Nigeria isn't trying to scam me

If you are a fan of the Ethiopiques Series, a collection of Ethiopian Jazz, Funk, and pop from the 60s and 70s, then you might also enjoy Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-76.

Here is a selection:
[Mp3]REMOVED
I love Celestine Ukwu's use of slide guitar on this afro-funk jam. It sways back and forth like a swing: waves over which a pert trumpet and then bright guitar improvise.

As a bonus here is one of my favorite songs from the Ethiopique Series: [Mp3]REMOVED. The organ emotes a quick-fingered lament in the intervals of Mahmound Ahmed's soulful verse.

Speaking of Ethiopia . . .

The Last Dinosaur

Out of the many unsolicited myspace band friend requests, it is the exception to find something I really like, probably compounded by the fact that I rarely take these solicitations up and listen to their music. There was something about The Last Dinosaur's profile picture of a child's drawing of a dinosaur that made me want to check them out (A child's wonder that the world we inhabit is the very same world those prehistoric monsters in the dirt roamed awakens my own dormant Dinosaur awe--as if to say, "F'n Giant Lizard/Bird Carnivores were here, man! Wake up!"). And so I did, and it is safe to say that The Last Dinosaur is one of these exceptions.



[ogg] The Last Dinosaur - "Home"
This is some smooth.

Check out their myspace for a fantastic cover of "Beat it"

Unbunny - "X"

In 2004 Neil Young sound-a-like Jarid del Deo acquainted me with American trailer park romanticism. His song "Casserole" and its corresponding single-shot slow-motion music video transforms the dull mundane oppression of the "motor-court" into something magical.

Unbunny has a new song, "X," posted on their myspace and available for free download. The opening "Brian Eno" line alone makes it worth it for me.



Get their Snow Tires album at emusic.

MP3.com Resurrection III -- The Beginning of Lotus (TBOL)

About two months ago I started a mini-post-series highlighting good music from the old MP3.com site, which hosted songs from thousands of independent artists. The site has long since gone under, but some of the music survives on aging hard drives, like my ten year old 40GB hard drive, which I have finally salvaged out of a dusty and broken AMD AnthlonXP 2400+ build that sits in my closet.

Finding The Beginning of Lotus for the first time for me was more than finding a few good songs; It was an experience. I was experiencing sounds and arrangements I had never heard before. I had never heard anything this rhythmically inventive. TBOL labeled it "Drum and Bass" or "IDM" (Intelligent Dance Music) but nothing I heard from these genres in the late 1990s interested me as TBOL did.

My favorite from song from TBOL was easily "autogun." Winamp milkdrop visualizations were made for songs like this, but I think I still prefer playing this one with my eyes closed, following every tick, whir, and snare.
[mp3] TBOL - "autogun"

TBOL is still around. At his myspace profile you can listen to some of his more current work.

The Postmarks mellow Marley

I didn't know it was possible, but The Postmarks have managed to cover Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" and make it even more mellow than the original. This is their third installment of their monthly free song giveaway "By the Numbers." February's song was a cover of the James Bond spy song "You Only Live Twice," and January was the super cool "One Note Samba."

Three months into this project and I am really digging their work. Looking forward to April!

[mp3]REMOVED

Free Album Bonanza

Half of eMusic's top fourteen albums today are completely free, even if you are not a subscriber.

At the top is eMusic's SXSW Birthday Bash Free Sampler.



Bon Iver's "Skinny Love," and Delorean's "As Time Breaks Off" are must downloads.


Next up is another SXSW sampler: "Don't Mess with Texas."



It includes a brand new Dr. Dog song "A Long Time Ago,"[mp3] the oft blogged Dodos, a Hysterics song (whose singer sounds like Jason Faulkner), a hyper punchy pop tune from the Plastic Constellations[mp3], and eleven other singles from bands playing this years SXSW--a perfect Austin, Texas road trip mix CD.


Third is Noise Pop sampler.



This opens with Earlimart!


In fourth place is "A Small Commotion," a full album by Spokane.



Spokane delivers some seriously mellow songs for falling asleep and slow dreaming.


Next is yet another SXSW sampler, this time by IODA.



I have not sampled all of this yet, but Sean Hayes' "Flowering Spade" and Oliver Future's "Stranger than the Stranger" are the best of the ones I listened to.


In penultimate position is Smithsonian Folkways Sampler: A Sound Legacy.



Download "Go Tell It On the Mountain" and sing along.


Finally, there is a short free album from The War On Drugs, Barrel of Batteries.



"Arms Like Boulders" is worth a listen.

Audiosurf Music from Asthmatic Kitty

While it is true I suffer serious tunnel-kitty-vision and should probably stop talking about Asthmatic Kitty, it doesn't help any that it is such a damn cool label. Those sick kitties have released another free various artist album; this time fifteen songs--seven previously unreleased--specifically chosen to be suitable for Audiosurf, a distinctive, bizarre 3D video game that takes mp3s and integrates them into a vertical-scrolling "music-adapting puzzle racer." It is the psychotechnic spaceship kin of Guitar Hero and Tetris.
Mp3: Dosh - "Naoise"
Mp3: Rafter - "Sassy"

Check it.


And Download a short but fun Free Demo. It lets you play four songs of your choosing before it locks down. Any game that begins by warning you of possible "photosensitive epileptic seizure" inducing spectacle, which affects "a very small percentage of people," has got to be good, right?

Best of FAWM 2008?

I know I said Evin Wolverton destroyed FAWM for everyone, but that was a bit of hyperbole. There were other songwriters that filled my February with new, delightful music. And while I don't pretend to have listened to all 3,000 demos from this year's February Album Writing Month nor selected the very best, of the ones I listened to, I do have some favorites. Here they are:

Matt DiVito - "Micropolis" Here DiVito busts out a short little They-Might-Be-Giants-like groove. It's fun and about a computer game.

Josh Woodward - "History Repeats" The harmony on "I'm finding a new road home" is gorgeous. Also check out "Go." He rhymes "arms" with "charms," and I don't even mind--that's how good it is. Oh and you might as well get "On Brevity" as well. He has too many good tunes to choose just one! Yikes.

Isaac Quatorze - "defiantly" This bizarre Valentine's Day love song is a kick. Weird is good.

Joe Kennedy - "Run Don't Walk" Quality pop music. Reminds me of Travis.

Old Lost John - "Regina's Bar" There is a ghost in it! Get haunted. Highly recommended.

Timothy Bracken - "You Saw Me In the Light" Bracken is a gifted songwriter. His voice uniquely delivers his verse, and he backs it up with beautiful programming and production. [MP3] Via his Myspace page. Also highly recommended.

Oddbod - "A Letter From Nigeria" Though this song would have been so much more appropriate five or six years ago, it still hits its mark and makes me smile. In unrelated news, 60% of Nigerians suffer under debilitating poverty. Also, Don't miss Oddbod's "You Improve."

Don DiLego - "Left Turn" If you have been listening to the superconscience in February, you'd have picked up on the "We are One" theme. Love your other, love yourself. It is a lot more actionable than "Save the cheerleader, save the world."

Lars Eriksson - "The Death of Marriage" See title.

Steve Apple Head - "Sunday's Work has Just Been Done (Delmar beneath The Water)" You can watch Steve write this song on the youtubes.

Evin Wolvertin - "Take a Little Home" A folk song for poor lovers, and there is none better.

Oh my legion of readers, hit me up with your favorite songs from this year's FAWM.