Tasa: Urban
Turban (self-released)
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CD/hear samples | band site
The
third outing by Tonoto-based Indian fusion group Tasa includes
some special charms, not least the assembly of guests that
contribute vocals to the non-singing core group. The album
opens with the tabla of bandleader Ravi Naimpally and the
gradual addition of other instruments including the powerful
voice of Shahid Ali Khan (he may not be Nusrat, but he
holds his own). The 11 original compositions reveal influences
including qawwali, raga, funk, and jazz, and the rhythmic
and melodic variety (with leads taken by different singers
as well as oud, flute, sax, and guitar) keeps things interesting.
Do
not, by the way, confuse this album with the Swedish group
Urban
Turban.
Various
Artists: The Rough Guide to Planet Rock (World
Music Network)
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Live
Locally, Rock Globally.
What defines rock? Guitars? Drums?
A driving energy? Maybe
we just know it when we hear it. And if you're still
under the delusion that rock is confined to Anglo-American
circles, listen up. From the opening guitar-organ riffs
of Dengue Fever's "We Were Gonna" to the frenetic punk
beats of the closing "I Would Never Want to Be Young
Again" by Gogol Bordello, this disc proves that the rest
of the world can rock. Admittedly, those two tracks are
from US-based groups, but between them you'll find artists
from Niger, Tuva, India, Portugal, Algeria, Hungary,
and beyond (but no Rachid Taha, curiously). A few of
the tracks are so far out on the edge of the "rock" umbrella
that
they're
getting
wet (La Reunion's Yela, Ukraine's Haydamaky, and Congo's
Konono No. 1, for example). And aren't the Hip Hop Hoodios
less rock and more, um, hip hop? Still, if rock can't
be inclusive, what can? Just be advised that
if
you're
using
this disc
as a launching point into more world rock, you might
find the full albums of some of these artists (particularly
Palestine's Rim Banna and Guinea's Ba Cissoko) a far
cry from Van Halen.
Orchestre
Baka Gbine: Gati Bongo (March Hare)
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This
band's story started even before Martin Cradick and Su
Hart visited the forest home of the Baka people in Cameroon.
They found two great guitarists on that journey, and
in the ensuing years more musicians honed their skills
as Baka Beyond helped spread their music far and wide.
Now Cradick has returned to record the group Baka Gbine
at their home, using a solar-powered laptop. Buoyant
with life, these songs were redorded in 2004 and 2005.
The modern arrangements (including guitars, bass, mandolin)
don't detract from the amazing polyphonies for which
the Baka are know. Nothing against Martin and Su, but
it turns out the Baka make delightful Afropop all on
their own, thank you!
Etran
Finatawa: Introducing Etran Finatawa (World
Music Network)
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Love
Tinariwen? Then your next step should be to check out
Niger's answer to the Malian group of Taureg former rebels.
Etran Finatawa (the name means "stars of tradition")
combine the Taureg sound with music from the Wodaabe
people,
whose
homeland
has
long
been
a crossroads
between North Africa and the sub-Saharan. Songs about
camels, sand dunes, love, and dancing, all with entrancing
circular vocal polyphonies and electric guitars. Another
delight from the desert.
Slavic
Soul Party: Bigger (Barbes Records)
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Roosters,
crazy drumming, horns that won't quit, and those fascinating,
exotic Balkan changes are gonna make you wanna dance.
Surely one of the most melodic and catchy instrumental
albums of late, Bigger is fun through and through,
from the bouncy swing of "Ya-Ya" to the oom-pa of "Rufalina"
to the New-Orleans-style "Look-Ka Py Py" (original by
The Meters). Oh, and the track notes include this tidbit:
"Recorded January
4th,
2005, 3:15-7:30pm with a 45 minute dinner break..." I'm
scared of them!
Various
Artists: The Rough Guide to the Music of Iran (World
Music Network)
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There
aren't a lot of record labels that go out of their way
to feature music from countries with reputations as international
villians. Sure Sublime
Frequencies is making a go of
recorded radio broadcasts from Iraq, Libya, and North
Korea (among other places), and Norway's KKV brought
us the sublime Lullabies
form the Axis of Evil. But in the face of dehumanizing
talk from the White House, we're yet to see others take
up this cause. Well, while you wait for Putumayo to compile
Axis of Evil Groove, you can dig on this collection of
music from nuclear renegade Iran. It's a broad survey,
ranging from Dastan Ensemble's classical music to O-Hum's
underground rock sound. Perhaps not an album you'll listen
to repeatedly from start to finish, but it will surely
add layers of complexity to your understanding of Iranian
culture.
Ska
Cubano: ¡Ay Caramba! (Cumbancha)
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CD/hear samples | buy mp3s
Putumayo
A&R guy Jacob Edgars started this new label to feature
artists (as opposed to the compilations favored by Putumayo).
And I'm glad he did. I've been hearing about Ska Cubano,
and finally I've got my hands on 14 sweet ska tracks
that include various Latin and Caribbean influences in
the mix -- and a big dose of humor and fun. There's the
not-so-subtle sexual innuendo of their cover of the calypso
hit "Big Bamboo," a re-interpretation of "Istanbul (Not
Constantinople)," and a raft of other songs backed up
by instructive bi-lingual liner notes. A quirky pleasure.
Three unreleased tracks from the Ay
Caramba! recording sessions are available as mp3s at skacubano.calabashmusic.com
Terje
Isungset: Igloo (All Ice
Records)
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Musically
speaking, this is a little out of my normal tastes,
as it tends toward experimental (or otherwise irregular)
rhythms and melodies. But it's certainly notable for
the way the music was created. If you want to do this
yourself, here's the plan:
1)
Wait for winter;
2) When
the local river freezees over, cut out hunks of ice;
3) carve the ice into instruments (ice percussion,
iceofon, icehorn, iceharp);
4) Set up cold-hardy microphones;
5) Play and sing.
Yep,
nothing on this one but ice and human voices. The iceofon
(a balofon/xylophone) has astoundingly
clear, melodic notes. The All
Ice site has a video of
this frozen music for your enjoyment. Only my preference
for more predictably melodic music keeps me from giving
this my heartiest recommendation, but it's definitely
recommended if you like the idea of listening to Bjork
sing from the inside of a walk-in freezer.
©2006
Scott Allan Stevens, Earball Media | 
