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See also my rateyourmusic profile and the chart of my Music Album reviews.
Preface. I am working on a big project that is semi-related to this column. When everything is ready, I’ll publicize it to death, but for now it will probably keep me from updating this page.
Articles and Interviews
Here’s a goofy Christmas song by Monk Turner — as performed by his daughter. I just love the refrain…. (I interviewed Turner a few years ago. Really amazing musician!)
Emusic/Bandcamp Purchases
Due to unforeseen income and musical antsiness, I bought a few things on Bandcamp and Emusic. Most of the BC stuff are Name Your Price (NYP), and about half the purchases are from Sahel Sounds, a Portland-based label focused on West African music (Niger, Benin, Mali, Mauritania, etc).
I really wish that the collective Bandcamp mind would settle upon a hashtag for NYP. It’s practically impossible to dig up which albums are going on NYP in a particular month.
First, the Bandcamp stuff:
- Two albums by 39th & the Nortons. Mourning Waltz and The Dreamers. French garage pop that is surprisingly fun and catchy.
- Agadez by Etran de L’Air. (Niger).
- s/t by Namian Sidibe. (Mali) Female singer with melancholy guitar.
- At Pioneer Works by Les Filles de Illighadad. 3 female Tuareg singers sing rhythmic, hypnotic songs with guitar. (Niger)
- s/t by L’Orchestre National de Mauritania. Long lost recordings from 1968-1975 during a period where a military coup ordered all cultural remnants of the former regime be destroyed.
- Zerzura (OST) by Ahmoudou Madassane (Niger). 14 movie tracks. Most begin with 5-15 seconds of natural sounds, followed by the actual music. Described as “Saharan Desert Blues” or psychedelia.
- Anou Malane by Abdallah Oumbadougou. (Niger/Benin). Reissue of 1995 studio recording by legendary composer and creator of Tuareg guitar music.
- Acturus (DiN 19) by ARC. 2005 release on the UK DiN label. Three live tracks from a trance/EDM performance. I actually love this sound!
- Khraniteli 2024 by Blackout Princesses. A collection of one man electronic/synth prog rock/kraut rock. Apparently the composer cleaned up the sound from an earlier release.
- RippleFest Texas by Ripple Music label. Recordings from various heavy metal artists during a 2021 concert. Traditional sound with hints of ZZ Top.
- Dreams Long Forgotten by Polarcoaster. Downbeat ambient soundscapes by Spanish ambient artist.
- Sallaw by Porya Hatami, Aaron Marin, Roberto Altanasio. ($3) I’ve bought albums before of Iranian sound artist Hatami. Four ambient tracks, each representing a different season.
- Eye of the Wild by nedogled. (Home page) Psychedelic doom synth (with a fast beat) by Serbian EDM artist.
- Tracing by Richard Chartier. 40 minute minimalist soundscape compared to “strange mist.” From one article: Created initially as his contribution to a mooted duo project with William Basinski, the latter rightly declined to add any contribution to what he insisted was already a finished piece.”
(The Wire, UK) RJN: Maybe a little too dull for me.
Youtubey/Podcasty Things
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Freegal and Library CDs
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