Sounds and Zounds

In 2005 we lost one of the more interesting blues guitarist of this era. His 1998 album “Dirt Floor” does a brilliant job of describing his sound. Textured and simple, clean and dirty, brilliantly simple with the complexes creates brilliant story telling. Dislocated blues was started at Jeff Lang studio before his death and thankfully published by Rounder. Jeff Lang is a slide guitarist, but there balance is perfect between Chris guitar. Perfect cold weather blues.

More Surprises. At least that is what a long trip to Tanzania will bring out in a ipod. I have for some time been a fan of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan music. This is due mostly to the work he did with Michael Brook before his death. So, before I left I noticed that Gaudi (who I had never heard of before) had done a CD of Dub music with his sing over lad it. At first listen I was not very impressed by it, but I put it on my ipod for a future listen.

On the first night of my trip this CD was found and from that point on every night it became my sleeping music. To note this music is not for everyone. If you do not like the Qawwali chant sound one might feel like it sounds like someone crying, but I find some amazing emotion and peace in this type of music. Plus the mixture of Dub and Qawwali is a pleasant surprise.

Summer must be coming to a end. My music and the music being released right now, echo the changing of seasons and it’s melancholy feel. One of the more interesting releases is Luka Blooms “Tribe”.
This a very different selection of songs for Luka, thick bass lines with ebo textured guitars that brings a new sound to his work. It is familiar and balanced, new but not jarring and very enjoyable in these cool New England mornings.

We’ll Never Turn Back is a Mississippi blues gospel CD, full of faith and strength. It is a great reminder of the work of the civil rights movement and the work that still is need to be done.
This is a fantastic set of songs with a great ability of visual story telling thru music. Simple songs with messages that are graced with the help of Ry Cooder on guitar and producer.

I think one of the hardest things about writing about music is finding a complete CD that you can make a fair comment on. The new / reissue Jenny Owen Youngs CD “Batten the Hatches” leaves me in the flux of trying to find a balance of very bad and really create music.

In the middle of this CD there are three very nice creative tracks (Voice on tape, P.S., Bricks) these tracks at times sound like Joni Mitchell with lyric writing that could take twist like Robyn Hitchcock. They are three very enjoyable folk pop tunes that I am happy to have in my collection.

But regretfully, the rest of the tracks seem deep in the youthful disfunction angst of relationships gone south and the desire to try to create some sort of shock, slim. That just turns the CD into a lost set of pop tunes that fall short.

It has been a hard winter for me with finding enjoyable music. I have been finding myself listening to allot of remakes and remixes of the past but little has got me excited till this week. The music of Amadou & Mariam has been singing in my mind. I had found there music this past summer and played there greatest hits CD threw out the sunny weather. Now, with the hopes of bringing summer into the New England winter I bought Dimanche a Bamako. This at first caught me off guard and is a different set of music compared to there past, there is more reverb in the recording and some samples have been added. These small toutches make you feel like you are listening to this music live on in a shack somewhere in Africa. At first listen, I was disappointed, but after a few listens I forgot what I knew of there music and started to really enjoy the beats and sound what was there.

It has been a long time since a song or album has been stick in my head, with my desire to listen to it when ever I can. What may be stranger than that is the fact that it is a CD of what feels like old European songs from some sort of gypsy side show. But it is, and it is the music of 20 year old Zach Condon. A sound that may not appeal to everyone, but, has a surprising up lifting feel that glides you threw the night air. Zach’s singing fits perfectly to the tunes, with a natural knowledge of knowing where he should and should not bring his voice. Somebody, flip the ipod over, I need to hear it again…

Looking for some Brazilian beats that slide nicely threw the day. Well, then “Forro in the Dark”, is the NY based band for you. The CD “Bonfires of Sao Joao” has all the nice South American happy pop, folk feeling without going so far to make the listen feel like a foreigner. For Talking Heads fans there are two tracks that feature David Byrne, “I Wish (Bundle of Contradictions)” which seems more souther than south, but very enjoyable (er, not completely kid safe, regretfully). File under: Saturday morning breakfast music.

Sometimes the second or third CD from a artist disappoints, they get trapped in what got them there. This is one of the times that I really feel like I am listening to the artist grow, and I like what I am hearing. On “Until We Felt Red” Kaki has a band, and the sound and power bring me into a great moments of highs and lows with power and grundge and picking and peace. Kaki pulls on some of the more intriguing parts of her past CD’s her sultry vocals and masterfull guitar work. I have not had the time to dig threw the lyrics but so far I think they are a hit. At one point I would describe Kaki King and a Michael Hedges like musician, I can no longer say that with this CD. Kaki King is Kaki King.

When serching for summer music it is hard sometimes to find something upbeat and summer soaked. I have been spending the last month listen to large amounts of Afro-pop in the relization that this might be my new summer sound. Extra Golden is a enjoyable selection of tunes that have the repetitive noodling guitar nature of the Afro-pop but gives you great pop transions and drive. The tracks are long OK-Oyot System but I find this lends to the nature of listening. It’s great backgrond music to enjoy a summer night, but hard music to listen to in traffic…