Best of Jazz 2005 - A Baker's Dozen Plus Two

This was a most difficult list to put together. My only requirements were that the music be available on Rhapsody and the recordings were current; no reissues or historical recordings were to be included in my baker's dozen. I agonized over this list, and I am sure I left out many of your favorites. As per my indie list, I did not rank the music, as I felt it practically impossible to do. If you would like to listen to the list in its entirety click on the link Best of Jazz 2005 - A Baker's Dozen Plus Two. Below are individual links to all of the albums. Enjoy!



Jessica Williams - Live At Yoshi's Volume Two This album has to be one of the best jazz trio albums released in 2005. Featuring the excellent pianistic skills of Jessica Williams, I am absolutely in love with the opening track "Flamenico Sketches." Williams interpretation of the Miles Davis/Gil Evans classic is truly fantastic. I remember the first time I heard it on the radio and I was blown away. Do not miss this album!



Salvatore Bonafede - Journey to Donnafugata This album is relatively unknown, but it should not be. If you are a fan of the Gil Evans/Miles Davis collaborations, you will surely enjoy the work of Italian pianist Salvatore Bonafede as he interprets the score to Luchino Visconti's 1963 film The Leopard. Salvatore is joined by a cast of stellar musicians including John Abercrombie (guitar), Enrico Rava (trumpet), Ralph Towner (guitar) and a few others. This is a true delight.





Ken Walker Sextet - Terra Firma On first hearing this record, I thought it was an Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers recording with Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, and Kenny Dorham from the middle 50's, a lost recording perhaps. I was wrong, but I couldn't be happier to find out that Ken Walker and his Denver based band are creating hard bop albums of the highest caliber. If the experimental, avant garde tendencies of some jazz records is turning you off, give Ken Walker's Sextet a listen.



Babatunde Lea - Suite Unseen: Summoner of the Ghost This album really cooks! A funky, percussive, jam session with African influences. Babatunde Lea is the percussionist, composer, and leader of this group of talented musicians. Everyone is great, but the horns stand out. Steve Turre contributes his trombone skills and even his famous conch shells, which make this one of the stellar jazz records of the year.



Thollem/Rivera - Everything's Going Everywhere This disc will appeal to the adventurous listener, especially fans of 20th century classical masters like Schoenberg, Berg, and Bartok. This album features the work of pianist Thollem McDonas and drummer Rick Rivera and is a collection of miniatures with the majority of songs approximately three minutes in length. This album will reward the patient listener, but don't be shocked by the track "Silence," as it truly is a track dedicated to silence.



Jeremy Pelt - Identity Jeremy Pelt is quickly making a name for himself as one of the best trumpet players around. He is often compared to Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. His album not only shows off his ability on the trumpet and flugelhorn, but also his talents as a composer. The tunes are all beautifully played and tend to fall in the modal jazz school made popular in the 60's by the likes of Wayne Shorter, who Pelt has played with, and Miles.



Lafayette Gilchrist - Towards The Shining Path Wow! This was a relatively recent discovery, but I am hooked. Baltimore based Lafayette Gilchrist plays piano in a funky style, while being backed up by a stellar band, especially the horn section. One can hear many diverse influences in his music including: Mingus, Monk, Ellington, and Zappa.



SF Jazz Collective - SF Jazz Collective This is a disk overflowing with artistic talent. Led by artistic director Joshua Redman, the SF Jazz Collective is a group of mostly young jazz lions and one revered "older" lion, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. The young lions include Nicholas Payton, Miguel Zenon, Josh Roseman, Renee Rosnes, Robert Hurst, and Brian Blade. Recorded live, the album is a homage to Ornette Coleman in that it contains three tracks by Coleman and four originals. Jazz is not dead when music of this caliber is still being produced.




Eddie Palmieri - Listen Here! I must have some Latin jazz and there is no better choice than Eddie Palmieri's Listen Here! This album features an all-star cast including John Scofield, Regina Carter, David Sanchez, Michael Brecker, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Brian Lynch, and many others. This album will have you dancing.




Drew Gress - 7 Black Butterflies Drew Gress is one of the best bassist around, but he is an even better composer and the all original tracks on 7 Black Butterflies proves it. Drew's avant garde compositions are a cerebral treat enhanced by the fine musicianship of Tim Berne (alto saxophone); Ralph Alessi (trumpet); Craig Taborn (piano); and Tom Rainey (drums).




Kurt Rosenwinkel - Deep Song There is a multitude of fine musicianship on this record. Joshua Redman on tenor sax, Brad Mehldau on piano (he just had to be on the list somewhere), and of course Kurt Rosenwinkel on electric guitar. Check out the track "Synthetics" for a taste of how great this record is.




Bar Kokhba Sextet - 50th Birthday Celebration, Vol 11 An awesome and unusual recording of John Zorn's Masada project recorded live at NYC's tonic for Zorn's 50th birthday. It features the talents of Marc Ribot on guitar, Mark Feldman on violin, Erik Friedlander on cello, Greg Cohen on bass, Joey Baron on drums, Cyro Baptista on percussion, and John Zorn as conductor. If you are looking for something different, this will surely satisfy.





Joe Lovano - Joyous Encounter As a tenor sax player, I could not pass up this album. Joe Lovano crafts some classic solos while paired with the legendary pianist Hank Jones. If you don't know who Hank Jones is, you should as he comes from one of the greatest jazz families of all time. His brothers, who are now all sadly passed away are Elvin Jones, Coltrane's drummer and Thad Jones, the very talented trumpet player, composer, and arranger. "Autumn in New York" is a truly magical take on a great jazz standard, which shows the interplay between Jones and Lovano at its best.

Now is the time for the plus two. I felt I had to create a special category for historic recordings. There were two standouts this year that I must mention, though I believe they are on everyone's best of list this year.





John Coltrane - One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note This record showcases Coltrane's classic quartet of McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, and Jimmy Garrison at the height of their powers. Recorded in 1965, not long after they had finished A Love Supreme, this album documents the transition of Coltrane style from one based in hard bop to free jazz. This is a must listen for true Coltrane fans.



Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane - At Carnegie Hall I of course saved the best for last, the discovery of lost recordings of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane is equivalent to finding the mythical city of Atlantis. Both musicians were geniuses of jazz, and forever changed the respective music of the piano and saxophone. The recordings were made in 1957, and were lost at the Library of Congress, but were luckily for us discovered earlier this year. There were not many recordings of Coltrane and Monk together, two of the most influential musicians in jazz, so this new find is a particular joy

Song of the Day - December 30, 2005

If there was a theme to much of the music of the past year, I would have to say it has been the retro sound of the 80's. As such it is only fitting that my song of the day carry on that tradition. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness bring back fond memories of Joy Division, Heaven 17, Ultravox, and OMD. Many thanks go to the Negative Creep for turning me on to the band. Their track "According to the Plan" is an absolute killer. If this track was released back in the early 80's, it would have been #1 on NME's charts. This Austin based band have distilled the best of the past and brought us the very essence of the past to be enjoyed in the present. Click here to listen. Happy New Year!

Song of the Day - December 29, 2005

Ok, this is an acquired taste. I happened to discover the Japanese avant garde band the Ruins, while perusing John Zorn's label Tazdik, which specializes in unusual contemporary music and is dedicated to delivering the artists' vision undiluted. This is music straight up, no commercial influences whatsoever. As I prepared to down the undiluted essence of the Ruins, I was definitely pleased on the effect it had on my musical palate, leaving a long aftertaste of Zappa, Yes, and ELP. On their album Symphonica the Ruins have augmented their normal duo of Tatsuya Yoshida and Sasaki Hisashi with a keyboard player and sopranos to create operatic, progressive rock of the highest order. One of my favorite tracks is the opener, "Thebes," which starts out with a threatening mix of keyboards, drums, and operatic shrieking. The song modulates between this threatening sound and a slighter calmer mood, only to progress to more operatic arias and a chaotic spoken word episode that I can only describe as absolute madness. Click here to listen.

Synthesized

Thanks go to Robert of the Radish, as he pointed out the availability of more Human League on Rhapsody. Once I got a listen, I couldn't resist making a playlist, so here's my list of 80's music, heavy on the use of synthesizers. It was great fun putting together; it brought back memories of my brother and I making pilgrimages to Wax Trax on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago to buy many of these records when they were only imports. We used to listen to Steve Albini on Northwestern's radio station, which barely came in, playing cutting edge music and we just had to have it. Click here to listen.

1. Being Boiled - Human League
2. Enola Gay - Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark (OMD)
3. Heaven 17 Hands Up To Heaven - Heaven 17
4. Girls On Film - Duran Duran
5. Chant No. 1 (Don't Need This Pressure On) - Spandau Ballet
6. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
7. Sex Dwarf - Soft Cell
8. Are 'Friends' Electric? - Gary Numan Tubeway Army
9. Breaking Glass - David Bowie
10. Vienna - Ultravox
11. Damned Don't Cry - Visage
12. Poison Arrow - ABC
13. Trans-Europe Express - Kraftwerk
14. Master And Servant - Depeche Mode
15. Pale Shelter - Tears for Fears
16. Quiet Life - Japan
17. Every Day Is Halloween - Ministry
18. Ultraviolence - New Order"

Song of the Day - December 28, 2005

Pit er Pat is a Chicago band with a strong local following. The band consist of three musicians: bassist Rob Doran (a founding member of Alkaline Trio), Fay Davis-Jeffers on keyboards and vocals and drummer Butchy Fuego formerly of Neutral Milk Hotel. They are very talented musicians, Fay trained as a classical pianist and Butchy Fuego contributes intricate drumming patterns that are not seen everyday. However, on their track "Scared Sorry" it is the almost child-like keyboard stylings of Fay Davis-Jeffers, which morph into more sinister sounding chords and arpeggios that I find appealing. Fay's understated vocals are the perfect match, a bigger vocal style would dominant the track and diminish its appeal. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 27, 2005

Oneida is a Brooklyn band who remind me of Yes, Can, and even Foghat. They combine progressive, psychedelic, and blues rock influences, sometimes favoring one style over the other. I am particularly fond of their track "Lavender," which starts out with psychedelic funeral tinged keyboards, only to progress to a spaced out Scottish sounding march. I know it is not bagpipes, but the keyboards are faintly reminiscent of those drone producing pipes. The intro is quite long, before the Yes-like vocals enter. The repetitive nature of the music has an almost hypnotic effect. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 26, 2005

Wintersleep are from Halifax and they specialize in dark, atmospheric music. I suppose you could call it mood music from the melancholy, depressed, sun starved northern climate denizens. They have attained a bit of notoriety, especially in Canada, where they have opened for Pearl Jam. The track "Sore" borrows from Neil Young with its acoustic guitars and mellow feeling, but it is also uniquely Wintersleep. Lead singer Paul Murphy exhibits great emotion by varying the dynamics and intensity of his voice from a barely audible whisper to practically shouted lyrics, which are matched by the rest of the band. Click here to listen.

Covalent Bond's Best "Indie" Albums of 2005

Ok, I know everybody does it, but it's my turn now. Here's my list of the best "indie" albums released in 2005. Of course, some of these releases are more "indie" than others, but I love them all. I didn't want to rank them as it is difficult to pick a favorite. Instead here's my top 10 in no particular order.


Bang Bang Rock And Roll - Art Brut



Employment - Kaiser Chiefs:



Plastic Bag Ambitions - The Hatepinks



For The Season - The Gris Gris



Hazel Eyes, I Will Lead You - Josephine Foster



Jehovah Surrender - The Skygreen Leopards



Fist Fights, Hot Love - The Earaches



Axes - Electrelane



Serena Maneesh - Serena Maneesh



Awesomer - Blood On The Wall

Song of the Day - December 23, 2005

Colin Spring is a great talent, a blend of Americana influenced indie folk. If you listen to him you will detect bits of Dylan, Zevon, and Springsteen. They are some pretty powerful influences, but Colin does them all justice. His album a How I Came to Cry These Tears of Cool is a beautiful album to listen to on a cold night when you are in a contemplative mood, as Colin is a great lyricist. This is an album that is definitely worth repeated listens. One of his best songs is "Life Out on the Fringe," which deals with materialism and other issues, a very poignant song. Click here to listen. Other songs worth checking out include "Joe McCarthy Is Sweeping Off His Grave" and "Rosa,Rosa From Barcelona."

Song of the Day - December 22, 2005

Yesterday I was in Detroit, but the call of London is just too strong, as I must jet over the big pond to hear Test Icicles. In a similar vein as Thunderbirds are Now!, Test Icicles rock in the dance punk arena, but their sound is a little harder with that British twist that I love. The Test Icicles are very popular in England and are sure to gain ground here. The track "All You Need Is Blood," sounds like a hardcore version of Kaiser Chiefs or Art Brut with the screaming, but is tempered by their British accent fueled chorus. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 21, 2005

Wow! This song just makes me to want and get up and dance all over the house. The Thunderbirds are Now! have a great tune in "(Aquatic Cupid's) Harpoons Of Love" with its manic guitars, driving beats, and yes, my favorite, Gang of Four dominant dissonant influences. This is dance music for the new century. This quartet from Detroit manufactures some of the best new dance music around. I think Detroit's influence is shifting from cars back to music, and I am not complaining. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 20, 2005

Trespassers William's Different Stars is music meant for a day of gentle rain showers and lonely walks in the dark of night. Evoking the sound of Mazzy Star and Red House Painters, lead singer Anna-Lynne Williams creates lyrical dreamy vocals that float over the psychedelic space country sounds created by the band. "Lie in the Sound" starts out with a softly strummed acoustic guitar, that is joined by a reverb laden electric model to create that astral country rock sound mentioned earlier. It is hard to believe that Trespassers William hail from California, the land of eternal sunshine and the Beach Boys, yet maybe their music is a reaction to their environment, a revolt so to speak. Whatever it is, I adore their brooding, melancholy sad songs. Click here to listen.

Ode to Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was a guitar god, and the fact that there are so many covers of his songs by other artists just proves the point. The list that I put together is by no means all-inclusive, but I thought it shows the variety of artists Jimi influenced. Gil Evans, the great arranger was to work with Hendrix, but Hendrix passed away before he had the chance. Gil did, however, release an album of Hendrix covers which is very interesting. I included Gil's arrangement of "Voodoo Chile." In addition, you will find two versions of "Purple Haze." One by The Cure and the other by the Kronos Quartet. This song is so influential, I couldn't have just one version. There are quite a few jazz pieces here, including a free jazz version of "Machine Gun" by Peter Brotzmann. I am not sure if Brotzmann based this on Hendrix or not, regardless it is a pretty interesting, if not intense listen. Click here

1. Foxy Lady - Hang On the Box
2. Voodoo Chile - Gil Evans
3. The Wind Cries Mary - Triad
4. Purple Haze - The Cure
5. Hey Joe - The Bevis Frond
6. Third Stone From The Sun - Jaco Pastorius
7. Little Wing - Screaming Headless Torsos
8. Crosstown Traffic (Live) - Red Hot Chili Peppers
9. Are You Experienced - Toadsuck Symphony
10. Room Full Of Mirrors - The Pretenders
11. The Wind Cries Mary - Marc Ribot/Shrek
12. Stone Free - Hugh Cornwell
13. If Six Was Nine - David Garfield
14. Spanish Castle Magic - Fly
15. Machine Gun - Peter Brotzmann
16. Exp - Multiverse
17. Bold As Love - Phish
18. Have You Ever Been To Electric Ladyland? - Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
19. Purple Haze - Kronos Quartet

Song of the Day - December 19, 2005

Sound Directions is the creation of arranger and producer Madlib. It is a riot of acid jazz and funky beats. I absolutely love the track "The Horse" with its great horn chorus and just like last week's Refree, there is a sense of Zappa influenced jazz. I think Refree and Madlib should get together; the results would be awesome! Back to "The Horse," the song transports one back to the early 70's, when funk was king. There also is some great funky organ work too. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 16, 2005

Grown is a San Francisco based band that specializes in a primitive psychedelic sound using an extensive array of instrumentation. The track "Pull Down" has world music influences incorporating the aborigine didgeridoo and whispered menacing lyrics. This particular song reminds me of early Pink Floyd from their Ummagumma period. It is a truly eerie song. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 15, 2005

Charmparticles are a Portland quartet that will make you float away on a cumulus collection of vapor with their ethereal music. They are often compared to My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Ride. The track "Solvent" starts with a relatively uptempo beat and Adam Wayne's vocals, only to be joined by Pamela Rooney for some dream-like harmonies. There are layers of buoyant, swirling guitar work between fellow guitarists Adam Wayne and Sarah FitzGerald. The result is a beautiful, amalgamation of talent, music, and atmosphere. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 14, 2005

I discovered this song, while Rhapsody was down and I was looking at various websites for new music. Refree is a mysterious Spanish gem, especially their latest album La Matrona, because all the songs are in Spanish or Catalan and I can't understand a word. That is immaterial as Refree's work is a gorgeous blend of jazz, folk, and Latin influences. Refree is the work of Raul Fernandez who is sure to reach wider audiences with this work. I especially loved the jazzy Zappa alla Hot Rats influenced track "L'herencia" with its funky bass line and the late 60's psychedelic keyboard stylings. Click here to listen. Other great tracks include the Miles Davis sounding "El Sotano" and "El Cumpleanos" which borrows from another song that I just can't place. If Rhapsody is still down you can listen to the whole album at the La Matrona -Refree website.

Song of the Day - December 13, 2005

I guess I must be fascinated with international influences in music with my visit to China yesterday. I am off to visit Sweeden and Jose Gonzalez who's parents are from Argentina. Now, that is a quite an unusual combination. Jose Gonzales creates music in a quiet acoustic guitar framework reminiscent of Nick Drake, Paul Simon, Jose Feliciano, and Elliot Smith. His album Veneer is a collection of beautiful, subdued, acoustic gems. My favorite track is "Slow Moves" a quiet, brooding piece that reminds me of Paul Simon, with his understated vocals and languid guitar work. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 12, 2005

There's anarchy in the People's Republic of China and the leaders are the riot grrl band Hang on the Box. I can detect a range of influences stretching from Shonen Knife, who they toured with, Le Tigre, and The B-52's. "I'm Not Sexy" is definitely the standout track on their album Foxy Lady. The rawness of their sound combined with their Chinese accents puts a new spin on the girl rock band. I guess we can thank the globalization of the world and Nixon's visit to China for bring us bands like Hang on the Box. It's hard to believe that Nixon would eventually be an instrument to bring rock and roll to China and back again. I just wonder what we will hear next out of China, surely there is a lot of talent waiting to be discovered. Click here to listen.

Tales of Alternating Musical Tastes

Time for an assortment of songs to start this wintry day in Chicago. My musical tastes are constantly alternating to various styles of music that I love. In this mix you will find a wide variety of music from the beautiful, soulful music of Kelli Hanson, to the ever youthful Iggy Pop, a little ska from the Pioneers, and the greatest jazz drummer of them all, Art Blakey. Click here to listen.

1. Blood - Sons and Daughters
2. In Due Time - Kelli Hanson
3. Apparition Of Suns (a.k.a. The Ferryman's Long Arms) - The Skygreen leopards
4. Tattoo - Hang On the Box
5. Girl - Piney Gir
6. Long Shot Kick De Bucket - The Pioneers
7. Can't Stand Me Now - The Libertines
8. Into the Fold - The Fold
9. T.V. Eye - Iggy Pop
10. Selina'S Melodie Fountain - Serena Maneesh
11. Moanin' - Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers
12. Catch A Collapsing Star - Mendoza Line
13. Love Like You Never Burned - Black Bird Stitches
14. Bert's Blues - Donovan
15. Disco #2 - Gram Rabbit
16. The Streets Have Come Alive - Mommy and Daddy
17. Emily Kane - Art Brut
18. Na Na Na Na Naa - Kaiser Chiefs

Song of the Day - December 9, 2005

Laguardia specialize in swirling atmospheric sound. They have been derided for not being original and sounding too much like their influences, but I don't care. I like their music, especially the awesome "Butterfly." Definitely in the shoegazer vein, the track is a beautiful tone poem of orchestral delights, with expertly combined layers of keyboard, vocals, and guitars. The menacing guitar and psychedelic keyboard touches at the end of the song are just icing on the cake. I find it hard to believe I have not heard this song before, since it was released in 2003. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 8, 2005

Electroputas is the direct result of the unique environment that is NYC. This trio is the urban stew of two Japanese and one Hungarian band member who have a love for obscure, strange, and unusual music. Their influences are many from noise rock, krautrock, psychedelic, to avant-garde. I personally feel that they remind me of Deerhoof if they were raised in Japan. On their album 3, I loved the track "AA." This track is a funky piece of noise rock that just eats away at your brain, eventually taking up permanent residence. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 7, 2005

Blood on the Wall have been receiving much critical praise for their latest release Awesomer, which I must say deserves the attention. This album is a mixture of influences and sounds with Pavement, The Pixies, Gang of Four, and even The Velvet Underground adding their mark. Blood on the Wall is the brother and sister team of Brad and Courtney Shanks on lead vocals and guitars plus Miggy Littleton on drums. The standout tracks are many, but if I had to pick a single track for the song of the day, it would be Mary Susan. Brad Shanks has a vocal style that reminds me of Jack White transformed into a singing goat, a modern day satyr. Now, I know that sounds weird, but it works. It works really well. This track is probably the most accessible of all the tracks on the album and reminds me somewhat of Weezer mixed with Nirvana. Other great tracks include "Can You Hear Me" and "Right to Lite Tonight" both of which are heavily influenced by Gang of Four. "I'd Like to Take You Out Tonight" reminds me of Nico and The Velvet Underground. This is a great record and sure to make many of the best of year lists. If you happen to be in Chicago, catch their show at The Empty Bottle tomorrow.

Song of the Day - December 6, 2005

The Frausdots channel The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, and New Order in their songs, which are very appealing to me given the 80's influences. Their track "Dead Wrong" even has 70's influences in that they quote the lyrics from America's "Horse with No Name." The influence is only in the lyrics as this track particularly reminds me of New Order with its use of synthesizers and the structure of the song which alternates between relatively soft passages and much louder, more fully instrumented passages. I almost feel as if I am going back in time when I close my eyes and listen to this tune, which is definitely one of the best on their album Couture, Couture, Couture. Click here to be transported.

Song of the Day - December 5, 2005

The Earlies' album, These Were The Earlies, is definitely worth a listen. This conglomeration of Texas and English musicians craft beautiful music that is in the vein of The Beatles, Beach Boys, Mercury Rev, and Pink Floyd. I know that covers many styles, but when you listen to the album, I believe you will get a sense of what I mean with their use of harmony, expansive sound, psychedelic influences, and the overall flow of their album. My song of the day is "Wayward Song." This track reminds me of Sgt. Pepper era Beatles and the Beach Boys with its gentle harmonies. I love the use of strings and clarinet, juxtaposed to the more psychedelic leanings of the song. Click here to listen. Other outstanding tracks include the somber "One Of Us Is Dead" with its excellent use of horns and "The Devil's Country" with its multiple transitions of moods and wicked sax solo.

Song of the Day - December 2, 2005

Even though I am not Scottish, I do have this fascination with Scotland especially their single malts and music. Well, when I heard The Real McKenzies I was happy to see that someone had combined bagpipes and punk rock. I had to continue my Scottish experience, so I drank the last of my Ardbeg 17 year old single malt. The Ardbeg is a fine Islay malt, a peat monster as they say. As I sipped this malt from times past, I enjoyed the current release from The Real McKenzies. One of the best tracks is "Pour Decisions," an excellent combination of bagpipes and electric guitar. Click here to listen.

Song of the Day - December 1, 2005

I love the sound of the guitars on the Gliss track "Peeping Tom." Yes, here I go with the Gang of Four influences, but they are clearly present, and I just can't get enough of the dissonance and distortion. I also detect a smidgen of Smashing Pumpkin in their music, which I guess is no surprise given that they toured with Billy Corgan this past summer. The Gang of Four and The Smashing Pumpkins are a great combination of influences, give Gliss a try. Click here to listen.

November's Songs of the Day

November started off with a bang and three great finds: the Skygreen Leopards' Jehovah Surrender, The Gris Gris' For the Season, and The Earaches Fist Fights, Hot Love. All three albums are full of great songs. In addition, I had a fascination with music from merry old England with the likes of The Rakes, The Black Madonnas, Comet Gain, and a few others. Please enjoy the sounds of November. Click here to listen.

1. Julie-Anne, Patron Of Thieves - The Skygreen leopards
2. Cuerpos Haran Amor Extrano - The Gris Gris
3. I Used To Be A Loser - The Earaches
4. La Nature - We Are Wolves
5. Farms + Arms - Amsterdam
6. What I Say And What I Mean - The Like
7. It's A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl - Faust
8. It's The Wine - Pattern is Movement
9. Dark Clouds - The Rakes
10. Dirty River - The Black Madonnas
11. Why I Try To Look So Bad - Comet Gain
12. Circus - The Sights
13. From Here To Somewhere Else - Songs Of Green Pheasant
14. Pop Codeine - Clorox Girls
15. There Will Be Violins - The Sharp Things
16. The Commander Thinks Aloud - The Long Winters
17. Ode To The Sun - Dredg
18. Sapphire Eyes - Serena Maneesh
19. Ramblers Ghost - Mischief Brew
20. Golden Boy (Torture In The Shed) - Mendoza Line
21. Santeria Queen - Hex
22. The Old World - The Old Haunts