From mind-expanding psych drone to extended folk meditations to (opium-)poppy songcraft, "Amaterasu" is all you need for at least a few evenings, nights, and/or mornings of audio-induced bliss. Subtitled, somewhat misleadingly, "A Musical Panorama of Japan", this compilation is hardly an overview of everything from Taiko drumming to J-pop. Not at all. Rather, it's a collection of stuff from the psych-pop-folk-drone underground in Japan, in keeping with Fractal's previous releases of Japanese origin like Acid Mothers Temple -- and many AMT-types appear here as you might expect! It's a really fine collection indeed, well worth the 32 bucks to anyone enamored, as we are, of the retro-psych scene that's currently so vibrant in Japan, as previously documented by PSF's Tokyo Flashback compilation series for instance. There's sixteen tracks in total here, many of them pushing ten minutes in length, and thus spread over two discs. The fragile melodicism of Mineko Itakura, singing solo backed only by her own acoustic guitar, is for us the gorgeous highlight of disc 1, though there's plenty else on here quite worthy as well: Overhang Party, Mitsuru Tabata, Space Machine, Makoto Kawabata, Seiji Nagai (ex-Taj Mahal Travellers), and Kengo Iuchi. Disc two is also packed with cosmic-calibre talent, featuring Chie Mukai, Masayoshi Urabe, Kousokuya, Totsuzen Danball, Miminokoto, Jun Kuriyama, Naoaki Miyamoto, and more Mineko Itakura (yay!). Almost everything is exclusive to this compilation, which comes complete with English language liner notes by the knowledgable Alan Cummings, who explains the concept behind the compilation -- Amaterasu is the Shinto sun-goddess, and her mythology was the inspiration for these songs. Quite recommended.
So named in the late 18th century, "The Lost Provinces" consisted of Ashe, Watuaga and Alleghany counties in the Northwestern corner of North Carolina. Geographically isolated by the steep passes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, all but roadless until well into the 20th century, the area became home to rugged indivualists; settlers who made do with what they could eke out of the land and brave brutal winters on such meager fruits. As such the region produced some amazing musicians -- fiddlers especially, considering that dances were the primary social and entertainment function. Stringbands grew organically out of the fiddle-centric dance music and by the 1930's, with record scouts searching far and wee for new country music entertainment, the local musicians found themselves being wooed near and far to record tracks for Okeh, Victor and Columbia. This collection brings together great tracks by some of the most influential musicans of the area, including Grayson & Whitter, Frank Blevins & His Tar Heel Rattlers, The North Carolina Ridge Runners and much more. Included is a 28 page booklet with historical notes and photos.
Whassamatter? Can't keep up with the ever-accelerating rate of releases on Kid606's Tigerbeat6 imprint? Well we've got just the thing for you, the latest sampler compilation from Tigerbeat6 that will let you get acquainted with the current/upcoming crowd of Tigerbeat6 trouble-, I mean, music-makers in one fell swoop. 22 tracks, almost 80 freaking minutes of noise and groove colliding in a hard drive somewhere and making something special. We won't generalize beyond that, curious folks should just pick this up and get caught up with the exciting goings on in the world of Kid606 and friends. Some names though: DJ/Rupture, Donna Summer, Stars As Eyes, Total Shutdown, 0=0, Titwrench, Puzzleweasel, Dwayne Sodahberk, Soundmurderer...
Wow, things were awesome in the seventies. Sure, there was Watergate and an oil crisis and Vietnam...but there were also high school bands rocking out versions of Hendrix and Led Zeppelin! You loved the Langley Schools Music Project, right?
Maybe you also dug the (now out of print) "Schoolhouse Funk" disc of high school marching bands doing funk covers. Here's the next must-have in this burgeoning 'genre', a collection of recordings of high school bands circa 1970-1976 doing their favorite rock hits of the day. From Foghat's "Free Ride" to Santana's "Soul Sacrifice" to B.O.C.'s "Godzilla" this is pretty darn killer, a way to enjoy these 'oldies' without turning on classic rock radio -- the originals can't compare anyway. Check out the drum solo in "Moby Dick", or the way the kid's voice changes during "Purple Haze" (heck, he's probably 13 years old!). You'll hear from the Santa Monica Unified School District Music Dept., the Anaheim High School Original Rock and Popsannay, the Fairview High School "Excalibur" and Jazz Ensemble, the Baldwin Harbor Junior High Jazz/Rock Ensemble, among others. Was it square to be in band back then? 'Cause these kids sound pretty hip to us today.
From crazy fuzz psych guitar leads that seem way beyond their years to sunny, Fifth Dimension style vocal choruses, these tracks are full of extra-curricular excellence. We were especially surprised and impressed by the Roswell New Mexico Goddard High School Stage Band's version of "Evil Woman" -- no, not the E.L.O. song, or even the one by Spooky Tooth, but the much more obscure composition by '60s garage band Crow that Black Sabbath covered on the UK version of their debut album! Cool, and weird.
Over the past couple of months, Rough Trade -- the stores being the only remainder of the once mighty Rough Trade label empire during the '80s -- has been issuing a series of compilations that celebrate their legacy to the world of music. While the previous compilations had all been pleasant enough, the "Post Punk Vol 1" compilation a nearly perfect collection ofgreat tracks that encapsulates the aftermath of punk. In light of the fashionableness of current bands who have adopted post-punk aesthetics, postures, and agendas like Interpol, The Rapture, and Erase Errata, "Post Punk Vol 1" is required listening for those interested in the current flourishing of the post-punk ethos, but with little knowlegde of where it came from. But at the same time, this isn't just some banal K-Tel rehash of the obvious cuts from 1978-1983; rather, this compilation picks and chooses its course through less trodden pathes, but none the less reflect the post-punk zeitgeist.
In the liner notes, neither Colin Newman of Wire or Sean of Rough Trade bother to define what 'post-punk' means other than the stuff which happened after the Sex Pistols. It's a term as meaningless as 'post modern;' but this compilation arrives at something of a workable definition through analogy and example. More often than not, 'post punk' has come to mean rough hewn disco percussion, insistent and at times dubby basslines, jagged guitars, and a dominant vocal personality. The big names of post-punk are all here with Gang Of Four, The Fall, Wire, and Public Image Limited, but many of the lesser known groups in particular Au Pairs, 23 Skidoo, and World Domination Enterprises steal the show with the best tracks on this double cd compilation. Furthering the definition beyond a mere history lesson, the curators have tossed in tracks from current bands such as Erase Errata, The Rapture, Les Georges Leningrad, and Life Without Buildings.
With a few sore thumb exceptions, this compilation is a great listen; and its seamlessness is a testament to the quality curation done by Rough Trade.
And the winner is!... Yep, it's the winning suggestion in Trojan's box set concept competition (and you thought we were joking!) We knew it had to happen. It's just amazing that Trojan needed to have the idea pitched to them, what with all the barrel scraping concept collections they've been churning out. In keeping with tradition, Trojan has stuck with their usual 50 tracks limit in pulling together these stoney gems from 1970 to 1985. Features the usual suspects: King Stitt, Bob Marley (how could they leave out "Kaya"?), The Upsetters, Max Romeo, Big Youth, Horace Andy, Johnny Clarke, Tappa Zukie, Cornel Campbell, Linval Thompson, Ranking Dread, Dillinger, Barrington Levy and much more. Also included are the usual three sides of liner notes on the cd sleeves waxing on the celebrated herb's place in Jamaican history.
Record number two from John Samson and his not-so-merry band of bittersweet pop punk minstrels. Samson cut his teeth in political punkers Propagandhi, but left to follow his own particularly personal pop path of minor key jangle, dreamy melody, not-overtly-catchy hooks (but hooks nonetheless) and lyrics that you could never imagine fitting comfortably in a pop song. But they do. Sort of. Like poems by Pynchon or Vollman set to music. Hyper literate but still personal and affecting. Samson's vocals are reminiscent of Robynn Hitchcock, as is his wordplay and penchant for meandering tales of love and loss, while the sound is like a punkier popppier version of recent AQ faves, the Decemberists. A dense and tangly first listen, but as you dig deeper, it grows and grows and starts to feel like a record you just can't live without.
The return of the groovy, fuzzy sixties psych rock side project of John McBain formerly of Monster Magnet, and Matt Cameron, formerly of Soundgarden. But those formerly's can only mean one thing, that Wellwater Conspiracy is a side project no more! We've sort of known that for a while now, but it becomes more evident with each successive record, as they just keep getting better and better.
A ragged, psychedelic sixties jangle groove filtered through Cameron and McBain's elite stoner/space/cock rock pedigree with lots of meandering, spacy shimmer, bizarre production, loping, walking bass lines, lots of super affected, weirdly squiggly leads, harmonies, tamborine and even bongos. Think a slightly heavier, more well produced Kinks, Who, Blues Magoos, Fuzztones or Pretty Things. Heavy enough to still hit the spot for all you Monster Magnet / Soundgarden fans, but druggy and psychedelic enough for all you Ptolemaic Terrascopers / lo-fi psych-folkers!
