Rosa Parks

Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks passed away on October 24. J.L. Chestnut Jr. pays tribute.

Excitement, disbelief, and suspicion

That the Lightening Bolt's Hyper Magic Mountain is getting such good reviews fills me with excitement (I'm yet to hear it myself, though).

That My Morning Jacket's Z (the noise you make while sleeping???) gets equally good reviews fills me with disbelief.

This fills me with suspicion, though I hope it's unfounded.

My Morning Post...

One of the great things about having friends that write blogs is that you can link to them when you ain't got time to write a goddamn post yourself:

Eirik on My Morning Jacket (for readers of Norwegian only!).

Babies and Men

Still very busy. I plan to update my 2005-lists before the end of the week. There have been a lot of interesting releases since the previous update (Danger Doom, Amy Rigby ++).
This means the songs-list need some refreshing too. It's not very large at present, but there are plenty of songs I can and will add.

Speaking of this, that kook Davendra Banhart's album Cripple Crow has failed to impress me, but I find the song "Chinese Children" utterly enjoyable and it will most likely make the revised songs-list.

The Constantines' Tournament of Hearts I like far better, and especially "Soon Enough", which has to be the finest country song from a non-country artist this year:

Soon enough
work and love
will make a man out of you

Ain't it true!

Argh!

It's /fai/ery Furnaces, NOT /fi/ery. (This outburst, of course, will mean nothing to you with English as your mother tongue).

A song to song comparison of Blender's and Rolling Stone's respective Top 500 by Scott Woods.

That is all.

This an' that...

I'm very busy these days, so I haven't got much time for in-depth analysis and the like (!?!).

If you read Nick Sylvester's article on Norwegian music that I linked for you in my previous post, you'll have seen that he doesn't think it is all the doom and gloom my excerpt may have led you to believe. Mr. Sylvester, funny though he is, may be too indie for my taste, as witnessed by his mention of the clique at the end of the same article (I get the feeling he means "the elite few"), and his recent 9.0 rating of the new Deerhoof album The Runners Four, a record that has so far neither made me punch the air, shake my hip, nor given me any other hints that I like it.

I'm far more pleased with the new album by the Fall, Fall Heads Roll. Not great, but more consistent than Mr. E. Smith has been in a long time. A return the glory days of the mid-eighties, perhaps?

I've also been listening to Eric Dolphy's Iron Man, which sounds really, really good. Recorded ca. 1963 just before his masterpiece Out to Lunch, and you can hear the development towards the looser structures he used on that album. Key track: "Burning Spear", a 12 minute long steamroller with two bass players; Richard Davis, who remains a favorite, and Eddie Khan, who I don't know much about.

Looking out for Billy Bang's Vietnam: Reflections, and James Carter's Pavement tribute (!) Gold Sounds.

Things I didn't write

These are mostly things from last week, but they are still interesting reads:

Simon Reynolds, critic and author of the ok Rip it Up and Start Again, has written a review of Return the Gift, the re-recordings of old faves by the best band of the original post-punk (or whatever you wanna call it) era, Gang of Four.

Also, Nick Sylvester has interesting views on a live show and new stuff by the Rapture, the band with the best record of the new post-punk (or whatever you wanna call it) era.

Seeing as Mr. Sylvester is an industrious fella, he has also managed to write this article on Norwegian music for pitchforkmedia.com. You can read it yourself, but I'll quote you this part:

"...countless Big In Norway acts do their best and big-selling impersonations of American and British rock bands for a sizable hometown base that, for understandable reasons I guess, want Coldplays and Travises and Velvet Revolvers of their own. This band Madrugada are huge there-- terrible! Turbonegro still draw big crowds-- why? You fuckers heard of Magnet? Enormous; terrible".

I have nothing to add.

How do you like them apples?

Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine has achieved a metascore of 87 on metacritic.com. Here is one reason why I think the previous, and un-released, mix is better:

One of the best tracks on the album is a song called "Get Him Back". The title is pretty self explanatory as to what the theme is. The initial version, mixed by Jon Brion, had a ramshackle sound. The drums were prominent, as was a percussive piano. The production was crisp, which made the track sound a feel like it had a bite; the music and the lyrics were on the same mission . In the new version, the percussive elements are put in the background, and the song is slowed down a bit. It lacks the clenched-teeth, bitterness and the above-mentioned bite of the Jon Brion-mixed version. Therefore the music removes the energy of the lyrics, and the whole thing sounds less purposeful.

I realize that this is the third or fourth piece that I've written about Extraordinary Machine (or Fuck Sony as it was once named on the internet), which is out of proportion to how much I like the album. But there you go.

C-c-c-c-c-cocaine!

West coast pop/soft rock/FM rock-whutevva has been so en vogue lately, it is good to see someone daring to make fun of it again. With help from Mr. Matos, I came across these guys doing a story-behind-the-song-thingy. Hilarious.

I am Wonder Mike and I like to say...

"Hello"!

Been listening to rap for the most part recently. As much as some people (including myself) claim that indie-hop is being outshined by more commercial hip-hop (thank you Kanye, Jay-Z, Missy) in recent years, not least in the respect that some mainstream artists have been more adventurous and innovative beat-wise than indie-hoppers, most of my favorite hip-hop records of this year are hardly recognized as mainstream.

None have mixed beats and a political stance as effectively this year as the Perceptionists, whose Black Dialogue has grown on me in recent weeks despite being released as early as April. The new Blackalicious album displays the genius that Gift of Gab can be; lyrical and smooth and fast and tricky. The beats are as bouncy and funky as you'd wish they would be. Eirik is beginning to like it too. Dangerdoom is by far the funniest rap record so far this year. MF Doom's outpouring of words brings plenty of pleasant, if not knee-slapping surprises. And the skits are good too ("Call me doggie! WOOF"). Edan's Beauty and the Beat was a strong contender earlier this year, and although I still enjoy it, I find it a bit too retro-centric and perhaps a bit one-dimensional. Blueprint's 1988 still sounds great, though. Big girls need love too. Count Base-D's mini lp Begborrowsteel is a lovely little gem, perhaps reminiscent of Common at his best, which means Like Chocolate..., not Be. Quasimoto's second offering is a bit disjointed, but that is part of why I like hin in the first place.

But having said all this, Kanye still remains a favorite, and although there is no denying his place in the mainstream (as if that was something bad), he displays more compassion, warmth and commitment through his music than mot indie-hoppers do. This year he got political too, both in and outside of music. And I'm a sucker for political art. Well, as long as it's good anyway.

Don't call me whitey...

Damn, nearly a week since my last post.

Tom Breihan did a piece on Paul Wall on his Status Ain't Hood blog on Friday, in which he disses the white rapper for not concidering race to be an issue. Which it IS, of course. Especially if you're not white. You don't have to look further than to the recent events in New Orleans and its media coverage to figure that out. I don't see the point in his "history of white rap"-list though, unless it's more tounge in cheek than I take it to be.

The record releases seem to be picking up, with Blackalicious and Amy Rigby among the ones I have been looking forward to thew most. Had a couple of spins of the 'licious cd already, and Gift of Gab seems just about as sharp as ever.

Unbelievably, Pitchfork gave the new Wolf Parade cd a 9.2 rating. Eirik is unimpressed, though. I have to side with him.

Have I ever told how amazing Air's 80 Degrees Below 82 is? Check my jazz list.

Beef and chicks

Pitchfork critic, Riff Raff blogger and all-time funny man Nick Sylvester has been checking out a live gig by two of Norway's biggest hopes for world domination, the lovable Annie and Røyksopp. A good read.

Steinar gave me some stick yesterday regarding some ratings on my jazz page and the high entry by Spoon's Gimme Fiction on my 2005 list. No harm in that, it's a large part of the reason why I post these lists in the first place. Discussions are healthy. They keeps culture alive. I wish more of you would do the same. Discuss and post comments that is.

As regards the Spoon record, I think it has a good share of cracking tunes; "The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine", "I Turn My Camera On", "Sister Jack", and "I Summon You" to name my favorites. I doubt if it will hold the number three spot in the end, though, but I rate it highly. It's certainly better than Robert C. reckons it is.

My year by year-page was set up during spare hours in the summer, and was probably a result of hubriss on my part. At present, I have plenty of tasks at hand, so I have not been able to post any lists. I hope to have some soon, though, but don't hold your breath.

Children and geniuses

A combination of fatigue, lack of money, and bad timing led me to miss two gigs this week. Martha Wainwright played this Monday, and Eirik was left unimpressed. Yesterday, a crew from Stones Throw Records, including one time (or current, who knows) Lootpack MC Wildchild rocked their mikes and spun their records, but alas, they suffered the same fate as Martha and were unlucky not to have me in their audience.

Rhino Records released two (at least) large box sets this week. Children Of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The Second Psychedelic Era 1976-1995 compiles bands inspired by the first wave of psych/garage bands. There are some cracking tunes here, like The Lyres' "Help You Ann", The Hoodoo Guru's "I Want You Back", and contributions from good acts such as That Petrol Emotion, The La's and The Nerves. Unfortunately, the Nerves song included is not their original of "Hanging on the Telephone". As with many of the Rhino collections, it is equal parts fun and frustration. Many of the best acts and songs included I already have on better discs, either original albums or superior compilations. Some of them are currently unavailable, though, so this will surely bring them out to a larger audience. The lesser acts are hardly worth owning, much less hearing, but that's part of the beauty of Rhino's box sets I guess.

They also released a Ray Charles box set, Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959), which looks amazing, but is probably overkill. Great artist that he was, you'll probably get by with a couple of his albums, such as the lovely Modern Sonds in Country and Western Music, plus a singles collection. I could be proven wrong, as I am yet to listen through the behemoth.

Help Her, She Wants to Know Girls

Idling Wildly was kind enough to leave me a comment the other day. Now help her find the words to this song, 'cause she seems like a nice gal!

Note: This post has been updated due to me not having my facts straight.

Let us elaborate: Re: CMJ vs. by: Larm

Ok, so I may have jumped the gun a bit in comparing the CMJ fest and by: Larm. College radio and its CMJ offshoot was always about bringing new music out to a wider audience. None of the acts playing this years marathon can be considered major acts, and in that respect they fit the bill. Point is, though, most of them are known to the people through other sources than college radio. Again, I point to Kelefa Sanneh's article. (To keep up with impressions from the marathon, see Nick Sylvester's Riff Raff and Tom Breihan. Have a look at their archives for previous posts).

by: Larm, on the other hand, was and is a place for Norwegian music journos to discover Norway's next big thing. The act that would conquer the world (yeah, right). My point was that in recent years, more and more established acts have played the festival, and stolen the limelight from all the newcomers that are trying to find a bigger audience and hopefully get some media coverage. I'll wait for the next by: Larm before I slag them off even more.

CMJ Music Marathon 2005

This week saw the start of CMJ's Music Marathon 2005, one of the best music "festivals" on either side of the Atlantic. The line-up includes excellent and interesting bands some of which probably, and regretfully, won't appear in Norway. Main treats: The Hold Steady, The New Pornographers (whose latest album has grown a bit since my initial impression), The Arcade Fire, Blackalicious, much heralded African duo Amadou & Mariam, Atmosphere, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, !!! (I refuse to write "chk chk chk". Shit! I just did), and countless others. For that reason, in addition to the fact that New York is my home at heart, a couple of friends and me had initially decided to fly over, but decided not to in the end. It would have meant no Christmas presents this year.

Kelefa Sanneh, who I had some beef with earlier this year but who actually is a very good critic with a broad musical taste, wrote a good piece in the New York Times about the marathon. It's hard to disagree with his views. CMJ started as a coming-together of college radio station people, who at that time (some 25 years ago) were hugely important in bringing new and alternative (being an alternative to corporate radio profile that is) music out to the masses, or at least the student masses. In these days of blogging, pod-casting, and efficient on-line zines, their importance in presenting new artists is not that significant. As Sanneh explains, this years line-up reflects that. Most artists playing are in some way or another known to the audience. Heck, it was the reason why I intended to go.

I think the problem is similar to Norway's own by: Larm. What started as a showcase for up-and-coming Norwegian bands, they have become increasingly reliant upon established acts in recent years. In addition, it's a sickening lurve-fest for music industry people to kiss each others behinds.

In other news, I got the first taste of DangerDoom yesterday. The first impression is that it's not as eery as Viktor Vaughan and Madvillain, and it sounds more humorous than those two. Not that any of them lacked humor, but Danger Mouse's beats are somewhat lighter and helps bring MF's humor more to the fore. Promising.

Martha Wainwright comes to town next week.

Let me watch!

Unless you didn't get the news from other sources, the genius that is MF Doom (a.k.a Viktor Vaughan a.k.a... ahh f**k it, too many to mention) and top hip-hop producer Danger Mouse have collaborated and are to release Dangerdoom later this month. I can't wait to hear it (although I've been told there are downloads available on various websites). MF Doom, in addition to having been one half of the fantastic KMD whose Black Bastards is one of hip-hop's lost gems, have been responsible for what is in my opinion two of the best hip-hop records of the past few years in Vaudeville Villain from 2003, and the Madvillain collaboration with Madlib from last year. Danger Mouse was, as you may know, behind the infamous Jay-Z/Beatles mash-up The Grey Album. He certainly has talent, and MF is probably the best MC he has worked with. I can't wait. More when I get it.

Update: Although the collab is called Dangerdoom, the album will be titled The Mouse and the Mask. The release is set for October 11.

Drive-By Truckers, Friday Sept. 9. 2005

Living in Norway, we're not spoiled with great gigs. So when one of the best live bands around decides to play here for the fourth (and fifth, and sixth) time within six months, you can't help but pinch yourself and hope you're not dreaming. The Drive-By Truckers' story telling is as American as you get, complete with hope and search for glory, inventing yourself as you go, while remembering those left behind. Not as forceful and great as the previous time (back in April), but still lovable, and they appeared to be as pleased to be back as we were pleased to see them. A tribute to New Orleans in the form of Newman's "Louisiana 1927", with most of the crowd singing along, topped the set.

Musical comfort

As a result of the catastrophe in and around area of New Orleans, I have been listening to music inspired by or made in New Orleans. Not that it lessens the tragedy in any way, certainly not not for the victims; it was more a subconscious thing. It started with Randy Newman's "Louisiana 1927" off his Good Old Boys record. The song remembers the flood in Louisiana of that year. In turn, I listened to Louis Armstrong, "King" Oliver, and "Jelly Roll" Morton, before, in keeping with my constant revising of my jazz library, I picked up Duke Ellington's own New Orleans tribute from 1970, New Orleans Suite, and found it very enjoyable. I have always preferred his flaming youth, as well as some of his longer 50's records, but although it lacks the guts and glory of earlier Ellington, New Orleans Suite is as elegant as any of his better known albums, and a fine tribute to a city so rich in musical history.

Don't Cha?

I just started liking cheatin' songs
And what's bothering me
Is I don't know if it's the cheatin' I like
Or just the melody

(inspired by "She Just started Liking Cheatin' Songs" by the fabolous John Anderson).