domingo, 11 de novembro de 2012

Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost 2011

Girls' second full-length sees indie rock songwriter Christopher Owens and his multi-instrumental sidekick Chet "JR" White getting better acquainted with the studio and growing more indulgent. All too often, artists follow up a breakout debut with a difficult sophomore outing, and Girls fall prey to the syndrome, overcompensating for average songs with dazzling instrumentation. It’s probable that after recording a straight-ahead EP, they wanted to show off their range, and as a sprawling, 54-minute epic,Father, Son, Holy Ghost is decidedly vast, but it also goes completely over the top. “Alex,” “Saying I Love You,” and “Forgiveness” fit with the ‘50s/Americana vibe of the Broken Dreams Club set. “Die” sounds like a stoner rock version of Deep Purple's "Highway Star" before it gives way into a Pink Floyd outro. The dreamy organ ballads “My Ma” and “Vomit” take the Floyd craftsmanship to the next level with a questionable addition of soul singers. Elsewhere, flamenco guitar, Mellotron arrangements, and sweeping guitar harmonies shape simple Merseybeat and soft rock templates into majestic psych-prog-tinged rock numbers. If there is a unifying theme, it’s that many of the songs start slow and escalate into overblown jams, with extra session musicians filling the gaps. As a duo, Girls felt comfortable like an old, weathered T-shirt, and now they feel like a well-pressed dress shirt with extra starch. The good news is that this album proves they are top-level purveyors of pop. The bad is that the eccentricity that once flowed freely feels forced. AMG.

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Aberfeldy - Do Whatever Turns You On 2006

Aberfeldy's marvelously endearing and ramshackle (the word is nigh inescapable) Young Forever was one of the most auspicious indie pop debuts of the 2000s. It earned the Scottish quintet a small but devoted following in the States and tour slots opening for lite rock heavy-hitters (albeit somewhat odd stylistic bedfellows) James Bluntthe Beautiful South, and Paolo Nutini in their home Kingdom. In 2007 they landed the distinctly '00s-style promotional coup of having one of their songs (the infectious "Summer's Gone") featured in a widely seen commercial (in keeping with a time-honored rock & roll tradition, it was an ad for Coke), but even as like-minded Europeans such as Peter Bjorn and John andI'm from Barcelona were racking up stateside accolades, Aberfeldy's 2006 sophomore album still failed to see a U.S. release. And it's a crying shame, because Do Whatever Turns You On is, if anything, more immediate than its predecessor: it's bigger, bolder and shinier, without sacrificing a single ounce of charm -- a larger recording budget meant they weren't limited to a single microphone this time out, but it still sounds wonderfully intimate and welcoming -- and most crucially, without losing their penchant for endlessly hummable indie pop melodies. The rootsy country vibe of the debut is still present occasionally, most notably on the gently luminous book-ending tracks "If-Then" (also known as "Someone Like You") and "Turn Me Towards the Light," though Sarah McFadyen's fiddle is largely absent, but in general (and even on these tunes) the band piles on the synthesizers and electric guitars more than ever, resulting in a slightly more conventional power pop/rock sound ("Need to Know" could almost pass for the Cars with its gleaming synth lines and cowbell-fueled riffage.) Either way it's still unmistakably Aberfeldy, in the way the songs are full to bursting with good cheer, glockenspiels, generous helpings of organ, and especially their distinctive, delicious group vocals -- Riley Briggs' reedy tenor is almost always accompanied by the tight harmonies of McFadyen and Ruth Barrie, whether wailing like Linda Thompson on the chorus of "All True Trendies." or offering cheeky retorts to Briggs' lead on "Hypnotised" ("shut up! shut up!" they chirp in response to his self-doubting verse speculations.) Another possible selling point: though the band's penchant for romanticism is decidedly intact, Whateveris a substantially less twee affair than their debut, thanks mostly to the more muscular arrangements and a handful of uncharacteristically sardonic lyrics. Witness "1970s," with its snide swipes at trendy retro culture: "you dress as if it was the 1970s/you say 'far out, man' but you don't know what it means."Briggs has suggested in interviews that these sentiments are primarily self-directed, and reasonably so given the '70s and '80s pop signifiers that crop up all over this record -- not that that's cause for derision, mind you. In any case, the overall sentiment of the album is unmistakably positive; it's right there in the titular credo, which the band seem to have taken to heart. "It's up to you/do what you want to do/you can tell the truth or lie/come on baby/you might as well dance all night" they exhort the listener in the rousing "Up Tight"; roughly the same sentiment is expressed in the irrepressibly bouncy anti-conformist/self-fulfillment anthem "Whatever Turns You On." They may not be particularly nuanced lyrically, but those two songs just happen to be two of the sharpest pop/rock nuggets anyone's come up with in recent years, though you could make an equally compelling case for "Hypnotised," or "1970s" or, actually, come to think of it, most of the rest of the album. AMG.

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Seun Kuti - Many Things 2008


Oluseun Anikulapo Kuti (born 11 January 1983), commonly known as Seun Kuti, is a Nigerian musician, and the youngest son of legendary afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun leads his father's former band Egypt 80.
Seun and his brother Femi are the two successful[citation needed] musical offspring of the late Nigerian afrobeat innovator Fela Kuti. Seun has one younger sister who used to sing in his band. At the age of nine Seun expressed the wish to sing to his father.[citation needed] A short while later Seun started acting as a sort of mascot and would sing a few songs backed by Egypt 80 before his father took to the stage. Since then, Seun has followed the political and social ethos of his father.
After Fela’s death of AIDS in 1997 Seun, then only 14 years old, became the lead singer of Egypt 80. While in school Seun had to choose between a career in music and one in African Football for which he has an outstanding talent.[citation needed] He had a friend performing for crowds too, sometimes consisting of only 3 or 4 people. He honed his musical skills for several years. Those skills were showcased to the world with his 2008 debut album, Many Things, produced by Martin Meissonnier, who had already produced two albums for his father.
About three-fourths of the current Egypt 80 line-up consists of musicians that not only played with Fela Kuti, but often were arrested and harassed alongside the founder of the Afrobeat movement. Live sets consist of both new material and originals from Seun’s father. During his lifetime Fela Kuti never performed songs he had recorded, so for many fans this is their first chance to enjoy classics like Shuffering and Shmiling, Colonial Mentality and Army Arrangement in a live setting. A new studio album called From Africa with Fury: Rise was released on 5 April 2011. It was recorded in London, produced by Brian Eno, John Reynolds and Seun himself.
Seun Kuti is featured in Calle 13's song "Todo se mueve" (Everything Moves), on their 2010 album Entren los que quieran.
He participated actively in the Occupy Nigeria protests against the fuel subsidy removal policy of President Goodluck Jonathan in his native Nigeria, in January 2012.

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Midnight Oil - Red Sails in the Sunset 1985

Midnight Oil's second international release found them ambitiously taking on a variety of lyrical causes in a variety of musical styles. Their basic approach, with its martial rhythms, chanted vocals, and guitar textures, served as a jumping-off place, but they always sounded more assured when they stuck to that, rather than trying other things. And the unrelentingly judgmental tone of the lyrics, sung with dead seriousness by Peter Garrett, tended to douse the album's potential enjoyment, too. (It's hard to dance when you're being lectured to.) It wasn't much of a surprise when Garrett decided to run for the Australian Senate shortly after this album's release. AMG.

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Charlie Haden and The Liberation Music Orchestra - Dream Keeper 1990

Dream Keeper is the third Liberation Orchestra recording from Charlie Haden. This time out he pairs orchestra alumni Carla Bley (who wrote all the arrangements), drummer Paul Motian, and tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman with additional jazz heavyweights, like trumpeter Tom Harrell, tenor saxophonists Joe Lovano and Branford Marsalis, trombonist Ray Anderson, and pianist Amina Claudine Myers. Taking the racial and political strife in South Africa and El Salvador as their spiritual focus, Hadenand Bley deftly blend South American and African music, jazz, and gospel over the album's five selections. Bley's opening suite, "Dream Keeper," features a particularly effective alternation of somber, sometimes ethereal-sounding choral parts (performed by the Oakland Youth Chorus) and Central American motifs and rhythms (Harrell deserves special mention for his beautiful trumpet work throughout this extended piece). The other lengthy number in the program, "Nkosi Silelel'I Afrika," is an arrangement of "The Anthem of the African National Congress"; it's a fluid, hard swinging piece, which features standout solos by Redman and alto saxophonist Ken McIntyre. Shorter, more whimsically swinging numbers, like "Rabo de Nube" and "Sandino," balance out the set and include fine statements by Lovano and guitarist Mick GoodrickHaden closes the record with his New Orleans jazz/gospel hybrid tune "Spiritual." An excellent album and one of Haden's best. AMG.

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Abdullah Ibrahim - Knysna Blue 1994

After decades of self-exile, pianist/composer/bandleader Abdullah Ibrahim finally had an opportunity to return to his native South Africa in the early 1990s. This solo CD was recorded at Cape Town and has seven of his themes, all of which reflect his heritage; in addition, Ibrahim performs Thelonious Monk's"Ask Me Now." An excellent effort that must have been an emotional experience for the unique and masterful Abdullah Ibrahim. AMG.

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Neville Brothers - Fiyo On The Bayou 1981


Throughout their long careers as both solo performers and as members of the group that bore their family name, the Neville Brothers proudly carried the torch of their native New Orleans' rich R&B legacy. Although the four siblings -- Arthur, Charles, Aaron, and Cyril -- did not officially unite under the Neville Brothers aegis until 1977, all had crossed musical paths in the past, while also enjoying success with other unrelated projects: Eldest brother Art was the first to tackle a recording career, when in 1954 his high school band the Hawketts cut "Mardi Gras Mambo," a song that later became the annual carnival's unofficial anthem. Both Aaron and Charles later joined the Hawketts as well, and when Art joined the Navy in 1958, he handed Aaron the group's vocal reins.
Two years later, Aaron scored his first solo hit, "Over You"; in 1966, he notched a pop smash with the classic "Tell It Like It Is," a lush ballad showcasing his gossamer vocals. Art, meanwhile, returned from the service to begin his own solo career, and recorded a series of regional hits like "Cha Dooky Doo," "Zing Zing," and "Oo-Whee Baby." In 1967, he formed Art Neville and the Sounds, which included both Aaron and Charles as featured vocalists and quickly became a sensation on the local club circuit.
In 1968 producer Allen Toussaint hired the group as the house band for his Sansu Enterprises; minus Aaron and Charles, the Sounds evolved into a highly regarded rhythm section which backed artists as diverse as Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, and LaBelle before eventually finding fame on their own as the Meters. Consequently, Aaron resumed his solo career, although with only sporadic success; as a result, he also worked as a dock hand. Charles, meanwhile, relocated to New York City, where his skills as a saxophonist led to tenures with a variety of jazz units; after returning to New Orleans, he was arrested for possession of marijuana and served a three-year sentence at the Angola Prison Farm.
In 1975, the Meters backed the Wild Tchoupitoulas, a group led by the Nevilles' uncle, George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry. Both Aaron and Charles were enlisted for the session, as was youngest brother Cyril; when the Meters disbanded the following year, the four brothers backed the Tchoupitoulas on tour, and in 1977 they officially banded together as the Neville Brothers. Despite their gift for intricate four-part harmonies, their self-titled 1978 debut unsuccessfully cast the vocal quartet as a disco band, and following a dismal response they were dropped by their label, Capitol.

the Nevilles spent the following three years without a contract, but after signing with A&M, fan Bette Midler helped secure the services of producer Joel Dorn for 1981's superior Fiyo on the Bayou, which spotlighted Aaron's angelic tenor on standards like "Mona Lisa" and "The Ten Commandments of Love" along with renditions of "Iko Iko" and "Brother John." Despite widespread critical acclaim, the album sold poorly, and again the Nevilles were cut loose from their contract. After signing to the tiny Black Top label, they issued 1984's Neville-ization, an incendiary live set recorded at the Crescent City landmark Tipitina's which featured Duke Ellington's "Caravan" and Aaron's perennial "Tell It Like It Is" alongside the brothers' own "Africa" and "Fear, Hate, Envy, Jealousy."

After another concert album, 1987's Live at Tipitina's, the Nevilles signed with EMI and returned to the studio in 1987 with Uptown, which again met with commercial failure despite cameo appearances from Keith Richards, Jerry Garcia, and Carlos Santana. In 1989, they re-signed to A&M and recruited the services of famed New Orleans producer Daniel Lanois; the atmospheric Yellow Moon, the group's finest hour, finally earned them success on the charts, thanks in part to the anthemic single "Sister Rosa." 1990's Brother's Keeper fared even better, no doubt spurred by Aaron's concurrent success with Linda Ronstadt on the smash duet "Don't Know Much."

In subsequent years, Aaron reignited his solo career while also remaining with his brothers; while the Nevilles retained their cult following with LPs like 1992's Family Groove, 1994's Live on Planet Earth, and 1996's Mitakuye Oyasin Oyasin/All My Relations, Aaron scored a Top Ten hit in 1991 with the single "Everybody Plays the Fool," taken from the Ronstadt-produced Warm Your Heart. In 1993, he notched a minor hit with "Don't Take Away My Heaven" from the LP The Grand Tour; a year later, he found success with "I Fall to Pieces," a duet with country star Trisha Yearwood. In 1990, Charles also issued the jazz collection Charles Neville & Diversity.

In addition, a second generation of Nevilles also began making their mark on music; in 1988, Aaron's son Ivan, a member of Keith Richards' backing band the Xpensive Winos, released his solo debut, If My Ancestors Could See Me Now. The Neville Brothers legacy continued in 1999 with Valence Street.
AMG.

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Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Steps Ahead 2010

Mulatu Astatke already has a legendary status as the father of Ethio Jazz. But he hasn't been content to rest on his laurels. Instead he's forged ahead. This album proves very different from his work with theHeliocentrics (some of whom do feature here), or with the Either/Orchestra -- it's an album of what is essentially a meandering, laid-back groove that looks at music from two angles -- the Western and the Ethiopian. The former gets to stretch out on cuts like the opener, the reflective "Radcliffe," and "The Way to Nice." Ethiopia raises its head on "I Faram Gami I Faram," which some luscious Addis Ababa singing, a reworking of the style that made Astatke's name, and actually of one of his old compositions. But it can also be heard in the flute on "Ethio Blues," or the ways Astatke's vibraphone resembles a balafon in "Green Africa." "Assosa" is a true trip into rural Ethiopia, based on traditional music, while "Mulatu's Mood" crosses the continent to put another of the man's older pieces in a highlife framework and highlight the connections between styles. What's interesting is how much of a backseat Astatke is happy to take, rarely venturing out front for a solo (and even then they're brief, more like punctuations), but always powering things along as part of the rhythm section. The exception is on "Boogaloo," at heart Western enough until Astatke takes it to Ethiopia over the groove, and then an Ethiopian fiddle holds it in strange, beautiful territory. A beautiful album that adds to Astatke's stature. AMG.

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Al Kooper - Rare & Well Done 1964-2001

Using an uncommon format, this two-CD set is divided into a rarities disc and a kind of best-of disc. It features primarily solo material, but also throws in some cuts from his group projects with Blood, Sweat, & Tears, the Blues Project, and '60s collaborations/jam sessions with Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills. As either a rarities compilation or a best-of collection, this anthology has its shortcomings. Those who want the rare stuff may already have much of the best-of disc; the interest of those who want the best-of section might not extend to rarities; and either way, one will have to pay for two discs, which might be more material than desired. The rare component is quite erratic, and his material from after the early '70s on that disc is far inferior to the tracks from 1964-1972. Some goodies are unearthed, like his 1964 "Somethin' Goin' On" gospel/blues demo, his quirky 1965 solo single "New York's My Home (Razz-A-Ma-Tazz)" (aka "The Street Song"), a 1971 live version of "Baby Please Don't Go," and a 1970 cover ofBob Dylan's "Went to See the Gypsy," which Kooper had in mind as an arrangement for Dylan's own version. Yet these are outweighed by tracks of more later vintage that offset his intact knack for gospel/pop/blues/jazz-rock songwriting with inappropriately heartless modern keyboards, drums, and production. The well-done section avoids that problem by taking all but three of its selections from the 1966-1971 era, including such highlights as the Blues Project's "Flute Thing," Blood, Sweat, & Tears' "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know," and the title cut of his I Stand Alone album. It also has some tracks that even those fairly familiar with Kooper might have overlooked, like 1969's "Bury My Body" (with Shuggie Otis on guitar). AMG.

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domingo, 4 de novembro de 2012

Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures - Dream Garden 2008

Adam Rudolph is percussion master, composer, arranger, and producer. His Moving Pictures group has been one of his three mainstays (along with HU Vibrational and Go: Organic Orchestra) since he founded the group in 1992 (despite having literally dozens of other projects including the Mandingo Griot Society and collaborating with Dr. Yusef Lateef on some 20 albums in as many years). Its members have shifted continuously, but jazz drummer Hamid Drake has been a member almost since the beginning;Ned Rothenberg has also been a contributing member in the past. On Dream Garden, however, his debut for Justin Time Records, Rudolph moves his group into an entirely new sphere, one in which the culminations of his hundreds of collaborations and his multi-disciplinary approach to composition and improvisation all come to bear on a single recording. That doesn't mean hodgepodge, either. This version of Moving Pictures contains perhaps its most talented lineup yet. Rothenberg is here on everything from shakuhachi, C-and bass flutes, to bass clarinet and alto saxophone; Drake, with his drum kit, gourds, and frame drums, is present. Trumpeter Graham Haynes has put his experimental electronic and club explorations on hold for the time being to bring his trumpet and flugelhorn to this mix, while Shanir Blumenkranz is here on bass and the three-stringed sintir (a bass-like lute). As if this weren't an already impressive ensemble, guitarist Kenny Wessel and multi-instrumentalist Brahim Fribgane (who plays not only his trademark oud, but also cajon, bendir, and tarija) are here as well. Finally, rounding all of this out is the great bansuri flutist Steve Gorn, who also plays a Pakistani oboe, clarinet, and various Indian penny whistles. AMG.

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Abdul Raheem - Che-Che 1995

Former Singer and Trombonist of One of the Most Famous African Bands: Osibisa. His Solo Project Includes a Mixture of Afro-reggae, Jazz and Traditional Ghana Music.

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The Disciplines - Virgins of Menace 2011

With the PosiesKen Stringfellow was one of the leaders of a pop group that could rock out under the right circumstances; in his side gig as frontman with the Disciplines, he turns this formula upside down, showing he's a great rock & roll shouter heading up a band that knows how to wield some poppy hooks to their guitar firepower. the Disciplines' second album, Virgins of Menace, gives Stringfellow room to strut around like some punky glam rock hero, and it suits him just fine as he spits gleeful venom on "Fate's a Strong Bitch" (where he out-attitudes guest vocalist Lydia Lunch, no small accomplishment) and sounds lean and cocky on "The War's Not Over." Of course, it helps that Stringfellow has just the right band for this sort of act; guitarist Bjorn Bergene makes these songs catchy and tuneful even when he's laying out the power chords (as on the Buzzcocks homage "Complicated Times" and the straightforward rocker "Some Kind of Sickness"), or easing up with some ringing acoustic-based leads (cue up "Kill the Killjoy" for details), and bassist Bard Helgeland and drummer Ralle Vilnes are agile and muscular, keeping the beat lively and hitting gloriously hard. And the band has a clear talent for songwriting, with their pop inclinations never compromising their rock moves or their brief exploration of prog rock textures on "Everything Forever (Pig Wars)." Cruising through a dozen songs in just over 33 minutes, Virgins of Menace delivers the goods and wastes no time doing it; this is a satisfying dose of rock & roll fun with both brains and brawn, and this may well surprise folks who think Frosting on the Beateror Amazing Disgrace taught them everything they need to know about Ken Stringfellow. AMG.

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The Beach Boys - ...That's Why God Made The Radio 2012

Plans for the Beach Boys' 50th anniversary tour came together surprisingly quickly, but nothing prepared fans for a full studio album just six months after their official reunion. Further surprises included apparently cordial relations between all surviving members, Brian Wilson in the producer's booth, the presence of 12 original songs on the album, and the complete absence of any attempt to cash in on fond memories of "Kokomo" or Endless Summer or "Do It Again" or "Help Me, Rhonda" -- depending on which generation the band might want to court. That's Why God Made the Radio is as good as it gets for those who love their Beach Boys. It includes frequently gorgeous charts from Wilsonand just a little sweetening to the songs (musically with help from Wilson's regular band and arrangerPaul Mertens, lyrically with help from Joe Thomas and Jim Peterik). The album is a record of two halves -- or sides, in case the band was thinking back to famous side-by-side classics like 1965's Today! The first half is mostly upbeat, with highlights "Isn't It Time" and the title track evoking pleasant curios from late-'60s LPs like Wild Honey or Friends. The second half is largely reflective, with songs that reveal the band's feelings about time passing and life ending (much more than any other material in their entire careers). Granted, no latter-day Beach Boys record comes without missteps, but fortunately there are only two. "Spring Vacation" is embarrassingly chummy, with the lines "As for the past, it's all behind us/Happier now, look where life finds us/Singing our songs is enough reason/Harmony boys is what we believe in/Some said it wouldn't last/All we can say is we're still having a blast." Meanwhile, the downright odd "Private Life of Bill and Sue" takes a fictional couple into the reality-show realm for a misguided cultural critique. For those worried about either Love or Wilson dominating the proceedings, it's clear to see that not only Wilson gets his moment in the sun. For Mike Love, it's "Daybreak Over the Ocean," which could have come off as an update of "Kokomo"'s tropical motif (with Mike crooning a little too close to your ear), but is thankfully treated very lightly. For Al Jardine, it's "From There to Back Again," easily the most beautiful song on the album, a Side 2 ballad epic that Wilson frames impeccably around Jardine's voice, aging but still sweet. (It ranks as one of their best ballads since the '60s.) These may not be the songs that will ever light up their live sets, but together they form what is easily the bestBeach Boys record in 35 years -- and a surprisingly cohesive, reflective, listenable one at that. AMG.

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