The Walrus is a Philadelphia-based music blog written by Michael. You may send me stuff through the send a tip page or email me. All mp3s should be sent as links. NO ATTACHMENTS, PLEASE. If I like your music, chances are I will write about it.
DISCLAIMER
mp3s on this site are for promotional purposes only. If you wish to have an mp3 removed please contact me.
Good news for all of us drum fiends who are digging the cassette-based revival of obscure, but undoubtedly influential African sounds brilliantly curated by NYC’s Brian Shimkovitz…
After five years of spreading world music to the masses, Awesome Tapes From Africa is finally launching a label. Starting this October, ATFA will re-issue select recordings to hold in your very own hands. Kicking off with an album from Malian singer Nâ Hawa Doumbia called La Grande Contatrice Malienne Vol 3, the label plans to distribute LP, CD, and MP3 formats via SC Distribution– with 50% of the profits going to the artists (yes!).
UMO is a new band from Portland by way of New Zealand, but all you really need to know is that their album cover, pictured above, absolutely rules (the band purchased it from photographer Frédéric Chaubin who assembled an awesome book of weird Russian architecture.).
The music is another story, but just as cool. This track is a lo-fi soul jam that will get stuck in your head immediately…in a good way…
This new track from Zola sees her getting a bit more experimental with her rhythms and textures, which is always cool to hear. It’s taken from her forthcoming album Conatus, which will be released October 4th through Sacred Bones.
Many musicians were inspired and influenced by the amazing music created by Trish Keenan and Broadcast before her untimely passing. Lucky for us, an amazing mixtape full of obscure, psychedelic gems, which inspired her, has been posted by Joe Muggs of Arts Desk:
“A friend in Birmingham who had become good friends with Keenan in recent years has passed me THIS LINK for a “mixtape” she gave him very recently. It’s the most wonderful collection of psychedelic rarities, film music and synthesiser experiments, and perfectly illustrates Keenan’s constant mission to turn people on to exquisite and unusual sounds – but also, as the tracks are not titled, shows the sense of mystery and incentive to investigate with which she imbued all her work.”..“To quote my friend David: ‘Before she went to Australia Trish sent me a mix CD of bonkers pop music she compiled, I never thanked her. It’s called Mind-Bending Motorway Mix and I want to share it with you, please pass the link on, share it far and wide, it’s a little tribute to an (as a friend referred to her today) exhilarating woman…”
What do you get when Honus Honus of Man Man, Nick Thorburn of Islands and Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse decide to make music together? Well, you get this…and this is pretty damn good:
If you live in the area, be sure to head over to Johnny Brenda’s for some local music action tomorrow night at the Arc in Round Record Release Party w/ Arc in Round, Golden Ages, Tadoma and Pink Skull supporting (That is, if you are not seeing Peter Hook of Joy Division/New Order at Voyeur).
