The playful and intuitive music of Ane Østergaard’s debut album could possibly reflect the personality of the young Dane. Her unique way of arranging the numbers is messy yet tidy at the same time, always with an unmistakable glimpse in the eye. A curious approach to melodies, timing or instrumentation; everything is so special that it warms your heart. This makes it easy to listen to, despite its sometimes silly and obscure universe.
This past weekend, I had the good fortune of having an obscure, yet legendary, soul artist perform a free concert in my even more obscure hometown. The artist was Swamp Dogg, a now 68 year old singer known for his string of country infused albums released in the early ’70s. I regret having to say this, but before his performance, I had not been too familiar with his music and had only known a few of his songs. After seeing him live and experiencing his talent in person which seems un-phased by his age, I set out on a mission to listen to as much of his music as I could. Out of his impressive catalogue, the album I found most memorable was his debut 1970 album, “Total Destruction To Your Mind.” While it may have been too hard to find for me to even recommend a few months ago, thanks to a recent reissue by Swamp Dogg himself, we can now all check out the album without investing hours in dusty record shops.
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band was just another group thriving in the rapturous years of the 60′s. They fused guitar pop, jazz, country, and folk to create their representational sound of what psychedelic rock really was. The band was a group of humorists who played with cynicism, ultimately showcasing the naive, and stereotypical “peace and love” message of the time period. A Child’s Guide to Good & Evil serves as The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band’s stepping stone towards a more mature and refined sound. But it does not fail to deliver the humor, credulity, and atmospheric sounds that made up the 60′s.
In this day and age, there are countless indie bands cashing in on the tired old sounds of sunny California surf-pop. These bands believe that replicating the Beach Boys and Tornadoes is the only way to evoke the surf-and-sand atmosphere of the Pacific coast. When the Los Angeles-based duo Big Sir released their eponymous debut in 2000, they didn’t take that route. Instead, Big Sir is one of those records that summons the laid-back, cruising-underneath-rows-of-palm-trees side of California.
The Argument features many aspects of the music community’s dream and nightmare, an album ready-made to form divides the size of the Grand Canyon, so perfectly does it epitomize everything that delights and frustrates music obsessives in equal measure. After a decade of establishing themselves as thinking, breathing, romantic writers of the post-hardcore genre that they played as large a part as any band in certainly blossoming if not birthing, MacKaye and Picciotto steer headfirst into the wonders of art rock, transplanting breakdowns with pop moments for equally transcendent release. It’s a highly enjoyable, even a mysterious listen, and one which looks good on Fugazi.
This group’s sound lies somewhere between polished up Electro-Funk and oozy Neo-Soul. They’re heavily invested in the music, arguably even more so then their lyrical content. Not to say their lyrics sag, but I’m always refreshed to hear meticulously crafted arrangements as the backdrop to some gentle harmonies. Electric Wire Hustle give off a refined sampling vibe that’s all too easy to miss amidst the diluted hypnotism of their sonic landscape. The bass lines are real heavy, practically bursting through your speakers, the melodies alluring, and the vocals are more relaxed than restrained. Lead singer Mara TK and some intelligent guest features find themselves painting on a canvas that’s already somewhat filled. All this amounts to a stunning listen through and through from an innovative band hailing from New Zealand.
LTJ Bukem complied a series of albums that went back to the roots; natural and organic music within the borders of his own thriving musicality. The drum heavy music that LTJ Bukem pioneered is prominent on this album, but it has more jazz and world music influences than usual. The album will set you of to explore the green universe within the title: Earth.
The discography of Alice Coltrane was one seldom explored when released, and it remains that way today. I attribute this to the widow of the inimitable of John Coltrane‘s inability to contain her talent. In a music world where output is confined to categories, Alice Coltrane continually released music that could not be described by a single genre tag. While on the one hand, it only makes her work all the more exciting and worthwhile to people like me, it was understandably difficult to market.
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