Little Lost Notes - 06/09
Lil' notes from around the shop!
I find that people sometimes run away from “devotional” music for a number of reasons:
“Are they trying to convert me?”
“I don’t believe in any of that stuff!”
“If it’s spiritual, it has to be bad!”
In this way, some listeners tend to immediately dismiss music that - despite any preconceived ideas about its spirituality - simply just rips. This album is one of those instances. John Henderson lead an intriguing life that included being an on/off member of Ray Charles’ touring band for ten years before eventually moving to California with his wife to become a devoted member of Alice Coltrane’s Shanti Anantam ashram. That’s where he recorded this album, among many others, in the early 1990s. He self-produced this record, not to mention performing every instrument and vocal part himself.
In many ways, this record feels like it was pulled from some adjacent timeline. These are extended devotional jams rooted in radio R&B, filled with pulsing programmed drums, synth stabs, and soaring vocals. All of these songs feel like something you would stumble upon while driving at 3am scanning local radio channels, ethereal and untraceable. For any fans of 80s R&B, Alice Coltrane’s devotional albums, or vaporwave aesthetics - this gem is a must-listen.
-Conor
Crone is ISIS' and Palms' bassist Jeff Caxide’s first solo record. Coming off the heels of the ISIS breakup and before Palms was formed, Jeff focused his attention away from the massive post rock / post metal of ISIS and moved towards the more ambient soundscapes of Tangerine Dream or Brian Eno. Leaning mainly on bass and keyboards and some light percussion contributions from Aaron Harris (ISIS, Palms) - Endless Midnight transports you to another place.
The dark moody atmospheres created on Endless Midnight would fit right in the darkened backstreets of Los Angeles or dusty backroads of the low desert. The influences of fiction and film are evident here. This album would sit just as nicely behind a David Lynch film as alongside a Coil or Godspeed You! Black Emperor record. Jeff’s signature bass tone with plenty of delay and reverb and nods to The Cure and Pink Floyd cut through and hold the center of the record.
A truly stunning listen! For fans of Ambient/Drone music and artists such as Angelo Badalamenti, Coil, Rapoon, Earth and Tangerine Dream.
-Randy
In a move that would probably annoy him if he heard me say this, I often refer to this as Pat Metheny’s ambient album. It’s also a pretty divisive album among the dozens (dozens!) of people who have strong opinions about ranking Metheny’s albums from worst to best. For me, though, this is close to the top of my list. The Windham Hill-goes-noir cover sets the mood perfectly for what’s contained within. Some dismiss the album as being meandering, but on repeated listenings pianist Lyle Mays and Pat are clearly deeply in tune with each other, dialed in after years of performing together.
It’s an album that has a great deal of nuance, probably best displayed in the centerpiece of the album - “September Fifteenth” - which is a piece dedicated to the memory of pianist Bill Evans. It seems like for this session Lyle was tapped into Bill’s unmatchable gentleness and sense of harmonic progression. What’s most impressive throughout the album is the space that both players leave throughout the album - especially these two players who are sometimes known for *cough* overplaying. Whether you are completely new to Pat Metheny or an old fan looking to revisit his discography, this is an essential listen.
-Conor
If you’ve been in the shop before, there’s a high likelihood you’ve heard me shouting at a wall about how good this band is. Easily one of my top five bands of all time - now in their 30th year - and still making music as uncategorizable as ever. This 2016 release is their self-described “hair metal” album, but that really doesn’t do justice to the 15 songs contained within.
To make this record, they rented an abandoned office space in the middle of the New Mexican desert, Greg Saunier (the drummer/producer of the band) set up all the basic recording needs, then they dimed their amps and produced magic (or, The Magic). There is a little bit of something for everyone on here - from the j-rock tinged “Kafe Mania!” to the 60’s bubblegum jangle of “Criminals of the Dream” to the full on art rock of the closing track “Nurse Me.” All of it is packaged in a lovely saturated warmth. If you like your Rock n’ Roll™ raw, crispy, and imbued with the undeniable spirt of Friendship™, then this is for you.
-Conor
The first Truckers album after the departure of Jason Isbell, this record is pretty widely considered one of the best in their discography. As far as windows-down driving albums go, there are few records quite like this one on a muggy summer day. The lyricism of Mike Cooley, Patterson Hood, and Shonna Tucker is on full display here - all of them holding no punches.
From the heartbreaking opening track “Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife” (dedicated to a murdered friend, Bryan Harvey) to the heart-on-a-sleeve protest of “You and Your Crystal Meth” - none of them shy away from brutal realities. Despite that, there is a buoyancy throughout this record that propels it forward. The scathing caricature of “The Righteous Path” is driven by irresistible chugging guitars - and if that song doesn’t have you absentmindedly pressing the gas all the way down, then I don’t know what to tell you. A modern country-rock masterpiece if there ever was one, this is a great entry point into this bands’ incredible discography.
-Conor