I'm stuck listening to headphones while in abroad and it's an interesting way to get to know new material (and stuff you've listened to before, at that).
I just got the complete Blue Note recordings of Grant Green with Sonny Clarke (a 2-disc set) and JESUS is it good (sorry for the blasphemy...I'm just in awe!).
Love the CD release of Vashti Bunyan: Just another Diamond day. She has a beautifull, breathy voice that has a truly unique quality in the upper registers. True, the recording quality varies by track, but still, a lovely bit of music to have caress your eardrums.
The new Sufjan Stevens is really nice, and the recording quality is stellar.
Hamid Drake/Sabir Mateen: Brothers Together. For those of you who like more avant-garde jazz (but not totally inane/free) this is a really great disc. My friend turned me onto it and I can't thank him enough. Nice recording to boot!
I just rediscovered Michael Gordon's: Weather. If you're into new composers it's worth listening to. Love the weird digital 3rd movement (maybe 2nd, can't remember...actually it's in the 2nd). I say rediscovered because I had listened to this a while ago in like 2000, but never heard it on a proper system. Now that I'm listening to it on my Grados, I can't wait to get it on my system when I'm back state-side
And the best of all:
Was digging in some crates at a vinyl shop with a friend and found the eponymous album by Cymande, which we bought back to his place and now I'm regretting not having a TT here even more. The cut, Bra (also on the second volume of the Crooklyn soundtrack, and sampled by De La Soul on their first album) is just a great funk track.
I almost forgot Tom Harrell: Art of Rhythm. I've seen Tom at the Vanguard in NY a few times, and he was just here in London a couple of months ago. This guy can blow, and when you consider he's schizophrenic, you realize that bit about genius and madness going hand-in-hand is true. Sometimes through listening to so much great old vinyl I forget that people still made great straight-ahead jazz after the 60s. This album (1970s I think, so nothing really _new_) is great
There's an EP by White Magic called Through the Sun Door which has a sort of Jeffereson airplane acoustic/on (even more) sedatives feeling. The (female) singer has a slightly smokey voice that reminds me of a clarinet somehow, but in a sexy way. God that doesn't sound right...or make sense, but that's all I got. You know this is new music, but it feels old.
And lastly: Manitos De Plata:Feria Gitana is a classic bit of Flamenco which I didn't own (I'm ashamed to say) until a month ago, and bought into a local hifi here to listen to. All I can say is that it really revealing about treble weaknesses in systems, and the salesman couldn't believe it either. I came close to buying a system on the spot (Proac d38s, Pathos Logos, Audionet player) because of how good this sounded.
And since it's come out like over a year ago I've been perpetually listening to a couple tracks (although I like the entirety) off of Enon's "Hocus Pocus". Seriously, even if you're not into indie music, everyone should buy this just to impress their friends with the track "Monsoon". My dad even plays it (along with "Everything in its right place" from Radiohead's Kid A) to impress people when they come over to hear his kit. The salesmen made me promise to burn him a copy. It's got this uncanny keyboard/bass interchange in the beginning that's much more on the digital than rock side of sound. It's just amazing, and the female singer's voice is great as well.
So these are pretty much the only things I've been listening to for a long time now, and I need to mine the above recommendations before I go absolutely mad!
Thanks for the recommendations everyone. If anyone wants more info on any of these groups (or to exchange other recs.) just email.
I just got the complete Blue Note recordings of Grant Green with Sonny Clarke (a 2-disc set) and JESUS is it good (sorry for the blasphemy...I'm just in awe!).
Love the CD release of Vashti Bunyan: Just another Diamond day. She has a beautifull, breathy voice that has a truly unique quality in the upper registers. True, the recording quality varies by track, but still, a lovely bit of music to have caress your eardrums.
The new Sufjan Stevens is really nice, and the recording quality is stellar.
Hamid Drake/Sabir Mateen: Brothers Together. For those of you who like more avant-garde jazz (but not totally inane/free) this is a really great disc. My friend turned me onto it and I can't thank him enough. Nice recording to boot!
I just rediscovered Michael Gordon's: Weather. If you're into new composers it's worth listening to. Love the weird digital 3rd movement (maybe 2nd, can't remember...actually it's in the 2nd). I say rediscovered because I had listened to this a while ago in like 2000, but never heard it on a proper system. Now that I'm listening to it on my Grados, I can't wait to get it on my system when I'm back state-side
And the best of all:
Was digging in some crates at a vinyl shop with a friend and found the eponymous album by Cymande, which we bought back to his place and now I'm regretting not having a TT here even more. The cut, Bra (also on the second volume of the Crooklyn soundtrack, and sampled by De La Soul on their first album) is just a great funk track.
I almost forgot Tom Harrell: Art of Rhythm. I've seen Tom at the Vanguard in NY a few times, and he was just here in London a couple of months ago. This guy can blow, and when you consider he's schizophrenic, you realize that bit about genius and madness going hand-in-hand is true. Sometimes through listening to so much great old vinyl I forget that people still made great straight-ahead jazz after the 60s. This album (1970s I think, so nothing really _new_) is great
There's an EP by White Magic called Through the Sun Door which has a sort of Jeffereson airplane acoustic/on (even more) sedatives feeling. The (female) singer has a slightly smokey voice that reminds me of a clarinet somehow, but in a sexy way. God that doesn't sound right...or make sense, but that's all I got. You know this is new music, but it feels old.
And lastly: Manitos De Plata:Feria Gitana is a classic bit of Flamenco which I didn't own (I'm ashamed to say) until a month ago, and bought into a local hifi here to listen to. All I can say is that it really revealing about treble weaknesses in systems, and the salesman couldn't believe it either. I came close to buying a system on the spot (Proac d38s, Pathos Logos, Audionet player) because of how good this sounded.
And since it's come out like over a year ago I've been perpetually listening to a couple tracks (although I like the entirety) off of Enon's "Hocus Pocus". Seriously, even if you're not into indie music, everyone should buy this just to impress their friends with the track "Monsoon". My dad even plays it (along with "Everything in its right place" from Radiohead's Kid A) to impress people when they come over to hear his kit. The salesmen made me promise to burn him a copy. It's got this uncanny keyboard/bass interchange in the beginning that's much more on the digital than rock side of sound. It's just amazing, and the female singer's voice is great as well.
So these are pretty much the only things I've been listening to for a long time now, and I need to mine the above recommendations before I go absolutely mad!
Thanks for the recommendations everyone. If anyone wants more info on any of these groups (or to exchange other recs.) just email.
