Bombino - Live Review 11/29/11 @ Le Poisson Rogue NYC

Bombino

Live @ Le Poisson Rogue, NYC

11/29/11

It was a rare treat to have this guitar player visit NYC, and for those who have not heard him Bombino (Omara Moctar) is a Turareg artist who lives in the country of Niger but plays protest music for his nomadic people.  The intriguing thing is his fluidity and flair of Western style rock that he places into his Eastern sounding songs.  His sound is very popular in Africa and with this years release Agadez he is being discovered by music fans here in America.  Tonight's performance was his only in New York City as his brief North American tour travels west and ends on 12-13 in Mexico City. 

Wearing their traditional garb Bombino himself and a percussionist took the stage to open the night with 3 acoustic offerings.  Singing in his native tongue Bombino express his emotions and having no knowledge of what is being sung doesn't cause much of problem because the feelings come through.  There was a middle eastern flair with the acoustic numbers that fit the venue well, as Le Poisson Rogue has an artsy vibe that is a world away from the Bleecker St mayhem just outside.

After the short acoustic openers and a few grateful "Merci Beaucoup's" and "Thank You's" from Bombino the percussionist jumped behind the drum kit to start the pumping snare and beat that would vary only slightly and stay driving the rest of the night.  A second (unnecessary in most ways) Turareg guitarist joined as did an out of place looking t-shirt and jean wearing older white bass player who kept the tight simplistic groove going.  That is primarily what Bombino is all about, the groove.

Once electric the songs got longer and repetitive sinking into deep deep groves that try to reach trance like states, reminiscent in style to Fela Kuti's approach but a totally different sound.  The simple notes recycle themselves over and over again while Bombino steps to the front and adds electric sonic flairs over the constant beats.  There are no parts or changes just augmented, stylistic diversions from the lead player while he sings.  Some songs and grooves enchanted on this night, others fell flat with no emotion or importance emanating from them.   The tone and sound is very intriguing combining an almost surf vibe to the eastern style giving the ear a unique twist of something that sounds familiar and foreign at the same time. 

Bombino has been compared to Jimi Hendrix by others, but Hendrix he is not.  Barring the lack of showmanship or abandon his playing is much more restrained as he is content to stick to the beats and notes for the majority of his tunes rather then explore.  A better comparison would be to older blues players like, Muddy Waters or John Lee Hooker who could sit in the same simple note soup for hours and still cook up something tasty from them.  The snake like riffs that Bombino toyed with tonight could be appreciated by those masters, and if he tossed in a cover of "Crawling King Snake" that would indeed be an exciting concoction of styles.      

  

Set List: Tar Hani, Inchin Chilan, Tenere Ietninhal, Ouhou Iakamin, Tebsakh Dalet, Adounia, Tenere, Kammou Taliat, Amidinin, Imouhar

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 Here are some live songs from the Bombino to give you a sense of his music, you can buy the fantastic album Agadez here.  RtBE will be reviewing the album early next month.

"Tar Hani"

Album Review: Bombino - Sahel

Bombino

Sahel

**** out of *****

The first new album in five years (since 2018's Deran), Bombino returns with his swirling displays of Tuareg guitar delights on Sahel. 

Album Review: Bombino Nomad

Bombino

Nomad

***and1/2 out of *****

The Tuareg guitarist who has been compared to everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Mark Knopfler has crafted a a fuzzy sounding release with Nomad.  While he doesn't resemble those giants of guitar to these ears, his playing does have a sound very akin to the producer of this album Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. The result of this pairing is a delightful run through of Bombino's style.

The loose "Amidinine" sets the tone with its blowing sand scuffed riffs howling around as Bombino (real name Omara Moctar) sings in his native tongue of Tamashek.  "Ahulakamine Hulan" is more of a rambling acoustic outlier; most of Bombino's tunes (not unlike early Black Keys) revolve around one meaty electric riff and then spiral small changes off as the band progresses, building up interesting phrases amongst the repetition. The upbeat distorted "Azamane Tiliade" is more the norm of this groups style.

You can hear some of Auerbach's influences as the band has opened up musically from their previous release Agadez.  The vibes that sneak in during the instantly engaging "Imuhar" pushes that track to the front of the line while the playful organ in "Niamey Jam" also brings a smile.

Not knowing what the lyrics are actually singing about could be an issue for some but Bombino  keeps things vocally very much connected to the guitar lines he plays; singing/chanting melodically throughout. Even though political protest lies at the heart of the bands playing, anyone can connect.

Nomad does at times feel a touch repetitive all over but little things like the cowboy gallop of "Imidiwan" or the hand drums and nervous rising organ of "Zigzan" make things engaging enough to return to.  Auerbach's producers credits need to be hyped as well, Reigning Sound, Doctor John, and now Bombino all while fronting one of the biggest bands in the world is nothing to take lightly. Let's hope everyone involved keeps up the goodness.
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We were lucky enough to get introduced to Bombino by our friend Rob a few years ago. We grabbed all of his releases back in 2011 and even caught him live when he played NYC. We compared him to blues artists then and finding out that Dan Auerbach invited the group to record in Nashville is a pretty perfect pairing. This album might not be for everyone, but the sound and playing works for us.  Grab the album here and peep some samples below:

You can also stream the full album for a limited time over at NPR, click here. Below is a clip from a documentary on the band showing them in action live:

Album Review: Bombino- Azel

Bombino

Azel

**** out of *****

Bombino has been on the western music scene for some time now (RtBE caught him and his band back in 2011) and his 3rd solo album Azel finds the players collectively happier and brighter than they have been previously.

Working with Dave Longstreth from The Dirty Projectors the Tuareg musicians went to upstate New York and returned with looser more flowing work then their fuzzed up blues predecessor Nomad which was produced by Dan Auerbach.  Bombino himself was more at ease with the open approach and calls this record a "Tuareggae" disc where he incorporates Caribbean rhythms with his languid playing, a new twist and trick for him.

The songs here all go long (most well past four and a half minutes) as loops and riffs swirl around like desert night breezes. The opener "Akhar Zaman (This Moment)"  has a message of informing Tuareg people about losing their culture, but to these ears the playing feels liberated, upbeat and clean. "Inar (If You Know The Degree Of My Love For You)" bases itself around Bombinos acoustic fret work that scurries all over while "Tamiditine Tarhanam (My Love, I Tell You)" is a great excursion based all around the drums with the band locked in from the jump.

The intricate guitar work on tracks like "Naqqim Dagh Timshar (We Are Left In This Abandonded Place)" and "Igmayagh Dum (My Lover)" is blinding and it is easy to see where the lofty comparisons come from regarding Bombinos style. "Timtar (Memories)" plays strong with his newest Tuareggae motif as it incorporates clear reggae and female vocals from Mama "Mahassa" Walet Amoumene.

"Iyat Ninhay/Jaguar (A Great Desert I Saw)" combines all of Bombino's past and current loves as it amps up the rock riffs, while skewering the tempo and still managing to find an easy air thanks to a repetitive beat and groove; a real winner and an excellent summation of his career to this point.

While Bombinos lyrics directly address issues in his world, those not speaking the language will still enjoy this as a whole. Azel has once again raised the bar for Bombino and players whose engaging music and style will speak to everyone.    
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This one almost got 4 and a half up there it is that good. We have dug Bombino ever since our friend Rob from NOLA turned us on to him, and this is probably his best work yet.

Buy the album, stream it for a limited time on NPR and peep some video:

Album Review: Bombino - Deran

Bombino

Deran

***and1/2 out of *****

The Tuareg guitar player Bombino is back with Deran his fourth studio record which finds him eschewing modern rock producers to return back to Africa to record primarily in Casablanca. The songs are sung in Tuareg, messages of hope and peace are spread in his unique mixing of rock, eastern, groove and splashes of reggae.

With his band (Illias Mohammed on guitar, Youba Dia on bass, Corey Wilhelm on drums, Hassan Krifa on percussion, and Mohammed Araki on keyboard) he traveses familiar terrain for anyone who has checked out his playing before. Bombino (born Omara Moctar) has his style and on all of his releases it is only the small details that separates things for non Tuareg speaking listeners.

Opener "Imajghane (The Tuareg People)" kicks things off with swirling guitars in the patented Bombino fashion before "Deran Deran Alkheir (Well Wishes)" picks up the pace and adds backing vocals. "Tehigren (The Trees)" is the first excellent track as it begins with Bombinos unique take on reggae before kicking up the tempo into a full dancing groove before ending on a metal riff which hints at a whole new horizon; it is a standout on the record.

"Tenesse (Idleness)" closes out with a guitar solo that is a touch buried behind sounds while "Oulhin (My Heart Burns)" is more upbeat with hand claps and rhythms matching the vocals. The chanting repetitive "Adounia Dagh (This Life)" goes on a bit long but also showcases strong acoustic guitar work before "Adouagh Chegren (At the Top of the Mountain)" closes the album with more acoustic fret work that has a more natural ebb and flow.

The production of this record has been noted as it is the first in a few not to feature an indie rock man behind the boards, but the production is also a muted especially when it comes to drums and rhythm sections. On the excellent Azel David Longstreth was able to meld Bombino's style and experimentation with the artists love for Dire Straits, seeming to be a perfect fit where Dan Auerbach's more blues roots style on Nomad was a touch abrasive. Deran feels neither rough or well matched, in production terms it isn't horrendous, just diluted compared to past offerings.

That said, fans of Bombino now have another full length to enjoy. As a site who has been a fan since first catching him back in 2011 this is a major positive. However, if we were guiding newcomers to his sound RtBE would pick out past efforts for them to listen to first.
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Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below:

NYC Summerstage Announces Lineup for 2015

Even though it is just about freezing in the Big Apple today a major sign that summer will soon be upon us arrived. SummerStage announced their full schedule:

There are one or two shows we always hit at this venue each year and expect this year will be no different with tasty treats on this list (full list for all NYC venues also below) and have seen everyone from the Beastie Boys to Phil Lesh (and Crew)to Manu Chao at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.



We are looking at some shows that can hopefully match those gems. Click on the Read More Tab for the full list sorted by genre.

New Single/Video from Bombino "Tazidert" Out Now

One of RtBE's favorites, Bombino has a new single titled "Tazidert" out now. 

Having reviewed him multiple times in the past and caught him live, RtBE can attest that Bombino is always worth hearing, he even made our top 50 albums list of the 10's-20's. 

Check out the video below and we will be awaiting a new album anxiously.

Album Review: Kel Assouf - Black Tenere

Kel Assouf

Black Tenere

*** out of *****

The first time I became aware of what is apparently being called the 'Tuareg Sound'  or Ishumar music was through the fantastic guitarist Bombino and his Group Bombino's participation in Guitars from Agadez Vol 2. While Bombino may be the most world known name working in this African rock style, other bands are breaking out and Kel Assouf is one of them with their most recent release Black Tenere.

Singing for the Kel Tamashek people front man and guitarist Anana Ag Haroun’s poetically relates his peoples struggles and while this American can not understand the lyrics without translation, the sound and passion are evident as is struggle and modern day tough times linked to his culture. Kel Assouf are a trio with drummer Oliver Penu and keyboardist/producer Sofyann Ben Youssef (AMMAR 808) along to help fill out the sound.

Opener "Fransa" deals with his peoples struggles with colonization over blues rock mixed with North African sounds while "Alyochan" is a showcase for Youssef as the digital bleeps and keyboards take center stage. "Tenere" is a banging track which takes liberally from Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsy's era heavy blues/psych rock with it's sound, which may be the most familiar for Western ears first experiencing this style.

The meditative "Tamatant" is stripped down and acoustically based, the most meditative track here running five and half minutes while the other long runner "Ariyal" is squarely in the experimental jazz zone for the four minute intro before clapping into the club ready beat for the remainder of the run time. The repetitiveness of this style may not be for everyone as the sound is based on reinforcing the hypnotic groove on songs like "Taddout" are a long journey.

When styles clash, like on the scattered groove of "America" or the blues based desert style with deep bass drumming from Penu on "Amghar" which booms ominously, the best results are found. Banging rock closer with snake like riffs from Haroun is also a highlight ending the fun mix of styles, sounds and cultures which Black Tenere  offers up; using it's repetitive rock nature to enchant the listener proving the more cultures mix the merrier.
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Support the artists, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:

New Single/Video from Bombino "Ayo Nigla"

Following on the heels of "Tazidert" one of RtBE's favorites, Bombino has a new single titled "Ayo Nigla" out now. 

Having reviewed him multiple times in the past and caught him live, RtBE can attest that Bombino is always worth hearing, he even made our top 50 albums list of the 10's-20's. 

Check out the video below and we will be awaiting a new album anxiously.

Full Show Friday: Bombino - Estival Jazz Lugano 2017

 We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Bombino!

Every April (and first week in May) we have a special showcase for bands who are playing this years Jazzfest in NOLA. Today we will focus on Bombino who will be playing Friday April 29th.

The Nigerien Tuareg singer/guitarist has long been a favorite at RtBE. We have caught him live and ranked his 2016 album Azel in our top 50 of the past decade. He will surely put on a hell of a set down in Jazzfest this year.  

Pro Shot, Pro Sound, Enjoy!

Top 50 Albums of the 2010's: Numbers 40-31

Way back in 2009 we were lucky enough to help contribute to Glide Magazine's list of Best Albums of the 2000's. Hard to believe it has been ten years since we worked on that list, but it is that time again to look back at the previous decade and put together some arbitrary rankings. Since this site has been going strong the full decade we have a lot to pull from.

Here comes RtBE's picks for the top albums from the last decade, 2010-2019.

If we reviewed the album we will provide a link to that review in the title, a brief reflection on the record and a tune from it. A lot can change in ten years and a lot stays the same. Some albums were just right for their time and place and haven't aged particularly well and others were perhaps misunderstood or even prophetic as to where the world was headed.

Just our two cents, but this decade will not be looked back at fondly when it comes to remembering music in general. Things (for the most part) are being programmed and mushed together into mellow, white bread, digestible tunes with a hip hop foundation around pop hooks, synth vibes, a few strings and nothing the least bit exciting or offensive for the majority of music out there. In an era that should be considerably be ripe for protest, outrage, and individual expressionism, very little of actual substance has escaped to the masses.

Also from a practical standpoint, never before has the concept of "album" been so meaningless in our streaming/playlist curated society. While RtBE isn't completely old fashion, we still haven't bought into those ways of consuming music and the album is still our only way of listening to things, whether on vinyl or downloaded; no shuffling of singles here. This list focuses on full lengths that are played from beginning to end and deliver the goods.  

We will break this down over five parts, doing ten albums a day. There were a ton of good records released over the last ten years, much more than fifty, but these are our choices. We kept our personal musical releases off the list, but feel free to listen and critique those.

As a note, Glide Magazine, the main site we contribute to, changed its rating system in the middle of the decade from 5 Stars to 10 stars, then removed it all together so if you see say #49 on our list with only 4 stars, consider it doubled to 8. For Reference, here is 50-41 and those are also listed at the bottom of this post.

Like all of the lists RtBE have done, this is meant to start conversations, not end them. So let's kick it off...

Year In Review 2016 - Top 10 Albums Part 3

Another great year is finishing up for @RockBodElec and we wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE Presents the Best of 2016 Top Ten Albums numbers 5-1:

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album either on the site or somewhere else we will link to that review and just give a quick summation, just click on the name and title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on the their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but full releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle or singles for us.

Today we start our top ten, in retrospect it was a year with a lot of good albums but few great ones, sorta like 2011 which overall was the weakest year of releases since we started this site. This year just may beat that one when it comes to just OK albums as opposed to all-time greats, time will tell. Click that Read More button to get started with numbers 5-1 today. 

Year In Review 2023 - Favorite Albums of 2023

Here are our all of our favorite albums of 2023. This is the year end review, all in one place.

Below are our picks for RtBE's favorite albums of the year. It starts with our honorable mentions then moves into our top ten albums of the year. There is a short blurb about the album and a song from it, click on the title to read our full review of the selected records. The focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen to all the way through.

We worked with the Glide Staff on their list as well, so there may be a few overlaps if you read that already. 

We also took some time to discuss our favorite album artwork, our favorite archive/live album releases and favorite live shows from the year if you are interested.   

Thanks for reading. Until next year....

Year In Review 2023 - Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions & Let Downs)

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2023's Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions and Let Downs):

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE also worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle, Spotify, AI curated playlists, or streaming for us.

These are the albums that just missed out on being included in our top ten favorite for the year (coming soon). After some very excellent albums, we have a few releases from artists we dig, which we were let down by. 

Like all of our lists or 'best of'' these are meant to start conversations, not end them...

Top 50 Albums of the 2010's: Numbers 20-11

Way back in 2009 we were lucky enough to help contribute to Glide Magazine's list of Best Albums of the 2000's. Hard to believe it has been ten years since we worked out that list, but it is that time again to look back at the previous decade and put together some arbitrary rankings. Since this site has been going strong the full decade we have a lot to pull from.

Here comes RtBE's picks for the top albums from the last decade, 2010-2019.

If we reviewed the album we will provide a link to that review in the title, a brief reflection on the record and a tune from it. A lot can change in ten years and a lot stays the same. Some albums were just right for their time and place and haven't aged particularly well and others were perhaps misunderstood or even prophetic as to where the world was headed.

Just our two cents, but this decade will not be looked back at fondly when it comes to remembering music in general. Things (for the most part) are being programmed and mushed together into mellow, white bread, digestible tunes with a hip hop foundation around pop hooks, synth vibes, a few strings and nothing the least bit exciting or offensive for the majority of music out there. In an era that should be considerably be ripe for protest, outrage, and individual expressionism, very little of actual substance has escaped to the masses.

Never before has the concept of "album" been so meaningless in our streaming/playlist curated society. While RtBE isn't completely old fashion, we still haven't bought into those ways of consuming music and the album is still our only way of listening to things, whether on vinyl or downloaded; no shuffling of singles here. This list focuses on full lengths that are played from beginning to end and deliver the goods.

We will break this down over five parts, doing ten albums a day. There were a ton of good records released over the last ten years, much more than fifty, but these are our choices. We kept our personal musical releases off the list, but feel free to listen and critique those.

As a note, Glide Magazine, the main site we contribute to, changed it's rating system in the middle of the decade from 5 Stars to 10 stars, then removed it all together so if you see say #49 on our list with only 4 stars, consider it doubled to 8.

Like all of the lists RtBE have done, this is meant to start conversations, not end them. Here are numbers 20-11:

Album Review: Vieux Farka Touré - Les Racines

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of Vieux Farka Touré newest album Les Racines.

This is a solid album of music influenced by the music of North Mali. Fans of Songhoy Blues or Tuareg artists Bombino and Mdou Moctar will find a lot to like here. 

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

Top 50 Albums of the 2010's: Numbers 30-21

Way back in 2009 we were lucky enough to help contribute to Glide Magazine's list of Best Albums of the 2000's. Hard to believe it has been ten years since we worked that list, but it is that time again to look back at the previous decade and put together some arbitrary rankings. Since this site has been going strong the full decade we have a lot to pull from.

Here comes RtBE's picks for the top albums from the last decade, 2010-2019.

If we reviewed the album we will provide a link to that review in the title, a brief reflection on the record and a tune from it. A lot can change in ten years and a lot stays the same. Some albums were just right for their time and place and haven't aged particularly well and others were perhaps misunderstood or even prophetic as to where the world was headed.

Just our two cents, but this decade will not be looked back at fondly when it comes to remembering music in general. Things (for the most part) are being programmed and mushed together into mellow, white bread, digestible tunes with a hip hop foundation around pop hooks, synth vibes, a few strings and nothing the least bit exciting or offensive for the majority of music out there. In an era that should be considerably be ripe for protest, outrage, and individual expressionism, very little of actual substance has escaped to the masses.

Also from a practical standpoint, never before has the concept of "album" been so meaningless in our streaming/playlist curated society. While RtBE isn't completely old fashion, we still haven't bought into those ways of consuming music and the album is still our only way of listening to things, whether on vinyl or downloaded; no shuffling of singles here. This list focuses on full lengths that are played from beginning to end and deliver the goods.  

We will break this down over five parts, doing ten albums a day. There were a ton of good records released over the last ten years, much more than fifty, but these are our choices. We kept our personal musical releases off the list, but feel free to listen and critique those.

As a note, Glide Magazine, the main site we contribute to, changed its rating system in the middle of the decade from 5 Stars to 10 stars, then removed it all together so if you see say #49 on our list with only 4 stars, consider it doubled to 8. For Reference, here is 50-41 40-31 and all of those are also listed at the bottom of this post.

Like all of the lists RtBE have done, this is meant to start conversations, not end them. So let's kick it off...

Album Review: Mdou Moctar - Ilana: The Creator

Mdou Moctar

Ilana: The Creator

**** out of *****

Ever since Bombino came into RtBE's orbit in 2011, the Tuareg guitar scene keeps making inroads into the United States with it's evolving/expanding the style sound and reach. Last month we covered the newest release from Kel Assouf and today we focus on Mdou Moctar's Ilana: The Creator.

This is Moctor's first true studio album with a band as his past releases like the folk based Sousoume Tamachek found him playing all the instruments himself. The players (Ahmoudou Madassane - rhythm guitar, backing vocals, Michael Coltun - bass guitar, Mazawadje Aboubacar Ibrahim - drums) all contribute to the vibe, but it may be producer/engineer Chris Koltey who is the most important outside force as he recorded the band as they lived in the studio for a week while they spontaneously jammed with fantastic results.

The opening track "Kamane Tarhanin" starts like 99% of the other Tuareg based tunes with its serpent like guitar weaving in and out but towards the end there is a pedal shift as the guitar tone gets super crunchy and the the pace quickens to the end, proving Moctar and crew are not afraid to put there own spin on things.

The skittering groove and bad ass rock riffs on "Asshet Akal" continue that notion and make for an invigorating listen while the warbling tripped out psychedelic "Inisgam" is a short dip into Hendrix like recording waters. The band decides to split what seems like one long idea into two tracks as "Anna" (with Aroudaini Daniel on djembe) starts to really coalesce right before dropping into the super repetitive "Takamba" perhaps thinking western ears may not like the second part.

While things may be repetitive on "Takamba" the follow up is just the opposite. "Tarhatazed" is a beast and clear album standout as all of the musicians are locked in and flying through the cosmos. The track begins ominously with some Yngwie Malmsteen like fret board fireworks before the groove from Ibrahim and Coltun lock in and move the song with a brisk update as Madassane and Moctar go back and fourth with their riffs in exciting fashion. There are tempo changes, pedal effects, had bobbing grooves, whistling exuberance and never a dull moment over it's seven and a half minute run time; an easy album highlight.

The title track manages to mix Agadez wedding vibes with big rock styling from the west. While lyrically there is no connection the singing is passionate and through translation the title track is a protest song about French exploitation of Niger with lines like: “Our benefits are only dust / And our heritage is taken by the people of France / occupying the valley of our ancestors.”  

The contemplative "Tumastin" closes out the album and for those brand new to the Tuareg sound or longtime fans, Ilana: The Creator is certainly an album to seek out. While it's cover art may be a throw back to prog rock via these western eyes, Moctar explains: “This bird is my symbol because he resembles my artistic look. I wear a turban in two colors. The jewelry in its beak is the symbol of Agadez.” There are certainly riches to be found in the music as well. 
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Support the artists, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:

Top 50 Albums of the 2010's: Numbers 10-1

Way back in 2009 we were lucky enough to help contribute to Glide Magazine's list of Best Albums of the 2000's. Hard to believe it has been ten years since we worked on that list, but it is that time again to look back at the previous decade and put together some arbitrary rankings. Since this site has been going strong the full decade we have a lot to pull from.

Here comes RtBE's picks for the top albums from the last decade, 2010-2019.

If we reviewed the album we will provide a link to that review in the title, a brief reflection on the record and a tune from it. A lot can change in ten years and a lot stays the same. Some albums were just right for their time and place and haven't aged particularly well and others were perhaps misunderstood or even prophetic as to where the world was headed.

Just our two cents, but this decade will not be looked back at fondly when it comes to remembering music in general. Things (for the most part) are being programmed and mushed together into mellow, white bread, digestible tunes with a hip hop foundation around pop hooks, synth vibes, a few strings and nothing the least bit exciting or offensive for the majority of music out there. In an era that should be considerably be ripe for protest, outrage, and individual expressionism, very little of actual substance has escaped to the masses.

Also from a practical standpoint, never before has the concept of "album" been so meaningless in our streaming/playlist curated society. While RtBE isn't completely old fashion, we still haven't bought into those ways of consuming music and the album is still our only way of listening to things, whether on vinyl or downloaded; no shuffling of singles here. This list focuses on full lengths that are played from beginning to end and deliver the goods.  

We will break this down over five parts, doing ten albums a day. There were a ton of good records released over the last ten years, much more than fifty, but these are our choices. We kept our personal musical releases off the list, but feel free to listen and critique those.

As a note, Glide Magazine, the main site we contribute to, changed it's rating system in the middle of the decade from 5 Stars to 10 stars, then removed it all together so if you see say #49 on our list with only 4 stars, consider it doubled to 8.

Like all of the lists RtBE have done, this is meant to start conversations, not end them. So let's kick it off...

Celebrate Brooklyn Free Shows 2016

Last week we discussed some free shows from Summerstage in Central Park. Today we highlight some shows from the Celebrate Brooklyn Series that has a lot of our old and new favorites.

Brooklyn Vegan has complied a full list for everyone. Bands that jump out to us are Dr. Dog, Sharon Jones, The Violent Femmes and more. 

The Wood Brothers are playing as well as killer lineup of Femi Kuti and Bombino on July 22nd. You can also access the full site and peep some video below to get in the mood: