Stax
Stax 50th: 50th Anniversary Celebration
Picked up the new Stax two-disc anniversary compilation yesterday. If you think your library might be thin on old soul, you could use Stax 50th. Nice blend of chart-topping hits and lesser-known nibblets. I'm just happy to see that Rufus Thomas made it on there twice. Plus, the album cover has a cool little hologram thing.
Otis Redding & Carla Thomas—Tramp
Of course, as Stax compilations go, nothing will ever beat Stax Of Funk:
The Sweet Inspirations—Slipped And Tripped
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Will Bernard: Party Hats
You might know Will Bernard as two of the five arms that make up T.J. Kirk's guitar attack (Charlie Hunter, of course, has three). In that outfit, his loose twang complements Hunter's clean, rhythmic style to drive a tight, rocked-out brand of abstract soul-jazz. On his solo projects, Bernard tends to get even more experimental — both in composition and instrumentation — and, at least to the casual listener, the product isn't always easy to swallow. To my surprise, the 11 tracks on his latest, Party Hats, are decidedly more digestible. The sound is an intriguing blend of acid jazz, soul and even a little afrobeat. Bernard's tricky jazz chops shine over the catchy, laid-back arrangements.
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I guess I've been pretty irritable lately. Hence this third installment of People And Things That Ought To Be Phased Out:
-Bracket analysis
-A stranger in the steam room who wants to chit-chat
-Road kill
-Pete Wentz and whatever awful band he's in
Please stop it.
-WiFi that isn't free
-The media planners for that Dodge Ram robot-boxing ad; leave us alone
-Also, the Dodge Ram guitar riff
-Low-sodium soy sauce (that's the one with the green lid)
-BYU
-The Situation Room
-High-strung motorists
-Bluetooth
-An elderly couple in a restaurant that's more interested in my food/conversation than their own
-Graduate admissions departments that send the same denial letter twice
-Tucker
-The NIT
-Ferrets
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Bonus Tracks:
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