Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads of 2009
When I started Mining the Audio Motherlode, my desire was to share the musical mind-blowers I'd been finding while searching online for tracks to play on my radio show. As I unearthed one gobsmacking gem after another, I realized that keeping these revelations to myself would be a violation of WFMU's sacred oath to proselytize on behalf of groovy music from every street corner. Since January, Beware of the Blog has been the perfect soap box and Mining the Audio Motherlode the perfect megaphone. Over the past 47 weeks, it has been my pleasure to serve up links to nearly 400 amazing full-album downloads. This 48th edition presents the best of the best: my personal favorites along with the top five readers' selection.
Here's to more ear-boggling discoveries in 2010!
MINER'S CHOICE: Top Seven (Eight) Downloads of 2009
On a Whole Other Plena
Cortijo y Su Combo ~ "Baile con Cortijo y Su Combo"
(Blog: Flageolette)
Massive Tracks from '49
Orquestra Afro-Brasileira ~ "Obaluayê!"
(Blog: Oro)
From the album: Índia (mp3)
Like Bourbon for Your Ears
Romica Puceanu ~ "Cine Nu Stie ce-i Doru" (and lots more!)
(Robert Gargfias archives at UC Irvine)
From the album: Cine Nu Stie ce-i Doru (mp3)
Is There a Dumber Genre Name than "Blue-Eyed Soul"?
Various ~ "Country Got Soul": Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
From Volume 1: I Hate Hate (mp3) by Razzy
(Blog: My Blog Too)
St. Louis Free Jazz Meets Ghanian Percussion
Mor Thiam ~ "Dini Saffarrar"
(Blog: You Got a Problem?)
Japanese Fuzz-Freakout with African Percussion
Uganda, "Uganda
(Blog: Crotchbat)
Stunning Unheard Nigerian Gem
Yusef Lateef ~ "Hikima (Creativity)"
High Life (mp3) | The Mood (mp3) | C.N.C.S. (mp3) | Koroso (mp3)
North Africa (mp3) | Blues Revised (mp3) | Mud Theatre (mp3)
READERS' CHOICE: Top Five downloads of 2009
Apex of Zambian Afro/psyche
Witch ~ "Lazy Bones"
(Blog: Crotchbat)
Aboriginal Country Music. Who Knew?
"Various ~ "Buried Country"
(Blog: Uncle Gil's Rockin' Archives)
Holy Grail for Drummer Lovers
M'Boom ~ "Re:Percussion"
(Fat Toro)
[Scroll down to Comments for working link]
Cult Hero of Polish Jazz
Krzysztof Komeda ~ "Astigmatic"
(Blog: Pan Mietek)
Greatest Japanese (Soft) Rock Album Ever?
Happy End ~ "Kazemachi Roman"
(Japanese Rock for Fucks Sake)
From the album: Taifuu (mp3)
Give the Drummer Some, Fridays on WFMU, 9 to Noon (ET).
Check out every installment of Mining the Audio Motherlode
M'Boom, Hikima, and D. Safarrar are great finds.
Here's some shameless self-promotion.
New Music for the new year from aboombong
http://aboombong.bandcamp.com/album/asynchronic
Afro-ambient Noise, experimental, out-free drone, meditative minimalism
Posted by: aboombong | December 30, 2009 at 12:57 PM
As you know, I'm a fan of funky organ music, & thanks to your valuable service I recently obtained albums by Booker T & Jimmy Smith. One of my reader's choices is Phoem Khlaibanleng ~ "Thai Modernized Music for Dancing, Vol. 2"
Posted by: Rix | December 30, 2009 at 09:48 PM
I think this is the second time you've posted that Happy Ending Japanese album and its the same invalid link as last time. Anybody know of a link that actually works?
Posted by: Me | December 31, 2009 at 12:12 AM
Same here on no Happy Ending. The file of 48 Mb or so downloaded, but there was no content, just an empty folder in the ZIP file. No joy.
Posted by: Kay | December 31, 2009 at 08:45 AM
Dumber name for a genre than "blue-eyed soul?" How about "intelligent dance music?"
Posted by: mATT | December 31, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Weird. From my end, the download is active, operable and accessible. I checked all DLs before posting and I just did it again right now now and this link links, the download downloads and the zip file (rar) unzips. I dragged the mp3s right into my iTunes and the tracks played no problem.
For some reason, some are able to access this file and some aren't. Not sure why that is. I addressed this issue in the comments to Volume 33 of Mining the Audio Motherlode. Go here, then scroll down and read the comments.
Posted by: Doug S | December 31, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Happy Ending plays fine for me too. It unpacks with a lot of errors for some reason, but plays fine. Maybe it is tagged with Japanese characters that winrar doesn't understand.
Posted by: Rockford John | December 31, 2009 at 01:02 PM
Thanks for checking things out and for pointing me to your earlier post, very worthwhile reading:
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/02/funeral-for-a-f.html
Posted by: Kay | December 31, 2009 at 06:25 PM