Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere
Various ~ Charly Small-Label Chicago Soul Comps
Windy City Soul (One-derful) | Chicago Soul Cellar (M-pac) | Chicago Twine Time (Mar-V-Lus)
(Blog: Twilightzone!)
City of the Big Soulsters
"The Vee Jay-OKeh–Chess axis of companies so dominated the Chicago music scene in the 1960s with their styles of uptown soft soul, it would be easy to overlook the output of the city's many fine raw and gritty singers of hard soul. Much of it was provided by George Leaner in his label group, One-derful/M-Pac/Mar-V-Lus. A veteran of the record business since the 1940s, when blues dominated the R&B charts, Leaner specialized in urban heavily blues-flavored soul, and likes its often indistinguishable counterpart, southern soul, this northern variety had that black church element, gospel." (Robert Pruter, Gospel Soul [University of Illinois Press, 1971])
*FOUR MORE DELECTABLE DOWNLOADABLES ON PAGE TWO!*
Dog Faced Hermans ~ "Hum of Life"
(Blog: Swan Fungus)
Hermans a Monster
"Although they bore some resemblance to the agitated political punk of the Ex, the band’s scope peered far beyond any stylistic ghetto or singular influence. You were likely to hear strains of improv, 8 Eyed Spy and Ornette Coleman covers, feminist manifestos, wry commentary and rollicking trumpet blasts amidst a more familiar punk framework. Sure, lots of bands have deftly incorporated oodles of tasteful influences into their homebrew, but there was a passion, intelligence and political activism to their music that was alternately raucous, yet thoughtful." (Magicstragic, Magicstragic's Weblog)
John Prine ~ "In Spite of Ourselves"
(Blog: Happy Summer!)
Duet Till You're Satisfied
"I really like duets. There's something about two people singing to each other and finally with each other that sounds really good to me. The songs here represent a small portion of my favorite country songs. Some were duets to begin with and some [Jim] Rooney and I rearranged to become duets. I made a list of my favorite girl singers and the first nine I called said 'yes.' I nearly fell over. At times when first listened to this record it sounded to me like I was singing along with my favorite singers. I wrote In Spite of Ourselves for a film. It also seemed like an apt title for this collection of cheatin', and retreatin' songs." (John Prine, from the liner notes)
Paul Parrish ~ "The Forest of My Mind"
(Blog: Dr. Schluss' Garage of Psychedelic Obscurities)
[Scroll down in comments for updated link]
Parrish Is Burning
"For all of your patient psychedelic archaeologists, here's your big payoff. I've got to admit that I know less than nothing about troubadour Paul Parrish, except that this release is amazing. It's a very groovy slice of Donovan-inflected psychedelic pop graced by the voice of a fellow that comes across like a hipper Micky Dolenz (although I have to admit that I do dig the Monkees). Parrish rates as a first rate song writer going by the merits of this album. The first three tracks all sound like hit singles that never where and if the title track hasn't shown up on a Nuggets-style compilation, it certainly deserves to." (Dr. Schluss, Dr. Schluss' Garage of Psychedelic Obscurities)
Jayne Cortez & the Firespitters ~ "There Is Is"
(Blog: Orgy in Rhythm)
Poetry in Emotion
"'I have read my poetry with some really great musicians,' Jayne Cortez recently allowed. 'I think, though, that my poetry swings with or without music.' There’s much evidence to support this claim. For at least the past 30 years, Cortez has been an avatar of rhythmic agility in verse. Like her contemporary Amiri Baraka, she absorbed not only the techniques of an American poetic avant-garde but also the language(s) of the blues. The resulting poems translate the pulsation of the city into potent phraseology; they rumble, they smolder, they swing." (Nate Chinen, Philadelphia City Paper)
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