Staff Picks for June 2020
June 30, 2020
DJ Scud almost singlehandedly invented raggacore near the end of the '90s, dousing dancehall-infused drum'n'bass with buckets of lacerating noise. When Aphex Twin's Rephlex label was digging into the harder edges of ragga and jungle, releasing material by the Bug and Soundmurderer, they issued this explosive collection of tracks mainly from limited vinyl releases, making the best one-stop introduction to Scud's earth-shaking sound, aside from his tracks on the 1998 Mash the Place Up compilation.
June 29, 2020
Arguably the most “inside” record the firebrand pianist ever cut, it remains inspiring. Taylor's approach to three Cole Porter tunes with a trio (drummer Denis Charles and bassist Buell Neidlinger) and three of his own with a quintet (add trumpeter Ted Curson and saxophonist Bill Barron) is a provocative combination, that reveals the foundational construction of his intricate improvisational system better than some of his later records do.
June 28, 2020
Few bands can make one of their best albums after a recording layoff of nearly fifteen years, and fewer still can do so with a powerful, up-to-date statement about the State of the Union. Poster Children did just that with 2018's Grand Bargain!; the songs and performances are as strong and tautly focused, chainsaw pop at its most precise, and the lyrics offer an uncompromising assessment of American life in a time of chaos, uncertainty, and fear.
June 26, 2020
Eddie Russ' fusion cult classic See the Light operates on a cosmic wavelength all its own, embracing otherworldly synthesizers, squelching basslines, and orchestral electronics to create a shimmering jazz-funk-disco hybrid that eludes simple genre definition.
June 25, 2020
The most fabled of the many Hispanic rock bands that thrived in East Los Angeles in the 1960s, thee Midniters never broke through nationally, but they're still the stuff of local legend. Best remembered for their smooth love songs, they were also a tough, swinging rock & roll combo, and In Thee Midnite Hour!!! Is a superb compilation that testifies to their muscle, chops, and sense of fun. If "Whittier Blvd" doesn't get your party started, it's probably not worth attending.
June 24, 2020
Coming off the less-than-classic Shake It Up, the Cars decided to actually shake things up, this time moving from their home studio in Boston to London to record with Mutt Lange. The result was a modern pop classic that honed the band's sound to a gleaming point and features timeless hits like "You MIght Think" and "Drive."
June 23, 2020
Though the abstract rappers finally betrayed a few commercial ambitions on their third album, the happy result was a smart, hooky record that may not have furthered the jazz-rap fusions of The Low End Theory, but did merge Tribe-style intelligence and reflection with some of the most inviting grooves heard on any early-'90s rap record.
June 22, 2020
Never as well known outside their native Minneapolis as the Replacements or Hüsker Dü, the Suburbs were every bit as popular and respected in their hometown, and with good reason. While more polished and danceable, the Suburbs brought a dark, witty edge and intelligence to their music, and 1981's Credit In Heaven is as ambitious and daring as any Twin City indie release of the '80s. For evidence, try the bent dance music of "Music For Boys," the upbeat but mournful "Spring Came," and the compact theology lesson of the title cut.
June 21, 2020
Most remember 707's "Mega Force" as the infectiously kick-ass theme to Hal Needham's bonkers 1982 sci-fi actioner starring Barry Bostwick. However, it was also the title-track to the Michigan-bred power rockers' third album, which introduced singer Kevin Chalafant. While the film bombed (eventually gaining cult-status), the song proved a hit, peaking at number 12 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. Nonetheless, 707 broke-up in 1983 and Chalafant would go on to form The Storm with members of Journey. Still, "Mega Force" lived on, even getting reworked by Ace Frehely and guitarist Tod Howarth as "Calling To You" for 1987's Frehley's Comet.
June 20, 2020
Trumpeter Lee Morgan continued his incredible late-'60s streak of cosmopolitan and accessible hard bop Blue Note recordings with The Sixth Sense. A highlight is the pulsing Cedar Walton composition "Afreaka" with its nods to boogaloo and hints of the burgeoning Afro-beat style.
June 19, 2020
The sole LP from South London duo Yussef Kamaal, the music on Black Focus is a seamless weave of spiritual jazz funk, broken beat, and global sounds, but it's also more and less. The music is inspired by the distinctly British sources its creators grew up on -- jungle, U.K. garage and grime, hip-hop, post-Joe Harriott British jazz, and the sound of underground radio.
June 18, 2020
Given her long and successful career as a genre-spanning artist, plenty of folks seem only faintly aware of k.d. lang's early country-influenced work. That's a shame; 1989's Absolute Torch and Twang, her last album before moving into a more adult pop direction with 1992's Ingénue, is one of her very best. The evocative retro production and arrangements are a great match for the top-shelf material, and lang's vocals, whether joyous or somber, are practically perfect.
June 17, 2020
An album that inspired countless bedroom SoundCloud producers, some of whom have gone to become festival main-stagers themselves, ODESZA's breakthrough effort is still the best fusion of Day-Glo EDM, Bonobo-esque downtempo, and radio-friendly pop ever released. The duo's creative sample manipulation, sparkling hooks, and smart collaboration choices all add up to a beautiful, dreamy album which sounds as lovely as it did six years ago. When Briana Marela sings "It feels like it's perfect" on the final song, it pretty much does.
June 16, 2020
Before blowing up with his official studio debut, the Pittsburgh rapper built his devoted following with fun mixtapes like this, his big breakthrough K.I.D.S. With his signature cadence and an endless supply of clever bars, he made inspiring sampling choices -- everything from Owl City to Nas -- and displayed a hunger belied by his nonchalant attitude, one that would carry him through to his untimely passing in 2018.
June 15, 2020
A sometimes-forgotten classic of the adult-friendly sub-genre of children's music, this Maurice Sendak-directed animated TV special that originally aired on CBS in February of 1975 became a VHS-era staple. Featuring lyrics by Sendak and tunes by Carole King, who voiced Rosie, the soundtrack features 11 piano-driven pop confections as comforting as the titular soup from highlight "Chicken Soup with Rice." An off-Broadway stage adaptation from 1980 remained popular with children's theater groups into the new millennium.
![Crumb [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0002765030/front/400/dB4yc9y-JoFG0TodMUlTmT6KsMttLlyBmmVTZ6_CLs0=.jpg)
June 14, 2020
Original Soundtrack
The soundtrack from the film documenting the life of artist Robert Crumb is populated with yellowed and dusty-feeling ragtime tunes on piano and guitar, authentically complete with light edge wear and some scuffing that isn't noticeable. Most of the performances are contemporary recordings by pianist David Boeddinghaus and guitarist Craig Ventresco, but peppered in are some old 78 sides from Geechie Wiley which nestle in nicely.
June 13, 2020
This 1974 album marked bassist Alphonso Johnson’s debut with the band –the band’s musical evolution depended greatly on who helmed the instrument. Arguably yhe group’s finest album, it included “Scarlet Woman,” co-penned by Joe Zawinul and ex-bassist Miroslav Vitous, Wayne Shorter’s gorgeous title track, and Zawinul’s “Nubian Sundance”—all live staples from that tour to the end.
June 12, 2020
A near-perfect spiritual jazz album, Sonny Sharrock's final statement before his death in 1994 served as the guitarist's finest hour. Joined by Pharoah Sanders and Elvin Jones, echoes of the greatest moments in free jazz's mid-60s heyday appear throughout these six tunes of struggle, pain and enlightenment.
June 11, 2020
Breathy and charming, Coralie Clément's debut album is French pop on a warm spring morning in the mode of Jane Birkin and Françoise Hardy. The compositions and arrangements (courtesy of her brother Benjamin Biolay) touch on the edges of bossa nova, alternating between lush orchestration and quiet acoustic guitar.
June 10, 2020
A bright and thoughtful gem of creative songwriting, lush arrangements, and a loose narrative about the quest for and price of fame, the Canadians' unsung third album proved they were far more than the one-hit-wonders behind "The Safety Dance."
June 9, 2020
Willis Jackson, a veteran of the jazz-oriented R&B music of the late '40s, was a powerful tenor in the tradition of Gene Ammons. This is a particularly exciting release with Charles Earland pumping away at the organ, guitarist Pat Martino offering a contrasting solo voice and Jackson in top form, wailing away on the uptempo pieces.
June 8, 2020
The duo's long-awaited LP debut didn't disappoint. Whether boasting (his greatest strength at this point) or spinning tales (which would become his greatest strength), G Rap's knife-edged rhymes, delivered with the hardest-sounding lisp in hip-hop, tear through Marley Marl's productions and DJ Polo's scratching with all the ferocity of a pit bull devouring a piece of meat.
June 7, 2020
This sounds like a glorious throwback to the salad days of the Muscle Shoals, AL, R&B hit factory of the 1960s, where Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin cut some of their most memorable songs. Eddie Hinton had already earned an estimable reputation as a session guitarist by the time he finally got to step up to the mic as a solo artist, where he is backed by the always-expert Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, as his strong and wiry guitar runs fit the group's emphatic support like a glove.
June 6, 2020
While not as bombastic as some of Smith's other recordings, Bucket! (don't forget the exclamation point!) is still a solid collection of organ-based grooves. The driving title track and meandering "3 for 4" (in 3/4 time, naturally) serve as highlights, and are offset by a nocturnal and sparse version of "Come Rain or Come Shine."
June 5, 2020
Laws' second album for Creed Taylor's CTI label is a classic for the manner in which the flutist, with brilliant assistance from arranger Don Sebesky, melded the jazz and classical worlds into a seamless whole. He explored jazz and all the sound worlds that informed it -- especially in the electric domain -- with the kind of grace and innovative vision that made him a mainstay.
June 4, 2020
John Mellencamp's fascination with the American heartland came into full flower on Scarecrow, but with its follow-up, The Lonesome Jubilee, he began exploring American folk musics, adding fiddle, accordions, and acoustic guitars to his band, which allowed him to explore folk and country.
June 3, 2020
The first album by the mysterious Russian producer (who now seems to go by the name Ratsnake) is an undisputed new-school electro classic, filled with stark, paranoid tracks which will do damage in any DJ set. The title track is one of the most addictive club tracks of the entire decade, but the rest of the album, including the lo-fi darkwave track "Stakan" and the chiptune-esque "Chatters", is just as powerful.
June 2, 2020
One of the last of the major stride pianists, Willie "The Lion" Smith pays tribute to some of his contemporaries during this solo studio set. Smith performs four numbers by Luckey Roberts, three by Eubie Blake, two apiece from Fats Waller and George Gershwin and four veteran standards. Smith was in the last part of his musical prime and is still quite strong on this spirited and definitive late-period program, infusing his hot stride with impressionistic ideas.
June 1, 2020
The band's fourth long-player exchanged the volcanic noise and twisted sensibilities of earlier releases for ornate arrangements and ethereal strings, unlocking a beauty previously hidden just below the surface. The album's lush harmonics and soothing textures bathe in an almost unearthly light. Standouts including the exquisitely waltz-like "Tonite It Shows" and the celestial "Endlessly" are like lullabies, their music-box melodies gentle and narcotic.