Capsule reviews: I - Z

Impressions - Keep on pushing (1964)
Inspirational Curtis Mayfield anthem gets reduced to cover picture of three black men pushing a car down the street. The past is another country. Mayfield puts his songwriting through its paces, sometimes hitting gold (title track, 'I've been trying', 'Long, long winter', 'Talking about my baby'), most often formula. (20151004)

Impressions - This is my country (1968)
We'd need a Curtis Mayfield now.
No record has an ending as triumphant as This Is My Country's title track. Makes you feel you've made it through. It's a record of hope.
But we're still going. (20160210)

Jefferson airplane - Bless its pointed little head (1969)
With a muscular sound, physical where the studio albums are psychedelic breakfasts, this may just be the gateway I need to finally get into the airplane. (20160820, first listen)

Tobias Jesso Jr - Goon (2015)
'All the good songs have been written, so you know, I had to move into soundscaping.' Sure, sure. Here's a young guy who wrote half a dozen stone cold classic songs, '70s piano man style. It's all ballads, and don't bother looking for an edge (there is no edge), but what sweet confectionery. I thought they didn't make those anymore. (20190708)

Elton John - Captain fantastic and the brown dirt cowboy (1975)
Psychiatrist: 'Elton, have you considered writing down your issues in a diary?'
Elton: 'I know, I'll get Bernie to do it!'
On a wave of success artists invent these origin stories for their fame and fortune, as if their vocation was pre-ordained. But a night on the tiles with Long John Baldry is a poor narrative construct. Life should have gifted Elton something grander, monumental. The Ben Hur of self-help. (20160821)

Kapotski - Kapotski internation shopdrop record tracking system (2008)
Lovely spacious sound on this LP of edited highlights from two improvised concerts in 2006, Kapotski curating a line-up of guests (side A: Jean-Marie Aerts, Isolde Lasoen; side B: Mauro Pawlowski, Steven De Bruyn) who met on stage. Like walking around in a cubist painting. Abstract, but it feels good to wander around in. (20190827)

Chaka Khan - Hello happiness (2019)
Khan is an ornament on her own record. It's all about the producer, the bass and the drums. That's not necessarily a bad thing ('Like sugar'), but it's not the full deal. (20190710)

Ben E. King - Seven letters (1964)
Great single, filler album. You just know songs called 'Jamaica' and 'Si Senor' aren't going to cut it. Guess which Ben E. King classic they molded 'I'm standing by' after. Couple of nice songs aside ('River of tears', Goffin-King 'Down home'). (20151005)

King Crimson - In the court of the Crimson King (1969)
Immediately after King Crimson's performance at Chicago's Kinetic Playground on Saturday, gangsters burnt the club to the ground. Iron Butterfly, the group who were playing with King Crimson, lost all their equipment in the fire, while Crimson themselves lost a mellotron. (Record Mirror, 15 nov 1969) (20160821)

King Tuff - The other (2018)
Earworm candy. It means nothing I can discern. Just sneaky melodies. And why not?

Ladytron - Ladytron (2019)
Dystopian. No peace, no love, just synth. (20190725)

Lego movie 2 OST (2019)
Pop's not good for you (really). But... nice songs by Beck and Superorganism. (20190815)

Jack Lesser Lewis' Awkward Energy - Lvov in the streets (2019)
Strength in limitations. Awkward and touching. Good record. (20190815)

Jeffrey Lewis - 13 Fall songs 'His waves' (2019)
Hail that special breed of performer. Often perceived as enthusiastic amateurs, these are the real professionals. Building music out of nothing right in front of you, and tomorrow again. Just give 'em a concept to flesh out and the music pours out. On his 2018 UK tour Lewis played a different Fall song every night, without preparation. And here they are - instant record. Results are more Lewis than Smith. While nowhere near the brilliant Tuli Kupferberg tribute, I salute the spirit. (20190712)

Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star club, Hamburg (1964, 1980 released)
For once Jerry Lee is backed by an anonymous Reeperbahn bar band (a generation younger) who match his wildness inch by inch. One of those fuse and matchstick moments, caught on tape. (20151015)

V/A - The look of love. The Burt Bacharach collection (1957-1996) (1998 released)
Reasons to be happy there ever was a music industry: the work of Burt (and Hal). They should give him all the orchestras he needs. All of human life is here, in slightly operatic form. This collection is the bedrock - started me on a decade long exploration of a vast body of work. (20190730)

Lost brothers - Halfway towards a healing (2018)
People forgot to make this outstanding Greenwich Village Elektra record in 1963-1965, so the Lost brothers invented it in 2018. Some early Dylan, Fred Neil, Jackson C. Frank, some gypsy, some Simon & Garfunkel close harmony. I thought it was a lost craft. A pleasure if you can take your time for it. (20190709)

Love substitutes - Meet the Love substitutes while the house is on fire (2004)
Put Rudy Trouvé, Craig Ward and Mauro Pawlowski in a room with musical instruments and something is bound to come out. See if you can recognize these musical Rorshach tests... Rudy does his patented monologue intérieure, but to a noisy, energetic Gang of Four/Pop Group jammed backing  like he hasn't had in a while ('Disconnected', 'Hey! Did you see me coming'). Mauro chants the really noisy improvisations (2 parts of 'More than the sun', 'Summer of Mars'). Craig's brought some real songs and a bunch of electrified British folk riffs. Low on classic rock, high on improvisational energy. They feel alive. More or less on fire. (20190731)

Love substitutes - The velvet sailor EP (2005)
Like Kiss my Jazz, the Love Substitutes is a band suited to the EP format. 15 minute title track finds the uncommon ground between the debut's British folk sea shanty stylings and a post-punk disco groove. When they get out the horns, you know they'll be here a while. A pleasure. 3 b-side songs are shorter, post-punk skronk improvs, but still in a pop groove. It suits them. Craig and Rudy seem to have taken this release in hand. In general, there's something mapped out to Craig's work (except for the saxophone playing), there's something casual to Rudy's. But here they work very well together. (20190804)

Love substitutes - More songs about hangovers and sailors (2006)
Still a collaborative band (group improvs and solo songs present and great), More Songs... sounds like Craig Ward's baby. Rudy and Mauro pitch in to support his esthetic vision of ragged post-punk trad. You get why he couldn't fit into dEUS anymore. You also get why Rudy and Mauro gladly slot into a supportive role. A dense, rich record. (20190806)

Nick Lowe - Love starvation / Trombone EP (2019)
Unassuming songwriter gets more unassuming with age. At some point it tips over into forgetfulness on my part. Let's hope it's just a trial run for the real return. Just checking the water. (20190803)

Mad dog loose - Material sunset (1996)
Long disappeared, inspired mayhem. '90s alternative rock, though their heads are tuned to different times. Lyrics from a confused soul learning a second language, but they have tunes and they've battered and twisted 'em into something resembling songs. Just. That's the thrill.
I know I feel more enthusiasm for these guys than objectivity warrants, but I still feel it. (20151014)

Magnus - Where neon goes to die (2014)
Lyrics are still inch deep ('Catlike' - save it for Cahiers d'indie rock please), but the music bubbles like it hasn't for a long time on Barman's best album since Vantage Point. Fun (20151119)

Mahavishnu orchestra - The inner mounting flame (1971)
Why do I keep burning myself on fusion? Lots of mounting, ridiculous fire. (20160822)

Stephen Malkmus - Jicks picks Vol 1: Quiet music festival 20150627 (2016)
Merry pranksters growing old. Plundering their Pink Floyd and Carpenters albums. Have a cigar? (20160829)

Stephen Malkmus - Groove denied (2019)
Stoned in the spare room. I knew he still had it in him, but I didn't think he'd let it out anymore. Side A, my new Slay Tracks 1933-1969. (20190709)

J Mascis - Several shades of why (2011)
Do you suppose the title is a play on that fem-lit blockbuster 50 Shades Of Grey? You know, white/why. J's always been sly like that. It's not all acoustic, but no rhythm section. Any lexicographer could tell you the words that appear most are still 'I don't know'. The songs are top notch. Try sticking a pin between 'em, you can't. Being this good 30 years into your career, in the '60s they'd chop off your hands. Could any other pain feel this good? I don't know. We'd have to ask mr. Grey. (20151027)

Mauro - A faint smile (2000)
Stellar, T-Rex inspired, debut solo single. What a freak will do for love. In its own twisted way rather sweet. B-side 'Start to practice' does something with a 12-bar piano intro. It could've been unspeakable, but it just misses that spark. (20190719)

Mauro - Let me know (2000)
Wow, he's serious about going for the big time. A Sesame Street see sawing piano drives another glorious single. And it's about love. 'Welcome tune' is a long slow song which has some nice trademark Mauro riffs and sections, but it doesn't really go anywhere. Curate's egg. (20190721)

Mauro - Songs from a bad hat (2001)
More songs than you can shake a stick at. Mauro lays down the law, power pop-style. And builds on one of the great post-war (punkwar) love songbooks. A landmark. Should've landed him a spot on the David Letterman show. Or an American tv-series about love and surgery. Didn't. (20190721)

Paul McCartney & Wings - Wings at the speed of sound (1976)
The downside of democracy.
Hot on the heels of a massive US tour, McCartney shares some spotlight.
More than any Beatles record, Speed of Sound makes you appreciate the magic ingredient is Paul's voice. Sound springs to life when it appears, even on such harmless filler as 'She's my baby' and 'Warm and beautiful'. When it doesn't, not so much.
Also, two smashes ('Let 'em in', 'Silly love songs'). (20150921)

Paul McCartney & Wings - Wings over America (1976)
Raw excitement. Don't let people tell you otherwise.
Sure, some of the six sides must be superfluous, but I couldn't tell you which ones. (20150925)

Meat puppets - Dusty notes (2019)
A classic sounding Meat Puppets record in 2019. It's a nice thought. Doesn't sustain you for the full 40 minutes, but still, nice thought. (20190818)

The Meters - Fire on the bayou (1975)
They can get in the pocket, now they can't get out. (20160829, first listen)

Millionaire - Sciencing (2017)
It was just when we hit the desert the phased drums kicked in. And then my mind split open. Action rock now. (20170625)

Joni Mitchell - Hejira (1976)
A record so deep you can easily fall into it. And I can't think of a reason why not. Great ballads of loneliness and longing on the road. We're all on some road. (20151001)

Joni Mitchell - Wild things run fast (1982)
Wild things run fast, unlike this record. I tried throwing it out several times but it doesn't fly any faster than other records. (20160902)

Joni Mitchell - Dog eat dog (1985)
Different times, but it's still a little sickening to hear those cavernous Wall Street drums and a singer lamenting Ethiopia. Hey singer, you're part of the military-industrial complex now. (20160902)

Joni Mitchell - Travelogue (2002)
Exhausting career overview with tuxedos and orchestra. Some is breathtakingly beautiful, yes, but a flawed song selection. It was not unforeseen for Joni to start a farewell speech that took all night. (20151119)

Mitsoobishy Jacson - Sun of aerobics EP (1996)
The single - a gloriously ramshackle Lou Reed-style stomper - is a Mauro breakthrough, finding a new songwriting voice, free to contemplate her pretty face on a sunny day. Course he turns out to be some kind of serial killer psychopath - 'I've seen your darkness and it shines'. Not quite there yet then. The rest is Peter Houben's show, writing ballads for assholes ('Hometaped my girlfriend') and inscrutable songs of philosophical heartbreak ('Pinetrees do not lose their fur'). All sounds like they've scotchtaped it together in a Limburg shed, but it was recorded at Galaxy Studios. Slackers in control of their craft, then. (20190711)

Mitsoobishy Jacson - Nougat in Koblenz (1996)
Addictive junk record. Songs built out of bicycle spare parts and wirecoat. Mauro sets himself a pattern for collaborations. He's in the background, letting the other guys shine, yet still delivers that knockout moment ('Sun of aerobics'). So it is here: 6 Houben songs, 3 Pawlowski and 4 fragments ('Jazz rock endurance'). Fortunately, Houben shines too. His mind is dark and sardonic. (20190712)

Mitsoobishy Jacson - Boys together outrageously (1999)
Wild bachelor party. Somehow struck a nerve at the time (annoyingly catchy theme song). Not much of it sticks in the mind, but it sure is fun. Mauro recedes in the background of his own band. A tossed off mixtape from some entertaining tossers nevertheless. Kudos. (20190719)

Mitsoobishy Jacson - The confusion of A.J. Schicksal (2009)
It was only a matter of time before some part of the Mauro extended musical family would get into soundtracking imaginary movies. Mitsoobishy Jacson are prime candidates. Actually they give it the intimacy of craftfullness of a radio play. Superior Air or just another facet of the Mauro universe? You decide. I'll listen again, I can never figure it out. (20190901)

Connan Mockasin - Jassbusters (2018)
No one does a slow jam like Connan. 'Liquid' is an overused adjective, but for his guitar tone no other will do. Also, music teacher trauma alert. (20190723)

Monguito - Trompete in God (2001)
It's crazy universe where cassettes like this exist - unique improvisations by Miguel Sosa, Mauro Pawlowski and Dagobert Sondervan. Mauro and Miguel first met at a Sun Ra tribute recording session, but soon took things further out. 'On the one' is 10 minutes of hitting a broken, detunes acoustic guitar with random percussion in the background. On 'Encounters' someone discovers some kind of accordeon for 5 minutes. And that's the accessible side A. Abrasiveness follows. Occasionaly people laugh. They can't help themselves. Proof there is no end to what music can be. Anyone could make this and call it music. True, but who dares? (20190809)

R Stevie Moore - Afterlife (2019)
A guy to love. Music's variable. (20190818)

Thurston Moore - Rock n roll consciousness (2017)
Noise master's elegant later works. Guitar noise so smooth and unabrasive you can lose yourself in it for hours. (20190822)

Morphine - Good (1993)
If only more records were titled so self descriptively. Apart from this one, Michael Jackson's Bad and Tom Petty's Mediocre, it's a trend that never caught on. Sandman is a barroom zen philosopher. Life is empty but the glass is half full. The tunes would get better, but the mood is set. (20160904)

Van Morrison - Bang masters (1967, 1991 released)
Van's the train conductor of rock, always showing up to remind us we've not nearly paid enough to be on this ride. Also would soon morph into (briefly) the Marcel Proust of guitar strummers. All of which raises the question if Proust had been a train conductor instead of a hypochondriac, would he have found the lost time between Brussels North and Central Station?
Here he's on the cusp and what a messy, thrilling place to be. Between 'Brown eyed girl' and 'T.B. sheets'. (20160904)

Van Morrison - Veedon fleece (1974)
Communing with a wood spirit on sunday morning. Van directly plugged into the bucolic subconscious. Cultivates small wheatfield on his head. (20160904)

Motorpsycho - Serpentine EP (2002)
The single EP, a particularly '90s phenomenon. As the saying goes, great bands toss away material others would build careers on. 'Snafu', 'Fade to gray'. (20151106)

Motorpsycho - En konsert for folk flest (2015)
Band loses itself in accidental simultaneous booking of orchestra, choir, jazz musician and massive church organ.
Stunning display of virtuosity ensues. Themes, not tunes. (20150925)

Motorpsycho - Supersonic scientists. A young person's guide to Motorpsycho (1993-2015, 2015 released)
Famously uncompilable band shapes up to fit into the anthology mold. One disc heavy, one disc light. I could bitch about favourite sidepaths lost (many), but it shines new colour onto the center of the picture, and that's no mean feat. Score one for the mold. Mold breaking Motorpsycho's still scores ahead thankfully. Sail on. (20151105)

Motorpsycho - Here be monsters (2016)
No monsters, Motorpsycho reassemble their familiar tropes. But with peak results. Confident masters. Surely the next best thing to diving into the unknown. (20160829)

Motorpsycho - Roadwork Vol 5: Field notes (2018)
Overwhelming. Monumental. Like listening to a loud celestial vibration - 3 LP's long. (20190820)

Motorpsycho - The crucible (2019)
Three songs. The first is Black Sabbath, the second Van Der Graaf Generator, the third Yes. If they so choose, no one does '70s prog (not modern prog revival - a crucial distinction) like them. So it's really good. But not a path that can sustain itself indefinitely. (20190820)

Mott the hoople - The hoople (1974)
The original Goodnight To The Rock 'n' Roll Era statement? Exasperatedly grand rock'n'roll stomp. Sounding out of time already and it was only the early '70s. Ian Hunter was born old. What comes after rock'n'roll, he ponders. 'I'm in love with her / and she's in love with me'. (20160905)

Mudhoney - Piece of cake (1992)
Imagine if Neil Young had toured with these guys instead of Sonic Youth. Sleeps With Angels would've been 12 'Piece of crap''s. (20160904)

Mudhoney - My brother the cow (1995)
Great unheralded rock and roll record. You knew they had it in 'em. Bonus track is the entire record backwards. (20160904)

Mudhoney - Since we've become translucent (2002)
Stuck in second gear. (20151109)

Mystery trend - So glad I found you (1965-67, 1999 released)
Dubbed a mystery cause they couldn't very well get their pictures printed looking like they did. Obscure San Franciscan nuggets band, but 'we didn't take acid, instead we were all drunks' and 'we were all adults'. They soon spluttered out. 'Johnny was a good boy' the lone legacy. 'We were also completely drunk all the time'. Diverting though. (20160905)

Fred Neil & Vince Martin - Tear down the walls (1964)
Buttoned up Greenwich Village folk. Shouldn't be blacklisted by anyone, except adventurous listeners. An inauspicious start (one of several) for legendary character Fred Neil. (20151009)

Rick Nelson - Album seven (1962)
Some artists are only just hitting their stride by their seventh album. Particularly when they're on the record company treadmill and have little say in how the records turn out. No singles or classics here, but Nelson reaching ever nearer to being a one man Everly Brothers, which you gotta admit is a pretty tough act. He thanks his darling not just for the broken heart but for the sweet memory. (20160908)

Willie Nelson - Red-headed stranger (1975)
Quietly creepy folk parable about murderous preacher. Music is minimal, Willie's singing is all there is. (20160908)

Nemo - Popmusics (1995)
I never heard this at the time, but it still takes me back. All sorts of medium talented bands seemed to have one or two sub-Lou Reed indie rock earworms in 'em like 'You'll be Sharon' and 'Popmusic'. The rest is EP filler, but still on my good side. I too was young once. Sometimes I remember those days well. (20151021)
Throwaway gold from inner Limburg slacker that could be you. Could be me. Popmusic's what it's all about. Noise from the basement. (20160808)

Roger Nichols and the small circle of friends - Roger Nichols and the small circle of friends (1967)
The world is filled with soft pop masterpieces, and can't someone sing slightly out of key sometime? (20160910)

Harry Nilsson - A little touch of Schmilsson in the night (1973)
Wise guys polishing their conscience by appreciating Rodgers & Hart. It's a very 1970s thing. You see it in The Godfather. Sounds tawdry now. (20160909)

No age - Snares like a haircut (2018)
Sculpted pop noise from guitar/drum duo. They run into the limits of their sound eventually, but they do make a good run for it. (20190908)

NRBQ - NRBQ (1969)
One of the greatest American bands starts here. No band captures the wide-eyed optimism and madcap inspiration of the USA at its best. Sun Ra, Eddie Cochran, Carla Bley, Bruce Channel, and some of the wildest, most wayward selfwritten songs from Terry Adams' and Steve Ferguson's imaginations. And it was only the start. (20190728)

NRBQ - Live from Mountain stage (2002)
Two undated sets, for the fan who has NRBQ-everything. One with guitarist Al Anderson, in their later, luke-warm period, one with replacement Johnny Spampinato, which is less appealing. But there's always a suprise cover ('Tennessee') or a tender, jazzy 'Yes, yes, yes'. (20151102)

NRBQ - Music's been good to you (1975-2001, 2002 released)
Even a band of magic tricksters has a bottom. I still forgive 'em. (20151107)

NRBQ - Atsa my band (2002)
Jokes get coarser. This is not the way. (20151111)

NRBQ - We travel the spaceways (2012)
A comfy and goodnatured 2011 live set. Lacks the excitement of recent live sets (2009's Crazy 8's), let alone the '70s and '80s. Opening with Wild Weekend snoozefest 'The one and only' not the best bet. But they're lovely even when they're getting ready for sleep. (20190728)

NRBQ - Brass tacks (2014)
I can't shake the feeling this reactivated post 2010 NRBQ is a victory lap. Maybe it's my perception at fault, cause there's absolutely nothing wrong with new albums like thisone. More sentimental than prime Q, not nearly as wild, but these are good songs. (20190728)

Roy Orbison - At the Rock house (1961)
Roy Orbison without the pathos is like a party without booze, a hot day without ice cream. It's just wrong. (20160910)

Jim O'Rourke & Loren Connors - Two nice catholic boys (1997, 2009 released)
Two friends with electric guitars wandered out on stage... Noise ensued. Repeatedly. (20160819)

Jim O'Rourke - Simple songs (2015)
People say he keeps emotions at arm's length, but sardonic people are just the same as you and me, baby. No one translates that brain frequency like Jim. On the surface a successor to 2001's Insignificance, this is way deeper into '70s art song. The piano is central, the guitar tone is pure early wave progressive rock. Jim is still Jim and no one does it better. Side B ('Last year' / 'End of the road' / 'All your love') is so perfect it's almost sleazy. He's lucky the thought police is busy with less subtle perpetrators. (20151028)

Othin Spake - The ankh (2006)
Drums/guitar/Fender Rhodes free noise improvisations. Is it jazz? I don't know, how broad is your definition? A free improvisation record like this is daunting at first. But let yourself ease into it, there's a very tender heart in these soundsculptures. Some lovely, sad Fender Rhodes playing by Jozef Dumoulin keeps the guitar and percussion eruptions grounded. A beautiful distillation of 2 nights of free music concerts. (20190809)

Othin Spake + Kapotski - Feb 1 2007 7" (2007)
Rare collaborative live single contains possibly my favorite Othin Spake moment - the soft songside. Shows just how much noise a lullabye can contain, and still feel tranquil and soothing. (20190817)

Othin Spake - Child of deception and skill (2008)
Othin Spake's music sounds good in 2019. I return to it often and it's growing on me, losing its prohibitive 'free noise' connotations along the way. They set strong moods, raw disquiet to tender beauty. Still recorded live, but you can hardly tell anymore. Some Teo Macero is editing the hell out of the raw improvisations into -not quite, but not too far off- compositions.
Fans of '90s post-rock (when post meant adventure) should find much to treasure. (20190818)

Othin spake - Live @ Archiduc (2009)
Long delayed release of 2005 concert. Supposed to be Othin Spake's debut, but shelved over technical difficulties. 15 minute 'Deity Ame' (also salvaged on the debut proper) the highlight. (20190829)

Otot - Truth and style (2006)
Son of Somnabula. From 2006 onwards Mauro uses his dEUS-membership-get-out-of-jail card to delve deep into the noise underground. Even this song (or at least groove) oriented set sounds like Possessed Factory playing Evil Superstars riffs, then burying the tapes in the backyard for a fortnight to get that ugly sound.
Nevertheless (or consequently), magnificent. (20190809)

Panda Bear - Person pitch (2007)
Beatific exotica, a decided step to a more listener-friendly sound. The only question is - how much happiness can the listener stand? Music without tension. (c. 2013)

Panda Bear - Tomboy (2011)
2011's 'Tomboy', another Panda Bear solo project, is moody and obscure, a triumph of reverb over dynamics and songcraft. Basically, 45 minutes of humming in a well. (c. 2013)

Parallels - The Parallels (2004)
Monguito's just as avant sequel. Tunefulness is deeply rooted in our collective subconscious. Takes determination to stray so far from it. Even for 6 minutes at a time is a concentration mindfuck. One slip and you're humming Auld Lang Syne. (20190822)

Parallels - Arabia in blue (2008)
Ladies & gentlemen, it's audio vérité. A single 54 minute piece. Starts with 20 minutes of intrepid percussion recorded in a large factory hall or art loft. Far off someone is dismantling an electric guitar while plugged in. Then minutes of silence. What are they doing? Ah, they've rolled in an upright piano and are trying to figure out how it works. Later the sounds of droning insects? And... curtain.
How open is your mind? (20190820)

Charlie Parker - with Strings (1949-52)
There's no romance in this time, and right now this record's driving the point home. (20160916)

Van Dyke Parks - Clang of the Yankee reaper (1976)
Trevor Lawrence is not without talent, I'm sure, but in the end what use is a Parks album that he doesn't arrange?
An orderly follow-up to the wild vistas and -yes- obscure sidebars of Discover America. The title track is everything good that could entail from such a setup, the remainder never less than pleasant. But not much more. (20150923)

Parquet courts - Sunbathing animal (2014)
Like holding on to a cactus. Let's do it again. (20160907)

Parquet courts - Human performance (2016)
Flypaper for '90s indie fan survivors hoping this ain't the end of history yet. Then they hit a groove like 'It's gonna happen' or 'One man no city' and I swoon. It's a legacy only the skinniest shoulders can carry. And damn, I hope they pull it off. (20160807)

Maurits Pauwels - 10 toppers uit Trinidad (2019)
'Ja mensen, da's muziek!' (Now that's what I call music.) Joyous Benelux Calypso. Who thinks up these schemes, let alone has the audacity to follow through? The wisdom and fooloishness of human life is here.
When Mauro left dEUS Tom Barman opined he would now concentrate on a magnum opus record. It's not like that - Mauro's going back to his ballroom band origins. The career is the magnum opus. (20190825)

Pavement - Slow century (1989-99, 2002 released)
Despite hours of homevideos the mystery of their greatness remains elusive. What's more, stare at them too long and it starts to evaporate. Please burn me the audio of the hot july '99 show in Seattle and consign the rest to that circle of hell reserved for music DVDs. (20151102)

Mauro Antonio Pawlowski - Secret guitar (2003)
Intriguing solo acoustic guitar ramblings in an Indian raga style. Mauro's John Fahey album? Once I would have guessed these were completely off the cuff. Now I'm not so sure. There is order in there. Improvisations on a theme. (20190724)

Mauro Pawlowski & the Grooms - Ghost rock EP (2003)
Rock action. Nothing spectral here, all physical. The title track's a good one, but not everything on this EP works. They kept the really great stuff for the album. (20190725)

Mauro Pawlowski & the Grooms - Black Europa (2004)
Fitting that Mauro's tightest and hardest band ever turns out to be him overdubbing every single instrument, at least on this album. It's aggressive, but stylish. It's dark, but not without black humour. Goddamn, makes me want to throw out this pen and get down. (20190726)

Mauro Pawlowski & the Grooms - Tired of being young (2004)
The single is one of Mauro's finest and most overlooked. Black Europa's sole devastating pop punch. 26 minute 'Set sail to dream riot' is a feast of songs and fragments, I count at least 6 fully realized songs. Nothing equals the album or is radically different from its template. Mauro zoned in on a very particular mood with the Grooms. A little Queens of the Stone Age-fixation? Maybe. Luckily talent shines, even in trying circumstances. (20190727)

Mauro Pawlowski - Hallo, met Mauro (2004)
Give him a great idea for a commission and he delivers. These 'hold the line' messages for VisitAntwerpen are more groovy and melodic than they've any right to be. I'd call. Makes that robot voice come alive. (20190829)

Mauro Pawlowski - Rocket to a minute ago (2006)
Everything came out in 2006. Besides albums from Possessed Factory, the Love Substitutes, Otot, Othin Spake, Bum collar and Horns, Mauro found a release valve for his home recordings in the world of podcasts, releasing two odds and sods demo collections, of which this is the first (The Neither Songbook).
I break it down like this:
0'00 - acoustic introduction
1'38 - ominous instrumental (Somnabula-style)
4'21 - street noise interlude
5'01 - 'Be my baby'
8'11 - slide guitar instrumental (Paris, Texas-style)
12'16 - noise interlude
13'00 - acoustic guitar chant 1
15'29 - piano and industrial sounds
20'33 - 'Themeparks of the world' (?) (acoustic songdemo)
23'57 - Secret guitar-style instrumental
27'56 - synthbeat interlude
28'18 - acoustic guitar chant 2
29'20 - 'Dream of the year' (?)
32'23 - heavy bass groove
34'51 - acoustic guitar chant 3 (with coughing)
(20190811)

Mauro Pawlowski - Irrational research centre report (2006)
Second 2006 podcast album follows the template to the letter. Lots of instrumental doodles, some noise, some chanting, a pop standard disembowled ('Man, I feel like a woman') and a chance actual original song. Great. Master cook lets you into the kitchen. (20190815)

Pawlowski, Trouvé & Ward - Pawlowski, Trouvé & Ward (2007)
The Love Substitutes' afterlife - no more band but each contributes roughly 20 minutes to this joint cd. Or 3 EP's. Sounds great. Reality is more messy. Ward lost in noise jams, when his strength is in solo concentration. Trouvé lost in 4-track balladry, when his strength at this point is in improvs and collaboration. Mauro compiles some off-cuts, interesting for the committed fan ('For those about to wait'!). Not their A-game. (20190817)

Mauro Antonio Pawlowski / Harris Newman - Harris Newman / Mauro Antonio Pawlowski (2007)
One of the more perplexing releases in a - honestly - perplexing career. Newman's side is quality post-Fahey solo guitar. Nice, familiar. Mauro's side is mostly solo electric guitar, but these short sketches are inscrutable, Secret Guitar squared and condensed to 2 minute fragments. I've listened to it plenty trying to decipher. There is no plan, I think. Most likely that means I've spent more time with this music than Mauro has. But that doesn't make me wrong. (20190818)

Mauro Antonio Pawlowski - Untertanz (2008)
If Antonio is Mauro's solo avant garde manifestation, then this is his pop album. But... because of its diversity in sounds and modes, its directness, its popmusic quotatins, not because it's filled with songs. There are none. This is on an abstract plain. A cover of Big Star's 'Thirteen' so dmeented the older Alex Chilton would have approved. On the whole something of a definitive statement for Antonio. (20190825)

Mauro Pawlowski - Nieuwzwart (2009)
A kick in the eye instrumental rock record. And poetry recitation. Mauro finds a new savage, spooked rock sound - the first to rival the Superstars - in two new partners Jeroen Stevens and Elko Blyweert. Both would feature regularly in a new and expanding family of musical collaborators which would pull him beyond dEUS. (20190827)

Per W / Pawlowski - Outsider / Insider (2019)
A box of wonders - it'll take a long time to reach the bottom of this avalanche of ideas and songs. Musical styles veer in all directions, but they always return to new wave's cold grooves. Mauro's on a quest to bring his late '70s and '80s Belpop idols back into view. Later generations (like me) discover Kloot Per W as a proto-lo-fi-slacker-punk. Marvelous Mauro single 'Land of the most forgotten' casually tossed off into this 21 song Per W showcase. (20190729)

Ariel Pink - Dedicated to Bobby Jameson (2017)
Of the myriad factors in Ariel Pink's hubristic downfall, the one I can't forgive is he made an album (Pom Pom) which sounds like Frank Zappa. Sure, now he sounds rueful and subdued. A partial return, but only partial. Couple of nice songs. (20190722)

Plush - Fed (2002)
Such a musical puzzle comes along only every other year. A clever facade (pictures in a supermarket) can't disguise Liam is composing from the heart. Only his heart is trapped in riddles too. Some of the most refined music in indie rock. (20151108)

Police - Greatest hits (1978-83, 1998 released)
Beware the car cd's of otherwise friendly people who give you a ride. Oh well, we'll probably never hear from these guys again, right? (20151009)

Porcupine Tree - Stars die. The Delerium years 1991-1997 (2005)
tl;dr (20160916)

Porcupine tree - In absentia (2002)
I like it, but I get an uneasy feeling it's just superior Metallica balladeering. (20151119 - first listen)

Possessed factory - Vol 1: Raised by humans (2006)
It might be an unwarranted comparison, but it reminds me of Club Moral translated to the new generation, now with Mauro in charge, or at least in tandem with recruit Jef Cuypers. Assuredly not a pop record. It's actually more a soundstage than a record. Sounds happen, we listen in. But played with an innate sense for pop. That is - for all its tunelessness it's quite catchy, for all its randomness, it's elegantly structured. Great album. (20190806)

Possessed factory - Vol. III (2008)
Disembodied sketches, 30 in 45 minutes. They're all untitled. I would've liked to see their titles for these sketches. Or at least some signpoints. Footnotes, even. It intrigues, but I remain undecided. (20190825)

Potty mouth - Snafu (2019)
Modern Weezer. Snappy ('22'). They bark, but not much bite. (20190908)

Prince - One nite alone... Live (2002)
Somewhere on this 3 hour testament Prince tells us that if you can describe it, it's not funky. So - moderately funky jams, it is.
Vocoder-ized bass voice delivers the words of God. What else is new? Well, this time the words are actually from the Bible. Oh.
Still the last time he wasn't reclaiming some lost past and that counts. (20151109)

Purple mountains - Purple mountains (2019)
Shaggy country poet for the clinically depressed. At least those who can laugh at their own predicament. In the past I was wary, made my gut think of emotional tourism. And when your gut's doing the thinking, you're in a bad state. No doubts here and now. That's either good news (he's growing as an actor) or good and bad news (he's made good album, his life sucks). (20190726)

Queens of the stone age - Queens of the stone age (1998)
It's on Loosegroove records, but it's nothing of the sort. Music from a lab. (20160916)

Queens of the stone age - Songs for the deaf (2002)
Even in the desert there must be more exciting radiostations. One paced modern rock doldrums. (20151106)

Raconteurs - Help us stranger (2019)
'Scuse me as I mix my metaphors, but for a record that sounds so meat and potatoes, it's all stuffing without the rabbit. (20190710 - first listen)

Radical slave - Damascus (2010)
A pack of rabid rodents gnawing at your shoes. It it permitted? Trust me, they don't care. Raw no wave noise. (20190908)

Railroad jerk - The third rail (1996)
Matador's folly? Marcellus Hall sings on 'Natalie': 'I wanna see your anatomy. You can touch but you can't see.' Marcellus, I wanna see your songwriting. There'll be skewed priorities there too. (20151106)

Otis Redding - Pain in my heart (1964)
The three best songs are singles (title track, 'These arms of mine', slightly more sprightly 'Security'). Otis should not sing 'Louie Louie' nor 'Stand by me'. I'd like him to mellow out a bit, but as you know, it didn't happen just yet. Learning curve. (20151007)

Lou Reed, John Cale & Nico - Le Bataclan, Paris, Jan 29 1972 (1972)
Amiable livingroom folk versions from the decadent three. Reed effortlessly tossing off gems, old and new. Cale strangely slipping into comedy ('The biggest, loudest, hairiest group of all'). Nico opens up a chasm that engulfs the audience. No follow-up. (20160828)

Lou Reed - Coney island baby (1976)
He's just a gift to the women of this world. Also to fans of his trademark lyrical barbs ('I'm gonna punch his face in', but sung in character) dressed in melodious rock'n'roll. Coney Island Baby is nothing if not seductive, with deep roots in Reed's love of doowop. Dig a little deeper and it gets transgressive, but never uncomfortably so. A little honey etc. (20150930)

Lou Reed - Rock'n'roll heart (1976)
'Well, I guess that I'm dumb / cause I know I ain't smart / but deep down inside / I got a rock'n'roll heart'. Me too, Lou. Thanks for this love letter to music. One of your best. (20151002)

Reigning sound - Time bomb high school (2002)
15 songs that surge past - a garage riff, a heart tugging ballad, 'Stormy weather', a Rolling Stones cover etc. The band breathes this music. The listener can hardly catch breath. 35 minutes and it's over. Sometimes I play it again immediately. (20151108)

Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers - Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers (1976)
Richman can cover Chuck Berry and it makes sense, a feat not given many. He may be out of his depth just walking down the street, not when it comes to rock'n'roll. Sounding more visionary with each passing year, possibly the best rock'n'roll album of the '70s. (20151003)

Rolling stones - Rolling stones (1964)
They've got a striking sound. They're tough and full of attitude. They fired their piano player to make it (but still have him playing on about half the album). They'll worry 'bout their own songs later ('Tell me', 'Little by little'). (20151004)

Rolling stones - 12x5 (1964)
More songs about being a tough black man on the streets of Chicago. Highlights 'Time is on my side' and 'It's all over now'. Early glimmer of their songwriting genius on 'Congratulations'. Well on their way. (20151016)

Rolling stones - Black and blue (1976)
No, they don't need Mick Taylor to continue their gentle downward slope.
Two great ballads 'Memory motel' (worth its full 7 minutes) and 'Fool to cry'. One good variation on their '70s disco-groove formula 'Hot stuff'' (it's no 'Emotional rescue' but what is?). Nobody should pride themselves on having 'inspired' any of the other songs. This is what Keith Richards means when he says they don't write songs, they wait to 'receive' them from the ether. He means they don't write songs. (20150926)

Roots - Phrenology (2002)
Their most out there is almost out there enough. I wish they'd venture there more often. (20151111)

Rose city band - Rose city band (2019)
Choogling patchouli post-Dead psychedelia is in the air. Still waiting for a real classic, but this'll do nicely in the meantime. (20190822)

V/A - Saturday night fever (1977)
Stigwood stable dominated colossus. Truth be told, most of the Bee Gees' oeuvre leaves a metallic aftertaste in this writer's mouth. They're doing it wrong. Except on these glorious 80 minutes. All the Bee Gees I need. So they tried it again the next year, this time all over the Beatles. But, even in disco, lightning only strikes once. (20151025)

Sebadoh - Act surprised (2019)
Something about Sebadoh implied youth. Wasted youth. Exhilirating youth. They've brought back a lot of ye olde Sebadoh signposts, but that's missing. Maybe they should re-invent. Still, a couple of nice moments... (20190818)

Ty Segall & Freedom band - Deforming lobes (2019)
It's damn loud! We should've guessed. For Segall to release a record as guitarcentric as this... He had plans, and they would run in another direction. Enjoy it while it lasts. Rock should be a succession of last stands. (20190820)

Bob Seger & the Silver bullet band - Night moves (1976)
It's amazing how deeply I can enjoy the obvious Bruce Springsteen tropes, as long as they're played by anyone other than Bruce Springsteen. Seger sings 'Rock and roll never forgets' and he believes it. On the next song he opens up a can of Van Morrison, and he believes that too. No bandana'd guitarist or saxophone 'Big Man' to detract. '70s earthy American rock so classic it's almost brainless. (20150927)

Sentridoh - The original losing losers (1991)
Drink in the lo-fi gestalt. 43 track of hiss and bitter tomfoolery. But I get lost in it. (20190825)

Sentridoh (Lou Barlow's) - Winning losers. A collection of home recordings (1993)
Brevity's is lo-fi's friend. (20190825)

Shadowgraphic city - Shadowgraphic city (2003)
Calling card for a Mauro / Pascal Deweze / Carol Van Dyck joint tour in early 2003. A compilation of home recordings conceived separately. Carol the exasperated songwriter trying to steer this ship towards normality. Pascal is a folksinger with electronic inclinations, self-absorbed. Mauro test runs the Grooms sound - not as heavy as it would become -, and fills in the gaps with solo electric guitar explorations (avant, bluesy). 'Sit down' a nice surprise. (20190723)

Joan Shelley - Joan Shelley (2017)
Subtle acoustic music to slow down your breathing. It's not the most exciting prospect in the world. Except when it stops you in your tracks. A handful of songs on this beautiful album do. (20190723)

Wayne Shorter - Juju (1964)
Sideman of substance Shorter presents 6 more of his own compositions with a trio of Coltrane alumni. Themes are worthy, though none with the effortless melodicism to make up a standard. Still mighty fine playing. McCoy Tyner on piano is a joy and he gets plenty of space in this one horn band. Shorter offers intense explorations. (20151010) 

Wayne Shorter - Speak no evil (1964)
The lyrical statement you always knew he had in him. 'Infant eyes' could nail you to the floor. And it's not the only one. (2015018)

Simian - We are your friends (2002)
Not anymore. (20151107)

Nina Simone - In concert (1964)
Regal and tuned to the moment, doing anything the same way twice would be beneath her. 'I loves you, Porgy' and 'Don't smoke in bed' are heartbreakingly intimate. 'Plain gold ring' plain scary. 'Pirate Jenny' hairraising. She's nice to the audience too, but you just know she could turn in a split second. That's what makes it. (20151005)

Six organs of admittance - Burning the treshold (2017)
He's staring into the fire, meanwhile fingerpicking a meandering folk pattern. At one point could've been a dissertation. Not for him the passionate plea. Academics have hearts too, though, quietly chronicling. (20170622)

Smashing pumpkins - Lull (1991)
Early Pumpkins is away with the fairies. Even in Black Sabbath-mode they make me think of a Siamese cat, not a dinosaur. Three of their best and an inconsequential lullabye. (20151013)

Snarky puppy - Immigrance (2019)
Imagine the discussions at the mixing sessions for a contemporary big band - 'Turn up the third noise guitar from the right, please', 'I can't hear the timpales', 'Which ones?' Anyway, none of that here. A clean big sound. Plenty of groove, almost acid jazz at times. I wish it were a little bit more wild, more free. (20190717)

Sneaks - It's a myth (2017)
Get in and get out-dispatches from the heart and mind. Never overthought, never arranged (a basic programmed beat and bassline will do), always implying more than is actually said. Takes a lot of personality to intrigue under such limitations. (20190723)

Sneaks - Highway hypnosis (2019)
She's losing cred for diversifying -it's in the press-, but it's time and I feel she's on the right track. And if she strays by the side of the road occasionally, that's the beauty of the ride. (20190818)

Somnabula - Swamps of simulation (2003)
He wears a cape! From here on in Mauro's career is a series of projects, each with their own twisted internal logic, for us to decipher. 'I am Somnabula', 9 minutes of hilarious doomrock, is the core of this great diversion. The rest is an aural movie, setting the scene to this nightmare world. Gonzoid. (20190722)

Sonic Youth - Spinhead sessions 1986 (2016)
Impressionist guitar soundscape. Might be the lost 40 minute 'Expressway to your skull' interlude. Aural honey for those who like that shimmering, jarring jangle. Home sweet home. (20160906)

Sonic Youth - Murray street (2002)
What back then sounded like a revitalised blast, now glows with the comfort of an evening walk in autumn's splendour. Even the extended noise section warms the bones like a crackling fire. Yes, I am nostalgic for lost (sonic) youth. (20151105)

Soul coughing - Ruby vroom (1995)
It's too late now to discover Soul Coughing. The luster is gone. But, in desolate nights, seeking oblivion of the now in memories, I listen mostly to the sample/keyboard work of M'ark de Gli Antoni and the brisk drumming of Yuval Gabay. ('Screenwriter's blues', 'Bus to Beelzebub', 'Janine'). (20151023)

Soul coughing - Irresistible bliss (1996)
Not everything that sounded good in the '90s survives intact. The jazz/indie rock grooves sound a little less natural, the hip speak (former bouncer at the Knitting Factory) almost unbearable now hipsters have poisoned the waters. Weird samples and keyboards still weird though. They're lucky I'm nostalgic. (20151006)

Caroline Spence - Mint condition (2019)
Ancient family recipe - you can tell from the cover. Tastes good. (20190815)

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Orange (1994)
Maximum impact gurnin'. 'I wanna dance'. 'Bellbottoms' is the one for the ages. No lyrics, just slogans. Good riffs. (20151018)

Dusty Springfield - A girl called Dusty (1964)
Desperate, joyful, always hopeful to give and receive love, all of human life in manic pop thrills. And that voice, like a beacon, singing straight to you. (20151006)

Steely dan - The royal scam (1976)
Donald Fagen's name is misspelt on the back cover of my cd reissue. It's hard to believe it's not deliberate. Faultless, spotless productions about disillusionment and failure, but fun.
It's hard to say if I enjoy it. I just don't know. (20150926)

Joanna Sternberg - Then I try some more (2019)
First listen. Tapping into the universally personal on some lovely, and heartbreaking, untutored folk songs. 'I am not who I want to be' is something I've been trying to say most of my life. (20190716)

Rod Stewart - A night on the town (1976)
The stitches are starting to show, it's a threadbare suit, and every single musician on this record is slightly past his prime, but you know Tom Dowd always guarantees a classy record.
And by God, the boy could sing. The ballads bring a tear to these eyes. I always cry for class ('Fool for you', 'The killing of George (Part 1 & 2), 'Trade winds'). (20150921)

Sugarfoot - In the clearing (2019)
These guys never got out of the '70s. But if that means they never heard Don Henley's 'Boys of summer', it's our gain. Relaxed American old fashioned country rock. Melodies, harmonies, acoustic guitars, Motorpsycho's Bent Saether on bass. Sounds like a cactus in a desert. No thorns. (20190719)

Sunwatchers - Illegal moves (2019)
A righteous noise-jazz. (20190717)

Taxiwars - Taxiwars (2015)
You know the scene. Maybe you've been there too many times already. I have.
Dark is falling. Heavy clouds hang over the road. You're driving your car along the highway. Ominous thoughts cloud your mood. It's raining.
It's all gone to shit.
Sometimes you care, other times not.
You turn on the radio.
Not 'Riders on the storm', not this night. This isn't about hitchhikers. It's your life.
Another channel.

A dark groove, upright bass locked in with tomtoms – heavy clusters of notes. A saxophone playing something that should resemble a theme, but it just doesn't care enough. He's as far gone as you.
The singer steps up. No singing, just talking. The same words over and over. You better stop that ride. You're on a death ride. This is how you feel.
He tries to act hard, a real couldn't give a fuck hardcase. He's not. It's all too clear. He's got too many nervous tics. He's walking a tightrope and he's going to fall off. There's a real risk he'll look like a fool in the end. He knows, but he pushes on.

Two minutes in a single synth chord falls in and draws the performance into deeper water. The drummer, the bassplayer, the saxophonist – they're fighting it. They're sucked into its vortex. It's getting out of control. At 3'20 the bass picks up the theme and the saxophone jumps off the cliff.

That's Taxiwars. (c. 2015)

Temptations - Meet the Temptations (1964)
Finally a hit (opener 'The way you do the things you do'), so Gordy collects material from the last 4 years on this debut album. 7 Gordy (co-)credits, 4 Smokey Robinson. It shouldn't work but flaws and all, the band's singing is close to heaven, the songs thrill with undiscovered potential, early years' drive to please. The sound of young America being born. (20151010)

Thee oh sees - A weird exits (2016)
Mantric gnome rock. Overloads so many senses it only makes sense as colours. Purple, green, orange, deep space black. (20160907)

Thee oh sees (OCS) - Memory of a cut off head (2017)
Outlier Tyrannosaurus Rex-style psychedelic folk album from another Thee Oh Sees-permutation. 'Chopping block' is an early Bowie soundalike. But it's a lot of one thing. Would've been better to parse these songs out over the last/next few hardrock records. But then, that's not what Dwyer does. (20190803)

V/A - This magic moment. The sound of the Brill building (1957-62, 2014 released)
I stand in awe
of masters of yesteryear.
Also
a social
history. (20151109)

William Tyler - Goes West (2019)
A dusty, deserted sand road. Sun, cacti, a mind set on travelling on. The soundtrack. (20190729)

Vampire weekend - Father of the bride (2019)
Summer was hot in 2019, never forget. (20190729)

Velvet underground - Live at the Matrix, November 26 & 27, 1969 (1969, 2014 released)
(Part of the oversized Velvet Underground 45th anniversary box set)
You may have heard parts on the 1969 live albums or on the Quine Tapes, but they never sounded this good. Lou, Sterling, Maureen & Doug made the mold for 2 guitars, bass and drums American rock'n'roll. It happened right here on stage. Mo states the case why everyone should have smaller drum sets. 'If Shelly would just come back, it'd be alright', sings Lou. We've all been there. Including 38 minutes of 'Sister Ray'. (20151012)

Tom Waits - Small change (1976)
Tom deserves more than another snark about a boho drowning in syrup -but he makes it so easy!
Still, four minutes into 'I wish I was in New Orleans' you really wish he was in New Orleans, where they'd put some bounce into these songs, and not in Hollywood CA, where they drown 'em in somnambulant soundstages.
Some survive ('Tom Traubert's blues', 'Invitation to the blues', 'Bad liver and a broken heart'). An undeserving classic though. (20150924)

Tom Waits - Alice (2002)
Regrettable when an artist sells out to the commercial trade, but even more of a shame when an artist sells out to art. Couldn't they have gotten a Tom Waits lookalike to belt out these bloodless theatre props? Poor Edward and Table Top Joe would surely not have been any the wiser. (20151102)

Tom Waits - Blood money (2002)
Diddn ya hee-ah miwewy iz de wiwe o'de wowld? Tom adds Speech Impediment Sam to his cast of characters. (20151110)

Wand - Laughing matter (2019)
Fast building up one of the more formidable guitar rock catalogs  of the times. (20190730)

Dionne Warwick - Anyone who had a heart (1964)
Quality control was an endangered species at Scepter Records. Product maximalisation was where it's at on Dionne's second album. 12 tracks: 7 Bacharach-David, 5 others ('Oh Lord what are you doing to me' is surprisingly fine). 7 Bacharach-David tracks: 3 held over from the first album, 4 new (welcome surprise 'Any old time of day'). There's always the chance your heart stops at the title track and all this math adds up to nothing. (20151012)

Dionne Warwick - Make way for Dionne Warwick (1964)
Often considered her classic album. Nine Bacharach-David credits, though two are doubles from the debut album (again). Two landmark singles 'Walk on by' and 'Land of make believe', and a series of classic Bacharach-David songs ('A house is not a home', 'Reach out for me', 'You'll never get to heaven', 'The last one to be loved', a proto- 'Close to you'). But few of these performances feel definitive, compared to the Lou Johnson 'originals' for instance. (20151018)

Dionne Warwick - I'll never fall in love again (1970)
The kind of record that slips out when no one's paying attention like they should: not the artist, not the producers, nor the songwriters. A waste of vinyl. Get 'Paper mache' on a compilation. A lonely peak. (20151003)

Dionne Warwick - Dionne (1972)
Last of the great Warwick/Bacharach/David collaborations. 'Just as long as we still can talk / we can make amends' is surely songwriter speak for 'See you in court'.
'There are needs we have as we are young / and discard as we mature' says the opening track. Similarly, some things you grow into. Year by year I'm more drawn to Bacharach's legendary late '60s, early '70s mid-life ennui. I'm not sure if that thought should comfort me or scare me.
'The balance of nature' is the greatest Bacharach/David song full stop. (20150923)

Dionne Warwick - Just being myself (1973)
Don't know if it's more like herself, or just another genre excercise (Dionne sings X-rated Movie Themes strangely still unreleased), but for her first post-Bacharach album Dionne snares a tremendous early '70s Gamble & Huff style-soul production, courtesy of Holland-Dozier-Holland. As with 1969's Soulful (late '60s American studios soul), this shows she had many strings on her bow. Great songs, great sound, great singing. What more could you want? (20151007)

Mike Watt - Ball-hog or tugboat? (1995)
Mike Watt is an indie scenester - the musical!
More of an adventure epic than a duets record. Crazy trip. And, as you'd guess, peaks and valleys.
I know I shouldn't sing 'Piss bottle man' out loud in public, but it's damn catchy.
(20160107)

White fence - I have to feed Larry's hawk (2019)
Title could've been an advance apology for sell-out record. 'Hey, I've got bills to pay. I've got to feed these birds.' Nothing of the kind. This is out music, no sales pitch. Weird mantra songs and observational lyrics on 'Fog city' (twice). (20190729)

Wilco - Yankee hotel foxtrot (2002)
Heart-on-sleeve aloofness. Achievement in a narrow field. (20151110)

Wilco - Wilco Schmilco (2016)
There's often something needy under the carpet with Wilco, like a black hole sucking up charm. Which is too bad. (20170623)

Victoria Williams - Sings some ol' songs (2002)
'Moon river', 'Blue skies', 'Over the rainbow' etc. Quirky as it is, that's singing. I'm smitten. (20151106)

Howlin' Wolf: His best (1951-64, 1997 released)
With all the blues influenced sounds blasting daily from these speakers, the real deal electric blues still feels like an upstanding citizen's listening project. The evil has melted away, I'm afraid. (20151014)

Kate Wolf & the Wildwood Flower - Back roads (1976)
Any record with a songtitle 'Sitting on the porch' and another 'Riding in the country' is bound to be downhome and probably flawed. So it is here. But the downhome is convincing and the best of these unartful songs, sung in Wolf's unartful timbre, hit right in the heart. I count at least five. Consider the flaws forgiven. (20150927)

Stevie Wonder - Songs in the key of life (1976)
A doorway to another world, no less, or at least a different future for this one. With so little reason to be hopeful on this planet, can we really hold it against Stevie that he's giving us a little too much to process all at once? (20151002)

Yo la tengo - The sounds of the sounds of science (2002)
The sound of stasis. (20151111)

James Yorkston & the Athletes - Moving up country (2002)
The new bohemians of the early 21st century grew beards, played bouzoukis and sang melancholy song about ancestral Fife-on-Thyme. A sure sign nightfall for the rock'n'roll era was looming. Yorkston is musically more elegant than most - 'St Patrick' is a pearl - so listening is never a chore. But I tire of diary excerpts long before the 50 minute mark. Shape up, James, never trust a beard. (20151103)

Neil Young - Are you passionate (2002)
35 years on and he's still smarting over a failed Motown career. 'That could've been my guitar on the Temptations' 'My girl'!' Duck Dun dutifully reproduces that trademark bass motif on at least 4 of the tracks here.
Otherwise, the disappointment album. His. Mine. (20151109)

Benny Zen - Hits (2017)
Peter Houben is a lifer. Four records into a new alias no one's waiting for, he'll keep cranking them out. And why not, when he's still got it. It's the one thing you can rely on. Everything else is up in the air in these songs. Is he serious or ironic? You can never tell. That's what he does. Listeners today have lost their taste for ambiguity, that bitter flavour. Their loss. (20190712)