Kent B Poop ’11



A lot of good new stuff, but nothing great except in the Jazz and Reissue bins. Highest marks go to Disco Inferno (we weren’t ready for them in 1992), George Jones, Fania Retrospective, Craig Taborn, Ambrose Akimusire and almost all African compilations.

Formidable Fourteen
Charles BradleyNo Time for Dreaming / BombinaAgadez / M & Athings yes / Frank TurnerEngland Keep My Bones / White DenimD / The Black KeysEl Camino / Tom WaitsBad as Me/ Bomb the Music IndustryVacation / SiberiaLights / WussyStrawberry / tUnE-yArDsWHOKILL / YuckYuck / Florence and the MachinesCeremonials / Paul SimonSo Beautiful or So What
When Charles Bradley sings about how hard it is to make it in America’s land of milk and honey, its more than retro soul. He a 63-years-old with a frayed James Brown/Wilson Pickett style that pleads, testifies and tells the truth. Bombino is a young Taureg guitarist (that’s like someplace in North Africa). It’s hypnotic blues but a little more alive than dusty old Ali Farka Toure, the fuzz petal helps. M&A are two Italian teenagers who mold their electronic pop into blissful sunshine. A little like Phoenix using baby pianos and pitter patter beats – no cynics allowed. Lights’ Siberia has the same sunny feel along with a synth-driven dance floor pop and a hot singer. Two fist pumping arena rock good time anthems lead off Frank Turner’s album before he settles into fairly standard folk fare – but just try to resist not singing along with those first tunes about the glories of rock n’ roll and “It doesn’t matter where you come from, It matters where you go”. White Denim’s D has hit on a swirly psychedelic jam band style that takes me back to the San Francisco of the sixties. Both the Black Keys and Florence and the Machine have much fuller even overproduced sound that somehow helps them outdo earlier efforts. Tom Waits gets the nod because Bad as Me is accessible, and I can actually understand him. It also reminds me of his Heart of a Saturday Night. Except for the Gnarly Mr. Simon, the rest of my picks are solid “Indie” efforts that blow the doors of pretentious crap of say Fleet Foxes.



Twins

cover of Steve Wilson- Grace for Drowning        cover of Opeth – Heritage
Buy New or Used via amazon        Buy New or Used via amazon

Steve WilsonGrace for Drowning / OpethHeritage
Porcupine Tree’s Steve Wilson’s two disc solo set is the best progressive album of the year with ambient melancholy that embraces everything from Pink Floyd to Traffic. As producer, he then gets Opeth to abandon death metal in favor of King Crimson and Thick as a Brick. It’s all overindulgent excess– where are my headphones?

cover of         cover of
Buy New or Used via amazon        Buy New or Used via amazon

Tim HeckerRavedeath 1972 / DiskjokkeSagara
“In the Fog”, “Analog Paralysis”, “Hatred of Music”. The song titles in Ravedeath tell it all. The dark atmospheric and beat-less ambient haze continues with Diskjokke until the final song washes over you with celestial chimes.

cover of         cover of
Buy New or USed via amazon        Buy New or Used via amazon

Raphael SaadiqStone Rollin’ / Mayer HawthorneHow Do You Do
Both these retro soul guys have stepped up. Saadiq has boosted his energy and blends in blues and rock. He is having fun and moving beyond Motown.. Hawthorne’s songs are better than ever but the album is overproduced – listen to his Thanksgiving live performance without the gloss on rollingstone.com

cover of         cover of
Buy New or Used via amazon        Buy New or Used via amazon

Pearl JamLive on Ten Legs / ThriceMajor/Minor
Pearl Jam’s Legs has 18 greatest hits live recorded from 2003- 2010. It’s now less grunge, almost classic rock. After eight albums, Thrice is also playing it safe having abandoned dreamy alt rock for straight ahead rock riffs.

cover of         cover of Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra
Free Download        Free Download

TheWeekndHouse of Balloons / Frank OceanNostalgia, Ultra
You can’t buy good buzz, but you can build it by embracing R&B mash-ups and free downloads of your mix tape through social media and YouTube. This is the future. Ocean’s “Novacane” is my single of the year.

cover of         cover of
Buy New or Used via amazon        Buy New or Used via amazon

Russian CirclesEmpros / And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the DeadTao of the Dead
Empros is cathartic post-rock that starts out closer to metal and ends with a lullaby; while Texas Sludge masters Trail of the Dead present a science fiction fantasy album straight out of Narnia with a talking fox and an Olivia Mumm princess. The concept is a wacked out disaster, but the music is great (on both albums).

African Reissues Rule (as usual)
Afro-SoultetAfrodesia / V.A.Rough Guide to African Guitar Legends / SofritoTropical Discoteque / V.A.Nigeria 70 – Sweet Times: Afro-Funk, Highlife & Juju From 1970s Lagos / Bambara Mystic SoulThe Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974-1979 / Ebo TaylorLife’s Stories / Tabu Ley RochereauThe Voice of Lightness

Jazz
Piano: Keith JarrettRio / Craig TabornAvenging Angel / Marcin Wasilewski TrioFaithful / Gerald Clayton BondThe paris sessions Solo Sax: Colin StetsonNew History of Warefare Vol 2 / Matana RobertsLive in London Avant Garde (old school: Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid/Mats GustafssonLive at South Bank / Ambrose AkimusireWhen the Heart Emerges Glistening / Muhal Ibrahim AbramsSoundDance Avant Garde (w/some minimalism): Timothy AndresShy and Mighty / Steven LugernerThese Are the Words / Steven Lugerner SeptetNarratives Same Drummer – two groups: Charles Lloyd Maria FarantouriAthens Concert / Eric HarlandVoyager: Live by night Fusion: Mats/Morgan BandLive Old Wine/New Bottles Miles DavisBitches Brew Live / Miles Davis QuintetLive in Europe 1967 / V.A.Miles Espanol / Joe HarriottThe Joe Harriott Story

Recycled Old Stuff
OffFirst Four EPs / Disco InfernoThe 5 EPs / Eddy Current Suppression RingSo Many Things / Archers of LoafIcky Mettle / The Radio Dept.Passive Aggressive Singles 2002-2010 / Human SwitchboardWho is Landing in my Hangar / Bitch MagnetBitch Magnet George JonesHeartbreak Hotel / Willie WrightTelling the Truth V.A.Fania Records 1964-1980 / Dr. Boogie presents Wasa WasaFabulous Rhythm n’Blues / The Plastic People of the UniverseMagical Nights / Neil DiamondThe Bang Years 1966-1968 / Mick TaylorMick Taylor / Rolling StonesSome Girls

Comfort Food
Warren HaynesMan in Motion / Steven Martin and the Steep Canyon RangersRare Bird Alert / Hot Tuna – Steady as She Goes / Neil Young International Harvesters – A Treasure

Not Bad…
Wild FlagWild Flag / TV on the RadioNine Types of Light / Johnny WinterRoots / Kurt VileSmoke Ring for My Halo / Levin Torn WhiteLevin Torn White / Peter Stampfel and Jeffrey LewisCome on Board / Gary Clark JrGary Clark Jr / GirlsRecord 3 Father Son Holy Ghost / PJ HarveyLet England Shake / Nicholas JaarSpace is Only Noise / Fucked UpDavid Comes to Life

Treading Water
MobyDestroyed / My Morning JacketCircuital / Foo FightersWasting Light / Corea, Clarke & WhiteForever / Chick Corea & Stefano BollaniOrveito

Good Intentions Suck
Tedeschi Trucks BandRevelator / Bobby McFerrinVOCAbuLarieS / Lykke LiWounded Rhymes / New York DollsDancing Backwards in High Heels

Final Thoughts
The reissues of Off! and Eddy Current Suppression are highly recommended. Off! if you like accessible Black Flag punk while Eddy Current specializes in garage rock (with a cheesy farfisa organ) and a Cockney accent. On George Jones’ compilation you don’t hear a country crooner, but a young rockabilly rebel who isn’t afraid to take shots at Elvis. My guilty pleasures – which I can’t objectively justify – include Hot Tuna’s laid back folk blues (no more boogie, we’re old now) and Warren Haynes’ subtle tribute to Southern Soul. Finally, if you lived in New York in the 70s and want to bring back some street corner Salsa memories, pick up the Fania Records retrospective.







Kent B Poop ’11



A lot of good new stuff, but nothing great except in the Jazz and Reissue bins. Highest marks go to Disco Inferno (we weren’t ready for them in 1992), George Jones, Fania Retrospective, Craig Taborn, Ambrose Akimusire and almost all African compilations.

Formidable Fourteen
Charles BradleyNo Time for Dreaming / BombinaAgadez / M & Athings yes / Frank TurnerEngland Keep My Bones / White DenimD / The Black KeysEl Camino / Tom WaitsBad as Me/ Bomb the Music IndustryVacation / SiberiaLights / WussyStrawberry / tUnE-yArDsWHOKILL / YuckYuck / Florence and the MachinesCeremonials / Paul SimonSo Beautiful or So What
When Charles Bradley sings about how hard it is to make it in America’s land of milk and honey, its more than retro soul. He a 63-years-old with a frayed James Brown/Wilson Pickett style that pleads, testifies and tells the truth. Bombino is a young Taureg guitarist (that’s like someplace in North Africa). It’s hypnotic blues but a little more alive than dusty old Ali Farka Toure, the fuzz petal helps. M&A are two Italian teenagers who mold their electronic pop into blissful sunshine. A little like Phoenix using baby pianos and pitter patter beats – no cynics allowed. Lights’ Siberia has the same sunny feel along with a synth-driven dance floor pop and a hot singer. Two fist pumping arena rock good time anthems lead off Frank Turner’s album before he settles into fairly standard folk fare – but just try to resist not singing along with those first tunes about the glories of rock n’ roll and “It doesn’t matter where you come from, It matters where you go”. White Denim’s D has hit on a swirly psychedelic jam band style that takes me back to the San Francisco of the sixties. Both the Black Keys and Florence and the Machine have much fuller even overproduced sound that somehow helps them outdo earlier efforts. Tom Waits gets the nod because Bad as Me is accessible, and I can actually understand him. It also reminds me of his Heart of a Saturday Night. Except for the Gnarly Mr. Simon, the rest of my picks are solid “Indie” efforts that blow the doors of pretentious crap of say Fleet Foxes.



Twins

cover of Steve Wilson- Grace for Drowning        cover of Opeth – Heritage
Buy New or Used via amazon        Buy New or Used via amazon

Steve WilsonGrace for Drowning / OpethHeritage
Porcupine Tree’s Steve Wilson’s two disc solo set is the best progressive album of the year with ambient melancholy that embraces everything from Pink Floyd to Traffic. As producer, he then gets Opeth to abandon death metal in favor of King Crimson and Thick as a Brick. It’s all overindulgent excess– where are my headphones?

cover of         cover of
Buy New or Used via amazon        Buy New or Used via amazon

Tim HeckerRavedeath 1972 / DiskjokkeSagara
“In the Fog”, “Analog Paralysis”, “Hatred of Music”. The song titles in Ravedeath tell it all. The dark atmospheric and beat-less ambient haze continues with Diskjokke until the final song washes over you with celestial chimes.

cover of         cover of
Buy New or USed via amazon        Buy New or Used via amazon

Raphael SaadiqStone Rollin’ / Mayer HawthorneHow Do You Do
Both these retro soul guys have stepped up. Saadiq has boosted his energy and blends in blues and rock. He is having fun and moving beyond Motown.. Hawthorne’s songs are better than ever but the album is overproduced – listen to his Thanksgiving live performance without the gloss on rollingstone.com

cover of         cover of
Buy New or Used via amazon        Buy New or Used via amazon

Pearl JamLive on Ten Legs / ThriceMajor/Minor
Pearl Jam’s Legs has 18 greatest hits live recorded from 2003- 2010. It’s now less grunge, almost classic rock. After eight albums, Thrice is also playing it safe having abandoned dreamy alt rock for straight ahead rock riffs.

cover of         cover of Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra
Free Download        Free Download

TheWeekndHouse of Balloons / Frank OceanNostalgia, Ultra
You can’t buy good buzz, but you can build it by embracing R&B mash-ups and free downloads of your mix tape through social media and YouTube. This is the future. Ocean’s “Novacane” is my single of the year.

cover of         cover of
Buy New or Used via amazon        Buy New or Used via amazon

Russian CirclesEmpros / And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the DeadTao of the Dead
Empros is cathartic post-rock that starts out closer to metal and ends with a lullaby; while Texas Sludge masters Trail of the Dead present a science fiction fantasy album straight out of Narnia with a talking fox and an Olivia Mumm princess. The concept is a wacked out disaster, but the music is great (on both albums).

African Reissues Rule (as usual)
Afro-SoultetAfrodesia / V.A.Rough Guide to African Guitar Legends / SofritoTropical Discoteque / V.A.Nigeria 70 – Sweet Times: Afro-Funk, Highlife & Juju From 1970s Lagos / Bambara Mystic SoulThe Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974-1979 / Ebo TaylorLife’s Stories / Tabu Ley RochereauThe Voice of Lightness

Jazz
Piano: Keith JarrettRio / Craig TabornAvenging Angel / Marcin Wasilewski TrioFaithful / Gerald Clayton BondThe paris sessions Solo Sax: Colin StetsonNew History of Warefare Vol 2 / Matana RobertsLive in London Avant Garde (old school: Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid/Mats GustafssonLive at South Bank / Ambrose AkimusireWhen the Heart Emerges Glistening / Muhal Ibrahim AbramsSoundDance Avant Garde (w/some minimalism): Timothy AndresShy and Mighty / Steven LugernerThese Are the Words / Steven Lugerner SeptetNarratives Same Drummer – two groups: Charles Lloyd Maria FarantouriAthens Concert / Eric HarlandVoyager: Live by night Fusion: Mats/Morgan BandLive Old Wine/New Bottles Miles DavisBitches Brew Live / Miles Davis QuintetLive in Europe 1967 / V.A.Miles Espanol / Joe HarriottThe Joe Harriott Story

Recycled Old Stuff
OffFirst Four EPs / Disco InfernoThe 5 EPs / Eddy Current Suppression RingSo Many Things / Archers of LoafIcky Mettle / The Radio Dept.Passive Aggressive Singles 2002-2010 / Human SwitchboardWho is Landing in my Hangar / Bitch MagnetBitch Magnet George JonesHeartbreak Hotel / Willie WrightTelling the Truth V.A.Fania Records 1964-1980 / Dr. Boogie presents Wasa WasaFabulous Rhythm n’Blues / The Plastic People of the UniverseMagical Nights / Neil DiamondThe Bang Years 1966-1968 / Mick TaylorMick Taylor / Rolling StonesSome Girls

Comfort Food
Warren HaynesMan in Motion / Steven Martin and the Steep Canyon RangersRare Bird Alert / Hot Tuna – Steady as She Goes / Neil Young International Harvesters – A Treasure

Not Bad…
Wild FlagWild Flag / TV on the RadioNine Types of Light / Johnny WinterRoots / Kurt VileSmoke Ring for My Halo / Levin Torn WhiteLevin Torn White / Peter Stampfel and Jeffrey LewisCome on Board / Gary Clark JrGary Clark Jr / GirlsRecord 3 Father Son Holy Ghost / PJ HarveyLet England Shake / Nicholas JaarSpace is Only Noise / Fucked UpDavid Comes to Life

Treading Water
MobyDestroyed / My Morning JacketCircuital / Foo FightersWasting Light / Corea, Clarke & WhiteForever / Chick Corea & Stefano BollaniOrveito

Good Intentions Suck
Tedeschi Trucks BandRevelator / Bobby McFerrinVOCAbuLarieS / Lykke LiWounded Rhymes / New York DollsDancing Backwards in High Heels

Final Thoughts
The reissues of Off! and Eddy Current Suppression are highly recommended. Off! if you like accessible Black Flag punk while Eddy Current specializes in garage rock (with a cheesy farfisa organ) and a Cockney accent. On George Jones’ compilation you don’t hear a country crooner, but a young rockabilly rebel who isn’t afraid to take shots at Elvis. My guilty pleasures – which I can’t objectively justify – include Hot Tuna’s laid back folk blues (no more boogie, we’re old now) and Warren Haynes’ subtle tribute to Southern Soul. Finally, if you lived in New York in the 70s and want to bring back some street corner Salsa memories, pick up the Fania Records retrospective.