What's the sound in my headphones today?

Gavin B. · 09-09-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

What I love about Fela Kuti's music is the incorporation of Jazz and deep Funk bass lines which makes the music sound timeless whereas KSA's music sounds dated in many parts and missing that deep bass that evokes the vitality and passion of Africa.

To compare these two artists is a little unfair as they play and have expanded upon the traditional Yoruba music but KSA does'nt grab me emotionally or as passionately. Sure it is very well played and not at all offensive but it is also, in the main; forgettable and on some tunes you could imagine artists such as Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel (in their African tinged output) doing very similar music.

I never heard Fela in concert but I wish I would have. It wasn't until the early Eighties that I became aware of his amazing body of recorded work from the early Seventies. Even though Fela spent a few years attempting to launch an American career while living in Los Angeles he never really succeeded. Fela wasn't the first great performer of African music, but he's as significant to the development of Afrobeat as Bob Marley was to reggae.

I saw King Sunny Ade in the Hynes Center in Boston in 1984. He does a lot more jamming and and dub effects in his live shows than on his records. Some of his live jams go on for 30-45 minutes. I think Sunny's guitar playing was bit like listening to Wes Montgomery doing a Grateful Dead style jam with Yoruba tribal drums. Phish's Trey Anatassio cites King Sunny and a leading influence on his own style of guitar playing.

At the Hynes Center performance, Sunny's band got overpowered by his own opening act, Black Uhuru, who at the peak of their powers when Michael, Ducky, Puma, Sly and Robbie were all still in the band and they had just released Anthem, the most powerful album of their career. It wasn't so much that Black Uhuru was a better band, it was more a matter of Black Uhuru having a hard hitting dance floor beat while much of Sunny's music was of the jazz influenced "listening" variety of music. I think about the only African band that could successfully followed Black Uhuru in that era was Fela Kuti's amazing jazz funk ensemble.

The contrast between the two bands was sharp. King Sunny's band was cerebral and Black Uhuru was visceral. After the Black Uhuru set, about half the people left because it was difficult to make the transition from Sly and Robbies sledge hammer riddim driven band to the more delicate circular riddims of the multiple talking drums that Sunny used as backdrop to his psychedelic guitar noodlings. Had Sunny chosen not to have an opening act (especially Black Uhuru) I think more people would have gotten caught up in the vibe of his music.

The grandmaster of Nigerian ju ju music is Sir Shina Peters who has more recently refined ju-ju into a hard hitting afro-beat style where the drum and bass are front and center to the sound. Shina hasn't toured that much outside of Africa and took a long haitus for music during most of the Eighties. While still in his teens in the 70s Shina introduced ju ju music to Nigeria and became the nation's most popular music star. King Sunny (who really is a Nigerian King) is about 10 years older than Shina and had reinvented himself and his music several times before he finally recorded Ju Ju Music in 1982 for Chris Blackwell's Island Records.

At the time Bob Marley had just died and Blackwell was in search of the African equivalent of Marley. Chris and his crew decided to launch an attack on the world music scene with a very brilliant artist such as Adé and was successful at opening up the music of Africa to the rest of the world. The 21 year old Shina Peters was the charismatic performer that all the big labels (including Blackwell's Virgin) wanted to sign back in 1982, he stubbornly refused to record until 1989. Here's a video of one of his amazing performances:

jackhammer · 09-10-2009, 02:31 PM

A great post there. I can certainly see how Black Uhuru are completely the wrong opening act for someone like King Sunny. It sounds like he hasn't managed to capture his more raw live sound down in his music which is a shame as I was really looking forward to hearing the album.

jackhammer · 09-25-2009, 05:31 PM

Cobalt-Gin (2009)

Black Metal. Not one of the most endearing of genres and even being a fan of Metal myself, I rarely venture into the genre but this album is something else. In the grand scheme of things It's barely a Black Metal album with the trappings usually associated with the genre (intense speed, harsh vocals) kept to a minimum on the album and if truth be told I would class it as a Progressive metal album.

The production and riffs are much more pronounced than on many Black Metal albums with the musicianship very much to the fore but certainly not to the detriment of their sound. All too often bands of this ilk lose sight of actual song structure thus presenting incoherent albums with moments of greatness. Gin is different. It stands up on it's own and you don't need to be a fan of Black Metal to enjoy it. It avoids many of the cliches inherent in the genre and instead it is one of the most individual, enjoyable and easy on the ear metal albums I have heard for a long while.

If you are looking for something other than the multitude of groove based metal bands with no identities of their own then you need to hear this album.

Piss Me Off · 09-26-2009, 05:34 AM

*puts hand up*

I haven't listened to a new metal album in yonks!

jackhammer · 11-18-2009, 07:36 PM

Jackhammer get's your booty shaking:

Gavin B. · 11-19-2009, 10:36 AM

Welcome back Jack, it's been awhile since you did an entry to your venerable Headphones diary. My thoughts on the music:

I loved Mr. Scruff's song, especially the muted trumpet. It sounds like a prime cut from the heyday of acid jazz and trip hop. Isn't one of the samples a Louis Jordan riff ? Damn I wish I could think of the name of the song. This music is right up my alley and I spend a great deal of time listening to similar jazz remix projects like Thievery Corporation's rexmixes of the Verve catalog and the Ultra Chilled collection which just released it's sixth volume of remixes. Mr. Scruff is definitely on my must-have list.

Chinese Man is a group from Marseille that I've heard and love. They have a wacked out sense of humor like Orb and remix some very noirish sounding jazz. I think there's some Cab Calloway samples in Antichaut. In fact I'm thinking the horn samples are either the Calloway band or the Basie band.

Parov Stelar is a relative newcomer that I've heard a lot about but never actually heard. It sounds like swing era jazz with a big beat. It reminds me of Dr. Buzzard's Savannah Band a New York City R&B band that experimented with big beat swing riddims and even had a memorable hit with the song Cherchez Le Femme in the 70s. Once again you've unearthed another jewel from a musical genre that is near and dear to my heart.

The final song (is it by Dita?) isn't as outstanding as the other three songs but the other three are so well selected they blow away most acid jazz remixes. That being said, I'd still listen to and play Dark Burlesque on my radio show because I only have a few minor quibles with the way it was remixed.

All things considered, I give your selections 3.73 "thumbs up" out of 4. It's a fantastic post with some fantastic music.

jackhammer · 11-21-2009, 05:08 PM

I will have to be brutally honest and admit that I don't know some of the samples used on some tracks. Chinese Man deserved further inspection after I found that track but I was disappointed with what I heard. It seemed like typical cut and paste turntabilism to me. Mr Scruff is another matter and his style is easy on the ear yet still tips it's hat to it's source material. Last years Ninja Tuna album is well worth your time. Kid Loco peddles a similar sounds but it's not as cohesive IMO.

Dieselboy · 11-21-2009, 06:34 PM

Wow, excellent post.

I love big band sounds, and I'd heard some of Parov Stellar on compilations and actually own some of his stuff now. I had no idea there was other similar sounding artists like this though...those are all outstanding. Gonna look into those more for sure.

jackhammer · 11-21-2009, 06:59 PM

Just one more from my recent foray into these sounds:

So infectious.

jackhammer · 11-30-2009, 04:57 PM

Post Hardcore

Post Hardcore is an offshoot of Punk Hardcore (prevalent in the 80's) where the musical palette widened, incorporating more complex sounds and alternating gruff vocals sometimes with screams and at other times fairly melodious singing whilst still remaining intense and heavy.

I won't attempt to give you a history of the genre because I admit to not being hugely knowledgeable in the genre however I do think that my love for the band Fugazi that stretches back 20 years turned me onto the scene but it is only within the last few years that I have really delved into the genre.

Dischord Records (Fugazi's own record label) and the American scene in particular provide the bulk of the genre with bands such as Jawbox and Big Black being early examples of the genre which then spread into other musical offshoots such as Math Rock.

Here are just a few of my fave bands:

Recommended listening:
Fugazi- 13 Songs
Quicksand-Slip
Botch-We Are The Romans
Refused-The Shape Of Punk To Come
Jawbox-S/T
Braid-Frame and Canvas.

09-10-2009, 02:31 PM	#162 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	A great post there. I can certainly see how Black Uhuru are completely the wrong opening act for someone like King Sunny. It sounds like he hasn't managed to capture his more raw live sound down in his music which is a shame as I was really looking forward to hearing the album. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

09-25-2009, 05:31 PM	#163 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Cobalt-Gin (2009) Black Metal. Not one of the most endearing of genres and even being a fan of Metal myself, I rarely venture into the genre but this album is something else. In the grand scheme of things It's barely a Black Metal album with the trappings usually associated with the genre (intense speed, harsh vocals) kept to a minimum on the album and if truth be told I would class it as a Progressive metal album. The production and riffs are much more pronounced than on many Black Metal albums with the musicianship very much to the fore but certainly not to the detriment of their sound. All too often bands of this ilk lose sight of actual song structure thus presenting incoherent albums with moments of greatness. Gin is different. It stands up on it's own and you don't need to be a fan of Black Metal to enjoy it. It avoids many of the cliches inherent in the genre and instead it is one of the most individual, enjoyable and easy on the ear metal albums I have heard for a long while. If you are looking for something other than the multitude of groove based metal bands with no identities of their own then you need to hear this album. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

09-26-2009, 05:34 AM	#164 (permalink)
Piss Me Off Moodswings n' Roundabouts Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: At the corner of Dude and Catastrophe Posts: 4,512	puts hand up I haven't listened to a new metal album in yonks! __________________ Last FM Rate Yr Music Muxtape

11-18-2009, 07:36 PM	#165 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Jackhammer get's your booty shaking: __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

11-21-2009, 05:08 PM	#167 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	I will have to be brutally honest and admit that I don't know some of the samples used on some tracks. Chinese Man deserved further inspection after I found that track but I was disappointed with what I heard. It seemed like typical cut and paste turntabilism to me. Mr Scruff is another matter and his style is easy on the ear yet still tips it's hat to it's source material. Last years Ninja Tuna album is well worth your time. Kid Loco peddles a similar sounds but it's not as cohesive IMO. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

11-19-2009, 10:36 AM	#166 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	Welcome back Jack, it's been awhile since you did an entry to your venerable Headphones diary. My thoughts on the music: I loved Mr. Scruff's song, especially the muted trumpet. It sounds like a prime cut from the heyday of acid jazz and trip hop. Isn't one of the samples a Louis Jordan riff ? Damn I wish I could think of the name of the song. This music is right up my alley and I spend a great deal of time listening to similar jazz remix projects like Thievery Corporation's rexmixes of the Verve catalog and the Ultra Chilled collection which just released it's sixth volume of remixes. Mr. Scruff is definitely on my must-have list. Chinese Man is a group from Marseille that I've heard and love. They have a wacked out sense of humor like Orb and remix some very noirish sounding jazz. I think there's some Cab Calloway samples in Antichaut. In fact I'm thinking the horn samples are either the Calloway band or the Basie band. Parov Stelar is a relative newcomer that I've heard a lot about but never actually heard. It sounds like swing era jazz with a big beat. It reminds me of Dr. Buzzard's Savannah Band a New York City R&B band that experimented with big beat swing riddims and even had a memorable hit with the song Cherchez Le Femme in the 70s. Once again you've unearthed another jewel from a musical genre that is near and dear to my heart. The final song (is it by Dita?) isn't as outstanding as the other three songs but the other three are so well selected they blow away most acid jazz remixes. That being said, I'd still listen to and play Dark Burlesque on my radio show because I only have a few minor quibles with the way it was remixed. All things considered, I give your selections 3.73 "thumbs up" out of 4. It's a fantastic post with some fantastic music.

11-21-2009, 06:34 PM	#168 (permalink)
Dieselboy Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 608	Wow, excellent post. I love big band sounds, and I'd heard some of Parov Stellar on compilations and actually own some of his stuff now. I had no idea there was other similar sounding artists like this though...those are all outstanding. Gonna look into those more for sure.

11-21-2009, 06:59 PM	#169 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Just one more from my recent foray into these sounds: So infectious. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

11-30-2009, 04:57 PM	#170 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	Post Hardcore Post Hardcore is an offshoot of Punk Hardcore (prevalent in the 80's) where the musical palette widened, incorporating more complex sounds and alternating gruff vocals sometimes with screams and at other times fairly melodious singing whilst still remaining intense and heavy. I won't attempt to give you a history of the genre because I admit to not being hugely knowledgeable in the genre however I do think that my love for the band Fugazi that stretches back 20 years turned me onto the scene but it is only within the last few years that I have really delved into the genre. Dischord Records (Fugazi's own record label) and the American scene in particular provide the bulk of the genre with bands such as Jawbox and Big Black being early examples of the genre which then spread into other musical offshoots such as Math Rock. Here are just a few of my fave bands: Recommended listening: Fugazi- 13 Songs Quicksand-Slip Botch-We Are The Romans Refused-The Shape Of Punk To Come Jawbox-S/T Braid-Frame and Canvas. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”