Music Library

Black Ox Orkestar – Ver Tanzt?

These impassioned, and often mournful, renditions of klezmer folk songs (both traditional and original) are infused with elements of free jazz, drone, and chamber music to create something both rooted and urgently modern (Even 15 years after its release). The mostly acoustic band features violinist Jessica Moss (also of Silver Mt. Zion) and upright bassist Thierry Amar (asmz, GY!BE) in addition to singer/multi-instrumentalist Scott Levine Gilmore and Clarinetist/Guitarist Gabe Levine.

Fleet Foxes – Crack Up

Compared to the immediate songwriting and lush textures of Helplessness Blues, the progressive folk-rock opus Crack Up feels like an impenetrable wilderness on first listen with its dense, tangled arrangements and complex compositions.

Human Behavior – Bethpage

The apocalyptic chamber-folk of Bethpage soundtracks multiple chapters of cryptic storytelling, mixing one’s darkest thoughts with religious imagery and allegory through banjo sing-alongs and haunting spoken word passages. The heavy climaxes are whirlwinds of bombastic drums, driving bass, fiddle, clarinet, and banjo that often recall the communal chamber-punk of Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra. While many tracks feel seeped in shadow and darkness, a heavenly light occasionally floods in through some truly serene and beautiful passages.

Magnolia Electric Co. – What Comes After the Blues

“Human hearts and pain should never be separate, then they wouldn’t tear themselves apart both trying to fit”. The first album under the Magnolia Electric Co. name touches on the loneliness and depression of much of Jason Molina’s work, but it also contains a fair amount of the hope, light, and perseverance one needs in times of struggle. The musicians here were recorded live in a room by the great Steve Albini, featuring slide guitar, fiddle, and beautiful vocal harmonies from Molina’s band members. With its mix of melancholy Americana, country-tinged rock, and stripped back folk, What Comes After the Blues feels like a continuation of Neil Young’s great ditch trilogy.

The Flaming Lips – Soft Bulletin

Style: Psychedelic Pop, Neo-Psychedelia

Moods: Surreal, Science Fiction, Epic, Bittersweet, Triumphant, Sentimental, Playful, Apocalyptic, Warm, Melancholy, Existential, Anthemic

Musical Qualities: Catchy, Lush, Melodic, Polished

Bibio – Ribbons

On his latest, producer/composer/multi-instrumentalist Bibio blends serene folk pop, lush instrumentation, pastoral guitar instrumentals, nature field recordings, Walt Whitman-esque lyrics and beat-oriented grooves into the perfectly crafted springtime album. Ribbons feels like daydreaming in a garden or out in the woods under a tree or by a trickling stream.

The Incredible String Band – The Big Huge

Warm, mellow Scottish folk with lyrics that border spiritual, philosophical, and fantasy themes. The arrangements are a bit stripped down from their lush psychedelia of previous releases, but still feature a good amount of sitar, organ, Irish harp, and violin to add some color to the vocals and acoustic guitar-centric songwriting.

Tarentel – The Order of Things

The Order of Things takes you on a strange journey, starting off with a long ambient song built around field recordings, light acoustic guitar and some weird drones in the background. Highly recommended if you’re a fan of experimental post-rock, drone, or music that doesn’t like to be easily categorized.?

The Books – The Way Out

The Books’ music is simultaneously funny, innovative, catchy and enlightening. They use found sound and spoken word mixed with innovative recording techniques and acoustic instruments to create beautiful sound-collages that somehow create unity between all these disparate sources, as if they were all meant to be together. Everything these guys do, solo or together, is absolute genius.

King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King

Released in 1969 on Atlantic Format: LP Pressing quality: While this album is a masterpiece, these early pressings/masters sound a little tinny and lacking in low end. The recent reissues I’ve heard seem to be improved quality.

Fursaxa – Mandrake

Style: Avant-Folk, Free Folk, Psych Folk

Vibe: Forest, Witchy, Nocturnal, Ritualistic, Earthy, Raw, Nature

Musical Attributes: Dissonant, Droney, Lo-Fi

Can – Ege Bamyasi

Originally released in 1972 on United Artists Unofficial Pressing Format: LP, Translucent green vinyl

The Incredible String Band – Wee Tam

Released on Elektra in 1968 Format: LP Track Notes A1 – Jobs Tears (Uplifting, Morning, Spiritual) “Stranger than that we’re alive” A2 – Puppies  (Peaceful, Sitar, Bowed Gimbri, Morning) “Music is so much less than what you are” A3 – Beyond the See (Instrumental featuring organ, harpsichord, whistle, and bowed gimbri A4 – The Yellow Snake …

The Incredible String Band – Wee Tam Read More »

Avey Tare – Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a beautiful, enveloping excursion of aquatic psych-folk characterized by flowing, hallucinogenic instrumentation, atmospheric production, nature field recordings, and ghostly background vocals from one of my favorite singers, Angel Deradoorian. Avey Tare’s introspective and intimate lyrics mix psychedelic revelations, reminiscing, surreal imagery, and nature/water themes, often leading to profound realizations of a very personal sense of spirituality. The lush orchestrations are arranged by the amazing and unique violist Eyvind Kang, which include woodwinds, horns, strings, and pedal steel slide guitar from Susan Alcorn.

For fans of Animal Collective’s “Campfire Songs” and the slow portions of “Feels”.

Click for full review

Ryley Walker – Golden Sings that have been Sung (Deep Cuts Edition)

Ryley Walker’s virtuosic fingerpicking and intricate folk-rock songwriting vibe heavily with a backing band of Chicagoan jazz musicians, including upright bass, drums, Rhodes and electric guitar. The first LP of this release is a studio album of jazzy folk rock songs for fans of Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks or Tim Buckley’s Happy Sad, while the Bonus Lp of this “Deep Cuts edition” is a 40 min live improvisation on one of the album cuts that probably beats anything on the studio LP. It’s rad to be able hear both the concise, song-centric studio side and the loose jammy side of this exciting artist in the same release.

Amon Düül II – Phallus Dead

Originally released in 1969 on Liberty Records 2014 pressing on Purple Pyramid Format: LP, pink/blue swirl vinyl Includes Poster

Creative Construction Company – CCC

Featuring some of Chicago’s finest musicians and founding members of the AACM, (Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Richard Davis, Wadada Leo Smith, and Steve McCall), this 36 minute spontaneous composition doesn’t focus on soloing or instrumental technicality or rambunctious improvisIng, but creating and progressing an initially suspenseful, mysterious mood through focused, cohesive movements, with new sounds, moods, and melodies around every corner. Most of the musicians here play multiple instruments to sustain a versatile color palette.

Anthony Braxton with Muhal Richard Abrams – Duets 1976

“Functionally, the duet situation gives the greatest possibilities for establishing an affinity relationship with another musician on a one to one basis. This is especially true if the more open-ended forms where an improvisation is directly affected by both musicians on an equal plane” – Anthony Braxton

Love – Forever Changes

Originally released in 1967 on Elektra 2012 Rhino Pressing, cut from original analogue masters Format: LP

Can – Tago Mago

Originally released in 1971 on United Artists Records Unofficial pressing on purple and brown marbled vinyl Format: LPx2

Exuma – Exuma

Exuma’s first album is a powerful and ritualistic masterpiece of spiritual folk from the Bahamas. Exuma, the Obeah Man, is a master storyteller and preacher, sharing visions, myths, and prayers. His expressive, soulful voice takes on many tones as he delivers his musical sermons, from smooth to raspy, soft to confident. A group of singers, percussionists, whistlers, and toads join him and his acoustic guitar, making me imagine them all circled around a large fire in communal worship and grateful that they let us listeners in on it.

Om – God is Good

Released in 2009 on Drag City Format: LP Recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio, Chicago, March 2009

Gong – You

Released in 1974 on Virgin Records Format: LP

Neu! – Neu!

Originally released in 1972 on Brain Records 2010 Grönland Pressing Format: LP, White Vinyl

Beak> – >>

Released in 2012 on Invada Records Format: LPx2, orange vinyl Limited to 500 copies

Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen

Style: Singer/Songwriter, Chamber-Folk

Moods: Poetic, Sombre, Introspective, Reflective, Mythic, Bittersweet, Autumnal, Existential, Longing, Lonely, Love

Instrumentation: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Mandolin, Violin, Flute, Jaw Harp, Background Vocals