My goal for blogging every day about my listening adventures has been blown to smithereens. We went on a long trip this summer, I was (happily, at least) jolted out of my daily rhythm, when we returned I began assaulting myself with the same old aggravating questions (why are you doing this? for whom? does the world need another music blog? you do realize you ain’t got beans to say, right)–and lo and behold, we’re in September and I haven’t posted for over a week–just three-four times in the last month.
It’s not like I haven’t been listening to music:
I indulged myself and bought some physical music from the great Chicago-by-way-of-Gary electronic visionary JLin, in anticipation of her new album, Autobiography, due near the end of this month. I am normally not a big fan of so-called EDM but lordy, her sounds just hypnotize me. She’s a young master of tone, rhythmic disruption, and ugly beauty. And you can dance to her. Far as the physical media goes? I just wanted to give her more money to make music with…
As a longtime devoted fan of the multi-reed magic of James Carter, I’ve long wondered about the Texas tenor John Hardee, whose composition “Lunatic” Carter covered back when he was a wunderkind. I managed to snag the above comp, which I’d never seen before, after trying to track down a source for Fresh Sounds releases; if you still buy CDs for some reason, I recommend it to you, as it specializes in reissues that might not even be streaming, if you can imagine that. Unsurprisingly, when you lay an ear to Hardee’s playing, you can hear what attracted Carter to it: it’s confidently lubricious, cool, controlled and randy all at the same time.
Speaking of saxophone, I love unabashedly such jazz records that explore black spiritual music (David Murray’s Spirituals and Archie Shepp’s Goin’ Home spring immediately to mind). I am an atheist, but I freely admit I get power, hope, and motivation from the best of these works. I’ve perhaps overdocumented on this blog that I think very highly of the free (but sometimes deceptively not) Poughkeepsie hornman and sensei Joe McPhee, a man whose catalog is impossible to touch the bottom of without a couple of oxygen tanks. I shouldn’t have been surprised to find that McPhee released his own gospel record, nor was I surprised that it is ravishingly soulful without any compromising of the man’s improvisational principles. Whether he’s on reeds or brass–he speaks very clearly. Guess what? No YouTube. Also, I had to resort to SoulSeek. Just sayin’.
Welp, that’s it for recent listening I’m currently compelled to showcase. At least I’ve been keeping track of the albums from this calendar year that I am enjoying. We’re 67% of the way through this year, and I am going to need these releases to support me up to, through, and past the midterm elections–what records are you leaning on right now? Below are 130 LPs (we can still call them that, because they still play long) the teacher in me’d give a B+ or better. The Top 40, in bold, I’ve played over and over and tend to just get better to my earhole and soul, though a couple of recent releases (like The Necks, Mitski. and Blood Orange) I’m really just wagering that I’ll play over and over. In fact, I’m teaching (in a manner of speaking) Mitski tomorrow in my pop music/freshman comp class.
Note: I may be behind on reissues; I don’t rightly know.
- Tracy Thorn: Record
- Nona Hendryx and Gary Lucas: The World of Captain Beefheart
- CupcaKe: Ephorize
- Mary Gauthier and Songwriting with Soldier: Rifles and Rosary Beads
- Sons of Kemet: Your Queen is a Reptile
- Janelle Monae: Dirty Computer
- Bettye LaVette: Things Have Changed
- JD Allen: Love Stone
- Zeal & Ardor: Stranger Fruit
- Chloe x Halle: The Kids are Alright
- The Internet: Hive Mind
- Mitski: Be the Cowboy
- Berry: Everything, Compromised
- Joe McPhee: Imaginary Numbers
- Lisbon Freedom Unit: Praise of Our Folly
- Superchunk: What A Time to Be Alive
- Young Fathers: Cocoa Sugar
- Parquet Courts: Wide Awake!
- Sly & Robbie and Nils Petter Molvaer: Nordub
- Orquesta Akokan: Orquesta Akokan
- Sidi Toure: Toubalbero
- Quelle Chris & Jean Grae: Everything’s Fine
- No Age: Snares Like a Haircut
- The Necks: Body
- Grupo Mono Blanco: ¡Fandango! Sones Jarochos from Veracruz
- Elza Soares: Deus É Mulher
- John Prine: The Tree of Forgiveness
- Blood Orange: Negro Swan
- Jinx Lennon: Grow a Pair
- Pusha T: Daytona
- Toni Braxton: Sex & Cigarettes
- Nidia: Nídia É Má, Nídia É Fudida
- Subtle Degrees: A Dance That Empties
- Kids See Ghosts: Kids See Ghosts
- Alice Bag: Blue Print
- James Brandon Lewis: Radiant Imprints
- Ken Vandermark / Klaus Kugel / Mark Tokar: No-Exit Corner
- Jonghyun: Poet / Artist
- Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever: Hope Downs
- Ivo Perlman and Matthew Shipp: Oneness
- Halu Mergia: Lalu Balu
- The Thing: Again
- Jeffrey Lewis: Works by Tuli Kupferberg
- Bombino: Deran
- Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids: An Angel Fell
- Dave Holland: Uncharted Territories
- Rapsody: Laila’s Wisdom
- Sarayah: Feel the Vibe
- Tierra Whack: Whack World
- Lori McKenna: The Tree
- Nas: Nasir
- Speedy Ortiz: Twerp Verse
- Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel
- Car Seat Headrest: Twin Fantasy
- Evan Parker, Barry Guy, and Paul Lytton: Music for David Mossman
- Salim Washington: Dogon Revisited
- Angelika Niescier: The Berlin Concert
- Beats Antique: Shadowbox
- Wynton Marsalis & Friends: United We Swing–Best of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Galas
- Jon Hassell: Listening To Pictures (Pentimento, Vol. One)
- Charge It to The Game: House with a Pool
- JPEGMAFIA: Veteran
- Anelis Assumpcão: Taurina
- The Beths: Future Me Hates Me
- Various Artists: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun…and Rights!!!
- Apolo: Live in Stockholm
- Mdou Moctar & Elite Beat: Mdou Moctar meets Elite Beat In a Budget Dancehall
- Willie Nelson: Last Man Standing
- Wussy: What Heaven is Like
- Kiefer: happysad
- Meshell Ndegeocello: Ventriloquism
- Freddie Gibbs: Freddie
- Kamasi Washington: Heaven & Earth
- Cardi B: Invasion of Privacy
- Shopping: The Official Body
- Young Mothers: Morose
- Ebo Taylor: Yen Ara
- Dana Murray: Negro Manifesto
- David Murray (featuring Saul Williams): Blues for Memo
- Shame: Songs of Praise
- Low Cut Connie: Dirty Pictures, Pt. 2
- Henry Threadgill: Dirt..and More Dirt
- Hot Snakes: Jericho Sirens
- Ceramic Dog: YRU Still Here?
- The Coup: Soundtrack to the Film Sorry to Bother You
- Van Morrison & Joey DeFrancesco: You’re Driving Me Crazy
- Various Artists/Sahel Sounds: Field Recordings
- Marc Sinan & Oğuz Büyükberber: White
- Robbie Fulks & Linda Gail Lewis: Wild! Wild! Wild!
- Kendrick Lamar, et al: Black Panther—Music from and Inspired by the Film
- Deaf Wish: Lithium Zion
- Jay Rock: Redemption
- MC Paul Barman: Echo Chamber
- Kris Davis and Craig Taborn: Octopus
- Tal National: Tantabara
- Wilko Johnson: Blow Your Mind
- Rodrigo Amado (with Joe McPhee): History of Nothing
- Tony Molina: Kill the Lights
- Rich Krueger: Life Ain’t That Long
- Hop Along: Bark Your Head Off, Dog
- MAST: Thelonious Sphere Monk
- Tirzah: Devotion
- Silvana Estrada: Lo Sagrado
- Eddie Daniels: Heart of Brazil
- Big Freedia: Third Ward Bounce
- Tallawit Timbouctou: Takamba WhatsApp 2018
- Amy Rigby: The Old Guys
- Busdriver: Electricity Is On Our Side
- Daniel Carter: Seraphic Light
- Dr. Michael White: Tricentennial Rag
- Hermit and the Recluse: Orpheus vs. The Sirens
- Migos: Culture II
- 03 Greedo: God Level
- Angélique Kidjo: Remain in Light
- Parliament: Medicaid Fraud Dogg
- Yo La Tengo: There’s a Riot Goin’ On
- The Carters: Everything is Love
- The Del McCoury Band: Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass
- Superorganism: Superorganism
- Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet: Landfall
- Sleep: The Sciences
- Teyana Taylor: K.T.S.E.
- Ibibio Sound Machine: Eyio
- The English Beat: Here We Go Love
- Ammar 808: Maghreb United
- Princess Nokia: A Girl Cried Red
- Santigold: I Don’t Want—The Gold Fire Sessions
- Nicki Minaj: Queen
- Chad Popper: A Popper People
- Fantastic Negrito: Please Don’t Be Dead
OLD MUSIC NICELY REPACKAGED
- Sonny Rollins: Way Out West (Deluxe Reissue)
- Neil Young: Roxy—Tonight’s the Night
- Erroll Garner: Nightconcert
- Various Artists: Voices of Mississippi—Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris
- Various Artists: Listen All Around: The Golden Age of Central and East African Music
- Gary Stewart: “Baby I Need Your Loving” / “Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yester-Day”
- Peter Brotzmann and Fred Lonberg-Holm: Ouroboros
- Bruce Springsteen: 1978/07/07 West Hollywood, CA
- Various Artists: Outlaws and Armadilloes
- The Revelators: In which the Revelators perform live renditions of selections from the Billy Childish songbook
- Against All Logic: 2012-2017
- Grant Green: Live at Oil Can Harry’s
- Entourage: Ceremony of Dreams—Studio Sessions & Outtakes 1972-1977
- Kuniyuki Takahashi: Early Tape Works 1986 – 1993 Volume 1
- Camarao: The Imaginary Soundtrack to a Brazilian Western Movie
- Various Artists: Africa Scream Contest, Volume 2
- Wussy: Getting Better
- David Bowie: Santa Monica ‘72
- Mulatu Astatke & His Ethiopian Quintet: Afro-Latin Soul, Vols. 1 & 2
- The Beginning of the End: Funky Nassau
Living To Listen 
I’m out here reading just about every post of yours. Keep it up if you can; you’ve got great taste and I really appreciate learning about the music you’re listening to and enjoying. I’m really hoping the elections this November will bring about a positive change. Records I’m leaning on: John Prine – The Tree Of Forgiveness, Orquesta Akokan – Orquesta Akokan, Neko Case – Hell-On, Marisa Monte – Universo Ao Meu Redor, Cachao – Master Sessions, Aretha Franklin – Lady Soul, Sonny Clark – Cool Struttin’, Irma Thomas – Time Is On My Side, Villa – Lobos – Bachianas Brasileiras, Thelonious Monk – Monk’s Dream.
Thank you! I need to catch up with Marisa Monte and Villa-Lobos. I’m normally not given to disconsolation, but…it’s just waves. Music, books, spouse, friends…libations—have to count my blessings. Have a great day and may November bring change!
If you want to check out “Bachianas Brasileiras” I recommend the Warner Classics recording with Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Francaise conducted by Heitor Villa-Lobos himself and featuring soprano Victoria de los Angeles.
Oh yeah, Phil, you should blog as much as you can – without endangering libation time. For someone with ear & head listening problems, a list of 130 + 20 is depressingly daunting. I’ll have to ponder it. I really liked the first Fantastic Negrito and didn’t know there was a second but my enthusiasm is tempered by seeing it at 130. What did you think of the first one? Is Grant Green’s Oil Can Harry’s the one in Vancouver where I did underage drinking and danced to live soul / r&b bands in the late ’60s? I guess I could check for myself. Does J. Monae’s continued high ranking mean that you have settled your opinion of it? Michael
Hi, Michael! Sorry so slow–I’ve been quite busy. Thanks as always for reading and the encouragement. Honestly, I need to revisit the Monae soon–it’s been awhile–and I was underwhelmed by the first Fantastic Negrito album and not exactly overwhelmed by the new one. The just-released Swamp Dogg record, however, is a trip. Hope you’re doing well!
Hi Phil, no “sorry” needed. I’m holding off on the Monae until you make up your mind. You are on the opposite side of Fantastic N. from me AND Greil M.! but different strokes and I’m not staking my reputation on it. I am waiting for the right chance (confluence of time + ear / head receptivity) to take the Swamp Dogg off the table and put it in the slot. And I think I’ve been stalling a bit b/c of how much I dig so much of his work and fear that the new gift will be a letdown – so, glad to know that you are tripping on it. Total destruction, Michael