Another weird week release-wise. Some notes on what I've seen so far:

On the instrumental end (and some of the stuff i'm most excited about this week):

** Khruangbin & Vieux Farka Toure - Ali (i hoped this would be good -- exceeded expectations on first listen, can't wait to play through some more)

** Makaya McCraven - In These Times

** The Comet is Coming - Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam (Shabaka Hutchings' jazz-funk/psych-rock outfit)

** Elusive - Kosmological Glitches

** Aesop Rock - Spirit World instrumentals



Not a lot of stuff of interest on the hip hop side, but there is:

** Brother Ali - Goin' Through It (3 song single)

** A new RAP Ferreira single, "mythsysizer instinct" prod. by kenny segal

** And a Rap Ferreira-does-blues project under the name Crow Billiken, an EP called "If I don't have red I use blue"


Random stuff catching my eye:

** Silvana Estrada - Abrazo EP

** Sharky - People Are Strange (TruThoughts release)

** new Natalia Lafourcade single, original material with a full-length coming soon (!) - "De todas las flores"

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

Some listening notes from the last few weeks:

* Played CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST several times through this week. Not sure why but suddenly it's really working for me. Tyler managed to make a record that has a little everything and can be anything to everyone: casual listen, close listen, throwback, fresh, strong beats and strong rhymes for old heads and the new --- *and* a pretty serious intellectual-coming-of-age joint at the same time. No small feat. MASSA kills.

* Oldie but goodie "II" from Lewis Taylor in rotation this week too. How was this received when it dropped? I came to Taylor a bit late and I've never checked its reception. Obviously it has a number of tunes that are classics for Taylor now, and it's not a huge departure from the debut, but he stretches out on this record --- like, The Way You Done Me is in 7/4 ffs, lol

* That Terri Lyne Carrington record from last week was no joke; I've had "Circling" in my head all week. Same with the Henry Franklin JID record. Last week's jazz-ish releases might dominate for a while.

* Checked out the new Jazz Spastiks. It was perfectly fine but wasn't touching their previous release for me. That's fine -- you can only mine that sound so far, especially at an album length, and still come back fresh for another release.

* Listened to Sabrina Claudio's new release from this year, "Based on a Feeling" and really liked it. She gets overlooked a lot but she's probably the closest thing to quiet storm-meets-modern r&b we have right now and she breathes some life into it. She was tapped for Beyonce's "Plastic off the sofa," probably my favorite cut on that.

-thebigfunk

~ i could still snort you under the table ~

>* Oldie but goodie "II" from Lewis Taylor in rotation this
>week too. How was this received when it dropped? I came to
>Taylor a bit late and I've never checked its reception.
>Obviously it has a number of tunes that are classics for
>Taylor now, and it's not a huge departure from the debut, but
>he stretches out on this record --- like, The Way You Done Me
>is in 7/4 ffs, lol

Been running LT's stuff lately while playing the new album. I still prefer the self titled debut, but II is solid. I do remember it taking a while to fully get this album. It was so much...brighter than the debut, I think the shift kinda messed with people. I really love the entire album, but at the time I was completely obsessed with "Everybody Here Wants You" and (if you had the bonus cut on the CD) his version of "Electric Ladyland".


>* Checked out the new Jazz Spastiks. It was perfectly fine but
>wasn't touching their previous release for me. That's fine --
>you can only mine that sound so far, especially at an album
>length, and still come back fresh for another release.

This is fair. I've kinda cooled on it too. I need to run back the first album and see how I feel.

https://digife.com

Listened to a chunk of the new Joni Mitchell box set, the remastering is phenomenal on the live album. Will revisit.

Samara Joy - I want to like, but there's something a bit too "classroom" about this? Loosen up, play a bit. (Gives me strong Vanessa Rubin vibes)

Butcher Brown - great live, but this is prolly a one-time listen.

McCraven - fantastic album, will get replayed while watching the leaves turn.

Bibiane Zimba - Something Unknown. THIS is what i wanted from the Samara record. Voice is reedier, vocals wetter. Rainy day in bed music, wrestling with someone else's leg for the sheets.

of course I'm still spinning Sudan and Ari heavy this week, too. I need to spend some more time with that Mars Volta, as well.