Adapting something from another message board to try and get some more discussion going in here. Ongoing thread, here's the format:
1. Name any song that you've got on repeat at the moment: from any time period, any genre, anywhere. Link it up. Limit one per week (soft guideline, just don't flood the thread with ten tracks in two days).
2. *Discuss* your pick. Don't just drop the name and link. Tell us why you like it - preferably *musically*, but other aspects are good too (biographical, historical, whatever).
3. Listen to what other folks post (really listen!) and talk about it.
Simple, right? Nothing revolutionary. Can we move beyond one-word affirmations or insults ("dope!"/"nope!")? Hope is the thing with feathers...
Rdio recently added a bunch of Sun Ra’s early records. He’s an artist I’ve been trying to find a way into for the longest time, and have always appreciated his earliest stuff more readily than the later, more difficult work that I’d heard from him (though I’m hoping to wade into that territory soon). Chose the “Supersonic Jazz” lp at random - I think I’ve listened to it five or six times in so many days. So good. So so so good. Might have even bumped “Black Messiah” out of the playlist once or twice.
“India” is the lp’s opening track. It feels absolutely timeless, bordering on otherworldly. Recorded in 1956, it features a bouncing-yet-flowing synthesizer (Wurlitzer?) riff against asymmetrical rhythmic patterns, with horn solos that never feel like horn solos. The keys and horns are seductive, but they act almost as distractions (although Sun Ra gets down on the keys around 3:30, leading into a blistering, off-kilter run of eighth-notes that feels like something from a late ‘80s/early ‘90s video game score). The real star is the percussion, which runs true for much of the album, though that takes nothing away from any of the instrumentalists’ performances. Total effect is a sense of suspension: the music occupies its own space, its own time. If it seems somewhat chaotic on first listen, it quickly snaps into place after one or two more spins.
48. "RE: I've been meaning to dig in to Sun Ra forever" In response to Reply # 46
>such a massive catalogue though - pretty daunting >wheres a good place to start? > >I'm looking for stuff that might be more palatable to begin >with - not the super tripped out experimental stuff - where >are his grooves at?
Probably the earlier stuff like I mentioned above... I've heard the first four or five albums listed in his discography on Wiki- and they're very approachable. Supersonic Jazz, the one I listed here, still might be my fav of them, though. So much goodness. They were all remastered not too long ago, so you can find them relatively easily I think. But I'm still very much a Sun Ra beginner...
I think though, he's kind of like Zappa --- you sort of just have to plunge in at some point and then listen til you figure out what he does for you, then go from there.
My continuous quest for live electronic performances satisfied with this one. I actually think the rehearsal may be my favorite. It's interesting because you can almost hear how the context between the rehearsal and the live performance actually changes the sound and direction of things.
█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃ Big PEMFin H & z's "I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1 thing, a musician." � Miles
"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."
10. "this is going to take some attention" In response to Reply # 3
Listened to the rehearsal yesterday but wasn't giving it my focus - looking forward to going back and listening to the live and the rehearsal back-to-back once or twice.
love how it seamlessly transitions from its avant jazz-ish origins toward a more overtly rock-ish sound - you don't notice it until you notice, and then you want to rewind to figure out where it happened...
The angular riff and difficult rhythmic patterns keep you on your toes as a listener ... trying to line everything up. I love that feeling. Nice momentum in the piece, too, very naturally paced.
38. "she has more than one band" In response to Reply # 4
She also has a septet as well as a trio, and does solo work from time to time. Really incredible music.
__________________________________________ CHOP-THESE-BITCHES!!!! ------------------------------------ Garhart Ivanhoe Poppwell Un-OK'd moderator for The Lesson and Make The Music (yes, I do's work up in here, and in your asscrease if you run foul of this
i think this song is incredible. it never really leaves my rotation. i can always play it and enjoy it
i've thought a lot about why i love this song so much. i think it's partially because i was in a good place when i discovered it (despite my tendency to willingly dissociate pleasant memories with art) but mostly it's because i find it to be a compelling piece of music. i don't find myself thinking "oh i felt x when i first heard this song". i just enjoy the combination of sounds. here's what i like about it:
-the contrast between the staccato percussion + high tempo and the drone elements + slowed-down vocals. i really enjoy that kind of thing and always have. it's why i like photek's "t-raenon" (which "you & i" is reminiscent of) and migos' "peek a boo", among countless others
-the drone-ish sounds rub the pleasure centers in my brain. i can't explain it further. it's another thing that i've always enjoyed in all music styles
-the sub-bass is deep and well placed. it propels the song and gets out of the way of the vocals and drone elements. it's reminiscent of jungle sub-bass but manages to anchor a two-step rhythm
-ghostly post-burial vocals done right. this song came out in 2008, when everyone in the UK was attempting to put their own spin on burial's sound. this song definitely feels like it's influenced by burial but manages to stand above the rest of the imitators by nailing the preternatural and detached feeling that burial's vocals evoke
-the quality of the mixing and mastering. it lends an air of sophistication to the song. every element is identifiable without standing out and blends in perfectly with the other elements. there are so many details to pick out on repeated listens. that's not easy to do. hessle audio records sound amazing!
11. "RE: pangaea - "you & i"" In response to Reply # 7
Completely new to me, and at the edges of my musical knowledge --- totally loved it.
>-the contrast between the staccato percussion + high tempo and >the drone elements + slowed-down vocals. i really enjoy that >kind of thing and always have. it's why i like photek's >"t-raenon" (which "you & i" is reminiscent of) and migos' >"peek a boo", among countless others > >-the drone-ish sounds rub the pleasure centers in my brain. i >can't explain it further. it's another thing that i've always >enjoyed in all music styles
Good description, and I get this completely. The staccato/drone combo is one that is hard to pull off, I think, but it's always really effective. Here the appearance/disappearance of the drone at the bottom plays a key role in structuring the piece and building its development. I love the intro/outro, too...
Was reminded of this one in the midst of a discussion about the musical exploits of one Jermaine Jackson (who produced this song, and album). If her name sounds familiar, it's largely due to her close ties to Stevie Wonder, who was married to her at one time, produced two classic projects early in her career, and is even playing synthesizer on this track.
Syreeta has one of the sweetest voices out there, and it's no surprise that through a good deal of her career it's been utilized on deep ballads. She also remained a perfect vocal foil for Stevie Wonder, as in its upper register, her voice has a very youthful quality to it that shone for many years.
So this (and for the most part, the rest of the material on this album), it was kind of a shock to hear her on the new wavey, simple but funky, light-hearted but purposeful instrumentation of this song.
Once reintroduced, this song got repeated at D'Mumblo "Another Life" levels.
16. "RE: Syreeta - 'Forever Is Not Enough'" In response to Reply # 15
Nice! Love her stuff with Stevie, not sure why I've never explored much beyond that. Great recommendation, and her voice is a perfect match for the track.
Went to find this album on Rdio - it wasn't there, but I wound up listening to what they had (Stevie Wonder Presents... and One by One). Hadn't listened to either in a while; both are just ridiculous albums. On the Rdio playlist linked above, I put "She's Leaving Home" in place of your track because... well damn, because it deserves to be home. Probably one of my favorite Beatles covers ever.
Thanks for the reminder - have a feeling I'm going to be hanging out with these albums for a week or two.
44. "That one is the tops..." In response to Reply # 43
I first heard it outside of any album-context on a scratchy comp of various Motown-songs from the early 70's called "Hot, hot, hot vol4" or something that I actually found amongst my grandmothers records. I still like it more than Stevie's version-her vocals are just gorgeous , I've listened to it hundred of times over the years.
BTW, i still prefer hearing it on *that* vinyl, I miss those particular scratches otherwise, LOL!
18. "ive mostly been on an abstract/art/weirdo rap kick since new years" In response to Reply # 0 Mon Jan-12-15 10:34 PM by amplifya7
mostly Milo, Lucy Camp, Aesop Rock, Safari Al, Open Mike Eagle, Thavius Beck, Astronautalis, the CunninLynguists + Grouch & Eligh EP, Kristoff Krane etc.
26. "one track and short description for each of the lesser known ones" In response to Reply # 19
i'll leave out Aesop Rock and Open Mike Eagle as i'm sure anyone who cares to read this post knows them
Milo - super quirky referential rap in a similar vein to Serengeti but IMO with much more heart/introspection. i can't stop listening to the first song on his album, Salladhor Saan, Smuggler - i'd say thats a good starting place:
Thavius Beck is an awesome producer, I'd say a lot of his production sounds like ISWYD era El-P (kind of noisy chaotic but still melodic with synths and samples together). He has both instrumental and rap albums...
Lucy Camp is one of the best technical female rappers i've ever heard and writes a lot of conceptually heavy/cryptic stuff, a lot about relationships. She has two EPs with jazzy boom bap beats that are kinda rough sounding, and then a much more polished new EP with cleaner production
Safari Al is like I said below, Milo's buddy who sounds a bit more serious and focused on sounding poetic but still has some of the quirky/referential stuff Milo does going on
Safari Al - Windswept - If you don't have patience for the beginning, skip forward to when the beat really drops around 2:05
33. "RE: one track and short description for each of the lesser known ones" In response to Reply # 26
That Milo track was out there, for sure - enjoyed it a lot though. Something about the mix was bugging me though; like his voice is sitting on top of the track rather than a part of it. But I dig the beat change-ups a lot, and I wanted to rewind and listen again just to pay more attention to the lyrics...
Will definitely check for more Thavius Beck. As in, right now... get the feeling I'll enjoy his work a lot...
25. "he's more serious, spoken word sounding, but not "heavy" . only has two ..." In response to Reply # 21
>how does he compare to milo?
he still has a lightheartedness to him that milo does, i think
>never heard of Lucy Camp
she's my new favorite female rapper ever i think, i just dig the way she flows and writes a lot...has two EPs and a new mixtape heres her soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lucycamp the top track, "Astray", isn't a bad place to start
35. "I love that album." In response to Reply # 24
It's so outside of anything I grab to listen to on a regular basis, that whenever I reach for it I'm always pleased.
Someone on here pointed me to them to begin with - maybe Austin?
This is a great example of what I love about so much of their stuff: the insistent yet somewhat draggy, blurry tempo, the buried songwriting that nevertheless builds into a recognizable arc. Multiple listens always pay off.
I heard this yesterday... last thing I wanted to hear was another lukewarm cover of "Change..." but it's James, so I had to check it out... not disappointed at all. If anyone can pull it off, it's him; the mellow arrangement really works on his behalf. Eager to get a hard copy of this (dope video, too).
Have you heard Gregory Porter's cover of Hathaway's "Someday..."? Was actually kind of disappointed (and I really like Porter a lot) - drags in tempo and never really goes anywhere.
28. "Mark Ronson w/ Jeff Bhasker - In Case of Fire" In response to Reply # 0
It's a total Steely Dan jack, but it just sounds so damn good. The lyrics of clever and the melody is solid. It's been on repeat since I heard Ronson's album.
36. "steely dan lite, lol" In response to Reply # 28
but yeah, I really like it too. Ronson's productions often feel too... something. Too light, too glossy maybe. Too manufactured. But I listened to the album yesterday while getting ready for work, and the throwback to 70s/early 80s stuff was well-appreciated. Really liked "Summer Breaking" and "Crack in the Pearl" ... this stands out after a second listen, too, as does Leaving Los Feliz.
>It's a total Steely Dan jack, but it just sounds so damn >good. The lyrics of clever and the melody is solid. It's been >on repeat since I heard Ronson's album.
This is on a Kris Davis CD "capricorn climber" which the Cd cover in the link shows (but Kris, the pianist, isn't given top billing on the names listed next to the CD cover in this link for some reason).
Sloppy, collapsing rhythm that somehow seems to loosely hold together
I was worried with the cover photo she was going to go in a different direction, but nah this is so straight. Her voice is marvelous. Can't wait till she starts showing up in soundtracks.
█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃ Big PEMFin H & z's "I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am 1 thing, a musician." � Miles
"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."
47. "RE: Rhiannon Giddens "She's Got You"" In response to Reply # 42
I'd heard she had a solo album coming, didn't know it was so soon... few other tracks have showed up on streaming sites. I like this version of Shake Sugaree a lot: http://rd.io/x/QV576jdc2Fsj/
Her voice can save any track - kind of worried the production is going to be a bit uninspired. Like that "She's Got You" feels a little plodding on first listen. Would've liked to see her go w/Joe Henry on production; he did well with the Drops and he's got a nice ear for keeping arrangements relatively straight-forward without dumbing them down or turning them predictable.
But either way, yeah that album is probably getting bought...
61. "Sounds like she's trying to carry over from that Dylan tribute record" In response to Reply # 42
her voice is a bit thin for straight soul imho (even though the OKP blurb calls this 'dusty folk-rock' it's absolutely not that), especially in the higher registers. Can't complain about the production, the horn lines are sweet and the electric guitar tone is spot-on with that little hint of tremolo on the verse, and then that rubbery slide sound on the solo.
It's good, just not great, and to me her voice is the weakest link.
It's funny, I remember when you took the kids to see the Drops PL and you said 'damn, Rhiannon's gonna be a star. She's just got IT.' I hope this one does it for her beyond the AAA audience.
45. "i dusted off "Example" by For Squirrels" In response to Reply # 0
They were an east coast rock band in the early 90s a bit of an REM knockoff, but a little grungier they were right on the precipice of going big when a really bad tour van accident killed the lead singer, one other member, and the tour manager
guess i broke it out because i was trying to finish this painting i had been working on for far too long, and this was a record i listened to a lot in my art school days (it worked, I'm done!)
I love the way the song builds. The sax is swanky as hell and it just stacks and stacks to it explodes. I played this song on repeat and cleaned my house one Saturday.
my homie put me on this yesterday after I asked him to suggest me something. I like the bluesy, prog rock, neo soul, hip hop-ish thing he has going on on his album.
---------------------------------- www.maxptah.com "you gotta be real white to hate on a nxgga for eating." (c) okp infin8
I dont know what genre he'd be classified in, andI'm not about to put his talent in a box. He sings in a tender falsetto, he's nice with the guitar, and I was very impressed by his ability to perform a one-man-show (albeit CLEARLY NERVOUSLY).
He opened for Jonwayne/Thundercat at the Echo/Plex a couple years back.
>2. *Discuss* your pick. Don't just drop the name and link. >Tell us why you like it - preferably *musically*, but other >aspects are good too (biographical, historical, whatever).
In the past week, I've probably heard this track played (loudly) a good 3 dozen times, and it gets me hyped every single time. The beat slaps, and 40 Wata goes in as usual.. + I do be throwing up the V and I grew up in, live in, and work in the 707. The thing is.. my girl is the one always playing it, but she's from the 925 and has only been living in the 707 (on and off) for a little over a year. She's on the bandwagon now, though and does this cute little dance when she's bumping it. Just one of those things that make the both of us laugh and smile regardless of whatever other bullshit is going on in our lives.
74. "Can we get a weekend edition?" In response to Reply # 0
What's everyone got on repeat this weekend? Going to catch up on some of the tracks listed since I last checked in on this post, but also hoping to spend some time with these two albums:
Angles 9 - Injuries I don't know anything about these guys; read about this album on a top jazz list of last year and put it on my queue. A track from it came on shuffle this week that I really liked so I moved it to the front of the stack. They've got a big ensemble sound, probably half horns and half percussion --- stuff I've heard so far ranges from controlled with a touch of dissonance to crazyloudchaos that feels strangely happy. Stream the album here: http://www.rdio.com/artist/Angles_9/album/Injuries/
The Bad Plus - The Rite of Spring Another one from a best of list from last year, this is a jazz-ish reading of Stravinsky's "Rite..." --- was skeptical but did a skim a few days ago and it sounds more promising than I expected. Again, don't know anything about these guys, so who knows how it will turn out. Stream: http://www.rdio.com/artist/The_Bad_Plus/album/The_Rite_of_Spring/
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