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Music: Current count 26822 [26780] rated (+42), 435 [445] unrated (-10).
High rated count is a combination of factors: I've been taking the new jazz queue FIFO, and ran through a dull patch -- only records that got as many as three plays were Evenfall, Mathias Landaeus, and Joel Miller (more of an art rock album), with only a couple more getting two plays; quite a few EPs and short albums among the streaming picks (the Sheer Mag 7-inchers are really 4-song EPs, the Michete and Wire EPs are 23-29 minute albums, Modern Baseball's LP barely tops 30 minutes), so they go fast. (On the other hand, the Drake album is insanely long.) I continued to check out stuff from various mid-year best-of lists, with the usual mixed results.
I've also been working on Christgau's database, and am finally up to date locally, which is to say almost a year ahead of what you see on the site. I'm waiting for some people (including Bob) to do some proofreading before I update the site. Work on that reminded me to check out The Rough Guide to South African Jazz and God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson -- two records that weren't on Rhapsody when I previously checked, but are now. (Speaking of which, their rebranding as Napster has taken place. Ugh!)
Also checked out Christgau's rap picks from last week: Vic Mensa and Joey Purp. Both good records, but I wound up with reservations about each. Still, Mensa's "16 Shots" is timely, urgent even, and may be something to return to. Purp's mixtape is stronger musically. Still, my picks this week lean toward electropop and new wave. Best I've heard from Wire in over a decade. I counted it as an EP, but it runs eight songs, 25:55.
I've added a "Artist Search" form to the "fake blog" left navigation menu. I would have liked to make it available on all standard pages, but I'm temporarily confused about how to do that. The search page ishere.
New Steve Lehman album and a bunch of new Clean Feeds came in the mail today, so it'll be tempting to break FIFO order on the new jazz queue.
Here's an early report from Cleveland where my nephew Mike is covering the Republican Convention for Fusion.
New records rated this week:
- The Avalanches: Wildflower (2016, Astralwerks): [r]: B
- James Blake: The Colour in Anything (2016, Polydor): [r]: B-
- The Michael Blum Quartet: Chasin' Oscar: A Tribute to Oscar Peterson (2015 [2016], self-released): [cd]: B+(*)
- Brazzamerica: Brazzamerica (2016, self-released): [cd]: B+(**)
- Corey Christensen: Factory Girl (2015 [2016], Origin): [cd]: B+(**)
- Dan Cray: Outside In (2015 [2016], Origin): [cd]: B+(**)
- Debo Band: Ere Gobez (2016, FPE): [r]: B+(*)
- The Diva Jazz Orchestra: Special Kay! (2013 [2016], self-released): [cd]: B+(**)
- Drake: Views (2016, Cash Money): [r]: B+(*)
- The Evenfall Quartet: Evenfall (2015 [2016], Blue Duchess): [cd]: A-
- Cheryl Fisher: Quietly There (2015 [2016], OA2): [cd]: B+(**)
- Sara Gazarek/Josh Nelson: Dream in the Blue (2015 [2016], Steel Bird): [cd]: B
- Hard Working Americans: Rest in Chaos (2016, Melvin): [r]: B+(**)
- Tim Hecker: Love Streams (2016, 4AD/Paper Bag): [r]: B
- Marquis Hill: The Way We Play (2016, Concord Jazz): [r]: B+(***)
- Mike Jones Trio: Roaring (2015 [2016], Capri): [cd]: B+(**)
- Joonsam: A Door (2014 [2016], Origin): [cd]: B+(*)
- The Corey Kendrick Trio: Rootless (2016, self-released): [cd]: B+(*)
- Ron King: Triumph (2016, self-released): [cd]: B
- Mathias Landaeus: From the Piano (2016, Moserobie): [cd]: B+(***)
- Jessy Lanza: Oh No (2016, Hyperdub): [r]: A-
- Låpsley: Long Way Home (2016, XL): [r]: B+(*)
- Alison Lewis: Seven (2016, self-released): [cd]: B-
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: This Unruly Mess I've Made (2016, Macklemore): [r]: B+(*)
- Vic Mensa: There's Alot Going On (2016, Roc Nation): [r]: B+(***)
- Michete: Cool Tricks (2015, self-released, EP): [r]: B+(***)
- Michete: Cool Tricks 2 (2016, self-released, EP): [r]: B+(**)
- Joel Miller With Sienna Dahlen: Dream Cassette (2014 [2016], Origin): [cd]: B+(***)
- Bob Mintzer: All L.A. Band (2016, Fuzzy Music): [cd]: B+(*)
- Modern Baseball: The Nameless Ranger (2011, Lame-O, EP): [r]: B+(*)
- Modern Baseball: Holy Ghost (2016, Run for Cover): [r]: B+(**)
- Maren Morris: Hero (2016, Columbia Nashville): [r]: B
- Joey Purp: iiiDrops (2016, self-released): [dl]: B+(***)
- Sheer Mag: II 7" (2015, Wilsuns RC/Katorga Works, EP): [bc]: B
- Sheer Mag: III 7" (2016, Wilsuns RC/Static Shock, EP): [bc]: B+(*)
- Skepta: Konnichiwa (2016, Boy Better Know): [r]: B+(***)
- Sound Underground: Quiet Spaces (2016, Tiny Music): [cd]: B+(*)
- Tegan and Sara: Love You to Death (2016, Vapor): [r]: A-
- Tweet: Charlene (2016, eOne): [r]: B+(**)
- Wire: Nocturnal Koreans (2016, Pink Flag, EP): [r]: A-
Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries rated this week:
- The Cucumbers: The Fake Doom Years (1983-1986) (1983-86 [2016], Lifeforce): [dl]: A-
- God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson (2016, Alligator): [r]: A-
- The Rough Guide to South African Jazz [Second Edition] ([2016], World Music Network): [r]: A-
Grade changes:
- Todd Snider: Live: The Storyteller (2010 [2011], Aimless, 2CD): [cd]: was A-, now: A
Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:
- Fred Hersch: Sunday Night at the Vanguard (Palmetto)
- Steffen Kuehn: Leap of Faith (Stefrecords): July 29
- Jason Roebke Octet: Cinema Spiral (NoBusiness)
- Rent Romus' Life's Blood Ensemble: Rising Colossus (Edgetone)
- Jerome Sabbagh/Simon Jermyn/Allison Miller: Lean (Music Wizards)
- Slavic Soul Party: Plays Duke Ellington's Far East Suite (Ropeadope)