Not a big week in terms of numbers (the smoking credit card says "Yay!") but oh, the wide range of sounds. With everything from roots rock to avant garde noise, there's a lot to widen the 'ole ear canals.
Buckethead - Death Cube K Tunnel - (Tdrs)/Avant
The last Buckethead record I bought was probably the acoustic Octave Of The Holy Innocent. For whatever reason, nothing has caught my eye (though I have to say that Enter The Chicken almost made the list on the strength of that hilarious title alone). This release features Buckethead on guitars, basses and other things with producer Travis Dickerson on Mini Moog and piano. Bring on the ambient weirdness.
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation [Deluxe Edition] - (Geffen)/Rock
This reissue might be under the "rock" category but it's closer to, well, it honestly deserves its own category. Let's jettison the cynicism often hurled at critics, because in the case of Daydream Nation, there are right. With all of the long form improvisations, dissonance, and grinding atonality, this is easily my favorite Sonic Youth record. I will not hesitate to pick it up for whatever extra goodies it contains.
John Doe - A Year in the Wilderness - (Yep Roc)/Rock
As one of the members of the great L.A. punk band X, John Doe went on to put out a bunch of great solo records. You can trust me when I say that you can trust him.
Dick Dale -Checkered Flag - (Sundazed)/Rock
You have got to give Sundazed records a round of applause. They exist to push long lost music back out into the light. I mean, who else (OK, maybe Rhino) would reissue the Buck Owens & the Buckaroos' catalog? Now they're giving surf guitar master Dick Dale the same treatment. Turn this up very, very loud.
Andy Summers - Synaesthesia - (Times Square)/Rock
I have several of Summers' early, jazz-oriented solo records. Somehow this one never made it home. It's a nice day for reissues.
Tuatara - East of the Sun - (Fast Horse)/Rock
Rock instrumental sorta-supergroup, I fell in love with Tuatara several years ago. Word has it that they've got some vocals on this one. That makes me worry a bit, but given their past excellence, I'll give 'em a chance.
Traveling Wilburys -Traveling Wilburys - (Rhino)/Rock
Ah, and speaking of supergroups, this is this week's big kahuna. That this material has been out of print for so long speaks volumes of the pathetic state of the major label music industry. Well, let's the past go and enjoy this big hunk of rock history.
Article comments
1 - Mat Brewster
I love how a light week means 7 albums to buy. My bank account cried just looking at this.