Goat - Goat (2024)

As is spot on for a self-titled album, this new Goat album sounds very Goat, and I feel that, more than on the previous albums, it put the emphasis on what made the specificity of the Goat sound : the inclusion of afrobeat/world music in heavy psych music, sounding like Black Sabbath, The 13th Floor Elevators and Fela Kuti jamming together, and making a very cohesive and catchy music out of it. Goat is an album as good as it is quintessential Goat! 

 

The BC page. 

 

Anthony Joseph - The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running for Their Lives (2021)

The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running for Their Lives is another masterpiece in Anthony Joseph discography. A fine blend of afro-jazz and Caribbean music, with the spoken/sung vocals of the singer/poet from Trinidad/London. Memorable songs played by a crew of excellent musicians (Shabaka Hutchings, Colin Webster on sax, Florian Pellissier on piano, among others). And of course with such a title (borrowed from CLR James) you can't go wrong! Recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

 

Kubata - Zep Tepi (2016)

Kubata is a Brazilian band playing some instrumental trippy music. Zep Tepi released in 2016 is their first album, after an EP in 2015 (also recommended). They blend some Ethio-jazz keyboard parts, some Afro-funk rhythms and guitar parts, with some progressive / psychedelic rock elements for a really cool result, mysterious and groovy. Good stuff!

The Bandcamp page.

My favourite releases in 2014

Here's my list of my favourite releases (Albums, EP, splits) of 2014.

note that I already posted a specific list for grindcore (the cream of the grind 2014).

here's the list (if you clik you'll go to the review I did. when it exists you'll find on the side links to the interviews I did) :

Yob - Clearing the path to ascend

Dephosphorus - Ravenous solemnity

Earth - Primitive and deadly

Grand magus - Triumph and power

11Paranoias - Spectral beastiaries

Crowbar - Symmetry in black

Narcosatanicos-st

Serpentine path - Emanations                    Serpentine path interview

Spiral - Our last days on Bellicus prime

Coffinworm - IV-I-VIII                                Coffinworm interview

Kvulthammer - Kvlthammer

Tombs - Savage gold                                 Tombs interview

Anaal natrakh - Desideratum

The Body - I shall die here

Lobster priest - Hallucinatory pagoda

John Zorn's psychomagia

parasight - Munden Fuld Af Løgn, Lommen Fuld Af Profit

Monolord - Empress rising

Circle of Ouroborus - Kuuhun kahlittu

Seun kuti - A long way to the beginning

Human error /psykkoanalysi split

Barabbas - Messe pour un chien

Hail spirit noir - Oi magoi

La dispute - The rooms of the house

Nibiru - Ritual I & Ritual II

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 - A long way to the beginning (2014)

This one's very different from what is usually featured on Blasting days, but it's not less intense. And A long way to the beginning is one of my favourite albums released in 2014. Seun Kuti is one of the sons of the creator of afro-beat music, Fela Kuti, and Egypt 80 that plays with Seun Kuti was the band of his father. On this one Seun Kuti put a bit aside the more complex song structure and the repetitive elements of afro-beat to focus on the impact and dynamism of the song. And the result is really successfull and the album is very catchy and energising, with some vocals full of righteous anger against the evils of modern society (and lyrics more intelligent than the usual clichés), combined with electrifying funky guitar, brass and rythm parts (afro beat mix african music with jazz and funk). This is a perfect album to discover afro-beat (the new Femi Kuti one, No place for my dream, is also excellent, in a calmer mood, although fuelled as well by revolt).

The website

Sierra Leone's Refugees All Stars-Radio Salone (2012)

Something different now (I mean really different from the bands I use to review). The Sierra Leone's Refugees All Star band started to play in refugee camps in west Africa but their music breathe with sunshine and hope. What they play is a blending of Highlife, afro-beat and reggae. Radio Salone is their second LP, it's produced by Victor Axelrod (Sharon Jones, Antibalas), and if you're into african, reggae or any "feel good music" I really recommend you try it. the meeting of african ryhtms and melodies  and reggae influenced parts is interesting and works really well and it's a really enjoyable record.

you can check it on Bandcamp

Angles-every woman is a tree

Angles is a jazz quintet (sax, trombone, trumpet, vibraphone, double bass and drums) from Sweden. Their music sounds a bit  like a meeting between John Coltrane and Mulatu Astatke (they actualy met in fact, but unfortunately they didn't played together), somewhere between free jazz and Ethio-jazz. The result is brilliant, with quiet beautiful moments but also frenetic full of energy moments. Every woman is a tree (2008) is their first record and it's dedicated to the women's in times of war they are the branches which the children can cling to). They also relesed a live album in 2010 (called Epileptical west), also really good. great songs, tight musicianship, this is a highly recommended record if you like the wild and african inspired jazz.

Jungle by night-Hidden

for today something more groovy and colourful than usual in Blasting days, let's funk!

Jungle by night is a bunch of young guys from Amsterdam and they play some instrumental afro-beat/ethiojazz funky music. and they do it brilliantly! they released in april their second record called Hidden and it's a really enjoyable piece of groovy music! they're newcommers but are taking the afro funky scene by storm! they bring a new freshness into it and with new bands like that the future of afrobeat will shine bright.

but let's just listen to it : Jungle by night BC page.

Afro-Beat!!

 Découvrez vitre l'afro-beat, musique intense, dansante, énergique et hypnotique, sensuelle et révoltée!! rencontre du meilleur des musiques de l'afrique de l'ouest et du jazz et du funk. je vus propose une sélection de quelques artistes et disques récents dans ce style créé dans les 60-70 par Fela Kuti.


If you don't know afro-beat you miss a lot!! power, enegy, melodies, rythm, urge to dance and sing, sensuality, revolt, afro-beat is all that and much more!!

created in Nigeria by the great Fela Kuti back from the USA it mix west african highlife, traditionnal with jazz and funk, the result is powerful and mesmerizing.
I recommend every Fela records. But this time I propose you to check recent, still active (Fela tragically died in 1997) afro-beat artists.

First, Fela's sons, Femi and Seun (only their last record but they have some more) :

Femi Kuti / Africa for Africa / 2010             le myspace de Femi Kuti

Seun Kuti  & Egypt 80 / From Africa with fury : rise / 2011     le Myspace de Seun Kuti

also Tony Allen, who was the drummer of Fela's band, now followinf a solo caree :

Tony Allen / Secret agent / 2009

and now Ebo Taylor, a long time highlife/afro-beat musician :

Ebo Taylor / Love and death / 2010 (and a new one, Appia kwa bridge, is coming in april 2012, yess!).