Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Rivers 2010

A study in contrasts, Rivers finds Wildbirds & Peacedrums exploring the conceptual possibilities of their approach. Once again, Mariam Wallentin and Andreas Werliin limit themselves to voice and percussion, but this album -- which combines the limited-edition EPs Retina and Iris -- features some of the duo’s most ambitious and fullest-sounding music. Wallentin and Werliin ventured to Iceland to record these songs, recording the expansive Retina in Guðríðarkirkja church with cellist and arranger Hildur Guðnadóttir and the Schola Cantorum Reykjavík Chamber Choir. Trading the fiery outbursts of Heartcore and The Snake for a deeper dive into Wildbirds & Peacedrums’ wintry, introspective side, Retina feels at once sacred and avant-garde. The choir underscores Wallentin’s expressive vocals, adding to her ethereality on “Bleed Like There Was No Other Flood,” shadowing her like a battle cry on “Fight for Me” and echoing her joy on “Tiny Holes in This World.” The dark, meditative feel of these songs recalls Björk’s later work -- not a surprise, since the Schola Cantorum Reykjavík Chamber Choir worked with her on Medúlla. What is somewhat surprising is the amount of restraint the duo shows not just on Retina, but Iris as well. Recorded in Reykjavík’s Greenhouse Studios, Iris focuses on Wallentin’s voice and the watery tones of the steel pan. Though “The Wave” suggests that these songs will be more like the band’s previous work, a calmer, softer Wildbirds & Peacedrums presents itself on songs like “The Drop” and “The Lake.” While the duo’s more explosive side is missed -- they don’t really cut loose until Iris’ final track “The Well” -- a more sophisticated and soulful aspect of their music surfaces on “The Course,” where Wallentin sings, “I need a prayer to hold my course/To get a god to give me the force.” That Werliin and Wallentin recorded all of these songs within a week is impressive enough, but the new directions they hint at for Wildbirds & Peacedrums are even more exciting. Rivers isn’t as immediate as either Heartcore or The Snake, but fans should find it satisfying once they’ve had time to let it soak into their ears, brains and hearts. AMG.

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Band Of Susans - Here Comes Success 1995

Though their prior records were all respectable, Band of Susans saved a knockout punch for their swan song, Here Comes Success. A solid collection of lengthy guitar workouts, it's not the best record to get a quick fix from (the nine tracks average seven minutes in length). Success certainly demands close attention, but that's easy to give, thanks to its thick hypnotics. "Hell Bent" is the Susans' absolute zenith, an entrancing ice-jolt that unfolds and coils in superb dynamic fashion. When bassist Susan Stengerdrops to a one-note bassline, it speaks just as loud as a lengthy lead solo. "Pardon My French" features some Stonesy riffing and some dead-on societal commentary from Robert Poss: "The voice of god is Charlton Heston/He's told the FBI they should have me arrested/Bullets will fly but he'll never get the message/That people with guns can never be trusted." At 64 minutes, Success might test one's attention, but it's the Susans at their catchiest and most exciting. AMG.

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Mojave 3 - Out of Tune 1999

Mojave 3 likely grew tired of the words "Mazzy Star" being thrown into the otherwise encouraging reviews of their sparkling, twinkling Ask Me Tomorrow. So, the band keeps the sound but expands the style to incorporate gaping helpings of Dylan, from Blonde on Blonde to Nashville Skyline. Bullseye. Only one song is as amazing and heart-tugging as Ask Me Tomorrow's "Love Songs on the Radio" and "Candle Song": "Give What You Take" actually reconfigures Slowdive's propensity for waves of luscious hooks, led by Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell's still otherworldly, wonderfully brother-and-sister-like (actually they are an ex-couple) harmonies. One can easily take issue with their decision to cut Goswell's spectacular throat out of the lead vocal equation after seven years, but as she remains a force on Halstead's choruses, singing countermelodies at his side, it's hard to quibble too much. The songs tickle by, softly floating timelessly, tirelessly, and the vocals are like a pillow for your head as you listen, enraptured, on the single "Some Kinda Angel," another first-rate piece of unhurried pop, and the more gripping "Keep It All Hid" and the gurgling "Baby's Coming Home." Not so much laconic as measured, the Mojave five perch on the precipice of masterpiece, with subtle keyboards, an absolutely sorrowful lap steel on "Give What You Take," and tasteful brass on two others. The only time the LP stumbles briefly is on the unplugged number, "Yer Feet," and only because Halstead foolishly slurs like Dylan, vaulting over the line of inspiration into cheap imitation. ("Who Do You Love" also borrows a little too heavily in vocal mannerism from the one-time Robert Zimmerman, but gets away with it more, thanks to the lush backing track.) The rest is gold, baby. Out of Tune may well be the least English record made in those isles -- the cover shot of surfers hints that California is the place, but Neil Young's folky California, not the Wilson/Love/Jardine slice -- and, in this case, profits for it. AMG.

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Paolo Modugno - Brise d'Automne 1988

Deluxe re-issue of the rare 1988 Spiritual / New-Age / Folk / Electronic and Experimental LP by Italian contemporary composer, conceptualist and multi-instrumentalist Paolo Modugno.
Brise D’Automne – originally issued in 1988 on the coveted Stile Libero imprint, is without proximity – a Trojan horse embedding it sonic challenges beneath a deceptively accessible skin. Complex rhythms and repetitive patterns penetrate ethereal sonic space – sculpting a largely unexplored middle ground between the efforts of Midori Takada, Futuro Antico, Uakti, and the world of pop – a strange rethinking of late Minimalism as it has been rarely heard. With vast reference and touchstone – from the indigenous vocal traditions of Africa, to the instrumental metronomy of Steve Reich and Philip Glass, Brise D’Automne is one of the truly striking works of its era – engrossing, challenging, and remarkably beautiful. Returning to vinyl for the first time since its original issue.

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Daevid Allen Weird Quartet - Elevenses 2016

Australian, Daevid Allen was one of the original progressive rock wizards who founded Soft Machine and Gong, nestled within the British Canterbury movement and beyond. Sadly, he passed away on March 13, 2016. Elevenses will stand— barring any reissues from the vault—as his final album and the second release by his Weird Quartet.

Allen's solo jaunts are quite varied and includes his University of Errors band amid other projects. Perhaps The Daily Telegraph sums up his legacy and persona best, stating that "Allen reveled in being the court jester of hippie rock and never lost his enthusiasm for the transcendent power of the psychedelic experience."
The artist's bizarre, madcap or spaced-out fairytale-like lyricism is consummated by his endearing and unpretentious vocals that became a staple throughout his decades long musical activities. Otherwise, his band includes alternating drummers Trey Sabatelli (The Tubes) and Paul Sears (The Muffins) aligning with keyboardist Don Falcone (Spirits Burning) and bassist Michael Clare (Daevid Allen's University of Errors). Allen's guitar work is devised on reverberating extended notes, often used with a bottleneck or similar implement. He imparts additional psyche-rock treatments via overtures that sound as though he's journeying through the Milky Way, along with Falcone's melodic intervals.
Allen doesn't sing on every track, but each piece offers a contrasting perspective. For example, "Alchemy" might be considered a prog-style hootenanny with Sears' playfully discordant keys and the leader's twangy guitar licks. But "Grasshopping," is a dreamland on wheels with synth percussion, groovy organ parts, existential guitar riffs, jazzy sub-motifs and a simple melody line that signals a quasi-1960s feel. The goodness doesn't end there as the quartet follows with" God's New Deal," complete with traces of an Irish jig and Allen's lyricism about what constitutes a deal, based on off-kilter spirituality and common sense. Other pieces firmly reside in the 'head-trip' category rooted in galactic joyrides, abetted by the group's superb musicianship and irrefutable camaraderie. And while Allen may have lurked in the shadows at various times during his career his whimsical prophecies of good cheer are factors that accentuated his distinct artistry.www.allaboutjazz.com.

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R.E.M. - Fables of the Reconstruction 1985

For their third album, R.E.M. made a conscious effort to break from the traditions Murmur and Reckoning established, electing to record in England with legendary folk-rock producer Joe Boyd. For a variety of reasons, the sessions were difficult, and that tension is apparent throughout Fables of the Reconstruction. A dark, moody rumination on American folk -- not only the music, but its myths -- Fables is creepy, rustic psychedelic folk, filled with eerie sonic textures. Some light breaks through occasionally, such as the ridiculous collegiate blue-eyed soul of "Can't Get There From Here," but the group's trademark ringing guitars and cryptic lyrics have grown sinister, giving even sing-alongs like "Driver 8" an ominous edge. Fables is more inconsistent than its two predecessors, but the group does demonstrate considerable musical growth, particularly in how perfectly it evokes the strange rural legends of the South. And many of the songs on the record -- including "Feeling Gravitys Pull," "Maps and Legends," "Green Grow the Rushes," "Auctioneer (Another Engine)," and the previously mentioned pair -- rank among the group's best. AMG.

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Faith No More - Angel Dust 1992

In 1992, Warner Bros. figured that lightning could strike twice at a time when oodles of (mostly horribly bad) funk-metal acts were following in Faith No More and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' footsteps. They sent the former into the studio, where they went in, recorded, and released a bizarro masterpiece. Mike Patton's work in Mr. Bungle proved just how strange and inspired he could get given the opportunity, and with that try-anything-once spirit now brought to his similarly minded colleagues in his more famous act, nothing was ignored. "Land of Sunshine" starts things off in a similar enough vein to The Real Thing, but Patton's vocal role-playing comes out as smarter and more accomplished, with the lyrics trashing a totally smug bastard with pure inspired mockery. From there, Angel Dust steps up the meta-metal of earlier days with the expected puree of other influences, further touched by an almost cinematic sense of storming atmosphere. The fact that the album ends with a cover of John Barry's "Midnight Cowboy" suits the mood perfectly, but the stretched-out, tense moments on "Caffeine" and the soaring charge of "Everything's Ruined" makes for other good examples. A Kronos Quartet sample even crops up on the frazzled sprawl of "Malpractice." Other sampling and studio treatments come to the fore throughout, not in a specifically hip-hop/techno-oriented way, but more as strange cutups and additional quirks, such as the distorted voices on "Smaller and Smaller." The band's sense of humor crops up more than once -- there's the hilarious portrayal of prepubescent angst on "Kindergarten," made all the more entertaining by the music's straightforward approach, or the beyond-stereotypical white trash cornpone narration of "RV," all while the music breezily swings along. Patton's voice is stronger and downright smooth at many points throughout, the musicians collectively still know their stuff, and the result is twisted entertainment at its finest. AMG.

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Reeves Gabrels - The Sacred Squall of Now 1995

Reeves Gabrels is a talented, sometimes inspiring guitarist saddled with the reputation of riding on David Bowie's coattails. Unfortunately, while The Sacred Squall of Now provided the perfect opportunity for Gabrels to step up and carve his own identity, he instead plays right into the sycophancy allegation. Grabels makes full use of his position as chief string-bender for Bowie side project/plaything Tin Machine to call in a few markers. Frank Black, Jeffrey Gaines, Charlie Sexton, and actor Gary Oldman all take guest turns, with Bowie himself vocalizing a pair. Instrumentally, the disc works as a more accessible Tin Machine, dropping the "boys-night-out" yobbo histrionics in favor of something altogether more refined and stimulating. As such, exotic instrumentals like "Hushu" and "Firedome" make for great sonics. There's also an interesting wall of guitars/heavy metal viola treatment ladled over CCR's"Bad Moon Rising." The chief problem starts when Reeves opens his mouth. As a singer/songwriter, Gabrels makes a fine guitarist. AMG.

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Steely Dan - Two Against Nature 2000

Notorious for shunning concert performances, Steely Dan's improbable live reunion in the mid-'90s eventually turned into a full-fledged reunion album. Since Steely Dan fans went two decades without even the hope of a new record, the very prospect was a delight, but it was also a little worrying, since a botched comeback would tarnish the band's legacy. Fortunately, Two Against Nature is as seductive and alluring as the best of Steely Dan's later work, with a similar emphasis on classy atmosphere and groove. Pitched halfway between Gaucho and the immaculate production of Fagen's solo album Kamakiriad, it's a graceful, intricate record that works its subtle charms at its own pace. While that means it isn't a knockout on the first listen, it's a real grower -- a quietly addicting album that slowly works its way into the subconscious. It's also an uncannily natural extension of the duo's previous work, but surprisingly, it never sounds nostalgic or dated. It's clear that Becker and Fagen re-teamed because they simply enjoy working together: crafting the songs and arrangements, designing the production, shoehorning in-jokes into the lyrics, finding the exact performances that fit their specifications. In this sense, Two Against Nature is no different than any past Steely Dan effort; that's exactly why it's welcome, since they find nearly endless permutations within their signature sound. Lyrically, the album isn't quite as malicious as their '70s work, but they haven't lost their sharp humor, even on some mere throwaway lines. The real payoff, however, is musical. Each song gradually reveals its own identity through small, thrilling touches, giving the record depth and character, and fitting it comfortably into Steely Dan's acclaimed body of work. And that's as delightfully unexpected and peculiarly beautiful as anything else in their career. AMG.

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Exene Cervenka and The Original Sinners - Sev7en 2006

Exene Cervenka, bless her heart, still loves punk rock and is still wailing more than a quarter century after she helped found one of the finest American bands of the 1980s, X. While X has forsaken writing and recording new material these days, Cervenka continues to have plenty to say and true to form she isn't about to keep quiet; Sev7en is her second album with her band the Original Sinners, and it finds her in enjoyably rough and rowdy form. Not unlike X, the Original Sinners split the difference between punk and roots rock, though Jason Edge's and Dan Sabella's guitars lean more strongly toward the blues than the thrashabilly explosion that was/is Billy Zoom's style (the cover of the Gun Club's "Ghost on the Highway" marks a clear reference point), and there's a bit more open space and less violence in the group's attack (with acoustic guitars popping up on a few tracks). But the Sinners work up an impressive and sympathetic ruckus behind their frontwoman, and Cervenka's blend of street level poetry ("Last Dance," "Tavern") and surreal but pointed social commentary ("Lonesome War," "History Now") is as keen and compelling as ever. Exene is also singing great these days, revealing a technical skill that sometimes evaded her in X's early days but still shouting out with a feral passion. Sev7en isn't quite going to make you forget Wild Gift or Under the Big Black Sun, but the lyrical mind that helped make those landmark albums is as fierce and agile as ever, and you don't have to be a punk nostalgia junkie to dig this stuff. AMG.

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Fat White Family - Songs for Our Mothers 2016

On their first album, Fat White Family sounded like they could be a group of bitter, homeless alcoholics who took to making music on battered gear found in a house where they were squatting. Three years later, the group made something of a creative shift; on 2016's Songs for Our Mothers, those winos have purchased a cheap but reliable rhythm machine and started dabbling in club music. Granted, "Whitest Boy on the Beach" and "Hits Hits Hits" are the only tunes where they make full use of their new toy, but the queasy face-off between the proto-disco groove on "Whitest Boy" and the sickly wheeze of the group's vocals (mixed low enough to make most of the lyrics unintelligible) is made to order for a band that enjoys making people uncomfortable. And while "Hits Hits Hits" is too slow for the dancefloor, the song's references to domestic violence (including invoking the names of Ike and Tina) should leave most listeners utterly appalled. Fat White Family's fearless embrace of bad taste and misanthropy was one of the hallmarks of their debut, Champagne Holocaust, and on Songs for Our Mothers they seem grimly determined to up the ante. Ultimately they hit their target, thanks to numbers like "Love Is the Crack," "Duce," and the closing "Goodbye Goebbels" (the latter imagining the final conversation between Hitlerand his most loyal associate), but there seems to be less gusto in Fat White Family's second round; the results leave no doubt that these guys have little to no use for the human race, but they toss about their bile with a more lethargic spirit, as if they've fallen deep enough into their bender to succumb to their own cynicism. One track truly stands out -- "Tinfoil Deathstar," a tale of drug abuse that has enough life in it to suggest Fat White Family might actually care about heroin as a scourge. Otherwise, Songs for Our Mothers indicates Fat White Family still want to annoy you, but they're only going to put real effort into it for so long. AMG.

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