TITLE: Kings
LABEL: Freestyle
REVIEW: The Apples are a nine-piece band from Tel Aviv, Israel playing a unique style of global funk, soul and instrumental hip hop that’s equally influenced by middle eastern music, James Brown, dub and J Dilla. Cool instrumentation: four horns, bass violin, drum kit, two turntablists and live effects at the soundboard (no digital samplers or digital anything) is a great configuration for their clever writing (for example, track 2 is a composition that grows out of a sample from the Meters-Toussaint-Lee Dorsey classic “Occapella”) and groove-based improvisations. On this release (their second for Freestyle), they collaborate with two disparate musical giants: trombonist Fred Wesley (tracks 1-4), famous for his work with both James Brown and George Clinton, and vocalist Shlomo Bar (tracks 5-8), whose band HaBrera HaTeevit was a pioneer of world music in Israel. This band is new to me and I’m totally impressed – big ideas plus funky grooves plus killer horn lines and solos equals a totally Global A Go-Go concept. Bravo!
REVIEWER: Bill Lupoletti
RECOMMENDED TRACKS: 2 4 6 7
To see the charts, click "Read More."
New & Recommended At WRIR
Afro-Beat Airways: West African Shock Waves, Ghana & Togo 1972-1978 | (various artists) | Analog Africa
Apples, The | Kings | Freestyle
Arby, Khaira | Timbuktu Tarab | Clermont Music
Budos Band, The | III | Daptone
Desert Blues, The Rough Guide To | (various artists) | World Music Network
Fat Freddys Drop | Dr. Boondigga & The Big BW | Electrofone
Fela! | (original cast recording) | Knitting Factory
Foliba Trio | Matopie Wa | Farafina Djigui
Gastelum, Cochemea | The Electric Sound Of Johnny Arrow | Mowo
Konono No. 1 | Assume Crash Position | Crammed Discs
Misiani, D.O. & Shirati Jazz | The King Of History: Classic 1970s Benga Beats From Kenya | Sterns
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 Degrees
CMJ New World Top Ten
1 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Afro-Beat Airways: West African Shock Waves (Ghana And Togo 1972-78) | Analog Africa
2 BUDOS BAND | The Budos Band III | Daptone
3 VARIOUS ARTISTS | Shangaan Electro | Honest Jon's
4 PINKER TONES | Modular | Nacional
5 THE APPLES | Kings | Freestyle
6 COCHEMEA GASTELUM | The Electric Sound Of Johnny Arrow | Mowo
7 SMOD | SMOD | Because Music
8 FAT FREDDY'S DROP | Dr. Boondigga And The Big BW | Electrofone
9 SOUNDTRACK | Babylon Central | ESL Music
10 GOGOL BORDELLO | Trans-Continental Hustle | American
CMJ New World Adds
1 THE APPLES | Kings | Freestyle
2 CARLOU D | Muzikr | World Village
3 MANU DIBANGO | Choc 'N Soul | Fremeaux & Associes
4 MATORRALMAN | Guateque Estelar | Nacional
5 JOAN SORIANO | El Duque De La Bachata | iASO
No comments:
Post a Comment