Archive for the ‘prog’ Category
A few recent aquisitions.
May 8, 2008Foamy Lather by Ultralash. MP3 samples at link. Arty folk rock that incorporates electro-techno sounds in an organic way that does niether interferes with the folkiness nor brings annoying club music to mind. It is a sad comment on our times that it’s taken civilization this long to come up with “World of Suck, ” now that Karry has it seems so obvious.
Sings by Patty Walker. She somehow marries the Miles/Gil Evans vibe with the Ayler/Ornette/Sun Ra vibe, and her piano playing uses alot of Hindemith/Milhaud kinda colors (in a good way). Wikipedia, AAJ, Perfect Sound Forever. Here’s a tune.
Ersen Post-psych almost-prog vaguely folksy rock from Turkey, 1971. Good stuff, lotsa oud ‘n’ saz, etc. Info at label’s site, order page with mp3 samples. More info over here. It was on when I walked into Amoeba, that’s the only reason I know about it.
Daddy Long Legs by miRthkon on YouTube
February 29, 2008
Direct YT link.
Their YouTube channel (many more tunes), website, MySpace.
My previous post about how great they are.
Listening diary: highlights from this month’s emusic take.
January 31, 2008Sexotica by Sex Mob- This one is really really fun.
Beat Reader by the Vandermark 5- Great rock-infused improv. I was a big fan of the Vandermark Quartet back before I fell off the edge of the earth.
Betty Davis by Betty Davis Stanky funk that’ll stain your underwear, one way or another. Sly Stone via Captain Beefheart (except, you know, a chick), with an massively gutsy band that includes Larry Graham, Neal Schon, and dudes from Sly’s band, Graham Central Station, and Tower of Power. Thanks for the hot tip, Dren.
Live, Love, Larf, and Loaf by French, Frith, Kaiser, Thompson. 4 exceptionally talented (!) droogies hang out and make a record. What’s not to like?
Funky Donkey by Luther Thomas Party music from the 1973, AACM stylie. Lester Bowie, Bobo Taylor, JD Parran, and Joe Bowie! Why didn’t I have this record in 1986 when I listened to nothing but Defunkt (self link)? As much as I like it, the Amazon listmaker who writes “if the hole in the middle of the disc was bigger i’d have sex with it” may actually like it marginally more.
Linkfest re: the volume wars
November 10, 2007Avant Music News has blogged a post from Bob Drake to a prog listserv with a bunch of links to articles and videos about the disappearance of dynamic range from commercial recordings. You can read that post, but my quote of his quote of Drake’s email has hyperlinks:
The Loudness War. Very good YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQIEEE article on the loudness war:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/aug07/5429Over The Limit: excellent, classic article about the volume war:
http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.nsf/files/8A133F52D0FD71AB86256C2E005DAF1CShort Term Gain/Long Term Pain:
http://gboers.xs4all.nl/daisy/home/g3/139/loudnesswar.htmlDeath of Dynamic Range:
http://www.mindspring.com/~mrichter/dynamics/dynamics.htmI Want to Break Free of the Volume War. Another good Youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkkqsN69JacHere is my own little example:
http://www.bdrak.com/other/mastering/examples.htm
Tyft, Camisetas, and Limousine- these look interesting.
September 20, 2007A Free Jazz post about three “rock-influenced jazz albums.” (1, 2, 3) by Hilmar Jensson, Camisetas (no website AFAICT, link is to Jim Black), and Limousine (ditto, link to Maxime Delpierre).
Listening diary: Following up on the British prog/folk…
September 4, 2007I picked up a couple of those British prog/folk records from that list I linked to a few weeks ago. Time Will Pass by the Spriguns is perfectly listenable, even if the main effect of listening to it is to realize how great Liege and Lief is. First Utterance by Comus is quite uneven, its low points are hippy drool (but again perfectly listenable and not without musical skill), but at its peaks it reminds me variously of early Can, pre-echos of Faun Fables, sometimes even Renaldo and the Loaf.
Poikilotherm, live, 1986.
August 27, 2007Poikilotherm was a great trio that passed from this Earth without ever releasing any recorded material. Two saxes and electric bass (mostly), ranging from effect-laden free improv to very tastefully crafted kinda Henry-Cow-esque compositions. Here they are at the Reed College student union, opening for David Thomas in 1986. More info below…
Wow, My Favorite Song on YouTube!!! part 497b
August 26, 2007Dislocated by the League of Gentlemen. Great tune from a great disc by a great band, how come everyone looks so bored?
And here’s an Elephant Talk YouTube vid with lots of tasty Fripp riffs that didn’t make it onto the record.
