Talk Talk

A couple weeks back I ventured into the annals of time in search of the first post-rock albums. A few artists piked my interest but none to the degree of Talk Talk. It's not the quintessential post-rock feel I get from Mogwai but something much more fundamental. They were innovators with Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock - I think of the songs more in terms of atmospheres than melody or rhythm. Take a listen to hear what I mean: the layering of disparate sounds and ambiance, phasing of volumes... But beyond the songs themselves the albums are complete entities. Each of the songs is memorable but its all so cohesive; it doesn't drive towards a goal, instead it builds to become what I can only describe as a feeling. I don't quite mean emotional but it's beyond objective enjoyment. I don't piece apart its musical mechanics like with most music, it just flows. The movement of the instruments to the likeness of Hollis's voice mesmerizes me, like a ghost fleeting in and out reality.

The Rainbow takes a long time to get going, and they are all long songs, but give them justice, and check out the albums if you like these songs.

Ascension Day (Laughing Stock)


Taphead (Laughing Stock)


The Rainbow (Spirit Of Eden)

African Blues

American blues and African traditional music still maintain very similar sounds, especially when the two cross pollinate. Here's Taj Mahal on Taj Mahal Meets The Culture Musical Club Of Zanzibar and Ali Farka Toure in Savane.

Taj Mahal plays with some Zanzibar musicians on this album to make for a great representation of how African music influenced Blues. It carries the same focus on great sounding licks but they also add quite a bit more ornamentation to the notes. I absolutely recommend this album for a step into the World music realm while still maintaining an easily recognizable sound.

Ali Farka Toure is known as the King of the Desert Singers. He started out playing Malian traditional njarka and guitar and eventually jumped the ocean to experiment with their musical cousin the Blues. It is peculiar listening to this track because at first I imagine a heavy Bluesy drawl, but in English of course. His manner is so reminiscent of artists like John Lee Hooker that I feel as if the lyrics would be just like a typical Blues song if I could understand them.

Catfish Blues


Ledi Coumbe

Portico Quartet

Never before have I been so entranced by the sounds of a steel drum, normally they become far to jarring to my ears but Portico Quartet makes them work! But I came to find out, it isn't a steel pan, but an entirely new type of instrument. The Hang as it's called was invented within the last decade, and is in continuous refinement with the addition of metallurgical and acoustic research. It looks like a flying saucer with indents around the surface. Apparently it is played with hands and fingers, which gives the soft melodic sound production. I was just recently introduced to these guys and with such perfect timing because I'm just starting to take a deeper appreciation for the tone which different saxophonists use. Jack Wyllie (saprano and alto sax) produces an incredibly sweet, soft sound. And I'm loving the sporadic bowed double bass. All around a very well put together jazz group.

Zavodovski Island


Cittàgazze

Album Recommendations

I absolutely recommend listening to the full albums of any of the artists that I post, each song is not just a lonely single, they all belong to thoroughly complete and worthwhile albums. However, I'm not always constrained by this fancy, and I'm well aware that music listening doesn't necessitate full album experiences. But when possible I certainly enjoy a good album more than wanderings through genres and influences. Here are some fully immersible albums: (I have some categorized, but some are beyond my categorical capacity)

Strunz & Farah: Desert Guitar (Flamenco/Persian Guitar)
Paul Chambers: Bass On Top (Bass Heavy Jazz)
Portugal. The Man: Censored Colors
The Black Keys: Chulahoma (Blues)
Beats Antique: Collide (World Fusion Electronica)
The Seatbelts: Cowboy Bebop (Jazz)
TV On The Radio: Dear Science
Daft Punk: Discovery (Electronica)
Easy Star All Stars: Dub Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon
Yusef Lateef: Eastern Sounds (Jazz)
Pretty Lights: Filling Up The City Skies (Electronica)
Cut Copy: In Ghost Colors (Electronica)
Neutral Milk Hotel: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
Justice: Justice (Electronica)
Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin I
The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Axis Bold As Love
Living Legends: Legendary Music Vol. 1(Hip Hop)
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones: Live At The Quick (Live Jazz)
Thievery Corporation: Mirror Conspiracy (Lounge)
Devendra Banhart: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Beirut: The Flying Club Cup (European/Balkan)
Keith Jarrett: The Köln Concert (Live Jazz)
Ra Ra Riot: The Rumb Line
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: Up From Below
José González: Veneer
Joshua Radin: We Were Here
Stephanie Nilles: reDemo
Jake Shimbakukuro: Gently Weeps (Ukulele)
A Tribe Called Quest: Anthology (Hip Hop)
Herbie Hancock: Head Hunters (Jazz Fusion)
Diana Krall: Live In Paris (Live Jazz)
Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue (Jazz)
Charles Mingus: Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (Bass Heavy Jazz)
Duke Ellington & Ray Brown: This One's For Blanton (Bass Heavy Jazz)
John Coltrane: Blue Train (Jazz)
Albert Ayer Trio: Spiritual Unity (Free Jazz)
Breathe Owl Breathe: Climb In
Samuel James: Songs Famed For Sorrow And Joy (Blues)
Ravi Shakar: Three Ragas (Sitar)

And artists with an entire discography worth listening to:
Yann Tiersen (Minimalist/Contemporary Classical)
Devotchka (World Fusion)
Toumani Diabante (African Kora)
Sigur Rós (Icelandic Post-Rock)
Avishai Cohen (Bass Heavy Jazz)
The Chieftains (Celtic)
Iron & Wine (Acoustic)
Taraf De Haïdouks (Gypsy)

Space Photography

Hubble Photos

There are some amazing Hubble photos in this collection. Infomative captions as well.

World Wide Telescope

If you care to explore the depths of space freely then this is the best program. You can zoom to any place in the universe that we have photographed, which is a surprisingly enormous amount. Some areas are supplemented with high resolution Hubble/telescope photos.