Staff Picks for April 2018
April 30, 2018
On Stage sounds like one of the greatest of all instrumental bands reveling in the mastery of its craft. The guitar work is lean, precise, and full of fire, the drumming is as reliable as the atomic clock but a lot more exciting, and together these guys bring something fresh and invigorating to everything they tackle, which includes an eclectic batch of covers and trademark originals.
April 29, 2018
Building on the well-rounded effort that was 2010's Mundial, Daddy Yankee's sixth studio album is a whirlwind mix of reggaeton and Latin music flavors, but this time, the overall flow of the album is effortless, with no tolerance of filler. Another career high point for the one they rightfully call "The Big Boss."
April 28, 2018
Willie Colón's first masterpiece benefits from the inventive arrangements of Colón and "recording director" Johnny Pacheco, plus the most precise, intricate group playing heard from any second-generation salsero leader. Featuring musicians as brutal as the hitman on the cover and some of the smoothest vocals of any New York salsa LP, Cosa Nuestra is not only Willie Colón's first masterpiece, it's his best.
April 27, 2018
Largely thought of merely as a mostly stillborn offshoot of Brian Eno's larger ambient music series, the Fourth World series of albums, in collaboration with trumpeter Jon Hassell, is actually an entirely separate beast. Starting off from the same basic idea as Hassell's previous solo albums: a blend of avant-garde composition, jazz soloing, and African and Middle Eastern rhythmic forms, this album adds Eno's characteristic production touches, like the reversed echo that adds a ghostly, unreal edge to Hassell's trumpet solos on the side-long "Charm (Over Burundi Cloud)."
April 26, 2018
The secret ingredient of these Croation surf rock revivalists -- a healthy love for garage rock and moody '60s film soundtracks adding a darker undertow to many of the band's songs -- surfaces here on songs like "Golden Spike." But the basic templates and touchstones remain; that the second song is a cover of surf-rock legend-above-all Dick Dale's "The Wedge" is both perfectly understandable and a great excuse for everyone to go all out.
April 25, 2018
Kim Wilde's second album didn't score any hits on the level of the debut's "Kids in America," although the dramatic "Cambodia" was a sort of cult favorite in some circles. That said, it's a far better album than the patchy debut; the songs are more synth-oriented, at times approaching the dark atmospherics of Japan or Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Wilde sings with a clinical detachment here that suits her voice quite well, with an icy edge that's surprisingly appealing.
April 24, 2018
Steve Peacock, the audacious San Francisco musician operating under the Apprentice Destroyer moniker, covertly recorded his debut album entirely within the confines of a branch of musical instrument retailer Guitar Center, resulting in a highly creative audio document of a solitary man-machine plotting against humanity in public. The album's ten instrumental compositions range from speedy, guitar-heavy Krautrock (opener "Chrome Temple") to hissy, slightly noisy ambient techno ("Pulse Garden"), utilizing gear from every corner of the store.
April 23, 2018
If you're the kind of person who thinks that Guided by Voices songs from the early '90s were too long, or that Teenage Fanclub fannied around too much with things like bridges and dynamics, or that Weezer spends too much time these days on cruise ships, then Tony Molina knows exactly what you are looking for. Dissed is the kind of record that feels like it came out of nowhere to blow minds, and trumpets Molina's arrival with 12 short blasts of perfection.
April 22, 2018
On the Canadian-Asian collective's third LP, they hit a magical sweet spot with an ambitious epic that combines Native American mythology, Buddhism, anime, psych rock, prog metal, and apocalyptic sci-fi grandeur. It's a doozy of a concept and a sonic journey not to be missed. Try "Yandere," "Hungry Ghost," and "Beast" for a taste of this genre-defying gem.
April 21, 2018
Full of chunky, guitar-heavy songs, strong melodies, and Silvia Wersig's commanding vocals, the band's debut is a brilliant fusion of the '90s and 2010s that calls to mind the Breeders and Dum Dum Girls in equal amounts.
April 20, 2018
Two nights and four sets in the career of one of America's most important rock bands, The Complete Matrix Tapes is an essential document for anyone interested in the Velvet Underground. Remixed and remastered from original tapes of a two-night San Francisco stand in 1969, this captures the band firing on all cylinders and in strong fidelity; it's easily the finest document of how this great band sounded on stage.
April 19, 2018
The band's first album with drummer Noah Leger, Era ushers in the striking minimalism that defined Disappears' later work, as well as the members' next project, Facs.
April 18, 2018
A gorgeously diffuse, harmonically layered set of songs from the trumpeter on his third ECM album. Wheeler plays with a piercing warmth throughout, urged onward by saxophonist Evan Parker's exuberant squelch, vibraphonist Tom Van Der Geld's woody fractals, and drummer Edward Vesala's rhythmic sparkle. The result is like light breaking through clouds.
April 17, 2018
A dazzling sophomore effort from the whip-smart Brit whose confident pop confections bonded wit, craft, and undeniably clever hooks. Highlights include "Knock Down Ginger" and "Crown the Clown."
April 16, 2018
With encouragement from their parents, this Wisconsin-based punk rock group recorded their debut album when its members were nine or ten years old, making them hardcore's version of the Shaggs. It couldn't be described as anything but a novelty album, but somehow it ends up being a poignant one, considering some of the album's serious topics (AIDS, homelessness) as well as the fact that two of the group's members died within months of each other during the early 2010s. Still, if you have a certain sense of humor, it remains a hilarious work of outsider art. I hate you Ronald Reagan!
April 15, 2018
With the first APC album in 14 years arriving this Friday, taking a dip back into vault reveals the alt-rock supergroup's underrated sophomore set has aged quite nicely. Atmospheric and moody, Thirteenth Step is a sprawling epic. Tracks like "Weak and Powerless," "The Noose," and "The Outsider" bleed with urgency, while "Blue" and "Pet" crunch with a distinctly early aughts rock edge.
![Greatest Hits [Curb]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0001510134/front/400/RREyKYeM2b4ZydiMblCCxA4Q1ghY8VaPylnm7PwcKNY=.jpg)
April 14, 2018
Few great soul artists had more fun while displaying a strong moral compass than Joe Tex. You could dance to (and often get a laugh from) hits like "Skinny Legs and All," "The Love You Save May Be Your Own," and "Papa Was Too," but Tex also offered solid advice on not judging a book by it's cover and how not to destroy your relationships. Match that with Tex's powerful vocals and potent grooves and you've got music that's good and good for you.
April 13, 2018
To call them one of Sweden's best progressive folk/alt-rock bands doesn't do Hedningarna real justice. They're one of the few in the world thinking completely outside the box, and linking past, present, and future in a way that makes real sense, as evidenced by this stirling retrospective.
April 12, 2018
The Air co-founder's charming solo debut delivers more epic synth passages and sexy, starry-eyed pop, as well as quirkier and more personal songs.
April 11, 2018
A tripped-out collection of pop, Eastern folk, and experimental music and production techniques, with sounds, textures, and atmospheres that incorporated everything from strings and horns to Japanese folk instruments to vibraphones and (of course) plenty of guitars and drums and organ, Harumi's self-titled album is a classic from the late '60s underground.
April 10, 2018
This set represents a transitional period as drummer/composer Christian Vander abandoned the jazzier leanings of previous albums and dove head first into martial hymns that created a new form of progressive devotional music -- extraterrestrial gospel. He did choose to retain the brass section that gave the band's first two albums their signature sound.
April 9, 2018
Mike Kinsella's second album under the Owen moniker further distinguished his solo work from that of his and his brother's bands (American Football, Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc, Owls) with spare, hushed introspection of a particularly honest and self-deprecating variety. Recorded in his old bedroom at his mom's house, it relies mostly on acoustic guitar until the dreamy, ten-minute closing track.
![Paris, Texas [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0000763650/front/400/Oq1cpGZho5FOrYhfVbg5eR_TZlp6n_cq-Emr2zx15tU=.jpg)
April 8, 2018
Suggestive of both the imagery of Wim Wenders' movie and the desert itself, Cooder's score is a peaceful, poetic journey into the soul of an acoustic guitar. Stark and stylish, he makes the music sound at once alien and organic. "A Canción Mixteca" includes a memorable turn on vocals by Harry Dean Stanton singing in Spanish.
April 7, 2018
Chico Buarque's fifth album for Philips is a classic, where nearly all the songs became hits. Buarque was featured in an acoustic setting, almost completely aloof from the tropicália movement (the courageous orchestration of Construção is very reminiscent of the influential work by Rogério Duprat). He delved into the Brazilian tradition of sambas and romantic or doleful songs, coming up with "Deus Lhe Pague" and "Construção," both having strong lyrics subliminally criticizing the military dictatorship.
April 6, 2018
In 2018, the Posies are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their first album, 1988's Failure, with a world tour that reunites the lineup of their third album, 1993's Frosting On The Beater. If that logic seems a little odd, for fans, this is a best-case scenario: Frosting On The Beater was and remains the band's best album, one that fused their gorgeous pop hooks with major league guitar firepower for a set of songs that soar and rock hard at once.
April 5, 2018
While this 1992 release does include the first appearances by America's Funnyman, it's mostly a Neil Hamburger album in name only. Instead, it's a collection of bizarre, hilarious phone pranks in the vein of Longmont Potion Castle. The best part is the infamous "Hijinx," featuring a computer voice calling people to promote a new film starring Bette Midler as..... The Ringmaster!
April 4, 2018
Hoping to capture the immediacy and raw energy of one of a live performance, the saxophonist placed a mini-disc recorder on a table right in front of the bandstand with a single mic. Then he and his explosive band (w/ Jason Moran on piano) launched into a nonstop hour-long set, delivering a solid hour of high-octane jazz.
April 3, 2018
The 2016 debut from this classification-evasive Los Angeles singer/songwriter overflows with craft, elegant arrangements, and diverse points of reference from Pentangle to Milton Nascimento.
April 2, 2018
With the 2001 release of their fourth official studio album, Converge put the final sealing blow on their status as a legend in the world of metallic hardcore. A relatively logical extension from the chain of events that led from Halo in a Haystack up to their split LP with Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Jane Doe seems completely watertight and flawless.
April 1, 2018
Infusing the angular sounds of the early aughts with a healthy dose of riot grrrl power, indie rock outfit Dream Wife delivered a fierce debut packed with jagged guitar riffs, sneering kiss-offs, and irresistible charm. On Dream Wife, the trio of Rakel Mjoll, Alice Go, and Bella Podpadec channel their predecessors with precision and ease, distilling the grit and groove of early Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sahara Hotnights, and the Sounds, while paying their respects to forebears like Sleater-Kinney and Kathleen Hanna's Bikini Kill, and Le Tigre.