new arrivals roundup
Dig deep enough and you’ll find some gems. That’s not my motto, but for now let’s pretend. Really though, there were some interesting things that came through this week, and so let’s run through a few.
Various Artists, Dirtybeatbreakinfunkandhiphop: Maybe the best album that’s been added to eMusic in 2009. I mean that. We came across this yesterday, and it’s mindblowingly amazing. Dusty, dirty and sticky hip-hop and R&B, all of it sounding like DJ Premier went back in time to the early ’70s and decided, “Fuck it, let’s not worry about upsetting the time-space continuum. Let’s just rule this shit.” The rhymes are a bit goofy at times — they’re Brits, give’m a break — but oh my God is this fun.
Cotton Jones, Paranoid Cocoon: The first song is as good a song as I have heard in ages, this weird, Lee Hazelwood hipster cowboy single that’s nothing but strut. Just straight up great. Apparently this is the dude from Page France who I have never listened to and that changes today. Where should I start?
Various Artists, African Popular Music in 78 RPM (1925-1955): Honestly if you just took the name of this compilation that would pretty much equal my musical ideal, so this album starts on third base for me. Add to that: it’s awesome. Try the Swahili lullabye from Frank and His Sisters called “Mwanangu Lala” and just feel that smile creep across your face.
Various Artists, Arabic Folk Dances (Egypt, Liban, Yemen, Algeria): Another album that’s title has me on board immediately. And, again, I definitely vouch for this. In fact, the fourth track here made it onto this week’s East Village Radio show.
Eliot Lipp, Peace Love Weed 3D: Like the previous two records, that album title is really all I need. Especially the 3D bit. Lipp used to be on Hefty and we all thought he might end up being a big deal, but… So we get this pot-inspired album (every track is 4:20) that’s a slightly more vanilla version of what Flying Lotus does. I’ve enjoyed playing it this week.
Laura J. Martin, Doki Doki: Quite possibly the nerdiest song I have ever heard. Like if the Avalanches were all masking taped-glasses and pocket protectors and then they asked Fairport Convention to join the band about halfway through. Highly recommended. (Ignore the remix though.) Joe just said, “It’s like the Vince Guaraldi Band.” He’s so so right.
Touch Typist, You Cannot Kiss a Laughing Mouth (POWWOW Five): I haven’t listened to this enough to say exactly what it is, but I have listened enough to say I like it. Maybe if DJ Shadow were a math rock band?
Nahid Akhtar, Best of Nahid Akhtar: A Pakistani singer from the ’70s, these are crackled and musty recordings of fantastic Arabic songs. I like “Ho Jeth Ji Aaj” a lot.
Volcano Suns, The Bright Orange Years and All Night Lotus Party: I’m the sort of dude who is supposed to love Volcano Suns — forgotten post-punk band led by a member of another seminal group (Mission of Burma) gets reissued blah blah blah. Except I’ve never liked Volcano Suns (I’ve owned both of these records since high school), and I should probably point out that 80% of Mission of Burma is dullsville to me (exceptions made for “Progress” and “Trem Two” and “Revolver” and “Academy Fight Song” and okay 50%).
Telepathe, Dance Mother: “Chrome’s On It,” blog fodder for the past year, is easily the best song here.
Mike Bones, What I Have Left: A nice single. Simple indie.
Lithops, Ye Viols!: The work of Jan St. Werner, who is also Mouse on Mars.
Boris w/ Merzbow!!!
“Honestly if you just took the name of this compilation that would pretty much equal my musical ideal,” Yup it ended up on my list yesterday just because the title caught my eye.
“Like if the Avalanches were all masking taped-glasses and pocket protectors and then they asked Fairport Convention to join the band about halfway through. ” You had me at “masking tape”. . . I mean “the avalanches”. . . I mean “like”
Hurrah tommorow is EVR day :dancing in my seat:
I can’t get enough of that Cottone Jones – downloaded it Tues and it’s been spinning ever since. Seriously great stuff – that pyschedelic throw-back fuzz so works for me. Am I wrong in thinking it sounds like early Pink Floyd? I know neither jack nor squat about Page France (although I’ve heard of ‘em), so I’m curious to see what others say about it as well.
I’ve stashed that Dirtybeatbreak… hip-hop isn’t exactly my kink but this is the sort of stuff I dig. And the African comp – I’ve found African music to so be what I need on a sunny saturday morning as I make my coffee.
I’m flirting with stashing that Elliot Lipp too – although Yancey not necessarily for what you said. Did you see that quote from threequartersbaked on the album? “This is the kind of fun instrumental electronic that makes you want to drive around in a nice car and pretend to be cool.” Spot on.
My advice for starting in on Page France is to start with (arguably their best) “Come, I’m A Lion!” Spine, Slippery, Bridge, Ribs are all stellar tracks. The reviews that say “like melted butter on a blueberry muffin” and “This stuff is pure milk and cookies” are both quite spot on. I was a big fan a few years back.
Nice highlights! I bookmarked the three various artists compilations as well as that Nahid Ahktar album. Hmmmm… a pot-inspired Eliot Lipp album – interesting.
Nahid Ahktar album is super solid
Fat Cat News
1) A rare limited The Twilight Sad Arrived at eMusic Today http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Twilight-Sad-Killed-My-Parents-and-Hit-the-Road-MP3-Download/11373650.html
More Info on it here http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/release.php?id=278
Also Fat Cat has made available many of the Demos Presented to them By their artist. One of these is eMusic and 17dots favorites Frightened Rabbit http://www.fat-cat.co.uk/demo/artist.php?id=78 with a version of Incident (called ‘An Incident’ and versions of ‘The Greys’ and ‘Be Less Rude’ Oh and Yancey Let me know what you think of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAYdKaC2dH8&eurl=http://fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/&feature=player_embedded (same idea as with ‘Goodbye’ last week)
Why do you bother?
Why does anyone bother Hugh
In fact why the fuck did you bother to post “why do you bother” . . . are you retar. . .no that’s not fair to retarded people they are much better than stupid trolls who have nothing more to say like a certain music is good or bad or hey check this out or “y’know that’s sounds interesting I might even check it out”. I mean really what the FUCK is “why do you bother” even fucking mean.
STUpid fucking troll you don’t even fucking deserve to hear the air that 17dotters fucking ignore much less breathe the music we/they hear. I mean FUCK
Love,
Nergal
(I’m hoping to win the award for the most gratuitous use of the word “Fuck” in a response to a 17dots troll)