[coll] Sitar Beat Vol. 2: Indian Style Heavy Funk [Guerilla Reissues] (33 rpm)

This limited-release EP is the 2nd volume (there are three so far as of 5/05) of remixed psychedelic funk tracks featuring the sitar and the sounds of Bollywood and Pakistan. Each side has two funky tracks and a third track consisting of bonus beats for your mixing pleasure. Bend It Like Beckham meets Barney Miller. Enjoy!

One word review: Brownsploitation
–Hunter Gatherer

?5? Royales, The ?Dedicated To You? [Sing (King)] (33 rpm)

The ‘5? Royales, an R&B group originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, recorded these 12 songs while signed to King Records. This is a bootleg replica put out by ‘The Official Record Company? of Denmark back in 1988. The King label is covered up with a made-up ‘Sing? label.

The ‘5? Royales started out as a gospel group called The Royal Sons Quintet but changed names and switched to a more secular doo-wop/jump blues sound while signed to Apollo Records and then to a heavier R&B sound while at King Records. Throughout their career the strong gospel influence is always present.

This record presents The ‘5? Royales at the peak of their powers. This is mainly due to Lowman Pauling’s excellent songwriting and guitar playing combined with the group’s effortless harmonizing. During these later recording sessions for King, Mr. Pauling really started letting loose on his Les Paul. Check out the guitar on Think and Messin’ Up as well as the call-and-response with John Tanner’s vocals on Say It.

Labelmate James Brown had a hit with Think in 1960, and The Shirelles and The Mamas and Papas had a hit with Dedicated To The One I Love. Check out the originals.
–Hunter Gatherer

Variable Unit ?Mayhemystics Outbreaks? [Wide Hive Records]

This is the fifth release by Variable Unit, a San Francisco self-described ‘community? (as opposed to a ‘band?) with a fluctuating membership made up of experienced musicians interested in combining genres like hip hop, down tempo, dub, soul, and anything else they can get their hands on. It was released 4/20/2005

This release started out as outtakes from their previous release, Mayhemystics, and soon took on a life of its own. Only two songs of the thirteen are new versions from Mayhemistics - Second Seals (originally Seals) and Liberation 2 (originally Liberation).

The sound is a mishmash of genres listed above, bringing out the best elements of each. The great keyboard playing by Jacob Elyah Aginsky and the rhythm section of Thomas McCree (drums) and Matt Montgomery (bass) keep the music interesting and funky (especially on 8: Contradiction). DJs Quest and Zeph participate on this release as well. Azeem and Omega have a powerful delivery to match the power of the subject matter.

Most of the songs are a reaction to the second Gulf War and the general hassles of being on the less desirable end of a capitalist society combined with a healthy dose of apocalyptic vision. They get points for writing the first song I’ve heard that points out the fact that vinyl records are made from oil derivatives.

Instrumentals: 4, 7, 9, 13
–Hunter Gatherer

Nikaidoh, Kazumi ?You Dropped Something Again, Didn’t You? [Poet Portraits]

Kazumi Nikaidoh, or Nika to her friends, is a Japanese singer/songwriter with a distinctive voice. This is her second album, released 2/2005, and it was recorded at her home when she got the chance between live shows. There are also two videos on this CD, one of a song that is not on the audio section of the CD.

Nika plays the acoustic guitar with a distinctive fingerpicking style but far more distinctive is her singing style, which can sound cute and childish at one point and then broken and jagged with little warning. There are long sections of wordless singing that drifts away from the key and out of the meter.

She is accompanied mostly by other acoustic instruments - piano, cello, flute, clarinet. This gives this CD a folky feel though parts of it sound poppy.
–Hunter Gatherer

Books, The “Lost and Safe” [Tomlab]

The Books, a New York-based duo, are Paul DeJong and Nick Zammuto. Lost And Safe is their third full-length release.

Put it on and you will hear acoustic instruments (guitar, banjo, cello, ?) sometimes highly processed and looped, sometimes not. But the most striking thing about this release is that about half the lyrics are from found recordings. Sometimes the spoken texts are obviously from different sources but they are put together to make a conversation which creates a rather unsettling effect. Other times it is oddly moving. The other lyrics are sung, spoken, or multi-tracked by Mr. Zammuto.

The overall feeling of this release is one of calm in the center of a storm, loneliness in a crowd, and safety in the midst of chaos. It’s perfect music for people watching in a crowded city. Xlr8r magazine called it 23rd centry bluegrass in their review, which is about right.

The songs on this promotional CD are in different order than the one that was released.
–Hunter Gatherer

Sun Ra “Spaceship Lullaby” jazz [Atavistic-Unheard]

Doo wah Sun Ra… What an interesting time capsule on the
outstanding (and appropriate) Unheard Music Series from the
Atavistic folks. Hermetically-sealed Herman Blount sounding
very earthbound, anchored to a trash can on the corner, but
still with eyes searching for Saturn in the sky…and ears
angling for angles in the stars. He punches his Chicago
ticket twice at the end of the Nu Sounds section. There’s
a sweetness to the jingle-like melodies, and more than a
few jewels to the roughness here. Honestly, “Ra Coaching
Roland Williams” may be my favorite. Or the Lintels
picking up “Blue Moon” from scratch or the little racing
dips in “Louise” (a favorite of my departed mother-in-law
who is undoubtedly somewhere in the galaxy begging Sun to
do another rendition of that number.) A lot of older folks
will get jukebox shivers hearing these tunes. Liner notes
are a must. Zoom zoom zoom…

Mu “Out of Breach” 33 rpm [Output]

I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so attracted to
something and terrified by it at the same time? (Grace
Jones?) There’s something about Mu’s Mutsumi Kanamori that
screams for your attention, and just plain screams. Is she
a battle rapper at war with the world? She has zero tolerance
for poseurs, paparazzi parasites and pretty much anybody she
comes in contact who’s *not* named Luke. Lurking in the
shadows here Maurice Fulton is the beat pimp, slapping hand
claps and other Roland percussion together. He also doctors
Mu’s vox, from Darth Vaderification to Spaced Invader robo-
reverb. She adds her own effects, sounding like rooster,
coughing up dry heaves (on “Throwing Up” of course). A
twisted thread of justice and vengeance and English make
this a pretty powerful car crash. When she screeches
“Ugly lazy fuck loser”
I know she’s talking especially to me! File this under
disturbed disco… She’s probably a total sweetheart, but
for now, I’ll respect the restraining (dis)order.

Fireballs of Freedom “Exorcism in the Key of You” 45 rpm [Wantage]

Rock ‘n’ roll with its heart in the right place, smack dab
in the middle of its inflamed liver. Each song kinda climbs
up little ladders of riffs, with retro dirtbag guitar work
and those damn ninth chords. Kah-runchy. Very, very blarey,
and you can taste the amp hum on the “Exorcism.” Vocals are
that kind of pent-up soul screaming, with RNR-101 emphatics.
On the flip side a couple of covers, more party flavor…
kicking you square in the beer nuts. This time with cheeze
organ nacho baking on a copy of the Barkay’s “Copy Cat.”
Finally to top things off, Hendrix’s “Ain’t No Tellin’”
gets flamebroiled by these Oregon accumulators.
Shot-callin’ and fireballin’

Love of Diagrams “We Got Communication” [Unstable Ape]

Vocals blowing in the breeze, bursts of noise peppered guitar
and firecracker drums. What could you want, but more? A LOT
more… Melbourne trio that’s been touring with the Rogers
Sisters recently, and they deliver the same sort of blitzy,
frisky rock. All three sing, often through a squelchy mic.
Guitarist Luke Horton chews up strings, nice choppy chompy
chords and lines. When drummer Monika Fikerle and bassist
Antonia Sellbach both sing with great abandon, panicking is
fun!! Lyrics are kinda semaphoric. Flashed out and repeated.
Like instructions on a bottle of pills. The two remixes are
alright, #4 (”In the Red”) feels like a Tom Ze tribute at
the onset…but later on we get the full throttle drumming
from Maniakal Monika. “No Way Out” gets kinda 80’s Howard
Jones keyboards, a thickened bass, and limp-along handclaps.
Um, I strongly preferred the original’s head-rush. Check
with your doctor. One fine fibrillating debut.

Summer at Shatter Creek “All the Answers” [Badman]

Isn’t sorrow sublime? Yes. Is it wrong to feel a twinge of
joy as the tear streaks your cheek? No. For every summer
needs its shatter, and the beautiful things you float in
amber are dead. Craig Gurwich has a little sparrow’s trill
at the end of his voice and it’s a very pretty voice…then
he piles the reverb on with abandon. Not just on his voice
listen to the drums drop-p-p on “Rebecca.” He’s concocted
a Zombies meets Six Feet Under meets the kid who broke your
heart back in high school, and quit acting like you don’t
remember his/her name. Just go put this album on and look
darkly in the mirror and almost cry. This fine CD makes me
want to go hide all of Brian Wilson’s medication. Those who
think whistling is for getting blithely by the graveyard,
well they should listen to the whistling on #6. And for
those who feel lyrics always have to be cryptic to have
heft, c’mon you know all the lyrics to “Heard It Through
the Grapevine” and they get the job done. A lot of harm
can be done in the harmonies too! Especially when you’re
up the Creek without a major chord.

Nudge “Cached” [Kranky]

I know some folks will listen to this and hear a subdued
swirl of sound, but I’m telling you this CD is a bad mutha!
Just check out “Contact” which sounds like Shaft in a Bush
of Ghosts. That’s followed by “My New Youth” which tunnels
through This Heat to a crackly meltdown, and then builds
it back up with a beat and static like a bat out of hell,
and I ain’t talking about Meatloaf. Then with “Remove Ya’s”
melodica and shuffle-surging bassline, Nudge have released
the Boredom’s first reggae single before the Boredoms even
thought of it. A prominet ripple in the bass (not always
bubbling over frets, sometimes bellowing up from keys)
unites most of these tracks. At times Honey Owens chirps in
with some vocals that taste like high-tech surveilance,
there but not there. I could say that this band is like
Supersilent on a funk binge, but that’s only right about
1/3 of the time. Is this stationary dance music, liquid
concrete, or just transcending trans-genre. Aces!

(the) Contemporary Jazz Quintet “Actions” jazz [Atavistic Unheard]

You shoulda heard just a what they saw…or sawed. When I
first heard this I thought either they had some electric
whammy guitar or distant voice on the first track. I just
rejected the idea that saw would be used in the free jazz
context. You hear it on the opening of #5, and it sounds
like Niels Harrit’s saw is almost not there, it comes off
as more than tape hiss but less than a fierce wind catching
the mic. Franz Beckerlee’s sax seems to charge the most
with it…buzzing into a held not alongside it, but then
scorching away. When Hugh Steinmetz jumps in on his trumpet
the saw is almost vanquished by the dual horn thorniness…
but instead it never gives up, never backs down and it helps
to keep the sax and trumpet from just spiraling away with
the entire performance. Ultimately the saw blossoms again
usually while Bo Andersen whips the drums and cymbals along
or for one of two sturdy bass solos by Steffen Andersen. For
all of its limited range, Harrit’s saw is repeatedly spell-
binding and a big reason this quintet still sounds so damn
Contemporary today!

International Male, the “Eurobeast” [Global Popstar]

Commander Diggie Diamond and Captain Roman Pietrs are the self-proclaimed ‘original electro booty retard rockers.’ Their gimmick is an amusing juxtaposition of conceited male model sex-icon status and the Las Vegas flair of Siegfried & Roy; a surprisingly innovative concept considering their quirky low-fidelity retro 80’s electro sound. Brandishing identical keytars to lay down the booty groove, this duo has unleashed the innate desire for stripping naked and partying to the most uproarious dance music to recently emerge from Brooklyn, N.Y. Quotable lyrics abound as well, with such unforgettable lines as the rousing feel-good acronym shout out, ?’P? is for the panties / they’re flyin’ through the air / ‘A? is for the air / there’s a lot of panties there,? on ‘P.A.R.T.Y.’ Shoot, they even cover Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger.’ Take your pick of any song and you’re guaranteed to find something fun to latch onto! I never thought drawing inspiration from the likes of Julio Iglesias, David Hasselhoff, Eric Estrada, Scott Baio, William Shatner and every other unlikely male pop culture icon imaginable would translate into some serious, ‘International Cool!?

[coll]: Ramencore - Volume 1 [Burnt Ramen Records]

Ramencore compiles numerous D.I.Y. ska, punk, and hardcore bands within the underground music scene, circa 1997. These are some of the earliest recordings to have ever been archived at this crucially inspirational Oakland studio which later evolved into a live music venue in Richmond. Contributions range stylistically from down tempo grooves, to skank-lovin’ ska-punks with quirky sarcastic lyrics, to sleazy 70’s guitar rock with traces of blues, to trashy gutter mouthed street punk. Contents are explosive, fiery, aggressive, distorted, loud, confrontational, spastic, indecent, and obscene; the list goes on and on! Outstanding bands include Oppressed Logic, White Trash Debutantes, Soda Pop Fuck You, Curbside, Link 80, and Seven - X among others! Recorded in the spirit of anarchism, Ramencore is raw, untamed, and essential!

John the Baker and the Malnourished “Fire Marshall Law” [Controlled By Plague]

Fire Marshall Law is politically charged punk-metal chaos, complete with sardonic lyricism and a furious onslaught of heavy down-tuned riffing. Malnourished includes members of Brainoil, Ill Gotten Gainz, and Dystopia. Technically speaking, the tunes are relatively simple but for fuck’s sake, this is hardcore! These guys invoke images of being repeatedly stabbed in the eye by a hideous black scorpion with an endless reservoir of lethal venom. This recording is JTB’s musical autobiography, released in the aftermath of his live venue (Burnt Ramen Studios) being shut down by the local Richmond Police and Fire Marshall. Listen to the words on a song like ‘Get Outta My Face? or ‘Cops? and you gain a glimpse into the life of a provocative, struggling street musician who’s had more than just a few run-ins with some less than sympathetic law enforcement officials.

Edler, Hans “Elektron Kukeso” [Boy Wonder Records]

Hans Edler arguably pioneered Sweden’s, if not the world’s, first entirely computer programmed and commercially released electronic experimental pop album, Elektron Kukeso, in 1971. For two painstaking years, Edler (who fronted 60’s Swedish sensation, the Ghostriders) recorded his original music at the Electronic Music Studio in Stockholm. The computers took up entire rooms and Edler was required to study mathematics and programming before creating compositions. The machines could only process and archive music data milliseconds at a time! The result? Fascinatingly peculiar drone arrangements and harmonic electro hum patterns. An innovatively rhythmic, yet beat vacant presentation. Interstellar pulsations and flowing tonality exist throughout. Edler’s astounding melodious vibrations and playful lyrics are awe inspiring. Way ahead of his time and exceptionally cool! Respectful comparisons to Kraftwerk or Raymond Scott simply don’t acknowledge Edler’s ingenuity. He wasn’t simply utilizing minimal electronic instruments, despite equivalent low-fi sounds. He used the most advanced computerized technology to generate sounds and eventually entire songs! No one else had really done that and he didn’t rely on drum machines or mainstream pop appeal to carry his music.

Current 93 “Lashtal” [L.A.L.Y.L.A.H.]

Featuring Psychic TV’s David Tibet (also in Nurse With Wound) and John Balance (also in Coil, Nurse With Wound, and Death in June), as well as 23 Skidoo’s Fritz Haaman, this is Current 93’s debut single from 1983. Experimental, dark, and paranormally peculiar, Lashtal realizes unnerving industrial audio-experiences devoid of dance orientation. Closer analysis unveils mesmerizing tape loop shrill along with paranoid horn blasts. Intimately resonating incantations echo through dismal catacomb corridors as billowing tribal drums surge forth from depths below. Remarkable ambient spookiness coalesces and rapidly dissipates. Sustained listening is strongly encouraged as Lashtal’s prize selections are mournfully abbreviated; that means they’re really good and too goddamned short! Play this and PLAY IT CONSTANTLY!!!

Afrirampo “Afrirampo” [self-released]

Afrirampo’s Oni (guitar/vocals) and Pikacyu (drums/vocals) (also in Acid Mother’s Temple) are an incredibly exotic and sexually charged all-female Japanese duo. Their music impressively and exceptionally deviates from conservative Japanese culture’well, almost any culture, actually! Allegedly, Afrirampo has multiple meanings as Oni & Pika rarely give a straight answer during interviews. Yet, on more than one occasion, they define Afrirampo as ‘Naked.’ Given their predilection for entirely nude or semi-nude experimentally psychedelic post-punk performances, provocative red stage outfits, and untamed ‘fuck anything that moves? attitude, this makes perfect sense. If Sonic Youth’s overwhelming approval doesn’t convince you of this duo’s artistic talent, consider a psychic evaluation my friend. Herein lies particularly deranged forays into lo-fi psych-rock freak outs, reverb instrumentation, and primal animalistic screeches akin to chimpanzees in heat! Most selections are relatively short and aggressive, with one bizarre 16 minute exception. What are they singing about? Hell, ‘I’m still trying to imagine these thread-bare beauties rockin’ a new level of insanity live!!!

Smog - “A River Ain’t Too Much to Love” - [Drag City] (CD)

The latest from Smog (aka Bill Callahan) recorded in Texas in November 2004 and released in 2005 harkens back to his days of great story-telling albums. Very simple instrumentation, mostly guitar, drum and Bill Callahan’s mesmerizing vocal style (more of a sneering conversation than singing) that always captivates me. Thematics on this release keep coming back to water, the river, brambles, family, and perhaps a journey into the country to contemplate all of that. There’s a folk/country vibe throughout and “In the Pines” is even a traditional train song. Jim White on drums and Joanna Newsom on piano on track 4. Excellent release! (added 5-14-2005)

Note: Language on “The Well”–“fuck all y’all!”

-Cynthia Lombard

X-TEMPORANEOUS BOOGIE

Camille Howard seems to have been one of those musicians that could have much more well known except for the fact that she was Black, and American culture at the time would not let her succeed to the level of her skills. From this recording you will hear OUTSTANDING Blues, Jazz, and some AMAZING Boogie-Woogie piano, great singing, and fine arrangements of original songs from the late 40’s to the early 50’s.
There is a detailed bio in the liner notes.
David Richoux