320 kbps | 87 MB | LINKS
Tracklist:
1. Fear Free (Feat. Eric Gales) (5:32)
2. Drinkin’ Rain (3:41)
3. And A Little Bit More (I Want It All) (3:56)
4. Shape To Shadow (5:14)
5. Brotherhoos Of The Misunderstood (4:56)
6. One More Shot (3:09)
7. My Name (Feat. Joanne Shaw Taylor) (3:38)
8. Living Words (5:24)
320 kbps | 102 MB | LINKS
Up All Night. It’s an apt title for Albert Castiglia’s seventh album: nobody sleeps when this man is in town. After 27 years of house-rocking studio albums and smack-in-the-mouth live shows, the Florida bandleader is the acknowledged master of red-raw, sweat-and-hair blues that gives it to you straight. Now, the visceral riffs and bruised soul of Up All Night make everything else sound like a lullaby. Up All Night finds Castiglia in a creative swagger after last year’s acclaimed Big Dog. What wasn’t broke then hasn’t been fixed now, with the bluesman once again recording at Dockside Studios, Louisiana, and capturing a warts-and-all mix alongside producer Mike Zito.
320 kbps | 107 MB | LINKS
Carted to Alabama under the cloud of dark politics, a band drew a glistening straight line from punk to country to soul to grand theater. On November 8th, the day after the 2016 election, Welsh-bred, Chicago-based musician and visual artist Jon Langford and a crew of merry-makers and alchemists filed into the NuttHouse studio, a one-story former bank building in Sheffield, Ala. (population 9,039). The musicians from Chicago, Nashville, Los Angeles, and just over the Tennessee River bridge made the pilgrimage to a place of legend and myth, where music runs as deep as the river’s current, to see what might come of it all.
Four Lost Souls, recorded over four days, originated in 2015, 100 miles north in Nashville where Langford produced artwork for Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City, the long-running exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Fate had it that one of those Nashville Cats, bassist and producer Norbert Putnam, was so enamored with Langford’s paintings and piratey singing, he invited the stranger to come record in the Shoals.
A year later Langford is in that studio with many of the musicians who put the region, as well as renowned FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, on the musical map. Among them, members of the Swampers, David Hood and Randy McCormick—world famous players who have performed on all the songs you ever loved—and next-generation, in-the-right-pocket local drummer Justin Holder. Along for the ride were Nashville’s in-demand pedal steel guitarist Pete Finney and guitarist Grant Johnson. Together they dutifully crafted a project brimming with images of killing and hope, Faulkner, the Natchez Trace, and the sea.
As word got out around town, the musicians of the Shoals stopped by to see what Putnam was up to with these Chicagoans — Jon, guitarist John Szymanski, and the electrifying singers Bethany Thomas and now-LA-based Tawny Newsome. Tomi Lunsford, a mountain soprano from Nashville, slipped into the vocal booth to duet with Langford. The morning after his gig at Champy’s, a local watering hole, Will McFarlane parked his Harley at the front door to say hello. Five minutes later he was behind studio glass with his guitar. And five minutes after that, he was back on his bike turning the corner in a cloud of dust and exhaust.
Thus was the strange weather in the Shoals during that week in American history. Crammed between arrival and departure at the NuttHouse was a fever heat of creativity that crossed musical generations, racial lines, and the invisible barrier separating the flatlands of the upper Midwest and rolling hills of the deepest South. Even the ocean between the Delta and the dingy port city of Newport, South Wales, Jon’s hometown, evaporated out of sight.
The South is full of ghosts and they all ask unresolved questions. Nothing is settled and the music won’t sleep. Muscle Shoals itself personifies a place where America’s great cultural explosion transcends the murderous politics of race and class that stain this country from slavery and civil war to today. To tomorrow. The music speaks to the best in us, while reflecting, at times, the worst of us.
Four Lost Souls is pure Americana, not just because of where it was recorded or who played on what track, but because it is beyond the news of the day. It is a travelogue of sorts; it goes to a place where the differences between country, soul, blues, and rock-and-roll are blown aside by the warm languid breezes. The music had no time for such petty details, because in the moment, in that place, was the sound of sweet agreement.
Some artists are so consistently outstanding that just the knowledge that they’re planning to put out a new album is enough to sustain you through years that are otherwise pretty significant dumpster fires. This is one of those years, and Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia are two of those artists. As husband-and-wife duo Amadou & Mariam, they never fail to disappoint, and new album La Confusion sees the two step up their game once again with a blend of pan-African pop that will bring even the most jaded denizen of the 21st century back to life with their dancing shoes tied.
The first few notes of opening single “Bofou Safou” get the album off to a retro start. A sprightly, funky pop track moving at a driving pace, “Bofou Safou” is named for the Bambara term for young…
…men who want to dance the day and night away instead of working, and it’s easy to sympathize; sitting still in the midst of so much brass feels like a crime. Vintage synths bend in such a way that the song sounds like it comes from a well-loved cassette, a little warped from replay after replay. That warmth comes naturally to Amadou & Mariam, and the album thrives on it from start to finish.
Masterfully catchy melodies mark similar throwback tracks like “C’est Chaud” and “La Confusion”. Darker echoes make their way into the melancholy “Diarra”, but the duo saves the bluesiest moments for last with twangy “Mokou Mokou Blues”. Signature sounds of West and North Africa abound: the quivering flute lines on “Filaou Bessame” and “Yiki Yassa” evoke Egypt and the Middle East, and polyrhythmic layers of saxophone, drums, and handclaps on “Fari Mandila” harken back to classic Afrobeat.
When the music slows down, it tends to sway. “Ta Promesse” sees the synths lie low, a breeze that cools an organic build-up of strings, light percussion, and voices that all shine together, golden with audible love and reggae vibes. “Massa Allah” is sung with steadily growing power and a soaring winds duet between saxophone and harmonizing flute; it ends with a spirited chorus shouting out a united refrain of Masha’Allah — “God has willed it.”
Over the broad spectrum of sounds, styles, and tempos is not a single misstep; Amadou & Mariam deliver, as they always do, fresh music, crisply produced and full of a wide range of good feelings and great beats. “Bofou Safou” promises to be as iconic and memorable an entry in the duo’s output as 1999’s “C’est la vie” or 2005’s “La Réalité”. And, as exceptional as the collaborations on previous album Folila were—Santigold, Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, and multiple members of TV on the Radio appeared, among others—it’s refreshing to hear Bagayoko and Doumbia taking the spotlight and not having to share it. The two can hold their own just fine, and an album that is purely theirs is a great reminder of how talented the pair is.
It’s a cliché to say that an album transcends genre, but if that’s what it takes to get you to listen to it, so be it. Amadou & Mariam’s latest encompasses a whole host of sounds and serves as aurally delightful proof that Bagayoko and Doumbia are unafraid of musical evolution. With such an embarrassment of musical riches, chances are you’ll find something to love on La Confusion.
Release Date: September 22, 2017
Label: Parlophone
Artist: Sinéad O'Connor
320 kbps | 105 MB | LINKS
It certainly has been a long time coming but September 22, 2017 will finally see the release of Get What You Deserve, the mesmerizing new album from legendary vocalist Sweet Pea Atkinson. A jovial blend of Blues, R&B, Soul, Funk and more, Get What You Deserve will be released on Blue Note Records.
Get What You Deserve includes seven tracks produced by the great modern bluesman Keb’ Mo’ and three produced by Don Was. It was Was who signed Atkinson to a label deal, in the veteran producer’s still fairly fresh capacity as chief of Blue Note. “It’s not hyperbolic for me to tell you that one of the great honors of my life has been to work with Sweet Pea,” says Was. “One of the beautiful things about being the president of Blue Note Records is that you can give a nod to something that just touches you deeply inside-even if it flies in the face of fashion.” But, Was adds, “it was Keb’ Mo’ who really dug in with Sweet Pea and turned that nod into something brilliant.”
The real featured guests on the album are ghosts, though: all the funk, soul, blues, and R&B greats to whom Atkinson is paying implicit homage, if hardly emulating. “I love blues — Johnnie Taylor and Johnny Guitar Watson and Bobby Blue Bland,” he says. This album’s “Last Two Dollars” is a song Taylor recorded late in his life, in 1996. Far better known is Bland’s 1974 hit “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City.” Then there’s the smoother influence from Motown and other purveyors of the vocal group sound. “I’m a singer like Paul Williams of the Temptations and Marvin Junior of the Dells,” Atkinson says, assessing his own niche as a vocalist. “When Paul Williams came along and started singing ‘Don’t Look Back’ and ‘Just Another Lonely Night’” — the latter a 1965 smash to which Atkinson brings new life on this album — “that’s when I said, ‘I want to sing like them.’ And when Marvin Junior did ‘Stay in My Corner,’ man, I ain’t heard nobody sing a song like that before in my life. That man can hold a note for so long, I go, ‘Damn, breathe, man!’ Marvin Junior, it’s hard to sing like. Paul Williams is a little easier.”
While Keb’ Mo’ did all the initial production for the album, Was wrapped it up by getting Atkinson to sing two Freddie Scott hits, “Are You Lonely for Me Baby” (which was also a hit in the ‘60s as a duet by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas) and “Am I Grooving You.” The producer was inspired by driving around with Keith Richards and hearing his tape of Scott songs, the latter of which was covered in the ‘70s on a Ron Wood solo album that Richards played on. Was had his reasons for steering Atkinson in this direction. “Keb’ Mo’ did an amazing job of manifesting Sweet Pea’s vision,” says Was. “and Sweet Pea envisions himself as a lover and a soul crooner…which is all well and good!” he laughs. “But I think part of his greatness is as a belter, so we just cut a couple more songs to really show off that side. His voice is so unique – you don’t have to AutoTune Sweet Pea, and there’s really no point in punching in words here and there. He’s never going to sing it the same way twice, ever. There’s nobody else around like him.”
320 kbps | 105 MB | LINKS
One of the most influential and beloved indie rock bands to emerge in the 1990s, Luna made lyrical, dreamy pop centered on singer/guitarist Dean Wareham. Formed in 1992, Luna came together after the breakup of Wareham’s previous band, the equally influential Galaxie 500. Originally a trio, the band was a kind of alternative pop supergroup that also included former Chills bassist Justin Harwood and ex-Feelies drummer Stanley Demeski.
The New York City indie rock band return after breaking up in 2005 with an album of covers that includes songs by such artist as David Bowie, The Cure, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Mercury Rev, Rolling Stones, and YES.
Tracklist:
1. Fire in Cairo (03:29)
2. Gin (04:02)
3. Friends (03:18)
4. One Together (03:54)
5. Most of the Time (04:42)
6. Sweetness (05:09)
7. Letter to Hermione (02:26)
8. (Walking Thru’ the) Sleepy City (03:47)
9. Let Me Dream If I Want To (02:49)
10. Car Wash Hair (06:14)
Just like the audience during their concerts, the Souljazz Orchestra can’t stand still. The Ottawa-based Afrobeat collective’s sound has flourished over their previous seven releases, and their progress continues on Under Burning Skies, which adds drum machines and vintage 1980s synthesizers to make this their most refined and infectious record to date.
“Dog Eat Dog” opens the album with the declaration, “Dogs working for the system get fucked by the system,” and while the group’s lyrics remain as politically charged as ever, the rhythm is pure seduction, fusing the drive of Africa 70 with the polish of an early 1980s Leon Sylvers III production. That vibe’s sustained with the drum machine-powered, soul sonic-flavoured…
…”Lufunki” and the spry snapshot of working class resilience “Adawe Boogie.”
Souljazz Orchestra remain superb instrumentalists, fine-tuning the excursions into French Caribbean styles begun on 2015’s Resistance with “Oublier Pour Un Jour” and “Is Yeelyel” (the latter is a potent cover of the Dur-Dur band’s classic). After 15 years, and in increasingly troubled times, the Souljazz Orchestra are as joyous, vibrant and timely as ever.
Laraaji
Sun Gong | Bring on the Sun
(All Saints Records, 2017)
more details
Various Artists
Abatwa (The Pygmy): Why Did We Stop Growing Tall?
(Glitterbeat, 2017)
more details
Linda Perhacs
I’m A Harmony
(Omnivore Recordings, 2017)
more details
320 kbps | 164 MB | LINKS
Remastered in 2017! Official 20-track, career-spanning compilation features “Can The Can”, “Devil Gate Drive”, “Stumblin’ In”, “48 Crash”, “Michael” and more.
320 kbps | 108 MB | LINKS
Tracklist:
1. Boozoo Chavis – Paper in My Shoe 2:45
2. Shorty LeBlanc – Boss Cajun 2:17
3. Sidney Brown and Jo-El Sonnier – Fee Fee Poncho 2:25
4. Cleveland Crochet and Jay Stutes – Sugar Bee 2:36
5. Pee Wee Kershaw – You’re So Fine 2:12
6. Sidney Brown and Jo-El Sonnier – My Girl of the Village 2:23
7. Joe Bonsall – La Cuca Rochman 1:56
8. Cleveland Crochet and Jay Stutes – Good Morning Blues 2:15
9. Shorty LeBlanc – My Little Cabbage 2:00
10. Al Ferrier – Yard Dog 2:56
11. Boozoo Chavis – Telephone Won’t Ring 2:18
12. Leroy Broussard – La Valse De Bo Sparkle 2:31
13. Joe Bonsall – Creole Song 1:40
14. Geno Thibodeaux and Robert Bertrand – Always There 2:30
15. Jo-El Sonnier – My Blue Letter 4:20
16. Leroy Broussard – Lemonade Song 2:31
17. Jo-El Sonnier and Robert Bertrand – Mois Cinquantas Sous (My Fifty Cents) 2:41
18. Herman Guiee – Bon Ton Roula 2:46
19. Joe Bonsall – Pauve Hobo (Poor Hobo) 2:10
320 kbps | 105 MB | LINKS
This French collective rose from the corpse of Jack the Ripper (the French Band – named for the Nick Cave song) and provide a particularly Gallic flavoured brand of Americana. The four corners of their world are populated by Giant Sand, Spain (both Howe Gelb and Josh Haden guest), PJ Harvey and the Tindersticks, so it’s slow burning Desert rock with an overcoat and a bucketful of attitude. It’s produced by John Parish (who also appears) and it sounds beautifully organic, suffused with as much atmosphere as a Joseph Conrad novel.
Shannon Wright turns in a typically committed performance for the excellent Bury My Body, which churns with unease, and Wright turns up again along with John Parish on The River where taut strings take us down to the damp foggy banks of the Seine where Louis Malle is filming a Leo Malet novel. The record opens with the increasingly gravelled voice of Howe Gelb, offset by the rather more dulcet Phoebe Killdeer (Nouvelle Vague) and they proceed to swap lines like Isabella Rossellini and Stuart Staples only in a more twisted darker way.
Given that this is very much a collaborative album it’s no surprise that the newly reinvigorated Howe’s performances sound like Howe performances: The Allure of Della Rae contains all of his usual unusual phrasing, sounding as well as he’s sounded for years, and after around three minutes the song breaks down the bass, drums step backwards and there’s a torrent of guitars released a squeaky liquid wash of colour. Josh Haden never sounds unlike Josh Haden and Constellations has all of his usual trademarks, the descending melody and the halting vocals, albeit this time he’s in a dark Parisian cellar rather than his usual haunts.
The spoken word Fireplace with Rosemary Standley (Moriarty) drips with glistening drops of melody when she sings the (kind of) chorus, and the narration sounds like something Luc Besson might dream up, the dream apposite because the weirdness along with the woozy strings makes this seem like it has leaked from the subconscious. The title track features Phoebe Killdeer and features more of the dark type of indie-rock that seems to have passed out of fashion, being replaced by the new orthodoxy of authenticity – well this is authentic, the atmosphere is near tangible, the strings yearn epically. It contains quite an emotional heft.
Killdeer and Wright both emerge with great credit here; the version of Wild Birds is more refined and filled out. This truly is a collaborative work – there is a thread of consistency of aesthetic and texture throughout, always dark and thick with atmosphere. Though each performer provides their own window dressing, the drama is consistent.
