Abstract Index Playlist - September 23/10

photo by Peter Gannushkin, courtesy of Improvised Communications

Aum Fidelity has been releasing music from a new generation of artists who are making some strong artistic statements in jazz. Both Little Women and now the quizzically named From Bacteria To Boys are expanding the avant-free-soul sweet spot where so many Aum Fidelity releases have resided.

This ensemble is led by Mike Pride (described as a "drummer/hustler" by WFMU) and is very much a jazz band in the traditional sense of instruments having conventional roles of rhythm and lead. But it's all in the details of the dense compositions. Epics like "It Doesn't Stop" are based on a rhythms that sounds like poorly looped samples (a good thing!), and the discipline of pianist Alexis Marcelo and Darius jones on sax bring a relentlessness to it that make it sound post punk. Other tracks are quite pretty, like "Rose" before giving way to extremely textured repetition; throughout the album is a sense that heavy wailing is a hair's breadth away. Sometimes Pride's melodies go on a bit long, but the harder hitting vamps keep me coming back for more. This reminds me a bit of Tim Berne's power trios on Thirsty Ear.

And yes, I did play songs entitled "Reese Witherspoon" and "Cruel Intentions" during this show.

Podcast

woolfia - sillyconductor (local)
cind eram la '48 - taraf de haidouks rmx by juryman (six degrees)
ludacris - amsterdam klezmer band (essay)
tu romnie - mahala rai banda (asphalt tango)
opa jones - lubo alexandrov & kaba horo (no label)
seven - jazz passengers (justin time)
reese witherspoon - from bacteria to boys (aum fidelity)
a beautiful night like tomorrow - ryan driver (rat drifting)
pad - blue daisy (alpha pup)
dubandeando - nahuatl sound system (no label)
voo cego - marcos valle (emi)
siakala - jabula (virgin)
living for the rush - slakah the beatchild (bbe)
cruise control - eric lau (killawatt)
politics of smooth - ion (local)
foundational dub - dubkasm rmx by headhunter (sufferah's choice)
skango - volfoniq vs. caballo (no label)
ykre belni - asmara all stars (out here)
after dinner - rabih abou khalil (enja)
djaba - khiara arby (clermont)
afro rock - the hard rockers (past & present)
cruel intentions - orgone (ubiquity)
one way ticket to nowhere - syl johnson (numero group)