The Afghan Whigs were a soul-influenced rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio active throughout the 90's.
The band teetered on wide success (especially 1993's 'Gentlemen') but mainly maintained a loyal fanbase album to album with word of mouth/live success carrying the project.
Frontman/rhythm-guitarist Greg Dulli is what makes (or breaks) the band; his vocals are above-all unique in rock-music, and matched with his heated lyrical delivery is what strikes or sinks your appreciation.
The three albums here are 'Congregation' [1992], 'Gentlemen' [1993], and their final release '1965' [1998]. 'Gentlemen' is probably my go-to favorite of the bunch but I've fostered an appreciation for all of them -- really just a band that grows on you if you hang around to listen, though others might not fully follow Dulli's dragging enlightenment.
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Afghan Whigs
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Chinese Man - The Groove Sessions Vol. 1
Chinese Man is a French hip-hop collective formed in 2004.
Comprised of the Marseilles DJ Zé Mateo and High Ku, with beatmakers SLY and Leolebug, the collective expands on their influences of dub, funk, reggae and jazz to outline their songs, cutting up samples ranging from Zakir Hussain to obscure film, successfully living up to 'The Groove Sessions'.
Recently stumbled on these guys with 'The Groove Sessions Vol. 1' (of the 2 that they've released), a collection of songs from 2004-2007; the production is sharp, the beats are on-point, and the layers and whistles they put into each track is staggering, in the best way possible.
Not really a throwaway to be found, def recommended/keep them tabs.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Friko - The Journey To Mandoola
Friko is the brain-child of dual collaborators Peder Kjellsby (production/writing/mixing) and Sjur Miljeteig (sax, brass, harmonica) from Norway.
The duo released two albums full of varying guest-collaborators -- mostly vocalists -- to create the electronic/folk wonderment of 'Burglar Ballads' [2003] and personal favorite 'The Journey To Mandoola' [2006].
This album is great because it flows into each song/idea from great indirect avenues, eventually making it near-difficult to remember how the journey started, yet track to track feels explicitly linked in its progression; the production is sharp and visible throughout, with Kjellsby doing a great job giving every beat and tweak its own light.
The vocal contributions shift everywhere from the smoothest trip-hop to the most skewed folk, sometimes interchangeably in the same song.
Definite recommendation.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
De Facto - 456132015 [EP]
De Facto was the middle-ground between At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta so to say, featuring Cedric (initially bass, primarily drums), Omar (bass/vocals), Ikey (keys), and Jeremy Ward (sound manipulation, guitar, vocals) doing dub-reggae music.
'456132015' was an EP from 2001, featuring two versions of "120E7" plus "Vesica Pisces", both reworkings from their final album of the same year, 'Légende du Scorpion à Quatre Queues'.
As far as I know the project is still being considered for new material, even with the unfortunate passing of Ward in 2003.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Zegota - Namasté
The prior 2001 full-length from Zegota.
Really nice progression from this album to 'Reclaim!'; behemoth of over an hour of punk/world jams with jabs of intensity to keep it above ground. Last epic features underlying saxophone throughout -- overall just as interesting and dynamic as their later output.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Lvmen - Mondo
2006 album from the Czech Republic's Lvmen.
Crushing atmospheric metal akin to Neu-school post-metlol. The band intersperses a lot of movie samples that fit really well throughout, some nice keyboard additions too as well as some singing variation (specifically Lvmen No. 13) between the bombardment.
And the drummer is really good.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Deceptikon - Mythology of the Metropolis
Latest release from border-breaker Deceptikon.
I'm still digesting most of it, but def more of an electro/IDM affair compared to his past beat-driven/trip-hop stuff like 'Lost Subject'.
Still plenty of beats and goodness.
