Music for 5/17/24!!! Maryam Gendron

@@@ Maryam Gendron: Mayday (Thrill Jockey, 2024). I got to this record off this week’s WRIR playlist email. I also try to check out Thrill Jockey releases as they release some cool music. It’s a folk record but I’m guessing its appearance on the WRIR playlist email is about some sort of traditional UK/Ireland influences? We shall see and thus far the opener has been a chill solo acoustic guitar intro. This could be an instrumental record and the playing is quite nice, the vibe is pretty but the playing doesn’t have enough sophistication for me to sit back and listen to it as a solo folk guitar record, it’s a tad boring in that way. Oh the second track has vocalizing and it’s similar to the guitar, pretty and simple. Now we’re getting a full band and it’s less of a folk record and more of a hipster indie folk record. it has the plainness of a lot of indie record. The third track is in French which makes me wonder if she is French Canadian, I guess I could Google. I don’t know if it’s that I’m in the mood for something else, or if the record is just a wee bit on the too simple side, I don’t think I’m obsessed with overly sophisticated music but this record isn’t doing it for me. It’s not an awful record by any means and I am guessing that a lot of normal folks with jobs would be satisfied with it.

Militarily, spiritually, and politically, #Israel is fucked going forward.

Ian Welsh:

America, if it’s serious about bringing in aid through the northern pier they’ve built, might, ironically, seal Israel’s defeat.

No matter what happens, however, Israel is screwed beyond belief. The only thing they have left that anyone in the region is seriously scared of is their nukes. Israeli regional military dominance is SHATTERED.

usic for 5/16/24!!! Mighty Joshua

@@@ Mighty Joseph: Dreaducation (Mighty Music, 2024). A big full modern recording of concious roots reggae. The first tune sports some huge cracking drums, thick ass bass definitely not a murky Lee Perry thing but Mr. Joseph comes with the righteous and spiritual vocal style. I’m super feeling the third piece, Sometimes, with a nice clean guitar solo and that thumping rhythm section. Mr. Mighty sounds a whole bunch like Peter Tosh and exudes an old school vibe which I dig. The lyrics on this track are very good and the playing and vibes are very very good, he brings the roots to roots reggae.

Now American Jews are jumping from the U.S.S. Genocide!

From the Guardian:

US interior department staffer is first Jewish Biden appointee to resign over war in Gaza

Lily Greenberg Call, special assistant to chief of staff, accused the president of using Jewish people to justify US policy in the conflict

The USA has created a senseless killing machine. #Israel

From the Guardian:

Israel-Gaza war live: Netanyahu says Israel has to ‘do what we have to do’ on Rafah offensive despite US ‘disagreement’

Music for 5/14/24!!! Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes

@@@ Sam Gendel/Sam Wilkes: The Doober (Leaving Records, 2024) A record of jazz covers I got to via the Pitchfork 10 most reviewed albums of the week. I made a typo and originally typed the record as The Goober and let’s hope not! It’s a saxophone and bass guitar record and they’re doing covers of Joni Mitchell etc. The insturmentation is sax, bass guitar often played up high on the neck to simulate a guitar and a little bit of percussion, at least on this first track. It looks like there might be some multi-tracking going on here, which is fine it doesn’t super feel like a fully improvised record. I don’t recognize the covers here and I don’t think I’ll be looking them up. The vibe here is just shy of super chill so this will work for folks with jobs who throw brunches and what not. My ear has been caught by the bass player more often than by the sax player, that’s just how the game works it’s up to the player to stake a claim and fill the space in front of the listener.

Petty, shithead Republican donors f*ck off. #Gaza

From CNBC:

Accuracy in Media, a far-right activist group that doxxes college students who engage in pro-Palestinian protests, revealed in its tax returns it’s funded by top Republican political donors.

The group’s disclosure lists family foundations tied to shipping supply magnate Richard Uihlein and brewing scion Peter Coors. It also names billionaire Republican megadonor Jeff Yass as its top contributor.

Fucking losers, rich fucking #fascist losers.

Music for 5/13/24!!! Les Savy Fav, Conrad Schnitzler

@@@ Les Savy Fav: OUI, LSF (Frenchkiss, 2024) Some medium bombastic rock that revolves around the male singer who has attitude but not so much that you want to slap him. Big rock drummer and a maelstrom of rock guitars. Not grunge, not super punk-y nor super classic rock either, just loud and I guess mostly punk/post punk. They have a lot of energy and I appreciate that. It all hinges on the singer, I like him, I’m not shitting my pants but he’s working hard. I like it more the more I listen to it but rock is a hard sell for me these days.

@@@ Conrad Schnitlzer: Slow Motion (Bureau B, 2024) Both listens today are off All Music’s notable releases of the week. This may be too slow motion for me at least the first track. It’s a noodling keyboard synth player doing his thing over a super simple beat with a short delay sound on it. It’s got Eastern flavors to it and the beat picks up a bit on the second track. I think it’s a synth redo of a classical Indian music record but with a drum machine and a keyboard. It’s not really my cup of tea.

Miss Luba Side 1

#music
#vinylrecord

I don’t see how Joe Biden wins this election. #inflation #Gaza #police

From the NY Times:

Mr. Trump is ahead among registered voters in a head-to-head matchup against Mr. Biden in Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and Pennsylvania, according to a new set of polls by The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Siena College.

#Fascism is on its way.

Music for 5/12/24!!! Dettinger

@@@ Dettinger: Intershop (Kompakt, 2024) This an ambient album from 1999 freshly through the mastering rig and back at your earholes for this fantastic fucking election year. The opening track is pretty staid with some up top droning ambient type wave sounds supported by a stripped down funk-ish beat, while the second track gets more into a swirling ambient cloud with a simple stick rhythm, at least in the beginning. I think a lot of records that get remastered are easily digested by normies and music obsessives alike, I get that with this record. It has a simple appeal to it but it’s not supposed to be empty sounding music while most definitely keeping things simple. I would start with Intershop 3, the third track, as it the best and funkiest of what I heard and it is the best example of the formula being used here. The fourth track moves from the straight funkiness to a bit more delayed flavors and I’m gonna tip during this fifth track but it’s got a nice multilayered ambient opening. Check this out

Mama I Want to Sing Side 2

#music
#vinylrecord

‘Merka don’t have no stinkin’ housing crisis! #class

From NBC News:

Woman found living in Michigan grocery store sign, complete with computer and Keurig, for months

The woman had flooring, a computer, a desk, a printer and a Keurig in the rooftop Family Fare sign, police say.

Music for 5/10/24!!! Dehd, Pokey LaFarge

@@@ Dehd: Poetry (Fat Possum, 2024). If you smashed up the Beach Boys with the dudes who did the Friends with a pubic hair of The Strokes you’d get close to this record. At least the opener ah there goes the second one into the pantheon of white American friendly rock. Little Springsteen in the vocalist on this track, so there’s a whole lotta bands up in this record. It’s not bad by any means, it’s just not where I’m at.

@@@ Pokey LaFarge: Rhumba Country (New West, 2024). Another very ‘American’ sounding record. I’m a long running Pokey Lafarge fan cuz I think he has the style to do this sound tongue in cheek. Mr. LaFarge’s sonic references go further back to the ’50s and 60s, he doesn’t really traffic in many hipster sounds like recycled hippie sounds, psych business, and my least favorite faded ’70s California rock. I don’t super have the time to compare this record with previous LaFarge efforts but this one feels a bit more adult in energy, some of his earlier work I remember as ironic cornball. The corn has been toned down and the sophisticated flavors have been upped. I would start with his 2020 record Rock Bottom Rhapsody but normies and mainstream listeners should know about Pokey LaFarge, he’s a hoot.

Music for 5/9/24!!! Knocked Loose

@@@ Knocked Loose: You Won’t Leave Before You’re Supposed To (Pure Noise, 2024) I don’t usually find many great records from the Guardian or the New York Times, but the odds are higher with the Guardian than the lame ass NYT. The Guradian is giving this Kentucky metal outfit 5 stars and the first tune is absolutely a face ripper — the singer sounds absolutely at the end of his rope with the occasional help of a female singer, the arrangements are herky jerky and jumping around which I love. The drums are cranked and tasty, rough and sizzly with static but it for sure adds to the proceedings. Yowsa these guys are no hidden gem as this video has over a million streams in just two weeks, so all you fucking metal dirtballs and shitheads have found this cookie pretty quickly, good for you. If the rest of this record rips at this level I’ll be on it like stink on a monkey. Check it out.