Staff Picks for May 2013
May 31, 2013
More than 20 years after its release the debut by Mexico City's progenitors of rock en espanol sounds as joyous and wild as when released. Here punk, ska, funk, son, and banda all burst forth with musical sophistication and anarchic optimism.
May 30, 2013
Experimental guitarist Bill Orcutt spent the 90's in caustic noise bands before transitioning his style into a brutal blues-informed wilderness on 2009's A New Way To Pay Old Debts. The album's airy recording hides none of it's abrasiveness, as Orcutt transforms an acoustic guitar into something weapon-like through his often pained improvisations.
May 29, 2013
Keyboardist Michiel Braam updated his Wurli Trio into the more 21st century eBraam, then promptly found inspiration from the likes of '70s-era Soft Machine and George Duke. As expected, these top Dutch improvisers avoid the obvious in their homages, while "A Certain Kind" does full justice to the Soft's original.
May 28, 2013
The first time I heard the opening chunky guitar hit and synth riff of Breakwater's "Release the Beast", I instantly recognized it as the hook of Daft Punk's "Robot Rock." The original funk song's great in its entirety, but it's always impressive to me that the chrome domes dug so deep to strike gold and that they had the confidence to know that this three second sample was powerful enough to keep a club dancing for five minutes.
May 27, 2013
Kristin Hersh's first unplugged album proved she could whip up as much fury with an acoustic guitar as she could with Throwing Muses' amped-up power behind her on songs spanning "A Loon"'s rage to the ethereal "Velvet Days."
May 26, 2013
One of Jamaican music's most prized vocalists, Alton Ellis stood as the definitive voice of the lover's rock style, as well as making amazing ska, rocksteady and reggae-soul records. Sunday Coming touches on Ellis' strengths in all fields of reggae, and sums up the simple joys of a beautiful summer morning in song.
May 24, 2013
A band rather than a solo project, Tin Machine remains one of Bowie's most intriguing and underappreciated creative endeavors. A hard-nosed rock outfit with an arty bent, Tin Machine somewhat prefigured the grunge movement and gave us one the last great '80s sociopolitical protest anthems of the post hippie era, "Under the God."
May 23, 2013
While it might seem like one of the most ridiculous records of all time, Fire is an unstoppable juggernaut of party energy and should be listened to with great volume, and great caution.
May 22, 2013
You might know the title track, but did you know a bunch of the other songs were written by Bob Marley, and that the Wailers were Nash's backing band here? It makes for a wonderful soul/reggae mashup that works like a laidback charm. Johnny Hash?
May 21, 2013
Chenier's love of laid back Texas blues is evident throughout this session, recorded in Houston on April 1, 1969. While the pace of these tunes flow between slow to mid-tempo shuffles, the three exceptions, "Rosemary," "Be My Chauffeur," and "Paper in My Shoes," are first-rate uptempo dance tracks.
May 20, 2013
Last month, Strong Island's finest entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and gave "rollin' with Rush" a new meaning. There are three five-star albums in the PE catalog, but this post-Apocalypse '91 comp has a handful of essentials, including "Hazy Shade of Criminal" and "Tie Goes to the Runner."
May 19, 2013
Jim Carroll illustrated what it was like to live as a street smart addict in NYC in the novel Basketball Diaries, and his memoirs continued to inspire when he worked them into lyrics for his poetic punk rock debut. "People Who Died" was a surprise hit, and the rest of the album is equally strong. Fans of Lou Reed, Patti Smith, and Richard Hell should look no further.
May 18, 2013
Often eclipsed by its far more famous 1972 predecessor Obscured By Clouds, which introduced the world to classic rock radio staples like “Wots… Uh the Deal?” and “Absolutely Curtains,” Pink Floyd’s eighth studio album, a relentlessly upbeat concept album concerning the largest satellite in the solar system’s shadowy backside, certainly deserves a second look.
May 17, 2013
Those laboring under the misconception that “Southern rock” can’t be thoughtful, witty, and literate as well as instrumentally expansive are proven wrong by Randall Bramblett’s two underappreciated ‘70s Polydor albums, thankfully reissued decades later as a two-fer on Bramblett’s own label.
May 16, 2013
Various Artists
The Mod Jazz series has more than a half-dozen volumes, each of them chock full of classic nuggets of the '60s, a time when jazz was at its most grooving, poppy, and driven. If you've only heard George Benson's mid-'70s version of "Summertime," check out the 1966 edition for 2-½ minutes of brilliance.
May 15, 2013
This double disc, 36-track collection assembles virtually every hit that singer, songwriter and perfromer Johnny Rivers ever commited to tape. The evidence here proves that Rivers embodied every quality that made pop-rock and blue eyed soul great in the first place.
May 14, 2013
The Concretes' Victoria Bergsman has such a distinctive voice that it's easy to forget the depth of talent in the rest of the band's lineup. Heikki, the project of guitarist/vocalist Maria Eriksson, delivered charming folk-pop that was equally sweet and rough around the edges.
May 13, 2013
Following a somewhat murky 2010 debut, Canadian shoegaze revivalists No Joy created a work of brilliant cohesion and detail with Wait To Pleasure, drawing on the best elements of acts as disparate as Jesus & Mary Chain, Cocteau Twins and Curve.
May 12, 2013
Industrial, metal, free jazz, and raw electronic noise meet on this astonishing nuclear blast of an album, the fifth from Norway's genre-hopping prog-jazz group, the Shining. Special mention goes to producer Sean Beavan whose previous work with Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson pays off here.
May 11, 2013
Saxophonist David Liebman's 1979 and 1980 ensembles were some of the most vital of his career. This album featured trumpeter Terumasa Hino and showcased Liebman's forward-thinking sound that crossed the boundaries of avant garde, rock and post-bop jazz.
May 10, 2013
Making a return to form after a pair of relatively subdued records, The Thermals up the energy with Desperate Ground. Bringing back the fuzz and aggression of their older work, the band resurrects the the blend of driving speed and pop melody that made their earlier work so infectious.
May 9, 2013
Rock & roll albums that are fun, funny and totally rock in equal amounts are kind of hard to come by. Add this one to the shortlist. Despite the fact that it was released right into the cut-out bin, this is one of the best pure rock & roll (with extra glam) parties of the 2000s.
May 8, 2013
This is a decent overview of the alto saxophonist's jump blues and R&B instrumentals recorded for King in the late '40s and '50s, including his hits "Temptation" "Flamingo," and "Sleep." A young John Coltrane appears on the cuts "Moonglow," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and "For You!"
May 7, 2013
Joined by stellar soloists Joe Henderson, Eddie Henderson, and Freddie Hubbard, as well as electronics wiz Patrick Gleeson and vocalist Rudy Copeland, the Philadelphian organist -- armed with an Arp and a Moog -- went skyward with this double album. It's as expansive and as stimulating as any sets led by his guests.
May 6, 2013
As proven on all his pre-CBS label albums, it's hard to go wrong with Junjo Lawes producing and Yellowman toasting on the mic. Always witty, always brimming with braggadocio, and always the ladies man, King Yellow is at the top of his game on this one. Check out "Yellowman Getting Married" to hear romantic lines like, "she have mi yellow baby and I'm a gonna mind it."
May 5, 2013
After 1985's dizzying Love, which found The Cult perfecting their signature brand of goth-infused, glam-kissed, psych-tinged hard rock, the band tapped the considerable talents of Rick Rubin to helm their third studio outing, the pulverizing Electric, resulting in what many would agree is the last great AC/DC album.
May 4, 2013
Trevor Watts and his band of young Hastings, England area musicians spin out seemingly endless variations of melodies, riffs, and rhythms on this 2001 outing, infusing the saxophonist’s Moiré musical fabric with irresistible energy, provoking dance and inducing trance in nearly equal measure.
May 3, 2013
The perfect accompaniment to either the new Mick Jagger biography or the prospect of yet another summer of touring Stones, Flowers is half 1966 hits collection, half odds'n'sods, and all great.
May 2, 2013
When he passed in February, Kevin Ayers was almost a forgotten man. Given his shyness, he might have preferred it that way. This last studio offering from 2007 is delightful; proof that he remained a completely original talent to the end. It stands with his best work.
May 1, 2013
King Khan & the Shrines stretch out on this 2007 release, channeling James Brown, Jacques Dutronc, the Velvet Underground and even Sun Ra while still staying true to their rowdy r&b-meets-garage revival roots.