First off, although I hinted about it in a recent post, I wanted to make sure you all know about my buddy Rom and his "co-conspirator" Josh's new release as Phoenecia. It's called Echelon Mall and it's a collection of recordings based on soundtrack work the duo has done over the last few years. If that sounds a little confusing, let me elaborate: While the music on Echelon Mall is based on Phoenecia's soundtrack work, all the tracks contained therein have been reworked with an emphasis on ambient sound. The album is filled with stark, disturbing atmospheres that will send chills down your spine, although the sounds can also be relaxing and soothing. Overall, I think it's a beautiful album and it's well worth your time to check it out. The album is available on iTunes but you can also get it via BandCamp where it is available in a multitude of formats including my preference, the lossless FLAC format. On top of that, if I remember correctly, BandCamp had the album for a few dollars less than iTunes, and that includes lossless formats, so I'd suggest you grab it there. Last but certainly not least, you can visit Phoenecia's page for the album where you can listen to samples and watch all of the films the music was composed for. Check their site here and you can visit BandCamp here.
Next up, back in September of 09 I did a post about Carl Craig's work as 69 (pronounced Six-Nine). There was some controversy about that post because it almost got me an interview with Carl Craig but because I'd posted most of the then-out-of-print 69 releases I was told that it most likely wouldn't happen. The interview didn't happen but Carl's PR people were very nice about everything and I happily removed the download links from the post. As I've said many times before, I'm always happy to remove music from the site if I'm requested to as, for the most part, I haven't asked permission to share these recordings and I don't hold any rights to them. All this said, I've kept my eye on Mr. Craig and am glad to note that his label, Planet E, has re-launched their website and now have digital downloads for purchase there, including the amazing 69 compilation, The Legendary Adventures Of A Filter King, which was previously available only as a very limited edition vinyl release of 500 copies and contains nearly everything released under the 69 moniker. Unfortunately, the download appears to be pretty expensive ($2.99 for single, uncompressed wave files and $1.49 for mp3s), but at this point it's the only other place you can purchase these excellent recordings legally and in their wonderfully remastered states. Here is a direct link to that 69 compilation so you can check it out for yourself.
Finally, if you're unfamiliar with Janelle Monáe, be prepared to get familiarized! I don't generally listen to whatever would normally be considered modern pop music but Janelle is pure entertainment, plain and simple. She has a new album out, The ArchAndroid, which can be purchased digitally or in your favorite record store, and has support from an unexpected source, Sean "Puffy" Combs and his Bad Boy label. Puffy and Janelle are an unexpected combo as Janelle is clearly not trying to fit into any of Puffy's stereotypes, but she also has a lot of support from Big Boi of OutKast who makes a cameo on the album. None of this really tells you about what she sounds like though, and rather than try and convince you to check her out with piles of purple prose, you're better off hearing her soulful sounds at her website and checking out this awesome video of Janelle and her band live on Letterman recently. The video is below and you can check Janelle's website here.
I might not be around much for the next few days as I'm going to be at a wedding this weekend, but I'm always checking my e-mail and I'll be posting something new on Monday if not earlier. Everyone take care!
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