CD Reviews by C60Crew

Alice in Wonderland

2011-03-06T08:16:00.003-05:00

By Lorna Clymer

Alice is back. In fact, Alice will always return, again and again. Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, first published in 1865, can’t be exhausted by one reading, one interpretation, one retelling. Like any complex and mysterious work of art, Alice endures because it’s durable—each era’s readers can pull on it, bounce around in it, and extract meaning from it. It then snaps back, ready to be pulled and stretched some more.

A rendering or retelling of anything this durable can be an artistic—even cultural—event that then lives on with a life of its own. If it’s first-rate, it can be so compelling that our understanding and memory of the original is changed forever, as if distinct layers were applied to the original, and we can’t ever get them off again. The classic illustrations John Tenniel did for the first edition of Alice continue to exert their own influence. When we see Tim Burton’s revisionary live-action Alice, we might applaud or reject his liberties with plot, but our first reaction to Johnny Depp’s fluttering Mad Hatter is to compare this rendering to Tenniel’s or to another iconic image that preceded Burton’s—from Disney’s 1951 animated version. Such renderings, once experienced, become lodged in one’s memory.

Recently re-released after almost a decade, Randy Greif’s Alice is back. This version makes audible and vivid Alice’s wry, disturbing strangeness. One voice (or is it two?), changing to fit different characters and the narration itself, delivers the spoken passages, which are direct from the original text or changed only slightly. Words are linked with rhythmic, often distorted patterns and looped sounds. Greif puts into sound Alice’s deadpan presentation of a surprising, threatening world that can suddenly seem askew while apparently running like clock-work on its own peculiar laws and customs. This world has mind-bending and body-altering properties, in which a girl can become suddenly uncertain of her identity, or get infinitely tall or perilously small, just by eating or drinking or holding a seemingly innocuous object. This world is packed with logical puzzles and silly puns, with weird situations that seem to be spring-loaded with social traps, and with events carefully managed according to rituals that are meticulously observed, and vigorously insisted upon by imperious figures, but are ultimately absurd. The peculiar world is finally explained away as having been found “only” in a curious dream. But like all good dreamscapes, it can seem a great deal more real than much of so-called regular life.

Over a long career, Greif has mixed musical and verbal elements in many projects, labels, and collaborations. For example, Fragment 56 is spooky, often highly rhythmic, and satisfying. Verdi’s Requiem and War of the World [not Worlds] both show how Greif uses established works as a foundation for acoustical unions. Alice may be his masterpiece.

Alice is monumental: six hours, five CDs, 60 tracks. Who has time for a six-hour work? After listening to only a few tracks, you’ll find the time. Because this project first appeared in installments 1991-93 (on Staalplaat, in a very limited release), a CD at a time, tracks initially released together have at least a faint resemblance, but all cohere as an inventively varied sequence. For this reason, and because Greif’s Alice follows the original narrative with only a few liberties, don’t download this work from a site like Zune (where fortunately it has been available for some time between the two re-releases) and allow the order of tracks to be reorganized by “most played.” Keep them in their original sequence if you can. The many acoustical layers can get disappointingly flat on an MP3 player with poor quality headphones. Alice richly repays full quality playback.

Alice was re-released in 2000 by Soleilmoon (remastered, box set) and again by the same label in 2010. The packaging for the 2010 re-release, decorated with pasted-up collages (made from scribbled words, splattered blots, appropriated photographs and anatomical illustrations), isn’t as compelling as the earlier, more austere design for the 2000 boxed set (paper slipcases), which had only slightly altered Tenniel drawings against a simple dark background. But no matter. Having Greif’s Alice available again on CDs again is great.

Because this is a story, we want to know what happens next, or because it’s a familiar story, we already know what is coming next. If we set our own speed, we probably wouldn’t pause for long to contemplate the effects of finding oneself suddenly opening out like a telescope. But now Greif controls the pace. We hear a line taken from the book: “She looked down at her feet,” which are becoming alarmingly distant as Alice rapidly grows. The sound of that sentence becomes more and more distorted, then fainter, then a bit frightening, as it repeats and changes several times. A wordless interlude underscores the weird disorientation Alice feels at that moment. After hearing this version, you probably won’t read that sentence again and just rush on to the next one. Instead, you’ll hear in your mind Greif’s invitation to contemplate what looking down at your feet at that moment, and for several moments, even minutes, might sound like. Without picking up the book again, perhaps at a moment of disorientation, you’ll hear Greif’s Alice as the soundscape to your own proportion-altering moment. That’s one mark of a successful work—it starts to inflect your own experience.

Greif’s Alice isn’t just an acoustical backdrop for a narrative that more or less unfolds as it did in the book. It’s a soundscape as fully realized as the world in Tenniel’s drawings. The range of sound is often sculpted by pause and by repetition. There are musical patterns and percussive rifts. There are vortexes of repeated loops of spoken and played sounds, fits of feedback-like distortion, layers of sound that trade foreground for background and back again, low tones, sharp dissonant chords suddenly struck, followed by waves of dissonance. A spoken sentence like “Oh, the Dutchess!” or the iconic “Off with her head!” repeats, loops, fades, and becomes a background for what comes next. Manipulated words become musical. Syllables loop and loop until suddenly they sound like notes being sounded by instruments. Greif demonstrates how profoundly rhythmic spoken words are or can become if you listen carefully. He shows how trying to distinguish “music” from “spoken word” is actually a false dichotomy.

Repetition is mysterious; sameness in difference compels. How can something be the same and still incrementally change through time so that as it returns we recognize it as both distinct and the same as what went before? Greif’s captivating soundscape exploits this phenomenon so inventively you’re unlikely to feel bored because he’s repeating himself. Instead, his version repeats Alice and becomes itself an instance of repetition: profoundly strange and familiar. You’ll listen to it again and again.

Wind Shower Particle

2010-08-31T08:23:00.002-04:00

Bob Burnett: I just put together a mixcloud mix called "Wind Shower Particle" that touches on a range of compositions and creations. The title comes from a cut on sound sculptor Sawako's album Bittersweet, another 12k release that has great sonic depth. I continue to enjoy Vladislav Delay's The Four Quarters, an album of four long form compositions that touch on diverse tempos, improvisation, tonal variation and flow. I've included "The Third Quarter" here in its entirety--but must say this plays beautifully as an album; a solid hour-long composition. From there the mix goes into a direction of the sense of harmonics and tonal qualities that happen when the physical action of touch takes place. Opitope's Hau with its warm, melodic sheen, Paul Metzger's deep-diving banjo improvisations and the unmatched intensity of the Joseph Holbrooke Trio's Edinburgh. The Joseph Holbrooke Trio was the free improvisation collaboration of Derek Bailey, Tony Oxley and Gavin Bryars. This cut comes from their Moat Recordings release on Tzadik.

I went from Holbrooke into the visceral tones of Z'ev's Ghost Stories. I just acquired the full 65 minute composition after having a segment (courtesy of Napster) from years ago. I am greatly attracted to the physical qualities Z'ev conjurs in Ghost Stories; the deep echo, the sensations of metal on metal and clanking construction site energy taking place. The mix concludes with an AMM-derived duet from John Tilbury and Eddie Prevost from Discrete Moments.

Thanks for listening--I hope you enjoy it.

Wind Shower Particle by C60crew on Mixcloud

A Young Person's Guide to Kyle Bobby Dunn+ some music

2010-08-11T21:04:00.005-04:00

Bob Burnett: I haven't been "listening" to music recently. In fact, I recently went more than 2 weeks without playing anything on my stereo, computer or iPod. It seems music has tended to play a role of interrupting other events or moments--blasting from a nearby car with windows rolled down, playing in a public space as a shopping enhancer or as something happening in a restaurant and managing to soak into whatever I was doing or trying to do. In the past I was able to figure out a work-around to competing sources of music. One method was to recast the invading sound in a "suppose I listened to the sounds around me as if they were music,"John Cage-approach. That was all well and good until the sounds around became identifiable as Toto's "Rosanna".

All this is a roundabout way of saying I've fallen back into music thanks to the new listening experience Kyle Bobby Dunn and his A Young Person's Guide to Kyle Bobby Dunn collection has brought me--a 2 cd set that makes for two hours of much needed re-introduction to what music is capable of meaning. Inasmuch as Toto becomes identifiable from down the street, Dunn's music thrives on being a mix of a variety of sounds that blend and float into a lovely whole without the need to identify how they were created. The album drifts elegantly and beautifully--a series of flowing musical moments (in the 6-17 minute range for the most part) that at times reflect the natural world--pastoral yet not feeling the need to re-create the sounds of nature in a thematic "flute-as-butterfly"" moment. The sound is from a variety of masked and treated instruments (ie guitar, brass,strings) moving slowly in a way that brings you along the same way a good movie allows you to forget the edits and the camera moves. And for me, the same way Lamonte Young made The Well-Tuned Piano and Eno made Discreet Music do exactly the same. Needless to say, there have been repeated listens. I find I mostly enjoy playing Dunn's work through speakers, filling a room, increasing the volume and letting it expand the space.

I made the mixcloud sequence (included below) around his composition "Promenade". He sparked my ears in a way that allowed me to build other music around his into a mix, which became Air Curtain.

I hope you enjoy Air Curtain but I also hope you explore Dunn's music.

Air Curtain by C60crew on Mixcloud

Dub Spencer and Trance Hill

2010-07-18T10:23:00.004-04:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: When I first learned of Dub Spencer and Trance Hill's releases, I wanted to check them out based on their name as much as what little music information I had about them. With my love of dub, electronica, and atmospheric music, "Dub" and "Trance" in their moniker was enough for me to give them a listen. Dub Spencer and Trance Hill have released three CDs, all on the Echo Beach label: Nitro (2006), Return Of The Supercops (2007), and Riding Strange Horses (2009). All three releases are grounded on a foundation of dub, and consistently have thick, palpable atmospheres.

Dub Spencer and Trance Hill's line up on Nitro (2006) is three Swiss musicians; Adrian Pflugshaupt (electronica, keyboards, sax), Marcel Stalder (bass and ampeg), and Christian Niederer (drums). Nitro drifts along at an unusually slow pace, spacey, filled with delay effects and plate reverb. Shifting and swirling motions of electronica are also a major element on Nitro's tracks. In general this release leans towards Progressive Rock/Jazz, comparable to Bill Laswell, Nicky Skopelitis, Moerlin's Gong, and John Scofield's rock leanings. This release also has significant amounts of extended saxophone playing on the tracks, always played through various effects. Personally, I generally find saxophone in Progressive Jazz/Rock music boring if not actually annoying, perhaps this is a personal problem but I feel compelled to point it out. Though Adrian Pflugshaupt's sax playing is as heavily effect's laden as John Klemmer he plays with the intelligence and coolness of The Lounge Lizard's John Lurie. Which hopefully indicates that even if you can relate to my sax difficulties it should not deter you from checking out Nitro.

Dub Spencer and Trance Hill's second release is Return Of The Supercops (2007). The group's commitment to dub music continues to be expressed here and their affinity for the genre is evident through out. The title, Return Of The Supercops references dub master Lee "Scratch" Perry's Return Of The Super Ape(1978) release. This second recording from Dub Spencer and Trance Hill really brings to the fore front their love of the spaghetti western genre, visible in the group's cover art for this second release and in their name (check out Bud Spencer and Terence Hill).

This is an amazingly well done blend of numerous genres -- Ennio Morricone's classic soundtracks for Sergio Leone movies, dub styles from several decades, electronica, a touch of tango, jazz guitar, shredding rock guitar. I even thought I was hearing a few bars of Tom Verlaine's "Clear It Away" buried in the first track, "Dublerone". The willingness to move at a particularly slow and pleasurable pace is once again present, along with a seemingly infinite number of guitar, electronic, and studio effects (I cannot over emphasize the amount of reverb and delay on these tracks). The line up changes for this second release with only Marcel Stalder (bass, vocals, dub) carried over from the first release. He is joined by Philipp Greter (organ, keyboards, dub), Julian Dillier (drums, dub), and most notably Markus Meier (guitar, vocals, dub). Guitar is prominent on this second release and I enjoy Meier's diverse tones and playing styles. He plays percussively, with clear and precise notes, but also with feeling. During a recent listen I was struck by his consistent use of staccato rhythms, and the overall clarity and lightness of the band's playing.

Riding Strange Horses (2009) is the third release from Dub Spencer and Trance Hill, with heavily reworked, dubbed out cover versions of pop classics going back three decades. Originals by The Clash, Falco, Genesis, Deep Purple, Morricone, Metallica, Martha and The Muffins, The Ruts, Burroughs, and others are covered. Of particular interest is the rerecording of the vocals for much of the material covered on Riding Strange Horses. Martha Johnson sings on "Echo Beach", Ken Boothe on "When I Fall In Love", and Lee "Scratch" Perry on a version of "Blackboard Jungle". If you find the concept of this release interesting then I encourage you to check it out. Like the other two Dub Spencer and Trance Hill releases, this one is subtle, tasteful, intelligently created and performed. 21st century Dub/Electronica music performed by Swiss musician's released on a German label, how can you not check them out?

Happy Birthday Anthony Braxton

2010-06-24T10:06:00.002-04:00

Bob Burnett: Composer, multi-instrumentalist and musical game-changer Anthony Braxton turned 65 this week. The event was celebrated in New York City on the stage of Le Poisson Rouge by cohorts and admirers. NPR has graciously posted a write up as well as two sets from the concert. I'm posting the set that brought together a surprise visit by Anthony Braxton with Gerry Hemingway, Mark Dresser and Marilyn Crispell. This group made up what I consider one of the most formidable quartets in contemporary music. They played/recorded extensively in the '80s and were the subject of Graham Lock's book Forces in Motion (highly recommended...I attached a link)

I was fortunate to discover Braxton in about 1978 thanks to the Arista Freedom series of releases. My enthusiasm for his work only increases and grows deeper with time. Happy listening--this is a great moment.

C60 Crew Music Mix: Indoor Swimming at the Space Station

2010-06-07T08:35:00.006-04:00

Bob Burnett: Kim starts the summer season with a velvety mix; lots of texture, layer and float that brings to me thoughts of slow motion Good Humor trucks, the sun melting clouds, thunder storms and that oh so heavenly softness of the evening air brought to you thanks to Kim's sense of melody, pop hooks, chord progressions and admirable knowledge of all things real.

Indoor Swimming At The Space Station by C60crew on Mixcloud

Cortez In The Classroom

2010-05-26T18:23:00.006-04:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: An afternoon conversation at home with my daughter:

7th grade daughter, "Dad you know that song you play about Cortez?"

Dad, " "Cortez The Killer", what about it?"

10th grade sister bolts from her room and says, "Cool song, Neil Young should get an award for writing so many songs that make you cry."

7th grade daughter, "My Social Studies teacher played it for the class today."

Dad, "Really, why did he do that?"

7th grade daughter, "We were studying Cortez and he played the song, gave us the lyrics, and ask us to write about it.

Dad, "Write about Cortez?"

7th grade daughter, " No, we could write about how Neil Young felt about the Aztecs or Cortez."

10th grade daughter, "Cool, he's a cool teacher I liked his class."

Dad, "Which did you pick to write about?'

7th grader, "How he felt about the Aztecs."

Dad, "Good choice."

It Might Get Loud

2010-05-16T16:31:00.013-04:00

Bob Burnett: I finally watched the film It Might Get Loud recently via Netflix on their "watch instantly" streaming media outlet. The film was directed by Davis Guggenheim, son of the late Charles Guggenheim who was probably the closest thing I ever have had to a professional role model. You may recall that It Might Get Loud brought together three "groundbreaking" guitar players: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame, The Edge of the brand known as U2 and Jack White, the Detroit upholsterer who re-created the spirit of Son House via The White Stripes. There are wonderful moments in the individual segments; Jimmy Page playing a 45 of Link Wray's Rumble, Jack White talking about Son House, the Detroit neighborhood he grew up in and his desire to play cheap, beat-up impedence-laden guitars. I have nothing to add about The Edge/U2 beyond he seems like a "nice guy" and all but...U2 is just another media advertising campaign telling me how white my shirts can be as far as I'm concerned.

There's musical sharing between the three guitarists--but in a set-up environment where they are brought together summit-style, put under lights, sat in chairs and expected to be brilliant. I could have done without that contrivance, but I'm sure that was the vehicle for getting the whole enterprise funded. The film is shot nicely (Director of Photography is Washington, DC's Erich Roland) and kept simple, thoughtful and easily watchable. However, a week after the viewing and the inevitable post-screen pondering, I've come to the conclusion that the model of a musician portrayed (well.....I'll give Jack White a bit of a pass here...) doesn't really connect with what I find interesting in music and musicians today. These guys come across, like it or not, as rock stars; lots of pricey gear, schedules to keep, entourages, involved recording projects, on and on.

My takeaways after watching this film made me focus more keenly on how much I like artists who keep nimble in mobile, internet-savvy worlds either self-releasing via PayPal or using the web as an informational tool self-promoting their activities, gigs, releases, work.

A few examples to make my point: Christopher Willits and Rafael Toral. Both Willits and Toral have excellent web sites where you can download music for a very reasonable price (Toral has an interesting subscription service), keep abreast of their activities, collaborations and output. This flexibility allows them to take chances, be open to the creative process and not be at the whim and fancy of record labels, huge 18-wheeler laden tours or controlled publicity machines. I see the work of Toral and Willits taking the next step in what the improvisational trio AMM did by creating their own label (Matchless) to allow themselves as much control as possible.

So, I'd say watch the film...but....go to the other web sites I highlighted and see if they offer you a more contemporary connection to music.

C60 Crew Music Mix: Weaving Resonances

2010-05-15T10:22:00.002-04:00

Bob Burnett: Today's C60 music mix is due in part to my continued discovery of sound design artists who weave sonics and textures together to create very satisfying listening experiences for me. 12k, the very fine label of Taylor Deupree, offers up a duet project between Deupree and Savvas Ysattis. I dip into some other old stand bys: Tape, Nels Cline, Mark Dresser, Tortoise and William Basinski. A few new offerings appear too: Minoru Sato's tone study on Spekk--another very fine label I keep finding more and more adventurous and likable releases. Enjoy--and thanks for listening.

Weaving Resonances by C60crew on Mixcloud

C60 Crew Music Mix: "Days on the Mountain"

2010-05-11T10:33:00.004-04:00

Bob Burnett: Kim has put together a nice mix that is an hour of drifting atmospheres, culture shifts, music from minimal to thick with beats and rhythm. The beauty for me in this mix is the wide-open production on many of the cuts, the spacious sound and the ability by the artists to let the grooves grow, evolve and make great use of long expanses of time. Plays well at the desk and I bet you could even get away with listening at work! I first listened to this mix while watching night fall on Shanghai from a beautiful viewpoint; a 17th floor window with a panorama of the Pudong neighborhood. Maybe that colored my point of view but I doubt it; it's working for me as I type on a rainy, gray Washington, DC day too.

Enjoy--BB

Days On The Mountain by C60crew on Mixcloud

Record Store Day 2010

2010-04-18T09:07:00.006-04:00

Bob Burnett: Record Store Day came and went yesterday and although I didn't walk into an independent bricks and mortar shop, I did my due diligence by mail ordering a few things from one of my favorite places: Downtown Music Gallery in New York City. I was pleased to see James "Blood" Ulmer's albums from the early '80s--originally released on Columbia--being re-issued via the small European Movie Gold label. I bought both Black Rock and Freelancing. As a college kid record reviewer I stated Ulmer's Freelancing

was the album of the year in about 1982-3. I had it on vinyl and somehow let it get away from me. It slipped into the doldrums of non-existence for all these decades. I look forward to getting a new copy and the time I'll have to re-approach it's cutting, slashing skronky-funkiness.

The other purchase is The Nels Cline Singers new double cd release Initiate. Bruce Lee Gallanter of Downtown Music Gallery stated "Without a doubt it is the incredible guitar trio album of the year!". I've just started listening to the album (via Lala) and I'm finding it to be as important as Bruce claims it to be. Apparently the Cryptogramaphone label went to great lengths with the packaging so I'm springing for my own "hard copy". I tend to buy practically anything Nels Cline releases under his name--especially the Nels Cline Singers. (my favorite incarnation of his various efforts) First thoughts have me hearing a wide range of styles--from what was good about Weather Report to abstract improv. Apparently disc 2 is a very open live set. I'm certain this album will start working it's way into some cC60 Mixcloud mixes.

A c60Crew music mix: Totally Opaque

2010-04-02T13:18:00.003-04:00

Bob Burnett: I've been listening to many new things over the past month and honestly it's been a bit overwhelming to try and encapsulate everything into a series of reviews. Here's a quick briefing:

Mountains--the duo has a new release titled "Etchings" that is wonderful. It builds nicely on their body of work.

Mary Halvorson--I've been enjoying her trio playing as well as finding myself falling back into the Thirteenth Assembly release "(un)senimental".

Thank you Vladislav Delay for "The Four Quarters".

Wadada Leo Smith's "Spiritual Dimensions" heightens my belief in "out" music to new levels. There's so much here and I keep digging deeper.

"Totally Opaque" is a mix that doesn't even try to find "something for everyone". This is pure and simple where I am at the moment. Sound. Full, embodied sound in large waves, abstract fragments and shards, collages of nature, the elements. I hope you find something within the hour that touches you too.

Totally Opaque by C60crew on Mixcloud

C60 Crew Music Mix: Crossing Dub Borders 2

2010-03-15T07:21:00.004-04:00

Bob Burnett: Kim has made another leap into the world of dub and dub-influenced sound sculpture with this C60Crew music mix.This time mixing dub's influence in current music (Pinch, Darqwan, Deadbeat) with the textural sound works from the '80s (Mad Professor, Scientist, Bill Laswell) all running through a sieve of producer Adrain Sherwood's master touch.

Crossing Dub Borders 2 by C60crew on Mixcloud

Bill Frisell-Eyvind Kang-Rudy Royston

2010-03-06T07:10:00.004-05:00

Bob Burnett: If you have the chance to experience this group live then do it. I was able to do so a few evening's ago at the Barns of Wolftrap in Vienna, Virginia--a locale that was seemingly made with this group in mind. Bill Frisell is currently on a very expansive tour--he'll be playing in several different variations of groups from now until late May. I've had the pleasure of seeing him four times in the past in a variety of ways--John Zorn's Naked City (2 variations--one time at the Smithsonian was by far one of the best live performances I've ever witnessed) his quartet with Hank Roberts, Joey Baron and Kermit Driscoll and now in a trio with Eyvind Kang on viola and Rudy Royston on drums.

The beauty of the current line up rests in the ability for the group to expand on basic charts, improvise in ways that cross over into a variety of nuanced musical styles and effortlessly segue into new areas within the same composition--one minute it's strains of Aaron Copland's modernist sound visualizations, the next will interweave Bill Evans' intricate melodic runs, suddenly it's fragile, eccentric old time similar in scope to QQQ or Tin Hat Trio.

In addition to Frisell's regular Nonesuch releases he has a live download series on his website that I highly encourage you explore. I am hoping this trio makes an appearence with a release.

While Frisell is the namesake I have to give credit to the others in the trio. I know Eyvind Kang's work from his releases on Tzadik. A noted composer in his own right, his albums blaze a trail for me into a magical world of eccentricity all his own--avant-garde yet medieval-tinged court music is the only way to inadequately/briefly describe what I hear when listening to his work. In this line-up he converts the viola into a sound contact instrument. He explores a wide array of sonic textures--strings, surface, touch, unique bowing come together in a way that had me thinking of John Cage contact mic'ing surfaces such as mushrooms and using turntable cartridges as instruments. Granted, a lot of sonic variety is happening but it's in his control--not due to a digital effect computer plug-in . Rudy Royston is a perfect fit on drums. He reminds me of the great players--Paul Motian, Ed Blackwell and Jack DeJohnette come to mind; inventive, subtle and dedicated as is Kang to using the surface of the instrument to expand the sonic possibilities.

At the conclusion of the evening the crowd responded in a very positive manner that seemed to really surprise the players--most notably Frisell. He spoke of the great appreciation he had for the response and mentioned this was only the second night out for this line-up and they'd played some of what was heard for the first or possibly second time. Further--he linked the experience to a graduation speech that the late children's TV mainstay Mr. Fred Rogers made at Dartmouth in 2002. Frisell stumbled through remembering exactly why he thought of that but said as a way to close his thoughts he'd dig up the speech and mention it in a clearer way the next time he returned. I looked up the speech and believe what he was getting at was this quote:

Deep down, we know that what matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win too. Even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then.

So there you have it---a virtuoso player at the top of his game telling the audience that we were the ones who inspired him. A very nice way to end the evening.

NO KILL FI DUNZA (Extended)

2010-03-05T10:22:00.009-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: I have been interested in dub ever since purchasing the Mikey Dread LP recently reviewed below. A couple of excellent Creation Rebel albums soon followed, as well as Lee Scratch Perry productions. But I really became a fanatic in 1980 when Adrian Sherwood started his On-U Sound label. His amazing, jaw dropping production and the core group of heavy dub musicians he recorded became a significant part of my musical listening. The On-U Sound catalog proved to be some of the most treasured dub music I would ever own. I used several such recordings on the current dub mix, for example, Bim Sherman, New Age Steppers, Mark Stewart and Mafia, and African Head Charge.

Dub music's origins go back to the late sixties, with sound systems and DJ's performing at outdoor dance parties. Producers in the studios created instrumental versions of vocal reggae tracks, and these dub versions (the B sides) were used to lengthen the playing time of a song. A DJ could move back and forth from the vocal to dub versions, extending the mix and thus the dance floor mood indefinitely. Dub was quickly adopted as a backdrop for toasters, DJs who talked or rapped over the instrumental melodies and rhythms. Dub was also an opportunity for the producers to show off their own skills and musicianship (using very crude equipment), breaking down the source material, exploring and altering the music with their own, distinctive styles.

The echo effects, cavernous reverb, sound effects, sampling, heavy bass, and the mixing board itself defined the sounds of studios and their creative producers. The popularity and progress of dub was swift, and the musical form moved beyond merely dropping vocals out or just extending a song for the purpose of DJs and rappers.The best of these producers stretched dub into new territory, new sonic effects and beats, and longer, more expansive tracks with more complexity.The prime period of dub was from it's origins in the late sixties (Lee Scratch Perry, Herman Chin Loy for example) up until the mid to late eighties (Scientist, Mad Professor, Bill Laswell, Alpha & Omega are examples). At some point in the eighties synthesizers took over, the beats got more regimented, the bass more mechanical, and the natural feeling in the music was gone. A generalization for sure, excellent dub was produced through the eighties, but its peak and pure form was over by that decade. Conversely, by the eighties dub was having a big effect on other music around it, and to this day its influence and atmosphere can be heard in a variety of musical forms.

What is it about dub that attracts me, has led to my having a large selection of CDs spanning four decades? Dub is thick with atmosphere, texture, and a wide tonal range from deep bass to high rim shots. Secondly, it has origins in song structures but moved away from the progression of a song with clear beginnings, choruses or endings. Dub music is about using a stripped down song or selected tracks and expanding off of that platform, and the further out the producer takes it the more I enjoy it. Third, I am attracted to the authenticity of dub, the all consuming and lifelong commitment of it's musicians and producers. Finally, I have always been a big fan of bass, be it Jack Cassady, Danny Thompson, Jah Wobble, Sara Lee, or Charlie Haden, to name a few.

I still prefer dubs formative roots, and fortunately there is no need to get nostalgic or despair if you are so inclined. An abundance of labels exist for you to explore the early, prime period of dub. Some of my favorites are: Blood and Fire, Pressure Sounds, Tamoki Wambesi, Jet Star, Jamaican Recordings, Wackies, and Basic Replay (which reissued Keith Hudson's Flesh Of My Skin Blood of My Blood which was reviewed in January). Another good move would be to find a friend or two who can guide you through dub, or at least share in the good and bad purchases inevitable in pursuit of dub music. I am exceedingly fortunate to have a long time friend who has shared his infinite knowledge of reggae and dub, and given me many an essential and rare recording . I met BC through a particularly competitive eBay purchase. As I recall he felt bad about how much I was paying him for the CD and offered a short list of reggae he could send along as CDRs for my added enjoyment. Well, the first list I politely said "Thank you but no thank you, I already have all of them". I gave the same reply for a second list from BC. After that our conversations and sharing of music took off and we became very good friends. I have never met BC but we have continued to share music for many years as well as our fear and fascination with clowns. The biggest of props for BC, for sharing his knowledge of reggae and rap, and for being a generous friend. I am still working on his rock education, as much as he can bear. The last I heard Jimi Hendrix's first three albums had grabbed his attention and BC was nowhere near to moving on.

Bob Burnett: In addition to the NO KILL FI DUNZA write up, Kim has put together a mix of choice dub. All ya gotta do is click the black kitty and away you go!

Borders Of Dub by C60crew on Mixcloud

"Coral" C60 Crew music mix

2010-03-03T07:12:00.003-05:00

Bob Burnett: the newest edition of C60 music mix is a joint venture of solo, improvised, electronic and "classic" contemporary jazz with special focus on a cut from the Anthony Braxton Quartet's fabled (and rare collectable) Willisau album. Additionally, the namesake of the sequence comes from my old friend Ron Esposito's recent release "Open Heart" where he masterfully plays Tibetan crystal singing bowls--that's right--those aren't overlapping synthesizer loops but the natural resonance of the bowls.

Coral by C60crew on Mixcloud

"So Red" C60 crew music mix

2010-02-28T08:43:00.003-05:00

Bob Burnett: Kim has put together a lovely, quiet, contemplative collection of music. I've played this about a half-dozen times at my office and think there must be thought stimulation vapor emitting from the speakers while playing. I think Arovane has become a C60 crew favorite. It seems we're both gravitating to Uwe Zahn's work. By the way, if you ever see the Arovane cd Atol Scrap someplace get it. It's hard to find but a beautiful listen.

Enjoy!

So Red by C60crew on Mixcloud

A conversation with Dennis Kane

2010-02-25T11:15:00.011-05:00

Bob Burnett: Dennis Kane, a long-time Washington, DC singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer, is best known for both his recordings (Benjy Ferree Leaving The Nest, The Sounds of Kaleidoscope All This Heaven, The Moderate The Rest Is Up To You) and for his former stints in such notable DC bands as Tone, Caligari, & The Sun Kings. While Kane currently plays drums in DC’s Eyes of the Killer Robot, he also performs solo material and has just released his first entirely solo full-length entitled The Two of Us, (available via Dischord Direct) on which Kane wrote, played, and recorded the material in its entirety(except vibes by Joanna Dabrowska and backing vocals by Melissa Quinley). The Two of Us is an excellent listen; crunchy/twangy guitars, nice leads, reverant nods to psychedelic pop, thinly veiled lyrical references to Nebuchadnezzar--you know---all the good stuff . Within the terrific songcrafting there's an element of Stranglers rough and tumble "progressive" going on too--but that's cheating because I know Dennis is a huge Stranglers fan. Without treading completely down the path of compare and contrast I also hear strands of what I like from other bands. Echo and the Bunnymen come to mind from the perspective of creating a nice, building groove. That said, I appreciate that Dennis touches on decades of great songcrafting yet makes the music his own.

Dennis and I had an quick email-versation about The Two of Us:

Bob Burnett: I listened to your cd several times before realizing it was a practically a total solo effort. Usually to me that means....uh.....how do I say this.....holes, weaknesses at certain instruments, lack of diversity in playing--but this is different. What led you to pursuing a solo effort?

Dennis Kane: I guess the simple answer is because I can! Or rather, I had to. At the time I recorded The Two of Us,I didn't have a band. Obviously, I prefer tracking with a band but I've never let the absence of other musicians interfere with me recording music. That being said, the next recording will be with a full band.

Bob Burnett: So--you're planning on a bit of touring soon? (PS: places and dates here)

Dennis Kane: For some reason we decided to go to the midwest in the middle of winter. So, we're hitting Chicago, Kalamazoo, Pittsburgh, etc. We'll be ending the tour at the Galaxy Hut in Arlington, VA. on the 28th of February. I'm taking the Hoarders with me--Melissa Quinley on bass and backing vocals (Soccer Team, Roofwalkers,Edie Sedqwick) Dave Syrjcek on drums (The Opposite Sex, Caligari) and Dave Barker on guitar. (Cobra Collective, Pree) A real group, you know? Good stuff....

"The Music Just Turns Me On"

2010-02-25T10:30:00.022-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: Back in 1979 I was visiting relatives in Cincinnati and I decided to go check out record shops downtown. I certainly did not expect to find much in this city but you never really know and I loved to flip through record bins. I wound up in a very small, basement record store and spent quite some time looking at all that was there. I didn't find a single record I wanted but they certainly had a good assortment of fine recordings I already owned. As I was leaving I flipped through a small, new release bin by the door. This proved to be a life changing move on my part because I found and purchased my first dub reggae album: African Anthem The Mikey Dread Show Dubwise.

I was familiar with the mid to late 70s reggae releases, Bob Marley And The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, etc., but I had not heard dub. Mikey Dread (aka Michael Campbell) had been an important part of the reggae scene in Jamaica prior to the release of African Anthem in 1978 and Dread At The Controls, released in 1979. He was performing the top radio show in Jamaica and voted Top Radio Personality of the Year in 1977-1978. I used the word "performing" because Campbell's shows were an "on the fly" creation unique to radio and DJs at the time. His "Dread At The Controls" radio show was a smooth flowing experience, mixing dub recordings, vocal treatments (his own as well as some sultry females), and sound effects into an ever changing, fast paced, gripping, sonic experience. African Anthem The Mikey Dread Show Dubwise if not an actual radio show is as close as you'll get to one of his performances. Thirty one years later, it is still entertaining and an impressive example of the musical and technical abilities of Campbell.

This is dub from the classic years, you have the sense of knobs being turned, reel to reel tape rolling, and the panning and echo effects being manually kicked in and out. I love the hands on performance you can hear so clearly: the volume forever being adjusted, with the effects, EQ, and separate tracks swiftly, concisely controlled and presented for maximum effect. Michael Campbell was masterful in the studio, an innovator whose unique sound was instantly recognizable. His warm, direct style, and heavy dub effects can be heard throughout dub's history. You can hear his strong influence (along with his contemporaries such as Lee Perry, and King Tubby) in the later developments of hip hop, trip hop, electronica, and dubstep, his work is that seminal and essential. Mikey Dread quickly became a favorite reggae artist for me and this first purchase led me to explore at least a thousand other reggae/dub releases and a huge treasure chest of of reggae producers and musicians.

You are safe in exploring just about every release Michael Campbell produced, certainly any albums up through 1982's S.W.A.L.K.. Check out his discography for not only his own releases but also his many other collaborations with musicians right up until his death in March of 2008. African Anthem is available in several forms on CD, snagging any of them would be a good idea but I can suggest you look for the deluxe edition on Aurolux. This has a little bit richer sound, has the original track sequence as well as six extra tracks mixed by King Tubby. African Anthem The Mikey Dread Show Dubwise is available at OM and iTunes along with several other releases by Michael Campbell. This is an essential recording anyone into electronica, space, or dub music should own.

Bob Burnett: I think the dub album that struck home for me was 1980's LKJ in Dub an album by Linton Kwesi Johnson and Dennis Bovell that was a dub re-invention of LKJ's previous two albums Forces of Victory and Bass Culture. Kim has dug much deeper than I have into dub and knows the timelines, connections and culture much better than I do. I connect to dub in the same way I connect to avant jazz and contemporary classical--music that opens up space and time and leaves behind the comfort of staid and controlled "musicianship", brings a deeper dimension to the music by including the tape machine into the realm of music.

I know it's a leap but Karlheinz Stockhausen (namely his composition Hymnen where he brought together world radio broadcasts and treated the sounds with effects, sped-up and slowed tape motion and track overlaps) and dub are in the same place for me.

The Thirteenth Assembly musicians

2010-02-25T09:54:00.006-05:00

Bob Burnett: I just recently re-upped my subscription to Wire Magazine and it's a good thing I did. One of the first articles I read in the recent issue was Howard Mandel's profile of the members of the Thirteenth Assembly. (Taylor Ho Bynum, Mary Halvorson, Jessica Pavone and Tomas Fujiwara) The group is part of a larger collective of Brooklyn/NYC-based players who pool their skills, touring, resources and album releases in a variety of ways to make exciting, innovative and thought-stimulating improvisational-rooted music. The players all seem to be connected to Anthony Braxton--either as a teacher or as players of his music. Taylor Ho Bynum is probably the most previously noted of the group having released an album with Braxton a few years back (Duets Wesleyen 2002) when he was in his mid-twenties. He has a marvelous sextet album out called The Middle Picture, released on his Firehouse 12 label. Another Firehouse 12 release that I have been immersed in is guitarist Mary Halvorson's Trio Dragon's Head. I am finding a ton to like about this album--open playing, creative improvisation---or as Elliot Sharp said about Halvorson and the trio:

"Dissonant arpeggios melding into pounding odd-meter repetitive grooves, spidery textures becoming cracked melodies, and jazzy vamps fragmenting into vicious free-form interactions"

I know this group of players is being jammed into the "jazz" cubbyhole but I'm hearing a much wider, more involved strand of connections---In addition to the avant jazz realm I'm hearing shards of other ensemble/improvisational groups from a few decades back such as Etron Fou leloublan, Universe Zero and Henry Cow. I'm downloading or buying cd's left and right by all the members as well as the players they work with--but wanted to get something out to c60 readers so you can explore the music for yourself.

"Heart On My Sleeve" c60crew music mix

2010-02-18T09:47:00.002-05:00

Bob Burnett: Today's c60 crew music stream offers a wide range of solo, small group and ensemble performances touching on musical disciplines such as acoustic folk, jazz, ballad, Santeria, improvisation, modal, contemporary composition and electronica.

Heart On My Sleeve by C60crew on Mixcloud

Photo by Kim Kirkpatrick

"I'll Let You Know" c60 crew music mix

2010-02-17T09:15:00.003-05:00

Bob Burnett: Kim has created an atmospheric music mix that spans the decades but is connected by threads of subtle genius. So many familiar things here brought together in a revitalized and greatly appreciated manner. As one comment on mixcloud stated--this is the wonderment of Kim that used to fill the airwaves of Washington, DC on WGTB in the '70s and WAMU and WHFS in the '80s. Included with the classics are a few surprises too---like a completely fresh and invigorated dub version of '70s popwave group Martha and the Muffins as well as William S. Burroughs murkily creeping in the borogroves.

I'Ll Let You Know by C60crew on Mixcloud

Jazz on a Summer's Day

2010-02-10T14:35:00.011-05:00

Bob Burnett: I have a Roku box connected to my TV. If you have one, you know how great it can be. If you don't, I suggest getting one; especially if you have Netflix. A Roku box allows you to play Netflix-based films via your computer's internet connection as well as a number of other options. (MLB TV for baseball games, Amazon pay per view rentals, Pandora for music as a few examples) For the most part, I use Roku to watch documentary films and once screened remove it from my queue. I rarely go back and re-watch films--except for one: Jazz on a Summer's Day--a visual tapestry of the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in newpoer, Rhode Island. It resides permanently in my queue. Summer's Day is in theory a "music film" about the performances that took place at Newport but for me it offers much more. For one thing it's done in film verite--the "fly on the wall" technique (in this case the "cats in the crowd" technique) where the cameras capture the events, the people, the place and let the pictures and the music performances carry it. No interviews, no descriptions just pure moment in time perfection. The performers offer a wide range of possibility too: chamber jazz (The Jimmy Giuffre Trio onstage, The Chico Hamilton Quintet late one sweaty evening in a small room someplace) contemporary (Thelonious Monk with Roy Haynes and the recently re-discovered Henry Grimes, Gerry Mulligan w/ Art Farmer) classic (Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden, Big Maybelle belting blues, Chuck Berry playing rock'nroll--and fitting right in)

One performance in particular steals the show for me: Anita O'Day. She performs a slow, percolating and beautifully scattered version of Sweet Georgia Brown as well as creates bopspeak prosody with her playful version of Tea For Two. She hits the stage (as legend goes ripped on heroin) in a black dress, white heels and gloves and an incredible lampshade of a hat--a favorite moment is when she delicately goes up the steps and the visuals cut-away to a guy popping his head up from the stage in a puzzled double-take.

As important as the stage is to the film the audience and general festivity shots take it to another level. The clothes, the expressions, the moments of ecstasy and boredom, people eating, smoking, drinking---and living passionately. The people create their own performance in this beautifully captured moment by moment ballet. The simple act of eating ice cream becomes satori; a yawn or head bob tell 1000 stories of unmatched vibrancy.

In addition to the music and people there are shots from the America's Cup yacht race happening just offshore as well as the common thread of a roaming-throughout-Newport Dixieland band made up of Yale students--including the young trombonist Roswell Rudd.

The film was directed by noted commercial and fashion photographer Bert Stern. I looked up getting a high quality copy on DVD however I was troubled to see it's either out of print or very expensive used. The Netflix version, while being an exemplary viewing experience, is rather lacking in quality. The copy is highly compressed and the transfer from film wasn't done with loving care. That said, in 1999 Jazz on a Summer's Day was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. That fact at least gives me hope there's the possibility for a nice copy being available in the future.

Anita O'Day's Performance:

When It's Cold I'd Like to Die

2010-02-10T10:28:00.003-05:00

Bob Burnett: Kim has put together When It's Cold I'd Like to Die, a soothing and beautiful c60crew mix featuring a wide range of classic to current electronica, (Four Tet, Rizzo, Adam F, Arovane, Bowery Electric to name a few) one of the highlights of Krautrock (Cluster & Eno) as well as a smattering of rock and contemporary glossolalia (Dead Can Dance) mixed to a level of perfection that makes the art of watching snow fall in feet--not inches-- an excellent pastime.

When It's Cold I'D Like To Die by C60crew on Mixcloud

Photo by Kim Kirkpatrick

The Who

2010-02-10T08:46:00.031-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: In lieu of The Who's 12 minute mash up appearance at the Superbowl, and the fact "My Generation" has been stuck in my head for three days now, I thought I'd share my recollection of seeing The Who for the first time on May 25th,1969. I was sixteen when I drove around the beltway to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia Maryland*. I was excited to have seats perfectly located, in the center and level with the performers on stage. From the start I was locked in on the performance, it was captivating seeing and hearing Tommy played straight through in it's entirety. Having been released just two days earlier, I had heard it once prior to this concert. Tommy was soon to be declared the first rock opera, and said to have set a new standard for Rock music. The Who also performed another whole set of now classic songs from their past releases, though I can't say I remember them individually anymore.

The band presented as electric and intense a performance as I'd ever seen. Pete Townshend's guitar playing was full of expressive energy, felt as much as heard. His arm-swing motions across his guitar were violent strikes, dramatically on target, and a visual timing device for his bursting, exploding guitar chords, as well as just plain cool. At some point he was bleeding from these sweeping actions, a common occurrence for him it turns out. (Their are accounts of him ripping fingernails off, blood flying throughout the rest of the painful performance. Once he impaled his hand on the whammy bar of his guitar, roadies taped it up and he continued to perform). His playing was an attempt to break through boundaries on a personal and musical level, and a shot across the bow of society. He persistently pushed for something new through his use of volume, dynamics, and ringing open chords. Yet with all the power his playing projected it was also precise, defined, and dead on target. His playing served the music, the story telling qualities of his songs, and though he was the leader, the songwriter, he never stepped on his bandmates performances. Unlike say, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, or Jeff Beck, Townshend never stepped up for a flashy solo, and there was never a touch of "look at me" in his playing.

Clad in a suede, fringed vest, bare chested, swinging his microphone in a huge windmill fashion, Roger Daltry was bold, dramatic, and up to the task of stepping in front of the massive, powerful sound that was The Who. He also had one of the better, more versatile voices of rock at the time. John Entwistle's bass playing was not merely about keeping time, it was a counterpoint and a push to Townshend's playing. Keith Moon, the relentless, volatile, blast furnace of a drummer, was battling the songs while keeping precisely on the beat. The Who ended the evening with the destruction of their equipment, at the time it felt like freedom, a denial of possessions, indicating the performance was the point and now it was gone forever. Finally amidst all the scattered drum parts, smoke, and feedback,Townshend stepped to the front of the stage and threw his guitar into the audience. It landed right next to me, everything stopped for a moment, and then the person with the guitar on his lap disappeared underneath the attacking audience.

Amazingly, eight years later, while working in a record store I struck up a conversation with a Who fanatic while we stood in front of a rack of bootleg vinyl. Turned out he was at the show, he also happen to have taken that guitar home with him.

The opening band that night set the bar incredibly high for The Who, I remember commenting that The Who could never top that performance (though they did in my mind). Led Zeppelin was the opening act, on their first U.S. tour supporting their first album released in January of 1969. I later learned that night was the only time led Zeppelin ever shared the bill with The Who.

Merriweather Post Pavilion was built in Symphony Woods, on a forty acre wooded lot. it was part of the planned community of Columbia Maryland and a facility intended to be the summer home of the National Symphony Orchestra. The structure opened in 1967 and was designed by architect Frank Gehry.

"Once you're old enough to have a medley," Roger Daltrey confides with a perceptibly uneasy laugh, "you know you've 'ad it."
from interview by Matt Resnicoff for guitar player September 1989

Enrico Rava: New York Days

2010-02-09T10:52:00.012-05:00

Bob Burnett: One of the takeaway memories for me of the Washington, DC area/eastern seaboard Snowmageddon of 2010 will be it gave me ample opportunity to listen to Enrico Rava's New York Days. Enrico Rava approaches the trumpet in a manner which I find most pleasing: as an atmospheric instrument that accents space, time and introspection within the format of a small ensemble. While Rava has had an accomplished career spanning many decades with people such as Steve Lacy, Don Cherry and Roswell Rudd (see full bio here on his webpage) I feel he's been at a particular high water mark over the last handful of years. (2005 "Tati" (ECM 1921), 2007 "The Words and The Days" (ECM 1982), 2007 Enrico Rava / Stefano Bollani "The Third Man" (ECM 2020) to offer a few examples) With that said I must add the crowning glory for me is New York Days due specifically to the open and loose compositional approach as well as the incredible group put together for this recording. In addition to Rava's trumpet and Rava protege Stefano Bollini's piano there's the always remarkable (and beyond description at this point) Paul Motian on drums, Larry Grenadier on bass and the beautifully understated sounds of Mark Turner on tenor sax. (note: Grenadier and Turner are also in the FLY trio) New York Days represents for me why ECM remains an important label to stay in touch with. ECM can be an exasperatingly "ECM-ish" experience at times but when albums like this are made it's worth it. I found a very nice write-up of this album that goes into much greater depth than I could ever do. For me, the pace, tone and floating beauty on display reflect the interplay I find important in music.

New York Days is available on www.lala.com so I suggest listening to it there to get a taste of what I'm talking about.

Michael Hurley:Ida Con Snock

2010-02-08T10:04:00.023-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: My path to Michael Hurley's music started with Easy Rider (1968). Rock music, alternative tunes, have been common in movies for decades now but at the time this movie's soundtrack was radical, selections chosen by Roger McGuinn of The Byrds. His selections were a first for cinema and my generation, using musical tracks that were part of the here and now, the rock music of the counter culture and underground music scene. One truly alternative song from the movie,"If You Want To Be a Bird (Bird Song)" was performed by The Holy Modal Rounders. I was familiar with them from my early folk interests but this track was not like anything I'd heard before, it was something else - deranged, warped, and psychedelic*.

I picked up The Moray Eels Eat The Holy Modal Rounders LP (1968), "Bird Song" being the first track on it, along with many other amazing tracks that truly defined "far out" at the time.

A few years later a musical offshoot appeared, called The Unholy Modal Rounders. This short lived band released Have Moicy! in 1975, credited to Michael Hurley/The Unholy Modal Rounders/Jeffrey Frederick & The Clamtones. Several reasons led to my purchasing Have Moicy! and thus brought Michael Hurley to my attention. First, Have Moicy!'s connection to The Holy Modal Rounders, second, it was on the Racoon label (formed by The Youngbloods), and third, the cover art drawn by Michael Hurley. A funny cartoon drawing style, with folk art elements. His drawing fit in with the times, relatable to R. Crumb's work as well as numerous childhood TV experiences, cartoons made in the 40's and 50's.

I drifted away from Hurley's music after Snockgrass (1980), due to my expanding musical interests and also the spotty nature of his releases. Seeing Hurley's art work again, and a review by Other Music that mentioned Ida backing him up was all I needed to rejoin Hurley's music. I was eager to hear what was to me a logical and potentially perfect union between Michael Hurley's relaxed, eccentric folk songs, and the slow, introspective, beautiful music of Ida.

Ida Con Snock (Snock is Hurley's nickname) is a mix of cover songs and classic Michael Hurley's material from past decades. This is a relaxed, friendly performance and the recording captures the connection and affection felt between these performers. All manner of acoustic instruments surface from song to song, including fiddle, harmonium, mandolin, and guitar. It was nice to hear Hurley's voice again as well as his loping guitar style. Ever playful and often absurd, he even adds faux-trumpet solos (using his lips) to several songs. "Hoot Owls" gives us more of Hurley's humor as he "hoots" on the song with Ida joining in with background "hoots". The beautiful vocals of Elizabeth Mitchell and the crystal clear, crisp guitar playing of Daniel Littleton really enhance these songs and confirm the perfect addition of Ida to Hurley's music. This release brought to mind the Aristotle quote, " The whole is more than the sum of it's parts". Michael Hurley's humor and loose performing style benefits from the steady, precise playing of Ida. And Ida has the opportunity to kick back and relax with Hurley, giving us a friendly, fun, and informal performance.

Turns out The Holy Modal Rounders are credited as the first to use the word "psychedelic" in a song, their version of "Hesitation Blues" from 1964.

c60crew music: Before Destruction+

2010-02-01T11:05:00.009-05:00

Bob Burnett: This edition of the c60crew music mix has a few samples from recent reviews and listens: Spoon, for instance, from their very impressive album Transference. There's also new music from Pikelet, who (according to Chapter Music) is Evelyn Morris, a 24 year old musical wunderkind from the outer suburbs of Melbourne who began life as a hardcore-obsessed drummer, and still currently serves on sticks in such heavy-hitting Melbourne institutions as Baseball and True Radical Miracle. But a couple of years ago, something tickled Evelyn’s brain in a funny way and she felt compelled to grab an old accordion, a guitar and a delay pedal, and launch a decidedly un-hardcore solo career. I've just spent a few quick moments with the Pikelet album but am finding it to be an interesting listen. There's new music from Tindersticks and Thrill Jockey's Pit Er Pat too--as well as sonicscapes from old c60crew stand-bys (well, old c60crew on my side of the c60 juniper tree) like Bill Laswell, Machinefabriek--joined this time by Steven Vitiello. Machinefabriek (Rutger Zuyderveldt from Arnhem, The Netherlands) makes electronic (non-laptop) music ranging from drones to melodica songs and from classical ambient to harsh feedback noise. Rutger was highlighted as one of the most interesting new experimental musicians by the Wire magazine.

Dean & Britta (former members of Luna, a c60crew lifetime achievement award winner) and Fennesz also make appearances. Thanks for listening and enjoy!

Before Destruction+ by C60crew on Mixcloud

Glenn Gould: The Idea of North

2010-01-29T10:54:00.004-05:00

Bob Burnett: This cold, stark--and lovely--phase of winter has me thinking of the time Glenn Gould produced a series of sound documentaries for CBC radio between 1967-77 after ending his career as a touring concert pianist. He used field recorded interviews woven together to create beautiful sound tapestries. All three use a technique Gould called "contrapuntal radio" in which several people are heard speaking at once--much like the voices in a fugue. One of the documentaries is called The Idea of North where the focus is on five people talking about living in the isolated areas of northern Canada. In the film 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould (well worth seeing!) during the broadcast of The Idea of North, the Glenn Gould character goes into an absorbed by the moment conductor arm-waving motion. The movements are in sync with the fades and sound crossings happening in the audio layers. It always struck me as touching; Gould dancing like a conductor to the motions within the voices; Gould treating the cadences and inflections of the interviewees as musical moments. I also identified with the overall content and ideas from a lifestyle point of view; the desire to live in an isolated or harsh weather environment where nature makes you constantly aware of its existence--a life away from automatic sprinkler systems and drive thru windows.

I've tried to find a full recording of The Idea of North but haven't had any luck. I've linked an excerpt here from the CBC archives. An amazon search reveals there was once a CBC release titled The Solitude Trilogy that is now out of print. (but available used for $65) I just found a youtube link of the scene from 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould as well as an interview with Gould discussing North with the bonus of him playing an Anton Webern composition.

Spoon:Transference

2010-01-29T08:45:00.021-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: I have been surprised through the years by how many music fans I know who have missed out on Spoon. We all have bands slip by us, and I really enjoy backtracking - catching up on a band's output when I finally am turned onto them. But if Transference is your introduction to Spoon it may leave you feeling a bit foolish and wondering why you didn't notice them all these years. Spoon has been around for 17 years, released 7 full length albums, and 20 singles. Their first full length was on Matador, then they moved to a major label (Elecktra), got dropped after one release, and since then have released 5 albums on Merge (thank you Merge).

Transference is Spoon's newest release (January of 2010) and I'd say it is the one to start with if you are unfamiliar with their music. Transference is a refinement of Spoon's music in several ways. The songs have the same carefully layered instrumentation, the pounding rock, catchy pop sound of previously fav releases, such as Kill The Moonlight and Gimme Fiction. But Transference is their first self-produced release, and the production quality is a step up, not a radical improvement but noticeable. The songs sound bigger, and the instruments have more muscle in their sound. The production is stunningly clear, and it sounds like an intimate, live recording in a small room. Britt Daniel (lead singer, songwriter, guitarist) has said the production was closer to his home demos than usual, and that he wanted a more stripped down sound. While such immediacy is undeniably heard on Transference, the overall pop perfection belies accepting this was a less deliberate or more carefree recording than any other Spoon release.

Spoon* started out in the indie scene of Austin Texas, and were filed alongside other post punk bands of that decade. On Spoon's earlier releases one can hear the looseness and quirkiness of Pavement, the energy of the Violent Femmes, as well as the powerful blast of The Pixies. Spoon has outlived and surpassed such classifications, their influences are not paramount, and they have no nostalgia element in their music. After a particularly loud playing of Transference I've concluded this release is more than just an incremental improvement by Spoon - they have reached a new level of individuality and coherence with their music. Because of Spoon's intelligence, passion, and persistence, Transference presents an amalgamation of Rock/Pop music, albeit subtle, but it is audible in every song and each band member's playing. Spoon's musical parameters encompass the early 60s (Motown, Merseybeat) through multiple sources of the late 20th century, right up to today. Spoon has been inspired by and absorbed this musical history and now it all has come together wonderfully. Whatever direction their songs take, the music simply and profoundly sounds like Spoon.

The name Spoon was taken from a Can song, released on the classic Ege Bamyasi album in 1972. Can also used the name for their own record label, Spoon Records. You gotta love this kind of referencing and crossing over of decades and genres by musicians.

Bob Burnett: I'm drawn to the overall production of Transference---it has depth. You can feel there's space between the vocalist and the mic, drums are real, guitars are creating changes in the atmosphere and in general air is being stimulated with sound and not just hard wired into a mixing board. All these elements make it a huge plus for me as a listening experience. Additionally the songs have inventive structures all the while maintaining an element of (dare I say) "fun". I listened to the album with headphones in the middle of the night over the weekend. There I was, covered in a blanket on my "listening couch" bobbing and toe-tapping the whole time. Ah--the experience of listening to an album; a work in its entirety.....the pleasure of songs building and leading to another...the satisfaction at the conclusion of knowing you've heard something and are better for it!

Dumbfound

2010-01-26T03:28:00.003-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: A mix using four bands reviewed--Daedelus, The Bats, The Clean and Supersister. A range of Samplelectonica, Dutch Progressive '70s style and New Zealand Pop.

Dumbfound by C60crew on Mixcloud

*Photography for "Dumbfound" by Kim Kirkpatrick

Mixcloud: In A Landscape+

2010-01-23T22:16:00.001-05:00

Bob Burnett: a little more c60 soundtrack fun from the c60 shoemakers elves who pop down to the workshop at night.

In A Landscape+ by C60crew on Mixcloud

Edgar Varese: Ionisation

2010-01-21T07:39:00.008-05:00

Bob Burnett: A nice stumble-upon occurred this morning that took me back several decades to an inspiring time of discovery. I'm referring to a twitter link I received (thanks Ambienteer)to a video produced by Flat-E inspired by Edgar Varese's 1929-31 composition Ionisation. The video was originally made to accompany a London Sinfonetta performance of Ionisation but as you'll find out developed a life of its own. This version accentuates the angular, jagged compositional approach of Varese and with the addition of contemporary electronics, enhances the composition in new ways. It makes perfect sense that Varese's work has the organic ability to be built upon with contemporary instrumentation and technology.

I fell into Varese as many did via Frank Zappa back in the '70s. One Zappa album in particular, Lumpy Gravy, stood out for me--the crashing chords, retrograde staccato sounds, percussion, odd time signatures all did my teen ears well. Research led me to discover Lumpy Gravy was for the most part a nod to Varese so off I went in search of Varese albums. I found a wealth of wonder--the apex being his masterwork (in my opinion) Poeme Electronique, a composition commissioned to play in the Le Corbusier-designed Phillips Pavilion during the 1958 World's Fair through 400 speakers. In addition to the music, I was made aware of the Henry Miller book The Air Conditioned Nightmare and one chapter in particular "With Edgar Varese in the Gobi Desert" (I linked long excerpts from the book--go to page 163 for the specific chapter mentioned) which touched on music, philosophy, religion, the state of sound, the need for madmen composers and Varese's composition Deserts.

I am feeling a need to go back to the bookshelf and pull down my dog-eared copy of The Air Conditioned Nightmare, revisit some of those underlined words, the asterisks in the margins, the notes on names to explore further: Dane Rudyhar, Alfred Steiglitz, John Marin, Krishnamurti to name a few. In the meantime--I think I'll rewatch Ionisation.

Ionisation from Flat-e on Vimeo.

Hindsight: Songs From Recent c60Crew Posts

2010-01-19T10:31:00.003-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: I put together a few cuts from reviews I've recently done: Built to Spill, Ivy, Broadway Project and Keith Hudson.

Hindsight by C60crew on Mixcloud

Escortic Joynt: The Return of Substring Bridge

2010-01-18T05:58:00.004-05:00

Bob Burnett: Here's a mix that seems to touch back on music that comes from Chicago or is associated with a Chicago label. Additionally, the mix includes a cut from an album that happens to be from a c60 crew review in 2007--Mats Bergstrom's Substring Bridge. The cut is the namesake: "Escortic Joynt"--a Steve Reich mash-up.

Escortic Joynt+ by C60crew on Mixcloud

Stillness of Motion+

2010-01-10T23:10:00.001-05:00

Stillness Of Motion+ by C60crew on Mixcloud

Christopher Willits

2010-01-10T07:40:00.009-05:00

Bob Burnett: I don't know if it's an attempt to reverse the reaction I'm having to the cold winter weather but I've been listening to guitar innovator Christopher Willits a lot these past few weeks. The short description is this San Francisco-based guitarist/multi-media artist merges traditional guitar improvisation with computer software thereby opening up a wide palette of options be they technical, stylistic, textural, rhythmic--whatever. I have him in several forms of release so I figured I walk through a few and hopefully offer something that sticks. There are two solo albums I listen to regularly: Folding and the Tea and Pollen. Folding and the Tea is from 2002 and introduced me to his "folding" guitar sound --guitar lines and harmonies are blended into each other using custom-designed software. The outcome is an album that occasionally borders on the melodic yet intricate styles familiar to my ears from Canterbury-era progressive music. Sometimes in the midst of listening I think I hear a cluster of notes or melodies vaguely reminiscent in a distant way to National Health for example. Other moments offer small, swirling delicate music. I say delicate because they are subtle, stirring--almost in the realm of observing the aleatory of nature with blips, pulses, swirls and static like pops. Willits received his masters at Mills College and studied with Fred Frith and Pauline Oliveros so that fact alone deserves a Wayne's World "we're not worthy" bow from me. As I listen to Folding and the Tea (and Pollen for that matter) I am drawn to the work of other composer/teachers from Mills--notably David Behrman as well as Maggi Payne's work on the Lovely Music label.

2003's Pollen is a further exploration into folding guitar sounds with a slightly more symphonic approach--not that it gets stringy or large--it just has a bit more sonic range at times than the intimate Folding and the Tea.

In previous c60 posts I've mentioned my utter fascination about his duet with Taylor Deupree, Listening Garden--an environmental soundscape designed to play in the tea spaces at the Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media. (in Yamaguchi, Japan) Willits and Deupree brought together their improvisational playing with environmental recordings from the actual tea spaces with a goal of mirroring and heightening the mood of the space where the piece plays. I don't know how it sounds in the Center but I find great pleasure in listening to the five part composition as it brings together field recordings and minimal composition. Boomkat said: "'Listening Garden is like reclining into a gorgeous pillow of sound, relaxing without being audio wallpaper and absorbing without resorting to clichéd digital trickery."

Finally-and I know I'm not touching on several of his other works--Willits just released the 3 cut Live on Earth Vol.2 made up of three different recordings from June 2009 of the composition "Beams". I recently graciously received a free download via his facebook friends site. He made it available to 2000+ people. For me, "Beams" is a long, slowly evolving tone improvisation hearkening back to the innovations Robert Fripp made with Frippertronics such as "Wind on the Water" with Brian Eno on Evening Star or "Water Music" on Exposure. I'm finding my cursor drifting back to it on iTunes throughout the day for another listen. Seems pretty habit-forming at this point.

As mentioned there are many other releases and possibilities to explore (in fact here's an old c60 write-up of Willits+Sakamoto). I only offer up a few. Christopher Willits' work is very rewarding and I highly suggest digging into some of it yourself.

2009 Discoveries

2010-01-09T18:05:00.000-05:00

Bob Burnett: Some new finds for 2009.

2009 Discoveries by C60crew on Mixcloud

C60 now has music!

2010-01-09T08:53:00.001-05:00

A Winter Morning by C60crew on Mixcloud

Roger Hudson

2010-01-08T16:13:00.007-05:00

Bob Burnett: I just discovered that old high school friend and Nashville-based guitarist/composer Roger Hudson posted a few homegrown videos. Roger and I used to hang out in high school talking Mahavishnu Orchestra, Fripp & Eno, Bob Marley and a million other things. He's been in the Nashville area for several decades composing, teaching and playing. You can download his solo acoustic album Guitar Peace on Amazon. He's a follower of c60 so here's a bone for a loyal reader. Hey, do I detect a bit of a Pentangle nod going on here?

Ivy:Guestroom

2010-01-06T22:04:00.018-05:00

Let's Go to Bed (The Cure)

Kite (Nick Hayward)

Say Goodbye (Papas Fritas)

Streets of Your Town (The Go-Betweens)

I Don't Know Why I Love You (House of Love)

Only a Fool Would Say That (Steeley Dan)

Digging Your Scene (Blow Monkeys)

L'Anamour (Serge Gainsborough)

Be My Baby (The Ronettes)

I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive (Orange Juice)

Kim Kirkpatrick:

10 cover versions from New York based Ivy's Guestroom released in 2002.

The trio Ivy originally formed in 1994, since then they have released several EPs/Singles, and half a dozen albums, the last one in 2005. I am eagerly awaiting a new release said to be available early this year. I have all their releases, but here I am going to focus on this release of cover songs. You can learn more about Ivy and their multitude of musical side trips at their site, which has a particularly pretty home page.

Guestroom reveals a lot about Ivy's diverse musical taste and influences. Listening to these ten tracks is interesting because of the comparisons you inevitably make to the originals. As a longtime Ivy listener it is especially interesting to hear them apply their skills to interpreting and making these songs their own. Ivy are excellent musicians, multi-instrumentalists, creative in the studio, you can count on an attention to detail both in their playing and recording. Guestroom has a lot of multi-tracking and effects, but none of these announce themselves. Ivy's recording techniques are subtle and the playing is always tastefully restrained and relaxed.

Along with the variety of instruments and effects on Guestroom, there are consistent elements from song to song. The multi-layered vocals are by Dominique Durand who has a soft, smooth style - many would compare her to Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier. The drumming sounds very live, steady and to the point, Ringo's playing came to mind. An acoustic guitar is usually the strong rhythmic base for the songs, with lots of over laid electric guitar work that I particularly enjoy. Often this involves the use of a wah pedal, always in a controlled, delicate manner, a technique I really appreciate hearing, given the excess you usually experience when guitarist step on these pedals.

Guestroom overall is a fine album, one of those rare ones you can safely play in a large group and know the majority of people will like it. Since these are cover versions you have the added fun of watching people slowly recognize the songs. Overall Guestroom works well on the surface but stands up to more attentive listening and repeat playing. Their are two songs that I tend to skip, personal taste prevents me from ever listening to a Steely Dan song again in this lifetime, and honestly Ivy does little to change the song, unlike most of the other tracks. The other track is The Cure's "Let's Go to Bed", Ivy does an excellent job covering the song and they have a video of it here. I just never liked this dance oriented song much, seemed like the downfall of The Cure to me.

The rest of the album I really enjoy, three songs in particular:

I love "Kite", written by Nick Hayward, perhaps best known for his Haircut 100 days. If you go to the link he has the original "Kite" recording, a truly beautiful song. Ivy doesn't radically change the song, it still rides on a nice mandolin line through out. This is a wonderful selection by Ivy, suits them perfectly, and the song really comes alive with Durand's vocals, taking on new meaning being sung by her.

I've always been fond of Orange Juice, going way back to their work on the Postcard label. Orange Juice's "I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive" is covered by Ivy with a light touch overall. Acoustic guitar, multi track vocals, excellent wah effects, with a slight build through the addition of organ, melodica, a touch of backwards guitar, and a nice finish with an understated guitar solo.

Ivy really dug in on The Ronette's "Be My Baby". The original is a famous Phil Spector Wall of Sound production, and a song he co-wrote as well. With that knowledge it is a treat to hear Ivy expand on the production of this classic, really stretch it out, and pump up it's atmospheric level. It starts with a Trip Hop drum pattern, joined by a looping and warped guitar line, drums that sound underwater, all leading up to huge echoing vocals. This song builds slowly, the atmosphere gets thicker and thicker with the addition of church organ, swirling background vocals, a sinister bass line, and some slow wah effects.

Alec Soth Video

2010-01-06T09:47:00.009-05:00

Las Vegas Birthday Slideshow from Little Brown Mushroom on Vimeo.

Nils Frahm - Wintermusik

2010-01-05T15:08:00.004-05:00

Nils Frahm - Wintermusik by sonic pieces

Bob Burnett: I just discovered this album thanks to a Loscil tweet. The second cut "Tristana" fits nicely into the stark cold we're experiencing along the eastern seaboard. I'm always reminded of Robert Wyatt and Nico songs whenever I hear a harmonium or pump organ kick in.

Lady Day: The Complete Columbia Golden Years

2010-01-05T11:42:00.003-05:00

Bob Burnett: A quick link to c60 tenured Prof. Mike Johnston's updated and comprehensive review of a really reasonably priced box set of Billie Holiday's Columbia releases circa 1933-44. Mike originally posted about the initial boxed set (as well as other Billie Holiday releases) on c60 a few years ago however a re-visit was in order since this less than $60 box became available.

Keith Hudson:Flesh of My Skin Blood of My Blood

2010-01-03T15:59:00.022-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: Flesh of My Skin Blood Of My Blood has an interesting history. This release is considered a reggae masterpiece, also the first true reggae album, not just a collection of singles released on an LP. It was released in England in 1974, but oddly was never released in Jamaica. It quickly went out of print and became a talked about obscurity that few reggae fans had heard. Thanks to the label Basic Channel, and it's superb reggae reissue sub label Basic Replay, this piece of reggae history surfaced again (and for the first time on CD) in 2004. This was Keith Hudson's solo debut, and thirty years later the intense lyrics (of the black experience and history), the haunting performance and production still create a vivid impression of skill, content, and blending of genres.

Keith Hudson grew up in Jamaica with classmates such as Bob Marley, Delroy Wilson and Ken Boothe, with whom he organized school concerts. In 1960, at the age of fourteen he released his first record, using musicians who would later join The Skatalites. He continued to produce instrumentals and popular Jamaican 45s for many famous reggae vocalists including: Ken Boothe, Delroy Wilson, John Holt, and U Roy. In 1970 he started singing on his own tracks, and by 1974 when he relocated to the United Kingdom he had stopped recording other vocalists all together. Hudson was signed to the Atra label and worked at Chalk Farm's Studios in London. His first release for the label - Flesh Of My Skin Blood Of My Blood was produced, written and arranged by Keith Hudson and released in 1974.

Hudson picked musicians who were the bedrock of 70s reggae, including: Augustus Pablo (harmonica, melodica), Earl Chinna Smith (guitar), Leroy Sibbles (bass), Santa Davis (drums), and Candi McKenzie (backing vocals). Count Ossie And The Mystic Revelation (who I reviewed back in January 2007) bring their percussion and congas to the first track. They set the mood on this unique instrumental track "Hunting", a blending of dread roots, blues, and Nyahbinghi rhythms. (See below for info on each musician)

While writing this post I listened through a DAC/headphone pre amp/ transport system with Sennheiser HD 800 headphones. This system tends to expose flaws, revealing brittle or harsh recordings, and bad production. I selected this release specifically to hear it more intimately through this system. I found Flesh Of My Skin Blood Of My Blood beautifully produced and recorded. The prime exception is the intro track mentioned above, with distorted bass and a bit of overlying noise. These kind of sonic flaws are nothing new to anyone who listens to early reggae (some Lee Perry cuts come to mind) and Flesh of My Skin Blood of My Blood overall provides 30+ minutes of rich, velvety lushness you can lose yourself in.

Of course fine production and skilled playing does not guarantee any music is worth your time. I was attracted to Hudson's serious, consistent message of consciousness (some refer to this as a concept album), and how the hard hitting band supported the lyrics with relaxed rhythms and drumming that persistently lags behind just so slightly. The musicians on this recording live up to their legendary status, the playing is warm and interwoven, the interaction is pure reggae at it's best. But the real importance of Flesh of My Skin Blood of My Blood is the smooth blending of musical genres Hudson created. Not only from track to track but within the songs. The title track (actually two cuts) is split between a vocal and an instrumental track. It has a pop element within the melody but also sways in classic roots reggae style, with rhythm and blues as the underlying center. "Testing My Faith" follows, with it's country and western harmonica and melody, blended with blues guitar and reggae beat. "Fight Your Revolution" skips along at a nice pace with beautiful layered vocals by Hudson and McKenzie, and two (left & right) soulful guitar tracks from Chinna Smith. "Darkest Night On A Wet Looking Road" was originally a single from 1971. On this version Hudson blends jazz and wah wah guitar tracks, reverb vocals, and an overall production worthy of Isaac Hayes. "Talk Some Sense (Gamma Ray)" is classic roots reggae along the lines of early Bob Marley and The Wailers. "Treasures of The World" is lover's rock based, a bit heavy on the synth keyboard, but with particularly nice singing by Candi McKenzie. "My Nocturne" is an instrumental, with organ and synth keyboards laying down an infectiousness melody, and excellent rhythm and wah guitar playing, all in a blues/reggae package. "I Shall Be Released" is plain weird, with keyboards intruding on the melody, conga and tambourine beats, and limited vocal presentation from Hudson. "No Friend of Mine" is a ballad, countered by blues guitar and conga percussion. "Stabiliser" closes out this release, another instrumental which features a thick organ sound, melodica, and guitar. It is a fitting closing with it's blending and blurring of multiple genres and heavy atmosphere.

Because of the blended genres and the blues foundation of much of the playing, I think this release would be of interest to even the casual reggae listener. For me in addition to all the praise above I found a couple of other elements on this release that were particularly satisfying. Earl Chinna Smith's playing is front stage and featured on Flesh Of My Skin Blood Of My Blood. Chinna is THE guitarist of classic reggae, it is impossible to imagine the prime years of this genre without his playing. He has always been a favorite guitarist of mine, and I have yearned for decades to here him featured and eventually I decided such a recording did not exist. Even his few solo releases did not feature his diverse skills as wonderfully exposed as on this release. I also spent a few years and dollars searching for more reggae female vocalists, brought upon after hearing the I Threes live, Bob Marley and The Wailers back up singers. In general, I was disappointed by what I found, until hearing Candi McKenzie's beautiful and significant contribution on Flesh of My Skin Blood of My Blood.

Augustus Pablo

Essential roots/dub reggae producer, and musician most famous for featuring the melodica on such classic recordings as: This Is Augustus Pablo, King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown, and East Of The River Nile.

Earl Chinna Smith

He appears on dozens of CDs I own, such as: Abbyssinians, Prince Alla, Horace Andy, Dennis Brown, Burning Spear, Cornell Campbell, Don Carlos, Johnny Clarke, Mikey Dread, Earth and Stone, Phillip Frazer, I Roy, King Tubby, Barrington Levy, Ras Michael & Sons Of Negus, Roots Radics, Mighty Diamonds, Freddie McGregor, Hugh Mundell, Augustus Pablo, Lee Perry, Prince Far I, Prince Jammy, Michael Prophet, Scientist, Sly and Robbie, Bim Sherman, Linval Thompson, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Bunny Wailer, and Delroy Wilson.

Leroy Sibbles

Lead singer for the rock steady Heptones, bassist for the Studio One label, also worked with Lee Perry, and Lloyd "Bullwackie" Barnes founder of the Wackie's label. A label significantly reissued by Basic replay, without them I would never have heard Bullwackie's work.

Santa Davis

Original drummer for Roots Radics and Channel One Studio.

Candi McKenzie

She also appeared on the classic Heart Of the Congos by The Congos and Exodus by Bob Marley and The Wailers.

Fluid Radio: Top 10 of 2009

2010-01-03T15:03:00.011-05:00

09'S Top 10 by Fluid Radio on Mixcloud

Fluid Radio is an online "electroacoustic frequencies" music source. They describe themselves as the "best in experimental frequencies allowing listeners, artists, producers and promoters to be completely involved in the growth and direction of the station. Focusing on experimental genres, we aim to provide a space to share in the creative process and spread the experience of inner exploration through musical expression. The playlist is diverse, encompassing Ambient, Modern Classical, Experimental Acoustic, Folk and Abstract sounds."They've been a fruitful website for me this year. I discovered several artists--most notably Solo Andata, Danny Norbury and (I think...)Loscil. They just compiled their Top 10 for 2009 and created a 45 minute streaming compilation featuring their choices. I've posted the link above and hope you get a chance to listen to it.

2010: A lot of Ben Perowsky

2010-01-02T20:10:00.010-05:00

Photo by Leah Meyerhoff

Bob Burnett: 2010 has started off well thanks to Ben Perowsky. Esopus Opus and El Destructo Vol. II: Moodswing Orchestra to be exact. Two vastly different outings offering the same result: delightful listening pleasure.

Ben Perowsky is a drummer who in addition to fronting his own groups has found time for a diversity of recording sessions over the years in jazz, R&B, pop/rock, experimental with people such as James Moody, Rickie Lee Jones, Roy Ayers, Miles Davis alums, Dave Douglas and The Lounge Lizards. Let's take on Esopus Opus first: it's a Ben Perowsky Quartet release featuring in addition to Ben on drums, Chris Speed (clarinet/tenor--various Tzadik albums), Ted Reichman (accordion/piano--I have him in a duet release with Anthony Braxton) and Drew Gress. (bass--also on John Surman's Brewster's Rooster reviewed earlier this month) In conjunction with terrific original material the quartet covers The Beatles Flying as well as Within/Without You. Jimi Hendrix's Manic Depression also gets a rework as does Hermeto Pascoal's Nem Um Talvez. There's an exuberance in play here that is captivating for rock listeners as well as "out" jazz people. The playing is tight, open and incredibly well recorded at Brooklyn Recording by Andy Taub. Perowsky's drums have "color", vibrancy and drive--always pushing the music ahead. I'm fondly reminded of a number of releases--Charlie Haden's Ballad of the Fallen, any number of Paul Motian's albums, Bill Frisell's Have A Little Faith come to mind off the top of my head.

The other album is El Destructo Volume II: Moodswing Orchestra, an effort that features a wide range of vocalists/groups (Joan As A Policewoman, Elysian Fields and Bebel Gilberto, for example) as well as an array of NYC's incredible musicians. Moodswing Orchestra is more ethereal and dub soundscape-like than the Quartet. I'm reminded of Hal Wilner-produced projects such as the Mingus tribute Weird Nightmare. There's a wide range of sonics--Perowsky's drums along with woodwinds, trumpets, bass, sound effects, snap-crackling vinyl, theremin, tuba and "air". Moodswing Orchestra is an album that makes me wish I was still on the radio someplace; I'd just put it on and watch the curious calls come in. As a matter of fact, my 13 year old was just lying on the bed next to where I was typing while listening to Moodswing. Now I hear her upstairs playing her drum kit.

I can only hope a young Ben Perowsky is in the making.

Broadway Project:Compassion

2009-12-31T08:57:00.017-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: Dan Berridge aka Broadway Project somehow escaped my attention this past decade, seemed ridiculous once I finally listened to Compassion released in 2001(A sealed CD in my cabinet for how many years?). Berridge assembles his music from a nice variety of sources with an emphasis on:

Jazz Fusion

(Rhodes piano, electric guitar, John McLaughlin, Alice Coltrane, L.L. Smith region)

Intelligent Drum n Bass, Downtempo, and Jazzstep beats

(Including numerous female soulful vocals so popular on drum n bass/dance tracks)

Lush string arrangements abound on this release, in minor keys a la Tindersticks or Indian film tracks.

And to mention just a few instruments lifted: sleigh bells, muted trumpet, french horn, xylophone, a rare note or two from a sitar, lots of record clicking, and piano that really sounds like The Necks. Bob has got to hear this.

I found myself once again in the area Bob and I have discussed regarding sampled, constructed music -- name checking as you listen vs. taking it all in whole. Compassion has plenty to identify* but repeated listening and Berridge's creativity managed to turn off my track recognition affliction. The tracks are heavily layered, stacked up from numerous sources but add up to being very musical. Even with the emphasis on Trip Hop, Drum n Bass beats, the music is fluid, tracks function as a whole more successfully than most in this genre.

I became interested in the subtleties from track to track, some processed, spliced together, to a level of an ensemble performing songs. Other tracks are more open, revealing their skeletal structure, encouraging you to focus on individual elements, such as the drumming, a muted trumpet. Even the repeated clicking and crackling of vinyl becomes an instrument for Berridge.

Dan Berridge is a very active artist, a few Broadway Project releases, but lots of other projects such as film and video music. I encourage you to check out his site and all the links available there. Broadway Project releases are available on iTunes.

Oh just a couple, Beautiful People guitar sampled along side Moerlin's Gong, Tangerine Dream's electronic dog yelp and loose bass line.

Cortez The Killer

2009-12-27T16:31:00.006-05:00

Bob Burnett: A quick post from the quiet waterways of Sarasota, Florida. A day just after Christmas that started with bright sunshine and more warmth than I've felt in a few days--as well as the discovery of a new cover version of Neil Young's Cortez The Killer. Kim wrote about Built to Spill's version a few days ago so the song is fresh on my mind. This time Cortez was by an artist I'm not familiar with--The Dave Rawlings Machine. (editors note: further digging led me to link him with Gillian Welch) I was walking about with my iPhone on the WFMU stream app (a godsend--if you have an iPhone download the free app immediately) and suddenly was drawn to an interesting acoustic guitar piece with faint connections to the original Cortez but not enough for me to pull it down completely. Then came the lyrics and I knew I was there. This is one of those things I've only heard once but was captured. I look forward to hearing the whole album on the strength of the one song I heard. The song has long been one that is an immersion for me to listen to. It originally was released on Neil Young & Crazy Horse's Zuma album. There's something about the song in totality that brings about a higher sense of creative energy; don't ask me to explain that in rational terms, it just does. Put it in the same catagory with: Cinnamon Girl, A Love Supreme, Pale Blue Eyes, 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be), Poeme Electronique, New Dawn Fades...etc. Anyway....I'm being run out of the coffee shop where I'm typing this. I'll report back later on the Dave Rawlings Machine when I have a better grasp.

Reporting back on Dave Rawlings Machine. My old radio pal Greg Moebius sent a facebook message out saying A Friend of a Friend is his favorite album of the year. That's a pretty heavy commitment from one of central Ohio's radio exec/old time music/mountain bike riding legends. I found a nice review from Paste online that lays out the details much better than I could do. Dave Rawlings has been Gillian Welch's back-up for years. I have several of her albums and obviously haven't paid attention enough because Dave slipped right past me. Oh, I heard his playing but...oh well...you know how that works. Can't catch 'em all. Glad I found it when I did.

John Surman QT.: Brewster's Rooster

2009-12-24T06:54:00.005-05:00

Bob Burnett: I have Jeff Goold to thank for the heads-up about the release of this album earlier in the summer. Jeff was my "RA" in the dorm for freshman year of college at Ohio University. I recall that moment of moving into my room, several bins of albums in tow. Well......more than several. More like an amount that required me to rent a U-Haul to get to school. Anyway, Jeff came into the picture because we immediately realized we had an ECM label bond. Whew.....what a relief that was to know there were others "out there" who connected with Nana Vasconcelos! Old and New Dreams! John Abercrombie! Anyway, we're 30 years down the road now and Jeff is still playing percussion in the Nashville area and diggin' the ECM scene. The message he sent me was to check out Brewster's Rooster because it revisited the feel of the classic ECM trio, Gateway (John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland) as well as the New Directions quartet. (John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette, Eddie Gomez, Lester Bowie).

While I appreciate and identify with the comparison to past ECM outings, Brewster's Rooster is a great example in its own right of players who have been around, know each other and make something happen in contemporary times. It has terrific "swing", stays tight while always expanding ideas through interplay and improvisation. I was fortunate to have seen this quartet live earlier in the year. My pal Marc and I (another 30 year ECM vet friend) had terrific seats at Blues Alley in Washington, DC. John Surman played mostly soprano sax--unfortunately his baritone broke in the middle of the set but he soldiered on. Jack DeJohnette was breathtaking. Simply put he continues to be the most refreshing, inventive drummer I know of. John Abercrombie re-invents the guitar--his phrasing, touch and comping are gifts to behold. Drew Gress held it all together on bass. The gig was one of the most exciting live experiences I've had in years. Listening to the album brings back fond memories of the creative energy this group of musicians posses. This album is easily available many different ways via download, amazon, retail and I suggest you find one of them and get it--even if you don't consider yourself an "jazz" person. You owe your senses a nice burst of these treasured musicians.

Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions: Through the Devil Softly

2009-12-24T06:32:00.003-05:00

Bob Burnett: I could sit here and twist and turn phrases about how much I like this album but found Boomkat's review says it all for me--albeit in a slightly goofy way--but we'll go with it:

"Having already listened to it a good two-dozen times we're pleased to report that "Through The Devil Softly" has ticked all boxes and has made us weak at the knees with its ethereal, swoonsome loveliness, keeping the formula largely (and thankfully) unchanged and delivering what we had very much hoped for: a continuation from pretty much where things were left off in 2001's "Bavarian Fruit Bread". Production and much of the instrumentation is once again handled by My Bloody Valentine's Colm Ó Cíosóig, adding a crucial layer of washed-out introspection to offset Sandoval's almost impossibly evocative voice. His handling of the arrangements and intense attention to detail allow these songs to work on several levels, once the initial sugar-rush of those melodies and that voice sink in, in comes another wave of emotional resonance, etching these songs to that place in your heart cordoned off for those special records you feel were written especially for you. Here's hoping we don't have to wait another eight years for the next fix. Magic."

I discovered this album quite by accident---and it's stuck with me ever since. The quiet intensity reminds me of everything I like about American Analog Set and a few other post-Velvets band who take the torch of their inspiration and run with it. The choice of instrumentation works well for me too, chiming acoustic guitars, brushed drums, harmonia and glockenspiel dips and dabs; lush but spacious sonics all around. I admire Hope Sandoval's ability to maintain control with her "career". She was on the verge of pop-superness with Mazzy Star in the early '90s. Instead she's gone in a direction that sees albums released on her own time, tours that take place in small, intimate venues and musicians around her who collaborate and create lasting and vital work. Here's a link from the album to give example to what I'm talking about.

TELEKINESIS!

2009-12-22T22:09:00.011-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: Telekinesis is essentially a one man band, Michael Lerner, who does all the writing, singing, and (for the most part) plays all the instruments on this release. Telekinesis is pop rock music, very catchy melodies that grab you immediately, and within seconds you are on board, eager to take the 30 minute voyage. The songs are fresh and sound immediate, as if they were being created on the spot. After listening to half the tracks a few things became consistently apparent about Lerner's songs. The songs build as they progress, getting thicker with sound and instrumentation. And if a song doesn't introduce itself at a fast pace it will get there soon. As you make your way through the tracks you recognize how every song is deliberately advancing, both the music and the story lines. Lerner's insistent, ever forward style raises the listener's anticipation, you pay closer attention to shifts in the instrumentation and the progress of his little love stories. The songs come, do their thing, and leave, with no annoying repetition as is common with a lot of the genre.

Michael Lerner is a fine drummer (this stands out on the recording), but he also plays a lot of beautiful acoustic guitar (excellently recorded). Often his songs will explode into rhythmic electric guitar (early Wire came to mind), drumming you can't sit still to, and layered vocals. With Lerner doing almost all of this himself, it is particularly impressive to me how spontaneous the results sound. Chris Walla (of Death Cab For Cutie) added some nice instrumentation (bass, piano, organ, lead guitar) here and there. I particularly liked his backward forward piano on "Great Lakes".

Chris Walla is also credited as the producer, engineer, and mixer for Telekinesis. It is a beautiful, natural sounding recording, with a multitude of nice sonic touches, often surfacing as little intros or outros of the songs. "Rust" (the opening song) sounds like it has a projector running in the recording studio. Walla's touch really adds to the enjoyment of this recording, and you feel a connection between Lerner and himself. It comes through in the big hearted sound and performance of the music. I won't be playing this recording to death as I think it would wear it out for me. But I welcome it into my musical collection and look forward to revisiting it on occasion.

Telekinesis was released by Merge Records.

Bob Burnett: I just queued this one up to get when my emusic account refreshes. Merge Records has a pretty strong showing on emusic and I've sampled around a bit in the past: Neutral Milk Hotel, The Clientele, Camera Obscura, Arcade Fire to name a few. It's also home to c60 perennial favorite, the Clean.

Neil Young:1989

2009-12-21T23:10:00.014-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: In my recent posts for Built To Spill I mentioned Neil Young, how intense and transcendent he could be live. Thinking about "Cortez The Killer" live brought to mind his performance of "Rockin' In The Free World" on Saturday Night Live back in 1989. It was an incredible moment on TV, a brief assault by Neil Young at his very best. All the more amazing when you learn of how it came about. The events leading up to the performance are described well in Shakey: Neil Young's Biography by Jimmy McDonough. Neil was performing not with Crazy Horse, and not with the musicians he had intended to use for a few days of recording and the SNL appearance. Instead Neil appeared with drummer (Steve Jordan) and bass player (Charley Drayton), both of whom Neil had not selected. Poncho Sampedro was the lone member of Crazy Horse performing that night.

The performance is still stunning 20 years later, so full of energy, anger, relevance, and Neil Young having an absolute blast performing. Notice how the song and Neil are being pushed by the "stand in" drummer and bass player. Also check out the incendiary connection and interaction between all of them, simply amazing. The electric version of "Rockin' In The Free World" on Freedom seems to drag by comparison.

Link:

Bob Burnett: thanks for posting this performance, Kim. It's nice to know such a clean file of this exists. I read Neil Young was like a caged animal before going onstage--plundering out like a Viking instead of calmly waiting to be announced witha "how ya'll doin' ta-night?". It's quite impressive how he was able to get "the beast" tones on live TV--where feedback squalls become part of the air; the sonic existence of energy. This is a treasured performance. A time when he was affecting and being affected by music around him. I hear Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine within what's happening here.

Built To Spill:There Is No Enemy

2009-12-19T21:31:00.017-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: If you read my recent post regarding Built To Spill and my slow process of coming around to an appreciation of them, you know their Live release in 2000 was my turning point. Following Live Built To Spill released Ancient Melodies Of The Future (2001) and You In Reverse (2006); both were inconsistent with up and down moments, and unfortunately aimless guitar breaks. There Is No Enemy was released in October of this year and this one is a major improvement, the vast majority of songs are sharply honed, rich in content, and the band's performance is exceptional. Doug Martsch's playing, melodies, and lyrics have reached his highest and most consistent level to date. I continue to revel in the skilled fluidity and communication of the core band, Doug Martsch (guitars and vocals), Brett Netson and Jim Roth (guitars), Brett Nelson (bass), and Scott Plouf (drums). There Is No Enemy initially presents itself as big guitars, catchy pop music, but further listening reveals the lasting qualities of beautiful melodic songs, and Martsh's insightful observations and examination of life.

Neil Young still comes to mind as an influence, and an obvious comparison. Like Young, Martsch is on a high level with his enthralling guitar playing and the emotional depth of his lyrics on some of his best songs from the past and nearly all of There Is No Enemy. Both men are driven to search for universal truths, raise big questions about existence, and they lay out intimate, shared human contact and emotions. On There Is No Enemy Martsch has reached a new maturity lyrically. Consistently having something to say, he has clearly opened up personally in these songs. The melodies are bountiful and truly stunning, the songs are constructed with perfection, precise, but still seeming to be freely performed. I often wonder how many listeners really appreciate the difficulty and art of such accomplishments*. The majority of this Built To Spill release is like listening to Luna if they'd spent a year bulking up in the gym. This comparison (admittedly amusing) is meant as high praise, the song writing and Built To Spill's playing have a comparable refinement to Luna's concise, pop perfection, but in a pumped up form. "Life's A Dream" is an excellent example:

Miles till dawn

But it feels so dark till then

Drowns you out

But you can't be too certain

Common wants

Only fill me up with need

Everybody

In this world is just like me

So I

Row on

Sounds like fear

Thinking there might be a cure

Waste your life

But you don't know what it's worth

Comb your mind

For all the treasures of this earth

Too close to find

Anything inside yourself

So why

Row on

Life ain't nothing

But a dream

Realistic

As it seems

@ 2:05 a guitar solo break enters with "simple" lines, beautiful sliding notes, pull offs and hammer ons, building dynamically, bending, staccato, singing notes, and then smoothly the band backs off to:

Destiny's vulgar

So I might as well resist

Out of the darkness

And all the secrets still exist

Finally decided

And by decide I mean accept

I don't need all those

Other chances I won't get

So why

Row on

Life ain't nothing

But a dream

Realistic

As it seems

On There Is No Enemy electric guitars are still paramount, with a general tone of tube driven distortion, chiming guitar accompaniment, and effects galore; octave, chorus, spatial reverb, lots of impressive wah wah pedal work, and plenty of tasteful tremolo on this CD. These effects are yet another instrument in the hands of Martsch, Netson, and Roth, three equally creative, dynamic guitarists. I imagine each of them have substantial pedal boards laid out before their feet and they are used consistently throughout this release. What separates the effects laden songs, and Built To Spill's There Is No Enemy specifically, from the many indie, guitar jamming bands they are compared to? All the effects, the decades of developed guitar playing skills are pinpointed to serve the song's colors and moods. No one is playing guitar hero here, or stepping into the spotlight, solo breaks are concise and showcase the interplay as much as any specific player. Scott Plouf's drumming is thoughtful, thuddingly holding it all together. I particularly enjoy his relaxed, hanging back style on many of the songs, and how the negative space/time between the beats he creates are every bit as important as the beats. The bass player, Brett Nelson presents plenty of variety, some times pushing the band, and other times picking his accents. I particularly like the songs where his notes are drawn out, allowed to hang, and spatially offer up the heaviness of dub.

Built To Spill's There Is No Enemy consistently got to me, the performance and the content. This release is an example of why I am still drawn to rock, still finds sustenance within it, and a connection with the genre. The striving for perfection, honesty, performed seemingly with ease and familiarity is a rarity in any genre or medium of Art. We've got an example right here, give it some of your extended time... loud!

The following link will take you to "about to spill", a nice short piece with related thoughts by Martsch's wife that are interesting and insightful.

http://www.myspace.com/builttospill

Songs, Distance, Rememberances

2009-12-18T01:16:00.008-05:00

Bob Burnett: It's pitch black at 7:20AM in Copenhagen Airport. Winter in Denmark offers darkness until well into the morning. I'm waiting for a flight while listening to Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline.

My thoughts go back to 1976. I was a high school kid with little knowledge of anything in particular. I was working in a Long John Silver's; wearing a fake pirate bandanna do-rag while routinely burning my arms making fish and fries. I was a few years into record buying at that point; Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, Beatles, Walter Carlos Switched on Bach, Chicago Live at Carnegie Hall box set, George Gershwin are recollections of the floating, spinning vinyl that was happening for me.

But not Bob Dylan. I still needed fermenting on that one.

A year earlier in a class in school a "new girl" who just transferred was sitting behind me. She was probably two years older than my freshman self but seemed an eternity ahead in life experience. The initial awkward small talk led to her asking me "are you into Bob Dylan?" and being a 15 year old I said "uh....no". I really didn't know what she was talking about....Bob Dylan, Bobby Darin...it all seemed confusingly the same. Later I heard her say to another older kid in the class "man you gotta save me in here...I mean he's not even into Dylan..."

Well.....it's not like I wanted to impress her or anything but I gotta say it stung to be considered a drag. You'd think the next line in this story would be I went out, bought Blonde on Blonde and became an angel-headed hipster looking for an angry fix of mystical magic within every line. Nah. A year passed returning us to the Long John Silver's portion of this story. I found myself listening to the radio in the back room while making vats of cole slaw. The assistant manager knew I liked listening to the radio so one day struck up a conversation about how much he liked Bob Dylan. There was that name again. But this time from a guy; a real straight shooter of a guy. An honest, friendly, calm, kind of guy who if he wasn't working at Long John Silver's at that moment would probably be pulling over to give some hitchhiker a ride. He spoke to me about what Dylan meant to him and I could tell it was a very good thing.

As chance would have it, a few days later "Lay Lady Lay" came on the radio during a slow moment and I called for the assistant manager to come back and listen. There he stood; rapt in silence, head slightly cocked and arms crossed, taking the whole thing in. That moment offered me a gift--the chance to absorb his appreciation of the music while being allowed to experience a new dimension in what music could be. It was a moment that propelled me forward and expanded my ability to grasp a much wider array of what music could mean in life.

So here I sit in Copenhagen listening to that same song. A distant reflection, a current moment in time. It all seems as one.

Kim Kirkpatrick: Early in my teen years I was trying to learn how to play acoustic guitar, finger pickin', folk style. I recall a girl friend, (who I would have liked to be my girlfriend) named Corrina who was also learning to play and loved folk music. A few records from that time I can recall were by Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Woody Guthrie,, Elizabeth 'Libba' Cotton, Tim Hardin, Donovan's Catch The Wind. OK, I gotta admit I had at least one Peter, Paul and Mary record. I first heard Bob Dylan in 1964, a friend's mom had The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan LP (1963), and he wanted me to hear it. First off, it felt like the equivalent of sneaking into the liquor cabinet, not sure why, maybe he was not suppose to touch his parent's records. Anyway Dylan had me immediately, just consider some of the songs on side one, "Blowin' In The Wind", "Masters of War", "A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall". Side two with, "Don't Think Twice It's All Right", "Oxford Town", "Talkin' World War III Blues"*. Direct, radical folk music, that powerfully surpassed any of the above musicians I was listening to. I was an eager follower of Bob Dylan, he could do no wrong fan, from that moment up to around Nashville Skyline and Self Portrait. I hung in there with him through New Morning, but by then my musical interests were vast and his releases were not all that interesting to me.

And "Corrina Corrina"

Richard Buckner at IOTA

2009-12-13T18:13:00.008-05:00

Michael Ferguson: I wasn’t sure what to expect when Richard Buckner, flanked by three guitars, sat down in front of the microphone at Iota Café on December 4; I had never seen him perform live, and I knew his music mostly from a couple of his recent releases on Merge Records. Buckner began his set without introduction and continued playing, without pausing between songs or even allowing space for applause, for well over an hour. He was unaccompanied, but effects pedals enabled him to create a big, layered sound when the music called for it. I was surprised by the variety of his songs, which ranged from sweeping harmonic drone sequences buttressed by delay-box rhythms to unadorned acoustic pieces that highlighted his abilities as a singer-songwriter. In several songs, he used an EBow, and the results were almost psychedelic—--far from the alt-country style often associated with Buckner. What made the set cohere was Buckner’s low, undulating voice, which, for me, began to have a hypnotic effect after a few songs. In fact, I was so absorbed in the music that I didn’t realize until I turned around to go to the bar midway through the set that half of the audience had left. By the end of the night, only thirty or forty people remained in the room--which was a shame, because Buckner’s performance was worth sticking around for.

"Don't Say No Just Say You Don't Know"

2009-12-08T22:17:00.031-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: For most of my life I have been able to quickly "get it" with music. I could trust my judgement, and my initial reactions would hold true for me, even years later. I am referring to both an intuitive understanding of the music, and a spot on, immediate decision as to it's importance for me. Well, such things have changed as I have gotten older -- listening to music has become complicated.

My aging has increased the likelihood of rejecting new music; I mean honestly, I have heard a lot of it before. I am aware of my hair trigger rejection tendency and do my best to control it, but I can still swiftly and confidently confirm that I flat out hate something. I also still have immediate, blissful connections with some new music. What has changed with age is the increasing number of CDs and bands that I am not definite about, I can't commit too them or dismiss them easily. Music for me these days requires more of my time and effort to decipher on a personal level. If the music raises questions in me, has possible uniqueness within it, or shows a refinement (within a genre), then it deserves more of my time. At such a point I commit to the musical mystery, the undefinable pull of the music. I focus on the possibilities of the music, determined that further exploration will take precedence over that aging, close minded, "heard it before" guy creeping up within me.

BUILT TO SPILL:LIVE

I have experienced all of the above big time with Built To Spill -- it has been an extended battle that dragged out over 6-7 years. I started out viewing them as yet another quirky, clever band, with jerking melodies and a thin, brittle sound. My opinion to pass on them was also based on their cover art, the spotty material, and the irritating, up front vocals of Doug Martsch.The circle of friends around me who liked the band, who wanted me to hear and like them were all in their early twenties. Granted, they were open minded musically, we had made musical connections across decades, but the fan base's age bracket didn't help Built To Spill's case with me. I didn't fully dismiss the band, I hung onto a mixed CDR a friend gave me, his favorites across a few years of Built To Spill's discography.

Then in 2000 Built To Spill released LIVE, which had a twenty minute version of Neil Young's "Cortez The Killer". Now I have always been deeply into Neil Young, at the time I was busily scarfing up live material by him from around the world. Plus, "Cortez The Killer" was particularly close to my heart, almost a religious experience for me, especially a few times (not all) I saw Neil Young perform it. I had heard Built To Spill were "great" live and now they'd performed a 20 minute version of "Cortez The Killer". So, in spite of my general dislike of live recordings and my overall struggles with the band I bought the CD to find out what Built To Spill was up to (I kind of liked the cover too).

"Cortez The Killer" on LIVE absolutely stunned me, a performance I would never have believed possible by anyone other than Neil Young. Built To Spill's version carries all the power and beauty of any live Neil Young and Crazy Horse performance I have heard. Martsch's playing searches and explores the song's ethereal, timeless zone, using all of his considerable guitar skills and effects to reach the essence of the song's powerful beauty and emotion. Martsch creates the transcendent experience of "Cortez The Killer"; I had tears welling up in my eyes because of his playing, because of his feeling for the song's sad and lonely tale.

The insert for LIVE informs you Doug Martsch is on vocals and right guitar, Jim Roth on left guitar, with various other guitar work by Brett Netson. The left and right guitar separation is great for focusing on one or the other guitarist, plus it helps the listener experience the musician's interactions, and musical conversation. This recording is guitar heaven, thick with electricity, technique, effects, dynamics, and all of it serving the songs. The guitar playing is never in excess, and no one guitarist is mixed louder then another, even when soloing. LIVE is dense but has clarity, and all the musicians can be equally heard or isolated while listening to these recordings (the bass player and drummer are also worthy of your focused attention). LIVE is a combination of different performances but you'd never know it from listening. The selection and sequencing of the songs is flawless in pace and content, making Built To Spill's LIVE a complete and satisfying concert experience.

Sir Skid-a-Lot

2009-12-06T10:14:00.020-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: I do a fair amount of driving to different jobs, one of them has me driving home late at night on the GW Parkway and the beltway. I enjoy listening to music while driving alone, playing it loud, in fact 95% of my music time is spent in the car (which is sad in a way but let's not go there). I have come to enjoy music that takes my drive to a different reality, changing the windshield into a movie screen is the best way I can describe this experience.

With the right music, volume, and especially at night, the scene clicks before me from a driving experience into a motion picture, with everything flowing smoothly, all things moving through an environment that is slipperier and thicker than oxygen. I feel a calmness and tend to flow through the traffic with fluidity and grace. "DANGER DANGER" you might think, this guy is on the road in a trance, drugged by sound waves, he could crash or cause an accident at any moment. Actually, I think I am very much in touch with my surroundings. The music and the road are connected for me, seemingly deciphered by the music, and my mind is focused on the driving.

I had a particular great listening/driving experience one night recently. I was driving in blowing snow that was swirling around and changing directions. I recall rolling on a newly paved road with it's accompanying perfect bright white dashes, observed a polished tractor trailer reflecting and morphing all the lights around it, and a snow plow with an impressive number of flashing lights dancing about with a weird dimensionality to them. Another enjoyable drive occurred just this past week. It was a super clear (winter dry) night, with a full moon glowing on the river and through the trees. One of the above nights I listened to a Mind The Gap sampler with Marc Em, Waiwan, Fetisch Park, Tarwater, and Architect on it. The other night it was Simm's Welcome and a Thomas Brinkmann disc. Brinkmann really fits these experiences, with his numerous subtle changes amongst the steady percussion, it all sneaks up on you nicely.

It is logical that a "Fun fun fun on the Autobahn" trip would be triggered best by pulsing electronic music - a little spaciness (in the music) couldn't hurt as well, right? It is not my intention, however, to confine these experiences to just this genre of music or just at night. I have had astonishing musical experiences while driving in the daytime. One that comes to mind was being stuck in hopeless rush hour traffic, with the hot summer sun in my eyes, and listening to the only music I had with me, a dense, demanding Anthony Braxton group performance that Bob had given me. Bob deserves credit for opening up the possibilities of listening to musical genres (for me) in different environments, music played in situations where I would only have expected them to be irritating*. I think I actually called Bob while on the road to describe the experience. Another rush hour recollection was listening to Fats Waller playing organ. In both daytime examples, the music just pulled the irritation and ugliness of the scene right out of me, creating a positive experience.

I suspect you can relate to all of this and could make up a list of your own but to sum this up, below is a short list of other musicians I recall having such experiences with:

Arovane

Broadway Project

Built To Spill (Live CD)

Zakir Hussain

Alvin Lucier

Neotropic

Northern Picture Library

Yo La Tengo (in particular the EP with "From A Motel Six" and "Ashes On The Ground")

His experiences were based upon iPod listening on the subway and while walking.

Bob Burnett: That's correct. Many of my listening experiences come when walking or taking the Metro in the Washington, DC area. As I've mentioned to Kim there are times when something so engrossing occurs on Metro I discover I've been staring at someone's shoe for who knows how long. I like the shuffle mode of an iPOD and the mystery and happenstance it allows. Just last week I was listening to Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde and began to doze off. The imagery within the lyrics began to create interpretive forms and connect as stories in my mind. With all that freebie visualization going on at one level, another level was playing lifeguard up on the chair saying "yes, you are in an early form of sleep, yes, this is happening, yes this is great....oh two stops to go before you need to get off the train."

I don't listen to music when driving locally--mainly because I don't drive much. When I do drive I'm happy with not having a radio on or evenings having it on a Capitals, Wizards or Nationals game. (depending on season) I do take advantage of long distance solo driving excursions as chances to delve into long-form compositions. For instance I have a fond lasting memory of driving to Providence, Rhode Island and playing Morton Feldman's String Quartet II in it's 4 cd entirety. (the version performed by the Ives Ensemble) I've recently re-acquired Philip Glass' Einstein on the Beach which seems to cry out for a complete listen. I've only listened in fragments and it's been annoying at best that way. I'm thinking I need it as a work en masse and then decide if I've moved on or if new pathways have made themselves present to me. I'll also always cherish a drive down the Oregon Coast while playing The Necks Aether.

Tetuzi Akiyama + Toshimaru Nakamura:"Semi Impressionism"

2009-12-05T07:04:00.003-05:00

Bob Burnett: I've been spending a fair amount of time with the electro-acoustic improvisation "Semi Impressionism" and find it to be a remarkable work of open, visceral and spontaneous sound creation. The structure for the collaboration features Tetuzi Akiyama playing acoustic guitar and Toshimaru Nakamura adding what's called "no input"mixing board sonics. The "no input" technique makes for a series of what I can only describe as sharp amp cord-pulling pops, electric line impedence and hums, feedback---sparking, angular and effective sound collage. Akiyama's guitar remains fairly simple and warm throughout the album. His technique allows for deep resonance within the body of the guitar. I greatly appreciate his simple notes and open space approach. As with the "no input" partnership at hand, the tactile quality of his technique makes the instrument work exceptionally well for me. I've always been attracted to improvisation that opens the scope of the listening experience to the hands-on quality of sound. "Semi Impression" works for me because of its limitless and open approach to the very human quality of allowing the craft of creation to be part of the overall presentation. As mentioned, the guitar sounds and feels like it is being touched, manipulated, approached as an object. The "no input" sonics simply captivate me; they sound alive--they bring aural definition to the structure of electricity and the many colors it offers as a sound canvas. "Semi Impression" spans over three long improvisations ranging from between 15 and 24 minutes. While the overall album is similar in approach, each improvisation stands on its own as a unique offering. By the time you get to the third piece's strong, squall-like moments you'll realize you've worked up to earning the right to experience such an exceptional effort. Highly recommended.

Daedelus:"of snowdonia"

2009-11-30T22:12:00.010-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: Daedelus' "of snowdonia" was released in 2004 on Plug Research. I pulled it from my cd cabinet before dashing out the door for a drive in the rain. I chose it because it seemed related to some recently posted comments. Bob mentioning DJ Food's Raiding the 20th Century, how he didn't find himself scrambling to identify samples, that it was more about the overall listening experience for him, a technique serving a bigger purpose perhaps. As compared to, for instance, my fun identifying the music DJP was scratching and mixing, songs I'd otherwise hate but for his hysterical combinations and near unbelievable segueing skills.

"of snowdonia" lists Daedelus as playing all instruments with just two exceptions, and to my ears his dominant "instrument" is a plethora* of vinyl samples. These are musically joined together with an assortment of instruments. Melodica, marimba, vibes, nylon stringed guitar, accordion, gypsy like violin, classic-cool blue-Tyneresque-drum n bass-tribal-detective noir-cheesy martini Jazz, for example. Synth keyboards galore, glitches, blips, dub effects, and pleasantly odd vocals surface on various tracks, be they sampled or live. I have not come close to cataloging all the source material, styles, and instruments heard on "of snowdonia" , just what comes to mind from a recent listen. Daedelus gives us 13 musical pieces ranging from soothing ones to demanding your utmost attention tracks. There is never a drop off point of creativity or quality, not a dull moment for the entire 45 minutes.

What is important here, why snag Daedelus:

For his skill of combining a huge, HUGE, diversity of materials, samples, sounds, beats, and instruments into dense, really dense layers of music. The combinations, the outlandish variety of sounds in any one track will cease to be a primary concern, the methods used will fade from your thoughts because he has made it all so musical. Daedelus is special, and based on what musical output I have by him I'd say "of snowdonia" is a perfect introduction, a fine take off point for you... and I don't even know you!

From the intro to "Dumbfound":

"Daedelus had a most unusual rumble in his head

It went rumble rumble rumble

And then it went bumble bumble bumble"

as in an excess or overabundance, but in a good way here

Opitope: Hau

2009-11-28T17:36:00.005-05:00

Bob Burnett: A label I've recently discovered that offers a bounty of interesting releases is Spekk. A current favorite and excellent starting point is the 2007 release Hau by Opitope.

Opitope is a Japan-based duet made up of Date Tomoyoshi and Chihei Hatakeyama. They play a variety of instruments: electric guitars, acoustic guitar, piano, bass, vibraphone, electronics, voices and effects. On early listens the sound reflects in spirit the sonic tapestry of Harold Budd /4AD label albums. There's a lot to like about this album; beautiful textures, thoughtful compositions, interplay that is unique and challenging to offer a few quick descriptions.

To move away from my own offerings and get to the source, I found Opitope's own description of the work on Discogs:

"This an imaginary album traveling from the north to south, overlapping the images of transition of the four seasons. In reality, indeed one things always leads to an end and I feel sad every time I think about that. In this album, we tried to express this sorrow feeling changing gradually into hope as we travel south. Seasons have no end. It always moves from spring, summer, autumn, winter back to spring.. And just like the changing seasons, the tracks in this album constantly shifts another and the last piece connects to the very beginning which forms the never ending circle. We have expressed the images of these "endings" with "never endings" by music. These thoughts were brought up naturally during the making of this album and it's not that we had this idea from the start. Another concept of this album is "symmetry". There are 9 pieces in this album and is constructed by track 5 being the axis of the symmetry - like in terms of composition, 1st track is a piano piece and also the 9th track. The same thing goes to the arrangements like you will notice sounds that forms contrasts between the left & right speaker."

Hau is available via emusic as well as Boomkat .(both mp3 and FLAC)

"Keep It Goin' Louder" Video by Major Lazer

2009-11-28T09:39:00.020-05:00

Bob Burnett: I saw this video and drew a parallel to R. Crumb and Bow Wow Wow. Gee--I wonder why?

See for yourself:
Keep It Goin' Louder Video by Major Lazer - MySpace Video

Supersister: Pudding En Gisteren

2009-11-27T21:30:00.036-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: A few years ago I was listening to a great DJP multi-turntable performance, scratching, segueing, mashing with unbelievable perfection and hilarity. One brief segue included a rising keyboard synthesiser that I recognized but could not identify. Eventually I had one of those "of course it is..." moments. DJP predominantly works with classic/alternative and 80's rock songs but this sample was an obscurity, Supersister's "Judy Goes on Holiday" from their 1972 release Pudding En Gisteren*.

Supersister was a progressive rock band along the lines of the Canterbury Scene and interestingly the Dutch Supersister were originally signed to John Peel's Dandelion label in England. Pudding En Gisteren was their third album released in 1972. It starts with "Radio", a Latin rhythm, flute, synth plucked strings song, with vocals leading to the line: "Turn it on and go"! At this point the band explodes into progressive glory, kicking in with speedy high hat work, deep bombastic background vocals, synthesiser keyboards galore (including accordion), intricate bass lines, and then "Radio" is gone... on to a tune titled "Supersisterretsisrepus", a 15 second classical synth harpsichord ditty played forward then reversed... then zipping into "It is not strange to be a "Psychopath", with it's beautiful tumbling piano lines, strings, and vocals worthy of The New Vaudeville Band's "Winchester Cathedral" (I sincerely hope you do not know this reference or have heard the song). By now a Monty Python/Bonzo Dog Band meets Caravan amalgamation enters your mind and (KAPOW!) Supersister is off with the musical adventure titled "Judy Goes on Holiday". A bouncy bounce bounce of a tune with it's wind up synth, Gong like percussion, flute, organ, Jazz/Fusion, Progressive Rock, and stop n start timing adventures, whew! And in true Prog Rock form suddenly it all comes to a halt... shifting into a peaceful Camel like segment with, dare I say this, some Quicksilver Messenger Service flavored acoustic guitar moments. Back with a brief reprise of the theme, then the outro singing of "Love you in the morning, love you in the night" sounding just like an outtake from Zappa's "Cruisin' with Ruben and the Jets", hell of a musical journey in under 13 minutes. But there is more, the 21 minute title track Pudding En Gisteren (Music For Ballet). I am not going to walk you through this particular musical journey, but in retrospect it is a blend of Gentle Giant, cool 60's jazz movie soundtracks, euro circus tunes, and Brand X, with an overall tripping forward psychedelic atmosphere.

So here I am 37 years later listening to Supersister's Pudding En Gisteren because DJP pulled a 5-10 second sample from the record. How great is that? It still seems a worthy listen, which surprises me as much as anyone, admission of a Prog Rock past is not always easy. Listening in this century the music might be more funny then intended, more laughing moments then heard when released, but Supersister consistently were not as bombastic and over the top as many of their Prog-compatriots. They were deliberately amusing, and clearly were having fun in their compositions and lyrics. I'd go so far as to say they were enjoying life based on the 4 releases I am familiar with. A couple of their releases stand the test of time, like a few other better known bands of the Canterbury Scene (tantalizing opening for a Bob post). Esoteric Recordings have reissued Supersister's catalog, all remastered and with appropriate additional singles and live performances. Forced Exposure would be a good source in the U.S.A. for these UK releases. And if my opinion carries any weight I would suggest you also pick up their first album as well, Present From Nancy released in 1970. Perhaps it is more of a straight ahead progressive rock/jazz trip, but it still has their humor and really holds together well, encouraging a complete listen from start to finish.

As an aside, I played both of these albums during dinner one evening and each tune, each change in direction by Supersister was enjoyed by and commented upon by my 12 and 15 year old daughters. This kind of musical interaction seldom happens since they became tween and teen. Yet more value in Supersister's music all these decades later.

DJ Shadow also used this sample through out his track "Organ Donor" from his classic release, Endtroducing on Mo'Wax.

Bob Burnett: Kim says Canterbury so off I go. There's still a lot of "progressive" music I like from 37+ years ago; most of it in the Henry Cow family or rooted in that form of what's known as progressive. That very short list would be Soft Machine, Henry Cow, National Health, Robert Wyatt solo efforts, Kevin Ayers, Steve Hillage's Rainbow Dome Musick. I think "downtown" music has certain touches and nods towards Canterbury. I also feel '70s era progressive influenced a strand of music I like today: The Sea and Cake, Tortoise, Yo La Tengo, Nels Cline's solo career to name a few. (as well as what I'm listening to right now--Opitope Hau on the Spekk label) To further explore Kim's nod to the sample, there's something about the art of sampling that makes even the most annoying music on it's own a post modern masterpiece when part of a larger reconstructed composition. The classic for me being DJ Food's Raiding the 20th Century. I'd be hard-pressed to "hear" JayZ, Beyonce, Will Smith, Justin Timberlake on their own merits because while they use samples at times the overall production technique is so crafted, perfected, polished and pounded into compression happy tracks that it becomes a digital marketing tool and not a composition--and I can't see past that.In contrast , these same works of sonic corporate lobby art in the context of Raiding the 20th Century appear in a different framing. Raiding the 20th Century makes it so I don't need to know or comprehend what I'm hearing at any given time. I know the muddled millieu is part of a larger work and know it's being used for it's impact in an overlapping, multi-dimensional way. I have a great aversion for TV's, radios, music, etc. playing from cars, in public places and being forced on me in general. Maybe the secret is to approach interloping media from the same post modern position a mash-up offers; to make the unwanted impacts into momentary frames of John Cage-like Imaginary Landscape (for 4-12 radios) where conventional instruments and electronic devices create the sonic happenings.

2009-11-21T16:14:00.018-05:00

Postcard Records Of Scotland:

Kim Kirkpatrick: Why post the above image you might ask?

Reason #1: Bob's most recent post about So Percussion brought the above label to mind. I ever so briefly weighed posting this pic as an affront to Bob (and So Percussion for that matter) vs. just how cute (and relevant) this surprised looking, upright percussionist kitty looked.

Reason #2: The Go-Between's first single "I Need Two Heads" has been on frequent replay in my brain for weeks (we shall completely skip any personal analysis of this). Now mind you I have not actually listen to this song for years! The song surprisingly entered my life via Postcard Records as a 7" single mailed to me for radio play. Receiving packages of The Go-Betweens, Josef K, and Orange Juice singles (all released in 1980) was such a pleasurable, tactile surprise for me, and as a bonus they were from a label in Scotland, my family's origin! Most importantly it was an awakening to a new direction in music and I was fortunate enough to first air them in America just as quickly as any English radio station could. What fun and what importance that sharing carried for me personally.

Excellent appreciation and history of Postcard Records here: http://www.twee.net/labels/postcard.html

Bob Burnett: Ah, a hearkening to a time when we'd both wait for that moment of surprise and anticipation; when our mailboxes would be stuffed with a new shipment from someplace other than where we were at that moment. Rough Trade from London, Ralph from San Francisco, a package from Green World in California or New Music Distribution Service in lower Manhattan. Tactile, vital and new. Sometimes the stamps on the shipment would be more interesting than the music inside. Now, it's a file or a webpage but the moment still exists when a thing or two from Downtown Music Gallery arrives. It all still seems real and fulfilling; the discovery, the search and the insatiable wandering.

So Percussion: Amid the Noise

2009-11-21T07:55:00.008-05:00

Bob Burnett: Great praise be to So Percussion for Amid the Noise and the joyous, syncopated yet subtle spin-ages it has brought to me.

Since beginning their journey together at the Yale School of Music in 1999, So Percussion has "been creating music that is both raucous and touching, barbarous and refined" (so says So's webpage). They seem to believe in percussion as an all-absorbing source for creating music. I happen to agree fully--being a long time follower of some of the great's efforts---Reich, Cage, Z'ev for example. (I even remember those '70s era Pierre Moerlin's Gong albums Expresso Vols. 1 and 2)

Amid the Noise was their third album and first effort at original music, written by member Jason Treuting. They experimented with glockenspiel, toy piano, vibraphones, bowed marimba, melodica, tuned and prepared pipes, metals, duct tape, a wayward ethernet port, and all kinds of sound programming. The result makes for creative, colorful and engaged listening. It flows, vibrates, echoes and pulses beautifully. Amid the Noise is a complete album--meaning it makes for an overall listening experience and not just a song/composition here or there.

There's also an interesting So Percussion ep out that features Evan Ziporyn's Melody Competition as well as David Lang's The So-Called Laws of Nature (parts 1-3). The ep features long-formed, rhythmic compositions--an interesting contrast to the gentle and melodic Amid the Noise.

Teodoro Anzellotti: Erik Satie Compositeur de Musique

2009-11-20T07:50:00.009-05:00

Bob Burnett: When composer/pianist Erik Satie died in 1925, a group of friends and admirers realized no one had been to his one room apartment in the Parisian suburb of Arcueil since he had moved there twenty-seven years earlier. A group got together and decided to go in and explore--after all someone had to take on the task of dispersing his belongings. What was found has been called the King Tut tomb equivalent of the eccentric musician's stamp on life; scores of umbrellas--many never used, a total of four pianos: two dust and spider web encrusted ones were back to back, the others sat upside-down on top of the other two. Scattered about were letters from all periods of his life, drawings, collections of writings and other memorabilia including seven velvet suits from his Velvet Gentleman period; an era where he wore the identical suits one after another.

Found among the ephemera of nearly three decades of living and working in one room was sheet music for compositions. The scores were discovered behind the piano, in the pockets of the velvet suits, and in other odd places. According to a very well put-together wikipedia submission, these included marathon composition Vexations and other unpublished or unfinished works, The Dreamy Fish, many exercises, a previously unseen set of "canine" piano pieces, several other piano works often without titles. Some of these works would be published later as Gnossienes , (the series being some of his more known compositions) Pièces Froides, Enfantines, and Furniture Music.

I have known Satie's work from a variety of solo piano releases--my first exposure being the '70s EMI release by Aldo Ciccolini. There have been many others. A 2002 release, Hidden Corners by Eve Egoyan being my most recent version purchased. Now I've found another version--but not for piano. This time it's Satie performed on accordion, Erik Satie Compositeur de Musique by Teodoro Anzellotti on the Winter & Winter label, first released in 1998.

As his website states, Anzellotti has successfully contributed to integrating the accordion into classical music. This has occurred principally through his service to New Music: through his development of performing techniques he has enlarged the tone-color capabilities and sonic profile of his instrument. I first became aware of him on another Winter & Winter release 3 Compositions by John Cage which is a wonderfully subdued and beautifully executed offering.

I'm finding Erik Satie Compositeur de Musique to be an addicting listen. The melodies are familiar (Sports et Divertissements, Gnossienne's and Gymnopedie for piano No. 1) but the tone of the accordion and Anzellotti's ability to overlap and differentiate the simple but elegant notation is captivating. He creates an open, minimal quality that usually isn't associated with the accordion. In terms of easy digital purchasing, Erik Satie Compositeur de Musique is available via emusic or Amazon. I suggest looking into it.

2009-11-19T13:19:00.034-05:00

The Mysteries of Sustain and Electricity:Kim Kirkpatrick: Through the years I routinely ponder band dynamics. The quality of their music over the long haul and how they manage to stay together for years. My own brief struggles in a band produced an appreciation for bands that remain creative for years. I honestly cannot fathom how bands manage to hold it together, maintain a positive group dynamic, and create excellent music with such longevity. Now many an important band in my life has carried on too long, gotten so bad and such a parody of themselves that their previous output becomes ruined for me (yeah I know this is a personal problem). But being in a band is a marriage (with extra spouses) and how can anyone be expected to recognize their failure while in the decay itself, much less halt the tumbling disaster?

This submission started true to C60 form, positive thoughts about bands to be shared. I am often pleased to consider the scope and size of discographies by such bands as The Bats or The Clean. Such bands of commitment and growth remain musically relevant in my life and are very important to me. All their years together can be heard in the familiarity and comfort level of playing together, as well as the band's overall refinement and progress. These are experienced musicians with time well spent together, traveling companions in a multitude of ways, and they share it all with us.

A few examples:

The American Analog Set

The Go-Betweens

Luna

Yo La Tengo

The Bats: The Guilty Office

2009-11-18T08:16:00.020-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: A frustrating life experience we all share is waiting, and more often then not satisfaction is not the end result, right? How about a happy ending this time? I wait and wait for new music from The Bats. I wait for more of their melodies, their comfortable interplay, and I look forward to experiencing new musical swirling and floating pleasure in my head and heart. The Bats may not surface as often as I'd like but astoundingly the original line up has remained in tact for 25 years, half a dozen albums and several world tours. I was fortunate early on to catch a small club appearance by The Bats thanks to an insistent friend (Mike of Slumberland) and it was an invigorating, pop rockin' experience I'll always remember. I can still picture Mike smiling, eyes shut, his head swinging trance like to the jangle and pulse of The Bats. The band's songs (especially early on) were most often fast and driven hard by clean electric rhythm guitar. As a fan(atic) you'd rise up on these sonic waves, ride them gleefully, enjoy the blissful balance of it all, and really hope the wave never broke. It did of course but another wave of pleasure was right behind.

Leading The Bats is Robert Scott (also of The Clean), the main vocalist, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist. The bassist, Paul Kean slips along and punches through the melodies with a unique style and tone. Kaye Woodward always has a concise solo, color, or melody to enhance the structure and direction of their songs. Malcolm Grant's drumming holds it all together and moving forward with a particularly bouncy, light touch that really adds to the pleasure that is The Bats.

Another pleasure for me personally is their combination of a Vox AC30 and Fender Twin Reverb amps, both classic equipment for decades of rock music. A simple comparison could describe the Vox as one of clarity and sparkle as compared to the Fender Twin's loud, muscular tone. I love so much music that utilizes either of these amps (do some research if you are so inclined) but I particularly like the Fender Twin's breathing, smooth lower register tone. I love to hear the driven amp tones, the subtle use of analog effects, and tasteful sonic touches.

All of this is masterfully present on The Guilty Office, along with the addition of strings, a harp, and an accordion. This newest release lingers more at a mid to slower pace, but as always the songs are compelling and grow with repeated listening. Lyrics about relationships, observations, even seemingly timeless tales continue to flow with refinement from Mr. Scott. The Bats create beautiful, catchy, intelligent music whenever they gather together. If you are new to The Bats The Guilty Office is a fine starting point and not as pricey as some material appears to have gotten. Other additions would be the band compiled best of (import), Thousands of Tiny Luminous Spheres, another import, Compiletely Bats pulls together early material, and Fear of God or Daddy's Highway are also solid releases.

Lots of info about The Bats at this site.

The Big Eyes Family Players: Do the Musiking

2009-11-17T14:10:00.008-05:00

Bob Burnett: Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Tin Hat Trio, Young Marble Giants. A diverse set of musical styles that bring to mind eccentric, spare, haunting music. I'm adding The Big Eyes Family's Do the Musiking to that wide ranging group of oh so masterful artists. Do the Musiking is a series of short cuts--mostly 2 minutes or so in length-- that form a 29 track-72 minute compilation. There's a yard sale full of instrumentation--sometimes played rhythmically and sometime a kilter; moments of spare Americana folk, klezmer, old world acoustic, occasional spacious-semi psychedelic electric guitar as well as woodwinds straight out of late '60s progressive that would fit right in on King Crimson's first album. The project evokes a Joseph Cornell meets Boo Radley feel; small, delicate, slightly dusty keepsakes of sound pulled out of an old forgotten chiffarobe.

According to Matthew Murphy's Pitchfork write-up, Do the Musiking was released in 2006. The project's mainstays were multi-instrumentalist James Green and guitarist Dave Jaycock who have worked together since the late '90s under the name Big Eyes. Following the release of Big Eyes' 2004 album We Have No Need For Voices When Our Hearts Can Sing, the duo expanded the standard group format to add a series of guests that included Rachel Grimes (Rachel's), Jeremy Barnes (Neutral Milk Hotel, A Hawk and a Hacksaw), and Scottish folkie James Yorkston. Do the Musiking was three years in the making.

Apparently the Big Eyes Family Players have a recent release titled Warm Room. I know nothing about it beyond what I gleaned from a few brief write-ups about it being connected as an ode to folk through their unique lens of what folk music is. Hopefully it connects as nicely as Do the Musiking did with me.

Taylor Deupree+ Christopher Willits: Listening Garden

2009-11-16T22:17:00.006-05:00

Bob Burnett: I've spent a good part of the last 30 years getting further and further immersed in long form, minimal/slow/glacial forms of music and sound composition. It all started with the Obscure label (Eno, David Toop, Jan Steele/John Cage, Penguin Cafe Orchestra) and has drifted, melted and ambled through many wonderful iterations and varieties. (This Heat, Lamonte Young, Morton Feldman, William Basinski) One of my current favorites is a sound composition by Taylor Deupree and Christopher Willits aptly named "Listening Garden". The composition is an environmental sound design based on the natural sounds of Japan's Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media. Among the tones and hues of the space is a beautiful blending of Deupree's sonic manipulations and Willits' treated guitar textures and hums. The result is an album-length composition broken into five segments that drifts and ambles within the sound textures of the environment; the listener experiences air pressure changes, muted voices and distant comings and goings, the clicks and clacks of motion and a sense of a fleeting moment in time captured and framed. There's nothing new-agey or sound effects soaked about this composition. Albeit "relaxing" as a listening experience, it offers engagement and stimulation. Listening Garden was released on Deupree's 12k label--a limited edition run of 1000 vinyl copies came out originally. I found it as a digital download on emusic; it instantly made its way onto my iPOD however, I suggest playing it through speakers to give it the much deserved space it craves. There's another review with further comments here. In addition to the mentioned review please go to 12k's webpage.

The Clean "Mister Pop"

2009-11-02T06:56:00.017-05:00

Bob Burnett: I've been pretty much heavy rotating The Clean's September release "Mister Pop"since it came out. All praise must go to WFMU DJ Maria Levitsky. I was streaming one of her Wed. afternoon shows and there it appeared--the unmistakably fresh sound of New Zealand's The Clean. Merge Records, is currently streaming "Mister Pop" so I suggest hitting the link and listening in yourself--and of course don't take advantage of their generosity; get it on cd, mp3 or FLAC directly from Merge.

Other Music's Dave Martin also spoke highly of "Mister Pop" in a review that sums it up nicely:

"The Clean are now into their third decade as a band and while there has been a lot of downtime in that span, they still managed to draft the blueprint for the sound that came be known as indie rock, and what I would consider some of the best music ever made, ever. The on-again, off-again status that the Kilgour brothers and Robert Scott have maintained over the last two decades seems to suit them very well. These days it appears that their strength is in their lack of ambition beyond self-satisfaction. They don't expect to unveil another "Tally Ho" and you shouldn't either, but they do make music that hits the perfect balance of familiar and new, and if that doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement then you are reading it wrong. On the whole Mister Pop drifts by in a wonderful psychedelic haze but the more you listen the better it gets.

Kim Kirkpatrick: The Clean's first EP Boodle Boodle Boodle was released in 1981 on New Zealand's Flying Nun Records. If (at the time) you were following the current punk, post punk, rock of England and America The Clean was relatable and utterly refreshing at the same time. Historically this release from The Clean boosted and supported the growth of the label and consequently brought the world New Zealand's vibrant "do it yourself" musical scene that was Flying Nun Record's punk/pop/noise. "Billy Two" was a gleeful jolt of a song, with it's powerful acoustic guitar, punk in it's energy and pop with it's oh so fast and fetching catchiness. "Anything Could Happen" started with the prettiest of slow paced 12 string strumming, then a loping bass joined in and the song twisted towards a country saloon performance (Stones circa Beggar's Banquet). "Point That Thing Somewhere Else", an electric, muscling surf/psych sound, driving and pulsing like The Velvet Underground or a possessed version of The Ventures. In retrospect the approach and attitude of these three songs prove to be the blueprint for all that was to become The Clean. One could also link these songs (+" Tally Ho") with all of Flying Nun's various bands to come. Musical connections and line up crossovers within the New Zealand/Flying Nun scene abound. A worthy 2 CD compilation of The Clean is available from Merge Records and Bob reviewed it back in January of 2008.

The Dave Martin review of Mister Pop that Bob posted should send you in pursuit of this music, and of course the fact Bob bothered to write about it is reason enough for most of us to give it several spins. As for myself, I'd say Mister Pop is a must own, a masterful collection of songs that function best in their entirety. We all know how rare and precious such a find is in musical recordings. I could list all the styles touched upon, do a dreaded checklist of related bands, but seriously just give it a listen. You will hear the links, make your own connections and come away wanting to listen again and again to Mister Pop. It has great diversity from track to track yet fits together comfortably. It rocks, jangles, and even manages to produce an instrumental that organically crosses Cluster/Neu with Nick Drake! Throughout Mister Pop the band produces a warm, friendly performance, and the lyrics are playful but often carry an underlying poignancy. And The Clean still play tune after tune that will keep resurfacing in the canyons of your mind long after you turn off the stereo or remove your earbuds. The musicians that play together on Mister Pop are settled into life, matured, and can take a song, a solo, a tone, in any direction they want with ease. On Mister Pop every song is natural, homemade, and just perfect. And The Clean manage to reproduce this like you are in the room with them.

Here's a link to a David Kilgour release I wrote back in February of 2007.

Bob Burnett: I couldn't agree with Kim more--and what a terrific connection he made about the song "Tensile" as being Cluster/Neu/Nick Drake. I'm listening to "Moonwalker" right now and am amazed at the raga-rock nature of the vamp they create. A floating "Baba O'Reilly" experience with a gentle, even tempo--The Who meets Cul de Sac. I find this album to be a transformative iPOD experience. Can't recommend it enough.

Yo La Tengo and Steve Eliovson/Colin Walcott

2009-11-01T06:40:00.007-05:00

Bob Burnett: We've let the site sit still basking in the stage lights of the Jonas Brothers concert review. I was just headphonin' on my couch at sunrise, listening to Yo La Tengo's "And then nothing turned itself inside-out" on a quiet rain-filled Sunday and said, "it's time....yes.....it's time" especially since last evening was filled with Yo La Tengo's recent "Popular Songs" release. Yo La Tengo is the group for me that brings so many things together-including the desire to write a thing or two on C60. I google-crawled around for a moment looking into what was being written about "Popular Songs" and discovered the usual need to say the band has been at it 25 years as well as a need to dog the two long, beautiful, engaging cuts at the end of the release as "interminable".....blah....blah reviwerspeak slather. Yo La Tengo can do their own version of Erik Satie's "Vexations" on every release as far as I'm concerned. More about Erik Satie's "Vexations" here if interested. They've earned the right in my opinion to extend, extend and extend. The world needs more "Sister Ray"'s in a Morton Feldman blender.

Another bright spot for me this weekend was the re-discovery of the Steve Eliovson/Colin Walcott album "Dawn Dance". The ECM duet album of acoustic guitar and percussion came out in the early '80s. I used to play it all the time and then one day just stopped. Never to re-visit. In fact, it eventually vanished a long time ago from my "record collection". I had a sudden "I wonder what happened to Steve Eliovson" moment yesterday. I found he made "Dawn Dance" to well-received praise and due to a series of life circumstances pretty much Giuseppi Logan'd and vanished from the world of music. The album is hopelessly out-of-print however is available as a download from Amazon for under $10. There's a rather nice photo montage on youtube that features a cut from the album worth looking into.

Re-finding this album is tempting me to consider getting the Codona boxed set. Just what I need--another boxed set to simultaneously revel in the fact that I have it--and be overwhelmed by the sheer mass to ever properly listen in full.

Deconstructing the Jonas Brothers—Why It's Not Good Clean Fun and You Know It

2008-10-17T05:19:00.006-04:00

K.J. Kirk: My 11-year old daughter and I entered the arena in Baltimore with much excitement—we were going to see the Jonas Brothers perform live. My daughter, "Katie," being in the full throes of tween-dom, has her room plastered with Jonas Brothers posters; she has Jonas Brothers in heavy iPod rotation, and she buys (with her own money, carefully saved) every teen fanzine that has pictures and stories about the Jonas brothers. As with the Beatles, it is necessary to pick a favorite Jonas Brother. She's picked Joe, the lead singer.

Katie holds her love for the Jonas Brothers with fierce resolve. She loves them in the face of taunting from an older sister who is too cool for bands that appear to be for 'tweens; she loves them in spite of her friends’ scorn of their music. Trying to help her out, I would tell her I would listen to them in the car with her, and found them not at all irritating, but not very interesting, and certainly not compelling.

However, I had suspected that the Jonas Brothers (henceforth JB) might hold some interest when, upon the second watching of Camp Rock with Katie, I noticed the scene in which some of the girls follow Joe around, and he jumps in the lake, with just his swim trunks on. Oh, he’s easy on the eyes. I asked Katie—“how old is that kid?” She said, “Oh, he just turned 18.” Fair game.

So then my husband surprises Katie with tickets to the concert. We decide to just get two tickets, one for her, one for an adult—the adult being me. I ask my boss if I can leave an hour early the day of the concert so I can get home in time to drive there. I am surprised when my boss replies, “Sure thing. And if I were younger, I’d have a crush on them too. I saw them on Leno—they are adorable.” I find that almost every adult I mention JB to has seen them on TV, thinks they are cute, thinks it will be fun. The media blitz has created a buzz.

The night of the concert, I’m exhausted from work, as always, dreading the drive to the concert. Sure enough, we get stuck in horrible traffic and miss the first act (no loss, it turns out). We get to our seats, first section on the side, not too high up, good view of the stage. The arena is filled with 9–13-year-old girls, all screaming and squealing at every motion on the stage, as the roadies set up.

Then it begins—typical arena rock fare—lights dim, “We Will Rock You” blasted; all the girls are holding up glow sticks or cell phones, waving them in the air. The female energy is overwhelming in the place. The few dads around look stunned—I think they are probably drugged by the estrogen and astral projections of thousands of female bodies. The sexual tension is obvious, but as the girls are primarily pre-pubescent, it is a subliminal sexuality. They are about to blossom into full teenage sexuality, which, as any parent of teens knows, is something so thick and smothering you can’t stand to walk into a room containing more than four teens at a time. However, at this age, it is light and effervescent, like a nice Champagne aura bath. I wonder if this is the closest we will get in the modern age to what it was like at a festival for the cult of Aphrodite.

Then laser lights flash, actual flames flash out from giant torches on the stage, and the boys are lifted up on a stage platform, high above the rhythm and string section already in place, the platform revolves and set them down, and they bound off the platform like young goats set loose from a pen. The screaming is intense, but with modern sound systems, you can hear the band, unlike when the Beatles first appeared on our shores long ago. (This from a firsthand account from my husband, who as a 12-year-old convinced his parents to take him to see the Beatles’ first stop in the U.S.—the D.C. Armory. He says you couldn’t hear anything but the screaming.)

Joe takes the stage with a bravado that surprised me. That guy can take a stage. You can’t see his eyes yet—most of the first song is sung with his signature sunglasses on. When he takes them off toward the end of the song the girls go wild. I’m spending some time looking at Kevin, the oldest brother (20), who is playing guitar right in front of me. He clearly is capable on the guitar. He has noticeable sideburns and I swear his pants are tighter than the other brothers. The camera does a span over his crotch and Kevin seems to be working on a proper rock and roll guitar stance...just needs the pants a bit tighter—but the slight bulge will do for now, just to keep the moms interested. I find myself thinking—he looks competent, he’s muscley, looks strong…he looks like he could run a farm, keep the place going, handle the animals, the equipment...plow some fields…I find myself catching my breath at where my thoughts are going.

O.K., back to Joe. His glasses are off and his face, huge on the projection screen, is incredibly beautiful. He has luscious dark hair and beautiful features that he knows how to work perfectly when he sings. Either that or it just comes naturally. He has that Peter Pan grin that girls can’t help but fall for. He never stops moving, and his movements are graceful and forceful at the same time—aggression and beauty, energy and flow, everything the world loves in young men’s bodies. When he does stop, it is to strike a perfect pose, head back and singing. After the head tilt, he will often flash his eyes at the crowd, and thus the camera, so his eyes flash 30 feet high in the air on the screens. The girls scream, and any mother who is not dead in her heart feels a shudder in her thighs, because she already knows where that look leads. An image comes to my mind of being 15, a group of us teens set loose at an older brother’s party—we were sent to the rec room with a few bottles of Champagne (these were different times). I drink the Champagne in gulps, knowing no better. The boy I’m hanging out with seems even more interesting to me. I am dolled up in a rose colored dress that falls mid-thigh. I sink back into a couch, head light, and my boy pal plops down next to me. I spill Champagne on my thighs, and we are just drunk enough that he licks the Champagne off my thighs while we both laugh with delight. That was Joe, that is Joe, that will always be Joe.

Kevin continues to work his guitars—he changes axes frequently—mastering them all. He’s solid, skillful, careful fingering, but strong…another boy comes to mind, and then a rush of images—the boy I worked with in the ice cream parlor, who would flex his muscles while clearing up, the strong baseball player who was quiet but methodical. And now, how just occasionally (before I get too old), I catch a man looking at me in that capable way…the kind of man that elicits this response (to quote a colleague of mine)—“oh, I’ll roll my eyes back and he can tip me over!” Tip me over, I’ve already given it up, my legs are spreading…I’m panting, anticipating the strength that will take me…(remember how Mel Gibson could make you feel before he went crazy?) I hear girls screaming—wait! isn’t this a wholesome concert?

O.K., composure…let’s turn to Nick. Nick is 15, sweet looking, a soft face framed by curls—the poet. He goes to the piano and sings a song about hard times, based on his diagnosis with Type I diabetes. He sings of how he hurts, but how he survives, how he makes it "after a little while." He’s the boy every girl wants to take care of—he’s artistic, sensitive, and cute.

Tearing my eyes from Joe’s features and Kevin’s crotch, I come to the realization that these three young men are the triumvirate of every female longing—the holy trinity of female sexual desire—the capable, strong man, the boastful bad boy bursting with grace and energy, and the poet that needs to be taken care of and will always be sensitive to your feelings. And these three archetypes were not brought together by a marketing genius; they were born into the same family! How can this be? The gods have graced us!

While I consider this (amidst screaming, singing, guitars, bass, strings, flying drums sticks, etc., etc.), the boys are cranking it up to a fever pitch. They tumble over each other in gymnastic moves, the run up and down the stairs of the stage, the run out to runways on the stage. Then all three run back to center stage and are each handed something by roadies. At first I think they are small guitars. Are they all going to play mandolins? And then I get his uncomfortable feeling that the instruments they are holding look suspiciously like the contraptions used by doctors and psychiatrists a hundred years ago to cure women of “hysteria” by providing them with intercourse via machine. O.K., so they are holding things that look like slightly scary sex toys, and I have no idea where this is going. Well, the boys run out to three points of the stage, and it turns out the mystery instruments are foam guns. Yes, that’s right: the boys proceed to spray the crowd with the white foam, while the spotlights pans over the squirting streams, making them sparkle and glisten as they fall on the crowds. By now I am laughing hysterically, and Katie asks me “Mom, what's wrong?’ with genuine concern. I say “Nothing, I’m just laughing—it’s funny that all these people are getting foam on them!” She laughs and says “yes,” but thankfully is too young to read into the image. I look at the other adults around me and wonder why no one else is laughing—how can no one else be getting this joke of flying sperm? And then Joe takes a running leap and slides knee first through the foam to the end of the runway. When I look at the sweat pouring down Joe’s face and body, I can’t help but thinking—I’d like to lick that sperm, uh, foam, oh, I mean sweat, off your chest….

I take some time to look at the other parents. There is a mom to my right who is falling asleep. Anther mom in front of me looks suspiciously Ann Coulter-ish. She is standing perfectly still, taping the whole concerts on her iPhone. And she has bulging biceps. Creepy. Where are the moms with twinges in their bellies, and fires in their loins?

I am exhausted. I need to remember that I don’t have the energy of the young, and they can keep it up. Soon I see the boys being lifted high above the stage, each on his own Greek column, all the while they are singing and playing. This is it, I think—I am at a festival for Aphrodite. Gather all the girls, just before they get their periods, and initiate them into the mysteries, right? Doesn’t involve any actual sex, just lots of sexual symbolism, to prepare them for what their bodies will be going through. And we have the three gods of women’s sexual desire on columns above us, ready for worship.

I think of the images of naked women I used to hate seeing on the Sopranos—the pole dancing girls who had no personalities, just bodies. This is what is different between men and women. Sure, women will look at male bodies, but we have to be able to project a personality type onto that body for it to be desirable. We need our archetypes. The archetypes make it strong, make the pull real, and make us want to tip back, legs spread. Gets us in trouble, but can also make us fall in love and lead to a real relationship.

So my Jonas Brothers, don’t go telling me you are good, clean fun. You are sexual and you are powerful. You may not even know it, but you are performing a valuable public service—getting girls in touch with their desires in a safe, controlled way. No way their minds are roaming as widely as mine—I’m grown up, so I am graphic. The girls are left with tingles and crushes, which will turn someday into real attachments, and hopefully some Champagne being licked off their legs.

Record Store Day

2008-04-19T12:27:00.003-04:00

Bob Burnett: Yesterday (April 19) was Record Store Day, and I celebrated at Jackpot Records in Portland, Oregon. Jackpot Records is just the type of small, indy, downtown shop I love to discover while traveling. I pored through the nice selection and enjoyed the in-store music being played--some sort of electronica mix disc by a friend of the shop type thing.......in fact, while it was playing I recognized strands of an '80s Bill Nelson instrumental from The Love That Whirls, mentioned it to the guy working there and said I hadn't heard it in probably 20 years. How often does that happen at Wal-Mart? For those keeping score at home I also picked up the amazing Pylon compilation, Gyrate+, Matthew Herbert's Score and a DVD of the excellent Luna documentary Tell Me Do You Miss Me. I gigglingly eyed some of the 180 gram vinyl selections they have too----including Gary Numan & the Tubeway Army's Replicas. I did ponder over a vinyl copy on the collectable wall of an Anthony Braxton trio on Arista from the '70s I know to be hopelessly out of print......but......ah.......I'll be back in Portland in a few weeks. Maybe it'll still be there.

I hope you had a bountiful Record Store Day too.

Grizzly Bear: Horn of Plenty

2008-04-06T08:05:00.004-04:00

Bob Burnett: I just got this album.....in fact, I'd never listened to it before about a half-hour ago, which makes this a spontaneous listen-write kind of moment. I don't know if it's because I'm watching an early morning rain with the popping greens, yellows and purples of April surrounding me while listening but I'm finding this gentle, multifaceted listen to be quite interesting. What I've discovered about Grizzly Bear is it's spearheaded by Edward Droste and was intended to be a solo effort, however Christopher Bear was added to the process and between them they created a colorful, quiet Syd Barrett-meets American Analog Set kind of musical moment. I also know that the Grizzly Bear name pops up on Dntel's aforementioned and terrific album Dumb Luck.

A few other recent positive discoveries: a live version of Brian Eno's Music for Airports by Bang On A Can All Stars and Mia Doi Todd's Gea.

Tortoise - Salt the Skies

2008-03-28T14:56:00.002-04:00

The Honeydrips: Here Comes The Future

2008-03-02T16:38:00.002-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: The Honeydrips is a recent release on the Swedish label, Sincerely Yours. The band is actually the work of one man, Mikael Carlsson. He is clearly a musician who has heard a lot of contemporary music, an informed artist, which is a plus in my opinion. And if you’ve been missing the music of the Sarah Records Label, well, skip my review and buy it now. The Honeydrips’ rock with a driving beat and pace like The Field Mice or The Orchids, and go twee like Brighter and St. Christopher. Much of the music is soft and sweet, and most all of the songs are recorded with a huge and cascading reverb atmosphere. More then half the songs have a dance beat to them, along the lines of New Order* or Trembling Blue Stars, very catchy, get-stuck-in-your-head pop.

Carlsson’s vocals seem spoken, average, in a way that I like. Not a great singer by some standards but he sounds real and unaffected…well he does have a few British-accentuated moments, and is assisted on a few songs by wispy, heavenly female vocals. Acoustic guitars chime throughout, chorus-affected electric’s jangle; some nice distorted bass is on a few songs as well. On “The Walk” for instance, it starts with an insistent, sparse Motown beat, in seconds a giant tambourine and bright, crystalline guitar start up, and all is ready to roll when the fuzzy bass and cavernous lead guitar add their touches. The melody of this song and many, many others are so catchy they will plant themselves in your head for hours. That is the sign of excellent, pure pop, and Here Comes The Future reminds me of many a British band from the 'eighties and that ever-changing scene of catchy singles you’d overplay and then move on.

While many an indie pop band from past decades could me name-checked here, The Honeydrips’ music is more then just a recreation. Mikael Carlsson’s music is informed by the past and formed into an intricate 21st Century blend of beats, softness, and rock. It is a pleasure to hear The Honeydrips—fun and smiles quickly surface for this listener.

*Carlsson even brings a much-loved New Order melody into "It Was A Sunny Summer Day."

DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY NEEDS YOUR HELP!

2008-02-27T13:22:00.002-05:00

DMG's Bruce and Manny

Bob Burnett: Please read the note below from one of my favorite places in the galaxy--Downtown Music Gallery in NYC. I hope someone knows someone who knows someone in real estate...... can help them out.

At the end of this past January, our five-year lease ran out here at 342 Bowery. Our landlord has graciously given us another 3-6 months to find another place but, with 4 to 5 times the rent we're paying being offered by bar/restaurantsfor the space our stay will come to an end soon.

We have been searching for a new location for the past 6 months, but if it's anything close to the 1500 sq. ft. we now occupy and need, no matter how far east we go, the realtors are convincing the landlords to hold off renting until they get a minimum of $ 60-75 per sq ft per year - which for 1500 sq ft means a monthly base rent nut of $7500-9400 - even on Ave D, where no one ventures to!

The only people who can afford that are banks that now make a tidy new-found profit off of people taking $20 out of their account every ten minutes [!] and national chains and boutique franchises that take a tax loss to blanket NYC with their outlets.

Anyone in NYC knows there are many spaces - in both prime and not prime areas - that have remained empty for YEARS due to realtors who have sold their bill of goods to landlords - when we've met those landlords, many have lamented the money they've lost due to the pressure from realtors, and were perfectly willing to talk lower prices, when beforehand the agent said they wouldn't budge.

What we would like is a basement, second floor or higher loft space [with elevator] with about 1,500 square feet for under $4000, hopefully in lower Manhattan - we don't really care what it looks like, or what some snobs might have to say about the neighborhood, just as long as it's secure. We'll do the rest.

We would love to stay in the Lower Manhattan, but we might have to move to mid-town or further uptown or even nearby in Brooklyn or Queens

If you know of a space for us to rent - especially where we deal with the landlord directly - please contact us immediately!

Our time here is limited. We may have to go with one overpriced space - that otherwise meets our needs - within two weeks, so we'd like to hear from you before then

Thank You
Bruce, Manny, Mikey, Chuck, Bret & all at DMG

Firestone Audio Supplier: Delightful Sidekick

2008-02-27T08:01:00.006-05:00

Mike Johnston: Regular readers will remember my efforts to improve my computer sound system, reported in an article called "The Moo-Fubar," from January 3rd of this year. Well, the folks at Audiophile Products, U.S. importers of the various wacky mini-components from Australia's Firestone Audio, discovered the review, liked it, and sent me (for free! Woo-hoo! A veritable perk! Years of online writing pay off at long last!) Firestone's "Supplier."

Supplier is simply an upgraded power supply for the Firestone Audio Fubar III USB DAC / headphone amp unit. It replaces the wall-wart power supply that comes stock with the Fubar III. It can also be used with most of the other Firestone components.

It takes about eight seconds to plug it in—there's no mystery to how to do it, no need to refer to the instructions that come with it.

It also takes no skill or subtlety whatsoever to hear the immediate and obvious improvement it makes in the sound quality. My immediate reaction was simply: "wow."

Of course, all it's really doing is allowing the Fubar III to strut its stuff unimpeded; but without the Supplier, you're only hearing the shadow of how good the Fubar III really is. The illusion, though, once you add it, is that Supplier is doing all the heavy lifting, which makes the little red-faced box with the radioactive warrior on the front seem like magic.

The longer I muck about in audio, the more convinced I am that electricity is the source of all improvement. Indeed, one way to look at the history of high-end audio is to see it merely as a continual process of adding bigger, better, and cleaner power supplies to hi-fi components. There was more to it than that, but that's one way to boil it down.

The Supplier makes a huge difference in the Moo-Fubar sound—greatly increased clarity and presence, immediacy, detail, image focus and size, timbre differences between instruments, impact and percussiveness of drums. Ensemble jazz is definitely back in the picture. Generally just makes the music sound so much more alive and vivid. I've spent day after day listening to album after album, awash in lovely sound.

Mostly—through the NHT Pro M-00's, at least, which are acoustic suspension (!) powered speakers—where the Supplier makes perhaps the most difference is with drums. Tuning, impact, leading edges, decays, from the delicacy of the high hat to the impactful thwack of a bass drum. The whole drum kit—especially on good recordings, but even on not-so-good ones—just comes into its own.

Detail is greatly improved. The Moos are still warm, rich-sounding little speakers, but the Supplier lets the Fubar open up the mix. You hear much more of what's going on.

Timbre and texture is a dramatic improvement, and makes different instruments sound so much more like themselves. Instruments suddenly seem to have individual character. From the astringent, articulated bass lines on Slint's "Darlene" (from "Tweez"), to the rolling, vamping solo sax on Sonny Rollins's "It Could Happen to You" (off "The Sound of Sonny"), the sounds just pull you in like a magnet.

Nothing's perfect—sometimes fortissimos can have an edgy hardness with the volume up, and sometimes I think these electronics mess with the balance of the mix a little. But that's probably because they let you hear so much of it—something that's veiled through lesser gear is exposed. These are minor faults.

The illusion of space and the position of instruments is much better, too. Hey, it's a computer system—it's not going to sound like a full-sized stereo rig. But you can follow complex musical arguments much more easily when you can hear all the instruments and differentiate them from each other. Andrew Hill just got a lot more enjoyable.

Overall what I think this new box does is it takes the computer sound from "almost good enough" to "better than good enough," a swing across a narrow but crucial juncture. After two months with the M-00 speakers and the Fubar III, I'd gotten used to its sound. I think we tend to get accustomed to any kind of sound if it's what we happen to have to listen to. It's just that bad sound quality (like I have in my car) sometimes obtrudes with reminders of just how bad it is (and doesn't let you really hear the music—which is okay in the car, I guess, since I already know by heart 98% of what they play on local radio). Decent, middling sound quality is mainly good enough but can still be somewhat fatiguing, so every now and then you find yourself turning the music down or off just to get a rest from it. Really good sound you get used to as well, but there are constant obtrusions of delight: something sounds just so rich and scrumptious that it calls attention to the pure gorgeousness of its sound quality and makes you really concentrate on what the musicians are doing. And if it's also sufficiently transparent, neutral, and accurate, you just don't get tired of listening to it. The music keeps calling me away from my work. The sound quality is whispering, "Yo, listen to this." Familiar old records are a profusion of tumbling delights, one following another.

Again, the Fubar III gets a lot of the credit. But that's where I am with the Fubar III with the Supplier power supply. As far as USB DAC units to replace your computer's soundcard are concerned, there might be better units out there—there should be, theoretically, since you can spends thousands of dollars on some of them. But the Fubar III/Supplier is just very, very good. Buy them together, or buy the Fubar III first and then add a Supplier later. (Actually, the latter appeals to me, because then you'll find out just how much difference the power supply makes—and then you'll be just as delighted as I am.) If you have, or want, a Fubar III, the Supplier is not just highly recommended: get it sooner or get it later, but it's truly a mandatory option.

Thanks to Todd B. at Audio Products

Psychic Ills: Dins

2008-02-25T09:54:00.004-05:00

Kim Kirkpatrick: Psychic Ills is a Brooklyn-based band with a musical style that fuses psychedelic, post rock, and tribal sounds into a dense, mesmerizing sound. Dins is their first full length CD, released (and purchased by me) in 2006, but only opened this year*. I find it fits comfortably within my varied musical taste.

My interest in rock/pop started with The Beatles and I was in my prime teenage listening years during the psychedelic period of rock music. Given my decades of listening, I am critical and dismissive of music I find inferior to that which came before it. Contemporary bands lauded as “psychedelic,” for instance, I usually find to be lacking or superficial. Happily, Psychic Ills is not such a band, and they connect with so much more then just the ‘sixties, “mind-blowing” experience.

Dins can be linked to such 'sixties bands as Quicksilver Messenger Service, United States of America, Ultimate Spinach, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Thirteenth Floor Elevators, and The Velvet Underground (of course), to name a few. In particular I appreciate Psychic Ill’s Eastern influence-the droning and the snake-like guitar playing. This influence was a big part of the 'sixties sound and it is still appealing to me. Psychic Ills nails the feeling and drops in a bit of reverberating Surf (The Mermen come to mind) for extra effect. Coming up a few more years, Psychic Ills connect with many a favorite band: Popul Vuh, Can (including the vocals), Neu, early Kraftwerk, etc. Bands big on atmosphere, expansive songs, with purposeful repetition. Psychic Ills share with these bands a strong, driving, tribal percussion, capable of inducing a night of dancing (be it Grateful Dead- or Rave-related for the listener). Dins shows off the band's sharp edge and free playing, relatable to early Sonic Youth, Spacemen 3, My Bloody Valentine, and Yo La Tengo at their live best.

Psychic Ill’s Dins is a release I can put on repeat and enjoy for numerous plays, never sure where I am at any particular moment but not wanting to leave either. It is a complete release, functioning best as a whole, and speaks well of the band’s direction and skills. In addition to Dins they also have a CD out of early singles called Early Violence. Both are on the Brooklyn-based label Social Registry and are available on vinyl.

*I have always liked to have music squirreled away I have not heard, though the backlog can get ridiculous at times.