Staff Picks for May 2019
May 31, 2019
By the time Cappadonna released his solo debut album, The Pillage, in the spring of 1998, the Wu-Tang sound as masterminded by the RZA had become familiar. That's not to say that it was played out, however. The RZA's skeletal, menacing production is bracing even after it's become familiar, which is to Cappadonna's benefit on great songs like "The Pillage," "Splish Splash," and "Dart Throwing."
May 30, 2019
A textured and poetic reminiscence, not a reappraisal, of Mitchell's work, most of it from the 1970s through the 1990s. A 70-piece orchestra, as well as jazz legends Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Kenny Wheeler, drummer Brian Blade, bassist Chuck Berghofer, producer Larry Klein, and organist Billy Preston, among others, accompanies her on a detailed exploration of moments in a career that is as dazzling as it is literally uncompromising.
May 29, 2019
Sabbath fans like to pretend this one doesn't exist, but Tony Iommi has been threatening to release a remixed version in 2019, so it's time to face the music. Iommi was soldiering on as the band's only original member, and enlisted Body Count's Ernie C as producer to redefine the concept of "plodding" with meandering tracks like "The Illusion of Power" and "Shaking Off the Chains." Less of a staff pick and more of a "Well, gotta hear it sometime" pick.
May 28, 2019
A quintessentially solid and effective offering from the band, and with the continued rise of indie folk stylings well into the 21st century, the Nick Drake-inspired approach they've been loyal to since the '80s might not be embraced by the masses but should at least find itself in fashion.
May 27, 2019
The first proper Foxygen album was a non-stop convergence of ideas, some borrowed, some original, some refurbished, and some outright stolen. Stitching together undeniably catchy songs from scraps of re-appropriated classic rock, the band arrived brimming over with confidence and hooks. They went downhill from here, but the debut holds up.
May 26, 2019
Various Artists
Roughly speaking, the first disc here is devoted to the swinging, jumping sounds of the '40s and '50s, with the second finding the rawer, nastier sounds starting to sneak in (Jackie Brenston's 'Rocket '88'," Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years," Elmore James' "Dust My Broom," and Little Walter's "Juke" pop up here), and the third concluding with the rise of overdriven Chicago blues and boogie, with Jimmy Reed rubbing shoulders with Wynonie Harris.
May 25, 2019
The enchanting, autumnal result of a collaboration between Alasdair MacLean of the Clientele and Lupe Núñez-Fernández of Pipas, Street of the Love of Days is a well-conceived, perfectly executed album that captivates you right from the beginning and doesn't let go until well after the album stops spinning.
May 24, 2019
This collection of songs was cut during the singer's tenure with Capitol Records during the late '50s and early '60s. The majority of them appealed to pop and country audiences; they achieved wide crossover popularity for the artist, and more importantly, introduced a host of then up-and-coming songwriters such as Don Gibson, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson (the latter penned the number one hit "Hello Walls").
May 23, 2019
With the first of Stereolab's deluxe reissues arriving, it's the perfect time to revisit their music. Chemical Chords may be the final album of the group's original run, but it's just as vital-sounding as their earlier work. Full of concise tracks fizzing with urgency and immediacy, it finds Stereolab trying on Motown, chamber pop, acid rock and more with delightful results.
May 22, 2019
Ian Hunter is that rare rock & roll hero who can swagger while convincingly wearing his heart on his sleeve, and he did both brilliantly on Mott the Hoople's 1973 masterpiece Mott. "All the Way from Memphis," "Drivin' Sister" and "Honaloochie Boogie" are glam at its rollicking best, but "Hymn for the Dudes" and "Ballad of Mott the Hoople" are introspective studies of a rocker's life that ring true. And if there's ever been a more heartbreaking love song than "I Wish I Was Your Mother," I'm not sure who would have the strength to listen to it without crying.
May 21, 2019
One of the defining drum'n'bass mixes of the late '90s, Kemistry & Storm's DJ-Kicks is dark and claustrophobic, but also full of light and hope. Tragically, it was the last the world heard from the duo, as Kemistry was killed in a freak road accident shortly after the album's release.
May 20, 2019
Rather than stick with G-funk, Quik presents an array of beats that sound just as much Dirty South as they do West Coast. Like Dr. Dre, Quik obviously found much inspiration in the early-2000s Dirty South style of beat-making -- big, sparse, bass-heavy beats offset by subtle, rattling, high-end percussion -- and replaces the "crunk" element with a slowed-down, West Coast sense of groove. His production work here is nothing short of amazing and amazingly varied.
May 19, 2019
Before she went to number one around the world with her haunting take on Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" in 1990, O'Connor made waves with a debut album that reached the Top 40 in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, among other countries. Included are the self-penned club hits "Troy" and "Mandinka."
May 18, 2019
One of the saxophonist's greatest albums, this is his first major artistic coup after the bossa nova era. An adventurous young group of support players including Chick Corea, Stanley Clark, Ron Carter, Grady Tate, and Tony Williams, were schooled in '60s concepts of rhythm-section freedom. They push the saxophonist toward longer, more intricate and soulful explorations, balancing their advanced concepts with his customary warmth and lyricism.
May 17, 2019
Third album from Houston's rebel rap family put them on the map with it's relentless and rough cut style. In the course of a single album, the Geto Boys defined horrorcore rap with grizzly, horror movie inspired cuts like "Chuckie" and also scored their first international hit with the ubiquitous "Mind's Playin' Tricks On Me".
May 16, 2019
It's practically criminal that there's still no comprehensive cross-licensed collection that explores the length and breadth of Doug Sahm's career in music. But if you're not familiar with his joyous, wildly satisfying fusion of rock, blues, country, jazz, and Tejano musics filtered through his amiable Lone Star twang, this set is a fine starting point. Collecting material from various Polygram-controlled labels, the soulful groove behind these songs is a superb unifying constant, and it's all but impossible to not feel good while listening to "Mendocino."
May 15, 2019
With the benefit of twenty-five years of hindsight, this snarling beast could be considered the last decent L7 set before they petered out in the late '90s. All grime and crunch, Hungry for Stink finds the grunge-metal punks ripping through raucous highlights like "Fuel My Fire," "The Bomb," and "Shirley." Having returned in 2019 with the excellent Scatter the Rats, Stink is a reminder that this underrated crew was one of the '90s scene's best.
May 14, 2019
Insides' elusive and icy electronic pop explores the darkest, seamiest corners of love and sex -- their songs capture the emptiness and hostility that surface when the afterglow fades, ugly scenes punctuated by eruptions of violence, waves of self-loathing and caresses that are cold to the touch. Singer/bassist Kirsty Yates' vocals are eerily dispassionate, detailing her sordid tales of physical intimacy and emotional distance with alarming candor -- songs like "Darling Effect," "Skin Divers" and "Skykicking" are brutally revealing, giving voice to thoughts and feelings perhaps better left unspoken.
May 13, 2019
Although best known for their wildly catchy 1974 hit, "Magic," Scottish soft rock combo, Pilot, continued to churn out crafty melodic gems and hit another high water mark on their sophomore LP, Second Flight. It's hard to believe that the pop hooks of "January" and "You're My No. 1" didn't entice the same global audience as "Magic."
May 12, 2019
Buffy Sainte-Marie is usually remembered as one of the more earnest and activist folkies of the '60s, but that sells her stylistic range seriously short. 1970's Illuminations is a fearlessly eclectic album that makes room for spare acoustic folk ("The Dream Tree"), warm low-key pop ("Guess Who I Saw in Paris"), heavy guitar-fueled rock ("He's a Keeper of the Fire"), and some seriously trippy electronically processed vocal tracks (the opening and closing tracks). Striking and adventurous stuff, and a long, long way from "The Universal Soldier."
May 11, 2019
Precious and heartfelt, this LP landed just as nu-metal and Max Martin-pop reigned supreme, offering a breather from the mayhem. In hindsight, it was a taste of things to come in the 2000s, when emotions and vulnerability made a mainstream comeback. While the band's sound soon expanded to accommodate the larger venues they were packing, this breakthrough LP remains their most gorgeous and spiritually-satisfying, even with the pesky Radiohead/Coldplay comparisons.
May 10, 2019
After a long break filled with solo projects, the band returned with a heavily '70s rock-influenced album that was recorded live in the studio.
May 9, 2019
20 years ago, French filmmaker Quentin Dupieux scored a worldwide hit with an infectious techno track which soundtracked an advertisement featuring a head-bobbing yellow puppet. He followed his freak hit with an album filled with disjointed beats and abrasive scratching which seemed tailor-made to scare off most of his hit's audience. Analog Worms Attack remains in a class of its own, and remains confounding and thrilling two decades later.
May 8, 2019
The amorous, shape-shifting, and occasionally naughty Toronto pop collective led by Joel Gibb deliver the goods on their third full-length effort. Utilizing an orchestra pit full of Brill Building cacophony, Awoo provides the kind of instantly gratifying retro-indie rock that has been their wine and cheese since 2003's Smell of Our Own.
May 7, 2019
While the Able Tasmans never quite infiltrated the American underground, their quirky output is certainly on par with the better known Kiwi Pop masters from Flying Nun's late-80's/early-90's roster as evidenced by this excellent 1998 anthology.
May 6, 2019
Five blowing sessions from 1957 and 1958 find singing trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins jamming with some of New York's best mainstream jazz musicians. Hawkins, a seasoned veteran, often comes across as gruff and blustery in this company, exactly as he did when they gigged together at the Metropole, where rowdy, beer-swilling audiences loudly demanded material that was more old-fashioned than what Hawkins preferred to play at that point.
![Twisted Nerve [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](https://fastly-s3.allmusic.com/release/mr0004536224/front/400/74TomDHUAYk_Jn3TgqLflCpQg_7iAU1wjqLgK_xGXts=.jpg)
May 5, 2019
Containing the sinister whistled theme as featured in Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill, Vol. 1, the score from this 1968 thriller wasn't offered in its entirety until it was assembled by Sean Magee (2009 Beatles reissues) at Abbey Road Studios for this 2016 release. Despite not reaching the heights of his legendary collaborations with Hitchcock, it's a must for fans of the composer's broader filmography.
May 4, 2019
While acoustic records would later become more commonplace among Hitchcock's catalog, 1990's brilliant Eye served as the rightful heir to his cerebral 1984 solo masterstroke, I Often Dream of Trains.
May 3, 2019
A pure joy from start to finish, the perfect marriage of Karen O and Danger Mouse yielded one of 2019's best surprises so far, both effortlessly cool and retro-stylish. The three-part title track and "Ministry" alone could rival an entire Yeah Yeah Yeahs release, but once everything else comes flooding through, it's a revelation. Fans of Cat Power, Bat For Lashes, Feist, and Goldfrapp will be delighted. This is sure to be on many a year-end list.
May 2, 2019
Various Artists
Three disc set of ridiculous hard rock, silly glam, bonkers junkshop pop and goofy bubblegum from the early '70s UK scene. Essential for weirdoes who love music that has no reedeming socal value.
May 1, 2019
Recorded in 1971, Alice Coltrane's music reached new spiritual heights on World Galaxy, bringing modal jazz figures and free playing into a colorful cosmic wash. Passionate improvisation shines on three of Coltrane's compositions and two pieces by her legendary late husband.