Shock Mountain

I downloaded this album a few days ago from one of our favorite blogs on the web, WE FUCKING LOVE MUSIC, but figured I would pass on this slab of excellence. For those of you who enjoyed the Nigeria Special compilation, here is some more African music, though this pretty far removed from the funkiness of those afrobeat jams. Terkaft play a style of African music known as “desert blues” and feature some founding members of Tinariwen, one of the greatest African desert blues bands ever. Here you will find snaky, weaving guitars, tribal drums and African chant-like vocals which come together to form a hypnotizing mix of blues, psychedelic rock and world music.

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-Max

This is the new musical project of David Lynch [Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive], one of the most interesting, if not greatest, filmakers of our time. Made of the cast of musicians who recorded together for Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Walk Fire With Me, these tracks were originally recorded in 1994 and are finally being released as a tribute to the group’s late singer/guitarist, Dave Jaurequi, who passed away in 2006. This album plays much like typical Lynch-ian fare: surreal, cryptic, dreamy and dark, while still evoking that 1950’s “cool” which seems prevalent in many of Lynch’s films. The first time I heard the album, I imagined a late night 50’s diner, these songs playing quietly over the jukebox while a well-dressed gentleman watches the smoke from his cigarette. Musically, think of early, bluesy Tom Waits covered by the original 4AD dream-pop roster. While this is no musical equivalent of Blue Velvet, this is still one fine album.

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-Max

Well, shit, Ian Svenonius has done it again. First, he leads my favorite post-hardcore band, The Nation of Ulysses, then he creates one of my all time favorite bands, garage rock-meets-gospel outfit Make Up, and now he returns with Chain and the Gang. Ditching the genres he has dabbled in previously, this album mixes dusty chain gang blues and a sassy New Orleans funk strut with Svenonius’ anti-capitalistic rantings. Despite that description, which probably appeals to middle-aged fathers than a lot of our readers, this is a ridiculously fun album, perfect for the incoming spring weather, that I’m sure many of our readers will enjoy. Plus, Calvin Johnson, founder of K Records, Beat Happening, The Halo Benders and basically the father of the entire Northwest indie scene, guests on this album. Finding these two giants on the same album is like a dream come true. And for those of you in the Cleveland/Akron area, Chain and the Gang is playing at Musica in Akron Thursday, April 30. You have no idea how pissed I am about being unable to go. Please go for me!

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-Max