Staff Picks for August 2017
![Connected [3-2-1]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0000148608/front/400/--1tgvfGimL1XaUvXh47mxyhM-OFI8zG4l-qVpXXB1I=.jpg)
August 31, 2017
Various Artists
Coming from a time when comps like Lyricist Lounge ruled the roost, the 1998 release Connected is lost artifact from hip-hop's left-field. Blackalicious, Ultramagnetic MCs, and Doug E. Fresh are all on the tracklist, but keep an ear open for lesser knowns like the Angel and Brooklyn's booming reggae producer Ticklah.
August 30, 2017
Starting with the awesome "I Don't Need Society" and ending with the anthemic "Explorer," D.R.I.'s debut album was an important stepping stone in the evolution of both metal and hardcore. D.R.I.'s use of thunderous heavy metal drumming and California hardcore songwriting made Dirty Rotten LP something special, putting them in a category with Corrosion of Conformity and Suicidal Tendencies as the forefront of a new movement.
August 29, 2017
Their first album was the stuff of legend, their second one was a cult classic, and their third, this misunderstood, Jerry Harrison-produced dark gem from 1986, was the weirdest of them all, offering up a collection of thirteen twisted, folk-punk anthems delivered via a Trojan horse made of slick, radio ready FM pop.
August 28, 2017
Richard Branson co-founded the Virgin Records label 40 years ago, and Henry Cow was the most outre band of the imprint's pre-Sex Pistols years. The band-label relationship became fraught and ultimately dissolved, but not before the release of three "sock cover" albums, including this 1974 sophomore outing, an avant-prog landmark that added the late visionary bassoonist Lindsay Cooper to the lineup.
August 27, 2017
Slim Smith's high, plaintive vocals and his haunting, almost fragile delivery made him one of Jamaica's finest singers in the late 1960s and early '70s, both during his tenure with the Uniques and the Techniques and his subsequent solo career. This fine, carefully chosen set spans that career, a career that ended with Smith's mysterious, tragic death following a recording session in 1973.
August 26, 2017
The Circle Jerks' final record came at that weird time in the 90s where the longtime punk veterans were able to secure a major label deal due to the punk rock revival of the moment. Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities is probably best known for their cover of The Soft Boys' "I Wanna Destroy You," with 80s teen idol Debbie Gibson singing backup, and high-energy tracks like "Teenage Electric." It isn't their best or most well-known album, but its gems make it worth a listen.
August 25, 2017
Former Teenage Fanclub and Soup Dragons drummer Paul Quinn delivers a stunning solo debut with North Pole. Although credited to the Primary Five, North Pole is, for all intents and purposes, a solo effort with Quinn taking on most of the vocal, guitar, keyboard, and drum duties. Collaborating with fellow Scot multi-instrumentalist Ryan Currie, Quinn has crafted a classicist folk-pop album with a slight country-rock vibe in the spirit of such seminal West Coast artists as the Byrds and Buffalo Springfield.
August 24, 2017
Upon release, Steve Ashley's debut album was rated The Sunday Telegraph's folk album of the year, and even landed its maker a U.S. deal with Motown, which released it to wild acclaim in America in 1975. After that, Ashley more or less vanished, condemning Stroll On to a "lost treasure" status that wholly undervalues its importance in the UK folk-rock genre.
August 23, 2017
Originally released as a free download courtesy of Kenneth Goldsmith's indispensable UbuWeb, this album contains pieces by Vicki Bennett recorded for freeform radio station WFMU and as a session for the late, legendary DJ John Peel, as well as a handful of other tracks from limited vinyl releases. Bennett is an expert at slicing and dicing fragments of familiar pop songs, film and television clips, and pure kitsch, resulting in absurdist yet accessible collages which trigger memories and elicit a wide range of emotions. Abridged Too Far is easily her best work, and a high water mark for plunderphonics.
August 22, 2017
For a songwriter who seems obsessed with the darker side of human nature, the title Mental Illness seems almost too much on the nose. But if these eleven songs are less than optimistic, Aimee Mann displays a genuine compassion for her characters, even when they're at their worst, and the austere arrangements complement Mann's vocals on one of her strongest albums. Somber stuff, but heartfelt and deeply human.
August 21, 2017
Mike Skinner's debut as the Streets heralded a distinctive voice in U.K. garage and grime, presenting a smart emcee whose honest portrayals of club life in Britain were delivered in a strangely conversational half-rapped, half-sung cadence. Though less conceptual as his later albums, it introduced his signature mix of humor and drama and revealed his elaborate vision as a songwriter and producer.
August 20, 2017
Colleen's Thrill Jockey debut combines acoustic instrumentation and her effortless vocals into bold, eclectic songs that sparkle with mystery. Cecile Schott imbues the rarefied sound of the viol de gamba with an open-air wildness that's equally powerful and breezy, making it perfect for late summer listening.
August 19, 2017
Over 17 gorgeously constructed tracks, this set glides seamlessly between hip-hop, cumbia, Andean folk, digital dub, brassy funk, soul, and jazz. There are no samples; the full band and voices were cut on the studio floor. Overdubs were added later. There is far more singing here than we're used to from the French-Chilean artist and that's a great thing. Featuring guest spots from Juanito Ayala and DJ Neil, Ana Tijoux upped the ante for Latin pop and hip hop with this 2014 release.
August 18, 2017
A little bit tacky, a little bit overearnest, entirely within the Killers frontman's Vegas-loving wheelhouse. On Flowers' 2010 debut, he takes his Springsteen devotion out into the dusty desert for a pleasant collection of wide-eyed ditties that end up being more satisfying than the last couple Killers albums. Highlights include "Only The Young," "Crossfire," and the four bonuses on the deluxe edition.
August 17, 2017
Lee, a longtime electronic and percussion experimentalist, and AM, a singer/songwriter in the classic soft pop tradition of Paul Williams, are an unlikely duo. However, as Celestial Electric proved, the pairing works, and together they have a knack for crafting evocative mini-masterpieces that benefit from their combined divergent skills and eclectic musical tastes. Whereas last time they focused on a vintage psychedelic aesthetic that touched upon Brazilian Tropicalia, '70s soft rock, and '60s sunshine pop, here they delve into an analog synth sound that touches upon disco, new wave, post-punk, and dub reggae.
August 16, 2017
Saturday Looks Good to Me's self-titled debut album might not be their best album overall, but it's the one I tend to listen to the most often. Their fusion of '60s wall-of-sound pop and dub-damaged weirdness sounded as rough as it could get here; they definitely smoothed things out with their later albums on Polyvinyl. The songs themselves are often devastating, both for their heartfelt lyrical sentiments and in the way the production seems to overload, especially on the mesmerizing "Everyday."
August 15, 2017
In the '60s, Arthur Alexander was a journeyman soul singer with notable fans -- both the Rolling Stones and the Beatles covered his songs. In 1972, looking for a comeback, Alexander released a self-titled album for Warner Bros. that featured some of his most impassioned and affecting work. The album is an emotionally rich lost classic of Southern soul, and Alexander's songs and vocals ring true at every turn. Reissued in 2017, Arthur Alexander more than deserves a second chance in the marketplace.
August 14, 2017
The super pop sound that Swedish duo Pacific! designed on their debut album hits a very sweet spot between the machine disco of Daft Punk, the electro soul of Hot Chip, the synth pop of the Human League, and the processed songcraft of '70s bands like 10cc and ELO.
August 13, 2017
A singer/songwriter with a degree in music composition who happens to be an artful guitar picker as well as writer, Stratton was impressive right from his soft-spoken 2007 debut. That he's still flying under the radar for the most part five albums later may not be helped by his aversion to touring and promotion, but this album, which features none other than Sufjan Stevens on the oboe, makes a fine entry point for discovery.
August 12, 2017
Funkadelic's self-titled debut is one of the group's best early- to mid-'70s albums. Not only is it laden with great songs, but it retains perhaps a greater sense of classic '60s soul and R&B than any successive George Clinton-affiliated album. Yet no group had managed to effectively balance big, gnarly rock guitars with crooning, heartfelt soul at this point in time.
August 11, 2017
EPMD's blueprint for East Coast rap wasn't startlingly different from many others in rap's golden age, but the results were simply amazing, a killer blend of good groove and laid-back flow.. Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith really turned rapping on its head; instead of simple lyrics delivered with a hyped, theatrical tone, they dropped the dopest rhymes as though they spoke them all the time.
August 10, 2017
The Moody Blues' gorgeous third LP distills the grandiose symphonic elements of its predecessor into their own self-contained chamber orchestra as they lean on psychedelic trends of the day and stretch out as both songwriters and musicians.
August 9, 2017
With Steve Wynn re-launching the Dream Syndicate, it's a perfect time to give another listen to this vital artifact from the band's first era. The Day Before Wine and Roses preserves a 1982 radio broadcast taped just before the group cut their debut album, and it captures the band's Velvets-meet-Dylan guitar menace with a graceful balance of force and doomstruck elation. A great dry run for the brilliance of their first album, and the covers are inspired.
August 8, 2017
The Haxan Cloak's breakthrough album -- and Tri Angle debut -- announced Bobby Krlic as a truly formidable producer. As he imagines what comes after death, his blend of ambitious sound design, orchestral percussion and electronic drones conjures dread that ranges from intimate to majestic.
August 7, 2017
The Stylistics' sophomore album and it spawned three Billboard R&B Top Ten singles: "I'm Stone in Love With You," "Break Up to Make Up," and "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)." The first two even cracked the Top Ten on the pop charts. Although only the first three hit the charts, all of the songs referenced are radio favorites. As superb as the group was vocally, the production work of Thom Bell is commendable as well.
August 6, 2017
Gloriously tacky and endlessly fun, this debut is a near-perfect collection of '70s-inspired tunes that draws upon the powers of Elton John, the Bee Gees, and even a little Bowie. From the clubby hedonism of "Comfortably Numb" and "Tits on the Radio" to the sweeping "Mary" and "Return to Oz," there's something here for every guilty pleasure.
August 5, 2017
Their tenth album in ten years was a bittersweet swan song for Felt, one that showed the group was capable of crafting excellent and accessible music even as they were calling it quits.
August 4, 2017
A hastily signed, well-worn postcard from the group's Northern California haunts of Redlands, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco, La Costa Perdida, the eighth studio album from consistently unclassifiable freak-rock pioneers Camper Van Beethoven, plays fast and loose with the band's mythology.
August 3, 2017
The best metal supergroup since Bloodbath, Killer Be Killed features three of the genre's most distinct voices, with Max Cavalera bellowing threats, Greg Puciato howling counterpoints and Troy Sanders bridging the gap between the two. "Melting of My Marrow," "Wings of Feather and Wax" and "Fire to Your Flag" are all standouts, but the whole record is incendiary and begs for a sequel.
August 2, 2017
Leslie Phillips' final album before leaving the Contemporary Christian music community and re-launching her career as Sam Phillips, 1987's The Turning is a striking set of songs about faith that are clever, often witty, and refreshingly free of dogma. At the same time, Phillips and her producer/ partner T-Bone Burnett (who gives the album a spare but compelling sound) aren't afraid to ask difficult questions about the line between belief and religion most CCM acts wouldn't consider.
August 1, 2017
Borrowing the title from Ursula K. Le Guin's 1971 dystopian science fiction novel in which a person's dreams may or may not alter our reality, saxophonist Mark Turner's 2014 ECM release, Lathe of Heaven, is a measured, thoughtfully precise album that blurs the lines between post-bop jazz, classical chamber music, and free improvisation.