WRUV Reviews

Debut album from this Brooklyn based alto saxophonist. All instrumentals. Gastelum has lent a notable contribution to the Brooklyn neo soul scene—he has played with Sharon Jones, The Budos Band, and others on Daptone. That combined with some obvious Eddie Harris (electrified saxophone ) and Mulatu Astatke (+ other) influences makes for an interesting and modern cross-bred sound.

Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire- Songs Of Ill Hope And Desperation
released June 8, 2010 on Prosethetic Records

C.T.T.O.A.F.F is a band out of Denver, CO that’s been described by some as “funeral grind” (too slow for grind and too fast for doom). Since I’m new to this sub-genre of metal, my first thoughts are obviously concentrated on the speed and intensity of the instrumentation. “Teeth & Hair” is basically an all-out assault with intense drums, loud & droning guitars and vocals that are probably too fast to even pick out (at least for me). Good way to start. Some of the tracks that stand out to me are “Gold, Frankincense & Myth” (the pacing is not as fast and it’s easier to pick out some doom among the distorted instrumentation), “Bouquet Of Self-Pity” (starts off with some ominous drumbeats before taking on a sinister tone) and “Remove The Light” (starts off as the usual before it slows down about two minutes in and it works as a way to close off this album). In conclusion, I’m not quite sure if this style is something I’d spin often but otherwise, it’s an interesting album to check out. Fans of grind might enjoy C.T.T.O.A.F.F more than I did.

FCC: ALL BUT 1 and 12 (very hard to decipher, though)
Try: 1, 5, *8*, *13*

01. Teeth & Hair
02. Cloven
03. I Walk Away From The Human Race
04. Shat Out My Bones
05. Gold, Frankincense & Myth
06. Recession
07. Piss
08. Bouquet Of Self-Pity
09. Leather Hands
10. Made Of Coal
11. They Smeared Shit On Their Skin So They Could Blend In At Night
12. Empty
13. Remove The Light

2.5/5

Frenzy- In The Blood
release date: September 14, 2010 on People Like You Records

Frenzy is an UK psychobilly act formed in 1983. They are made up of Steve Whitehouse (Upright bass & lead vocals), Steve Eaton (Guitars & backing vocals) and Ad Seviour (Drums & backing vocals). This is their 13th album and this is the first time I’ve heard of them. “Time Machine” starts off this album with fast-paced instrumentation and a neo-rockabilly feel to it. Highlighted tracks on this album include “Hero” (definitely psychobilly and if you’re not familiar with such, just imagine Chris #2 of Anti-Flag on stand-up bass), “Johnny Rocket”, “In The Blood” (arguably one of the stronger tracks), “Forever Ticking Clock” (similar to the first track and has a very old-school Stray Cats feel to it), “Adrenaline” and “Dark Winter” (longest track and probably the strongest of all). In conclusion, this is another fun psychobilly release and this year has been chock full of a few. It’s a style that I feel is highly unappreciated and Frenzy is another group worth checking out if you’re a fan of the style.

FCC: Check
Try: 1, *2*, *5*, 7, 9, *10*

Glass’s four string quartets on this CD are minimalist yet include a variety of melodies as historically quartets do. Play all!

File: Classical/avant-garde composer: Glass

Pianist and composer Berkeley wrote compositions that are lyrical, bittersweet and don’t let the listener know  where they are going. Impressionistic but with some tension. Play all!

File: Classical composer: Berkeley

Contemporary works, delicate yet strong, lyrical and including a range of instruments–flute, oboe, piano, marimba, saxophone, clarinet and one work with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. Play all!

File: Classical collections: Bilotta & Gaines

Improvisations for alto saxophone and electric guitar, recorded in real time. Wild, raucous, squeaky and some potentially ear-breaking intensity and cacaphony, highly experimental, quite possibly inducing and either hate it or love it response. Try any!

File: Classical/avant-garde composers: Zorn/Frith

Avant-garde works by Israeli composer Czernowin who seeks “vegetative musical expression”. In these works, she includes saxophone, electronics, viola, electric and steel guitars, piano, harpsichord and oboes. Eerie, yet forceful, some pieces slow to start, and some with some silences. Try sampling due to length.

File: Classical/avant-garde composer: Czernowin

These quartets include elements from the Romantic  (future) and the Baroque (past) eras, and promote the quartet as a dialog between instruments. Hadyn sought to challenge himself in composing, and these are considered masterworks of the quartet form. Play all!

File: Classical composer: Hadyn

Experimental works for guitar, both solo and in combination with percussion, harp, voice, and live electronics. Some difficult guitar playing requiring re-tuning during performance. Play any!

File: Classical/avant-garde composer: Polansky