Here are some things that caught my attention this past week that you might enjoy as well.
Stan Getz’s Jazz Samba Encore! and Johnny Patience’s California Dreaming photos
Jazz Samba Encore! is probably the greatest album I’ve ever heard for instantly curing winter blues. Germany gets very dark, cold and wet in the winter, and I’ve always been affected by seasonal depression.
Enter Stan Getz, and it’s an instant transformation. A grey day seems light and breezy, and the grey days shift to light pastels in my inner eye. Combine this with looking at the beautiful film photo set called “California Dreaming” from Johnny Patience, and it’s a great way to brighten up your inner world.
“Samba de Duas Notas” and “Menina Flor” are particular favorites, though the whole album is terrific.
Lead Poison by Elzhi
I heard the track “Two 16’s” as the final selection on the Mr. Choc Takeaway Abstract Radio episode, and I was immediately taken. It’s hard for me to speak intelligently about hip hop, but the backup tracks are musically engaging in their own right, and the lyrics are adventurous and self-aware.
The whole album is strong, but I keep returning to a few tracks. The first track “Medicine Man” is a startlingly strong argument for creativity as the answer to inner turmoil. “Two 16s” has backup vocals that might trick you into thinking the subject is lighter than it actually is. “She Sucks” is, cough cough, not what you might think it’s about, and there’s something about horror-themed tracks that I find really fun. There may also be some commentary on addiction in it as well. Also be sure to check out “Introverted”, “CoSIGN” and “Keep Dreaming”, which is both confrontational and inspirational.
Yes, there are some explicit words on this album, though not every track earns an “Explicit” warning.
