Albums Worth Hearing #6
Happy Sunday evening (at least where I live). Sometimes you need some album recommendations during this hour, and what better way to get some recs from a substack you’re subscribed to? What a great idea! I have three albums listed, two of which I heard today for the first time. Hope you enjoy.
1. Ghosts and Vodka - Precious Blood
Genre - Instrumental Math Rock
Release Date - 2001
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I don’t know how I didn’t come across this band sooner, but here we are. Everything about it is right up my alley. If you don’t know, Ghosts and Vodka were an instrumental math rock group composed of guitarists Victor Villareal and Sam Zurick, bassist Erik Bocek, and drummer Scott Shellhamer.
Forming in 1998, the group carried on performing until 2001, when Villareal and Zurick decided to shift their focus to Owls, a project that brought them back together with their former Cap'n Jazz bandmates, Mike and Tim Kinsella.
This particular record, Precious Blood, and its influence are undeniable–you can hear so many contemporary emo and math rock records impacted by it. The playing is fantastic, but not in that annoying fashion way that’s overly done for the sake of showing off your technical ability.
The production is also great. I really enjoy the mix of the acoustic guitar on the opening track, Andrea Loves Horses, and the dynamics as a whole are top-notch. Highly recommend, especially if you’re into anything related to this world music-wise.
2. Childish Japes - The Book of Japes
Genre - Jazz Fusion
Release Date - 2020
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Also today, a friend sent me this record from Childish Japes, and it’s a treat. The group features David Leon on sax and bass clarinet, Asher Kurtz on guitar, Christian Li on keys, Jed Lingat on bass, and JP Bouvet on drums.
I’m a big jazz head, and any contemporary jazz record with a touch of rock capabilities sprinkled in makes it all the more interesting to me. You can tell everyone on this record is at the height of their game from a technical point, but don’t lack the artistic expression that so many great players neglect.
I know I’ll be listening to this over the next few weeks on repeat, and I can’t wait to explore the group’s other discography. While the whole record is exceptional, Testimonies is my favorite track. Some next-level shiz.
3. Jackson Browne - For Everyman
Genre - Singer-Songwriter/Rock
Release Date - 1973
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For a more straightforward—and by no means is that an insult—we have For Everyman by Jackson Browne. I have fond memories of my dad listening to Jackson Browne when I was a wee lad. However, unlike other artists he showed me, I didn’t dive into his work until recently.
The track These Days appealed to me, given I’m a huge Velvet Underground and Nico fan–Browne penned the song when he was 16, and the initial recording of the song was done by Nico in 1967 for her album Chelsea Girl.
Browne’s version feels a bit more personable (which makes sense since he wrote it), and this record as a whole is a great introduction to his artistry. It’s a top-notch singer-songwriter record, and like the other artists on this list, I’m excited to dive into some other records from Browne.