Listening

The Fall - Totally Wired:The Rough Trade Anthology i am sure i have all these tracks scattered throughout my record collection on singles and albums and eps, but i found this 2-disc collection used and couldn't pass it up. you forget how craptacular the sound is on these old tracks, and how beautiful that crappy sound is! this comp has one of the most powerful Fall tracks -- "Leave the Capital" from the Slates 10", what a great song. i never think of GBV as being Fall-influenced but there are some total GBV-sounding lo-fi moves on here, it would make sense if Pollard was a fan, i don't know if i've ever asked him.

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca man this record sounds GOOD. one amazing thing about Longstreth's progression with the band to this point is that earlier records, though they had stunning moments (and Rise Above i think fantastic pretty much all the way through), were also so dense musically / conceptually to the point of alienating even the most willing listener, but from the first groove of "Cannibal Resource" this album is positively inviting and even sweet.

Allen Toussaint - The Bright Mississippi hard to believe this is his first solo album in 10 years, because Toussaint has been pretty visible over the last decade, but apparently it is. it's also a different setting for one of the great soul songwriters & producers -- a pretty straight jazz date with Toussaint on piano of course but joined by the likes of Don Byron and Marc Ribot. i need to spend more time in a quiet place with this record (not ideal Merge office listening) but from what i've gathered so far it sounds lovely. Produced by Joe Henry.