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  • #50 album of 2013 – Shruggy Ji by Red Baraat

    Artist: Red Baraat

    Album: Shruggy Ji

    Before I digress for two paragraphs, let me tell you that the Brooklyn-based, half-Asian-immigrant band Red Baraat claim to center their sound on “hard driving North Indian bhangra rhythms with elements of jazz, go-go, brass funk, and hip-hop”. (They also Red Baraat - Shruggy Jiwinkingly adopt the genre name “dhol-and-bass”.) I don’t know anything about bhangra or go-go, but I can’t see what they’d gain by lying, so I take this assessment as true.

    As I’m starting my 50 Favorite Albums countdown here, I wanted to make a couple of public notes about the composition of this list. I’m happy with the fifty I chose, but I could certainly have made other choices. Most notably, I could have included some better-known records near the bottom of this list. David Bowie had a 2013 record; so did Nine Inch Nails; so did Camper Van Beethoven; they’re good records. I didn’t get much out of the new OMD album, but maybe if I’d worked at it harder I’d’ve loved it, like I do their 2010 comeback History of Modern. More likely, though, I’d’ve felt the way I do about the others I just mentioned: that while they’re fine, I haven’t found any reason why I, personally, would want to listen to them when the Man Who Sold the World or the Downward Spiral or Key Lime Pie (or the gallivanting Goblin King from Labyrinth) are still waiting in my collection for a fresh dose of ardor.

    I don’t mean to be unfair. There’s a dozen-plus artists on my list here who are also operating below the level of what I feel was their peak; it’s a basic statistical principle that the more you enjoy an album, the more likely it is that you won’t enjoy any of the artist’s other albums as much, and that’s fine. Many of my old loves this year still made albums that — regression to the mean aside — don’t need from me the benefit of any doubt. But all else being equal? I’m less likely to return to my 5th-favorite Camper Van Beethoven album than to the best album of blazingly modern Central Asian folk-dance music I’ve ever heard. Even if “best” is a near-synonym to “only”.

    **********

    Genre labels aside, then: what does Shruggy Ji sound like? Lots of clattering percussion, played by three of the eight band members, including band-leader Sunny Jain. Lots of cheerful assertive brass – the trombonist, Ernest Stuart, plays with a far snazzier personality than his instrument normally allows – and trickier, more oblique tunes played by (I think) saxophonist Mike Bomwell, who’s also a superb soloist. Lyrics that are rarely in English (and never in Spanish, the only other language I can occasionally fight to a draw), but — when they are — imply the kind of depth and political instincts we first encountered in Fight for Your Right to Party. (This may, obviously, be unfair.)

    The lead vocals, loud and gliding, sing melodies that may suggest, if you’re as ignorant as I am, snake-charmer music or Islamic summonings to prayer (what’s a couple thousand miles and a religious difference between friends?). The lead vocals are supplemented with jock-like backup grunts, “I’m too sexy for my shirt”-style low murmurs, and various noises I can best duplicate by vibrating my tongue really, really fast.

    Red BaraatThe review that drew my attention to Red Baraat was, of course, favorable, but criticized the songs for all sounding alike. I’ll first say this needn’t be bad if true: I think the Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks and U2’s Boy and Metallica’s And Justice for All and the Cure’s Disintegration are great records, and they’re all variety-impaired. Then I’ll say that I’m not convinced it’s true of Shruggy Ji anyway. The songs certainly mix from similar ingredients, but Halla Bol has a bouncy, dancing-under-the-influence feel that reminds me of “gypsy-punk” bands like Gogol Bordello; Burning Instinct, on the other hand, starts from gleaming precision — like a top high school marching band dressed up for a guest appearance on Miami Vice — then piles on layers of dissonance and a steadily more march-like harshness without ever breaking stride. Dama Dam Mast Qalandar feels solemn, pensive, without needing to clear away the percussion or slow down the hyperspeed sax solo. Shruggy Ji itself is a methodical slow-building juggernaut, several cycling drum lines giving it a fantastically assertive yet swaying groove as the horn section swaggers forward. Sialkot is a particularly strong drum showcase; Private Dancers, rhythmic as Morse Code, somehow manages to be funk, klezmer, and hip-hop all at the same time. Azad Azad has the sneaky propulsion of a nighttime chase scene in an old movie.

    Red Baraat is only #50 on my list, for now, because I don’t understand the words, and I don’t really understand the musical traditions either. I can easily tell (some of) the songs apart by concentrating, but no matter how varied Shruggy Ji may be, it kind of all sounds like “oh hey, here’s more Red Baraat” to me because I have only a few other even remotely similar albums. (I can triangulate, badly, from Kultur Shock, Gogol Bordello, the Klezmatics, and the Debo Band, all of whom are strange to me in their own right). In other words, it’s only #50 on my list due to *my* weaknesses; ones I’m surely capable of fixing. And since it’s kinetic and jolly and exciting — well, as long as my stamina holds — it makes me wish to do so.

    – Brian Block

    To see the rest of our favorites, visit our Favorite Albums of 2013 page!

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  • Hall and Oates meet Rumer…

    Hall and Oates meet Rumer…

    I just rediscovered the magic of Hall and Oates as they meet a British-Pakistani singer named Rumer…

    The other day, I got an email from the Majestic Theatre alerting me that Daryl Hall and John Oates would be performing in San Antonio on February 24, 2014. I like Hall and Oates. I grew up in the 70s and 80s and their music was all over the place when I was coming along. However, I also know that these two guys have been around a long while and I wasn’t sure how they were holding up to the inevitable effects of aging.

    My good friend George told me that Daryl Hall has a series on YouTube called Live From Daryl’s House, which often features him, John Oates, and their band playing music with different artists. As I was watching clips from Halls’ series, I came across a clip featuring a singer named Rumer. I had never heard of her. In fact, I actually wondered if maybe she was Demi Moore’s daughter, Rumer Willis. But then I did some research and found out that Rumer is actually a British-Pakistani singer Sarah Joyce. Born in 1979, she is old enough to remember Hall and Oates, though she would have been a youngun when they were at the height of their popularity.

    In any case, I was a little nervous about listening to what she did with Hall and Oates’ hit, “I Can’t Go For That”. That song was never among my favorites by Hall and Oates anyway. But I was curious, so I played it and…

    all I can say is, “Wow!” I actually love this remake of “I Can’t Go For That”. I love that the arrangement is updated to sound exotic and sexy. Rumer has a sublime voice that seems custom made for music to chill out by. That voice is silky smooth and sensual.

    I was surprised to read that some people compared Rumer’s vocals to Karen Carpenter’s. Frankly, I don’t hear it. I love Karen Carpenter’s music and her voice was amazing. To me, Rumer’s voice has a sexiness and warmth that Karen Carpenter’s voice lacked. It’s like a puff of intoxicating perfume that subtly reaches the senses until you’re pulled in to its magic. I was not a fan of “I Can’t Go For That” the way it was originally released to the masses, but I could totally get into Rumer’s remake, sung with Daryl Hall.

    Rumer also covered Hall and Oates’ sweet classic, “Sara Smile”. I never thought of this song as one that would lend itself well to feminine vocals, but she does great with it…

    I like the way this song is stripped down and made into something new, featuring Rumer’s gorgeous vocals. If I were going to compare with Karen Carpenter, maybe I could more on this song than on “I Can’t Go For That”, but I still think her voice is unique and stands on its own. I have always loved “Sara Smile” and would probably prefer the original to this remake, but I think Rumer did a fine job with it. Listening to this makes me want to check out her music. And I love the way the band is into it, too…

    I was not familiar with “Be Thankful For What You Got”, but since I liked Rumer’s other work with Daryl Hall, I decided to listen…

    This is a very soulful number and again, Rumer and Daryl Hall knock it out of the park. Hall and Oates meet Rumer… and make magic! And now, onto the next order of business.

    Why I am writing on Thursday instead of Friday…

    Tomorrow, my husband Bill and I are going to attempt to take a military hop somewhere in the world. I have a feeling we’ll end up going to Germany, but we could go somewhere else. The nature of military hops is unpredictable. That’s what makes them both fun and frustrating. The upshot of this development is that it’s unlikely I will be able to do much writing for the next couple of weeks. Of course, if we don’t get a hop anywhere, I could be back to work next week. But the odds are good that I will be somewhat incommunicado, as least as far as blogging goes. I expect to be back around January 23 or thereabouts…

    Until then, see you later!

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  • Feuding rock stars…

    In this first month of 2014, my mind has gone from “peace on Earth” to feuding rock stars…

    I read an interesting article yesterday about John Fogarty and his reaction to the news that his old nemesis, record company executive Saul Zaentz, had died on January 3. Saul Zaentz was 92 years old when he passed and had enjoyed a very successful career in the music business and as an independent music producer. But Zaentz and Fogarty were not friends. Before Zaentz got into the movie business, he was an executive for Fantasy Records, which he later bought. Creedence Clearwater Revival was signed to Fantasy Records and when Zaentz bought the company, he became the owner of many of their songs.

    John Fogarty vs. Saul Zaentz and Tom Fogarty

    In 1984, John Fogarty embarked on a solo career and released a song called “The Old Man Down The Road”, which became a hit. Zaentz sued Fogarty, accusing him of “self-plagiarism”, since he believed “The Old Man Down The Road” sounded a lot like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s hit, “Run Through The Jungle”. As owner of Fantasy Records, Zaentz owned the rights to “Run Through The Jungle”.


    Official video for “The Old Man Down The Road”…


    “Run Through The Jungle”

    Fogarty famously played the songs on guitar in court and ultimately prevailed in the lawsuit. But the bitterness toward Zaentz lingered as the two traded lawsuits over the years. When the news of Zaentz’s death came out, Fogarty’s Facebook and Twitter accounts had links to Fogarty’s song, “Vanz Kant Danz”. The song was originally entitled “Zanz Kant Danz”, but Zaentz sued over that, too. Fogarty was forced to change the name of the song.


    Fogarty’s “Vanz Kant Danz”.

    Although I remembered hearing about Fogarty’s legal issues over “The Old Man Down The Road” back in the 80s, I didn’t know he had this ongoing feud with Saul Zaentz. But reading about Fogarty’s legal issues made me think of the other feuding rock stars out there, keeping the music business interesting for us outsiders.

    John Fogarty also famously feuded with his brother, Tom, when John was made lead singer and chief songwriter of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their animosity was such that Tom left the band in 1971. For the next nineteen years, Tom Fogarty was a solo artist, until he contracted AIDS from HIV tainted blood transfusions he received for back problems. He died September 6, 1990 from a tuberculosis infection caused by AIDS.

    Don Felder vs. Don Henley and Glenn Frey

    A few days ago, I wrote a post on Pop Rock Nation about children of rock stars. In that article, I mentioned Don Felder, former guitarist for The Eagles. Don Felder famously got fired from The Eagles over the financial arrangements coming out of a new contract that gave Henley and Frey more money than the other band members.

    Last weekend, as I watched the documentary The History of The Eagles last week, I saw all involved parties interviewed. I heard them talk about the legal issues. One thing that struck me was the sadness on Don Felder’s face as he talked about missing the music he used to make with The Eagles. While I doubt he regrets fighting for his piece of the pie, I suspect he does regret losing his status as an Eagle. Perhaps he even misses the friendship he might have enjoyed while playing with those guys on stage. I have always liked the Eagles’ music, but I have to admit that I’m pretty turned off by all the feuding… and the fact that their latest album was initially only sold at Walmart.

    Axl Rose vs. Slash

    In the late 1980s, Axl Rose and Slash (Izzy Stradlin) worked together in Guns N’ Roses. Decades later, they are extremely estranged. In a 2012 article in Rolling Stone, Slash said “[Axl Rose] hates my guts. It’s over a lot of different stuff; I don’t even know. There’s just no communication between us.” These two guys have been unable to coexist peacefully in many years. It’s a shame, too, because together they were pretty magical.


    “Welcome To The Jungle”


    Slash talks to Piers Morgan about Axl Rose…

    I’m sure I could sit here and write all day about rock starts who used to collaborate and now hate each other. It seems that a lot of the fighting is over money and prestige. I guess if you’re really brilliant and talented, you want to get your due. Add in the charisma and narcissism that comes with being a rock star and you’re bound to run into problems. At least John Fogarty no longer has to fight with his old enemy, now that the old man has gone on to his reward.

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