July 18, 2010

Reviews and charts July 18, 2010

WRIR's most played world music recording this week is Assume Crash Position by Konono No. 1.  Click "Read More" to read a review of the disc above, and to see WRIR's world music charts for the week.

Brand-New Reviews
ARTIST:  various artists
TITLE:  Desert Blues, The Rough Guide To
LABEL:  World Music Network

REVIEW:  “Desert blues” is the term commonly used to group together the variety of droning, minor-key, electric-guitar-driven musical styles coming out of the countries of the southern Sahara Desert (Niger, Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara).  It’s more a marketing concept than a genre – there are major distinctions among the artists on this compilation – but then again so are many of the genre terms used in world music (with “world music” being first on that list).  Some of the bands on here have gotten plenty of attention already, (Tinariwen (track 4) most prominently), a few are pretty unknown, and a couple really aren’t desert blues by any stretch of the imagination.  Nonetheless, the key feature of this disc is that the music is excellent throughout – pick any track and you’ll have a winner.  Extra kudos to the Rough Guide folks for including often-overlooked female singers Malouma (track 7) and Mariam Hassan, and for giving us a first taste of Tamikrest (track 13), whose debut release isn’t available yet in the USA.
REVIEWER:  Bill Lupoletti
RECOMMENDED TRACKS:    4    7    8    13


New & Recommended At WRIR
Absolute Belter | (various artists) | B-Music
African Pearls: Congo -- Pont Sur Le Congo | (various artists) | Syllart/Discograph
African Pearls: Senegal -- Echo Musical | (various artists) | Syllart/Discograph
Desert Blues, The Rough Guide To | (various artists) | World Music Network
Etoile De Dakar Featuring Youssou N'Dour | Once Upon A Time In Senegal: The Birth Of Mbalax 1979-1981 | Sterns
Fat Freddys Drop | Dr. Boondigga & The Big BW | Electrofone
Fela! | (original cast recording) | Knitting Factory
Foliba Trio | Matopie Wa | Farafina Djigui
Gogol Bordello | Trans-Continental Hustle | American
Grupo Fantasma | El Existential | Nat Geo Music
Konono No. 1 | Assume Crash Position | Crammed Discs
Le Pop 5 | (various artists) | Le Pop Muzik
Next Stop … Soweto, Volume 2 | (various artists) | Strut
Palenque Palenque: Champeta Criolla & Afro Roots In Colombia | (various artists) | Soundway
Shangaan Electro | (various artists) | Honest Jon's
SMOD | SMOD | Because Music
Toure, Vieux Farka | Live | Six Degree


CMJ New World Top Ten
1 KONONO NO. 1 | Assume Crash Position | Crammed Discs
2 VIEUX FARKA TOURE | Live | Six Degrees
3 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Palenque Palenque: Champeta Criolla And Afro Roots In Colombia | Soundway
4 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Shangaan Electro | Honest Jon's
5 SMOD | SMOD | Because Music
6 SOUNDTRACK | Fela! Original Broadway Cast Recording | Knitting Factory
7 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Next Stop Soweto Vol. 2 | Strut
8 GOGOL BORDELLO | Trans-Continental Hustle | American
9 GRUPO FANTASMA | El Existential | Nat Geo Music
10 VARIOUS ARTISTS | African Pearls: Congo, Pont Sur Le Congo | Syllart


CMJ New World Adds
1 COCHEMEA GASTELUM | The Electric Sound Of Johnny Arrow | Mowo
2 LUISA MAITA | Lero-Lero | Cumbancha Discovery
3 D.O. MISIANI & SHIRATI JAZZ | The King Of History: Classic 1970's Benga Beats From Kenya | Sterns
4 VARIOUS ARTISTS | The Rough Guide To Desert Blues | World Music Network
5 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Tribute To A Reggae Legend | Putumayo

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