guitar

Taking its name from the forefather of Russian avantgarde painting, France’s Kandinsky is a guitars and drums duo that’ll make him proud. Last year I’ve listened to their “tRASKOMI eLCAÄST” MCD – don’t ask me what that means – which is a 25 minute piece cut into 9 movements.

If any of you UK freaks need to get your yearly southern rock fix like I do, the Texas’ modern day cowboys White Denim are currently on tour in the UK. I guess it all started with Kings of Leon’s sophomore for me : I instantly got teleported into a vintage American car, started riding through the desert and stopping at godforsaken motels, singing about “Taper Jean Girls” and stuff I know shit about.

Yesterday night though I had to act spontaneous as Marc Ribot was in town with his Spiritual Unity project playing Albert Ayler pieces.

San Diego instrumental-prog rockers Sleeping People was one of the last real finds of 2007. Released on Temporary Residence the label, which also hosts Explosions in the Sky, Tarantel and Maserati and Grails among others, “Growing” is a straight forward instrumental rock album with trailing guitar riffs and rock solid drumming.

Here’s the last part, from now on new music!!
05 A Hawk and a Hacksaw and the Hun Hangár Ensemble – Self Titled
04 High on Fire – Death Is This Communion
03 Upsilon Acrux – Galapagos Momentum
02 Marnie Stern – In Advance of the Broken Arm
01 Future of the Left – Curses

15 Battles – Mirrored (Warp Records) : Everybody’s been talking about “Mirrored” this year, and they kind of deserve it for getting their oddtimed dissonant music to find strange acclaim from mainstream circles as well as mathheads.
14 Deejay OM – Reheated Naan and Curry (Galapagos4) : A fine hybrid of Indian samples mixed with beats. Somehow liked it much more than Madlib’s take. Past

Here’s an album that I’m sure some of you already know. The Jewish American guitarist Marc Ribot, an important figure from downtown NYC and the John Zorn inner circle, and guitar player for rock giants like Tom Waits and Elvis Costello, was the leader of the successful but now defunct latino band “The Prostethetic Cubans”.