Mining the Audio Motherlode, Volume 84 (MP3s)

Music For the Eyes #1

Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere

I've always found the argument between those audiophiles who favor the "purity" of CDs vs. those who swear by the "warmth" of vinyl to be fairly tedious. It's not that I don't prefer the sonic/tactile experience of those big ol' lovable licorice pizzas—I do. It's just that sometimes I feel that the audio absolutists among us should just clam up and listen to the music already.

Ironically, vinyl lovers do have a point when it comes to the vastly underwhelming covert art adorning much CD packaging. Of course, there are exceptions. (In 2005, I wrote about Karl Blau's enchanting handmade creations encasing his music subscription mailings for Kelp! Monthly, which he's now revived as a less-than-monthly Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism Society.) Essentially its a numbers game. If I've done my math correctly, a 12x12-inch record jacket offers 119 more square inches to play with than a weaselly little 5x5 CD insert.

All this points out a nice collateral benefit from the ton of phenomenal albums being shared online (which is, after all, the point of Mining the Audio Motherlode). Along with MP3s of the music, most blogs also provide downloads of the accompanying artwork as well! In that spirit, this week's installment focuses on albums featuring particularly arresting cover art. Of course, the music is damn good, too.

I will occasionally revisit this graphically oriented version of Mining the Audio Motherlode in a series of posts called Music For the Eyes. So here, for your visual stimulation, is your maiden batch of beauties:

Click on images for larger versions...

Luz y Fuerza  ~  "We Can Fly"
(Blog: Mexicovers)

Lightheaded
The winner and still champion in the bizarro category is this Mexican rock lp cover. It was originally posted at the now dormant blog Mexicovers, but found life on this very blog in 2008 thank to yours truly. Check it out.

Bukka White  ~  "Memphis Hot Shots"
(Blog: Route 66SL)
From the album: School Learning (mp3)

In Space, No One Can Hear Your Guitar Scream
Wondering why the spacesuit on this unusually rocking record from country blues maestro Bukka White? Probably due to America's growing obsession with all things NASA. (This session was recorded exactly a year and a day before the Apollo 11 moon landing.) Too bad for Bukka a significant portion of the 500 million who watched Neil Armstrong do his thing didn't also buy the record.

Arrigo Barnabé e Banda Sabor de Veneno  ~  "Clara Crocodilo"
(Blog: Loronix)
From the album: Office Boy (mp3)

Crocostyle
If the translation service I used is to be believed, the track listing reads as follows: 1) Acapulco Drive-In 2) Total Orgasm 3) Electronic Amusement 4) Taste of Poison 5) Misfortune 6) Office Boy 7) Clara Crocodile 8) Instant

Of course, that is all totally predictable based on the cover.

Evangelist Niyi Adedokun  ~  "Esan O Gbobun"
(Blog: Afro Slabs)

Caption Contest!
Translated (from Yoruba, I believe) the title of this record means "Nemesis Has no Remedy or Cure." The performer here, a preacher from Nigeria, was a defiant critic of the military strongman Babangida who ruled the African nation from '85 to '93. Babangida, who tried (unsuccessfully) to bribe Adedokun two million Naira to withdraw this deeply satirical record, announced earlier this year that he planned to run for president in 2011.

Cem Karaca & Kardaşlar  ~  "Aci Doktor"
(Blog: Turkish Psychedelic Music)
From the EP: Aci Doktor, Part 2 (mp3

Oh Doktor!
Anatolian rock god Cem Karaca is teamed up here with Kardaşlar, the all-star group of instrumentalists who also spent time backing the decidedly more lightweight pop star Ersen. Too bad they didn't perform with face paint.

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Comments

[Grant]

Excited about the Bukka White. So far it sounds really good and really crazy.

[icastico]

Here's some of my finds

Persian Diva
http://endofworldmusic.blogspot.com/2010/08/simin-ghanem.html

Iannis Xenakis percussion work
http://twicezonked.blogspot.com/2010/09/iannis-xenakis-perf-by-william-winant.html

Some self-promo: the new aboombong - amnemonic,
http://aboombong.bandcamp.com/album/amnemonic

[Roy E.]

Wow! That's the great Insect Trust (minus Robert Palmer unless he is "harmonica boy") backing up Bukka. Great find.