The Doors celebrate the 40th anniversary of “L.A. Woman,” while jam band moe. release another album of creative soup
So as January comes to close and we’re one month closer to Apocalypse, let’s take some time and head to music store to see what’s coming out this week.
The Doors – L.A. Woman (40th Anniversary Edition) [Elektra]
You know The Doors, right? Of course you do. If you don’t know their music, you’ve at least heard of the band. As one of the seminal bands to come out of the psychedelic ‘60s rock scene, the Doors started a legacy that can never be duplicated. Comprising of organ, drums, guitar, and vocals, Jim Morrison and company created an atmospheric sound that hypnotizes rather than simulate. L.A. Woman would turn out to be the band’s last album before Morrison’s death on July, 1971. This 40th Anniversary edition features a 2nd disc of alternate takes of the album, along with the never-released “She Smells So Nice”. Obviously, Doors fans should pick this up.
Moe. – What Happen to the La Las [Sugar Hill Records]
Moe. have been on the few jam bands (Ok. The only jam band) I can tolerate. Whereas most bands of the genre have the tendency to become self-indulgent with their twenty-minute solos that consist chucking out one note over and over again, moe. keeps things interesting. “What happen to the La Las” is another example of that. In addition to jamming, the band has that rare thing that sets them apart from the rest: they can make songs. Real songs. With a beginning, middle and ending. Weird, I know.
Union – Analogtronics [Fat Beats]
If you like some El-P or Company Flow, then Union will be the perfect fit for you. Union are two Parisian producers that uses strictly analog(hence the title) methods to do their tracks. Think El-P but with a more minimalist and melodic approach to beats. Some of the stand-out tracks on the album are “Time Leak” featuring the lyrical stylings of Talib Kweli and “Coco Mango” with M.F. Doom.
Bluebird – Cannonball!!! [Fake Four Records]
While Union merely changed the face of hip-hop, bluebird broke it into a million pieces and put it back together sloppily with crazy glue. What can you call this album? Hip-hop? Spoken word? Folk rock? Who the hell knows. So, yeah, if you’re comfortable with the familiar, stay away from this album, because you mind will be predictably blown. Songs like the acoustic guitar track “Christian Wife” and the weird-ass “Hand Holdin’” will rewire your brain patterns to more open-minded circuitry.
