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Bloodroot - Kelly Moran
“What makes the prepared piano more than a gimmick is a combination of two things: the radical defiance that it represents, and the way it extends the piano’s capabilities. For centuries, it was clear that while pianists could do lots of different things by applying technique, the one thing they could not do was fundamentally alter the piano’s timbre and tone. ‘Preparing’ a piano (which is usually accomplished by inserting objects between the instrument’s strings) is simultaneously an act of defiance and of exploration, and composers like Kelly Moran demonstrate how beautiful such rebellion can be. While some of her work is challenging, much of it is lyrical and inviting. For these pieces Moran makes occasional use of electronics, but the piano itself, with its constantly-surprising array of altered tones, is always at the center.” --Rick Anderson, CDHotList
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Non-Stop: Mexico to Jamaica - Ozomatli
“Given the many musical genres Ozomatli have played for more than 20 years, a collection of Mexican tunes by way of Jamaican rhythms should come as no surprise, right? Maybe, but this L.A. ensemble has gone into its Latin origins deep on this one. From traditional songs and standards to modern fare, Ozomatli place their sophisticated musicality and intense energy into celebrating inseparable connections between Mexican music and Caribbean sounds.” --Thom Jurek, allmusic.com
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Ti Amo - Phoenix
“Even when you can't tell what Mars is singing about (which is a lot), the music radiates a suave majesty that feels universal.” --Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone
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Joy Comes Back - Ruthie Foster
“Foster casts her net wide, dredging up classic blues from Mississippi John Hurt ("Richland Woman Blues"), contemporary country from Chris Stapleton (‘What Are You Listening To?’), and classic heavy metal from Black Sabbath (‘War Pigs’), but what unites the album is the warm, supple energy of the band and Foster's aching ease. She may have been through the ringer recently, but she's choosing to be positive -- or, as she sings on Shawnee Kilgore's ‘Abraham,’ ‘When I do good/I feel good’ -- and that gives Joy Comes Back a relaxed richness that's quite restorative.” --Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com
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Reaching into Infinity - DragonForce
“The sheer creativity and accessibility of Reaching into Infinity raises the bar for power metal from here on out, and offers a new plateau for the band. Based on this set -- with their catalog as further evidence -- there is no reason DragonForce shouldn't be one of the biggest bands in the world.” --Thom Jurek, allmusic.com
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Uprising - Miles Mosley
“What strikes you most on Uprising is just how well Mosley commands attention, his robust upright acoustic bass anchoring the band with swaggering aplomb. His skills as a bassist are even more impressive when you realize he's also holding down the mike with his urgent, textured croon. This is funk played by someone with equal respect for the hard bop traditions of performers like Charles Mingus and for the emotive R&B of Otis Redding. Admittedly, for a jazz-influenced album, there's not much improvisation on Uprising -- the focus is on Mosley's voice, his songs, and an overall group aesthetic.” --Matt Collar, allmusic.com
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Liasons Dangereuses 1960 - Thelonious Monk
“Any occasion for unreleased Thelonious Monk recordings is one for celebration. The discovery of his excellent soundtrack sessions for Roger Vadim's film Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960, an adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 18th century novel, happened by accident. Producers Zev Feldman, François Le Xuan, and Frederic Thomas found these tapes while searching French saxophonist Barney Wilen's manager's archives in search of unreleased material. What they found were the original soundtrack and full sessions cut in New York during a single day in 1959 -- the same fertile year that yielded the Monk's At Town Hall; 5 by Monk by 5, and Thelonious Alone in San Francisco. Like these recordings, this soundtrack showcases Monk at the very top of his game.” --Thom Jurek, allmusic.com
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Half-Light - Rostam
“After putting in work on Frank Ocean's Blonde (‘Seigfried,’ ‘Ivy’), Solange Knowles' A Seat at the Table (‘F.U.B.U.’) and various collaborative projects, ex-Vampire Weekend MVP Rostam Batmanglij has finally gotten around to releasing a proper solo LP of his own. And, admirably, he's refused to choose between his former group's Ivy League-aesthete indie rock and modern vernacular electro-pop, opting instead to cherry-pick the best of both worlds. The resulting 15 tracks are, fittingly, all over the place.” --Will Hermes, Rolling Stone
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Mountain Moves - Deerhoof
“Even though politics were inescapable at the time of Mountain Moves' release, Deerhoof had a typically creative way to address the issues of the late 2010s. The result of their residency at Joyful Noise, the album finds the band collaborating with like-minded artists on songs of resistance that emphasize the importance of joining together. . . Mountain Moves' whimsy often feels like a party that just happens to be political, but it's this sense of joy that makes protest--and Deerhoof's career--sustainable.” --Heather Phares, allmusic.com
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Super Ape Returns To Conquer - Lee "Scratch" Perry & Subatomic Sound System
“This is really a match made in heaven: progressive dub collective Subatomic Sound System and legendary reggae producer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, the man who is second only to King Tubby in his importance to the early development of dub. Unlike Perry’s other recent releases, this one unapologetically revisits his classic work of the 1970s, featuring recuts of songs like ‘Chase the Devil,’ ‘Patience,’ and ‘War ina Babylon,’ along with new adaptations of classic Black Ark rhythms like ‘Curly Locks’ and (of course) ‘Super Ape.’ The Subatomic crew make sure that this doesn’t turn into a pure nostalgia exercise, however: their trademark production values are all over these tracks, deepening and expanding the grooves, and Perry himself chats gleefully over most of them, resulting in a fresh and invigorating celebration of one of reggae music’s most eccentric geniuses.” --Rick Anderson, CD HotList
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Swear I'm Good at This - Diet Cig
“The snappy running time of Swear I'm Good at This means all 12 tracks breeze past in an instant, as if you're sprinting straight through the emotional core of vocalist Alex Luciano, grinning maniacally as you run. Since the release of the Over Easy EP back in 2014, Diet Cig's enduring blend of youthful fun and young defiance has given them an irresistible magnetism. . . Every song sticks around just long enough to make a point, which mainly involves either an admission of loneliness or a middle finger to something that has pissed Luciano off. Thankfully, the loneliness motif never comes across as a cry for help, or the need for sympathy, not in the least part because Luciano's public face is of a happy-go-lucky young musician.” --Liam Martin, allmusic.com
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With You in Mind - Stanton Moore
“Galactic drummer Stanton Moore is a busy man. Besides working with NOLA's funky sons, he teaches, does a copious amount of TV and film work, and works on solo projects. One of the latter is his acclaimed trio with organist David Torkanowsky and bassist James Singleton. The three had booked studio time in the fall of 2015 to cut a follow-up to the previous year's celebrated Conversations. That was put on hold when Crescent City icon Allen Toussaint died suddenly after a concert in Spain. Moore's trio didn't feel right proceeding on their own without acknowledging the artist's passing. Moore had done studio work with Toussaint, and the shadow of his influence on the trio looms large. Instead of cutting an original record, the three assembled a host of NOLA luminaries for this masterful presentation of Toussaint's multi-faceted compositions. . . It's likely that other tributes to Toussaint's genius will follow, but it's just as likely that few will be as heartfelt and discerning as the Stanton Moore Trio's With You in Mind.” --Thom Jurek, allmusic.com
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Tapestry: Live In Hyde Park - Carole King
“There have been many reissues of Carole King's iconic 1971 album Tapestry, and rightfully so. Perfectly conceived, produced, and executed, it continues to resonate with virtually anyone who hears it. It became one of the defining (and best-selling) records in the history of pop. This recording documents, if the press materials are to be believed, the first-ever concert performance of Tapestry in its entirety in London's Hyde Park in front of some 60,000 people. . . Audio, video, or both, this is a fantastic version of a bona fide classic.” --Thom Jurek, allmusic.com
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Mercer County Library System 2751 Brunswick Pike Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 989-6922 E-mail: nrsupprt@mcl.org |
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