Skip James - "1931 Sessions"

as with many others, the first time i encountered skip james' music was when it was prominently featured in terry zwigoff's "ghost world," and my emotional reaction was not unlike the protaganist's - i felt a deep, guttural reaction to his voice, the labryinthine and vermiform melodic lines of his guitar playing, and felt myself dissolve amongst the atmosphere it created. it's nearly impossible to overstate the dramatic, gravitational power of james' musical voice, as its qualities are as intangible and phantasmal as its darkness and beauty. for years i've tried to pry for biographical information on james to little avail, but the most constant fixture of all my sundry searchings proves that he was an intractable, solitary man who felt little need to socialize or keep himself amenable to other bluesmen, distancing himself and concentrating solely on the music. this innate hermetism is evident in some of his compositions, which would be seemingly uncomfortable when heard in the presence of another person. listening at times feels like a private act of solitude.






download "1931 sessions"

http://www.mediafire.com/?ljyimvzbmwt

Rev. Robert Wilkins - "Prodigal Son"

when everything else is a bit too sallow and lacking in conviction



the past two months i've been religiously immersed in old blues music - most of it predating the common penumbra of what properly constitutes the "blues" as it is currently known, instead sharing similarities with folk or (as they were lamentably called) "race" records; primarily, mississippi john hurt, skip james, blind lemon jefferson, blind willie mctell, memphis minnie, blind willie johnson, blind boy fuller, memphis slim...obviously leadbelly is a prominent force within all of this, and i honestly think i could listen to his music for the rest of my life with the same perpetual kind of wonder, affection and beautiful sadness. rev. robert wilkins is a bit new to me, as i just came in contact with his music a few weeks ago. initially, i became interested through the rolling stones cover of "prodigal son" on "beggars banquet" and felt determined to seek out its progenitor. happily so, i must say. wilkins' music collates nicely with all the aforesaid names and artists who are still so sorely neglected, despite the immensity of their influence. it's hard to resist calling this music anything other than brutally honest - it is, almost painfully so. much of the greater capacity for benevolence and beauty - the larger possibilities of music as a form of intimate communication - are reflected perfectly in music of this kind. i have such overwhelming, zealous affinities for this old music (i could probably talk exhaustively about skip james for hours on end like a proper dullard) that i hope to convey that enthusiasm and expose it to others, as i find its charms so undeniable.

there's a 7 volume set of leadbelly that i'll upload soon - to the best of my knowledge comprised of all his various recordings. marvelous.

here's a fabulous blog and rev. wilkins' collection. please do enjoy.

http://onmuddysavariverbank.blogspot.com/2010/10/robert-wilkins-prodigal-son.html

Half Japanese - "Sing No Evil"

hark the oblong angels sing! and they all suspiciouly sound like jad fair....



"sing no evil" is possibly half japanese's greatest - and most accessible - album, attaining vergitinous heights with their evolving mixture of exotic percussion, feral jazz horns and guitar noise. within that frame exists perfect little pop songs, exceedingly memorable and illustrative of the unique, somewhat precocious perception of jad fair. i remember reading something that kurt cobain said, something to the effect that in a perfect world, people would walk around shopping complexes singing half japanese aloud. though my other favorites - "our solar system" and "music to strip by" - are objectively a bit too abstract and abrasive to be latched onto immediately, "sing no evil" has a singular warmth and inviting presence to it, permitting an easier listening experience to the uninitiated listener. without debate, this is the best introduction to half japanese and their fabulous little world.

download "sing no evil"

http://www.mediafire.com/?ktoijmmk2oz

if this suits your taste, by all means go back and download "our solar system," which was posted a few months ago here.

R.E.M - "Fables of the Reconstruction"

i have something of a fanatacism for the back catalogue of r.e.m., and am of the distinct opinion that from their debut ep "chronic town" until their major-label "automatic for the people" they were an uncompromising force of brilliance, creating wonderful pop music that was in no way flat, but rather pregnable with possibilities, terrific melodies, coruscating arpeggios and the impenetrable, murky voice of michael stipe. it is inevitable that the excitability and ingenuity of their music would slacken the longer they remained an operable group, as much as that is a certainty for virtually every band or artist who persists in making music for an extended period of time. r.e.m. had a stretch that is enviable, though, in that every record they released over a decade had something commendable, mesmeric about it. of their studio work from "chronic town" to "automatic," only their fifth record, "document," was marred by regrettable choices (mostly in the form of trying to "rock out" in a fashion that is entirely foreign to them). "out of time" - that preceded "automatic for the people" - does indeed have "shiny happy people" and a few other songs that are questionable, but the remaining four songs on the album are among the greatest songs of their respective career. as much as i am indebted to their full-length debut "murmur" for hours upon hours of listening and rapture, it is their third album, "fables of the reconstruction/reconstruction of the fables," to which i am recurringly drawn.



the texture of the record is one of its inherent charms for me, as there seems to be a slight, obscuring fog hanging over the instruments, and there is a feeling of being buried by the sounds it invokes. the chorus of "auctioneer" has a wall of flanged-guitars that scare the shit out of me, but that dissonance and the angular flashes of darkness permeate the whole album. i usually discredit the back stories surrounding the completion or composition of books, films, records, but in this instance i find it interesting that r.e.m. was preparing to disband shortly after the recording of "fables." the depressive atmosphere would certainly support that, and in a way it would be nice to speculate the "what-ifs" had they parted ways, leaving only "chronic town," "murmur," "reckoning" and this manic mess in their wake. the gothic, southern mood prevails through much of the album, especially the puzzling, entrancing "maps and legends," a song that could certainly pepper the soundtrack to any suicidal southerners summer, with its weary pulling and slow waves of chords; the word "impenetrable" - often used parallel to r.e.m. - is most apt here.



light occasionally breaks through, however, most notably - and merrily - on "green grow the rushes go." i have no goddamned idea what the hell stipe is singing about, but it brings a certain, inextinguishable joy to me whenever i hear it. i can see how the album could be viewed or castigated as "uneven" or some such adjective, as some of its juxtapositions are a bit surprising ("can't get there from here" or the strangely sedated end of the album, "wendell gee"). i welcome all of it promiscuously, and hope it can be enjoyed, and that news of its greatness will spread like contagion.



this is the remastered edition of the album with supplemental tracks. i grabbed this anonymously from the internet and the sound is a relief. the prior cd release of "fables" was mastered at such sub-humanly low levels that volume was a significant problem. this mix is unmuddied (as much as possible, it's meant to be a bit blurred) and rings with a refreshing clarity. enjoy!

download fables of the reconstruction:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7Z60P3ZY

Vincent Gallo - "When"..."Brown Bunny" OST..."Buffalo 66" OST

alas, this is the only video i can find for gallo's wonderful music on youtube.



unlike many people, i find nothing adverse or polarizing about vincent gallo in any of his numerous pursuits, whether it be music, film or painting. the conflation - and much of the acrimony surrounding the mere mention of his name - seems to arise from the purposefully outrageous persona that he has publicly adopted. the perception is that he's an arrogant, self-fellating egoist of the highest order, with little or no talent to fortify his claims to genius. he made a movie where he receives a blow job at the end! wow, what an arsehole, etc. it saddens me that a film as beautiful and honestly evocative of sorrow and inexpressible pain should be so uniformly derided by people who haven't even bothered to watch it. "the brown bunny" is among my favorite films, especially in terms of its minimalism and aesthetic. the tactile nature of its atmosphere, the sheer feel of it is almost impossible to explain. ozu, jarmusch and bela tarr are all wonderful filmmakers, but none of them have reached the universal zero, the reduction and systematic elmination of everything but pure, miserable sensation that is found in "brown bunny." herzog called it the greatest film about loneliness. jean-luc godard chose it for use in an installation he had a few years ago, expressing his admiration. "buffalo '66" is usually characterized as "quirky" or some similarly antiseptic adjective, with its style accused of existing without substance. i waver back and forth as to which film i admire more, but usually i settle on "brown bunny," simply for the fact that it is so taxing to watch. i can watch "buffalo" literally any time, and often do in long stretches. "bunny" is, however, something i feel compelled to prepare for as it devastates me, and by the final frame i feel as if i have all but vanished into its landscape. gallo's music is an extension of the loneliness and bare beauty of his films, and i carry about an insatiable regret for the fact that he has not produced more.

the "buffalo '66" soundtrack features king crimson, yes and some of gallo's own music (especially the dream-like "lonely boy"). the "brown bunny" features music primarily by john frusciante with nothing of gallo's own music (lamentably). gallo's own album "when" is a delight, and i have a difficult time expressing my love for its little melodies and incredible texture, its comforting warmth.


download "when"

http://www.mediafire.com/?z4ysndhjtj4

download "buffalo 66"

http://www.mediafire.com/?fiydumatg9x

download "brown bunny"

http://www.mediafire.com/?1xb9bss5zhk

Talk Talk..."Laughing Stock"

i have nothing remarkable to say concerning this album, other than the fact that i am heavily indebted to its charms and mesmerism. another one of those indispensible listening experiences for the late hours of the evening, when everyone across the world is inert, asleep or otherwise dead.

download "laughing stock":
http://www.mediafire.com/?agrzsyebj29

John Lurie..."Stranger Than Paradise" Soundtrack

as much as i adore jarmusch's films, i would hesitate to say he ever made anything as gorgeous and absorbing as two of his earliest efforts, "stranger than paradise" and "down by law." "dead man" is singular and hypnotic, and inevitably remains (to me at least) his last startling, inventive effort (i haven't had the opportunity to finish "limits of control," but i was quite taken with the hour i watched). john lurie, whose bizarre teflon acting helped characterize both "stranger" and "law," was responsible for creating both of their respective soundtracks, and they are terrifically evocative, with an almost bartokian string implementation and noted aylerisms. unlike most soundtracks, lurie's music is never passive and continually invites a world entirely of its own.

download "stranger than paradise"

http://www.mediafire.com/?4thteynz34y