This was a pleasant surprise. I’m new to Boztown, a trip-hop band out of France, and they have a warm, dark, rather crusty sound to them.
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Latvian band The Pink Elephant play a mellow psychedelic rock that has an authentic vibe to it. Not a bad neo-psych release at all.
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There is, apparently, a documentary film coming out on the life of Shirley Collins, the grand dame of British folk music who worked with such artists as disparate as Davey Graham and Current 93. This compilation is tied to the film, and features artists like Lee Ranaldo, Alasdair Roberts and Angel Olsen, but the standout track is The Murder Of Maria Marten, eerily performed by Ela Stiles. 45 tracks of well-done covers.
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Vtoroy Etazh Porazhayet (2nd Floor is Striking) are a Moscow post-punk outfit, and it seems both Russia and Belarus are producing a lot of these days. They are released by the French record label Belka Records. Their sound will appeal strongly to those who are into the post-punk renaissance of the past five years or so.
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TEKE::TEKE are a band out of Canada who combine a punk aesthetic with psychedelic music and Japanese soundtrack music from the 1960s. It’s about as unique a release as I’ve heard in some time.
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This is one of South Africa’s best jazz outings. It features tenor saxophonist Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi and the album blends not only South African jazz but also the works of John Coltrane and Horace Silver. A swinging release.
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In honor of returning to lovely Belgrade, I salute the occasion with Serbian electrostatic composer Manja Ristić, now based in Croatia.
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Ajate are a Japanese band who have the Afrobeat sound down. They’re one of the best bands working in this style while seamlessly blending Japanese percussion, funk and soul into their milieu.
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Dirk Fock was a Dutch-American pianist with a very interesting musical history, including working with Richard Strauss. From the Bandcamp site: Dirk Fock (1886-1973) In 1945 the Dutch-born conductor and composer Dirk Fock (also: Foch) became an American citizen. Before that – during the interwar years – he conducted many orchestras all over Europe. Living in New York from 1919-1924 he was first conductor to the New York City Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor to the New York Philharmonic. He also was co-founder and first conductor of the American Orchestral Society. In 1924 Richard Strauss requested him to work as…
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Jerzy Milian is one of the most important jazz musicians to ever come out of Poland. In this rather expensive album, he is collaborating with the BRT Radio (now VRT Radio) Orchestra during the late 1960s. The release showcases Milian’s vibraphone talents, but also shows how multi-faceted his music was, incorporating beat, rock and soundtrack music into his oeuvre.