Staff Picks for December 2017
December 31, 2017
Drawing together some earlier material and a slew of new songs, Spacemen 3 tied everything together on the brilliant Perfect Prescription, the clear point of departure from tribute to psych inspirations and finding its own unique voice.
December 30, 2017
The Kiwi new wave powerhouse finally broke through to the mainstream on their infectious fifth album which featured the emergence of Neil Finn as a top-notch pop craftsman.
December 29, 2017
Originally planned as a mere stopgap release between albums, this turned out to be a welcome showcase for the artist at a commercial and creative peak. The guitarist built this set on the same platform as The Love That Whirls, setting his romantic and erotic poetry to synthesized settings. The six songs that form the original album benefit from his collaboration with with Yellow Magic Orchestra drummer Yukihiro Takahashi and bassist Mick Karn.
December 28, 2017
Although the program is a fairly typical collection of traditional reel sets, jigs, Gaelic songs, and slow airs, every track feels as if it were chosen for a unique sort of loveliness. The singing of fiddler Maighread Ní Mhaonaigh is particularly noteworthy on "Donal Agus Morag" and "'Si Do Mhaimeo Í" (the latter of which offers the unusual opportunity to hear a didgeridoo part on an Irish album).
December 27, 2017
If ever there was a soul singer who rivaled Otis Redding's raw, deep emotional sensuality, it was James Carr, and the proof is his debut album from 1966. These 12 songs were covered by other artists. All are soul classics. Among them are the Drew Baker/Dani McCormick smash "Pouring Water on a Drowning Man," George Jackson's "Coming Back to Me Baby," a handful of tracks by O.B. McLinton (including "Forgetting You") the title track, and the Chips Moman/Dan Penn hit "Dark End of the Street."
December 26, 2017
Beastie Boy Ad-Rock and associate AWOL debuted their short-lived side project BS 2000 in 1997 with this vinyl-only outing. Apparently made up of leftover beats from the then-forthcoming Hello Nasty, the LP is a bizarre, manic collage of junky breaks and distorted samples, at times resembling a less noisy version of Shizuo, whose sole full-length was also released by the Beasties' Grand Royal label that year. Only a seasoned Beastie afficionado will appreciate this album, but it's a truly unique gem, and well worth seeking out.
December 25, 2017
Arca's first full-length confirmed that he is one of the most distinctive producers working in the 2010s. Xen's impressionistic tracks flow, stutter, bounce and crash into each other in fascinating ways, whether he minces hip-hop into an ebbing, flowing mosaic or reconfigures the melodramatic sounds of '80s New Age into new forms.
December 24, 2017
Elvis sold more records, and Fats Domino got there first, but among the first graduating class of rock & roll, no one was wilder and more outrageous than Little Richard. His records sounded as flamboyant as he looked, and while some early rockers sound tame after a remove of five or six decades, 1957's Here's Little Richard is still loud, proud, and raucous, the sound of the Saturday night party your parents warned you not to attend.
December 23, 2017
With two of its five cuts passing the ten-minute mark, the ever-evolving Norwegian collective preferred suite-sized music on their seventh studio LP. Blending jazz, space rock, and hippie-aimed trip-hop into one free-flowing mass of funk, the mood is free but heavy as ominous bits wind in and out, capturing the spirit of '70s Miles, but with the mechanically precise rhythms one would expect from a group born in the era of acid jazz.
December 22, 2017
Like a Western swing version of a Buckaroos album, here, the Fly-Rite Boys run through a set of originals, primarily showcasing their considerable instrumental chops with a few stray vocals from piano man Carl "Sonny" Leyland. The sound here is decidedly retro, sounding for all the world like it was cut in somebody's living room under a pile of blankets while the drummer bangs away in another room, which only enhances its 78 single authenticity.
December 21, 2017
On the Blow's fourth album, Khaela Maricich pairs her deadpan vocals with beats and arrangements inspired by mainstream pop and R&B -- a bold juxtaposition that pays off in songs that could be Top 40 hits in an alternate universe. Subversive and catchy, this is where the Blow goes from being interesting to being addictive.
December 20, 2017
The lone album from these Cincinnatians -- recorded for Blue Thumb, back when the label also counted the Crusaders and the Pointer Sisters among its artists -- swings between anti-gravity soul and hard-edged funk otherness. It's a unique mixture that could've only been encouraged or enhanced by producer Roy Ayers and associates Edwin Birdsong and William Allen.
December 19, 2017
Gram Parsons was on a downward spiral with only months to live when he rolled into a Long Island radio station in 1973 to record a live show for later broadcast. But you'd never guess to listen to Live 1973; Parsons is in agile voice throughout, his rough and ready road band gives these great tunes the proper honky tonk vibe, and Parsons' harmonies with Emmylou Harris are pure spun gold.
December 18, 2017
Aided by an exemplary backing unit featuring saxophonist Sonny Fortune, bassist John Williams, keyboardist Harry Whitaker, and drummer Billy Cobham, Ayers channels the intensity of his message into his music, creating the most vibrant and textured music of his career to date. The atmospheric "We Live in Brooklyn, Baby" is an absolute masterpiece.
December 17, 2017
Beautiful synth-based alternative pop debut from the young Nashville singer-songwriter. With heavy Radiohead/Thom Yorke influence -- as well as a few dashes of Air atmospherics and U2 grandeur peppered in -- Together. Alone is emotive and melodic, with upbeat moments that soar into the cosmos and introspective exploration that cuts deep. Highlights include "Immortalize," "Identity," and "Nothing Without You," but the entire set is well worth the journey.
December 16, 2017
A brilliant and unexpectedly successful merger of blazing black metal and traditional Appalachian instrumentation, the multifaceted nature of Roads to the North could come off as gimmicky or pretentious if the compositions didn't feel so inarguably genuine.
December 15, 2017
This is one of popular entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr's best jazz-oriented albums, featuring Davis with the Count Basie Orchestra performing arrangements by Quincy Jones. The singer is heard in top form on "Teach Me Tonight," "Work Song," and "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and adding a bit of tap dancing to a lighthearted "Bill Basie Won't You Please Come Home."
December 14, 2017
Mixing pummeling heavy metal and bubblegummy J-pop, the band's debut should be a joke but turns out to be a work of genius instead. Whatever the magical quality producer Kobametal sprinkles liberally over the mix, he's clearly tapped into the same kind of cosmic, comic stream of unconsciousness that made Andrew W.K.'s first album so brilliant.
December 13, 2017
Right in the middle of this revolutionary intersection of punk, disco, rap and soul were the Scroggins sisters, who formed the seminal mini-funk outfit ESG. Recorded live and raw in a small studio located above Radio City Music Hall, the band's debut album, Come Away With ESG is a lasting document of their unique brand of minimal funk that would influence subsequent post-punk, hip-hop, and dance music acts.
December 12, 2017
The daughter of Robert Gall, songwriter for legends like Édith Piaf and Charles Aznavour, and herself a pioneer of the '60 yé-yé scene, France had her first hit single in 1963 at the age of 15. This full-length debut arrived in 1965, the same year she performed the Eurovision Song Contest winner. That song was written by none other than Serge Gainsbourg, who is represented here by the euphemistic title track. Oh là là.
December 11, 2017
On their third album, the band dial down the tempo and the volume, while amping up the degree of difficulty. The arrangements are fuller, the songs have more chords and Feargal Sharkey's already stretched to the max vocals are pushed to new heights. The record is often given short shrift by all but the most devoted fans, but it holds some of their best songs like "Julie Ocean" and the title track.
December 10, 2017
Reinhard Voigt seems unfairly destined to live in the shadow of his older, more famous brother, Wolfgang. The first of two 1999 full-lengths he recorded under the name Sturm is an effortlessly pretty set of ambient techno, emphasizing swirling textures over beats. A must-listen for fans of the Cologne minimal scene's stranger, less club-friendly side.
![West Side Story [1961] [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0001323031/front/400/RSevFf0BHZBLJ8GE5p9-l5hUoDg0hsvx4F4sL4oO-nA=.jpg)
December 9, 2017
The soundtrack of the West Side Story film is deservedly one of the most popular soundtrack recordings of all time, and one of the relatively few to have attained long-term popularity beyond a specialized audience. Its widespread impact could be attributed to a few factors: the wide range of compositional and orchestral styles, from cool swing jazz and shades of Latin pop to classical; the universality of the storyline, pitting underdog lovers against the world; and an assortment of songs that goes well beyond the sentimental love odes that are the staples of musicals
December 8, 2017
Released in 1990 by Hannibal Records, the lone LP by British jazz-pop outfit Shopping Trolley was too bewildering for the masses and occasionally too quirky for its own good. It is however dazzling in its musicianship and yielded two gorgeous and unusual standout ballads in "Bring Back the Mary Hopkin Days" and "Moose."
December 7, 2017
Long a hairspray-and-leather synthpop skeleton in Tori Amos' closet, this beloved fan favorite was blessed with newly remastered life in September 2017. Despite the outdated production and very '80s sound, it's a nostalgic blast of fun and a fascinating prequel to what would become Amos' decades-long career as an iconic singer-songwriter. Beyond the stirring ballads, it's sassy jams like "Fayth," "You Go To My Head," and "Pirates" that really get the body moving.
![She's Having a Baby [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0000901851/front/400/OBXCtsvMnfb_7_FRo7nLrSpQg_7iAU1wjqLgK_xGXts=.jpg)
December 6, 2017
Various Artists
One in a series of '80s comedy-dramas written and often directed by John Hughes, this 1988 film featured a soundtrack packed with top-notch college rock and dance-rock acts. Among the track list are a title song by Dave Wakeling, a Kirsty MacColl cover of the Smiths, a Bryan Ferry cover of Van Morrison, and then-new songs by XTC, Everything But the Girl, and Kate Bush. Not included is any of Stewart Copeland's score.
December 5, 2017
This unusual 1962 set has five selections from a date featuring the great tenor Coleman Hawkins, pianist Hank Jones, bassist George Duvivier, and the leader-drummer. Both "Take the 'A' Train" and "Cherokee" find the group sometimes playing in two tempos at once. "Avalon," was previously available only on a sampler, while "Me and Some Drums" features Hawkins and Manne in an effective duet; the veteran tenor makes his only recorded appearance on piano during the first half. There are also two trio features for Eddie Costa (with Duvivier and Manne).
December 4, 2017
Most Blood & Fire releases should be considered essential purchases for any fan of golden-era reggae, but this one is even better than most. Cornel Campbell is one of the best reggae singers ever recorded -- a sweet-toned falsettist with effortless intonation and a cool, assured delivery that is incredibly easy on the ear.
December 3, 2017
With a stellar supporting cast that contained much of the QOTSA posse and equipped with a strong set of raw, Motörhead-worthy material, Oliveri hit the nail right on the head. If you're expecting an album as diverse as the average QOTSA release, you may be disappointed. But if it's an album chock-full of the aggro punk metal that became Oliveri's trademark, then you're in luck.
December 2, 2017
Released in 1979, L.A. punks the Dickies' sophomore outing, Dawn of the Dickies saw a noticeable refinement of the group's wacky Ramones-esque three-chord romps resulting in what many fans consider to be the strongest effort of their career. Highlights include the hooky "Fan Mail" and the campy "Attack of the Mole Men."
December 1, 2017
The final album of the singer-songwriter's prolific and innovative 1968-1974 period, this album brings him full circle, to the introspection and poignancy of Astral Weeks. Composed following his divorce and subsequent retreat from the U.S., the songs are subtle and sparse, the performances deeply felt. Though less tortured and cathartic than Astral Weeks, it's a record fraught with emotional upheaval.