Albums you like from 2023

[Jwb]

Anyone heard the latest Nas album? KD3?

@Toy Revolver @Janszoon @SGR @Jwb

Looks like it's a masterpiece. Going though it now and the rapping is top notch (though it's Nas so that's a given) and the production is incredible imo.

Fair play to him putting something like this out 30 years in. Seems like his last three albums he's been in the best form of his career.

no i haven't.  I'm out of the loop my friend.  First I'm even hearing about it.  I don't even listen to much music at all these days. I'll check it out though.

[Psy-Fi]

Maya Ongaku - Approach to Anima (2023)



The debut album from 'Maya Ongaku' out of Fujisawa, Japan. Mellow psychedelic folk music at its finest. A top-notch debut album from the band.

Hailing from the seaside communities surrounding Enoshima, a small island located 50 km southwest of Tokyo, maya ongaku is a ragtag collective of local musicians whose brand of earthy psychedelia transcends widely beyond the roots of their inner souls. The name derives not from any kind of ancient civilization, but rather a neologism defined as the imagined view outside one's field of vision. The band—currently a trio of Tsutomu Sonoda, Ryota Takano, and Shoei Ikeda—finds sanctuary at the Ace General Store, a beachy vintage shop and salon-like space just hidden from sight from the bustling, touristy riverside Subana Street. Between discussions on music and art, curating the vinyl section and manning the register, and chatting up with locals young and old, the members find time to jam and record their spontaneous ideas in the studio tucked away in the back. It's in this unlikely setting where maya ongaku finds its origins, the culmination of what Sonoda describes as 自然発生 (shizen hassei), meaning spontaneous generation, or the supposed production of living organisms from nonliving matter.

[DJChameleon]

Aminé and Kaytranada have revealed the tracklist and new release date for their debut Kaytraminé album. The self-titled album is out May 19 and includes guest spots from Big Sean, Amaarae, Snoop Dogg, and Freddie Gibbs, as well as Pharrell Williams, who's on the project's lead single, "4eva."

I love this album. It's getting heavy replay from me and my partner.

I also slot the new Deante Hitchcock project(Once Upon a Time) in between listens.

[Lexi of the Dawn]

I've been really digging the new 100 Gecs album. It's modern sounding bonkers electro-rock but it also has a lot of throwbacks to the nu-metal and emo music I grew up with. It's in a weirdly perfect nexus of 2000 Mrs. Waffles and 2023 Mrs. Waffles and I love that. One of the band members is a trans woman, and we love to see the trans homies succeed. They came to my city recently and I'm gutted that I missed them. Being off social media has its downsides sometimes.

[Toy Revolver]

I've been really digging the new 100 Gecs album. It's modern sounding bonkers electro-rock but it also has a lot of throwbacks to the nu-metal and emo music I grew up with. It's in a weirdly perfect nexus of 2000 Mrs. Waffles and 2023 Mrs. Waffles and I love that. One of the band members is a trans woman, and we love to see the trans homies succeed. They came to my city recently and I'm gutted that I missed them. Being off social media has its downsides sometimes.

that's encouraging

i didn't expect consistency out of them even though that truck song is one of best in recent times

[Lexi of the Dawn]

that's encouraging

i didn't expect consistency out of them even though that truck song is one of best in recent times

The new album is pretty different from the first. Their wacky zany sense of humor and genre mashing is still there, but there's a lot more rock this time around, more guitars, lots of real drums, there's a very obvious and hilarious nod to Limp Bizkit esque nu-metal on one track, complete with turntable scrizzity scratches. It's incredible, but I think it is so for pretty different reasons than their first album, though I loved that as well.

[jimmy jazz]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Kingdom

New Bob Dylan album out today.

[Psy-Fi]

House of Leather - The Blackwood Apology (1969)

Recent 2023 reissue from the Sundazed record label. First ever vinyl re-release of this somewhat obscure psych-rock album from 1969. Fairly good all the way through and has a couple of standout tracks but nothing mind-blowing going on.

Combining soft sunshine-pop harmonies with complex, acid-tinged arrangements, this '69 concept album features the work of ex-Gestures member Dale Menten! The-album-turned-rock-opera became a huge hit, full of ethereal ballads, mind-bending solos and enough hammond organ that'll leave your head spinning!

"One day, the Castaways approached me and asked if I'd like to do an album with them." Both Minnesota natives, Dale knew of the Castaways from his days with the Gestures, and remained friends even after the Gestures disbanded. "They asked to see the songs I had been working on, so I showed them 'House Of Leather.' Among the other songs they chose, they wanted to do that one as well. House Of Leather just seemed to flow out of me, I wrote it for me; I had no interest in recording it."

After assembling the band, Menten turned the concept album into a stage show! "It sold out every night," Menten recalls, "It was truly an incredible experience."

Now, over 50 years since its release, Blackwood Apology's House Of Leather sees the light of day once again!

[jimmy jazz]

@Janszoon did you know Godflesh have a new album out today?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purge_(Godflesh_album)

[Janszoon]

@Janszoon did you know Godflesh have a new album out today?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purge_(Godflesh_album)

I knew they had one coming out but I didn't know it was today.

[DJChameleon]

Anyone heard the latest Nas album? KD3?

@Toy Revolver @Janszoon @SGR @Jwb

Looks like it's a masterpiece. Going though it now and the rapping is top notch (though it's Nas so that's a given) and the production is incredible imo.

Fair play to him putting something like this out 30 years in. Seems like his last three albums he's been in the best form of his career.

Yeah I gave it a few spins when it was first released and I enjoyed it. Nas is in rare form for being 30 years in the game. I'm even more hyped to see him this September live.

[Psy-Fi]

Sun Ra & His Arkestra - Jazz in Silhouette (Expanded Edition) (2023)

"In tomorrow's world, men will not need artificial instruments such as jets and space ships. In the world of tomorrow, the new man will 'think' the place he wants to go, then his mind will take him there."
— Sun Ra, Jazz in Silhouette album notes (1959)

Jazz in Silhouette is the quintessential record of Sun Ra's Chicago period during the late 1950s. Recorded in 1958 and issued in 1959, the album—Ra's third—offers a coda for the bandleader's bebop/hard-bop periods, as his interstellar traveler persona began to vividly evolve at the close of the decade. Sunny's compositions here reflect his talent for writing memorable works in the jazz idiom, even as arrangements like "Ancient Aiethopia" point to new directions in amalgamated primitive-futurism. After Ra moved to New York in 1961, he began to explore musical terrain away from jazz conventions. Yet Jazz in Silhouette is resplendent with adventure.

Many of these early works, including "Images," "Enlightment," and "Saturn," would remain staples in Arkestra set lists for the rest of Sunny's life. These recordings showcase the brilliant tenor sax stylings of John Gilmore and introduce the iconic playing of Marshall Allen and Pat Patrick; all three would remain with Ra for decades (as would bassist Ronnie Boykins). On the extended "Blues At Midnight," each horn soloist stretches out as in a live club performance. Here, Sun Ra and the band radiate the period's Chicago jazz sound, with lilting melodies, intertwining chords, and surprising dynamic shifts.

This expanded edition, issued in vinyl, CD and digital formats, features additional material from the 1958 sessions, along with non-album bonus tracks from the period, some never-before issued, as well as rare stereo mixes. The CD and digital editions feature the full original album in the widely known monophonic mix. The eight album tracks are followed by four bonus tracks, "State Street" "Blues From Saturn," the single version of "Hours After," and another single, "Great Balls of Fire"; all are in mono.

The rest of the deluxe edition—call it Part 2—is in stereo, starting with the album Sound Sun Pleasure (which includes the stereo mix of "Enlightment," a title that appeared in mono on Jazz in Silhouette). This short collection wasn't issued on Saturn until 1970, but the works originated at the same Chicago recording sessions as Jazz in Silhouette. Two tracks feature the sultry vocal stylings of Hattie Randolph, sister of early Arkestra trumpeter Lucious Randolph. The rest of Part 2 features the premiere LP/CD release of five Jazz in Silhouette album tracks in full stereo. Every prior edition of the album had been monophonic. A stereo session tape was discovered by Michael D. Anderson of the Sun Ra Music Archive; five tracks were salvaged (although one is incomplete). The album's second stereo reel, unfortunately, cannot be located.

[NOTE: The 2-LP expanded vinyl edition does not include the full original mono album. Because of time limitations on each side, the four full stereo mixes were substituted for the mono versions; however, the track sequence has been preserved. The CD and vinyl editions also include a lengthy historical essay by Ra scholar John Corbett and additional illustrations.]

This deluxe package also features the original space nymph cover art, which only appeared in cropped and washed-out reproductions on Saturn releases. John Corbett found and preserved the original painting by an artist identified only as "Evans." The colors are more vibrant, and the expanded edition gatefold LP presents previously omitted artwork at the periphery of the untitled painting.

Finally, all formats of this expanded edition restore the track sequence of the earliest Saturn versions of Jazz in Silhouette; every subsequent reissue has reversed the original sides A and B.

—I.C.

[Psy-Fi]

Mitchum Yacoub - Living High in the Brass Empire (2023)

Excellent debut album from Mitchum Yacoub of 'The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble' out of San Diego, CA. Mostly instrumental tunes with a couple of vocal numbers in the mix. A good listen from start to finish.

It is with great pleasure that we announce Mitchum Yacoub's debut album " Living High in the Brass Empire"— a showcase in unique stylings of tropical funk, afrobeat, cumbia, and soul; a musical patchwork threaded by a heavy, hypnotic rhythm section and powerfully vibrant horn lines. What sounds like a 12-piece ensemble was actually mostly recorded and performed by Yacoub at his home in San Diego, featuring a few close friends from local groups Sure Fire Soul Ensemble and Boostive. The horn section is comprised of Travis Klein, Bradley Nash, and Wesley Etienne (featuring Todd Simon on "Los Muñequitos"), each with distinguished performances that send the music to higher heights. Nuanced vocalist Divina Jasso lends humanity and introspection throughout the head-nodding soul sounds of "Never Knew", Latin dance anthem "Cumbia Divina", and the syncopated funk of "Empire". You'll hear rhythms from Colombia, folkloric percussion of Cuba, interlocking grooves à la Fela Kuti, 70's r&b influence, and something in between it all. Drawing many inspirations into a refreshing and unified record, we think you'll enjoy Living High in the Brass Empire.

[Janszoon]

Debby Friday—Good Luck

I heard one of the songs from this album in the credits of a show I'm watching, so I checked it out, and it turns out the album is pretty great. It's 80s-ish electronica that's catchy, bassy, kind of raw, and solid from end to end.

[Psy-Fi]

Various Artists - Surfin' The Great Lakes: Kay Bank Studio Surf Sides of the 1960s (2023)

Outtasite surf & garage sounds from landlocked America!

This compilation of unreleased & rare tracks from the Twin Cities' Kay Bank Studios features 16 rip rollin' cuts of some of the best surf and garage rock Kay Bank had to offer. Features The Trashmen, The Vaqueros, and more!

Kay Bank Recordings in Minneapolis was certainly one of these historic studios. It was named after the wife of owner Vernon Bank. Although he had been involved in the recording business since the late 1940s, Bank's recording studio operation got underway in 1957 when he moved into a building that was large enough to also establish a pressing plant. The studio provided a 3-track Ampex recorder, a 12-input recording console, and a live echo chamber.

According to a 1958 article in the Minneapolis Star newspaper, Kay Bank was pressing 60,000 records each week, and Vernon Bank claimed that his studio provided the most complete facility of any other studio "between Pennsylvania and California." The sign above the building's entrance stated, "A Complete Recording Service From Master Tape to Pressed Record."

Sundazed Music recently acquired a large archive of the existing Kay Bank master tapes. Some of the surf, and related, recordings in that archive are included in this compilation, all recorded between June 1964 and August 1966- at a time when the British Invasion was ravaging the sales charts.