Jorge Ben - Jorge Ben (1969)

Artist: Jorge Ben(jor)
Album: Jorge Ben (1969)
Label: Dusty Groove America

Despite the flourishing interest in Brazilian music since David Byrne’s Brazil Classics series in the very late 80s, many incredible Tropicalismo albums have yet to be reissued in the States. Instead, the hits have been collected and recollected in compilations, greatest hits, and samplers galore. Now the pivotal album of Jorge Ben’s career, the album that transitioned him into a period of great productivity and innovation, has been reissued by Dusty Groove America. In many ways the current trend in cultural fusion, of musicians pulling from every obscure regional dance movement to enrich their beats, gets its form from the works of Jorge Ben, who mixed Samba and Soul into a style that has inspired musicians on a global scale since its creation. These songs are perfect. I can’t think of a different word. Each beat and note and word works, and each song is packed with sound.

Jorge Ben – Bebete Vaobora

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The curtain of percussive sounds, the sharp horns, and the Portuguese chorus: these are the sounds of Brazil that warm my blood. I feel a little foolish that I don’t know what this song is about, but I hold myself back from a quick google search. I am intoxicated with the sound, and I fear the meaning would distract or sober me from the sound.

Jorge Ben – Take It Easy My Brother Charles

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I think we are approaching a day when American bands will break into Portuguese (and I can’t wait), and I hope it creates the same odd, fluctuating tension I feel on this song as he weaves from English to Portuguese and back, somehow incorporating it into the beat, somehow making it feel seamless. Sleight of Portuguese.

For more information on Jorge Ben, check out out his official site and his wikipedia entry. Go check out the reissue at the label site, and buy the album.

Dr. Boogie Presents Shim Sham Shimmy

Album: Dr. Boogie Presents Shim Sham Shimmy
Label: Sub Rosa

This here is the third installment of Sub Rosa’s growing collection of rare early-American recordings. This compilation of boogie-woogie, honky-tonk, and blues tracks captures a great spirit and sound, and it is wonderful to hear such soaring voices and such moving rhythms. Get a big room, turn this sucker up as loud as you can, and bring honky-tonking (which is an awesome word) back into your daily life.

Champion Jack Dupree – Shim Sham Shimmy

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This is the title track for a reason. A bouncing, thumping, driving beat makes it nearly impossible to stand still. I find myself two-stepping on the subway, wishing I knew the right steps to the Shim Sham Shimmy.

Morris Pejoe – Screamin ‘n’ Cryin

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The swaying horns, the piercing guitar, and the soulful voice make this a sure hit for me. I want more singing like this: loud and nearly swallowed, the voice sliding from the back of the throat and shooting resonantly into the air.

It is very hard for me not to post this entire album; it is filled with really great tracks. The album is worth tracking down for “I Haven’t Got a Home” by Ramblin Hi Harris and “I’m Off That Stuff” alone. Check out of the label site and buy the album.

Black Devil Disco Club - Eight Oh Eight

Artist: Black Devil Disco Club
Album: Eight Of Eight
Label: Lo Recordings

Yet another addition to the recent slew of space disco releases! For many years Disco Club was an influential but obscure duo from the late 70s; it wasn’t until samples from their rare 1978 album found their way into prominent electronic songs in the last ten years that more was known about its members, Bernard Fevre and Jacky Giordano. As a result of this renewed interest, the band has reformed and released new material. I find this growing interest in older European electronic pop pretty interesting, and I wonder what is behind it. I’ve been referring to this phenomenon as retro-novelty, but popmatters has more effectively labeled it retro-futurism. Not just a fond look back at older, forgotten pop gems but a real attempt to invoke the future we feel we should be living. Atmospheric and at times very catchy, this album gives you music you can’t quite dance to but can’t quite not dance to. It has that mindless disco beat but is too sonically engaging to be ignored.

Black Devil Disco Club - With Honey Cream

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Bouncy synth melodies and a falsetto voice prance upon an extremely simple drum beat that just doesn’t sound right. I think that dynamic explains this album pretty well: something lovely and futuristic built upon an uncomfortable foundation.

Black Devil Disco Club – Never No Dollars

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Again, a disco song that I cannot see being played at a disco. I mean, what do you do in the club when a sudden discordant synth interlude hits?

If this music grabs you, definitely check out the band’s myspace and buy the album.

Thee Oh Sees - The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In

Artist: Thee Oh Sees
Album: The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In
Label: Tomlab

This music seeks the perfect space: something large and cavernous and dark and warm. It is dark psychedelia that I can only describe as playful Satanism. Think of Os Mutantes playing for Aleister Crowley at the Abbey of Thelema. Or PJ Harvey’s To Bring You My Love sung with a smile. It is hard to pick only a couple tracks to highlight because they are all dark and vibrant and good. The two songs below may not be the poppiest songs on the album (there are definitely more gems to discover), but they have that cavernous resonance that characterizes the entire album.

Thee Oh Sees – “Maria Stacks”

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The high, tin-can vocals, chugging guitars, and slowly throbbing drums complement one another perfectly on this track. It is great after-work music: rough enough to let off some steam but soft enough to play in the background without upsetting your neighbors (too much).

Thee Oh Sees – “The Coconut”

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Though not as tight or poppy as the other tracks, this song caught me with those first jangly seconds. I can’t even tell what instrument is making that deep bell sound. I like this track despite the quiet interlude around 1:30.

This album has many more moments worth being hear, so go visit the band’s myspace page, see what’s up on their label site, and buy the album.

Jackie DeShannon

Album: Girl Group Sounds
Artist of Focus: Jackie DeShannon
Label: Rhino

My second post promoting Girl Group Sounds! This time I’m focusing on Jackie DeShannon, a singer most known for her mega hits “What the World Needs Now” (blegh) and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” (blegh). She was, unfortunately, never adequately recognized for some of her earlier, grittier songs.

Jackie DeShannon - “Dream Boy”

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I love this song! Her wonderful raspy voice sounds great over the sputtering guitars. “Or just the way he stands, a smile up on his face, tears me up so bad, it’s so hard not to chase. Dream boy.” This was my subway soundtrack for several months.

Jackie DeShannon - “Should I Cry (alternate take)”

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A more typical, sock-hop jam that is redeemed by DeShannon’s great voice.

DeShannon:

As I said, this is a great compilation really really worth buying.

Hercules and Love Affair - s/t

Artist: Hercules and Love Affair
Album: Hercules and Love Affair
Label: Mute, EMI

Will the world look back on Hercules and Love Affair like it now looks back on most expressively gay performers? People, for example, say Culture Club was a fun band, but does anyone take Boy George seriously (or at least think he isn’t nuts)? Jermaine Stewart? The Village People? Klaus Nomi? Perhaps if Hercules and Love Affair play more glam and less disco, more Brian Ferry and less Sylvester, they’ll be in the clear. Or perhaps, as lead songwriter Andrew Butler wishes, we shall embrace flamboyance, gender-bending, and disco as legitimate forms of art (and not novelties). We shall see.

What’s my immediate take on the tracks? I think this is the perfect album to bring back slow-jam dancing, and I guess that is good. Take a listen for yourself:

Hercules and Love Affair - “Raise Me Up”

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Imagine a more sophisticated Sylvester doing an impression of Nina Simone. Add better production and simpler orchestration. Shake well with ice. Serve with lemon zest garnish.

Hercules and Love Affair - “Hercules Theme”

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Crawling disco croons with a little Boy George and Italo disco thrown in for extra fun. One thing I will say is that Hercules and Love Affair do end their songs really well. Check out the boiling, layered horns at the finish of this track.

Check out the band site, watch their videos, and buy the album if you think it’s your new jam.

From the Vaults: One Kiss Can Lead to Another

To celebrate the weekend (perhaps I’ll do this every Friday/Saturday to herald the weekend), I will be playing selections from the best compilation I’ve purchased this year. I encourage you to research the artists and buy the collection.

Title: Girl Group Sounds
Sub: One Kiss Can Lead to Another
Label: Rhino

Today we have two songs by The Shangri-Las, well know for their song “Leader of the Pack.” They were rough, loud-mouthed girls from Queens who toured with The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, and James Brown. Pretty great stuff.

The Shangri-Las - “Out in the Streets”

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Specializing in teen melodramas, The Shangri-Las covered everything from gangs and rebellion to tragic death and love. The lead singer Mary Weiss (only fifteen when she signed with Red Bird Records) has that rough and sweet voice that makes you immediately sympathize with whatever tragedy she is wailing.

The Shangri-Las - “The Train from Kansas City”

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I miss songs that have recognizable back stories. Simple–it’s true–and a little silly, but this song has that tough sadness I can dig within seconds.

The In-Kraut, Volume 3

Title: The In-Kraut, Volume 3
Hip Shaking Grooves Made in Germany 1967–1974
Label: Marina Records

I have this typical stance on the subway: leaning close to the door or a nearby pole, looking down, slightly frowned face, waiting quietly for the train to get to my stop. Not today. Today I was finger-drumming, toe-tapping, and head-bobbing. Who knows what I would’ve done on a dance floor? This is the third installment of the In-Kraut trilogy, and it is quite a diverse and strong collection. So much so that it took me a few days to really dig into the tracks. Luckily, today I took the step and for the first time listened to each track carefully. Quite a treat. I even started laughing amid quiet subway passengers while today’s second song “Butterflies Never Cry” played. Take a listen.

ACID – “Hipguard”

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There are a million things you should not be doing while listening to this song. Anything, really, that requires stillness, concentration, or quiet. This is a true hip-shaker and a song that really grabs at the essence of this compilation: exciting, impeccably-played songs that are guaranteed to get you out of a rut.

Georgees – “Butterflies Never Cry”

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Ahem. Wow. Written for the same-named movie (in German: Schmetterlinge Weinen Nicht), “Butterflies Never Cry” is the weirdest shit I’ve heard in quite a long time. The insane lyrics and unnecessary yelping make this song almost unlistenable. This has to be a joke. It can’t not be.

I could’ve included a different second song. This compilation has several really wonderful tunes worth a listen, but the Georgees’s masterpiece is not to be missed. For more info, goes visit the label site, which includes streaming samples of the other two In-Kraut albums in the trilogy. And of course, buy the album.