YTD recordings listened to: 28
Good music, not recommended for purchase: 19
Not good music: 6
Buys: 1
Possibles: Isaiah Toothtaker (2011), Ondatropica, Sidsel Endresen & Stan Westerhus, The Ones to Blame, Boyd Rivers, Abdoulaye Alhassane Toure, Cryptopsy, Nick Waterhouse, Patterson Hood, Skyzoo, Bettye Lavette, Philippe Petite, Chris McGregor, Brother Ali (2009), Bio Ritmo, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Nico Muhly, Bob Gluck Trio, Eric Boeren Quartet, Wadada Leo Smith/Louis Moholo, How to Dress Well, Kayhan Kalhor
@@@ Kayhan Kalhor: I Will Not Stand Alone (World Village, 2012). I checked back on this record as I got an email when it first came out. This is a pretty heavy record from an Iranian musician — it’s understandable to me as the situation in Iran is pretty serious. On this record he plays an instrument made just for him — a cross between the Persian kemenche with more strings. It sounds like a dark violin. If you’re up for the heavy, it’s right here.
@@@ Mucca Pazza: Safety Fifth (Electric Cowbell, 2012) I found this Afrobeat over here at Splinters and Candy in a listing for a Globalfest show here in NYC. I like the looseness and weirdness added to the more familiar Afrobeat elements. It’s like a African/world music band working at a circus. I’m sure this music is pretty devastating live, and the studio recording is not bad either. I thought the first tune was signalling this to be an instrumental Afrobeat recording, but the second tune has surf and Balkan music influence to it, so who knows where this record is going to go?
@@@ Sannhet: Absecon Isle (N/A, 2013) I caught this heavy metal record over here at Invisible Oranges. A blend of noise, post-hardcore, rock, shoegaze. No vocals, big ass sound — related to metal — hard but not crazy heavy and punishing. Lighter and heavy if you dig. I would check out more of this if it came my way.
@@@ Living Sisters: Run for Cover EP (Vanguard, 2012) An All Music weekly email release. It’s a throwback to old school sister singing group doing a bunch of classic covers. They can sing, for sure and the arrangements are good. Very perky.
@@@ Wooden Wand: Blood Oaths of the New Blues (Fire Records, 2013). A MOG new release page recording. I would call this meaningful adult alternative rock. The first tune is slow moving with big production sounds. Think Nick Cave without the piano and the darkness. It’s a little too low energy for my taste.
The Cross Pollinator 