Category Archives: The TVD Record Store Club

Part one of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for September 2020. 

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Grex, Everything You Said Was Wrong (Geomancy) To begin, this album’s release is being celebrated with the Lockdown Festival 3 livestream on Saturday September 5 at 4pm-9pm PDT, which will be streaming on Facebook and YouTube. Second, the album’s release is a fundraiser, with the proceeds supporting the heroes at the ACLU and the work and health of another great hero, the drummer and teacher Milford Graves. Third and most important, Grex is the core duo of Karl Evangelista and Rei Scampavia, both multi-instrumentalists, though he is distinguished by his guitar playing and she by her singing. Evangelista also provides some words, but they are gruff and at times reminiscent of u-ground hip-hop, which was not something that sprang to mind when reviewing Grex’s prior release Electric Ghost Parade. On that record, I was struck by guitar reminding me of Sonny Sharrock and Nels Cline. The playing here is still sharp but is only one facet amongst many on a sweet post-category release. A-

Jesse Draxler, Reigning Cement (Federal Prisoner) Each of the 22 tracks here is credited to a different person, collaboration or group, so this can be described as a compilation, but it’s better assessed as an audio-visual/ conceptual art project that combines a 100-pg book of Draxler’s photographs and collages, noted as location-specific (Los Angeles), with a vinyl record of music by artists all handpicked by Draxler. To get a little deeper, the musicians were all provided with the same 34 sonic elements recorded by Drexler with which to create their piece; the only additional ingredient allowed was vocals if they so desired. Rather than include the entire list of contributors here, I’ll just say that much of the contents belong to the noise camp, with some entries abstract and others structural in a manner reminiscent of the Industrial genre at its most sonically extreme, but also, Japanoise purveyors like Masonna and Merzbow. However, some selections do depart from a tendency for surliness and abrasion, emitting dance thump and even a few poppish turns. It’s all dark, though. Vinyl+book in an edition of 500. A-

Emily Barker, A Dark Murmuration of Words (Thirty Tigers) This is Barker’s fourth solo album, though she has more than doubled that number of releases as a member of groups and in collaborations spanning back to 2003. A native of Australia, she’s resided in the UK for a while now, and her work has occasionally been tagged as Americana; Barker’s last album, 2017’s Sweet Kind of Blue, was recorded in Memphis at Sam Phillips’ joint. Her work on this follow-up can just as easily be categorized as folk, with the string arrangements (by Barker, Misha Law, and Emily Hall) emphasizing Britishness that’s contrasted by the desire for a more contemporary sound, though this aim should be contextualized as possessing tastefulness, restraint mingled with boldness, and a simultaneous desire to extend from folk classicism as a reservoir of beauty. Barker is a fine singer, her songs carry emotional heft, the playing is rich and instrumentally diverse, and “Machines” even kicks up a little racket. Very nice. A-

Andrew Wasylyk, Fugitive Light and Themes of Consolation (Athens of the North) This is the third in a trio of instrumental records from multi-instrumentalist Wasylyk, who was (and is likely still) a member (as Andrew Mitchell) of The Hazey Janes, a Scottish indie pop act of whom my impression has been mostly positive (he’s also played in Idlewild). The stated intent with these three records is to evoke the Eastern Scottish landscape, and without ever having been there, I’ll say he’s done a solid job of it, The selections on Fugitive Light, as on the prior entries, can be described as cinematic (one might also draw a subtle connection to post-rock). Wasylyk mostly plays guitars and keyboards across these ten selections, but also notably harp in the album highlight “(Half-Light Of) The Cadmium Moon,” which reinforces the influence of Alice Coltrane. As on the prior installment The Paralian from last year, Pete Harvey of King Creosote and Modern Studies contributes string arrangements, but it’s Wasylyk’s input that registers most strongly, and I’ll conclude by saying this is the best of his solo conceptual bunch. A-

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Part five of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for August, 2020. Part one is here, part two is here, part three is here, and part four is here.

NEW RELEASE PICK: Fay Wildhagen, Leave Me to the Moon (Live in Oslo) (Warner Music Norway) While she’s tersely described as a Norwegian folk-pop singer-songwriter, that shortchanges the strength of Wildhagen’s vocalizing and doesn’t even touch upon her guitar skills, which are considerable. There is also a grand, dare I say Nordic, sweep to her work, that on this performance document spills forth with a flowing continuity eschewing the familiar trappings of a live recording (at least in the audio I was provided); there’s no explication or conversation, but also a lack of applause, which gets back to the flow, or as said, the sweep, of the music as it progresses. There are a few spots where this sweep borders on becoming too grand (and in a manner akin to other music from Wildhagen’s geographical region), but this impulse is ultimately kept in check, and overall, Leave Me to the Moon serves as a highly engaging introduction to the artist. B+

REISSUE/ARCHIVAL PICKS: Galaxie 500, Copenhagen (20/20/20) Having been lucky enough to catch a show by this band at the old, dank 9:30 Club in Washington, DC (with Velocity Girl opening) on their tour for their final studio album This is Our Music, I was truly gassed when this live recording hit stores in 1997, particularly as offering selections from all three of their LPs on the last show of their final European tour, it was roughly of the same vintage as the show I witnessed. After spending time with Copenhagen back then, I was pleased but also struck by the air of a fantastic band nearing the end of their time together, something I hadn’t picked up on as they played in front of me, or after; I walked out onto 14th St. that night elated that they’d encored with “Ceremony.” Over time, the bittersweet feeling inspired by Copenhagen subsided and I was left with some fine music. It’s hard to pick a favorite from the set, but Wareham’s guitar in “Summertime” is massive. A-

Ned Lagin, Seastones: Set 4 and Set 5 (Important) Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart all contribute to this LP, with Round Records, the short-lived label founded by Garcia and Ron Rakow, having initially released it in 1975, so it’s kind of impossible to contemplate this serving of experimental electronics without also thinking about the Grateful Dead. But hey, David Crosby, Spencer Dryden, Grace Slick, and David Frieberg are here, too. I can recall hitting this record store in Northern VA a few times a year in the early 1990s, and on every visit, I’d see the same copy of this LP. Due to the title I assumed it was just ocean sounds and paid it no further mind. Well, I bring it up because that record is not this record. The covers are different, sure, but so is the music, as this edition assembles 18 tracks from the Seastones undertaking (which totals 83, the whole bunch self-released by Lagin on 2CD in 2018), some from the original LP, some not. Academics were in Lagin’s background, but his sounds encompass more than conservatory-spawned electronic abstraction. Much more, including proto-New Age and space drift. A-

V/A, The Land of Sensations & Delights: The Psych Pop Sounds of White Whale Records, 1965–1970 (Craft Recordings) My introduction to White Whale came by sponging up second-hand copies of The Turtles’ back catalog, and I suspect I’m not alone in this route of discovery. Well, The Turtles aren’t on this comp, as after a long stretch of bad litigiousness on the part of White Whale’s operators, Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman own their catalog. Craft currently owns the rest of the discography, and they’ve put together a doozy of a 2LP here, with the contents really illuminating the label’s multipronged specialties of garage-rock, pop-psych, sunshine-pop, baroque-pop, and even borderline bubblegum. Not every non-Turtles killer the label put out is here, which bodes well for an additional installment or even two, but The Laughing Gravy’s cover of The Beach Boys’ “Vegetables” is, and so is The Clique’s “Superman.” But there are 24 more, and it suffices to say that anybody who’s ever gotten gooseflesh while listening to “Care of Cell 44” should be satisfied with this one. A-

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Part four of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for August, 2020. Part one is here, part two is here, and part three is here.

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Daniel Blumberg, On&On (Mute) A record exceeding my expectations is always a wonderful thing. Not that my anticipation gauge was set low for this effort by Blumberg, it’s just that I missed his 2018 debut for Mute, Minus, and mainly knew him as the former guitarist for the band Yuck. Now, I thought Yuck was just fine, but in my experience, they were ultimately just one band amongst many, and the scoop with On&On is that in an even larger field of singer-songwriters, Blumberg stands apart. It’s worth noting that Blumberg left Yuck after their first album (before that, he was in Cajun Dance Party, whom I don’t think I’ve ever heard), and subsequent to his departure, he’s been up to some interesting things, though I learned of these activities only after being struck by the quality of his newest record. That On&On was released by Mute was enough for me to cue up the music without further PR browsing.

Had I read up first, and saw that the record comes with an essay from esteemed writer and musical-thinker David Toop, and learned that the song-cycle was inspired by Blumberg catching performances by Keiji Haino (the two have collaborated) at Café Oto in London, and noticed that the band for this record features Ute Kanngiesser (cello), Billy Steiger (violin), Tom Wheatley (double bass), and Jim White (drums), this lineup retained from Minus, but with Elvin Brandhi adding electronics, and discovered that On&On was recorded by Peter Walsh (who worked with the late Scott Walker); well, those expectations of mine would’ve been set considerably higher, and what’s more, would’ve been met. Blumberg’s foundation is folky, and one could even call it indie-folk, but it gets infused with avant-garde elements, often with a chamber string comportment (not baroque, however), though the emotionalism of “Silence Breaker” and “On&On&On&On” really validate the Haino connection. “Teethgritter” is a lyrically sharp strummer with nifty injections of string scrape. Superb all-around. A

V/A, Total 20 (Kompakt) This is indeed volume 20 in Kompakt’s annual series of techno compilations, and as electronic dance music is a genre where high quality and longevity aren’t commonly shared traits, that Total 20 maintains the standard established across the prior two decades is worthy of note alongside deserved anniversary commemoration. But here’s something else; the music that fortifies the Total series (and by extension, the Kompakt label overall) is club music at its impetus, which is kind of an obvious thing to say, but I had to be reminded of it, or more specifically, that 2020, while a horrendous year with a little over four months to go, has been especially hard on club culture. With this in mind, Total 20 flicks my switch with a little more gusto than usual, but I can also detach from the sentimentality of Kompakt’s persistence and say that the bangers in this nearly three-hour run-time are doing more than just banging, while the pop-angled numbers are inventive and inspired. Kudos! A-

Alan Braufman, The Fire Still Burns (Valley of Search) Alto saxophonist Braufman’s Valley of Search, which was released in 1975 by the India Navigation label and reissued to much acclaim (including my long review for TVD) in 2018, is a rediscovered gem of loft-era NYC free jazz gush, and this new set, with Braufman’s longtime friend and collaborator Cooper-Moore returning on piano from the earlier recording, is clearly intended as an extension of aesthetic principles, with the very title driving this home. However, Braufman has grown compositionally (all the pieces are his) in the decades since and embraced a few accessible melodic motifs, hitting an apex in this regard with “Alone Again,” and with finale “City Nights” even dishing a borderline groove cooker. These developments set this LP apart, but ultimately for the better, even as I’m likely to always prefer the wildness of ’75.

But it should be emphasized that there are passages of abstract scorch here that are quite thrilling, especially “No Floor No Ceiling” and “Creation.” Along with Cooper-Moore, the band consists of James Brandon Lewis on tenor, Ken Filiano on bass, Andrew Drury on drums, and on “Morning Bazaar” and “City Nights,” Michael Wimberly on percussion. Those familiar with Valley of Search will note the added saxophone, while Braufman plays a little flute on “Block Party,” a selection that reminds me of something Pharoah Sanders and Andrew Hill might’ve conjured up in the mid-’70s. As The Fire Still Burns plays, Jackie McLean’s slept-on Hipnosis album, specifically side two dating from ’67, came to mind, though it’s the openness of Don Cherry’s work, particularly his two ’60s discs for Blue Note, that get cited by Braufman and Cooper-Moore as influential, and I can hear that, too. A-

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Part three of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for August, 2020. Part one is here and part two is here.

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Guided by Voices, Mirrored Aztec (GBV Inc) The Guided by Voices recipe consists of classic ingredients: hypothetically, that crotchety uncle of yours who hasn’t bought a new record since Steel Wheels should be a huge fan, but you know your uncle; he’s not down with GBV. In the early days, it was exceedingly short songs and lo-fi atmospheres that kept Pollard and crew from being mistaken as neo-trad pop-rock, but as time wore on and something resembling normalcy set in, the appealing eccentricities of the leader’s personal approach set matters apart right up to that long farewell lap in 2004. Post-comeback, much of the discussion has been about Pollard’s freakish prolificacy and consistency of goodness, of which there is really no precedent, except maybe for a while, The Fall. The big diff is Bob’s Warholian quality grip on distilling those classic elements (possibly another reason your uncle doesn’t like GBV) so they’re recognizable, but not the same. So it is with Mirrored Aztec. A-

Erasure, The Neon (Mute) I’m old enough to recall Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, the duo comprising Erasure, bursting onto the ’80s synth-pop scene, and while I enjoyed them back then I’ll confess to not keeping up…well, I really haven’t kept up, as The Neon is their 18th studio album. I can’t say I’ve heard more than six, but I do own the first three, and this tidy set retains, against considerable odds, the inspired, effervescent appeal of their early work. Something I’ve always admired about Clarke, going all the way back to Depeche Mode’s Speak & Spell, is his unabashed preference for pop in a classic tradition, dealing lyrically in tried-and-true themes minus angst, while as a singer, he’s a crooner at heart (which works well as maturity sets in). Not only are the songs surprisingly sturdy on this set, they get a little stronger as the finale approaches, with the best two sequenced at the end. Overall, in pure synth-pop terms, The Neon can serve as a tutorial for the style’s endless Johnnies and Janes come lately. A-

REISSUE/ARCHIVAL PICKS: Tom Tom Club, S/T (Real Gone) The 1981 debut from Chris Franz’s and Tina Weymouth’s side-project in downtime from Talking Heads has been reissued on wax numerous times by Real Gone, so this could be considered a lazy choice for pick status, but this go-round, which is on tropical yellow and red vinyl as a tribute to the recording’s location of Barbados, is already listed as sold out on the label’s website, and the release date isn’t until Aug 21. This obviously underscores the love that’s accrued for the record over the years (which is interesting, as my recollection from the late ’80s is that many at the time, at least out in the ‘burbs, considered it something of a curiosity), but it also reflects its influence. I’ve positively reviewed a slew of releases that are frankly unimaginable without Tom Tom Club’s existence, and I feel like a stupe for not giving it more props. A robust dose of Downtown NYC, with deep cuts that don’t falter. I adore “Under the Boardwalk.” A

Alan Wakeman, The Octet Broadcasts 1969 and 1979 (Gearbox) In rock circles, and specifically the prog sphere, saxophonist Alan Wakeman is recognized for his playing in Soft Machine, appearing on the 1976 album Softs, and for playing on a string of records by his countryman, David “Rock On” Essex. But I’m guessing aficionados of British jazz will know him best for his work in the groups of Mike Westbrook, Graham Collier, Johnny Dankworth, and Barry Guy. However, as this release makes clear, he also led his own band, with these previously unreleased radio broadcasts for the BBC a delightful surprise, featuring two different octets across two discs on LP (and a single CD) with a bunch of notables on hand including reedman Mike Osborne (’69), drummer Paul Lytton (’69), tenor saxophonist Art Theman (’79), and pianist Gordon Beck (’79).

Plus, saxophonist Alan Skidmore and trombonist Paul Rutherford play in both bands, which lends cohesiveness to the collection, though the later broadcast really spotlights Wakeman’s compositional growth over the course of a decade. But this isn’t to diminish the material from ’69, which is a wonderful combination of Ellington, Mingus, and free jazz. The then nascent avant movement isn’t ever-present in either broadcast, but there is a wild blast at the start of ’69’s “Merry-Go-Round” that is reminiscent of an especially out session released on the BYG or FMP label. There are still elements of freedom in the ’79 set, which is an abbreviation (at the point of broadcast, not on the release) of Wakeman’s chess-inspired suite Chaturanga, but it might be better to describe the later work as “advanced.” As it played, Mike Gibbs’ big band crossed my mind, which means I was thinking good thoughts. This release comes with all the radio show intros from both broadcasts, a definite value addition. A terrific archival find. A-

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Part two of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for August, 2020. Part one is here.

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Sylvie Simmons, Blue on Blue (Compass) I was pretty taken with Sylvie, the 2014 debut from Simmons, who’s still probably best-known for writing biographies of Leonard Cohen, Serge Gainsbourg, and Neil Young. Sylvie was produced by Howe Gelb, who returns for Blue on Blue, the recording of which started in 2017 but was delayed by Simmons’ accident resulting in broken bones, nerve damage, and an unusable left hand. After surgeries, Simmons, who sings and plays ukulele, wrote some new songs. The resulting album is uniformly strong with a few highlights of magnificence. It’s important to repeat whenever praising Simmons that her wielding of the uke never once succumbs to preciousness (the Cohen influence is palpable, but nicely understated); instead, the instrument can remind me more of the harp, but less ornate, and that’s fantastic. Simmons’ singing is also a treat as the band playing with her is strong and the songs are excellent. A gem. One of 2020’s best, even. A

V/A, Imaginational Anthem Vol. X : Overseas Edition (Tompkins Square) I’ve never thought of physical formats and the purely digital experience as being an either/ or proposition, and my perspective has only deepened in our post-Covid 19 world. Along with the positivity that has resulted from assorted benefit releases, it’s a flat fact that for many artists, the main or indeed the only source of revenue right now (beyond government assistance) is their music; promptly offering new stuff at the moment generally means going the digital route, as pressing plants were already backed up prior to temporary pandemic shutdowns. The same goes for labels. Now, Tompkins Square already had a few digital-only items out before all this coronavirus madness commenced, but the majority of their discography has been on vinyl or compact disc (CD the norm for their superb line of box sets). However, over the last few months, most of the label’s titles have emerged without a physical option.

This means I was initially a tad disappointed upon learning the tenth installment in Tompkins Square’s series of post-American Primitive fingerstyle guitar compilations wasn’t coming out on LP or CD. But as the contents of Overseas Edition are so uniformly strong (and with recurring elements of distinctiveness, which is a consistent facet of the whole Imaginational Anthem thing), my letdown turned all the way around to deep appreciation that Josh Rosenthal (head of the label since the beginning) is persisting in getting the music out there. For this set, overseas essentially means Europe, with participants ranging from the UK to the western and central regions of the Continent including the Nordic countries and Czechia. This isn’t purely Guitar Soli, as there are a couple duos, namely Šimanský Niesner and Son of Buzzi, both from Switzerland, and it’s not even totally guitar, as Adaya (also from Switzerland) plays a nylon string Blue Moon banjo, but anybody passionate for the classic Takoma sound can rest easy that this is right up to snuff, as compiler Marcus Obst’s deft sequencing enhances the experience. A-

REISSUE/ARCHIVAL PICK: Duck Baker, Plymouth Rock : Unreleased & Rare Recordings, 1973-1979 (Tompkins Square) This collection is intended as an extension, or in Baker’s words from his most-excellent accompanying reminiscence, a companion piece to Tompkins Square’s 2018 Baker archival set, Les Blues Du Richmond, which I rated as one of the best of that year. Plymouth Rock hits the same levels of quality, opening with a medley of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (with the playing bringing Joseph Spence to mind) and “America the Beautiful” that’s elevated by a brief transitional tune-snippet so killer I just can’t spoil it. As outlined by Baker, due to the existence of later recorded versions, the tunes heard here weren’t chosen for Richmond. Now, if you’re a newbie, you might be thinking the contents are best suited for hardcore Baker fans, but that’s a rather severe misapprehension of the situation as it pertains to one of the finest guitarists the US of A ever produced. Hopefully, this’ll be on wax soon with Baker’s notes splashed across the back cover. A

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Part one of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for August, 2020.

NEW RELEASE PICK: V/A, Cover Charge: NC Artists Go Under Cover to Benefit Cat’s Cradle (coverchargemusic.com / Bandcamp) Living as I do near the tiptop of North Carolina’s neighbor to the north, I’ve only been to Cat’s Cradle once…well, actually it was four consecutive nights while attending Merge Records’ 15th anniversary festivities back in 2004, an experience that persists as a wonderful memory. That’s one thing: live music, especially the kind that’s played in the close quarters of clubs, is about potential great times in the moment, but it’s also about remembrance, which is part of the reason people keep returning for more. But another thing: live music is impossible without musicians of course, but it also doesn’t happen without the investment of time and money into places to play, so in times like these, both artists and show venues are struggling. The straight scoop from the folks responsible for this digital-only benefit: the Cat’s Cradle is in trouble.

Featuring a slew of NC-based or aligned acts and bands, this batch of cover material rolls along with a few peaks and valleys but no outright stumbles or even hiccups, starting out with a version of The Go-Go’s’ “Can’t Stop the World” by Superchunk that fits into their energetic power-popping late period quite well, and concluding with a reading of Madonna’s “Dress You Up” by The Veldt that dishes an appealing groove landing smackdab between neo-psych and the dancefloor. Hot cha! The predictable (but still nicely done) covers of Neil Young (represented twice, thrice with Buffalo Springfield) are fine, but my faves are the unexpected or leftfield sources, like the roots double whammy of Southern Culture on the Skids’ “Let’s Work Together” from Wilbert Harrison and Dex Romweber’s “A Face in the Crowd” from Andy Griffith as sung in Elia Kazan’s film of the same name (very timely, as it’s about a populist fraud). At 25 tracks, this is a long one, but it rewards the time spent. And as said, the cause is worthy. A-

REISSUE/ARCHIVAL PICKS: James Booker, Classified (Craft) The legendary New Orleans pianist and singer James Booker doesn’t have an extensive studio discography. I rate this as his best in studio and maybe period, reissued by Craft in part to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rounder Records, who originally issued it in 1982; it’s a jewel in the label’s extensive discographical crown. Booker’s addictions shortened his life and career (he died shortly after making this album), surely damaging his opportunities to get on wax in a non-live context. Fittingly, this set’s contents reportedly came forth in a four-hour spurt after days of unproductive recording, but boy howdy, did a gem arise from that late gush of inspiration. Fleet of finger and smooth of voice, Booker’s playing style has similarities to Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, and Allen Toussaint just for starters, and his singing is approachably bluesy, reminiscent of Jimmy Reed blended with prime ’50s Atlantic R&B. Which brings us back to Fess. Not sure why Craft didn’t reissue the 2LP expanded edition from 2013. It would’ve received the +. A

Airto, Seeds on the Ground—The Natural Sounds of Airto (Real Gone) Last year, Real Gone reissued Natural Feelings, Brazilian drummer-percussionist Airto Moreira’s debut from 1970, his first of two for the Buddha label, and now here’s its follow-up in a pressing of 1,000 reproducing the original gatefold sleeve and on ocean blue vinyl. I remain impressed by Natural Feelings, and this set largely extends the blend of Música popular brasileira, bossa nova, folk, proto-world music and jazz elements, including fusion (as Airto was a member of Weather Report, Miles Davis’ electric band, and Return to Forever). The whole of this one is as pleasing as his first, bringing back the same players (including his vocalist wife Flora Purim and bassist Ron Carter). Reviewing Natural Feelings last year, I speculated that it was a distinct item in Airto’s discography; Seeds on the Ground clarifies that the two Buddha LPs are of a piece, though this one’s a bit more psychedelic and takes a definite turn toward fusion on side two. ‘tis OK. A-

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Part four of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for July, 2020. Part one is here, part two is here, and part three is here.

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Thumbscrew, The Anthony Braxton Project (Cuneiform) A CD to celebrate jazz master Braxton’s 75th birthday, and a very sensible idea, as the three sharp and brilliant points on Thumbscrew’s triangle have all been impacted to varying extents by the greatness of the saxophonist-composer-educator. I’d say this is especially true of guitarist Mary Halvorson, who made a considerable splash in my consciousness pool through her playing on the 9CD+DVD live collection 9 Compositions (Iridium) 2006 on the Firehouse 12 label. Bassist Michael Formanek and drummer-percussionist Tomas Fujiwara have both played with Braxton too (Fujiwara on record), so the trio’s invitation to select previously unrecorded (or hardly ever recorded) pieces from the archives of the Tri-Centric Foundation (the non-profit organization dedicated to the work and legacy of Braxton) was as wise as it is successful.

I’ll add that Thumbscrew, who are releasing their fifth CD with this set, have been one of my favorite groups in what’s often called the Creative Music scene for quite a while. For their self-titled 2014 debut and 2016 follow-up Convallaria, the trio offered their own individual compositions, but for Theirs and Ours they tackled ten pieces by others on the first disc and nine of their own on the second (both were released on the same day in 2018). This background situates that The Anthony Braxton Project isn’t entirely new territory for the group (it’s the third straight album recorded at a residency at City of Asylum in Pittsburgh), though there are some fresh developments, such as the introduction of Fujiwara’s vibraphone. But mostly, this sounds like Thumbscrew putting their personal stamp on work from one of the last century’s greatest musicians. The interaction is as energetic, vivid and supple as ever, Halvorson’s guitar remains thrillingly distinctive, and this is easily one of the year’s best. A+

Lingo Seini et son groupe, Musique Hauka (Sahel Sounds) Another grand slam for Sahel Sounds, this time documenting Hauka ritual music captured in Niamey, the capital city in the West African country of Niger in 2017. Until now, the Hauka, described in a fascinating Sahel Sounds blog post as “the Songhoy spirits of the pre-Islamic pantheon and possession ceremonies,” have been better known to hardcore cinephiles familiar with the work of French ethnographic filmmaker Jean Rouch, specifically his short movie of 1955 Les maîtres fous (The Mad Masters). I caught this film in January of 2019 through the streaming service MUBI and found it striking, if surely a difficult watch due to an instance of ritual animal sacrifice. Jumping forward well over half a century, this is one of the first full-length recordings of the Hauka’s ritual music, longer and even more powerful than the film, rhythmically unrelenting and featuring a monochord lute. A must for lovers of ceremonial sounds, only 500 were pressed. Get it. A

Even As We Speak, Adelphi (Shelflife) Back in 2018, the estimable Flagstaff, AZ label Emotional Response reissued this Sydney band’s 1993 set Feral Pop Frenzy, which was originally released by the beloved Sarah Records. It was a righteous gesture, deserving of a reissue pick in this column, and Adelphi is strong enough to land in this week’s spotlight for new releases. Part of the reason is that the five-piece, fronted as ever by Matthew Love and Mary Wyer, knocked-off any rustiness prior to recording their 2017 10-inch “The Black Forest.” This 10-song LP finds them as boldly sophisto as ever they were before, with the crucial distinction that the upsurges of raw guitar allow one to connect the dots back to the foundation of punk (filtered through indie pop, of course). However, the synthpop flourishes are just as appealing, largely because they are gestures rather than full-blown style moves. Also, there’s a grown-up quality to the whole that’s appropriate for the reunion scenario. A-

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Part three of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for July, 2020. Part one is here and part two is here.

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Deerhoof, Future Teenage Cave Artists (Joyful Noise) Yes, this one came out at the end of May, but I’m just sauntering up to their 15th studio full-length now, reviewing it in part to deliver a strong new release pick combo-punch with the benefit release directly below. However, the reality is that Deerhoof is a unit I’ve long loved; that they are still going strong after a quarter century of existence is worthy of note, and that they’ve released another killer slab of experimental-noise-punk-prog-pop in the midst of, indeed reflecting and commenting upon, such an uncertain and occasionally tumultuous time is a gesture deserving of celebration. Future Teenage Cave Artists is tidy at 36 minutes but hits hard while keeping a tight grip on their virtuosic, indeed often athletic, eclecticism, but also tending toward the fun rather than the punishing, ending quite beautifully with a prelude by Bach, “I Call on Thee.” Still potently weird but not formidable, Deerhoof has delivered us a wide-ranging gift. A-

Deerhoof & Wadada Leo Smith, To Be Surrounded By Beautiful, Curious, Breathing, Laughing Flesh Is Enough (Joyful Noise) This digital-only Bandcamp release shares its title with a line from Walt Whitman’s “I Sing the Body Electric,” with its first six tracks showcasing Deerhoof throwing down with supreme heaviness, while the last six retain the forceful drive but expand it in collaboration with the great trumpeter-composer-bandleader-teacher Wadada Leo Smith, with all of the proceeds going to Black Lives Matter. Captured as part of the Winter Jazzfest at Le Poisson Rouge in January of 2018, the meeting isn’t an impromptu excursion into letting it fly, but features Smith enhancing Deerhoof songs from La Isla Bonita (“Last Fad” and the set closing “Mirror Monster”), Breakup Song “(Breakup Songs” and “Flower”) and Offend Maggie (“Snoopy Waves”). Smith’s playing is magnificent, reminding me a little of his work in Yo Miles. Massive sounds for a crucial cause. A-

REISSUE/ARCHIVAL PICKS: Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Orange Crate Art (Omnivore) If you’re unfamiliar with this collaboration but know the duo’s work on Smile, the long lost but eventually completed (with a due abundance of fanfare) masterpiece from the Beach Boys, don’t go expecting this 1994 reunion (the first time they’d worked together since the ’72 Beach Boys single “Sail On, Sailor”) to attain the same level of quality. I write this not to diminish Orange Crate Art but to hopefully allow you newbies to gather an appreciation and ultimately, satisfaction independent of Smile. Because this set, which has been out for roughly a month now in expanded 2CD and 2LP editions (with bonus instrumental versions of the album’s vocal cuts on the CD’s second disc), is a good one. At times, it’s very good. With flashes of excellence, even.

The short scoop is that Parks had a batch of songs with California as the unifying theme, and he wanted Wilson to sing them. Now, for folks who love Parks’ classic records for Reprise, this set doesn’t hit the heights of Song Cycle or Discover America either, but that’s in part because the contribution of Wilson brings a pop focus to much of the record. This offers its own charm, distinct if comfortable in the memory; a few of the cuts here, particularly “Sail Away,” could’ve landed airwave rotation at the time of release on those stations that were then pumping “Kokomo” (it might’ve needed a radio edit, though). Still, Parks’ arranging skills are in sharp form, especially on the original release’s closer “Lullaby.” The bonus outtake of “Rhapsody In Blue” with Wilson’s wordless singing is a total treat, as well. For turntable-owning listeners primarily interested in ol’ Bri, the vinyl will probably suffice, but those with a deep love for Parks will want to have those CD instrumentals handy, as they kick much ass. A-

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Part two of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for July, 2020. Part one is here.

NEW RELEASE PICK: Wolfhounds, Electric Music (A Turntable Friend) Formed in Romford, Essex, England in 1985, the Wolfhounds were one of the 22 lucky bands (all bands) included by the Brit music periodical New Musical Express on their now long-legendary, genre-defining indie-pop compilation C86, initially a tape purchasable via mail order but released on vinyl by the end of that year (reissued in 2014 as an expanded 3CD and then spread out onto 2LP with no extra tracks as a Record Store Day item in 2016, both editions released by Cherry Red). For many, all this background is old news, but it’s worth mentioning in large part due to the Wolfhounds not fully conforming to the subsequent indie-pop model. C86 did offer a handful of acts who spanned stylistically beyond the jangle norm, e.g. Stump and Half Man Half Biscuit, but it should be further clarified that the Wolfhounds’ cut on C86, “Feeling So Strange Again,” fit the jangle mold pretty well.

The same is true for second single “Anti-Midas Touch,” which is my fave cut from the original lineup. Really, it was with a late-’80s personnel shift that the band’s sound became heavier and more in line with indie-rock (often compared to Sonic Youth) than indie-pop, though by 1990 they were kaput. Reformed in the mid-’00s by founding guitarist-vocalists Dave Callahan and Andy Golding, with Richard Golding on bass and Pete Wilkins on drums, they’ve just released their third full-length since, and it finds them retaining and sharpening their denser rock approach, in the process underscoring that the return to activity was no nostalgia gambit. Electric Music is solid throughout and recommended for indie rockers and post-punk lovers alike; hey, there’s even guest bassoon from Scritti Politti’s Rhodri Davies, plus sleeve notes from noted fan Stuart Lee. The title track here is a monster. A-

Silver Scrolls, Music for Walks (Three Lobed Recordings) Featuring Dave Brylawski on guitars and vocals and Brian Quast on drums and vocals (plus bass, guitars, organ), Silver Scrolls have delivered a debut album (they have one prior 7-inch, “Tiny Reason” from back in 2015) that, fitting for its title, is functionally psychedelic, and with blues-rock undercurrents and even a little math-rock, which isn’t surprising as Brylawski was a founding member of Polvo (he was also in Idyll Swords and Black Taj) and Quast drummed in a later incarnation of that band (he was additionally in Cherry Valance and Vanilla Trainwreck). I’ll emphasize a little bit of math-rock, just so you don’t go expecting this to sound like Don Caballero or something. Overall, this set fits into the Three Lobed scheme quite well, which is to reiterate that Silver Scrolls have a handle on expansive possibilities.

Divided into Walk One (side one, four tracks) and Walk Two (side two, two tracks), Music for Walks is described in the nifty promo text (really better described as an online set of liner notes) by Rob Munk as a “light” concept album, which gets us back to the functional. Munk also says that the record starts out in the city and ends up in the mountains, but as they go rural, they avoid taking any detours into the deep weeds, which often happens in heavier psychedelic scenarios. Another way of putting it; this is a record of continual momentum. Silver Scrolls might roll into the thick forests, but they stay on the path. That may read as a disappointment for those who like to get lost and linger, but there are plenty of records that will let you do that. The path exists for a reason, and Silver Scrolls follow it with purpose. Recorded in Arlington, VA by the reliable Don Zientara, Music for Walks might not be heavy, but it is robust. And it has drum solos (more like drum passages) during Walk Two. I totally fucking dig it. A-

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Part one of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for July, 2020. 

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Thiago Nassif, Mente (Gearbox) Rio de Janeiro-based vocalist-guitarist Nassif has been active as a recording artist since 2009, but it was really his third album, 2015’s Três, that put him on the international radar. Arto Lindsay produced and played on that one, with Nassif returning the favor by helping to produce Lindsay’s 2017 effort Cuidado Madame. Now, Arto returns for Três, co-producing and playing on two tracks, and it’s a fitting combination, as Nassif’s work can sound like a blend of prime Tom Zé and the wilder side of ZE Records. Now, if you’re thinking Mente is the sort of record David Byrne would’ve done backflips to sign in the early days of Luaka Bop, well okay, but I also feel Nassif’s work is maybe a little (and occasionally much) too weird for that association, while never coming off like he’s forcing the strangeness. I guess that means if you dig the Brazil Classics series, there’s no reason to not check out this superb LP, which is one of the treats of 2020 thus far. A

Idjah Hadidjah & Jugala Jaipongan, Jaipongan Music of West Java + Reworks (Hive Mind) This 2LP came out in March, but it’s still available and deserves a belated spotlight, as it provides a magnificent serving of the Javanese style known as Jaipongan, which flourished in the ’70s-’80s in Indonesia, though the recordings that comprise the first LP here date from 2007, with vocalist Idjah Hadidjah at the fore and backed by the house band of Jugala Studios in Bandung, Java. The backstory is that this was a reunion of sorts, as Hadidjah was invited, back in the early ’80s, by the inventor of the Jaipongan style, composer and choreographer Gugum Gumbira, to sing in his Jugala Orchestra. She accepted, and had considerable success, becoming one of the country’s most adored singers as the collab lasted through the decade. This return to the studio also produced strong results, but as the music plays, it’s enlightening to consider how the Jaipongan style is, unusually, considered the invention of one person.

Specifically, Gumbira was understandably displeased over the Indonesian government’s ban on Western music, including R&R (this ban dating from 1961), and in the early ’70s, he adapted the traditional style of ketuk-tilu into a contemporary form, not as a way to smuggle in outside influences, but instead simply as modernization. Along with adding in gamelan, Gumbira had the singers focus solely on singing, with dancing cast aside. Hadidjah had been a professional singer with Sundanese Shadow Puppet Theatres prior to joining Gumbira, and her abilities remain extraordinary here, evident even to me, a non-expert in the Jaipongan style, as she’s elevated by playing of remarkable intensity and precision. The second LP, + Reworks, is the byproduct of Kai Riedl providing multitrack tapes made in Java to a variety of electronic musicians and modular sythesists for the purpose of form extension. Per the title, reworking, rather than the standard and potentially underwhelming remixing, a goal that’s largely realized. Excellent. A

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Part five of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for June, 2020. Part one is here, part two is here, part three is here, and part four is here.

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Céu, APKÁ! (Six Degrees) This is the fifth release from the São Paulo, Brazil-based singer and composer Céu, but it’s the first I’ve heard. The blend of pop, electronic elements, dance rhythms, classic Brazilian song and even flashes of psychedelia has me excited to investigate her earlier stuff, though this set is being promoted as a metamorphosis for the artist (indeed, a chrysalis gets mentioned). She’s accompanied here by her producer-drummer husband Pupillo and a core band of familiars that includes Frenchman Hervé Salters on keyboards (he also co-produced). There are a few guests, with guitarist Marc Ribot among them, which I admit perked my interest right up, though the quality of Céu’s vocals and compositions had me shifting focus right quick.

Nine out of the eleven tracks are hers. In what’s described as a new move for Céu, she tackles a pair of outside compositions, specifically interpreting Caetano Veloso’s “Pardo” and a fresh piece, as she requested that Dinho from the group Boogarins write a song for the album (“Make Sure Your Head is Above”), a smart move as she and Ribot shine on the track. Overall, I’d guess that listeners into folktronica and Tropicalia should find this record right up their alley. The album also seems to have been out for a while, as a compact disc and vinyl was issued in Brazil last year (a green opaque club edition co-released by a few Brazilian entities), though Six Degrees is handling the distribution in the USA and Europe. My copy of APKÁ! arrived on CD, but I have noticed a vinyl pre-order online. Hopefully, it gets another pressing on wax, as the contents strike my ear as especially conducive to the format. A-

REISSUE/ARCHIVAL PICK: Sound of The San Francisco Christian Center, s/t (Cultures of Soul) Founded in 1954, The San Francisco Christian Center is noted as one of the first churches, circa the late ’60s, to welcome disaffected hippies. If you’ve studied up on the era, you know there was quite a few youngsters in the Bay Area fitting the description, as thousands seeking the idyllic liberation lifestyle poured into the region and were greeted with…something else. Frankly, the SFCC’s generosity was just a Christian thing to do, but mentioning it really gets to the good vibes positivity that emanates from the grooves of this reissue. The LP was initially self-released in 1978, with that edition (there have been no other pressings until now) highly sought after and very expensive. It features a killer band soaring under the direction of multi-instrumentalist and arranger Carl Fortier, with the results stylistically intersecting with the bold and lush motions of the same era’s pop-soul and R&B.

To be sure, this album effectively underscores the intrinsic connection between gospel and its secular genre descendant, soul, but folks who prefer their Christian sounds to be hotter and a little edgier and rawer need be prepared for the pure breadth that’s in evidence across this album, as Fortier and the band gained access to what sure sounds like a mellotron (there are also synths), which intensifies the lushness placing this as contemporary to ’70s Stevie and Earth, Wind & Fire. Another stated influence on the proceedings is the San Fran-based Andraé Crouch, with this association hopefully driving home the sounds on offer here. Still, as someone who gravitates to those wilder examples of gospel heat (as previously compiled by labels like Tompkins Square), I must relate how this LP completely won me over, as the sheer celebratory joie de vivre in the playing and singing ultimately proved impossible to resist. Originals have sold for hundreds of dollars, so this repress is a smart buy for those inclined. A-

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Part four of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for June, 2020. Part one is here, part two is here and part three is here.

NEW RELEASE PICKS: V/A, The Longest Day – A Benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association (Mon Amie) The Alzheimer’s Association’s yearly fundraiser is called The Longest Day, and this year Mon Amie, the one-woman bedroom label run by Mona Dehghan, has released a compilation on double vinyl, CD and digital with 100% of the profits going to the foundation. Right on, Mona! Those ordering now will be emailed a download starting today (June 19), with physical copies scheduled to arrive by October 1. Here’s the full list of contributors, in sequence: Anna Calvi, Rituals of Mine, Daniel Avery, Cold Specks, TR/ST, Shadowparty, Beach Slang, New Order, HAAi, J. Laser, Sad13, Algiers, Astronauts, Etc., Wolfmanhattan Project (consisting of Mick Collins, Kid Congo Powers and Bob Bert), Hayden Thorpe & Jon Hopkins, Moby, and Rhys Chatham.

Dehghan is also part of the daily operations at Mute Records, specifically the senior director of marketing and project management, which likely helped in landing the second extended mix of New Order’s “Nothing but a Fool,” which makes its vinyl debut here. It sounds quite nice stretching out to over nine minutes, but it’s not even the best track. Those who know me might be guessing I’m giving the honor to Wolfmanhattan Project’s “Friday the 13th,” as I dig all those dudes. It’s a good one, but no. Beach Slang’s nifty cover of The Church’s “Under the Milky Way”? Nope. The anthemic ’80s-esque pop-rock of Shadowparty’s “Marigold”? It makes me feel young, but nah. Thorpe and Hopkins’ cover of Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses” is close, but no cigar. The out-of-nowhere indie folk-tronic goodness of Moby’s “In Between Violence” is even closer, but I’m awarding the standout track to Chatham’s excellent “For Bob – In Memory (2014) for Flute Orchestra.” Dehghan saved the very best for last. A-

ONO, “Kongo” & “Mercy” 12-inch (Whited Sepulchre) Yes, this long-running and inspirational Chicago-based “Avant-Industrial Gospel” outfit received a new release pick in this column back on May 1 of this year for their album Red Summer (released on the American Dreams label), but there are a couple good reasons to spotlight the outfit again so soon. First, these two tracks derive from the Red Summer session and extend that record’s worthiness quite nicely. Second, as pointed out by Whited Sepulchre, the label is releasing this one-sided 12-inch (and three more, all reviewed below) on this day, that’d be June 19, aka Juneteenth, that Bandcamp is donating all of its profits to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. To align a purchase of this fiercely political record (perhaps paired with Red Summer, which is still available in a variety of physical formats) with Bandcamp’s gesture (which, per the company, will occur annually every Juneteenth hereafter) registers as a thoroughly righteous way to exercise freedom of the consumer. A-

Jaki Shelton Green, The River Speaks of Thirst (Soul City Sounds) Speaking of Juneteenth, this is the release day for the debut album from North Carolina’s Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green. Anybody with an interest in poetics with a focus on social justice should seek out a copy, as it’s on vinyl, CD and digital. Green has published eight books of poetry, so while The River Speaks of Thirst is her first recording, it documents a command of language that unwinds with substantial force and beauty. Her work is lacking in tangible flaws.

She’s also been reading publicly for decades and wields an edge that is at times wonderfully theatrical (check out “Letter From the Other Daughter of the Confederacy”). While musical elements and production techniques are heard throughout, most prominently in “A Litany for the Possessed,” they combine well with Green’s readings, as do the handful of guest voices, including Shirlette Ammons on the aforementioned track. However, it’s Green’s own words and delivery that elevate this record to such a rare plateau. Oh, and as Juneteenth is also Green’s birthday, there is a Zoom celebration from 6:30-8 PM today (liked on her Facebook page) for the LP’s release and her arrival date. Happy birthday! A

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Part three of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for June, 2020. Part one is here and part two is here.

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Caleb Dolister, Daily Thumbprint Collection 3, The Wandering (Orenda) Although this is a digital-only release, Queens, NYC-based composer and drummer Dolister announced on June 5, 2020, that he will be donating and personally matching the June Bandcamp sales (up to an amount of $1,500) of this album, which has been ten years in the making, with the recipient Equal Justice Initiative, an organization devoted to racial justice and equality. The PR text further adds that while the release of Daily Thumbprint is of major personal significance to Dolister, he also believes “this is a time to maintain awareness on changing social and systemic issues for the better.” So again, while there is no physical format for this set (at least not at this point), this lack is small potatoes next to the positivity of Dolister’s gesture. And as the music is a vivid blend of avant-prog, jazzy elements, and post-rock (the label mentions post-jazz), spreading the word is an easy thing to do.

Now, the styles cited might lead folks to the possibility that Daily Thumbprint is a formidable beast, but that’s really not the case, as Dolister’s temperament, if open to the expression of technical deftness, ultimately leans more toward the melodic than the thorny. Bluntly, I wouldn’t have minded a little more wildness, but Dolister’s thrust is still appreciated, and there is enough heaviness to counterbalance the pleasantness of the grand compositional sweep. There is also a wide range of instruments (the rock rudiments, assorted horns and strings, piano, Fender Rhodes, vibraphone, mandolin, and harp) integrated into the mix, and played by two dozen individuals and necessitating considerable travels by Dolister and illuminating the decade spent in creating it. As said, I would’ve been happy with some crazier detours, but the comparisons to Tortoise, Electric Masada, Jaga Jazzist and others feels right on the money to me. A few of the heavy rock moves remind me a bit of the Ipecac family of bands. A-

Let It Come Down, Songs We Sang in Our Dreams (Shimmy Disc / Joyful Noise) The musical output of Kramer has been with me for nearly as long as I’ve been into the underground scene, as has his myriad credits as a producer and label runner. He was a member of Bongwater at that time, and had just started Shimmy Disc, which issued records by a slew of notable acts ranging from King Missile to GWAR to Boredoms to Ween to Naked City to a handful of his collaborations with such major figures as Jad Fair, Ralph Carney, Penn Jillette and more. He was also a member of New York Gong and the excellent Shockabilly (with David Licht and Eugene Chadbourne) and toured with The Fugs, Butthole Surfers and B.A.L.L. His production credits range from Daniel Johnston to Urge Overkill to Galaxie 500 to Low to Will Oldham. There are also over a half dozen solo records, including three for John Zorn’s Tzadik label.

To say the guy has had a distinguished career is an understatement, but it also seems he’s been nowhere near as busy recently as he was in the 1980s-’90s. So, Joyful Noise’s announcement that Kramer is their 2020 artist in residence is excellent news. As part of the endeavor, he’s releasing five distinct LPs this year, which will be compiled in a box set that’s available for preorder now. And the five albums effectively reignite Shimmy Disc’s engine, which is a fine turn of events. Let It Come Down, his duo project with the UK vocalist Xan Tyler, is the first, and it’s a sweet dose of neo-psychedelia that ranges from dream-pop to folktronica to more glacially-paced indie-chamber-folk action to even a sweet bossa move, and it all flows together damn well. Tyler has worker previously as half of synth-poppers Technique (with Kate Holmes) and extensively with dub maestro Mad Professor, so she’s no novice. Kramer’s input is typically assured, with a few instances of his trademark found audio sampling. A-

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Part two of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for June, 2020. Part one is here.

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Daniel Carter, Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Gerald Cleaver, Welcome Adventure! Vol. 1 (577) This label, co-founded by the multi-horn man on this record Daniel Carter, is simply not holding back in the frequency of their release schedule. As my prior enthusiasms in the virtual pages of this website will attest, I’m flat-out overjoyed, and have grown to anticipate the steady flow. But still, when news of this set hit my inbox, I was stunned to an almost spit-take level, and that’s specifically due to the players involved. It’s out today in a choice of standard black vinyl, CD and digital, with a cloudy clear wax edition of 100 available directly from the label or the artists. Bluntly, to describe the assembled contributors as a supergroup borders on understatement.

But supergroup is a rock term that often historically denotes underperformance or dysfunction, so it’s better to simply relate that jazz records rarely offer lineups that are this stacked in an “All-Star” sense (but the reality is thousands of jazz recordings are loaded with top-to-bottom talent). In fact, I immediately thought of the group that produced Jazz at Massey Hall (that’s Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach), though the differences are considerable and it only took a few seconds to shake off the comparison. Listening to the music here drove home how Welcome Adventure! is a direct byproduct of long relationships forged inside the NYC avant-jazz scene, a community that these men have played a major role in defining, reaching back to the 1970s. Bassist extraordinaire Parker and Carter, who plays tenor sax, trumpet and flute here, have created together the longest, with recorded documentation dating to the mid-’70s.

Those two really got the ball rolling in the late ’80s and early ’90s, which is when pianist Shipp made his big splash on the scene. Detroit native Cleaver is the youngest, but his discography is immense, as great drummers are consistently in demand. Let’s expand upon that; drummers possessing Cleaver’s level of sensitivity are reliably invited to play gigs and sessions, and this scenario extends to everybody involved, as they’ve made a ton of music and have indeed done so together before, though this is their first studio album as a quartet (I’m chuffed it’s not the last). Now, Parker, Shipp and Cleaver have been on record a few times, and the interactions here (a long track followed by a shorter one on side one and a side-long piece on the flip) can recall some of their work on the terrific Aum Fidelity label. Here, this means a deep connection to the avant scene unfolding for big stretches in a non-harried manner that can perhaps be described as post-Loft scene. So much talent, so much beauty, so little ego. Outstanding. A

Brigid Mae Power, Head Above The Water (Fire) This is the third full-length for Galway, Ireland’s Power, after two nice ones for the Tompkins Square label. Co-produced by Alasdair Roberts with Power and her frequent collaborator Peter Broderick, Head Above the Water certainly fulfills the label’s promise of country meets trad folk, but the record is so much more, which given her prior work isn’t a shocker, though the breadth and intensity are striking all the same. There is a psychedelic Brit folk quality that shines especially bright in “I Was Named After You,” but is to varying degrees pervasive throughout the ten tracks. The playing is excellent, featuring Roberts and Broderick on assorted instruments, plus Stevie Jones on upright bass amongst others and of course Power’s guitars, mellotron and mellotron organ, but the strongest component is her singing, which enhances said Brit folk atmosphere while favoring forcefulness over fragility; her surname is appropriate. A

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Part one of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued releases presently in stores for June, 2020. 

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Goldman Thibodeaux and the Lawtell Playboys, La Danse à St. Ann’s (Nouveau Electric) The French Creole style known as zydeco is foremost a celebratory music. Now, it can function just fine as solitary listening, but it’ll assuredly make one pine for good company and enough space to dance while drinking something strong, preferably from a jar. With this said, on past occasions when zydeco bands have been invited into studios, the results sometimes got slicked-up to the point where the pleasure knob gets turned down. Well, there is no such problem here, as the 15 tracks on this CD were captured in a church hall in Mallett, Louisiana last November during the Thibodeaux Family Reunion. And so, there is intimacy (enhanced between tracks through interaction between Goldman and his assembled kin and in-laws), but astutely recorded by veteran musician, producer (Marianne Faithfull, Dr. John, Flat Duo Jets) and longtime New Orleans resident Mark Bingham.

But there’s a whole lot more going on here, such as the documentation of a family band, with the Lawtell Playboys having been extant since shortly after the end of WWII. Formed by brothers Bébé and Eraste Carriere in 1946, the Playboys first began featuring Goldman, who sings and plays accordion and is 87 years old, around two decades later. However, he didn’t start learning accordion until he was in his 50s, eventually taking over for Delton Broussard, who’d himself replaced Eraste Carriere. Before fiddler Calvin Carriere died in 2002, Goldman, who is his cousin, asked for permission to carry on the Lawtell Playboys. This version has Goldman on accordion and vocals, Brock Thibodeaux on frottoir (aka rubboard), Louis Michot on fiddle and vocals, Courtney Jeffries on acoustic guitar, Justin Leger on electric bass, and Barry Cormier on drums and vocals.

Over the decades, there hasn’t been many recordings of the Lawtell Playboys. La La Louisiana Black French Music, a split with the Playboys and the Carriere Brothers, came out on the Maison De Soul in 1977, with that album’s participants included on Zodico – Louisiana Créole Music, which Rounder released in ’79. Much later, Calvin and Goldman cut Les misères dan le Coeur for Louisiana Radio Records. It was released on CD in 2000 and was the only recording they made together. It seems rather scarce these days, and would make a fine reissue, though right now, let’s cherish the contents of this disc. Sure, this stuff flows in a more contempo zydeco party fashion than the trad sounds heard on the Maison De Soul LP and other likeminded releases, but that’s in part due to the size of the ensemble and some of the instruments used. The bottom line is that La Danse à St. Ann’s is an utter gem. Dishing pure gusto for nearly 75 minutes, the only thing missing is a big plate of food. Cue this up and get one. A

Threadbare (featuring Jason Stein, Ben Cruz & Emerson Hunton), Silver Dollar (NoBusiness) Stein plays the bass clarinet, Cruz the electric guitar, and Hunton the drums on this CD of contempo avant-jazz with a compositional foundation. The whole occasionally rubs up against a jazz-rock sensibility that’s closer to art-metal than fusion-esque noodling, and that’s sweet as a candied yam. From a Chicago home base, Stein has excelled in a whole lot of situations over the last fifteen years, including Locksmith Isidore and the Jason Stein Quartet and co-leading Hearts & Minds and Nature Work. This is doubly impressive, as the bass clarinet is no easy axe to handle. I say that not from experience, but from the reality that a man who passed in 1964, namely Eric Dolphy, is still considered the benchmark in jazz on the instrument. And it’s not that people haven’t played it since, it’s just that it’s hardly anybody’s main focus, a scenario harkening back to Dolphy himself (as he was a triple threat on alto sax and flute).

Plus, when folks do tackle the bass clarinet, it’s often in more progressive and downright avant-garde situations. This is the case with Silver Dollar, on which Stein plays the distinctively toned instrument exclusively and deftly. What Stein doesn’t do is compose, with that role filled by his bandmates, both recent Oberlin College grads and each younger than him. Their pieces are uniformly interesting as they cohere into a gripping whole of digestible length. Cruz’s guitar is at times reminiscent of Mary Halvorson, which is a treat for my ears (hopefully yours, too) and when coupled with his and Emerson’s compositions (they only co-write one of the eight tracks, the untitled finale), the sound can remind me a bit of Trevor Dunn’s Trio Convulsant. Just a bit, mind you, as the pieces here aren’t as angular (not as convulsant) if no less powerful. There are moments of full-boil (and texturally metallic) intensity, but early on in “Funny Thing Is” (and only for a few seconds), I heard a touch of Ornette’s ’60s trio. I dig. A

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