na: other stuff wednesday!

So you’re not into IDM, eh? That’s cool. We’ve still got some indie rock, African music, comedy and other goodies for you.

Stephen Malkmus - Real Emotional Trash
Sorry about the day-long wait on this one. Hopefully it’s worth it? Yancey seems to think so…

Real Emotional Trash is Malkmus’ fourth solo record and maybe his best. My Pavement fandom began to wane with Brighten the Corners (too goofy for me) and kaputted with Terror Twilight, and Malkmus’ solo stuff hasn’t done much to change my mind. But Real Emotional Trash is solid through and through (peep the title track, “Gardenia” and “Dragonfly Pie”), with one song in particular, “Out of Reaches,” rivaling anything on the beloved Wowee Zowee, including its inspirational cousin “AT&T,” which was as good a song as any Pavement ever wrote.

“Out of Reaches” is Malkmus melancholy, punches pulled. He’s straight bumming, cracking on “gale-force intimacy” (great phrase!) while a sustained guitar note shadows his melody (shades of “Pueblo”). All of which is well and great, but it’s the Billy Preston middle-eight that brings this thing home: fuzzed-out keys grooving along early-’70s coke-rock style to Malkmus’ guitar wheelies.

Todd Barry - From Heaven
The medium-cool comic weighs in on looking for an apartment, Chipotle and Gawker. Extra bonus editorial awesomeness: Todd weighed in two years ago on how to make a successful comedy album.

Various Artists - Jive Soweto
The new addition to the insanely good “Indestructible Beat of Soweto” series. Even for an African music novice such as myself, the Soul Brothers and Mahlathini stuff on here is really engaging. A friend of mine recently encouraged me to listen to Mahlathini only a few weeks ago and I’m glad to have some more to enjoy.

Fennesz/Sakamato - Cendre
The avant guitarist meets the ambient pianist once again. Really lovely, minimal music. If you’re not familiar with these two, you might want to check into the samples first.

CURIO OF THE DAY
Robert Fripp - Unplugged
Not the unplugged that you’re thinking: this is Robert Fripp in front of a crowd talking about all manner of things. From robertfrippunplugged.com:

For the first time ever… experience the private side of Robert Fripp. Hear him be funny, profound, poignant and up-close-and-personal.

-Hear him tease bearded, bespectacled, earnest young men.
-Robert locked out of his hotel room without his trousers.
-The indignities of being a working musician.
-His favorite sounds when at home.
-How his bunny runs his household.
-How Fripp relates to his critics… good and bad.
-How art enhances our lives.
-Why it’s good to look like a mushroom.
-When it is OK to heckle.
-And much, much, more about history, music, King Crimson, Soundscapes, his life’s insights.

OK!