Eclectic Grooves

Howard Tate- Get It While You Can, 1995, Polygram I don't have a wealth of time or energy, but I wanted to post some new tunes on here. One of my friends mentioned to me that he would like to see more funk or soul on here. So, I'm pulling this one out of the archives. I had never heard of Howard Tate before his long lost classic S/T album from 1972 was reissued in 2001. Get It While You Can was originally released in 1966, but it was reissued on Polygram in 1995. Howard Tate possesses one of the most incredible falsettos in the soul pantheon and his lyrics cut to the bone with gritty tales of love and loneliness. Prolific and talented artists such as Janis Joplin, B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix have covered his songs to great effect. With a spectacular rhythm section and horn charts to boot, Tate seriously brings the funk on Get It While You Can. I have posted a review from Amazon.com. The greatest soul singer ever to fall below '60s pop radar, Howard Tate remains a tantalizi...

I wanted to let you know that one of the most amazing bands from the Congolese is coming to Portland. Konono No.1 has been mesmerizing crowds around the world with their unorthodox instrumentation and trance-inducing rhythms. Konono No.1 has often been compared to avant-punksters The Ex from the Netherlands who dedicated a song to Konono No.1 on it's latest album Turn . Beneath the power and distortion of the amplified likembes and distorted basslines lies beautiful African harmonizing that recalls Ladysmith Black Mambazo . I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be than at the Aladdin theater tonight. This show is going to be too good to miss. I have posted two songs from each record to give you an idea of what they sound like in both a live and studio environment. Konono No.1- Lufuala Ndonga and Kule Kule Congotronics [Crammed Discs, 2005] Buy It Here Konono No.1- Zeyisalangayizama and Ku Hollande Lubuaka [Terp Records, 2004]

Johnny Jenkins- Ton Ton Macoute, 1970, Capricorn Johnny Jenkins recorded this legendary funk-inflected swamp blues album in 1970 at the ripe age of 31. Jenkins was a huge influence on the playing of Jimi Hendrix and on Ton Ton Macoute, Jenkins concocts a heady brew of Hendrix-flavored psychedelia mixed with gospel, delta blues and swamp rock. Beck liked the sound of his rendition of the Dr. John classic "I Walk on Gilded Splinters" so much that he sampled the infectious drum beat for his hit song "Loser". On "Sick and Tired" Johnny really funks it up with an infectious mix of wah wah guitar, tight beats and gutsy vocals that really make you believe in the power of soul. Other standouts include the psychedelic gospel soul of "Voodoo and You" and the wonderful organ and slide guitar driven "Leaving Trunk". Check out this underappreciated classic in all it's glory while the getting's good. Get it here Apryl Fool- S/T, 1969, Label ...

I have been so busy in the past couple months that I haven't had time to update. I have a billion thoughts rolling around in my head about what to post next, but I want to know what you guys want to see on this blog? Do you have any requests? Your comments are what keeps me going when traffic is slow, so give me a shout. I have some great stuff in store for this blog that will hopefully be just around the corner. To tide you over until the weekend, here is a great introduction to the Drag City band US Maple. US Maple US Maple are an enigmatic band that began it's aural assault on this unsuspecting world in 1995. They have only recorded five albums during the past decade, but each note on these records is well thought out and meticulously constructed. In fact, even though it seems like they are improvising during their live performances, it couldn't be further from the truth. They practice endlessly to create a live experience which emulates the sound and d...

It was brought to my attention by the FM Shades blog that Charles Gocher from the Sun City Girls passed away on February 20th at the age of 54. Charles had been battling cancer over the last three years, but apparently he only wanted his immediate family and friends to know about his illness. I was privileged enough to witness his frenetic free-jazz inspired drumming and spoken-word at a Sun City Girls show at Dante's in Portland, OR on 11/13/02. It was a sight to behold , and an experience that I will never forget. I wish I had gone to the band's last show in Portland, but unfortunately I can't turn back the hands of time. In honor of Charles and his recordings with the Sun City Girls , I am posting an album from the Sun City Girls' limited edition Carnival Folklore Resurrection Series called The Handsome Stranger which primarily focuses on the profanity-laced beat poet stylings of Gocher with Alan and Rick Bishop complementing him with a loungey jazz backdrop on pian...

Nels Cline (Nels Cline Singers, Wilco) and Glenn Kotche ( Wilco) are playing a show at the Doug Fir Lounge this Saturday for $12. I've seen Nels Cline live before and he is one of the most extraordinary avant garde jazz guitarists playing nowadays. During his performances, he displays a skill and dexterity in playing incendiary guitar solos so fast that it makes the listener's head swim. His diverse recording endeavours include projects with the Nels Cline Singers(instrumental), Wilco , Scott Amendola Group , Vinny Golia , Thurston Moore , Charlie Haden , Willie Nelson and Carla Bozulich . He is well versed in punk, noise, free jazz, country, traditional jazz and just about any other style that he attempts. I am most familiar with the Nels Cline Singers album called Instrumentals which is a barnstormer of an album blending noise, blues, free jazz, ambient and acoustic music. Nels describes the album as “powerjazzrockfreepsychedelicate instrumental music.” For what it's ...

I wanted to post a little something on MV & EE w/ The Bummer Road since they are rolling through Portland tonight w/ Charalambides at The Reed College Chapel . I realize its not much notice, but if you want to head out to the show, it's probably around $6-8. The MV stands for Matt Valentine and the EE stands for Erika Elder. The married duo have been releasing limited edition CD-R's and vinyl that have long gone out of print. For those of you who weren't fortunate enough to snag those when they were in print, you can still find them scattered on various blogs and file sharing services such as Soulseek . I will be posting a couple of these later this week, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Since time is of the essence I am only going to say that ever since I discovered the Tower Recordings (MV & EE's band before they started MV & EE w/ The Bummer Road) ) album Folk Scene , I have been mesmerized with it's intoxicating blend of atmospheric folk, indian ra...