New Library Additions
Every week we do our best to add a wide range of music to our library, from the newest local releases to lost gems from the archives. Here’s a list of what we’ve recently added.
Week of Jul 9, 2010
Boogie Down Productions By All Means Necessary
Initially comprised of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock, Boogie Down Productions was a major mover and shaker in mid to late-‘80s hip hop. Referencing Malcolm X in the cover art and the title, By All Means Necessary (1988), BDP’s second album, marked the group’s move to socially conscious lyricism following the murder of DJ Scott La Rock. Minimalist production creates space for KRS-One’s topical and relevant rhymes that touch on government corruption, safe sex, and the hip hop industry. As one of the earliest examples of politically conscious hip hop, this album is not to be missed.
Low Skies The Bed
With The Bed, Chicago band Low Skies released their debut record, an album steeped in atmosphere and emotion that has been described as “the soundtrack for a post-apocalyptic world, one that seduces you into thinking the worst is over.” Founded in 2000 by drummer Jason Creps and guitarist Christopher Salveter, Low Skies later released I Have Been to Beautiful Places (2004) and All the Love I Could Find (2006), both on Flameshovel, and in 2007, Salveter would go on to form Judson Claiborne.
Talk Talk Spirit of Eden
The fourth album from English new-romantic-turned-post-rock band Talk Talk landed them in hot water with their label, EMI, who felt that the record wasn’t commercially viable and unsuccessfully tried to make the band change some of its content. The recording of Spirit of Eden was key to the band’s creative process: harnessing early digital recording techniques, Talk Talk was free to improvise, much the way a jazz band would, and assemble songs later as they saw fit. Cited by many as a forerunner to bands like Sigur Ros, Mogwai, and Radiohead, Spirit of Eden epitomized the sound of doing things differently in 1988.
Tortoise Beacons of Ancestorship
Released in 2009, Tortoise continued their private brand, if you will, of instrumental post-rock with their first LP in five years. A diverse album to be sure, Tortoise moves through thick beats, over-modulated synths, plucky strings, Wilhelm screams, and the occasional jazz structure. Critical reception of this album was virtually the definition of mixed, mostly because hopes were so high and Tortoise has been known to break boundaries. Listen closely, abandon preconceptions, and you will be rewarded.
ESG A South Bronx Story
ESG (Emerald, Sapphire and Gold) have gone through several incarnations, one of which played its “final show” at Chicago’s Abbey Pub in 2007. Originally comprised of three Scroggins sisters and two of their friends, ESG used polyrhythms to create infectious beats that have been sampled by some of the biggest names in hip hop. A South Bronx Story compiles much of the band’s best work from 1981-1991, an excellent starting point for anyone looking to get into a band that didn’t just mix genres, but existed altogether between them.
Anni Rossi Rockwell
Anni Rossi is giving Andrew Bird a run for his money for the title of Chicago’s premier string-playing songwriter. On Rockwell, her proper debut album, she plucks and bows her way through ten songs full of melancholy melodies and peppy numbers that would appeal to fans of Mirah, St. Vincent and Regina Spektor. This is a promising album from a fresh young talent.
Ike & Tina Turner Funkier than a Mosquito’s Tweeter
A disc of unstoppable rhythm and blues collecting material from 1969-72. Ike is in his prime here as a bandleader, playing tight, fuzzed-out funk jams. The only thing better here is Tina — her performance is raw, dirty and keeps you coming back for more.
Robert Wyatt Ruth is Stranger than Richard
The most striking thing about Robert Wyatt’s music is his voice. It’s an achingly fragile tenor that seems as though it could fall apart at any moment; the music accompanying it does not try to make you think otherwise. Keyboards and synthesizers create somber moody backdrops with sputtering jazzy drums and the occasional horn part filling out the rest. Ruth is Stranger… is a nice slice of mid-‘70s English art rock in the vein of Henry Cow or the Art Bears.
Helen Money In Tune
Chicago native Alison Chesley performs under the name Helen Money and is quite the deceiving musician: she plays solo pieces on her cello that at first sound serene — but that soon changes. Parts begin to loop and layer on top one another as dark clouds descend, until huge cello riffs come crashing down. This is heavy stuff, for fans of Kronos Quartet and Isis alike.
Giant Sand Selections Circa 1990-2000
This a collection of sun-baked southwestern songs from Tucson, Arizona group Giant Sand serves as a fine retrospective from a band that has long had the market cornered in Mariachi-infused indie rock. Howe Gelb is the group’s only mainstay, but this period also featured drummer John Convertino of Friends of Dean Martinez and Calexico.
