Monday, July 22, 2013

Philemon Zulu - How Long- Zulu Jive



Any true reggae lover will recognize Shanchie as one of the great reggae labels having put out albums by such legends as Augustus Pablo. However Shanchie's killer records are not limited only to reggae but include various other genres including music from various different countries. So whenever I am in a record store and happen to find a Shanchie record I usually will buy it and take it home with me. The latest of these additions is an album from Southern Africa, "How Long" by Philemon Zulu. This album is clear evidence of the great music that the African continent has been able to produce by blending traditional song with modern instruments. This is also an album that would be great for anyone looking for an introduction into the world of African music specifically South African music. Overall an album that I am very much glad I found and recommend giving a listen to.
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Minor Threat - Complete Discography



To this day Minor Threat is one of my favorite punk bands and one that I think played a crucial role in the original punk music scene of the 1970's and 1980's. The thing that Minor Threat is best known for besides their fast and angry sounds is their "straight edge" lyrics. The term straight edge comes from a song of the same name by Minor Threat which describes the band's frustration mainly with drugs and alcohol and how the world especially young people are obsessed with these things. The thing that to me makes Minor Threat unique is that while certain artists preach one thing and practice a whole other thing Minor Threat and especially their vocalist Ian MacKaye really practiced what he preached. Ian would even often times refuse to play shows were people of all ages were not allowed in because of alcohol being served.
This is one of those bands that much like The Clash and others that I have posted on the blog I not only enjoy their music but also agree with their message. If you like any form of rock or punk rock and have never heard of these guys than I strongly recommend you give them a listen.

1.Filler
2.I Don't Wanna Hear It
3.Seeing Red
4.Straight Edge
5.Small Man, Big Mouth
6.Screaming At A Wall
7.Bottled Violence
8.Minor Threat
9.Stand Up
10.12XU (Cover Wire)
11.In My Eyes
12.Out Of Step (With The World)
13.Guilty Of Being White
14.Steppin' Stone (Cover The Monkees)
15.Betray
16.It Follows
17.Think Again
18.Look Back And Laugh
19.Sob Story
20.No Reason
21.Little Friend
22.Out Of Step
23.Cashing In
24.Stumped
25.Good Guys (Don't Wear White) (Cover The Standells)
26.Salad Days
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Sunday, July 14, 2013

Rolando Alarcon - Por Cuba y Vietnam


Many people have heard of Victor Jara and many (rightfully so) identify him as a key figure in the music of Chile and its' political message especially during the time of the coup against president Salvador Allende. However today we will look at another Chilean folk musician from the same era with much the same message as Victor Jara but much less well known. While very well known in Chile, Rolando Alarcon is for the most part unknown to the outside world especially outside of the Spanish speaking world. His music is very much what one would expect from a very traditional folk musician, music with lots of passion, sentiment, and many times music with a strong message. The album that I am making available for download "Por Cuba y Vietnam" (Through Cuba and Vietnam) shows the strong sentiment of solidarity that many Latin American musicians felt with the Socialist and Communist nations as the US and other western powers extended their influence and stranglehold over the Latin America. This is definitely an album worth checking out if you enjoy any sort of folk or traditional music as it will not disappoint.
1. Pregúntale a Cuba hermano
2. Sin bandera
3. Se llama Fidel
4. Carta al Che
5. En el Valle del Yuro
6. Las doradas colinas de Binh Thuan
7. Hermano, hermano... llorarás
8. Su nombre puede ponerse en verso (Ho Chi Min)
9. Algún día, Viet-Nam
10. Cueca por Viet-Nam
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