Beat Authority playlist: 3/19/10

Where's the confounded bridge?

Who says there ain't no funk in Austria?

Well, I wouldn't have. But the Beat Authority has sent intrepid beats reporter Derek Maus far afield to Graz, Austria, and he's sending back the goods. Today on the Beat Authority, we'll hear Oherngift ("Ear-poison").

Here's Derek's report:

Being a college-town, this place is absolutely chock-a-block with music and actually has something of a reputation of being a jazz town going back to the 1920s. Unlike a lot of European, and especially Eastern European jazz scenes, this one seems not to be the result of expats moving here but a sort of indigenous scene. Last night, for example, I went out to a little basement bar called Die Hopflaube ("the Hop-arbor") where a band of kids -- billing themselves as Trio Chameleon -- who couldn't have been much older than twenty or so played a great set of jazz standards as a guitar/bass/drum electric trio and then proceeded to play a second set of loud funk and even punk tunes. All three players, but especially the guitarist and drummer (brothers, apparently) were just freaking amazing.

Last Sunday, I also went out to see a local group called Oherngift ("Ear-poison") and their three backup singers Die Abrissbirnen ("the Backhoes," a name with no corresponding accidental ugh!-factor in German...), and they did some great songs, including their local hit "Ich bin arbeitslos" ("I'm unemployed"), which is a satirical anthem to the effects of the economic crisis.

There is a huge electronic music festival in Graz coming up in May called, not so originally, the Spring Festival, which is this year in its tenth incarnation. There are some pretty big names in the drum-n-bass, chill out, and dub worlds coming to this thing (e.g., Kruder and Dorfmeister, Layo and Bushwacka, Mowgli, Rainer Trüby) and apparently it turns the city into something of a zoo in mid-May.

There are a couple of phenomenal record stores (think a clean -- and I mean spotless -- version of the store in "High Fidelity") in town and I plan on supporting the local economy heavily in those places. A couple of great finds there already include an Austrian DJ/arranger who goes by Dunkelbunt and includes a lot of interesting sources incl. Balkan music and Indian sounds in a pretty high-energy dance vibe (the "Roskilde remix" of his song "Cinnamon Girl" -- not the Neil Young song, by the way -- would absolutely kill on "The Beat Authority" methinks...). I also came across an Italian group called Pastaboys that has some pretty cool stuff that blends African, bossanova, and salsa sounds into new Italian jazz grooves (think Nicola Conte meets Antibalas).

I hear a lot of neo-soul and funk on the radio and in the streets around here -- Jamiroquai and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are EVERYWHERE, for example -- as necessary antidotes to the Lady Gaga and Eurovision crap that otherwise pervades (if I hear "Bad Romance" one more time, I may go insane...) and generally the soundscape of the city is pretty hip and cosmopolitan, which has something to do, I suspect, with the proximity of the Balkans (Slovenia is twenty miles away to the south) and the sizable Turkish immigrant population.

In all, though it ain't my raison-d'etre-en-Graz, the music here is pretty freakin' awesome and I plan to swim around in it pretty deeply. If more good things come my way, I'll be sure to drop you a line. Keep that North Country movin' and groovin'.

Charlie Gillett, father of world music, dies

You may not know this name. But the only reason you do know names like Youssou N'Dour and Salif Keita and Mariza (the Portuguese fado singer) is because of him.

BBC broadcaster and forefather of global music, Charlie Gillett, died yesterday after an extended illness. Gillett is widely credited with coining the term, "world music". His show, The Sound of the World, was a joy to listen to. It had a playfulness that belied Gillett's love for the music he listened to. I discovered many bands through his show, including one of my favorites, Fat Freddys Drop.

Today, "world music" has exploded far beyond the boundaries of its name. I kind of bristle at the phrase now, when South Africans are making music that sounds like NYC indy-rock, and New Yorkers are making music that sounds like South Africans.

But Gillett laid the groundwork. He heard incredible music in far away places and decided the world needed to hear it, too. The Beat Authority and countless other music shows, bands, and entire genres would exist without him.

Free mp3: Gaudi

The last time we heard from London-based producer Gaudi was a couple years ago when he remixed tracks by legendary Qawwali vocalist, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, one of the early giants of the "world music" genre.

Gaudi's back with a new record out next week. If you like reggae, dub, and deep bass with a global twinge, this one's for you. You can download a single for free here.

And let's make today's beat of the day from Gaudi's previous album...

Beat of the Day

First off, listening to the Latin Alternative and a reggaeton edition of Afropop Worldwide Friday night on NCPR was awesome. The new Friday night lineup rocks - check it out.

Anyway, I was just listening to the Latin Alternative podcast, and this version of Manu Chao's song Politics Kills came up. A monster reggae/dub beat...

Dreaming about SxSW

It's a routine, coolish Monday in the North Country. Meanwhile, hundreds (thousands?) of bands are playing all day all night in Austin at South by Southwest.

So let's pretend. Should I go see a cool new singer-songwriter (hint-hint: download here)? Maybe hang out with Ozomatli, Bomba Estereo, and Choc Quib Town at La Condesa? Or just follow the All Songs Considered folks wherever they go?

I've never been, probably never will go, but SxSW sounds like a music lover's dream come true.

Beat Authority playlist: 3/12/10

Rise and shine.

Free mp3s: SxSW preview

Austin, Texas' monster music festival, South By Southwest (SxSW) starts on Friday. I'll be honest, a lot of it is deep indy rock that really isn't my bag. But there are always new finds in all genres and it's worth paying attention to.

NPR's All Songs Considered goes whole hog into it, sending multiple correspondents down there. They've posted a sampler of the bands on their must-see list. And you can download the music for free. Click here.

Everybody's abuzz about the Danger Mouse/Shins frontman collab, Broken Bells. Everything Danger Mouse touches turns to gold...

Beat for a Monday Morning

Jonathan Brown, host of Cutaway on NCPR, recommends Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears. Channeling The Godfather, Wilson Pickett, etc. Can't go wrong!

Check a cool video and hear a live version below...



PS - Make sure you chastise Mr. Brown for not posting a playlist since February 12th...