Creative Construction Company, Creative Construction Company (side A)

By 1975, the Anthony Braxton Trio that left for Europe had grown to this leaderless sextet and returned to New York. The Leroy Jenkins piece, "Muhal", that fills Creative Construction Company find the group at their most abstract, with little if any recognizable jazz references. Proficient playing is juxtaposed with primitive use of "little instruments" like whistles, harmonicas, and percussion. The performance is beautiful and fascinating, but the composition can be structurally uninviting as it moves through a series of phases. I always enjoy damaged AACM freakouts, and Creative Construction Company is definitely a fine example. It sounds good for a live recording, though Steve McCall's drums are very distant when compared with all of the other close-mic'ed sounds.

Mingus, Oh Yeah (side A)

Oh Yeah, from 1962, is Mingus at his sloppiest and most festive. Even the sadder songs are inspiring and full of life. The odd vocalizing fits the whole chaotic feel. I love the more cerebral side of Black Saint & the Sinner Lady, but Oh Yeah is great for a completely opposite reason (and it's crazy to think that they're only a year apart). My 80s Atlantic Jazzlore reissue has horrible packaging, but fortunately the sound is not harmed—it's a fine mastering job.

Neville Brothers (1955-1987), Treacherous Too! (CD)

Admittedly, the proper Neville Brothers tracks from the late-70s and 80s aren't terribly exciting. Fortunately, the first 2/3 of this disc dates from 1955-1969—it's mostly early Art Neville singles. I'm definitely not a New Orleans music fetishist, but these tracks are still impressive on every listen. Great playing, cool production, pro songwriting, weird lyrics (the oddest that I noticed is about eating all the beans in Boston, from "What's Going On"),... all classic and a bit crazy. Informative liner notes, competent remastering, and unattractive packaging round out the reissue.

Six Finger Satellite, Law of Ruins (CD)

The last album (1998) from this era of 6FS, which began with 1995's Severe Exposure. It's sonically the clearest of the bunch, though it's still generally a bit heavy in bass and low in highs, at least on CD. I prefer the rougher, lo-fi sounds of the preceding albums, but both approaches ultimately hold up. This line-up was incredibly powerful, both in concert and on all 4 records it produced. Law of Ruins feels the group coming apart at times—it lacks the cohesion that made Severe Exposure so special. I spent a lot of time with 6FS in this era, as friend and fan, and the records still sound great to me today. The clear packaging is more special when coupled with clear vinyl, but the CD still looks distinctive and recognizable.

Gen Ken Montgomery, Pondfloorsample (disc 1, 2xCD)

I remember a story that once when Gen Ken was teaching a class, he mentioned that he'd run the first sound art gallery in New York, Generator. One of the students seemed confused, because it did not appear in Alan Licht's sound art book. Gen Ken's made some important, if obviously overlooked, contributions to NYC, and it's nice to see him documented in this double CD retrospective on XI from 2002. Pondfloorsample is quite friendly given the mechanical sounds from which much of it was assembled. I'd have preferred to soften the harsh highs a tiny bit in mastering, but I'm picky that way.

Poem Rocket, Invasion (CD, disc 1)

A couple of disclaimers here—I helped Charles a tiny bit with engineering when I had time in 2003, plus Michael and Sandra are old friends of mine. It always saddens me that their best work started AFTER they stopped touring or releasing albums regularly. Psychogeography, from 2000, is my favorite, because it's a bit more coherent and unified, but I also appreciate the scope that they successfully execute on Invasion. I'm happy this one finally got finished (it's a pretty ambitious work) and released in 2006. And, of course, any record with a Cakekitchen cover is automatically OK with me...

Bee Gees, Idea (side A)

I've always enjoyed the Bee Gees early, Beatles-y, records. This one (from 1968) is two after 1st, which I guess makes it their 3rd, though it's actually confusing when I read the discography, whether 1st actually came first. I really like that Idea was engineered by a guy named John Pantry—he has a great name, even if I've never heard of him. It also has some funny production gimmicks, including what sounds like a guy making noises with his mouth? (in rhythm with the song no less) I prefer side B, with "I Started a Joke" and "I Have Decided to Join the Air Force", though "I've Got to Get a Message to You" was a hit too—it's an odd sequence with hits at the end of side A and in the middle of side B. And I would have assumed they'd be trying to distance themselves a bit from the Beatles, rather than reusing cover artist Klaus Voorman, but what do I know? Idea is a nice record and a fun listen.

Snakefinger, Manual of Errors (side A)

1986's Night of Desirable Objects was a better effort to make a polished, almost commercial Snakefinger effort (thanks in part to Howard Johnson's tasteful engineering). Manual of Errors somehow seems a little bit off. It seems like it's trying to be cleaner and more accessible, but it also doesn't really sound that good. The vocals are sort of out in front, the song structures somewhat more evident. The results seem a bit bland, and not quite clear what the intention was (I can't imagine anyone thinking a Snakefinger record would be a big hit in 1982?, plus the "sellout" quotient is really far too low). I'm a sucker for almost anything on Ralph, and this album definitely has its charms, starting with some overtly damaged lyrics (even by Snakefinger's already weird standards). Amusing and perplexing, but probably his weakest album.

Builders, Pyx (1985-1988) (CD)

I always think of Bill Direen as a Chris Knox type musician. He was also a New Zealander making music in the '80s, and some of his best work has similarities (both to Chris's pop songs and his more abstract moments). Pyx is a lot more diverse, to a point that's somewhat confusing. Being a reissue compilation (on Flying Nun in 1994), it clearly does not reflect anything close to an original sequence. Parts definitely sound like Great Leap Forward, which is a comparison I don't make often (much as I am a Big Flame fan), and works less well for Direen. The best songs on here, like "Alligator Song", "Clifford Flat", and "Dublin", reflect yet another distinctive New Zealand voice.

Denzel & Huhn, Time is a Good Thing (side C)

2002 was the heyday of German avant-techno, and City Center Offices was one of the best labels in the genre. Denzel & Huhn are a great example of what made the genre good, and this is a strong album. Side C of Time is a Good Thing does include one track with a more analog New Order-y palette that sounds a bit dated, but the rest of it contains crazy looping clicks & glitches that twist the techno palette to unrecognizable bounds. The idea of repetition is abstracted away from the dancier idiom where it began, and it's turned into something new and daring. The use of low-frequencies is particularly impressive, and the lo-fi digital sound is more murky and Apogee-ish than harsh or brittle.

Jasper TX, In a Cool Monsoon (CD)

I think In a Cool Monsoon might be the third Jasper TX, not counting collaborations with Machinefabriek and anything else I'm forgetting. It's a really diverse CD, with everything from digital distortion to baroque progressions, and they're generally well-executed. The diversity makes it feel a bit unfocused to me. A lot of it held my interest, but I remember liking A Darkness more (updates when I listen to that one). It's mastered very loud and modern (well, modern for 2006)—I'd have preferred a bit more dynamics.