Style: Avant-Garde Jazz, Post-Bop, Chamber Jazz, Prog
Moods: Adventurous, Enigmatic, Triumphant, Knotty, Ambitious, Intertwined, Cerebral, Angular, Surreal, Off-Kilter
Musical Qualities: Polyphonic, Thematic Improvisation, Progressive Structures, Uncommon Time Signature, Instrumental, Intertwined, Lush. Technical
Featuring Jerome Cooper, Julius Hemphill, Dave Holland, Leroy Jenkins, Kenny Wheeler…
Style: Avant-Garde Jazz, Modern Creative, Post-Bop
Vibe: Knotty, Angular, Complex, Cerebral, Exploratory, Serious, Bustling (Side A), Mysterious (Side B)
Musical Qualities: Polyphonic, Extended Technique, Improvisation, Thematic, Instrumental
Style: Southern Rap, Psychedelic Hip-Hop, Neo-Soul
Vibe: Futuristic, Spacey, Philosophical, Surreal, Urban, Cerebral, Confident, Conscious, Storytelling, Determined, Conceptual
Musical Qualities: Technical, Progressive, Lyrical, Sampling, Group Vocals, Rhythmic
Style: Future Jazz, Free Jazz Theater, Jazz Poetry
Vibe: cathartic, cerebral, dystopian, energetic, futuristic, bombastic, intense, noisy, passionate, poetic, political, powerful, rebellious, urban, heavy, AfroFuturist
Musical Attributes: Complex, Conceptual, Dense, Dissonant, Spoken Word, Theatric, Progressive, Polyphonic, Improvisation
Style: Prog, Chamber Rock
Vibe: Mercurial, Menacing, Bombastic, Cryptic, Muscular, Cerebral, Epic, Medieval, Aggressive, Bipolar, Heavy, Headphone Album
Musical Qualities: Dynamic, Complex, Progressive Structures, Uncommon Time Signatures, Percussive, Riffs,
Instrumentation: Electric Guitar, Violin, Mellotron, Electric Bass, Electric Keyboards, Percussion, Drums, Vocals
Style: Free Jazz, Future Jazz, Jazz Poetry, Liberation Music
Vibe: Ritualistic, Triumphant, Aquatic, Communal, Futuristic, Philosophical, Poetic, Anthemic, Cerebral, Confident, Conscious, Determined, Epic, Existential, Groovy, Healing, Heavy, Liberation, Political, Powerful, Rebellious, Evocative, Mystical, Intertwined
Musical Qualities: Thematic, Collective Improvisation, Acoustic Instrumentation, Spoken Word, Progressive Structures, Rhythmic, Polyphonic, Dynamic, Complex, Dub Fx
Style: Art Pop, Experimental Electronic, Trip-Hop
Vibe: Somatic, Primal, Sensual, Passionate, Winter, Ancestral, Complex, Imaginative, Surreal, Heartfelt
Musical Qualities: A’Cappella, Choral Vocals, Experimental Vocals (Throat Singing, Beat Boxing, Manipulated Vocal Production), Studio-as-an-Instrument
Style: Art Rock, Progressive Pop
Vibe: Anxious, Eccentric, Romantic, Cerebral, Complex, Catchy, Bombastic, Dramatic, Surreal, Slick, Intertwined
Musical Qualities: Polyphonic, Uncommon Time Signatures, Polished, Progressive, Technical, Rhythmic
Styles: Singer/Songwriter, Folk Rock, Post-Rock
Vibe: Deadpan, Ambiguous, Warm, Contemplative, Philosophical, Cryptic, Autumnal
Style: Art Rock, Prog, Experimental Rock, Progressive Pop
Vibe: Anxious, Angular, Cerebral, Mechanical, Catchy, Ominous, Philosophical, Suspenseful, Dystopian, Urban, Confident
Musical Attributes: Complex, Uncommon Time Signatures, Polyrhythmic, Polished, Progressive, Technical
Style: Hardcore Boom-Bap, Experimental Hip-Hop
Vibe: Gritty, Cerebral, Ominous, Futuristic, Restrained, Cryptic, Spiritual, Storytelling, Urban, Powerful
Musical Qualities: Beats, Sampling, Rhythmic
Personnel:
David Grubbs (Electric Guitar, Vocals)
Rob Mazurek (Piccolo Trumpet, Electronics, Wooden Flute, Percussion, Voice)
Mats Gustafsson (Flute, Fluteophone, Baritone Saxophone, Live Electronics)
Style: Electroacoustic Improvisation, Future Jazz, Experimental Songwriter (B1,
Vibe: Suspenseful, Futuristic, Abstract, Spacious, Cerebral, Eclectic, Exploratory, Open, Patient, Cathartic, Ritualistic
Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Electro-Acoustic, Percussive, Noise, Atonality, Dissonance, Dynamic, Live, Atmospheric
Style: Progressive-Pop, Avant-Songwriter, Jazz-Rock, Math-Pop
Vibe: Whispery, Angular, Intimate, Heartfelt, Cerebral, Reflective, Love / Breakup, Restrained, Introspective, Contemplative, Anxious, Loner
Musical Qualities: Odd Time Signatures, Jazz-Influenced, Technical, Dynamic, Lyrical
Style: Avant-Folk, Experimental, Math-Rock
Vibe: Sporadic, Chaotic, Abstract, Agular, Cerebral
Musical Attributes: Noisy, Glitchy, Collage, Complex, Electro-acoustic, Instrumental, Studio-as-an-instrument
Style: Collage-Pop, Glitch-Folk, Plunderphonics
Vibe: Surreal, Psychedelic, Peaceful, Cerebral, Meditative, Philosophical, Spiritual, Uplifting, Warm, Playful, Hallucinogenic
Musical Attributes: Sampling, Electro-Acoustic, Melodic, Sound Collage, Vocal Manipulation
Style: Progressive Rock, Psych, Experimental Rock
Vibe: Bombastic, Mystical, Cerebral, Chaotic, Cryptic, Desert, Energetic, Epic, Hallucinogenic, intense, manic, Psychedelic, Complex
Musical Attributes: Dense, Odd Time Signatures, Progressive Structures, Polyrhythmic, Riffs, Technical
Style: Progressive Rock, Experimental Rock
Vibe: Epic, Psychedelic, Chaotic, Bombastic, Cerebral, Complex, Cryptic, Energetic, Ominous, Intense
Musical Attributes: Dense, Polyphonic, Technical, Odd Time Signatures, Headphone Album, Studio-as-an-Instrument, Progressive
Style: Avant-Garde Big Band, Free Jazz
Vibe: Cerebral, Bombastic, Energetic, Complex, Abstract
Musical Attributes: Dense, Poly-Free Improvisation, Polyphonic, Dynamic, Instrumental, Technical, Innovative
Released in 1976 on Inner City Records Format: LP
Released in 1975 on Arista Records Format: LP Syle: Avant-Garde Jazz Vibe: Cerebral, Complex, Exploratory, Impressionistic Musical Attributes: Improvisation, Innovative, Melodic, Technical Personell: Anthony Braxton (Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Flute), Kenny Wheeler (Trumpet, Flugelhorn), Dave Holland (Upright Bass), Barry Altschul (Drums)
Style: Free Jazz
Vibe: Abstract, Energetic, Passionate, Complex
Musical Attributes: Improvisation, Polyphonic, Polyrhythmic, Dissonant, Poly-Free
Style: Poly-Free Improvisation, Modern Classical, Avant-Garde Big Band
Vibe: Complex, Hypnotic, Intense, Suspenseful, Cerebral
Musical Attributes: Polyrhythmic, Polyphonic, Odd Time Signatures, Acoustic, Poly-Free Improvisation, Repetitive
Instrumentation: Orchestral, Mallet Percussion (Marimba, Vibraphone, etc) Violin, Cello, Piano, Trombone, Drums, Flute, Bass Clarinet
Released in 1984 on Rift Records Format: LP
Released in 1973 on Harvest Records
Released in 2019 by Gogol Mogul Format: LPx2
Released in 1981 on Ralph records Format: LP?
Released in 1974 on Atlantic Format: LP
Released in 1974 on Atlantic Records Format: LP
Originally released in 2001 on Definitive Jux 2013 deluxe edition on iHipHop Distribution Format: LPx4, including instrumentals, white vinyl
Released in 1998 on Warp Records Format: LP
Originally Released in 2003 on Sound-Ink 2019 15th Anniversary Edition Format: LPx2, Silver Vinyl, Mirrored Jacket
Released in 1970 on Island Records UK Pressing Format: LP
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.
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.
On experimental musician David Grubb’s first dedicated songwriter outing, he synthesizes technical bluegrass banjo and fingerstyle acoustic guitar playing with imaginative arrangements, abrupt stylistic shifts, philosophical questioning lyrics, improvisation, and drones. Featured musicians include drummer John McEntire (Tortoise, The Sea and Cake), bassist Josh Abrams (Natural Information Society), and drone violinist Tony Conrad.
