100 Right-On Reissues Of 2009

Top 50 Reissues You May Have Missed
Along with the release of some impressive anthologies documenting the important work of Louis Armstrong, Neil Young, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and the Beatles and re-releases of classic albums from Nirvana, Charles Mingus, Jesus Lizard and Kraftwerk, a wealth of amazing material unearthed this year was overlooked by mainstream media. Here are 50 crucial excavations worth checking...

1. Big Star - Keep An Eye On The Sky (Rhino)
2. 13th Floor Elevators - Sign Of The 3-Eyed Men (International Artists)
3. Nathan Davis - The Best Of Nathan Davis '65-76 (Jazzman)
4. Jim Ford - The Unissued Capitol Album / Big Mouth USA: The Unissued Paramount Album (Bear Family)
5. Joe Harriott Quintet - BBC Jazz For Moderns (Gearbox)
6. The Ex - 30 (Ex Records)
7. Kath Bloom & Loren Connors - Sing The Children Over / Sand In My Shoe (Chapter Music)
8. Lyman Woodward - Saturday Night Special (Wax Poetics)
9. Pax Nicholas and the Nettey Family - Na Teef Know de Road of Teef (Daptone)
10. Sabu Martinez & Sahib Shihab - Winds & Skins: The Swedish Radio Recordings 1978 (Mellotronen)
11. Roy Brooks and The Artistic Truth - Ethnic Expressions: Live At Small's Paradise (P-Vine)
12. Delroy Wilson - Dub Plate Style (Pressure Sounds)
13. Vampires Of Dartmoore - Dracula's Music Cabinet (Finders Keepers)
14. Tommy McCook & The Supersonics - Pleasure Dub (Pressure Sounds)
15. Gianni Basso Quartet - Jazz al Centro Pirelli (Cinedelic)
16. Joyce - Visions Of Dawn (Far Out)
17. George Jackson - In Memphis 1972-77: The Sounds Of Memphis and XL Recordings (Ace)
18. Witch - Introduction (Shadoks)
19. Skatalites - Occupation Ska! The Very Best Of The Skatalites (Nascente)
20. Emitt Rhodes - The Emitt Rhodes Recordings 1969-1973 (Hip-O Select)
21. Lloyd Miller - A Lifetime In Oriental Jazz (Jazzman)
22. George Jones - Good Year for the Roses: The Complete Musicor Recordings, 1965-1971 (Bear Family)
23. Danser's Inferno - Creation One (Think!)
24. Junior Kimbrough - First Recordings (Big Legal Mess)
25. The Relatives - The Relatives (Heavy Light)
26. SJOB Movement -- Move In The Right Direction (Academy)
27. The Tubby Hayes Band - BBC Jazz For Moderns (Gearbox)
28. Victor Olaiya's All Stars - Soul International (Vampi Soul)
29. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou - Echos Hypnotiques (Analog Africa)
30. Little Ann - Deep Shadows (Timmion)
31. Blo - Chapters & Phases: The Complete Albums 1973 to 1975 (Rev-ola)
32. Bernard Szajner - Some Deaths Take Forever (LTM Recordings)
33. Ray Camacho & The Teardrops - The Best Of Ray Camacho & The Teardrops (Freestyle)
34. Tim Buckley - Live at the Folklore Center March 6, 1967 (Tompkins Square)
35. Philip Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble - Spanish Suite (Zulu/Katalyst)
36. Solidarity Unit Inc. - Red, Black & Green (Eremite)
37. Jacques Dutronc - Et Moi Et Moi Et Moi (1966-1968)
38. Ngozi Family - 45,000 Volts (No Smoke)
39. Fitz Gore - Fitz Gore and the Talismen (GorBra/Plastic Strip)
40. The Masters Apprentices - The Masters Apprentices (Aztec Music)
41. Death - For The Whole World To See (Touch & Go)
42. Mebussas - Blood Brothers (Academy)
43. Prince Lasha Ensemble - Insight (Columbia/Dusty Groove)
44. Units - History Of The Units (Community Label)
45. Brigth Engleberts - Brigth Engleberts & The B.E. Movement (Hot Casa)
46. The Rationals - Think Rational! (Ace)
47. Psycheground Group - Psychedelic and Underground Music (Lupus/Cinedelic)
48. Famous L. Renfroe - Children (Big Legal Mess)
49. Sven Libaek - Solar Flares (Votary)
50. Sandro Brugnolini - Overground (Cinedelic)

Top 50 Various Artist Archival Compilations
1. Light: On The South Side – Photographs Of Chicago Southside Nightlife 1975 to 1977 (Numero Group)
2. Freedom Rhythm & Sound (Soul Jazz)
3. Fire In My Bones: Raw & Rare & Other-Worldly African-American Gospel 1944-2007 (Tompkins Square)
4. Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Ghanaian Blues 1968-1981(Soundway)
5. Forge Your Own Chains: Heavy Psychedelic Ballads and Dirges 1968-1974 (Now Again)
6. Psych Funk 101 (World Psychedelic Funk Classics)
7. Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968 (Rhino)
8. Complete Goldwax Singles Vol. 2, 1966-67 (Ace)
9. Singapore A-Go-Go (Sublime Frequencies)
10. Black Rio 2: Original Samba Soul 1971-1980 (Strut)
11. Thai Funk ZudRangMa Vol. 1 & 2  Compiled by Maft Sai (ZRM)
12. Local Customs: Downriver Revival (Numero Group)
13. Legends of Benin (Analog Africa)
14. Si Para Usted – The Funky Beats Of Revolutionary Cuba Vol. 2 (Waxing Deep)
15. Can You Dig It? The Music and Politics of Black Action Films 1968-1975 (Soul Jazz)
16. Celestial Mass (Finders Keepers)
17. Ethiopiques Volume 24 – The Golden Age of Modern Ethiopian Music 1969-1975 (Buda Musique)
18. Designer Records Presents Together (Big Legal Mess)
19. Back To Peru Vol II: The Most Complete Collection Of Peruvian Underground 1964 to 1974 (Vampi Soul)
20. Cazumbi – African Sixties Garage Rock, Surf & Psych Howlers Vol. 2 (No Smoke)
21. Birmingham Sound: Soul of Neal Hemphill Vol. 2 (Rabbit Factory)
22. Raks Raks Raks: 27 Golden Garage Psych Nuggets From the Iranian 60s Scene (Raks)
23. World Is Shaking – Cubanismo From The Congo 1954 to 1955 (Honest Jons)
24. Mortika: Records From A Greek Underworld (Mississippi)
25. Memphis 60: Soul, R&B and Proto-Funk from Soul City USA (BGP/Ace)
26. Joe Gibbs Scorchers From The Early Years 1967-73 (VP Records)
27. The BYG Deal (Finders Keepers)
28. Working Man's Soul 2: Rare Funk, Rock, Soul & Jazz From The UK Cabaret Scene (Licorice Soul)
29. Anatolia Rocks – A Musical Trip Through Turkey 1968 to 1983 (Worldwild)
30. The Flamingo Connection: Great British Modern Jazz From The Ember Label (Fantastic Voyage)
31. Niney The Observer  Roots With Quality (VP Records)
32. Super Sounds Unlimited: Amphonic Music 1971 to 1981 (Amphonic/Vocalion)
33. Dr. Boogie Presents Heavy Jelly: Essential Instrumentals (Sub Rosa)
34. Siamese Soul: Thai Pop Spectacular Vol. 2, 1960s-1980s, Vol. 2 (Sublime Frequencies)
35. Musique Dessinee 03 – Essence (Disques Dessinee)
36. Histoire De Melody Vannier mixed by Andy Votel (Finders Keepers)
37. Tropical Funk Experience (Nascente)
38. Jah Shaka Presents: The Positive Message (Greensleeves)
39. Revolucion! Original Cuban Funk Grooves (Freestyle)
40. The Sound Of Wonder! The First Wave of Plugged-In Pop at the Pakistani Picture House (Finders Keepers)
41. Strange Breaks & Mr Thing II – More Rock, Funk, Soul, Jazz & Soundtrack Breaks For Modern Living (BBE)
42. Bridge Into The New Age: Funky Afro-Centric Spiritual Sounds From Jazz's Forgotten Decade (BGP)
43. Winston Riley Quintessential Techniques (VP Records)
44. Dillanthology Vol. 1: Dilla's Productions for Various Artists (Rapster)
45. Space Oddities Vol. 2 (Permanent Vacation)
46. Tumbélé! Biguine, Afro & Latin Sounds From The French Caribbean 1963-74 (Soundway)
47. Polish Funk 4 – The Unique Selection Of Rare Grooves From Poland Of The 1960s to 1980s (Polskie Nagrania)
48. Black Dynamite Soundtrack (Wax Poetics)
49. Roots of Hip Hop: From Church To Gangsta (Harte)
50. Daptone Gold (Daptone)

Fave Fifty Of 2009

The beautifully crafted To Be Still album by Portland singer/songwriter Alela Diane topped my list of 2009's superb spins. 

Putting together a list of my top recordings wasn't something I was planning to do. But when a number of people asked whether they could expect any best-ofs from me, I started thinking about all the amazing stuff that came out this year. Here are the first 50 that came to mind...

1. Alela Diane - To Be Still (Rough Trade)
2. Blakroc - Blakroc (Blakroc Project)
3. Dengue Fever - Sleepwalking Through The Mekong (M80)
4. Eleni Mandell - Artificial Fire (Zedtone)
5. Wooden Shjips - Dos (Holy Mountain)
6. Tandy Love & Mad Smooth - Anagram Jam (Finders Keepers)
7. Jenny Wilson - Hardships! (Gold Medal)
8. Oumou Sangare - Seya (World Circuit)
9. Masada Quintet featuring Joe Lovano - Stolas - Book Of Angels Vol. 12 (Tzadik)
10. Indigo Jam Unit - Collectivity (Basis)
11. El Michels Affair - Enter The 37th Chamber (Fat Beats)
12. Henry Threadgill Zooid - This Brings Us To, Vol. 1 (Pi)
13. DOOM - Born Like This (Lex)
14. Giallos Flame - Euro Slash EP (2600)
15. Mos Def - The Ecstatic (Downtown)
16. People Under The Stairs - Carried Away (Om)
17. Nostalgia 77 - Sessions featuring Keith & Julie Tippett (Tru Thoughts)
18. Yeti #8 mix (yetipublishing.com)
19. KRS-One and Buckshot - Survival Skills (Duck Down)
20. Budos Band - The Budos Band EP (Daptone)
21. sun O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions (Southern Lord)
22. James Blackshaw - The Glass Bead Game (Young God)
23. The Flatlanders - Hills and Valleys (New West)
24. Handsome Family - Honey Moon (Carrot Top)
25. Diana Panton Trio + 1 - Pink (www.dianapanton.com)
26. Dexateens - Singlewide (Skybucket)
27. The Strange Boys - And Girls Club (In The Red)
28. Fever Ray - Fever Ray (Rabid)
29. Dam Funk - Toeachizown (Stones Throw)
30. Timo Lassy - Round Two (Ricky Tick)
31. Buika with Chucho Valdes - El Ultimo Trago (Warner)
32. John Doe & The Sadies - Country Club (Yep Roc)
33. Lisa O Piu - When This Was The Future (Subliminal Sounds)
34. Lee Fields - My World (Truth & Soul)
35. The Bats - Don't You Rise EP (Slumberland)
36. Lickin' Good Fried - Say Uncle! (Rooster Sandwich)
37. Cate Le Bon - Me Oh My (Irony Bored)
38. Dave Alvin - Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women (Yep Roc)
39. Nat Birchall - Akhenaten (Gondwana)
40. Muskox - Five Pieces (Standard Form)
41. Isla Craig - Isla Craig & The Continental Drift (zunior.com)
42. Buddy & Julie Miller - Written In Chalk (New West)
43. Audie Darling - Full Of Ghosts (One Shoe Rooster)
44. Ty Segall - Lemons (Goner)
45. Catherine MacLellan - Water In The Ground (True North)
46. Ian Blurton - Happy Endings (Sir Ian Blurton)
47. Brown Bird - The Devil Dancing (Peapod)
48. Sharon Van Etten - Because I Was In Love (Language Of Stone)
49. Gareth Dickson - Collected Recordings (Drifting Falling)
50. Wizard Smoke - Live Rock In Hell (Wizard Smoke)

KRS-One Still Battling Sucka MCs

Due to the biting music biz commentary presented in KRS-One and Buckshot's track Robot [from their Survival Skills (Duck Down) album] you'll probably never see the video clip win any industry awards and don't count on it even being broadcast on television. If you haven't come across it, have a look...

Robot by KRS-One and Buckshot

Indie Rock Stars Support Chris Knox

photo by Jonathan Ganley

If you've been following the music coming out of New Zealand for the last few decades, you're probably aware of Chris Knox's important contribution to the development of Kiwi indie scene. The founder of the Enemy – Dunedin's first punk band – Knox went on to lead the highly-influential Toy Love and Tall Dwarfs who inspired groups like the Chills, Verlaines, The Bats and countless others who in turn began recording singles for the fledgling Flying Nun label using Knox's TEAC 4-track tape machine.
So when the 57-year-old singer/songwriter and cartoonist suffered a serious stroke at his Auckland home back in June, leaving him unable to speak, there was no shortage of artists eager to cut covers of Knox's songs for a tribute collection spearheaded by his friend and Nothing bandmate Roy Martyn.

Without any coaxing, Lou Barlow, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Jay Reatard, Yo La Tengo, Portastatic, Stephin Merritt, Lambchop and Bill Callahan each signed on along with David & Hamish Kilgour, Shayne Carter, Alec Bathgate, the Chills, Verlaines, the Bats and many others, enough for a two-disc set that's out now in New Zealand.
However, finding a label with decent North American distribution willing to sort out the licensing red-tape and release Stroke: Songs For Chris Knox and then put the proceeds from the sales towards Knox's rehabilitation wasn't quite so easy. Eventually Merge stepped up and will re-release the double-disc package here in February. But for those who can't wait, the music is now available (as MP3s or FLAC files) but if you pre-order the 2CD set, they'll send you a free digital download via email. Sweet.

Here's the full track listing:

Disc 1:
1. Jay Reatard – Pull Down The Shades
2. The Checks – Rebel
3. The Bleeding Allstars – Ain’t It Nice
4. Peter Gutteridge – Don’t Catch Fire
5. The Chills – Luck Or Loveliness
6. David Kilgour – Nothing’s Going To Happen
7. The Crying Wolfs – All My Hollowness To You
8. Stephin Merritt – Beauty
9. Portastatic – Nostalgia’s No Excuse
10. The Mint Chicks – Crush
11. Jay & Sam Clarkson – I’ve Left Memories Behind
12. Sky Green Leopards – Burning Blue
13. Shayne Carter – The Slide
14. Pumice – Grand Mal
15. Hamish Kilgour – Knoxed Out

Disc 2:
1. Boh Runga – Not Given Lightly
2. Red & Zeke (Feat. Bill Doss and Neil Cleary) – Bodies
3. Jeff Mangum – Sign The Dotted Line
4. Bill Callahan – Lapse
5. Genghis Smith – Growth Spurt
6. Yo La Tengo – Coloured
7. AC Newman – Dunno Much About Life But I Know How To Breathe
8. Alec Bathgate – Glide
9. Don McGlashan – Inside Story
10. Sean Donnelly – The Outer Skin
11. Lambchop – What Goes Up
12. The Mountain Goats – Brave
13. The Tokey Tones – Round These Walls
14. The Bats – Just Do It
15. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – My Only Friend
16. The Finn Family – It’s Love
17. Jordan Luck – Becoming Something Other
18. The Verlaines – Driftwood
19. Lou Barlow – Song Of The Tall Poppy
20. The Nothing – Napping In Lapland
21. Tall Dwarfs – Sunday Son

LINKS
Chris Knox's site http://www.chrisknox.co.nz
Download  http://www.mergerecords.com/stroke
Jonathan Ganley's Point That Thing photo blog
http://www.pointthatthing.com/2009/11/room-full-of-musical-tunes-chris-knox.html

Wizard Smoke: Stonus Maximus

A late entry for metal album of the year consideration, Live Rock In Hell, the delightfully doomy self-released debut from Atlanta's Wizard Smoke will have fans of overdriven Marshalls thanking Satan. The five tracks denoted only by Roman numerals (out of sequence!) clock in at under 30 minutes but that's about all that Wizard Smoke needs to flatten the competition.
You can check it out here but be forewarned, the scorching sound of Wizard Smoke may inspire spontaneous Econoline mural painting.
  

Ebo Taylor Returns

When the Ghanian guitar great Ebo Taylor recently took a trip from West Africa to Germany to record a new album for Analog Africa in Berlin backed by the members of The Poets Of Rhythm, Kabu Kabu and Afrobeat Academy, he had a brief stopover in Paris where he played his first-ever European concert at La Bellevilloise.

To mark the historic event, deep-digging DJ Loik of the Paris DJs Crew put together the stellar Afrofunk Atomic podcast mix with some super dope vintage Ebo Taylor album tracks and ultra-rare singles sides cut by his pals in Orchestra Poly Rythmo, El Rego Et Ses Commando, Black Santiagos and K. Frimpong. It serves as a brilliant introduction to the modern highlife innovator who initially rose to fame as the six-string slinger with The Stargazers and Broadway Dance Band before going on to a solo career while moonlighting at the Essiebons label as an A&R man and in-house arranger. Check Loik's awesome Afrofunk Atomic mix here.

Afrofunk Atomic 

01. Ebo Taylor - Atwer Abroba
(from 'Twer Nyame' album, 1977 / Philips) GHANA

02. Ebo Taylor Junior and Wuta Wazutu - Mondo Soul Funky 
(from 'Gotta Take It Cool' album, 1978 / Polydor) GHANA

03. Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou - E Wa Dagbee
(from 'E Wa Dagbee' 7 inch, early 70s / Albarika Store) BENIN

04. D'Almeida Blucky Et Les Black Santiago - Les Nanes
(from 'Entente Africaine' 7 inch, 19?? / L.A. Aux Ecoutes) BENIN

05. T.P. Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou Benin and Yehouessi Leopold - Aiha Ni Kpe We
(from 'Volume 4' album, 1978 / Albarika Store) BENIN

06. El Rego Et Ses Commando - Djobime
(from 'Djobime' 7 inch, 19?? / African Songs) BENIN

07. Joe King Kologbo - Another Man's Thing
(from 'Another Man's Thing' 7 inch, 1973 / Decca Afrodisia) NIGERIA

08. K.Frimpong and His Cubano Fiestas - Kyenkyen Adi M'awu
(from 'K.Frimpong and His Cubano Fiestas' album, 1976 / Ofo Bros) GHANA

While we're on the topic of Afrofunk podcasts,  there's a great new mix put together by the aforementioned Analog Africa label for The Wire. But why bother shelling for some overpriced UK magazine when you can download the excellent Analog Africa Selection, Volume 2 for free right here.

Links
Paris DJs http://www.parisdjs.com
DJ Loik http://www.myspace.com/loikdury
Analog Africa http://analogafrica.blogspot.com

Satan And The Thetans

If you want to record an album and happen to be Charlotte Gainsbourg – the French actress daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin – all you have to do is make a wish and Jarvis Cocker, Nigel Goodrich, Neil Hannon and the dudes from Air will meet you in the studio quicker than you can say "Lemon Incest." Which just makes it all the more puzzling why the critically acclaimed star of Lars Von Trier's Antichrist would settle for working with Scientology poster boy Beck and his dad, string-arranging thetan David Campbell. Could she be completely unaware of Battlefield Earth?
In any case, listening to IRM (Because/Warner) [French for MRI which relates to the treatment Gainsbourg received for a brain hemorrhage following a 2007 water-skiing accident], the reason for Serge-fan Beck's involvement seems to be that since his study tech hasn't yet given him the power of raising the dead, the next best thing to recording with his idol would be collaborating with his daughter. You know, kinda like Elvis-nut Nicholas Cage marrying Lisa Marie Presley for four months. 
So our boy Beck writes the music, scripts the vocals, assembles the players while the game Gainsbourg immerses herself in the dual roles of surrogate Serge and Jane (some seductive whispering here, a little talk-singing there) while Campbell provides the appropriate string accompaniment a la Jean-Claude Vannier. It's not hard to imagine Beck putting on a copy of Melody Nelson before Gainsbourg went into the both to put down her vocals for Le Chat du Café des Artistes and saying "we're going for something like this..." To her credit, she nails it.

As a Charlotte Gainsbourg recording, the patchy IRM comes across more like a quirky Beck cut-n-paste vanity project with his goofy-surreal lyrical twists delivered by guest singer. As such, it doesn't really build on the promise of her impressive 5:55 breakthrough of 2006.
Nevertheless IRM still makes for an oddly fascinating Beck homage to Serge Gainsbourg's classic recordings of the late 60s and early 70s – not unlike what he's doing with his ongoing Record Club covers series – and Charlotte's presence will forever give him a big one-up on every other Serge tribute.
Rather than wait for the scheduled January, 2010 street date in the US, Warner Music Canada has wisely put out the IRM album this week to coincide with the French release date, stemming a certain influx of import copies in Quebec which probably accounts for 80% of her Canadian sales. 


Heaven Can Wait by Charlotte Gainsbourg with Beck
 


Links
Charlotte Gainsbourg http://www.charlottegainsbourg.com/
MySpace http://www.myspace.com/charlottegainsbourg
Record Club  http://www.beck.com/record_club