For El Vaquero de Infierno

<iframe width="580" height="425" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lk60ObnbIOk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

What is not to love about Ravi Shankar? He's a musician that those not used to Indian classical music can listen to, as he plays like a rock musician (with serious swagger).

I bought another one of his albums, along with several other Indian classical albums, this week, including Aashish Khan and Allah Rakha's Live in Los Angeles 1968 record; I hadn't heard of Aashish Khan until a few nights ago, and he is pretty great on the Sarod, but he is the son of Ali Akbhar Khan, so he should be.

Torche - Harmonicraft 7.5/10
Chilingirian Quartet - McEwen: String Quartets Vol. 1 7.5/10

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - 4 out of 5

Vilayat Khan - Live in Mumbai: Raga Jog Kauns 8/10
Aashish Khan and Alla Rakha - Live in Los Angeles 1968 8.7/10
Ella & Duke at the Cote D'Azur 7.7/10

Awesome album

For the first time since 2008 I bought a CD

Metallica Master of Puppets-The last Metallica album that is worth listening too. Too bad Burton died while they were on tour for this album. Since then they have been shit.

Amjad Ali Khan - Shuddh-Sarang/Piloo-Kafi 7.5/10

High on Fire - Surrounded by Thieves 7/10

Kathryn Tickell and The Side - Kathryn Tickell and The Side 9/10

Ghazal - The Rain 8.3/10

Attempting to listen to the curated playlists in the "For You" section of Apple Music. Apple has done a humongously bad job at the UI. Spotify's weekly discover playlists are ridiculously good.

Niyaz - Nine Heavens 8/10
Tarun Bhattacharya - The Exotic Santoor (Raga Charu Keshi) 8/10


Off to rock four Indian classical concerts, this weekend, in London. Awesome.

It has been two weeks since I lasted posted my latest albums, so:

Miles Davis - Miles Smiles 7.5/10
Boris - Heavy Rocks (2011) 8/10
Shiv Kumar Sharma - Raga Puriya 8/10
Nikhil Banerjee - Misra Kafi 8/10

Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel 1 8.5/10

Ranjani and Gayatri - The Awakening 7.5/10

I think they are far better live than recorded.

Kiran Ahluwalia - Wanderlust 7.3/10
Aashish Khan and Zakir Hussain - Golden Strings of the Sarod 8.8/10

Dr Dre - 2001 6.9/10
This is the first time I have heard the album since I bought it the first time round in 2000; it has got some tunes, but it doesn't touch the Chronic and the OTT gangsta stuff borders on self-parody.

Camille Thomas and Beatrice Berrut - A Century of Russian Colours 8.5/10
Funkadelic - One Nation under a Groove 7.3/10

Geza Anda and the Camerata Academica des Salzburger Mozarteums - Mozart: The Piano Concertos (8 CDs) 9.3/10
I have been listening to a new CD each week for the past two months; tasty stuff. I don't have other recordings of these works (except concertos 20 and 21) to judge against, but I have no complaints regarding the performances.

Listening to "To Pimp A Butterfly". So far so good. This d*ck ain't free...

The Spirit of India: Ravi Shankar Plays Ragas 8/10
Cynic - Focus 7/10

COCKSURE BY LAURA STEVENSON... REALLY GOOD

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly 9/10

Friedrich Kiel Complete Piano Quartets 8/10
Kayhan Kalhor/Erdal Erzincan - Kula Kulluk Yakisir Mi 8/10

Shivkumar Sharma/Hariprasad Chaurasia - The Valley Recalls Vol. 2 8/10
Parliament - Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome 7/10

Zakir Hussain - Essence of Rhythm 8/10
Wayne Shorter - The All Seeing Eye 8/10
Maurizio Pollini/Quartetto Italiano - Brahms: Piano Quintet 8/10

Miss cassettes

<iframe width="680" height="425" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lXMskKTw3Bc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Trap Them - Blissfucker 8.3/10
Niyaz - The Fourth Light 7.8/10

Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman - Violin 8.3/10
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence 7.7/10
Kiranpal Singh - Raga Shree 7.5/10
Patricia Petibon - La Belle Excentrique 8.5/10

Clutch - Psychic Warfare 8.3/10
Sukshinder Shinda - Collaborations 7/10

Wilco - Star Wars - 8/10

Took me 3 listens to really get into this album and now it's finally clicked. Really great record with legs that makes you work for it.

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

I wasn't really impressed but I think I was supposed to be. I could never get over how I thought the title was inspired by that show Pimp My Ride with Xzibit.

El Vaquero de Infierno listens to a lot of music.

You're damn right I do.

Damn Spotify. Want to contribute to this thread.

Gregory Alan Isakov - This Empty Northern Hemisphere - 9/10

Quickly becoming one of my favorite albums to listen to in the morning over coffee. Acoustic/Folk boring white guy music yes but that's just me. If you like Ryan Adams you will without a doubt like this guy...If you don't like Ryan Adams (1. fuck you), then don't even bother.

What's holding you back?

"The New Release" by Primer 55. Someone gave this to me yesterday and it sucks. Too bad it's the only thing I have to listen to for the next week also.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ZbmuvugfcY?list=PLfXKEeZtI3tz99pCYcuwsYavzPcP9IXnL" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Sword Apocryphon - 9/10 - Easily one of the best albums I have recently heard. This is the first track I heard, and my "music in the morning".

Shye Ben Tzur/Jonny Greenwood/The Rajasthan Express - Junun 7/10
Hariprasad Chaurasia - Raga Darbari Kanada 8/10
Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues 8/10
Kishori Amonkar - Ragas Shuddh Kalyan/Suha 8/10
Kartik Seshadri - Sublime Raga(s) 8/10

I Love You, Honeybear - Father John Misty (9/10)

This album is pretty brilliant but sometimes can be muddled in its own self-misery. I can't tell if I should be taking his heartbreaking approach to songwriting as serious or as satire because on one song he is singing about hatred and intense personal feelings and the next song sounds like an absolute parody of itself (bored in the usa specifically)....

Notwithstanding, I love the album and I love that it makes me think even if at times I get disconnected due to his intensity.

Neko Case - The Worse Things Get The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight The More I Love You. --- This was a shockingly good and heartfelt. She sounds like an edgier mix of Tori Amos and Jenny Lewis. 8/10

Check out her Fox Confessor Brings the Flood album; a cracking record. :cool:

Ulcerate - Vermis 7/10

Ice Cube - Amerikkka's Most Wanted 7.3/10
I prefer Dead Certificate and The Predator.

Shearwater - Jet Plane And Oxbow - 10/10

Lyrically and musically I think it's perfect (for me). Its very visual and expressive and brings loads of complexity. The lead singer sounds like a mix of The National and Morrissey. If you like The National check out this album. I've listened through this album about 10 times from start to finish over the last week and every time I hear it I feel something different and learn something about it. Good sign of a complex, smart album.

Hot Tracks: Only Child, Quiet Americans & Pale Kings

The Kathryn Tickell Band - Instrumental 8/10

Bahauddin Dagar - Raga Puriya Kalyan 7.3/10

Volcano Choir - Repave (2013) - 9/10

When my anxiety levels are at a high this is an album I'll be turning to. So peaceful and nearly perfect. Like Bon Iver.

I am considering getting back into the vinyl game so that I can listen to entire albums again. Didn't someone make a thread about vinyl gear?

Eric Dolphy - Last Date 8.5/10

Joanna Newsom - Divers 7.3/10

Jesus, El Vaq. How do you find the time?


Side note: I've been listening to Ok Computer and Kid A on loop. Planning to revisit In Rainbows.

I have an hour+ commute to and from work, plus I listen to music at work when I'm not dealing with the public.

Find that time, Dave.

Are you aware of Podcasts?

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago - 9/10

This album is really amazing. Mellow as fuck, but amazing. And just one dude doing all this shit in a cabin the woods. PrettyCool.

Tarun Bhattacharya - Transcendence 8/10
Vadim Gluzman and Angela Yoffe - Lera Auerbach: 24 Preludes for Violin and Piano 8.3/10

Why would he listen to podcasts when it's quite clear he is content listening to music instead?

I don't know. Diversify his portfolio?

I think my taste in music is diverse enough, without podcasts.

Against Me! - 23 Live Sex Acts: 9/10

was perusing the used CD store and saw this... didn't even know it was a thing. A lot better than Americans Abroad! imo, cranking it in my car felt like I was at an actual AM! show and it made me super want to go see them again and I love them

Walking is Still Honest fav song ever

Rashid Khan - Khyal 8/10
Hariprasad Chaurasia - Rag Bhimpalasi 8/10
Ella Fitzgerald - Mack the Knife: Ella in Berlin 7/10

Djivan Gasparyan - I Will Not Be Sad In This World 8/10
Djivan Gasparyan - Moon Shines at Night 7.9/10

I haven't liked Hariprasad Chaurasia since he sold out and went pop. 3/10

In Color by Jamie xx - 8/10

Nada Surf - You Know Who You Are (2016) - Just released today March the 4th, 2016
9/10

This album tastes just like 1996. Stay with me. Every song falls into that unoffensive, middle of the road, could be on the radio, could be on any TV show soundtrack category...well I guess that is a lo of categories. But it just screams mid-to-late 90's. And of course that is why I love it.

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead 8/10

Aashish Khan - Sarod, The Sound of Mughal Court 8/10

Aashish Khan---- Aashish Kabobin' 7/10. Good not great.

Brian Fallon - Painkillers (2016 solo album debut came out today 3/11/2016) 5/5

Ok here is the deal. I know a little bit of Gaslight Anthem stuff but I am not the super fan that knew I was listening to the front man's solo debut album this morning when I put on the new release list on Spotify. This new album just blew me away. I've been through it 3 times already today (and now back cataloging the Gaslight shit)....

Lyrically it has pockets of absolute brilliance where you hear a line that gets right in that sweet spot and you have to say...fuck...that is fucking good.

I say this album is 10% Ryan Adams Alt Country style and 90% good-era Bruce Springsteen sounding..vocally and with some of the instrumentation choices (I heard a damn xylophone a few times)....

I will say it is NOTHING like a Gaslight album minus the growling vocals of course. I love love love this album. It is easy, accessible, perfect for many moods and times of day...basically I am currently over the moon for it.

5/5 - album of the year so far for me.

Zakir Hussain - Selects 8/10

Ram Narayan - Ragas Alhaiya Bilaval and Mishra Bhairavi 8/10
Estrella Morente - My Songs and a Poem 7/10

Emilia Amper - Trollfageln 7.8/10
Grachan Moncur III - Some Other Stuff 7.5/10

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party - Love and Devotion (2CD) 7.8/10

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals - Call It What It Is (2016)
Grade: B-

M3LL155X by FKA twigs - 7/10

Deftones - Gore 8/10
Gaurav Mazumdar/Jayanthi Kumaresh - Walking Together 7/10

Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope - A-

If you haven't already, check out Regina "Soviet Kitsch" album. For me its her best album; its rawer than "Begin to Hope", so that is something to be mindful of when you first hear it.

I listened to Soviet Kitsch in part today as well as her latest release "cheap seats" ....i'm really getting in to her lately.

N. Rajam - Radiant 7.5/10
Emily Portman - Coracle 7.5/10

I think with both I need to spend more time with them.

Eric Clapton - Pilgrim - 5/10 (not bad but that horrid-dated early 90s sound)
Eric Clapton - Back Home - 8/10
The Fratellis - Costello Music - 9/10

Andrew Hill - Point of Departure 8.3/10
Ajoy Chakrabarty - Raga Khamaj 7/10

Kill the Witch - Single by Radiohead - 8/10

Jean-Louis Matinier/Marco Ambrosini - Inventio 8.5/10

The New Pornographers - Electric Version 7.5/10
I like it, but there is not enough Neko Case for me.

Nils Okland Band - Kjolvatn 8/10
Kalyan Mukherjea - Raga Shuddh Kalyan 7.5/10

A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead - 10/10

Herbie Hancock - Mwandishi 8/10
Punch brothers - The Wireless (EP) 7.5/10
Zakir Hussain/Alla Rakha - Tabla Duet (Live album) 7.7/10

Wo Fat - The Black Code 8/10
Hariprasad Chaurasia - Rag Ahir Bhairav 7.5/10
Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto - Vrioon 8.3/10
Gopal Shankar Misra - Out of Stillness 7/10
Anouar Brahem - Barzakh 8.5/10

L. Shankar - Who's to know 8.8/10
All Pigs Must Die - Nothing Violates this Nature 7.5/10

Milind Kapil Uppuluri Abhyagni Mukherjee Subhadra Meghashyam Gutala--Baati Days, Curry Nights 3.5/7 not spicy enough

I found a couple of Indian Metal records from ze closet. Might give them a listen in the near future.

Blood Orange ~FREETOWN SOUND~

Recognized a KRS-One sample from the Ghetto Music Blueprint album. I kinda fell asleep during my listen and I don't think I recognized that the Hadron Collider song with Nelly Furtado on it that I got on a cassette at his show was on the album. I was really excited for this because I love everything that Dev Hynes has ever done. The album is long and I feel like I will have to listen to it at least 10 times before I start to "understand" it.

Gorguts - Obscura 7/10
Kaushiki Chakrabarty - Kaushiki 8/10

Lol

John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard: The Master Tapes 8/10
Robert Randolph and his Family Band - Colorblind 6.5/10

New Nonpoint Album is tits. 8/10

Spiro - Welcome Joy and Welcome Sorrow 6/10
Manilal Nag - Dawn Raga: Lalit 7.5/10

Nails - You'll never be one of us 8/10
20 mins of untempered, unrelenting rage and aggression. Delicious.

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 9.5/10
Amazing.

Sara Watkins - Young In All The Wrong Ways 7.5/10
Adrian Belew - Lone Rhino 7/10
Adrian Belew - Twang Bar King 7.3/10

Paco De Lucia - Fuente Y Caudal 8.7/10
Arve Henriksen - The Nature of Connections 7.5/10

Gaza - He is never coming back 7.5/10
Tegan and Sara - Love you to death 7.7/10

Kathryn Tickell - Debateable Lands 8/10
Sultan Khan and M.S. Gopalakrishnan - Raga Bhoop and Dhun 8/10

Rokia Traore - Ne So 7.7/10
Seven Sisters of Sleep - Ezekiel's Hags 7.5/10

Pete La Roca - Basra 8/10
Giuliano Carmignola - Haydn: Violin concertos 7/10

Banks & Steelz - Anything But Words
10/10
The lead singer of Interpol and the "head rap guy" from Wu Tang? Together? Fuck. Yes. Such a great album.

Genesis - Selling England by the Pound 9.3/10
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks 9/10

It has been an awesome week of music.