and bonus: my fav phrase of [non-2020] alveolar agility from mero: https://song.link/us/i/1442086795

Thanks to the Vibrarian for recommending Les chansons des autres by MOTO & Bandit Voyage. Catchy, sweet, fun bites of musique délicieuse. Just what the doctor ordered. Stream it or buy the digital album for whatever price you name here: https://souterraine.biz/album/les-chansons-des-autres

an illustrated introduction to your next hip hop listening session/party...neglect your ears no further

sometimes we must fully acknowledge, and then contemplate, the darkness of our time...to process the phenomena occuring in our exterior and interior landscapes...if only briefly, to inhabit the darkness...to scream without screaming...here is a catharsis aid for 10 minutes of mindfulness...closing your eyes is recommended

blending dreamy post-metal/-rock, [grindcore] screamo, and of course black metal...from krasnoyarsk, russia with love, ultar paint a passionate, hauntingly beautiful aural environment from which to embrace the darkness...pairs well with a cbd cigarette and low lighting outdoors

HAPPY HALLOWEEN Y'ALL!

for a deeper experience, listen to the full album: https://album.link/i/1453396347

the atmospheric shoegaze français you didn't know you needed

down-tempo and calming, but still a touch heavy...keeps the break/build/drop/breakdown/repeat form...but feels very organic: skips down beats, shifts others; flourishes (ac|de)celerating percussive tuplets; layers acoustic kit/hand drums over/under trap synth; samples phonemic vocals to create oddly spatial vocal phrases/collages; the 808 hi-hat slowly loses its mind over the course of the song (listen for it)...yet somehow stays in 8 thru out and remains thoroughly danceable...truly a composition, not a beat, not a loop...take the necessary precautions to maximize your benefit and feel the bass

Need us some more of loooong tracks - this one is 24+ minutes and it's a good one.

Thanks again to the Vibrarian for recommending this excellent album. Just what the nervous system needs after a long day of pandemic.

Our Friday question this week was: what is an album you've listened to ~50+ times that not many people may know about or is under-appreciated? Based on the arbitrarily reliable practice of 'first thought, best thought', here's our list:

• Undun - The Roots
• Nhanderuvuçu - Arthur Melo
• Exploration 84 - Waveshaper
• The Best of Rent - Rent
• The Loon - Tapes n'Tapes
• The Wilderness Road and Jimmy Driftwood - Jimmy Driftwood
• Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (The 1955 & 1981 Recordings) - Glenn Gould
• Anodyne - Uncle Tupelo
• Annie (Original Broadway Cast Recording) - Original Broadway Cast of Annie
• What Does It All Mean? - 1983-2006 Retrospective - Steinski
• Nashville - Bill Frisell
• Tres Cosas - Juana Molina
• Bismillah - Peter Cat Recording Co.
• This Is How You Smile - Helado Negro
• Jock Jams Vol. 1 - Various Artists

I've been chatting with my cousin Vic, who lives in Philly, which has been hit hard by COVID-19, and he sent me a track his friend and neighbor made. Guessing many will identify with it ;-/

Ukraine ethno chaos group Dakhabrakha are IMNSHO one of the best bands going these days. Fully in sync and endlessly creative, they are as melodic, harmonious (polyphonic, even), playful and tight.

Oregon's Pickathon is airing a concert a day from their archives, and Dakhabrakha's set ran yesterday. It was one solid hour of escapism. No raging plague, no crashing economy, no isolation - just a deeply talented band reaching across language and other borders to connect with their audience.

Notice how, at first, the crowd reaction is kinda "WTF IS this?" but by the end they're totally under Dakhabrakha's spell, all one, sharing the same remarkable moment. Reminds me of how much I miss live music.

This set was originally created as part of an Afternoon Sound Alternative I did back in February on KGNU. It's barely pre-corona; the wave hadn't hit yet but it was in the air. Feels like the right mood in this time of virus: overall optimism in the face of a medical/political slowpocalypse.

Featuring music by: Hector Plimmer, Dizzyride, Yppah, The Heliocentrics, Solo Moderna, Childish Gambino (remixed by Funk Sinatra), Phil Cook, Jimi Hendrix (via Michmach vs Dj Tomahawk), The Lewis Express

Enjoy and thanks for listening.

I bought this album on Bandcamp a couple of weeks ago (Ok, I've bought a lot of music on BC during this lockdown) and can't stop listening to it (nor do I want to). A breadth of textures here; each song has its own feel, but they fit together like a nitrile glove. Numa Gama is a dynamite new discovery (for me, anyway). They split their time between Berlin and SE Brasil. Downtempo hypnotic electroacoustic trance from Numa Gama, Perfect for evening chilling, late night staring at the moon and defusing peak freakout moments.

This mixtape was Selected, Sequenced, Mixed and Photochopped by dojo4 Resident DJ Joel Davis aka The Vibrarian

I mean, seriously...what is there to freak out about? Right?

Featuring music from: The Black Wizards, Memes, X, Aksak Maboul, Aphex Twin, Juana Molina, ELWD, Kaytranada, Talking Heads, Leifur James, Kamasi Washington, Skinshape, Lee Perry & The Upsetters, Emanative (feat. Tamar Collocutor), SOOHAN, The Space Lady, Mary Lattimore

Enjoy, and thanks for listening -- and wash your hands, y'all.

The Isolation Check-In: New Music, Livestreams, Playlists, and More Amid Coronavirus

I came across beautifulsongoftheweek.com a few months ago and would occasionally check in to hear the latest. Now, this Spotify playist (471 songs and 32 hrs long as of this post) has become an essential, regular part of our regular lockdown listening queue.

There are way (way) more hits than misses here. Put it on shuffle, let it ride and bring a comforting sense of calm to your environment.