Thread to Rate Al***s Using Nick Lees Head as a Quality Index

Nick- thanks for the reminder of Chick Corea. I used to have a lot of his stuff on vinyl (all gone now). I need to look him out again - especially the Return to Forever stuff. Good reminder.

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Originally posted by Alan Ball:
Will Oldham - I am the font of all knowledge of all things Oldham, whaddya need to know ?

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Hi Alan,

Any advice on what else to get by him would be much appreciated.

Also, thanks for the "Iron and Wine" tipoff. Will search this one out.

Minky,

As another Will Oldham fan I would point out that Alan's recommendations emphasize the more recent "conservative" Oldham, which is fine of course; the records he recommends are close in spirit and content to the Bonnie Prince Billy album that you like. But you or others might find the earlier Palace Brother's work interesting too. It's quirkier, less traditional, more in the Lambchop or Calexico vein. "Viva Last Blues", from '95, is my favorite Oldham release to date (that I've heard, anyway -- the guy's very prolific), and "Days in the Wake" ('94) my second-fave.

Alan,

Man, I'm afraid I've got to disagre with you about that Iron and Wine album. I bought it last year amidst all the critical raves and was disappointed. Perhaps this was due to my having overly high expectations? Anyway, musical merits aside, at the least you'll have to admit that the recording quality is dreadful.

I admit though that the critics seem to be on your side here.

Cheers,
Eric

Alan and Eric,

Thanks very much for that. I am now a man on a mission ..

All the best,

Mark.

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The same goes for the 'Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co' bonus disc that came free with the LP

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Agreed, this was indeed a great bonus.

If you don't like Neko's music, perhaps you'll like this.

Single Frame Ashtray - Wetheads Come Running

Yet more evidence that Austin, TX might well be my spiritual home. A fabulously catchy collection of undemanding indie pop/rock gems. Nothing remotely radical or original -- despite pleasing and pleasingly short inter track found sound fillers -- just the sort of album that says repeat play from your undergraduate days.

Only available direct the record label in Austin for which they charge you $10 US via pay pal only for the record to arrive (within a week in my case) with nearly $4 of postage on it. I feel slightly guilty like I should send them some more cash so giving it 4 Nh is the least I can do,

Pitchfork review and detail for puchase here: http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/s/single-frame/wetheads-come-running.shtml


"Just hugely enjoyable without being too serious nor too lightweight"

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Single Frame Ashtray ... Only available direct the record label

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Here's hoping on-line reviews, easy on-line bank transfers, and cheap website hosting and cd manufacture allow small artists like this to succeed entirely on their own.

Manitoba: Up in Flames



Matthew R. and simcat have already recommended this so to keep it short: well worth the price of admission.


Fuzzy guitars, bells, and whistles on top of terrific beats

Paulo Conte - Reveries

I just got this home tonight and I am very excited about it. As usual I know bugger all about the artist apart from the fact that he is Italy's answer to Tom Waits, he is somewhat ancient and he is bloody good.

Actually either Tom Waits or Leonard Coen would be pretty pleased with this effort. It's packed with quirky instruments and swirling circus arrangements along with production that has Mr Conte and his huge voice crawling out of the speakers and into your room. I kept thinking of the movie "the ring".

Most excellent.


The best Italian kazoo album in the whole milky way

Primitive Plus is all about love, love of hip hop. Edan uses his widely hyped skills to recreate good-time hip hop with an golden age aesthetic. The production is suitably lo-fi, all big keyboard hooks. Tracks like Emcees smoke crack and Ultra 88 both come off like missing Kool Keith tracks, with the latter an explicit tribute.

Listen to it here


Whilst it isn't anything groundbreaking, it's alot of fun.

Does anyone have comments and/or official Nh measurements for the following:

Prefuse 73- One Word Extinguisher
RJD2- Dead Ringer
Mouse On Mars- Glam
Califone- Quicksand: Cradlesnakes
Calexico- Feast of Wire

I've been considering each, but haven't heard any opinions. Thanks.

Wrote out a little review of each, but explorer decided to nuke it, so the short of it is that they are both a...

For Father's Day I was given the new Cure DVD



This is The Cure playing three of their best albums Pornography, Disintegration and BloodFlowers complete and unabridged and in the same running order as the albums.

This is The Cure at their darkest. Over 3 hours of concert footage and absolutely superb !


If laughter is infectious is that why they're called The Cure?

I've had 13 years of "Best Dad in the World" mugs, ties, statuettes etc. I thought, enough's enough so this year I ordered the DVD from Amazon and presented it to seagull junior and said, "Here's your Father's Day present son." Its taking a while with my son but I hope to take him to Guilfest next month to see Madness, the Stranglers and The Undertones amongst others

My 3 year old daughter was dancing and toe tapping through out - she has excellent taste.

She gave me Slideling, with the words, "I've got one of these" pointing to the pictue on the cover. Not played it through yet so no Nick's head...

Seagull,

I enjoyed the acoustic set attached to the other Cure DVD. Let us know how it is.

See the 'last album' post about 'A New Forest'

On reflection I don't think there is any RS vocals in this version after all. Still good though.

DS

OTD - Die Krupps - The Machineries of Joy

OK, by both I meant Deadringers by RJD2, and One Word Extinguisher by Prefuse 73.

A local record shop had Deadringers down as the album of last year. It's certainly one of the best Def Jux releases. It's instrumental hip hop, with pretty high production values, without being slick. It's less gritty than Left Handed Straw by Controller 7, for instance. Well worth a punt.

One Word Extinguisher is a soulful take on the glitch hop form that Scott Herren popularised with his first release. It's a step forward from Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives, but doesn't have the wow value that it did. I suspect it will make my best of lists at the end of the year tho'.

David,

'A Forest' is my favourite Cure song, it will forever exist as the version on Seventeen Seconds. Cure songs don't sound right without Robert Smith's plaintive wail and shouldn't be buggered about with by others. Even the version of A Forest on Mixed Up is a pale shadow of the original.

Watched the Pornography set last night, until Miss Seagull decided she wanted to watch Bob the Builder instead.

Listened to Slideling now, its ok, not bad but not jaw droppingly good either. It could be a grower so I'll give it...

Funnily enough, there was a Cure live album playing in Selectadisc today.

I love 'A Forest', the acoustic version on the other DVD is fantastic, hair raisingly so. My 7" 45 of it is nearly worn out.

The 'A New Forest' version, is without vocals, but treated respectfully, and not better or worse, different.

Don't see much of 'Killing a Arab' these days do we?

DS

ITC - Danni Minogue - I Begin to Wonder video

Bardo Pond: Dilate



Just got this '01 release, which no one here has mentioned (except that guy Glenda, who heard one track and was begging to find more).

Trippy, spacy, slowcore, ambient, and damn good. Isobel Sollenberger's gentle vocals coast alternately over over psyched-out sitars and flutes and fuzzed-out guitars that sound like the Swans slowed to 16 RPM.

I would never use hallucinogenic drugs, because it is illegal and morally wrong. But if I did, this would make a great backing track.

Max that Nickometer out:


What Low could do if they dropped Mormonism and acid both

Alan,

I live in John Ashcroft's America, where drugs are illegal, morally wrong, and also sinful (I forgot to add "sinful" in my post above; sorry Mr. Ashcroft). I would never use them. Never never never never.

You would probably like this Bardo Pond, by the way Alan (you wouldn't like it, Mr. Ashcroft).

Eric

Nick,

re: Neko Case - Blacklisted

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It's possible it's a grower, and I'll give it that chance...

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I've found new Neko Case albums to be like new Naim equipment. At first you wonder what all the fuss is about- then 5 weeks later, Bang!

Madlib: Madlib Invades Blue Note

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From All About Jazz
All in all, Shades of Blue isn't just a Blue Note remix album, it's a re-imagination and celebration of Blue Note culture. "People say Blue Note was just a phase in hip-hop," Madlib explains, referring to the era when groups like Tribe and Gang Starr would sample the label's sounds. "But music is either good music or bad music and I still listen to Blue Note. I still love it." The convergence of Madlib and Blue Note on this special project transcends the legacies and reputations of both entities. It's a special convocation. Blue Note founders Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff would be proud.

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That pretty much sums this up. It's a quality slice of Blue Note inspired hip hop. It sits comfortably somewhere between a Blue Note Breaks compilation and an instrumental track by DJ Premier. Proper head-nodding jazzy beats.

BTW, I got the double vinyl for what I would have expected to pay for a normal LP, but I've seen it for $40 on the net .

See the whole All About Jazz Review
Track Listing
1 Introduction
2 Slim's Return (orig. recorded by The Three Sounds as "Book of Slim")
3 Distant Land: Hip Hop Drum Mix (orig. recorded by Donald Byrd as "Distant Land")
4 Mystic Bounce (orig. recorded by Ronnie Foster as "Mystic Brew")
5 Stormy (orig. recorded by Reuben Wilson)
6 Blue Note Interlude
7 Please Set Me At Ease (orig. recorded by Bobbi Humphrey)
8 Funky Blue Note (new composition by Otis Jackson, Jr.)
9 Alfred Lion Interlude
10 Steppin' Into Tomorrow (orig. recorded by Donald Byrd)
11 Andrew Hill Break (orig. recorded by Andrew Hill as "Illusion")
12 Montara (orig. recorded by Bobby Hutcherson)
13 Song For My Father (orig. recorded by Horace Silver)
14 Footprints (orig. recorded by Wayne Shorter)
15 Peace/ Dolphin Dance (orig. recorded by Horace Silver & Herbie Hancock)
16 Outro

Classic Blue Note breaks with added hip hop flavouring

Mekon, how would you compare that to the New Groove album?

I never picked that up (but now I want to), but from looking at the tracklist, it'll be similar. However, I get a feel from the reviews that it shares its vibe with the Jazzmatazz series. I spent this morning listening to Step into the Arena. The Madlib beats are harder, sparser, and less consciously funky than a typical Gangstarr production.

Hope that helps.

Thanks. Off to sample...