Naam - Naam 2009

There are very few bands in the known universe that you can say draw upon such varied influences as the Stooges, Hawkwind, and Can. But the Brooklyn, NY trio, Naam, certainly fits the aforementioned bill. On their self-titled 2009 debut, the group issues a vintage-sounding offering that manages to include elements of stoner rock, garage rock, and psychedelic star-gazing. Think of Monster Magnet's early work, and you're not far off from what these lads sounds like. Like all good stoners, you get an obligatory never-ending, mammoth track -- "Kingdom" -- which in this case kicks off the album (and starts with nearly five minutes of swirling wind sound effects). Elsewhere, you'll find a track that sounds like Mudhoney's Mark Arm fronting the aforementioned Monster Magnet ("Skyling Slip"), while quite a few unmistakably Sabbath-y grooves appear throughout (especially in the middle of "Icy Row"). Unlike other stoner metal acts that appear content to play the same riff for minutes on end through a bong-smoke haze, Naam offers enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. AMG.

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Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight 1985

On Be Yourself Tonight, Eurythmics' most commercially successful and hit-laden album, the duo meticulously blended the new wave electronic elements that dominated their previous sets with the harder straight-edged rock and soul that would dominate later sets to come up with a near-perfect pop album. This disc scored no less than four hit singles and kept them a mainstay on MTV's play lists during the channel's heyday. Fusing pop, soul, rock, electronic beats, and even gospel, this is arguably the duo's finest moment. The first hit, "Would I Lie to You," is a straight-forward rocker, complete with great guitar licks, a soulful horn section, and Annie Lennox sounding as vicious and vivacious as ever. The second single, which was a huge chart topper in Europe, "There Must Be an Angel," is nothing short of shimmering beauty, with Lennox providing truly angelic vocals and Stevie Wonder lending an enchanting harmonica solo. Aretha Franklin lends her powerhouse pipes for the duet "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves," which has gone on to become an immortal feminist anthem. From the soulful electronic beats (a rarity) in "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" to the beauty of the Elvis Costello duet "Adrian" to the pain and longing of the sorrowful rocker "Better to Have Lost in Love (Than Never to Have Loved at All)," this album runs a wide array of musical styles, each song standing tall on its own two feet. This disc is, without a doubt, one of the best rock/pop albums from the 1980s and one of the grandest, most creative albums delivered by the ever-appealing and innovative duo of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. A true classic. AMG.

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Cosa Brava - The Letter 2012

Writing at All About Jazz, John Eyles described The Letter as "transcend[ing] genre", and Frith's songs as "melodic ... provid[ing] the group with plenty of scope for embellishment". He said the album "hangs together well", adding that Kihlstedt's violin has "inflections carrying great emotional weight", and Frith's guitar as "fluid [and] interwoven with wordless vocals, to stunning effect" on "Common Sense".

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Dalis Car - InGladAloneness (2012)

Dali's Car was a duo project of bassist Mick Karn (formerly of Japan) and vocalist Peter Murphy(formerly of Bauhaus); it came into existence in the mid-'80s, produced one unsuccessful album, and then fell apart amid mutual rancor. But in 2011 Karn and Murphy tried it again. Karn was terminally ill, and they only came up with three new songs. (The five tracks on this EP include a cover of Jacques Brel's "If You Go Away" and an arrangement of a traditional Turkish song.) Those who recall the group's earlier work will probably experience a familiar frustration: wishing that Murphy would knock off the pseudo-operatic vocalisms so that they can better hear the brilliant and utterly unique basslines that Karn keeps spinning out. The music itself is consistently both interesting and attractive, self-consciously "exotic" but so tonally and melodically inventive that its occasionally twee gestures are easily overlooked. But Murphy's vocal style is simultaneously silly and self-important, and he doesn't contribute a single worthwhile melody or memorable turn of phrase. For Mick Karn's fans, this EP constitutes a bittersweet and deeply flawed farewell, but it also shows that he was operating at the peak of his powers as a bass player even at the end of his protracted illness. AMG. 

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Babajack - Live Summer 2015

‘Babajack Live’ starts out as a blues album – all wailing harp, rough-hewn slide and hypnotic rhythms on homemade instruments – but quickly develops organically into a body of music with more depth.
The background to the album is that it was originally meant to be recorded at the Albert Hall, but circumstances dictated otherwise, leading to a last minute change of venue.  In that context both the band and producer Paul Long have done remarkably well to nail an essential live album full of Becky’s edgy vocals,  the ensemble’s rip-roaring percussive style and their inspired interplay.
The band explores layers of expansive Afro-rhythmic textures with a Delta blues feel, shot through with a rocky edge.  The kick ass rhythm section of drummer Tosh Murase and Adam Bertenshaw push vocalist and percussionist Becky Tate and the harp playing guitarist to the limit.
It helps of course that their material is an amalgamation of roots-rock, blues and folk that some might call tribal fusion.  It’s a musical hybrid that readily lends itself to their intense version of ‘Gallows Pole’, a number that runs the full gamut of styles from folk to blues and rock. It’s easy to identify Babajack as a jam band who eschew structure for feel and spontaneity. But that would be to overlook their musical complexity, comprising sudden tempo changes and a subtle use of dynamics that gives tracks like the extended ‘Coming Home’ its impact. Thanks to B.


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A Giant Dog - Pile 2016

Following a pair of spirited self-released outings, Austin punk outfit A Giant Dog make their Merge Records debut with Pile. With Spoon producer Mike McCarthy at the helm, the band's boozy, glammy garage punk gets a subtle studio makeover, though it would be a stretch to call the overblown crunch ripping through the speakers polished. Fronted by co-singers/songwriters and Houston natives Sabrina Ellis and Andrew Cashen, A Giant Dog retain their knack for pairing relatable melodies with sweaty, full-bore intensity, avoiding the more predictable leather-panted rock swagger in favor of weirdo party-rock inclusiveness. Their targets are the freaks, geeks, and general outsiders, much like themselves. Pile's press release name-drops a host of colorful '70s characters like Slade, Sparks, Marc Bolan, and Alice Cooper, and as far as comparisons -- or more likely influences -- go, they're more or less on the money, albeit with more of a punk approach. Freewheeling standouts like lead single "Jizzney" and the especially glammy "& Rock & Roll" are equal parts sugar and grime and 100 percent fun. Likewise, the sizzling brass-adorned boogie rock of "King Queen" and the defiant punk of "Too Much Makeup" have hooks for days and the kind of energy that can only be summoned from the heart of the beer-soaked club scene. The album's only real dynamic shift comes near the end with the acoustic psych of the Tyrannosaurus Rex-esque "Get with You and Get High." It's a nice breather on an album that, in spite of its highlights, sticks around about three or four songs too long. A Giant Dog aren't necessarily offering anything that hasn't been done before, but Pile is definitely a fun listen with enough bright spots and kinetic energy to sustain it. AMG.

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Djelimady Tounkara - Solon Kôno 2005

The lead guitarist for the Rail Band from 1971 to 1979 and 1984 on, Djali Madi Tounkara played an important role in the evolution of West African music. Known for his unique guitar tunings, Tounkara has continued to influence the music of his homeland. Tounkara's attempts to attract global attention, however, have left him frustrated. Scheduled to participate in the recording sessions that produced the award-winning album Buena Vista Social Club, he was kept from the sessions when his passport arrived late. After performing with L'Orchestre National 'A' De La Republique Du Mali in the late-'60s, Tounkara joined the Rail Band in 1971. He remained essential to the band's sound until 1979 when he, along with guitarist/vocalist Mory Konte, left to form their own band, L'Orchestre Super Rail Band International. The group recorded one album, Affair Social, in 1980.

Since reuniting with the Rail Band in 1984, Tounkara has remained active with the group, performing every Saturday night at the Buffet Hotel de la Jare. Tounkara has continued to explore a variety of forums for his music. In 1992, he joined with guitarist and president of Mali's musicians union Bouba Sacko and former Rail Band singer Lafia Biabate to record an all-acoustic album, Big String Theory. AMG.

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Bill LaBounty - Bill LaBounty 1982

Bill LaBounty is an American musician. He was initially a singer-songwriter in the soft rock genre, first as a member of the band Fat Chance, and later as a solo artist. As a solo artist, LaBounty recorded six studio albums, including four on Curb Records/Warner Bros. Records. His first chart single, "This Night Won't Last Forever", was covered in 1979 by Michael Johnson, whose rendition was a Top 20 pop hit that year.

In the 1990s, LaBounty shifted his focus to country music and has co-written several songs for country music artists, including Steve Wariner's Number One hits "Lynda", "The Weekend" and "I Got Dreams". LaBounty signed to a songwriting contract with Curb Publishing in 2001.

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Ana Tijoux - Vengo 2014

Though French-Chilean Rapper Ana Tijoux has been making music since the late 1990s, she is best known for 2010's 1977 and 2012's La Bala. Vengo is her third release for Nacional. Neither as melancholy as 1977 nor as outwardly angry as La Bala, it is far more ambitious musically and lyrically. Over 17 gorgeously constructed tracks, this music moves seamlessly between hip-hop, old-school cumbia, Andean mountain folk, digital dub, brassy funk, soul, pop, rhumba, and jazz, and all are at Tijoux's command, in any combination she desires. There are no samples; the full band and voices were cut on the studio floor. Overdubs were added later. There is far more singing here than we're used to from Tijoux and that's a great thing. The title track is introduced by soft Andean flutes; their poignancy is a far cry from those found on new age or world fusion records. They are met by a skittering drum kit, loops, brass, and Tijoux's strident boom-bap rapping about the dignity and pride of her Mapuche family. "Antipatriarca" is a feminist anthem driven by nylon-string guitars, hand percussion, and flutes, with an expansive brass section -- including French horns and flügelhorns -- adding dimension and color. In addition to rapping, her lovely contralto joins the mix, wedding jazzy soul, mountain folk, and flamenco. 
Bluesy funk led by rolling snares and an electric guitar vamp underscore an indigenous male chant in "Rio Abajo." When she begins to MC, flutes and strummed nylon-string guitars join hand drums under her rap about water as the metaphor and source for all life and love. She joins the chorus of men and women singing at the end. Though introduced by an acoustic guitar, "Los Peces Gordos No Pueden Volar" melds horn-driven funky soul to bumping hip-hop. She croons as well as raps about the lessons of motherhood and offers advice to her daughters as an Indian sub-melody unfolds under the R&B. There are some excellent guest spots here as well: longtime colleague and producer Hordatoj helps out on the fierce, uplifting "Somos Todos Erroristas," that underlines the role mistakes play in making us human, and as necessary for both transforming and transcending difficulties that hold us back. Juanito Ayaladelivers a soulful affirmative response to Tijoux's rap on the Andean funk in "Creo en Ti." While Tijouxand DJ Niel affirm one another's exhortations on "Delta," Indian melody, rhumba, flamenco, hip-hop, and jazz wind around and through one another to create an intoxicating brew. The set closes with "Mi Verdad," a deep, grooving, jazz-drenched cumbia with dubwise effects coloring the horns and Tijoux's emotive singing about experiential truth. Vengo combines all of Tijoux's strengths and a nearly inexhaustible musical vocabulary. It is the sophisticated, mature work of an artist in full control of her environment who illustrates her vision flawlessly. This album ups the ante for Latin hip-hop and pop. AMG.

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Black Widow - Sleeping With Demons 2012

Leicester, England-based Black Widow formed in 1969 from the ashes of blue-eyed soul band Pesky Gee! Jim Gannon(vocals, guitar, vibraphone), Kip Trevor (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Zoot Taylor (keyboards), Clive Jones(woodwinds), Bob Bond (bass), and Clive Box (drums) played dark, allegedly satanically inspired rock along the lines of Black Sabbath, and gained plenty of attention and controversy for their theatrical live sets. Black Widow made the U.K. Top 40 with their 1970 debut album, Sacrifice. Despite, or perhaps because of, the focus on their occult trappings, they moved away from their dark roots with their 1971 self-titled album and continued this trend with the following year's Black Widow III. By this time, however, lack of critical and label support, plus many lineup changes, caused the group to falter. Late in 1972, after losing their deal with CBS Records, Black Widow recorded Return to the Sabbat, a self-produced set that did not see the light of day until 1999, when it was released by Blueprint Records. A tribute album, Come to the Sabbat, appeared later that year as well. AMG.

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Rob Wasserman - Trios 1994

Bassist extraordinare picks up from the previous duets release with this set of trios. Most of these songs were written for this project, some even improvised on the spot as in the case of the Edie Brickell, Wasserman, Garcia cuts. Elvis Costello, along with Marc Ribot, are great. There are some bass instrumentals but the best is "Fantasy Is Reality" written by Sam Philips and Brian Wilson and sung by his daughter Carnie. AMG.

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Brother Ah & The Sounds of Awareness - Key to Nowhere 2016

After the IKEF reissues of the first two albums by Brother Ah (aka Robert Northern, ex-Sun Ra French horn player, flutist, music therapist, and educator), the extraordinary Sound Awareness, originally on Strata East and notable for an extended rap from none other than Max Roach, and 1975's Move Ever Onward, comes Key to Nowhere, recorded in 1983. Like Move Ever Onward, this was originally issued on Ah's own Divine Records imprint and features Ah on flute, horn, harmonica, nayamka, and shell horn leading an octet including Jeff Majors on harp and thumb piano and Natasha Hassam Youssef on vocals. Majors' harp work inevitably invokes the spirit of Alice Coltrane and his mbira flourishes on the pentatonic 12/8 jam "Sekou" recall Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White, and there's a good splash of Ramsey Lewis' "Wade in the Water" on "Hanifah," but the album wears its heart on its sleeve well and never comes across as maudlin, the odd ham-fisted lyric notwithstanding. AMG.

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Becca Stevens - Weightless 2011

Becca Stevens has truly cultivated -- so early in her recording career; this is only her second album -- a sound one wants to savor again and again. Finding a sweet spot where jazz phrasing and improvisation meet classic acoustic folk harmonic structure and indie rock panache, Stevens slots neatly into no single category. But her appeal goes beyond her evasion of easy pigeonholing: This is a vocalist and bandleader with command to spare, a flair for making savvy, split-second decisions, pulling tricky changes out of the air, and crafting arrangements that appear simple on the surface but reveal true sophistication with each successive listen. None of this would matter much if the voice wasn't a keeper, and Stevens' is. She's got a light, airy but assured touch and tends to stay in her upper register, but she's supple and authoritative, and the occasional measured swoop in another direction adds further dynamism and depth. Her delivery is expressive but she never succumbs to the faux over-emotionalism that mars so many contemporary vocalists. And her songwriting is estimable: it's often quirky and opaque, at times deceptively minimal, never less than captivating. On originals such as the rhythmically restless "Canyon Dust," she'll have you wondering just what she means by "Your selfish choice to leave three hatching eggs has made a canyon in our chests," yet she's so unself-conscious when she sings those words that the urge to question or analyze never materializes.
On the title track, which flits and flutters till it indeed feels airborne, she wastes no time, swiftly engaging her audience: when she sings "There's nothing like witnessing the moment that a life lets loose and falls to the ground" -- and it doesn't feel dark -- she's got your attention; she'll keep you riveted till she's done with you. In addition to her original material, Stevens does wonders with songs borrowed from sources as diverse as Seal ("Kiss from a Rose ), the Smiths ("There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"), Animal Collective, and Iron & Wine. All of this homey, soulful music is performed largely on acoustic instruments: Stevens plays guitar and ukulele, and Liam Robinson's accordion, harmonium, and piano flesh out the melodies beautifully. Chris Tordini on bass and Jordan Perlson on drums and percussion take Stevens' melodies to unexpected places, whether building to crescendos or laying down a polyrhythmic undercoat. Larry Campbell guests on guitar and cittern on a few tracks, and Gretchen Parlato lends a vocal to Stevens' composition "No More." If there's one misfire, it's the overreliance on harmony vocals from Robinsonand Tordini. There's nothing wrong with their singing per sé, and in many spots, the three-part vocalizing, particularly when they sing counterpoint, is delicious. There's simply too much of it: while the album is credited to the Becca Stevens Band and not just Stevens, there are times when her lone voice would be more effective than the Peter, Paul and Mary route. But that's a minor quibble. Weightless is a gem, and it'll be exciting to see where this artist goes from here. AMG.

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Jaimeo Brown Transcendence - Work Songs 2016

Jaimeo Brown Transcendence is the project of New York-based drummer/composer Jaimeo Brown and guitarist/producer Chris Sholar. The concept of their collaboration blends early recordings of blues, jazz, and folk songs with live hip-hop, jazz, and electronic elements. The duo first began this approach on the 2013 album Transcendence, which was credited to Brown, but launched their unique collaboration by using African-American spirituals, East Indian music, and other rare samples within a newly formed context. Brown and Sholar returned in early 2016 with their first proper release under the Jaimeo Brown Transcendence banner. Work Songs, released on the Motéma label, continued to sample and reassemble rare recordings and also featured contributions from saxophonists Jaleel Shaw and J.D. Allen, soul singer Lester Chambers, and more. AMG.

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Kevin Ayers - Banana Productions The Best of Kevin Ayers 2000

The Best of Kevin Ayers covers his most lucrative years as a solo artist, from his debut album, 1969's Joy of a Toy, up to 1978's Rainbow Takeaway. While there are plenty of inessentials within such a span, this collection does an excellent job at compiling the most appealing cuts from Ayers' first eight albums, excluding his June 1, 1974 release with Brian Eno, John Cale, and Nico. A firm representation of Ayers' non-conformist style, peculiar wit, and outright silliness is contained within each track, beginning as early as 1970's "Singing a Song in the Morning" backed by the Canterbury sound of Caravan. "Soon Soon Soon," taken from 1976's Odd Ditties, a mix of A- and B-sides, has Soft Machine's Mike Ratelidge helping out, while "There Is Loving/Among Us/There Is Loving," from Whatevershebringswesing, displays his adeptness at creating a colorful persona through his music, aided by David Bedford's instrumental guidance. "Rheinhardt & Geraldine" from Shooting at the Moon combines a chiming melody with solid pop essence, and the haunting "Irreversible Neural Damage" is the best track from the otherwise humdrum Dr. Dream album. "Song From the Bottom of a Well" puts Ayers' rumbling, marble-mouthed growl in between the screech of the accompanying guitar riffs, while "Hat Song" and "Ballad of a Salesman Who Sold Himself" are his best late-'70s efforts. Kevin Ayers' work with Soft Machine wonderfully rubs off throughout his solo material, especially by way of the innovative musical style he employs and the inventiveness that erupts from the instruments, but it's his special brand of aloof candor and vocal detail that really gives his music an added bite. This cheerful skip through some of Ayers' best material will most likely spark an interest in his back catalog for those who haven't discovered him fully. AMG.

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Amir Elsaffar - Alchemy 2013

Trumpet/composer Amir ElSaffar is a classically trained musician who explores both jazz and traditional Iraqi maqam music. Born in Chicago, IL, in 1977 to an Iraqi father and American mother, ElSaffar grew up listening to an eclectic mix of music that ultimately led to his studying classical music at DePaul University. Having developed an avid interest in jazz, ElSaffar competed in and won the 2001 Carmine Caruso Jazz Trumpet Competition and the 2001 International Trumpet Guild Jazz Improvisation Competition. A year later, a trip to Baghdad brought ElSaffar into contact with masters of the traditional Iraqi maqam style of music as well as the santoor -- a type of hammered dulcimer -- which he learned how to play. Leaving Iraq before the war began in 2003, ElSaffar began incorporating Iraqi music into his jazz trumpet playing and jazz compositions. He released his debut album, Two Rivers, on Pi Recordings in 2007. ElSaffar returned with his long suite Inana in 2011 using the Two Rivers ensemble, which brought everyone but Rudresh Mahanthappa back. He was replaced by tenor saxophopnist Olie Mathisen. AMG.

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Abdullah Ibrahim - Senzo 2009

Abdullah Ibrahim's followers likely have preferences for his big-band, large-ensemble, trio, or solo works, but any of his fans will agree that all of his projects display a unique melodic touch that is immediately recognizable and pleasant. Well into his golden years, Ibrahim still proves he has the Midas touch on this collection of 22 solo acoustic piano pieces. It's a mix of familiar songs and new material, all referencing the elements of life, nature, hearth, and homeland that have always been central themes in what he calls storytelling, not mere music-making. On this triptych through memorable experiences, the pianist weaves his way through many short snippets of phrases that have served him well, and a few extended discourses that define his career and its struggles to come out triumphant.
There's an ebb and flow to the program that makes you want to listen all the way through, but certain familiar signposts along the way remind you how distinctive and singularly unique Ibrahim's style is. From hymnal and reverent to bouncy South African township music, the blues, Duke Ellington, and back to nature, he continues to reinvent his music with a timeless quality that lingers and never leaves the back of your mind. Then again, there's a serenity and peaceful quality always present, as heard in versions of "Ocean & the River" that bookend the CD, the similarly thematic "In the Evening," the cool "Aspen," the meditative "Prelude" to "For Coltrane," and the soulful "Mamma." Ellington's influence has been with Ibrahim since he was discovered by the jazz legend, and he always acknowledges it, here with the patient revisited version of "Blues for a Hip King" and an unusual extrapolated take of "In a Sentimental Mood." Back to his South African roots, "Tookah" is a short look back at youth, "Pula" a musical homage to rain showers, and "Jabulani" another remade original and expression of joy (this time much faster), while the very familiar "Banyana, Children of Africa" is a definitive, familiar, and rambling tune so identifiable with Ibrahim and Ibrahim alone. He pays tribute to wife Sathima on "Blues for Bea," which assimilates the stride piano sound as well as anything he's ever done, and "Nisa" and "Senzo" back to back are a spiritual pairing, painting aural images of moonlight on water and a somber, pensive, post-romantic mood. Always within his capabilities, playing lovely jazz improvisations embedded deep in his soul, Abdullah Ibrahim makes another classic and epic statement, worthy of high praise and recommended to sensitive and warm-hearted people everywhere. AMG.

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