For most, Brian Eno needs no introduction, but if you aren’t already a rabid fan, here is a great place to start. Some consider his catalog tantamount to Bowie’s and their careers were often intertwined. 1974′s Here Come The Warm Jets was his first solo outing after departing Roxy Music. It’s an all-time favorite and I’m sure it makes many ‘top 10 albums of the 70s’ lists. It’s something different and it’s difficult to describe. 1981′s My Life In The Bush of Ghosts is a collaboration with Talking Heads’ David Byrne and is one of the first albums to feature a significant amount of sample-based music. It features wild percussion, experimental recording techniques and some other really far out sounds.
ESG (Emerald, Saphire, Gold) are 3 sisters and 2 friends from South Bronx. They play, what sounds like, stripped-down disco-beat post-punk/hip-hop dance music. It was totally ahead of it’s time in my opinion, but the album is still considering a classic by those who are keeping score. It’s perfect for working as the hypnotic beat and the disco dream sirens call you to keep going… be that in dancing or working. Here’s 1983′s Come Away With ESG.
(Sah-mahn-day) is on of my favorite soul/funk bands. They have a very eclectic influence which spans from Calypso to African music to UK rock and it makes for a very interesting listen. Trust me. It’s good jams and you might recognize the song “Bra” as it’s been sampled about a zillion times.
Cymande – Cymande
Happy Friday the 13th. I’ve got another 80s gem for you guys on this beautiful day. These jangly-Power Pop guys knew how to craft a perfect 3 minute song. They were performing and songwriting along with Alex Chilton and members of Television and the influence definitely shows as the music sounds like their lovechild. Precise songwriting with direct melodies and harmonies. A classic- you won’t be disappointed.
The dBs – Stands For Decibels
Introducing The House of Love. A “Best Band That Never Made It” whose emergence followed the exit of The Smiths from the London scene in mid-80s UK before The JAMC and other northern bands took over the scene. These two records are jewels of a sort of “in-between” time. They find themselves somewhere between Echo & The Bunnymen and a lost pop-psych revivalist band: moody, yet jangly with a touch of free love at times. Either way they were a band with immense talent who never got the timing right.
These two albums are the band’s self-titled 1988 debut and the, originally, Germany-only singles compilation (also self-titled, confusingly, but since referred to as The German Album), which together are a one-two punch of some gems of songwriting that constantly confuse me as to why they aren’t of the same notoriety as their colleagues of the time.
The House of Love – The House of Love
The House of Love – The German Album
As I’ll be gone for a little while I’m posting today in honor of my trip to Miami.
Many of you may have heard of, heard or possibly own this album as it was a big deal with the accompanying documentary that won many awards and was nominated for best documentary at the 1997 Academy Awards. This project was the brainchild of great guitarist and all around crazy person, Ry Cooder. He gathered a dozen of the most famous house musicians from the actual Buena Vista Social Club in pre-revolution Cuba and made this album with them.
Even if you don’t care for Latin music, it’s hard not to appreciate these beautiful arrangements and masterful playing. I hope you enjoy it and at least have a cocktail or two while listening to “El Carretero” while I’m gone. Here’s Beuna Vista Social Club.
Well, this is the 1 year anniversary of Antiques Web Show. Let me know what you’re favorite album I posted was. Thanks for downloading all this time.
These are some of the oft overlooked records in Tom Waits’ catalog. With all the later Swordfishtrobones, Rain Dogs and what have you, it gets hard to imagine that he used to just be a jazzy songwriter with a wonderful voice before it went all whisky-soaked zombie that he’s more known for today. Many of these songs were covered by other more well-known artists and he was known primarily as a songwriter instead of a performer. These are his first two records from the early 70s.
1973′s Closing Time
1974′s The Heart of Saturday Night
With the departure of David Crosby and arrival of Gram Parsons as a member of the Byrds, it was inevitable, and much to Columbia’s dismay, that they were going to make a country album. The project was originally pitted to be a historic spectrum of American music from jazz to ragtime to bluegrass all the way to electronic music, but instead they decided they really liked the way they did country. So here is the result: One of the best things the Byrds ever did and an album that’s really dear to my heart.
The Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Be proud, New Jersey, because you produced one of my favorite bands, The Feelies. I saw them in Philly last year when they got back together and they were an incredible show. These two records, although separated by 8 years, are a beginning and continuation set. The quintessential, raw-power spasm of awesome that is 1980′s Crazy Rhythms and then really coming into their songwriting ability with melodies that seem to just flow out in 1988′s Only Life.
Happy Friday! I hope to see all that can make it at my place this Sunday for some carnivorous activities.
