#32 - Quarantine Edition #1

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/de38d755-4267-4ae6-a7cb-8caaaad10f4b

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2nBaX2sOPl1AUuBYI1m8TJ

playlist:

1. Hoe Down - Oliver Nelson

2. Marie Antoinette - Freddie Hubbard

3. Frelimo - Dizzy Gillespie

4. Evidence - Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane

5. Know Wonder - Mulgrew Miller

6. Boogielastic - Joshua Redman

7.  Cyroette - Amendola vs. Blades

8. Sister Fania - Hugh Masekela

9. U Say - Goldlink, Tyler, The Creator, Jay Prince

10. Soul Decay - Roots Manuva

11. Reflections - Mystik Journeymen

12. Got You - Nappy Nina, Blake Spvde

13. Jah Glory - Alpha Blondy, The Natty Rebels

14. Roll With The Punches - Patrice Rushen

15. The Game Maker - Return To Forever

16. Quimbara - Angelique Kidjo

17. Midnight - Khruangbin, Leon Bridges

18. Black Lipstick - Chicano Batman

19. (Nothing But) Flowers - Talking Heads

20. Na Sane - Noura Mint Seymali

21. sambala - Setona

22. Samra Oya - Salamat

23. Lucille - Waylon Jennings

24. Hometown Hero - All The Real Girls

25. Ready 2 Grow - Whiskey Class

26. Never Will I Marry - Kate Dinsmore

27. Moon Coin - Unwed Sailor

2019

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/98875dd7-e64d-4971-83b4-2450793d6817

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JM2JLTKo4BZyJrJHu4ntU

Here is my list of favorite releases from 2019. There was surely more music that I enjoyed this year, but I limited the list to 15 tracks to match the format of this blog. Some of these selections represent full albums while some favorites are just the single tracks. One of the musical techniques that I am most drawn to is the use of repetition, which is a prevalent feature in many of the songs chosen for this list.


1. I Know You See Me - Kassa Overall, J Hoard, Melanie Charles

Kassa Overall is a drummer/MC/songwriter/producer/artist from Seattle and based in NYC. He is one of my favorite drummers. He brings a potent, genuine style to his playing. This track is one of his first releases after being signed to Gilles Peterson's label Brownswood Recordings. It incorporates his drumming, MC, and production skills to create a flowing, collage-like sound. 

2. Goat Head - Brittany Howard

Brittany Howard's solo release "Jaime" was one of my favorite albums of the year. This track in particular drew me, first because of the sample-like instrumental looping that starts the song. It features the impenetrable drumming of Nate Smith under a sparse keyboard line. Howard then enters with heavy lyrics about the intolerance that she and her family faced growing up in Alabama with a white mom and black dad and the identities that people try to force on her for being mixed. The lyrical delivery switches between repeating phrases, holding on one note, and an almost spoken word approach. This switching up of delivery creates a conversational vibe. It also helps convey the emotions of the story. 

3. GIOVANNI - Jamila Woods

LEGACY!LEGACY! by Jamila Woods was another of my favorite albums of the year. The dense, drum heavy instrumentals on this album complement Jamila's smooth, soprano voice. Although her voice has that quality, the lyrics are powerful and assertive. 

4. Basement Jack - Steve Lacy

Steve Lacy is the guitar player for the band The Internet. Lacy's songwriting on Apollo XXI is skillfully simple and has a similarly playful quality to that of the The Internet but is a little more airy. 

5. Babouche - Jidenna, Goldlink

I like this song because it slaps. The beat accomplishes a deep groove using just a snare, hi hat, and sub kick. Everything else on the beat is color. Additionally the koto sample reminds me of a sample approach that I have used in the past, but this song does it better. Jidenna's flow fits right into the pocket. Goldlink's delivery sounds kind of like Kendrick on this track, but it fits well. 

6. Statute of Limitations - 2 Chainz

Rap Or Go To The League is one of the albums I listened to the most this year. I like that 2 Chainz is one of the older rappers who is still current and collaborating with younger artists. His flow is simple and he expresses a lot with a little. 

7. Fire Is Coming (feat. David Lynch) - Flying Lotus

The newest Flying Lotus album, Flamagra, features dense chords over bouncy funk grooves. Thundercat is a prominent feature throughout. The first half of the track "Fire Is Coming", is just David Lynch telling a feverish, Lynchian story accompanied by sound effects. At the end of the story the beat comes in HEAVY.

8. Thinking (Live Sesh) - Louis Cole

In 2012 I saw Austin Peralta play at the Del Monte Speakeasy in Venice, CA. It was the first time I had seen or heard of Louis Cole, who was playing drums that night. I talked to him after the show and asked him what other gigs he plays. He said he didn't really play out that much. Now he's one the most well known modern instrumentalists within the jazz/funk world, playing with and writing songs for Thundercat, leading the electro-funk band Knower, being featured on the Snarky Puppy family dinner video series, etc. Recently he has been arranging his songs for a large ensemble. The orchestration of his funk songs, like this one, are fat, funky, and feel good. 

9. Stop The Tape - Emmavie

I found out about Emmavie from the Fresh Selects Bandcamp page. Her album Honeymoon from this year is soulful and groovy, using largely electronic instrumentals. The electronic sound gives the songs a vaguely retro feel but the album still sounds fresh. I have been having fun playing along to this track, with it's groove switching between an almost DnB style, a slow RnB vibe, and a 3 over 4 polyrhythmic vamp. 

10. Tarhatazed - Mdou Moctar

I had the privilege of opening for Mdou Moctar in 2018 with the band Beyond Captain Orca. His band rocks out hard over Saharan rhythms. Moctar is heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix. His album from this year, Ilana (The Creator), is heady and beautiful. The band really goes for it on this song and Moctar lets loose on guitar. 

11. Highwomen - The Highwomen

This group took a good, classic country song and made it really good. The original song featuring Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson, told the fictional stories of adventurers and laborers who died during their work, but whose spirits live on. Highwomen, sung by Brandi Carlisle, Natalie Hemby, Yola, Amanda Shires, and Maren Morris, uses the same format but tells the stories of women throughout history who were killed for defying the roles that their societies imposed on them. I get the chills every time I listen to it. Although I love the original tune, this update is a lot more meaningful. 

12. Can't Believe The Way We Flow - James Blake

Assume Form, by James Blake was another one of my favorite albums this year. The murky, moody production and reverb-heavy vocals create a uniquely beautiful statement. Blake's music can't really be categorized. He incorporates techniques from different musical traditions, but the end product is his own. 

13. Not - Big Thief

The beauty of this song is that it never resolves lyrically or musically. When you think the song may be about to resolve, it just keeps building, creating more tension. 

14. Due West - Kelsey Lu

Due West is a beautiful pop song about leaving to pursue one's dreams.  The lyrics on the chorus fall across the bar line pushing the song forward.


 15. Bass Attack Bap - Georgia Anne Muldrow

Georgia Anne Muldrow is one of my favorite producers of all time. She has one of the dopest feels and her arrangements are always new and interesting. She has a style rooted in old school, 90's neo-soul and hip hop but it always feels fresh as well. This track combines a fat bass line with an expansive piano chord vamp and slapping drums.


 bonus:

16. Trail Mix - Terrace Martin, Buddy, Rose Gold

Terrace Martin is one of my favorite artists. Known for producing Kendrick's To Pimp A Butterfly album, he also plays alto saxophone and vocoder with Herbie Hancock and is producing Hancock's next album. In addition to those big projects, he has been releasing soul music side projects and collaborations for the past few years. Highlights include "Velvet Portraits" and "The Pollyseeds". This year he has been releasing a string of singles including this one. It's a simple song that creates a vibe more than anything else. Terrace is great at creating vibes.

30

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/3c03bc1d-e941-404c-b5ab-da177a12bdc8

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/55xBbGPqvFIMFmfeQJWboq


playlist:

1. Acceptance - MAE.SUN

2. Calm Like A Bomb - Rage Against The Machine

3. Kids in '99 - Death Cab For Cutie

4. Day In Day Out - Noel Brass Jr.

5. Manic Monday - The Bangles

6. Skeleton Painting - Avi Buffalo

7. Hotline Bling - Quantic, Los Miticos del Ritmo

8. I Know You See Me - Kassa Overall, J Hoard, Melanie Charles

9. III - Maxwell

10. Julian's Dream (ode to a bad) [feat. The Shogun Shot] - Shabazz Palaces

11. Magic Spells - Crystal Castles

12. Texas Sun - Khruangbin, Leon Bridges

13. Diamond Cutters - Roc Marciano, Black Thought

14. The Deuce - Terrace Martin, The Martin Family Trio

15. Dance The Night Away With You - Dr. John

#23

https://tidal.com/playlist/88b25321-bda8-42a3-9eb9-bbd5cd2d262a

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5xyVPj286R0O42YpnuA9CM

playlist:

1. Egocentric Molecules - Jean-Luc Ponty

2. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead - Warren Zevon

3. Two Headed Dog (Red Temple Prayer) - Roky Erickson

4. Tennessee Song - Margo Price 

5. Choo Choo - Mac Demarco

6. Thanks To You - Clams Casino, Sam Dew

7. Lawless Society - Wailing Souls 

8. Na Ma Nin Me - Sali Sidibe

9. Comin' Dine - Beanz N Kornbread

10. Butter - Radiation City

11. Baby Flies - Poison Idea

12. Jason And The Argonauts - XTC

13. Fire Is Coming (feat. David Lynch) - Flying Lotus

14. Everybody Loves The Sunshine - Roy Ayers 

15. Tearz - Wu-Tang Clan

#19

https://tidal.com/playlist/e9f15e29-3fc3-443d-9f56-e8ce8dc883f6

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5j2wBIMbg1hL2ySJrkn0GE

playlist:

1. Chirp Chirp - Iris Lune

2. BONES - Mark Guiliana

3. Chinese Butterfly - Chick Corea, Steve Gadd

4. Know Yourself - ginla

5. My-Story Of Love / Starring You - Shafiq Husayn

6. Freedom - Krondon, Shafiq Husayn 

7. DGAF - Joshua Redman

8. Where Are We Going? (Alternate Mix 2) - Marvin Gaye

9. Angel Shark - Dorian Concept

10. Old Town Road - Lil Nas X

11. Got Beef - The Eastsidaz

12. Hawk Over Traffic - Dave King Trucking Company

13. A Way With Words - Robert Plant

14. Visions Of Old - Kelsey Lu

15. Vitrification Of Blood (Pt. 1) - Blood Incantation 

#16

https://tidal.com/playlist/d454d6b6-632d-445a-83e9-22feadb360ae

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4FC8xbabjIdGb4BxyPLGJE

playlist:

1. Aht Uh Mi Hed - Shuggie Otis

2. Feedback Pt. 2 - Jason Moran

3. No Apologies - August Greene

4. Haw - 16 Horsepower

5. 5.45 - Gang Of Four

6. Talk Talk - The Music Machine

7. Kannon1 - Sunn O)))

8. Barracudas - Wayne Shorter

9. Statute of Limitiations - 2 Chainz

10. Rule The World - 2 Chainz, Ariana Grande

11. Sound Of Rain - Solange

12. Uvumilivu - E.J. Strickland Quintet 

13. And Now The Queen - Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart

14. _stuck_ - Jon Bap

15. Roland Alphonso - Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell

#11

https://tidal.com/playlist/71f0d6b6-b6aa-4f4c-a02c-b88983927f3c

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7q74SR7pwepXXHt02aVcJp

playlist:

1.  particle / spectra - Ambrose Akinmusire

2. If I Ruled The World - Kurtis Blow

3. If I Ever Lose This Heaven - Average White Band 

4. We Live in Brooklyn, Baby - Roy Ayers 

5. Hanoi 6 - Unknown Mortla Orchestra 

6. A Lot To Give - The Moondoggies

7. I' m Movin' On - Jerry Reed

8. Miracle Of The Fishes

9. Chelsea Bridge - Joe Henderson

10. You and the Night and the Music - Paul Motian

11. Casio Vanguard - Kurt Rosenwinkel

12. Hello - Erykah Badu 

13. Shy - Leon Bridges 

14. Two Sleepy People - Jason Moran

15. 101 FM - Little Simz

#4

In the sentimental spirit of the holidays, I decided to do something different this week. This playlist consists of 100 songs that have been significant to me throughout the years for various reasons. Some tracks were formative, some are connected to specific memories or periods of time, and some have just been satisfying and stuck with me. Technology was making it hard to put them in the order I wanted, so I suggest playing this one on shuffle. Additionally, there were songs I wanted to add that were not available on either Spotify or Tidal. So it goes. 

https://tidal.com/playlist/90da74bf-45e9-4f62-9255-efbfebfe7666

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3jvdURjdMHB1ArV4TxgQfd

playlist:

1. Hard Times Come Again No More - Stephen Foster

2. Dream In Blue - Los Lobos

3. Nowhere Man - The Beatles

4. I Want You (She's So Heavy) - The Beatles

5. When You Awake - The Band

6. Station Man - Fleetwood Mac

7. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll (Live at Boston Music Hall, 1975) - Bob Dylan

8. Little Miss Lover - Jimi Hendrix

9. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix

10. Power To Love - Jimi Hendrix 

11. Tales Of Brave Ulysses - Cream

12. Come As You Are - Nirvana

13. Tourette's - Nirvana

14. Runaways - XTC

15. Beating Of Hearts - XTC

16. Maru-Bihag - Ravi Shankar

17. Vital Transformation - Mahavishnu Orchestra

18. La Danse Du Bonheur - Shakti

19. Black Market - Weather Report

20. Boogie Woogie Waltz - Weather Report

21. Finger Lickin' Good - Beastie Boys

22. Pow - Beastie Boys

23. Jet Pilot - System Of A Down

24. I'm Not Down - The Clash

25. Glass - Gang Of Four

26. We're A Happy Family - Ramones

27. God Save The Queen - Sex Pistols 

28. Don't Try - Built To Spill

29. Footprints - Miles Davis 

30. Chan Chan - Buena Vista Social Club

31. I Can't Wait Much Longer - Robin Trower

32. Dee moo woor - Orchestra Baobab

33. Love Song - Tony Williams

34. Seize The Rainbow - Sonny Sharrock

35. Joy Spring - Clifford Brown & Max Roach

36. All Wrong - Morphine

37. Come Rain Or Come Shine - Art Blakey

38. Three Blind Mice - Art Blakey

39. Prince of Darkness - Miles Davis

40. The Sorcerer - Hancock/Brecker/Hargrove

41. Deluge - Wayne Shorter 

42. Speak No Evil - Wayne Shorter 

43. The Awakening - Ahmad Jamal

44. Ponta De Areia - Wayne Shorter

45. Theme From A Symphony (variation one) - Ornette Coleman

46. Lonely Woman - Ornette Coleman

47. Beyond Games - Tony WIlliams

48. Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

49. Evinrude-Fifty (Trembling) - Brian Blade Fellowship

50. Promises Kept - Sonny Sharrock

51. Respiration - Black Star 

52. Timeless - John Abercrombie

53. Memories Live - Reflection Eternal

54. There Was A Time - James Brown

55. The Payback - James Brown 

56. Mother Popcorn - James Brown 

57. Super Bad - James Brown 

58. It Aint What You Think - Dirty Dozen Brass Band 

59. Masqualero - Wayne Shorter 

60. Mondays - Black Uhuru 

61. Natty Dread - Bob Marley 

62. Life Is A Journey - Clinton Fearon 

63. The Invasion (aka "Black Wa-Da-Da") - Burning Spear 

64. Throw Down Your Arms - Burning Spear 

65. Soldiers - Steel Pulse 

66. All Matter - Robert Glasper Experiment feat. Bilal

67. Brahms Intermezzo no. 7 in A minor - Glenn Gould 

68. Get A Hold - A Tribe Called Quest 

69. Stressed Out - A Tribe Called Quest 

70. Sara Mabo - L'Orchestre Kanaga De Mopti 

71. War - Wailing Souls 

72. Liberation - Outkast 

73. West Savannah - Outkast 

74. Train With No Love - Andre Nickatina 

75. Saw A Gangsta Cry - Andre Nickatina 

76. Astray - Bilal

77. Pretty Dancer - Mos Def

78. Meditations/Leo - John Coltrane 

79. Malachi - Andrew Hill

80. Dusk - Andrew Hill

81. Positive Vibration - Bob Marley 

82. Happy Just To Be Like I Am - Taj Mahal

83. Carry The Zero - Built To Spill

84. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man

85. Peeni Walli - Eek-A-Mouse 

86. Mothership Connection - Parliament

87. Children Of Production - Parliament

88. I Never Cared For You - Willie Nelson

89. Magazine - Krondon

90. Dollaz + Sense - DJ Quik 

91. Do My Thang - 7 Days Of Funk 

92. Till It's Done (Tutu) - D'Angelo and the Vanguard 

93. Rest In Pleasure - Esperanza Spalding 

94. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Prince 

95. Computer Blue - Prince & The Revolution 

96. One Mo'Gin - D'Angelo

97. Wars Of Armageddon - Funkadelic

98. With You - Terrace Martin

99. Actual Proof - Herbie Hancock

100. Bad Card - Bob Marley 

#3

quick note: #13 has an alternate track for Spotify because they do not have the full Akira soundtrack in their database. I highly recommend this album, which was re-released on 180 gram vinyl last year. The group that composed it is one of a kind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geinoh_Yamashirogumi

The Life I Live - Pete Rock

I had a conversation with a friend a while back about our favorite hip hop producers. As I recall, both of our top two were J Dilla and Pete Rock, except his number one was Dilla and mine was Pete. He was surprised by my choice, considering how pioneering Dilla was. I fully acknowledge Dilla's genius as well as the profound influence he has had on modern music, but there is something about Pete's aesthetic that resonates with me more personally. I love repetition in music. When a loop is composed or constructed well, it can be repeated forever and I won't get tired of it. (Another context where this comes up in the music I listen to is with 1970's Malian groups such as Super Biton de Segou and L'Orchestre Kanaga de Mopti.) Pete Rock's loops are deep and hypnotizing. I enjoy playing drums along to his beats to practice pocket, but also because the act of playing one phrase continuously is meditative. I get to a point where my limbs are on auto pilot, locked in to the music, and I am visualizing the sounds. 

https://tidal.com/playlist/d30360c7-2873-4e08-9015-ec75e09713d8

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5oe5eVYpqkebTMsh80PB3w

playlist:

1. Plaid Pants - The Black Tones 

2. Big Time - Omer Avital

3. Friday Morning - Khruangbin

4. Graduation Day - Ethan Iverson

5. RollSkate - DJ Harrison

6. untitled 06 | 06.30.2014 - Kendrick Lamar

7. Brother's Keeper - Anderson .Paak, Pusha T

8. Street Pharmacy - Butcher Brown

9. Do It Together - The Midnight Hour

10. Reggae To The High Tower - Don Cherry

11. We Got To Live Together - Buddy Miles

12. The Life I Live - Pete Rock

13. (Tidal) Exodus From The Underground Fortress - Geinoh Yamashirogumi

13. (Spotify) Kaneda - Geinoh Yamashirogumi

14. Track B - Duet Solo Dancers - Charles Mingus

15. I'll Be Good To You - Quincy Jones

16. Honey - Astronote

17. Alienman - Stone Mecca

18. Brown Liquor - Bearaxe

#2

A lot of great new music came out in the last couple of months. Some of the artists with new music featured in this week's playlist include Georgia Anne Muldrow, Kurt Vile, Yoko Ono, Ambrose Akinmusire, Aaron Parks, and Braxton Cook. Now, if you don't mind, I will expound on a couple of chosen tracks.


Rollin With The Flow - Kurt Vile

This cover song is not indicative of the album as a whole, which is otherwise comprised of Vile's chill, riffy, originals, but I have a specific memory connected to it. This summer I was helping a local fix-it guy do some work on my mother-in-law's house. We would listen to music via an Echo, which was a new gadget for this old-timer. He would say, "Alexa, play OLD country music". This would yield a playlist of about 30 songs, which we would listen to on repeat all day while he would sing along to almost every song no matter how many times it came on. The Charlie Rich version of "Rollin' With The Flow" was one of these songs. So, hearing this song is a good way to remember a great summer. Vile's version stays pretty true to Rich's, plus the drums really roll...with the flow.


Woman Power - Yoko Ono

Ono's new album consists of new versions of older tunes from her career. I had never actively listened to her music before this album, but I was drawn to it by the personnel, which includes Melvin Gibbs, Marc Ribot, and Kassa Overall. I have heard criticisms of her abrasive, dissonant vocal stylings, but I like the vocal improvisation parts of these tunes. On "Woman Power", Ono will sometimes draw the end of a spoken word out into a tone in a way that puts an extra emphasis on the phrase and creates tension.


https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0rPXhg3oyIw9MeREJmRlme

https://tidal.com/playlist/d2732af2-8af4-43cf-b55e-387fffa8856c

playlist:

1. Blam - Georgia Anne Muldrow

2. Love And It's Glory - Minnie Riperton

3. When It Comes Down To It - Minnie Riperton

4. Get You It Together - L.T.D.

5. We Major - Braxton Cook

6. Just A Thing - Black Milk & Nat Turner

7. Digital Society - Aaron Parks

8. Americana / the garden waits for you to match her wilderness - Ambrose Akinmusire

9. The Lung - Hiatus Kaiyote

10. La Luna (Ending) - Sun Araw

11. Rollin With The Flow - Kurt Vile

12. Woman Power - Yoko Ono

13. Children Power - Yoko Ono

14. Runabout - Little Dragon

15. O Superman - Laurie Anderson