Odd-servations:

1. Up for a cool oud-fuelled album? I thought so. Jussi Reijonen’s Three Seconds I Kolme Toista (Challenge Records International) is just the thing for you. Reijonen (also on stunning guitars) is joined on his sophomore recording by players from Turkey, Jordan, Japan, Palestine, and America, on instrumentation ranging from violin to cello to microtonal piano, and creates a potent, moody brew that eludes genre and features fresh textures that connect back to the leader’s broad travels. “Something different” is a much-abused description, but this is that.
2. I have missed Gogol Bordello. Lucky enough to have seen their live and mad rabble-rousing twice, I’ve wondered over the past couple of years just what they’d been up to. On first listen, I thought their new Solidaritine was a tad lacking in dynamics; on the second, third, fourth, and fifth listens I haven’t cared much. At all. Our rabble needs rousing, and sometimes dynamics can stall the ol’ rabble motor.
3. I had to explain to several of my current students (I teach at the country’s second-oldest women’s college) that I was not pandering to their taste in admitting that I love the new Harry Styles album (he’s an acute singer–not just a cute one–I like the settings, and yes, it is dynamic) and like the new Taylor Swift album. The latter would be only the third one I’ve ever seriously listened to. The first was her first, which a fierce 10th grade student burned for me back in the burnin’ days and insisted I listen to; the second was the day before Midnights came out, at the behest of a fierce college sophomore who noted, after I mentioned in class that Mickey Guyton was working in the space Taylor made, that Taylor was in a whole different space and I needed to listen to Folklore, which I kind of loved until it went on too long (it–and the LONG version of Midnights–seemed like a marathon phone call from a friend with problems I wasn’t qualified to answer). But, hey, I listened to a couple artists I’d have been too snooty to before.
4. Special shout out to the White Wino, who pushed me to check out the new Elaine Elias album, which is simply lush, rolling bossa nova sung and played with expertise and ease.
5. I can always count on Jeffrey Lewis to write a song that hits me right where I’m living at the time. My oldest cat is still hangin’ in there, but Lewis’ writing on his new record’s title cut is all too specific.
6. Anybody know Cecilia, Louisiana’s Dickie Landry? Sharp-as-a-tack horn player with the Cajun Traveling Wilburys–Little Band of Gold–before that co-conspirator with the likes of Laurie Anderson and a frequent New Orleans bandleader, but most notably a genius musician who has never seen a challenge he didn’t like. Fans of Frederic Rzewski’s Coming Together might want to make a bee-line to the 84-year-old’s new music-and-spoken-word album with Lawrence Weiner (#118 below).
7. Speaking of numbers? I would not trust my current numbering system as reliable rankings even as far as my own favorites are concerned. A simply overwhelming amount of music is roaring out, and this is just a hobby for me, ya hear? A HOBBY!
8. This month, I happened upon an article about a group I’d never heard of, Les Rallizes Denudes, and record label Temporal Drift’s superb effort to bring them to our attention (out digitally but not as a physical copy). If you love “I Heard Her Call My Name” and the Velvets’ dynamics–there’s that word again–in particular, I strongly recommend you at least sample the group’s Oz Days recordings.
9. If you’re a Ran Blake fan (his The Short Life of Barbara Monk is one of the most heartbreaking jazz records ever recorded), don’t miss his tender, wistful, autumnal Tompkins Square record, perfectly titled Driftwoods. Give the man props while he’s livin’, as a very wise man who is no longer with us once said.
10. Joyce Moreno! Joyce Moreno! Joyce Moreno! See Brazil Beat to find out what’s right with me–and Joyce!

Note: New additions to the list are in bold.

RELEASES OF NEWLY-MADE MUSIC

Jerry Lee Lewis…so long.

1. 75 Dollar Bill: Social Music at Troost, Volume 3–Other People’s Music (Black Editions Group)
2. Rosalia: MOTOMAMI (Columbia)
3. Willie Nelson: A Beautiful Time (Sony)
4. Beyoncé: Renaissance (Parkwood Entertainment)
5. Tanya Tagaq: Tongues (Six Shooter) 
6. Ricky Ford: The Wailing Sounds of Ricky Ford—Paul’s Scene (Whaling City Sounds)
7. Stro Elliot & James Brown: Black & Loud—James Brown Reimagined (Polydor)
8. Gogol Bordello: Solidaritine (Das Grand Kapital)
9. Tommy Womack: I Thought I Was Fine (Schoolkids Records)
10. Wadada Leo Smith: The Emerald Duets (TUM)
11. Wet Leg: Wet Leg (Domino)
12. Anitta: Versions of Me (Deluxe) (Warner)
13. Ka: Languish Arts (Iron Works)
14. The Mountain Goats: Bleed Out (Merge)
15. Sudan Archives: Natural Brown Prom Queen (Stones Throw)
16. Lady Wray: Piece of Me (Big Crown)
17. Harry Styles: Harry’s House (Columbia)
18. Bob Vylan: Bob Vylan Presents The Price of Life (Ghost Theatre)
19. Horace Andy: Midnight Rocker (On-U Sound)
20. Superchunk: Wild Loneliness (Merge)
21. Gonora Sounds: Hard Times Never Kill (Phantom Limb)
22. Amanda Shires: Take It Like a Man (ATO)
23. black midi: Hellfire (Rough Trade)
24. Heroes Are Gang Leaders: LeAutoRoiGraphy (577 Records)
25. ensemble 0: Music Nuvulosa (Sub Rosa)
26. Ches Smith: Interpret It Well (Pyroclastic)
27. The Ogun Meji Duo: Freedom Suite (self-released)
28. Phelimuncasi: Ama Gogela (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
29. 700 Bliss: Nothing to Declare (Hyperdub)
30. The Chats: Get Fucked (Cooking Vinyl)
31. Jinx Lennon: Pet Rent (Septic Tiger)
32. Steve Lacy: Gemini Rights (RCA)
33. Freakons: Freakons (Fluff & Gravy)
34. Mary Gauthier: Dark Enough to See the Stars (Thirty Tigers)
35. Etran de L’Air: Agadez (Sahel Sounds)
36. Homeboy Sandman: I Can’t Sell These (self-released)
37. Bitchin’ Bajas: Bajascillators (Drag City)
38. Miranda Lambert: Palomino (Vanner)
39. Horsegirl: “Billy” / “History Lesson, Part II” (Matador)
40. Mark Lomax Trio: Plays Mingus (CFG Multimedia)
41. Florian Arbenz: Conversation #5—Elemental; Conversations #6 and 7
42. Moor Mother: Jazz Codes (Anti-)
43. Mdou Moctar: Niger EP Volume 1 (Matador)
44. Various Artists: Lespri Ka—New Directions in Gwoka Music from Guadeloupe (Time Capsule Sounds) 
45. Billy Woods: Aethiopes (Backwoodz Studios)
46. Mark Lomax II: Prismatic Refractions, Volume I (self-released)
47. James Brandon Lewis: MSM Molecular Systematic Music—Live (Intakt)
48. Daniel Villareal: Panama ’77 (International Anthem)
49. Kehlani: blue water road (TSNMI/Atlantic)
50. Elaine Elias: Quietude (Candid)
51. Horace Andy: Midnight Scorchers (On-U Sound)
52. Ka: Woeful Studies (Iron Works)
53. Lucrecia Dalt: Ay! (RVNG International)
54. Amber Mark:Three Dimensions Deep (PMR / Interscope) 
55. Morgan Wade: Reckless (Deluxe) (Ladylike) 
56. Zoh Amba: O, Sun (Tzadik)
57. Jussi Reijonen: Three Seconds I Kolme Toista (Challenge Records International)
58. Ran Blake: Driftwoods (Tompkins Square)
59. Whit Dickey: Root Perspectives (Tao Forms)
60. Dan Ex Machina: All is Ours, Nothing is Theirs (self-released)
61. Anna von Hausswoolff: Live at Montreaux Jazz Festival (Southern Lord) 
62. Felipe Salles: Tiyo’s Songs of Life (Tapestry)
63. Steve Lehman: Xaybu—The Unseen(Pi Recordings)
64. Tom Zé: Lingua Brasiliera (Selo Sesc)
65. M.I.A.: Mata (Island)
66. Taylor Swift: Midnights (non-expanded) (Republic)
67. Nancy Mounir: Nozhet El Nofous (Terrorbird)
68. Rick Rosato: Homage (self-released)
69. The Beths: Expert in a Dying Field (Carpark)
70. Alvvays: Blue Rev (Polyvinyl / Transgressive)
71. Oumou Sangare: Timbuktu (World Circuit Limited)
72. Various Artists: Hidden Waters—Strange and Sublime Sounds from Rio de Janiero (Sounds and Colours)
73. Sun Ra Arkestra (featuring Marshall Allen): Living Sky (Strut / Omni Sound)
74. SeaJun Kwon: Micro Nap (Endectomorph Music)
75. Gilla Band: Most Normal (Rough Trade)
76. Brian Eno: FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE (Verve / UMC)
77. Nduduzo Makhathini: In the Spirit of Ntu (Universal)
78. Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity:Elastic Wave (ECM)
79. Miguel Zeñon: Musica de las Americas (Miel Music)
80. Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few: Lift Every Voice (Division 81 Records)
81. Tyshawn Sorey: The Off-Off Broadway Guide to Synergism (Pi)
82. Priscilla Block: Welcome to the Block Party (InDent)
83. The Comet is Coming: Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam (Impulse)
84. Serengeti: Kaleidoscope III (Audiocon)
85. Kendrick Lamar: Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (pgLang/Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope)
86. Makaya McCraven: In These Times (International Anthem)
87. Charm Taylor: She Is The Future (Sinking City)
88. OGJB: Ode to O (TUM) (Note: Band name – O = Oliver Lake, G = Graham Haynes, J = Joe Fonda, B = Barry Altschul / Title – O = Ornette) 
89. Andrew Cyrille, William Parker, and Enrico Rava: Two Blues for Cecil (TUM) 
90. Luke Stewart’s Silt Trio: The Bottom (Cuneiform) 
91. Tyler Mitchell: Dancing Shadows (featuring Marshall Allen) (Mahakala Music)
92. Wild Up: Julius Eastman, Volume 2—Joy Boy (New Amsterdam)
93. Crow Billiken (aka R.A.P. Ferreira): If I don’t have red I use blue (self-released)
94. The Paranoid Style: For Executive Meeting(Bar/None)
95. Carl Stone: Wat Dong Moon Lek (Unseen Worlds)
96. Joy Guidry:Radical Acceptance (Whited Sepulchre)
97. Meridian Brothers and El Grupo & Renacimiento (Ansonia)
98. Marxist Love Disco Ensemble: MLDE(Mr. Bongo)
99. Jeffrey Lewis: When That Really Old Cat Dies (self-released)
100. Mitski: Laurel Hell (Dead Oceans)
101. Jockstrap: Jockstrap (Rough Trade)
102. Breath of Air: Breath of Air (Burning Ambulance Music)
103. Immanuel Wilkins: The 7th Hand (Blue Note) 
104. David Murray Brave New World Trio: Seriana Promethea (Intakt)
105. Fulu Miziki: Ngbaka (EP)
106. David Virelles: Nuna (Pi / El Tivoli)
107. Javon Jackson & Nikki Giovanni: The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni (Solid Jackson) 
108. Leikeli47: Shape Up (Hardcover/RCA)
109. Witchcraft Books: Volume 1—The Sundisk (Iapetus Records)
110. Hurray for The Riff Raff: Life on Earth (Nonesuch)
111. Rokia Koné and Jacknife Lee: Bamanan (3DFamily)
112. Tomas Fujiwara: Triple Double (Firehouse 12)
113. DJ Black Low: Uwami (Awesome Tapes from Africa)
114. Ibibio Sound Machine:Electricity (Merge)
115. Zoh Amba: O Life, O Light, Volume 1(577 Records)
116. Burton/McPherson Trio: The Summit Rock Session at Seneca Village (Giant Step Arts)
117. Kahil El’Zabar Quartet: A Time for Healing (Spirit Muse)
118. Pastor Champion: I Just Want to Be a Good Man (Luaka Bop)
119. Dickie Landry & Lawrence Weiner: Having Been Built on Sand (Unseen Worlds)
120. Nduduzo Makhathini: In the Spirit of Ntu (Blue Note)
121. Pusha T: It’s Almost Dry (G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam)
122. Elza Soares: Elza Ao Vivo No Municipal (Deck)
123. Nilufer Yanya: Painless (ATO)
124. Open Mike Eagle: a tape called component system with the auto reverse (Auto Reverse)
125. Tommy McLain: I Ran Down Every Dream (Yep Roc)
126. Satoko Fujii and Joe Fonda: Thread of Light (Fundacja Słuchaj)
127. Charli XCX: Crash (Atlantic)
128. Pete Malinverni: On the Town—Pete Malinverni Plays Leonard Bernstein (Planet Arts) 
129. JID: The Forever Story (Dreamville)
130. Dedicated Men of Zion: The Devil Don’t Like It (Bible & Tire)
131. Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Mesmerism (Pi Recordings)
132. Space Afrika: Honest Labour (Dais)
133. Charlotte Adigery & Bolis Pupul: Topical Dancer (DeeWee)
134. Earl Sweatshirt: Sick! (Tan Cressida / Warner) 
135. Big Thief: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You (4AD)
136. Ashley McBryde: Presents…Lindeville (Warner Nashville)
137. Jeff Arnal and Curt Cloninger: Drum Major Instinct (Mahakala Music)
138. Tee Grizzley: Half Tee Half Beast (self-released)
139. Hoodoo Gurus: Chariot of The Gods (Big Time Photographic Recordings)
140. Natsuki Tamura: Summer Tree (Libra)
141. (D)ivo: Perelman, Berne, Malaby, Carter (Mahakala Music)
142. Daniel Carter et al.: Telepatica (577 Records)
143. Ghais Guevara: There Will Be No Super-Slave (self-released)
144. Pierre Kwenders: Jose Louis and the Paradox of Love (Arts & Crafts)
145. Manel Fortia: Despertar (Segell Microscopi/Altafonte)
146. Ray Wylie Hubbard: Co-Starring Too (Big Machine)
147. Various Artists: if you fart make it sound good (WA Records)
148. Marta Sanchez: SAAM (Spanish American Art Museum) (Whirlwind)
149. Sonnyjim & The Purist: White Girl Wasted (Duape)
150. Earthgang: Ghetto Gods (Dreamville/Interscope)
151. Mavis Staples & Levon Helm: Carry Me Home (Anti-)
152. Panda Bear & Sonic Boom: Reset (Domino)
153. Blue Reality Quartet: Ella’s Island (Mahakala Music)
154. Sarah Ruth and Monte Espina: quatro estaciones (Full Spectrum)

ARCHIVAL DIGS

1. Los Golden Boys: Cumbia de Juventud (Mississippi Records)
2. Albert Ayler: Revelations—The Complete ORTF 1970 Fondation Maeght Recordings (Elemental)
3. Cecil Taylor:The Complete Legendary Live Return Concert at the Town Hall (Oblivion)
4. Tommy Womack: 30 Years Shot to Hell! An Anthology (Schoolkids Records)
5. Various Artists: Lovers Rock—The Soulful Sound of Romantic Reggae (Trojan)
6. Albert Ayler: La Cave Live 1966 (Ezz-Thetics) 
7. Various Artists: Cumbia Sabrosa—Tropical Sound System Bangers From The Discos Fuentes Vaults 1961-1981 (Rocafort Records)
8. Biluka y Los Canibales: Leaf-Playing in Quito (1960-1965) (Honest Jon’s)
9. Various Artists: OZ DAYS LIVE ’72​-​’73 Kichijoji–The 50th Anniversary Collection (featuring Les Rallizes Dénudés)  (Temporal Drift)
10. Various Artists: A Chat About the Beauty of the Moon at Night–Hawaiian Steel Guitar Masters 1913-1921 (Magnificent Sounds)
11. The Rolling Stones: Live at the El Mocambo (Interscope)
12. Son House: Forever on My Mind (Easy Eye Sound)
13. Lavender Country: Blackberry Rose and Other Songs & Sorrows (Don Giovanni)
14. Mal Waldron: Searching in Grenoble—The 1978 Solo Piano Concert (Tompkins Square)
15. Horace Tapscott Quintet: The Quintet (Mr. Bongo)
16. Horace Tapscott Quintet: Legacies for Our Grandchildren (Dark Tree)
17. Various Artists: The D-Vine Spirituals—Sacred Soul (Bible & Tire)
18. Kabaka International Guitar Band: Kabaka International Guitar Band (Palenque Records)
19. The Pyramids: AOMAWA—The 1970s Recordings (Strut)
20. Hermeto Pascoal: Hermeto (Far Out Recordings)
21. Sun Ra: Sun Ra Arkestra Meets Salah Ragab in Egypt (Strut)
22. Asha Puthi: The Essential Asha Puthi (Mr. Bongo)
23. Malik’s Emerging Force Art Trio: Time and Condition (moved-by-sound)
24. Volta Jazz: Air Volta (Numero)
25. Blondie: Against the Odds—1974-1982 (3-CD Rarities Version) (UMe / Numero Group)
26. Joyce Moreno: Natureza (Far Out Recordings)
27. Various Artists: From Lion Mountain—Traditional Music of Yeha, Ethiopia (Dust-to-Digital)
28. Charles Stepney: Step-on-Step(International Anthem)
29. Ronnie Boykins: The Will Come is Now (ESP-Disk)
30. John Ondolo: Hypnotic Guitar of John Ondolo (Mississippi Records)
31. Luciano Luciani y sus Mulatos: Mulata, vamos a la Salsa (Vampisoul)
32. Cecil Taylor: Respiration (Fundacja Stuchaj)
33. Norma Tanega: Studio and Demo Recordings, 1964-1971 (Anthology)
34. Irma Thomas: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 1976 (Good Time)
35. Afrika Negra: Antologia, Volume 1 (Bongo Joe)
36. Various Artists: Summer of Soul (Legacy)
37. The Heartbreakers: LAMF—The ’77 Found Mixes (Jungle)
38. Various Artists: Let’s Stamp—1950s Folk Dance Recordings from Bulgarian and Yugoslavian 78 Discs (Canary Recordings)