Ramona Falls - Intuit 2009

Portland, OR-based outfit Ramona Falls was formed in 2009 as a solo vehicle for Menomena multi-instrumentalist Brent Knopf. Named in honor of a childhood hiking trail on Mt. Hood, Ramona Falls’ alternately whimsical and brooding blend of electro-acoustic pop and left-field indie rock made its public debut in 2009 with the album Intuit on the Seattle-based Barsuk label. AMG.

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Mr. Pine - Rewilding 2009

It’s appropriate that this Winnipeg band has an honourific in its name, because it certainly deserves respect. Started in 2003 as a collaboration between Matt McLennan and Kevin Scott, Mr. Pine released its debut CD, The Gift of Wolves, in 2006. This follow-up was released last September.  Like its predecessor, the 11-track disc is a combination of English folk, rock, prog, pop and baroque. Standout tracks include the opening ballad Ace of Cups I (“I probably love you,” could very well be one of the best lines of 2008); Glass Petals, in which Scott’s acoustic guitar picking gives way to McLennan’s crushing, distorted power chords and a dual violin/guitar solo; and Sleep of Ondine, which features guest vocals by Alison O’Donnell of ‘70s Irish band Mellow Candle. Unlike many, Mr. Pine is a band that can truly claim to have a unique sound.

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Rephrase - Little Victories 2007

Sydney-based producer Rephrase (real name Jaime Olsen) certainly made quite an impression amongst local nu-funk and breakbeat circles with the release of his debut album ‘Beatcoaster’ two years back on Casa Del Discos, and he certainly hasn’t been idle in the meantime, producing music for television, contributing tracks to compilations such as Creative Vibes’ ‘Evolutionary Vibes 6’ and also somehow finding time to maintain a busy live schedule. This second Rephrase album ‘Little Victories’ follows on the heels of the well-received ‘Boulevard / Good Feelin’’ double-A side 12” earlier this year and emerges through Sydney DJ / journalist Huwston’s Knowfoowl imprint; also the current home of Cookin’ On 3 Burners. It’s also an album that shows Olsen continuing to build on the overseas accolades generated by the release of his debut, taking in a broad range of international collaborations, ranging from Canadian MC Vandal through to NYC-based afrobeat vocalist Negus Shabaka.

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Robert Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders - Singing in the Bathtub 1993

A zany sense of humor fused by a psychedelicized vision made Robert Crumb one of the most influential comic artists of the 1960s. His characters, including Fritz the Cat, Mr. Natural, Flakey Froont, and the Vulture Demoness, and his underground comic books, such as Zap Comix, combined elements of social commentary and the British tradition of caricature. His illustrations often graced the covers of record albums, including one for Big Brother & the Holding Company's Cheap Thrills. Comics, however, represented only one side of Crumb's eccentric persona. A clawhammer-style banjo player and vocalist, Crumb led his band, the Cheap Suit Serenaders, through three albums of tongue-in-jowl, early 20th century string band and jazz ditties.

The third of five children born to career Marine Charles Crumb, Sr. and his wife, Crumb started drawing comics at the age of three. As a child, he spent hours drawing comics and was heavily inspired by Mad magazine. In 1962, Crumbaccepted a job drawing greeting cards for American Greetings Corporation in Cleveland. Two years later, he married Dana Morgan and drew the earliest version of Fritz the Cat for Cavalier magazine. A turning point came in 1965 whenCrumb experienced his first trip on LSD. Inspired by the experience, he shifted his artwork to reflect the growing hippie culture. After living temporarily in New York and Chicago, he moved to San Francisco in 1967 and launched Zap Comix. With its pro-drug, pro-free love emphasis, the illustrated magazine was highly provocative. A strip in Zap #4, "Joe Blow," caused several comic stores to be busted on obscenity charges in 1969. The following year, movie producer Ralph Bakshi acquired the rights to Fritz the Cat and produced the first X-rated feature-length film.

Although he continued to be active as a comic illustrator, Crumb suffered several setbacks in the late '70s. His lowest point came in 1977; in addition to having a judge rule that he had no right to the copyright for the slogan "Keep on Truckin'," Crumb was hit with an IRS bill for 30,000 dollars in back taxes and his marriage ended in divorce.Together with accordion player Robert E. Armstrong and mandolinist Allan Dodge, Crumb formed the first version of the Cheap Suit Serenaders in 1972. Over the next six years, the band recorded three albums: The Cheap Suit Serenaders!, Number 2 (reissued as Chasin' Rainbows in 1993), and Number 3 (reissued as Singin' in the Bathtub the same year). The band's third album featured folklorist and guitarist Bob Brozeman. In 1977, Crumband the Cheap Suit Serenaders toured the United States with Tom Paxton,Judy Collins, and Iris Dement.

Crumb's bad luck began to reverse the next year when he married a cartoonist, Alice Kominsky, and moved temporarily to Winters, CA, a suburb outside of Sacramento. In 1990, Crumb's artwork was honored with an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Three years later, he traded six notebooks for a house in the south of France, where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Crumb, a 1995 documentary about Robert Crumb, his work, and his family, received a Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival and was one of the most acclaimed films of that year. AMG.

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Rory Block - Lovin' Whiskey 2009

Aurora "Rory" Block has staked her claim to being one of America's top acoustic blues women, an interpreter of the great Delta blues singers, a slide guitarist par excellence, and a talented songwriter in her own right. Born and raised in Manhattan by a family that had bohemian leanings, she spent her formative years hanging out with musicians likePeter Rowan, John Sebastian, and Geoff Muldaur, who hung out in her father's sandal shop, before picking up the guitar at the age of ten. Her record debut came two years later, backing her father on The Elektra String Band Project, a concept album. She met guitarist Stefan Grossman, who, like her, was in love with the blues. The pair would often travel to the Bronx to visit Reverend Gary Davis, one of the greatest living bluesmen.

Block continued to tour, although not as heavily as in earlier times, often accompanied by her grown son Jordan Block, who also plays on her albums. She remained busy in the early part of the 2000s, releasing six albums, including a live recording. Issued in 2005, From the Dust drew rave critical reviews, as did 2006's The Lady and Mr. Johnson, an album that sawBlock taking on selected songs of her musical hero, idol, and biggest influence, Robert Johnson. A digital video disc, The Guitar Artistry of Rory Block, was released in 2008. Shake 'Em on Down: A Tribute to Mississippi Fred McDowell, which honored another of her country-blues mentors, appeared in 2011, followed two years later by Avalon: A Tribute to Mississippi John HurtAt the tender age of 15 Block left home, hitting the road in true '60s fashion and traveling through the South, where she learned her blues trade at the feet of Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt, her greatest influence, before ending up in Berkeley. It was there that she developed her slide technique (she uses a socket wrench as her slide), but she didn't record until 1975, when she released I'm in Love (a compilation of earlier material, The Early Tapes 1975-1976, appeared later). After two records for Chrysalis, she recorded the instructional How to Play Blues Guitar for Grossman's Kicking Mule label, and later moved to then-fledgling Rounder, with whom she enjoyed an ongoing relationship. She toured constantly, often playing as many as 250 dates in a year, which kept her away from her family -- she'd married and begun having children in the early '70s -- but developed her reputation as a strong, vibrant live performer, and one of the best players of old country blues in America. In 1987, the best of Block's Rounder cuts were compiled on Best Blues & Originals, which, as it said, featured her interpretations of blues classics and some of her own material. Two of the tracks, released as singles in Belgium and Holland, became gold records. In addition to her regular albums, Blockmade a series of instructional records and videos, as well as a children's record, Color Me Wild. Although she had been performing for a long time, the plaudits didn't really begin until 1992, when she won a NAIRD Award for Ain't I a Woman, a feat repeated in 1994 and 1997. In 1996, she began winning W.C. Handy Awards, first for Best Traditional Album (When a Woman Gets the Blues), and in 1997 and 1998 for Best Traditional Blues Female Artist. In 1997 she was elected to the CAMA Hall of Fame, and in 1999 she received yet another Handy Award, for Best Acoustic Blues Album (Confessions of a Blues Singer). AMG.

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Secret Powers - Secret Powers And The Electric Family Choir 2009

If you believe Jeff Lynne to be Almighty, then "Praise be to Mr. Blue Sky, 'tis a Strange Magic that allows the Evil Woman to leadest thou to Xanadu." And listen to The Secret Powers. The last time I heard such a great mix of retro influences was Andrew Gold's "Fraternal Order of The All" -- and the last time I heard true ELO worship was Bleu's supergroup "LEO". Well here we have the two types of worship combined into one pretty fantastic album. Ryan "Shmed" Maynes made the move to Missoula, Montana. He built a recording studio in his backyard in the hopes of making a living as an engineer, producer, and musician. Lots of "historical" data about the group is emerging, but one thing is certain -- this album is totally entertaining. The production of each song is chocked full of layers and layers of detail. "Orange Trees" is vintage Lynne and sounds like it fell off the "Out of The Blue" album. In between songs are quick odd "podcasts" from Uncle Shmed. Then comes the wonderful bouncy Jellyfish-like "Maryanne" full of ascending chords and waltz timing changes and carnival-like ending. Then "By The Sea" is a perfect companion for Harry Nilsson's "Think About Your Troubles." A theatrical multi-part harmony on "Lazy Men" would make Bryan Scary fans jealous. This leads us the then penultimate ELO ballad "Misery." I could go on, but you get the gist. The group keeps the story moving until the end when they break character. Along the way you are treated to musical roller coaster ride. No weak spots either, as every track sparkles with great melody and multi-instrumental greatness and easily makes my top ten this year. Info from cduniverse.com!

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Robert Wyatt - Nothing Can Stop Us 1982

This compilation of early-'80s singles includes some of Wyatt's finest work. Aside from "Born Again Cretin" (whose vocals recall the Beach Boys at their most experimental), all of it's non-original material that Wyatt makes his own with his sad, haunting vocals. You could hardly ask for a more diverse assortment of covers: Chic's "At Last I Am Free" (given an eerie treatment with especially mysterious, spacy keyboards), the a cappella gospel of "Stalin Wasn't Stallin'," political commentary with "Trade Union," the Billie Holiday standard "Strange Fruit," Ivor Cutler's "Grass," and a couple of songs in Spanish. The tracks have since been reissued a few times, with bonus tracks such as the "Shipbuilding" single; the best option for U.S. consumers is Compilation, which pairs Nothing Can Stop Us with Old Rottenhat. AMG.

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Muxima - Homenagem ao Duo Ouro Negro 2010

A tribute band dedicated to Duo Ouro Negro, a popular Angolan duo from the 1960s and '70s, Muxima is a Portuguese quartet who made their Top Five hit album debut with Homenagem ao Duo Ouro Negro in 2010. Founded in 1956 in Benguela, Angola, a country in southwest Africa that was an overseas province of Portugal until 1975, Duo Ouro Negrois comprised of Raúl Indipwo and Milo MacMahon. They made their commercial recording debut in 1959. Though they were active throughout the '70s, they were most popular during the '60s, when they scored numerous hits and performed Portuguese-language covers of popular music of the era such as the Beatles ("Agora Vou Ser Feliz") andCharles Aznavour ("La Mamma"). Founded with the intent of paying tribute to the 50th anniversary of Duo Ouro Negro,Muxima is a quartet comprised of Janita Salomé (who hails from Portugal), Filipa Pais (Portugal), Ritinha Lobo (Cape Verde), and Yami (Angola). In association with Farol Musica, Muxima made their full-length album debut withHomenagem ao Duo Ouro Negro, which includes Duo Ouro Negro favorites such as "Amanhã," "Maria Rita," and "Vou Levar-te Conmigo." Produced by Manuel d'Oliveira and Hélder Moutinho, Homenagem ao Duo Ouro Negro was a Top Five hit on the Portuguese albums chart. AMG.

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New Fast Automatic Daffodils - Body Exit Mind 1993

Though it contains a number of number of minor gems, Body Exit Mind sees New Fast Automatic Daffodils taking a step in the wrong direction. Overlong by at least 15 minutes, due to more than a few extended, bloated tracks, the album lacks much of the fun the band exhibited in Pigeonhole. The song titles don't lie; the band became slightly bitter somewhere after the release of that album. "Bruises," "How Much Longer Must We Tolerate Mass Culture," and "What Kind of Hell Is This" detail a world-weary view in their lyrics and music. Guitar squall takes the place of the dub vibes of the band's debut. The tone is heavier and murkier, with too much needless distortion where melodies would have been more appropriate. When the band kicks things into high gear, they excel. "Bruises" displays a dreamy sound reminiscent of Ride, and the song never fails to impress with its gentle dynamics. "American Money," outside of its obvious social commentary, is one of the few times that the distortion works, sounding not unlike the Wedding Present with more attitude and style. Five short interludes mostly meander. They are typical of the album's general lack of focus, though "How Much Longer Must We Tolerate Mass Culture" is so brittle and beautiful that it suggests the band could have been excellent ambient soundsmiths. Nowhere near as compelling as Pigeonhole, Body Exit Mind is an album searching for a personality and finding only a few cohesive shafts of light amidst dollops of confusion. AMG.

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Rich Kids On LSD - Rock & Roll Nightmare 1987

Fast metallic virtuoso pop punk from Santa Barbara, RKL takes their sarcasm very seriously. On Rock N'Roll Nightmare, RKL delivers an album of irreverent songs, blaming every track on society that takes you right back to the late 80's punk/hardcore scene in San Francisco just before it died. relish in the joy of pure hard hittin rock. Songs like "Tribute to the Jester" and "Catch Your Breath" show the bands ultimate maturity in their song writing and overall mayhem. Before MTV ruined punk there was RKL, love it. Besides this album shows some of the best drummimg and best bass playing hardcore has ever seen, and it's one guy doing both, not to mention he's the main songwriter.

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Dennis Brown - The Promised Land 1977-1979 (2003)

Covering the years 1977-1979, The Promised Land explores a particularly productive period in the life of Dennis Emmanuel Brown. Having won the loyalty of Jamaican record buyers through numerous singles and albums for a variety of producers, the singer organized his own DEB imprint, with the help of Castro Brown, in 1978. Dennis Brown's own output for the label included several excellent 45s and the Joseph's Coat of Many Colours album. Though this is essentially a reissue of that set, the team at Blood & Fire has gone to great lengths to ensure that The Promised Landis much more than that as well. Enhancing the original are seven bonus cuts, an excellent remastering job, and an 18-page booklet with photos and notes by Steve Barrow and Noel Hawks. On the opening "Emmanuel God Is With Us," with its haunting backing vocals, the singer outlines his vision for a world free of sorrow and pain, where god is present. However, as made clear by this song and many that follow, this is only attainable in a world where unity, consciousness, and peace exist as well. The fact that such an environment can seem so far out of reach is precisely what makes the message of songs like "Open Your Eyes," "Together Brothers," and "A Cup of Tea" so vital. Throughout the album, Brown's words are pushed and pulled by rhythms both gentle and tough, executed by musicians as skilled as drummer Sly Dunbar, bassist Errol "Flabba" Holt, and guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont. The result is a marriage of music and lyrics both seductive and instructive. One of Brown's finest album statements. AMG.

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Christine Lakeland - Fireworks 1989

Christine Lakeland,  the wife of JJ Cale,  is a guitarist and vocalist with his band. She’s been a vital part JJ Cale's music, and has played on most of his albums. She also played on the great  JJ Cale/Clapton  “Road to Escondido” album.  Unfortunately,  it's not easy to find out too much about her music.
According to her website, "Fireworks" was "Co-produced with Dennis Walker (Robert Cray), this entire album was cut and mixed in a matter of days by Bill Dashiell at Leon Haywood’s Sunnyside studio in Los Angeles again during a break from live gigs.  Eleven Lakeland originals plus a cover of an at-the-time-unreleased J.J. Cale song. “Dennis hired some musicians, I said hello and we began recording. I did bring in Tim Drummond one afternoon.” James Stewart stands out on keys.  Joe Sublett added sax and the truly special Francisco Aguabella, congas".
"Fireworks" is a very good album. The lady is an excellent guitarist, songwriter and vocalist,  and the album encompasses country, folk, soul, and electric blues. There is not a bad track on the album.  Christine has released three other albums, "Turn To Me", "Reckoning", and  "Live At Greenwood Ridge".

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David Byrne - Rei Momo 1989

On his first full-fledged solo album, Byrne indulges his fascination with Latin and South American musical styles, employing a variety of native musicians but mixing up the sounds to suit his own distinctly non-purist vision and singing over the tracks the same kind of witty, oddball lyrics found on Talking Heads albums. (When released, the cassette version contained three more tracks than the LP.) AMG.

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