Staff Picks for October 2011
October 31, 2011
Brilliantly produced, thrillingly sung retro soul that knocks all the post-Ronson pretenders all the way out. Too bad it came out about 10 years ago instead of next week.
October 30, 2011
Tom Waits' first recording of new material in seven years is a short, tight set of tunes between two and four minutes, employing blues, R&B, rockabilly, jazz and country forms. His cast of sidemen includes Marc Ribot, blues legend Charlie Musselwhite, and a truly inspired Keith Richards.
October 29, 2011
A singles collection covering the first few years of New Zealand's pre-eminent alternative pop groups, Juvenilia includes tracks from the very beginnings of the band (Dunedin Double EP), plus noisily tuneful early-'80s singles such as "Death and the Maiden" and "Doomsday."
October 28, 2011
The late, great Billy Bang made his masterpiece with this record inspired by his tour of duty in the Vietnam War. Joined by top-flight veterans/musicians including Sonny Fortune, John Hicks and Frank Lowe, Bang combined jazz and Asian folk influences with his expressive violin playing for a cathartic, fiery and very rewarding listen.
October 27, 2011
Hancock's first of three albums with his Mwandishi band is a must-own for any fan of adventurous jazz. It's led by the 13-minute 15/8 groove "Ostinato," where snaking basslines from Bennie Maupin (on bass clarinet) and Buster Williams (on bass guitar) propel Hancock's Echoplexed Rhodes and Eddie Henderson's vaulting trumpet.
October 26, 2011
Erin "Eddy" Moran's one and only album is high atop my list of saddest records ever. Only the strongest of heart dare listen, and then never after dark.
October 25, 2011
On his debut as Youth Lagoon, Trevor Powers turns his struggles with anxiety and depression into beautiful, and quietly powerful, music that recalls Sparklehorse and the Flaming Lips at their most vulnerable. These songs are equally suited to hiding underneath the covers and throwing them off to face the day.
October 24, 2011
Made up of equal parts grit and heartbreak, gravel-voiced troubadour Tom Waits takes listeners on a tour through the darker side of love, life and the human experience on Blood Money.
October 23, 2011
For some, the changing of the seasons conjures up images of falling leaves, cider mills and gooey smores. This unflinchingly hopeless, impossibly gloomy set of ambient, suicidal goth-jazz from German nihilists Bohren & der Club of Gore is not for those people.
October 22, 2011
While a “Can’t Satisfy Her”-sized hit would make it perfect, I-Wayne’s third major release is nearly there, splitting its time between socially conscious lyrics and sweet, romantic songs. He also adds more Rastafarian elements to the mix, making this an easy recommendation to lovers of great roots music.
October 21, 2011
Twenty years on, Son of Bazerk's unheralded Bomb Squad-produced classic still sounds ferocious.
October 20, 2011
The Jimmy Smith trio swings along on six standards and three originals that were recorded in 1961, but not released until 2007 on Blue Note. Although not in the same league as Midnight Special or Prayer Meetin', it's great to hear this long lost hard bop session from the master of the Hammond B3.
October 19, 2011
Although it might not be the best Bert Jansch compilation out there on a track for track basis, this two-disc set does span his entire career, making for a true portrait of this distinctive artist.
October 18, 2011
Before they evolved into a neon-colored funky electro-pop outfit, Of Montreal played innocent, heartstring-tugging indie pop. Their full-length debut, Cherry Peel, introduces listeners to their '60s pop-psych-meets-Tin Pan Alley sound and frontman Kevin Barnes' knack for childlike, yearning songcraft.
October 1, 2011
Various Artists
This indispensable three-disc collection from Tompkins Square Records collects rare, small press gospel music and sermons whose music reflects the dominant styles of the day from Chicago blues and rhythm & blues, to southern-and-Motown soul, to funk.
October 16, 2011
If you liked the Drive soundtrack, be sure to check out Air’s influential 10,000 Hz Legend. The album may be a decade old, but the steamy synthesizers and robot vocals still sound cutting edge.
October 15, 2011
Dark, moody and melodious, this eleven track collection of bluesy, moor-bound, British folk-rock from West Sussex schoolmates Jessica Davies and Katherine Blamire, sounds like it fell out of the back of a Harvest Records truck in the early 1970's.
October 14, 2011
With his go-to team of drummer Jay Bellerose, pianist Keefus Ciancia and bassist David Piltch along with some well chosen guests, singer/songwriter/Grammy-winning producer Joe Henry releases his most most unusual, organic, and poetic collection of songs to date that center on the themes of desire and the ever-forward movement of time.
October 13, 2011
The golden brown tone of the cover of Dawes' 2011 album Nothing is Wrong suits the feel of the record perfectly: A sepia-painted California singer-songwriter vibe that urges the listener not to be late for the sky.
October 12, 2011
Hearing this album's "Special Death" on the FX series American Horror Story was a welcome reminder of just how striking its mix of eerie folk and cinematic indie pop still is.
October 11, 2011
Several classics were released in 1991, but this cannot get too much attention. Many people associate it with the debuts of Nasty Nas and Akinyele, but those appearances are footnotes. Vivid, razor-sharp lyricism -- police brutality, bad relationships, boasts by the pound -- matched with innovative sampling and skillful scratching.
October 10, 2011
The enigmatic and inscrutable elder statesman of slacker rock returns with an album that merges the noodle-y experiments of his early days with the bluesy guitar worship of his post-pavement work.
October 9, 2011
A heavier, more sonically complex affair than 2009's The Listening, Lights' Siberia showcases singer-songwriter Valerie Poxleitner's more sophisticated approach to her synth-driven melodic pop. Working with indie-electronic ensemble Holy Fuck, Lights draws upon dubstep, hip-hop and electronica to create an album of blissful, laser-toned dance-pop.
October 8, 2011
What would happen if Blue Oyster Cult were comprised of four Buck Dharmas? Ghost. What would happen if Satan returned with a stack of 8-Track tapes? Opus Eponymous. Don your bell-bottoms and invocate the Horned God with this out of time (2010?) out of place (from Sweden?) stunner.
October 7, 2011
On their first album together, Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour tapped into the very essence of what makes pop music the breathtaking experience it can be; the songs rock with a easy-going grace, the hooks are sublime, and the emotion on display could break the hardest heart.
October 6, 2011
If you're one of those rap fans who saw Watch the Throne come and go with nowhere near the excitement level that preceded its release, check out J. Cole's wide-issue debut, which features glorious beats, tons of drama (but not much melodrama) and almost as many classic Jay-Z features (i.e. one).
October 5, 2011
Percussionist Poncho Sanchez and trumpeter Terence Blanchard to pay tribute to the innovative Afro-Cuban jazz recordings of Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo on 2011's Chano Y Dizzy! From fast-paced bop-meets-latin dance numbers to steamy ballads and big band boogaloo, this is a celebratory ride.
October 3, 2011
If you like your modern guitar rock witheringly witty, cheerfully mean-tempered, and with hooks as tenacious as an angry dog, check out Absentee's second album and especially the classic "Bitchstealer."
October 2, 2011
With two gorgeous, complex records under their belts, Long Fin Killie reach their greatest heights on what would be their final record. Amelia finds the band exploring beyond their neo-psychedelic tendencies, layering propulsive rhythms and shimmering guitar over evocative lyrics to create an underrated post-rock classic.