William Basinski @ Spectrum Culture

My review of the mammoth reissue of William Basinski's The Disintegration Loops is up over at Spectrum Culture. Sometimes art is not about liking it.

Playlist Week of 12-08-12

* William Basinski: The Disintegration Loops (selections) (Temporary Residence MP3)†

* Andrew Hill: Pont of Departure (Blue Note CD)

* David S. Ware: Onecept (AUM Fidelity CD)

* Joe Morris/William Parker/Gerald Cleaver: Altitudes (AUM Fidelity CD)

* Myra Melford Be Bread: The Image Of Your Body (CryptoGramophone CD)

* Mary Halvorson Trio: Jazzstudio, Nuernberg, Germany 9-26-12 (FM FLAC)

* Grateful Dead: Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA 9-12-81 (selections) (AUD 3CDR)

* Love: Forever Changes (Elektra/Rhino LP)

* Jeff Beck: There And Back (Epic/Friday Music LP)

* Sade: Diamond Life (Epic/Audio Fidelity LP)

* Yo La Tengo: Autumn Sweater (Matador CDEP)

* Yo La Tengo: The Sounds Of The Sounds Of Science (Egon CD)

* Deerhoof: Deerhoof vs. Evil (Polyvinyl CD)

* Deerhoof: Breakup Song (Polyvinyl CD)

* Porcupine Tree: Octane Twisted (KScope 2CD)

* Opeth: Blackwater Park (Music For Nations/Sony CD/DVD)†

* Opeth: Deliverance (Music For Nations/KOCH CD)†

* Opeth: Damnation (Music For Nations/KOCH CD)†

* Opeth: Jazz Club Nefertiti, Gothenburg, Sweden 12-02-12 (AUD FLAC)

* Opeth: Jazz Club Nefertiti, Gothenburg, Sweden 12-03-12 (AUD FLAC)

* Anathema: A Natural Disaster (Music For Nations/Sony CD)†/‡

* Alcest: Écailles de Lune (Prophecy CD)†/‡

* Alcest: Les Voyages de l’Âme (Prophecy CD)†/‡

* Pelican: The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Fall (Hydra Head CD)†

* Pelican: City Of Echoes (Hydra Head CD)†

* Pelican: March Into The Sea (Hydra Head EP)

* Pelican: What We All Come To Need (Southern Lord CD)†

* Pelican: Ataraxia/Taraxis (Southern Lord EP)

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

Please be patient with me, dear readers. I’ve been busy! But there are lots of exciting things to come as we get into the holidays—and 2013 will be a very interesting year, I promise!

+++

P.S. I still love Opeth.

Laurie Spiegel @ Spectrum Culture

My review of the new expanded reissue of Laurie Spiegel's, The Expanding Universe, is up over at Spectrum Culture. This is a revised version of the original review, which was posted on November 27. Thank you, Ms. Spiegel, for reading my review and responding with some clarifications.

Mary Halvorson @ OSU

We just got back from Columbus, Ohio, where we saw the Mary Halvorson Quintet last night at the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University. Not only that, I got to interview Mary before the show for an upcoming article on Spectrum Culture. She was very, very cool - in fact, we chatted for over an hour! The concert was, of course, amazing. More about all this later...

Playlist Week of 12-01-12

* Handel: 12 Solo Sonatas, Op.1 (Academy of Ancient Music/Egarr) (Harmonia Mundi 2CD)

* Debussy: Orchestral Music (New Philharmonia/Cleveland/Boulez) (d.2) (Sony Classical 2CD)

* Andrew Hill: Black Fire (Blue Note CD)

* Andrew Hill: Smokestack (Blue Note CD)

* Andrew Hill: Judgment! (Blue Note CD)

* Steely Dan: Gaucho (MCA DVD-A)

* Big Star: Keep An Eye On The Sky (d.2) (Ardent/Rhino 4CD)

* Animal Collective: Centipede Hz (Domino 2LP/DVD/FLAC)

* Neurosis: Honor Found In Decay (Neurot MP3)†

* King Crimson: Islands (DGM/Inner Knot CD/DVD)

* Mary Halvorson Quintet: Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12 CD)

* Mary Halvorson & Jessica Pavone: Departure Of Reason (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Weasel Walter/Mary Halvorson/Peter Evans: Electric Fruit (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Weasel Walter/Mary Halvorson/Peter Evans: Mechanical Malfunction (Thirsty Ear CD)

* MAP (Mary Halvorson/Tatsua Nakatani/Clayton Thomas): Six Improvisations (H&H CD)

* MAP (Mary Halvorson/Tatsua Nakatani/Reuben Radding): Fever Dream (Taiga 2LP)

* Tomas Fujiwara & The Hook Up: The Air Is Different (482 Music CD)

* Tom Rainey Trio: Camino Cielo Echo (Intakt CD)

* Opeth: Still Life (Peaceville CD/DVD)

* Opeth: Blackwater Park (Music For Nations/Sony CD/DVD)†

* Opeth: Deliverance (Music For Nations/KOCH CD)†

* Opeth: Damnation (Music For Nations/KOCH CD)†

* Anathema: We’re Here Because We’re Here (KScope CD)†

* Anathema: Weather Systems (The End CD)†

* Katatonia: Last Fair Deal Gone Down (Peaceville CD/CDEP)†

* Katatonia: Viva Emptiness (Peaceville CD)

* Katatonia: Great Cold Distance (Peaceville CD)†

* Katatonia: Night Is The New Day (Peaceville CD)†

* Agalloch: The Mantle (The End CD)†

* Agalloch: The Grey EP (Agalloch/Bandcamp FLAC>CDR)†

* Agalloch: The White EP (Agalloch/Bandcamp FLAC>CDR)†

* Agalloch: Ashes Against The Grain (The End CD)†

* Agalloch: Marrow Of The Spirit (Profound Lore CD)

* Love: Forever Changes (Elektra/Rhino LP+7”)

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

Somewhere there.

Playlist Week of 11-24-12

* J.S. Bach: Cello Suites (ter Linden) (Brilliant Classics 2CD)           

* Laurie Spiegel: The Expanding Universe (Unseen Worlds MP3)†

* William Barsinski: The Disintegration Loops (selections) (Temporary Residence MP3)†

* Anthony Braxton 12+1tet: Venezia 10-13-12 (FM FLAC)

* Don Pullen: Healing Force (Black Saint CD)

* Don Pullen/Chico Freeman/Fred Hopkins/Bobby Battle: Warriors (Black Saint CD)

* Don Pullen/Don Moye: Milano Strut (Black Saint CD)

* Don Pullen/Joseph Jarman/Don Moye: The Magic Triangle (Black Saint CD)

* Pat Metheny Group: We Live Here (Geffen CD)

* Pat Metheny Group: Imaginary Day (Geffen DVD-A)

* Material: The Third Power (Island CD)

* Material: Hallucination Engine (Axiom/Island CD)

* Grateful Dead: Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA 11-30-79 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Grateful Dead: Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA 12-01-79 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Grateful Dead: Boston Garden, Boston, MA 10-01-94 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Jerry Garcia & David Grisman: Shady Grove (Acoustic Disc HDCD)

* Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Psychedelic Pill (Reprise 2HDCD/BD)

* Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day (Swan Song/Atlantic 2CD/BD/DVD)

* Camel: Camel (MCA/Universal CD)

* Camel: Mirage (Decca/EMI CD)†/‡

* Camel: (Music Inspired By) The Snow Goose (Decca/EMI CD)†

* Camel: Moonmadness (Decca/EMI CD)†

* Camel: Rain Dances (Decca/EMI CD)

* Camel: A Live Record (Decca/EMI 2CD)

* Guided By Voices: The Bears For Lunch (GBV, Inc. CD/LP)

* Guided By Voices: “White Flag” (side B) (GBV, Inc. 7”EP)

* Guided By Voices: “Everywhere Is Miles From Everywhere” (side B) (GBV, Inc. 7”)

* Guided By Voices: “Hangover Child” (side B) (GBV, Inc. 7”)

* Jim O’Rourke: Eureka (Drag City LP)

* Tortoise: It’s All Around You (Thrill Jockey CD)

* Tortoise: Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey CD)

* Neurosis: Honor Found In Decay (Epitaph MP3)†

* Opeth: Ghost Reveries (Roadrunner HDCD)†

* Opeth: Watershed (Roadrunner CD)†

* Opeth: Heritage (Roadrunner CD/DVD)†

* Storm Corrosion: Storm Corrosion (Roadrunner CD/BD)

* Anathema: A Natural Disaster (Music For Nations/Sony CD)

* Anathema: We’re Here Because We’re Here (KScope CD/DVD)

* Alcest: Écailles de Lune (Prophecy Productions CD)†/‡

* Alcest: Les Voyages de l’Âme (Prophecy Productions CD)†/‡

* Mastodon: Crack The Skye (Reprise DVD)

* Baroness: Yellow & Green (Relapse 2LP)

* Grails: Take Refuge In Clean Living (Important CD)

* Grails: Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence 2LP)

* Grails: Doomsdayer’s Holiday (Temporary Residence CD)

* Grails: Deep Politics (Temporary Residence 2LP)

* Astra: The Weirding (Metal Blade CD)

* Astra: The Black Chord (Metal Blade CD)

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

Well, this turned out better than anyone could have hoped.

When Led Zeppelin reunited for a one-off gig at the O2 arena in London on December 10, 2007, it was their first live performance in 19 years—and 27 years since the death of drummer, John Bonham. Some 20 million people entered a lottery for the 18,000 tickets available and, needless to say, expectations were through the roof.

Previous reunions had been disastrous to say the least: of their 1985 Live-Aid performance, Robert Plant called it “an atrocity” and the Atlantic Records 40^th Anniversary Concert on May 14, 1988 was “one big disappointment” according to Jimmy Page (“the gig was foul,” added Plant). With the death of Ahmet Etregun in late 2006, the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin decided to reunite once more for a charity concert in his honor. John Bonham’s son, Jason, would fittingly sit in on the drums.

This time, they decided to do it right—they would actually rehearse.

Cell phone footage and audience recordings circulated online almost immediately following the concert and it was clear that the band was on fire as they powered through an astonishing two-plus-hour set. Rumors of an ensuing tour were quickly squelched but a DVD of the O2 gig was promised to be released someday. Now, five years later, the official document of what may be Led Zeppelin’s final performance is finally here—and it is a revelation.

Filmed with no less than 15 cameras (including three Super-8s scattered in the audience) and meticulously recorded to multitrack, Celebration Day is a state-of-the-art concert film befitting this legendary band. It starts off rough and ready – they seem a little nervous as they struggle through “Good Times Bad Times” and a re-worked “Ramble On.”  However, the salacious “Black Dog” finally catches the band firing on all cylinders and the momentum just builds from there. Some songs are played in a lower key to accommodate Plant’s aging voice but he acquits himself quite well, sounding a lot better than some of those old bootlegs, to be sure. Only “Dazed and Confused” and “Stairway to Heaven” fail to scale the heights of their former glory—but it doesn’t really matter; it’s clear the band is having a blast on stage and their joy is infectious. Moreover, the powerful, hypnotic “Kashmir” is utterly riveting and by far the highlight of the set—and possibly the best live version ever, to my ears. Not bad for an oldies act!

By the end of “Whole Lotta Love” and “Rock And Roll,” Led Zeppelin sounds like they’re just getting warmed up, ready to hit the road for another joint. Page, Bonham and John Paul Jones were apparently willing to go on tour when promoters began offering them millions of dollars up front. But it was Plant who nixed the deal—and who could blame him? After all, he has his own career and has no need for the money. In the long run, it is probably the wise decision. The positive energy and mutual goodwill of the O2 appearance could have quickly dissipated during the stresses of a full-blown tour as old enmities reared their heads. Still, I and millions of others would love the opportunity to see Led Zeppelin live—especially if they sounded anything like this! For now, Celebration Day will remain an inspiring postscript to the Led Zeppelin legacy.

Available in multiple formats, the “deluxe” 2CD/Blu-Ray set includes a bonus DVD of a rehearsal at Shepperton Studios on December 6, 2007. While shot from a static, distant perspective and lacking the excitement of an audience, the band actually sounds even better than on the gig itself, totally relaxed and just going for it with everything they've got. After a spell-binding performance of “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” Plant asks into his mic if the rehearsal is being recorded and. after being answered in the affirmative, he says, “Good. I don’t think we’ve played it that well since about 1910.” Indeed. Even if you’re the most casual Zeppelin fan, this is most highly recommended.  

Blut Aus Nord @ Spectrum Culture

My review of Blut Aus Nord's 777 - Cosmosophy is up over at Spectrum Culture. Experimental French black metal at its finest!

Playlist Week of 11-17-12

* J.S. Bach: Cello Suites (ter Linden) (selections) (Brilliant Classics 2CD)

* Bill Evans Trio: The Complete Village Vanguard Sessions 1961  (Riverside 3CD)

* Bobby Hutcherson: Head On (Blue Note CD)

* John Abercrombie: The Third Quartet (ECM CD)†/‡

* John Abercrombie Quartet: Wait Till You See Her (ECM CD)

* Terje Rypdal: Odyssey: In Studio & In Concert (ECM 3CD)

* Mary Halvorson Trio: Dragon’s Head (Firehouse 12 CD)

* Mary Halvorson Quintet: Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12 CD)

* Grateful Dead: World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL 7-21-90 (SBD 3CDR)

* Grateful Dead: World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL 7-22-90 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Camel: Moonmadness (Decca/EMI CD)

* Camel: Rain Dances (Decca/EMI CD)

* Camel: Breathless (Arista LP)

* Sonic Youth: Smart Bar, Chicago 1985 (Goofin’ CD)

* Bad Brains: Into The Future (Megaforce LP)

* Opeth: Blackwater Park (Music For Nations/Sony CD/DVD)†

* Baroness: Yellow & Green (Relapse 2CD)†(‡)

* Grails: Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence 2LP)

* Grails: Deep Politics (Temporary Residence CD/2LP)(†)

* The Black Keys: Brothers (Nonesuch CD)†/‡

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

Short list this week.

Actually, we were in Colorado visiting Lizzy's family – folks I haven’t seen in many, many years (or in the case of my three-year-old nephew, Tobin, ever). It was so great to (re)connect with these lovely people! Being the art mavens we are, we also insisted on an excursion into downtown Denver to see the “Becoming Van Gogh” exhibit at the Denver Art Museum, which was ridiculously crowded but totally worth it. But what really blew us away was the Clyfford Still Museum next door, which was, not surprisingly, mostly devoid of visitors.

Still is obviously nowhere near as well-known as Willem De Kooning, Jackson Pollack, and Mark Rothko, but he was arguably the progenitor of the entire Abstract Expressionist movement. His low profile was partly self-inflicted since he withdrew from the commercial gallery scene at the height of his fame in the early 1950s in order to make his art in solitude. He left New York City in 1960 for rural Maryland, where he lived until his death in 1980. He rarely sold or exhibited any of his work during this period and seemed destined to become a footnote in the annals of history.

But Still believed in his art and his one-page will contained an audacious bequest: 

I give and bequeath all the remaining works of art executed by me in my collection to an American City that will agree to build or assign and maintain permanent quarters exclusively for these works of art and assure their physical survival with the explicit requirement that none of these works will be sold, given, or exchanged but are to be retained in the place described above exclusively assigned to them in perpetuity for exhibition and study (see Sobel & Anfam, Clyfford Still: The Artist’s Museum, p.17).

For almost thirty years, this collection—825 paintings and 1575 works on paper (or an astonishing 94% of the artist’s entire output)—languished in storage while negotiations with various cities and institutions failed to effectuate these simple yet stringent terms. Finally, the city of Denver (through a private foundation) committed to building the museum as part of the city’s expanding arts district. Designed by Brad Cloepfil and Allied Works Architecture, the Clyfford Still Museum broke ground in 2009 and was opened to the public on November 18, 2011.

The building is a state-of-the-art facility and the inaugural exhibit a total revelation. Early works show an innate fluency that only De Kooning could match at that age, but in an already radically American style. And by 1942, Still was making wholly abstract paintings while his contemporaries were still flirting with surrealism. But as he insisted: “The figure stands behind it all.” This may at first seem incongruous, but moving chronologically through the galleries it becomes immediately apparent as his mature work evolves seamlessly from everything that came before. I had seen some of Still’s mature work at MOMA, the Met and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, but his paintings always seemed to me forbiddingly austere compared to the exuberant Pollacks or the sensuous and contemplative Rothkos hanging nearby. I knew he was important, but didn’t really understand why. A visit to the Clyfford Still Museum makes it unmistakably clear. Still once wrote: “They are not paintings in the usual sense; they are life and death merging in a fearful union.” That may sound like modernist hyperbole but, to be sure, confronting an entire museum filled with his art is indeed a wholly unique and terrifically moving experience.

The galleries are beautifully lit with both artificial and cleverly diffused natural light and are perfectly scaled to the oftentimes monumental-sized paintings. Smaller, dimmer galleries contain a number of works on paper and three sculptures, almost none of it ever before seen.  In fact, the collection is so vast it will take thirty or more years to display it all—which means we will enjoy going back again and again.  If you find yourself in Denver, the Clyfford Still Museum is well worth the modest admission fee. You may not have heard of him, but you will come away convinced he was one of the greatest artists of the 20^th Century. You can see more of my photographs of the museum and the rest of trip here.

+++

It was also our birthday on the 15th. Yes, my wife and I have the same birthday. Isn't that amazing? Happy birthday to us!

+++

Given all of the above, I only managed a blurb for “List Inconsequential” this week. The topic this time is “Bad Songs on Good Albums.” My choice? “Cans and Brahms” from Yes’s classic Fragile album—gawd, it’s horrible.

Playlist Week of 11-10-12

* Venice Baroque Orchestra (Marcon/Carmignola): Concerto Veneziano (Arkiv Prod. CD)

* Ligeti: String Quartets Nos.1&2, etc. (Hagen/Lasalle Quartets, et al.) (DG CD)

* Anthony Braxton: Creative Music Orchestra (NYC) 2011 (New Braxton House FLAC)

* Myra Melford Quartet: The Stone, New York, NY 7-07-09 (AUD 2CDR)

* Myra Melford’s Happy Whistlings: Firehouse 12, New Haven, CT 4-09-10 (AUD 2CDR)

* MAP (T. Nakatani /M. Halvorson/C. Thomas): Six Improvisations (H&H CD)

* Trevor Dunn’s Trio Convulsant: Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, CA 10-14-04 (AUD CDR)

* Mary Halvorson Trio & Quintet: Roulette, New York, NY 2-13-09 (AUD CDR)

* Mary Halvorson/Reuben Radding/Nate Wooley: Crackleknob (hatOLOGY CD)

* Mary Halvorson Quintet: Bending Bridges (Firehouse 12 CD)

* Grateful Dead: Dick’s Picks Vol.21: Richmond, VA 11-01-85 (selections) (GDP 3HDCD)

* Jethro Tull: Aqualung (40^th Anniversary Edition) (Chrysalis/EMI 2CD)

* Jethro Tull: Thick As A Brick (40^th Anniversary Edition) (Chrysalis/EMI CD/DVD)

* Emerson Lake & Palmer: Emerson Lake & Palmer (DVDA) (Cotillion/Razor & Tie 2CD/DVDA)

* Emerson Lake & Palmer: Tarkus (DVDA) (Cotillion/Razor & Tie 2CD/DVDA)

* Elvis Costello & The Attractions: Imperial Bedroom (Columbia/Mobile Fidelity LP)

* Phil Collins: …But Seriously (Atlantic/Audio Fidelity CD)

* Boston Spaceships: Out Of The Universe By Sundown: Greatest Hits (GBV, Inc./Fire LP)

* Steven Wilson: Grace For Drowning (KScope BD)

* Opeth: Lamentations: Live at Shepherd’s Bush Empire 2003 (Music For Nations/KOCH DVD)

* Opeth: Watershed (Roadrunner CD)†

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – Sect(s) (Debemur Morti CD)†

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – The Desanctification (Debemur Morti CD)(†)

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 –Cosmosophy (Debemur Morti CD)(†)

* Alcest: Écailles de Lune (Prophecy CD)(†)

* Alcest: Les Voyages de l’Âme (Prophecy CD)†

* Baroness: Yellow & Green (Relapse 2CD)†/‡

* Grails: Deep Politics (Temporary Residence CD)

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

I like candy.

The Pyramids @ Spectrum Culture

My review of The Pyramids: Otherworldly is up at Spectrum Culture. I really wanted to like this...

+++

This week's "List Inconsequential" featured "Good Songs on Bad Albums." My choice? "Brownsville Girl" from Bob Dylan's Knocked Out Loaded.

Playlist Week of 11-03-12

* Marais: Suitte d’un Goût Etranger: Pièces de Viole du IV Livre, 1717 (Savall, et al.) (Alia Vox 2SACD)

* Laurie Spiegel: The Expanding Universe (selections) (Unseen Worlds MP3)

* Terje Rypdal – Miroslav Vitous – Jack DeJohnette (ECM LP)

* John Abercrombie: Night (ECM LP)

* DJ Spooky: Optometry (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Bob Dylan: The Naked Empire (selections) (boot CDR)

* Bob Dylan: Knocked Out Loaded (Columbia LP)

* Grateful Dead: Dave’s Picks Vol.4: Williamsburg, VA 9-24-76 (GDP/Rhino 3GDCD)

* Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Psychedelic Pill (Reprise 2HDCD)

* The Band: Rock Of Ages (Capitol/Mobile Fidelity 2LP)

* Joni Mitchell: Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (Asylum HDCD)

* Yes: The Yes Album (Atlantic/Mobile Fidelity CD)

* Yes: Fragile (Atlantic/Mobile Fidelity CD)

* Mission of Burma: Vs. (Ace of Hearts/Matador LP/EP/DVD)

* Guided By Voices: The Bears For Lunch (GBV, Inc. LP)

* Converge: All We Love We Leave Behind (Epitaph MP3)†

* Neurosis: Honor Found In Decay (Neurot MP3)†

* Porcupine Tree: Stupid Dream (KScope CD/DVD)

* Porcupine Tree: Lightbulb Sun (KScope CD/DVD)

* Porcupine Tree: Recordings (KScope CD)†

* Porcupine Tree: In Absentia (Lava/Atlantic CD)†

* Porcupine Tree: Deadwing (Lava/Atlantic CD)†

* Opeth: Damnation (Music For Nations/KOCH CD)†

* Opeth: Heritage (Roadrunner CD/DVD)†

* Mastodon: Crack The Skye (Reprise CD)†

* Mastodon: The Hunter (Reprise CD)†

* Grails: Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence 2LP)

* Grails: Taking Refuge In Clean Living (Important CD)†/‡

* Grails: Doomsdayer’s Holiday (Temporary Residence CD)†

* Grails: Deep Politics (Temporary Residence CD/2LP)

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – Sect(s) (Debemur Morti CD)

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – The Desanctification (Debemur Morti CD)

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 –Cosmosophy (Debemur Morti CD)(†)

* Alcest: Les Voyages de l’Âme (Prophecy CD)†

* Broken Bells: Broken Bells (Columbia CD)†/‡

* Pineapple Explode: Pineapple Explode (Pineapple Explode CDR)†

* Pineapple Explode: A Bushel & A Barrel (Pineapple Explode CDR)†

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

[none]

Joni Mitchell @ Spectrum Culture

The "Revisit/Rediscover" series of reviews over at Spectrum Culture highlights "past releases that now deserve a second look." My pick? Joni Mitchell's 1976 album, Hejira. I think I could write about a book about this record and this is an 800-word precis.

Converge @ Spectrum Culture

My review of Converge: All We Love We Leave Behind is up over at Spectrum Culture. Metalcore for the middle-aged.

Playlist Week of 10-27-12

* Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Op.5 (Manze/Egarr) (Harmonia Mundi 2CD)

* Laurie Spiegel: The Expanding Universe (Unseen Worlds MP3)†

* Thelonious Monk: Monk Alone: The Complete Columbia Solo Studio Recordings (Columbia 2CD)

* Sonny Clark Trio: The 45 Sessions (Blue Note CD)

* Tony Williams: Fear Of Flying (Columbia LP)

* Pharoah Sanders: Karma (Impulse! CD)

* Pharoah Sanders: Jewels of Thought (Impulse! CD)

* The Pyramids: Otherworldly (Disko B CD)

* Pat Metheny Group: Bremen, W. Germany 3-13-78 (pre-FM FLAC)

* David S. Ware Quartet: Cryptology (Homestead CD)

* David S. Ware Quartet: Dao (Homestead CD)

* Weasel Walter/Mary Halvorson/Peter Evans: Mechanical Malfunction (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Zeitgeist Gallery, Nashville, TN 9-06-12 (master CDR)

* Grateful Dead: Coliseum, Oakland, CA 10-31-91 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Can: Can (Spoon SACD)

* REM: Life’s Rich Pageant (IRS/Mobile Fidelity LP)

* REM: Document (IRS/Mobile Fidelity LP)

* Mission of Burma: Signals, Calls & Marches (Ace of Hearts/Matador 2EP/DVD)

* Guided By Voices: Class Clown Spots a UFO (GBV, Inc. LP)

* Royal Trux: Twin Infinitives (Drag City 2LP)

* Royal Trux: Hand Of Glory (Drag City LP)

* Neurosis: Honor Found In Decay (Neurot MP3)

* Converge: All We Love We Leave Behind (Epitaph MP3)†

* Sleep: Dopesmoker (Southern Lord 2LP)

* OM: God Is Good (Drag City LP)†

* Grails: Take Refuge In Clean Living (Important CD)

* Grails: Doomsdayer’s Holiday (Temporary Residence CD)(†)

* Grails: Deep Politics (Temporary Residence CD)(†)

* Opeth: Orchid (Candlelight CD)

* Opeth: Morningrise (Candlelight CD)

* Opeth: My Arms, Your Hearse (Candlelight CD)

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – Sect(s) (Debemur Morti CD)†

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – The Desanctification (Debemur Morti CD)†(‡)

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 –Cosmosophy (Debemur Morti CD)†(‡)

* Alcest: Les Voyages de l’Âme (Prophecy CD)†
* Yakuza: Of Seismic Consequence (Profound Lore CD)†
* Yakuza: Beyul (Profound Lore CD)†

* Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop 2LP)

* Metz: Metz (Sub Pop MP4)†

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

I love my iPod Classic 160G: it’s perfect for the car and through decent in-ear monitors (like my Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10s), it sounds pretty darn good. But I’m a physical media guy – a record collector as they used to call us. I like CDs and vinyl and high-resolution formats like SACD, DVD-Audio and Blu-Ray. I like the way they look on the shelf (or piled on the floor). I like the way they feel in my hand. I like the way they smell. Most importantly, I love the way they sound. I never really thought of an iPod as a particularly high-fidelity audio device; I just loaded it up with 320 kbps MP3 files and utilized it as a handy portable music library. It never occurred to me to want to hook it up to the big stereo in the living room – why would I do that when I have all these great-sounding records so close at hand (or at least buried in a pile somewhere)?

Well, ever since I started writing for Spectrum Culture, most of my access to advance albums has been in the form of digital downloads. Occasionally, I get promo CDs but it makes a lot of sense for labels to just pass out zip-filed MP3s to scribblers like me. And that’s fine – except that it means I am tethered to the iPod in order to hear this stuff. Earbuds are convenient when I’m out of the house but I really don’t like the sensation of the music originating from the middle of my head. I much prefer listening to recordings through loudspeakers in my living room. So, what to do? I could burn CDs, but that seems like a waste – especially for lossy MP3s. Alternatively I could load the files onto a flash drive and play them through the USB input on my Oppo BDP-95. This would work OK, but, unfortunately, gapless playback is not possible—very annoying if tracks are supposed to flow together without pause. Finally, I could plug the iPod directly into an analog input on my pre-amp using some sort of cable adapter. But as anyone who has tried this knows: it is a less-than-ideal solution in terms of sound quality since you have to rely on the either the headphone output (with its attendant gain issues) or the cheap digital-to-analog converter (DAC) contained in the 30-pin connector. None of these options were particularly appealing.

As it turns out, Wadia Digital has pondered this problem and come up with an answer: the 171iTransport. Unlike other iPod docks, the 171i completely bypasses the iPod’s internal DAC to allow direct connection to an external DAC via optical or coaxial outputs. Brilliant! Now I can listen to my iPod in the highest fidelity possible! I’ve had mine for about three months and it sounds fantastic connected to the 24-bit DAC on my McIntosh C50 pre-amplifier—way better than I ever expected! So good, in fact, I’ve started re-converting favorite CDs to Apple Lossless encoding, which sounds noticeably better than 320 kbps MP3 while still compressing the files to save disc space. I’ve even started making “needle drops” of select LPs on my old Harman-Kardon CD recorder and transferring the WAV files losslessly to the iPod; very convenient for casual playback and sounds very good indeed. My only quibble is: I wish the iPod supported the FLAC file format—then I’d really go to town.

A few years ago, I would have never considered purchasing a product like the Wadia 171iTransport. But now that I've had it for a while, I can’t imagine life without it. Even if I wasn't downloading advance copies of new albums in order to write about them, I would still use it—not only for its convenience but for its spectacular sound quality. Who knew an iPod could sound so good?

Metz @ Spectrum Culture

My review of Metz's self-titled debut is up over at Spectrum Culture. "Good" punk rock.

+++

Also, the Monthly Mixtape has been posted. My pick? Katatonia's "Dead Letters."

Dusted Interview @ Spectrum Culture

My email interview with Brian Borcherdt of Dusted is up over at Spectrum Culture. This is definitely one of my favorite pop/rock records of the year.

Playlist Week of 10-20-12

* Holloway/Mortensen/ter Linden: Garrison Church, Copenhagen 4-08-08 (FM 2CDR)

* J.S. Bach: Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079 (Moroney et al.) (Harmonia Mundi CD)

* J.S. Bach: Solo & Double Violin Concertos (AAM/Manze/Podger) (Harmonia Mundi SACD)

* John Cage: Three Constructions (Donald Knaack Percussion Ens./Clayton) (Tomato CD)

* Morton Feldman: Works For Piano 2 (Schleiermacher, et al.) (hat ART CD)

* Jimmy Giuffre 3: 1961 (d.1) (ECM 2CD)

* Muhal Richard Abrams: Vision Towards Essence (Pi CD)

* Myra Melford Be Bread: The Image Of Your Body (Cryptogramophone CD)

* Myra Melford Be Bread: The Whole Tree Gone (Firehouse 12 CD)

* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Zeitgeist Gallery, Nashville, TN 9-06-12 (CDR)

* Pat Metheny Group: Offramp (ECM LP)

* Grateful Dead: Capital Center, Landover, MD 9-27-81 (SBD 3CDR)

* R.E.M.: Document (IRS/Mobile Fidelity LP)

* ABC: The Lexicon Of Love (Mercury LP)

* ABC: Beauty Stab (Mercury LP)

* Guided By Voices: “White Flag” (GBV, Inc. 7”)

* Guided By Voices: “Everywhere Is Miles From Everywhere” (GBV, Inc. 7”)

* Guided By Voices: “Hangover Child” (GBV, Inc. 7”)

* Circus Devils: Capsized! (Happy Jack Rock Records LP)

* My Bloody Valentine: Loveless (d.2) (Sony 2CD)†

* Wilco: The Whole Love (dBPM 2LP)

* Converge: All We Love We leave Behind (Epitaph MP3)

* Opeth: Blackwater Park (Music For Nations/Sony CD/DVD)†

* Opeth: Deliverance (Music For Nations/KOCH CD)†

* Katatonia: Last Fair Deal Gone Down (Peaceville CD/CDEP)†

* Katatonia: Viva Emptiness (Peaceville CD)†

* Katatonia: The Great Cold Distance (Peaceville CD)†

* Katatonia: Night Is The New Day (Peaceville CD)†

* Katatonia: Dead End Kings (Peaceville CD)†

* Anathema: Weather Systems (The End CD)

* Agalloch: Marrow Of The Spirit (Profound Lore CD)†

* Baroness: First And Second (Relapse LP)

* Baroness: Red Album (Relapse 2-45RPM LP)

* Baroness: Blue Record (Relapse 2-45RPM LP)

* Baroness: Yellow & Green (Relapse 2LP)

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – Sect(s) (Debemur Morti CD)†(‡)

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – The Desanctification (Debemur Morti CD)†

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 –Cosmosophy (Debemur Morti CD)†

* Alcest: Les Voyages De L’ame (Prophecy/ProMedia CD) †(‡)

* Yakuza: Of Seismic Consequence (Profound Lore CD)

* Yakuza: Beyul (Profound Lore CD)

* Grails: Deep Politics (Temporary Residence CD)

* Pineapple Explode: Cooke City (Pineapple Explode cassette)

* Pineapple Explode: Pineapple Explode (Pineapple Explode CDR)

* Pineapple Explode: A Bushel & A Barrel (Pineapple Explode CDR)

* Pineapple Explode: Skye’s Christmas Card (World Trade Center CDR)

* Metz: Metz (Sub Pop MP4)

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

The CD project is coming along:

I just got the reference master back from Richard Dodd and it sounds amazing! You may not recognize his name but Mr. Dodd is a legendary audio engineer, whose work has earned him no less than five Grammy awards and a client list which includes such big names as George Harrison, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash and Wilco among many others. For a prime example of his superlative work, just listen to Petty’s Wildflowers album, one of the best-sounding records ever made (especially on LP). Although not known for working with “jazz” per se (and, frankly, I’m not sure that’s exactly what Sam and I are doing), his mastering of our tracks is superb: vivid, detailed and, most importantly, incredibly dynamic. The music sounds great at “normal” volume levels but if you crank it up, it sounds simply awesome! That is the sign of an excellent mastering job. I am super pleased with the way the CD is turning out—and as you probably know, I’m not easy to please!

Earlier this week, I met with graphic artist, Griffin Norman, who will be designing the packaging for the disc. I know Griffin through lovely Lizzy. He has done a lot of really nice work for the library and has designed numerous album covers over the years—he's a real pro. Griffin was at the performance—and liked it!—so I’m really looking forward to seeing what he comes up with. I have some other business details I need to take care before it can all be finalized and sent off to the pressing plant but I am hoping to have the whole thing done by the holidays. As you can see, I really want to do this right, even if it takes some time. I’ll keep you posted as things progress!

+++

Now, excuse me, but I have to do some writing for this other website. Can you guess from this week's playlist what it might be about?

Morton Feldman @ Spectrum Culture

Now this was interesting! Check out my review of Morton Feldman: Crippled Symmetry: At June in Buffalo over at Spectrum Culture.

Robert Pollard @ Spectrum Culture

My Robert Pollard obsession continues over at Spectrum Culture.

Playlist Week of 10-13-12

* Morton Feldman: Crippled Symmetry: At June In Buffalo (Frozen Reeds 2CD)

* Anthony Braxton: GTM (Iridium) 2007 Vol.4 Set 1 (New Braxton House FLAC)

* Anthony Braxton: GTM (Iridium) 2007 Vol.4 Set 2 (New Braxton House FLAC)

* Henry Threadgill: Song Out Of Our Trees (Black Saint CD)

* Henry Threadgill Zooid: Tomorrow Sunny / The Revelry, Spp (Pi CD)

* Joe Morris/William Parker/Gerald Cleaver: Altitude (AUM Fidelity CD)

* Veryan Weston/Ingrid Laubrock/Hannah Marshall: Haste (Emanem CD)

* Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House: Moers, Germany 5-26-12 (FM FLAC)

* Ingrid Laubrock/Olie Brice/Javier Carmona: Catatumbo (Babel CD)

* Mary Halvorson Quintet: Saalfelden, Austria 8-25-12 (AUD FLAC)

* Grateful Dead: Dick’s Picks Vol.20 (9-25-76 + 9-28-76) (d.2, 4) (GDP 4HDCD)

* Grateful Dead: Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ 11-24-78 (d.3) (Pre-FM 3CDR)

* Joni Mitchell: Hejira (Asylum HDCD)

* Deep Purple: In Rock (Warner Bros. LP)

* Deep Purple: Who Do We Think We Are! (Warner Bros. LP)

* Soft Machine: Het Turfschip, Breda, Netherlands 3-14-71 (SBD 2CDR)

* Soft Machine: 4 (Columbia LP)

* Soft Machine: 7 (Columbia LP)

* Gentle Giant: Acquiring The Taste (Vertigo LP)

* Gentle Giant: Three Friends (Vertigo/Alucard CD)

* Gentle Giant: Octopus (Vertigo/Alucard CD)

* REM: Document (IRS LP)
* REM: Green (Warner Bros. LP)

* Sonic Youth: “Simon Werner A Disaparu” (Original Soundtrack) (SYR LP)

* The Flaming Lips: Embryonic (Warner Bros. 2CD/DVD)

* The Chills: Kaleidoscope World (Normal/Flying Nun LP)

* Robert Pollard: Jack Sells The Cow (GBV, Inc. LP/MP3)(†)

* Porcupine Tree: The Sky Moves Sideways (KScope 2CD)†

* Storm Corrosion: Storm Corrosion (Roadrunner CD/BD)

* Opeth: Heritage (Roadrunner CD/DVD)†/‡

* Katatonia: Dead End Kings (Peaceville CD)†

* Agalloch: Pale Folklore (The End CD)†

* Agalloch: The Mantle (The End CD)†

* Agalloch: The Grey EP (Agalloch/Bandcamp FLAC)†

* Agalloch: The White EP (Agalloch/Bandcamp FLAC)†

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – Sect(s) (Debemur Morti CD)

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – The Desanctification (Debemur Morti MP3)†

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 –Cosmosophy (Debemur Morti MP3)†

* Tortoise: Beacons Of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey LP)

* Six Organs Of Admittance: Ascent (Drag City LP)

* Grails: Deep Politics (Temporary Residence CD)†

* Russian Circles: Empros (Sargent House CD)†

* Metz: Metz (Sub Pop MP4)†

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

Last weekend was the annual SoundCrawl here in Nashville, which coincided with the monthly ArtCrawl in downtown Nashville. I took a bunch of pictures, some of which you can check out on my Flickr Photostream.

On Saturday, Brian Franklin set up his interactive installation in the Arcade downtown. Consisting of a modified keyboard which controlled old-school videogames while emitting dulcet piano tones, it was fun to watch people get into it, battling it out onscreen while simultaneously generating frenetic, minimalist music. Later, electric violinist Tracy Silverman played duets with drummer Roy Futureman Wooten at the Brick Factory, a late night of trance-y looping and occasional rocking. Their cover of Hendrix’s “1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be)” was quite effective, with Wooten’s supple timekeeping and Buddha-like presence keeping it from getting too spaced out.

On Sunday was “Art of the Future,” again at the Brick Factory with electro-acoustic performances from Mark Zanter, Timothy Harenda and Sally J. Williams, Adam Vidiksis and a computer-generated work by Jason Fick for dancer Ilana Morgan. Franklin’s videogame piece was set up and there were video and audio installations from a variety of artists worldwide. It was a fantastic evening, but the highlight for me was Harenda’s  “Absence,” which combined variegated electronic sounds with Williams’s virtuosic violin figurations (and the birds chirping en plein air) for an unpredictably enticing six minutes. Spiky, dissonant and totally enrapturing, I wish it had gone on longer than it did.

I also went with my nephew to the semiannual record convention at the Holiday Inn on Sunday morning—we just couldn’t resist. After some digging, I found a few choice platters, including Soft Machine’s 7 and the semi-rare three-LP live collection, Triple Echo (which I have yet to listen to); plus a couple white label promos, including a nice clean copy of Deep Purple’s Who Do We Think We Are! Other selections turned out to be irredeemably trashed (despite a thorough cleaning) but so it goes with these things. Used vinyl is a crapshoot: you win some, you lose some.

Unfortunately, all this activity (and miserable weather) wore me out and I wound up getting sick—so I missed out on the rest of SoundCrawl and Indeterminacies as well. I’m just not as young as I used to be—and obviously, not physically fit. Thankfully, this is a stay-at-home weekend—my favorite kind!

YOKOKIMTHURSTON @ Spectrum Culture

My review of the Yoko Ono, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore album, YOKOKIMTHURSTON, is up at Spectrum Culture. You can read it here. The rumors are false but the record is good!

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This week's "List Inconsequential" topic is "Cover Songs That Are Better Than The Originals." My pick? The Grateful Dead's cover of Bonnie Dobson's "(Walk Me Out In The) Morning Dew." Check it out here.

Playlist Week of 10-06-12

* Reger: The String Quartets/Clarinet Quintet (Drolc Quartet/Leister) (d.3) (DG 3CD)

* Cage: Complete Piano Music Vol.9: Etudes Australes (Schleiermacher) (MGD 3CD)

* Dusapin: Quatours à cordes & Trio (Arditti Quartet) (æon 2CD)

* Henry Threadgill: The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings (selections) (Mosaic 8CD)

* Henry Threadgill Very Very Circus: Spirit Of Nuff..Nuff (Black Saint CD)

* Henry Threadgill: Flutistry (Black Saint CD)

* Pat Metheny Group: Pat Metheny Group (ECM LP)

* Bill Frisell: Nashville (Nonesuch CD)

* Grateful Dead: Coliseum, Greensboro, NC 4-30-81 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Big Star: Keep An Eye On The Sky (selections) (Ardent/Rhino 4CD)

* Sonic Youth: Whitey Album (Blast First/Geffen CD)

* Sonic Youth: Goodbye 20^th Century (SYR 2LP)

* Sonic Youth: “J’Accuse Ted Hughes”/”Agnès B Musique” (SYR LP)

* Yoko Ono/Kim Gordon/Thurston Moore: YOKOKIMTHURSTON (Chimera MP3)†

* Robert Pollard: Jack Sells The Cow (GBV, Inc. LP)

* Steven Wilson: Get All You Deserve (KScope BD/DVD/2CD)

* Opeth: Deliverance (Music For Nations/KOCH CD)†

* Opeth: Ghost Reveries (Roadrunner HDCD)†

* Opeth: Watershed (Roadrunner CD)†

* Opeth: Heritage (Roadrunner CD/DVD)†

* Katatonia: Dead End Kings (Peaceville CD)

* Anathema: Falling Deeper (KScope CD)†

* Anathema: We’re Here Because We’re Here (KScope CD/DVD)†

* Anathema: Weather Systems (The End CD)†

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – The Desanctification (Debemur Morti/Caroline MP3)

* Blut Aus Nord: 777 – Cosmosophy (Debemur Morti MP3)

* Baroness: Yellow & Green (Relapse 2CD)†

* Grails: Deep Politics (Temporary Residence CD)

* Pelican: “March Into The Sea” (Hydra Head EP)

* Pelican: City Of Echoes (Hydra Head CD)

* Pelican: What We All Come To Need (Southern Lord CD)

* Pelican: Ataraxia/Taraxis (Southern Lord EP)

* Pineapple Explode: Pineapple Explode (Pineapple Explode CDR)

* Pineapple Explode: A Bushel & A Barrel (Pineapple Explode CDR)

* Pineapple Explode: Skye’s Christmas Card (World Trade Center CDR)

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

Last Saturday, we went to the 2012 Circuit Benders’ Ball, an annual celebration of cracked electronics hosted by Theatre Intangible’s Tony Youngblood. This was our first time at the ball, and I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. According to Roth Mobot (whose late-night set we unfortunately missed) “circuit bending” is defined as “the creative recycling of common discarded technology, often children's toys, by opening the device and soldering in new connections to create unique musical and video instruments.” Of course, there was plenty of low-bitrate bleeping, buzzing and screeching going on—but the sheer variety of approaches made for a fascinating and fun evening. Mostly it was serious-looking guys crouched over modified toys, archaic synthesizers and cheap mixing boards but there were still moments of sublime music. Opener Posthaste added loud rocking drums to his pulsating drones while set closer Pimpdaddy Supreme brought over-the-top theatrics to his set, with costumes, props and nightmarish makeup added to his darkly danceable DJ/electronica act.

But by far the most impressive act (at least to me) was Nashville’s own Pineapple Explode, who brought actual musicianship and instrumental skills to bear on the proceedings. While Marcus Sisk weaved luxurious blankets of electronic sounds, Steven Roy sang in a sweet tenor, played banjo and occasionally beat on an enormous Slingerland bass drum. Demonstrating remarkable control of these humble resources, each song was emotionally riveting, even if the subject matter was indecipherable. After fifteen blissfully transcendent minutes, it was all over, leaving me wanting more—a lot more. Fortunately, they were selling hand-made CDRs and I bought them all—hey, for the ridiculously low price of a buck a piece, how could I lose? Their brief set hardly prepared me for the music found on these EPs. Pineapple Explode creates experimental avant-pop music, cinematic in scope yet deceptively simple and direct in its execution. The recordings are deliberately lo-fi yet utterly engaging, a rare feat matched only by classic-era Guided By Voices (or the inimitable Sun Ra). Meanwhile, the oblique poetry of the songs never quite resolves, leaving you floating in a tantalizingly ambiguous sea of sound. I’ve been listening to these discs over and over again, hearing new enticing things with every spin. Pineapple Explode has quickly become my new favorite band and I cannot understand why they are not signed to some label like Merge or Matador or Drag City or Thrill Jockey—they would fit right in!

So, I’m doing my part to spread the word: these guys are great! An exclusive NuVoid interview with Pineapple Explode is in the works!

+++

It’s “Artober” here in Nashville: SoundCrawl starts this weekend with events at the Arcade downtown and at the Brick Factory over in “The Gulch”—plus Indeterminacies continues with the legendary improvisers LaDonna Smith and Davey Williams at Zeitgeist Gallery on Thursday October 11. See you there!

John Cage @ Spectrum Culture

My review of John Cage Shock Vol.1-3, a three-CD compilation of previously unreleased recordings from Cage's first tour of Japan in 1962, is up on Spectrum Culture and you can read it here. This was definitely one of the more interesting and obscure things I've had the opportunity to review for the website. Good stuff!

Election 2012

I try to avoid politics on the blog, but this is too funny. Via Adrian Carrasquillo.