Monday, September 15, 2025

Music Week

September archive (in progress).

Music: Current count 44857 [44818] rated (+39), 21 [21] unrated (-0).

A few weeks back, before starting my long, slow read of John Cassidy's Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI, I quickly thumbed through Bernie Sanders' post-2020 campaign memoir, It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism, and got enough out of it to write up a review, which I sent out to subscribers of my Notes on Everyday Life newsletter, and posted as Bernie Sanders Finds It's OK to Talk Like an Old Lefty (also archived). I quickly realized I had more to say, but dragged my feet until I finally posted More Thoughts on Bernie Sanders and Capitalism last week (also archived). I put a lot of thought into those pieces, not that they shouldn't be crafted to make sharper points. But they do raise an important question that hardly anyone has raised: if Americans really want a revolution, and there is some evidence for this, why were they only offered a chance to vote for Trump but not for Sanders? There's a lot to unpack there, and I can imagine it taking book-length, but the key ideas can be found in these two pieces.

In the meantime, I collected notes for Loose Tabs. As soon as I mailed the Sanders piece out, I decided to finish Loose Tabs off before posting this Music Week. I started with a PS to last week's Music Week, with an update on my everyday life, a plug for the Sanders piece, a note on Robert Christgau's latest Consumer Guide (my reviews below, with Young a late upgrade), and a bit on my not-yet-ready Loose Tabs. I worked on it well into Sunday evening, then decided to post what I had, so I can get on with my life. All I've done on it so far today was to fix the ellapsed days counter (28), and add a couple tweets. Even so, I didn't get around to doing the cutoff until 6PM, and it's close to 9PM as I'm writing this.

What I am considering is going back over the Loose Tabs and writing up some sort of executive summary/further reflections I can send out as the next newsletter. But I also have a couple more ideas in the works, ones that come closer to everyday life. And really I could use some detox from politics.

Big push this week will be house stuff. It's time to finally build that recycling kiosk. The scrap wood is pretty much organized. Main problem is likely to be rain, but it should be cooler in a day or two, and only Wednesday seems likely to rain much. Also need to work on the Jazz Critics Poll website, but I'm running out of things in the way, and the actual setup is pretty simple. (Designing a new website would be harder, and may not happen any time soon.) Setting up my own writing framework is also on the todo list.

Lot of records this week from the HHGA list. There's probably another dozen I haven't heard yet. I also picked up tips from Phil Overeem's September list. Not a lot of jazz this week. Fair number of things in the new jazz queue, but very few have been released yet. I also have a folder of download offers that I haven't touched.

On first play, Big Thief's Double Infinity is already an A-, and not a low one.

I'm thoroughly enjoying Cassidy's Capitalism and Its Critics, and should wrap it up this week. I'm up to Joseph Stiglitz, which I think only leaves Thomas Piketty. (Stiglitz is not listed on the book cover, but is in the chapter on Samir Amin, along with Dani Rodrik. I have another half-dozen recently purchased books in the wings (and more older ones), but suddenly I'm tempted to look for Quinn Slobodian's Hayek's Bastards: Race, Gold, IQ, and the Capitalism of the Far Right, which complements the critics of capitalism with critics of the capitalist world whose preferred cure is even more extreme capitalism. The individuals listed, like Murray Rothbard and Charles Murray, don't especially interest me, but the pseudo-revolutionary ardor of the far right is very much among us. I've also just learned that the title is a play on Joan Robinson's characterization of Keynes' Bastards (Samuelson, Solow, and the other neo-Keynesians who dominated American economics until they lost ground to Friedman and his "school").

New records reviewed this week:

Africa Express: Africa Express Presents . . . Bahidorá (2025, World Circuit): British nonprofit founded in 2006 by Damon Albarn and Ian Birrell to promote African musicians, although their roster through five albums includes many others. Rather scattered, with some nice stuff, especially near the end. B+(*) [sp]

Amaarae: Black Star (2025, Interscope): Ama Serwah Genfi, born in the Bronx, parents from Ghana, third album. Nice beats, dense, generously sprinkled with sex. A- [sp]

Fly Anakin: (The) Forever Dream (2025, Lex): Rapper Frank Walton, close to a dozen albums since 2016. B+(*) [sp]

Blood Orange: Essex Honey (2025, RCA/Domino): British singer-songwriter Devonté Hynes, previously recorded as Lightspeed Champion (2008-10), fifth album since 2011. B+(*) [sp]

Blueprint: Vessel (2025, Weightless): Underground rapper Albert Shepard, from Columbus, Ohio, a dozen-plus albums since 2003, some very good, most real steady. This is both. A- [sp]

Chance the Rapper: Star Line (2025, self-released): Chicago rapper Chancelor Bennett, has mixtapes since 2012, but this is only counted as his second (or third) studio album (some dispute whether the title is one word or two). Much of interest here, some amusing, some making me uncomfortable, impressing on me that the impact of racism is still very palpable (e.g., the 4th of 4 "black commandments": "if they wanna we go to war"), not that the solution isn't clear ("my problem is your problem; your problem is my problem"). A- [sp]

Charley Crockett: Dollar a Day (2025, Lone Star Rider/Island): Country singer-songwriter, has been kicking out 2-3 albums per year since 2015, making this his 16th. All are good. None are great (although I gave his Live From the Ryman Auditorium an A-). B+(***) [sp]

Orhan Demir/Neil Swainson: Wicked Demon (2024-25 [2025], Hittite): Turkish guitarist, acoustic, based in Canada since 1977, has a 1990 album and several more recent, nice duo with bass. B+(**) [cd]

Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force: Khadim (2025, Ndagga): German DJ, side credits back to 1993, released his first Afro-centric ndagga albums in 2013. This particular group is fairly minimal: Bada Seck (bougarabou, thiol, mbeung mbeung bal, tungune), Serigne Manoune Seck (bougarabou, khine, mbeung mbeung, tungune), and Mbene Diatta Seck (vocals). B+(**) [sp]

Evidence: Unlearning Vol. 2 (2025, Rhymesayers Entertainment): Rapper/producer Michael Perretta, former member of the jazz-inflected Dilated Peoples (5 albums, 2000-14), has a half-dozen solo albums since 2007, including Unlearning Vol. 1 (2021). B+(*) [sp]

Fatboi Sharif & Driveby: Let Me Out (2025, Deathbomb Arc): Rapper from New Jersey, several albums since 2021, with various producers (Steel Tipped Dove twice), first with fellow NJ producer. Somewhat ghoulish. B+(*) [sp]

Ingebrigt Häker Flaten/(Exit) Knarr: Live at Artfacts '22 (2022 [2025], Sonic Transmissions): Norwegian bassist, Discogs credits him with 58 albums since 2000, performance credits go back to 1994 and number 274, he's anchored such major groups as Atomic and the Thing, as well as numerous Ken Vandermark projects. Septet here named for a 2021 album, here with Mette Rasmussen (alto sax), Atle Nymo (tenor sax/clarinets), Erik Kimestad (trumpet), guitar, piano, and drums. B+(*) [sp]

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten/(Exit) Knarr: Drops (2024 [2025], Sonic Transmissions): Same band concept, although the cast has shifted, with Amalie Dahl on alto sax (except for one track with Mette Rasmussen), Karl Hjalmar Nyberg on tenor, no trumpet, Marta Warelis taking over at piano (with electronics), Jonathan F. Horne on guitar, and an extra drummer for one track ("a bold, extended lineup"). B+(**) [sp]

From the Dirt: Colored Edge of Memory (2025, self-released): Americana band from Frederick, Maryland, with Dan Kenny as singer-songwriter, filed them under folk although there is also a bluegrass influence. Seems nice enough, but I doubt that much will stick. B+(***) [sp]

Freddie Gibbs & the Alchemist: Alfredo 2 (2025, ESGN/ALC): Rapper Fredrick Tipton, many albums since 2004, several with producer Alan Maman since 2018, including their previous Alfredo (2020). B+(*) [sp]

The High & Mighty: Sound of Market (2025, Eastern Conference): Hip-hop duo, Eric Meltzer (Mr. Eon) and Milo Berger (DJ Mighty Mi), recorded an album in 1999 on Rawkus that got some notice, three more through 2005, now one more. B+(***) [sp]

Kaytranada: Ain't No Damn Way! (2025, RCA): Haitian DJ/producer based in Canada, fourth album since 2016, not counting many mixtapes, a few collaborations, and lots of production work. Fairly basic beat-centric album, exactly what I expect. B+(***) [sp]

Knowledge the Pirate: The Round Table (2025, Pimpire/Trouble Chest Entertainment): Rapper Richard Iverson, half-dozen albums since 2018, this one sometimes co-credited to executive producer Roc Marciano, who also gets a featuring listing on one song. B+(**) [sp]

Lex Korten: Canopy (2024 [2025], Sounderscore): Pianist, also plays Rhodes, couple previous albums, scattered side credits (recently: Simon Moullier, Alfredo Colón, Sasha Berliner, Zoh Amba). Most tracks here feature voice (Claire Dickson), alto sax (David Léon), guitar (Tal Yahalom), drums (Stephen Boegeheld). I'm not much into the vocals. B [cd] [09-19]

Rocío Giménez López/Franco Di Renzo/Luciano Ruggieri: La Palabra Repetida (2025, Blue Art): Argentinian pianist, has a couple albums since 2017, trio with bass and drums, their second together, standards, mostly from jazz (Davis, Ellington, Parker, Shorter, Coltrane). B+(**) [bc]

Mahotella Queens: Buya Buya: Come Back (2025, Umsakazo): South African vocal trio, best known for backing Mahlathini (1937-99), but they have a fair number of albums on their own, starting in 1966, with this new album their first since 2007. Classic township jive, can't miss. A- [sp]

Lili Maljic: The Nearness of You: In Loving Memory of Jim Rotondi (2024 [2025], Pacific Coast Jazz): Standards singer, sticks to A-list songs, handles them well enough, the dedication to the trumpet player, who died two months after helping out here, is a nice touch. B+(**) [cd]

MindsOne: Stages (2025, Fort Lowell): Hip-hop group (Kon Sci, Tronic, various DJs but mostly DJ Noumenon), fifth album since 2007. Old school scratches, and (per HHGA) "precision, moving between introspection and sharp observations about life, ambition, and purpose." A- [sp]

Nils Petter Molvær: Khmer Live in Bergen (2023 [2025], Edition): Norwegian trumpet player, developed a distinctive strain of jazztronica in the 1990s -- which, by the way, started with Masqualero with Arild Andersen, which once again brings us back to George Russell and his Electronic Sonata -- especially on the ECM albums Khmer (1998) and Solid Ether (2000). This draws songs from both albums, bringing back the original band from the latter, plus long-time collaborator Jan Bang (live sampling). A- [sp]

Nourished by Time: The Passionate Ones (2025, XL): Alt-r&b singer-songwriter Marcus Brown, second album. B [sp]

Nova Twins: Parasites & Butterflies (2025, Marshall): British duo, Amy Love (vocals/guitar) and Georgia South (bass/vocals), third album, funk beats, metallic clang hilights, can rap some. I've been a fan so far, and some of this is really extraordinary, but it's rather hit-and-miss, taking four songs to get to "Soprano," and more to get to what sounds like supercharged Queen. B+(**) [sp]

Panic Shack: Panic Shack (2025, Brace Yourself): Welsh post-punk band, Sarah Harvey the singer, first album after a couple EPs, 11 songs, 34:16. Some of the themes I'm not into, but they have so much fun with them I can't complain. Reminds me of some '70s new wave, only not male. A- [sp]

Preservation & Gabe 'Nandez: Sortilège (2025, Backwoodz Studioz): Former has a 25-year history as an underground DJ without revealing so much as a name (unless it's Jean Daval? "half-French," from New York); 'Nandez (or Nadez) is younger, "half-Malian," both with some connection to Billy Woods. B+(***) [sp]

Margo Price: Hard Headed Woman (2025, Loma Vista): Country singer-songwriter, fifth studio album since 2016 (plus a live Perfectly Imperfect at the Ryman). Strong upbeat pieces, loses a bit on the ballads. B+(***) [sp]

ShrapKnel & Mike Ladd: Saisir Le Feu (2025, Fused Arrow): Hip-hop duo, Curly Castro and PremRock (Mark Debuque), from Philadelphia's Wrecking Crew, fourth album since 2020, couple more since, this one produced by Ladd, who has a rep as a spoken word artist including collaborations with jazz musicians, especially Vijay Iyer. B+(**) [sp]

Earl Sweatshirt: Live Laugh Love (2025, Tan Cressida/Warner): Rapper originally from Chicago, father a South African poet and political activist, mother a law professor noted as a "critical race theorist," started with Odd Future in Los Angeles, 6th studio album since 2013 (counting an Alchemist collab), but short at 24:08 (11 tracks). B+(*) [sp]

Zach Top: Ain't in It for My Health (2025, Leo33): Country singer-songwriter, grew up on a rance in Washington, second album. B+(**) [sp]

UFO Fev & Body Bag Ben: Thousand Yard Stare (2025, 1332): Rapper and beats, I've seen cover scans with the credits flipped but will go with Discogs (especially since they have a scan to prove it). B+(**) [sp]

Jubal Lee Young: Squirrels (2025, Reconstruction): Countryish singer-songwriter, never heard of him through 6-7 albums since 2004, son of Steve Young (1942-2016), another one I've barely heard of (just enough to have him redundantly listed in my country and folk files, neither of which actually graded an album). Christgau recommended this one, and it's interesting enough, and more than a little amusing. Not yet enough to send me back to the catalogs, but I wouldn't rule that out. I sat on the fence here a while, but finally decided not to give a fuck. A- [sp]

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

Bar-B-Q Killers: Part 1: The Last Shit (1986 [2025], Chunklet Industries, EP): Athens, GA garage band, three songs, 8:24. Title per cover, but Discogs lists as Chester Drawers, after the first song on what is basically a single. Group went on to release an album, Comely, in 1987. B [bc]

Marshall Crenshaw: From "The Hellhole" (2012-16 [2025], Yep Roc): Retro rocker in the early 1980s, seemed major for several striking albums, still sounds much the same, although this collection of remastered stray tracks stikes me as pretty useless. B- [sp]

Woody Guthrie: Woody at Home: Vol 1 + 2 (1951-52 [2025], Shamus): Famous folksinger (1912-67), from Oklahoma, wrote hundreds of songs, with most of his recordings in 1944-49. These previously unreleased tapes -- 22, with 13 songs that hadn't been previously released -- were recorded shortly before he was diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, which ended his career early. This is fairly minor, but interesting. B+(*) [sp]

Old music:

Body Type: Expired Candy (2023, Poison City): Australian garage rock group, four women, second album after two EPs. Pretty good, but ran on well past my peak interest. B+(***) [sp]

The High & Mighty: Home Field Advantage (1999, Rawkus): Philadelphia hip-hop duo, rapper Mr. Eon (Erik Meltzer) and producer DJ Mighty Mi (Milo Berger), first album, draws some notable guest spot artists, like Eminem. B+(***) [sp]

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

  • Tom Cohen: Embraceable Brazil (Versa) [10-10]
  • Juan Pastor's Chinchano: Memorias (Calligram) [10-03]
  • Natsuki Tamura/Satoko Fujii: Ki (Libra) [09-19]

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