What's New?: 8.2.2015

Noisy and a little bit of pretty, please.

Mall Walk — Criminal Code/Container (2015)

Hands down, my favorite new band right now.  Hailing from Oakland, these guys just write some damn songs, buddy.  The a-side is a layered and catchy tune that manages to straddle noisy and jangly and simultaneously make such a thing appear effortless.  The flip is quite possibly the noisiest thing they've yet done.  I hope this is a table setter for a full length.  Here's the band playing 'Criminal Code' live.  Key tracks: 'Criminal Code', of course

Mall Walk — s/t (2014)

Cassettes! They're back! RUN.  A cheap and easy way for bands to get their music "out there" in a physical sense, I can't be that mad when they include a download code (as this does).  Plus, this is really good.  Just have a listen to the opener and marvel at how well-constructed it is, just as a song.  The bar is set right then and there and it's adhered to very strictly through all of the the EP's five songs.  The noise-encrusted middle section on 'Teen Missing' shows obvious debts to Sonic Youth, but elsewhere, it's hard to pin down just what these guys are doing that makes them so special.  The mastery of songcraft, perhaps?  I can't call it, but I damn sure love it.  This one should've appeared on my favorites of 2014 list, but we can't all be there right when it happens, y'know.  Check them out on Bandcamp or their website.  Key tracks: 'Unsold' and 'Treadmill'

Ty Segall — Singles 2007-2010 (2011)

All sorts of noisy modern punk sounds from the prolific Ty Segall.  A majority of the songs clock in at 120 seconds or less and there's lots o'distortion and killer riffs, duder.  Some of it sounds like T.Rex with no budget.  Other parts of it seemingly have no business being so tuneful.  But mostly, it's snotty vocals and sludgy melodies.  Good music for riding the bus to, 'cause it makes you feel a little badass.  Spotify.  Key tracks: 'Caesar', 'Lovely One', '...and then Judy walked in' or 'So Alone'

Pullman — Turnstiles + Junkpiles (1998)

An all acoustic affair from post-rock icons Chris Brokaw (Codeine), Bundy K. Brown (Gastr del Sol, Tortoise), Curtis Harvey (Rex) and Doug McCombs (Tortoise).  It's on the prettier, decidedly Windham Hill-ish end of the acoustic spectrum, going for pure mood and melody over technicality.  Not to slight it, because the melodies are ace all the way through, and far from simple.  It's wonderful Sunday morning music and a great little detour in the respective catalogues of all involved.  Spotify.  Key tracks: 'Gravenhurst' and the emotional centerpiece 'Deer Hill'

Destruction Unit — Live in San Francisco (2014)

And then, things got wildly psychedelic.  Mountainous portions of delay and distortion on top of already fuzzed out guitars make for something that's like shoegaze, but altogether darker.  It's got a rumbling melodic bass low end to the whole stew of sounds that keeps it anchored, otherwise this would sound like an all out noise free for all.  Must've been pretty punishing —or alternately, mind-clearing— to be there in person.  YouTube.  Key tracks: the sidelong rendition of 'Night Loner' seems like a pretty useful statement of purpose

Destruction Unit — Deep Trip (2013)

In the studio, the band dials it back, ever so slightly. Just to give you an idea of what's going on here, the LP comes packaged with a sheet of 900 fake tabs of acid. So, yeah. No pretenses here about what they're going for.  Still, there's a wonderment in this music, as harsh as it can be at times.  You gotta figure, for as astral-sounding as it is, there's some real thought behind it.  And when taken to its logical extreme, it can get a little discordant and ugly, but it always retains that sense of travel, of exploration.  Great music for hot days.  YouTube.  Spotify.  Key tracks: 'Bumpy Road' and the most focused the band gets on 'Night Loner'

Dorthy Ashby — Dorothy's Harp (1969)

In further "woe is me" tales, I once had all of Dorothy's Cadet albums, except this one (which has been ever elusive, until this Japanese CD reissue), but I traded them all in for probably stupid reasons.  So, here I go, venturing into the world of Dorothy Ashby for a second time.  And this time, I'm starting off right, as I can cross another one off my want list of sampled tracks: 'Cause I Need It' (a wonderful original tune, among an album of mostly covers) is such a majestic and gorgeous little ditty.  I can listen to it on repeat, fergoodnessakes!  The rest of the album is definitely in the mode of the more commercial ventures going on at Cadet around the time, as Dorothy mainly plays themes and variations thereof, with very little actual soloing going on.  It's tastefully arranged by the great Richard Evans, so this doesn't detract from the album's quality.  Wonderful music.  YouTube.  Key tracks: 'Cause I Need It' and the lush (even for this album) 'Reza'

Stereolab — Peng! (1992)

The Groop's first proper album is so fully formed, it only makes sense that they only got more polished as time went on.  The opener is surprisingly calm.  Then, blam, here's the warm, distortiony Groop you know and love.  It's all good fun throughout until the last track layers its way through your headphones for one of the prettiest 'Lab tunes and possibly their best closer ever.  Surprising how easily this stuff goes down.  YouTube.  Spotify. Key tracks: 'Surrealchemist', the super dreamy 'Enivrez-Vous' and 'Super Falling Star'

Stereolab — Margerine Eclipse (2004)

And here, on the band's eighth proper full length and first after Mary Hansen's untimely death, the Groop is in full on space bachelor pad mode. It's a very calm affair — perhaps unexpectedly so, considering the circumstances.  Lush, succulent and sumptuous are words that come to mind to describe the goings on here.  'Margerine Rock' is about as lively as things get.  As it stands, kind of a lower tier work in their later catalogue, but still up to their very highest of standards.  Worthwhile, if you're a fan.  YouTube.  Spotify.  Key tracks: 'Vonal Declosion', '...Sudden Stars' and 'Dear Marge', which ends in an honest to goodness dance party, if you can believe it

~Austin

What's New?: 8.1.2015

Grab bag! Been a while, let's get to it!

HB Barnum — The Golden Boy Instrumental Album (1965)

Nothing here too beat-y, but good listening nonetheless, as it's the cream of the LA session crop and HB arranging those big wonderful crescendos. Not as all out funky as HB would get in a few years time, it's actually more at home in the easy listening side of things. The ballads are where it's at, mostly.  Produced by David Axelrod, of course.  Key tracks: it's all of one piece, but check out 'I Want to be With You' and get reminded of your grandparents 50th wedding anniversary party.

William Tyler — Deseret Canyon (2008/reissued 2015)

First released under the name the Paper Hats in Germany only, Merge decided to reissue this album —which can now be properly assigned as William Tyler's solo debut— this past Record Store Day. Super nice package, complete with a gatefold cover. It kicks off with the thirteen minute opus 'Man of Oran', which is an awesome statement of purpose. Just to prove he's not dicking around, track two is the tuneful twelve minute, twelve string jangler 'Parliament of Birds.' The middle section of the album is occupied by more concise pieces and one psychedelic sound collage.  It's all very Fahey-esque.  Another epic to end the album and it's quite likely Will's most resonating tune, pre-Impossible Truth.  Wonderful to finally have it physically.  Key tracks: the long ones!

Fine Steps — Boy's Co. (2012)

A Sacramento and San Francisco pop underground supergroup, of sorts, Fine Steps play modern jangle like nobody's business.  'Dig Me In' nails the Smiths so perfectly, I can't believe this didn't catch on.  'Course, the dummies only pressed like 500 or some ridiculous thing.  Finishing up the opening one-two combo punch is 'The Heat' and that's a darned great start.  Things never really waver from there and, as far as jangle pop goes, these dudes have tunes for days.  Check out the stuff on Bandcamp (highlights conspicuously missing though) and then go check out 'Patty Smith Hearst' for the most resonating Echo and the Bunnymen song you've never heard until right now.  Top gear, all the way.  Just wish they had put out more stuff.  Key tracks: 'Dig Me In', 'The Heat' and 'Pardon Me'

Crisis Arm — Rend (2014)

Hemet, California newgazers (that's "new shoegaze" for the uninitiated).  They play shoegaze in the most faithful of ways, so when I say that, 'Resemblance' shouldn't come as the shock that it no doubt will.  There's a lot of bands that can rightfully claim to be influenced by Slowdive and the Valentines and the like, but there's noticeably few who actually do such a thing justice like Crisis Arm does.  I mean, when I say this is a shoegaze album, it doesn't get much more satisfying for fans of the stuff than the gargantuan highlight 'Stray.'  Their whole catalogue is on the Spotify, but it would behoove you to check out their Bandcamp for tons of extras.  Just now catching up to this, otherwise it would definitely have made my best of 2014 picks.  Key tracks: 'Stray', 'Resemblance' and the beautifully woozy closer 'Sunder'

Gary McFarland — Today (1969)

Easy pop on Gary's Skye label.  Mostly covers, some of them quite bizarre.  Things begin with a winningly whispery, indeed almost folky rendition of the Beatles' 'Because.'  Onward to the goofy spoken word variation of Leonard Cohen's 'Suzanne.'  Elsewhere there's bossa bachelor pad scatstrumental covers of Stevie Wonder, more Beatles and a couple Brazilian standards that you'd swear he'd already done before this album: 'The Shadow of Your Smile' and 'Desafinado.'  The two originals (the guitarist Sam Brown feature 'Shadows are Falling' and 'Sambras de Saudade') are excellent, though not really jazz at all — which makes sense, as Gary had moved on from any pretense of being a jazz player by this point anyway.  It all ends with a fantastic version of 'Berimbau.'  Ron Carter and Hubert Laws guest among the supporting cast of excellent musicians.  Not a total winner —and Gary has much better albums in this vein— but a must if you're a fan.  It's on Spotify if you're curious.  Key tracks: 'Because', 'Shadows are Falling' and 'Sambras de Saudade'

Matching Mole — Matching Mole's Little Red Record (1972)

Released the same calendar year as the band's self-titled debut, it gets even further out than that record.  Just have a listen to 'Marchides' and you'll get a very good picture of where this album is headed, as the first three minutes is all scorching doodly chaos.  Some fantastic rhodes piano work in the middle section, though. There's a concept at work here and sometimes, like on 'Gloria Gloom', it threatens to overtake the actual music.  I prefer the instrumentals much more over the vocal tunes, as they really find the band exploring some interesting territory.  This is the standard one disc edition of the album; there is an expanded two disc version that appends an entire live set, which I'm sure is worthwhile if you like the album (which I do).  Key tracks: 'Marchides' and the closing trip 'Smoke Signal'

Kenny Barron — Sunset to Dawn (1973)

And some nice, spiritual jazz to finish things out.  I was interested in this because it has one of my all time favorite sampled bits in the first minute or so of the album; I can finally cross it off my want list.  Kenny plays rhodes on about half the album and he sounds really great doing so, really getting funky at certain points, but mostly he finds these deeply introspective and happy chords on the instrument; the sort of which made me love the sound of it in the first place.  Overall, a darn good record by an underrated pianist.  Listen on Spotify.  Key tracks: the bookends 'Sunset' and 'Dawn'

If you're wondering where I've been or are worried that I don't have stuff to talk about, wonder no longer and worry not because there's this to get to. . .

We'll get there soon enough!

~Austin

What's New?: 1.24.2015

Terry Callier!

Terry Callier — The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier (1964)

Terry Callier's first album is in such stark contrast to the rest of his catalogue, it's almost hard to judge as part of his cannon. Where the majority of Callier's following output was masterminded in Chicago by Charles Stepney and Richard Evans, this is mostly just acoustic guitar and vocals and the numbers are almost all traditionals.  It's a million miles away from the orchestrated jazz soul that was to come, but still showcases a unique talent that takes some new and fresh takes on these tunes.  There's a haunting, melancholy quality to the whole affair that really merits the title.  That said, to most ears, this is just a standard acoustic folk album, with some dark overtones.  Key tracks: the opening epic '900 Miles' the proper album closer 'I'm A Drifter' and the redemptive closing outtake 'The Golden Apples of the Sun.'

Terry Callier — What Color is Love (1973)

Almost a decade later, Terry's second album for the Chess/Cadet label find him at the height of his powers.  His first album for the label was the previous year's Occasional Rain (which featured fan favorite 'Ordinary Joe') and was done in a similar vein as this one: a sort of folk/pop/soul/jazz hybrid that sounds too good to be true.  But one listen to the multi-movement epic opener 'Dancing Girl' makes good on that promise quite easily.  Terry's acoustic strumming comes in handy to accompany his scat vocals in the penultimate section of the tune and, whoo, is it a winner.  The folky undercurrent that perhaps got a bit glossed over on Occasional Rain is on full display here, but the bigger arrangements and tasteful production make for an entirely unique sound.  It's an album that has a sound and vibe all its own; one of those rare albums that is able to create its own wonderful atmosphere while it's playing.  I'd say its closest musical cousins were the equally as visionary albums Gil Scott-Heron was cutting around the same time.  Exceptional.  Key tracks: the aforementioned opener 'Dancing Girl', the mildly Stevie Wonder-ish 'I'd Rather Be With You' and the viscous funk of 'You Goin' Miss Your Candy Man.'

Terry Callier — I Just Can't Help Myself (1974)

A little more produced and lightweight than his previous album, this one doesn't get real heavy until side two, but even sometimes there the string arrangements become a little obtrusive.  Still, a tune like the nine minute political rant 'Alley Wind Song' is about as righteous as it gets and the album's only better for its inclusion.   The last two tracks —'Can't Catch the Trane' and the especially wrenching 'Bowlin' Green'— go back to Callier's folk roots heavily and definitely make this one just a step better than anything that would follow.  Key tracks: 'Alley Wind Song' and 'Bowlin' Green.'

Terry Callier — Fire on Ice (1978)

Still working with a lot of same Chicago cast that made his previous three albums so wonderful, the material on this one is decidedly more lightweight and nowhere near as compelling. Stuff like 'Street Fever' and 'Disco In the Sky' just seem like borderline jokes when compared to past victories.  There are some good tunes here, but they are mostly overproduced, with too many string and horn charts cluttering up things.  'Butterfly' is just fine, but still feels a little saccharine.  Dah well, the good ones here are good enough to overcome.  Key tracks: the obvious centerpiece 'African Violet' and the Gregorian chant turned gigantic soul tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. 'Martin St. Martin.'

Terry Callier — Turn You to Love (1979)

Kind of an odd album, as it tries to cast Terry as a soul pop crooner.  There's a bit more of a focus here on synthesizers, but it doesn't really hinder or enhance the affair, which is nice.  There's some re-recordings of old favorites here and even a horn-charted cover of Steely Dan's 'Do It Again' (not bad, actually), along with a decidedly Vegas-y rendition of 'Ordinary Joe' and one more look at a masterpiece with a gorgeous 'Occasional Rain.'  Sometimes haunting, sometimes carefree, it would be his last album for nearly two decades and a somewhat mixed bag to go out on, but definitely one that's at least quality all the way through.  Key tracks: the haunting title track, 'Ordinary Joe' and the brilliant revisit of 'Occasional Rain.'

~Austin

What's New?: 1.20.2015

Grab bag!

Lokai — Transition (2009)

Apparently, the two guys that made up this project are pretty big in the world of avant garde minimalism.  It's kind of boom-crash-quiet noise-pretty sound as far as how it goes.  Some tracks border on straight ambient noise, while others have a decidedly jazz fusiony bent.  A lot of it has the seeming philosophy of "found sounds" behind it.  Nothing else here is as pretty and melodic as 'Volver' and, at times, it just seems like eccentric noodling for the sake of doing such a thing.  Not a total wash because it always has me like, "Who is this?" when it pops up on my iPod, but it definitely could have benefited from a more melodic approach.  Key tracks: 'Volver'

Cian Nugent — Doubles (2010)

Pronounced Kee-yan, this Irish guy is definitely in the post-Fahey vein of the steel guitar world. It's just two long tracks; the first is a solo twenty minute meditation, while the second is a twenty five minute full-on band excursion. Deep, seemingly bottomless, chords are the order of the day, while seemingly simple motifs are repeated atop. This is music that takes patience, but it's also music to get lost in. Potentially, no two listens could be the same. The concluding moments of the solo track are as intense and dissonant as any music might get, where the next track picks up with a calm and leisurely pace, augmented by percussion. It builds into a haunting, woodwind-laden with one of the most rewarding chord changes I've come across recently. Definitely in the more "serious guy" end of the spectrum of this sort of thing, but with a burgeoning scene of William Tylers, Steve Gunns and Chris Forsyths getting more recognition all the time, there seems to be a scene of sorts budding around this sort of thing. I dig it. Key tracks: either/or. Nothin' on YouTube, 'cept some excerpts and live clips of 'Sixes and Sevens.'

loscil — Sketches from New Brighton (2012)

The moniker of one Scott Morgan, this is straight electronic ambient stuff and the guy apparently only has about thirty eight more albums along this vein (kidding; but only slightly). Truly haunting music, but soothing at the same time. A hard trick to pull off, and with this style of thing, the larger piece does become more than the sum of its parts, as nothing really sticks out. Still, how easy is it to put this one on at work and kill an hour with? Exceedingly. I'm not that well versed in this sort of thing anyway, so I have no idea where Mr. Morgan —or even this album— falls in the greater trajectory of the whole thing. All I know is that it creates a wonderfully spacey, easygoing atmosphere that I can get into. Key tracks: the decidedly Eno-esque 'Cascadia Terminal', opener 'Khanamoot' and the centerpiece 'Second Narrows.'

Hidden Orchestra — Night Walks (2010)

Hidden Orchestra plays a sweeping, jazz-informed instrumental style of music that the kids used to refer to as "downtempo."  I don't know — is that still a thing?  There's plenty of live instruments here creating what seem to be sampled —or perhaps sampleable— instrumentals based in a sort of UK hip hop aesthetic.  The type of place where big buildups and heavy drums don't automatically mean loud guitars to match, but simply sweeping string and woodwind arrangements.  There's not much room for solos here, so it's not really jazz, but instead proposes a sort of post-David Axelrod funky classical music. There's certainly a sense of beauty on display here, with a very deep bottom end on most of the tracks, below major seventh and minor shifts — really does the job in getting the emotional aspect of the music across.  The last three tracks venture off into six and seven minute territory and they all have a haunting, floating quality to them that really wins.  Key tracks: the fender rhodes-driven 'Strange' and the downright gorgeous 'The Windfall.'

Hidden Orchestra — Archipelago (2012)

This one is perhaps a bit more sad in tone overall than the first album.  Song lengths generally run a bit longer and there's a bit more stretching out for solos and whathaveyou.  It's not much of a change in sound for these guys moving to their second album, so pretty much if you like one, you'll like the other. Wonderful music to daydream to.  Key tracks: the perfectly titled 'Flight' or the nine minute centerpiece 'Seven Hunters.'

~Austin

What's New?: 1.19.2015

Sandy Denny!

Sandy Denny — The North Star Grass Man and the Ravens (1971)

This was Sandy's first proper solo after affiliations with the Strawbs, Fairport Convention and Fotheringay, so she was a well-seasoned songwriter and performer by this point, making this a fairly accomplished-sounding debut.  There is a certain sound, a certain identifiable tempo and type of chord progression that is undeniably Sandy Denny's.  So, a song like the opener here 'Late November' seems vintage Denny.  There is just nothing else that can come close.  It's a slow, loping thing with impeccable vocal melodies and that's about about as far as I can get to really explaining what makes her so wonderful.  There was something about her that was just preoccupied with sheer beauty in song.  And, despite the occasional odd man out like the goofy bar blues 'Down In The Flood', she pursued this muse almost obsessively.  I think, in retrospect, this album has been underrated because of Sandy's previous work, but just imagine if this album came out of nowhere.  It would easily be hailed as a landmark. Key tracks: the achingly gorgeous 'Next Time Around' and the sea shanty-esque title track.

Fairport Convention — Rising for the Moon (1975)

Sandy returned to the fold of the Convention to dominate one album before returning to a solo career. It has a nice, roots rock sheen to the production, but Sandy completely steals the show with her compositions and you could make a darn fine EP with just her contributions. Side two is generally the stronger one here, mostly on the back of Sandy's spooky 'Dawn' and the closing epic 'One More Chance.'  As a moment of a band trying to recapture past brilliance again, it's a failure.  But, as a sideshow to more Sandy Denny music at a time when she was not really that prolific, it's indispensable.  It's a mixed bag, but there's certainly far worse Fairport albums from around the time.  Key tracks: Sandy's lovely country rock title track and the aforementioned 'Dawn.'

Sandy Denny — Sandy (1972)

Remember what I said about how she just seemed obsessed with making gorgeous music? The opening tune here is perhaps the definitive Sandy Denny tune and you can bet it'll make you weep when it hits you just right.  Not even the over the top synths can ruin this one.  Minors to major sevenths and back again, it's just about as win as you can get.  This one does get a bit of heavy handed production at times, but for the most part, it's scaled back and the songs are let to breathe.  The completely acapella overdub of 'The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood' is chill-inducing.  Any arguments as to why she's one of my favorite singers stops there.  A lot of dedicated fans call this her finest work and it's easy to see why.  I have my own favorites which I prefer over this one, but there's not many I'd rank above it.  Key tracks: 'It'll Take A Long Time', 'The Quite Joys of Brotherhood', the country rocker 'Tomorrow is a Long Time', and the haunting 'It Suits Me Well', amongst others.

Sandy Denny — Like An Old Fashioned Waltz (1974)

And how does she do it?  This is probably the slowest of Sandy's major works, but jeez do I love it.  It's just so achingly beautiful.  Just have a listen to the symphony-laden title track.  There's a willingness on the album to just go over the top, bring in the horn and string charts and just let it fly.  But it's all done tastefully, perhaps carefully so, so it plays like a soft rock album full of ballads, sure.  But some of the danged prettiest and resonating of the type you'll ever hear.  There's a bit of an old-timey music slant on a few of the tracks here and that just adds to the resonance of the whole thing.  It feels like Sandy was going for a big home run of an album, and while it doesn't quite reach some of the heights it's reaching for, what's here is more than good enough to make this one of her very best works.  Key tracks: 'Friends', 'At the End of the Day', and the closing beauty 'No End.'

Sandy Denny — Rendezvous (1977)

As a final statement from one of the most important artists of the 70's, yeah, it's a disappointment.  But when you just take it at face value for a roots rock record that she didn't intend to be her last, it's actually quite good.  If you want a big grand statement for a farewell, stop at Old Fashioned Waltz and just pretend this one doesn't exist.  But you're missing out, if you do.  Generally, if you're pressed for time, skip to side two.  Those are the songs with the least production, if that's what upsets you so (which being as the overproduction of side one seems to be most everyone's problem with this album; that is probably the case).  However, I cannot just simply overlook Sandy Denny originals, pedestrian as they may seem.  So, do I like the cover of 'Candle in the Wind'?  The answer is a resounding no, but I can honestly say that's the only thing I truly dislike about this album.  The overproduction is fine; no worse than any other roots rock albums of the time.  And the fact that she just refused to go full on disco pleases me as well.  Otherwise, yeah, it's all about side two: that's four top gear tunes no matter how you slice it.  Key tracks: the heartbreaking closer 'No More Sad Refrains.'  What a way to end a career.

Sandy Denny and the Strawbs — All Our Own Work (late 1960's)

Rewind back to before she was one of the best to ever do it and you get some nice late-60's, harmony-laden folk pop. Not much of Sandy's trademark sound is yet in place, but it's nice to hear her all the same. As this is billed and Sandy and the Strawbs, she doesn't sing lead on or even compose all of the material. But still, this music is of a time and place that is generally high calibre, so no complaints here (and it's top loaded with all of the Sandy material, so extra no complaints). There's a few flashes of where Sandy the godlike genius shines through, especially on the initial 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes.'  Generally, lots of acoustic strummin' and pedestrian lyrics.  But, listenable as heck, y'know.  Key tracks: all the ones where Sandy sings leads or composes.

~Austin