Now Playing Deeper Into Music

Here’s a look at some recent album adds to the Deeper Into Music library:

ALBUM: ODD BLOOD ARTIST: Yeasayer RELEASED: 2010 ADDED: 08/29 Yeasayer have been around since 2006 when they formed in Brooklyn, New York. Their music is often characterized as experimental rock or psychedelic pop and indeed the selections added to Deeper display points of both. “Madder Red” is the winner on ODD BLOOD and satisfies upon first listen. The tune begins with a 90s-style synthetic pizzicato wash but quickly expands into a sticky, memorable treat full of dynamics and aural interests. It’s difficult to hear the reference but the claim is that this song was inspired by John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.” ODD BLOOD was released in February 2010 and peaked on the US Billboard Album chart at #63. “Madder Red is slated to be the third single from this fine offering.	ALBUM: Now Here Is Nowhere ARTIST: Secret Machines RELEASED: 2004 ADDED: 08/28 Secret Machines is a little too “commercial alternative” on some of the tracks on this early critically-acclaimed album from 2004. I went back, gave it a second listen and thought some of the tunes would play well on Deeper even though I had passed on them the first time around. The inspiration for the second listen is due in part to my appreciation for School of Seven Bells, a band formed by Secret Machines founder Benjamin Curtis upon his decision to leave the band in 2007 after two more Secret Machine albums, neither as commercially or critically successful as Now Here is Nowhere. They hail from Dallas, Texas. Would you like to request one of their tunes?
ALBUM: Somewhere To Jump From ARTIST: Aberfeldy RELEASED: 2010 ADDED: 08/25 Named after a Scottish town, Aberfeldy (the indie pop band) formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2002. Light weight, nearly twee, this band turns out nice, harmless, foot-tappers and smile-inducers. Not a full meal, but a pleasant dessert.	ALBUM: In Evening Air ARTIST: Future Islands RELEASED: 2010 ADDED: 08/25 Future Islands formed in Baltimore, Maryland (US) in 2006. They can remind me of New Order at times and Rupert Hine at others. “Swept Inside” is a real winner of controlled intensity.
ALBUM: Pickin’ Up The Pieces ARTIST: Fitz and The Tantrums RELEASED: 2010 ADDED: 08/25 Fitz and the Tantrums are one of the better retro rhythm and blues outfits out there. Their R&B throwbacks feel a little more like the real thing even if this Los Angelenos are merely going through the motions.	ALBUM: Cloak and Cipher ARTIST: Land Of Talk RELEASED: 2010 ADDED: 08/25 Land of Talk is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2006 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Members of the bands Stars, Arcade Fire, Thee Silver Mt. Zion and other bands help out on their album Cloak and Cipher, released in August 2010.

Review more newly added songs and CDs

Cumbia Beat Vol 1

I discovered this one while randomly searching through some new releases at an online retailer of mp3s.  It struck me immediately as a fetching, welcomed addition to the history of Western guitar-centric rock rhythms filtered though Peruvian tastes, sensibilities and musical flair. It’s a collision of cultures – shocking at the time, but now seen as an important catalyst.

In 1968 a few select folk-oriented bands began introducing electric guitars and effects: wah-wahs, delays, over-driven fuzz-tones into what was until then a primarily acoustic Southern hemisphere tradition: Cumbia, drum-based with folk guitars, sometimes an accordion and other percussive instruments. It must have been like Dylan plugging in at Newport.

Cumbia, according to Wikipedia, “ is a Colombian musical style and folk dance that is considered to be representative of Colombia, along with Vallenato. Cumbia originated from the Caribbean coast of eastern Colombia, with folkloric variants in Panama.”  It conjures tropical jungles and ritual celebrations in its intricate poly-rhythms.

Tunes by Los Beta 5, Los Mirlos, Los Orientales de Paramonga, Los Sander’s de Ñaña, and Los Wembler’s de Iquitos, recorded between 1968 and 1976, were added to the Deeper Into Music playlist and will pop up throughout the regular playlist.  This is trilling, pulsating music that even 40 years after its recording still throbs with life and passion.

The example below begins with La danza de la tortuga by Los Beta 5, a rather conventional entry, followed by the more psychedelic Lobos al escape by Los Orientales de Paramonga.

Cumbia Examples

What do you think?  Should Deeper feature more “world music”?

I freely admit it.  I have a number of guilty musical pleasures: songs and bands that I would be slightly embarrassed that anyone knew I adored or enjoyed sneaking a listen to from time to time.  One of those passions is for classic prog rock, or at least, a subset of it.

Now, Deeper Into Music doesn’t feature a lot of prog rock – yeah, there’s a little Genesis and a couple of Yes tunes, but it’s certainly not a staple.  However, in the mid 70s when I was about 14 or 15 I began a secret love-affair with prog.  It started with Styx and Kansas (both of which I can no longer bear to listen to) but in time journeyed beyond to Yes, early Genesis, a few select Rush tunes, then Gong, and King Crimson.  The complex rhythms, the sci-fi over- and undertones, the lack of pat 3-minute expressions was transporting to my young ears.

When punk came along I didn’t feel the urge to tear down this pomposity, I felt these musics could co-exist and there was a time when I’d play a Ramones album and follow it with “Supper’s Ready.”  Yet, I was rather publicly quiet about my secret.  It wouldn’t do to be progger at college radio!

These days when I listen to prog, it’s normally out of nostalgia more than anything else.  I’ve tried to listen to modern prog bands (and there are a slew of them), but I often feel like they’re .. well… trying too hard.  They are often too full-on prog and forget to slap in a melody or allow a song greater depth via quiet passages.  That’s  overgeneralizing, yes.  But, thus far, I haven’t had a great deal of patience with neo-prog.  I really felt my prog days were over and the sort of thing you come back to when you remember high school, or something…

Starcastle - Fountains of Light

And, so, it was a surprise to me when I logged in to Napster the other night to take a look and listen around to some tunes that I decided quite by chance to check out Starcastle.  I knew there were sort of B-level 70s prog band from around Chicago often compared to Yes but I’d never really spent much time with them.  I’d read that “Fountains of Light” was considered among their top works.  So, I clicked on it.

As the sounds spewed out of my speakers, I could not help smiling.  It did sound like a “great lost 70s” Yes album in many respects.  And it’s better than B-level.  It’s not for everyone and I’m sure that some of you are rolling your eyes or shouting out your disgust.  But, for me, at least, this is a warm-fuzzy discovery and it brought back a little of the nearly overwhelming joy that I used to experience when I’d find a new sound when the worlds seemed fully of new sounds.

Now, I still hear new sounds that are awe-inspiring.  But, there’s something about discovering or re-discovering something that feels at once familiar and fresh.  Like finding an old photo album of your childhood.

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