Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River (1969)

Everytime I listen to Creedence, and especially this album, I hate the fact I don't own a pick-up truck where in I can listen to this album. This is pretty red-neckish, but Creedence is just the most bad-ass band around. They are so tough, so god damn cool, it's unreal. John Fogerty's voice sounds like the bayou, it sounds like a swamp, it even sounds like the orange car the Dukes of Hazard drove in.

And I have the feeling they haven't even got a clue how good these songs are. The lyrics in Sinister Purpose and Green River for example are far above par if you compare them to a lot of other bands in the genre. I have a serious soft spot for this band and the songs are too catchy to ignore. And just like the Dude in The Big Lebowski: I OWN THIS ON CASSETTE. and vinyl.

sinister purpose
192kbps

Pierre Henry - Variations Pour une Porte et un Soupir (1970)

What I just want to say is this: what I'm giving you here is not actual 'music' as we know it. It's not a record by boys who hold guitars, nor does it contain melodies produced by common instruments. Keep that in mind when you listen to this. This is an experimental piece by one of the founders of musique concrète. Present are noisy, cracking doors: sounds that are usually just background noises in our environment. The album title means: Variations for a door and a sigh.

I guess most people know the term musique concrète from the Beatles 'Revolution 9'. That could be a good reference point to decide if you want to hear this. What I know for sure is that it will be a great experience for everyone who hears this, so please give it a chance.

balancement
VBR

Built To Spill - Perfect From Now On (1997)

I saw Built To Spill last year, performing this album live in Amsterdam and doing an epic Neil Young cover as an encore. That night in October '08 was probably the night I saw the best concert by an indie-band. This album is as epic as American indie can get. It has the layers of guitar, the great lyrics and Doug Martsch, who can great beautiful songs.

The opening song Randy Described Eternity is one of my favourite songs and it means a lot to me. By the way, I really should compile a list of 100 most special songs for myself, because I often refer to songs as 'one of my favourite songs ever'. Anyway: that's for later. This is for now. I'm gonna be perfect from now on.

made-up dreams
VBR

Tommy Johnson - Complete Recorded Works (1928-1929) (1994)

Tommy Johnson sold his soul to the devil, and this is what he got. He wasn't the best of guitar players, he wasn't the best singers, he didn't make the best tunes, but his eerie falsetto voice and his complicated guitar licks make this Complete Recordings very worthwhile. The Tommy Johnson in O Brother, Where Art Thou? is based on this Tommy Johnson and not on the more famous Robert Johnson as a lot of people think.

Canned Heat took their name and their most famous song from Tommy Johnson and Bonnie Raitt paid for a headstone on his grave, so his influence in music is not to be underestimated. Enjoy this very raw, early document of recorded Delta blues.

cool drink of water blues
VBR

Fabrizio De André - Non Al Denaro Non All'amore Né Al Cielo (1971)

The strange thing with Fabrizio De André is, that he made a dozen of unmissable albums. That he's among the best singer/songwriters of his generation, that he's one of the most famous singers of Italy, but that few of us have heard of him.

What he sings sounds beautiful, but what he sings is unknown to me, because it's in Italian. But don't let that bring you down and enjoy the atmosphere of this album. Sometimes there are little hints of little Italian villages in August, of Nino Rota, of eating olives on a wooden bench in Toscane. I admit that had he come from Birmingham I probably wouldn't have bothered, but it's the exotic thing that makes it sound really fresh.

un medico
VBR

The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace (1985)

First of all: I don't see The Fall as a (post-)punk band. They were a post-punk band for awhile I guess, but they're far too diverse too be called post-punk. Take this album for instance, which is basically a poppy version of Krautrock (read: Can). The song I Am Damo Suzuki is so incredibly powerful, not only for it's krautrock references. John Peel's favourite band ever by the way.

I took the bonus tracks out of this, because some idiots at the record company thought it was clever to put bonus tracks in the middle of the cd version. And as I hate bonus tracks, I didn't let it happen.

i am damo suzuki
192kbps

MF DOOM - Mm.. Food (2004)

Even if you hate hip-hop, listen to this album and put away your preconceptions for awhile. Most of these samples and beats and lyrics go far, far beyond the hip-hop most people are used to. MF DOOM is my favourite rapper and he produces everything on this album himself.

The samples are from another planet. Just so, so good. Perfectly chosen, perfectly flowing, completely flawless. Only J Dilla tops this for me if we're talking about production technique in the noughties. It really annoys me how much people don't even give hip-hop a chance. So for these people there's this album. It just can't. go. wrong.

deep fried frenz
VBR

Lightnin' Hopkins - Lightnin' Hopkins (1959)

At the moment, this is my favourite acoustic blues album. Lightnin' Hopkins has it all. He has the elderly statesman status here, he can play, he can sing, he has the tunes, and he even played with Blind Lemon Jefferson when he was 8. He tells a great story about Blind Lemon on this album and there are 9 other songs present. The story goes this album was recorded by a rather drunk Hopkins in a hotel room.

Just pure greatness. This came out on Folkways Recordings, one of the coolest labels for underground music ever. This reminds me that I have to find out more about a lot of releases that came out on Folkways. Enjoy.

see that my grave is kept clean
VBR

Big Bill Broonzy - Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs (1962)

If you want to be introduced to American blues, this could be a good place to start. To understand the blues from the first half of the previous century, you have to dig deep into the well of Afro-American music. It took me a great while to get a proper picture about the scene, the most important players, but when I finally got into the blues, it totally opened my eyes.

It's hard to explain the power of the blues, but what's most important is that people often forget what blues means. Blues is not Eric Clapton jerking off over his electric guitar. Blues is an old negro (excuse me for the word, but that's how they were called) in his 60s singing into a can with his dobro on his lap. That's it, and dig it! About the album: just very accessible, lovely songs, swinging as hell, can't go wrong.

goin' down this road
VBR

Hamza El Din - Escalay: The Water Wheel (1971)

If this album doesn't blow your mind, than I wonder what will. It certainly blew my mind the first time I heard it. I was unaware of the status of Hamza El Din, but stumbled across this album that contains three songs. One 20-minute song, and two shorter ones. I don't know much about this sort of music. It's from Egypt, he plays on an instrument called Oud, which is the primary instrument in the Middle East.

Just listen to this sacred sounding ethnic album of world class. The copy I'm giving you is of mint quality, and it's best to listen to this on a very late night with the lights out. I did it last night and the impact was devastating. There's a sort of holiness over this album and the way he sings. When I listen to it, I always have the feeling something magical is happening.

song with tar
320kbps

Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded (1987)

When I think about standard old school hip-hop, I think about Boogie Down Productions. Scott La Rock, KRS-One and D-Nice were Boogie Down Productions during the making of this album. Later that year, Scott La Rock got killed in a tragic accident to defuse a quarrel that D-Nice got into with another gang.

Back to the music. As KRS-One raps on this album, Criminal Minded is not singing over a drumroll. This is where hip-hop got serious. Fantastic 80s beats and a lot of catchy and funny samples. True rap history this album, so check it out.

9mm goes bang
VBR

Sooliman E. Rogie - Dead Men Don't Smoke Marijuana (1994)

I'd like to start with the unfortunate album title. Sooliman E. Rogie passed away in the same year this album came out, his international debut. Sad story. So the music's what's left. Very carefree, very relaxing, this acoustic palm wine album delivers! The first song sets the scene: a few musicians jamming under the setting sun of Sierra Leone. I love to day-dream about the recording sessions of this album.

This is a just a very cute and listenable album, not as rough and dusty as the most West-African music I own, and also not as traditional, because of the obvious Western influence on the music on the album. And that cover, just look at him smiling. I think he's saying: "I made this album for you all, and that makes me really happy".

koneh pelawoe
160kbps

Nathan Fake - Drowning In A Sea Of Love (2006)

There is something special between me and this album. A classmate of me (called Pascal Terstappen, he releases music under the alias Applescal, check him out!) recommended this album because I needed to hear a bit more IDM that combines all the sound collaging with still making compact, poppy songs. Nathan Fake hit the fucking nail on the head.

It is exactly what I said it to be: it's IDM (which is great, but there's enough of it), but with a very straight ahead pop-feeling to it. Like Daft Punk being a bit more IDM, and being a bit less guitar solos and off course without the vocals. Ok, that was not a fortunate comparison, but who cares.

charlie's house
VBR

Boxcutter - Oneiric (2006)

I think it was time for some electronic music by now. The last I posted on the electro-front was by Venetian Snares and people downloaded it a lot, so let's go. I'm starting with this album by Boxcutter who I listened to a lot in 2007 and saw live in 2008 in a little club in Venlo of all places. Boxcutter is one of the most talented guys in dubstep I came across so far. He creates music that's much richer than a lot of the dubstep I stumble upon.

It combines subtle electronica with angry drum 'n bass and the album can be very confronting and sad and positive at the same time. I have to be really in the mood for this album, but I can feel myself slipping into a dubstep-period right now. So here we go. . .

silver birch solstice
VBR

Harry Taussig - Fate Is Only Once (1965)

Back to basics with this album. A lovely fingerpicking album by the totally forgotten Harry Taussig. The music of Taussig sounds a lot like John Fahey and when I found out about this guy, I was very glad that I finally found a musician from the same era like John Fahey.

There's a great Elizabeth Cotten cover on this album; it's the longest song on the album and it shows how technically skilled Taussig was. It may not always sound as difficult as Fahey, but listen to Sugar Babe and you know what I'm talking about.

that'll never happen no more
VBR

Caetano Veloso - Caetano Veloso (1969)

I left you all last Sunday with Gilberto Gil, a great tropicália singer. Today (on Sunday again: good day for Brazilian music), I present Caetano Veloso to everyone. Caetano Veloso is one of the most famous singers from Brazil and his string of albums from the late 60/early 70s are among the best set of albums released by an artist.

This album has a weird Beatlesque quality and it reminds me sometimes of The White Album, because of the very different songs on the album. Caetano Veloso may be Brazil's most famous singer, but that doesn't make him boring: the music still sounds so fresh (even fresher than The Beatles in my opinion).

the empty boat
320kbps

The Middle Class - Out Of Vogue (1978)

It is often debated if Middle Class was the first ever hardcore band, but it really doesn't matter. Fact is that this release was their first and one of the very first examples of hardcore punk. You can clearly hear the difference between punk and hardcore and the difference was made on this very short EP. I love the cover so much and it's one of my favourite album covers. You can see the total desperation of the youth growing up in suburbia with Carter and Nixon as their president.

Out Of Vogue is a classic hardcore punk song and Middle Class were very important in the shaping of hardcore. They gave Black Flag and Minutemen their first gig in a church in Hermosa Beach. (correct me if I'm wrong).

out of vogue
192kbps

X - Los Angeles (1980)

A good solid punk-rock album, which solidifies my opinion on American bands being cooler than British bands. This is just a good punk album, and it has all the ingredients of typical British punk, but still there's this little extra bit that X could add to their records. I really love this record, because of the psychobilly influences and the straight-forward attitude that makes it almost hardcore, but not quite.

X (especially vocalist and bassist John Doe) was an important figure in the definitive creation of hardcore on the East coast. There's a very cool Doors cover on this album and the album was produced by the keyboardist of the Doors, Ray Manzarek. Oh, and the song Nausea is lovely.

your phone's off the hook, but you're not
192kbps

Augustus Pablo - East Of The River Nile (1977)

Let us continue today with reggae, because I have the feeling people don't own enough reggae. And that's sad, because reggae is fantastic, underrated, mood music that if you want to enjoy it, never fails to impress. This album is definitely for those rare moments, on a Friday afternoon, the week just ended, you have some spare time. Put this album on your speakers and just slide into your weekend.

East of the River Nile is completely instrumental by the way and heavy on the bass, but still a very easy listen. A very essential dub album to hear every once in a while. Like on this particular Friday afternoon.

east of the river nile
192kbps

Culture - Two Sevens Clash (1977)

This is my favourite ever reggae album. I have these phases constantly, and once I had a reggae phase which only lasted for two weeks and then I went into a free jazz or a prog-rock or a krautrock or a hip-hop phase I guess. But in these two weeks at least one full day I listened to this album and I often come back to it ever since.

Not much to tell about it: plain good reggae, as everybody knows it. The ten songs are all so damn catchy it's incredible that Bob Marley got famous and these guys didn't. Ultimate winter music for me, because I can totally sink away in this album when everything get's a bit too depressive.

i'm alone in the wilderness
VBR

Curtis Mayfield - Curtis (1970)

The only thing I could with this album, was post it. I have been listening to this non-stop for over a week now. Incredible album by the very sympathetic Curtis Mayfield, whose political message from the 70s is a lot more up-to-date than the hippie-talk of the late-60s. Curtis Mayfield was a typical black artist for black America in the early 70s and his live performances were often contributed by a lot of black propaganda talk and Nixon-critique.

The first song I love the most, "if there's a hell below, where all gonna go''. Very simple, but effective message. Move On Up is also so funky that it's hard to stay from dancing, even for a whity as I am. Check. This. Out.

we the people who are darker than blue
320kbps

Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel III (1980)

Peter Gabriel is one of the very few for me. He is a singer who is totally mainstream, makes music for the masses, but who I'm still in love with. He is one of the lucky bastards who can make the large audience like experimental stuff. His voice is one of the best and heartbreaking voices of our era and he was the lead-singer of Genesis when Genesis was still good.

If I had to choose one album by Peter Gabriel, which defines his work, I'd choose this one. This album has the songs, the unique production style and that voice. Great album, with some of my favourite popsongs.

and through the wire
192kbps

Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss (1993)

I went to a theatre performance today, because I work there and get paid to see shows, which is great, but not what I was trying to say. What I'm trying to say is that I went to a performance today and the performance totally fucked me up. Mentally and physically. Physically because all the stroboscope-stuff made my head spin and mentally because it was so incredible heavy (the show consisted of darkness for at least 70% of the time). It was just so hard to bear, and difficult to watch. While looking at it, I had to think about Burzum all the time.

Which is funny, because if there is an artist who you can easily describe as dark, it's Burzum. That's probably because Burzum is in fact a guy who killed a band member, spend years in jail and made albums there. Those albums aren't quite made for the sunny side of the earth. These albums are pitch-black. Hard stuff, but enjoy it anyway! He made this album before he went to jail for murder and arsony by the way.

if the light takes us
320kbps

Brian Eno - Before And After Science (1977)

I'd like to start by placing a bold statement: I like this album a lot more than practically everything by the Talking Heads. Brian Eno produced the best works of the Talking Heads, but in my opinion his studio techniques really come together on this album. (and off course on the even better Another Green World, posted last week.)

This album is funkier than Another Green World though. The choruses are real singalongs, and there are not too many ambient pieces around. Still this is a great Eno album: as experimental and inventing as he may be, he still is able to create the most pleasant popsongs. And that's an interesting feat, as there are not many artists who can create great popsongs and still be cool as f%$#.

spider and i
192kbps

Magma - Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh (1973)

Let me just say this about Magma. The band was founded by drummer Christian Vander, who created a language called Kobaïan, to overcome the language barrier between him and the majority of prog-listeners. With the creation of this language, Magma started a new genre called Zeuhl (which means celestial in Kobaïan) and it has a lot in common with Rock-in-opposition and progressive rock. I once read this really cool anecdote about this album:

"I knew one Magma fan IRL. I had to take an art class this semester to fulfill a general education requirement, but the room was full of fulltime art majors, AKA weirdos. Christ on a crutch though, this kid took the cake. He wore a (rather-expensive looking) peacoat all the time that held shut with safety pins and industrial staples. For pants he sported plaid knickers: the kind of stuff you'd expect a golfer to wear. Of course, these went great with his SS boots, which had spurs on them until the university decided that was a safety code violation. He spent entire class periods in the back of the room giggling to himself and leering at girls out of one eye (the other one being covered by his hair) and he never seemed to take his earbuds out. Needless to say, even the other art weirdos were creeped the fuck out by this guy.

Anyway, because I'm a nice guy and because I love music, I decided to ask him what he was listening to one day. His eye shifted away from the girl wearing the bandanna and glared right at me with intensity unmatched. Then he sniveled and said "Magma. You probably haven't heard of them." I did know who they were at the time, but I decided not to pursue the conversation further. I turned back to my project while he started mumbling to himself in some strange language. I'm not sure if that counts as "hipster," but there's your typical Magma fan right there. Because of that crazy fucker, I'm never listening to this band."

kreühn köhrmahn iss de hündïn
256kbps

Milford Graves - Percussion Ensemble (1965)

Milford Graves is a drummer from New York who drums on a home-made drum kit and rarely performs outside of his neighbourhood. This 1965 album is highly controversial in jazz circles, because of its extremely experimental character. Jazz is often experimental, but usually with a lot of instruments. This album is just Milford Graves hitting his self-made drums.

And he does it with style, because this is one of my favourite free jazz recordings, it sounds like nothing else you'll ever hear and it is highly original and very free. He did a magnificent album with Don Pullen which I will also post on this blog, but I chose this one, because I experienced it is very hard to find on the net. Must-hear.

And: for the people who downloaded the Bo Diddley record yesterday: the link is fixed now.

nothing
192kbps

Arthur Doyle - Alabama Feeling (1978)

I think most people don't realise that jazz can be this far out. Avant-garde jazz, as we know it from Coltrane and Miles Davis is nothing compared to stuff like this. This is where it get's called Free Jazz. This album is the only album Arthur Doyle released before the 1993 More Alabama Feeling came out. He hooked up with no-wave guitarist Rudolph Grey for this one and recorded a lovely, furious, lo-fi free jazz album.

In the vein of Machine Gun (my first introduction to real free jazz from another planet), this is not meant as an introduction in jazz or anything. This is hardcore stuff and if you want to get used to the genre in a gentle way: don't dare to download this.

mother image, father image
192kbps

Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley (1958)

If you want to know when blues got transferred into rock 'n roll, you should listen to this album. Bo Diddley was so far ahead of his time and his fellow musicians, so this album still sounds really fresh and cool. Almost all these songs got reworked and made famous years later by great bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The founding father of rock 'n roll, as Bo Diddley is often called, never made it big though. All the big blues-rock bands from England in the late 60's just took the best parts of his music and created an even more accessible music-form we now know as the British Invasion.

diddey wah diddey
256kbps

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Blacknuss (1972)

This is one of the lesser known albums by the late and the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Kirk had the amazing ability to play several instruments simultaneously, and therefore he was seen as some kind of novelty back in his day. A big revival of his work came in the 21th century when people became aware of his legacy.

On this album he often 'sings' through his horns and sometimes you can hear him actually speak words before the tones come out of the horn. Very bizarre phenomenon, but a great jazz-artist. This album consists of instrumental interpretations of mostly soul-classics. A real treat.

which way is it going
VBR

Sun City Girls - Torch Of The Mystics (1990)

Sun City Girls are a hard band to start with. Their catalogue consists of a few dozen studio albums, about 50 cassette-releases, a lot of 7 inches, and what else. Torch Of The Mystics is probably the only right place to start with. It is their most accessible record, it is not as lengthy as some others (only 38 minutes long), so a good introduction for everyone who was afraid to begin with this fantastic band.

What is present on this album are the usual SCG-ingredients: experimental music, combined with a punk mentality, plus a lot of ethnic world music influences. Underrated band with a dedicated fanbase, and a catalogue that'll take a lifetime to explore.

esoterica of abyssinia
192kbps

Lipps Inc.- Mouth To Mouth (1980)

We all know the song Funkytown. It's one of the most essential disco songs from the late 70s and early 80s. Therefore this album is worth a spin. That doesn't make this album a classic, it definitely isn't. It's just a fun listen once in a while, and it takes just 29 minutes to listen to it. So, if you're feeling funny, just put on this record and enjoy it as a real guilty pleasure.

Most of this album is too repetitive for disco-music for my liking, but as I said, Funkytown is an absolute tune and will do good on parties.

mouth to mouth
320kbps

Lee Hazlewood - Cowboy In Sweden (1970)

If I had to choose an album that represents myself the most, I'd probably choose this pretty soon. I don't know what it is, maybe I'm just a cowboy, but most of the time not in Sweden. Fact is that this record has something really existential about it. It's all about the lonely cowboy who's telling his life-story. His story of girls, of being in jail, etc.

Best thing to do with it, is just listen to the perfect dark voice of Lee Hazlewood and his awesome lyrics. This is the true cowboy record for me and funny enough, it stands for non-conformity, for individualism and I'm not sure if Lee Hazlewood himself had that figured out when he made this.

cold hard times
VBR

Pere Ubu - New Picnic Time (1979)

Yeah, we all know how great Pere Ubu is. The Modern Dance is basically the only musical piece from the seventies which really reminds me of Trout Mask Replica (my favourite album of all time). But what else did they make except The Modern Dance and Dub Housing? Well, they made another 20 fantastic albums after that. And this is their third album.

And how I love it, they still sound so fragmented and menacing as on the best moments of The Modern Dance. David Thomas may be the best frontman nobody has heard of. They are still performing as well, so I advice you to go to a Pere Ubu-concert when you have the chance!

all the dogs are barking
VBR

Steely Dan - Katy Lied (1975)

One of my all-time favourite bands! They only made great albums, and this is definitely one of them. Steely Dan is a really one-of-a-kind band, and they have a sound that's very easy to recognize. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (Steely Dan) are known as studio perfectionists, but this album is still playful and jam-like. Later albums like Aja and Gaucho lost that specific quality that makes their albums so much fun to listen to.

All these songs are evergreens to me, and Steely Dan is one of those mainstream bands that can't do wrong in my eyes. Just very cool, digestible and accessible pop music from the 70s.

everyone's gone to the movies
320kbps

Rosa Yemen - Rosa Yemen (1978)

Rosa Yemen is actually Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and she's, together with Lydia Lunch, the coolest girl in the no-wave scene. She released this EP in 1978 and the cover I used is from the re-issue a year later. I used this front cover because it perfectly shows what this EP has to give. 10 minutes of very urgent no-wave songs. Fantastic in it's simpleness and therefore one of the best kept secrets that no-wave has to offer.

This was her debut release, but I'll definitely post some more music of Lizzy Mercier Descloux in the near future. I'd like to get some feedback on this by the way, hope you'll like it!

herpes simplex
192kbps

Jandek - Chair Beside A Window (1982)

Jandek is an enigma. The story is simple: Jandek started releasing in the late seventies, a few albums a year. Nobody knew who or what he was. Nobody knew how he looked like. The only thing everyone was sure about: the music sounded like nothing else. Jandek released albums on Corwood Records, a label probably started by Jandek himself (?!). There never were interviews, no live gigs, just albums.

This went on until 2004, when some 50 albums had surfaced already. Since 2004 Jandek has given a handful of performances, and we now know that he is the guy on the front cover of his albums. It's hard to explain how Jandek-music sounds, this is a good place to start. Keep in mind that it's highly experimental, undigestible and non-commercial.

poor boy
320kbps

Cluster - Zuckerzeit (1974)

Zuckerzeit is the masterpiece by the great Cluster. Cluster was a band that consisted of two non-musicians, Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius (two very important figures in Krautrock), who just twisted a lot of knobs on their electronical instruments and made the best of it. This formula really came together on Zuckerzeit. On this record they crafted 10 great songs of popsong-length, instead of the lengthy ambient doodles that filled the first two records.

If you listen to Caramel for example, it's hard to imagine this is 19-fucking-74 we're talking about. This could be the new single by Basement Jaxx, just as easy as it is one of the pillars of Krautrock in the 70's. This record is so incredibly up-to-date, it's hard to believe. This is what I call timeless.

heisse lippen
320kbps

Brian Eno - Another Green World (1975)

I know that for a lot of people Brian Eno is an artist where of everybody is kind of like 'know who he is, respect his work... ambient... zzzwww... never heard anything of him'. Well, let today be the day you start listening to this amazing sonic pioneer.

Brian Eno is as much an inventor for rock/electronical music as he is one of the greatest songsmiths in both of those genres. His palmares is incredible. Started with Roxy Music, responsible for the best works of Talking Heads, David Bowie, Devo and U2, made himself part of the krautrock-scene (later more on this), recorded fantastic albums with Robert Fripp, Jon Hassell, David Byrne, and was at the start of No Wave (an extremely short-lived, but also very influential music genre which originates from New York '79).

So, yes, it is hard to know where to start with Eno, and therefore: just enjoy this album to the max and feel free to ask where to go next.

everything merges with the night
192kbps

Tuxedomoon - Half-Mute (1980)

Ok, what about today. I thought about a great record by the fantastically underrated Tuxedomoon. Who, if we like to think in genres, just for the sake of promotion, are to be placed in the box of post-punk. And that's where it ends between Tuxedomoon and post-punk. Just like Flipper was a hardcore-band not making hardcore-music, Tuxedomoon is more about making post-modern violin concertos for post-punk bands.

I'm probably giving the band more credit than they deserve, but some songs definitely have some kind of modern classical aspect to them. I like to think of them as a more obscure variation to what The Cure did with Pornography. Anyway, have a listen yourself!

seven years in one night
VBR

Johann Sebastian Bach - Das Wohltemperierte Klavier (1970)

Positively one of the most important music pieces ever composed. I'm giving you the version Sviatoslav Richter recorded in 1970. Richter himself is quite the genius too, because he claimed to have learned the second book of The Well-Tempered Clavier (which is over 2 hours in length) in a month by heart!

Anyway, this piece of music consists of 48 composed preludes and fugues in all 24 possible major and minor keys. It clocks in at 4,4 hours, so it's quite a sit-through. But in my opinion every human being must've heard this collection at least once in his life. Enjoy!

the well-tempered clavier part 1
the well-tempered clavier part 2
the well-tempered clavier part 3
256kbps

Melvins - Houdini (1993)

Bought this on CD today. And what a massive dose of heaviness. The start of this album is like a kick in the face, especially the first two songs. Once again Kurt Cobain shows up on my blog, because Melvins were sort of best friends with Kurt Cobain and he is present on the 10-minute epic closer of this album, pounding on random percussion instruments. Sometimes I get the feeling he wanted to be in the Melvins instead.

And I can imagine why, because of all the 90's alternative rock/metal-bands, Melvins are very one-of-a-kind and are often referred to as 'the Godfathers of Grunge'. Well, grunge has never sounded so exciting then on this release.

night goat
192kbps

Mahmoud Ahmed - Ere Mela Mela (1975)

This is probably the best world-music album that I own. My calling for Africa becomes very present when I listen to this album. It sounds like a bunch of Ethiopians having a great time in Africa. I can totally see these midnight parties over there, pitch dark sky and Mahmoud Ahmed singing until the sun comes up. His voice is so soulful, powerful, but still also fragile, it's a pleasure to hear him sing.

I especially love the first song. When I hear those horns kick in, goosebumps. Then Mahmoud Ahmed starts singing Abbay Mado and I'm already totally in it. Just listen to this swinging monster of an album.

I recently bought this on vinyl, and I think you should do the same. It sounds best that way.

mahmoud ahmed is the african david bowie
320kbps

Al Green - Call Me (1973)

This album is all about Al Green singing his heartache away, because he was left by his lady. So extremely soulful, Al Green defines the meaning of 'soul music' for me. He does it even more subtle than Marvin Gaye. Marvin Gaye made the better and more important albums, but Al Green purified the 70's soul.

All the songs are heartbreakers and you definitely can be sure that Al Green means what he sings. This is far from all the modern rock stars singing about U2-topics: Al Green sings about being miserable, and I find that beautiful. Because I realise I'm listening to an album that's made not for money, but for therapy.

you ought to be with me
224kbps

Walter Carlos - The Well-Tempered Synthesizer (1969)

There are a lot of funny things happening on this album. First of all: this album is completely performed on a Moog modular synthesizer system. 1969, people. Synthesizer-adaptations of classical compositions. This is way before the days of MIDI sequencers and it took a lot of professionalism to complete this album. Also: Glenn Gould (one of the most important pianists of the 20th century) called Carlos' versions of the Brandenburg Concerto (present on this album) 'the finest performance of any of the Brandenburgs'.

Incredibly playful album and definitely worth a spin. Note: Walter underwent a sex change three years later and is since known as Wendy Carlos.

the well-tempered synthesizer
192kbps

Killing Joke - Killing Joke (1980)

What Killing Joke did in 1980 is like what Black Sabbath did in 1970 to rock music. Their self-titled debut is a landmark in heavy music and they were way ahead of their time. I can totally see all the punkers thinking 'wait a minute, we were making punk, weren't we?', when suddenly this band comes along and creates a whole new genre by themselves.

This album had an immense influence on practically all heavy bands in the 80's and 90's, varying from Metallica to Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails. Killing Joke doesn't sound like any of those bands though. They started industrial rock and a lot of bands abstracted it into a lot of interpretations, which is great.

tomorrow's world
320kbps

Albert Ayler - Spiritual Unity (1964)

If you think you've seen it all with avant-garde jazz having heard the best releases of 'Trane and Miles, you've got it wrong. Here's Spiritual Unity, by the amazing Albert Ayler. Clocking in just under 30 minutes, only using sax, drums and bass, this album still makes my head spin. The naked agression in the playing of Ayler and his colleagues is unheard of, and I sometimes wonder what Coltrane must've thought when he heard Ayler scream and screech through his horn. For instance, in Ghosts, it's the playful, whimsical melody that holds the pack together. The rest of the recording is pure freedom in jazz done by the best players.

Albert Ayler, not quite being part of the hipster scene that included Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, and others, felt isolated and depressed and finally committed suicide in New York, november 1970. What is left is Spiritual Unity, being his masterpiece. It still leaves me in awe.

the wizard
320kbps

King Crimson - Red (1974)

I guess time didn't do King Crimson any good. Time placed them in a movement called 'progressive rock', which is a fine musical genre if you give it a chance. I gave it a chance. It started off my musical journey, oddly enough. I was 12 years old and started listening to Yes, Jethro Tull, Genesis, and also these fuckers. King Crimson though, is a band that is so creative with creating layers, textures in music, innovation of sound, that it is highly unfair to place them among those other bands.

King Crimson kept evolving in many ways. Red, their last album before the first of many break-ups, is probably the best example. A lot of prog-elements are still around, but there's always this Crimsony-feeling that comes along and swipes you of your feet at the end of the song.

Kurt Cobain (who had a highly developed taste in music) called this 'the best album ever made'. And I can see what he means.

one more red nightmare
192kbps

Venetian Snares - Doll Doll Doll (2001)

Venetian Snares did it for me from the start. VS was my start with breakcore and he also impressed me more than all of his colleagues in the genre. Aaron Funk (that's his real name, get over it) always knew how to hit me on a weird, sort of intellectual level. His music is not only influenced by the usual artists that started house and techno, but he combines breakcore with obscure hip-hop references, but also classical music. On Doll Doll Doll, his darkest album in my opinion, he does a lot with hip-hop and other scary samples. Listen to this when you are in bed and aren't able to sleep. This album will make sure you won't get to sleep until at least 5 a.m., checking under the bed for scary monsters and super creeps.

By the way, Aaron Funk used to date a roomie of mine, and it was very, very weird meeting him in person, practically standing in his underpants, in my own kitchen. Sometimes you forget there exists an actual person behind the music.

all the children are dead
256kbps

Miles Davis - On The Corner (1972)

On the Corner is the sound of icy hot heroin coursing through the veins. Or so I've always imagined-- I've never sampled the stuff, but if I did, I'd want Miles' most controversial record spinning on the hi-fi. A more dense, hypnotic, surprising, sensual, down album I've yet to hear. They say Miles was looking to connect with kids on the streets. On the Corner blows past the kids and the streets-- this is the sound of longing, passion and rage milked from the primal source and heading into the dark beyond.Of course, the band is incredible: Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea on keys, John MacLaughlin on guitar, and Jack DeJohnette, Al Foster, Billy Hart and Mtumbe on drums and percussion. But one listen and you understand individual names aren't important-- song titles and run times seem irrelevant as well. An admittedly demanding listen, these 50 minutes of collective madness here are so unified and driven even the dude playing sleigh bells rocks as hard and heavy as Miles on diffused trumpet. It sounds impossible but it's absolutely true-- that's the ecstatic intensity captured on this session. --Jonathan Zwickel

I couldn't have said it any better myself. Alienating jazz

thinkin' one thing and doin' another
192kbps

Void - Condensed Flesh (1981)

Void was a Washington D.C.-based hardcore punk/crossover thrash band. They were one of the first hardcore outfits to fuse hardcore and some heavy metal in a way most hardcore and metal fans could accept, paving the way for bands such as The Melvins, who created a more commercially successful hybrid of the two genres. They were one of the first local bands popular in the D.C. scene that was from outside the Beltway, hailing from Columbia, Maryland, a suburb located between D.C. and Baltimore.

This release is in fact their only official release as a band ever. They did the great split with Faith (posted some other time), but this EP is the only record they released solo. I find this EP one of the most interesting releases that came out of the D.C.-punk scene from 1980-1984. Listen to it, it's awesome, and over in 7 minutes.

get out of my way
192kbps