Albums

This release from the late artist Alias came along at an interesting time in the story of Nerd Show. It needed to find it’s feet a little bit, but the music I was getting from KWCR was unsteady and only a year or so earlier had the stream of music started to work, with our Music Directors doing the hard work to get us some good stuff. Not only that, they needed to know where these kinds of albums would be played. I really enjoy this one, even and especially with it’s more experimental tracks.

I chose Side A tonight, and I was sure that I Heart Drum Machines would be my pick until Prelude to Death Watch played, and I knew that Death Watch would be my pick. It ties up the instrumental and the experimental aspects of the first side, with sweeping guitars, melody, drums, and a somewhat grand feel.

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This artist name always cracks me up, but as Ernest Gonzales’ alter ego, it works really well. It’s a shame that he didn’t expand on the project more than this full album, but boy is it a treat throughout. Side B talked to me, and while I really love Deities, Highway To Hell features Freddie Gibbs, and that’s quite another thing. Not only would the drums and organ and texture of this track work solo, but Freddie’s midwest punch and storytelling take it to another level, making it the track it needed to be.

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It’s been a while since I’d listened to this album, and Side B did not disappoint. It’s super strong while being pretty diverse in sounds. It brought back a lot of memories from hearing this one for the first time, seeing the documentary about how The Range found the vocal samples on YouTube, and then seeing him perform live at Urban Lounge in SLC.

Retune was my favorite this listen, with it’s pitch shifting of the vocals and the general vibe and flow of the track. It’s pleasant and progressive. A wonderful track.

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I remember quite vividly when this album came out. I was a really big fan of Labor Days, more than Bazooka Tooth, and all signs pointed to an incredible release. We weren’t left disappointed, and the album as aged well in the last 15 years or so. It’s title track, on Side A, was my favorite this listen around and I’d almost forgotten that Aes had partnered with old friend and collaborator Blockhead for the jaunty, bouncy, catchy beat. It’s a partnership that worked so well on Labor Days that it feels really good here, and on a few other Blockhead tracks including Bring Back Pluto.

And then there’s the super neat video…and the Polyphonic piece on it…

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As a Jazz record goes, this one is unusual for a few reasons. First, it’s a piano and bass. Second, it’s a woman on the keys. Third, this woman was white and British. Fourth, my copy has misprinted labels. Didn’t know that until I looked closer. Fifth, she was one of the most respected Jazz musicians ever and hosted the radio show Piano Jazz from 1979 for 25 years which played a very important role in my weekly listening for many years. She could invite any musician, who could play any instrument or sing any style, and vibe with them. It was simply amazing to listen to her show and hear the stories of her life.

That misprinted label didn’t foil my desire to listen to Side A, as it has four tracks versus Side B’s five, and on this listen I really and thoroughly enjoyed Twilight World, a track of Marian’s own. I’ve embedded the full album, as it’s the only way to share this track played solely with Linc Milliman.

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This is one of those rare albums that just put you in a vibe from the start and don’t relent. I had my eyes closed the entire time I listened to it and I didn’t want to open them. Side A is non-stop flow and it was really, really hard to pick a track this listen. I’ve seen Shigeto perform many of these tracks live at Kilby Court in SLC. That’s almost literally a large shed, and when he toured this album it was with a drum set, which was amazing in the context. Later, when I saw that he did the same on KEXP I just kept watching it over and over. It’s why I’m including two videos again on this release, with Ringleader being an incredible example of how the track changes.

Detroit Part 1 just had to be my track pick. It’s so dense, wide, atmospheric, and expressive. I’m so glad that later, when Detroit Part II came out on his label Portage Garage Sounds, I was able to nab a copy. What a pair of tracks these are.

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On the evening of listening to this it was International Jazz Day, so it felt appropriate to throw down on a record that I hadn’t listened to, nor that I’d added to Discogs. Primitivo lights the side off with some exceptional Jazz Flute, I felt more at home with Jessica’s Day, and especially Unit 7, which is my pick for Side A. I did like the overall sound of this record and appreciate what it is for a recording from the 80s in more a traditional 50s and 60s sound. I love jazz and will always have time and space for wherever it goes and whatever it sounds like.

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I can remember a cousin of mine being a big fan of Cameo in the late 80s. I just didn’t get it, and I don’t think it’s aged very well. The silly vocals, guitar solos, whistling sounds. Yeah, Cameo didn’t age well. I did find a track on Side A that I almost liked, Back and Forth, but then there’s a guitar solo somewhere in the last third of this track, which is about 1/3rd longer than it should have been anyway.

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I remember getting this album in 2007 and just wondering what in the world it was, where it had come from, and if there was more of it. As it happened, there was more, as Burial’s self-titled album was still making waves when it’s successor came along and stomped again into the scene. This still makes me shake my head when I listen to it and it feels like an old, musty wool blanket that’s so soft, but delightfully imperfect. Worthless, but priceless.

Side B has the wonderful Homeless, which bangs in the best two-step way possible, but Shell of Light just floors me every time because it does what Burial does best: more with less. Fantastic.

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This is a neat, 6xLP set that covers a few decades of Jazz classics from Robert Johnson to John Coltrane and everything in between. The discs are pretty well packed, however, and the recordings are pretty clean but many of the earlier ones are mono, which isn’t a surprise. I picked Side D as it seemed very promising, and indeed it was. The track The Man I Love, a Gershwin tune, performed by the Coleman Hawkins Quartet, really stood out to me in many ways. I especially loved the solo performances by the bass and horn. This is a collection I need to experience front-to-back one of these evenings.

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