What are you listening to? 2022

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (678 of them)

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1911143075_10.jpg
ellen arkbro - sounds while waiting

budo jeru, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:34 (one year ago) link

Thanks for the link to Halim El-Dabh's music.

youn, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 20:42 (one year ago) link

You're welcome! I was barely aware of him until recently but he was really good! Made musique concrète before Schaeffer. His work always seems to keep one foot in Middle Eastern tradition and maintain an approachability and clarity of form.

No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 21:11 (one year ago) link

Another in my on-off exploration of disliked albums by major funk bands. This is my second listen

https://i.discogs.com/mJflDy-mWUYQy1H1MQxbk4xJvf8bGVgWsq-sjeaUa2k/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzMTc2/OTUtMTI2NTMyOTQ2/MS5qcGVn.jpeg

you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 16:21 (one year ago) link

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71jfyPPqHcL._SL1500_.jpg

This one is... interesting. Partially pretty good for the era blooz rawk Mike Bloomfield on guitar, partially some awkward sounding soul.

a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 16:23 (one year ago) link

white horseβ€”
i like that album! tho i also like very messy albums, just generally speaking.

this morning's selection:
https://i.imgur.com/Rhd84iZ.jpg

david axelrod β€” strange ladies (1977)

https://crashensemble.bandcamp.com/album/wingform
https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2135163480_16.jpg

Dublin based classical/avant group who had this as an installation in the festival that finished last weekend. THey also played 2 different live sets elsewhere in the festival. One that was a repeat performance in the shape of the First Child opera by Enda Walsh.
THis came with a digital video appearing on a set of 3 different screens in a darkened room

Stevolende, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 17:34 (one year ago) link

red heaven yes! so good

jane child - here not there

Swen, Thursday, 28 July 2022 03:47 (one year ago) link

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/5bfcd924575432b8a40ed3980b8c7242/3047994
improvisatory acoustic group from San Francisco mid 60s. Featuring guitar and vocals by Pat kilroy and flute by Susan graubard who would later be involved in Habibiya and some other UK folkish stuff. Not sure if the band is a trio or a quartet since photos show them completed with a hand drum player and credits have a bassist. Shame this is the only lp they recorded, even if the cd is abouttwice the length with bonus tracks. Pat Kilroy was suffering from a rare disease which caused his death prior to the lp being released so this RD version was the first time it was widely available.
There is a solo lp by Pat Kilroy called Light Of Day which has featured in some must hear lists of folk-psych. That lp also features Susan graubard. There is a really good article by David Biassotti from an Ugly Things from just before this cd came out UT #25. May be available online not sure, told the history of kilroy and the fate of the band. Cd also comes with linernotes i need to download cos they're enhanced in the disc hopefully still accessible. Haven't read either in a while.
Music is acoustic blend of folk, jazz and middle eastern and probably Indian influences and a lot of jamming. Would be intereste din hearing if anybody had actually covered any of these tracks since they are pretty individualistic. Would be interested in hearing what influence a band like this has had or if they had much influence at the time they were around. Which would obviously be limited to those who had actually seen them live since I think this wasn't widely known prior to the RD release though the Pat kilroy lp had some recognition though not sure if that was a late discovery itself. Like wow, with a load of releases happening at a time and no internet much pre millennium I'm not sure what channels of communication would make what non immediately obviously popular titles well known. Have heard of collectors discovering gems amongst things they've picked up and turning friends onto them which would be years after release and possibly after Nuggets etc had caused people to reevaluate seemingly throwaway recordings. Though I think that may have been a process underway prior to Lenny Kaye highlighting the ones he selected. Definitely very different level of access to knowledge than now and now one needs to know where to look and what to edit out.
Anyway worth hearing if you get the chance.

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/7a6a0e94fd8a5147a799ee1da0378e26/6370866
3rd lp by French ex-pat psych/metal group now LA based. Incorporates influences from middle eastern traditional, surf (which ties in with that anyway) and several other sources. Can be a bit bombastic but is pretty psychedelic though does have a bit of a metal tinge.
I think I came across this while looking through SVART's sales stock some time a couple of years ago. Sounded intriguing from the description and does sound pretty good on listening to it. Think I might get around to checking out the earlier lps which have a slightly different band name Blaak Heat Shujaa.
Do love the cover art. Do love Aubrey Beardsley, Harry Clarke and Art Nouveau anyway and this reminds me of both.
Blends its influences quite well, does verge on the bombastic and not so hot on the metal but it is pretty decent. Does make me want to check out Nile again who I haven't listened to in a long time but was getting into 20 years ago.

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/fa0af0914420925876904cf7a8d350aa/6427072
Disc 3 which is more electric spacious grooves I think. Covers the period from early 70s onwards. Has some really great stuff on.
I think my favourite Ra is the deep space funk he was playing at the turn of the 80s but this is probably about the 2nd favourite era I think.
Do enjoy some of the earlier less electric stuff but this is more what i would reach for when looking for Sun Ra. Possibly need to listen through what earlier stuff i have of the band. My introduction was Strange Celestial Road and possibly the 70s live at Montreux and i think I was looking for music which was 'out' and then fell for those spacious grooves. But yeah some very very great music by the various line-ups of this band.

Stevolende, Monday, 1 August 2022 10:47 (one year ago) link

Lately I've revisiting my parents' old albums.

Like this one:

https://i.imgur.com/ZChp5cG.jpeg

One of the first records I remember my mother playing.

I Met Mr. Mathis (I M Losted), Tuesday, 2 August 2022 07:15 (one year ago) link

That got an expanded edition a year or so back. Included some material from aabout a year earlier.
I've always loved the combination of folk,jazz, soul and whatever. Leonard Cohen cover with break beats and Ewan McColl as one of the most beautiful songs ever.
Sublime lp.

Stevolende, Tuesday, 2 August 2022 07:37 (one year ago) link

The Sadies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig11RSMz2VI

Kim, Wednesday, 3 August 2022 20:39 (one year ago) link

Listening again to Halim El-Dabh and thinking that a lot of it seems to be deliberately foregrounded to make us listen to what we normally hear as background for its acoustic properties and associations. Language is an intrusion IMHO and should have not been included.

youn, Thursday, 4 August 2022 14:01 (one year ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/bG7q5KE.jpeg

I Met Mr. Mathis (I M Losted), Friday, 5 August 2022 09:36 (one year ago) link

more zorny harmolodic luttenbachers frun from mr pitsiokos:
https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2517873791_10.jpg

massaman gai (front tea for two), Friday, 5 August 2022 12:09 (one year ago) link

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/a5137c89f9e61029953545797efcd7e7/3026808
2nd disc of this which starts on a b-side which is ironically called Gotta Get Away which is hardly inviting. But blooming great music from the dawn of rock and pretty formative in the creation thereof. Bunch of pseudo reprobatic middle class would be hoodlums. Opportunistically capitalising on being the dark side of the phenomena the Fab Four figureheaded. Made some Great music anyway. THis seems to be an expansion of an earlier much shorter collection which had the same sleeve image. Its now 3 discs with the 3rd including some rereleases of earlier tracks. All the early singles in stereo which is pretty good especially since I got this on much reduced sale price.
THis disc spans the years 65-68, that b-side is the flip of As Time GOes By which ends the first disc. Not sure how that was worked, how intentional it was to start there. I think it's a good song which might otherwise have been overlooked just seems like an odd move to start on a bside.
What is here is pretty great, covers some of their most iconic tracks. Slight shame Get Off my Cloud is on the previous disc since it fits with teh bunch of tracks that start this. BUt if this was reshuffled they would lose Child of The Moon which would be tragic. Do love taht song.
I'll probably find there are better compilations around but this does have a load of their psychedelic stuff too which i really enjoy. Seems to be about 1/2 of Satanic Majesties here. NOice.
I think I've been neglecting my Stones listening. But they're still pretty good at this time anyway.

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/ae7009d24ead35d52e3328cb8aa2f6e6/9430163
Actually the 2nd disc of the 2cd set but since this did have a separate sleeve depicted thunk I'd bung it in this way. Banging house like, some intricate electronic stuff working away at yer cerebellum while you moves yer feets like. Quite enjoyable and indeed toetapitudinal .
I picked up a few compilations of the music at different times but only really dipped my toes in. So not sure how much more i need to hear .
This is quite good and on a label that seems to be able to compile things quite well. I think I've read more on teh Acid House scene than I've heard. But I do quite enjoy this.
Do still think in terms of rock more and again would be interested to hear things in that scene influenced by this type of music. I guess there were a few things around that did pick up on this at the turn of the 90s.

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/3ed021bafa36580d38317dbe3b5c1195/5927830
Japanese psych band lead by ex-Ghost leader Masaki Batoh. This is the only set I have by them so far which is not the best idea. Should have more probably. Hadn't realised there were a few more since this. I think this turned up in a place i wasn't expecting to see it, may have been the HMV that opened here for a short time. Anyway grabbed it when i got the chance but have been neglecting it and this week my stereo is skipping discs again so this has been neglected again.
Nice trance like psych stuff. Possibly a bot more rock than Ghost. I think I need to find my Marble Sheep set which is also a bit similar.

Stevolende, Sunday, 7 August 2022 09:52 (one year ago) link

https://i.imgur.com/ivAEgxn.jpg

poly styrene β€” translucence (1980)

first ever listen this morning. went in expecting NOT A PUNK ALBUM . . . but wow, not only completely unexpected but somehow mildly reminiscent of durutti column or early everything but the girl!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvKlAKidY_I

youn, Thursday, 11 August 2022 15:19 (one year ago) link

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/62d9bf76d48b50ec3fd2eb5820718265/1592399
or to give both sides of teh external gatefold
https://i.discogs.com/vWep7he6JrmW6-OZw2XyBLpAIPlSV81mqt9hr2bd93c/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:300/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyMDkw/ODE3LTE1MjgxMDY5/MDEtMjIzMS5qcGVn.jpeg
Mid 70s Brazilian ethno-folk-psych double lp which I've just realised is a concept lp about the 4 elements. Quite amazing really.
Veers between rocky things with ethno-folk influences and fuzzy guitar and more acoustic bits, also seems to be a jazz influence running through it.
So can be seen to be krautrock adjacent in places and should appeal to people into that area of music.
THis has been frustrating this week cos until yesterday when i cleaned my cd players lens with isopropyl alcohol again this has been skipping and looping nad things,. I got the cd a decade ago or more so seems to have got a bit scratched. Cleaning the lens this way does seem to have made this play properly so have been able to listen to this since then. Had tried with a cleaning disc before taht and it just didn't seem to work
do think think this is a classic anyway, gets really psychedelic and has a great sense of groove too.
Mr Bongo put this out and some other titles by I think both artists. But this is definitely pretty necessary

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/7e5abc5ce4c1e394c3a5e89f40049fd2/8736328
The 2nd and possibly even more comprehensive compilation that I've had by this New York based group. Had teh Mo'Wax one when it was current which is also really good but i think this has even more stuff on it. Seems to be 5 more tracks, not sure if all of the other 18 are the same . Anyway great skeletal spacious funk by post-punk band who released music through 99 Records.
I think this is pretty much everything from the era. Fantastic stuff tying in minimalism, repetitive infectious grooves and a few other things. Again pretty necessary.
I saw this and ESG described as the leading bands in No Wave which confused me since I thought neither quite fit that description , think they were around at the same time and probably played on the same bills as No Wave bands but this stuff sounds more positive, groove based and not as scratchily avant as I would think anything fitting the term No Wave would be. & I do love that stuff.
& again a disc that wasn't playing fully properly before I cleaned the player lens yesterday.
GOt so bad that the player was claiming it had NO DISC several times. & wouldn't recognise the disc cleaner either. But did mean that it would actually be able to play the next disc it skipped to. Hope taht has at least temporarily stopped but did clean the thing about 6 months ago and hoped it might last longer,

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/07313eedbcc554dcd26408ce0c2aacb2/6190192
Volume IV i.e. Disc 3 of this set which is a combination of 2 nights from The Rainbow in Finsbury Park in late July 73. Some tracks from these concerts made it onto the original 74 release of the live lp It's Too Late To Stop Now which is now volume 1. & the set comes with a live dvd from the concert on teh 24th, some of the audio of which seems to match what is being said on that first volume.
Anyway van Morrison back when he was amazing, here playing a set of songs from various sources of his previous lps including a version of Here comes the Night which dates back to Them days. & a version of Being Green which he borrowed from Kermit the Frog, oddly literally. That and a few great standards from people like Bobby Bland, Muddy Waters and Ray Charles. plus things from both Astral Weeks and Moondance.
Caledonian Soul Orchestra firing on all cylinders.
Really does show Van at some of his best. That he did have an era that should earn him some respect. He was always a cantankerous individual but he did have a great deal of talent. Wasn't just an annoying conspiracy theorist about things like Covid etc.

Stevolende, Sunday, 14 August 2022 13:32 (one year ago) link

The Lula Cortes e Ze Ramahlo is roiling my world. Completely wonderful expansive stuff, Can, Catherine Ribiero, Philip Cohran all come to mind.

Jaqueline Kasabian Oasis (bendy), Monday, 15 August 2022 20:09 (one year ago) link

It's really good.
THis is the pair plus some others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0ikrlRfPig

& one of teh tracks from the lp itself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhDQnxldH4g

Stevolende, Monday, 15 August 2022 20:23 (one year ago) link

I cannot stop listening to the new Binker Golding record, I'm completely obsessed with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DniijKLJhLc

broccoli rabe thomas (the table is the table), Tuesday, 16 August 2022 16:58 (one year ago) link

https://i.discogs.com/jfqqaIDBMKz1gMVJYcVytjLMlp13kxPyjRsi6DMDz1I/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:594/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ5NDM4/My0xNjM1NjkzOTc1/LTU5MTkuanBlZw.jpegGeins't NaΓ―t – Yvone. ugly nowave-y mish mish of keuhkot / residents / gary numan / 19 juke

massaman gai (front tea for two), Wednesday, 17 August 2022 12:10 (one year ago) link

I was thinking yesterday when I saw that Irene Papas sleeve that the story of Antigone had appeared out of the blue in a podcast I listened to earlier in the day. & Papas starred in teh Greek film version, possibly better known in the west as the Greek partisan in Guns of Navarone though?
I didn't know she sang too, good dramatic actress and pretty striking looking.

Stevolende, Friday, 19 August 2022 08:53 (one year ago) link

come to think of it, guns of navarone may well be the only film i've actually seen her in. anyway, it's an excellent album that i finally picked up cheap last year... kind of interested in checking out their later collaboration now.

https://i.discogs.com/L5HoNyOlvQ5dD39B8uPgJQ-7w_RQdGQp2OC0eMW5nL8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1ODYw/MTE2LTE2MDE0Nzc1/MzctNTMxMC5qcGVn.jpeg

no lime tangier, Friday, 19 August 2022 09:36 (one year ago) link

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/8f13744da813a34e2e5ee4e0eff891f4/9470231
First disc of this which is August 68 and I think that is a major peak.
Starts off with a long blues song which they did a studio version of on their first lp, this is still pretty anchored to a blues form but they are investigating what they can do with structure. I heard a lot of the ballroom bands lengthened their grooves to allow the audience to dance longer and this is still groove based. Next 3 tracks are an early take on a tripartite stretch probably familiar from 6 months later in teh versions captured on Live Dead. I say early version because in the months prior to this the band had played around with what sequences they had been playing. Dark Star had gone into china Cat Sunflower at one point prior to that song getting linked to I Know You Rider.
Dark Star here may be anchored from soaring free by the repetitive keyboard lines that Pigpen plays throughout but it is beginning to take flight. St Stephen in its studio version seems to link rockabilly and free jazz, it's pretty good here but I think gets better in later versions. & that flows into a lengthy version of teh Eleven which si one of my favourite numbers from the era. I think they played with time signatures a bit more, think there is a 12 somewhere too, is that the Pump Song that became I think Playing In The Band? They seem to be able to play time signature effortlessly and this seems to have an off kilter momentum I quite enjoy and have always loved teh vocal breaks.
They end teh disc with a gosp[el cover called Death Don't Have No Mercy which also appears on Live Dead. May actually be a 4 part sequence that I'm not as familiar with because of the way that Live Dead's discs break down . Though sequence of that has teh lengthy version of Turn on Your Love Light in between.
Great Dead, some of their peak for me anyway.I do tend to stick to 67-74 though.

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/4e007a26257751f59e47f3eab3f6e1c6/2736535
Eccentric lp with great grooves and instrumentation topped by a performer who apparently learnt how not to sing. I know he had an lp out in the mid 60s as a soul/r'n'b singer which I haven't heard but would be surprised to hear was as freely related to key as the vocals here. He wrote Compared tO What for a friend o9f his too.
I think i picked this up because teh cover reminded me of Dr John's Gris Gris when I saw it on vinyl in my old local 2nd hand shop. But it is really eccentric seems to be a non-singer over playing by some top r'n'b and jazz musicians.
There is another lp out by him called Outlaw where his vocal tuneage seems to be a bit less wayward. Lyricism seems to be pretty intensely idiosyncratic too.
Interesting lp and one that has been sitting on my shelf for too long. I picked it up on cd a decade plus ago. Apparently it is a record that has been raided for samples. Not sure if I've heard teh tracks those are now embedded in , But may check them out.

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/a3072faf6950b1579271ee9a77960fcb/10177694
Uncut cover mount cd from last month. I'm not overly familiar with Wilco, do know some of their history and the bands that the lead singer wa sin beforehand and even that only slightly. Oh & that avant garde guitarist Nels Cline is now a longterm member. So I was expecting to hear a lot of him on here but not sure to what extent he is since this is alternative versions of an lp from before he joined.
I guess this is ok, doesn't stand out to me overly as something I'm going to be thinking of when not listening to it but does have its moments. Though some of those remind me of Pavement so not making me rush to find out more. may do so though

Stevolende, Monday, 22 August 2022 11:02 (one year ago) link

https://i.discogs.com/0Ra2PsLiciqpyKiqR5iHj31L-GojrDOH_fEA_LKTwEc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgwNzMz/MjEtMTQ1NDYyMDI0/OS00NjIwLmpwZWc.jpeglillinger brings it as always. slavin's on board so it recalls amok amor. a tad less frantic, more majestic, maybe?

massaman gai (front tea for two), Friday, 26 August 2022 04:11 (one year ago) link

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518-GDEUywL._SX425_.jpg

I bought and ripped this several years ago but have only recently done a deep dive. Many of these pieces have been done better by other performers, but it's pretty cool to have so many works in one collection. Gives a good overview of the (western) music of the century.

immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Saturday, 27 August 2022 20:18 (one year ago) link

I should add, some of the recordings are exactly the ones you'd want, e.g., Lutoslawski conducting his own Concerto for Orchestra.

immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Saturday, 27 August 2022 20:22 (one year ago) link

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/f8f272bf18112cd5e97389e53d4dbc89/3654053
Oakland based avant rock band which I enjoy so don't want to call metal. INteresting melange of influences I think . I'm hearing things taht remind me of Savage Republic trudge and balance between melody and viscerality. Vocals may be a bit shouty which fits the idea of metal and I know they came out of the hardcore scene. I know they like Hawkwind cos I got them coming up to me at one of teh Astoria shows calling out my name at a point I couldn't place them.
I first came across this record as one taht kept being left to play to cover up gaps in the schedule at a pirate radio station I was on in the early 90s. I thought it was amazing, hit just teh right spot. So i followed them on an Irish tour a while later. THink I picked up my copy of thsi cd in Tower in Dublin then got given the next couple.
NOt listened to this in quite a while. Have had it on my need to play really soon list for the last few weeks. & I tend to put on 3cds on my3changer and listen to them for a week so it took a while to get to. Worth it though.
Very visceral. Seems like it might be a concept lp about a world dying in a nuclear war or something. But most tracks seem to stand on their own.
I was thinking they were San Francisco based which gives some contrast to the ballroom hippy era but they are from the other side of the bridge. I know taht at least one central member also puts out acoustic folk lps on the band's Neurot label. Seems like it is a music with some influence in the sound though it is heavily tempered by the viscerality etc that is central to the sound.

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/2d620c1b11542180fbaef5ffbca0bd07/3644213
Italian prog band working with a melange of influences , Zappa, funk, middle eastern , jazz and a vocalist who incorporates yodeliing.
Very energetic but groove based to I think so it doesn't come off as busy .
I think they are quite amazing. I have the first few lps by them.
I thought I had also picked them up when I found out that there wasa remastering campaign. So surprised to see back of this digipak gave a 1990 date for its mastering. Since I had thought this would be one of the remasters.
Oh well, very worth checking out if you're not familiar with them. I think they may turn up mispelt on the NWW list.

//e.snmc.io/i/300/w/8356a598a1444f8aad7b9ecdcec24a1e/8694376
great set of early 70s garagey African rock stuff with heavy use of fuzz guitar. I was listening mainly to the 2nd disc this week.
IT stands up pretty well for the full disc and ends with Ofo & The Black Company who I wish there was a lot more of in existence cos both sides of the single are so great.
So this mixes what sounds like mid 60s rock, funk and some influence from indigenous sides in a really good way. & I think this is one of the more necessary sets of the genre, pretty essential one might say. Think I do need to check out more stuff from elsewhere around the continent but Nigeria was making some great music around this time.
I am still wondering what effect the release of material like this a decade or so ago had on Western garage level bands etc if there were many who did pick up a direct influence from anything here or if it was just something listened to by a few. I thought there was some popularity to these releases. This area, Zamrock, the Ethiopiques and Zanzibara series from the other coast of Africa. Stern and Strut releases of people like D.p. Misiani and Shirati jazz who I would especially love to hear an influence from. There were a lot of reissues of African material over a couple of decades and i do wonder if it did lead people to create more music or just gave them something to listen to or maybe better dance to.

Stevolende, Sunday, 28 August 2022 10:39 (one year ago) link

Forgot to say, there is a keyboard riff on the first track on that 2nd disc of the World Ends that I know I know from elsewhere. & just can't place. May come to me out of the blue but I know i know it from somewhere else. Like its an Animals or Spencer Davis Group thing or something. I'm thinking Animals post Alan Price for some reason too.

Stevolende, Sunday, 28 August 2022 10:48 (one year ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.