I thought it might be fun to revisit some of the oddities in my music collection that really turned me on when I first heard them. For one reason or another, they slipped off my radar over the years.
When I stumble across and play them again, I’m transported back to that initial feeling, immediately asking myself, “Why don’t you play this more often?”
Anyway, I hope you can find the same joy I did should you choose to check these albums out. And I really hope you do!
In the interest of availability, I’m going to link you to these records via YouTube, since I don’t know how easy these records will be to find.
DRUMS & TUBA, Mostly Ape (2002). I learned about this band by way of the first DVD to document the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2002. When I saw the band’s name, I didn’t think it could possibly be literal. How wrong I was! The song featured on the disc, “Brain Liaters,” threw me for a bit of a loop. Drums and tuba, yes. But there was also some very relatable guitar and synthesizer happening, too. I do regret never having the chance to see these cats in person. There are only three albums on Spotify, but at least they exist!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kfiJIBGcOE-nz_x1HiQx5px7jyTta2wvE&si=2EVm11nWbgsDAYav
T. J. Kirk, T. J. Kirk (1995). Lemme get this straight: this band plays the music of Thelonious Monk, James Brown, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, often blended together? These were mashups before mashups were a thing! I learned about this music by way of my first guitar teacher, who loved jazz and soul. And that’s precisely what we get here. This is actually the band’s second album, and it’s a groove-laden killer! STONE cold!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9KZ1X7EqSOUqWZ5euh8K8s5zgtL0Tctl&si=TiqRG1GaU-4_u0GX
REEVES GABRELS, The Sacred Squall of Now (1995). Because David Bowie, that’s why! Guitarist Reeves Gabrels caught my ear while he played for Bowie on Outside, which also happens to be one of my favorite Bowie albums. Gabrels made crazy guitar sounds that reminded me of Adrian Belew, my personal hero. I stumbled across Gabrels’s solo album while looking for something else. Why not take a flyer? And it’s fantastic! And yes, Bowie makes a cameo appearance. But the album would’ve been just as good without him.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kxMQhRIB2nnGoR9pvBwgPSm74myd688SY&si=rmzE_ClT-ahNkiWq
DUNGEN, Häxan (2016). Around the time of this album’s release, I had become a regular at Planet Score Records in St. Louis. After getting to know the owners (and allowing them to get to know me), I started coming in to ask for a musical challenge. “Show me something I’ve never heard of,” I’d say. One day, they showed me this record. After hearing a few note’s on the store’s sound system, I was sold. The music is a little darker than what I usually go for, but this turned out to be a good thing. It opened the doorway to a lot of other music I had never considered before. Amazing what one band can do, isn’t it?
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyhhuQvXHWd3DfEL9–lGhDi-A-J4m8Et&si=6ljnNpp-XVoo3c4p
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If you would like to have your music reviewed, contact me at cirdecsongs@gmail.com
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