So my beloved Muxtape is off line, whether by RIAA fiat or money troubles or both or whatever, I know not. That news kinda sucked although it was not unexpected, being and how the illegality of it was more or less blindingly obvious.

But a great idea and great for the music industry whether it knows it or not. But hark! In the dust of Muxtape, a new service launched called 8tracks which claims to do the same thing but -- gasp! -- legally. I've seen it called "Stracks" too, but I think the squiggly thing is offically an 8. I've signed up but haven't made a mux-er, a ... mix yet. There seem to be more restrictions that with muxtape -- you can't see the whole list before listening for instance -- which are presumably to keep it within the legal requirements. It does look like you can officially create multiple mixes and have them all up at the same time. Which is good, although I was kinda digging the zen-like process of destroying your mux before you could create a new one.

I'm encouraged that it looks uncluttered and simple, but also adds some functions muxtapes lacked -- I like the simplicity of "following" a user and also the ability to add comments to mixes. Will try and maybe get one up tonight.

Update: Did my first 8tracks mix. Painless process and one improvement on Muxtape is you can queue up all your songs to upload rather than have to do them one by one.

A new muxtape of female artists.

Under the Rug -- Nani Bregvadze Georgian singer big from 60s onwards in Soviet type places, lovely crisp but dramatic voice perfect for soppy Russian "romances." Here is my favourite song of hers, perhaps he most beloved but I don't have it on MP3: "Snegopad" ("Snowfall"). Fur coats and Aeroflot - so evocative!

Enta Omri -- Mahmoud Fadl with Salwa Abou Greisha Sudanese interpretations/hommages to the great Umm Kalthum. Enta Omri is "You Are My Life" in Arabic.

Stretch Out -- Sister Rosetta Tharpe with Marie Knight About 20 years earlier than the YouTube I posted earlier today but just as powerful.

Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out -- Carrie Smith Carrie is a bit of a more obscure blues shouter but does not at all deserve to be. This is from 1977.

A Grand Night for Swinging -- Mary Lou Williams Great jazz composer/arranger/pianist.

Pace, Pace mio Dio - La forza del destino -- Maria Callas I only got this the other day. It makes me want to have a bath in the dark and have this drift in from the other room. Just me? OK.

High on a Mountain -- Ola Belle Reed Classic mountain music, she was part of the folk revival phase in the 60s.

Osain -- Merceditas Valdes A great name in Afro-Cuban music. I was a bit suss about the flute or whatever at the beginning but once she started singing I was hooked. On YouTube.

Nibari (My Grandchild) -- Umalali, The Garifuna Women's Project The Garifuna are a community of descendants of African slaves shipwrecked in Belize. The sadly late Andy Palacio brought the music to the world with Watina and this is the follow up.

Working on Beale Street and Crying -- Denise LaSalle Her speciality is NSFW blues which go from the risque to the downright obscene. Sadly, "Lick It Before You Stick It" is not on YouTube. This one is pretty safe except for some straight talk at the end.

I'm Through Trying to Prove My Love To You -- Millie Jackson She is new to me, this is from her best known album of cheating songs (side A from the POV of the wive, side B is the other woman). She can also cuss like a cussing thing and makes a lot of those worst album covers ever lists.

Cansada De Esperar - Angelica Maria Dunno anything about her but this is a cover of The Kinks' "Tired of Waiting."

Time for a new muxtape, and time for another straight out country one.

Also good listening at Iowafan's muxtape.

I finally got myself organised with a only slightly illegal US iTunes account (in your face, Neil Young) and it is so.much.better than the denuded Aussie version. Got some free TV shows, pre-ordered the new Randy Newman CD, downloaded Keith Olbermann's Countdown vodcast -- life is good.

Browsing the country section I was struck by an ad for a Kurt Nilsen duet with Willie Nelson. Kurt Nilsen ... that face ... that face .... yes! That hobbity Norwegian bloke who boggled the globe when he won the first (and only?) "World Idol" telecast? And, erm, Willie Nelson. Singing, erm, "Lost Highway." So I clicked the preview and ... it was pretty adequate! So I paid a buck for it.

You can see/hear it on YouTube.

Willie is Willie, dude can sing "Lost Highway" in his sleep and probably did. I like it OK, but think it'll go better after a few RTDs. Could really stand to lose some of the strings though.

Gurrumul from Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu has been getting quite the buzz in the last few months and I finally got the CD from the label, Skinnyfish and it is indeed as beautifully astonihsing as they say. He sings in various languages of the Yolŋu Matha accompanied and produced by Michael Hohner (who also owns the label) who gives just the right amount of musical support, but of course it is the soul deep voice that gets everyone excited. The harmonies throughout are also something special.

Apart from the music itself, I'm very impressed with what Skinnyfish has done to promote it and make getting it simple. Easy to use multimedia links at the label page, easy online payment options, his own YouTube channel and the traditional mark of care, a very beautifully put together CD digipak with booklet (including the lyrics and English translations.) Lotsa much bigger labels could learn from it.

Flop Eared Mule give Gurrumul a "strong buy" rating.

Combined June/July eMusic downloads list, over the fold.

In absence of a home computer, I can't mux. ;-( But here are some good ones:

Shaun and and Phineas and Phineas' mixtape collective all have Jesus-themed comps.

I quite like this one from We Are Color.

Radio Milwaukee has a Mixwit of "black rock" for Black Music Month.

Randomly I found this from a French blog: "psychpopyéyésoul'njazz." "Better Change Your Mind" by William Onyeabor is on a Luaka Bop compilation of 70s African psychadelia/funk but only got to listen to once before computer death. Noice.

"Some Jazz #3: 1954-1964" with notes here.

The muxtape of Congo music I posted about before (from Extra Extra) is still there and still awesome

Check out the Bo Diddley themed muxtape that Shaun did.

All the records on this late, lamented muxtape, except for the John Hiatt and Hayes Carll (will post about those this weekend at the latest). Listed here for completeness but notes o'er there. I put up a new muxtape of highlights from these acquisitions.

Country and Folk and Blues etc
Recapturing the Banjo-Otis Taylor
Creedence Country-CCR
Reunion Hill-Richard Shindell
Somewhere Near Patterson - Richard Shindell
From the Reach-Sonny Landreth The star studded (Eric Clapton, Dr John, Jimmy Buffet, Vince Gill, Robben Ford) new album from guitar hero sideman extraordinaire Landreth. I find it a bit generic. I mean, awesome guitar chops and all but it's just in that rock-blues groove that all sounds the same to me. You would think the track which features Dr John AND Jimmy Buffet (together at last!) would at least stand out with a distinctive style but it really doesn't. They're quite anonymous on it. It's perfectly pleasant background music and guitar nerds might get more out of it than me.
You Can Name It Yo Mamma If You Wanna-South Filthy
Hacienda Brothers-Hacienda Brothers RIP Chris Gaffney.
The Complete Sun Recordings-Little Junior Parker's Blue Flames I would say this is a must-have, so I don't know why it took me so long to get it. Historically important -- "Mystery Train" -- but also musically seven great cuts of rhythm and blues.
The Little Darlin' Sound of Jeannie C.Riley-Jeannie C.Riley Pre-"Harper Valley PTA" tracks finds Jeannie mining the sub-Loretta vein of country girl power. Nothing here matches Loretta output (goes without saying) but it's a very listenable collection of classic country. It's 60s but fewer strings and a little rawer than a lot of the Nashville sound. At least half the songs have Jeannie as the other woman, in the other half she's being dumped. Just how I like it! The album was originally released in 1968 as Sock Soul. "Sock Soul"? No, I can't imagine why either.
Now and Again-Daryle Singletary This is the third and last Singletary album there, a compilation of his mainstream hits or attempted hits (couple peaked at #2, another one in the top ten, the rest a fair way further back) back in the '90s. I really love the two later albums which are tradition hard core honky tonk, while still neo-traditional, this one doesn't quite have that edge. Still better than most anything I see when I turn on CMT though -- EXCEPT for the cover of that Bryan Adams Robin Hood song. Ufg. FAIL, Daryle.
Back to the Front-Bob Neuwirth I need to listen to this one more, he can be quite the intricate songwriter. Very good folk-country singer songwriter with a wry eye.
Afrissippi-Fulani Journey Guelel Kumba from Senegal (Fulani is the local lingo) hits the Delta with very fine results. Website. I'm gonna buy a t-shirt.

Rock and Indie etc
The Golden Hour-Firewater
The Monks-The Monks

Jazz etc
A Grand Night for Swinging-Mary Lou Williams
Roots and Grooves-Maceo Parker
Brilliant Corners-Thelonious Monk
Steamin' With the Miles Davis Quartet-Miles Davis
All Members-Don Sleet
The Sequel-Mulgrew Miller and Wingspan

African and Soul and Funk etc
Children-Famous L.Renfroe
Si, Para Usted - The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba Vol. 1-Various I've been listening a bit to the podcast of the radio show Waxing Deep (click on "Radio"), whose presenter Dan Zacks produced this set. I tried sampling a lot of the jazz/soul/funk/afrobeat podcasts and found a lot of cool stuff but I think this is my favourite. Again, the downside of downloading is the lack of liner notes which for a lovingly assembled and niche topic like this are pretty essential. I'd pay extra for them in cases like this. In the end Ithink I'll end up buying the hard copy of the CD from their website. Very reasonably priced (including intl. shipping) and it's nice to support folks like this. The Jan 26 2007 show has some tracks from it.
Nigeria 70, Lagos Stomp-Various
Texas Thunder Soul 1968-1974-Kashmere Stage Band Not your mother's high school combo.
If Loving You is Wrong (I Don't Want to be Right)-Luther Ingram
African Rhymth and Blues-The Remixes-Mombassa I like these a lot, the "remixing" is done very sensitively.
Booiay!! A Compilation of West African Funk-Various Companian to The Danque!!! which I got last month. When I listened to the previews I liked that one more for some reason so I got it first but after listening to all of Booniay! it might be my favourite. You guys, I am so into African funk right now.

Classical and Shatner
Brahms: Sonate Für Klarinette Und Klavier Es-Dur, Op. 120 Nr. 2: II. - Peter Daum, Dieter Klöcker, Josef Suk & Werner Genuit
Exodus: An Oratorio in Three Parts- William Shatner Dude, it's the Shat reading from the Bible. As if I wasn't gonna get it.
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra & Tod Und Verklarung-Andre Previn and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra I had two credits left and this was two credits (for 60 minutes of music.) I don' think I can take Also Sprach Zarathustra seriously really, or at least the famous 2001 refrain but Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration) sounds promisingly moody.

Blogspot's finest, Boney Earnest has done a superlative muxtape of rarities, love tracks and cover by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

Subject line stolen from Phineas. It is too good not to be mine. Mux had a meltdown and my most recent one was lost. But it only nuked the last three weeks of stuff which means my last second account mux is still there. Second accounts breach the TOS, so hush. IMHO, it's rather a tasty collection of country, soul, funk -- old skool, yo.

Hey so this is how people make money from those Amazon affiliate things, huh? Too late, as usual! I'm pleased to say first Shaun and now FXH succumbed to my amateur mesmerism attempts and bought and read/are reading Celine Dion: Let's Talk about Love by Carl Wilson.

I did have a whole muxtape playlist lined up to go with the State of Origin ("You Don't Know How Much I Hate You" by Rodney Crowell etc etc) but then I accidentally deleted it so ... bad luck. The replacement is just one song from the last 12 albums I listened to:

"Live Your Life" - Recapturing the Banjo. Everything Otis Taylor does is interesting. Here is with a bunch of bluesy guys reclaiming the banjo.

"African Dialects" - Peter King Nigeria 70, Lagos Jump I got this digitally but I really want the liner notes.

"A Grand Night for Swinging" - Mary Lou Williams A Grand Night for Swinging "probably the most influential woman in the history of jazz"

"Busted" - Maceo Parker Roots and Grooves Only the first disc thus far, which is Maceo doing Ray Charles. The second is his own stuff, which I look forward to.

"Some Kind of Kindness" - Firewater The Golden Hour Phineas has a real thing for them so I thought I'd humour him. Do not know what I think yet. PS, buy his new print. Then you can be as cool as me.

"Reaching" - Famous L. Renfroe Children Long lost and strange gospel soul that showed up on eMusic.

"Our Time" - John Hiatt Same Old Man Well you know I've been waiting for this one. I won't say much because I'd like to write something longer. But this song grabbed me first up.

"Bad Liver and a Broken Heart" - Hayes Carll Trouble in Mind Ditto, won't say much now but it's great.

"Oh How to Do Now" - The Monks The Monks The Monks are one of those cult 60s bands. Formed from GIs in Germany. Nice fun fuzzy gonzo rock and roll.

"Need Someone to Hold" - Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Country

Brahms: Sonate Für Klarinette Und Klavier Es-Dur, Op. 120 Nr. 2: II. - Peter Daum, Dieter Klöcker, Josef Suk & Werner Genuit I read somewhere online that the second movement of Opus 40 here was some of the "saddest music ever." I like sad music. it's pretty sad but it's also over 10MB so this is another thingo from the same record.

"I Saw My Youth Today" - Richard Shindell Reunion Hill

Somewhat busy, but today is traditonally* the day for a new Muxtape. Have no great plans as yet, but if you have a request for a genre or theme or something you'd like to hear my take on leave a comment with your suggestion!

* it must be a month by now.

In addition to Richard Shindell, another muso with his thinking cap on is David Byrne. It has pie charts!

I've made money, and I've been ripped off. I've had creative freedom, and I've been pressured to make hits. I have dealt with diva behavior from crazy musicians, and I have seen genius records by wonderful artists get completely ignored. I love music. I always will. It saved my life, and I bet I'm not the only one who can say that.

What is called the music business today, however, is not the business of producing music. At some point it became the business of selling CDs in plastic cases, and that business will soon be over. But that's not bad news for music, and it's certainly not bad news for musicians. Indeed, with all the ways to reach an audience, there have never been more opportunities for artists.

Time to get back to core business. This week's muxtape is 12 of my very favourite country songs. I kept it classic, none of the dreaded alt.

I have this poster-sized Time cover. I don't mind confessing I brazenly stole it from out the front of a newagent's in Strathfield.

Update: I replaced the second Jones song with a Kris. I wanted that one originally anyway, but only just now found the disc.

I don't require musicians I like to be rational, sane, compassionate, intelligent, thought provoking and in general good people. But it's awfully nice when one of them turns out to be so. The superb singer/songwriter Richard Shindell has some thoughts here and more here on being an artist in the age of illegal downloading. He speaks sense.

While I think a lot of anti-piracy measures and attitudes have been hamfisted, insulting and obnoxious (and I don't use P2P myself), I don't make my living from music so I can't begrudge those who do their strong feelings on the matter. Still, when he talks about the "better angels" attitude, and respect between consumer and artist, that makes sense to me. I think there are lots of things that can be done to turn pirates into people who support artists -- not least of which is "the passage of time" and "embiggening of musical tastes" since (IIRC) it's teens/uni-aged kids who do it on the grandest and most unthinking scale, and it's mostly directed towards the more top 100 end of things. eMusic's corporate line has long been that it pitches the long tail and independent acts to "mature" music fans who are vastly less likely to fileshare. This was actually borne out when Random House tracked piracy of it's eMusic DRM-free audiobook files and found ... none. (can't dig up the thing I read about this, will add link later.)

Richard still thinks it's important the artist gets paid (in this case, him) but he's actually doing some constructive, realistic things about it. Go, Richard!

Time for a new muxtape. Since Laura alerted me to this particularly witless example of crushingly unfunny and pointless op-ed busy work and since I got a few Google hits in the last week looking for a "jazz muxtape", I thought I'd do a jazz muxtape. And they say bloggers are undisciplined, narcasscistic jerks -- Schembri (practically everytime I read him) more than proves you don't need to be 13 and writing in your PJs in your mother's basement to write like you're 13 and writing in your PJs in your mother's basement.

Hear my muxtape here.

Anyhow. I'm very much a "don't know much about jazz, but I know what I like" and this is pretty much the first 12 things I came to, with some exceptions because a lot of tracks (ie. everything I have by Charles Mingus) is over the Muxtape limit of 10MB in size. Also kept it to instrumentals. Jazz vocals is a mux for another week.

These are the albums the tracks are from:
Robert Mazurek- Playground. This was recommended on a message board thread about "heroiny jazz."
Sonny Rollins-Way Out West "I'm an Old Cowhand" is my fave but I put that on a mux before.
Art Pepper-Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
Irving Fields Trio-Bagels and Bongos
Getatchew Mekurya-Negus of Ethiopian Sax. African jazz is a whole topic by itself.
John Coltrane-Plays for Lovers
Dizzy Gillespie and Machito-Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods
Andre Previn- West Side Story
Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins
Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk
Buddy Rich with Dizzy Gillespie-Monterey Jazz Festival 1958-1980
Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans-Know What I Mean?

Taking my cue from Phineas and feeling like I need to impose some order on my acquisitions, here is about everything I downloaded from eMusic this month. It looks like a lot all listed out like that, and it is a lot but I found myself with 125 extra credits this month so it's rather more bloated than usual. I actually don't have much trouble giving everything a good listen. The jazz, say, I don't need to sit and intently listen to every track -- I just don't have the technical knowledge to make that worthwhile. But I know what I like, and I often have my jazz playlist on in the background at home, and if something stands out I can explore it further. Actually if I'm doing something that requires special attention I prefer instrumental sounds because lyrics totally distract me. And I've started making my iTunes playlists work for me, keeping them neat and updated so everything is close at hand and I can efficiently and enjoyably cycle through my new and old stuff. Basically all this cost me the price of a couple of new CDs.

Country/Blues/Rock
Straight from the Heart -- Daryle Singletary This month I did some exploration of the contemporary, mainstreamy country catalogue. Since eMusic doesn't have the major labels represented, these are the guys who've found themselves punted from the big boys and end up on small labels. I mentioned Daryle before, a very Merle Haggard voice.
That's Why I Sing This Way -- Daryle Singletary Mostly classic country covers with some cool harmony/duets including Dwight Yoakam and Rhonda Vincent. There's one more album of his there which I will definately be getting.
Different Things: The Acoustic Mixes -- Tracy Byrd On the slick side but the acoustic thing keeps it lean. "Cheapest Motel" is my fave, for all your stern sermonising needs.
Rollin' With the Flow -- Mark Chestnut The only thing here I wouldn't recommend. I love the song but Chesnut just recreates the Charlie Rich version without an ounce of the Silver Fox's swing or swagger. Only a single though, not an album, so only cost me one download to find out.
Coal -- Kathy Mattea Enjoyable new collection of coal mining songs in a roosty folk-country style.
Testifying -- Country Soul Revue I don't know about the "revue" part, just seems like a various compilation rather than a single project but can hardly go wrong with Tony Joe White, Dan Penn, Bonnie Bramlett, Donnie Fritts ...
Blues with a Message -- Various Phineas recommended this and it's a great collection, as you'd expect from the too-good-too-be-true annals of Arhoolie.
The Good Life -- Justin Townes Earle Still going strong, one of the most satisfactory albums of this year no doubt.
Blues de Musicien -- Pine Leaf Boys Energetic new Cajun.
On Your Sleeve -- Jesse Malin Covers of classic rock/pop songs. Nice enough.
Boris Grebenshikov: Russian Songwriter Grebenshikov was the lead singer/writer for Akuarium, one of the biggest underground rock bands in the Soviet Union. After the Fall, was a bit fashionable in the West for a brief moment (recorded an album with Dave Stewart or somesuch). Saw him and the band a few times in Moscow. BG has a very seductive voice and this is a very intersting and varied collection, but makes me sad my Russian is so hopeless.
"I'm A Lonesome Fugitive" from Bird Doggin': The Complete Challenge Sessions -- Gene Vincent Only this one track for now but may revisit for more (its a double album.)
Blues & Boogie Explosion -- Bob Hall, George Green and Ian Stewart Hot jams, lots of fun. Apparently a bit obscure which is strange, but Prof. Google gives up little info. I think I read somewhere Ginger Baker is also playing on it. Or was it Jack Bruce?

Jazz etc
West Side Story -- Andre Previn Where's my martini?
Charles Mingus Presents -- Charles Mingus No idea really, but it's a fun trip.
Fine and Mellow: Ella Fitzgerald Jams. I have quite a bit of swoonful Ella but what I'm really digging about this one is the real solid bluesy vibe at times. The whole thing is perfect.
The Song is You -- Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Jack DeJohnette
Gimcracks and Gewgaws -- Mose Allison Mose is a strange trip and I need to be in the right mood.
Live at the Village Vanguard -- Mary Stallings I've had "You're Sensational" from this for a while but went back for the rest. Jazz after midnight type stuff, which is according to the review " by far her best recording because she is at the height of her musical powers, four-octave range, and is singing songs that are intimate to her but speak to the soul in everyone."

African Most of these come from the songs on the African muxtapes I linked to earlier, plus browsing from those starting points. One of the interesting threads is how American musical forms with their roots in African music, are fed back into contemporary African music and reinterpreted. Wheels within wheels!
Succes Des Annees 50/60, Vol. 1 -- Grand Kalle & l'African Jazz
20eme Anniversaire - 6 juin 1956 - 6 juin 1976 vol.1 -- Franco Sounds like a Spanish name and indeed there are a lot of Latin flavours here.
"Osain" from Cafe Cantane -- 10pm
Congo Life -- Kékélé Where's my mojito?
Bookor Beats -- Bookor Band The muxtape I discovered these guys on mentioned their unusual use of harmonica as a lead instrument and it certainly lends the whole sound a wonderful and distinctive driving qualilty.
African Troubadour: Best of African Singer-Songwriters. This is quite an amazing collection, and a number of the artists are earmarked for full album downlaods.
The Danque!!! -- Various Heavy African funk sourced from obscure vinyl.
Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-76 -- Various
10 ans de succès - Bembeya Jazz National

Soul/Funk etc
Melting Pot -- Booker T and the MG's Pretty damn perfect. If you only get one Booker T and the MG's disk, this should probably be it.
With A Little Help From My Friends -- Steve Cropper The man who can make me disappointed I missed the last Guy Sebastian tour.
Soul Masters: My Aborable One -- Percy Sledge This is labeled "re-recordings". Maybe they are but they are phenomenal nonetheless. I just love his version of "I Still Miss Someone" which is on my current muxtape.
Searching For Soul: Rare And Classic Soul, Funk And Jazz From Michigan, 1968-1980 -- Various Still need to listen closely to this compilation and the New Orleans one below to draw out the individual songs but on cursory listening there's a lot to love. Funk has taken longer to grow on me but I think I'm getting it. I like the kind of funk that has screaming horns rather than the types that's just the wah wah bass thing.
An Introduction To New Orleans R and B -- Various Old skool. Haven't worked oout if and how New Orleans soul is different from Chicago or wherever soul. The piano?
Live at the Olympia -- Ray Charles
Protest Anthology -- Nina Simone Didn't get the whole album because a lot of it is interview tracks but it's NINA so I'll probably go back for those. I will tell you this though : the versions of "Nobody", "I Wish I Knew How It Felt to Be Free" and "Strange Fruit" are mind-blowing.

A new muxtape, the theme is soul/jazz covers of country songs. I have a casual hobby of collecting them. I'd especially like to find some more jazz ones, especially instrumental ones with a improv sort of vibe. Perhaps I want too much. Please let me know any covers which fit into the soul/jazz type area or any other less likely genre (salsa? hip hop?) I exclude rock and blues covers from this project just because they're pretty common, although exceptional examples welcome to apply.
Photo.
I have fudged it a bit in that the Tina Turner is really a country version; a soul singer but a country version, pedal steel and all. The Aretha is a bit the same, with Duane Allman on guitar. And Keely Smith is probably covering Ray Charles' version which straddled the genres to begin with.

Picture from here.

New Elvish photos found. I like the cape one.

My assessment of the 70s output remains: fracking grouse to the power of infinity. I think that sums it up. That iTunes deal is still available BTW and there are some tasty tracks from it on my muxtape, left.