KZSU Radio Music Reviews

Papa San / My Story

Dan — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:53:44 -0700

Review by Dan

Papa San/My Story/Beloved Records Genre: Reggae If you like Reggae/Dancehall, you'll love this one. Think Shaggy, Marley, and most other greats in this genre, and you're getting close to Papa San. Papa San has great vocal control and can simply do so much with his voice and it shows in this album. A veteran in the industry his smooth productions coupled with his vocal abilities and his willingness to push the envelope and delve into topics that are both real and relevant to our lives makes this album one of my favorite of 2012, so far. Many tracks that made me want to start dancing and some even made me laugh. Fav Tracks: 3, 5, 9, 11, 14. No FCCs! By: Daniel of ReJOYce in Jesus Presents Lift Jesus Higher. 1) 3:29 - Med tempo. Instrumentation: Bass guitar covering kick of drum set making the sound real fat, flutes, synth/piano layers, and really nice vocal production. Classic reggae sound. Upbeat and with a catchy hook. Great intro song to this album. 2) 3:52 - Med slow tempo. Similar instrumentation, with higher pitched synth overlaying the chorus. Classic drums. Pretty sweet electric guitar solo at 2:13. 3) 3:50 - Slower tempo. Arpeggio Piano progressions carry the melody on this one, with other synth sounds creating a very peaceful vibe. Really like this one. Inspiring. 4) 3:35 - Marching style drums (with modulation), modulated flute sound, synth/orchestra style hits layered over the kick, heavy reverb on the instruments. Med tempo. Very dance-able (dance-hall) track. 5) 3:42 - Slower tempo. One of my favorite tracks on this great album; chime and basic piano sounds carry this. Autotuned vocals parts add a lot of flavor and the autotune isn't overpowering. Heavily truncated drums. Soft female vocals carry the chorus. 6) 3:34 - Med/Slow tempo. Electric guitar, bass guitar, and almost a jazzy style created by the snare-ladden drum style. Even a muted guitar sound adds some spice to this track. 7) 3:58 - Med/fast tempo. Interesting timing used here in the instrumentation; the hits (mostly in 3s), the patterns, make this sound stand out from the rest of the album. 8) 4:07 - Med tempo. Nice female vocals. Classic instrumentation. Even though you almost know what to expect with the instrumentation and composition, you still like how Papa San flips it and makes it work. 9) 4:22 - Another of my favorite tracks on here. Almost Marley-esque in it's sound and socially conscious lyrics. Slow tempo. Heavy on the synths (melody). 10) 3:41 - Med tempo. Synths and bass/kicks carry this sound, along with orchestra-style "hits." Nice musicial transitions and sparsely used autotune effects on the vocals. Also used sound effects to empahsize words (drip sounds, claps/snaps) that you'll have to listen closely to discern. 11) 3:53 - Nice duet featuring an artist from an entirely different genre (Nicole C. Mullen), but blend well together. Med/Slow tempo. Electric guitar "plucking" strum patterns, classic reggae sound. Upbeat and almost "happy" sound that really highlight the vocals of both artists. 12) 2:16 - Interlude with Papa San's daughter. Worshipful, and simple, slow tempo. Accoustic guitar. Really nice vocals. Almost sounds like a Jamie Grace song. 13) 3:38 - Med/Fast tempo. Classic Papa San sound. Another dance track. 14) 3:55 - My favorite track! Awesome and powerful vocals, these two artists killed this one. Slower tempo, and I love the balance in this production. Classic synth overlays, piano, drums, and bass guitar in the instrumentation. 15) 2:49 - Electronic sound and higher pitched "sine" sounds (almost flute like) carry this melody and make this track SLAP! Med/fast tempo. 16) 4:16 - Med/Slower tempo. Muted drums, pianos, electric guitar and synth sounds. Nice musical changes.

Midland / Placement Remixes Ep

Rasmus Rygaard — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:42:49 -0700

Review by Rasmus Rygaard

Glitter and soulful house. Well that is just wonderful. Two of the most interesting names in electronic music, Lone and Motor City Drum Ensemble, team up to remix Midland, one of the new shooting stars of the scene. As you would expect, the two take very different approaches, yet there is a strange similarity between the two remixes. Truly excellent music. Try: Both, but try 2 first FCC: Clean 1) 7:07 * Tense. Steady synthesizer backdrop mixed with some of Lone's signature percussion. Mellow and wobbly. 2) 6:02 ** Classic Motor City Drum Ensemble. A dark, steady synthesizer riff echoes the golden days of house with a new twist. Play it, please.

Huoratron / Cryptocracy

Rasmus Rygaard — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:42:23 -0700

Review by Rasmus Rygaard

Massively distorted electro. Cryptocracy is loud. Very loud. Think of Justice, Boyz Noise etc. and multiply by a power of two. Now you're getting there. I find it hard to imagine a situation where I would sit down and listen to this album front to back, but I'll admit that it has its merits if you want to kick things off with style. There is very little subtlety and a lot of distortion. Everything clocks in around the 5 minute mark, everything has a drop, and everything will test the range of the speakers in A. Give it a spin if you like Gatekeeper, Justice, or Boyz Noise. Try: 9, 7, 4 FCC: Clean 1) 5:04 45 second buildup. Aggressive, snappy. Tight and controlled with a BIG sound. 2) 5:16 Starts out loud and crunchy. Add acid keys (plus the drums from 'Work Them') and gradually gains steam. 3) 5:10 Borrows an idea or two from brostep, at least in the wobbly drop. Gritty, industrial, a slap in the face. 4) 5:50 * Simple loop gets overtaken by a slightly more acidic variation. Faster, more techno-inspired. Gets slightly more trance-y towards the end. 5) 5:19 Hard and horror-inspired. A quirky synthline, female vocals in the background and a heavy, heavy synthesizer stir-fry. 6) 4:49 Half-tempo dubstep! More flailing that the whole brostep gang. Slightly more sophisticated although the sound is as mean as ever. 7) 4:54 * Hard, fast. Cool contrast between snappy kick drum and the gritty synth notes. Lots of trippy layers and video game samples. 8) 5:17 Horror intro. Dives into a wobbly drop and an inferno of sawtooth synths. Hectic and stressful. 9) 5:11 * Abstract and psychedelic. All kinds of noises everywhere. Altering between a straightforward, pumping beat and semi-catchy main line. 10) 5:21 Bleeps an blops, lots of frequencies. Upbeat and lighter than the rest.

Actress / R.I.P.

Rasmus Rygaard — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:41:29 -0700

Review by Rasmus Rygaard

Abstract electronica. After Splazsh, Actress has crafted a follow-up record that is stunningly beautiful and overwhelmingly complex at the same time. A dozen of synthesizer layers interact in a semi-abstract unity with some structure and a lot of meaning. This album varies from the pulsating and upbeat hous tracks to weird, distorted interludes, and polyrhythmic experiments. Can't recommend this enough. Check it out if you like Kuedo, BNJMN, Zomby, Andy Stott or Tim Hecker. Try: 12, 15, 4, 6, 7, 8, 13 FCC: Clean 1) 1:17 Slowly oscillating distortion. Static waves. 2) 3:09 Distant pulse. Backwards distorted techno, very hushed. 3) 1:40 Electronic bubbles, techy house. Lots of timbre twists, extremely nuanced. 4) 4:42 * More driven. Rushed (sort of) hi-hat shimmers balancing on top of subtle bass stabs. 5) 2:28 Slow, polyrhythmic intermezzo. Lots of tension, every timbre pulling in a different direction. 6) 6:07 * Slow, warped and distorted. Like someone took at Villalobos track, got rid everything of the treble and recorded their kid playing piano on top of it. Wonderful. 7) 3:56 * Mid-tempo, now with a kick drum. Small synthesizer twitches and something that sounds like a heavily processed 'aaah' choir 8) 5:26 * Intense, loud, distorted. A single loop over and over with little sparkles of light synthesizers. 9) 4:09 Slow and wobbly. Sharp sounds and sawtooth synths. 10) 5:05 Somewhat light, rhythmic. Almost sunny and playful. Still those ominous hi-hats in the background. 11) 0:37 Slow, cryptic interlude. 12) 4:15 ** Cool, simple groove. Upbeat and bouncy, rattling percussion, subtle hints of a melody. Solid 13) 3:05 * Fast, bouncy. Great mix of semi-chaotic percussion and manipulated strings. 14) 5:28 Warped melody, backwards-sounding drums. Gradually evolving. Strange faded melody. 15) 5:42 ** Chaotic, glitch-y. Cut-up hints of a vocal line on top of a relentlessly pounding kick drum. Stunning.

Korallreven / An Album By Korallreven

Rex — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:57:20 -0700

Review by Rex

Genre: Indie, Dream Pop RIYL: The Radio Dept., The Meeting Places In summary: This album is the first release from the Balearic Swedish duo, which includes the keyboard player from the Radio Dept., Daniel Tjader. Dreamy/ spacey mood, Mostly fast-paced songs, they created a lively and reflective atmosphere, includes lots of synth sounds, an extreme feeling of ethereality, and heavily delayed melodic vocal lines and hooks. FCC clean *1. (5.46)- creates a kind of meditative environment, delicate *2. (4.05)- ethereal, meditative, dreamy *3. (4.25)- brooding, hypnotic, detached, living atmosphere, palpable delicacy and subtlety 4. (3.27)- delightful expedition into a magical woozy wonderland... *5. (3:54)- fast pace, indistinct female vocal, dreamy and reflective 6. (4.33)- lively and delightful intro, cheerful synth sounds, nice male vocal, you would like to walk along the beach 7. (2.46)- slow pace, yearning, fades to waterfall sounds *8. (4.34)- face pace, idle female voices, delicate and soothing feelings, repetitive lyrics 9. (2:19)- the album’s shortest cut, a redux of the 3rd track, eerie sounds appear when starts off, multiple accumulated synth sounds, druggy 10. (9.00)- longest cut of the album, detached, trippy

Pheasant / Black Field

Rex — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:56:42 -0700

Review by Rex

Genre: Indie Folk RIYL: Arcade Fire, Pavement FCC clean MATT JENKINS/vox & guitar MATT MOONEY/brass & keys ERIC BRYANT/lead guitar JERRY MARTINI/bass ANDY BROUILLETTE/drums *1. (2.49)- freewheeling, pop licks, good-natured 2. (2.54)- plaintive, earnest, creates a cozy mood *3. (3.14)- melancholy, yearning, eager vocal voices *4. (3.33)- fast paced, joyful, the sweet guitar solo in the middle lights the whole song up, nice song!!! 5. (4.09)- slow paced, reminiscent, lovely vocal lines, yearning *6. (3.46)- slow/mid paced, plaintive, amiable, nice guitar riffs, sweet ballad, good vocal 7. (3.05)- fast paced, but turned into slow pace in the middle, and then fast again, nice guitar solo at the end, and then stops brusquely 8. (2.50)- mid paced, lovely vocal *9. (3.35)- slow paced, kinda echoed vocal, sweet ballad, idle, melancholy, sad 10. (3.17)- garage, grating guitar sounds, anxiety-ridden, rushing

Western Civ / Remington Steel Magnolia

Rex — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:52:59 -0700

Review by Rex

Genre: Indie, Garage, Noise Rock RIYL: Wilco, Yuck, Dinosaur Jr., The Jesus and Mary Chain, Pavement, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Sunsplit In summary: Vocal kinda reminds me of Stephen Malkmus (Pavement) or Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), you will like them if you're a Wilco fan, playful mood, Overdriven guitar sound (fuzzy fuzzy), cool stuff. FCC clean *1. (3:12)- high-school adolescent, lo-fi-influenced, newborn, fresh, relaxed, repeating lyrics, brighter feeling 2. (2:40)- childhood memory, reminiscent, playful 3. (3:11)- Rushing intro, crunchy guitar riffs 4. (3:36)- sweet, melancholy, dreamy, intimate *5. (3:40)- fast pace, guitar solo during the middle lights the song up 6. (3:34)- rousing, exuberant 7. (4:07)- lively, volatile, fades to dizzy guitar sound 8. (3:55)- freewheeling, eerie and tumultuous guitar sound effects 9. (2:59)- in a reverie... 10. (2:48)- starts off like a .. falling plane sound, slow-paced melodics, fades to ....like a UFO floats around sound... *11. (3:28)- wistful, slow dive, soft, sweet fuzz, yearning

Yonkers, Michael With The Blind Shake / Period

MC Dizzy Jackson — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:52:37 -0700

Review by MC Dizzy Jackson

Minneapolis native Yonkers is a noise / psyche legend, relatively unknown until the past few years after his 1968 album Microminiature Love was finally released by Destijl Records in 2002. Has been pumping out some killer garage / psyche / noise / punk - ish stuff with The Blind Shake out of Minneapolis now for a few years. This is some heavy, driving, loud, reverb-ed, distorted stuff coming out of Yonkers home-made guitar, Mike Blaha’s baritone guitar, with kick-ass drumming by Dave Roper and a third guitar by Mike’s brother Jim. This is some seriously killer shit. No FCC’s. *My Favorites*: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11. 1. *(3:20) Mid. Crunchy guitar, plodding beat, cymbal strikes, screamed vocals near end. Killer. 2. *(3:21) Mid / Fast. Heavy guitar, big cymbal strikes, hi-hat, slightly sparse. Rockin’. 3. (2:46) Mid / Fast. Big full band, driving, loud, loud, loud. Really Rawkin’. 4. (3:31) Mid / Fast. Full and fast, psyche element, pounding drums, screamed vocals. 5. (2:46) Mid. Plodding beat, crunchy guitar, wah-wah guitar w/ killer fx. 6. *(3:23) Mid. Big reverbed guitar, big bass drum, marching and kick ass. 7. *(3:00) Fast. All-out rocker, driving drums, 8. *(2:14) Mid / Fast. Drum-driven, psyche guitar, post-punk-ish. 9. *(4:23) Mid. INSTRUMENTAL. Chaotic noise-driven madness, scatter-brained guitar. 10. (4:20) Mid. Noise guitar under sinister vocal, gets fuller, post-punk. 11. *(2:42) Mid / Fast. Folk turned on its punkish head. Blazing, blistering and beautiful.

Looping Jaw Harp Orchestra / Universal Language

MC Dizzy Jackson — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:51:14 -0700

Review by MC Dizzy Jackson

LJHO is from Vienna and employ scores of jaw harps with a multitude of instruments including pans, whistle, marimba, percussion, accordion, etc. Varied genres, or, perhaps none at all, or all their own. Very intriguing and magnetic stuff. There’s no lyrics, but about half of the songs have ‘voicings’ - mostly guttural. If you like stuff like Blue Man Group and the like, you may dig this. Great stuff. No FCC’s. *My Favorites*: I liked them all. 1. (5:30) Mid. Driving, if a bit disjointed, with a few guttural voicings. 2. (4:54) Slow / Mid. Musically free-association, with appearances of a harmonica, marimba, accordion. and ??? 3. (2:55) Mid. Upbeat, driving. Eastern European stylings, quite alluring stuff. Lots of voicings. 4. (2:52) Mid. Film noir, car-chase, western film, Aussie stuff, quite an amalgam. Cool. 5. (6:05) Mid. Horns, whistle, pans, marching drums, Caribbean / African/ South American stylings. 6. (3:03) Mid. Water intro. Voicings with reggae beat, keys, cymbal strikes?, accordion. 7. (3:04) Slow / Mid. Nice percussion, woodwind, voicings. Quite ethereal and heavenly. 8. (3:14) Mid. Gets really spacey, Halloween-ish, voicings. Cool. 9. (4:43) Mid. Airy, ethereal, kind of out-there. Jazzy. Cool. 10. (3:35) Mid. Upbeat with great voicings. Jazzy, loungey. 11. (3:33) Mid. Bent, mad, brilliant. Like finding yourself in a collider with a free-jazz marching band. 12. (3:20) Slow / Mid. Mad voicings becoming very Opera-like. Accordion, pans, plodding beat.

Engelhardt, Toulouse / Perpendicular Worlds

Be Sharp — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:19:20 -0700

Review by Be Sharp

Mostly fast, showy, mostly finger-style, acoustic guitar, with folk and New Age influences. RIYL John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Tommy Emmanuel, Mason Williams, etc. Compositions by Engleheart (except 4, 8, 10). All instrumental (but #12 has a tiny bit of very quiet singing). No FCC issues. 1 Mid-tempo. New Age-y, impressionistic. A little dreary. Nothing special. (3:03) 2 * Up-tempo. Bright sound, showy technique. Pretty cool. (3:38) 3 * First half is slow, thoughtful, pastoral. Second is very fast, showy. (4:02) 4 ** Very fast. Think of Leo Kottke’s “Vasoline Machinegun” (2:51) 5 Two tunes (one lightning fast, one somewhat spiritual), both preceded by Mussorgsky’s famous “Promenade” theme. Overall, a grab bag of ideas and sort of a novelty. (4:48) 6-7. Somewhat New Age-y, Renaissance Faire, pastoral tone poems about trees. 6 Very fast. A foggy, wall of sound. OK, for its style. (2:01) 7 * Mid-tempo. Very pretty in places. This is the better one of the pair. (5:07) 8 ** Fast & powerful. Folk inspired virtuoso playing, like John Fahey. Best of set. (3:03) 9 * Fast to super fast. Playful and good humored, but a bit silly as well. (3:45) 10 Very fast. Acoustic reading of a Jimi Hendrex tune. Loses a lot in translation. (3:42) 11 ** Slow, beautiful ballad with cello accompaniment. Folk, Spanish, and Classical hints. Recorded live 30+ years ago at UCLA. Excellent. (3:24) 12 * Very fast to ultra fast. Stirring with World music hints (maybe a tabla). Reminded me a little of John McLaughlin’s stuff with his Shakti band. (5:46) 13 Slow. Dreamy. Perhaps a bit jazzy. (1:39)

Woodroofe, Grace / Always Want

Be Sharp — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:17:13 -0700

Review by Be Sharp

Grace Woodriff, singer, songwriter, and acoustic guitarist from Australia, with her debut album. There’s a mix of styles here, including folky, bluesy, pop, and straight ahead rock. Voice is surprising: low register and husky. The record was produced by Ben Harper; that should suggest the mixture of styles and influences. No FCC issues. 1 * Slow, dreamy. Just acoustic guitar at first, then the band enters. Smoky, sultry singing. (3:38) 2 Slow. Spooky vibraphone and bells. The sinister thoughts of a middle-aged waitress. (3:38) 3 * Mid tempo. Electric guitar gives this a sharp edge. Sultry voice. (3:22) 4 ** Mid slow. A sad elegy; one web source says it’s about Heath Ledger. Haunting melody may stick in your head. Acoustic guitar and strings. Broken-hearted voice. (4:09) 5 Slow. Very blue and spare. Sung with a passionate, strained voice. (3:42) 6 * Slow, blues rock. Sung with a hoarse voice. (3:44) 7 ** Mid fast. A good hard rocker. Sung with a forceful, pleasing voice. (2:16) 8 * Slow. Sad and plaintive. Again that husky alto voice. Spare musically. (4:04) 9 Very slow. Sad and searching. Minimal piano accompaniment. Breathy low singing. (3:00) 10 ** Mid tempo. A big power-pop tune. Her best singing performance. Accompanied by fine rhythm guitar, piano, and strings. Quite good. (5:23)

Stein, Jason Quartet / Story This Time, The

Be Sharp — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:14:23 -0700

Review by Be Sharp

For folks who like the low down. Jason Stein plays bass clarinet. He’s joined by Keefe Jackson on tenor sax and contrabass clarinet. (Rhythm section is bass & drums.) Get ready for some unusual sounding—but damn good—jazz. The album starts out fairly straightforward, but gets quite strange in the middle. All instrumental. No FCC issues. 1 Just a warm up. (2:43) 2 * Worth a listen, but be ready for strange, gloopy sounds. (9:16) 3 ** Fast, snappy, and fun. Various sounds and textures. Nifty drum solo on the rims. (8:12) 4 *** Up-tempo T. Monk tune. Syncopated rhythm; complex counterpoint. (6:02) 5 ** Fast, complex. A lot going on here. Starts with a bass solo, then a tuba-like contrabass. Several long solo lines on bass clarinet, ranging from fun to downright wacky. (8:23) 6 * Quite free (squawks, squeaks) for first 1-1/2 min. Then a playful, Lee Konitz classic. (5:34) 7 Avant-garde. Bits of melody, interrupted by squeaks, honks, cymbal crashes. (6:15) 8 Wild take on a Monk tune. Bass and contrabass clarinets play a melody in near unison for the first minute. Then all hell breaks loose: squeaks, animal honks, all sorts of weird stuff. (5:53) 9 Slow. Low intro by reeds, then a drum solo (mostly cymbals). Goes out with a loud, lunatic bass clarinet accompanied by drums and cymbals. (7:41) 10 * Mid-tempo T. Monk tune. Strange, but interesting and enjoyable. Bass and (ultra low, hippo-grunting) contrabass clarinets playing ensemble. A swinging rhythm on drums. (3:23) 11 ** Super fast. (Lennie Tristano composition) Straightforward jazz with blues & Dixieland influences. Good steady drumming; lots of cymbals. Delightful. (3:05)

Williams 3rd, Hank / Long Gone Daddy

Bruce Ross — Sun, 13 May 2012 03:00:47 -0700

Review by Bruce Ross

Mandeville, Mark & Old Constitution / Mark Mandeville & Old Constitution

Bruce Ross — Sat, 12 May 2012 19:51:43 -0700

Review by Bruce Ross

Great country folk that bears a resemblance to Welch & Rawlings. 1*Mid 2*Slow-mid 3*Slow 4 Slow 5*Mid 6 Mid 7 Slow 8*Slow 9*Slow 10*Slow 11 Slow

Blue Mule / 23 Strings

Bruce Ross — Sat, 12 May 2012 18:37:48 -0700

Review by Bruce Ross

Nice contemporary bluegrass out of Virginia. There's a great cover of Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath. 1 Mid 2*Slow(I) 3*Upbeat 4 Mid 5 Mid 6 Upbeat(G) 7 Mid 8*Up-mid(I) 9 Mid 10*Mid(I) 11 Mid

J.W.W. And The Prospectors / It's High Past Time

Bruce Ross — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:49:40 -0700

Review by Bruce Ross

Very good western swing & honky tonk out of Austin. 1*Mid 2*Slow-mid 3*Mid 4 Slow 5 Slow 6*Up-mid 7*Slow 8*Up-mid 9 Mid 10*Up-mid(I) 11 Mid 12*Mid

Boxcars, The / All In

Bruce Ross — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:12:21 -0700

Review by Bruce Ross

Excellent bluegrass from what I'd call a super group. With Ron Stewart, Adam Steffy & John Bowman. 1*Mid 2*Mid 3*Up-mid 4 Mid 5 Mid 6*Slow-mid 7*Slow-mid 8*Mid(I) 9*Slow 10 Mid 11 Mid 12 Slow(G)

Gray, Devin / Dirigo Rataplan

Fo — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:47:03 -0700

Review by Fo

DEVIN GRAY: Dirigo Rataplan Skirl, 2012 AVANT-GARDE – Up-and-coming young drummer hooks up with three veteran improvisers (saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, trumpeter Dave Ballou and bassist Michael Formanek) for a great quartet sound, bold and striking but also very organic and unforced. There are bits of Don Cherry, Henry Threadgill, other influences in here, but the band has its own thing going on, and they’re fresh and vibrant. Interesting work. All good. Fo’s Picks: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 1. 6:20 – slouching, spacious: close harmony in theme, then improv dialogue 2. 5:39 – starts as a march in criss-cross lines, but second half is wide-open 3. 9:00 – sneaky walk: trumpet solo roams, sax heads out into empty space 4. 7:00 – slow drift into dissonance, 4-way improv, cool drum solo, slow rise 5. 5:12 – a perky, semi-funky thump holds steady, good horn interplay & bass 6. 6:08 – oozes forward: shapeless stuttering drums, weaving horns & bass 7. 8:36 – mostly slow & brooding, center shifts between duos and solos 8. 6:30 – riffs over a striding beat, but horn solos really open it up [ Fo ] - May 2012

Kurtz, Dayna / Secret Canon, Vol. 1

Fo — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:05:33 -0700

Review by Fo

DAYNA KURTZ: Secret Canon, Vol. 1 Kismet, 2012 JAZZ VOCALS – Oh wow. How have I never heard Dayna Kurtz before?! She has a deep, haunting, ageless voice that reminds me a little bit of Cassandra Wilson, with some of Billie Holiday’s ache and maybe a hint of Bonnie Raitt mixed in too. She focuses on forgotten songs on this disc, mostly stuff from the 1950s and ‘60s that came out on little regional r&b or jazz labels and never made the big time. But they’re amazing tunes, and she makes them glow. This is a killer CD. Fo’s Picks: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10 1. 5:40 – oooooh... slow torchy drag, fabulous haunting vocal and organ 2. 2:18 – FCCs galore (“fuck”) ... too bad, it’s a fun little tune 3. 4:02 – strong Etta James style r&b anthem... nice vocal & roadhouse piano 4. 5:01 – aching ballad: wracked vocal over elegant piano trio 5. 4:51 – wow! slow heartbreak with amazing sound, echoing and haunting 6. 4:43 – slow blues, vocals drag it out, nice saloon piano trio 7. 3:42 – straightforward, relaxed jazzy ballad, nice ‘n’ easy 8. 4:10 – slow torch-jazz ballad, really nice with a classic sound 9. 4:24 – relaxed vocal duet with acoustic guitar, has a back-porch feel 10. 4:47 – another slow haunt... hushed and lonely, full of longing [ Fo ] - May 2012

Monaco, Tony / Celebration

Fo — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:09:51 -0700

Review by Fo

TONY MONACO: Celebration Chicken Coup, 2012 SOUL JAZZ – Tony Monaco burns it up as usual on the Hammond B-3 organ. Disc 1 is uneven: it’s all new material, mostly in trios with drums and either sax or guitar. Unfortunately the sax is oddly mixed and never sounds really comfortable, but a few tracks shine when the organ really lets loose. Disc 2 is a “best of” compilation from Monaco’s previous work, and the selections there are outstanding. Fo’s Picks: Disc I – 3, 8, 9, 11 Disc II – 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 DISC ONE 1. 3:54 – easy rolling midtempo 2. 4:29 – uptempo romp, careful sax 3. 5:54 – greasy soul, bluesy solos 4. 7:25 – relaxed bossa glides along 5. 3:41 – slow, deep-blue ballad 6. 5:54 – retro soul strut, 1970s feel 7. 4:29 – rolling gospel with choir 8. 5:42 – solid romp, organ solo kills 9. 4:34 – relaxed, thoughtful tune 10. 4:01 – old-school cheesy stroll 11. 3:37 – uptempo hardbop stomp 12. 6:08 – vocal ballad, lounge feel 13. 2:49 – chunky reprise of #6 DISC TWO 1. 7:07 – modern soul, hot solos 2. 6:01 – oooh! a cool blues drag 3. 3:56 – happy boogaloo groove 4. 5:40 – heavy-duty slow blues 5. 5:57 – relaxed gospel-blues 6. 6:25 – funky two-organ jam 7. 9:37 – slow blues, the real deal 8. 6:03 – toe-tappin’ soul-jazz strut 9. 3:57 – rolling uptempo blues 10. 12:26 – live: upbeat, rolling jam with great guitar & organ 11. 4:23 – upbeat gospel march [ Fo ] - May 2012

Gunnlaugs, Sunna / Long Pair Bond

Fo — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:54:36 -0700

Review by Fo

SUNNA GUNNLAUGS: Long Pair Bond Sunny Sky, 2011 MODERN JAZZ – Beautiful music from Icelandic pianist Gunnlaugs. Her trio drifts through soft dreamscapes and optimistic strolls with seamless interplay, balancing lush harmony and a vaguely Nordic chill. Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 5, 9 1. 3:34 – serene melody, simply stated with luscious harmony, energy rises 2. 6:02 – slow, sways between two chords, feels almost like a lullabye 3. 4:27 – upbeat, flowing optimism: strolling bass & piano solos 4. 5:23 – very quiet free intro settles into a gentle sing-song melody 5. 5:36 – tense intro; turns upbeat as piano rides a tightly coiled riff 6. 5:32 – beautiful ballad sway: piano and bass take turns out front 7. 5:02 – relaxed & spacious: swaying rhythm, piano solo keeps it simple 8. 4:21 – Ben Harper tune: marches lightly forward, sweet piano solo 9. 5:04 – delicate intro, melancholy tune with dreamlike solos, lifts at end 10. 4:39 – Rufus Wainwright tune: fragile start, then relaxed and cozy [ Fo ] - May 2012

Cleary, Jon / Occapella!

MC Dizzy Jackson — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:22:50 -0700

Review by MC Dizzy Jackson

Jon Cleary doing an album of classic Allen Toussaint songs. New Orleans funk, down-home blues, jazzy, jumpin’ and joyous. Killer all the way through. ‘Nuff said. No FCC’s. *My Favorites*: Each and every one. 1. (3:28) Mid. Dr. John guests on vocals and guitar on this N’awlins groover. 2. (2:39) Mid. Title track. Handclaps, tambourine, great chorus of voices. 3. (3:43) Mid. Funky, reggae walk. 4. (3:16) Mid. Upbeat, funky keys, awesome percussion. Classic. 5. (4:01) Slow / Mid. Mellow with claps, understated guitar, piano, drums. 6. (2:57) Mid. Bluesy acoustic guitar, wah-wah electric guitar, driving percussion. Killer. 7. (2:40) Slow / Mid. Classic R & B, beautiful take. 8. (2:15) Mid. Upbeat chorus of vocals with a Killer bass vocal, piano. Sublime. 9. (3:15) Slow / Mid. Easy-going, sparse, back-porch folksy, bluesy number. 10. (3:13) Slow / Mid. Mellow, funky keys, wah-wah guitar, backing vocals. A beauty. 11. (2:47) Mid. Handclaps, double bass, tambourine, piano. Upbeat and blissful. 12. (2:55) Slow / Mid. INSTRUMENTAL. Starts slow then builds into a near jump-boogie.

Shoe String Sue / Black Horse Motel

MC Dizzy Jackson — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:21:15 -0700

Review by MC Dizzy Jackson

Local singer/songwriter with beautiful voice playing 6 and 12 string guitars and ukulele. Strong stuff with some really nice lyrics about relationships, love, story-songs. RIYL Joni Mitchell, Ricky Lee Jones, Natalie Merchant. Solid. No FCC’s. *My Favorites*: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 14. 1. *(4:14) Mid. Nice guitar, great story. 2. (4:48) Slow / Mid. Mellow story-song. 3. *(2:41) Mid. Driving bluesy burner, nice guitar. 4. *(3:06) Mid. Ominous, yet hopeful mood and lyrics. 5. *(3:00) Mid. Upbeat, hints of Joni Mitchell. Nice. 6. (2:42) Mid. INSTRUMENTAL. Beautiful guitar work. 7. (3:56) Mid. Foreboding mood, heavy lyric. 8. *(3:38) Mid. Upbeat ukulele tune. 9. *(4:02) Mid. Catchy story-song. 10. (4:16) Mid. Upbeat with some nice picking. 11. (2:31) Mid. INSTRUMENTAL. Strong guitar playing. 12. (3:51) Mid. Ominous vibe, about leaving. 13. *(4:08) Mid. Upbeat with hopeful lyric. 14. *(2:47) Mid. Upbeat little ukulele ditty. Great. 15. (2:31) Mid. INSTRUMENTAL. Nice picking.

Karp, Peter & Sue Foley / Beyond The Crossroads

MC Dizzy Jackson — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:19:34 -0700

Review by MC Dizzy Jackson

Two guitar-slingers, songwriters and singers join forces on their second album. Both deeply entrenched in good ol’ American music, mostly rooted in the blues, but covering many genres herein. Superb guitar work, solid vocals - both solo and as a duet, strong musicianship throughout and some nice lyrics. A solid album. No FCC’s. *My Favorites*: All are fantastic. 1. (2:34) Mid. Upbeat with great vocal interaction. 2. (4:40) Mid. Killer Allman Brothers guitar, cool piano, strong vocals. 3. (4:28) Mid. Title tune. Peter on lead vocals. Rockin’ with horns. 4. (3:00) Mid. Upbeat rockin’ duet, driving, a bit country. Killer. 5. (3:38) Slow / Mid. Down ‘n’ dirty jazzy blues. 6. (3:45) Mid. Acoustic with slide guitar, backing vocals. Great. 7. (3:59) Mid. Barroom tune, big beat, nice guitar. 8. (4:15) Mid. Driving, pounding drums, nice duet. 9. (3:10) Mid. Upbeat, piano, tambourine, backing vocals. Cool. 10. (3:35) Slow / Mid. Jazzy bluesy piano walk. 11. (1:47) Fast. INSTRUMENTAL. Rockabilly jaunt. Kick ass. 12. (2:50) Mid. Upbeat blues burner. Killer piano, drums, guitar, vocals.

Tashchi (Tasci), Aylin Sengun / Huzur Peace

Abu Ramses — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:18:57 -0700

Review by Abu Ramses

Aylin Sengün Tasçi;, Huzur (Peace) Metin Gim Prodüksiyon (2012) ALL TRACKS FCC CLEAN Reviewed by Abu Ramses (Name is pronounced Aylin Shengun Tashchi) Ankara-born Tasçi; sings sharki – love songs of the Ottoman Empire using eastern & western instrumentation – a popular style since the rise of Islamist politics in the 1990s. Deep mezzo soprano voice. She was a musical prodigy, performed with the Youth Chorus of Turkish Radio & Television & studied at the Istanbul Municipality Conservatory. In 2004 she became Artistic Director of the Istanbul State Turkish Music Ensemble. This is her second solo album. In Stanford style, she also has a Ph.D. in International Relations & Political Science from Yeditepe University. Try 4, 8. 10 TRACKS 1. Yüregim Yanginlarda (Fires in my heart) – Slow, dramatic, full orchestra - 4:51 2. Tek Kelime Bir Söz (A single word, a promise) – Upbeat, syncopated, clarinet intro; Balkan klezmerish sound - 4:03 3. Unutmadim Seni Bir An (Sari Güller) (I have not fogotten a moment) – Mid-tempo, full orchestra 3:47 4. Geri Dönme (Return) – Mid-tempo, bossa nova rhythm; accordion intro - 4:08 5. Yine Hazan Mevsimi Geldi (Time of joy has arrived) – Slow, plaintive - 4:55 6. Deryada Deryaliklar – Solo violin & accordion intro; romantic slow dance - 4:23 7. Nazende Sevgilim (My darling coquette) – Accordion intro; walz tempo - 3:04 8. Madem Ki Gidiyorsun (Now that you're leaving) – Upbeat, with kanun & eastern instrumentation & percussion - 3:28 9. Kalpsiz (Heartless) – Upbeat, accordion, clarinet intro, violins - 3:42 10. Sen Benim Gönlümde Açan Son Güldün (You made my heart start laughing) – Upbeat, oud, percusision, kanun intro and kanun solo on break - 3:51 11. Adini Yoldaki Tashlara Yazdim (I wrote in the road of rocks) – Trumpet solo intro; mid-tempo with Latin flair - 4:35 12. Son Hiçkirik (Last cry) – Mid-tempo; xylophone & piano accompaniment - 3:18 13. Seni Benden Alamazlar (They can't take you away from me) – Upbeat; kanun intro; violins, piano, eastern percussion - 2:23

Various Artists / Boston Blues Works Volume 1

MC Dizzy Jackson — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:18:00 -0700

Review by MC Dizzy Jackson

Strong collection of various blues styles. Various artists covering some classic blues tunes. Mostly female vocals. Lots of harmonica and piano. Solid. No FCC’s. *My Favorites*: All. 1. (3:31) Mid. Upbeat, piano stroll, plodding beat, harmonica. 2. (3:23) Mid. Rapid-fire guitar licks, harmonica breaks, steady rollin’ beat. 3. (4:15) Mid. Soulful vocal delivery, mournful and moving. 4. (2:31) Mid. Upbeat, driving with nice guitar work, great singing. 5. (4:04) Slow / Mid. Down-tempo, killer bass and piano, guitar. Strong female vocal. 6. (3:26) Mid / Fast. Driving r’n’r blues number. Strong beat, nice piano, guitar. 7. (4:30) Slow. Dirge with funktified keys, nice vocal delivery. 8. (3:33) Mid. Classic Willie Dixon song. Mean bass, funky keys, plodding beat, nice vocals. 9. (5:47) Slow / Mid. Tracy Chapman song. Down-home blues, nice harmonica, keys. 10. (3:57) Mid. Mean guitar, howlin’ harmonica, killer beat, strong vocal. 11. (4:22) Slow. Beautiful female vocal. Easy beat, subdued piano and guitar.

Osborne, Anders / Black Eye Galaxy

MC Dizzy Jackson — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:15:57 -0700

Review by MC Dizzy Jackson

Based out of New Orleans, Osborne offers up some rockin’ tunes with big drums, crunchy guitar, some mellower numbers which tend to be on the (slightly) poppy sound and a few jammy tunes. Introspective songs of addiction, relationships - all those good r’n’r themes. Drums, bass, nice guitar (esp. on #11). RIYL Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, big rock, easy-going tunes. No FCC’s. *My Favorites*: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10. 1. (4:19) Mid. Loud pounding drums, big guitar, big vocals. 2. *(7:29) Mid. Fades in, mellow jam, then vocals. Sweet and ominous. 3. *(4:10) Mid. Cool and mellow, a bit poppy. Nice. 4. (4:55) Mid. Big plodding drums, crunchy guitar. Pop. 5. (4:59) Mid. Rockin’, crunchy guitar, processed vocal. 6. *(11:16) Slow / Mid. Title track. Mellow with quieter vocal delivery, backing vocals, easy beat. Gets jammy with wah-wah guitar. 7. *(4:04) Mid. Easy-going acoustic tune with harmonica, sticks, guitar. 8. *(5:47) Mid. Nice guitar, percussion, story-song. Great stuff. 9. (4:41) Slow / Mid. Harmonica, guitar, plodding beat. Fake end, then a ringing bell. 10. *(3:56) Mid. String piece with backing vocals. Heavenly.

Brownout / Oozy

Sadie O. — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:54:31 -0700

Review by Sadie O.

Brownout – Oozy Reviewed by Sadie O., 5/10/12 Serious Latin Funk from Austin. Think Earth, Wind and Fire, or War. (There’s a sentence to be proud of!) All tracks are hot. Complex and structured, yet also funky and psychedelic. Bits of vocals scattered lightly about. I think there’s FCCs on track 8. 1. 4:03 **groovy jazzy funk, bit horn section. Psychedelic bit in middle. 2. 3:34 **downtempo, relaxed, swingy, with a bit of makossa feel. Vocals are rather Kool and the Gang-y. 3. 4:06 **complex Latin percussion, uptempo, driving. Frankly, I have no idea what they’re singing about – and I don’t think it matters. 4. 4:49 **slow and bluesy, crying guitar. Then goes midtempo swingy funky, with big horns. 5. 4:57 **cool uptempo Latin funk, vocals straight outa Disco. 6. 3:46 **nice – downtempo Latin percussion, both fuzz and wah-wah guitar. Vocals in Spanish – I think... they’re also underwater... 7. 5:09 **deeply swingy relaxed funk, just plain nice. 8. 3:11 FCC? Pretty sure the chorus saying “Fuck You” (X4), but all the vocals are a bit back in the mix... **channeling Isaac Hayes, which is never a bad thing. 9. 4:43 **midtempo, great sound – percussion apparently includes berembau, guitar includes wah-wah. What’s not to love? 10. 3:10 **wow, some GREAT percussion, big fat guitar, loud and aggressive. 11. 4:18 **very slow, bluesy and melancholic. Also a bit of horror movie soundtrack feel... SICK guitar solo. Whaaa! Mommy! Help!

Off! / Off!

Lestrygonian — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:47:10 -0700

Review by Lestrygonian

16 songs in 15 minutes—yep, this is definitely Keith Morris. Pissed OFF!, piss-raw, punk as fuck aggression straight from the masters (also featuring members of Red Kross, Rocket from the Crypt). Remember when you first heard Circle Jerks and “Everything Went Black” era Black Flag, how you were so overwhelmed by the primal energy that you punched a brick wall, and everyone at school thought you were psycho ‘cause you had scabs on your knuckles for weeks? Yeah. Fuck yeah. (P.S. Not a true anecdote. Well, okay, it was a tree, not a wall. Shut up.) RIYL early 80s SoCal hardcore; nostalgia for the most violent aspects of hormonal angst.. All songs great; none longer than 90 seconds. FCCs: 4, 11, 15 1. Immediate, in-your-face, raging 2. Snotty, wry and abrasive. Smash your face into concrete. 3. Relatively midpaced, still ripping your face to bits. 4. FCC “head off your ass” rabid, raving, total Circle Jerks style throwback 5. Catchy cockrock’nroll compressed and punkified. Furious, relentless. 6. Even angrier, moshpit anthem. You can almost feel the leather and sweat suffocating you. 7. Apocalyptic. Stooges on speed. 8. Midpaced angry fuckyou punk 9. Rapid, manic tempo. Avoid if you have high blood pressure. 10. Dark Wipers-esque rock dirge crescendos into massive bulldozer destruction. 11. Happy-go-lucky but still pissed Huntington Beach style hardcore. FCC “shit” 12. Pummeling minute-long anthem of angst. Crank this while punching a hole in a wall that you’re pretending is your significant other. 13. Midpaced, dark and metallic, but very brief and urgent. 14. Rushed, breathless, insistent pissed-off-ness. 15. FCC “grab your ass” short angry song about how some guy is an asshole. 16. Short,fast&loud. Brief cock-rock shredding.

Nereo, Ayla / Be Held

Francis Dickerson — Wed, 9 May 2012 18:20:21 -0700

Review by Francis Dickerson

“BeHeld” Ayla Nereo Outstanding indie folk set from Stanford alumna Ayla Nereo — a collection of insightful, personal reflections on life and living. Nereo’s delicate, floating voice serves as a captivating instrument of its own throughout the CD — doubled, harmonizing or used as a background for the lead vocals — mixed with acoustic guitar, piano, light percussion, and occasionally strings or brass. While this is Ayla’s third solo CD (but our first here at KZSU), she can also be heard on two Beatbeat Whisper CDs that we have, performing with her brother, Davyd. Good time to check those out as well! — Francis Recommended: 8, 9, 2, 5, 1, or 10. FCC clean. 1. (2:49) Oh Love! — Feist-like without being formulaic. Playful piano and sweet vocals. Simple, honest indie folk-pop. ** 2. (2:53) Hello Beloved — Acoustic guitar with Nereo’s earnest vocals and beautiful harmonies. Very simple. ** 3. (4:32) Feathered Bow — Syncopated beat, with rich a capella harmonies layered under lead vocal. 4. (3:14) Colors — Toy box-like bells with Nereo’s childlike vocals. Strings add a nice dimension partway through. 5. (4:44) I Could Write — Piano, guitar and Nereo’s emotive vocals create a melodic, circular folk song. ** 6. (2:09) Rest, Child — Sweet vocals backed by xylophone. Song pauses for a few seconds in middle, then ends with one-minute instrumental. 7. (1:33) Winds of the West — Nereo’s a capella voice is an amazing, multilayered instrument in this short song. 8. (3:55) Thorny Rose — Beautiful, rich indie folk. Guitar, strings and Nereo’s lilting voice paint a colorful landscape. **** 9. (5:04) Wasted Hours — Upbeat and bouncy. A bit of a strummy folk flavor to this. Honest vocals focus on learning about love as not being wasted time. *** 10. (3:21) It’s Okay — Lovely, floating melody, with sweet harmonies under lead vocals. ** 11. (3:52) Asalam Shalom — Middle Eastern flavor. Circular picking guitar. Light rhythm including bongos. 12. (3:46) Sacred Mountain — Upbeat, storytelling song about challenges to the planet. Brass layered in at end. 13. (4:42) Headin’ North — Revival style song, with Dixieland jazz feel at end. In first half of song, Nereo’s voice stands alone in harmonies, with light handclaps. Brass, piano and string bass added for the jazzy last 2:20.

Celer / Lightness And Irresponsibility

Adam Pearson — Wed, 9 May 2012 15:50:08 -0700

Review by Adam Pearson

Gentle, minimal, ambient comas. Two sides of a cassette tape transfer, sent to us from the microlabel, Constellation Tatsu, out of San Luis Obispo. Celer is prolific sound artist Will Long, currently residing in Tokyo. Slow, dreamlike, and blissed out glacial ambient tones and layers. It’s so quiet and subtle that it might trip the silence sensor or put your listeners to sleep (in the best way possible). For fans of Stars of the Lid, Christina Vantzou, A Winged Victory for the Sullen. 1. Aquatic feel, victorious tropes, slow, sustained delight. (20:14) 2. Slightly more twinkly and blanketing in warmth. (22:05)

Best Coast / Only Place, The

Your Imaginary Friend — Wed, 9 May 2012 15:13:43 -0700

Review by Your Imaginary Friend

Simple joyous guitar trio pop. Female vocals that drip with emotion when they take flight, soaring, carrying the entire band alone. Pop perfection, channeling all the girl group greats starting from 50’s, through the 60’s and giving a nod and a wink to Holly Golightlys and other contemporaries. Second (third?) release sees them firmly implanted in stardom, recording in Capitol Studios and playing gigs like Outside Lands, a day after an Aquarius in-store. Incredibly catchy, contagious, simple themes of heartbreak and love and being... HAPPY (imagine that?). For every great 10 songs she writes one that stands out above the rest, epic, for the ages. On the last album these were “When I’m with you” and “I wish he was my boyfriend”; this time it’s the first/title track, an anthem for all of us who love living in California (though the state is never mentioned by name). The song just drips with sunshine and redwood tree fog. Pop doesn’t get much better than this. You have to look to The Raspberries, Beach Boys, Pixies, Nirvana, Muffs, Shangri Las, Carpenters, Breeders otherwise. 1) bright and cheery, precisely what you would expect, all about living in and loving in California 2) another hip shaker, upbeat, “you don’t know why I cry” 3) sock hop slow dance waltz, “when my money is gone then I’ll have to write another song” (no problem it seems for this band) 4) “I don’t wanna die, I wanna live my life” upbeat 5) lilting waltzing w/ SOARING vocals, takes flight, beautiful 6) simple, chill, all about the vocals “I don’t wanna be how they want me to be” 7) almost swingy, “no fun when I’m freaking out” 8) familiar 70’s hook, lyric, melody, upbeat 9) darker, sultry feel with vibes instead of guitar, completely different feel from rest 10) super upbeat, “I don’t wanna be anywhere else but home” 11) slower pretty, “I don’t know what day it is cuz I’ve been up all night... I wanna see you forever”, string arrangements

Slavic Soul Party / New York Underground Tapes

Sadie O. — Wed, 9 May 2012 13:36:38 -0700

Review by Sadie O.

Slavic Soul Party – NY Underground Tapes Reviewed by Sadie O., 5/9/12 “Gypsy Brass Band” from Brooklyn. Instrumentals, based on traditional songs and forms, but with bits of Latin and Jazz and Funk... Bits of Ooom-pah, bits of Opa!, bits of old cartoon music, bits of near-Klezmer... Well done and infectious. I like 10 best, and would like 8 just as much, but it’s short – boo! 1. 3:22 **big syncopated horns and drums. Swingy, definitely brassy, with maybe just a hint of Latin tinge. Almost be-bop improv in the trumpet solo. 2. 4:33 **blatty gypsy brass with menacing chords underneath for the intro, then Slavic dance with tons of bounce. Profoundly slinky solos, great percussion. 3. 4:08 **light and breezy (and uptempo) bounce. 4. 4:43 **ponderous brass with sweet and bouncy accordion – then the serious ooom-pah starts. Slows down midway and slowly speeds up to a manic tempo. 5. 5:26 **gypsy brass, rather traditional, goes back and forth between merely uptempo and hyperspeed, with a bit of deeply swingy midtempo with chitterings. 6. 3:50 **sweet midtempo sashay, with a distinctly lounge-mambo vibe. Some “Silly Symphonies” sound (in the best possible way). 7. 4:29 **interesting – sounds a bit like the second line band in Nawlins going TO the funeral, but with a strange time signature, like 4/4.5 or something... 8. 1:47 **trumpet flourish intro, sort of funky spy movie mambo groove. Way cool, but way too short! Crud. 9. 3:12 **downtempo (but with hyperactive horns), complicated as hell. Balkan brass meets math rock! 10. 5:13 ***funky, slinky midtempo wobble. A bit more fetching than manic. Some discordant jazzy chords. Whiffles.

Laredo, Jaime (Violin), Robinson, Sharon (Cello) / Triple Doubles (Double Concertos By R Danielpour, D Ludwig, Da Hagen

Larry — Tue, 8 May 2012 17:10:06 -0700

Review by Larry

Laredo, Jaime (violin), Robinson, Sharon (cello) / Triple Doubles (double concertos by R Danielpour, D Ludwig, DA Hagen) Label: Bridge 2011 These three double concertos for violin and cello were written for Jamie Laredo, a world-renowned violinist, and his partner, Sharon Robinson. Since they live and perform in Vermont, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra honored them with these performances. Richard Danielpour’s A Child’s Reliquary was written after he heard of the death of the infant son of friends. The 1st and 3rd mvmts evoke mourning, the 2 mvmt a snapshot of happier times. The three mvmts of David Ludwig’s concerto are meant to express varieties of love: “Eros” (carnal, sexual love), “Agape” (unrequited, courtly love) and “Phiia” (love of mankind). The 1st interlude represents Calypso’s frenzied dancing (for Odysseus), the 2nd self sacrifice in the Tristan myth. Daron Aric Hagen’s Masquerade conveys musical lovers (violin and cello) courting (1st mvmt), having lost each other (2nd mvmt), reunited at the deathbed of a fiend (3rd mvmt) and reliving joyful memories before parting (4th mvmt). The harmonies throughout these works are tonal, but with modern touches. 1. (6:13) Danielpour: A child’s Reliquary. I. Moderato un poco misterioso. Slow, sad, piquant harmonies, elegaic 2. (8:14) Danielpour: A Child’s Reliquary. II. Vivace e leggiero. A child stumbles about, finds a butterfly and stares, before exploring again, in high grass, finding wildebeasts, then a tranquil scene, from which he stumbles off. 3. (11:24) Danielpour: A child’s Reliquary. III. Adagietto. The private mourning of parents, lugubrious, then pensive, tearful, then sadly resigned. 4. (10:18) Ludwig: Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra. I. Con moto. Calypso dances seductively for Odysseus, angry that he still wishes to return home. The power of the heavens flashes before he finally leaves. 5. (1:44) Ludwig: Concerto, Interlude: Calyspso’s Dance. She is still sexy, coquettish and beguiling. Violin dissonance and treble pitch percussion. 6. (7:39) Ludwig: Concerto, II. Adagio. Yearning in candlelight, longing. 7. (2:20) Ludwig: Concerto, Interlude: Iseult’s Alba. Iseult’s Love-song. 8. (5:34) Ludwig, Concerto, III. Con moto. Perky, with chimes, a rebirth rondo, with a dramatic, flashy finale. 9. (10:13) Hagen: Masquerade. I. Burlesque. Joyful courtship between violin and cello with playful winds and romantic brass, until, toward the close, a dirty old man seduces the woman. 10. (6:51) Hagen: Masquerade. II. Elegy. Elegy for lost love. 11. (3:22) Hagen: Masquerade. III. The Last of Pedrolino. The former lovers reconcile as close friends, but sadness tinges the air, and a drumroll signifies their friend Pedrolino’s passing. 12. (4:20) Hagen: Masquerade. IV. Galoppade. Violin and cello recall their love, and the orchestra celebrates until the drama ends.

Black Belles, The / Black Belles, The

Mister Esquire — Tue, 8 May 2012 15:32:35 -0700

Review by Mister Esquire

as reviewed by Mister Esquire. ("Reviewing is the lowest form of staffing...50% of what gets reviewed doesn't even get played...music reviews are a waste of resources if you ask me." - ____ ____.)$ girly garage pop/neo-gothy schlocky. really solid garage girl group with gothic pretensions. elements of surf and rockabilly with a post punky touch. synth and organ sheen=awesome! FCC CLEAN. RIYL: the kills, those darlins, dum dum girls, the ettes, et al. MR ESQ. SEZ: MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOV-(that's half a 'W'.) PLAY THESE TRACKS: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,10. *1. sing songy piraty poppy, metallic crunch. 2. slow dance stripteasy=boring. *3. begin is quiet. catchy anthemic, rocks like a metallic banshees. *4. BEST TRACK: driving, bitchin' garage screamy rockabilly terror...meow. *5. BEST TRACK II: surfy rockabilly, propulsapop. 'knocking on the wrong door -bang! I've done that... haven't we all?...well, haven't we?... *6. breathy vocoder vox, sultry retro ala holly go lightly. rockin' beaut. *7. most metallic of the bunch. fast and bitchin'! 8. cheesy poppy. josie cotton. 9. menacy git and synths. mid paced. metallic. *10. slow and slinky organ driven (i'll take that striptease now.) 11. backwards loopy begin. stops abruptly (for too long), carries into upward momentum end. (sousxie! is that you?am I spelling your name write?...) $ I didn't ask him. I don't believe him -and you shouldn't either! reviewing is very important to the station. review more&review often! any 'guy' (i.e. male) who tells you reviewing is not important is a cunt. so keep reviewing, and keep meowing. 'nuff said. Meow.

Vivaldi, Antonio / The Baroque Gypsies / Ensemble Caprice

Larry — Tue, 8 May 2012 09:45:47 -0700

Review by Larry

Vivaldi, Antonio / The Baroque Gypsies Ensemble Caprice Label: Analekta 2007 This recording pairs concertos for recorder, strings and basso continuo by Vivaldi (1678-1741) with apposite gypsy pieces from a collection published in 1730, and entitled Collection Uhbrovska. Ensemble Caprice believes that Vivaldi may have heard or known some of these pieces, both through his travels and when migrants from Slavic lands came to Venice, where he taught for many years at the Ospedale della Pietà, an “orphanage” for the illegitimate daughters of noblemen. Gypsy motifs and stylistic elements such as virtuoso racing passages, syncopated rhythms and abrupt dynamic contrasts are found in Vivaldi’s works. In this recording, the Ensemble Caprice follows the tradition of both Vivaldi and of gypsy musicians by improvising cadenzas in his concerti and riffs, elaborations and expansions in the gypsy tunes. (1:46) Gypsy pieces – Hungaricus 15. Rousing (1:18) Gypsy pieces – C 256. Upbeat tempo, but minor key (2:10) Gypsy pieces - IAG BARI. Like a Turkish bazaar tune. (0:48) Vivaldi (Ensemble Caprice): Concerto in Bb Maj, RV 375 – Cadenza. Recorder virtuoso arpeggios (4:37) Vivaldi: Concerto in Bb Maj, RV 375 – Allegro Molto. Slow intro, then sprightly minor key passages, with recorder minor key laments and dances (3:57) Vivaldi: Concerto in Bb Maj, RV 375 – Adagio. Stately sadness (3:44) Vivaldi: Concerto in Bb Maj, RV 375 – Allegro. Bravely we go forward. The piper lifts of courage. (2:02) Gypsy pieces – Hungaricus 25. Hoedown in the old country. (1:47) Gypsy pieces – Hungaricus 23. Shades of Scotland and kilts. (4:24) Gypsy pieces / Cadenza & Hungaricus 53. Nighttime and witches. (1:28) Gypsy pieces – C 106. Dance outside the tavern, with some self-mocking. (3:24) Vivaldi: Concerto in C maj RV 533 – Praambulum/Allegro. Ominous first half, gay second half. (2:31) Vivaldi: Concerto in C maj RV 533 – Largo. Recorders lilt above pontificating strings. (2:02) Vivaldi: Concerto in C maj RV 533 – Allegro. All sing ho! (0:46) Gypsy pieces – C 206. Nobles watch without laughing at the peasants. (2:28) Gypsy pieces – C 207. Now we mourn. (1:08) Gypsy pieces – C 208. Good-natured dancing, with some leaping. (2:59) Gypsy pieces – C 345. Everyone mourns the passing of a beloved king. (1:36) Vivaldi: Concerto in G min, Op. X, No. 2 RV 104 – Largo. Dawn breaks over the Venetian Arsenal (ship-building yards) (0:51) Vivaldi: Concerto in G min, Op. X, No. 2 RV 104 – Presto. The workmen labor with energy and dedication. (1:04) Vivaldi: Concerto in G min, Op. X, No. 2 RV 104 – Largo. Lunch break with sad minstrel tales told. (0:53) Vivaldi: Concerto in G min, Op. X, No. 2 RV 104 – Fantasmi. Back to work with renewed energy, spurred by the threat of war. (1:49) Vivaldi: Concerto in G min, Op. X, No. 2 RV 104 – Il Sonno. Late at night, the shipyard guards jerkily drift into sleep. (1:57) Vivaldi: Concerto in G min, Op. X, No. 2 RV 104 – Allegro. Out of the blue, sailors appear in the early hours to prepare ships to sail. (3:52) Gypsy pieces – Praamublum I. Courtly dancing by country folk. (1:24) Gypsy pieces – Pulcher. Latin for beautiful, here meaning “noble” (1:18) Gypsy pieces – Anglicus. A clear reference to Scottish highlands, me bonnie lass (2:11) Gypsy pieces – Ballet Doctoris Fausti ad Mensam. Faust at a banquet. (3:08) Vivaldi: Concerto in C maj P. 81 – Adagio. Venetian canals pass by at surprising speed. (3:08) Vivaldi: Concerto in C maj P. 81 – Cadence / Adagio. A virtuoso recorder player in Piazza San Marco introduces his slower string friends. (2:16) Vivaldi: Concerto in C maj P. 81 – Allegro. Stormy winds and a light rain blow through the Piazza. (1:21) Gypsy pieces – C 272. Heavy peasants dance tipsily, with syncopation. (3:12) Gypsy pieces – C 275. Modal harmonies, modest tempo. (1:48) Gypsy pieces – Asztali Nota. Syncopated staggering of a wounded but victorious soldier.

Sweet Potato Pie / Brand New Day

Bruce Ross — Sun, 6 May 2012 00:43:01 -0700

Review by Bruce Ross

Great harmonies are what highlight this light bluegrass release. 1*Up-mid 2 Mid 3*Slow 4*Mid 5 Mid 6 Mid(G) 7 Slow-mid(G) 8 Slow 9*Mid 10 Mid 11*Mid 12*Mid 13 Slow-mid

Cantor, Isaac / Road To Noyo

Bruce Ross — Sat, 5 May 2012 23:29:38 -0700

Review by Bruce Ross

This is excellent instrumental bluegrass featuring 25 year old Isaac's banjo playing. Isaac is one of the better banjo players in the bay area & he's assembled a great band for his debut release. 1*Upbeat 2*Upbeat 3*Upbeat 4 Up-mid 5*Mid 6*Mid 7*Up-mid 8*Mid 9*Mid

Waco Brothers & Paul Burch / Great Chicago Fire

Bruce Ross — Sat, 5 May 2012 22:35:05 -0700

Review by Bruce Ross

Adding Paul to this release gives it more twang & less punk than earlier Waco releases. Try it if past releases were a little too crazy for you. 1 Mid 2*Up-mid 3*Mid 4*Slow 5 Mid 6*Mid 7 FCC(pissholes)Mid 8 Upbeat 9 Mid 10 Mid 11 Mid

Snider, Todd / Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables

Bruce Ross — Sat, 5 May 2012 21:59:10 -0700

Review by Bruce Ross

Nice mixture of folk and loose country rockers centering on Todd's fight against the establishment. 1*Slow-mid The rich get richer 2*Mid Good things happen to bad people 3 FCC(fuck)Slow-mid 4 Slow-mid Todd solo, no band 5*Mid Last time you'll break my heart 6*FCC(shit)Mid play the clean edit CD 7 Mid w/nice fiddle 8 FCC(bullshit & god damned)Mid 9*Slow Story song 10 Slow loud blues

King Dude / My Beloved Ghost

Emmerich Anklam — Sat, 5 May 2012 21:04:52 -0700

Review by Emmerich Anklam

Dark folk/lo-fi With these recordings, King Dude offers some gorgeous death-and-doom-oriented folk. These songs consist mostly of acoustic guitar and deep, often multi-tracked vocals. Start with A1, A2, A4, B5. FCC WARNING B4. *A1. (3:51)—Mid-tempo. Ominous, strummed acoustic guitar riffs with deep, dark, cultish vocals. *A2. (2:01)—Continues in the same vein as the first song. Some very deep, evil “ohhhhh”s in the refrains. A3. (2:33)—Vocals start immediately. The music is slightly less doomy than in the previous two tracks. *A4. (2:25)—Sounds like a sea shanty from hell. Some very pretty cello shows up briefly. B1. (2:55)—The rhythm is bouncy, but this doesn’t make the song any lighter in tone than the others. Pretty bleak lyrical matter. B2. (2:18)—This turns out to be a Kinks cover, but it’s as dark as anything here. More upbeat rhythms, this time with the inclusion of a tambourine. B3. (1:32)—Brief, mid-tempo, waltz-time piece with more ominous vocals. B4. (1:57)—FCC WARNING (g•••••n). Were it not for the vocals, this would be a very cheery, straightforward folk song. It’s even in the key of C. *B5. (2:10)—Lovely, slowly strummed guitar. The second half includes whistling and high-pitched keyboards. This sounds like a Disney song gone very, very wrong.

Kaiser Chiefs / Start The Revolution Without Me

Trent Kay — Sat, 5 May 2012 20:15:39 -0700

Review by Trent Kay

Brit pop-art-synth-dance-punk of the Franz / Maximo Park / Hot Hot Heat variety. These bands all came out at the same time and no one ever quite figured out what to call the genre, but you know the sound -- slightly retro, slick and smart, dancey and punky. These kids may never top 2005's Employment (their debut), but this record (their fifth) is hilarious. They basically ripped off a different band for every track, and it's clear from the lyrics and the delivery that they're cheerfully cheeky about it. The hell, they're the Kaiser Chiefs, they can do whatever they want. Note: This is the American version of their "The Future is Medieval" project, released in 2011. These guys are a BFD in Britain, not so much here. RIYL: Maximo Park, Franz, Art Brut, Hot Hot Heat try: 2, 8, 11 (**), 1, 3, 10, 12 (*) no FCCs *1. (3:44) ~3 sec warm-up. harsh verses, mid-tempo creeper rock. slinky sidewindy piano. hella maximo park. "i wish i could give you undivided attention every minute of the day but i can't". **2. (4:10) ~6 sec warm-up. then: beepy aggressive chorus, rumbling electric. slurred 'oh's over accent bells. the riff is effing fantastic, and the riff is the song. *3. (3:09) hit the fog machine! cookin' mid-fast vibe-addled steel drum supa staccato 80s dance shtick. high-reg harpy happy vibra-synth. this is some serious hall n oates duran duran action right here. 4. (2:38) surf guitar lead-in. fast, surfy retro rocker. think: if only the ramones had decent production value. (this song was way better when i thought the lyrics were "i thought you were american!") 5. (5:33) agitated rudder tone swells into washy wall-of-sound. whole-note low chorus. cough oasis. 6. (3:29) holy shit, it's like three beatles tracks in one! eleanor rigby harpsichord, cutesy bopping bass, unexpectedly pretty sighing falsetto chorus. what. 7. (3:35) unapologetically cheesy. starts and durates with street noise, military drums, funk bass, brassy electric, clash style revolution singalong. "start the revolution without me, i've got to cut my hair." **8. (3:47) fuck yeah! funky sexy beepy david bowie. styled vox, mega synth, wah-wah pedal, tight drums, funny and fun. as if they attempted a bowie cover: "you guys know his song fame, right? aw fuck, i forget how it goes, let's just use the force!" 9. (3:44) mid-tempo, comparatively chill. beatles vox (a la taxman), amusing kung fu oriental-gong stadium tropes. slurry sing-songy chorus. gets soary towards the end. *10. (3:03) takes ~23 sec to warm up. simple yet rockin' fast garagey electric. deep synth breakdown. hilarious lyrics about being a malcontent in a society of idiots: "i see you walking down the street, you know who you are, smiling all the time." **11. (3:50) cooking draggy mid-fast synth-slam minor on par with "oh my god". wailing twin electric solos. finally, here in the back 40 they sound the most like themselves. "i can't mind my own business, that's why i'm never out of trouble with you." *12. (4:43) unbelievably, this could be a shins cover (circa oh, inverted world). slower, haunty high-reg vox, melodic bass, pretty and creepy all over. 13. (3:23) naked strummed guitar. a downer, sweet, longing. there are strings. "if you will have me, i want to be the boy from a photograph."

Collberg, Andrew / Dirty Wind

Emmerich Anklam — Sat, 5 May 2012 19:59:39 -0700

Review by Emmerich Anklam

Garage rock/folk rock A pleasant, enjoyable rock single from this Tucson, AZ artist. Side A is straight rock and roll while side B delves into folk territory. No FCCs. Side A. (3:33)—Mid tempo rock and roll that’s simultaneously relaxed and bouncy. Follows traditional rock structure with a guitar solo midway in. Side B. (4:59)—Very pretty mid tempo folk rock. Harmonies, rhythm piano, brushed drums. The music becomes distorted at the end.

Yalls / Fantasy

Emmerich Anklam — Sat, 5 May 2012 19:56:53 -0700

Review by Emmerich Anklam

Indie pop/electronica Fun, upbeat, danceable, woozy music from this one-man project based in Berkeley. Try A1. No FCCs. *A1. (4:44)—Mid tempo and cheery. Peppy organ and synthesizers and lots of multi-tracked vocals. B1. (3:10)—If Animal Collective made pop music for the beach, the result might sound like this. The laidback vocals match the repeated “slow down” lyric. B2. (3:11)—Sounds more chaotic that the previous songs. A simple synthesizer lead dominates the last thirty seconds.

Pepe Deluxe / Queen Of The Wave

Deniz Cebenoyan — Sat, 5 May 2012 17:45:50 -0700

Review by Deniz Cebenoyan

Pepe Deluxe / “Queen of the Wave” / Asthmatic Kitty Really quite good. The back explains that the album is an “esoteric pop opera in three parts”. The songs are based loosely on the book A Dweller on Two Planets - basically maps a bunch of stories of a guy named Zailm on Atlantis. It’s fun to read the track descriptions along the way, but what’s most important is the album is solid start to finish. Very psychadelic meets poppy electronica feel to it. Often pretty dramatic, like the show tunes you wish all musicals had. A lot of songs lead into each other, and some are a bit overly dramatic for me, but you could play it start to finish at a (slightly weird) party, and everyone would be pleased. No FCCs detected. Favorite tracks: 1, 2, 9, 10 1. * 4:54 Tesla coil synth sounds transition to awesome simple beat, synth solos, flutes - great opener. 2. * 4:04 Awesome beat from the start, poppy synthy dance party - vocals could easily be from Basement Jaxx. Killer! 3. 4:44 Sounds like an Air song that got sped up. Uptempo, female harmonies, frenetic and fun. Turns a bit Baroque-psych in the middle. 4. 2:48 Fuzzy melodic synths, midtempo, psychadelic sexy. Instrumental. Great riff. About 10sec of synth at end. 5. 3:52 Mandolin (?) melody, female vocals, bit of a stripped, synthy, psych sea shanty/folk tale song feel to it at times. 6. 4:09 Female vocals, uptempo, sounds a bit Rocky Horror-ish. 7. 4:33 Slow strong beat, male & fem vox, cool lazy distorted riff, flute. Song breaks down in middle and builds back up. 8. 1:51 Sad, eerie piano interlude. Like setting the scenery in a horror movie. Or maybe a foreign film. 9. * 3:49 Midtempo, eerie harmonies, piano, androgynous (fem) vocals. Dreamy, trippy, sexy! 10. * 2:22 Most standard indie rock esque sounding. Nice change, midtempo, same simple melody starting small and building nicely. 11. 3:43 Severe-opera ish vocals, long dramatic instrumental breaks. NOTE: Seems like it ends 30sec before the actual end, but then small melody emerges and plays through end. 12. 7:18 Slow steady closer. Male and fem vox, the hero is sailing off into the lonely sea. Many melody changes. NOTE: @02:45 remaining, main song ends and ocean sounds continue. After about a minute into this, a little melody comes in and plays to end. Deniz Cebenoyan

Isidore / Life Somewhere Else

Emmerich Anklam — Sat, 5 May 2012 16:31:56 -0700

Review by Emmerich Anklam

Dream pop/psychedelic First album in seven years by this duo consisting of Steve Kilbey (The Church) and Jeffrey Cain (Remy Zero). As the title suggests, this album conjures a lush, laid-back world of its own, pairing Kilbey’s oozing-cool vocals with music that’s two thirds pop and one third sound bliss. There’s a lot of great music here. Try 2, 4, 6, 11, 12. FCC WARNING 5. 1. (7:52)—A slow burner. Lots of sound effects and beautiful synths lead into an epic song that rides out its beauty and never crests (but never needs to). 2. *(3:36)—A lush, beat-less earworm that walks the line between mourning and cool serenity wonderfully. 3. (5:22)—Keeps a low energy level, despite the relatively elaborate arrangement. The verses sound especially pretty. False ending at -1:10. 4. *(4:54)—This slow song rocks more than those before it, but it never reaches full-on rock, instead choosing sublime tension. The repetition increases the sense of drama. So good. 5. (3:16)—FCC WARNING (f••••••). A mid-tempo electronic beat drives this song. Probably the poppiest piece on this album. 6. *(5:16)—Fast paced, acoustic guitar led song with more of the tense melancholy that spurs many of this album’s most beautiful moments. 7. (5:18)—Upbeat but, as always, relaxed. The psychedelic elements are reminiscent of the band’s first album. 8. (6:20)—Slow, hard driving beat and more psychedelic sounds. If you’re not keen on lyrics like, “Take off your pants and pretend you’re in France,” this might not be your cup of tea. Otherwise, this song comes recommended. 9. (4:34)—Another dance beat, but more slow creeping, distorted, and menacing than track five. 10. (4:52)—Mixes the lush, tense sound of the early songs on this album with some of the psychedelic sounds in the album’s second third. Mid-tempo. 11. *(3:49)—An appealing convergence of electronic beats and sounds with pretty acoustic guitar and driving electric guitar. 12. *(4:13)—With its psychedelic guitars and its dance-oriented beat, this sounds like a very relaxed My Bloody Valentine. Pretty. 13. (3:40)—Continues in the vein of the previous two songs with the fusion of electronic beats and lush rock instrumentation. 14. (3:41)—This very pleasant mid-tempo song closes the album. Beat-less, psychedelic, acoustic guitar driven.

Blue Sausage Infant / Manitou

Lestrygonian — Sat, 5 May 2012 16:10:17 -0700

Review by Lestrygonian

Blue Sausage Infant is the name that DC area synth and circuit wizard Chester Hawkins has used for his amorphous, kaleidoscopic experimental releases since 1986. A centerpiece of the local Sonic Circuits festival, his track on the festival’s fourth sampler LP (District Of Noise) sounded like the east coast equivalent to some Debacle Records artists (e.g. Megabats, Brain Fruit, Crystal Hell Pool). This is really varied stuff—swirls of krauty kosmic synth along with some abstract drone and musique concrete; there’s something in here for everyone. RIYL Klaus Schulze, Ernesto Diaz-Infante, High Wolf, No Mind Meditation 1. (5:04) Looped guitar/ukulele strums, shimmering and sparkly (almost autoharp timbre), some slowly emerging synth layers washed over 2. (5:08)* Dark, twisted nightmare techno. Blurred, buzzing, erratic bouncing beats with some harsh circuitbending. 3. (3:25) Haunting kaleidoscopic collage of radio samples, scratchy field recordings, and what sounds like underwater marimba. 4. (4:40) Upbeat, fuzzy guitar+drum crossover-thrash duo (guest musicians Daniel Euphrat & Jason Mullinax); reverbed, krauty synth/vox from Hawkins. 5. (9:26) **Chilled-out swirling synth soundscapes, a lethargic Megabats / Brain Fruit meets Tangerine Dream 6. (5:02) Buzzing cacophony swirling around a dark electric hum 7. (4:31) Cyclical synth meanderings over drunken yelling and dogs barking in the distance 8. (7:32) Gentle post-rock guitar plucking with some haunting lap-steel guitar 9. (12:14)* Field recording collage plunges into some dark and dreary industrial soundscapes

Albatrosh / Yonkers

Fo — Sat, 5 May 2012 12:04:12 -0700

Review by Fo

ALBATROSH: Yonkers Rune Grammofon, 2011 AVANT-MODERN JAZZ – Very fine sax/piano duets that move in unexpected directions, darting and ducking like sparring boxers, bouncing phrases off each other, then suddenly merging in a single, twisting stream. Lots of avant-garde ideas at work as they fall in and out of abstraction, but nothing that should scare anyone away; this is melodic at the core, often cerebral, but sometimes beautiful. All very good. Fo’s Picks: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 1. 5:02 – relaxed pacing: piano & sax hop gingerly, then long intertwined lines 2. 3:21 – upbeat boppish sketch warps into free jazz dialogue, very playful 3. 6:28 – careful theme; strange sax flutters & wails against classical piano 4. 7:06 – abstract sax tones and delicate piano, but firm in the middle section 5. 5:04 – quick counterpoint: sax & piano run in circles, slows waaay down 6. 5:36 – ballad-like: sax/piano drift, rejoin, drift again... solo break for piano 7. 6:30 – playful percolation: unison line breaks into distracted wanderings 8. 5:46 – slow, icy beauty: abstract sax tones against a dark piano melody [ Fo ] - April 2012

Solivan, Marianne / Prisoner Of Love

Fo — Sat, 5 May 2012 11:15:09 -0700

Review by Fo

MARIANNE SOLIVAN: Prisoner of Love Hipnotic, 2012 JAZZ VOCALS – This is an impressive debut. Solivan has a warm, flexible alto voice and a classic, no-bullshit approach that has both style and substance. How refreshing! She’s joined by several top-rate players in a set that’s heavy on standards but avoids the obvious. The rapport is strong, and the intimate settings make it even sweeter. Marianne Solivan : vocals Peter Bernstein: guitar Xavier Davis, Michael Kanan : piano Christian McBride, Ben Wolfe : bass Johnathan Blake : drums Jeremy Pelt: trumpet Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11 1. 3:33 – soaring midtempo ballad, very nice guitar & bass 2. 4:15 – a deep ache with lovely piano trio; piano and vocals surge 3. 3:41 – vocal/bass duet, so good! Some light scatting & solid bass 4. 6:06 – slow intro with piano, then heartfelt ballad with trio, fine vocals 5. 3:26 – heartbreaking duet with piano; a great song that’s rarely performed 6. 4:43 – sexy stroll with great bass, guitar & lo-fi trumpet 7. 3:43 – duet with guitar, shows off her voice very nicely 8. 5:21 – big sashaying swing with trio, sassy vocals come in late 9. 3:20 – duet with bass: unusual intro, settles into rich harmony 10. 4:22 – cabaret-style duet ballad with piano 11. 2:44 – upbeat stroll, vocals dig in with a solid trio swing [ Fo ] - April 2012

Harrison, Joel & Lorenzo Feliciati / Holy Abyss

Fo — Sat, 5 May 2012 10:09:16 -0700

Review by Fo

JOEL HARRISON & LORENZO FELICIATI: Holy Abyss Cuneiform, 2012 POSTMODERN JAZZ – Hard to classify, this is surreal, dark-hued music from a really intriguing quintet co-led by American guitarist Harrison and Italian bassist Feliciati, but also featuring sonic explorer Cuong Vu on trumpet. There’s a lot of fusion in here, and some free improvisation, but also references to bop and even country music. It all stays cohesive somehow, making this a strange but worthwhile journey. Fo’s Picks: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 1. 7:46 – mournful ballad: calm trumpet, stinging guitar, surges at end 2. 8:12 – starts as quiet creep/folksy lope; gets loud & gritty, falls back 3. 5:30 – upbeat jazzy groove sets up free-ranging improv, thrusting trumpet 4. 8:09 – dark shadows, slow and echoing, turns into creepy group improv 5. 3:32 – uptempo gallop; flirts with bop, falls into surrealism, bounces back 6. 8:33 – melodic, with thumping groove one side and daydreams on the other 7. 8:21 – light, rolling 5/4 tune with dark undertones, trumpet & guitar stretch 8. 3:06 – brooding echoes, slumps into open space, hangs from a bass line [ Fo ] - April 2012

Garrett, Kenny / Seeds From The Underground

Fo — Sat, 5 May 2012 09:11:21 -0700

Review by Fo

KENNY GARRETT: Seeds from the Underground Mack Avenue, 2012 MODERN JAZZ – Garrett is an interesting saxophonist: he can burn with great fire and aggression, but he also loves to please the crowd with happy little toe-tappers and feel-good riffing tunes. His songs tend to be simple – at first they may seem too simple or lightweight – but just sit back and enjoy them, and before you know it you’ll be grinning and nodding along, caught in the groove. That’s Garrett. Very tight quintet, mostly upbeat tunes, nice stretchy solo spaces. All nice. Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10 1. 9:03 – cute, perky melody with latin percussion, solos are full of joy 2. 6:25 – postbop energy & sharp angles; takes simple theme and runs with it 3. 7:35 – steady pulse, a soulful urban strut weaves through piano riff 4. 7:27 – stirring freedom march, wordless vocal shadows sax, gets deep 5. 4:21 – simple sax/piano ballad with scratchy vinyl pop/hiss, wordless vocals 6. 8:08 – heavy, rolling theme: strong drums, questioning soprano sax solo 7. 8:14 – swing turns serious: sax in tight little knots over chugging groove 8. 8:43 – vocal chorus, repetitive tune, spirited solos, African jam ending 9. 6:17 – dusky soprano sax ballad, moves at a serene pace 10. 3:38 – solid latin-postbop groove; sax roots around a bit, could be longer [ Fo ] - April 2012

Various Artists / Hills Have Amps, The

Lestrygonian — Fri, 4 May 2012 23:58:33 -0700

Review by Lestrygonian

Art Amiss brings us an eclectic mix of underground metal bands from Northern Arkansas. Clearly this is an area that metal fans have been overlooking for too long—this is the first time I’ve come across any of these names. Some gems, some duds, great combination overall. The doom and sludge-rock tracks are especially crucial for any heavy metal bar’s jukebox. 1. Sick and sludgy old school death metal owing a lot to Autopsy and Asphyx. Hits its stride but drags on a tad too long. 2. Accurately described as “drunken swamp rock”—think Eyehategod, Black Tusk, et al. 3. *Odd-metered syncopated thrash metal—Megadeth meets Melvins. 4. Amateur garage-fi black metal, trebly and forgettable, but brief. 5. “weirdo four track core” instrumental cassete-sounding, kind of black metal (instrumental) with some cool neoclassical harmonies 6. **AWESOME—massive, despairing, epic doom. Candlemass, Pagan Altar, Pilgrim come to mind.

Feedtime / Aberrant Years, The

Emmerich Anklam — Fri, 4 May 2012 20:27:43 -0700

Review by Emmerich Anklam

Noise rock/proto-grunge Reissue of the first four albums (1985-1989) by this Australian rock band. Noisy, heavy, minimalist, unrelenting—in a word, awesome. There are even horns here and there. Play it all, start with 1, 2, 4, 6, 8. No FCCs. 1. *(2:30)—Fast-paced. Sounds atonal at the beginning but resolves into a very catchy, albeit heavy, song with harmonies. 2. *(2:41)—Noir vocals and a swinging rhythm. Very cool. 3. (3:07)—Distorted slide guitar comes to the forefront to accompany a post-punk beat and horns. 4. *(2:19)—Downright menacing cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Play With Fire.” Growled vocals, medium-slow tempo, extremely distorted guitar and bass. And that horn! This is amazing. 5. (2:51)—One chord (which, at least on this recording, is not F#). Tense, chugging guitars and vocals more barked than sung. 6. *(2:29)—Try listening to this song without imagining a really, really awesome motorcycle ride. Fast-paced and true to its name. 7. (2:22)—Another cover. Blues run through a shredder. 8. *(4:25)—Starts like a post-punk song and then turns into a rock ‘n roll brawling ground complete with wailing saxophones. Near the end, the singer screams, “You’re gonna get half of my heart!” Wild. 9. (3:01)—A 180 degree turn, almost. It’s a hoedown with slide guitar and some occasional overdrive. 10. (3:12)—Gorgeous molasses metal guitars with ghostly vocals.

Beal, Willis Earl / Acousmatic Sorcery

Emmerich Anklam — Fri, 4 May 2012 17:59:17 -0700

Review by Emmerich Anklam

Lo-fi/outsider music/folk Debut album by this lo-fi Chicago musician. The extremely stripped down nature of these recordings might take some listeners aback, but the loud songs certainly rock and the quiet songs possess an intimate prettiness that can be achieved only with this sound. Try 2, 7, 8, 10. FCC WARNING 4, 6. 1. (1:49)—Instrumental. Beal plucks really high notes on a guitar. Sounds like a dissonant music box. 2. *(2:57)—If Tom Waits decided to record a song with as few instruments as possible, it might sound like this. Guttural vocals and distorted percussion. 3. (5:35)—Woozy guitars, clinking percussion, and stream of consciousness lyrics. Spoken word at the end. 4. (3:19)—FCC WARNING (s•••). Minimal acoustic guitar and hushed vocals. Understatedly pretty. 5. (4:23)— More stripped down loveliness. Strummed guitar and dreamy lyrics. 6. (3:40)—FCC WARNING (b••••••t). Distorted percussion and guitar fronted by Beal’s alternating singing and rapping. 7. *(3:26)—Distorted guitar and a bouncy beat created with what sounds like drinking glasses. Catchy and fun. 8. *(3:58)—The closest song to a ballad here, especially with regard to the vocals. 9. (3:37)—More music-box-like guitar, this time with vocals. 10. *(4:15)—Tense and wrenching. Plucked acoustic guitar and vocals that grow slowly unhinged. 11. (1:45)—Instrumental. Dissonant guitars.

Magrudergrind / Crusher

Lestrygonian — Fri, 4 May 2012 14:07:51 -0700

Review by Lestrygonian

DC grindcore trio’s heaviest record to date. Short,fast&loud with just the right touch of slow to add variety. The guitar tone is so heavy, you won’t even notice the absence of bass. Chris Moore still delivers some of the finest blastbeats of the century. PLAY FUCKING LOUD! FCC clean 1. (1:11)* fastfastfastfuckingfastahhhhh 2. (0:55) dark death metal riffing at the speed of destruction 3. (1:07) also fast 4. (1:10) um, fast again 5. (1:37)* apocalyptic hail of destruction, loudness—ends with a hip hop sample (???) 6. (5:24)* ROOOOAAAR! Fast but mostly slow

Callous / Mother / Sister

Lestrygonian — Fri, 4 May 2012 00:30:38 -0700

Review by Lestrygonian

A lethal combination of hardcore, grind and sludge—two excellent doses of it on this first 7”, great follow-up to their demo tape. Members of Chainsaw to the Face, Backslider, Amputee. Raw, bloody, bass-heavy. Fans of Neanderthal, Godstomper etc. won’t want to miss. 1. (4:15) despairingly slow for the most part, speeds up into a frenzy at the end. “cookie monster” vox throughout 2. (6:00) pummeling angular riffs at first, otherwise even slower than the first; hoarse yet intelligible punk vocals

Bibb, Eric / Deeper In The Well

MC Dizzy Jackson — Thu, 3 May 2012 19:32:19 -0700

Review by MC Dizzy Jackson

Long-time acoustic bluesman Bibb recorded this in Louisiana. Has a very rootsy, Americana sound with instrumentation of guitar, banjo, violin, harmonica, mandolin. Mostly originals with a couple covers, a couple traditionals. Solid throughout. No FCC’s. *My Favorites*: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12. 1. *(4:13) Mid. Stripped-down and ominous. Violin, guitar, harmonica, minimal drums, backing vocals. Killer. 2. (2:39) Slow / Mid. Slow-paced, sparse groover. Nice melding of violin and harmonica. 3. *(4:07) Mid / Fast. Upbeat porch tune. Cool banjo, spoons or bells, backing vocals. 4. (4:16) Mid. Fuller sound with violin and harmonica prominent. 5. *(3:26) Mid. Tuff version of classic ‘Boll Weevil’. Killer playing, strong vocal. Song ends with 0:30 then spoken intro, leading into next song. 6. *(4:53) Mid. Quieter vocal, ominous mood, killer harmonica, guitar. 7. *(3:48) Slow / Mid. Reflective lyrics. Nice guitar picking, slide work. Quiet and beautiful. 8. *(3:40) Mid. Upbeat, brushes on drums, heavenly strings, strong stuff. 9. (2:54) Mid / Fast. Upbeat. Chopped harmonica, banjo, guitar, strings. Cool. 10. (3:41) Mid. Sparse, nice guitar picking, nice harmonica. 11. *(4:38) Mid. Taj Mahal song. Guitar, bass, mandolin, magnetic beat. Nice version. 12. *(2:49) Mid. Quiet vocals, contemplative mood. Really beautiful. 13. (5:44) Slow / Mid. Bob Dylan classic. Quiet delivery, sparse instrumentation. Nice. Ends with 2:20, then at 2:00 a harmonica solo til end.

Cooper, Scott / A Leg Trick

MC Dizzy Jackson — Thu, 3 May 2012 19:30:43 -0700

Review by MC Dizzy Jackson

Santa Cruz- based Cooper releases an album with varying sounds of New Orleans, blues, jazz, rock and Grateful Dead, with a few short jammy phrases. Some nice moments and solid playing throughout. No FCC’s. *My Favorites*: 2, 3, 5, 10. 1. (4:41) Mid. Has that down-south vibe, with solid horns, piano, drums. NIce. 2. *(2:56) Mid / Fast. Upbeat, galloping beat, killer slide. Both old-timey and barroom sounding. Solid. 3. *(4:10) Mid. Bluesy, slight zydeco with frottoir, backing vocals. 4. (4:23) Mid. Grateful Dead stylings. Easy-going vibe, big drums, bass, guitar solos. 5. *(4:00) Mid. Upbeat, jazzy, country blues a la Taj and Dr. John with piano, wah-wah guitar, cool drumbeat. Nice. 6. (3:03) Slow / Mid. HInt of Allman Bros. at first, then that New Orleans mood. Nice female backing vocals. Solid guitar, drums, piano. 7. (3:59) Mid. Dead vibe right down to the vocals. 8. (6:24) Mid. Driving beat, jammy barroom sound. 9. (6:15) Slow / Mid. Warren Zevon classic. Organ, slow, plodding beat, nice guitar work. 10. *(3;38) Mid / Fast. INSTRUMENTAL. Country flair with pedal steel, killer, phrenetic beat and a jammy phrase. 11. (3;44) Mid. Slow, sparse intro, then band. Really Dead-ish, driving, loud and jammy.

Corner Laughers, The / Poppy Seeds

Francis Dickerson — Thu, 3 May 2012 18:31:01 -0700

Review by Francis Dickerson

“Poppy Seeds” The Corner Laughers The Corner Laughers is a Bay Area indie pop group that in its third CD “Poppy Seeds” has created a set of sweet and sunny anthems to the Golden State. The 12 tracks vary from sugary to retro pop — but are always typified by smart lyrics, hook-y melodies, excellent musicianship, and super-clean production. Plenty of SF references from Buster Posey and Mt. Tamalpais to the Transamerica Pyramid. If indie pop appeals to your musical tastes in any way, you’ll definitely find songs here to your liking. — Francis Recommended: 6, 9, 12, 2, or 7. FCC clean. 1. (3:08) Grasshopper Clock — Sweet and lighthearted. Perfect for a clever children’s song on Sesame Street. 2. (2:30) Bells of El Camino — 1960s pop feel with rich harmonies and a strong bass line that drives the tune. Short. *** 3. (2:28) Sugar Skull — The start of this reminds me of the Gilligan’s Island TV theme. Corner Laughers — Are you hearing that too? 4. (3:25) Laughing Stars — Reminiscent of a girl group pop hit from yester-year. Perfect for Mr. Esquire. Jangly guitars add dimension to the tune. 5. (2:16) Twice the Luck — Really good showcase for lead singer Karla Kane’s ukulele virtuosity. Chirpy and playful with sweet harmonies. 6. (3:21) Transamerica Pyramid — Excellent pop — clever lyrics and well-constructed composition. Morphs into a Beach Boys tribute halfway through. **** 7. (2:26) (Now That I Have You I’m) Bored — Faster and more rock elements to this song. ** 8. (3:16) 8:18 — Western touches on this one. Lead vocals alternate between the boys and girls. 9. (3:32) Chicken Bingo — Pure pop goodness. Multilayered, dynamic tune highlighting the Corner Laughers’ trademark strengths: clever lyrics, strong musical performances, catchy melodies, and rich harmonies. *** 10. (3:04) I’d Rather Count Cormorants With You — Opens like an old Johnny Rivers tune. Another track with alternating male and female vocals. 11. (1:18) Poppy Seeds (Instrumental) — Toy box sounds (and ukulele?). Very short. 12. (4:04) The Perfect Weather — SF-flavored love song. Warm vocals by Karla Kane. Pays homage to 60s groups like the Rascals. Is that an accordion in the lead break? ***

Adonis / Daw L Baladiyyi

Ramzi S. — Thu, 3 May 2012 12:05:27 -0700

Review by Ramzi S.

-- All Tracks are FCC CLEAN – This album is the result of over a year of collaboration between the Lebanese boy-band Adonis and a dozen of Beirut's best known musicians and artists. The CD features a selection of 11 original tracks, all sung in Arabic, creating a melange of spirited tunes, provocative lyrics, innovative arrangements, nonsensical monologues, schizophrenic transitions, cheesy love songs, and instantly likeable beats. The band's first single, 'Daw L Baladiyyi', (the title track) was released in March 2011 and this CD followed in 2012. This is the first CD by Adonis. **1. Ajnabiyyi (Foreign Girl) Accordeon sound, likeable beat about a Lebanese guy in love with a foreign girl who doesn’t speak Arabic. 3:18 2. “Stouh Adonis” (Rooftops of Adonis). Oriental beat, drum (derbakah) swaying music gives way to piano and drums and vocals about life on rooftops. 4:42 **3. “Daw L Baladiyyi” (Town Light) First single from this album, released in 2011 with a great video clip. About love under the streetlights. 2:29 4. “Sawt L Madini” (City Sounds) Ballad, piano, sad vocals, reminiscing about a lost love 3:12 5. “Ma Kan Mafroud” (It Wasn’t Supposed To Be)..Instantly likeable tune, beat builds up slowly, drums and percussion sounds prevail. Female singer in middle of song enriches the vocals 3:21 6. “Aman Aman” (Chant)..Haunting song, slowest on CD, starts out with harp, then goes into a lamentation/mawwal in traditional Arabic style 3:21 7. “Chajret el Jararank” (Loquat Tree). Sad tune about a moonless night changes mid-way into a rhythmic segment then back to ballad. Jarring jump in styles., 3:33 8. “Awaat” (At Times). Ballad, slow, orchestra sound, great piano and violin sounds, grand melody. 3:45 **9. “Chbabik” (Windows) A song about windows of the past that hide secrets, slow to mid-tempo, finger snapping sounds, typical of Adonis style.3:00 10.“Ma Endi Fekra” (I Have No Idea) The singer complains that he has no idea what to sing about, nice beat, mid-tempo turns faster after the first part and almost changes into a typical Arabic sound with a Dabke traditional beat then goes back to original flavor. 4:58 My picks: 1, 3, & 9 Ramzi Salti

Massy, Mike / Ya Zaman

Ramzi S. — Thu, 3 May 2012 12:04:02 -0700

Review by Ramzi S.

Mike Massy Ya Zaman 2012 -- All Tracks are FCC CLEAN -- With Middle-Eastern roots, and hungry for the harmonious elegance of the West, Mike Massy is noted for his vocal and pianistic distinctiveness, and intuitive talent. He revisits Lebanese Oriental music, proposing a unique fusion between the passion for Andalusia, baroque harmonies, and jazz rhythms. **1. Ya Zaman (Oh Time): Great drum beat, oriental tune, kaman, qanun, nice lyrics about time that has passed, leaving regret behind. 4:17 2. Jazr W Mad (Ebb and Flow): Sounds like a Tango, abrupt stops, lyrics about waiting for things to happen. 3:42 3. Law Fiyyi Tir (If I could fly) Piano intro then hypnotic sound of flute which goes well with Mike’s vocals. 3:54 **4. Soti Hareb Menni (My voice is fleeing from me): Duet with Lubna Noman; sad melody with sound of piano, violin, bass, strings, eastern instruments,; Mike’s voice comes in during last part of this track. 3:33 5. Khalasna Ba’a (Enough): Starts slow but picks up speed; most lively track on CD. This song was released as single with a video clip. 3:08 **6. Ya 3mr Lma Naterni: (Life wait for me) Sounds like a string quartet which is gradually accentuated by different instruments. 3:52 7. Min Elli 2al (Who said?!): Mike sings with a piano only. Lyrics talk about memories and pain. Melancholic and soft tune that lulls the listener. 5:51 8. Beirut (Beirut): Song has no striking beat or lyrics but Mike’s vocals seem fragile and tender. An ode to the capital of Lebanon with chants in background. 3:40 **9. Ya 3achikat Al Ward (Roses lover): Sung in classical Arabic. This is an old classic rearranged and revamped by Mike. A tribute to his mother. 4:42 10. Day2 Fiyyi Chebbaki (My window is closing in): Starts with a woman speaking Arabic (Lebanese dialect) to Mike who responds by singing. Slow, soft tune that picks up and starts sounding Polish or gyspsy-like. 3:32 **11. Ghayyer Lawn 3yonak (Change the color of your eyes): Song about wanting to forget a lost love but cannot forget the color of their eyes. Strong bass, piano, tender lyrics. 3:30 12. Kamshat Wara2 (Bunch of Papers)” This is a bonus track. Strings and guitar. Lyrics about letters written in faded ink. 4:33 My favs: 1, 4, 6, 9, 11 Ramzi Salti

Chef Menteur / East Of The Sun & West Of The Moon

Abra Jeffers — Thu, 3 May 2012 00:24:33 -0700

Review by Abra Jeffers

Chef Menteru East Of The Sun & West Of The Moon Backporch Revolution Really varied. Mostly psych rock with some drone thrown in there. RIYL Lumerians, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound *1. (4:49) Heavier stoner rock then slides into a calmer groove 2. (4:40) Strummy plodding thing disintegrates into fuzz out 3. (4:43) Lounge-y and lazy 4. (1:22) Jazzy interlude 5. (5:46) Vocal sample. annoying, new agey synths, drum machine *6. (11:32) Driving psychedelic rock quiets down then rocks out 7. (19:08) Lovely organic drone *8. (3:57) Psych jam rock 9. (5:25) Psych rock part ballad part raga 10. (5:59) Thunderstorm and flutes gets some swanky guitar 11. (4:20) Straight psych, nice keyboards 12. (0:32) Really simple, strummy outro

Hauschka & Hildur Gu�nad�ttir / Pan Tone

miss information — Wed, 2 May 2012 19:49:14 -0700

Review by miss information

Hauschka & Hildur Gudnadottir Pan Tone (Sonic Pieces) This gave me goosebumps. German pianist Hauschka (aka Volker Bertelmann) and Icelandic cellist Hildur Gudnadottir recorded a set of Improvised pieces inspired by various shades of blue at a water themed festival. Frothy piano, dark cello play perfectly off each other creating a sound so much greater than seems possible. Incredible. They're the piano / cello equivalent of the Gunn-Truscinski duo. Recalls Keith Jarrett, ECM *1. (5:35) Ping pong percussion, subtle cello, delicate piano *2. (6:55) Low clicking, more prominent melancholic cello, swelling piano, counterpoint **3. (7:24) Low drone layered with melancholy bowing and a raga flavor 4. (6.09) Minimal dirge 5. (8:45) Quiet, clicks and clacks *6. (7:29) Expectant, joyous, swirling interplay

Dimmer / Remissions

miss information — Wed, 2 May 2012 19:48:22 -0700

Review by miss information

Fuzzy, grey experimental live recordings from Thomas Dimuzio and Joseph Hammer A (12:54) Sky Wire - Windy,grey, ominous, gets glitchy, calms and slowly fades out B (14:48) Sun Dog -Ominous and static-y. Fuzzy static, laser static, humming static, screechy static, buzzy static, glitchy static. Great strings throughout. Ia there life in Outer Space? Starts and ends really really really quiet. with a fake out ending to boot. C (14:30) Gases That Emit Light - Midrange drone that first increases in pitch then mellllllllts down. Very quiet high pitched screech comes and goes. Lovely fluttering flute and insect effects along with a grounding fuzz. The name is apt. D (15:29) Giant Eagle - Mosquito buzzing in my ear, very distant sped up car alarm, slowed down helicopter. Very quiet long outro

Asano, Koji / Polar Parliament

Your Imaginary Friend — Wed, 2 May 2012 11:03:20 -0700

Review by Your Imaginary Friend

Prolific master of hypnotic avante dreamscapes dumps two long tracks on us. Late night stuff for sure, or sound bed. Track 2 is far more interesting and worth playing for sure. 1) (27:36) sounds like a skipping CD, lulling hypnotic totally 100% repetitive tone 2) (39:26) noisier, changes timbre over course but otherwise (again) a long repetitive thing with organic field sounds, interesting industria factory hum

Dermanouelian, Brad / Unsolvable

Your Imaginary Friend — Wed, 2 May 2012 11:02:43 -0700

Review by Your Imaginary Friend

Creepy dark noisey industrial electro, all instrumental. Four tracks, likely recorded on a 4-track, cassette even. Low fi only adds to the darkness. Early Cabaret Voltaire meets Throbbing Gristle, Skinny Puppy, Shit and Shine and Esplendor Geometrico. Killer! Sountrack to being hung on a meat-hook in Karl Roves secret skull and bones torture chamber at Yale. 1) (4:59) begins w/ disturbing alarm-like tone then an urgent excitement electrobeat arises, quickening the pulse even more, growing layers upon layers into a bath of noise 2) (6:37) slow dark plod, cre-eepy 3) (4:51) mid paced dark electro 4) (8:12) noise drone, dark analog heavy synth the way it should be

Eyot / Horizon

Your Imaginary Friend — Wed, 2 May 2012 10:59:25 -0700

Review by Your Imaginary Friend

Post rock, bordering on avante jazz/piano based. All instrumental that incorporates cool guitar and effects but are primarily piano based with jazz drums, complex mathy rhythms and structures. Fans of Do Make Say Think, Birdsongs of the Mesozoic (Mission of Burma), Godspeed You Black Emporer and The Bad Plus will like. 1) (7:03) chill start- plinky, then piano arpeggios w/ soaring guitar, a few minutes in drums appear and it becomes a pensive/epic jam 2) (7:59) glacial slow piano juxtaposed over fast paced drums/bass, subtle guitar noise, picks up 3) (2:47) solo piano, pretty, sad, hopeful 4) (5:36) complex meter, very post rock, very piano based 5) (10:20) chill song-like 6) (8:36) heavy piano and beat, cool guitar 7) (10:15) upbeat jazzy piano trio feel 8) (5:43) chill “smoother” feel, mid almost downtempo 9) (8:58) pensive piano, mathy beat w/ rock guitar’isms, epic jam in the end

Cowboy Junkies / Wilderness, The

Your Imaginary Friend — Wed, 2 May 2012 10:58:07 -0700

Review by Your Imaginary Friend

Stripped down dark hollow songs that this band trademarked back when Reagan was still president. Everything they do sounds like it was recorded in an old empty church – like their debut/masterpiece The Trinity Sessions. This band was a progenitor of “alt.country”, mopey sadcore typified by David Lynch, Nick Cave and all things 4AD, with the crooning sentiments of Patsy Cline, Tom Waits. After all these years its nice to hear them return to their perfect roots, especially after riding the pop/AAA train to the bank throughout the 90’s. For fans of Red House Painters, Ana Calvi, kd lang. Excellent lyrics, finest recording/production attainable. 1) (5:21) dreamy ambient intro, kicks into pleasant midpaced dreamy pop, super cool subliminal effects 2) (4:06) slow swingy strummy dreamy 3) (2:39) AAA strummy mundane pop rhythm 4) (4:45) stripped down, complete junkies chillness 5) (3:40) quintessential chill dreamy junkies ballad, picks up and becomes epic “damaged from the start” 6) (4:23) Red House Painters guitar meets a “heart of Saturday night” Tom Waits, nice mandolin ballad 7) (4:01) strummy folky chill pretty 8) (6:00) mid paced strummy, dark pop 9) (4:13) epic stripped down ballad, lovely 10) FCCs (cool song though)

Hunt, Wyndel / Oblivion

Your Imaginary Friend — Wed, 2 May 2012 10:55:57 -0700

Review by Your Imaginary Friend

Experimental, mostly drone. Layers of loveliness. Very organic, field sounds, but mostly analog synth hypnotism perfection. Dreamy stuff, fans of Sujo, Nadja, Eno, Lull, Eliane Radigue, usual suspects. 1) (10:11) slow to evolve, field sounds mixed w/ dreamy ambient synth tones 2) (10:02) lovely noise drone, balmy 3) (10:53) starts slow and quiet but becomes one of themost beautiful drones ever (and that’s saying a lot around these parts) 4) (10:45) very quiet, chill creepy, like tripping out in the abandoned sewars of post nuclear holocaust NYC