No this isn’t an all Toto list; no matter how much I’d love to do it and weird out the other two LxLers. After years of loving music influenced by African world music (Paul Simon, Talking Heads, Dirty Projectors), I finally decided to plunge in and just listen to the stuff myself. What I learned is it’s no doubt a blast to listen to especially as things begin to warm up here in May. So here are some of my favorites in terms of African world music finished off with some American artists who incorporate the stuff. This is admittedly tweener African music, but it’s what I’ve dug into and enjoyed at this point.
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Tag Archives: Damon Albarn
Spiritualized Review: Sweet Heart Sweet Light
30 AprSpiritualized
Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Often the greatest work comes out of the toughest circumstances. That broken relationship, lost job, or life-and-death situation repeatedly fuels art more than anything else because of the insight and stories gained from such traumatizing experiences. Much is the case for Jason Pierce, front man of British psych-rock band Spiritualized, who underwent treatment for a degenerative liver disease since his last album, 2008’s brilliant Songs in A&E. The result of such a life-and-death experience is Sweet Heart Sweet Light, a true triumph of an album that trades off between the unbearable darkness and light at the end of the tunnel in the most frightening of circumstances.
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Rocket Juice & the Moon Review
26 MarRocket Juice & the Moon
Rocket Juice & the Moon
Damon Albarn is a man who has worn many hats. In the last ten years, he has released albums with four different bands (most notably Gorillaz and Blur), all projects which have been more than respectable. Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers fame is another person who has started spreading his wings, having played with Thom Yorke’s super group Atoms for Peace and now with this new project with Albarn. Rocket Juice & the Moon is a space funk super group from Damon Albarn, Flea (bass), and Tony Allen (drums) from Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti’s band. For their self-titled debut release, the funk trio also pulls in plenty of guests from rappers to brass bands to world music artists, for what is no doubt a fun listen but not much beyond that.
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