Eric Anderson – Blue River – Columbia, 1972.
🪨🫧 🪩 🗣️⎄ 📝:
Mr. Anderson has his own voice, but he does also sound like the love child of James Taylor and Billy Joel. His history stretches back before either of those artists were popular. Though this is possibly his best known album, he had been recording for about a decade before it was released. He has continued to release music as recently as 2025. He was a part of the 60’s NYC Folk community, but eventually relocated to Norway, which may be why this music is less well known. I like the pieces with more orchestration the best, better than the spare guitar and voice pieces. He leans a little in the Country direction and I think that style is a more comfortable setting for his voice. “Wind & Sand”
Overall = 4.3 (10) – It can hang with other, similar albums from this era and is worth a listen. Get it!
Dock Boggs – Country Blues: Complete Early Recordings (1927-29) – Revenant, 1997.
🇺🇸📣🌾🪕 ⌛️👣⚰️ 🗝️:
Dock Boggs’ evokes a haunted sound from both his voice and banjo. His banjo playing is transportive to a different era. The modern banjo developed in post-Civil War America though the instrument originated in Africa. The Banjo has traditions in both Euro-American and Afro-American cultures. It is a unifying instrument in our country and one of the cultural gifts given by the enslaved people of America. Mr. Boggs plays Clawhammer banjo, he is a key figure for Appalachian music and an example of a white artist with black influences on his sound. Revenant is John Fahey’s label. “Old Rub Alcohol Blues”
Overall = 7.8 (10) – Time capsule! Get it!$$$$$
VA – Yip Harburg — “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” Day – Harburg Foundation, 1993.
🇺🇸📣🌾 ❂ ✺ 📝 ⎄:
An interesting compilation of many versions of one song. I bought it for the Tom Waits version, which was made for this “benefit”(?) CD. He is promoted on the cover, but I believe the rest of the tracks are versions covered across the years and were culled from other recordings. Mr. Harburg wrote more popular songs (“Over the Rainbow”) so I believe this song lent itself perfectly to a cause. I think the post-Depression attitude about being poor was very different than the distaste being shown in this age. People attributed grace and nobility to the destitute because it was understood that many causes were far beyond an individual’s hands. The Tom Waits version.
Overall = 4.6 (10) – A pretty specific collection. Only for when you want to fall in a “Song Hole” and get lost in the myriad versions of the same track. Get it!
Emile Barnes’ Louisiana Joymakers – Opening Night at Preservation Hall – American Music, 1961/1995.
🇺🇸📣🏙️⏳ 🪄 🎟️🎺🦞:
Big & boomy! Another historic recording, from this group of In The Stacks recordings, which reflects American music from about a century ago. I lived a few blocks away from Preservation Hall in ’94 and worked around the corner. It is a place everyone should spend a moment in, the ghosts are musical there and the living performances raises distinct spirits. The place itself is shack-like and in a crowd it can get sweaty and warm, but it is a historic venue that preserves our music. The Joymakers play the classics, a little out of tune and stompy, but the they set the mark. “St. James Infirmary”
Overall = 6.6 (10) – Get loose!Get it!
Suzanne Ciani – Seven Waves – Private Music, 1982/1984/1988.
🌌⚡️✆ 🗝️ ⎄🔌📀:
In all 3 Ciani recordings reviewed here she involves many water references. This recording, the earliest of the bunch, is my favorite and it features a seven movement (or waves) suite. I often use Mrs. Ciani’s music to inform students about early electronic music. She appeared on 3, 2, 1 Contact!, an episode which I believe I watched as a child and I have been nursing a crush on her since. She also did an info/doc on creating the music for a pin ball game. I believe I recognized the game from being in arcades. She is one of the early pioneers of electronic music and probably the most mainstream of the trendsetters. “The Third Wave – Love In The Waves”
Overall = 6.3 (10) – My favorite of her recordings that I own.Get it!
& History of My Heart – Private Music, 1989.
🌌⚡️✆ 🗝️ ⎄🧀🔌:
Though Mrs. Ciani composes in a Classical style, her compositions are what I would describe as Instrumental Electronic Pop. The electronics timbres can sound dated and there is often an element of Sweet Auntie Cheese melting on her beeps and boops. I like it, though it can be a little too cute, which often hides that she is a master of these instruments and breaking ground with her process. This album does not include the song “History of My Heart” which suggests to me a conceptual angle that she wasn’t finished with. That the term seems to be something close to her musical creative approach. Electronics are difficult, to my ears, to use in an intimate, personal approach – occasionally these tracks seem ready for a Hallmark movie soundtrack. It isn’t her melodic design, because Harold Budd is very melodic, but he rarely arrives at the saccharine. Often the music here reminds me of the Twin Peaks score by Angelo Badalamenti, but without the lurking poison and teeth that that music is infested with. “Terra Mesa”
Overall = 4.2 (10) – A must for electronic historians, but not good for every listening situation.Get it!
& Velocity of Love – RCA, 1986.
🌌⚡️✆ 🗝️ ⎄ 🧀🔌:
A little strange that “History of My Heart”, the song, is on this album. Certain artists become attached to creative ideas, and then the creations manifest at their own leisure. These are longish tracks, but lean into the cheesiness of the time period and saturate with the electronic sounds of the 80’s in a way that I appreciate, more than I enjoy. I also appreciate the general peacefulness of Mrs. Ciani’s music, her vibrant personality comes through her music and it is easy to listen to. “History of My Heart”
Overall = 3.6 (10) – A lot of the songs feel like they are missing a vocalist yet seem designed for a voice. Get it!
VA – Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal – Numero Group, 1968-1980/2006.
🇺🇸📣🌳 𖫪 🗣️⛪️ ❂ ✺:
This a great collection of obscure Pop/Funk/R&B & Gospel. I have found a variety of religious musics which “borrow” popular rhythms, sounds and forms. I enjoy the mix. Full albums featuring only one of these bands rarely sustain the magic, but a sampling of the best songs, as on this collection, can really offer many examples of brilliance. Post-60’s Gospel naturally blended with Soul & R&B, Funk isn’t that far from those catchments. I’m not certain I would define everything here as Funk, or Funky, many tracks feel more like choir with a Funky drummer, some like copies of hit songs, but if you want your Gospel to feel danceable these recordings are right for you. “Is There Any Love In This World” Trevor Dandy. A good choice for 2026 and some incredibly archaic political actions occurring all around us.
Overall = 6.5 (10) – Excellent, if that message doesn’t get in the way, for you. Get it!
Beach House – Beach House – Carpark, 2006.
🪨🫧 🪩 🤿 ❤️🔥 👁️🎑 🗝️ 🗣️⎄:
One of my favorite group’s debut album. They already have the dreamy sound of the void that I’m looking for, but the songs don’t all feel complete yet and it doesn’t quite achieve the sonic heights that their future albums will. Beach House has many virtues: simplicity, vivid timbres, rich lyrics, her sour voice and his subtle touch. Their music (and my child) really helped me survive my divorce and I think their music is for the broken hearted. I have learned many of their songs, meaning singing them and would love to create some instrumental covers that could evoke their sound. “Tokyo Witch”
Overall = 6.1 (10) – My favorite Beach House album is the one I’m listening to, but this one feels very formative and not all the way worked out yet.Get it!
Country Gentlemen – Country Songs, Old and New – Smithsonian Folkways, 1960/1990.
🍏🌾 🆑🐴🌳🇺🇸📣🎸🪕:
Every song on this recording sounds like an iconic example of early Country music. There is a little range with songs that lean Folk, ballads, instrumentals/Blue Grass and religious material .There is a sense that these are pieces you’ve heard somewhere before, perhaps in a film or commercial. Smithsonian Folkways traditionally attempted to document sounds from around the World and preserve aural traditions. On occasion they dipped into popular forms, such as Jazz and Country, as they do here. Everything features good string work and rich vocal harmonies, that make you want to get up and shake a leg. “The Little Sparrow”
Overall = 7.2 (10) – Not really my bag, but a great example of a kind of American music. Get it!
Blo – Chapters and Phases: The Complete Albums 1973-1975 – G&A/RPM, 1973 & 1975/2009. (includes: Chapter One & Phase II)
🌍🫧🪨🇳🇬:
An early Nigerian Rock Band that sings in English and sounds, particularly on the Phase II album, like a 90’s Jam band. I find the possible influences I hear of The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers strange in this music. Blo mostly sounds like a Rock band to me, one which doesn’t display their regional influences very much. I prefer their debut album, Chapter One, it holds more surprises. I do think they are pretty early for having this type of sound, which is interesting, but also not really my bag. “Whole Lot of Shit”
Overall = 4.5 (10) – I find it a little dry, and I hoped it was more Afro-Pop. Blo has an important historic significance nonetheless. Get it!$$
Kofi Kikusui, Noriko Noda & Yayoi Nishimura – Japanese Koto Consort– Ensemble Pieces – Lyrichord, ?.
🌎📣🇯🇵 👁️:
Formal Japanese music featuring: Kotos, Jushichigen, Shamisen, Shakuchachi and Voice. I use the term Formal music to distinguish it from Folk traditions, to observe the element of study involved and for the music’s connection to specific traditions and events. There is no date in the liners, but the document feels like this was intended to be a recital that introduced people to Japanese music and maybe from the 80’s. Also it sports a fine cover! “Sasurai” which means wanderer.
Overall = 6.4 (10) – Dramatic, suspenseful sounds that can match well with certain activities. Get it!
Zia Mohiuddin Dagar – Raga Yaman & Raga Shuddha Todi – Nimbus, 1991/1994.
🌎📣🇮🇳 🔭 🌃 🤿 🪄:
Deep and very peaceful, the song selection from this double album will be a Play/Mix ender because they are all 20+ minutes long. Classical Indian music, featuring a master of the Rudra Vina. I feel at peace after listening to it, which is appreciated. This style of improvisation works in a different manner than how improvisation does within popular and modern music genres. It is more about process, it never sounds improvised and the details are incredibly vivid. Each bend, the minimal accompaniment and glacial pace create a focused listening environment. Meditative. “Raga Yaman: Alap”
Overall = 5.7 (10) – Great meditative music.Get it!
Jimi Hendrix – Self Designed Box Set: Live & Obscure: Flashing: The Authentic PPX Studio Recordings vol.2, Woodstock, Concerts & The First Rays of the New Rising Sun (bootleg) – PPX/SPV, MCA, Media & Triangle – 1965 & 67, 1969/1994, 1968-1970/1982/1988 & 1969-1970/1993.
⏺️ 🪄🎸🪨 🗝️ ❂ 📔:
Early recordings and material that I have in a variety of formats, on record, disc and different collections of early Hendrix recordings. These songs lean towards R&B and don’t really arrive at the sound Hendrix was famous for, but we are lucky his pre-Experience bands were recorded and I find myself enjoying these recordings than I did back in the days that I first purchased them. “Day Tripper (ft. Curtis Knight)”
Overall = 4.7 (10) – Actually pretty groovy! Get it!
⏺️ 🪄🎸🪨 🗝️ ❂ 🎟️ 🏋🏽 🕸️⌛️ ⚒️ ♛🏙️👣 🃁📔 🪄
Hendrix was my gateway guitar. And this legendary Woodstock performance was one of the peak recordings, and videos, that began my musical journey. I bought my first guitar from my Karate Sensei I believe in 1986 or 1987. My friend at the time influenced my musical interests and his tastes ranged from Rap to Classic Rock (Classic Rock was supported by my parents record collection). I recall him imitating the backwards sound from the beginning of “Are You Experienced” vocally and chastise me for not knowing what it was. Otherwise I got my music from MTV or the radio before that time and I have been a collector of music recordings since. “Villanova Junction” This song was my first attempt to notate and transcribe music, I used a series of up and down arrows to figure out each pitch.
Overall = 9.5 (10) – A legendary recording in my life and in history. Get it!
⏺️ 🪄🎸🪨 🗝️ ❂ 🎟️ 🏋🏽 🕸️⌛️ ⚒️👣 🪄📔 :
A collection of songs from different live performances and a brilliant, fiery painting of Hendrix on its cover. I have this both on vinyl and disc, and apparently they are both difficult to come across. I find some of these tracks to be of my favorites live Hendrix recordings. “Stone Free” has a difficult vocal, but transforms into one of my favorite solo meanderings. There is also a live version of “Little Wing” which I recall being rare and the guitar work is generally insane with Hendrix getting time to stretch out. “Red House (Live At New York Pop Festival, Randall’s Island)” 7/17/1970
Overall = 9.2 (10) – It is a great collection for any collection, highly recommended. Get it!$$$$$$$
⏺️ 🪄🎸🪨 🗝️ ❂👣:
Here a collection of out takes, studio takes, unfinished material that has mostly (more recently) been released in other capacities. I have many of these tracks in multiple formats, but there are still a few obscurities. For Hendrix fans there really is a limit to the available recordings, so I disregard duplication issues and grab whatever I find. He released nothing of poor quality and some of the greatest music of all time. Most of these tracks are incomplete, lacking vocals, or un-mixed – they were the future, but not completed.
Get it! *Mine is a bootleg pre-version of this posthumous release. Mine is also probably un-mixed/ un-mastered and of dubious quality + has some extra material. “Angel” (Solo)
Found Sounds 