I Went To See A Band...

[Ries]

I am behind on my writing, a lot of work was done, and now I am shutting down my home here and packing to return to the USA.
However, since I last wrote, I did see Sexteto Irreal at Niceto, and La Grande one last time, with special guests Planeta Fungi.

 

[Ries]

I was going to see Patti Smith in Seattle, but it got cancelled.

Luckily, Juana Molina still played her concert a couple of days ago- just without an audience. She streamed it free, instead.

so you can watch it on your device of choice.

Guest guitarist, who shreds, is Ca7riel, who is much more known for his rap and trap, but is actually a killer rock guitarist as well. But these days, the chicas want trap. You go where the market is.

 

[Iznogud]

Iz

 

[Iznogud]

Iz

 

[Ries]

Villa Diamante has been doing live streaming dj sets with guests every night- and he will continue to do them every night, until the cuarantina is over, he says. Its called Hasta La Pista. Lots of other musicians drop in, virtually, and select songs, talk about music, and hang out.

Tonight, and every night, at 23:00, and you can watch/listen to all the previous ones here, on youtube.


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMekwB4gwV5yffMzuc0BlEg

 

[samsam]

Ries, you have super camera work and sound quality! Love the close ups and movement.
Thank you so much for sharing these. It's especially special to see now and in the foreseeable future with the quarantine going on.

 

[Ries]

I did not have anything to do with the production- I am actually in the US right now.

 

[Ries]

A lot of my friends are doing live streaming musical shows on the internet. A few days ago, my friend Dany (propeitor of one of the oldest record shops in Buenos Aires, El Agujerito, in Galeria Del Este) did this DJ set.

Mixcloud

www.mixcloud.com

 

[Ries]

Since I have not been able to see live music in either the USA or Argentina, I have been listening to a lot of new music globally. I have also been DJ-ing- outdoors, safely- on most sunny weekend days in my little town.
Here is my 2020 wrapup of music from around the world that rang my bell.

Favorite songs of 2020 Part 1

As the old hippie saying goes,
“I'm not into time, Man.”

Which is to say, while I am always searching for new music, I often discover things somewhat later than they were released.

So my list for 2020, while including many songs that actually were released in 2020, also includes things I first heard this year, but may be older.
However, as my son tells me, I am often into obscure things as much because they are obscure, as because they are good, so, most likely, very few people have the same list as I do.

I didnt listen to ANY Smiley Cyprus, or Tyler Swift this year- but my socks were knocked off by the recent release, for pretty much the first time, of a band of expat Turks living in Nuremburg in the 80s.

I find that I can appreciate music without speaking the language its written in. So I listen to a lot of records that are not in english.

Cafe Turk- Haydi Yallah - There was a self released run of 1000 copies sold in Germany in the late 80s. But for all intents in purposes, this is a 2020 release. And its fresh as anything, as modern and multicultural and relevant as you can get. https://youtu.be/nU8elkVOg8k

Hiperson- Spring Breeze - I have been really interested in Chinese Post-Punk lately- it turns out its a pretty big thing, for about the last 15 years, guitar based chinese bands, many led by women. Homegrown, led by the seminal band P.K.14, with whiffs of Sleater Kinney, Sonic Youth, and REM. This band, Hiperson, just released this album in June. It rocks. https://youtu.be/nHe1OrbuW5g

Chini.Png- Frictiva Velar Sorda- Chini was the leader of Chini and the Technicians, a popular band for the last 5 years in Chile, but has gone solo as Chini.Png. this year. A song about mundane everyday life, named after a consonant, strangely philosophical. I love her voice, and enjoy all her previous work as well. https://youtu.be/DKE2YdUOwcs

Pantayo- Heto Ya - A band of Canadian-Filipinas, who play with the gamelan based style of the southern, muslim, islands of the Phillipines, closely related to Indonesian music, but, of course, in a 21st century urban dance music melting pot style. And of course they add electric bass and synths. https://youtu.be/4_khrQsXQIM

Eri and the Whacky Casiotones- Loser - Singaporean Haqim Isa, who usually goes by “Maggot”, has a record label in Singapore called Kribo records. It nominally has something like 40 different bands- except, they are all Maggot, usually playing most or all of the instruments, with a few friends. They range from funk to soul to malay pop to cumbia. He is kind of the Prince of Singapore (the Prince Rogers Nelson, that is). He can play anything, in any style, and do it well. He has created an entire universe of fake bands with real music. His Eddie Hazel like funkadelic guitar jams have to be heard to be believed. Check him out on Bandcamp- Kribo Records. Its all good. This one is mysteriously funky lost in time but modern pop. ERI is the female vocalist on this one- Maggot plays pretty much everything else. https://youtu.be/F8R0qVhlrlg

Khotin- Groove 32 - Dylan Khotin-Foote, from Edmonton Canada, consistently produces electronic music that blows me away on psychic winds. Dreamy, with a beat, often using unlikely and unpredictable samples, you can dance to it, or zone out to it. Everything he does is my favorite. https://youtu.be/ZM_yA0hYap4

Gato Kosmiko- Almud - psychedelic chilean electronic instrumental jam- not the stuff they sell in the world music pile at Starbucks. https://youtu.be/zvYg_6V0YQw

 

[Ries]

and Part 2-

Tierra Whack- Feel Good - Queen of Philly, every song by Tierra Whack sounds different, and every one is instantly recognizable as Tierra Whack, because nobody else sounds like her. She has a new album coming out soon. Her 2018 album Whack World, of all 1 minute songs, is one of my all time favorites. https://youtu.be/5-j_Y5CWR0g

Yaeji- What We Drew - You cant get more american than Yaeji- she's from Queens! As america closes in on minority White population, music like Yaeji's is the future- it incorporates a 21st century mix of influences, and we export it to improve our balance of trade. She makes hit songs, and does amazing hour long dj mixes as well. And I hear she makes a mean curry noodle. https://youtu.be/9Dr3dzkaHQI

Nile Waters- Walk on Water- Chong the Nomad remix. Seattle based musicians Nile Waters, remixed by Seattle musician Chong the Nomad. R&B style vocals, but put thru the blender. I have been a big Chong fan for a couple of years now, pretty much anything Chong is good with me. https://youtu.be/S-09RFo5nvo

Park Hye Jun- Can You - Korean immigrant based in LA, who DJ's, writes songs, and sings. Another futureworld mashup of our current reality. Its got a good beat, you can dance to it, and she got signed by Ninjatune, which is pretty impressive, too. Her remix of WAP is far better than the original. https://youtu.be/WUiapHwpEdc

Crudo Means Raw- Novena- Columbian hip hop with strangely compulsive simple beats. I listen to all the songs on this new album, Esmerelda, over and over again. He makes his own beats, and always does a lot with a little. https://youtu.be/9Yl_w0MytpM

Los Musas Desconectadas- Voz de Mujer- an all female group from El Salvador. Its tough to be a musician in El Salvador, tougher to be a woman. These women are amazing. This album did come out in 2019, but I am betting you havent heard it yet. https://youtu.be/k8qRfolzLJc

47 Soul- Dabke System- sort of a pan-arab supergroup,with Jordanian, Palestinian, and global diaspora members, these guys get funky. After 40 years, hiphop is truly a global thing, and its hard to accuse these guys of cultural appropriation- Cultural Drift is Sacred Drift, if you ask me. They call this either Shamstep, or Electro-Dabke. I like it either way. https://youtu.be/uEaSgzRdSv0

Skipster- Change Hobo Puro Scene- this is an Indian rapper, Cizzy, with beats by DJ Skip- Bengali HipHop. There is an incredible amount of great electronic, rock, hiphop, and even folk music coming out of India these days- but for some reason, we never hear it on KEXP... https://youtu.be/Gu1wTflKg94

Mabe Fratti- Aire - Guatamelan Cellist Fratti, now based in Mexico City, is riveting- and pretty hard to pin down as to genre. She sings and plays cello on this, accompanied by Gibrana Cervantes on violin. This is exactly why we need MORE immigrants from Central America in the USA, not less. https://youtu.be/81RWLeDyik8

Flugen- Poupayee- Lebanese musician Maya Aghniadis lives between France and Beirut and records as Flugen. I would call her a composer- but she plays most of it, too. https://youtu.be/O6f4sPWu8ew

I could go on- but this is a pretty good sample of what rings my bell this year. When I DJ, I do go on, for hours... Everyone of these artists has lots more great songs you should listen to. Dig Dig Dig.

I hate spotify, for many reasons. I dont use it myself. I try, whenever possible, to buy music direct from the bands, usually on the first friday of every month, when bandcamp give 100% of the price to the artist. Most of these artists are on Bandcamp.

But for those of you who stream spotify here is a link.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1xLww0oT5X5zxsCu86LETq...