Jimmy Cliff
by Alex on November 29, 2011
Jimmy Cliff – “Ship is Sailing”
Sacred Fire EP
Today’s featured album is the latest EP from Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff entitled Sacred Fire. He has teamed up with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong to release a Record Store Day specialty featuring a number of covers including the Clash’s “Guns of Brixton” which name checks The Harder They Come movie starring Jimmy. In addition he covers Rancid’s “Ruby Soho” and Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.” The sole original here is “Ship is Sailing” which fits in with Jimmy’s classic songs. The production work is excellent and shows that Tim Armstrong is devoted to keeping things simple and full of analog warmth. Check out Jimmy Cliff’s website for limited edition colored vinyl.
Some other albums released 11/29/2011:
Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee – Reggae Going International: 1967-1976
Gorillaz – The Singles Collection: 2001-2011
Richard Ray Farrrell – I Sing the Blues Electric
Richard Thompson – Strict Tempo
The Lemonheads – Hotel Sessions
The Skatalites – Rollin’ On
V/A – Echoes Of The 1920s: 40 Vintage Jazz Age Recordings
V/A – Latin Sounds of the Past: Original Recordings 1927-1941
The Lijadu Sisters
by Alex on November 28, 2011
The Lijadu Sisters – “Danger”
Danger
I am glad to see this fine album has been reissued by Knitting Factory Records. Danger is their third album and was released in 1976. The Lijadu Sisters are Taiwo and Kehinde, two twin sisters from Nigeria. They rose to popularity in an era when it was hard for women to achieve their own success recording original music in Nigeria. Their music is a mix of jazz, Afrobeat, reggae and waka. This album was recorded at the famous Decca studios in Lagos. Biddy Wright arranges some funky guitar and organ backing for the twins to harmonize over. This is a must have record and after finding it hard to find their albums on vinyl, this is an excellent move on Knitting Factory’s part to start to reissue four of the Lijadu Sisters’ classic albums.
Sally Nyolo
by Alex on November 23, 2011
Every week I listen to one of my favorite radio shows on WVKR. Akenataa Hammagaadji hosts First World Music – a three hour global safari featuring music from the African Diaspora. Each episode, Akenataa features a CD of the week. This week he played Sally Nyolo’s latest record entitled, La Nuit à Fébé.
Sally hails from the South of Cameroon. She was born in the Eton Land, in the small village of Eyen-Meyong. Sally moved from Cameroon to Paris when she was 13 and has lived there since. She joined up with Zap Mama for a few albums and then went on to make her own records featuring the Eton language of her hometown.
“I try to be as rootsy as the (Eton) language would like me to be because it’s a language we speak with images… I try to be like old singers used to do traditionally in Eton. I try to do like them, speak with image, give my best feeling to the audience.”
This album marks her return since 2007′s Mémoire du Monde. Below is an excellent performance of “Multiculti” from the album of the same name, filmed at la Fiesta des Suds in Marseille.
Kate Bush
by Alex on November 22, 2011
I am thrilled to feature the new Kate Bush album, 50 Words for Snow today. Normally I would have been anxiously awaiting this record for over a year, but Kate was already kind to us earlier this year when she released her Director’s Cut album. No one anticipated another release full of new material would follow before the end of the year. In less than a couple months 50 Words for Snow became a hot ticket for the holidays.
The reviews have been outstanding. Critics have run out of compliments for Kate. After listening to the album, I am not surprised. There are only 7 songs on the record, but it runs 65 minutes long. Kate’s ability to stretch out over longer tracks is refreshing. She has taken things into her own hands with her own label, Fish People behind the record and ANTI Records releasing it here in the United States. The title track, “50 Words for Snow” features Stephen Fry on vocals as he and Kate build up the track with words for snow you never knew existed. Elsewhere on the record Elton John and Andy Fairweather Low make guest appearances. Two animated videos have been released as well. One for “Wild Man” and another entitled “Mistraldespair” which features the song “Misty” from the album. Both are featured below. Enjoy this magnificent release.
