where to begin.  Mega post.

Last week I went out to Brooklyn to play music with Rootless.  The original plan was to go see Gang Gang Dance/Sun Araw, but I had to bail on that to get home and prepare for my kids' birthday party... that will tell you where I am in my life.  Anywho, I took the opportunity to hit up Academy Records and throw down on a Birthday present to myself.  In addition to others I bought these two on vinyl thinking they were rare:

Sun Araw vs. Eternal Tapestry

Talk about "epic jamz (tm)".  I think I posted about Eternal Tapestry before, they are just super rock jams.  Sun Araw is a fave, and this actually sounds a lot like his other band Magic Lantern, who are also on the epic jam tip.  Recommended for those who don't mind hearing the same awesome riff played over and over again for 15 minutes.

Plankton Wat, "Spirits".

This is the guitarist from Eternal Tapestry.  His first record was really dope, but it was more on the Tascam 4-track bedroom recording tip.  This is more polished, and eschews harsh sound or rocking jams. This one is droney like raga not droney like noise.  Acoustic guitar soli with hand percussion and vintage drum machines?  This record is fucking awesome, I've listened to this a million times already.

In a wacky twist it turns out both of these just came out on Thrill Jockey, and they are both on Spotify.  It also came with download codes, because Thrill Jockey is good like that, but that doesn't mean that much anymore with the Spotify connection. Thrill Jockey, good looking out!

Digital Digging

I was going through an old Wax Poetics the other day, and came across this ad for Jazzman Records (?), a reissue series of the "holy grail beat digger classic of all times" or whatever.  I snapped a pic and then looked them up on Spotify at work.  Boom, they are all there, Jazzman has a deal with Spotify... or has a deal with somebody who has a deal with somebody and they have a deal with Spotify.  In any event all this stuff is there... a killer Roy Brooks live free jazz record, Bobby Jackson (?) record that is a real nice  on the jazz/spiritual jazz tip, and the Marvin Peterson joint is a dynamite soul jazz / blue note groove series type vibe.  The Boris Gardener joint, a mix of disco and reggae, not that happening in my opinion, but it's on there as well.

Now a days, you can read a cool interview or get hip to a new artist, and instead of digging in the crates you got to dig on the interwebs.  I feel like the great free music download blog era dried up a little bit, don't you?  But Spotify is definitely blowing up right now.

Woods

I like the new Woods record a lot.  I know some of you probably hate on those guys but I think it's great.

Brain Feeder

Oh shit!  Almost forgot about this?  This is Flying Lotus' like sub-label on Warp.  They put out the new one by The Gaslamp Killer.  It took a few listens to grow on me, but I think it's really good.  "Holy Mt. Washington" is the jam.  It's worth checking out.

But the new Flying Lotus jam, which I would say is "Highly Anticipated", is out next week!  NPR has been streaming it all week.  I never posted this, but meant to... there was a 15 minute documentary on him on Pitchfork that was pretty cool.  He's on the cover of Wax Poetics and The Wire this month.  He just played the Hollywood Bowl with Animal Collective.  Dude is blowing up.  But it's justified.  I almost played that album out this week on the NPR thing, it's really good.  I'm going to have to get the DELUXE LIMITED EDITION VINYL EDITION because I'm a crack head.

Whew.  DC out.

dc

Spotify list

What's up, ya'll? I was musing on the ever-shifting musical landscape last night with DC. We used to trade music on the regular and now that has kind of stopped. I haven't acquired much in the way of new music in recent months because since getting fully on Spotify I just find things there. It's mostly a cool change but I was trying to figure out how to keep up with what I'm checking out; I sometimes listen to so many new things that I forget what I've checked out. So I started a file where I try to keep a list of whatever I'm listening to on Spotify. At the request of our esteemed curator I offer the list below.

Also, on the shameless self promotion tip, I'm playing Zebulon in Williamsburg next Sunday night so anyone in the area that can check it out should come on out, playing with two other cool acts as well, will be a fun night. 


Anoushka Shankar
Steve Lehman Trio
Krzyszstof Penderecki
Jason Urick
Arborea
White Rabbits
Mike Wexler
SBTRKT
First Aid Kid
Young Magic
Nicolas Jaar
Daughter
Tiny Vipers
Daniel Rossen
Eternal Tapestry
PS I love you
The Streets
Olivier Messiean (sp?)
Mary Stallings
Georgia Anne Muldrow, “Seeds”
Mirroring
Hamza El Din
Elliott Sharp
Julia Holter
Japandroids
Evening Sky
Sun Kil MoonVijay Iyer
Sigur Ros
Monogold
Squarepusher
Exitmusic
Cold Specks
Best Coast
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss
The Royalty
Mount Eerie
Forma
Steffen Basho Junghans
Daniel Rossen
Beach House
Lotus Plaza
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Chromatics
Tune-Yards
Valentin Stop
Abdul Hussein Khan Shahnazi
Mike Wexler
Sandy Bull
Branford Marsalis
Peaking Lights
Et Ret
Coil sea
Oneohtrix Point Never
Hot Chip
Tallest Man on Earth
Coil Sea
Philip Glass
Wolfgang Dauner
Fever Ray
Blondes
Lower Dens
Diiv
TNGHT
Friends
Christopher willits
Tanlines
Purity Ring
El Ten Eleven
Ravi Coltrane
Black Lips
Piano Overlord
Tame Impala
Poborsk
perfume genius
cursive
opossom
The Black Swans
Grimes
Bill Fay
Lee Konitz
I am robot and proud
Teen Daze
Dick Hyman
Frank Ocean
Michael Kiwanuka
Growing

Black Marble

I know absolutely zero about these guys.  I went to the Hardly Art record label's website, and one of the first updates they had there was that their band Black Marble has a new track streaming on The Fader.  I listened, and I heard that it was good.  A second later I was here to post the link.  That is all.
Stream Black Marble "Static"

The new XX Joint!!!

The new XX joint is out!  I give it a solid "meh", it's not terrible, and sounds identical to their last one.

Those John Peel sessions are what are killing me... I've found live sets from Godspeed, Boards of Canada, Can, Faust, Syd Barrett... there is a  show from 1976 where Peel is trying to get his head around what "punk" is exactly, with live set from The Damned.  Yo, that's like 6 of 400+.  Goldmine.  Good lookin', Igor

dc

Peel Out

Lots of John Peel sessions here: I can't remember whether this was already posted here, and I'm too lazy to look, but a lot of cool John Peel stuff is organized here, as well:
John Peel's Record Archive

Roni Size / Reprazent: In The Mode

I discovered this cd in my stack of discs collecting dust in the closet.Forgot how good this is. Released in 2000 containing 17 tracks of jungle/dnb/break beat/ hybridization. Guest vocals by Method Man, Zack De La Rocha. Lots of tracks with vocals for this type of music, but it works. Lucky Pressure, Idi Banashapan, In Tune With The Sound are dynomiiite!

Long time no see

Hi, guys.  How've you been?  Here's some stuff I've been introduced to in the past couple of months.

LAG
A DJ from Novi Sad, Serbia who tweaks every sound just beyond the comfort zone, exactly where some aspect of music needs to be if it's going to get your attention.  It's noisy and intense, a real enjoyable "fuck you."


Lag - The Snarl by Lag


Autopark
I'm taking this one over the language barrier.  These guys are band from Belgrade doing a laid-back, synthy math-rock that reminds me of Mew.  The production is surgical as gender reassignment.  They also love their vocoders, so it's going to go without saying I really enjoy these guys.  The link above is to their latest album, downloadable for free and really, really good.

This is something I tripped over yesterday while trying to find out more about the Personal Space compilation DC had mentione:
Fire Star: Synth-Pop & Electro-Funk From Tamil Films 1984-1989

Here's one of the tracks off of it.  About 2:20 the guy really goes off.  The vocoders mixed with the chanting is out of this world.

Live Miles

A YouTube gem... Miles live 1971 hour long special.

Via Robert AA Lowe who tweeted this the other day...

dc

The Black Lips

... where have you been all my life?

Late to the party on that one big time.  Been rocking to this all afternoon, also some Ty Segall joints I didn't know about.

dc

Piano Overlord

I've been pretty stoked about this one.  There is a new Piano Overlord LP out, put out by Chocolate Industries label.  

If you don't know, Piano Overlord is a Prefuse 73/Scott Herren side project.  The new record is dope, sounds a lot like the prior stuff, maintains the same kind of consistent pseudo-free jazz meets IDM vibe.  I've been listening to it a lot.  It's bugged out but I still find it soothing and enjoyable.

I'm a big fan of someone with a million side projects that brings the consistent flavor to each a la Madlib.  That is, a Lootpack LP is different than a Yesterday's New Quintet record is different than a Madvillain record, etc... Unlike people who reinvent themselves under the same name like... Beck?  Nah, not really, but you catch the drift.

This one gets 5 stars from me, and it is on Spotify.

P.S. Chocolate Industries is also behind the comp "Personal Space, Electronic Soul: 1974-1984", a comp of rare, private press regional 45's made with drum machines, casios and commodores and what not.  It's worth checking out, and it is also available on my favorite musical app/service SPOTIFY!  HATERS GONNA HATE!!!!  I LOVE SPOTIFY!!!

dc

Slappa the bass, mon

I just went down a YouTube K-hole that ultimately lead me to this.  Enjoy:



dc

SNOOP LION

so i have been silent for years. don encouraged me to post this after i hipped him to it... the D-O double G has opened his third eye, and has an upcoming reggae album. Apparently Vice documented the whole album process in Jamaica and will be releasing a film on it. way better than i imagined, looking forward to the whole album.

my #1 jam of the moment

"Out of Many" Jamaican compilation

http://www.npr.org/2012/07/22/157128975/first-listen-out-of-many-50-years-of-reggae-music

I often forget to check NPR's "First Listen," but this morning I've been loving this. It's the first disc of "Out of Many: 50 Years of Reggae Music." The record is celebrating Jamaica's 50 years of independence. There's one song from each year.

Record Sale in BK Tomorrow

What's up, bros.  If you know anyone in Brooklyn who likes Records tell them about my LP sale Stoop Sale tomorrow morning, a'ight??!

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/for/3147948559.html

Thanks a lot.

dc

BMSR

BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW is doing it for self and taking the power back from the man!  Check out the details of their kickstarter campaign.  Pledge $10,000 and they will fly you out for a roller skate disco party with all you can eat pizza and make your own sundaes.

CHECK THE LINK my friends.

dc

Hilarious rock show post

I just read this off Brooklyn Vegan about the Lita Ford/Poison/Def Leppard show in NJ last night and I was cracking up, check it out.

Also...

Check out this stone cold funky garage rock jam I found via the Turntablelab blog:



YEAH!

dc

Daniel Higgs

Daniel Higgs is doing a residency this summer every Monday at Zebulon in Williamsburg and I checked it out last night. I hadn't heard of him, but read his bio on the Thrill Jockey page, and I guess the guy is kind of a cult hero. It was a pretty weird show. When I walked in and said hi to a friend I was given the stink-eye by a pissed hipster and I quickly fell into step; the place was so quiet for the first part of his set that you could hear a pin drop between notes. The music was pretty far out, just Higgs and his banjo, singing sometimes, veering between hippiesh and surrealist poetry, to droney ragas, Americana meets Middle East mysticism. You can tell that Devendra Banhart owes a lot vocally to this dude. The vocal stuff was cool, and I admired the originality and bravery of where he went. But the extended ragas were dope as hell, he's a killer banjo player and his ability to go from Appalachia to Egypt in the span of a few notes is pretty amazing. Some of the people on this blog (BILL ZINK) would totally dig this if they aren't familiar with his stuff already. If anyone is in the NY area in the next few weeks, check it out.

Oh, and on the shameless self-promotion tip, here's my latest rootless track.

The Weird Weeds

I like The Weird Weeds, i think some of y'all might like them too.

They have some stuff on Spotify.  They have a bandcamp, some live shows on soundcloud, a facebook page, all that shit, so do some digging.

dc

Stunna

One of my favorite drum+bass artists Stunna (aka J. Cappo) out of Chicago. He has a regular show on BassDrive.com His stuff is very melodic. He has live track on SoundCloud that has a 5-6 minute piano solo. I'd say he has taken the LTJ Bukem downtempo/dnb vibe to a new level. Check out his set at the United DnB Battle in Brooklyn last month if you like more of the live MC/Jungle based vibe.

Blues Control, Chris Forsyth

Still getting used to the new Blues Control, Valley Tangents.  There's a lot of sound on here that kicks me the wrong way (hence some of the "classic rock" references in reviews, as well as references to different genre exercises), but it's starting to grow on me.

I just found out that I will be opening for Chris Forsyth here in Louisville on July 8.  I've seen his stuff on the Family Vineyard site before, but I'm just now getting around to checking it out.  Both FV records are very nice; I am especially fond of Dreams.  You can listen to both of them at his SoundCloud page.

Two little gems to help you beat the heat!

Fly Lo

Funny how things come around in cycles.  I've been listening to Flying Lotus' "Los Angeles" on back-to-back-to-back repeat, perfect thing to work to lately.  That's my personal fave of his output.

Thought this was somewhat post-worthy as it was the topic of the very first WWALT BLOG post from almost 4 years ago.  Time flies, no?

Hope you guys are having a good summer. Later.

dc

Burial/Boduf Songs/Lower Dens/Coltrane

Lately I've just been loading up stuff on my iPod, hitting shuffle, and zooming off here and there.
If something pops up that I like, I will take a look at the Pod and see who it is.
I finally got around to checking out Burial (I know, about 6 years after the fact) and it's pretty amazing if you're into that sort of thing.  Really dark, sparse, washed-out dubstep with heavy garage (UK garage, not garage rock!) and 2-step influences. 

Also Boduf Songs is killing me.  Is nobody else into this guy???  It's pretty fucking amazing.  Reallllly dark stuff....and sad.  But not "boo hoo woe is me" kind of sad, more like "the world can be dark and sad, and that's pretty beautiful too."  Anyway, the mood of all the albums is perfect for late night mellow listening with a darker edge.  Plus there's song titles like That Angel Was Pretty Lame and I Have Decided To Pass Through Matter.

Also killing it is the new Lower Dens record, I think it's called Nootropics.  Solid indy rock, but with a noise/creative aspect a la Deerhunter or Sonic Youth but not as aggressive.  Really interesting rhythmic ideas, which is usually what makes my ears perk up before other things.  Interesting sonic textures, too.

This afternoon I pulled out some of the Sunday jazz stacks, despite the fact that it's Saturday.  I know enough has been said about this group to last until the end of time, but fuck man, the John Coltrane Quartet is just genius.  A lot of jazz to me feels very confined by it's predetermined rules about what's "right" and "wrong" and what makes jazz "sohpisticated," but the Quartet just sounds like pure liberation.