na: quinn walker, sun ra, ida

It’s been a while since I’ve done a new arrivals post, but there were a couple titles today worth pointing out.

Quinn Walker, Laughter’s An Asshole/Lion Land: I mainly checked this album because of the rainbow-vomit album cover and the Touch & Go connection, but there’s more going for it than that. It’s in the vein of alt-country, with a little bit of psych as well. The first thing you should know is that the record is way too long (29 tracks! Two discs!), but there are some real great moments tucked away here. My favorite is “Smile For Me,” which is kind of an Akron/Family tune except with some big, explosive moments. I want to spend more time with this record as there is definitely something special about it, even if there’s quite a bit to wade through to discover it.

Here’s a clip:

Sun Ra, Some Blues But Not the Kind That’s Blue: From Dylan Hicks’ eMusic review:

Six of the nine tracks on this expanded reissue were recorded in 1977 and issued the following year by the leader’s Saturn label. Ten players appear on the date, but the feel is more after-hours jam than big-band circus. Ra, on acoustic piano, is joined by longtime sax compatriots John Gilmore and Marshall Allen, along with lesser-known sidemen. They run through a set of standards and blues, predicting the sort of repertoire Ra would work magic on in the ’80s. A few of the performances are rough around the edges, but the band shines on an exotic “Nature Boy” and a ten-minute reading of “My Favorite Things,” on which tenorman Gilmore, one of Coltrane’s influences, returns the compliment with a swirling, raindrops-on-roses solo. The fidelity, as with much of Ra’s catalog, is iffy. The previously unreleased tracks are a good, untitled improv with a Cecil Taylor cast, and two 1973 home recordings of “I’ll Get By,” the better of which has trumpeter Akh Tal Ebah blowing sweetly over a Ra organ caught somewhere between the rings of Saturn and the rinks of hockey.

Ida, Lovers Prayers: I’ve always had a soft spot for Ida, despite a somewhat tentative and generic sound. Their songs are good and relaxed, never asking too much of you as a listener. Not as interesting as, say, Low, but in the same vein.

Radar Bros., Auditorium: I’m a little confused by Mark Kemp’s eMusic review that says the Radar Bros. are a slowcore band, but then again I’ve only paid cursory attention to these guys. Flipping through the record this morning didn’t do much for me, but I could see quite a few eMu regulars digging it.

Dane Cook, Vicious Circle: Recording of his somehow-popular HBO special.

Flat Duo Jets, Two-Headed Cow: Live album from the punk-rockabilly perennials.

Robert Pollard, Superman Was a Rocker: Another new album from GBV frontman. I have never, ever liked him.

Percee P, Perseverance: The Madlib Remix: Madlib remix of the disappointing Percee P album. I haven’t listened; I leave this for Joe to summarize.