I received an e-mail from the Hype Machine recently making it clear that I am expected to produce a top ten albums list in order to justify my position as Opinion Former to the Glitterati.
This presents me with a bit of a challenge. As any regular readers will know, my main interest is digging out little known but wonderful music from the past and from different parts of the world. I make no real effort to keep up to date with what is going on musically in the UK, US etc. This is partly because I am an old fart, partly because I don't have the time to listen to everything I dig out already without adding to it even further, and partly because I assume if it is really great I will eventually find out about it somehow.
So mine will be one of the least well-informed Top Tens you will read this festive season. I was reading a blog this morning that has started going through its top 50 albums of the year. I doubt I have listened to many more than about half that number of albums of new material all the way through this year.
With that caveat, here goes:
1. Queen Of Denmark - John Grant
2. The Lady Killer - Cee Lo Green
3. Silver And Ash - Clare Burson
4. Abandoned Love - Trembling Bells
5. Great Expectations - The Jolly Boys
6. Likelemba - Reddy Amisi
7. True Love Cast Out All Evil - Roky Erickson & Okkervil River
8. Ways Of Escape - Great Lakes
9. Presidents D'Afrique - Didier Awadi
10. Joe Hill's Tears - Otis Gibbs
Here are a few selections from what are probably some of the less well known names on that list. Reddy Amisi is one of the current generation of fine Congolese performers. Clare Burson's album brings together songs inspired by the life of her grandmother, an East European jew who moved to the States in the early years of the Second World War, leaving most of her family behind - I was lucky enough to get to the launch gig in New York in September. And Great Lakes from Athens, Georgia via Brooklyn are one of a number of fine listens brought to my attention by the estimable Liz Lawson at Deux Et Machina PR, to whom this post is dedicated. Happy Christmas, Liz, and keep up the good work.
"Ma Geko" - Reddy Awisi
"In The Sea" - Clare Burson
"Old Ways" - Great Lakes
To finish off, here are clips from the top two.
Friday, 17 December 2010
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Mari & Phoebe
I got back from Budapest last night laden down with vintage Hungarian vinyl acquired from an excellent shop on Paulay Ede Utca, the name of which I have forgotten - if you start from Deak Ferenc Ter metro it is about a block and a half up on the left, and you need to ring the bell to be allowed in.
The Hungarian albums are upstairs and go for 600 to 1800 forint (roughly £2 to £6), and if you ask nicely the owner will open up the storeroom where he has loads of old singles on the Qualiton and Pepita labels going for 250 forint. It will be a while before you (or I) get to hear them - they have been added to the backlog along with the Danish stuff and new Tsonga Disco that regular readers have heard me droning on about previously.
While in Budapest I visited the trendy Godor Klub - which is located underneath an artificial lake, so you make sure not to sit near any cracks in the ceiling - to catch a gig by Mari Nyeso. This is her.
Mari performs a mix of folk, jazz and blues and is pretty nifty on the old guitar, as the YouTube clip below demonstrates. Vocally she reminded me a little of Phoebe Snow. I don't have any of Mari's recordings, so here is a bit of Phoebe as a substitute, including her cover of The Roche's "The Married Men" - which is copied from vinyl, so apologies for the quality.
"Harpo's Blues" - Phoebe Snow (from "Phoebe Snow", 1974)
"The Married Men" - Phoebe Snow (from "Against The Grain", 1978)
The Hungarian albums are upstairs and go for 600 to 1800 forint (roughly £2 to £6), and if you ask nicely the owner will open up the storeroom where he has loads of old singles on the Qualiton and Pepita labels going for 250 forint. It will be a while before you (or I) get to hear them - they have been added to the backlog along with the Danish stuff and new Tsonga Disco that regular readers have heard me droning on about previously.
While in Budapest I visited the trendy Godor Klub - which is located underneath an artificial lake, so you make sure not to sit near any cracks in the ceiling - to catch a gig by Mari Nyeso. This is her.
Mari performs a mix of folk, jazz and blues and is pretty nifty on the old guitar, as the YouTube clip below demonstrates. Vocally she reminded me a little of Phoebe Snow. I don't have any of Mari's recordings, so here is a bit of Phoebe as a substitute, including her cover of The Roche's "The Married Men" - which is copied from vinyl, so apologies for the quality.
"Harpo's Blues" - Phoebe Snow (from "Phoebe Snow", 1974)
"The Married Men" - Phoebe Snow (from "Against The Grain", 1978)
Friday, 10 December 2010
Bunny's Boiling
I am off to Budapest tomorrow for a well-earned break, so here is a quick post to tide you over until I return. It's the mighty Bunny Wailer with a couple of tracks from his classic 1977 album, "Protest".
"Who Feels It" - Bunny Wailer
"Johnny Too Bad" - Bunny Wailer
Bunny is a righteous man but he is not averse to a bit of light-hearted fun. In fact, his biggest success in the States came from writing this little ditty.
"Who Feels It" - Bunny Wailer
"Johnny Too Bad" - Bunny Wailer
Bunny is a righteous man but he is not averse to a bit of light-hearted fun. In fact, his biggest success in the States came from writing this little ditty.
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Presidents D'Afrique
I was at a loose end in Brussels on Sunday night when, flicking through a listings magazine, I discovered that one Didier Amadi was playing Bozar (or the Palais Des Beaux-Arts to give the place its full name) that evening. I had never heard of him but wandered over out of curiousity and, discovering that tickets could be had for as little as €8, decided to give it a go.
Bozar is a combination of an art gallery and a medium-sized concert hall. Ideal for the classical concerts that it is normally used for, but less obviously suited to a radical Senegalese hip hop artist, which is what the programme informed me Didier was. I'm not a great fan of hip hop so I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy the evening. Add to that the fact that the venue was no more than about one third full, and that the evening began with a lengthy speech from a Eurocrat who informed us that the event was sponsored by the Belgian Presidency of the European Union and that Didier would be performing his concept album about African liberation leaders who went on to be presidents of their countries, and I awaited his arrival with some trepidation.
Which made the next two hours somewhat of a revelation. Didier was backed by an excellent band, with a stand out performance from Moustapha Gaye on guitar, and was joined by a steady stream of guest singers, rappers and random audience members (including one splendidly dressed older gent who I believe was the Senegalese ambassador to the EU). While there was a strong hip hop element to the music, it also drew heavily on various African styles linked to the leader the specific song was about - for example, some rumba for the song about Patrice Lumumba of the Congo. All in all it was an excellent show.
Compared to the stage show, the album "Presidents D'Afrique" is relatively mild-mannered, but it is still very enjoyable with a host of guest stars from all over Africa. These three selections are tributes to Mandela, Lumumba and Modibo Keita of Mali respectively.
"Amandla" - Awadi (featuring Skwatta Kamp)
"Ensemble" - Awadi (featuring Babani Kone)
"On A Plus Le Choix" - Awadi (featuring Fredy Massamba)
Some of you hardcore rap and hip hop fans might consider to be a bit too watered down for your tastes. In which case, try this "old school" (as I believe they say) classic instead.
Bozar is a combination of an art gallery and a medium-sized concert hall. Ideal for the classical concerts that it is normally used for, but less obviously suited to a radical Senegalese hip hop artist, which is what the programme informed me Didier was. I'm not a great fan of hip hop so I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy the evening. Add to that the fact that the venue was no more than about one third full, and that the evening began with a lengthy speech from a Eurocrat who informed us that the event was sponsored by the Belgian Presidency of the European Union and that Didier would be performing his concept album about African liberation leaders who went on to be presidents of their countries, and I awaited his arrival with some trepidation.
Which made the next two hours somewhat of a revelation. Didier was backed by an excellent band, with a stand out performance from Moustapha Gaye on guitar, and was joined by a steady stream of guest singers, rappers and random audience members (including one splendidly dressed older gent who I believe was the Senegalese ambassador to the EU). While there was a strong hip hop element to the music, it also drew heavily on various African styles linked to the leader the specific song was about - for example, some rumba for the song about Patrice Lumumba of the Congo. All in all it was an excellent show.
Compared to the stage show, the album "Presidents D'Afrique" is relatively mild-mannered, but it is still very enjoyable with a host of guest stars from all over Africa. These three selections are tributes to Mandela, Lumumba and Modibo Keita of Mali respectively.
"Amandla" - Awadi (featuring Skwatta Kamp)
"Ensemble" - Awadi (featuring Babani Kone)
"On A Plus Le Choix" - Awadi (featuring Fredy Massamba)
Some of you hardcore rap and hip hop fans might consider to be a bit too watered down for your tastes. In which case, try this "old school" (as I believe they say) classic instead.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Tidying Up
The end of the year is approaching at alarming speed. This was brought home to me yesterday when I received an e-mail from the Hype Machine informing me that I had only a few weeks to publish my list of my top ten albums of 2010, which is apparently essential if I am to be considered an official Taste Maker. I just hope I can find the time - you may be hoping I don't.
Things are rather busy at the moment as I am not around much - off to Brussels this afternoon for four days work, then next weekend off to Budapest for a short break - and with Christmas planning now kicking in, with the result that I have not got round to listening to the new Danish and Tsonga Disco CDs I have mentioned previously.
So instead here are selections from a couple of CDs from my list of things to post when there is a gap to fill. If that makes it sound like they are second rate it is not intended, it is just there has always been something I have wanted to post just a little bit more. Now is their time to shine.
First up is The Candle Thieves, from their current album "Sunshine and Other Misfortunes". According to the blurb on their website, "they summon up the spirits of Eels, Sufjan Stevens and the Lucksmiths in their sounds". That's as maybe. To an old fart like me they sound like Prefab Sprout. Which is no bad thing.
"Stars" - The Candle Thieves
"Sharks And Bears" - The Candle Thieves
Masta Famedji, on the other hand, is a bit more of a mystery. His 2001 album, "Faso I Love", is dedicated to the people of Burkina Faso. However he sings in English rather than French, which suggests he is not from Burkina himself. All the clues are that he is Nigerian - little subtle clues like the song "Coming From Nigeria" and the other one dedicated to "Father Fela".
To add to the mystery there is a group playing regular gigs in France at the moment going by the name of Sylama and the Masta Famedji Group, led by a very un-Nigerian looking woman called Sylama. My knowledge of French is very shaky, but from reading the notes I fear this means Masta himself has passed on and Sylama is carrying the torch, a bit like Bonnie Tyler fronting the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
If anyone can shed any light on the mystery, please do. In the meantime, here is the Masta in his pomp.
"Coming From Nigeria" - Masta Famedji
"Faso I Love You" - Masta Famedji
Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that I mentioned both Bonnie Tyler and Sufjan Stevens. Which is the perfect excuse to play you a clip of their marvellous remake of the old Brook Benton and Dinah Washington duet. Although in this clip Bonnie appears be auditioning for "Stars In Their Eyes" as Rod Stewart.
Things are rather busy at the moment as I am not around much - off to Brussels this afternoon for four days work, then next weekend off to Budapest for a short break - and with Christmas planning now kicking in, with the result that I have not got round to listening to the new Danish and Tsonga Disco CDs I have mentioned previously.
So instead here are selections from a couple of CDs from my list of things to post when there is a gap to fill. If that makes it sound like they are second rate it is not intended, it is just there has always been something I have wanted to post just a little bit more. Now is their time to shine.
First up is The Candle Thieves, from their current album "Sunshine and Other Misfortunes". According to the blurb on their website, "they summon up the spirits of Eels, Sufjan Stevens and the Lucksmiths in their sounds". That's as maybe. To an old fart like me they sound like Prefab Sprout. Which is no bad thing.
"Stars" - The Candle Thieves
"Sharks And Bears" - The Candle Thieves
Masta Famedji, on the other hand, is a bit more of a mystery. His 2001 album, "Faso I Love", is dedicated to the people of Burkina Faso. However he sings in English rather than French, which suggests he is not from Burkina himself. All the clues are that he is Nigerian - little subtle clues like the song "Coming From Nigeria" and the other one dedicated to "Father Fela".
To add to the mystery there is a group playing regular gigs in France at the moment going by the name of Sylama and the Masta Famedji Group, led by a very un-Nigerian looking woman called Sylama. My knowledge of French is very shaky, but from reading the notes I fear this means Masta himself has passed on and Sylama is carrying the torch, a bit like Bonnie Tyler fronting the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
If anyone can shed any light on the mystery, please do. In the meantime, here is the Masta in his pomp.
"Coming From Nigeria" - Masta Famedji
"Faso I Love You" - Masta Famedji
Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that I mentioned both Bonnie Tyler and Sufjan Stevens. Which is the perfect excuse to play you a clip of their marvellous remake of the old Brook Benton and Dinah Washington duet. Although in this clip Bonnie appears be auditioning for "Stars In Their Eyes" as Rod Stewart.
Friday, 3 December 2010
Turner Time
To ease you into the weekend, here are some fine soul sounds courtesy of the Turner Brothers from Indianapolis. They released one ultra rare (and ultra good) album in 1974. It went by the name of "Act 1". Sadly it turned out to be a single act play.
Actually I think "ultra rare" might be underplaying the status of the original release. A copy sold in EBay this year for $2125. Fortunately for the rest of us it was re-released by Luv 'N Haight (an offshoot of Ubiquity Records) in 1999. I picked up a copy of that for about £5 in Cape Town earlier in the year. To be honest I think I got the better deal.
The writing credits are shared between three of the six brothers and band members Jimmy Dixon and Rudy Ross. These two were both penned by Calvin Turner.
"Let's Go Fishing" - The Turner Bros.
"Sweetest Thing In The World" - The Turner Bros.
Here's another Turner, with some Bachmans. And an Overdrive.
Actually I think "ultra rare" might be underplaying the status of the original release. A copy sold in EBay this year for $2125. Fortunately for the rest of us it was re-released by Luv 'N Haight (an offshoot of Ubiquity Records) in 1999. I picked up a copy of that for about £5 in Cape Town earlier in the year. To be honest I think I got the better deal.
The writing credits are shared between three of the six brothers and band members Jimmy Dixon and Rudy Ross. These two were both penned by Calvin Turner.
"Let's Go Fishing" - The Turner Bros.
"Sweetest Thing In The World" - The Turner Bros.
Here's another Turner, with some Bachmans. And an Overdrive.
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Danish Delights 1
Christmas has come early for me. I got home today to find two Penny Penny CDs and a Joe Shirimani CD waiting for me. You lot are going to have to wait a little longer to share them, but fear not, it won't be too long.
In the mean time, here is the first in an occasional series which will last as long as it takes me to work my way through the assorted Danish CDs I acquired in Copenhagen on Monday. First up are Kliche with their debut album, 1980's "Supertanker".
According to such limited information as I can find, Kliche were "a Danish new wave band" - which I suspect you can work out for yourself - who "would semi-ironically quote Mao and Buddha and perform in uniforms - often coloured overalls". So now you know.
The bulk of the album is fairly conventional (I refuse to say kliched) new wave, of which "Hetz" is one of the better examples. But the opening and closing tracks are both synth-led and, to my inexpert eyes, slightly reminiscent of OMD when they still spelt their name out in full. And also rather good. The last track, "Masselinjen", is nearly ten minutes long and that is the one we feature today.
Overall, and bearing in mind I have only played it once, I would say "Supertanker" is hardly essential but worth a listen if you are a fan of the new wave/ post-punk/ synth-pop sort of thing. I mean you, Mister F.
"Hetz" - Kliche
"Masselinjen" - Kliche
If my source is to be believed, Kliche hailed originally from Aarhus. You know what is coming next. You're just not sure if it is the very, very big house or the one in the middle of our street. It's both!
In the mean time, here is the first in an occasional series which will last as long as it takes me to work my way through the assorted Danish CDs I acquired in Copenhagen on Monday. First up are Kliche with their debut album, 1980's "Supertanker".
According to such limited information as I can find, Kliche were "a Danish new wave band" - which I suspect you can work out for yourself - who "would semi-ironically quote Mao and Buddha and perform in uniforms - often coloured overalls". So now you know.
The bulk of the album is fairly conventional (I refuse to say kliched) new wave, of which "Hetz" is one of the better examples. But the opening and closing tracks are both synth-led and, to my inexpert eyes, slightly reminiscent of OMD when they still spelt their name out in full. And also rather good. The last track, "Masselinjen", is nearly ten minutes long and that is the one we feature today.
Overall, and bearing in mind I have only played it once, I would say "Supertanker" is hardly essential but worth a listen if you are a fan of the new wave/ post-punk/ synth-pop sort of thing. I mean you, Mister F.
"Hetz" - Kliche
"Masselinjen" - Kliche
If my source is to be believed, Kliche hailed originally from Aarhus. You know what is coming next. You're just not sure if it is the very, very big house or the one in the middle of our street. It's both!
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