Tunesday staggers around again

[Davey]

First up for me this morning is the brilliant Sahara Blue by Hector Zazou and the Sahara Blue Orchestra of luminaries. Already 15 years old, hard to believe, but one of my favorites of those last 15 years. Very inventive, based on and celebrating the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud. Sadly, just saw the news today that Hector passed away on Monday at age 60, but the music lives.

Mentioned a few days ago in the ongoing what's spinning thread, been spending a lot of time with the last Flaming Stars record, Born Under A Bad Neon Sign. It's a good one, maybe gonna be my favorite in place of Sunset & Void, though that one does have some pretty cool tunes. But this one has the mood.

Some Neil Young popped up a couple times last week by way of After The Gold Rush, surprisingly fresh sounding after oh so many years of hearing it.

Have I mentioned yet how great that Shearwater Rook CD sounds on the car system? Wow, "Home Life" is one of the most amazing productions I think I've ever heard, just sounds brilliant, moving, soaring vocals, the strings and woodwinds so vibrant, dark and thoughtful lyrics on our strained coexistence with nature, especially in regard to the disappearance of beautifully wild creatures like the tiger.

Just got the new Woven Hand Ten Stones, so can't say much yet. But it is one of my favorite artists, and it will be good.

Soaked in the new Willard Grant Conspiracy Pilgrim Road for a few somber listens too. Very good album, though not recommended for parties. Verdict not yet in, one of those records that you gotta give time for, more complex than it sounds at first, once the stories start to unfold, and the cinematic mood takes hold. He worked with a film soundtrack guy on this one, and it does have a very cool feel to it, moreso than some of the previous records, though not starkly different. I like it, just don't know how much yet.

You got a story?

[Hyfi]

Recently revisited some Moe. After sending No Doy to AudioBill I actually listened to it and rather enjoyed it. I then went back to my stack of Mystery discs to find Wormwood which I liked but never knew who it was.

This morning I started spinning some old Captain Beyond.

[Troy]

I recently come to the conclusion that I like Ween and have been playing them a lot. Quebec and The Mollusk, mostly.

[Davey]

I recently come to the conclusion that I like Ween and have been playing them a lot. Quebec and The Mollusk, mostly.

Never heard Quebec, but The Mollusk is a pretty cool record. A few of us around here really like the Moonbabies "The Orange Billboard" from a few years ago, and one of the fun facts they list about the recording sessions is "The top five reference albums that was listened to in the studio was: ELO / Out of the Blue, Wilco / Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, The Beatles / Revolver, Ween / The Mollusk, Elton John / Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". And back in the old comp trading days around here, I made a silly one called Pirates and Mermaids that used the title track. Lots of oddball tales on that one ...

1. Die Knödel - Knödelpolka from Overcooked Tyroleans
2. S.F. Seals - Kid's Pirate Ship from Truth Walks In Sleepy Shadows
3. Stephen Malkmus - The Hook from Stephen Malkmus
4. Ween - The Mollusk from The Mollusk
5. Pram - The Mermaids' Hotel from The Museum Of Imaginary Animals
6. Laika - 44 Robbers from Silver Apples of the Moon
7. Giant Sand - Milkshake Girl from Center of the Universe
8. Sparklehorse - Hundreds of Sparrows from Good Morning Spider
9. Neutral Milk Hotel - The King of Carrot Flowers from In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
10. The Dandy Warhols - Horse Pills from Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia
11. The Microphones - The Glow from It Was Hot We Stayed In The Water
12. Hector Zazou - Hunger (John Cale) from Sahara Blue
13. Railroad Jerk - Bang the Drum from One Track Mind
14. Cibo Matto - Know Your Chicken from VIVA! La Woman
15. They Might Be Giants - Dinner Bell from Apollo 18
16. Greg Dulli - Dixie Peach Promenade (Yin For Yang) from More Oar / a tribute to the Skip Spence album
17. Brian Eno - Ali Click from Nerve Net
18. Super Furry Animals - Fire In My Heart from Guerilla
19. Damien Jurado - Rosewood Casket from Ghost of David
20. Eels - Ant Farm from Electro-Shock Blues
21. Jim O'Rourke - Halfway to a Threeway from Halfway to a Threeway EP
22. The Beautiful South - Something That You Said from 0898
23. Die Knödel - Jet Polka from Overcooked Tyroleans

:rolleyes5:

[Troy]

Yeah, I love the whole sea-shanty quality of The Mollusk.

Quebec is loaded with downtempo songs about being on drugs and lush, droning and trippy prog-scapes. It has a wonderful sound. "Transdermal Celebration" is a damn near perfect art-pop song for me. Glorious.

Just got Shinola and am expecting to warm to it too.

[Finch Platte]

Checking out the new Kings Of Leon. (http://rapidshare.com/files/143193386/The_Night.rar)

fp

[bobsticks]

What, a Tunesday thread?! Ja bay-bay...

It seems like folks are taking some time with past works and it's no different over here. At work I've been enjoying some Miles and Trane and Richard Elliot. Bob James' Urban Flamengo got some play today and I'm thinkin' Hyfi would like that one.

I lavished unto myself the lugubrious Folklore by Sixteen Horsepower which has over the months become a favorite, a subtle tribute to the desert and the deserted along with Calexico's Feast of Wire and Carried To Dust.

The only recent release that got any play today, and indeed for the last week, was T.H. White's The Private Spotlight which sounds like some Nile Rogers' funk guitar over a dash of Ghostland Observatory synth mixed with fair shot of hippie-dippie psychedelia and thrown into a Cuisinart.

http://www.imposemagazine.com/photos/2008/02/th-white-the-private-spotlight.jpg

I did make a lil' drivin' compy the other day and it goes a little somethin' like this:

1. "Sun Goddess"--Doc Powell
2. "Midnight Angel"--Rhonda Vincent
3. "Who's It Gonna Be Today?"--Hayward Williams
4. "Beautiful Wreck of the World"--Willie Nile
5. "The Last Toughs"--Okkervil River
6. "Simple Twist of Fate"--Bob Dylan
7. "Fake Empire"--The National
8. "Two Silver Trees"--Calexico
9. "Cheating at Solitaire"--Mike Ness
10."Picadilly Night Bus"--The Dreamers
11."Blue Factory Flame"--Songs:Ohia
12."Jesus of the Moon"--Nick Cave
13."Outlaw Song"--Sixteen Horsepower
14."Bury Me Deep"--Faith & Disease
15."Eddie's Ragga"--Spoon
16."He Lays In The Reigns"--Calexico/Iron & Wine
17."Street Corner Preacher"--Amos Lee
18."All Across the City"--Jim Hall Quartet


---sticks

[3-LockBox]

Been trying to get into Shearwater's latest, Rook, but it just doesn't grab me. It got a few good tunes on it, but its so downbeat...nice sounding album though.

I really like that Throw Me The Statue debut album - been getting regular rotation since I got it, over a month ago.

I listened to Gruff Rhys for the first time in a while - Candylion is one fine album.

Also just picked up David Gilmore's first solo album from '78, recently reissued by Legacy. Excellent sound quality and its a good album, though I certainly see that Gilmore's writing wasn't as strong as Waters', even back then.

Recently revisited Rush, the Presto album of all things. I think this one was better than Hold Your Fire, but there is definite filler. Some of their better tracks of the '80s though and the sound quality is the best since Moving Pictures. I love the final track, Available Light, which is one of Lee's finest vocal performances ever.

Listened to a lot of jazz last week, most notably I dusted off Donald Fegan's Morph The Cat, and found myself a lot fonder of it since I first bought it. A better written effort than the last Steely Dan album, IMO.

[Hyfi]

What, a Tunesday thread?! Ja bay-bay...

. Bob James' Urban Flamengo got some play today and I'm thinkin' Hyfi would like that one.

---sticks

That's one I don't have but I did just listen to Straight Up on Sunday. Grand Piano Canyon is still one of the best.

[ForeverAutumn]

I don't think that I've bought anything new since June! That's gotta be a record for me.

I've been spinning a lot of prog metal lately. Some Threshold, Riverside, Dream Theater, Ayreon and the like.

And, of course, that yummy Brian Vander Ark disk that nobody wants to take credit for sending me. The origins of that one are still a mystery to me.

I need to find time to wander over to my indie guy across the street and see what's new in used CDs.

[Mr MidFi]

I played toonz nearly non-stop last weekend, with plenty of favorable results. But the most interesting spin of the week came from revisiting the Red Devil Dawn disc by Crooked Fingers. It occupies an ill-defined space about midway between Steve Earl, Tom Waits and, say, Woven Hand...with some Springsteen/Nebraska overtones thrown in for good measure. If you have 99 cents jingling behind yer seat cushions, download "Bad Man Coming" or "Boy with 100 Hands" and give a listen.

Finally picked up one of the New Pornos' earlier releases...Electric Version. It's rougher around the edges than either Twin Cinema or Challengers, but they sound more cohesive as a group. Me likey.

[bobsticks]

I listened to Gruff Rhys for the first time in a while - Candylion is one fine album.

It's true, it's true...and thanks for bringing it up. I went looking for my copy this morning but got sidetracked with Historical Conquests... by Josh Ritter and some Son Volt and John Lee Hooker and Tom Waits and even Bryan Ferry's Frantic. Good stuff all.

...and I agree with you about Morph The Cat. I took no end of admonition on another board by fashionistas regarding that one. Solid, cool, jazzy pop and I defy you to find a better sounding album...

Is there anything from the last couple of weeks that one shouldn't miss? I almost feel giddy from my own lack of enthusiasm...

[3-LockBox]

Finally picked up one of the New Pornos' earlier releases...Electric Version. It's rougher around the edges than either Twin Cinema or Challengers, but they sound more cohesive as a group. Me likey.

Boy, seems like every New Porno album has skippers on it, and their latest is no exception, but the song My Rights Vs Yours is instant ear candy - I just love it. It has an unconventional song structure, but the melody is immediately catchy, as is the case with a lot of Pornographer songs. I have trouble not listening to it twice in a row. They have great songs, but their albums are always a tad spotty, IMO of course.

[3-LockBox]

That's one I don't have but I did just listen to Straight Up on Sunday.

That's with his Trio rig, and one of my best sounding jazz discs. I use it to eval speakers. Sounds great on single driver/tube amp combo.

Another good trio disc is Lofty's Roach Suffle by Harry Connick Jr.

Now that we're on the subject, any other jazz trio recs?

[bobsticks]

That's with his Trio rig, and one of my best sounding jazz discs. I use it to eval speakers. Sounds great on single driver/tube amp combo.

Another good trio disc is Lofty's Roach Suffle by Harry Connick Jr.

Now that we're on the subject, any other jazz trio recs?

Brad Mehldau is good.

Prolly wanna check out Tord Gustavsen (http://www.tordgustavsen.com/). Here's some lo-rez samples:

http://www.last.fm/music/Tord+Gustavsen+Trio

The discs uasually have very good sound quality. "The Ground" is excellent.

[3-LockBox]

Prolly wanna check out Tord Gustavsen (http://www.tordgustavsen.com/).

Good rec - I'll always prefer the simplicity of a trio over any other type ensemble.

You know, there's a bootleg copy of Peggy Lee's Fever, which is a studio runthrough by a trio without any processing - no overdubs, no EQ, no massive reverb on the vocals, and its a stunner...and the Peggy Lee estate won't authorize its release.:mad5:

[BradH]

Now that we're on the subject, any other jazz trio recs?

Metheny's Bright Size Life springs to mind because I've been in a Jaco phase lately. No vocals, so it would be tough to evaluate speakers with.

[jonnyhambone]

been hanging out on a rainy day cooking huge amounts of food and spinnin' lots of 70's funk, soundtrack for Let's Do It Again - tunes by Curtis Mayfield and performed by the Staple Singers. lots of wah-wah and chunka-chunka porn-style funk on this one with some nice harmonies. Revisited the Shaft soundtrack...haven't spun that since Mr. Hayes left our world, R.I.P. This led to Tricky 'Maxinquaye'...pretty great album that is still much more interesting to me than his Massive Attack stuff...haven't heard his new one but sounds like its a bit of a return to form.

[Pat D]

I've been back to work on a project this summer. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse. As well, my wife's son has been ill and has been staying with us, and he needs to sleep a lot. So I haven't been around the house to listen to music much and when I am, I can't do much listening.

My wife has been playing an ABBA compilation, show music, 101 strings, and so on.

I have a new recording of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies, the six that were orchestrated, with Arthur ***en conducting the Weimar Staatskapelle on Naxos 8.570230. It is really first class with wonderful, alive performances in excellent sound. The sad tragic parts are tragic, the lively gypsy like parts of lively and gypsy like, the dance like parts of dancy--it's just wonderful.

http://www.amazon.com/Liszt-Hungarian-Rhapsodies-Nos-1-6/dp/B000VIFLVE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1221430856&sr=1-1

I also have the famous Dorati recordings on Philips LPs. The Naxos versionss are at least as good and the sound is even better--though the Dorati versions are good old Mercury recordings.

[Auricauricle]

Ahm been feelin' like flyin' mah freak flag....

[hifitommy]

living magic and <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=972 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=shadowbar height=16></TD><TD class=shadowbar_c width=170 height=16>http://www.allmusic.com/i/spacer.gif</TD><TD class=shadowbar width=5 height=16>http://www.allmusic.com/i/spacer.gif</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!--End Tabs --><!--Start Content Area --><!--Wrapper Table--><TABLE class=wrapper cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><!--Begin Content--><TD class=content-cell vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><!--Begin Section Header--><TBODY><TR><TD class=titlebar style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 15px"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=20>

</TD><TD class=titlebar>Izzat: The Remix Album</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>great stuff, sometimes he played with joe zawinul.

also, phoebe snow-self titled album. great perf and recording plus personnel list.

[jonnyhambone]

Hello..
New Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds / Push The Sky Away - bit of a return to his Boatman Calls sound, but with the Grinderman-era having left a nice varnish over everything. It makes a nice trilogy with Van Morrison's Veedon Fleece and Neil's On the Beach.

Bark Psychosis / Hex - long oop, a Spanish label just reissued this on vinyl and it sounds great! If later Talk Talk is in your wheelhouse, or even some of the mellowed aspects of mid-90's trip hop atmospheric stuff, this is tasty.

finally got that DIIV album on vinyl too. Nice shoegazey jams with a bit of Joy Division-feel too. Fits in with the mid-90's vibe I've had going on round here since the new MBV dropped (vinyl son that should be shipping in the next week or two!)

[Rae]

Oh hey, it's Tuesday! Might as well post in here.

I've been listening a lot to the new LP that my friends in Oaks put out (jonny, you should pick it up). They're a wife-and-husband duo who make great noisy, dark pop. The LP looks beautiful too.

http://f0.bcbits.com/z/41/90/4190676473-1.jpg
Click for their bandcamp. (http://oaks.bandcamp.com/)

I also bought tickets to see Bolt Thrower in Chicago in June so I've been spinning whatever I have a bunch.

Bolt Thrower - Afterlife - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcRNypKzU44)

Hmm... what else. This morning I was listening to the self-titled F.Y.P. (http://www.amazon.com/5-Year-Plan-Vinyl-F-Y-P/dp/B000WMDVGQ/) and this La Monte Young bootleg (http://rootstrata.com/rootblog/?p=3003) I got from M'Lady's (http://mladysrecords.com)...

I guess that's it. Huh.

~Rae

[hifitommy]

i just got the new medeski/martin/wood LP:

Medeski Martin and Wood*Medeski Martin and Wood* | MMW Free Magic LP*|*Shop the Medeski Martin and Wood Official Store (http://medeskimartinandwood.shop.musictoday.com/Product.aspx?cp=124&pc=MWLP07)

Medeski Martin & Wood - Nostalgia In Times Square/Angel Race - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDuNk4cqdUM)

purty good.