Month: February 2022

  • Etran de L’Aïr – Agadez

    Etran de L’Aïr – Agadez

    Thanks to a bit of luck and our friends at Sahel Sounds, I was fortunate enough to obtain an album by Nigerien (no, not Nigerian) troupe and stars of the local wedding music scene, Etran de L’Aïr (or Stars of the Aïr region).  From their Bandcamp site: “Recorded at home in Agadez with a mobile…

  • [Article] In mid-’60s Yugoslavia, mariachi music was really popular

    [Article] In mid-’60s Yugoslavia, mariachi music was really popular

    Pablo Esparza of The World website writes on one of the oddest phenomena which happened during the heyday of Yugoslavia – the Yu-Mex scene, complete with charro costumes.

  • Ángel Ontalva – October Equus Guitar Project Vol. 1

    Ángel Ontalva – October Equus Guitar Project Vol. 1

    Ángel Ontalva is a Spanish guitarist who spends a great deal of time working in Russia whom we’ve featured here in the past, and he surprises us with a release of an album full of Rock-In-Opposition and chamber-rock influences. From his Bandcamp site: “The origin of this album is in the Rock In Opposition Festival…

  • Igor Vasilev Novogradska – Sisterhood Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

    Igor Vasilev Novogradska – Sisterhood Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

    Igor Vasilev, working under the nom de plume Novogradska, has produced music in various genres, including darkwave (with Alexander Veljanov of Deine Lakaien), Mizar and his own solo work in electronic music.  He has also become a sought-after soundtrack composer.  This particular work, for the Dina Duma-directed Sisterhood, has an air of tension that would…

  • David J – What The Patrons Heard

    David J – What The Patrons Heard

    David J should need no introduction, but if you’re new here, he made his name as the bassist of Bauhaus and the leader of both Live and Rockets and Tones On Tail. This new album, What The Patrons Heard, was 34 years in the making. He combines his post-punk roots with a singer-songwriter vibe he…

  • Wabjie – Lull

    Wabjie – Lull

    Wabjie are a Swiss trio made up of singer Soraya Berent, pianist/composer Michel Wintsch and drummer Samuel Jakubec who produce a sound that references Thom Yorke, Bobby McFerrin and Betty Carter at their most experimental, but perusing the promo sheet, one name was left off that hit me very hard when listening to the album…

  • Carlos Niño & Kofi Flexxx – In The Moment, Part 3

    Carlos Niño & Kofi Flexxx – In The Moment, Part 3

    Longform Editions is a boutique record label out of Australia which does many things well, but specialized in releasing short albums packed with electronic experimentalia from all over the world. This one brings Los Angelino Carlos Niño and a world traveling sax player whose work I’m quite new to in Kofi Flexxx paring down a…

  • News Article: Is Old Music Killing New Music?

    News Article: Is Old Music Killing New Music?

    Ted Gioia has penned an important article on the state of modern music at The Atlantic Magazine. I’m generally in agreement with him, but as a Gen-X-er, I do agree that modern music is utter trash. Where music is thriving is on places like Bandcamp and, to a lesser degree, Soundcloud, where fresh talent can…

  • Midori Hirano – And I Am Here

    Midori Hirano – And I Am Here

    According to Midori Hirano’s Bandcamp site, “this album was initially released on staaltape by Rinus Van Alebeek in 2015 as a very limited edition of cassette tape.” It’s a gem of experimental music because Hirano’s background blends a classical music, a commercial music background, and what would end up being termed as “Japanoise,” the beautifully…

  • Andrea Keller / Wave Riders – Systems Over​-​Ride

    Andrea Keller / Wave Riders – Systems Over​-​Ride

    I was going through a tag titled “Australian jazz” on my free time this week and came across this stunner of an album by Andrea Keller & Wave Riders. From her Bandcamp site: Systems Over-Ride is the new album from Melbourne-based pianist & composer Andrea Keller, featuring her latest musical venture, WAVE RIDERS. The quintet…