Today's Tunage Sandwich

[skewiff]

Here's my contribution

The Coral......Magic and Medicine
The Coral......Night freak and the Sons of Becker
Blur .............Think Tank
British Sea Power........The decline of..
Neil Young......On the Beach
The Ramones ....It's Alive
Dandy Warhols.....13 Tales
XTC/Dukes of......Chips from the Chocolate Fireball
Joe Strummer.......Streetcore
Jimmy Cliff......1st album
The Turtles.......Greatest Hits
Davey's Seasons Greetings 2003
18 tracks years best Mojo

Some good stuff, Two totally different efforts from The Coral.
Great reggae, Jimmy Cliff.
BSP.Love this.
Great pop, the Turtles and Blur Dandy Warhols.

Tony

[Dusty Chalk]

The Coral......Night freak and the Sons of Becker

I just picked that up, too, liked it a lot. Harder than their previous efforts. Not sure why it's called a mini-album, or why it's going to be limited.

[MindGoneHaywire]

Finally got to hear a couple of things I was quite curious about, and both disappointed me slightly. One was the Outkast double album, which a friend raved about. Speakerboxx I didn't connect with at all, really, and while I liked the Love Below much better, I still didn't think it was worth all the hype. Both are good, solid hip-hop albums, I guess, but either my standards are way too high or I've got to get the crud out of my ears. I'll have to give them both another listen, of course, but the first time around, it just didn't do it for me. I've got a copy of Aquanime, or whatever it's called, laying around also, I'll have to give that a try. I guess Andre 3000 is more to my liking than the other guy, but whatever. It just seems that Eminem remains the only guy around that can put together a rap album these days that I think is a great & inspired work from start to finish. But maybe I'm just being picky.

Then I was listening to the new Califone, something about a Heron, which I was mighty curious about since Davey's so into them. Well...my usual comments about how so much indie-type stuff I hear sounds like this or that, blah blah blah, don't exactly apply. Still, I put it on with a blank slate in terms of expectations, & it sounded like a bit of a watered-down Captain Beefheart rip. Is that a terrible description? There were moments here or there, but overall it just didn't move me all that much. There's an extended jam, and I think I hear something along the lines of Dr. John's I Walk On Gilded Splinters, but I'm not sure. Maybe I need to give this one another listen also.

I was a bit suspicious of Thrill Jockey in general after my experience with the Sea & Cake, but while the Califone rec is still definitely in my 'iffy at best' pile, there was a TJ offering that I thought was much better: Bobby Conn's Homeland. A good example of an indie-style singer-songwriter type rec that isn't all the things that all the other ones sound like to me, not so bland, not so boring. Now, just as I might listen to either the Outkast or the Califone & decide that I had rocks in my head the first time around, I might throw this one on again & wonder what it was I was hearing in it. So far, though, it made a good impression on me--even if only because, again, I had little in the way of expectations, and also because I had been let down by the others.

Also managed to throw on Miles Davis' In A Silent Way a few times. Now this I didn't really expect to like at all, but I've gotta hand it to Mad Rhetorik, he nails it on this one. Way better, less constipated, more listenable than B*tches Brew. I mean, it's not really fusion. There may not be a hardcore jazz sensibility going on, but at least there's something I can go with. Nothing here screams at me to throw the disc out the window, like B*tches Brew or even On The Corner; actually I think it's pretty good. And I get the sense I'll like it more & more as I listen to it over time. I don't think I'll ever like it as much as, say, Sketches Of Spain, but I'll tell you what, it now piques my curiosity for Miles Smiles...I used to own a copy of Nefertiti, which isn't offensive, but not what I'd call very good, either. This? This is good. Me like. And considering when it was recorded--after Nefertiti, which I thought was just lite masturbatory noodling, and before B*tches Brew, which is heavy--like lead, only lead that, uh, smells real bad, if you can imagine such a thing--I just didn't think there was any way I'd like this. But hell, stranger things have happened.

Heard the June Carter Cash album Wildwood Flower. GOOD stuff. I've got to get around to listening to that one again. In a similar vein, Cracker, with Leftover Salmon, O Cracker Where Art Thou, which are down-home country/bluegrassy sort of versions of Cracker songs. Oh, how precious. I mean, it's good, but Cracker always kind of annoyed me, in spite of some good tunes. The coy, contrived cleverness just kinda always rubbed me the wrong way. Don't know why. But Lowery started to annoy me a long time ago, when CVB was still together (they've re-formed, haven't they?). I can listen to Telephone Free Landslide Victory a million times a week & never tire of it; but the clever album titles, the 'look at me, I'm so clever' 'tude, the general glibness always bothered me. Oh, well. This is a pretty good rec all in all, even if it is gimmicky, representing that cleverness at its worst, if such a thing is possible.

Heard an advance of the Brides Of Destruction. Won't be out for another month or so. I think it's Tracii Guns & Nikki Sixx? Whatever. Hey, there are a few Motley Crue songs I actually think are good, though I could never be bothered to actually buy one of their albums. This doesn't sound all that bad, all things considered, though I only got 4 songs in. I don't think it's the next Meet The Beatles or anything, but hey, considering the relative lameness of the genre, it sounded like there was at least some decent songwriting going on. I'll have to give it another spin though. I have to say, I'm not crazy about the idea that I'd like this rec more than the Outkast rec, but so far that's the case. Surprising, but true.

Punk rock: Wire's On Returning, 1977-1979...never heard much of this band, I remember when they were around in the 80s, they were kind of techno-ish, or electronic, anyway, having gone that sort of route. All I'd ever heard of them was 12XU, on the Burning Ambitions comp. This is the sh*t. Although maf would probably tell me I'm an idgit for missing out on them for so long. Well, it was my loss. No longer. Jet--Get Born. Wow, great boogie-punk single; the rest of the album isn't spectacular, or anything, but with a single that amazing, it doesn't have to be. Probably the single best track I've heard in years, as much as I like some of the true anthems on the Strummer album. It just hit me real hard. And I heard another punk revival band, the God Awfuls, whose record will be coming out soon...considering the relative state of punk revival bands these days, I certainly wasn't expecting much. But instead of a bunch of snotnoses from Southern California who know nothing about nothing & do covers of stuff like Don Henley songs & filter their sound through Sum 41 as they filtered it through Blink 182 as they filtered it through Green Day...these guys seem to be a bunch of older snotnoses who do what they can to sound more like Social Distortion, maybe crossed with the Angry Samoans, than friggin' Suck 57 or Glop 318 or whatever the hell else these sucky bands call themselves. A yes vote, so far.

Threw on some electronica & found something I liked, a couple of songs off the new Teflon Tel Aviv album, and something I didn't, Dani Siciliano & Chachi Jones. Then there was this Curse Of The Golden Vampire Album. Har-dee-har-har. I almost p*ssed myself laughing at this crap. Just got finished listening to the first Aztec Camera album; last night found the time to throw on Beck's Sea Change; listened to a bunch of Hendrix earlier; and then I was putting together a comp for one of these 'rap is not music' guys, for which I have a wider array of choices than I did the last time I did one of these, which was probably for HYFI. Outside of that, there is no good music anymore.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Punk rock: Wire's On Returning, 1977-1979...never heard much of this band, I remember when they were around in the 80s, they were kind of techno-ish, or electronic, anyway, having gone that sort of route. All I'd ever heard of them was 12XU, on the Burning Ambitions comp. This is the sh*t.

"This is the sh*t". Is that good? It's so hard to keep up with the new expressions the kids are using these days. Is that like when they say "bad" they really mean good? If it is good, it makes me feel bad (the bad-bad, not the good-bad), that I've been dragging my feet on sending you a Wire comp. I checked the tracklist on "On Returning" and it's good, but of the 20 songs on my Wire "Pop Songs" comp, only nine are on "ON Returning", so I'm gonna put it in the mail to you today. The Pop Songs moniker is as you'd expect, those Wire tunes that could be classified as "pop" in nature, I left out the punk songs, (unless they were pop-punk, like "Champs"), and it does cover their whole career, including the '03 release.

Now, if you meant "sh*t" to mean bad, email me with a cease and desist order.

[MindGoneHaywire]

It was meant to be a compliment.

[nobody]

Been kinda busy lately, not much time to post a detailed list...but here are a few things...

Electric Skychurch - Sonic Diary
Anybody else listen to this? I liked it when I got it, and it just keeps growing on me. Totally synthetic soundscapes. If anybody's heard anything else from these guys and would like to recommend something, I'd like to know. Or if anyone knows anything that is in a similar vein.

Tricky: Maxinquaye - Great debut. I still think the rest of his catalog is underrated, but this one is top notch.

Massive Attack: Blue Lines - I go back to this one a ton. Just always seems to sound right.

Some jazz stuff...

Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music - Why yes he is!

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool - Until his fusion period, Miles did no wrong in my book. I do like In a Silent Way though. Spotty after that to me.

Some 80s stuff
The Alarm: Declaration and their self-titled EP - Finally saw the Bands Reunited on these guys and it made me grab a listen.

And, one more thing I wanna mention before I stop. Soul Galore comps. I've got 5 volumes of these and can't for the life of me remember who did them. If anyone knows, please tell me. These are just great. You get lesser known gemms and mid level hits from some great artists. I love every volume.

Tons more, but no time to keep typing so you get what comes to my mind first.

[Dusty Chalk]

Electric Skychurch - Sonic Diary
Anybody else listen to this? I liked it when I got it, and it just keeps growing on me. Totally synthetic soundscapes. If anybody's heard anything else from these guys and would like to recommend something, I'd like to know. Or if anyone knows anything that is in a similar vein.

I have something by them, but don't even remember what. Sorry, can't be of any help.

PS Does nobody like Nobody?



I...ain't got no baaaaah-deee...

[chrisnz]

I have something by them, but don't even remember what. Sorry, can't be of any help.

PS Does nobody like Nobody?



I...ain't got no baaaaah-deee...

Hi Dusty, I was asking about this about a month ago. I found a reference to it in a local rags best of 2003. The guy described it as being superior to, but in the same vein as, Four Tet's - Rounds and Manitoba's - Up in flames. Which piqued my interest as I love both of them.

I'm too much of a tightwad to take a punt on some hacks ideas but if one of you guys had it...?

So, you have?

I remain, me.

[skewiff]

Been kinda busy lately, not much time to post a detailed list...but here are a few things...

Electric Skychurch - Sonic Diary
Anybody else listen to this? I liked it when I got it, and it just keeps growing on me. Totally synthetic soundscapes. If anybody's heard anything else from these guys and would like to recommend something, I'd like to know. Or if anyone knows anything that is in a similar vein.

Tricky: Maxinquaye - Great debut. I still think the rest of his catalog is underrated, but this one is top notch.

Massive Attack: Blue Lines - I go back to this one a ton. Just always seems to sound right.

Some jazz stuff...

Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music - Why yes he is!

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool - Until his fusion period, Miles did no wrong in my book. I do like In a Silent Way though. Spotty after that to me.

Some 80s stuff
The Alarm: Declaration and their self-titled EP - Finally saw the Bands Reunited on these guys and it made me grab a listen.

And, one more thing I wanna mention before I stop. Soul Galore comps. I've got 5 volumes of these and can't for the life of me remember who did them. If anyone knows, please tell me. These are just great. You get lesser known gemms and mid level hits from some great artists. I love every volume.

Tons more, but no time to keep typing so you get what comes to my mind first.

It was I that made the Soul Galore comps, I'm so pleased that you are still enjoying them. I play them pretty often too. Thanks for the kind words.
From a soon to be icy/snowy Chelsea MI
Tony

[Jim Clark]

Electric Skychurch - Sonic Diary
Anybody else listen to this?

You and me buddy. I've probably already mentioned that it took me a while to appreciate this album. First listen fell flat but that was in the beautiful minivan. This needs a better system to get to the point where the music envelopes you.

Might need to look into "Nobody" the album.

jc

[Davey.]

You and me buddy. I've probably already mentioned that it took me a while to appreciate this album. First listen fell flat but that was in the beautiful minivan. This needs a better system to get to the point where the music envelopes you.

Might need to look into "Nobody" the album.

jc

Yeah, that Nobody album does sound cool. Hopefully someone will report.

Hey Jim, speaking of first listens falling flat and all that, have you revisited the Moonbabies much? And if so, has your opinion changed much? The reason I ask is that I just read a review yesterday over at DOA that was very positive. I'll just copy the last paragraph below and the link and if you want you can go there to read it. Guess I'll have to check it out myself one of these days since that's the only opinion that really matters, eh?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moonbabies proves that the best European pop music today is coming from Sweden (and Hives be damned). The Orange Billboard sounds so good, plays so fluidly, feels so tight that it has a timeless quality, and there is not a single weak track on this album. In short, the duo of Ola and Carina has crafted a stellar pop album worthy of worldwide recognition.

http://www.adequacy.net/reviews/m/moonbabies.shtml#4

[mad rhetorik]

Also managed to throw on Miles Davis' In A Silent Way a few times. Now this I didn't really expect to like at all, but I've gotta hand it to Mad Rhetorik, he nails it on this one. Way better, less constipated, more listenable than B*tches Brew. I mean, it's not really fusion. There may not be a hardcore jazz sensibility going on, but at least there's something I can go with. Nothing here screams at me to throw the disc out the window, like B*tches Brew or even On The Corner; actually I think it's pretty good. And I get the sense I'll like it more & more as I listen to it over time. I don't think I'll ever like it as much as, say, Sketches Of Spain, but I'll tell you what, it now piques my curiosity for Miles Smiles...I used to own a copy of Nefertiti, which isn't offensive, but not what I'd call very good, either. This? This is good. Me like. And considering when it was recorded--after Nefertiti, which I thought was just lite masturbatory noodling, and before B*tches Brew, which is heavy--like lead, only lead that, uh, smells real bad, if you can imagine such a thing--I just didn't think there was any way I'd like this. But hell, stranger things have happened.

I'm glad you dug In A Silent Way. In case you're interested, there is another fusion Miles album that you may like titled Big Fun. It's made up of material recorded directly after B-tches' Brew and released in 1974, but sort of bridges the gap between Silent Way and B-tches' Brew. It's busier and less ambient than the former, but feels way less "elephant turd" than the latter, and, well, more fun. : P Might be worth your while, though it's kinda tough to find. Can't come upon a copy of it anywhere.

Yeah, me definitely likes In A Silent Way. To me it was Miles' last great album (though I still haven't heard Jack Johnson yet) and a natural evolution from the stuff he was doing with his second quartet. In my mind Silent Way might be even better than Kind Of Blue, though I realize that's probably a minority opinion. Actually, there are a few Miles albums I like more than Kind Of Blue--Milestones, Round Midnight, and possibly even Somethin' Else, which is technically a Cannonball Adderly album though Miles supposedly wrote the bulk of the music, so I count it as such.

Anyway, I still need to dig into your Beach Boys comp and SMILE. I will keep an open mind, and I am fully prepared to eat my previous negative verbiage regarding the Beach Boys if need be. : P I'll keep ya posted.

[Davey.]

Then I was listening to the new Califone, something about a Heron, which I was mighty curious about since Davey's so into them.

Yeah, I haven't heard the new one but they are one of my favorites. I never heard much of a Beefheart connection in the previous albums myself, but they do seem to be pushing that aspect in the press releases for the new one and I've noticed that, not surprisingly, most of the reviews have picked up on it too . The part of the sound I like the most is that dirty gospel blues that seems to be lifted from Exile on Main Street. The Roomsound album probably exploited that sound most successfully. I did do a Califone comp awhile back that was a pretty good overview of their last two albums prior to Heron King Blues and the EP they did for Road Cone. They've also been doing some rather avant garde soundtrack work in a limited series of Deceleration releases that I kinda like but it's way too out there for your tastes, I would guess. Anyway, if you decide you'd like to hear some more, just let me know and I'll set you up with a copy of the Califone comp. I think I still have a copy on hand. Or actually, there's a few people around here that didn't much care for it that you could probably finagle one from - of course, that's not much of an endorsement

Nice article I was just reading about it in Paste Magazine http://pastemagazine.com/action/article?article_id=381

[Mike]

I just picked that up, too, liked it a lot. Harder than their previous efforts. Not sure why it's called a mini-album, or why it's going to be limited.

I've not heard it yet but I liked their last two offerings. I've read it was the band that wanted to push the album out a sort of stop gap before the next album. It was a hurried affair recorded in a week and will be a limited edition.

So far it seems to get mixed reviews from pure brilliance to why did they bother. Personally if I'm shelling out for something I would rather it was worth the effort but I'll reserve judgement until I've heard it.

Cheers
Mike

[Stone]

Haven't had much time to listen, as I'm on the road, but here's a few I brought with me and have listened to:

The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks

Devendra Banhart - Oh Me Oh My . . .

Etoile de Dakar (feat. Youssou N'Dour) - Etoile de Dakar Vol. 1

Manu Chao - Proxima Estacion Esperanza
A client is a huge world music fan and he's slowly feeding me a lot of the stuff he really likes. This was one he gave to me recently to listen to (as was the Youssou N'Dour) and I must say it's fantastic. It's upbeat and accessible, almost reggae, but it can't really be categorized that neatly. A really fun record.

[Davey.]

Etoile de Dakar (feat. Youssou N'Dour) - Etoile de Dakar Vol. 1

Manu Chao - Proxima Estacion Esperanza
A client is a huge world music fan and he's slowly feeding me a lot of the stuff he really likes. This was one he gave to me recently to listen to (as was the Youssou N'Dour) and I must say it's fantastic. It's upbeat and accessible, almost reggae, but it can't really be categorized that neatly. A really fun record.

Was just listening to the Youssou N'Dour Set album a couple days ago myself. You may recall that the title track led off that African Music comp I did? I think you got a copy of that. Anyway, it's from later in his career, kind of at the dawn of his becoming well known throughout the world in 1990. Really nice CD with Michael Brook at the production helm. Still backed by his Etoile de Dakar band, except now with Super appended to their name. Also been listening a lot this past week to the incredible Djam Leelii. I've mentioned it a few times before, but it's one of my all time favorites. A timeless acoustic collaboration between Sengalese star Baaba Maal and blind singer/guitarist Mansour Seck. The full title is Djam Leelii: The Adventurers. It was originally recorded in 1982 and released with very limited distribution a couple years later, only to fall into obscurity. I guess the master tapes were even lost for many years. But it surfaced again in 1998 on a very nice sounding CD (even though it credits John Dent at Loud Mastering ) with a couple bonus tracks from those same '82 sessions and since that time has become one of my favorites. Not just a favorite in guitar music, or African music, or any other limited genre, but an unqualified favorite. Beautiful, sublime and evocative, foreshadowing the wave of acoustic Afro-pop that was to come in the nineties. Masterful acoustic guitar work by Maal and Seck, with some electric credited to Aziz Dieng. One of those albums that I can just listen to over and over and over and.....

I do have an early Orchestra Baobab recording from the Dakar series of about the same timeframe as the one you mention by Youssou. Guess they are somewhat similar. Not very good sound but pretty fun nonetheless. On the other hand, the Djam Leelii is a very good recording. Haven't heard the other one you mentioned but sounds interesting.