Welcome to England

In anticipation of her new album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin (which is slated to come out May 19th), here's some new music from Tori Amos. It's a silent movie time approach with some shaky home-video shots spliced together to accompany the song. And while it doesn't display her making love to her piano, the highlight of the video - check out the boots she's wearing around 35 seconds. She's looking really young here, too...maybe Yoga?

Pre-order a copy of the deluxe version of the album and you'll also get a DVD of corresponding ‘visualettes’ for each track (you'll get them digitally from iTunes). I haven't heard any of it (other than this song) so I can't tell you much about it, but I'll be checking it out when I can.


Tori Amos - Angie (Rolling Stones cover) : Crucify EP

Visit her website, her label Universal Republic, and become her friend on MySpace.

Phola!

Today I'll continue my belated celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month with a look at South African trumpet/flugelhorn virtuoso Hugh Masekela's latest album, Phola. The album, whose title is a South African term meaning to get well, to heal, to relax and chill, is his 35ish release, and features nine original tracks that allow his work with his horn to sparkle as well as him to sing throughout.

For those of you not familiar with Hugh, he was born in South Africa, and actually just turned 70 earlier this month. The majority of those years have involved him polishing and evolving his style, working both in other people's bands as well as forming his own around himself. While listing his involvements would be exhaustive, some of the highlights which might be familiar to most listeners include working with Fela Kuti in the 70's and on Paul Simon's Graceland tour in the 80's. What makes Hugh so sought after is his ability to integrate his native African music with so many other styles and genres without losing his identity, and in fact he is considered one of the innovators in the world fusion style. Just listening to this album will reveal tones of jazz, R&B, Afro-beat, and township music

Unfortunately because of apartheid, he was exiled from his own country for many years, and his opposition of it is apparent in much of his material. In fact, for a short time he was married to another exiled musician who was a vocal opponent of the apartheid regime, Miriam Makeba. Although much of his material is politically charged, there's still an upbeat cheerfulness that comes through which is hard to resist.

Hugh Masekela - Ghana : Phola

and an older one:

Hugh Masekela - Grazing In The Grass (live) : Live At The Market Theater

Visit his label Times Square Records.

Transformation

This video is amazing on several levels. Close your eyes and listen. Everything you hear is coming from the cello of Rufus Cappadocia. Open your eyes and replay, this time watching the entrancing accompanying movements of dancer Sheila Anozier.

Visit Rufus' website and become his friend on MySpace.

Kermit Ruffins = New Orleans

Yesterday I was chatting with a friend and I mentioned that I had been listening to a lot of jazz lately. Lo and behold, later in the day I found out that April is Jazz Appreciation Month, which somehow subconsciously, must have been influencing my musical leanings this month!

And what better way to start my celebration (albeit somewhat belated) than in what could arguably be the birth place of the genre: New Orleans. Of all the musical metropolises in our country, New Orleans has produced what I think to be the most distinctive music. Regardless of whether you're a music fan or not, when one hears some lines of New Orleans' jazz, you know where it comes from. You don't even have to be able to describe it, it's simply New Orleans.

Not only can New Orleans boast to be the melting pot where the most American of genres was born, it was also home of the world ambassador of jazz, Louis Armstrong, simply an American icon. It's also home to a more contemporary trumpet player, Kermit Ruffins, who although not quite so worldly, is still 100% New Orleans. Although not raised on jazz, he was irresistibly drawn to it, and with the help of some other New Orleans' musicians formed the Rebirth Brass Band back in 1982. The band kept alive the city's traditional music while simultaneously embracing other genres like soul, funk, and hip hop.

In 1992, Kermit set off on his own, forming a backing band, the Barbecue Swingers, to help him play more traditional New Orleans fare. Since then he's become a staple in the city's music scene (for those of you who've seen the New Orleans episode of the VH1 Soul series Soul Cities, he was featured) and has even opened up his own restaurant, Sidney's Saloon. On top of his famous barbecue sauce, he'll be releasing his newest album, Livin' a Treme Life, on the 28th, which features some exquisite trumpet playing that'll take you to straight to the album's namesake New Orleans neighborhood. Below you'll find two cuts from it: the first, I Ate Up the Apple Tree, sports a more traditional feel, while Treme Mardi Gras (the album's closer), shows that Kermit isn't afraid to infuse the music with what's happening in the city now, with Baby Jaye laying down some rhymes hip hop style over his horns (removed upon request) Holy Cow, a playful New Orleans flavored tune.

Kermit Ruffins - Holy Cow : Livin' a Treme Life

and an older one:

Rebirth Brass Band - Feel Like Funkin' It Up : Big Ol' Box Of New Orleans [Disc 1]

Visit his label Basin Street Records and become his friend on MySpace.

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Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars - West End Blues (live) : Ambassador Satch

I Love (Ben Lee's) Pop Music

Here's the video for the first single from Ben Lee's latest album, The Rebirth of Venus, due to hit shelves on the 27th. For any readers who've been around for a while can attest, I'm a huge Ben fan, and am hoping to catch him on tour next month. As the title of this post suggests, you'll still find some of Ben's jingle jangly fun-for-all pop goodness here, but it's been tempered with some mature concerns about the world around us that come through fairly heavy in a few tracks. I think our little Ben's all grown up!

Here's a cut from the album that you can check out and take with you now:

Ben Lee - Blue Denim : The Rebirth of Venus

Visit his website, his label New West Records, and become his friend on MySpace.

Wipe Out!!!

Yesterday the warm weather finally hit here in New England, and it was time to dust off the ol' shorts. And nothing screams summertime like a collaboration between the Fat Boys and the Beach Boys.


Fat Boys - Wipe Out (feat. the Beach Boys) : Wipe Out 7"

Fat Boys - Crushin' : Wipe Out 7" B-side

Find them both on Crushin'.

New York Movie

New York Movie

searching
for something
better
there was an offer

indecision
it'll catch up with you one day
indecision
see your choices slip away

Baby Charles - Indecision : Baby Charles

Visit their website and become their friend on MySpace.

MISB Turns Three!

Today marks the third birthday of Mainstream Isn’t So Bad. That’s right, three years ago on this day I put up “El Posto Numero Uno,” never imagining that three years later I’d be putting up “MISB Turns Three!” Heck, I didn’t imagine that MISB would last to its three month anniversary, never mind three years.

Since it’s birth, MISB has been all about sharing music that I find in my musical journey through life with all of you. And while I don’t delude myself with any grandiose dreams of mass influence, hopefully along the way I’ve turned you on to some bands and albums that you’ve then gone out and supported, whether through purchasing the albums, catching a concert, or sporting a t-shirt.

That being said, in exchange for the fine list of fifteen birthday songs below, I ask you to take a minute while you wait for them to download, leave a comment (or e-mail me: teachbreed [at] yahoo.com), and let me know what song(s)/artist(s)/album(s) you’ve been turned on to via MISB.

And while I can't promise I'll be here in another three years, I'm going to give it a go. Hope you keep on visiting...


Amnesty - Three Cheers For My Baby : Free Your Mind: The 700 West Sessions

Ayla Brook - One Two Three : After The Morning After

Blind Melon - Three Is A Magic Number : School House Rock! Rocks

The Commodores - Three Times A Lady : Hitsville USA Vol.2: The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992 [Disc 2]

Frank Sinatra - Three Coins In The Fountain : The Capitol Years (Disc 1)

NOMO - Three Shades : Ghost Rock

Reed KD - Three Long Years : The Ashes Bloom

Sean Paul And Ziggy Marley - Three Little Birds : Shark Tale Ost

Wilson Pickett - Three Time Loser : The Wicked Pickett

The 5.6.7.8's - Three Cool Chicks : Bomb The Twist

The Beastie Boys - In 3'S : Check Your Head

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - You And Me And The Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby) : Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Eels - 3 Speed : Meet The Eels: Essential Eels Vol. 1 1996-2006

The Old Believers - Waltz #3 : Eight Golden Greats

The Ladybug Transistor - 3 = Wild : Ladybug Transistor

Or get them all in one tidy Zip file.

Win some Ethiopian Magic

I've been waiting over a month to write about the third volume of Strut's Inspiration Information series, which features the pairing of Mulatu Astatke and The Heliocentrics, and today's the day that it finally hits shelves. Even more than the previous two volumes, this one has stuck to my ribs and filled me up. Staying consistent with the Series' goals, Strut pairs up two artists, each skilled in their own right, but from different corners of the musical world, to combine their skills for one week in the studio to work some magic. And this volume is indeed magic.

I'll be honest and admit that I had never heard of Mulatu Astatke (sometimes spelled Astatqe) before laying ears on this CD. After some digging I discovered that he is a giant in the Ethiopian jazz world and has been making music since the 60's when he started fusing together western jazz and funk with the traditional music of his home country. Unfortunately, trying to find his albums here in the states is challenging without resorting to ordering it. Probably the easiest place to find a few of his songs is on the Broken Flowers Sountrack, or for a larger set try Ethiopiques, Vol. 4.

The Heliocentrics I was much more familiar with. For those not aware of them, they are a musical collective who hail from the UK that bring together all sorts of influences in their music: funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, you name it... But unlike other bands channeling the past and making retro sounding music, the group brings their sound into the present and beyond into the future. Try listening to Age of the Sun below to see what I mean. Any band that is able to use a sonar ping and successfully infuse it melodically into their music is damn talented in my book. Think Sun Ra but funkier.

Put them together and you have truly mystical music. Listen to Masenqo, the album's first track, below and you can see what I mean. It's undeniably influenced by Ethio-jazz and instantly recognizable as having that magical, mystical Ethio-feel to it that is impossible to miss, and yet it layers some booming bass underneath, some walking piano lines, and tints of strings to make a bold statement to open the album. Proceeding through the next thirteen cuts will reveal some songs that bear the distinct signature of one or the other artists involved, but there is also clearly a lot of back and forth between the veteran band leader and the new up and coming band of youngins'.


And because I like this album so darn much, I'm giving away a copy of it to one lucky reader. That's right, leave a comment (or e-mail me) with your name and e-mail address and I'll choose a winner next Mondayish and notify them pronto.

The Heliocentrics+Mulatu Astatke - Masenqo : Inspiration Information, Vol. 3

Visit the Strut Records Website and the Inspiration Information Site.

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The Heliocentrics - Age of the Sun : Out There

Visit their website and become their friend on MySpace.

Mulatu Astatke - Metche Dershe : Ethiopiques, Vol. 4 : Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale, 1969-1974

Become his friend on MySpace.

Sunday Soul - Ultimate Genius

You don't need to be a soul fan to recognize the name Ray Charles. Heck, you don't even need to be a music fan. There are books about him (including the autobiographical Brother Ray), movies about him (Ray), Post Offices named after him (in L.A.), a star in his name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (here), and he has been inducted into more Hall of Fames than I can count. Add all that together and you've got a man with some serious star power that's not likely to be forgotten any time soon.

And just to make sure that doesn't happen, the fine folks at Concord Records have put some serious energy into bringing Ray into the 21st century. On April 7th, they released 28 albums from his post 1960 catalog of albums, many of which have not seen digital release before. And we're not just talking filler albums that his labels released to cash in on his name, we're talking iconic albums with some monumental cuts digitally remastered from the original tapes for your listening pleasure.

Some might ask, could there really be twenty eight distinct albums that actually deserve to be resurrected? You bet your ebony and ivory there are. Personally, I'd say there are two things that made Ray such an incredible and respected artist. First is the fact that even at the height of his commercial success, he wasn't afraid to push his artistic boundaries into areas that no one expected. Take for example his 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, an album that his peers and label were initially critical of. An album which took folk and country songs and blended them with pop and R&B ingredients and become one of the most celebrated albums of his career whose influence stretched across genres (helping to launch country music into the mainstream) and across races.

The other amazing talent that Ray possessed, which ties into his boundary smashing work, was his ability to take almost any song and make it his own, whether it was turning gospel into pop (like one of his first hits, I Got A Woman, which was based on a gospel hymn, Jesus Is All the World to Me), turning country into R&B (on the before mentioned album), or performing a defining version of a patriotic standard (America the Beautiful). Ray could draw from every corner of the musical world and stamp his own style on it to make it his own.

Which brings us to Genius! - The Ultimate Ray Charles Collection, the other goodie that Concord released on April 17th. While "Ultimate" might be a little exaggerated (considering it takes seven discs just to cover his Atlantic material from the 50's), this twenty one track compilation does a respectable job of bringing together some of his best know hits (Hit the Road Jack, What'd I Say, I've Got A Woman, etc...) with others that casual contemporary listeners might not be familiar with (Sticks and Stones, Let's Go Get Stoned, One Mint Julep, etc...). I'll share one from each camp with you below. Packaged along with the disc is a better than average set of liner notes that briefly summarize Ray's career (you need a book to do him any justice), but then in more depth, provide background on each song, track by track. While longtime fans will find little here to grab their attention (or their money), others who recognize the name but haven't invested in his music will find this a good investment.

Ray Charles - Let's Go Get Stoned : Genius! - The Ultimate Ray Charles Collection

and an old original (soon to be re-issued):

Ray Charles - It Makes No Difference Now : Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music

Visit the Concord Records Website and Ray Charles' MySpace Page.

Sara Watkins, on her own

I'll be honest with you, after my first listen I was this close to writing off Sara Watkins' self titled debut as being a shade too country for me. Luckily for me, I didn't, as I've grown to love the album, which just came out this week. If her name is familiar, it's for good reason. She's performed for nearly two decades with her brother Sam Sean as a vocalist and fiddle player in the immensely popular trio Nickel Creek. After the band said farewell in 2007, Sara set off on her own and got to work recording this album, which as an interesting side note, was produced by Led Zeppelin alum John Paul Jones.

A little warning about the album: it starts off slowly with the heart rending All This Time (and for that matter ends slowly, and come to think of it, the middle is kind of slow, too - in other words, a rainy day listen), a poignantly moving song about letting go of a love lost (which you can listen to below). From there she moves on to an old John Hartford country song, Long Hot Summer Days. And while Watkins' bluegrass roots never stray far from your ear here, she does stretch her repertoire somewhat. As the album progresses you'll come across a few instrumentals (Freiderick and Jefferson), a pair of gospel inflected tunes, Lord Won't You Help Me and Give Me Jesus, and a cover of Tom Waits' Pony.

The beauty of the album really transcends boundaries of genre, which is why my initial reaction proved to be immaterial. Another of its strengths are its lyrics, penned by Sara, which are deep and beautiful, and yet minimally painted with no waste of words or needless repetition. Accompanying them is Sara's skilled fiddle work as well as a slew of guests from the bluegrass world who provide subtle tones of melancholy behind her. Below are the album opener All This Time (one of my favorite tracks from the album) and the album closer When Will You Be. Enjoy the pair and then seek out the middle.

Sara Watkins - All This Time : Sara Watkins

Sara Watkins - Where Will You Be : Sara Watkins

Visit her website, her label Nonesuch Records, and become her friend on MySpace.

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Upcoming Tour Dates

April 11 Florida Theater Jacksonville, Florida
April 15 Dakota Restaurant & Jazz Club Minneapolis, Minnesota
April 16 Dakota Restaurant & Jazz Club Minneapolis, Minnesota
April 17 The Union Naperville, Illinois
April 18 Vanderbilt University – Rites of Spring Nashville, Tennessee
April 22 The Mercury Lounge New York, NY
April 24 World Café Live Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 25 9:30 Club w/Justin James Washington, DC
April 28 Iron Horse Music Hall Northampton, Massachusetts
April 29 Café 939 Boston, Massachusetts
April 30 Port City Music Hall Portland, Maine
May 2 Bearsville Theater Woodstock, New York
May 6 Shank Hall Milwaukee, Wisconsin
May 7 Majestic Theatre Madison, Wisconsin
May 8 Abbey Pub Chicago, Illinois
May 9 Southgate House Newport, Kentucky
May 12 Swedish American Hall San Francisco, California
May 14 Largo at The Coronet Los Angeles, California
May 16 Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon

Nigeria 70 redux

Tony Allen

A little less than a year ago (back here), I wrote about the new Strut Records compilation Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump and commented it was a long awaited follow-up to another compilation the label put out before disappearing for a while: simply Nigeria 70. For Afrobeat fans, that previous compilation is somewhat the Holy Grail of the genre, as it's been out of print for many years and used original copies of it market with a whopping price tag of $100+. Thankfully, with the re-emergence of Strut Records, Afrobeat fans don't have to save up their allowance anymore; a few weeks ago the label finally re-issued it making it obtainable for the masses.

While most assume that Fela Kuti (who is represented here on two tracks and whose drummer, Tony Allen, is pictured above) is the be all and end all when it comes to Nigerian music, the truth is its music is as varied as the music here in the States, with him only representing a small slice of what the country has to offer. The liner notes which accompany the release do an incredible job of sketching out the many styles represented on the compilation, including their development and Western influences (in both directions), as well as detailing the history of each track, song by song. It's impossible for me to do here what is done in extensive detail in the notes, so I'll simply end with you'll learn a TON.

While the original release had three discs (two with music and one with interviews and history), the new release only contains the musical ones. The remaining material though can be downloaded for free from HERE (which even those of you who haven't bought the release can sneak a listen to). The biggest drawback of this compilation: it's going to turn you on to some incredible artists (some of which also appear on Lagos Jump) that you'll have to head to Nigeria to crate-dig for and you'll probably need a turntable when you come back. In the meantime, I'll leave you with Shango, an afro-jazzy number from Peter King.

Peter King - Shango : Nigeria 70

Visit the comp's website and the Strut Records Website.