Music – Page 5 – Zonker.net

March 24, 2021

Jukebox selections: Bambie Thug, Method of Defiance, Aesthetic Perfection and more

A few of the things that I’ve caught in the last few weeks that are keeping my ears busy, including Method of Defiance, Bambie Thug, Aesthetic Perfection and others.

One of Bill Laswell’s many, many, many, many recurring projects, Method of Defiance is all over the map depending on which album you’re dealing with. Some feature vocalists like Dr. Israel, others are instrumental jams that blow the doors completely off the hinges.

Nahariama is their second instrumental album, this one featuring DJ Krush, Bernie Worrell, Toshinori Kondo, Graham Haynes, Robert Burger, Guy Licata and Aiyb Dieng. Released in April 2013, the album resurfaced recently when Laswell released some vinyl through Bandcamp along with digital downloads.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=985442974 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Expect a longer review at some point, but this one wow’ed me right out of the gate. In particular, “Quantum Clash” is already in high rotation for me. Continue reading “Jukebox selections: Bambie Thug, Method of Defiance, Aesthetic Perfection and more”

March 13, 2021

Devil Doll returns with “Lover & a Fighter”

Devil Doll "Lover & a Fighter" album cover

After 13 years, Devil Doll (a.k.a. Colleen Duffy) is back with Lover & a Fighter, a release that is as strong as her debut album Queen Of Pain.

The lead track “You Can’t Have Me” would be right at home on Queen Of Pain, it’s sultry, bass-y, slinky and rumbles in like a big cat on the prowl. (You can thank John Button, who has toured with The Who and Roger Daltry, for that.) It’s a great start to an album full of fine tracks, heavily influenced by rockabilly, country rock, and 50s/60s sensibilities without sounding the least bit dated.

Odds are you could slip “It’s Only Make Believe” into a set on an oldies station and listeners would be none the wiser, except the production sounds a little too modern. “Purse Whiskey” (tagged with the “E” for fun, er, explicit on Spotify) is a perfect bar band tune that would bring any club to life performed live. You know, back when people went to live shows… Continue reading “Devil Doll returns with “Lover & a Fighter””

March 5, 2021

Bandcamp Friday recommendations: Eliza Rickman, Stickster, Renssy Rios, and much more

It’s Bandcamp Friday! Bandcamp has been waiving revenue share on the 1st Friday of each month to help artists who’ve had their incomes seriously impacted by the pandemic.

Reminder from Bandcamp, “here’s something to keep in mind: on Bandcamp Fridays, an average of 93% of your money reaches the artist/label (after payment processor fees). When you make a purchase on any other day of the month (as 2.5 million of you have since March, buying an additional $145 million worth of music and merch) an average of 82% reaches the artist/label.” So if you happen to be reading this on any other day, don’t hesitate to support folks on Bandcamp then too.

Eliza Rickman covers “Be My Baby”

At the top of my list today, Eliza Rickman’s new single. This is a cover of “Be My Baby” originally by The Ronettes, and will be on her forthcoming covers album. It’s beautiful and respects the original material while she makes it her own.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 track=1763143220 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

By the way, if you are unfamiliar with the original, listen to Eliza’s cover first and then be sure to check out the original. They’re both fantastic.

If you’re totally new to Eliza’s music, I recommend you start with her 2012 album O, You Sinners which is one of my all-time favorite albums. (Which isn’t to say that I don’t love all her albums, just that Sinners hits me juuuust right.)

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2096306311 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Stickster strikes again

I really love this track by Stickster, a.k.a Paul Frields. Full disclosure, Paul’s a friend and co-worker I’ve known well more than a decade now. But I’m giving this track a big thumbs up independent of that, it’s just a damn good instrumental track that reminds me a touch of Vangelis. (Maybe a little more than a touch.) Definitely put this one in your Bandcamp cart today.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 track=526198272 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Emma Swift sings Bob Dylan

I have a dirty secret. I’m an avid music fan who really isn’t very into Bob Dylan. I recognize his talent and songwriting genius, but I haven’t really connected with Dylan. However, I’ve really enjoyed covers of his songs – especially Blonde on the Tracks by Emma Swift. Gina Frary Bacon, of WFMU, wrote “An Emma Swift performance can bring you to the edge of tears, because her voice is both heartbreaking and heartbroken all at once. It takes a lot of resilience to be so vulnerable. She brings this strength and beauty to… Blonde on the Tracks.”

Can’t really say it better than that, so I won’t try. Go listen, you’ll believe.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=4061890943 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Modern Americana

Here’s one from The Pomegranate Country Irregulars that has a lot of charm and optimism. It’s filed under “modern Americana” and that sounds like a pretty good description. Some of the music reminds me of mid-period Jayhawks.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2562820348 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Bass and drums with Renssy Rios

Check out this instrumental album from Renssy Rios that features Rios playing 5-string bass and drums. Some really good stuff on this one and it’s a mixture of some fairly tranquil slow journeys and more fast-paced jams that get the blood pumping.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=4049902643 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Bill Laswell

Speaking of bass, there’s so much goodness from Bill Laswell on Bandcamp. If you’re unsure where to begin, I really love one of his latest releases, Against Empire that features Laswell, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Hancock, Hideo Yamaki, Chad Smith, and several others. Four (long) tracks that defy easy categorization but travel through avant-jazz, rock, dub, ambient and other genres. Don’t miss it.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=4236151357 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Even more bass with Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble

Finally, get double the bass with this album featuring Jah Wobble & Bill Laswell with the Invaders of the Heart and Peter Applebaum and Hideo Yamaki. Amazing album that just keeps giving.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=340709718 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

But wait, there’s more!

I’d also give a hearty recommendation to any of the other albums I’ve written about that are on Bandcamp or any of the albums in my collection. It’s my number one source of new music these days, they have so many fantastic niche and indie artists cranking out amazing work. We truly live in a time of abundance when it comes to finding music.

March 4, 2021

“It’s a Mistake” by Men at Work: pop at the height of the cold war

There’s not a bad song on Cargo (1983), but “It’s a Mistake” is one of the standout cuts on the album. Written by Colin Hay, it was the third single off Cargo and did pretty well on the charts.

If I remember correctly, the video was in heavy rotation on MTV for a while, but it didn’t get anything like the airplay that “Down Under” or “Who Can It Be Now?” got on the cable channel.

[youtube https://youtu.be/I0AxrOUJ62E]

I’ve loved Hay’s vocals since I was a youngster, but this is (still) one his best performances IMO. He builds up some really believable intensity on the final chorus and then brings it back down for the outro. The track also has some sparkling guitar work and great bass.

The cold war message in the song isn’t particularly subtle but what do you expect from a four-minute pop song? If you weren’t fortunate enough to grow up with 80s music, give it a listen. If you did but haven’t checked in with Men at Work for a while, give it a spin as well. Despite its age, the song still sounds fresh and is still in heavy rotation around these parts.

March 1, 2021

Amyl and the Sniffers, Fraidycat web follower, Mogwai

Let’s shake some of my browser tabs and see what falls out.

Fraidycat web follower / feed reader

RSS has been on the decline since Google snuffed Google Reader. Many sites, these days, don’t even support RSS. It’s a problem.

One solution that might fit the bill for many users is Fraidycat. It comes as a standalone app for Linux, macOS, and Windows, as well as extensions for Firefox and Chrome. (I’m currently using the standalone app for the Linux desktop.) The standalone appears to be an Electron app, so I might switch to the Firefox extension.

Fraidycat pros:

It handles RSS/Atom feeds, and a number of sites that don’t have proper feeds like Twitter, YouTube. Want to follow a YouTube channel outside YouTube? Fraidycat has got you covered.
It allows you to organize feeds by a free-form system of tags (including emojis) and their importance (Real-time, Frequent, Occasional… etc.).
Has an import/export system that makes it super-easy to switch from, say, the desktop app to the Firefox extension. Or just export OPML to import into another feed reader, or plain HTML bookmarks.
Easy to use, intuitive, open source-ish.

Fraidycat cons:

Doesn’t handle things like Twitter lists, Wikipedia pages that you might want to follow. Coughs up an error when you try to follow these.
The license is open source-ish. Specifically the Blue Oak Model License which is MIT-ish but not OSI-approved.
Earlier this year the next release for Fraidycat was “postponed” so the author could work on another project. Hoping it really is just a temporary postponement and not about to become abandonware.

Amyl and the Sniffers

I snagged this EP by Amyl and the Sniffers on the last Bandcamp Friday. It’s raw, joyous and punk-y. I think I might have been 45 seconds into the first track when I decided “yeah, OK, I’ll listen to this again and again.” Released in 2016, but I’d have believed it if somebody it came out in 1983. Assuming live music returns someday, I’d definitely head out to see them live.

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3846936675 size=large bgcol=333333 linkcol=2ebd35 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Short, sweet, noisy. Give it a listen, loud.

Mogwai – It’s What I Want To Do, Mum

Song I stumbled on while testing out Fraidycat. Instrumental goodness.

[youtube https://youtu.be/tFUGspVnZFQ]

Gimmie something I wouldn’t usually read…

If you are entirely unlike me and need reading suggestions (vs. having a stack of books taller than you that need reading), then I have a great site for you.

Break the Bubble will give book suggestions that are “bubble breakers” for books you might be unlikely to stumble on, usually. Give it The Hitchhiker’s Guide, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and Post Office by Charles Bukowski and it suggests I might want to read Dread Nation by Justina Ireland or My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland. (Also a “Captain Underpants” title, so there may be a few glitches in terms of age appropriateness.)

That’s it for today’s Link-o-Rama. What else should I be looking at on the Web?

February 27, 2021

James Jamerson: The unsung Motown bassist that influenced Paul McCartney

James Jamerson is just one of many session players in the 50s and 60s who went virtually unknown during his lifetime. Even now, after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and being featured in a documentary in 2002, he’s still not as well-known as he should be. Especially for a man who influenced Paul McCartney’s bass playing.

I’d never heard of Jamerson before reading about his influence on McCartney’s bass playing on the song “Taxman,” but I’d certainly heard his playing long before that.

Finding the tracks Jamerson played on requires a little digging. RYM provides 77 credits, and Discogs lists 164 records and singles where Jamerson is credited for playing bass. 10 for writing and arrangement. The bulk of those credits are post-Motown. (Intriguingly he is listed on Discogs as going by “Igor” in one instance. I’d like to know the story behind that…)

James Jamerson and a legacy of Motown hits

Jamerson wasn’t credited for most of his Motown work (which was not unusual), so most Motown fans didn’t know his name. But, as part of The Funk Brothers, he likely played on most (if not all) of Motown’s R&B singles. Including more than 100 that reached number one on the R&B charts.

The Miracles, The Supremes, The Marvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, The Spinners, The Jackson 5, and many others. All household names, but the backing band that powered all those songs were almost unknown. Apparently on purpose. According to the (now archived) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee page for Jamerson:

According to Motown keyboardist and bandleader Earl Van Dyke, “We were sworn to secrecy, and one of the secrets was between James and [drummers] Benny Benjamin and Uriel Jones.” Jamerson followed the company west when Berry moved Motown’s headquarters to Los Angeles, but the association between Motown and Jamerson ended in 1973.

The man who found the groove

According to Allan “Dr. Licks” Slutsky, the electric bass was “still an infant” until “the first note Jamerson played on a Motown record.”

In one momentous and soulful trifecta, the instrument found its voice, a fledgling record company discovered its heartbeat, and a generation took a bold step toward finding its groove.

Allan “Dr. Licks” Slutsky, Fifteenth Annual Induction Dinner Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

That might possibly be giving Jamerson a little too much credit. Maybe. Then again, who am I to argue with a Beatle about bass?

Paul McCartney and James Jamerson

Consider, Sir Paul McCartney, who knew Jamerson by sound but not by name. In a 2018 interview with Reverb, McCartney noted that his bass playing was influenced a lot by Jamerson.

But part of it, I think James Jamerson, him and me, I’d share the credit there. I was nicking a lot off him. Funnily enough, I’d always liked bass. My dad, as I say, was a musician and I remember he would give me little sort of lessons, not actual sit-down lessons, but when there was something on the radio, he’d say hear that low? That’s the bass. I remember him actually pointing out what a bass was, and he’d do little lessons in harmony [sings a line and then thirds above].

So when I came to The Beatles I had a little bit of musical knowledge through him, but very amateur. And I started listening to other bass players. Mainly as time went on it was Motown, James Jamerson—who became just my hero, really. I didn’t actually know his name until quite recently. James was very melodic, and that got me more interested.

Imagine being a musical influence on McCartney but never finding out because he didn’t know your name.

The shadows of Motown

Jamerson has gotten some acclaim, posthumously. Allan Slutsky wrote Standing in the Shadows of Motown (1987), digging deep into Jamerson’s work. The documentary film of the same name (from 2002) covered The Funk Brothers as a group through interviews with surviving members of the band.

James Jamerson was born in either 1938 or 1936, depending on the source, in South Carolina. He died, far too young, in 1983 of pneumonia. His son, also named James Jamerson, also went on to play bass as a session musician and as part of the group Chanson. We’ll take a look at James Jamerson Jr. another day.

Next time you hear one of those Motown classics, think about the session players like Jamerson who made them magic.

February 23, 2021

Concrete Blonde – “Happy Birthday” (song of the day)

Johnette Napolitano from Concrete Blonde in Happy Birthday video

Concrete Blonde had a lot of standout tracks on Free, but this one is timeless. “Happy Birthday” is a great song any day of the year, but on the 30th anniversary of my 21st birthday, it’s my go-to song of the day.

[youtube https://youtu.be/w6eg7-6_KsY]

How this song didn’t rocket the charts is beyond me. At less than three minutes it’s a perfect little slice of alterna-pop, Johnette’s voice is in great form, the groove is undeniable, and it totally (as the kids say) slaps. All that, and the lyrics resonate perfectly. (Or maybe that’s just me.)

Check out the video on YouTube if you haven’t heard the song before. Or put the entire album on via your favorite streaming service of choice. Free is one of those perfect albums, especially the sequence from “Happy Birthday” to “Carry Me Away” at the end of the album.

February 21, 2021

Ikebe Shakedown delivers cinematic instrumental funk

Ikebe Shakedown is another Bandcamp discovery. The band specializes in cinematic soul, an instrumental brand of soul/funk that feels like it should be straight out of a 70s cop or heist movie or a Tarantino soundtrack.

The band does burning jams and introspective cuts that feel like instant classics. If you aren’t moved by their tunes, you might want to consult your doctor.

Continue reading “Ikebe Shakedown delivers cinematic instrumental funk”

February 21, 2021

Underground Chamber is a ride deep into the mind of Buckethead

Buckethead’s Underground Chamber is the fourth release in his “Pikes” series, and something like his 33rd studio release overall. Underground Chamber is too good to be dismissed, but nowhere near the top of the pile in the expansive Buckethead discography.

Sliced into 10 tracks for digital download, or a single continuous track for CD, the album is tour of some of Buckethead’s favorite tropes. There are metal-ish bits, some funk, and enough tempo changes to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Let’s go underground with Buckethead

Being Buckethead, though, he can’t resist a few wonky bits that keep the album from mainstream accessibility. Well, that and the fact he wears a creepy mask and a bucket on his head.

Sometimes Buckethead’s plonky bits resolve into beautiful riffs and melodies. There’s no question that Buckethead is a rare talent who can coax just about anything out of a guitar that he wants. The jagged edges serve to add texture to what could otherwise be a bland exhibition of proficiency.

Buckethead’s rough edges

But the Pikes are unrefined and sometimes feel unfinished. It’s like looking through a great artist’s sketchbooks at thumbnails that never quite made the canvas. The ideas are there, the talent is there, but after toying with the subject for a bit the page is turned and we don’t see the masterpiece it might have become if it was fully worked.

Like a sketchbook, I like taking out the Pikes from time to time and get a lot of enjoyment out of them. But they’re not the first thing I reach for when I’m looking for music, much of the time.

What could be

It’d be interesting to see what a producer could work out of Underground Chamber with the current album as a starting point. I’d really love to see what Buckethead’s discography would sound like if he had a producer and/or collaborator who could get him to focus on the best bits and discard some of the noodling.

The trade-off is that Buckethead fans have an almost unfiltered access to his work, fully developed and otherwise. Almost every Buckethead album I’ve listened to has high points that make it worth the time to listen from start to finish.

[bandcamp width=400 height=472 album=1506033273 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=63b2cc artwork=small]

February 19, 2021

One from the vaults: World Destruction by Time Zone

Needed a bit of adrenaline on top of my caffeine today, pulled this one out of the vaults for a quick boost. “World Destruction” is a single from Time Zone, a collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa, John Lydon, and Bill Laswell.

The track also features frequent Laswell collaborators Aiyb Deng (percussion), Bernie Worrell (synths), and Nicky Skopelitis on guitar. Lydon and Bambaataa share vocals, with Lydon contributing his unique frenetic delivery.

Nothing not to love about this one, it’s got a driving beat and catchy chorus. Lyrics seem just as appropriate today as they did when it was released in 1984. If you’re a Sopranos fan, you might recognize it from the first episode of season four.

The reconstruction is not bad, but IMO doesn’t add enough as a remix to recommend it. The “Mr. Reagan” sample dates the track tremendously.

But the A-side is all goodness. Stick it in and crank it all the way up.

[bandcamp width=400 height=208 album=4061577253 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 artwork=small]