Artist: The Cubical
Album: It Ain’t Human
Released: 2011
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 133 MB
”The Cubical's gritty, growly swamp blues has already earned some attention in circles where people place a premium on gritty, growly swamp blues. It really is quite a striking sound, and certainly if you're a fan of gruff, grumbling vocals a la Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart, and you like your rock'n'roll primal and pounding, then you will definitely go a bundle on this lot. They're vaguely in that blues-rock ballpark occupied by fellow Scousers the Coral and the Zutons, only straighter and less psychedelic, like the original punks on the legendary Nuggets compilation. Dan Wilson, the son of an army sergeant and a performer prone to "stalking the stage like a malevolent tramp begging for the crowd's attention as if asking for change and a spare ciggy" according to one innocent bystander, has a voice that fits perfectly in this setting, and its only drawback is its distinctiveness – the low, menacing way in which he chooses to grumble and roar is so obviously reminiscent of Waits/Don Van Vliet it can often sound as much like an affectionate homage as a straight pastiche.” ~ read the full review by Paul Lester, The Guardian
”Akira
Tana and his musicians were definitely out to have some fun making this
release, which draws heavily from works written for spy-themed movies and
television series. "Secret Agent Man" is given a funky treatment with
a slight Latin tinge, showcasing guitarist Rodney Jones, organist Dr. Lonnie
Smith, and tenor saxophonist Bob Kenmotsu. The rendition of the "Alfred
Hitchcock Theme (March of the Marionettes)" at first seems like it will be
low-key, but the brisk arrangement quickly discards Kenmotsu's flute for his
blistering tenor in a smoking performance. They even have a bit of fun with the
unlikely inclusion of a Sting composition (the normally monotonous "It's
Probably Me"), but this version has more spirit and eliminates the mundane
lyrics. The band relaxes a bit with a loungy but effective take of "From
Russia with Love." The CD concludes with five songs written by the band's
members to make up a fictitious soundtrack for a film. A nice added touch is
the campy cover photo, with each of the players photographed in standard spy
gear (hat, trench coat, and sunglasses), though Smith's huge Afro covered by a
turban would likely make it hard for him to tail a subject!”
~ Ken Dryden, allmusic.com
”In
the midst of lolling away his time in semi-retirement after the Dave Brubeck
Quartet broke up in 1967, Paul Desmond allowed himself to be lured back into
the recording studio by producer Creed Taylor, who knew exactly what to do with
his idle, but by no means spent, alto player. The result is a beautifully
produced, eclectic album of music that revives Desmond's "bossa
antigua" idea and sends it in different directions, directly toward Brazil
and various Caribbean regions, as well as back to the jazzy States. "Samba
With Some Barbecue" is a marvelous bossa nova treatment of Louis
Armstrong's New Orleans rouser "Struttin' With Some Barbecue," whose
opening bars bear an uncanny resemblance to those of "Samba de Orpheus"
(which the erudite Desmond was no doubt aware of). No matter how many times
you've heard "Autumn Leaves," Desmond's bossa nova treatment will
give you a fresh jolt as he offhandedly tosses off the most exquisitely
swinging ruminations; too bad it fades after only three minutes. In a pliable
mood, Desmond even consents to record a then-new Beatles tune, "Ob-La-Di,
Ob-La-Da," samba-style, quoting "Hey Jude" along the way (it's
very possible that he was attracted by the main character of the lyric, a fellow
named Desmond), and he makes potent music out of movie tunes like
"Emily" and even the snazzy "Lady in Cement." Don Sebesky
brings in some intelligently crafted arrangements for big band augmented by
French horns, Herbie Hancock turns in some often brilliant solo work in several
featured spots, Ron Carter is on bass, and Leo Morris and Airto Moreira
alternate on drums. Never before had Desmond's alto been recorded so
ravishingly -- Rudy Van Gelder's engineering gives it a new golden-mellow glow
-- and the original LP had a great, sarcastic cover: gleaming icicles.”
~ Richard S. Ginell, allmusic.com
Artist: Bobby Pickett
Album: The Original Monster Mash
Released: 1962
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 82 MB
”Pickett co-wrote "Monster Mash" with Leonard Capizzi in May 1962. The song was a spoof on the dance crazes popular at the time, including the Twist and the Mashed Potato, which inspired the title. The song featured Pickett's impersonations of veteran horror stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi (the latter with the line "Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?"). It was passed on by every major record label, but after hearing the song, Gary S. Paxton agreed to produce and engineer it; among the musicians who played on it was pianist Leon Russell. Issued on Paxton's Garpax Records, the single became a million seller, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks before Halloween in 1962.[3] It was styled as being by "Bobby 'Boris' Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers". The track re-entered the U.S. charts twice, in August 1970, and again in May 1973, when it reached the #10 spot. In Britain it took until October 1973 for the tune to become popular, peaking at #3 in the UK Singles Chart.[4] For the second time, the record sold over one million copies.[5] The tune remains a Halloween perennial on radio and on iTunes. A Christmas-themed follow-up, "Monster's Holiday," was also released in 1962 and reached #30 in December that year. This was followed by further monster-themed recordings such as the album The Original Monster Mash and such singles as "Werewolf Watusi" and "The Monster Swim". Another of Pickett's songs, "Graduation Day", made #80 in June 1963. WIKI
Artist: The 13th Floor Elevators
Album: Live [vinyl rip]
Recorded at The New Orleans Club, Austin, late 1966 or 1967
Released: 1988
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Size: 313 MB
”THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR ELEVATORS - the much-discussed mid-sixties legends whose name and music have become better known and more influential in the past fifteen years than either ever were during the brief period the group was together. Musically and philosophically the Elevators were in a class of their own, and far ahead of their time, describing themselves as 'psychedelic' as early as late 1965; and it took talent, vision and a large amount of guts to do so in the reactionary social climate of Texas.
Most of the material here is from the first album and the inclusion of 'Levitation' and 'She Lives' (early and mid-1967 singles respectively) suggest a date after the release of "Psychedelic Sounds" in late 1966. What makes matters confusing is the claim by the tape's source that the performance is no later than September 1965. The recording was made by Walt Andrus, whose Houston studio and production company recorded many of the International Artists acts. Andrus was unlikely to have been with the Elevators much before mid-1966, when International Artists licensed 'You're Gonna Miss Me' from Austin label Contact. Somebody who was involved with Contact was Gordon Bynum, the "young up-and-coming producer" of 'You're Gonna Miss Me', who apparently helped arrange this taping for the group. The venue is Houston's famed La Maison Ballroom, where the Elevators played regularly throughout their career; the Texas Archive album "Elevator Tracks" includes five tracks recorded at La Maison in the summer of '66, and they do sound earlier in comparison to what we have here.
The sound of the band is another important point in determining the date. Listening to the set, it appears to have been performed by the same line-up who recorded the first album. Certainly, the nucleus of Roger 'Roky' Erickson (vocal and guitar), Tommy Hall (electric jug) and Stacy Sutherland (lead guitar) are present, and the drumming is probably that of John Ike Walton, detectable by his idiosyncratic, cymbal-dominated style. Walton, an imposing figure, and reportedly so powerful his kit had to be chained to the stage, left the band on less than amicable terms just prior to the making of "Easter Everywhere", in June 1967. The bass player could either be Bennie Thurman, who played on "Psychedelic Sounds", or his replacement Ronnie Leatherman (who is pictured on the cover of "Elevator Tracks").
Whatever the truth, the tape was probably not intended for commercial release as the performance is fairly subdued (by the standard of the earlier live tapes) and an unusual, disjointed atmosphere pervades, perhaps due to inter-band wrangles, hassles with police (to act or even look like the Elevators did then was to 'flip the bird' to authority) or, no doubt, increasing drug usage. The lack of crowd noise is surprising because by 1967 the Elevators were finally being accepted as the innovators they were and subsequently became one of Texas' top crowd drawers. However, this album provides a fascinating glimpse at the development of the band; and while not containing classic Elevators recordings, it offers exceptional clarity and hitherto unheard live renditions of many of their best songs, and thus can only add to the phenomenon that was and is THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR ELEVATORS.” ~ sleeve notes by Alec Palao
Artist: Solefald
Album: The Linear Scaffold
Released: 1997
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 111 MB
”The Linear Scaffold was Solefald's debut album, and it showed right off the bat that they were a band with their own sound and vision. They get lumped into the black metal genre, and they do have certain sonic elements in common with the more symphonic black metal bands such as early Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir; for instance, the big pipe organ keyboards and the painfully shrieking vocals that appear on much of this album. But Solefald passes on the overdone gothic aesthetic favored by so many bands in this same symphonic black metal field, and their music is more wide-ranging and open to experimentation than most bands of that type. Considering that this is just a duo, the songs and arrangements are especially full-sounding, incorporating a variety of keyboards (synth strings, acoustic piano, horror movie organs, and the above-mentioned pipe organs) and vocal styles (clean-voiced singing, spoken passages in both French and English, death metal growls, and high-pitched shrieks) in addition to a nice mix of clean-toned, distorted, and acoustic guitars. The songwriting also has a great sense of flow and dynamics, balancing moody, atmospheric sections with moments of shrieking, blasting intensity, and heaviness. Just as importantly, they come up with consistently strong and memorable melodies throughout the album. For music of this expansive, open-ended sort, this album is a bit on the short side, clocking in at less than 40 minutes, but that's just about the only criticism. One of Solefald's best.” ~ by William York, allmusic.com
Artist: various
Album: Songs Of Protest
Released: 1987
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 130 MB
”Of course there are too many noteworthy songs of protest to fit onto one collection, even (or especially) if you're limiting yourself to the '60s, as Rhino does on this compilation. Still, it does a good job of mixing monster hits by Barry McGuire, Sonny Bono, Dion, the Kingston Trio, the Temptations, and Edwin Starr with more obscure cuts. Country Joe's "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" is here, as well as Sonny Bono's self-pitying "Laugh at Me," the pre-electric Donovan cover of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier," and Manfred Mann's fine, overlooked cover of Dylan's "With God on Our Side." The most hard-to-find songs span the opposite ends of the spectrum. "It's Good News Week," a 1966 hit for the Jonathan King-led group Hedgehoppers Anonymous, is a lightweight catalog of social ills that retains considerable period charm. Far more earnest is Phil Ochs' "I Ain't Marching Anymore," represented here by the non-LP, electric folk-rock version released as a single in 1966. Although it made no commercial impact, it holds up to the best protest anthems of the era, both musically and lyrically.” ~ by Richie Unterberger, allmusic.com
Artist: various
Album: From Boppin’ Hillbilly To Red Hot Rockabilly [4 CD]
Released: 2006
Quality: mp3 CBR 320
Size: 121+119+117+120 MB
”This delightful and valuable set collects 120 tracks of vintage amped-up honky tonk and country boogie, beginning with releases from 1951 and stretching through to Elvis Presley's Sun years and the rockabilly explosion of 1955, effectively sketching out how what Carl Perkins called "country music with a beat" evolved and shifted into the monster known as rock & roll. Most of these sides are quite rare and many have never been anthologized before, so this box is sure to delight collectors, but the four discs also have a natural flow to them that keeps things from being too academic and makes this release a natural for a long road trip. What's apparent after only a few tracks is how much the blues was a part of hillbilly country, as was jazz via western swing, and the melting pot formation of popular American musical styles is demonstrated clearly here, even though few of these records were hits. Highlights include Forest Rye's "Wild Cat Boogie," Chuck Murphy's barrel house piano romp "They Raided the Joint," Charlie Adams' loose and fun "Cattin' Around," Rudy Gaddis' truly odd "Uranium Fever," as well as more familiar sides like Elvis Presley's "Mystery Train" and Johnny Cash's "Hey Porter." A wonderful collection that shows once again that no new musical style comes out of nowhere.”~ Steve Leggett, allmusic.com
"What distinguishes the Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble from the hundreds of groups around the globe playing what is variously labeled Trad, New Orleans or Dixieland jazz is its absolute authenticity. And it has come as a revelation to all who thought they knew what the genuine article was. One thing it is not, for instance, is the all-pervasive, brash and brassy music which emanates from the bars and strip clubs of Bourbon Street. Despite a burgeoning international reputation, with appearances as far a field as Moscow and Hong Kong, and radio, TV and record performances, New Orleans is still the wellspring of the band's inspiration - both musically and environmentally. "We regard ourselves both as resuscitators of this musical tradition and a living part of it," explained Starr. The interaction between the musicians and the people they play for - many of whom actually danced to the bands whose repertoires the LRJE is reviving - is as important in creating the group's genuineness as the long hours spent delving into the archives for buried tunes." ~ Quavers
