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:

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.

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.

*puts hand up*

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

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.

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.

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.

Just one more from my recent foray into these sounds:



So infectious.

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.

Post-hardcore is one of my favorite genres! Good choices there. I think the genre just works well with my personality. The quiet/loud dynamics, abrasive sounds, emotional roller-coaster aspects of it, and the great melodies mixed within. I just love the stuff.

:love:

I have to admit to checking out this band due to the recent death of drummer Jerry Fuchs and what a brilliant drummer he was and fuck me , is he ever good!

The band play instrumental sorta Math Rock with huge Krautrock influences so it sounds like Can on speed but it's more about the vibe than becoming complex and boring the crap out of you. Now the aforementioned drumming. My MP3 copy is VBR 228-250 and the sound on it is just immense so full bitrate must sound stunning. The guy is so ridiculously tight yet it's never over complicated or showing.

If you are into your drummers, good production, Krautrock, Math Rock then you just have to get this album.

It's a pity that the vid is not the best sound quality but this is off the album and if you like this, wait until you hear Track 3 :hphones:

Now THAT was quality.

Would make a great Christmas present too ;)

I'm torn: On the one hand I just heard the best music I've heard in a long time so I'm happy. But I also learned that the best drummer I've heard in a long time fell down an elevator shaft and died so I'm sad. I think I may buy myself the Zwei CD for myself for xmas.

Outfits such as Mount Eerie have dabbled in Black Metal recently but hat's off to duo Velvet Cacoon who have dabbled and destroyed the genre's limitations with just one release. Black Metal is barely the most attractive of genres with images of Satan worshipping, guttural vocals and ridiculous imagery yet the genre has given us some brilliantly atmospheric bands such as Agalloch and now you can add VC to the list.

Giving the album a Black Metal tag is a huge disservice to this elusive duo who have delivered a deeply atmospheric, unclassifiable album that has it's roots in Dark Ambience moreso than the usual cliches of the genre.

Trying to find info about them on the net is a huge conundrum in itself as hearsay and conjecture have forced the band to be ostracised from the genre and the fact that they rarely self promote or play gigs only add to this.

What we have is an album that is insidiously creepy, yet refreshingly free from genre trappings with conventional riffs and song structure thrown out of the window. Instead we have an album that is stupendously heavy yet also easy on the ear and perfect headphone music.

The vocals are pushed way down in the mix as are the drums which results in a drone like sound that swallows you and takes you to some very dark places.

The only info I managed to get was this fascinating interview with the duo that is so unlike any interview I have read before:
VELVET CACOON Interview - Full Moon Productions - FMP666.com

Whilst not always agreeing with everything that is said, I found this absorbing reading and yet another example that music is a strange and wonderous beast with bands always pushing the envelope and having a decent amount of intelligence to back up their convictions.

Don't let the term Black Metal put you off at all when listening to this band as they are something else entirely and they have a uniqueness to both their music and attitude that makes me sit up and take notice amidst the bland copy cat crap that you have to trawl through to find something just that little bit different.


I do implore you to read the interview which provides some much needed background on the band.

Well I read the interview and I must say I'm impressed. Consider my hands tied, I have to listen to this now. Very strange interview, and I think they make a mistake by tying themselves in with black metal (though they obviously don't give a fuck if anyone likes or listens to their music.

I have to confess to not being overly familiar with this outfit but the name has crossed my path many times and I finally got to hear them a couple of days ago.

Take the foundations of Dub with it's bass heavy sound and monotonous beats and then overlay the tribal beats of Africa and vocal lines and you get an album that is easy on the ear, yet refreshingly full of vitality and spirit.

I can't really add anymore but to say that if you want to spread your wings musically and sample something a little off the beaten track then give it a chance. An album that brings a little ray of sunshine into these grey days.

Oddly I've really been getting into this bassy, tribal kind-of music lately, so I thank you for posting this! I love the rhythm and the primitive atmosphere of it all.

I think I pretty much completely missed this post, or else I can't remember replying to it, but I am totally digging New Zealand reggae/dub at the moment! And it's been you who has pretty much introduced me to all of these fantastic artists, which is pretty embarrassing actually considering I'm part kiwi...

Anyway, fantastic post and I just thought I'd do a quick little belated reply to it to express my appreciation for these bands and to thank you for introducing me to them! I'm going to a couple of music festivals in NZ in a couple of months time so I'm hoping to see a lot more of their dub/reggae scene.

I also had no idea that Bret from Flight of the Conchords was once a valid member of The Black Seeds. Odd!

You are not going to see FFD again are you? Please say you are not? GGGRRRR

Hell yes I am :D I've been bragging about it in the FFD thread.

That's it I'm moving to Aus and we are getting married so you will have to drag me along!

Spirit were a Psychedelic Rock band from the late 60's that produced a cult classic in 'The Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus' but by the late 70's they were a spent force and mainman Randy California put out what is basically a solo album under the spirit umbrella which still divides fans to this day but to the uninitiated is a wonderful slice of drug induced Rock music that was as original as it was unfocused.

To say that this album was made under the influence of drugs is an understatement. SF TV samples, cross fading and cutting and pasting tracks are inherent even in this pre digital age.

Tracks ranging from deep Psychedelia, Californian sunshine rock and Avant Garde ramblings all mesh together surprisingly well into an album that is as odd as it is easy on the ear. Completely unpredictable yet perfect smoking music (it was a perennial smoking favourite back in the day), Future Games is still an album that defies conventional description yet it can sit happily in your collection without having a 'difficult' tag tacked onto the cover.

A great little gem that deserves at least a listen and if 'Freakout Frog' doesn't make you chuckle then you need a humour transplant!

Only a single track this time but what a track! Obviously influenced by the juxtapositional work of Radiohead that marries intense guitar riffs with luscious ambience, it has been a favourite track for a long time. The album it's from 'Open Heart zoo' is patchy at best but the obvious Metal riffs coupled with the vocals give us a relative unique piece of work that sadly won't find a home due to it's starkness and beauty.

hmmm, well you've intrigued me jackhammer. got a link?

I can't find the original link for this although it was the first time I managed to get hold of it in over 2 years of searching. It's in FLAC if you need me to up it or I can convert to MP3 too if you prefer.

i'm good with FLAC files, thanks.

I haven't heard that particular Spirit album but I've been enjoying the self-titled debut, The Family That Plays Together, and Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus for some time. Yesterday I listened to Clear for the first time, which is also good but not quite to the level of the other 3. This medley sounds interesting, I'll have to check out the album. I might check out Spirit of '76 first, not sure.

The 1st anniversary of John Martyn's death was yesterday (29th Jan). R.I.P big man. That is all.

^^^ That is a really awesome video. His death was a tragedy, I can't believe that someone so talented and always himself went by almost un-noticed in the musical world. "Bless The Weather and Solid Air," are two of my favourite albums ever.

R.I.P sir!

Can I get a link to that too?

I completely forgot about sorting this link out. Will get on it tomorrow.

OK so I haven't posted here in a while and I was reading this thread: http://www.musicbanter.com/hardcore-...-why-hate.html and wanted to chip in outside of the thread because I have been listening quite a lot to a band that SHOULD be considered metalcore but they certainly don't fit the established criteria.


So this is a 2010 release and not some old obscure album I dug up to give credence to my thoughts. It's a damn heavy album with a decidely old school feel but still sounds fresh and far from tired. The reasoning I am linking it to the Metalcore thread is because this is what the genre should sound like.

It's not a Hardcore punk album but neither is it a Thrash Metal album. It straddles both with consumate ease. It has the attitude and directness of Hardcore Punk. There is very little in terms of tempo changes, it's aggressive and direct with barely no solos and vocals that almost verge of crust BUT the guitars and riffs borrow from a lot of early Thrash and crossover music.

The riffs are as important as the directness yet there are no breakdowns, no uneccessary double bass blasts or cookie monster vocals so to me this is what the scene should sound like.

Just as the crossover scene in the mid late 80's introduced Metalheads to Hardcore punk and vice versa, this album made over 20 years later may do the same to a new generation of fans. It's not a groundbreaking album or even absolutely essential but it is heavy (compared to the bassless Metalcore) and a reminder that there is still damn good music being played that doesn't bother to lump itself in with a particular scene and plays music for enjoyment not profit or commerciality.

Here is a vid and if anyone wants a link LMK.

As you might know, I pretty much never listen to this kinda music, but this album sounds intersting nonetheless and I'm in the mood for diversifying a bit, so if you could link me up that'd be fairly awesome of you :)

Retro Funk

I have always liked Funk especially the deep, down and dirty stuff like Undisputed Truth, Ohio Players and Lightnin' Rod and over the past few years there has been a revival of this sound with bands not only sounding decidely retro but also using recording techniques and instruments of the era for that extra authenticity.

The band that first came to my attention was The Quantic Soul Orchestra who also recorded an album with legendary Soul Singer Spanky Wilson.




although I like both of these projects (there is a third simple called Quantic which is the main mans chilled output) I still wanted to find something a little more raw sounding and I stumbled across this outfit recently:



This album was released last year and should have got more attention. I mean it ticks all the boxes and is pretty hard to dislike really.

This again has lead me on a chase and I found these:



rather good don't you agree? I won't ramble on too much because Funk is an acquired taste (why?) but if you like what you hear then holler if you need any links.

Recommended:
Spanky Wilson & The Quantic Soul Orchestra - I'm Thankful
Gizelle Smith & The Mighty Macambos - This Is
The Poets Of Rhythm - Discerne/Define


Still looking :)

This is pretty damn good. I'll have to have a listen.

The Quantic Soul Orchestra is one of my favorite bands. They have a whole bunch of albums out, some of which are deep grooved funk, while others have jazz orientation that sounds like Seventies era jazz funk of Roy Ayers, Les McCann, Eddie Harris & Donald Byrd.

For your listening pleasure here's Eddie Harris & Les McCann performing the jazz funk classic Compared to What, a song that says it all & even more. Les McCann's angry & righteous vocal is one of the most passionate & heartfelt I've ever heard.

http://www.ukstars.co.uk/tribute-ban...ur-booty-2.jpg

A simple premise for todays post. Songs that will always get me dancing (even though I look like a broom handle having a fit) played loud in a pub/club.

It's 2 am in the morning, you have had one too many but you have energy galore, so what better way than to make a fool of yourself and boogie on down:

:D

After the first time I heard this song, I played it soo much in my car that the guy I carpool with to work almost jumped out screaming. There is no way anyone can listen to this song and not move. :love: