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Young Turks

As is the fate of all albums released this decade (“In Rainbows” excepted, of course), the lion’s share of the new Weezer album has finally hit the internet a month in advance of its release date. While tracks like ‘Pork and Beans’ and ‘Troublemaker’ keep up the traditional pop quotient, the most interesting thing leaked so far has been “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived”. Variously described on forums as “atrocious”, “the pinnacle of recorded sound” and “bamboozling”, it’s probably somewhere between all three. Certainly the strangest thing Weezer have ever recorded, it may well also be the best – a genre-straddling epic in no uncertain terms, making absolutely no sense, but at the same time, sounding like something you always knew. Still, by the looks of things, Weezer is going to be the band’s commercial suicide album. Highlight: 2:21 – Rivers’ bitchin’ falsetto, or 4:06 – in which Cuomo quotes Shakespeare. I really wish I was making this up.

_{More from Alex Cornetto} _here

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“The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)”

As is the fate of all albums released this decade (“In Rainbows” excepted, of course), the lion’s share of the new Weezer album has finally hit the internet a month in advance of its release date. While tracks like ‘Pork and Beans’ and ‘Troublemaker’ keep up the traditional pop quotient, the most interesting thing leaked so far has been “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived”. Variously described on forums as “atrocious”, “the pinnacle of recorded sound” and “bamboozling”, it’s probably somewhere between all three. Certainly the strangest thing Weezer have ever recorded, it may well also be the best – a genre-straddling epic in no uncertain terms, making absolutely no sense, but at the same time, sounding like something you always knew. Still, by the looks of things, Weezer is going to be the band’s commercial suicide album. Highlight: 2:21 – Rivers’ bitchin’ falsetto, or 4:06 – in which Cuomo quotes Shakespeare. I really wish I was making this up.

_{More from Alex Cornetto} _here
The xx at White Heat
Afrobeat Party

Not much to say about this one except that a scintillating combination of brilliant music and dancing, a wonderful venue and a killer performance as crown entertainer by Fela Kuti makes for an absolutely incredible video.
Computer Incarnations of World Peace 1 + 2

I was a huge fan of Sonar Kollektiv’s Computer Incarnations for World Peace so was pretty chuffed to see that Computer Incarnations of World Peace 2 was on sale at Phonica .

The first one in the series was a eclectic but cohesive selection of tracks, largely from the 70’s and 80’s, and spanning everything from weird tropical sounding disco to 80’s grooves. The track I think about and love the most on the record is Talking Drums’ ‘Courage’ .

If you’re expecting more of the same on Computer Incarnations For World Peace 2 then you’re going to be sorely disappointed, and at first I was. I should have read the front cover, where the compilations is described as: ‘topical disco + new age boogie’. Luckily enough, once my disappointed subsided, I realised that the album was pretty good in its own right. All the tracks were made post 2000 and most are either English or Scandinavian. The high point for me is Al Usher’s ‘Lullaby for Robert’ .
Records I Love: Part 1

I was record shopping in Honest Jons with a friend of mine the other day when he spotted this record behind the counter. Instantly it was played on the shop stereo and, even though i’m a complete jazz novice, I was already blown away 30 seconds in.

The album is called ‘Swiss Movement’ and was recorded live at The Montreux Jazz Festival in 1969. It’s a live recording of a show featuring the legendary saxophonist Eddie Harris and singer/piano player Les McCann . Ben Bailey appears on Trumpet and its always good to see a proper Turkish A+R on production.

The clips below show the album’s opening track, ‘Compared to What’ being performed live with the same line up as at The Monreux Jaxx Festival (it might be the actual show but I doubt it.) Although you can’t shy away from the incredible performances of Les McCann and Eddie Harris, its Ben Bailey on Trumpet (check 4.20 into the first part of the youtube) who really steals the show for me. Enjoy:

‘Compared to What’ Part 1:

‘Compared to What’ Part 2: