Fresh tracks! Thematic Deep Dives! Musical exploration and oddities! Brought to you weekly by the Mainely Hooligan.
Monday, August 24, 2020
The Ocean - "Oligocene"
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
The Jazz Project - Album 91: The Music Improvisation Company - "The Music Improvisation Company"
To further my understanding of Jazz, I'm listening through Jazzwise Magazine's "The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World". Each album is presented with my stream-of-consciousness thoughts for each track, my general thoughts of the album as a whole, and any relevant information I can capture about the album. Also included is my drink of choice while taking the album in. Thank you for joining me on my journey to [partial] Jazz enlightenment.
Album 91
The Music Improvisation Company - The Music Improvisation Company
Drinking: Yorkshire Gold Tea

Photo credit: https://img.discogs.com/e0ss0opdQbwdABApb9MuxIGde_I=/fit-in/600x607/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-560235-1404564281-5614.jpeg.jpg
- "Third Stream Boogaloo": I immediately realize I might be in some trouble as this whole track sounds like a group warming up though a volume pedal. It's atmospheric while also very weird, but it's cool to hear a guitar utilized in a new way. The track comes crashing into a cacophonous ending, like a group of animals escaping a forest fire.
- "Dragon Path": Coming in just shy of ten and a half minutes, this track was a slog. I have a hard time with free jazz as it doesn't really speak to me beyond using it as background noise to an art-house film. It does give me time to see what it says to my brain, and I get the feeling of an engineer's work desk while he's building a new effects pedal or an amp. Or perhaps it's the brain of a computer finally reaching self-awareness. I'm enjoying the use of feedback on this track. Surprisingly, ten minutes flew right by once I got in the zone of it.
- "Packaged Eel": I got the distinct feeling that this group is attempting to rebuild found sounds from places like a subway station, or the sounds of kiosks setting up in the morning at a shopping mall. Perhaps a circus setting up as well? I almost would have preferred if this album was presented as one long track instead of broken up into small chunks.
- "Untitled No. 1": I'm having a hard time digesting this music. I'm spending the time reading about the free jazz movement. I enjoy the idea of exploring what sound is and what it means to be on both a cosmic level (Coltrane) and a microscopic level (TMIC). Perhaps someday this style will speak to me more. I'm now wondering what kind of prep goes into this kind of music.
- "Untitled No. 2": Like my thoughts on the album, I wonder why these two tracks were separated instead of being one long track. Perhaps it's the lack of narrative that makes it so attractive, like an inside joke. For a brief moment, there was something similar to a standard jazz sound before it was blasted away. I do enjoy how this track is a bit more dynamic in volume than the previous tracks. I'm hearing what might be as described as mechanical birds in an electronic ice storm. As said storm rages the track peaks in a screaming outcry before quietly dissipating.
- "Tuck": This is the shortest track on the album. Like some previous tracks, it sounds like the room is warming up and not a composition. But! Perhaps that is the experiment.
- "Wolfgang Van Gangbang": An immaturely funny title. Each voice is more prominent than the previous tracks. One reviewer from ECM Reviews really nailed the sound of this track and the album as a whole, "A radio being tortured to give up its innermost secrets."
Monday, August 17, 2020
Spirit Adrift - "Harmony Of The Spheres"
Photo credit: https://www.20buckspin.com/collections/spirit-adrift
Phoenix, AZ. based Heavy Metal band Spirit Adrift dropped a new track on Friday, August 14th, 2020, and what a banger it is! It's titled "Harmony Of The Spheres" and it sounds like what I wished Ghost could sound like. With the new track comes the news of a new album dropping via 20 Buck Spin label on October 16th, 2020 titled Enlightened In Eternity. Spirit Adrift isn't new to Mainly Tuning out, we featured them in June when they dropped their EP Angel And Abyss Redux.
"Harmony Of The Spheres" kicks in the door with some great harmonized riffs over a chugging rhythm. The drums hold the rhythm down really well which keeps the guitars on the track. Were I to be picky, I'd like a little more from the bass but overall it sounds incredible. The vocal delivery over the verse is excellent, clean with just a little bit of grit over the last lines. Upon reflection the vocals are where I get the biggest Ghost vibe, but don't confuse, this isn't a Ghost copy, this stuff rips! The chorus offers up even more licks and a nice rhythmic change of pace. It's a pretty short chorus which I greatly enjoy as the main riff is gripping. Periodically group vocals back various lyrics, and it works well.
After the second chorus, there's a great dual guitar solo over some great guitar chords and a rhythm section that essentially has hunkered down in the pocket and will likely never come out. At ~2:41 we return to the main riff, but the mini licks between each chord are mixed even better and interplay with the lyrics in a way that I wish I could show more musicians as it's excellent songwriting. The track follows this through the end to one final chorus before it closes out at just over four minutes.
If the rest of the album sounds like this then Spirit Adrift might have a killer album on their hands and I look forward to seeing what's coming down the pipeline as we get closer to this release. Currently Spirit Adrift is Nathan Garrett on guitars and vocals with Marcus Bryant on drums. You can already pre-order this album here at 20 Buck Spin. Check out their other work here as well. I doubt you'll be disappointed.
Monday, August 3, 2020
Could it be? New Red Fang? Yes please!
Friday, July 24, 2020
Today on the Fresh Tracks circuit: Darling - "Baptists"
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
The Jazz Project - Album 92: Sarah Vaughan - "Sarah Vaughan"
- "Lullaby Of Birdland": This is arguably my favorite song performed by Sarah Vaughan. I first heard it on a mix CD offered through my college History Of Jazz course and was pleasantly surprised to see it on this tracklist. Honestly, this song fires on all cylinders with lovely melodies, catchy lyrics and hooks, and some great instrumentation and performances. It's a 10/10 track for me. It's a touch of sweet nostalgia mixed with technical prowess and it really sings (pun not intended). I love the drum solo and even more so I love Sarah's scat solo which is perfectly delivered. You get to experience Sarah's full range of voice on this track.
- "April In Paris": Elegant opening on the piano paired with Sarah singing in her lower register. It's a magical moment. I wish I could have had an opportunity to see her live. The piano playing is delicate and beautiful. Oddly, I'm drawn in by the stirred snare, which is not something I normally hone in on. It holds the atmosphere together in a nearly invisible way. Vaughan's visual description puts me onto the streets of Paris. This song captures a feeling of sad but sweet nostalgia.
- "He's My Guy": The intro is light and airy, like the sound of fresh new love. The lyrics confirm it as it starts with "He's my guy, I don't care what he does, 'cause he's my guy. I guess he always was." It's a swinging love song, and sure, it's not the best song on the LP, but I wouldn't skip it either. I love the first sax solo on this track. Honestly, I'd love to hear Paul Quinichette and Clifford Brown perform a solo together a la Bird and Miles Davis performances. I don't love the piano solo here, but it works in the mix and the atmosphere. What I'm missing here is a solo from Vaughan.
- "Jim": I listened to this album on a reissued LP, and it also has a different order for the tracks, and "Jim" came up before "He's My Guy". This feels like a better order considering narrative, but it's still an odd choice to pair these on the list because their tone and story are so jarringly different. "Jim" is a melancholy love song about being in love with someone who doesn't do much in return. Perhaps unrequited love? Not likely, but it's just specific enough to leave you wondering. They do a great job of capturing the bittersweet feeling that Sarah sings about. The trumpet solo really shines on this track. It's strong yet delicate, crisp in tone, and wonderfully melodic. It captures the troubles of a troubling romance, sung perfectly in the line "Staying even though she wants to leave."
- "You're Not The Kind": This song has a classy swing to it. I feel like this is an honest peek at Sarah's inner being (even if she didn't write it). Paul's solo is excellent as well. This has that classic Jazz feel to it without seeming stale. The flute solo is a bit weak for my liking, but it still sounds pleasant. Clifford's solo is a breath of fresh air after the previous solo, mainly because I love his sense of rhythm as he plays. This song features one of my favorite lines on the album, "I'm just a song and a dance, you're a symphony." What a line.
- "Embraceable You": Sarah Vaughan's vibrato on this song is quite amazing. This song reminds me of my first dance as a child. I love the piano playing on this track, especially that delicate solo. This song captures this fragile feeling, much like young love. I loved it.
- "I'm Glad There Is You": This song features a sweet intro with lyrics we've all felt at some time or another. Sarah's technique on this track is quite enjoyable. Her vibrato continues to be awe-inspiring. It's not my favorite track, but I wouldn't go out of my way to skip it. The mix on this track is masterfully done. Clifford's playing weaves in and out of the free moments on this track without stealing the light. Well done all around.
- "September Song": On my copy, this song was the first track. Honestly, I think it works better as an opening, but it holds its own on the back end of this release as well. This is a lovely standard Jazz track, soft and slow. There's some more excellent soloing from Clifford Brown. Sarah's voice captures the blues of oncoming autumn and winter while Brown's solo holds tightly onto the feeling of summer. I could listen to this song any day at any time.
- "It's Crazy": This song picks up the pace which is a nice change from "I'm Glad There's You" and "September Song". "I act like a fool, what do I care, I'll be a fool as long as you're there, it's crazy, but I'm in love," is such a great line. It's the essence of new love. Clifford captures that fresh new romance magic with his solo like a pro. This track has a snappy quality to it that I greatly enjoy. I wonder if Paul Q. took lessons from Paul Desmond, or visa versa because there's a similarity to it that I enjoy. Sarah's voice pulls all the pieces of this song together in a captivating way. You can feel the electricity in the room over the speakers. The last moment on this track is, in my humble opinion, quite hilarious.