NToM #49
Blues Rock, Post-Punk Funk, Electronic R&B, Jazz, Modern Classical
Again, only one new album that really grabbed me this week, a driving blues rock LP. So, to round it out, I’ve included a few more of my past favourites that may have flown under your radar — some post-punk funk, sultry electric R&B, cosmic jazz explorations, and modern classical (oxymoron?) cello.
Click on the album titles to add them to your library:
New Album
Highly Suspect – Black Ocean
Top Tracks – Lydia, Guess What, Bath Salts, Mom
Genre – Blues Rock
My take – It’s gritty, bluesy, heavy and relentless. These guys have been doing it a while but still sound like a garage band you’re lucky enough to stumble upon. Big hooks, bigger moods, and a decent production.
Fave Album
A Certain Ratio – Mind Made Up
Top Tracks – Down, Down, Down, Way to Escape, Starlight
Genre – Post-Punk, Funk
My take – An album that combines two of my favorite things… 80s post-punk and 70s funk. Mind Made Up is all bass, tight percussion, and grooves that feel like early Talking Heads combined with LCD Soundsystem.
Fave Album
Marian Hill – Unusual
Top Tracks – Subtle Thing, All Night Long, Don’t Do It
Genre – Electronic R&B
My take – Marian Hill weaponize negative space better than almost anyone. Unusual is all close-up mic, minimalist beats, hypnotic bass-lines and immaculate production. I don’t know that I’ve heard an album that does more with less. It’s seductive, creative, and strangely addictive — like Sylvan Esso gone dark.
Fave Album
Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music
Top Tracks – Rust, The Light, Jukebox, Tioga Pass,
Genre – Jazz Fusion
My take – Jazz drummer, Yussef Dayes first studio album with a huge cast of other musicians. The album wraps spans genres like jazz, R&B, funk and pop. I don’t find myself listening to a lot of jazz but this one gets occasional play.
Fave Album
Zoë Keating – Into the Trees
Top Tracks – Escape Artist, The Path, Lost
Genre – Modern Classical, Ambient Cello
My take – A breathtaking album built from layered cello loops, but never feeling like a technical exercise. Keating creates songs that evolve slowly and beautifully. Quite cinematic and emotional, I can’t help but envision a foggy field leading into a dark forest.
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