Tonight is a Night for the Decemberists covering the Grateful Dead (Row Jimmy edition)

A couple of days back the Decemberists released this Dead cover as the B side of a vinyl 7″ single.

The Decemberists - Row Jimmy (Grateful Dead cover) by jp917

My Favorite Archival Albums of 2010

Within the next 10 days or so, I'll make sure to post my Favorite Albums of 2010 list. I don't have it completed, though I have started to make some progress.

Today's list, however, is comprised of music that wasn't released for the first time in 2010. These albums contain recordings from many years or even many decades ago. It is an exciting time to be a fan of music from earlier time periods, as new archival releases on vinyl and CD have been coming out at a remarkable clip.

I spend increasing amounts of time "living in the past" with my musical choices, and in recent years I have explored three main (related) areas of interest [beyond the standard rock/c&w/jazz/bluegrass that I usually listen to]: 1)hard driving U.S. regional funk from the late 1960s and early 1970s; 2)Nigerian and other W. African rock/funk/fusion music from the late 1960s and early 1970s; and 3)traditional/modern psychedelic/fusion music from other corners of the globe--most recently this has concentrated on Peru, Colombia, Turkey, and India, with the music primarily from the late 1960s and the 1970s.

The following 15 archival releases were my favorite of 2010 (in no particular order):

•Various Artists – The Roots of Chicha 2: Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru (available on amazon.com: Roots of Chicha 2)

A truly wondrous second collection of the formative years of chicha in Peru from the late 1960s into the 1970s.
Read an excerpt from the liner notes on the Barbes Records website and stream the album for yourself. A musical cup of coffee--day or night.

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•Various Artists – The World Ends: Afro Rock & Psychedelia in 1970s Nigeria (Parts 1 & 2) (available on amazon.com: Soundway Records Presents The World Ends Afro Rock And Psychedelia In 1970s Nigeria)

The Nigerian Civil War lasted from summer of 1967 to the beginning of 1970. How many people eventually died as a result of the conflict? 1 million? 2 million? More? This two-disc collection compiles some of the rock music that was created in the wake of the brutal civil war and the humanitarian emergency that followed. It is 32 tracks of hard-rocking psychedelic mish-mash as traditional forms of Nigerian music were incorporated into Western, late 1960s rock music (or was it the other way around). Simply fantastic. Read a bit more on the album and check out some tracks for yourself on the Soundway website.

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•Various Artists – Turkish Freakout! Psych-Folk Singles 1969-1980(available on amazon.com: Turkish Freakout!)

A groovin' compilation of 7" singles originally issued primarily in the 1970s on various labels based out of Istanbul. This is a hypnotic and hard-driving mix of traditional Turkish instrumentation with influences coming from the Western rock and psych scenes of the late 1960s.

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•Jimi Hendrix – Valleys of Neptune
(available on amazon.com: Valleys Of Neptune)

Perhaps you remember all of the hype about these "new" Hendrix tunes from back in March. A very fun listen all the way through. RIP Jimi.

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•Bob Dylan – The Witmark Demos (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 9, 1962-1964)
(available on amazon.com: The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (The Bootleg Series Vol. 9))

While I have had these heavily-bootlegged demos on tape for 15 years and on CDR for nearly a decade, this comprehensive official release in Dylan's bootleg series has cleaner sound than what I had from my Dylan tape trading days. This is must-have for collectors and an interesting listen for even the casual Dylan fan.

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•Various Artists – Good God! Born Again Funk
(available on amazon.com: Good God! Born Again Funk)

The second release of funk-tinged gospel music by the small label called Numero Group. I highly recommend putting this on fairly loud early on a Sunday morning, with hot cup of tea in hand. Has the Word ever been this funky?

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•Various Artists – Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas
(available on amazon.com: Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas)

Tropicalia and beyond. I talked about this release back in July.

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•Various Artists – California Funk: Rare Funk 45’s from the Golden State
(available on amazon.com: California Funk)

Another in the incredible regional funk compilations put out by Jazzman/Now-Again. These tunes collected from the original 7" recordings, are from the local early 1970s funk scenes in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. I would also recommend checking out the Texas, Carolina, Florida, and Midwest comps as well, mofos.

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•Various Artists -- The Afrosound of Colombia Vol. 1
(available here on amazon.com: The Afrosound of Colombia Vol. 1)

Since travelling to Colombia in the early summer, I have been exploring the country's musical past and present. This has been a gem of a find, as it contains a cornucopia of tracks: Salsa, Descarga, Funk, Boogaloo, Tropical, Chicha, Bomba, Cumbia, and Afro-Beat.

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•Various Artists -- Palenque Palenque: Champeta Criolla & Afro Roots in Colombia, 1975-91
(available on amazon.com: Palenque Palenque: Champeta Criolla & Afro)

More great music and "lost" recordings from Soundway. If music from northern Colombia fails to get you moving, then you have a problem. You can stream a couple of tunes and read a bit more about this release on the label's website here.

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•Various Artists -- Afro-Beat Airways: West African Shockwaves, Ghana & Togo, 1972-1979
(available on amazon.com: Afro-Beat Airways)

If you dig the sound of Fela Kuti and the classic Afro-pop vibe, do I have an album for you. This collection from the folks at Analog Africa explores musical nuggets from Ghana and Togo. It is a very fun listen. Read more here.

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•Various Artists -- Nigeria Afrobeat Special: The New Explosive Sound in 1970s Nigeria
(available on amazon.com: Nigeria Afrobeat Special: The New Explosive Sound in 1970s Nigeria)

More great 1970s Nigerian music from Soundway. We have had something like 12 Nigerian music collections from this time period and there isn't much overlap. It was a fertile time, mofos. Thankfully it is seeing the light of day outside of Nairobi record stores. More information and some MP3's on the label website here.

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•Various Artists -- Nigeria Special 2: Modern Highlife 1970-6
(available on amazon.com: Nigeria Special 2: Modern Highlife 1970-6)

Superb compilation. I am still totally enthralled with this one as I only recently picked it up. Check out more information and some MP3's here. Soundway delivers again (make sure to listen to the original Nigeria Special compilation from a few years back.)

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•Various Artists -- Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga! Psychedelic Funk in India 1970-1983
(available on amazon.com: Psych Funk:Sa- Re Ga !)

This just came out last week and I have only listened to it a few times. Wow, it is a fun listen. The world needs more psych rock compilations from India! More info and some MP3's here.

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•Rikki Ililonga & Musi-O-Tunya -- Dark Sunrise (1970s Rock from Zambia)
(available at amazon.com: Dark Sunrise)

I just picked up this compilation of the king of rock music from Zambia. So, so good. Listen to a track for yourself and read more here.

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Viva globalization, mofos. We live in an amazing time of abundance with all sorts of dedicated labels that are collecting incredible music from decades past and releasing it. It is a glorious time to be a amateur musicologist. I'll be back with the list of my favorite new music from 2010 by the end of the year...

A Preview of My Favorite Albums of 2010 List (Budos Band edition)

Sure to rank pretty darn high:



I haven't started writing my Favorite Albums of 2010 list as of yet, though I do hope to have in done by Christmas. I have a pretty good idea of the top 15 spots, but I am not sure about the order on a number of them.

What He Said

Just When I Thought I Couldn't Dislike Bono Any More Than I Already Do (Sorry Spidey edition)

This atrocity falls close on the heels of the mental anguish caused by my repeated accidental viewings of this advertisement on the back covers of The Economist and The New Yorker over the last few months:

Why won't a lawyer take my case? Please message me if you are an attorney willing to help me sue Bono for all the pain and suffering he has caused me in the last decade or so. He has to be stopped.

Today is a Day for "New Garage Explosion! (Part I)" [View Out the Jams edition]

A couple of days back I watched part 1 of an entertaining and quite well-crafted documentary by Scion on the recent years (and historical context) of "garage rock" across the country. This first 25 minute segment contains live footage and interviews with bands that I was already familiar with (Jay Reatard, Black Lips, The Dirtbombs, and The Oblivians) and numerous bands that I had not heard about prior to viewing this documentary. The short explorations of the local Memphis and Detroit scenes are fantastic. The kids are alright, mofos.

Play it for free on the production company's site:


The promo description:
To find out what American garage rock looks like (and to know what it’s like to be in an independent band) right now, VBS toted a bunch of cameras around the USA and found a scene that was vibrant, loud, eloquent, effed-up, and nearly impossible to define. The musicians, artists, writers, deejays and label owners that we talked to could only be united by a single common thread—their commitment to music that they enjoyed, on their terms, at whatever cost necessary (or, in some cases, unnecessary). We met nice, smart, funny people who love rock and roll, don’t traffic in B.S., and had the wherewithal to pick up a guitar (or complementary instrument) at some point in their young lives, put their face to a microphone, and manage to not think too hard about what was going to come out.

Join us for Part One of New Garage Explosion!! With a nod to the genre’s founding fathers (bands like The Lollipop Shoppe and MC5), we travel first to Memphis to mind-meld with Magic Kids and to go head-to-head with Jay Reatard in the last interview he filmed before his death in January of this year. Next we hit Detroit, where watch The Dirtbombs wreck a bowling alley and talked to Dave Buick about the power of the hand-printed record.

I am very much looking forward to Parts II & III, mofos.

Tonight is a Night for Guateque Estelar by Matoraalman (2010)

Matorralman is led by Mexico City musician and producer Miguel Rizo.



You can stream the entire album for free on their label's website here.

Information from the offical album promo materials:

Nacional Records is proud to announce the release of the U.S. debut album from Matorralman. ‘Guateque Estelar’ is a collection of songs that fuse electronic lounge music with surf rock and retro sounds like go-go, ye-ye and psychedelia. It’s a tribute to those classic times of science fiction and foxy ladies. The sensational destiny that is so unavoidable and ruthlessly ironic.

Matorralman is a project created by Miguel Rizo, a selector, composer and producer from Mexico City. “Back in 2000, I bought my first computer and made my first trip to Europe,” Rizo says.

“I came back with a suitcase full of music from the films of the 60s and 70s which used to dazzle audiences with so-called ‘sexploitation.’ These were times when orchestral conductors would help color the plots of feisty teenagers in search of parties and wildness. The beats were mostly instrumental, giving sophisticated and loutish environments where the girls are without a doubt the visual attraction. That’s how the search for Matorralman’s sound began.”

The album name ‘Guateque Estelar’ translates to “stellar party.” “That is what we imagine to hear with our music,” Rizo says. “It’s a party without end – complete with music to lose your manners to - and all with style.”

While Matorralman began as a solo project experimenting with computers, samplers, keyboards and effects in Rizo’s studio, it soon evolved. “After a couple of years, I began working with Armando Vazquez on the keyboards and the true sound of the songs became more defined,” Rizo explains. “Our process is to find a good groove and develop it through structures– the adequate kind of sound, intention and melody for each musical cut. While looking for the right musicians to form a live band, I invited Gustavo Murillo on guitar and Benjamin Vázquez on bass and trumpet.”

Matorralman’s live setup has now developed into somewhat of a mini-orchestra highlighted by background visuals. “Why not?” Rizo asks. “Playing along with clips and images from the 60s and 70s helps create that audiovisual experience that completely encapsulates the concept of the group.”

I Just Don't Understand the Music Marketplace (Beatles on iTunes edition)

I'm sure you've heard the news by now, oh boy. The Beatles catalog is now going to be on iTunes.

I don't care if you are 16 or 64, you should be ashamed of yourself and renounce your Beatles fandom if you purchase these on iTunes. To every potential purchaser, young and old, I ask you this: why are you going to pay upwards of $1.29 a song (DRM-free) for sub-par, sonically-diluted, lossy music files of some of the richest studio work of the early rock era?*

You'll be paying yet more money for less. You will be downloading music of lower quality than what you can already get--Beatles vinyl records and CDs. Buy yourself a turntable (again or for the first time) and spin the wax, or buy the Mono box. Or rip FLAC or even 320kbs MP3 files if you really have to. But please don't listen to downloads that just don't sound as good (even over headphones on your iPod or iPhone or whatever).

I am sorry to say this, but iTunes downloads sound like crap. Yes, I know I riffed on this back in January, but these "finally, the Beatles are on iTunes!" stories are driving me insane.

*I would assert the same thing about music from more recent times. It still shocks me that people will listen to bands like Radiohead or Animal Collective via low-quality MP3's.

This Morning is a Morning for "Fuego" by Bomba Estereo

I have been on a real LA rock/electronica/fusion/neo-cumbia/neo-tango/neo-tropical/rap-en-espanol jag in recent weeks. I'll post some of my favorites here in in the near future. Bomba Estereo is from Bogota and their second album was released in Colombia in 2008, with a U.S. market release of Blow Up (re-titled) in 2009. They are one of numerous bands in the traditional-music-meets-electronica sub-genere that has been pretty popular in Latin America for the last decade or so.

This movement has gone in numerous different musical directions and a few groups have had crossover success in the U.S. (see Nortec Collective as a prominent example). "Electro Tropical" is how Bomba Estereo describe thier own music. It is good stuff, Maynard. CD's and downloads at all the usual places, mofos.

This Morning is a Morning for "Amar y Vivir" by Tonino Carotone (Day after Halloween edition)

Sometimes you just have to start your day with a song by the Spanish, Italophile singer-songwriter (and former punk rocker) Tonino Carotone:

Happy Halloween (Dead Kennedys edition)

Whatcha gonna be?

Happy Halloween (Roky Erickson edition)

We here at Jams, Mofo recommend listening to Roky all day and night on Halloween.

L.E.P. Bogus Boys - "Chicago Niggaz" (2010) [music video]

I saw this music video by the L.E.P. Bogus Boys last week on a global music video show on public television in southern Minnesota. They played the L.E.P. Bogus Boys vid in between a New Zealand singer-songwriter vid and one from a rock band from Italy. For me, seeing this video was like watching a 4 minute version of The Wire set in Chicago--it is a hell of a song, mofos:



UPDATE: Know much about Blue Light Cameras and policing in Chicago? Curious? Here are some interesting links that I found on the subject: one, two, three, and four.

Vintage Violence

Today is a Day for the Kashmere Stage Band's "Texas Thunder Soul, 1968-74"

The best high school band ever? Ever.

One of the best performing bands of the modern musical era? Most certainly.

The Kashmere Stage Band was insanely good both in the studio and on the stage. Texas Thunder Soul, 1968-74 compiles most of the band's available studio and live work on two CD's. The sound is incredibly crisp and well-mixed.

The Kashmere Stage Band, populated by students attending Kashmere High School in northeast Houston during the late-60s into the 70s, played and recorded some of the deepest funk grooves this planet has ever known.

Led by the bandmaster and music educator "Prof." Conrad O. Johnson, the KSB dominated high school big band competitions throughout Texas, the region, and the entire U.S. for nearly a decade. They recorded 8 albums of material and played live shows, during holiday and summer breaks, to packed auditoriums and gyms across the United States, Europe, and Japan. [You can find a fascinating interview with Johnson from the record label Now Again here where he reflects on his years leading the KSB.]

 

I can't say this strongly enough: this guy was a musical genius and he and his band of high school kids were making some of the best music in the country during the early 1970s. Everyone should know the name Conrad O. Johnson. As his biography on the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame (year 2000 inductee) award page describes his background:

After first attending Houston College for Negroes and later graduating from Wylie College in the east Texas town of Marshall, Johnson began teaching in public schools in 1941. His 37 years of classroom service were highlighted by a distinguished tenure as director of the Kashmere High School Stage Band, which won 42 out of 46 contests entered between 1969 and 1977, recorded eight albums featuring more than 20 original compositions by Johnson and traveled throughout Europe, Japan and the United States.

"Prof" Johnson passed away at the age of 92 on February 3, 2008, after spending the previous two nights as the guest of honor at a pair of Kashmere Stage Band reunion shows. The Houston Chronicle sums up his final days and his legacy here.

NPR's All Things Considered did a wonderful story on Johnson and the KSB back in 2006, a short 15 months before his death. You can listen to and download the story here, along with links to 3 songs that you can stream.

In addition, most KSB songs can be streamed on grooveshark. Check out this live version of the song "All Praises" from 1972:


I would strongly encourage you to get yourself a copy of the 2-CD Texas Thunder Soul set somehow, someway. The Kashmere Stage Band kick out the funk-jazz-fusion jams, mofo. The compilation can be purchased/downloaded in all the usual places.

And while I'm at it, I recommend that every music-loving American look for the recent documentary that premiered at SXSW '10 about the Prof and his band which should be out on DVD soon:

It is available to save in your queue until it shows up on Netflix.

Ok, still reading? Are there any high school large bands that have written, composed and recorded songs this perfect? I intend that as a serious question. Here is the student-penned "Al's Thing" from the KSB:


Still clicking? Here's "Headwiggle":

I can Fly; I will Scream; I will Break my Arm

A Show that Got Away (GbV edition)

Arrgghhh. I really wish I could have been at the Guided by Voices show at First Avenue (Minneapolis) last night. I can't believe I am missing all the dates on their reunion tour. I saw 8 GbV shows between 1996 and 2004 (including 3 at First Avenue*), but couldn't make this one.



*Other 5 shows were: The Dingo Bar in Albuquerque in 1996, The Cotton Club in Atlanta in 1999, The Launchpad in Albuquerque in 2001, and the "final two" GbV shows at The Metro in Chicago on NYEE and NYE 2004.

This Week is a Week for "Acronyms" by Bee vs. Moth (2010)

I have been listening to some of the tracks off of Acronyms, the second studio album by the Austin, TX-based progressive jazz band Bee vs. Moth in preparation for their show later in the week. Austin Sound calls their music a cross between jazz and Zappa: jazzappa if you will. NPR music labels it a cross between Ornette Coleman and Television.

Here is how the band describe themselves: Bee vs. Moth is a multiple-genre, weirdo instrumental rock band from Austin, Texas. Our mission is to bravely explore the little-traveled and oft-neglected territory between Ornette Coleman's doom metal band and Mr. Rogers' dude ranch. Along the way, we'll tromp through a few Latin tunes, knock over some perfectly good chords, and spill improvised solos on our nice, clean shirts. Or as our friend put it, "You guys sound like Sonic Youth meets the Tijuana Brass." Intrigued? Appalled? Come see us soon!

Hells yeah! Regardless of the description, it is good stuff Maynard.

*First vid and single is "Ugly is the New Black" :


You can stream some songs from their 2010 release and some live tracks from 2008 and 2009 on the band's website here.

I am looking forward to picking up a copy of the CD at their show.

UPDATE #1: the vid for the second single from the album was released today...




UPDATE #2: And these guys kick out the jams live, mofos. Their show tonight was one of the best lives sets of music that I have seen in the last several years. Do yourself a favor and go see them live if they come to a town near you. At the show I picked up Acronymns on CD and a t-shirt with their "CD & Shirt for $20" promotional price. It was a $20 wisely spent. The album will most certainly make it somewhere towards the top of my Best Albums of 2010 list at the end of the year...