I’ll check out the second link. As for Kamayiah, she is good, but I hear a bit too much Autotune and her flow is too structured. For hip hop, I am listening to Anderson Paak - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-mlg-fFJZGA with an occasional dip into Thundercat, the bassist and vocalist who worked with Kendrick Lamarr.
Bo I like the other one - nicely drone-rock-y. Wish his voice had more personality but I could to the music all day.
Meant to comment on the Kamayiah, which I liked, but if I’m sleeping on the wheel about it then I guess I’ll move on to Anderson Paak. Speaking from my drummer’s perspective, I immediately cottoned on to how the kick interplayed with the emphasized hi-hat notes, propelling the song along. The guitar(?) accents that come at end of…well, not every bar, but the majority of bars in the song, reminded me of Fela Kuti or early Talking Heads. This isn’t my most familiar genre of music, so I’m curious how common a.) fade-out endings are with this stuff (which I thought worked here) and b.) all those n-bombs, which I have heard before with this stuff, just not sure to what extent it’s done.
Huh! nifty Malibu coda!
so…you could…
a.) dance?
b.) git down?
c.) mime?
d.) synchronize swim?
e.) do jumping jacks to?
f.) meditate?
Never been a fan, but this Pretenders tune, Mystery Achievement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hKbmnnYeq8 has always been a musical shining light for me. From the way it begins, with the suspense trope that has a new instrument coming in every four bars…especially that bouncing bassline - hard to keep a foot still to it. I find quite uplifting when CH goes “on my mind” X 3 or “so un-reeeaallllll”.
Hmm, nice, very groovy bass line, whether sample or original. Of course, I’m a whore for anything with a nice fuzz lead, and that has one of those as well. If I have one wish, I wish they could have pulled more of the intro’s otherworldly feel into the rest of the song.
And wow, I like the soft, almost Joy Division psych of Modern Pull, Bo. They’d fit right into the scene around here. Will have to listen to more of them.
I’ll stick with WordMan’s rap trend for my submission this time, because a friend recently commented that I’ve been listening to a lot of rap lately. It’s true, I have. There’s been some stuff happening in rap over the last 5-6 years that was right up my alley, but it’s just now working its way into my insulated world.
Anyhow, just recently, my brother sent me a link to Big Freedia - Explode. It starts slow, but then it’s some strong, tasty stuff. Sometimes the rapid-fire rap of Big Freedia’s music verges on the audio equivalent of staring into a strobe light, it’s so intense, but this one hits the sweet spot so well. Huge, crushing, it does not let up, I can’t even sit here and type while listening to it, I just dance in my chair. I had to take the headphones off to type this paragraph. Ok, I don’t have any willpower, but it gets my ass to dance every time.
On Preview, OK, I’ll do Mystery Achievement, too. Just don’t forget Big Freedia.
I’ve always been a fan of this song. I’m a bass player, and the bass carries this song throughout. Awesome, pounding drums, that are still fantastically subtle in how they do changes and fills. Does anyone know if the drum fills starting at 3:15 are overdubs? If not, wow. Also, nice, sparse, tasteful guitar parts.
Damn, I’m going to have to actually learn that bass line and convince my band to do a cover of it.
Well, for the usual once-a-month CPR…
To ruthlessly rake Scabpicker’s Big Freedia - Explode - over the coals.
Naaaa just joshin’ - it totally grabbed me. Reprazentin’ the ol’ No’lins…
WHOOOOAAA!!! LET’S GO, LET’S GO,
WHOOOOAAA!!! LET’S GO, LET’S GO,
WHOOOOAAA!!! LET’S GO, LET’S GO, LET’S GO, LET’S GO, LET’S GO…
Nifty prole rant, with cool overlapped vocal tracks. From about 2:10 to 2:36 was a particularly cool section with some pretty catchy vocalizing.
None of the laundromats I ever went to had that kid of fun. 
In '81 this grade 11’er admittedly listened to all that gooey fusion stuff, and prog too. (Mahavishnu Orchestra’s fusion, and King Crimson’s prog.) The Crimson I still dig, but Mahavishnu - less so. Despite that, there are still some MO songs I like, like the following instrumental, off one of MO’s harder-to-find discs, “Inner Worlds”:
The opening - with that stolid one-note guitar line and the coolest use of jingle bells since The Stooges’s “I Wanna Be Your Dog” - goes nicely into IMO the coolest use of a kettle drum, like, EV-AAAAAR, totally lending the song a sense of epic undertaking, like trudging on a mission, sorta like what pilgrims do.And the way John McLaughlin “wails” on that particular note (wish I knew the guitar to identify it:() @ :35, :56, 3:04, and 4:11 - gives the tune an uplifting sense of victorious closure (haha despite it being repeated four times:p)
Even the triangle shots at 1:15 and 4:31 “do it” for me.
Funny how my least favourite part of the song (Stu Goldgerg’s over-long Korg? Mini-moog? solo) ends on my favourite part, which is a reprise of the stolid one-note guitar pattern, gradually coming in at the end of that solo to segue back to the main part of the song again.
Ear-wormy as all fuckin get-out for this dude.
[quote=“Eddie The Horrible, post:265, topic:679539”]
In '81 this grade 11’er admittedly listened to all that gooey fusion stuff, and prog too. (Mahavishnu Orchestra’s fusion, and King Crimson’s prog.) The Crimson I still dig, but Mahavishnu - less so. Despite that, there are still some MO songs I like, like the following instrumental, off one of MO’s harder-to-find discs, “Inner Worlds”:
[/QUOTE]Great track; I had almost forgotten about it! I was a big fan of MO about the same time you were (early '80s) even tho they had stopped recording after this album.
McLaughlin’s guitar playing has more heat than ever before (or since, perhaps) IMO. This is one of the great fusion albums of the '70s, not least because it has passion, a quality conspicuously (and deliberately, IMO) absent from most recordings within that genre. It’s a pity because fusion can be truly beautiful and joyous music instead of the blandly pleasant fare that has become the norm.
“RELEASE YOUR WIGGLE!”
I liked parts of the Big Freedia song, but overall thought it was mediocre. I liked his opening yell but I didn’t like the pacing it had when looped. I liked the Atari Teenage Riot-like approach to the drums a lot and hope that this is indicative of a small trend in music (I thought ATR were quite visionary back in 1995; everyone else just thought I was crazy for listening to them).
I do think Big Freedia has some fucking style tho, and I can relate to that.
Pretenders is Pretenders. Those first couple of albums are awesome; pure gold. That period had SO much amazing music being made in the UK it was crazy and this song is no exception. Shimmering but gritty guitars, plaintive vocals, driving beats, funked-up bass… this is a great track.
My pick this time is the song that introduced me to this artist way back in 1999. I have all of his albums and have even corresponded with him a couple of times. I find his music gripping and also vaguely disturbing, as tho I am listening to a man trying not-quite-successfully to scratch an itch so that he is compelled to keep scratching. His music is best described as some kind of twisted gothic alt-country rock; here’s Johnny Dowd - God Created Woman.
Posting again to say that I could not get the parts of Big Freedia’s song that I liked out of my head, so went back to the well. After 6 listens I am now a huge fan of the song and ordered a copy of the album from Amazon.
Thanks, scabpicker! Great pick!
Hehehe, I was actually contemplating a despairing post detailing my realization that I had joined a community that was for some reason completely adverse to releasing the wiggle. I’m glad I waited. 
Damn, I’ve been beating that song to death for more than a month? It’s well past time for me to buy my own copy, Bo!
Johnny Dowd: Yeah, that’s a guitar tone, and what a way of playing it. The song stylistically recalls Tom Waits and Nick Cave, without being an imitation of either. Haunting, far from clear-cut lyrically, angular in contrasts of timbre and tone, and willing to offend your sensibilities as long as it gets to surprise you. I listened to several other songs last night after getting a taste of this one. Even though he seems like a character who’d be hard to like in person, I like him a lot. Thankya in return!
And in an hideous bout of reverse serialization and impulsive love, I’m going to post my favorite song of his that I heard last night. I went back to it several times, I liked it so much. Johnny Dowd - Gargon gets all Biblical. I wish I’d written that damn song. Such a great opening riff, and it morphs into about 5 other riffs over the course of the song. The lyrics make me think of William S. Burroughs, again without making me feel like he’s imitating him.
And yeah, that’s a guitar tone.
Great Album Was a major inspiration to the Beastie Boys… Hello Group
Okay, I gave Big Freedia a listen or 2. I can see tha appeal, but goodness gracious ! :eek:
Johnny Dowd was interesting. I appreciate the lack of production but I’m missing something. Simplicity, maybe doing much with little, a wee bit of dissonance; I hear those things. And while each one can bring celebration to various tunes, I didn’t get any celebration here. I’ll add that the Gargon song was catchy. I loved the scratchy, distorted guitar solo! Johnny Dowd… I know I’ve heard that name. There’s some significance to my musical past but I can’t bring it out at the moment.
As you guys have probably figured out, I’ve got a thing for pop tunes. I was sitting in the van, listening to WKNC during a puff break and this little gem came on. I haven’t researched the guys, but I did download their EP. “Denim” from Brave Town . Nothing new to report here; I just think it’s a very well-crafted pop song. And it works with my 3-minute attention span.
I agree! I also like short, straightforward power pop, as demonstrated by a couple of my earlier submissions (and I also like stuff that’s long and elaborate, as demonstrated by others). This is a good, kind of timeless track (I had to look it up to learn it was pretty new), which I have now added to my library. Thanks.
My next submission is one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs. Sometimes I’m tempted to say it is my favorite, full stop…but that’s probably unfair to some of their great songs that have just gotten overplayed. What’s absolutely true is that this is my favorite of their “deep cuts” that you never hear on the radio (at least, I never have). And they have a lot of great deep cuts, so that’s still saying something.
I just love the overall “beauty” of the song. It elevates me every time. The harmonic singing, the spare, acoustic-sounding guitar early on…and then most of all, the piano solo in the middle that leads into a more characteristic Gilmour electric guitar solo.
Obscured By Clouds is one of a handful of Floyd albums I don’t own, maybe I ought to rectify that. Never heard it before but I liked it. Simple tune, but some instruments make surprise appearances over the course of the song to help sustain interest over all five minutes. Today this song would appear on a folky indie-pop album that gets a good review on Pitchfork.
This next pick is from a Chicago-based artist usually identified with the oft-derided genre of emo, although a more “grown-up” version here than anything associated with mopey kids dressed in black at the mall (the lyrics mention being 30).
Ha, I hadn’t thought of that as I’ve been listening to Obscured By Clouds for a quarter century (about half the time it’s existed)–but I think you might be right.
And yeah, if you like this song and Pink Floyd in general, you definitely need to buy that album (or stream it if you subscribe to Spotify or Apple Music). The whole thing is really good. It was released seven months after *Meddle *and nine months before Dark Side of the Moon, and it’s very much of that rich creative era for the band, so I don’t know why it doesn’t get more attention.
For someone who’s not an emo fan…
Interesting starting off with the Big Ben bell ringing and then working the song into it.
At points it seemed like the fiesty drummer was doing his/her damnedest to really stand out.
Neat lyrics like:
“My aching frame
Doesn’t process things the same”
Nice gradual reduction of instruments at ending, but I’ve never liked those way-too-abrupt “slamming-down-soundboard-fader” endings - always seemed cop-out-y to me. (unless we’re dealing with noisey, fun-ass, d.i.y. grindcore.)
One of my fave composers - Alberto Ginastera - cranked out this baby:
luuuuuuv the spooky refrain (for lack of whatever else to call it) @ :53, 2:09, and points later on, as a unifying motif.
Probably not something to crank up in your car on a first date, but at home, while firing up some live resin on the ole enail: whole grain goodness.
That was amazing.
I was not previously familiar with this composer but he’s on my radar now; thanks for that. The guy at the keyboard is no frikkin slouch; he was nailing everything and his enthusiasm for the music is evident.
And what music! Bold, exciting, fun… there’s a groove to these intricate constructs.
Do you know if that particular performance is available on CD or for download?
Truly, truly astounding.
I feel guilty for letting this thread languish for so long; certainly if I’d have known that that sonata was waiting I’d have been back sooner.
My pick is a new tune from a trio of UK sisters. I stumbled across it this morning and have already listened to it about 15 times. The vocals are stunning and the way the song morphs and flows is so natural that it’s easy to forget how much change is wrought in this short, haunting song. The song’s lyrics, as should be evident from the title, are likely NSFW; here’s The Staves - Tired As Fuck.
For the first minute or so, I thought the song was good, but nothing special. But when they kicked it up a notch into the harmonies of the chorus, it really caught my attention. Good find!
My pick is a Weepies song I’ve loved for years, but which frustratingly is not available on Apple Music (of their whole catalogue, it’s just the album *happiness *that’s unavailable for whatever reason). I try to remember to listen to it on YouTube from time to time. It’s got the titillating (or eyebrow-raising) title “Dating a Porn Star”, but it’s really a very beautiful duet–and there are actually no “explicit lyrics”, unless “porn star” or “strip club” count.
The Weepies song was a pretty, little ditty with a somewhat surprising theme. It’s hard to have any connection with the protagonist, though. The melody is straight-forward enough, but they miss describing the relationship in a manner that meets with my imagined version of a pornstar’s life. The story falls flat (for me) but the music was ok.
The Staves… wow. I really didn’t really get a belt out of the linked song until I listened a couple of times. Now it’s my current earworm. Nice layering. Even as the dialog gets a little repetitive, they keep it fresh. This tune really started to shine after I listened to more of their music. These ladies have a good thing going on. Their work breathes in a niche musical universe and many may never hear this talent. I probably wouldn’t have. I’m glad you shared it, Bo.
This next tune is from Canadian group Badbadnotgood. I mentioned these guys in a different thread last month when I was just discovering them. I think this is an interesting tune; it’s off their 3rd release. Though the sax is what grabs your attention, try to focus some of it on that base line laying underneath. Confessions (ft. Leland Whitty).
p.s. I thoroughly enjoyed the Alberto Ginastera piano piece.
Outstanding! The rhythm section is dynamite, the keys add to the whole rather than trying to stand out and the sax playing is both flighty and catchy at the same time. I did think the sax was a bit too forward in the mix, but that’s a minor quibble. Thanks for the introduction, shunpiker!
I’m very glad that you enjoyed The Staves, btw.
As many of y’all are aware, I spend a tremendous amount of time seeking out new music. This leads me to some interesting places, people and sounds and one of my new favorites is a quartet from Kiev, Ukraine. I was immediately drawn to their rhythms, their complex interplay and their hats. Here’s DakhaBrakha - Sho Z-Pod Duba; feel free to stick around for the rest of the performance.
Wow! I honestly think that was awesome. I don’t think I’ve heard anything quite like that before. It combined so many disparate genres into one sound. I felt like I was dancing in the street of a very foreign country. 
This is The Revivalists, “Criminal”. I just happened to discover this band the other day and I have been hooked ever since. I just feel the soul here immensely.