March, 2010

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Day 165: Weather Report – Weather Report (1971)

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

The five-piece jazz ensemble, Weather Report, was formed largely as a result of several classic, and early jazz fusion albums including the late 1960s work of Miles Davis like “In A Silent Way” and “Bitches Brew,” albums on which both core members of the group, Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul, composed multiple songs and performed. For their first, self-titled album, Shorter and Zawinul added bass player Miroslav Vitous, drummer Alphonse Mouzon, and additional percussionist Airto Moreira, none of whom lasted more than three albums into the group’s discography. Here, the group continues to play in the style established by Davis on “In A Silent Way,” using innovative techniques to create what is, like Miles Davis’ album, commonly regarded as one of the earliest classic jazz fusion albums, less than a decade after the genre’s advent.

The album’s opening track is a preview of the bizarre, yet pleasant and tranquil, sounds Weather Report used on their self-titled effort. “Milky Way”, which has no real structure and develops into nothing, uses what sounds like some sort of preset labeled “bells” that would be found on some synthesizer that was not invented by the time of this album’s recording. But, what sounds like the striking of a bell is actually the overtones of a soprano sax and acoustic piano. No special effects (aside from the piano’s pedals), just acoustic instruments played in a way unique to any previously recorded music. As reviewer Don DeMichael wrote on the back of the album’s original jacket “Weather Report is not really magic, it just sounds that way,” and “Milky Way” might be the best example of this. In some ways, the song is just the band showing off what they could do before they get into the heavy material.

The next two songs are examples of all members’ skill in improvising. “Umbrellas” features the album’s most impressive drum work from Mouzon. Along with Airto Moreira who played a steady tambourine on the song (somewhat boring in comparison to the percussion used later in the album) and Vitous who played an erratic bassline, Mouzon provided an interesting backdrop for Zawinul to fill in with his distorted rhodes piano and Shorter on saxophone. After “Seventh Arrow,” side one of the album closes with the album’s best song, “Orange Lady.” This is probably the easiest song on the album to listen to and the most relaxing. The song’s first four minutes are occupied with a smooth combination of electric piano and soprano sax before each of the band members alternate in playing different variations of the songs melody, which is dramatically more upbeat then the opening minutes. The song also features an impressive array of percussion instruments that integrate with the tune flawlessly.

Side two is more of the same impressive material. The bass driven “Waterfall” is a stand out as the only song that doesn’t have a dark and eerie moment, not that those moments aren’t great. The soft piano chords and occasional sax licks are what give the song a lighthearted feel, and a quality similar to that of their later work. Weather Report’s self-titled album ends with its most conventional jazz song “Eurydice,” featuring a very traditional bass line and drum piece accompanied by a fair amount of dissonance which may make it difficult for some to listen to. This is not a characteristic that overwhelms the album, however, and similar dissonance, usually a factor that draws listeners away from jazz, is not present enough to take a away from the album.

Weather Report’s first album has earned the respect of so many because of its quality as well as innovation. As the president of Columbia Records Clive Davis said in response to the group, “there have always been two kinds of musicians-those who create and those who imitate. Weather Report creates.” Working in the relatively new genre of jazz fusion, Weather Report had a lot of room to work with in terms of creating something unique, and they made use of every square inch of it. The originality expressed by the group throughout their early years, especially on this album, is unquestionable and cut out the work for fusion artists and groups that came after its release.

by Phil

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Day 164: Immortal Technique – Revolutionary Vol. 2 (2003)

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Immortal Technique is the direct offspring of Public Enemy, and what they first started during the late 80’s, he’s taken and enhanced it by 300%. His political statements come through stronger than any other artists I can recall. While being ultra left and extreme in his views compared to the general population in the States, Technique’s style doesn’t get any harder and if anything, he’s here to tell people the ugly truth, at least the way he sees it. Whether it be with heart-breaking stories, obnoxious lyricism or political facts, you can be sure you will get provoked, repulsed, moved and along with it all, you’ll nod your head to the beat.

What we are dealing with on “Revolutionary Vol. 2″ is an MC with a hunger for your attention, and as soon as he has it he’ll make sure that you won’t get distracted by anything other than the words that are being spewed from his mouth with anger, despair and passion. With a captivating flow and delivery, you are introduced to the world of Immortal Technique on “The Point of no Return,” the horror-like beat pulses in the back while he bends words into each other atop of it. “Peruvian Cocaine” is an incredibly well crafted story about the journey drugs take from South America to the streets of Harlem. Featuring six other rappers, each one describing every step that cocaine takes to get into the veins of the addict, it’s a display of how Hip Hop can touch on subjects in a degree that can be extremely powerful. On track 4, a deep tale of the realities in “Harlem Streets” is explored over water splashes and beautiful acoustic guitar play. As a direct opposite of the last track, “Obnoxious” is exactly what the title indicates, but in a strangely delightful way.

Whether we are told about “Industrial Revolution,” “the 4th Branch” or “Freedom of Speech” it’s always with an on-point flow and a clear voice. Never holding back with the political messages, he touches deeply on various subjects and whether you agree with him or not, it’s undeniable how his passion for finding the truth in everything is, often facing you with facts that are hard to look past, like on “The Cause of Death.”. Here he’s constantly slapping you in the face with well-rooted conspiracy theories, and it’s clear that his mission is to provoke you to read into whatever he’s uttering and encouraging you to take his words and think them through, just like how he ends by saying:

“Government ties is really why the government lies,
read it yourself instead of asking the government why,
cause then the cause of death will cause the propaganda to die”

Despite being constructed by fairly unknown producers, the beats on “Revolutionary Vol. 2,” fits Technique well. “Leaving the Past” and “You Never Know” are like “Harlem Streets” lifted up by slow touching guitar riffs and Jean Grae shows up on the chorus of “You Never Know,” a heartbreaking story about lost love and you would have to have a stone instead of a heart not to get chocked up at the end.

This is a very bold and uncompromising release. Many might not like it due to the political views it holds, but nevertheless “Revolutionary Vol. 2″ shows an extremely passionate MC who has some of the sharpest lyrics out there, who comes out stronger and harder than any other political charged artist. But as he says himself: “I’m not controversial, I’m just speakin’ the facts”.

by Oskar

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Day 163: Jaga Jazzist – What We Must (2005)

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Norway is a beautiful country, and Jaga Jazzist is an enormous band of Norwegians who make beautiful music. Coincidence? I think not. In all seriousness, one can’t live in Norway and not somehow get inspired by the landscape, which is complex and epic. The same adjectives could be used to describe Jaga Jazzist’s full-length album What We Must, a departure from their dancey drum’n’bass found on previous albums and an entry into post-rock territory. However, the album doesn’t simply stick with the style made popular by bands like Sigur Rós. Keeping true to what their band name suggests, they draw upon jazz, as well as music from India, whimsical Frank Zappa albums, and electronica, all of which is done with a progressive rock sensibility. For those reasons and more, the expansive sound on What We Must makes it tower over other post rock albums released last decade.

The opening track, “All I Know Is Tonight,” is a sweeping, multi guitar-driven song that probably sounds exactly like how Norway must look. After some guitar noodling and distortion, it bursts, alive with percussion and ethereal guitar picking, when suddenly brass instruments enter the mix and band members start hauntingly humming along with the brass section. The song lasts for about seven minutes, and it follows a strict pattern of quiet-bombast-quiet-bombast-quiet until the song ends with a very subtle hint at the playful woodwind arrangements in the next song, “Stardust Hotel,” which continues on with the woodwinds and dives in and out dynamically with busy, nearly-orchestral song movements and quiet moments that burn slowly with naught but a few brass notes that almost sound like someone in mourning.

Deviating from the loud vs. quiet structure on the previous two tracks, “For All You Happy People” slowly builds from the beginning and doesn’t quite get to the same soul-crushing climax typical of most 21st century post-rock bands, but it does launch into a very delicate guitar-driven outro, and a steady yet restrained drum beat joins in to close out the song. “Oslo Skyline” is another one of those songs that draws heavily upon the influence of Norway’s landscape, as it truly gives you the feeling of…well, looking at the Oslo skyline. Its percussion demands your attention from the first second, and you’re suddenly following the structure of the song, wondering what kind of twists and turns are in store. It takes you to a very “epic” ending of the song, where atmospheric guitar and Martin Horntveth’s pounding drums lead the charge until the very end.

“Swedenborgske Rom” is an almost monastic affair that builds up like “For All You Happy People” instead of darting in and out of the volume dynamics. It utilizes beautiful voices and very steady woodwind and piano interplay, making this one of the very important jazz-based movements on the record. It later explodes into a climax, possibly one of the few traditionally-defined climaxes on the album, if we’re going on post-rock’s definition here. “Mikado” is downright Frank Zappa-like—this is likely Jaga Jazzist’s turning point that inspired future material for the recently-released “One-Armed Bandit,” their 2010 follow-up to What We Must. The awkwardly-titled album closer “I Have a Ghost, Now What?” is an interesting, schizophrenic piece that goes back and forth between dancey, light electronica and percussion to menacing, Middle Eastern-influenced drones.

It’s certainly exciting to have witnessed Jaga’s evolution, from drum’n’bass and electronica, to post-rock, to prog rock. In the end, their albums are all a pleasure to behold, but What We Must is a wonderful place to start in this band’s impressive discography.

by Arika

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Day 162: Agalloch – The Mantle (2002)

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

There’s no need to speculate on the length of time between full releases by Agalloch. 2002’s “The Mantle” wasn’t followed up until 2006 by the perfect “Ashes Against The Grain,” which itself has yet to be followed up by a fourth full-length album as we delve deeper into 2010. It shouldn’t be a cause of worry for anyone familiar with the outstanding work of Oregon’s expansive black metal maestros, with every second of their lengthy, tense and atmospheric to the point of vaporous recordings seeming meticulously measured and carefully constructed to achieve the glorious unease that characterizes their sound.

“The Mantle” is the preferred Agalloch album of many. While I prefer “Ashes Against The Grain,” this is a very strong recording in its own right, featuring all of the gleaming guitar storms and metalgaze virtuosity of that latter release, only in an almost more free-flowing fashion. The immensely catchy acoustic strum of the intro, “A Celebration For The Death Of Man…,” is the first example of the unbearable foreboding that pervades, a sense of utter, yet gorgeous, doom. Agalloch’s music is the kind that, like Ahab’s “The Call Of The Wretched Sea” to think of one example with its ocean-scanning despair, lends itself to automatic imagery of which the band themselves are aware if not striving for, not entirely rare in the post-metal area but notable nonetheless. In this case it is ice, snow and death on the air, “The Lodge” opening with the literal sound of trudging through snow.

Although playing post-metal, “The Mantle” comes in at the end of the sub-spectrum that deals heavily in folk and black metal, with acoustic guitars throughout to compliment the thicker, destructive drawl of black metal riffs that Agalloch ride to seething climaxes, though they themselves register, as mentioned, most definitely on the Isis [2] side of the scale, with very little dissonance offered up at all. Instead, tracks like “I Am The Wooden Doors” almost boast a bombast, as the guitars dual and fizz like ice-capped waves not so much towards a crescendo, but as a continuously stunning crescendo themselves. “The Hawthorne Passage” is an exception to their sonic rule and one of the great guitar tracks of 21st Century metal. Much aurally warmer than the rest of the record and with a sunshiney psychedelic feel, guitar is kept spare but licks and squirms wonderfully as it moves through elated solos worthy of “Feedbacker.” Yep, I said it.

Special mention goes to the drumming on “The Mantle,” which, for me, has a blast, pound and complexity superior to the follow-up album. I will close with a mention of the vocals, which are largely, though not entirely, going to turn off those who have only a disdain for ‘cookie monster’ vocal stylings. Vocalists of bands like Agalloch opting for a roaring vocal has never bothered me, seeming necessary to get the scale of such works across sufficiently at times, although at odds with a band like Alcest where Neige employed no such tactic on his debut album. It remains a sore point, the difference between the accessibility of a Tool compared to an Isis. Nonetheless, John Haughm has done little wrong up to this point, and I can rest assured that when he and the rest of Agalloch do return, whether in 2010 or not, it will be worth the wait.

by Michael

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Day 161: Jungle Brothers – Straight Out The Jungle (1988)

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

In many ways “Straight Out The Jungle” is a quintessential alternative Hip-Hop record. It represents the sound that did not progress parallel to the sound of mainstream Hip-Hop, but on a different plane altogether. This is the first of many significant releases by the Native Tongues Posse that would redefine the genre as a prolific borrower, molder, and transformer of sounds from different genres. Whether its Jazz, Funk, Soul, or even House records; the Jungle Brothers were not shy about chopping them up and forming them into something that fit what they had to say, and how they wanted you to feel. While it may sound a little dusty by today’s standards, it still contains a rich amount of eclectic sounds and positive, Afrocentric lyrics that carry the essence of Rap’s first renaissance.

If you are an avid 70′s Soul fan like myself (understatement) then you will find yourself in familiar territory as they make it a point to use some of the more popular Soul/Funk records of that time. So you’ll get shades of Marvin Gaye [2] singing “What’s Going On” in one track, and a dash of Gil Scott-Heron‘s classic “The Bottle” in another track. To say that they enjoyed piecing together their songs from these classic songs is putting it lightly, they almost overdo it. Even if you’re not familiar with this music you will get the feeling that the music is coming from inspired minds. Speaking of inspiration, later additions to the Native Tongues of course included De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest among others, and surely the musical influence of Jungle Brothers stems far into their dense catalogs; thank goodness for that.

“I’ll House You” is one of the first Hip-House tracks that substantially advanced the innovative power of production in Hip-Hop. It is really one of the many firsts that this record accomplished. You can also date back carefree and playful lyrics back to this album as it is a central part of their lyrical delivery. Who wouldn’t want to just enjoy themselves over such meticulously crafted beats? Its almost like they were telling you the obvious, that you can enjoy the music just as much as the lyrics. There is time for serious reflection too as is done on “What’s Going On” and “Black Is Black” but the quality of music never suffers as a result of the lyrical direction they take.

by Abid

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Day 160: The Dillinger Escape Plan & Mike Patton – Irony Is A Dead Scene (2002)

Friday, March 26th, 2010

What do you get when you combine the occasionally cacophonous, abrasive, and constantly shifting rhythmic stylings of The Dillinger Escape Plan with the mad scientist of vocal experimentation, Mike Patton? The correct answer would be an EP entitled “Irony Is A Dead Scene” that packs a short, but punishing punch. Patton screams, shrieks, growls and occasionally sounds like an auctioneer over The Dillinger Escape Plan’s polyrhythmic drum assault and complex guitar work. The EP features 3 original tracks and a cover of the Aphex Twins’ “Come To Daddy.”

With little room for error, The Dillinger Escape Plan & Mike Patton don’t let a second go to waste by immediately putting things into top gear with “Hollywood Squares.” The song alternates between jazzy drum solos and head nodding grooves while Patton matches the turbulent energy of the music to perfection. On “Pig Latin,” Patton displays the cleaner side of his vocal ability over a smooth guitar introduction, accented by wooden güiros and strings, that explodes into yet another audio rampage; the song shifts between industrial drums, some deep, bellowing vocals and what appears to be a woodwind melody that happens to be a perfect fit. My favorite track, “When Good Dogs Go Bad,” has Patton utilizing ‘auctioneer’ like vocals over frantic drums before unraveling into another awesome groove with a chanting refrain. After the chaos, we’re given a little time to breathe as the song is stripped down to little more than Patton’s dream like vocals; the true highlight comes midway through, where Ben Weinman’s rapid fire yet hypnotic riff is punctuated by Patton’s menacing vocals, eventually reaching the album’s climax in intensity, and possibly, decibel level. The final track, “Come To Daddy,” features less Patton and instead focuses on the undeniable musicianship of The Dillinger Escape Plan, as they replicate the rapid fire and mechanical drum attack of the original song.

Simply put, The Dillinger Escape Plan & Mike Patton are a match made in musical heaven. Dillinger’s brand of hardcore music that incorporates the occasional breathtaking breakdown or melodic guitar riff are the perfect match for Patton’s experimental singing style. Although The Dillinger Escape Plan have found a great lead singer in Greg Puciato, and Mike Patton remains one of the busiest men in music, one can only hope that the two join forces once more; it’s not everyday that we see a collaboration this fitting.

by Kyle

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Day 159: Quantic – The 5th Exotic (2001)

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

The talented Will Holland aka Quantic made a successful debut with his 2001 album ”The 5th Exotic”. He uses crispy vinyl samples fused with live instruments and electronic manipulation in the style of artists like LTJ Bukem and Bonobo. With a Latin and jazz inspired sound, he mixes acoustic and electronic elements in a way that blurs out the difference between the two, creating a groovy and smooth sound. This album is so deep and warm that I can only agree with the title as a proposed description: Exotic.

From sounds that move you to sounds that sooth you, these songs have so many different qualities and details. For instance, the mashup between old crackling vinyl samples and an warm jazz guitar is such a great match, that it really contributes to the overall feeling of a conjoined whole. Everything is fitted in perfectly, thus making it sound very natural. Will Holland is a true master of blending things that match up with each other, which is clearly visible in his music.

He matches warp basses with salsa percussions, uses filtered hip-hop drums on top of bubbling synth sounds and inserts classy voice samples with strange sayings underlining a certain feeling. This music creates moods, feelings and thoughts, because it has a great overall flow combined with many details.

The track “Time is the Enemy” is a great example of Will Holland’s stunning work. It has a slow and grainy start, but when the hard-hitting drums kick in, everything is crystal clear. The gentle piano fading from side to side is emotive as anything can be; distant but so near. The heavy drums drive the song forward in a toned down style together with the hypnotic ride cymbal that pulses forward. It’s hard to describe the very feeling of this song, but one thing is easy to conclude: it’s definitely worth listening to again. This could be related to the clever title of the song that proposes time as an enemy, which certainly is the case with this track. It’s so haunting that it will steal your time, thus the time being the enemy. No matter what you make of the title, it’s truly an instant classic, just like many of the songs off this album.

“The 5th Exotic” will steal your time by painting a dreamy landscape of sounds around your head. The music floats and sweeps despite its massive beats and deeps. Just take the stairway down to that old basement, where everything is a bit grainy and dark, and listen to the dusty sound of old vinyls and tapes. There’s some jazz, some Latin music, an old movie and other stuff that resemble a nightly chilled out vibe. When listening to Quantic, it feels like a visit to this basement. This album captures the magic of old records combined with modern creativity; a dreamy universe made of sophisticated and beautiful sounds.

by Emil

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Day 158: Philip Bailey – Chinese Wall (1984)

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

“Chinese Wall” by Philip Bailey has all the characteristics of an album I would normally detest. It was made in the mid-1980s and has a straightforward pop sound. It also is produced by Phil Collins, who I’ve never been too fond of, and features his voice several times. So what drew me to listen to this album? It certainly wasn’t it’s cover or title, neither of which make the album seem too promising. It was, in fact, the name Philip Bailey that made me give the album a listen. Though I had never heard his solo work, I was, and still am, an avid fan of Earth, Wind & Fire whom Philip Bailey is a founding member of. I will say that Earth, Wind & Fire is one of the few bands that an association to would make me listen to an ’80s pop album, but I’m thankful that I did because in the process I experienced one of the best albums of the genre/decade.

It doesn’t take long for all of the traits of stereotypical ’80s music to be used in “Chinese Wall.” On the album’s first track “Photogenic Memory” Phil B. and Phil C. (Bailey/Collins) make use of those noisy electronic drums which are somewhat of a trademark for Phil Collins, vocoder, synthesizers and a catchy chorus. In most cases, this is enough to make me turn off the album, but there’s something captivating about “Chinese Wall” starting with the opening song that sets it apart from similar music and that doesn’t even disappoint those expecting to for something sounding like EWF even considering Bailey’s departure from the style made the band so popular.

The most memorable song in a line of pop anthems found on “Chinese Wall” is the chart topping Collins/Bailey duet “Easy Lover.” The song’s instrumental is largely guitar driven and showcases what Phil Collins arguably did better than singing, drumming. The album’s best song, however, is a sharp contrast to the energetic, electronic tunes. “Children of the Ghetto” provides diversity to the album as a down-tempo R&B song where the synthesizers and electronic drums are nowhere to be found in the background of Philip Bailey’s falsetto voice. Over an electronic piano and bass grove on “Children of the Ghetto” Bailey sings the albums most memorable and meaningful lyrics, a very classy way to close out the great album.