Monthly Archive for January 2006
Guem et Zaka Percussion - S/TBorn to Nigerian parents brought to Algeria, percussionist Guem grew up playing traditional music and trance rhythms from an early age. His family soon initiated him into the secrets of the diwan–ceremonies where many of the participants enter a state of trance. The influence of the diwan is fully evident in this mellow and […]
Jim Sullivan: U.F.O.$500 good
Cecil Leuter - Les Sons ElectroniquesConsider the contents of this record the “left-overs” of the Pop Electronique session that Leuter is so famous for. There’s very little song structure to any of the tracks on here, it’s mainly just wild analog keys and effects throughout the entire thing. Audio coming soon.
Chim Kothari: Sound Of SitarAn early “Sitar-sploitation” record on Deram from 1966 which has much more of an MOR pop sound that stuff like Ananda Shankar which would come later. There are two originals on here that are in a Raga sort of mode, but it’s mostly comprised of pop covers of the day. The Sitar is superimposed over […]
Alvin Curran - Fiori ChiariThis 1979 record was the fourth release of six on the Italian Ananda label, co-founded in 1976 by Alvin Curran, Roberto Laneri and Giacinto Sclesi. The record contains two environmental sound pieces that reminded me of a more natural or free-improv take on the types of ideas and atmospheres also heard on Brian Eno’s ‘On […]
Gospel Heralders: Christ In SongI really just don’t know what to think about this one…
Elaine Kibaro - au SoleilI found this record in Paris last fall for one euro. I nearly flipped when I noticed the Eye of Fatima on the cover (hard to see in the photo but look at her hands). I was convinced that I had scored some amazing French hippie goddess folk gem. As my vacation went on, I […]
Kobza - S/TUnfortunately waxidermy lacks the right character set so the title is obviously wrong. This is a Canadian pressing of a Ukranian folk/psych album, however all the information is written in Ukranian so there’s not much I can say. I’ll simply quote a recent ebay description:
“GREAT MAGIC SOUND RECORD!!!!!!”
The music is all over the place, from […]
Sam Spence - The Art of the SynthesizerVolume 1 of a 2 part series here. Sam Spence was the dude known for his musical contributions to NFL Films highlights in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Going by the cover art, it seems Spence is playing a Moog 55 Synthesizer on here, and in the process of doing so he actually […]
San Ul Lim - 2This is top notch psychedelia from a Korean trio who gets the job done: fuzzed out guitar, deep bass, tight drums, organ that never goes wrong, and singing that is absolutely off the chain. The whole thing has a sparse groove with the bass and drums chugging along underneath some pretty mental guitar, and the […]
Danny and Joyce: Ma La LadyThis cover really gives me the creeps.
Juri Lipp - laul SinuleJuri kicks out the jams with some very strange European beat music on this one from 1968. Although Juri’s life must have changed when he picked up his first copy of Revolver, he obviously never left the old world completely behind. laul Sinule is chockfull of interesting eastern European flourishes—accordion, unusual harmonies, and the whole […]
Karen Ervin: PercussionistPretty amazing lp on a tiny label called “Win” outta Los Angeles. Robert Kraft conducts, but the album is credited to Ervin as she is the featured soloist on all tracks. The whole lp is quite good as an Avant Garde Percussion record, but the tracks that really set this apart are two spoken word […]
Bobby Brown - LiveI originally bought this to trade/sell but it eventually grew on me after playing it during a late-night discussion with a special lady. Bobby Brown is a multi-instrumentalist and the ultimate in DIY. This album, whilst saying “Live” on the front, was actually recorded in his van to an audience consisting soley of his dog.
The […]
Jean Dubuffet - Musical ExperiencesReleased on Ilhan Mimaroglu’s pet record label Finnadar in 1973, this is renowned visual artist Jean Dubuffet’s chance to clank, saw and blow his way around a huge variety of acoustic instruments. He also uses tape manipulation extensively - well either that or he’s worked out how to play sax honks, prepared piano and assorted […]
LSD on CapitolThe menace of LSD on wax! One side is called “the Trip” and it consists of people talking about their personal experiences on acid. The best being a guy who they actually tape recorded having a bad trip. There is about 5 minutes or so of this dude just freaking out, all by himself, in […]
Johnny Guitar Watson: BADWay above average lp of 60’s soul instrumentals by Johnny “Guitar” Watson. Unlike some records of this genre and era, there is a raw edge to the sound - it doesn’t get bogged down in late 60’s production gimmicks, or overly bombastic horns like so many others. The cover reads “the fantastic piano & guitar […]
Jan Francoys - Chez BourgetelI spent fives years searching for marginal Quebecois records and this is one of my favourites from that period. It’s a lounge LP recorded live at “Chez Bourgetel”, the storied Montreal club where in the 70s anybody who was anybody gathered for mirth and mayhem. The record is a mediocre exercise in the day’s lounge […]
The Folklords - Release the SunshineFolk-psych mends an aching heart. Granted, too much will make you lactate (or so I’ve been warned), but a little is good medicine. I suppose everybody knows about this record by now, but because I just discovered it and I think the cover art is so very nifty, I’m going to share it anyway. Basically, […]
Raasche and Alan Mills sing Jewish Folk SongsSometimes I want to groove out to the sweet sounds of the alter kakers. This LP from Raasche–who, based on the jacket photo, was a real shayner–and Alan Mills works well to this end. If you want to hear songs about the shtetl shicker or a rousing version of “Dayeinu” then I heartily recommend […]
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