Monthly Archives: January, 2014
MOGWAI-LES REVENANTS.
MOGWAI-LES REVENANTS. Next week, Glasgow’s very own Mogwai will release their eighth studio album Rave Tapes. This will be their first album in three years, since the release of Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. However, during that three year period, Mogwai have been busy. They contributed the soundtrack to the French television series …
BLO-CHAPTER ONE.
BLO-CHAPTER ONE. The first thing that strikes you about BLO’s Chapter One, the latest vinyl rerelease from Mr. Bongo Records, is the cover. Naive, psychedelic, lysergic and surreal, it’s a min-masterpiece. It’s up there with some of the best album covers in music history. So good is the album cover, that I’m sure many people …
DAN HARTMAN-RELIGHT MY FIRE.
DAN HARTMAN-RELIGHT MY FIRE. Nostalgia it seems is the future. Everyone it seems wants to relive the music of their youth. So a few years ago, major record companies started releasing classic albums. Now it’s no longer just classic albums being released. A whole host of new reissues labels have been founded. They’re digging deep, deeper than before. Every …
LIGHTNIN’ SLIM-HIGH AND LOW DOWN.
LIGHTNIN’ SLIM-HIGH AND LOW DOWN. When Lightnin’ Slim recorded his 1971 album High and Low Down, it only took three days to record the album. There’s a good reason for this. Three days holidays was all Lightnin’ Slim could get from the lock factory he was working in, in Pontiac, Michigan. However, for three days …
HARMONIA-MUSIK VON HARMONIA.
HARMONIA-MUSIK VON HARMONIA. Forty years ago this month, German supergroup Harmonia released their debut album Musik Von Harmonia in 1974. It was released to critical acclaim and hailed a groundbreaking, genre-melting album. Musik Von Harmonia saw Harmonica fuse ambient music and Krautcock. This was unheard of, and akin to a musical revolution. Mind you, that’s …
LOUISIANA RED-DEAD STRAY DOG.
LOUISIANA RED-DEAD STRAY DOG. When eventually, the history of the blues is written, Louisiana Red’s name will loom large. His career began in 1949, when when he first recorded for Chess Records. Then in 1963, Louisiana Red released his debut album The Lowdown Back Porch Blues. That was the first of over fifty albums Louisiana …
THE BLUE NILE-HIGH.
THE BLUE NILE-HIGH. Previously, I’ve described The Blue Nile as enigmatic, reluctant and contrarian. They could’ve and should’ve been the biggest band of their generation. However, The Blue Nile were always determined to do things their way. The Blue Nile are the complete opposite of most bands. They’re publicity shy. Describing the Blue Nile as …
HALL OF FAME-RARE AND UNISSUED GEMS FROM THE FAME VAULTS.
HALL OF FAME-RARE AND UNISSUED GEMS FROM THE FAME VAULTS. There aren’t many recording studios that play such an important part in their town’s history as Fame Records. It was added to the list of local landmarks and designated part of the town’s heritage. That’s what happened to the Fame Recording Studios in December 1997, …
SWAMP DOGG-RAT ON!
SWAMP DOGG-RAT ON! It’s not the music that Swamp Dogg’s 1971 sophomore album Rat On! is remembered for. Instead, it’s remember for having one of the worst album covers of all time. Rat On! features Swamp Dogg sitting on the back of an oversized white rat. That epitomises Swamp Dogg since his lysergic awakening. As …
BRIAN ENO-AMBIENT 1/MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS.
BRIAN ENO-AMBIENT 1/MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS. After leaving Roxy Music in 1973, Brian Eno’s career changed direction. Instead, his attention turned to ambient and electronic music. This was a controversial decision, given Roxy Music were one of the most successful British bands of the early seventies. Brian Eno’s creativity was being stifled. He felt he’d much …
NEU-NEU!
NEU-NEU! There aren’t many artists who after leaving one of the most pioneering groups in musical history, end up founding another groundbreaking group. That’s what happened to Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother. They had both been members of Kraftwerk, but left in 1971. After leaving Kraftwerk, they founded Neu, another German Kratrock band. Neu went …
LARAAJI-CELESTIAL MUSIC 1978-2011.
LARAAJI-CELESTIAL MUSIC 1978-2011. Although Laraaji is one of the most innovative musicians of his generation, he remains one of music’s best kept secrets. That’s despite releasing nearly thirty albums. Many of these albums showcase Laraaji’s unique ambient sound. Best known for playing the zither, Laraaji’s music is best described as a fusion of ambient, experimental …
THISELL-I.
THISELL-I. Never before have I reviewed an album that had been recorded in a disused school. That’s until I came across Swedish band Thisell’s debut album, I. I was recorded in a disused school during a seven day period in August 2010. For seven days, Thisell, their friends, family and even pets ate, lived, slept …
HAITI DIRECT.
HAITI DIRECT. Mention Haitian music, and most people will think of either voodoo or Rara. That’s two stereotypical examples of Haitian music most people think of. There is, however, more to Haitian music than that. Much more. Especially during the sixties and seventies. Back then, Haiti was enjoying one of the most rich, vibrant and …
PETER KING-MILIKI SOUND.
PETER KING-MILIKI SOUND. It’s almost ironic that Peter King, one of Nigeria’s best musicians, is better known in Europe and America than in his home country. Peter King’s is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most talented musicians. His name is synonymous with his Miliki Sound, a captivating fusion of African musical genres and influences. …
RUNAWAY ORCHESTRA-RUNAWAY ORCHESTRA.
RUNAWAY ORCHESTRA-RUNAWAY ORCHESTRA. You’ll be hard pushed to find more enchanting album than the Runaway Orchestra’s eponymous debut album Runaway Orchestra, which has been rereleased by Brighton’s Mr. Bongo Records on 1st January 2014. I was going to say the Runaway Orchestra give ten familiar tracks a makeover. That however, would be an understatement. Transformation …
EBO TAYLOR-CONFLICT.
EBO TAYLOR-CONFLICT. When the history of Ghanian music is written, one man will loom large, Ebo Taylor. He is a colossus of Ghanian music. Ebo is best described as an innovator who went on to influence further generations of Ghanian musicians. Nearly forty years later, Ebo’s influence is still being felt not just in Ghanian …
CAN-SOON OVER BABALUMA.
CAN-SOON OVER BABALUMA. Forty years ago, in November 1974, Can released the sixth album of their career, Soon Over Babaluma. This marked the end of an era for Can. Soon Over Babaluma was the end of Can’s golden period. This golden period began with their debut album, 1969s Monster Movie and 1974s Soon Over Babaluma. …
BUSHMAN’S REVENGE-THOU SHALT NOT BOOGIE!
BUSHMAN’S REVENGE-THOU SHALT NOT BOOGIE! Never before have I heard of a band named after a range of hot sauce. That’s until I came across Norwegian trio Bushman’s Revenge. The band discovered Bushman’s Revenge during a trip to South Africa back in 2003. During that trip, they enjoyed several memorable encounters with Bushman’s Revenge. It …
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