GF music review club

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Interesting shit that Shooter. I’ll give this a proper go over the next few days when I have time to sit with the laptop.

 

Opening 16 Bars is that first track brought horror to my thoughts as it reminded me of Dario G - Carnival De Paris.

 

Thank fuck it changed my mind about 4 bars later.

[TheHowieLama]

Great record -- old school Chicano rock from the block. South Central style.

 

Enough horns to bring some of the East Bay Grease, enough bump to carry the funk.

Authentic Cal - Latin playing (lets face it if David Hidalgo is involved the flavor is pure).

 

Proper Norteno influences through out (Aqui No Sera) a little Flaco- good Mexi folk feels. Like all that. Then they turn it on its head w La Misma Cancion - distorted guitar and turntables filling out the manic mariachi band. The bar is full here.

 

The tablas and sitar even get a workout -- and the record has enough flexitone and vibra slap to satisfy any listeners monthly quota in one pass.

 

 

Also will say that I am a fan of Cut Chemist - one of the more musical/tasteful turntabley fellas around (in the same vein as MixMaster Mike for me) though both have enormous technical skills.

 

They are in Miami tonight if anyone is interested.

 

Will be here in town in a couple weeks - may go. Great stuff.

[Guest]

Great record -- old school Chicano rock from the block. South Central style.

 

Enough horns to bring some of the East Bay Grease, enough bump to carry the funk.

Authentic Cal - Latin playing (lets face it if David Hidalgo is involved the flavor is pure).

 

Proper Norteno influences through out (Aqui No Sera) a little Flaco- good Mexi folk feels. Like all that. Then they turn it on its head w La Misma Cancion - distorted guitar and turntables filling out the manic mariachi band. The bar is full here.

 

The tablas and sitar even get a workout -- and the record has enough flexitone and vibra slap to satisfy any listeners monthly quota in one pass.

 

 

Also will say that I am a fan of Cut Chemist - one of the more musical/tasteful turntabley fellas around (in the same vein as MixMaster Mike for me) though both have enormous technical skills.

 

They are in Miami tonight if anyone is interested.

 

Will be here in town in a couple weeks - may go. Great stuff.

Glad you enjoyed it, if I were reviewing this it would on the same lines. I see Cut Chemist on the same circuit as DJ Shadow whom I believe was part of UNKLE for a time. So many interlinking musical scenarios. 

 

If I was in Miami I'd be all over them in concert. Lucky lad.

[Mook]

CD, I've been thinking about this & I'm going to drop out of the review club.

 

The reason is really because I'm buying so much music these days that I barely get a chance to keep up with my own choices never mind anyone else's, I've been skipping a few reviews & I don't think it's fair to do that when other people have given my suggestion their time.

 

I'll still maybe pipe up now & again when it's an album I know or am interested in if that's ok & I will continue to enjoy reading the thread, which is a great idea at the end of the day.

[TheHowieLama]

Moofie - get warmed up fella.

[moof]

Is it my turn? Fuck.

 

Head has been in the shed for weeks, I’ll get the write ups done and have a think about my AOW.

 

Otomatli sounds interesting going by the reviews

[ZonkoVille77]

Ozomatli.

 

I can only describe it as MAD. Absolutely mad. Not sure what is going to come next and that has its positives and negatives.

The different styles make it very interesting but it doesn't flow at all. It seems like they've had a bit of a competition to see how many instruments they could get onto an album. Ordinarily I'd appreciate artists using a wide list of instruments but this is just MAD. Cumbia de los muertos the track I enjoyed most. It's not something I'd listen to on a day to day basis but it's something I would definitely gravitate towards at a festival.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Will listen again before posting my review tomorrow.

 

Moof still has a couple more days to get his next AOW up, will take something special to top his first one imo.

 

Any more reviews incoming ? Winston ? Paul ? Anyone ?

 

Sad to see Mook drop out but really appreciate his input over the past months, especially when he's got a new baby in the house, can't be easy. Cheers Mark and feel free to drop in and and contribute any time mate.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Just a quick heads up fellas, especially to those of you with hooky Spotiify Premium accounts, word id that the bastards have sussed us and are sending out huffy emails.

 

My 2 smartphones have had Spotify disabled but it's still going strong on my Android boxes. If you uninstall then you can always install the offical free version with all the annoying fucking adverts. Still, good while it lasted.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Review : Ozomatli by Ozomatli

 

Who, or what is Ozomatli ? Never hear of him / it / them, don't know and don't rightly care. Okay, let's go [presses play]...

 

Ozomatli begins with Como Ves, rolling in like milk and lime, a curdling and distasteful concoction (at least to my palate), but the flavourful percussion make a swift return to the fray and it quickly settles down into a nice hispanic salsa flavoured groove. I bet that Shooter just loves a key lime pie.

I really like the vocals and the guitar, the incessant whistles though become fucking annoying pretty quickly.

A good start, setting the scene nicely.

 

Cut Chemist Suite starts as though it wants to be Walk This Way, giving way to some nice groovy porno bass and brass. It's party time with some nice clean wah'd guitars. I find Cut Chemist Suite strangely reminiscent of the Fun Lovin' Criminals. Some nice turntables also feature.

 

Pour me some rum and some lime, it's Cuba Libre time. Cumbia De Los Muertos has some smooth vocals and some lovely bass and drums. Best song yet for me, very pleasant.

 

Donde Se Fueron ? (Where did they go?) is a touch more laid back. It's a light breeze in a warm evening, more fantastic percussion sounds wonderful on this track, some great acoustic guitar too. I don't think the singer has a great voice at all, his range seems very limited and he's a touch too nasal, but nevertheless he sings really well.

 

Yet more fantastic percussion - castinets (!) - and some nice brass brings in Eva. Another nice and sweaty Latino party groove. Not as catchy as previously but still enjoyable.

I'm missing my Spotify playback here though, Ozomatli only available to us on Youtube and the sound quality just aint the same I'm afraid.

 

Next up is O le Le. Nice, the rap swings well, more solid bass and drums, more nice guitar work, subtle, tasteful. O le Le is very Fun Lovin' Crims, pass me some Scooby Snax quick.

This is more laid back, a very nice song, one of my favourites so far, I really like the jazzy sax solo.

 

We shift gears and move up tempo again with Chango. It's somewhat staccato, has more nice acoustic and percussion, but I'm not mad on the trumpets here, just a bit too jarring for my ears. Not my favourite this one.

 

Superbowl Sundae. Sitars and Indian flavours with some gorgeous tabla drums, but then SS quickly fucks off some 15000 miles across the Atlantic, from Mumbai to Havana, to rap about Superbowl Sundae ! Ozomatli certainly has a split personality, but this schizophrenia is not at all unpleasant.

 

Aqui No Sera is a slower, sexier number, made for dancing. Nice vocal, nice bass and drums, guitars and percussion. Really nicely done with a lovely guitar solo. Probably my favourite song so far.

 

I find the opening riff to Chota reminiscent of a Mars Volta track (can't quite put my finger on it atm), but that gives way to some proper Latino funkiness. A lovely acoustic riff, the singer sounding nasal and limited, some nice brass in the chorus, another really nice bass line.

 

Penultimate song is Coming War, another lovely funky / smoooth start. Nice voice, nice sax, nice guitar. A nice change of pace. As a side note, I much prefered listening to a rap like this one on Coming War than to those previously by Kendrick and Tyler The Creator. Far more satisfying.

 

The last song is La Misma Cancion (The Same Song). Some of the accordion on this record is very French sounding, more globe trekking but not at all distasteful. A happy and joyful party closer, not my favourite but really not a bad song at all.

 

I enjoyed Ozomatli, a definite trip. It is undoubtedly all over the shop but it's a record with very many more hits than misses. My favourite song probably Aqui No Sera, but honestly not one song which I disliked.

Party time round at Shooter's with Ozomatli, key lime pie and Cuba Libres ? I'm thinking my invite has gone astray in the post.

 

Enjoyed this record, thanks pal.

[Guest]

Some really good, balanced reviews to this record, I'm pleased some enjoyed it enough to add a review to it. They are a varied bunch, Ozomatli. On one of their albums they feature de la Soul, they also feature Will.i.Am. Real party music and fun live too.

 

Thanks for the efforts on the reviews, folks. Pleased to introduce them and reintroduce them!

[Guest]

Just a couple more tracks from them to sign off with from their album "Street Signs"...

 

 

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I’ve not been able to sit with the laptop and give these time and dedication yet. What I have listened to though is interesting. I still can’t get Dario G out my head for that first tune though.

[Guest]

I’ve not been able to sit with the laptop and give these time and dedication yet. What I have listened to though is interesting. I still can’t get Dario G out my head for that first tune though.

I was thinking you meant Sunchyne (or whatever it's called) but you mean this one, don't you?

 

 

I can see why!

[The Great Jacko]

I've recently discovered Macklemore. Love his albums with Ryan Lewis. Love Downtown, et al. 

 

Great video as well.

 

Modern day Eminem in terms of white boy making melodic hip hop.

 

I'm checking out the Beatles soon I've heard they're gonna be huge.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I was thinking you meant Sunchyne (or whatever it's called) but you mean this one, don't you?

 

 

I can see why!

Yes and I’m a cunt for it.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Come on now Moof, over to you mate...

[moof]

Ok, I’m going to go for something completely out of left field, something I’m pretty confident none of you will have heard.

 

The Congregation by Leprous.

 

I think they have a fresh, unique sound. It’s an album of juxtapositions. It’s carefully put together but still feels raw, it’s complex but simplistic. Soothing, yet jarring. It’s dark, beautiful, dramatic, sparse, triumphant. Heavy in places, but not excessively. It gripped me from the very first moment and left an indelible impression.

 

The band, is quite special. A Norwegian 5 piece, one of the most scintillating live acts you could ever wish to see. Unbelievable musicianship and always ambitious with their sound, constantly evolving it.

Remarkably polished for such young guys. The drummer and vocalist in particular are top level.

 

I recognise It might be difficult for some to get into, it’s quite intense and heavy going, but hope you all stick with it and imo the final four tracks alone are so worth it.

 

In the meantime I’ll get on with the half a dozen or so reviews I’m lagging behind on *looks around apologetically*

[Guest]

I've recently discovered Macklemore. Love his albums with Ryan Lewis. Love Downtown, et al. 

 

Great video as well.

 

Modern day Eminem in terms of white boy making melodic hip hop.

 

I'm checking out the Beatles soon I've heard they're gonna be huge.

Welcome aboard, Wacko Jacko!

[Lee909]

Hide your kids

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I’ve heard of Leprous. My mate has stuck them on a few times. Never sat and listened to them on my own and though.

 

Struggled to get time to listen to Shooters choice in full. Find YouTube an awkward method of listening to tunes on my phone. I only really get to listen to music in the car or on the bus. And I’m not one for watching videos that much on my phone when being a bus wanker either. Requires to much concentration first thing in the morning.

 

I’ve managed to listen to 3/4 of it but the quality of audio is letting it down for me. Managed to find Cut Chemist Suite on Apple Tunes and the difference it makes listening from there is massive.

[Guest]

I’ve heard of Leprous. My mate has stuck them on a few times. Never sat and listened to them on my own and though.

 

Struggled to get time to listen to Shooters choice in full. Find YouTube an awkward method of listening to tunes on my phone. I only really get to listen to music in the car or on the bus. And I’m not one for watching videos that much on my phone when being a bus wanker either. Requires to much concentration first thing in the morning.

 

I’ve managed to listen to 3/4 of it but the quality of audio is letting it down for me. Managed to find Cut Chemist Suite on Apple Tunes and the difference it makes listening from there is massive.

It's odd that their albums aren't on Spotify.

 

If you have a google email address please PM me and I'll see if I can send a link to the MP3 version of the album?

[Skidfingers McGonical]

It's odd that their albums aren't on Spotify.

 

If you have a google email address please PM me and I'll see if I can send a link to the MP3 version of the album?

You fine sir are a gent.

[Guest]

You fine sir are a gent.

Uploading now, once complete an email will be sent with a link to the folder. It should have three Ozomatli albums in, including the one featured. 

 

Let me know when you have managed to get access...

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Got them mate. Nice one m.