Anteater's Daily Tune Roulette

Anteater · 07-21-2020, 10:18 PM

Brother Ape - The Mirror (2013) [Swedish Indie Prog-Pop]

A power trio from Stockholm that's been cooking steadily since 1980, but didn't start recording albums until the mid 00's. Interesting band - they come off as a curious conglomerate of early 80's Rush, Smashing Pumpkins and Mew...along with a healthy helping of jazz fusion dexterity. This cut, The Mirror, is a good example of their approach at work - strong melodies, the distinctive lead vocals and guitar work of Stefan Damicolas...and a keen sense of energy that's missing in a lot of prog.

Anteater · 07-22-2020, 10:54 PM

Noah Gundersen - Fire (2011) [Folk]

Epic traveling folk music. A floor shattering anthem for the cynical American. Nick Drake by the way of Fleet Foxes. Any of those descriptors appeal? They all apply equally to this great song.

Anteater · 07-23-2020, 09:44 PM

The Caretaker - Everywhere At The End Of Time - Stages 1-6 (2016 - 2019) [Ambient / Noise / Avant-garde]

A 6 hour descent into the nightmarish condition commonly known as dementia, specifically one person's journey through all six stages. I'm treating it as one large "track" despite technically being six separate albums, and it is certainly not for the faint of heart. Without a doubt the finest overall work from The Caretaker and the closest thing to experiencing complete oblivion I've had so far in my many years as an avid music listener and collector.

Anteater · 07-24-2020, 11:51 PM

Jellyfish - Russian Hill (1993) [Power Pop / Baroque]

At a crossroads between Brian Wilson, Randy Newman and the Ramones sits legendary power pop band Jellyfish, who released two masterpieces in the early 90's and then scattered to the four winds. This particular song is beautiful and always struck me as a particularly well constructed bildungsroman, strings and all.

Anteater · 07-25-2020, 11:49 PM

Tatsuro Yamashita - Windy Lady (1976) [City Pop]

Steppin' funk from Japan courtesy of their King of Pop. Yamashita-san is a genius on par with the most influential singer-songwriters, but until the last decade or so was relatively unknown to most Western audiences due to a lack of circulation of his records outside of that market. Thankfully, that is no longer the case and his catalog is highly recommended to anyone looking for someone worthy to dive into.

Anteater · 07-27-2020, 08:19 AM

Voivod - Jack Luminous (1993) [Space Rock/Metal]

There's never been a time where Voivod weren't fun for me, but I actually enjoy their poppier 90's era more than their seminal 80's one, and the epic Jack Luminous is a good example as to why. It careens on disheveled, strung out but catchy energy (reminiscent of Acid Bath) over a 17 minute run, getting groovier and more intriguing as it goes along. It never settles completely into one mood or another, but encapsulates the interstellar drive they're known for in a different context from Nothingface and previous classics. Noice.

Anteater · 07-28-2020, 10:57 PM

Cardiacs - Is This The Life? (1988) [Pronk]

RIP to the great Tim Smith. My favorite punk-anything frontman and band ever, and one of the first bands I got into in my early days of vinyl exploration. Ironically, they were one of my gateways into more eclectic punk-based music and also 70's prog-rock simultaneously. But that's partly what made them great - the inherent contradiction of styles that was the foundation of the whole "pronk" idea.

Anteater · 07-29-2020, 10:57 PM

Leon Thomas - Let The Rain Fall On Me (1969) [Vocal Jazz]

A true prince among jazz singers, Leon Thomas soars smoothly with flautist James Spaulding on this late night cruiser. Additionally, the sublime piano arrangement of Lonnie Liston Smith in conjunction with the light yet dynamic touch of drummer Roy Haynes adds even more finesse and beauty to an already gorgeous song. Unassailable.

Anteater · 07-30-2020, 11:08 PM

Yakuza - Exterminator (2006) [Psychedelic Post-Metal]

Some good 'ol fashioned melodic sludge, with Exterminator being the Planet Caravan of this particular album...and it most definitely can take you to some interesting places. There's even some near-free jazz sax soloing around the five minute mark and beyond. Nicceeeee.

Anteater · 07-31-2020, 10:39 PM

Bruce Hornsby - Voyager One (2019) [Avant-garde Jazz Pop]

Hornsby is something of an American singer-songwriter fixture at this point, like Neil Young and Bob Dylan and *insert your favorite here*. Emerging out of the 80's as an unconventional success, he settled into a semi-jazz oriented career but never stopped changing. As this off-kilter, charmingly spacey jazz pop ditty demonstrates, he's certainly not slacking with age.