NEW.MUSIC.FRIDAY for you with a great slate of releases that you just GOTTA hear.
We're talking mostly albums here that run deep and have lots of surprises.
MORLY - ‘Til I Start Speaking [LP/CD](Cascine/Secretly/AMPED)
Katy Morley has an elegant voice that stirs just the right emotion. Like the visual artist she is, the songs here are both her expression of herself and how she wants to be seen. So, while every track is well-written, the production from Morley and Christopher Stacey vaults from well-deep reverb to close-miked breathing - sometimes in an instant. With interstellar guitars and earthy pianos, a love song like “Dance To You” is romantic and an exercise to maintain tension. The choir gives more color to the soulful “Wasted,” while the plaintive “Twain Harte” works from simple voice/piano to a big finish. However, it is the closer “Eliogy” that best elucidates Morly’s purpose and unfolding talent. As excellently arranged and recorded as “Eliogy” is, Morly’s use of one lyrical line followed by her confident “mmhmm” is brilliant.
STIMULATOR JONES - Low Budget Environments Striving For Perfection [LP](Stones Throw/Redeye)
ATHLETIC PROGRESSION - (Touching Bass UK)
These two new artists put out some of the best instrumental music in the last year. Stimulator Jones’ “La Mano” (reviewed here on 1.14.21) remains one of the most forward-thinking yet all-encompassing albums of recent years. His fearless vaulting from style to style is replaced here by the slower evolution of a series of beats and grooves. Instead of being as immediate as “La Mano,” “Low Budget” is a grower whose songs need to drift into each other to give you a glimpse of the man. Take for instance the way the more ethereal “Ecstasy Ride” literally dissolves into the hardcore boom of “Grover Chop.” These two pieces should effectively cancel each other out. Again, there are songs here to lull you into simply riding that feeling as it goes up and down without any jarring or disturbance. Take your time letting these “Environments” become part of yours.
The Danish trio Athletic Progression dropped a fantastic album of striated rhythms and tough but spartan grooves (reviewed here 11.19.20) but nothing could prepare you for “cloud high.” The drums here fall into that classic tight-but-loose setting (listen to how they push and pull on “safran.baby.” This time the group finds themselves somewhere between 70’s Fusion (the keys on “OSAKA”) and big beat Drum N’Bass style changes. Even when they revisit the Hip-Hop textures of their first album on “DEBRA” it is to give a real kick to their new panoramic sound. The closer “THE EXAM” starts simply enough but grows into complete chaos. While the thrilling opener, “JUNGELEN” expands beautifully into a maximal mindblowing surprise. “cloud high” is a huge leap for this band that are clearly defining Jazz of the future today.
MAMMAL HANDS - "Oni/Lantern" [7"](Gondwana UK)
This Norwich UK jazz group has the right idea when it comes to fusing world music ideas (Saxophonist Jordan Smart's repeating pattern recalls both Philip Glass and Getachew Mekurya on "Oni") with the modern drive of jazz (drummer Jesse Barrett is the motor for the driving portions.) For a trio, they sound big when they want to - and yet can bring it down to a murmur (where pianist Nick Smart muscularly rebuilds the tension.)
MINAKO YOSHIDA - Tobira no Fuyu [LP](HMV Record Shop/Light In The Attic)
When you study the way Japanese music in the Seventies mirrors several of the changes we were experiencing in America, it is very interesting to find where cross common lines. The Light In The Attic Japan Archival release kicked off with "Even A Tree Can Shed Tears" and how Folk music changed dramatically until 1973. Minako Yoshida picks up where that essential comp leaves off. This series of nine self-written songs showcase Yoshida's Joni Mitchell esque style of singing and writing. However, her band is amazing. On "Tsunawatari," they provide a real balance between Yoshida's heartfelt singing and their own more Prog-ish textural coloring. Down to just Yoshida and her piano (mostly,) "Hensou" opens like Laura Nyro until a harp sweeps it away. The immaculate production of Haruomi Honoso (straight from Happy End,) fits in perfectly with what is being recorded on both shores. "Tobira no Fuyu" is a lost beauty.
META VOLANTE [LP](Records Del Mundo ESP/The Orchard)
The duo of Julian Palono and David Moralejo mix some brooding SynthPop with their high wanting voices. "Todo va a Caer" quickly finds a slow but mesmeric beat and its central melody which they build up to a Cure-like peak. The other eight songs on their debut are just as promising in their fusion of skipping beats and NIN-meets-Cure production. "Miedo" approaches shoegaze even while using a more simple drum machine beat than previous songs, and "Ruido" experiments with sound manipulation and actually skating the beat. Meta Volante leaves a great impression.
THE ROUTES - Shake Five [LP](Code 7 UK/Topsy Turvy/Sound Flat DEN)
For an instrumental guitar album that takes surf music beyond its usual limits, check out the Routes. First of all, the title cut challenges the Brubeck classic by purposefully rockin' out in 5/4 time. However, the band really has more of an interest in sounding like The Ventures ("Guitar Weirdo" with organ accompaniment,) Dick Dale (the booming "Fashion Victim,") and the legend Link Wray ("Ant Hell.") The big Mono sound really lets you hear the rattle of the drums and guitar raging through an ancient amp ("Mongolian Chop" features some inspired string-bending and whammy work.) The Routes sound so good here, you will check the album for its year of recording.
MIKADO KOKO - Maza Gusu [LP](Akuphone FRA)
While you may never mix Mother Goose and piercing noise, Mikado Koko does. In what might be the strangest record of the year, Koko weirdly voices these tales (in Japanese) with all manner of vocal tricks. "Maza Gusu" uses hyper beats and slow noise rolls as its backdrops (with the occasional synth for good measure.) The hypnotic music has the effect of drawing you closer so that Koko can whisper, cry, whine, moan and give Mother Goose a more dark vision. Again, as this entire experience is in Japanese, one can never tell whether she is voicing a character or just spinning this yarn far out of control. The looping on "Otsukiyo" is beautiful even as it haunts your dreams. Later on "Okutsu No Naka Ni," Koko's voice spins around the looping synths until they pull it out with a tape winding down. The otherworldly life of this record is sure to bring you strange waking dreams and perhaps even dare you to open that Mother Goose book again.
TINTERN ABBEY - Beeside: The Complete Recordings [2CD](Grapefruit/Cherry Red)
FIRE - Father’s Name Is Dad: The Complete Fire [3CD](Grapefruit/Cherry Red)
Search as you may, here are a couple of Freakbeat/Psychedelic gems from the UK that are hard to find in the hallowed land of streams. Tintern Abbey may be among the greatest one-shot Psychedelic Sixties bands. Their single with Deram in 1967 “Beeside/Vacuum Cleaner” is still a sizzler. Fortunately, the entire run of the band is available on these 2CDs including an entire disc of demos and the pair of singles (“Snowman” and “How Do I Feel Today/Do What You Must”) that were abandoned too quickly. The nugget “Tanya” goes baroque with near-medieval harmonies as it opens before getting up to speed. “Black Jack” features a neat wavering slide guitar, while “Bodmin Blow” is a bluesy Yardbirds-esque rave up, and “My Prayer” experiments with a very Middle Eastern melody. For the real glimpse into things that could have been, the second disc of mostly unreleased songs is bold and bright with the punky drive of the Who-ish “My House,” and the haunted harmonies of “Dream (aka Song of Despair.”)
The UK freakbeat band Fire got a pair of singles and one album out before joining the Strawbs. “Father’s Name Is Dad” is still a doozy mixing punchy drums, chiming guitars, and deep harmonies (so much so that Paul McCartney rearranged it for them and had them re-record it for the fledgling Apple Records.) They followed this with a ton of demos. However, they were all turned down after they recorded a ton of demos to capitalize on this connection. Finally, as the sun set on Freakbeat, Fire amped up the Psychedelic side and even explored Prog Rock on their lone album 1970’s “The Magic Shoemaker.” This complete collection goes from start (the first singles as Friday’s Chyld - the swinging “It’s Not East Falling Out of Love”) to finish (the 2007 live version of “The Magic Shoemaker.” The demos show the band really stretching out from the plucky “Green-Legged Auntie Sally” to their early recordings for “The Magic Shoemaker” where “Magic Shoes” crackles a little more than its Kinks-ian album version. The Bowie-esque Blues of “Mama When I Will Understand” may not have fit into “The Magic Shoemaker” but it would have made a fine single for AOR radio. Here are a pair of bands who simply were misunderstood in their time, but live on as playlist staples.
NATHAN SALSBURG - Psalms [LP](No Quarter/Secretly/AMPED)
Whether playing with Bonnie Prince Billy or his wife Joan Shelley, Nathan Salsburg has risen to the ranks of this decade’s great guitarist. With a knack for melodicism that astounds you (sacrificing flash,) Salsburg’s solo albums follow in the steps of classic American Primitive Music. “Psalms” is a beautiful, heartfelt tribute to music that he not only loves - but approaches with reverence. “Psalm 147” is a Fahey-esque slap, sweep and pluck song where Salsburg can sing with the buoyant melody. As the song builds, Shelley joins in along with a violin and other percussion until it sounds huge. That may be the magic of “Psalms,” Salsburg’s guitar and voice always maintain their intimacy. However, when he ducks out and enlists help from Spencer Tweedy, James Elkington, and even Will Oldham - it feels like he has just made the world his temple to share with all of us.
Well, another week, another list of several different styles and pursuits in music for you. Enjoy. Listen again. Share as you wish.
NEW RELEASES lovingly compiled for you from this very week!
T-BONES Records and Cafe is a full-service fast-casual restaurant and record store in Hattiesburg, MS. We are a member of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores and are the longest-running record store in the state of Mississippi. If you have questions - we have answers … and probably a lot more information just waiting for you at:
tbone@tbonescafe.com
Visit our website for more information and shop in our ONLINE store if you wish.
T-BONES ships the best music all over the United States daily. We also specialize in Special Orders. Let us know what you are looking for - we are thrilled to help.