Now playing... "what are you listening to right now" thread

[mgeek]

We the People compilation.

Love these guys, it was a rare band back then who could cover the facemelting excitement and the baroque pop and do justice to both

[PorkyPrimeCut]

Ha! I was learning the chords to Half Of Wednesday yesterday.

[OffsetUsername]

Love Is the Message
Yussef Dayes & Alfa Mist feat. Mansur Brown

Love the guitar and the drums are tight.

[Dieca]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AUX9JPteQ4

Camp cope - rockin aussie punk, jazzy and mustang bass too

[countertext]

Fred McDowell - The Alan Lomax Recordings

[windmill]

Anna C alvi - self titled

[Subotnik]

I’m listening to Fela Kuti right now. He always blows my mind. Are there any Fela fans out there that can explains what is going on with those rhythms, like on “No Agreement” for example?

[countertext]

I’m listening to Fela Kuti right now. He always blows my mind. Are there any Fela fans out there that can explains what is going on with those rhythms, like on “No Agreement” for example?

The only explanation is the rhythmic genius of Tony Allen, RIP!

Fela studied jazz in London and funk in LA, and he knew Nigerian rhythms inside and out. Put Mingus, James Brown, and Olatunji in a blender and set it on fire and there you go. Or to be serious, I guess the band took Nigerian rhythms (many cultures, many styles) and combined them, with Tony Allen applying a jazz and funk sensibility to the beats on the drum kit. Lots of layered support from West African and latin percussion makes it overwhelming.

Coincidentally, No Agreement was the first Fela cut I ever heard, thirty years ago now. His worst records are great, and his best are mind-numbingly beautiful. If anyone reading this isn’t a Fela fan, listen to him asap. Outside of music, he was a righteous freedom fighter like we need right now. He was also a hateful egomaniac that no one ever needs. He was the best and the worst person. Listen to his music.

[countertext]

Fela Kuti - Coffin For Head Of State

[Subotnik]

I’m listening to Fela Kuti right now. He always blows my mind. Are there any Fela fans out there that can explains what is going on with those rhythms, like on “No Agreement” for example?

The only explanation is the rhythmic genius of Tony Allen, RIP!

Fela studied jazz in London and funk in LA, and he knew Nigerian rhythms inside and out. Put Mingus, James Brown, and Olatunji in a blender and set it on fire and there you go. Or to be serious, I guess the band took Nigerian rhythms (many cultures, many styles) and combined them, with Tony Allen applying a jazz and funk sensibility to the beats on the drum kit. Lots of layered support from West African and latin percussion makes it overwhelming.

Coincidentally, No Agreement was the first Fela cut I ever heard, thirty years ago now. His worst records are great, and his best are mind-numbingly beautiful. If anyone reading this isn’t a Fela fan, listen to him asap. Outside of music, he was a righteous freedom fighter like we need right now. He was also a hateful egomaniac that no one ever needs. He was the best and the worst person. Listen to his music.

Thanks for that background. I know a little about Fela, and even got to check out the Fela show on Broadway several years ago, which was amazing. But I didn't know about Tony Allen or his effect on the band.

I've been listening to Fela for years but never really realized all that is going on in those tracks. I just started reading "The History of Jazz" by Marshall Stearns. It was published in the 50s, but that actually makes it kind of cooler, since back then lots of people were listening to jazz. Anyway, he starts out talking about how West African polyrhythms crashed into European harmony and created jazz. This got me listening to Fela with more curiosity and listening for those polyrhythms. There is so much going on! I think I hear the polyrhythms most in the percussion. But it's like every instrument in the band is a rhythm instrument, aside from whoever is soloing at the moment. And the other thing I'm hearing is the way guys are playing in front of or behind the beat for this crazy groove. It's like the pulse of the song is driven straight into your bones.

I'm trying to improve my ability to hear what is going on in music, so I'm not even sure what I'm hearing is right. I'd welcome insights from other musicians.

It's awesome to listen to a band for 20 years and then suddenly feel like you're hearing them for the first time!

[countertext]

I’m with you. Fela’s stuff was what first made me realize that you don’t have to play on an even subdivision of the beat. Not everything hits on a sixteenth note or a triplet! Some shit is in the twilight zone between beats, right where it should be! Now I know that it’s an important thing to understand, but Fela tipped me off to it.

[countertext]

Betty Davis - Nasty Gal

[windmill]

Beach Fossils - self titled

[OmarAfzaal]

[windmill]

Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen