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* Favorite Instrumental Albums of 2011 *

31st Dec 11 (Sat) Leave a comment

As I start this post, I will say that this is all very subjective and really put together for my own purposes.  I’ll also state that, yes, some of the music below does have some vocals (i.e.- the Goddamn Electric Bill & Mike Patton CDs).  For the most part, it’s sequestered to a track or two on a long CD of mostly instrumental goodness.  My list, my rules, and/or my breaking of the rules.  With that being said, all of the artists below tend to be in the jazz and instrumental frame of reference anyway.

As said before… I’ve been buying less music… or, at least a lot less mainstream (major label) music. This is also my fourth year now that I bought more instrumental CDs than vocal CDs. I think as I get older, I am drawn more towards jazz and other instrumental forms of expression. Hopefully my spilling out of music that I like finds interest with someone else. But if not, thanks for stopping by… check out the artists’ webpages, Facebox pages, yadda yadda yadda. Some of these also made it on to my 2011 Mix CD (free streaming/download).

OK, now on to the best of what’s hit my ears this year…

Product Details Cyro Baptista’s Banquet of Spirits plays John Zorn’s Masada Book Two: Book of Angels, Vol. 17 (Caym) :: The Masada Book two series is some of my favorite music coming out of Tzadik.  Banquet of the Spirits is the touring band of Latin percussionist Cyro Baptista, a long time Zorn collaborator.  Each track touches upon a different world tradition, steeped in Zorn’s klez-jazz score.  Lyrical and moving and fun!
Artichaut Orkestra – T For Teresa :: Featuring four young musicians  from Toulouse, Artichaut Orkestra mix jazz, klezmer and classical music, blending rock energy with improv.  This is their debut record, and I’m definitely looking forward to more coming from them in the near future.
Curtis Macdonald – Community Immunity :: To be honest, this was an impulse purchase.  One of my favorite record labels is Greenleaf Music – founded by my favorite living trumpet-player Dave Douglas.  I was picking up some new music from DD and figured, “eh, what the hell!”  I was impressed with Curtis’ melodic compositions and emotive alto sax playing.
Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will :: Stunning double-disc set from post-rock’s Scottish kings.  I’ll still probably forgo seeing them live again (too loud, beyond their needs), but they put out some amazingly beautiful music.

(3 CDs)		 John Zorn – Nova Express / At the Gates of Paradise / A Dreamer Christmas :: Three discs made the cut of the six Zorn releases in 2011.  Nova Express combines quirky atonal classical lyricism with a touch of the cut up techniques of Naked City and virtuosity of the Masada songbook. Zorn scored this for Joey Baron (drums), Trevor Dunn (bass), John Medeski (piano), and Kenny Wollesen (vibes).  Paradise features the same band as Nova Express, brings some Medeski organ into the mix and adds more of Zorn’s “mystical” ambiance.  The Dreamer Christmas album was an oddity for me.  Why would a Jewish jazz musician put out a Christmas album?  Because he can!  The Dreamers is one of my favorite Zorn-assembled ensembles: Joey Baron (drums), Cyro Baptista (percussion), Trevor Dunn (bass), Marc Ribot (guitars), Jamie Saft (keys), and Kenny Wollesen (vibes).  Very accessible, but not smooth jazz!  Adventurous!  Mike Patton joins them on the final track for a croon-y “chestnut roasting.”  The holiday album was also put out as a 12″ vinyl and a 7″ single – both with gorgeous artwork and design by Chippy.
yMusic – Beautiful Mechanical :: The yMusic Ensemble had a kickstarter earlier this year for their debut album – with songs composed by Son Lux, Annie Clark, Shara Worden (aka My Brightest Diamond), Saraha Kirkland snider (who penned a favorite album Penelope last year), and Gabriel Kahane.  Their string-heavy, indie chamber rock approach excites me.  Being the musical backdrop for My Brightest Diamond’s All Things Will Unwind album (my #2 vocal album in 2011) doesn’t hurt.
Peter Mulvey & David Goodrich – Nine Days Wonder :: Peter Mulvey has toured all over the US and the world for about 2 decades.  Some of the first times I saw him in concert, he had “Goody” with him on backing guitar.  They don’t get a chance to tour together much lately, but they did find some time to hole-up inside a studio to write and record some instrumental guitar duets.  While I love Peter’s vocal storytelling, it’s nice to hear his and Goody’s instrumental interplay tell a different story.
Goddamn Electric Bill – Jazz :: GdEB is the one-man brainchild of Jason Torbert.  He hits the spot for organic electronic meets post-rock for me.  Ambient at times, melodic other times.  His latest work has featured some vocals, but he’s primarily a groove-induced soundscape kind of guy.  Chirps and glitches, too.  Excellent stuff!
The Dead Kenny G’s – Operation Long Leash :: The Dead Kenny Gs is a duo started by saxophonist Skerik and drummer/vibes Mike Dillon in 2004.  shortly thereafter, they started adding Brian Haas, keyboard genius, when he is able, as well as Brad Houser, bassist from another Skerik band – Critters Buggin.  They push through the jazz/rock minefield to fight “injustice, cheese, and dishonesty in music, and society.”
Talkdemonic – Ruins :: Portland-based chamber-indie-post-rock… goodness.  So much sound from two people.  If you’re in Portland, they’re playing a big NYE show tonight… if in Eugene, they’ll be through our way (at Sam Bond’s) on Feb 24th.  Not to be missed!
Mike Patton – The Solitude of Prime Numbers :: I had to put this album as #13.  This chiefly instrumental album is a tribute to the book (by Paolo Giordano) and film of the same name.  The score is 16 tunes spread out over a 53 tracks, with the only tracks with content being 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, and 53. *slow clap* Clever, Mr. Patton!  For people who bought the CD, you can thank me for entering in the info to CDDB (t’was a pain).  The score/album fits more with his prior score for A Perfect Place – more accessible when compared to Patton’s usual schizophrenic output.  The packaging design is also brilliant – a gorgeous die-cut leaf that fold outwards.  I’d always recommend getting physical releases from Ipecac versus the digital download version.
Garage A Trois – Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil :: Skerik, Stanton Moore, Marco Benevento (who replaced Charlie Hunter) and Mike Dillon make their way through Oregon quite a bit.  They are a sight to see – you don’t know exactly what kind of show you’ll get, but it’s definitely a fun time.  Fun, groove-oriented “new jazz.”
Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care :: If not jazz, this list is also overtaken by post-rock.  it’s a love of mine, and Explosions in the Sky are one of the best in that game.  Epic, sweeping guitars crashing over a hearty drum & bass end.  This is another album where I’d recommend the physical edition – the  case can be unfolded to form a model of a house, where if viewed from the inside, the view from the door of the house is overlooking a tornado across a plain.
Erik Friedlander – Bonebridge :: I started 2011 seeing Erik perform his John Zorn-penned Volac album in its entirety… brilliant and moving.  Later in the year, he came out with Bonebridge – a new band/concept that takes his Broken Arm Trio (with Trevor Dunn & Mike Sarin) and adds slide guitar player Doug Wamble to the mix.  What you get is a perfect chamber-Americana-jazz album.  I hope there are more where this came from…
Kevin Moore – Shine (Küçük Kıyamet Soundtrack) :: Kevin Moore’s main projects are the trippy/sample-heavy Chroma Key & heavier prog collaboration band O.S.I. (with Jim Matheos). Shine is the soundtrack to the 2006 Turkish film Küçük Kiyamet (“Little Apocalypse“).  It came out in early 2011 after a successful Kickstarter in 2010.  The next album from O.S.I. comes out in February 2012 on Metal Blade.  I can almost guarantee it will be my Top album of 2012, and I haven’t heard a shred of it yet.
Reptet – At the Cabin :: This Seattle-based jazz sextet is fuuuuuuuuuun – both on record and in the live setting.  I wish the distance on I-5 between me and them wasn’t 5-6 hours, as I’d see them far more often if I could.
Matt Chamberlain, Viktor Krauss, Dan Phelps – Modular: Sonic Explorations :: Gorgeous soundscapes from Matt Chamberlain, Viktor Krauss, and Dan Phelps.  The Modular Project is the collaboration of the aforementioned musicians working together to “discover what the spontaneous and organic manipulation of sound can yield. Inspired by the world around them, they set out to discover what it might sound like when continents shift, clouds form, and roots push through soil.”  The track, “Everest,” features one of my favorite cellists – Eyvind Kang (who has worked with Secret Chiefs 3, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Mike Patton).  It’s a great mix of cello, vibes and soaring atmosphere.  The album is only available digitally or on vinyl (it’s a luscious triple-gatefold!)…

(3 CDs)
Dave Douglas – Three Views: GPS Series – Rare Metals, Orange Afternoons & Bad Mango :: Originally released as the “Greenleaf Portable Series” (download only), these three different releases in 2011 finally got a proper physical (boxset) release.  Dave’s prolific writing comes out with different bands on each record: Rare Metals features Dave’s most recent band Brass Ecstasy; Orange Afternoons features a specially put together quintet with Ravi Coltrane, Vijay Iyer, Linda Oh, and Marcus Gilmore; and Bad Mango paired Dave’s trumpet with So Percussion’s marimba, drumset, glockenspiel, musical saw, toy bells, shruti box, crotales, and more.  Three very different records tied together with Dave’s fantastic playing.
Tides From Nebula – Earthshine :: This Polish post-rock group won my heart in 2009 with their debut, Aura (in 2009).  They continue to tease me with emails or news that says “tour” until I open and can’t pronounce the names of the cities that they’re hitting.  Drat!  At least their music will keep me company!  Earthshine is perfect for those fans of Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, and the like… and seeing as it beat out both those groups on my 2011 list, well, that should tell you something as well.
Michael Kelsey – Submerged :: Michael Kelsey is a HUGE amount of what I miss from the Midwest music scene.  He’s a musical genius – rarely paralleled on the frets.  Seeing him live (which I did any chance I could) was a site to behold.  His records do their best to capture his virtuosity, but they usually fail to capture his energy, too.  Catching fire in a bottle is tough.  Regardless, this one is a gem and also marks his first all instrumental affair.  Check him out, and if you live within a state or two from central Indiana, I count you a lucky one.  Go see him if he stops by your town.
Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 :: More riff-oriented and melodic compared to the prior drone doom albums, Earth bring a cello into the mix for the first time and create an ominous soundscape that is both elegant and dreadful.  The follow-up, Angels & Demons 2, comes out in Feb 2012… and you can almost guarantee it’ll rise to the top of my list next year as well.

Note: Ric Hordinski’s Arthur’s Garden (which made it on my 2011 Mix) is technically a 2012 release, hence its absence above.

Where do I get most of these jazz and other instrumental releases?  My #1 favorite source for jazz is Downtown Music Gallery in New York.  Manny and Bruce and their great staff are superb… and being the official distributor for John Zorn’s Tzadik doesn’t hurt my affection for them.  I usually do a monthly Tzadik order (if the releases strike my fancy), and they have a ton of other non-Tzadik jazz and avant-garde releases as well.

And, no, I’m not affiliated, I don’t get a commission, and beyond my initial “big tax refund / gotta get caught up on Zorn order of 2005,” I haven’t gotten a discount with DMG.  I just love and support what they do.

Enjoy the New Years’ weekend!! Be safe! See you in 2012.

My Other Favorites of 2011 Recaps:

~Dan – np: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

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2011 anticipated albums

30th Dec 10 (Thu) Leave a comment

So, the year end recaps are in process (instrumental list maybe later today or Friday) … I needed something to fill the gap… here are some artists who are expecting to release new material in 2011 (some are carryovers from 2010’s anticipation), all of which I’m looking forward to…





Kevin Moore‘s Shine (digital out now, CDs en route), dredg has one due at the end of March, Over the Rhine‘s The Long Surrender, Earth‘s Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 (in February), Iron & Wine‘s Kiss Each Other Clean, Mogwai‘s Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will, Reptet‘s At the Cabin, My Brightest Diamond‘s as of yet untitled (she’s in the studio), a bunch of new stuff from John Zorn, Derek Webb‘s Democracy Vol 2 (10 cover songs for 2011), maybe the Secret Chiefs 3 will finally release Book of Souls (it’s their “Chinese Democracy”), Eisley‘s The Valley, Jelly Jam with Ty Tabor of King’s X/John Myung of Dream Theater/Rod Morgenstein of Dixie Dregs, Goddamn Electric Bill‘s Jazz, A.N.M. featuring Doug Pinnick of King’s X and Jimi Hazel of 24-7 Spyz, Ken Andrew and Co’s Digital Noise Academy (maybe), Silverchair are working on one (didn’t hit in 2010), Radiohead have put in studio time in 2010 (maybe something out by year’s end), Glen Phillips likely has a few in the hopper (RemoteTreeChildren #2?  new Toad?  new WPA?  new solo?), Opeth is in the studio, Steven Wilson with Mike Portnoy & Mikael Akerfeldt (of Opeth) too, Sufjan Stevens tribute album (due out in March), more chapters from Celldweller‘s Wish Upon a Blackstar, new tracks from Billy & Maynard’s A Perfect Circle, Mike Patton‘s electronic Fantômas or Peeping Tom #2, and… Ani DiFranco – I mean, it’s inevitable… right?  Well, not always, she totally missed 2010 (as of now, no studio albums out in 821 days / 257 since a live EP on Record Store Day 2010).

Plus many more great albums due out in 2011, I’m sure.

~Dan – np: Kevin Smith – Red State of the Union (podcast)

Categories: Music News Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mogwai 2011 Tour

27th Oct 10 (Wed) Leave a comment

Scottish post-rock force Mogwai announced their tour dates.  U.S. & Canadian dates are below.  If you are going, be forewarned, they are LOUD.

And I don’t mean it in the casual sense.  I go to a lot of shows.  I go to a lot of loud shows.  Mogwai is the loudest I have ever seen – and not necessary in my opinion (they’re not a metal band).  Prepare yourself to be raped in the eardrum.

I plan on hitting Portland.  I need new earplugs, maybe rated for cannon blasts and machine gun.

Mogwai’s 2011 North American DATES
19 Apr: 9.30 Club, Washington DC
20 Apr: Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia
21 Apr: Webster Hall, New York
22 Apr: Webstar Hall, New York
23 Apr: Paradise Rock Club, Boston
25 Apr: Olympia Theater, Montreal
26 Apr: Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto
27 Apr: Mr. Smalls Theatre, Pittsburgh
28 Apr: St. Andrews Hall, Detroit
29 Apr: Metro, Chicago
30 Apr: Slowdown, Omaha
2 May: Bluebird Theater, Denver
3 May: In The Venue, Salt Lake City
5 May: Wonder Ballroom, Portland
6 May: Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver
7 May: Showbox at the Market, Seattle
9 May: Regency Ballroom, San Francisco
10 May: Mayan Theater, Los Angeles
11 May: Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach
13 May: Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque
15 May: Granada Theatre, Dallas
16 May: Stubbs Waller Creek, Austin
17 May: Warehouse Live, Houston
19 May: Workplay Theater, Birmingham
20 May: Center Stage, Atlanta

For dates for the rest of the world, check out http://www.mogwai.co.uk/

~Dan – np: Damien Jurado & Richard Swift – Other People’s Songs Vol 1 

Categories: Music News Tags: , , , , ,

new post-rock gems

28th Sep 08 (Sun) 3 comments

AristeiA – How to Kill a King -EP- :: This band from Portland caught me by storm like the warrior’s prowess that their Iliadic name suggests*.  This debut CD is truly great post-rock for fans of Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, and others in that vein.  My favorite track is “Feedback King,” and it’s all-in-all a solid outing.  Their packaging of the CD is also quite unique… it’s a hand sewn golden pouch** with oversized liner cards and a paper sleeved CD.  It doesn’t fit nicely in my standard rack (between Argyle Park & Arrested Development); but it definitely stands out and shows that they put effort into their record as a whole, not just the music.  I’m excited about seeing them live in October when I’m up in Portland for work.  Check them out at:
….http://www.myspace.com/aristeiaband

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Talkdemonic – Eyes at Half Mast :: Yet another band from Portland, but I got into them back when I lived in SW Ohio.  I finally got a chance to see them live (review link) in February.  They are a great two piece that is more on the subtler, gentler side of post-rock.  Perhaps “electro-acoustic chamber rock” is their subgenre. :)  Anyway, Eyes at Half Mast picks up where their past two records left off… nary a disappointment.  I’ve been waiting for this record since they mentioned it as “upcoming” at their show in Feb…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mogwai – The Hawk is Howling :: Much more enjoyable to me than their recent tour (review link).  I can control the volume… yay!  I dig this record A LOT.  This Scottish band, or band from Scotland (so all three bands are from places that end in “land”), has put out some consistently great records.  This one bounces back from their mellower Zidane with more gusto, more power, yet still retaining the melody.  You know… the melody that gets drowned out in their live show (::rolleyes::).  Anyway, I think this record will stand up as one of the better releases in 2008.

2008 is a banner year for great instrumental music.  Every year I get more and more instrumental music, but this year is shaping up to be the first year ever where instrumental music beats out vocal music on CDs making their way on my shelves (and it’s by a landslide at this point).  These three records above are a good indication why I’m leaning towards the vocal-less preference lately.

~Dan – np: Ani Difranco – Red Letter Year

*– gotta love Wikipedia
**– though it is fraying a bit, they could have used some pinking shears***
***– gotta love Wikipedia

Categories: Album Reviews, New Sounds Tags: , , , , , , , ,

REVIEW: Mogwai @ Music Fest NW (Portland, OR – – 9/3/08)

3rd Sep 08 (Wed) 1 comment

Opener the Fuck Buttons were pretty good.  I’m bummed that I didn’t make it to the venue until 9:30pm and didn’t make it inside until about 9:40… as I only caught one of the FB’s set.  They were loud, but sort of an electronic post-rock duo.  Groove-oriented and somewhat repetitive, but the song I heard was enjoyable.

Mogwai hit the stage right around 10:30pm.  And they are quite possibly the loudest band on the planet (outside of perhaps Testament on the Demonic Tour).  Oy… I just don’t know why their live shows need to be so bloody loud.  It’s quite unbearable.  Their music suits a “normal” setting (unlike perhaps Testament).  I mean, what are Mogwai trying to prove by being so loud?  It wasn’t a one-time thing either… they were quite unbearably loud when I saw them in 2006 at the Wexner in Columbus, OH.


(from the Portland show)

I stayed for right about an hour.  I’m not going to bother with posting a set list, as… well… they’re a post-rock band, and it’s hard to remember their song titles.  Sorry, it was good, but I’ve got no song titles for y’all (UPDATE: setlist from fan photo).

Setlist:

  • Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
  • The Precipice
  • Ithaca 27ø9
  • Thank You Space Expert
  • Friend of the Night
  • Scotland’s Shame
  • Hunted By A Freak
  • Ex-Cowboy
  • Kids Will Be Skeletons
  • I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead
  • I Love You, But I’m Going To Blow Up your School
  • 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
  • Like Herod
  • Batcat

I’m looking forward to their upcoming album, The Hawk Is Howling, out in 3 weeks.  That way I can adjust the volume myself.

Luckily my hotel is literally 3 minutes away.  And my ringing ears shall be in bed soon.

The Appropriate Linkage:

No posts for a while (meaning a few days)… perhaps (I’ve been known to be a liar).  Moving stuff this weekend to our new house.  But look out… next week is God of Shamisen (9/11) and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (9/12) in Eugene.  Plus Ani DiFranco’s upright bassist, Todd Sickafoose, is in Eugene (unfortunately the same night as GOS – Thursday 9/11), but I may swing by Sam Bond’s to at least pick up his new CD, Tiny Resistors, before the GOS show.

~Dan – recently played: Sufjan Stevens – Come On Feel the Illinoise!

Categories: Post-rock, Rock & Pop Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

iRandom {28 Aug 08}

28th Aug 08 (Thu) Leave a comment

Some random listening this morning from the iPod’s shuffle option…

 

  1. Mogwai “Kappa” from Government Sessions

    This was fortuitous, as I’m going to see Mogwai in Portland next week.     :) The Government Sessions was my first experience with Mogwai.
  2. John Scofield “Whatcha See is Whatcha Get” from Up All Night

    A little bit too hotel lobby jazz for me compared to some of J.Sco’s other stuff… but great for reading through employee benefit audit guidance.
  3. Frank Zappa “The Moon Will Never Be the Same” from Joe’s Xmasage

    More of the avant-garde meanderings from FZ. Short, but not sweet.
  4. Sigur Rós “Bíum Bíum Bambaló” from Angels of the Universe

    This is easily my favorite track from this soundtrack / score.
  5. Silverchair “No Association” from Freak Show

    Ah, from their good ol’ gah-rung-ah era…
  6. The Sheds “Rootwings” from You’ve Got a Light

    Cincinnati quirfolk duo… but one of their more straight forward songs… they haven’t put anything out lately, I don’t think. I may have to poke by their website when I get home tonight.  http://www.theshedsmusic.com/
  7. Tim Sparks “Where Are You My Lover?” from Tanz

    Gentle guitars on this overall beautiful Tzadik release.
  8. Frank Zappa “Flakes” from Beat the Boots #7: Saarbrücken

    Two FZ tunes in the 10-song spin… what are the odds? Well, actually, they are 1,110 available FZ songs out of 14,678 non-replacing permutations (all songs currently on my iPod) would be a 0.57% chance for 2 FZ to land somewhere in the first 10 spins (unless I did the math incorrectly – which is highly likely, as my stats book from last term was borrowed from a colleague). Anyway… fun song, complete with a pretty bad, but funny, Bob Dylan impression.
  9. Caedmon’s Call “I Just Don’t Want Coffee” from I Just Don’t Want Coffee -EP-

    This one has different lyrics from the Warner debut version. It’s one of the more compelling, and thankfully not Jebusy, Derek Webb-penned early Caedmon’s tunes. Derek Webb is a great songwriter. Even though I have philosophical differences with him, I still love him and his music.
  10. Yann Tiersen “Soir de fête” from Rue des Cascades

    Yann, you wiley devil. Great instrumentalism with the grounded feel of folk music, but the fun of a circus parade.

Well, I shant type robustly about the 11th and so on shuffled tune… even thought I want to (#11 was Estradasphere and #12 was Isis). Anyway, that’s just a peak inside my ears this morning… check any of them out on iTunes or the Amazon.

 

~Dan

Categories: Album Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mogwai & Music Fest NW

9th Jul 08 (Wed) 1 comment

The only band I really care to see at Music Fest NW 2008 (in Portland) is Scottish post-rock band MOGWAI. Hence, I had written it off as, “nah, ain’t gonna bother.” I mean, Mogwai is great – – I’ve seen them before (at my 1,000th live music performance seen), but driving up to Portland on a Wednesday (Sept 3rd) isn’t high on my list. I had written it off…

…until now.

Plans changed at work, and some interim fieldwork for a client of mine that was going to happen in mid-July is now happening in early September… right during Music Fest NW. Alas, I’ll get to see Mogwai, and will likely only have to drive across a river to the Roseland Theater. Yay!

~Dan – np: Miles Davis – The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions

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