The ongoing listening series formerly known as MusicMonday continues for a third round in its re-imagined form. The Well-Played List features the most listened-to, jammed-out songs, albums and artists of the week as submitted by the CL Music Team along with a rotating crew of tastemakers — local music promoters, record store and venue owners, music fans and scenesters, DJs, musicians, and a radio personality or two; check the last few weeks' entries here. Audio and video included, along with any applicable show information. And on that note, what are you jamming this week? Tell us in the comments…
LEILANI – Deltron 3030, Deltron 3030: Event II (2013)
An album a dozen years in the making finally gets its official release. Nice to see a healthy 16 tracks after waiting for so long. A brief cheeky-serious introduction by Joseph Gordon Levitt segues into two tracks featuring the three men behind Deltron: producer extraordinaire Dan The Automator, DJ/scratchmaster Kid Koala, and raps-like-he-just-shooting-the-shit emcee Del the Funkee Homosapien. These two set the stage while also revealing that yes, the trio can groove, funk and hop all on their own, without any special guests, although the cavalcade begins by track four with AWOLNation's Aaron Bruno and the guests continue all the way through the album's end to British jazz crooner Jamie Cullum. So far, I like it, though I haven't listened enough times yet to really dig into the conceptual part of the thing. From official statements by Del: "This time, the album has a specific story … The Deltron world has gone too far with technology. Everything's destroyed, and you just see the remnants of our technology. The streets are run by criminals, the police are outnumbered and outgunned, and we're like pirates, running rogue, doing what we do to survive. That's the scene of it. We're trying to be as literary as possible while dealing with a musical format. I don't know if you could even categorize this as a hip hop album – it's more like a rock opera, but using rap." Check out the post-apocalyptic video for "City Rising from the Ashes" featuring Mike Patton after the jump, along with the rest of this week's submissions…
JERRY DUFRAIN | DJ Lazy, Orpheum co-owner
Danny Brown, Old (2013)
Cannot wait for this to drop on 10/8! "Dip" here.
A-Trak, "Piss Test (Remix)," Fool's Gold Loosies.
The posse cut of the year. EL-P's verse destroys the universe.
Lauren Mann & The Fairly Odd Folk, Over Land and Sea (2013)
They are coming back to Orpheum on Wed., Oct 9. So I popped the CD back into the mix and realized why I booked them in the first place. This girl can write a song!!!
AlunaGeorge, Body Music (2013)
I am slowly but surely becoming obsessed with AlunaGeorge. And what I mean by slowly but surely is IMMEDIATELY AND PERMANENTLY! This is what I wish pop music sounded like in 2013. The last time I got this feeling about a producer/singer duo was when I booked a little known Canadian duo called Purity Ring. That group sold out the Orpheum in advance. Here is hoping these two get to Tampa soon. "Attracting Flies" video below.
JOE D'ACUNTO | Thx Mgmt Presents
Dear & Glorious Physician, Dear & Glorious Physician (2007)
Been getting ready for their upcoming reunion show at PLAN B this Saturday, so this one's been on repeat and bringing back chills from years ago!
Africa Latina Pt. 2, We Live in Brooklyn Baby (2013)
Part two of the Africa Latina series by Geko Jones and Chief Boima.
The Whiskey Gentry, "I Ain't Nothing"
Off their new record Holly Grove; playing with Have Gun, Will Travel at New World Brewery on Fri., October 18 (Dual Album Release Party).
KEITH ULREY / Microgroove, New Granada Records
Literally just got in a promo for the new Yuck, Glow & Behold, this morning. Needless to say, this is what I will be blasting all this week! "Rebirth" below.
SEAN O’BRIEN | Brokenmold Entertainment
The three bands I'm looking forward to the most at our Plan B Block party are The Dewars, So So Glos and Booker & Norton. So I've been playing all their stuff on my computer a lot, can't wait to catch all of them live! Besides Plan B stuff, I've found two old soul nuggets on YouTube that I can't get out of my head — Pastor T.L. Barrett, "Like a Ship… (Without a Sail)" and Shirley Ellis, "The Clapping Song" (below). Some hip hop producers should take a listen, they're both ripe for sampling.
NICOLE KIBERT | local scene photographer/chronicler, Only Music Has the Answer.
I'm getting excited for Plan B this weekend and am listening accordingly! Here's my A-Z list of bands to catch as soon as I find a doppelganger or two so I can be at three places at the same time; links take you to music…
1. Alexander and The Grapes, Hemispheres
2. Andy Zipf, Jealous Hands
3. Atlantic Oceans
4. Auto?Automatic??
5. Booker & Norton – check out a sampler here:
6. Damion Suomi, A Dog From Hell
7. Dear & Glorious Physician
8. DieAlps!
9. Early Forms, Better Broken Houses
10. Empire Cinema, Esse Quam Videri
11. Feral Babies
12. Florida Night Heat, #Immortality
13. Funny Bunny,
14. Greenland is Melting
15. King of Spain
16. Lauris Vidal, Prisoner
17. MRENC, All Around Surround
18. Radarmen
19. Rec Center, Tin Year
20. Sleepy Vikings
21. SUNBEARS, You Will Live Forever
22. The Send Offs
23. Wolf-Face
24. Y Los Dos Pistoles
25. Zillionaire
26. Zulu Wave, Nyami Nyami
SARAH GECAN | Daddy Kool Records and No Clubs Entertainment
CHVRCHES, The Bones of What You Believe (2013) A vast majority of the Daddy Kool Records staff have been playing Chrvches since the EP was released. The electronic beats, mixed with the lead singer's perfectly girly voice has become somewhat addictive. The Bones of What You Believe lived up to all the promises their EP created and made us excited to see what the future holds for this group. (Daddy Kool Records)
Rudimental, Home (2013) Leave it to the designated No Clubs Brit to select the UK's No. 1 album as our pick of the week, but honestly, we can't blame him. The album is a little all over the place, but in the best way possible. Poppy sounds, drum n' bass beats, with a R&B catchy edge. We want to disagree with Tony on this pick, but we just can't. (No Clubs)
Frank Turner, England Keep My Bones (2011) Sometimes you come across a song that states exactly how you were feeling, but that you couldn't find the words for. You find a musician that writes lyrics so honestly and beautifully that you can't help but fall into most of what they create. That's how I feel about Frank Turner, and in particular about the song "I Am Disappeared." Folky, honest music, with a punk rock attitude. All of his releases I honestly love, this one just holds a special spot. (Sarah)
JACK SPATAFORA | Founder, aestheticized presents; DJ, Soft Rock Renegades.
Crystal Fighters, "You And I"
Spanish/British alternative dance rock: "We make fast dance music with Basque instruments, synthesizers and our voices." Playing Crowbar next Mon., Oct. 7, 2013. Known for their high-energy live show. Should be a blast!!!
Talk Talk,Laughing Stock
Hard to believe this record came out 25 years ago…
RAY ROA | founder, Suburban Apologist; freelance local music correspondent, CL & TBT.
Haim, "Falling" (2013)
I can't really pinpoint where my affinity to female fronted acts comes from, but it's a very, very real thing. I've been alternating between Haim and Chvrches as of late, but this opening track from Haim's new LP gets me all hot and bothered (mostly from dancing) everytime.
CHRIS NADEAU | non-musician
Permanent Makeup
This past week I've found some really great new music to listen to for a couple of reasons.
1. I traveled to St. Louis for work last week and got to see an amazing touring band from West Hampton, Mass. called Potty Mouth (pretty sure named after the monumental Bratmobile album). After hanging with them and seeing their incredible live show at a small bottle club/bar called Livery Company last Monday, I had to wait until I got back home over the weekend to listen to their LP that I bought, Hell Bent. Amazing songs, intense lyrics, a lead guitarist adding actual interesting guitar lines to the mix and solid rhythm guitar, bass and drums. Super into it! Dig the hooks!
2. My friend Velma and the Happy Campers released a new 17-track album of songs and sounds inspired by his dreams over the past year. Songs About Dreams is a lo-fi, home recorded, one-man band (guitar, singing and drums at the same time!) masterpiece washed and chipped with dreamlike background/foreground sounds scraping across the atmosphere of each track. Self-released on limited edition cassette, this 2 legit 2 quit DIY release screams integrity and demands a thorough listen or three. And let's be honest, when you can make a sing-along song about legendary dream-inspired comic strip artist Windsor McCay, I'd say thats a huge accomplishment.
JULIA STEWART / MoonGoddess Entertainment LLC
Michal Menert, "Winter's End" off Even If It Isn't Right (2012) "Winter's End" is a beautifully produced, whimsical track off Menert's latest 27-track LP. (Yes, you heard that right, a whopping 27 tracks.) This effervescent journey of a song stands out in a scene where the EDM standard seems to be about churning out grimy, unoriginal "club bangers." With its Portishead-evocative vocals and melodic grooves, "Winter's End" is seemingly a track for the more sophisticated electronic music fan. Tastefully written, yet laden with dance-worthy beats, this one gets five stars in my book. Michal Menert will be hitting the Crowbar stage tonight (Wednesday), Oct. 2, with support form Odesza, Mikey Thunder and Redstar.
BEN EVANS | Mojo Books & Records
The Dutchess and the Duke, She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke (2008) Let’s get this out of the way in case this is your first time encountering this band. Yes, The Dutchess and the Duke’s debut record sounds a lot like the early Rolling Stones. BUT, if you can get past comparisons, you’re left with a solid rock ‘n’ roll record with incredible lyrics that are better than anything you’ve ever heard come out of Mick Jagger's mouth. Available on vinyl at Mojo.
R.L. Burnside, First Recordings (2003) First Recordings contains 14 tracks recorded in the late 1960s by folklorist George Mitchell. Burnside achieved some notoriety later in life thanks to Fat Possum Records and praise from a little band called The Black Keys. There’s an unbelievable documentary about Fat Possum and the bluesmen they dug up in the 1990s called You See Me Laughin’ on Youtube. Available on vinyl at Mojo.
Fela Kuti, Mr. Follow Follow (1986) After a self-proclaimed Afrobeat expert in Mojo Books and Records told me this was his favorite Fela LP, I decided to give it a spin. It blew me away. The title track is almost 13 minutes long. For seven minutes, Fela takes you on a warm instrumental groove and then, just when you get comfortable, he comes in on vocals and hits you with some of the best hooks I’ve ever heard. The song is even more incredible when you find out what it’s about! I’ll let you do some research. Available on vinyl at Mojo.
GABE ECHAZABAL – Elvis Costello and The Roots, Wise Up Ghost And Other Songs (2013)
The ever-changing Mr. Costello decided to enlist spectacular R&B/hip-hop band The Roots to back him on his current project. While hopes and anticipation for this long-touted project were met with mixed emotions, the end result is as funky and bold as one could hope. Elvis, never at a loss for clever, hooky tunes, benefits from the muscle and funk that the band lays on top of his compositions. Elvis seems to really thrive in these types of collaborations too; his 2006 collaboration album with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint contained some of his best work and really saw him pushing his vocal talents to the fullest. Wise Up Ghost… will no doubt please Costello fans who have no qualms with him stretching his boundaries and expanding his repertoire. Roots fans will undoubtedly revel in the greatness the band provides and the energy and pizazz they bring to this party.
And for your convenience, a Spotify playlist with selections from each, and all (26 tracks).
This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2013.