Staff Picks for July 2014
July 31, 2014
Lightning bolt album cover imagery aside, Carlton remains grounded in bright, melodic crossover pop on his fourth album. From the airy, prog-inflected title-track, to the sitcom theme song-esque "Ain't Nothin' For a Heartache," to the Steve Miller-style "The Magician," Strikes Twice is less bold guitar thunder, and more warm, soft-rock afterglow.
July 30, 2014
The Texan retro-rockers hit their creative peak in 2010 with this album, adding bursts of chunky keyboards and not skimping on the melodies, the latter courtesy of frontman J.D. Cronise finally figuring out how to best use his voice. The pummeling of their earlier work shows up in places, but the real joy is the way the songs develop and build, particularly on the album's centerpiece, "Lawless Lands."
July 29, 2014
Before "Diamonds" and "Chandelier," Sia began her evolution into a chart-friendly songwriter and artist in her own right with 2010's We Are Born. An unexpected but winning mix of new wave and R&B elements that was as heartfelt as her earlier work yet much more playful and catchy, it somehow sounds even fresher in light of her successes with Rihanna, Pitbull and David Guetta.
July 28, 2014
This killer set by the completely underrated trombonist contains 1963's Jazz Frontier and Two Note Samba as well as a previously unissued track. Though deeply influenced by J.J. Johnson, he was an exceptional soloist, with highly stylized phrasing. He was also a fine composer and arranger who knew how to choose his sidemen--including pianist Horace Tapscott,
July 27, 2014
In 2000, during a hot August day in London, imperfectionist Herbert mixed this set in a one-shot session at his Swingtime studio. Fourteen years old, its stream of feverishly funky house and techno—including shrewd selections from Isolée, Theo Parrish, Dan Bell, and the early Perlon catalog—remains fresh sounding.
July 26, 2014
Skip James' fame rested initially on a handful of 78's recorded in 1931, and with his eerie falsetto and odd guitar tunings, not to mention his utterly unique piano style, he was that rarest of bluesmen, a maverick performer with a completely original and singular approach to the blues. His rediscovery in the 1960s, with all his skills still intact, had all the makings of a miracle. This collection gathers an assortment of tracks from both live and studio performances in James' rediscovery period, and given the mishmash of sources, it retains a remarkable cohesiveness in tone, with a near-perfect balance between guitar and piano pieces.
July 25, 2014
After blinding everybody with science on the magnificent Golden Age of Wireless, Thomas Dolby seemed poised to add his initials into the pop periodic table with another beaker full of quirky, radio ready lab-pop. Instead, he delivered the Flat Earth, a meticulous, sophisticated, and quietly breathtaking set of forward thinking, largely ambient synth-pop that at the the time confounded critics and fans, and has since aged into a true left field gem.
July 24, 2014
The 1996 English language debut by Sweden's Komeda was a weirdly clever, hooky, and occasionally dark collection that melded space age kitsch with sophisticated, pop songcraft. Too smart for the masses, they remain one of the more underrated indie bands of the late-90's.
July 23, 2014
Imagine a Pitbull rooted in both dancehall and street knowledge and you've got Collie Buddz, the man behind the hooky summer hit "Come Around". That cut still works, as does the rest of this 2007, major label debut, Sadly it's one of the few times Buddz has surfaced in the mainstream, although the reggae faithful still get to hear his singles and collaborations on the regular.
July 22, 2014
Though it's not their most beloved album, as it came in a tense period in the band's history, it might be the one most deserving of revisiting. Frontman Chino Moreno was still in Team Sleep mode, working in tones that were more dreamy than abrasive, which gives songs like "Combat" and "Kimdracula" a yearning quality that would be explored more in depth on the band's next record, the outstanding Diamond Eyes.
July 21, 2014
This 2013 sophomore album by saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock's quintet builds from intimate gestures through surprising compositional and improvisational turns into energetic forays, all while consistently avoiding the obvious. The leader gets a big assist from distinctive players who are uniquely attuned to her approach, and the result is yet another indicator of her status as a key innovator on the 21st century Brooklyn creative jazz scene.
July 20, 2014
Primarily known for his country and jazz inflected style playing with the Grateful Dead, Bob Weir has also made some superb soft-rock inclined solo albums. Sophisticated, smooth and melodic, Bob Weir's 1978 Keith Olsen-produced release features backing from studio-pros like Tom Scott and Waddy Wachtel, and includes the infectious, Boz Scaggs meets Van Morrison sounding, "Bombs Away."
July 19, 2014
No band in history wanted to be Black Sabbath (well, first five albums Sabbath) more than Saint Vitus, but on their epochal Born Too Late, the doom pioneers managed to build something very much their own from their influences, creating the best and most resonant music of their career. With Scott "Wino" Weinrich making his debut with the band, Saint Vitus finally had a singer worthy of their deliberate clamor, and Dave Chander's buzzy guitar riffs stomped the earth like a brontosaurus, slow but forcefully unstoppable. A primitive, leaden masterpiece that laid the groundwork for doom and stoner rock.
July 18, 2014
Sure, David Lee Roth's weird squeaks and lecherous baritone would have lent some much needed "Panama"-esque carnal gravitas to the otherwise innocuous "Best of Both Worlds" and "Why Can't This Be Love," but he could never have delivered a song as sentimental as "Dreams" or as pure as "Love Walks In" with the same conviction. Thanks to Sammy, 5150 was as great of a pop record as it was a shitty Van Halen outing.
July 17, 2014
Honing the grungy riffs and sparkling lyrics and harmonies they introduced on Dreamcake, So Wound showcased Jale -- as well as a certain kind of female-driven '90s indie-pop -- at their finest. These sassy, bittersweet songs make the perfect bummer summer soundtrack.
July 16, 2014
Like Swamp Thing, all gooey and covered with slime and clutching a Big Muff and riffing like stoned dinosaurs, Grunge keeps coming back again and again. For some awful reason, a ton of bands these days are looking to the flannel-clad dinobores of yore for sonic inspiration. If only more of them knew about Eugenius. Ex-Vaseline Eugene Kelly's group had the loud guitars, the thudding tempos and the slick production, sure, but he had SONGS. Catchy, stupid, fun, ridiculous, sweet natured songs. The title track of their first album alone makes all other grungers sound like humorless, unpleasant trolls. Not that hard to do, granted, still it makes for an album well worth excavating from thrift store and dollar bins.
July 15, 2014
Astonishing 1994 debut album from the most ambitious and contemplative of Norway's early Black Metal scene, Emperor went above the hatred and fury of their peers into a deep, chilling bleakness. Their reflections on the icy isolation of their surroundings took flight with nods to classical and folk music and resulted in a groundbreaking classic of the genre.
July 14, 2014
Guitarist for the Pinetoppers' at Stax--Otis Redding was their lead singer--this Macon, GA. guitarslinger got little notice during his lifetime. This set of funky, swampy blues rock was released on Capricorn in 1970 with members of the Allman Brothers Band in its studio band--including Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. Dr. John's "I Walk On Gilded Splinters," Bob Dylan's "Down Along The Cove," and Jackie Avery's "Voodoo In You," are highlights, but every track is a stone killer.
July 13, 2014
When Henry Kaiser & David Lindley curated their first compilation of Norwegian folk music, they must have been saving the best for last. From the stunning guitar work of Knut Reiersrud to the other-worldly, scales of Halvard T. Bjorgum's hardanger fiddle, Sweet Sunny North Vol. 2 contained the series' brightest moments and ushered in the strange and surprising Scandinavian folk boom of the mid-90's.
July 12, 2014
After she bounced from Shalamar, Watley took a few years to regain her footing and teamed with the likes of André Cymone and Bernard Edwards for her first solo album. An update of her pop-R&B approach, five of its singles were major R&B and club hits; three of them went Top 10 pop. Although it went platinum, it hasn't gotten its due. It deserves placement in the same context as Janet Jackson's Control and Keith Sweat's Make It Last Forever.
July 11, 2014
Charley Patton's work is both the big bang and the epicenter of country blues, and his 78s have been collected in several fine packages, including the JSP box called Complete Recordings: 1929-1934 and the seven-disc Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues from Revenant Records. For those without deep pockets, though, this package really has everything at a decent price, including Patton's best-known songs like "Pony Blues," the two-part "High Water Everywhere," "Down the Dirt Road Blues," "High Sheriff Blues," "A Spoonful Blues," and "Revenue Man Blues."
July 10, 2014
Original Soundtrack
Just like Bernardo Bertolucci's film is beautiful to watch, the soundtrack is a joy to listen to. The songs, drifting from moody trip hop to gritty blues to charming indie pop, are all painted the same atmospheric color. If nothing else, the albun should be appreciated for Hooverphonic's leadoff track which samples Isaac Hayes' "Walk on By" from his 1969 Stax album Hot Buttered Soul and is an underrated gem of trip-hop's golden era.
July 9, 2014
Completely unknown during his short life, Arthur Russell explored his insular, playful genius by dabbling with any and every genre, producing ahead-of-their time classic works of disco, experimental composition, pop and more. This collection of unheard vault material finds Russell trying on a more folk/country hat, effortlessly coming up with song after song of heartbreakingly beautiful pastoral singer/songwriter fare.
July 8, 2014
One of the more polished offerings from Robyn and his (non) natives of Egypt, Perspex Island, like all albums released in the early 1990's, featured a guest appearance by Michael Stipe. Slickly produced by Paul Fox, who applied a similar sheen to XTC's Oranges and Lemons two years prior, it's mainstream ambitions are thankfully softened/distorted by the usual Hitchcockian eccentricities, but it remains one his more polarizing collections of songs about food, death, and sex.
July 7, 2014
The songs on this collection of tracks by the late, lamented NYC angle poppers are quick bursts of post-punk energy and indie pop brilliance that are in debt to their influences (Orange Juice, the Wedding Present, Television Personalities), but manage to make something new out of them. Dive in anywhere and the headlong rush will sweep you away.
July 6, 2014
Mix Goodie Mob and early Outkast and you get a sound somewhere in the vicinity of Da Backwudz and their debut album. Sounds exciting, no? Well, in 2006, radio wasn't ready, and Wood Work didn't sell, sending members/cousins Big Marc and Sho Nuff on to solo careers and the group on to obscurity. Start with "Feelin' Lonely" and then wonder where it all went wrong
July 5, 2014
If you owned a Porsche and wore a Hawaiian shirt in L.A. in the late '70s, you were probably one of The Eagles. Or a coke dealer. Or Jack Nicholson. Either way, you probably also listened to your fair share of Boz Scaggs. Keeping the blue-eyed-soul ball rolling on this superb 1977 follow-up to the smash Silk Degrees, Boz delivers a batch of slick, romantic jams perfect for sunny drives up the coast from Los Angeles to Carmel.
July 4, 2014
In its own lackadaisical way, the Silver Jews' first full-length is one of 1994's most enduring, and endearing, albums. At the time, it was easy to see the collaboration between David Berman, Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich as a Pavement side project -- especially since that band's classic Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain also arrived that year -- but hindsight being what it is, it's now clear that Starlite Walker was the oddly heartwarming introduction to Berman's offbeat lyrical genius.
July 3, 2014
It's my birthday, and what shouts "celebration" more than perhaps the most pissed-off album to ever chart in the top five? This isn't generally considered the best album from my hometown boys, but it is my favorite. From the careening opening of the title track to the eerie despair that ushers in the explosion of "Suicide Note, Pt. 2" to that legendary, hair-raising guitar outro on "Floods," it's a self-contained party for a very specific kind of person. Also, Seth Putnam is on it. Get ignorant.
July 2, 2014
Not much is known about cowboy crooner Elton Britt, but what he left behind is more than just cardboard-cutout western music. The highlight of this RCA collection is "Chime Bells," the bright and melodious yodel in which Britt sings one of the longest-held high pitched notes in the genre. Seriously. Like you're wondering when the note will actually end. And then, it keeps going. Highly recommended.
July 1, 2014
These R&B and rap firebrands -- who have served Pharoahe Monch, Erykah Badu, Thundercat, and dozens of others -- released a couple stellar full-lengths, including this generous anthology led by their phenomenal 2004 single "Glorious." Since this and a 2009 album for Ubiquity, Shafiq Husayn, Om'Mas Keith, and Taz Arnold have done most of their damage separately.