Having fallen behind with my listening, I'm going to have to live-blog this, in parallel with catching up on my email and following the one-day cricket match.
Track 1 is by Oren Marshall. I come across his name fairly frequently without being able to place him immediately. I know he's been on Jazz on 3 recently, and Google finds me the evidence: not as recent as I thought, but I remember that programme, and Marshall's tuba echoing round the Wapping Project (an old pumping station where I've had breakfast a couple of times) was very good. Like this track too.
Track 2: Dirty Projectors. Not sure; not very keen on the voice, but like the backing. Sounds like it might grow on me, but can't be sure.
Secret Mommy. Terrible name raises my hackles straight away. According to Last.fm, "Despite sometimes being seen somewhat as novelty music, Secret Mommy never fails to win respect from the most scrutinizing of critics, who often notice his infinite attention to detail and appreciation of sounds that billions a day write off as the ‘noise in the background.’" Let's be generous and assume that was written by someone whose first language was not English.
Cage. Rap; not my thing, but again the backing is interesting.
Ray Russell. Again from Last.fm. "Fame means nothing. Real musicians know the only true accolade is the admiration of one’s peers. Ray Russell is a star in the eyes of musicians across the World." Let's be generous and assume that was written by Ray's mum. It starts off as a pleasant enough jazz piece, but then goes off into noodly guitar showing off of consummate bad taste. The kind that attracts the worst kind of fans. So I suspect mum is innocent after all.
Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid. Like this, like them. Saw them at Green Man in 2006, down at the front, surrounded by over-excited young women. I would say "off their tits", but that might give you the wrong idea.
Black to Comm. What? Oh, sorry, drifted off a bit during that one. Sounded a bit weird.
Cobra Killer. A female duo from Berlin, according to Last.fm, and part of Alec Empire's digital hardcore movement. On this evidence, they sound neither digital nor hardcore, but more like Young Marble Giants singing Golden Brown.
Gerry Mitchell & Little Sparta. Immediately I hear that scratchy fiddle, I'm onside with this. Mr Mitchell recites one of his poems over the top. I'm not taking in the words, but I can tell they're 'dark' and 'edgy'. The title is Feasting on my Heart, which is probably all you or I need to know. It's a bit like a Scottish version of Nick Cave doing one of his literary cred things with the Dirty Three — which isn't a bad thing.
XXL. Slow. I like. Until the drums come in and it morphs into one of those mournful post-rock things that sound like unpitiable people demanding pity.
[Meanwhile, over in Guyana: Chanderpaul 100 not out, still four overs to go and 238 on the board with five wickets remaining — don't fancy our chances in this one.]
Merz. Ah, I think he/they was originally on the bill for Green Man in 2006, too. But perhaps he pulled out. Back then I downloaded one of his tracks Postcard from a Dark Star as one of the introductory 30 free downloads you get with emusic. I really liked it, and subsequently downloaded four more, but they weren't as good. Neither is this track.
Hans Fjellstad. Attention wandered again.
Nels Cline/Wally Shoup/Chris Corsano. Free jazz. That's free as in "mad". Fire in a petshop, and all that. I saw Chris Corsano play once; I think it was a gig Eric organised at The Spitz, headlined by that amazing drummer — what was his name, now? Jonathan Kane, that's right: must check out some recordings of his, as he was stunning live. Corsano was memorable, too. And he did an album called The Young Cricketer
Andrey Kiritchenko. Yeah, not bad.
This Heat. Oh, this track is everywhere. Including here and on In the Beginning there was Rhythm.
Moha. Not a good idea to put a track like this at the end of a 70-minute CD. My ears are tired; make it stop!
[West Indies now 257-8 with seven balls of the innings remaining. Could be closer than I thought.]
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Listen to this album in full at Last.fm
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