Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere
The Miner stands before you today to proclaim that the state of our union is funky. Deeply, unabashedly, relentlessly funky:
The beneficent Yotte over at Adventure-Equation is planting a heady garden of Sun Ra rarities, Kieran at Big Head Stevenson has been basking in the incandescence of Nigerian electrofunk, Defeated Sounds's Dr. Nick has come ashore with Fijian prog rockers in tow, Gadaya keeps slinging old-time platters at Times Ain't Like They Used to Be (and at the World's Jukebox, too!), and Inconstant Sol's new stablemate Owombat has plopped some pungent beauties all over the pasture. (OK, like, time for a standing ovation.)
Some shovel-ready projects...
Sun Ra & His Outer Space Arkestra ~ "A Fireside Chat with Lucifer"
(Blog: Adventure-Equation)
Outerworld, Meet Underworld
"Great title, great cover, great long, weird, freaked out title track, great protest cut on side one, lighthearted in a way but using much stronger language than a fundamentally conservative guy like Sun Ra usually would ("It's a motherfucker/don't you know/if they push that button/your ass got to go—what you gonna DO without your ASS?"). A lot of this has been reissued on the better-known "Nuclear War" LP but this is the original and, if you ask me, the better version." (Comments from Rushomancy at Rate Your Music)
William Onyeabor ~ "Tomorrow"
(Blog: Big Head Stevenson)
Will.He.Am
"William Onyeabor studied cinematography in Russia for many years, returning to Nigeria in the mid-70s to start his own Wilfilms music label and to set up a music and film production studio. He recorded a number of hit songs in Nigeria during the '70s, the biggest of which was "Atomic Bomb" in 1978...a unique slice of stripped down spacey, lo-fi funk which is unlike any other Nigerian music being made at the same time. [FYI: "Atomic Bomb" is also available at Big Head Stevenson: here.] William has now been crowned a High Chief in Enugu, where he lives today as a successful businessman working on government contracts and running his own flour mill." (From Quinton Scott's track notes to Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970s Funk Lagos)
Mantis ~ "Turn Onto Music"
(Blog: Defeated Sounds)
Bus Ride Ballads from Suva
"This now, my dears, is a real treat for those who appreciate the good old psychedelic music maybe away from those who were the usual fees established in the U.S. and the UK. The Mantis is in fact formed in Suva, Fiji, and this, from what I know, should be the only record they released, from which they extracted a handful of individuals. The sound is very interesting and well chosen, with doses of funk spilled on the tracks with both hands. However do not expect to find a revelation folk, as the album was recorded in Wellington, New Zealand, where the group was established." (Comments, via Google Translate, from Dr. Nick at Defeated Sounds)
Various ~ Old-Time Fiddle Music From Kentucky"
(Blog: Times Ain't Like They Used to Be)
Gettin' Lucky in Kentucky
"These three LPs were issued in 1980 by Morning Star Records, a short-lived record company owned by Richard Nevins, who would continue Nick Perls' work with Yazoo Records a few years after. It's a superb compilation of 78rpm records of Kentucky string bands made in the 1920's and 1930's for Gennett. Like Nevins said: "As the Mississippi Delta is to Blues, Kentucky is to fiddle music, banjo playing, and classic old ballads and songs."" (Description from Gadaya, at Times Ain't Like They Used to Be.)
Urs Blöchlinger Tettet ~ "Neurotica"
(Blog: Inconstant Sol)
Swiss Mister
"He was born in 1954 and became an autodidact on guitar and trumpet before he turned over to saxophone. Later he studied in the conservatory for a short time but quit before the diploma. He was involved and wrote music for theater and movies. His musical partners were among others George Gruntz, Carla Bley, Hans Koch, Martin Schütz and Fredy Studer. Described as a sanguine melancholic he committed suicide in 1995." (From a comment by onxidlib in response to another Urs Blöchlinger album posted at Inconstant Sol.)
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For the Onyeabor lovers, more here.
Enjoy!
Posted by: Feq'wah | January 27, 2011 at 11:35 AM