Abstract Index Playlist - July 22/09

I wouldn't say guilt is motivating this post but...

A couple of weeks ago I wrote enthusiastically in Exclaim's Click Hear section about a free MP3 available from French dub band Brain Damage's forthcoming CD. As you can see in the graphic, it's listed as "Toxine (Live)".

That's how I listed it in the blurb, and I also credited the vocalist incorrectly. They wrote the magazine to point out my errors. Oops.

Allow me to once again show my love for a very creative band. If you think that dub is a) cliche and echo ridden, seemingly set on autopilot for minutes at a time b) for head-nodding only, Brain Damage will set you straight.

Their tempos are often breakneck, and their choice of sonics tends toward the aggressive, with few atmospheric synth pads to be found. Guitars are also much more prominent than with most dub artists, and thankfully they're not the kind of hair metal solos that seem to get a free pass on so many reggae/rock fusions. You won't find this blogger praising a band's punk attitude as unquestioned proof of authenticity, but they do manage gale-force protest energy within dub's often glossy, high tech sounds. One of the most notable aspects of this live recording is its clarity. Nothing sounds muffled, this band their sound together after years of practice.

Even Emiko Ota's canned vocalisations on this live version of "Under The Ground" provoke rather than lull an audience. Judging from the crowd's reaction, I envision a fair bit of moshing about.

BTW you can grab that free track on this page. The album comes out in September.

Podcast

point reyes - david cromwell ensemble (innova)
expanse - john kameel farah (drosstik)
when every day's a number - tim exile (warp)
keman rhythm - two fingers (ninja tune)
liberta - nova lima (cumbancha)
tudo do bom - arthur verocai rmx by domu (far out)
maria enciende de la luz - los golpes fuertes (miami)
safari salvaje - los rapidos (waxing deep)
showtime - najite olokun prophecy (sofa disk)
under the ground (live) - brain damage feat emiko ota (jarring effects)
poppy - st. dirt elementary school (barnyard)
willisau - irene schweizer/fred anderson/hamid drake (intakt)
waterdance - nicole mitchell black earth strings (delmark)
almost extinct song 2 - simeon abbot/zebra wood (no label)
africa unite - samini feat etang (k chero)
samini - samini (k chero)
where my baby deh - samini (k chero)
rastaman - samini feat steel pulse (k chero)
his majesty's authority - earl wya lindo (natty congo)
selassie - kc white (city line)
come make we rally - willi williams (black roots)