St. Christopher - Lioness
St. Christopher's approach lies on the slicker and less indie-oriented end of the Sarah Records roster, but the band's dedication to pure pop is no less appealing -- Lioness starts from dark, campy, almost-goth influences, adds a gleaming pop sheen, and winds up sounding something like Ian McCulloch's solo work.
http://www.M/F.com/?ggaaro3cpa5juzgSun Ra - Jazz in Silhouette
Throughout their mid-to-late-'50s stay in Chicago, Sun Ra (piano) and his Arkestra established themselves as formidable purveyors of a new strain or sub-genre of jazz. Having evolved from elaborate reworkings of familiar standards, Jazz in Silhouette (1959) presents a collection of originals, building upon Ra's abilities as a consummate multi-tasker -- writing, arranging, scoring parts for his band, in addition to performing. He stretches the boundaries of the music to suit the Arkestra, simultaneously progressing his distinct sound. Seminal readings of the quick and complex "Saturn" and "Velvet" are offered with unmatchable dexterity and precision. The latter title comes off like a confused version of "Jeepers Creepers" as Hobart Dotson (trumpet) prominently displays his unquestionable tonality. "Ancient Aiethopia" is one of the more involved works, both in terms of length -- running over nine minutes -- and the Arkestra's capacity for Ra's compositions. "Blues at Midnight" is another expansive (nearly 12 minutes) outing that, by contrast, is for the soloists rather than full ensemble. John Gilmore (tenor sax), Ronnie Boykins (bass), Pat Patrick (baritone sax), and Marshall Allen (alto sax) all shine behind William Cochran's (drums) solid contributions. Equally significant is the running dialogue Ra maintains during other musicians' leads, directing the ebb and flow with an uncanny fusion of melody and rhythm. Undoubtedly, this is a factor in the freshness the material retains. It is also a prime example of Ra and company in a transitional phase, prior to their full-fledged explorations into the avant-garde.
http://www.M/F.com/?bt9p9k95yd2elurArt Farmer - To Sweden With Love
The Art Farmer Quartet (consisting of flugelhornist Farmer, guitarist Jim Hall, bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Pete LaRoca), which was together from 1962-64 (after the demise of the Jazztet), was passing through Stockholm, Sweden at the time of this date and the musicians felt inspired to record a full album of traditional Swedish folk songs. Respect is paid to the often haunting melodies and Farmer sounds quite at home in this context, sometimes hinting a bit at Chet Baker. Fortunately, not all of the tunes are taken at a ballad pace, and once the themes are fully stated, Farmer and Hall have plenty of harmonically sophisticated solos. The band's cool and restrained style suits the music perfectly, turning it into jazz without losing its essence. Although a brief set (at under 33 minutes), every note counts on this successful outing.
http://www.M/F.com/?uvx6u4m6g69x7miStudio - West Coast
Studio are Swedish duo Dan Lissvik and Rasmus Hagg, and they play strung-out, “Balearic”-tinged, dance-friendly post-punk. Except that “play” probably isn’t the right word. I’m working on instinct rather than press releases here (Amazon don’t send you them), but I’d imagine that what the Swedes do is “assemble” their strung-out, “Balearic”-tinged, dance-friendly post-punk on a computer.
You could throw Studio in with the current crop of Europeans making dance waves, such as Justice, Simian Mobile Disco, or Digitalism, but you’d be doing the Swedes a disservice; post-punks in the club are far more interesting both sonically and formally than your typical punks in the club. “Out There” will be familiar to anyone who did manage to find Yearbook 1. A fifteen-minute instrumental opus that glides through reggae-tinged post-punk guitar shots, glistening keyboard runs, opaque sheets of ambience, and intricate maps of interlocking rhythmic elements, it sets a high bar for the 40 minutes of shimmering, reverbed, hypnotic, and fabricated (in the best possible way) postpunk / disco that follows.
http://www.M/F.com/?5y1af6pb5hui5jsNero's Day at Disneyland - From Rotting Fantasylands
"From Rotting Fantasylands" starts off like a typical glitch album but quickly it is evident with the use of strange, reversed tribal vocals, haunting choir music, and the chaos of sound that Nero's Day at Disneyland are more than a simple run of the mill electronica band. Gurthermore, each song is distinctly unique from one another. (A problem I have noted within certain glitch bands is that the beeps and bloops, if the artist is not talented, offer an impression of redundancy). But the eclectic techniques Brock and Shon employ really take the genre to another level. "No Money Down, Low Monthly Payments" really encapsulates the album's name; it sounds like a tinkling dream place succumbing to screeching "technical difficulties," phantoms, eerie spooks that slink around merry-go-rounds and bring true horror to the haunted houses. Overall the album as a whole was a pleasure to listen to. My favorite tracks were "Stretched Linen over Contorted Bodies" (which features incredibly quick beats and intense progressions) and "Eulogy for Nick Galvas," which sounds like what would happen if a robot had a bad acid trip.
http://www.M/F.com/?5azv73qefoj49y4Dustin O'Halloran - Piano Solos
http://www.M/F.com/?ac8w1ejai58zudy
