Eclectic Grooves

General Comments

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 02:50:00 +0000

This is the place for any comments you have that don't relate to a specific post. This is a place where you can leave any requests, suggestions and opinions that you have about this blog. It will always remain at the top of the blog so that it is visible to everyone. We can use this as a forum for an open discussion on music in general, as well as just simply saying hi. Let's get the ball rolling.

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I Hear a New World Podcast #15- Halloween Hodgepodge

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:15:00 +0000

This Halloween 2009 edition of I Hear a New World is available to be downloaded at: http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/, or streamed right here in the embedded Podomatic player. I realize that this podcast is a day late, but hopefully it's not a dollar short. As I was facing numerous challenges over the past couple weeks, it was nearly impossible for me to find time to compile this year's Halloween mix. I worked on gathering the songs on Halloween during the day, and then I put the finishing touches in Audacity just before the clock struck midnight. I know there are plenty of dark souls who listen to this type of music throughout the year, so this one's for you. Then, next Halloween you can pull this one out and give it a proper spin during Halloween. This one is an eclectic mix of soul, surf, experimental, hip-hop and electronic music that is sure to keep your interest. I would love to hear what any of you think about the podcast! Until next time...

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I Hear a New World Podcast #14- KBOO Podcast 2

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:39:00 +0000

The fourteenth episode of I Hear a New World is available to be downloaded at: http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/ Wow! Two podcast posts within the same week. If I'm not careful, someone will accuse me of being prolific. This is the long awaited second part to the KBOO Podcast. The songs featured on this podcast were originally intended to be played on KBOO radio, but there was only time for me to play a few songs that evening. Since I was really happy with the way the songs flowed on this one, I figured it would be a shame not to share this with all of you. This mix features everything under the sun including jazz, electronic, avant garde, folk and blues. Please contact me if you would like to know what the playlist is for this show. I hope you all enjoy this episode of I Hear a New World, and your comments are always welcomed and appreciated. The Scion Garage Fest was pretty amazing, and I managed to catch the complete sets from ten bands. Simply Saucer was a...

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I Hear a New World Podcast #13- Scion Garage Fest

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:29:00 +0000

The thirteenth episode of I Hear a New World is available to be downloaded at: http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/ I know it's been awhile since I have uploaded a podcast on here, but I figured that it was the perfect time to showcase the talent from this weekend's garage rock extravaganza that is blowing up all over Downtown Portland. This podcast features the best of the old and new garage rockers who are playing this year's Scion Garage Fest on Saturday, Oct 17th. Even though Geno Washington and Jay Reatard had to cancel their performances, there are plenty of great bands worth checking out at the festival. Among the heavy hitters are Black Lips, King Khan & BBQ, Roky Erickson, Simply Saucer and Gris Gris. That alone is enough to make the mouth of any garage rock fan drop to the floor in utter disbelief. Please check Eclectic Grooves within the next couple days, as I will be posting the setlist for this podcast here. I would love to hear what you guys think of the...

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Stellar Tracks of the Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Since some of you have been patiently awaiting the answer to last week's Plain Brown Wrappers, I decided to reveal that for you today. Like I said before, those of you who guessed that this was not an American band were definitely on the right track. Nathan (N0) knew the answer right away, but was kind enough not to spoil the fun for the rest of the readers out there. Drumroll please... The answer is: Dun- Eros- Way Out-of PrintThis record was originally released in 1981, but it received a brief reissue in 2000 with four bonus tracks, and then again in 2006 as a French import. Three of the bonus tracks are early live takes from the original album. Unfortunately, this was to be the first and last album to surface from this complex prog band from France. When I checked Amazon, it only came up with one new copy at $122.61, and one used copy at $49.95. If you have the coin, this one is obviously well worth the money. Otherwise, just enjoy this copy I have uploaded for your...

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Plain Brown Wrappers #5- Sounds from the Fractured Universe

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:52:00 +0000

I know that you all have been eagerly awaiting the next episode of Plain Brown Wrappers, and I think that you will be more than satisfied with the sounds I have prepared for your ears today. This record literally landed in my sonic universe a little over two months ago, but it was as if it had always been there, simply waiting for me to acknowledge its existence. Upon first hearing this record, I will say that is nearly impossible to discern what era it was recorded, thus making it a perfect candidate for the Plain Brown Wrappers series. Considering the breadth of music that I consume in a given day, it would be understandable if an astoundingly complex record like this didn't grab my attention on the first listen. It would also be understandable that after repeated listens, I would discover that this record is an ultra mind-blower. It is the type of record that makes you grateful you have two ears to experience the goodness within. The music itself is difficult to describe when all...

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Rats Drifting Through the Music of Our Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:52:00 +0000

While perusing through a back-issue of Wire magazine from January 2006, I came across a fascinating article showcasing the artist-run record label Rat Drifting. Since then, I have been hard pressed to find any additional information about Rat Drifting or the artists featured on the label, short of the label's website and a few reviews scattered throughout the web. Therefore, I felt that it would be fitting to provide some more exposure to this enterprising label on Eclectic Grooves. Rat Drifting is essentially the brainchild of Eric Chenaux, the singer and guitarist who plays in several of the bands on Rat Drifting while overseeing the operations of the label along with co-founder Martin Arnold. The seeds of Rat Drifting were planted when Arnold was visiting York University to collaborate with Casey Sokol on the production of Cornelius Cardew's The Great Learning. During this time, Arnold met up with two of Sokol's students, Ryan Driver and Doug Tielli, and eventually crossed paths...

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SMMR BMMR Festival- Oh See's Can You Say?

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:05:00 +0000

As you may have noticed from my last post, I haven't dedicated very much time to the summer festivals this year. The weekend of PDX Pop Now just happened to be taking place at the beginning of our heatwave, and I couldn't imagine enduring ubearably high temperatures inside Rotture. From what I heard, it was a sweatbox inside there, but well worth the money (Free!!). There were a couple other festivals that I didn't make it to due to high costs (Pickathon) and bad timing (No Fest), but the one I finally managed to squeeze in was well worth the money and time. I was perusing through the local weeklies when I came across a small ad for the Rotture's SMMR BMMR festival featuring Sic Alps, Eat Skull and Ty Segall. While I have been getting seriously interested in this lo-fi, noise-damaged pop revival that has been taking the nation by storm lately, the main reason I was attending this festival was to see Sic Alps. Their set, while cathartic and pleasingly melodic, was not the highlight of...

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The Long Hot Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:19:00 +0000

It's been one of those summers where it passes by so fast, you don't even realize what's happening right before your eyes. My first week of August can literally be chalked up as wasted time, as most of my waking hours were spent devising new ways to stay cool. I can't recall a summer where I endured such hot temperatures when relief (A/C) was not just around the corner. The rest of my time has been consumed by the daunting task of being a first-time home buyer. Even though I don't have a home yet, most of my summer has been spent searching for a better place to call home. This is one of those phases in my life where complex life decisions seem to be taking precedent over my creative endeavors. However, since my girlfriend and I are closing in on making a decision on buying a new home, I hope to be able to post more often in the near future. Since most of the music I have been listening to in my car has turned into a Plain Brown Wrappers post anyway, I have decided to kill off the...

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Evolutionary Jass Band Re-up

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:03:00 +0000

I have been hibernating over the last four days, as the temperatures have been reaching the 100's in the Pacific Northwest. Since a recent visitor by the name of Capt Evil 1 has requested a re-up of the Evolutionary Jass Band, I figured that today was the perfect day for a quick re-up post. I hope the rest of you are dealing well with the heat, and/or having a fantastic summer basking in the sun. Here is a link to the original review I wrote about Evolutionary Jass Band's debut record Change of Scene. Evolutionary Jass Band: Change of Scene and DevotionFrom: Change of Scene [Community Library, 2006] I promise that I will be back soon to share some more gems, but for now I will be enduring the unbearable heat with fans and ice packs. See you soon!

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July In July

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:14:00 +0000

July- S/T Before I reveal the artist from last week's Plain Brown Wrappers, I would like to talk about today's psychedelic relic culled from the archives of Eclectic Grooves. July's contagious mix of catchy refrains, experimental sonic trickery and expansive dynamics first landed on Eclectic Grooves in October of 2007. Specific tracks have been popping up on my Zen Touch lately, so I was eager to repost this amazing record. I thought that I could find some basic information about this band (like record label and year of release) but to no avail. If any of you have any insight, please don't hesitate to give me a shout. Here is a review of the record that I posted back in October of 2007. Download here Now on to the answer to last week's Plain Brown Wrappers. Drum roll please..... Icastico hit the nail right on the head when he guessed that it was the fiery Brazilian singer Silvinha Araujo. You never would have guessed it from the lackluster cover, but this album...

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Plain Brown Wrappers #4

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:31:00 +0000

I hope you guys enjoyed the latest I Hear a New World podcast that I posted last week. I would love to hear more of your thoughts about the music played throughout the show, as well as what you think of the format of the show. Today's episode of Plain Brown Wrappers features the primal screams of a sexy siren who has the funkiest backing band since the Jb's. I came across this album when my Zen Touch was on shuffle the other day, and I immediately checked to see who the artist was. Since you don't have the luxury of immediate gratification with these posts, you will have to trust my judgement. This is the sound of pop music if one of your ears was clogged, and the other one wasn't able to discern between melody and dissonance. It is chock-full of groovy basslines, stinging fuzz guitars and soulful vocals that recall the divas from the heyday of Motown soul. Just when you think that one of these songs is intent on sticking to a formulaic sound , it switches gears quickly and pummels...

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I Hear a New World- Podcast #12- Stacks O'Wax

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:15:00 +0000

For those of you have been eagerly anticipating the answer to last week's Plain Brown Wrappers, I have to say that you guys should really give yourself a pat on the back fro figuring this one out. Nathan Nothin from the blog Nothin' Sez Somethin' was the first one to guess, and he tried to keep it on the down low, but FroggyDew and No-Head weren't too far behind with the correct answer. The name of the band was Moving Gelatine Plates and the title of the record was The World of Genius Hans. It was released in 1972 on the Musea label, and is yet to receive a reissue as far as I know. Even though the Plain Brown Wrappers series has gotten fewer comments each time, I'm going to keep crankin' em out because I am enjoying myself. Stay tuned for the next one as it drops within the next week or so. The twelfth episode of I Hear a New World is available to be downloaded at: http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com This is the second all-vinyl episode of I Hear a New World where I have taped the...

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Plain Brown Wrappers #3

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:35:00 +0000

It's time again for another mind-bending trip into the archives of my warped consciousness. This week I am featuring an artist who laughs in the face of genres or labeling, and simply kicks out the jams. While listening to the opening track on the record, I can honestly say that I have no idea how the band manages to squeeze so many wildly imaginative ideas within the course of one song. Prog, funk, jazz and psychedelic rock are only a smattering of the styles that the band innovatively incorporates into their music. The sound of this record is so crisp that the percussive elements practically jump out of the speaker, leading the listener to believe that this record must have been created within the last decade. On the other hand, this recording could have easily come from the 70's with it's progressive time signatures, blistering fuzz guitars and complex song structures that betray the idea of conventionality. I'm not going to even bother mentioning the bands that come to mind when I...

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Don't Call It a Comeback...

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Considering the generous amount of feedback I received from the readers on the last post, I have decided to keep the heart of Eclectic Grooves pumping with as much new music as your ears can handle. I've got some amazing stuff coming down the pipeline in the next couple weeks, so please keep checking back on a regular basis. Today, I am posting a re-up of a record that was first posted on Eclectic Grooves way back in April of 2007. Rather than retread familiar ground, I am going to direct you to the original posting of my review for Johnny Jenkin's stone-cold psychedelic blues classic Ton Ton Macoute. For those of you who aren't interested in checking out the original post, I will say that this version of "I Walk on Guilded Splinters" was sampled by the Dust Brothers on Beck's highly regarded anthem for the alternative nation, "Loser". Click here to download Ton-Ton Macoute I am working on a new Plain Brown Wrappers post, and despite the suggestions from a recent newcomer to...

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Important Notice to the Readers

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:27:00 +0000

I have honestly been considering throwing in the towel at Eclectic Grooves for quite some time. This probably doesn't come as a surprise to most of you, since I've been wearing out the grooves of this "broken record" for quite some time. I've been struggling between running this blog because I want to share music with people, and wanting to be popular and receive recognition for my hard work. The comments have been sparse, and I really don't know what else I can do to increase the interest. In addition, the hits have gone down considerably in the past few months. I was never one of those blogs like 4Brothers Beats or My Favorite Sounds that generated a ton of traffic, but I was getting at least 275-325 a day. Now, I would be lucky to break 200, and that's on a day that I post something new. Even though doing the Plain Brown Wrappers series seemed to spark the interest of visitors, it wasn't helping me generate very much new traffic to the site. I realize that I am...

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I Hear a New World- Podcast #11

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:44:00 +0000

The eleventh episode of I Hear a New World is available to be downloaded at: http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/ It's been awhile since I've worked on a podcast, so I grabbed this mix from my listening archives. It is an eclectic mix that I put together one afternoon many moons ago. I was feeling especially mellow when I compiled this mix, but I occasionally peppered the mix with an uptempo funk track or a little psychedelic freakout for added listening pleasure. It features a wide array of styles including psych-folk, funk, blues, free jazz, rock and soul-jazz. I hope you guys enjoy this episode of "I Hear a New World". I have another Plain Brown Wrappers post right around the corner, so keep your eyes peeled for that one.

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What's Playing On My Stereo? Week 6

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:50:00 +0000

I apologize for not revealing the artist from the last "Plain Brown Wrappers" sooner, but I have been utterly consumed with my job lately. There wasn't nearly the amount of feedback\comments on this one, but I guess it was a little too out there for you guys. The artist is ... drum roll please... Henry Jacobs Vortex and the album title is Electronic Kabuki Mambo. For those of you looking for this record, it was released on Folkways Records in 1959, so I imagine that you will be digging into the dusty crates for awhile in order to find this one. Caustic Resin: Drive #47 and Keep on Truckin' From: Keep on Truckin' [Up, 2003] Caustin Resin's record Keep on Truckin' came out in 2003 and was almost instantaneously relegated to the cutout bins in record stores. Sometimes there is no accounting for taste, since this album was an underrated masterpiece of expansive psychedelia with anthemic choruses and guitar pyrotechnics courtesy of head axe-slinger Brett Netson. You might...

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Plain Brown Wrappers # 2

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:54:00 +0000

Well, its time again for another episode of Plain Brown Wrappers. This week I am featuring an artist so ahead of their time that they have both feet planted firmly into the future. If I listened to this album blindfolded, it would be virtually impossible to guess where the mysterious sounds originated. It features an intriguing mixture of voice manipulations, electronic oscillations and warped reverberations that sound like the kind of music you would hear if you were venturing through the depths of outer space while tripping on acid. Considering that I recently spent over twelve hours compiling a comprehensive space mix, it is fitting that this release would fall into my hands out of nowhere. If you can guess who this artist is, I will grant you the highly esteemed title of "Most Esoteric Music Fanatic of All Time". I will be revealing the artist next Monday, so make sure to get your guesses in before that fateful day. Here is the link to this week's mystery album. Until next...

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Dusty Wax from the Vaults

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:14:00 +0000

Time and the powers that be are conspiring against me lately. Whenever I have time to work on the blog, there seems to be something of greater importance that takes precedence over it. I have a ton of great stuff that I want to share with you, but not enough free time to make it happen. In addition to the two newer series of posts- What's Playing On My Stereo and Plain Brown Wrappers- I am working on a new series of podcasts called Evolution of a Music Junkie. These podcasts will trace the evolution of the music that has influenced me throughout various stages of my life including hip-hop, electronic, jazz, blues, funk, etc. Until this comes to fruition, I hope you guys will continue to mine the archives here for some tasty gems. With that being said, I have noticed that there are several posts in the archives that are in dire need of a re-up. I hope to be featuring at least one re-up from the vault every week. This two-part live concert recording of Sonic Youth was...

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What's Playing on My Stereo? Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:48:00 +0000

First, I wanted to thank everyone who participated in last week's 'Mystery disc' discussion. A person who goes by the name of Freebie6969 guessed that the artist was Stark Reality and the album title was "Stark Reality Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop," so congratulations to them for being able to figure this one out. Since there was such good feedback on this new series, I will continue dropping more mystery discs in the future. This week's installment of What's Playing on My Stereo? features an the first record from the prolific auteur of folktronica, Four Tet, coupled with Peanut Butter Wolf's eclectic compilation of soul, psychedelia, funk and hip-hop called Jukebox 45's. Four Tet: Parks and No More Mosquitoes From: Pause [Domino Recording Company Ltd, 2001] I don't know who actually coined the term folktronica, but there's no doubt that Kieran Hebden of Four Tet played a part in pushing this genre into the forefront of the collective minds of the...

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Plain Brown Wrappers #1

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:52:00 +0000

Well... I know it's been awhile. I had to regroup and get back to why I started this blog in the first place: to share amazing tunes with as many people as possible. I kind of got lost in a popularity contest, and wasn't doing it for the right reasons. E-mile helped turn my attitude around for the better, by prompting me to quit doing the blog if my heart wasn't in it anymore. I have to admit that I was a little pissed off about not receiving many comments, and I was contemplating the demise of Eclectic Grooves, but sometimes inspiration strikes when we least expect it. Last Friday I was chatting with an old friend at a concert. She was telling me about an experience she had where she was listening to a record, but she had no idea what it was. It reminded her of an old spiritual free-jazz album from the 60's such as Archie Shepp or John Coltrane. She said that she listened to the record impulsively that night, until the artist's identity was finally revealed to her by a friend. The...

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What's Playing on My Stereo? Week 4

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 02:23:00 +0000

I apologize for neglecting to post anything last week. It was a long work week, and then my weekend seemed to vanish without a trace of inspiration left for writing in any way, shape or form. I have also been working on a new podcast that will hopefully see the light of day within the next couple weeks. I touched on this a couple weeks ago in the Nothing But Crickets post, but I have to say that the response to this blog has been pitiful lately. I imagine that the only way I can inspire you enough to leave a comment is if I post full albums of new releases (such as a leak of the new Grizzly Bear album two months before it's released). Sure that would be something that's high in demand, but would I feel good about doing that. I realize that the majority of people trolling for music on the blogs are looking for rapidshare links for new albums that they can quickly download and go about their business. Unfortunately, that goes against my beliefs of supporting the music of the artists I...

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What's Playing on My Stereo? Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:24:00 +0000

This week's episode of What's Playing On My Stereo features the stinging guitar solos of Johnny Guitar Watson right next to the melodic psychedelia of the 13th Floor Elevators. Johnny Guitar Watson- Space Guitar and Gettin' Drunk From: Space Guitar: The Essential Early Masters [Varese Sarabande, 2004] For those of you who are only familiar with Johnny Guitar Watson's 70's funk output on DJM Records, you will be quite surprised with the songs I have selected for today. These two tracks are back to back on this collection, but they couldn't be more different in sound. "Space Guitar" sounds less like a space-themed song than a cutting-edge blues song with blistering guitar solos that are both rhythmic and inventive at the same time. The next track, "Gettin' Drunk," is a rollicking jump blues that is guaranteed to get your body gyrating to the rhythm. Listen up! Johnny Guitar Watson is here to get you up out your seat, so don't disappoint the man....

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What's Playing On My Stereo? - Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:48:00 +0000

I saw this photo on the internet, and I couldn't resist using it for presenting my weekly feature What's Playing On My Stereo. I hope the person who posted the original photo doesn't come after me with a vengeance, but that's a chance I am willing to take. Before I posted the first episode of this series, I had been listening to the same CD's for three weeks straight. So, I had the opportunity to really sink into the sounds that I was presenting to you. Unfortunately, I haven't had the luxury of listening to these in great length, so the reviews will be more like quick takes. Need New Body- Tittiepop and Gamble On/Banji From: S/T [ File13, 2003] First, I am featuring a couple tracks from Philadelphia's merry pranksters Need New Body. I remember hearing this back when I worked at Music Millennium, but I must have filed it away in my "too weird to break out just any day" pile. The sounds of post-rock, electronic, free jazz, rock, avant garde and folk are all thrown...

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