What are you listening to heading into the weekend? What's on your radar? What music-related stories have your eyes and ears? Share whatever random stuff you got on the brain...

I am going to be stuck in front of the computer all weekend writing, which usually means a lot of classical-ish, jazz-ish, and other instrumental-ish musics. Haven't been keeping up on new releases much the last few weeks so any recs would be welcome.

A few random tidbits:
- That new St Vincent single "New York" is really infectious and reminded me of how much her voice (especially) and general presence really feels like a nod to Tori Amos at times. Wouldn't mind a whole album in this vein, piano-forward, heart on sleeve.

- Finally spending some time with that new Fleet Foxes and really enjoying it though I don't have think I have any idea of what a single song on there is "about" yet

- I know "Love" is a lot of folks least favorite song on DAMN but the beat feels like a hybrid ode to P's Beautiful Ones and the closing section of Adore --- kind of has me in a trance...


-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

-Really hope Phonte drops that rap album this year. Tanya Morgan & Oddisee albums are close but just don't hit the spot.

-Finally got to see Run The Jewels live and they put on a great show, also got in the pit for the first time. I get it, but I doubt I'll ever do it again. Thought about getting picked up, but as a 250lb black man it prolly isn't a good idea.

-The soundtrack for Atomic Blonde connected a bunch of dots with 80s pop songs that I've heard and liked, but I never knew who made them.

-No ones talking about it, but did anyone see Big Remo from Jamla shitting on 9th by claiming that that 9th ignored everyone else to push Rapsody and using the beat for his single for a song for Rap without him knowing? That's fucked up if true...

-This year seems to be just banging me over the head with good album after album....too many to even keep in rotation.

From the last 2 months: Calvin Harris,ZZ Ward,Haim,Beach House,Floating Points,Japanese House,Terrace Martin,Toro Y Moi,Wizkid,Jay-Z,Curren$y,Lana Del Ray,Alchmist,Arcade Fire,Skyzoo,Stalley,Vic Mensa,Passion Pit.

Edit: Jessie Ware just put out a song & video today, and it's fucking awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJz8mtImzdc

It's a good problem to have.

phemom's the name, all-star writer/
searching 4 journalistic fame, mindframe igniter....www.twitter.com/hayabusaage

>Edit: Jessie Ware just put out a song & video today, and it's
>fucking awesome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJz8mtImzdc
>

Thanks for this - I was just thinking of her the other day wondering if she was going to drop something new soon. Loved the first one, was less wild about the second. Will be interesting to see what she's cooking up here...

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

didn't she had new stuff out

PEACE LOVE and MONEY

https://soundcloud.com/dabeatnik/drumpf-beer

-I'm with you on being at the computer typing this weekend. I've been finding that instrumental stuff hits the spot, but I also can write to the right kind of music in a foreign language. Recently, that means the Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate albums.

-I've been listening to the new Arcade Fire this week. Definitely followed the electronic flare of Reflektor, but I'm enjoying this new one. Got to see them live at a tiny boxing venue earlier this summer and they were absolutely unreal. One of the best live acts I've ever seen. If I hadn't seen the Roots two days before, I'd say it was the best live show I've seen in a while.

-Been catching up and listening to Questlove Supreme. Just got through the Shep Gordon episode. Amazing stuff.

there comes a time in every mans life when he's gotta handle shit up on his own Can't depend on friends to help you in a squeeze, please they got problems of their own---slim kid3

>-I'm with you on being at the computer typing this weekend.
>I've been finding that instrumental stuff hits the spot, but I
>also can write to the right kind of music in a foreign
>language. Recently, that means the Ali Farka Toure and
>Toumani Diabate albums.

Yeah, it's the same for me - didn't really realize it until recently, but non-english language stuff doesn't distract me the way english-language music does. Thanks for the reminder! For me, if I'm trying to read or write (or especially revise) it has to be down or steady tempo stuff (Bonobo, for example, is great for me - even the vocals don't tend to distract me), although I often find that more avant garde material that doesn't have as obvious a through-line in terms of motifs or melodies work just about right: I can pay attention to it when I want, but let sink to the background otherwise.

>-I've been listening to the new Arcade Fire this week.
>Definitely followed the electronic flare of Reflektor, but I'm
>enjoying this new one. Got to see them live at a tiny boxing
>venue earlier this summer and they were absolutely unreal.
>One of the best live acts I've ever seen. If I hadn't seen
>the Roots two days before, I'd say it was the best live show
>I've seen in a while.

I've always like AF well enough but never dove deep beyond the first record or two (except The Suburbs - I liked that one quite a bit). That said, I heard "Creature Comfort" this morning and thought it was solid - might give this one a spin.

>-Been catching up and listening to Questlove Supreme. Just
>got through the Shep Gordon episode. Amazing stuff.

Abbi Jacobsen (I think that's her name) from Broad City has a podcast right now about modern art, and I just listened to one w/Questlove on it a few days ago. The episode is about monochromatic paintings and Quest talks about his appreciation for Yves Klein in it, which I thought was pretty dope... I need to hop on those QS episodes for sure.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

I was recently put onto the existence of this recording after watching the Lee Morgan documentary on netflix. My favorite Lee Morgan record is still 'Search For The New Land' but this album is dope as fuck - long tracks of just amazing playing. I listened to the reissue which has 3 whole hours of the band going in.

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https://93millionmilesabove.blogspot.com/
https://rateyourmusic.com/~Kosa12

It's a shame* he died after this one since I really dig the more "open" direction he was heading in. While Lee is one of the GOAT trumpeters IMO, he did too many workmanlike, "all star" hard-bop records IMO; records like "In search..." and Grachan Moncur III's stellar "Evolution" are some exceptions as is this KILLER!!!

*Of course, it would have been a shame even if he started to suck; people getting killed is not a good scenario... just saying...

>It's a shame* he died after this one since I really dig the
>more "open" direction he was heading in.

that's one thing that stood out immediately from this recording, he was noticeably more free in his soloing and the band followed suit, would've been really interesting to see what other stuff he could've recorded.

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https://93millionmilesabove.blogspot.com/
https://rateyourmusic.com/~Kosa12

My Lee Morgan knowledge is sorely lacking -- will be a great album for some weekend spins!


-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

It's a two record set just titled "Lee Morgan" on Blue note. It was reissued on CD in the 90s under the title "The Last Session": https://www.discogs.com/Lee-Morgan-Lee-Morgan/master/192319

Definitely a good companion piece to the Live at the Lighthouse album.

As a semi-related thing, Jymie Merritt played with Max Roach in his time before he was in Lee Morgan's band. They play 'Absolutions', a few years prior to Live at the Lighthouse, on the Max Roach-led album "Members, Don't Git Weary": https://www.discogs.com/Max-Roach-Members-Dont-Git-Weary/master/183533


os·ti·na·to
/ˌästəˈnädō/
noun
a continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm

http://austinato.bandcamp.com

https://www.discogs.com/lists/Favorites-of-2017/332378

I love the tune for "Angela" Davis

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https://93millionmilesabove.blogspot.com/
https://rateyourmusic.com/~Kosa12

but I need to give this Nate Smith album some solo attention so I can really absorb it. I've been spinning it in parts because I've been doing other stuff, but I want to give it an end to end play.

I haven't been down to the new 2nd & Charles so I want to go down there and hit the 45 section. 50 cents each so I can do in there with a 20 dollar bill and lose my fucking mind. Only thing is it's tax-free weekend so I know people will be in there with small children and letting them run around like fuckers, so I'll have to be super homed in when I go.

Also I'm really pissed off that I went to a concert at VCU last weekend and the band didn't have music for me to buy, but they do have a few videos.

Quatro Na Bossa-Doralice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O16AMaLZZdQ

__________________________________________
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 haven't been down to the new 2nd & Charles so I want to go
>down there and hit the 45 section. 50 cents each so I can do
>in there with a 20 dollar bill and lose my fucking mind. Only
>thing is it's tax-free weekend so I know people will be in
>there with small children and letting them run around like
>fuckers, so I'll have to be super homed in when I go.
>

Man, a good record store trip sounds nice right now for sure. Money's tight these days though and all the places around me overcharge for shit these days...

>Quatro Na Bossa-Doralice
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O16AMaLZZdQ
>

Look forward to checking this out.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

yesterday that was needless to say, discomforting. I thought it was cool the Dr asked me what music I wanted to listen to. I requested 'Heaven or Las Vegas' bc I need something very soothing to get me through this.

I've also been listening to their music more often bc I'm taking a grad class on Mindfulness and one of the weekly/daily exercises I do is mindful listening. They are good for that.

>yesterday that was needless to say, discomforting. I thought
>it was cool the Dr asked me what music I wanted to listen to.
>I requested 'Heaven or Las Vegas' bc I need something very
>soothing to get me through this.

Hope all is well - cool that the doctor was so accommodating. Hope it's nothing too serious.

>I've also been listening to their music more often bc I'm
>taking a grad class on Mindfulness and one of the weekly/daily
>exercises I do is mindful listening. They are good for that.
>

This sounds really interesting. What's the rest of the class like? Would be interested in hearing about how music fits in, too.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

experience in the world. I was actually surprised by how casual things were. Despite my apprehension and discomfort at times, time passed quick and we conversed through the whole thing.

the Mindfulness course was really intriguing and worthy of my time. As an educator, we kind of have to take continuing education credits if we want to advance in the salary scale. I try to pick and choose classes that are relevant to my profession (school counseling).

There's been a ton of buzz surrounding Mindfulness over the past few years. To break it down in the most simplistic terms, it's paying attention with purpose and with a non-judgmental attitude. There are so many exercises associated with mindfulness designed to reign in your focus on the moment. It's about letting go of past regrets, anxieties about the future, and just being in the moment. Studies have primarily been positive. When you consider it's simplicity, it's a great tool for anyone pick up.

Mindful listening is relatively simple. Taken from PocketMindfulness:

Close your eyes and put on your headphones.
Try not to get drawn into judging the music by its genre, title or artist name before it has begun.
Instead, ignore any labels and neutrally allow yourself to get lost in the journey of sound for the duration of the song.
Allow yourself to explore every aspect of track. Even if the music isn’t to your liking at first, let go of your dislike and give your awareness full permission to climb inside the track and dance among the sound waves.
Explore the song by listening to the dynamics of each instrument. Separate each sound in your mind and analyze each one by one.
Hone in on the vocals: the sound of the voice, its range and tones. If there is more than one voice, separate them out as you did in step 4.
The idea is to listen intently, to become fully entwined with the composition without preconception or judgment of the genre, artist, lyrics or instrumentation. Don't think, hear.

he's from the (post?) drill chicago scene, closer to g herbo and lil bibby than chief keef. his songs are usually just a few minutes of straight up BARS with no hook. he has a knack for sneaking internals in a casual manner:

https://youtu.be/5lmVdLBmaG0?t=1m22s

it's possible he's being courted by rich the kid, who has a very good ear for talent, having signed famous dex and jay critch (who is also good at rapping)

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ski mask the slump god is another young cat who is good at rapping. he's getting some non-soundcloud buzz now that "catch me outside" has a video. he's the most in the pocket rapper i've heard since AK from underachievers, and imo that's saying a lot. while i love the way he has like 3-4 flows per song, his voice is really lacking even though it has a lot of character. someone needs to figure out how to record this guy so his vocals don't get lost or muddied. i hope he finds success because his style is very unique and experimental:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkP0ByWfoj0

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i find these guys interesting because they're exploring the vast amounts of space in modern rap (trap) beats, more so than more established artists like migos and future. it's like rappers finally made it past the awkward "getting to know you" phase of rapping over a new tempo and drum pattern and are actively trying to establish a deeper connection. this simile may not make sense. i'm very sleep-deprived

speaking of migos, offset has this crazy nested internal where he does this weird perfect/slant rhyming thing:

https://youtu.be/ecB7DpGIv8c?t=2m20s

"drea," "mail," "pharell," and "player" all work as slant rhymes but "drea" and "player," and "mail" and "pharell" are closer to perfect rhymes. he get bonus points for "jeans" and "cream" too. and "bitch" and "bricks." i know why he doesn't rap like this more often but i still wish he would