We happily present a choral work fitting for the launch of the holiday season, courtesy of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Month: November 2016
[Music] Disen Gage – Snapshots
All credit goes to Vyacheslav Lunarin for introducing me to Disen Gage, a Russian progressive rock group whose album reminds me of a lot of the classic Rock-In-Opposition groups of the past.
[Music] OORSPRONG curators series/OCS edition November 28
I envy my friends in Amsterdam, as they tend to have a full range of incredible concerts and performance series. For more information, contact our friend, Raoul van der Weide, via e-mail or directly through his website for more information on Oorsprong.
[Music] 417.3 – 34
417.3 are one of Russia’s best post-rock bands, but they have a very low profile here in the States. Consider supporting their work, and the work of these wonderful post-rock bands which are coming from everywhere these days.
[Music] Sharon Jones, RIP
Terrible news from Daptone Records. After battling pancreatic cancer for some time, Sharon Jones passed away today. She leaves a body of work that reinvigorated soul music, and her presence will be sorely missed. RIP.
[Music] Janko Nilović – Funky Tramway
One of the 70’s greatest funk albums didn’t come from the United States, Great Britain, Germany, or even Africa, for that matter. This gem came from Montenegro, which was then part of Yugoslavia, and it came from a very fruitful period Janko Nilović had from 1968 to 1978.
[Music/Art/Film/Literature] A Garden Of Earthly Delights
If you’re a label or publisher who deals with anything outside of the mainstream, let me know, and I’ll do my best to add you to my collection of links, which is meant to be a resource to anyone who wishes to learn more about unique music, art, film, literature and more, here at A Garden of Earthly Delights.
[Music] Markus Stockhausen Quartet – A Trumpet For Greece
Mellow, grey-day music from Markus Stockhausen and company.
[Music] Jeffrey Roden – Threads Of A Prayer: Volume 1
A Miscellany of Tasteful… is proud to announce the release today of a record I’ve been waiting to hear for months now. Jeffrey Roden is an old friend from my days working at Aron’s Records and Lumpy Gravy, a restaurant and record shop located in Hollywood, and owned by animator Gábor Csupó. Today is the official release of his latest album, Threads Of A Prayer: Volume 1.
More about the album. Solaire Records out of Germany collaborated with Jeffrey, and the first thing I noticed was the tastefully minimalistic artwork and packaging, which reminded me of something ECM Records would have been proud to release. The notes on the music are copious, but the compositions themselves are the stars of the day.
There is a slow, gently plodding pace to the first disc of this album. Sandro Ivo Bartoli performs the pieces with an understated gentleness that would be comparable to the best of Harold Budd and his collaborations with Brian Eno. I have been fortunate to review a series of truly enveloping music the past few weeks, and this one is the best of the lot.
Disc two is remarkable in a different way. There are elements of the compositions of Arvo Pärt and Henryk Górecki. This isn’t Holy Minimalism, but it is something akin to it. The music is calming, expertly composed, and is perfect for deep listening and thinking the day away.
If this is only Volume 1, I await Volume 2 with a happy anticipation.
[Music] Hans-Joachim Roedelius & Noël Akchoté – Opus (2013)
To review each and every release by Noël Akchoté would be impossible for this one-man blog to do, but I have the luxury of cherry-picking some real treats. This one, in particular, pairs Noël with Hans-Joachim Roedelius of Cluster fame, as well as a maestro in his own right. The album is a guitar/piano improvisation recorded in Vienna, Austria in 2013. Gentle, plucky sounds which cross into fusion territory at times.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 