Jan 3 2015
Get yer music: Cuneiform Records turns 30
Eclectic record label Cuneiform Records has added a thirtieth birthday candle to their anniversary cake. In celebration, they’re offering a Name Your Own Price compilation of twenty tracks, one from each of the twenty albums they released in 2014.
Cuneiform is not a “jazz label.” While some of their albums certainly get filed under Jazz in the retail section, there are many that do not. What typifies the music they release is that the artist is pushing the envelope of the particular genre they most closely resemble.
Many of the albums in the playlist have been written up on this site or, at least, received a recommendation synopsis on my Wondering Sound Jazz Picks weekly column. In particular, the Rob Mazurek & Black Cube SP track was slotted as the Bird is the Worm #2 album of the year for 2014.
Below the embedded player, I provide some guidance to many of the compilation tracks and some links to more information on this site. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with simply hitting the play button and listening to the playlist straight through. It’s completely up to you.
Here it is… (hitting the Download button will open a page that begins the “purchase” process)
Speaking of guidance, let me state my personal beliefs on Name Your Own Price etiquette:
The price of “free” is an option. You don’t have to pay anything for the download. Cuneiform Records (and other labels that offer up NYOP compilations) do so for listeners to have a route to discovery of the music on their label, so feel free to enter “$0.00” (zero) in the pay box when you download the compilation. However:
1. If you don’t plan on buying any Cuneiform Records albums as a result of this download and just wish to have this music in your iTunes library, it would be appropriate to throw a few bucks Cuneiform’s way. They’re not a big money-making operation, so everything helps. Besides, it’s a nice gesture to say thanks for the music. We’re talking about two hours of quality music here. Do the right thing.
2. If you buy one (or more) Cuneiform Records albums as a result of this purchase, or if you’ve purchased Cuneiform Records music previously, then pay nothing (if you choose). Congratulations. You’re a Cuneiform Records customer. They appreciate your past (and current) purchases and look forward to your future support.
3. If you’re unsure whether downloading the compilation will lead to a purchase or not, it’s okay to pay nothing now. If you decide later that you like the compilation but not enough to buy any actual albums, you can always return to the Bandcamp page and purchase the compilation again, this time adding a dollar amount in the pay box (and then deleting the additional download file, since you don’t need it twice).
That was meant to be helpful. You are welcome to do what you like. This isn’t meant to be a pressure situation. The internet has presented new ways of music retailing and promotion, and that typically leads to uncertainty and questions. I believe my experience allows me to provide some helpful guidance.
I know some people aren’t familiar with the Bandcamp site and may not understand all of its vagaries. For those of you who have never seen the Bandcamp site before, let me vouch that it’s a legit music retail site and that you should feel as comfortable making a purchase from there as you would iTunes or Amazon. Worth mentioning that Bandcamp offers many different file formats on downloads, including some high quality lossless, at no extra cost. But for those of you whose eyes glaze over when that subject comes up, no worries, the default file format setting when you make a purchase is the “normal” kind and you won’t have any decisions to make.
Now, about the music…
I link to a recommendation to the Mazurek album earlier in this column. Another album I highly recommend is that Cellar & Point recording. I’ll be posting my Best Non-Jazz by Jazz Artists column this month, and their album Ambit will be appearing on it. It’s chamber-fusion-jazz-soundtrack-ambient kind of music (heh, hell of a hyphenated description). Or, said differently, curious & beautiful music. Here’s a LINK to my recommendation.
The tracks for the Microscopic Septet and the Ed Palermo Big Band are the closest thing to straight-ahead jazz on the compilation. They’re also excellent recordings. Both received a recommendation on my Wondering Sound Jazz Picks column.
Lots of guitar-led albums on the compilation. The Anthony Pirog album has a striking sound to it, very swirling, ambient, volatile music. The Dylan Ryan Sand is a rocking guitar trio. The Mary Halvorson is an edgy, ramshackle affair (Halvorson definitely has a singular sound unlike anyone else on the scene).
That Sonar album is some seriously meditative drone. The Ideal Bread is at the other end of the spectrum with a sharp, angular, avant-garde(ish) sound. The Led Bib music falls into territory where modern jazz and indie rock become indistinguishable from one another. The Joel Harrison takes the same approach, but applies it to rock (and R&B) from a past era. The Jonathan Badger Verse is an old folk album shot into space and remastered by aliens.
The other recordings pretty much fall under the category of Experimental and are too strange to even begin trying to encapsulate. I’ll let your ears sort it out for themselves.
Here’s a LINK to the compilation’s Bandcamp page. As I mention above, hitting the Download button on the embedded player above will also get you there.
Happy exploring! And remember, the only thing that matters is you like what you like and you pass on what you don’t.
Happy birthday, Cuneiform!
Cheers.
Mar 19 2015
Chris Schlarb: Free music, new albums and an upcoming tour
His albums Twilight & Ghost Stories and the two Psychic Temple recordings hit me the way music is supposed to make contact. The music is wired in a way that corresponds to my own wiring, and why it’s difficult for me to compose a normal post on this site without, well, doing what you’ve just spent the last minute reading. It’s the kind of thing that keeps us returning to favorite albums and has us perpetually searching for the next great album that replicates that connection.
But make no mistake about it… Schlarb is a brilliant musician. And while there always is a natural born element involved, his talent has been forged by experience and sweat equity. That balance of nature and nurture in an artist’s creativity is why the honesty rings as genuine and the inspirations resonate more strongly than the measure of their ultimate success.
Good grief, okay, this is what I’m talking about. The title of this post says something about free music, new albums and tours, and instead I’m giving you a very blog-y post about the nature of creativity and then recounting it in the current paragraph.
Let’s begin…
I’ve just received word that Psychic Temple III is in the can and now it’s just looking for labels and distributors. No date yet… but it’s coming. In addition, Schlarb has made a little niche for himself developing soundtracks for video games. This summer, the video game Dropsy will be his newest project, and he says that it might as well be another Psychic Temple album. His previous video game music is available for listening & purchase on his Bandcamp page (LINK).
I want listeners to find music that makes them happy and appreciative of being alive to hear it. And I want musicians to be able to make a living at their profession so that the results of their creativity can continue unabated. Everyone wins that way.
A Summer tour is in the works, though nothing definitive yet. I mention this only so you can be on the lookout for updates on his site’s Tour page (LINK) or just join his mailing list.
Here’s where you go to download Psychic Temple II… (LINK)
You were listening to a track from the album (embedded above), and now here’s another track from the album… a cover of a Beach Boys tune…
As I get updates on the new albums and a tour, I’ll pass the news on to you.
For more on the music of Chris Schlarb on this site:
Somewhere in those articles there has to be some words about the original Psychic Temple album. I’m shocked to learn that it doesn’t have its own stand-alone recommendation.
Anyways, have fun exploring his music.
Cheers.
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By davesumner • Announcement - Music, Free Music • 0