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This is an undisputed gem of the diggers' variety. In terms of beginning-to-end quality, lead heavy soul, and delicious loops... this is firmly implanted on the upper echelon. It's definitely hard to think of a better overall record. If it were five...
expand review years ago, this is where I would bust into some thought-out mini-essay about the tracks, but I'll let the MP3 samples do the talking. The pressing is a tad bit noisy (nothing too bad), but it gives it that og pressing character (which of course are dumb raer). Highly recommended. -the mgmnt
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1975 album from this Donald Byrd-produced band on the Fantasy imprint. Quite rare in the original, 1975's Vibes of Truth is a solid jazz-funk album in the style of Byrd's mid-seventies Blue Note releases. For diggers, the album is anchored by the...
expand review instrumental cut "Shortnin Bread(1)" with its rolling break two-thirds in. There are several vocal cut standouts as well, checkout "Backed Up Against The Wall(2), Concrete Jungle(3)" and "I Need You Girl(4)." 9 tracks in all. Quality pressing in the original gatefold sleeve. -the mgmnt
quick audio picks: 1234
30-year anniversary reissue of this Los Angeles Free Music Society cassette artifact, in a deluxe gatefold double LP presentation. "When one goes digging into the caverns of free jazz, underground, DIY, improvised or noise music, the Los Angeles Free Music Society is...
expand review a group that you'll find crawling alongside the greatest artists in its under appreciated history... and future! ACNoDE ONE was created by two of the LAFMS's key members: Dr. Id and Ju Suk Reet Meate of Smegma fame. Recorded in 1977 as a hand-made cassette, side A was Dr. Id and friends and side B was all Ju Suk. With influences ranging from Beefheart, Nervous Norvus, and Ron Geesin through the whole ESP catalog, this is one of the defining examples of the LAFMS sound. They travel with ease from Zappaesque freak outs, teeth rattling tape loop drones; psychedelic kiddy record cut ups, to a beautiful bowed bass solo in the vein of Scott la Faro or Henry Grimes. It marks an important turning point in Smegma's development. As Ju Suk points out, 'It was a time of great transition. With only one Smegma "gig" in two years, our music was going inward. The reel to reel tape decks at the time lent themselves to wild misuse... they were very exciting times experimentally.'" -the mgmnt
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Have you guys ever seen this movie? Crazy inside-out looking aliens, miniature human pets and all kinds of choppy, tripped-out FX make it one of those films that makes you feel real drugged-out even though you might be 100% sober. It's worth...
expand review a watch though, if anything for the amazing soundtrack by French composer Alain Goraguer. The sound he creates is spaced-out, eerie ambience with a minimal funkyness akin to Portishead beats on opium. It's no wonder Madlib sampled this soundtrack for Quasimoto's The Unseen. Take a listen to "Dehominisation(1)," "Le Bracelet(2)," "Maquillage De Tiwa(3)," "Ten Et Medor(4)," and "Mira Et Ten(5)" and you'll get a feel of what's going on here. There are plenty of other untapped moments, plus this is a cool record just to have. Import Czech pressing with excellent pic sleeve. -snackmaster
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Are you up on that Detroit shit? No, not Dilla and Theo Parrish, I mean that 1968 Detroit shit. "Journey to the Center of the Mind" was one of the ground zero launching points for acid rock as one glance...
expand review at any of the psychedelic live clips of the hit title track floating around on YouTube will show. Or you could gather your smoking devices (the album cover helpfully displays a massive collection) and listen thru this album. Guitar hero/weirdo Ted Nugent made his mark here, and his raucous fuzztone is all over the LP. A lovingly handled exact reissue from the original Mainstream label and a welcome piece for the rock historian. -monk
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Beautiful 1972 album from Astrud, and the first of her career made up predominantly of her own compositions. (She was also the producer, while Deodato contributed the arrangements.) The sharp samba-funk of tracks like "Take It Easy My Brother Charlie(1)," "Zigy Zigy...
expand review Za(2)" and "Gingele(3)" showed that Gilberto was much more than a novelty, with instrumentation and arrangements on par with Brazil's much more respected songwriters of the time such as Jorge Ben. The non-Astrud composed tracks like "General Da Banda(4)" and "Make Love To Me(5)" aren't too shabby either. Comes in a glossy reproduction sleeve. 10 tracks total. -Larri Byrd
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So everybody knows what's up with pretentious rock dudes and Pet Sounds- they love it. It's second only to the Beatles Sgt. Pepper on the Rolling Stone top 500 albums of all time. Rock critics suck, we all know that, and the...
expand review Rolling Stone top 500? Well, they had one Outkast album on the list and it was Stankonia. Fucking Stankonia? The only way to tell is to cop it and decide for yourself. Brian Wilson did everything himself, writing all the songs with Tony Asher (who the fuck is that?) and producing the whole shit. Besides “Kokomo,†most of the best Beach boys stuff comes from this album. You got “Sloop John B(1), Wouldn't It Be Nice(2), Don’t Talk(3),†and “God Only Knows(4).†Seriously, I don't know about how well it was produced or what they did in the studio or why it's one of the greatest albums of all time, I just know it sounds good. Really good. I mean, when I hear this shit I get all misty eyed (not a joke). Perfect for a Sunday morning, a break up, or a sunny car ride. Thank god that Pete and Jasper didn't spend the whole budget on Urban Camo Gravis CD cases, cause if they had this wouldn't have been available. Trust me, put back the Unkle 3 mix cd set and cop the Beach Boys. If you end up hating Pet Sounds, come buy the Lab store so me and Woody can yell at you for having no taste.
*EMI/CAPITOL VAULTS 180g LP* -Roctakon
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What a title. I have to admit that I was sleepin on this record until Kon dropped it in the last Wax Poetics. Upon closer inspection, I am seeing the light that is the 1981 funk prophecy from the mind of...
expand review the 16 year old Bernard Wright. Lots of heat and sample-worthy moments here, check "Master Rocker(1), Haboglabotribin(2), Just Chillin Out(3), Bread Sandwiches(4)," and "Spinnin(5)." Go Nard! -the mgmnt
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This not the one of the most well-known Blue Notes, but it's a solid play all the way through. If you thirst for the positive jazz vibes of Young Holt, Monk Higgins, Three Sounds, etc... this album is for you. "Flat Backing(1)"...
expand review is highlight here for the sample sniffers; Del used that bubbling intro for "No Need For Alarm." "Na Ta Ka(2)" offers a similar intro, but has yet to be spliced. "HNIC(3)" (didn't know they had that terminology back then) sounds like it was lifted off Herbie Hancock's Fat Albert Rotunda, while the title track(4) is a Young Holt doppelganger. Lastly for the classic early seventies Blue Note sound, check "Heads Down(5)." 6 tracks in all. -the mgmnt
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NOTE: This LP comes with a coupon for a free MP3 download of the album, including tracks not found on the vinyl. Just go to the URL on the coupon, enter the unique code and download 192kbps MP3s direct from Secretly Canadian's...
expand review website.
The press release for this album compares Bobb Trimble to Jandek and Daniel Johnston, but I'd have to disagree. While it's true that Trimble is considered an "eccentric outsider," unlike those more (in)famous fellows, Bobb's music could stand on its own without the help of any mystique. This is his (again) crazy rare second LP from 1983, now reissued by Secretly Canadian so that a wider audience can feel the warm fuzz that comes over you the first time you hear Bobb's layered psych-out arrangements and beautiful falsetto. A bit more ambitious than his debut record, Harvest of Dreams finds Trimble awash in flute, harmonica, and plenty of vocal and guitar fx. The music itself is tough to pin down, except to say that whether Bobb's rocking out or folking down, it all feels "psychedelic"... which is to say that it was probably made while on drugs and is best enjoyed that way as well. Tracks to check: "Armour of the Shroud(1)," "Another Lonely Angel(2)," "Selling Me Short While Stringing Me Long(3)," "Paralyzed(4)" and "Premonitions - The Fantasy(5)." 10 tracks on the vinyl; 13 on the digital download. -Larri Byrd
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