Sunday, January 14, 2007

Stateless Brazilian Borat etc

Here's a track from a classic New Wave LP "stateless" that has just been reissued digitally for I- Tunes users via Oval Music...

Stateless (...Plus)

For those of you who still refuse to give Steve Jobs .99 cents a song, here's a chance to buy some actual hard copies, or just a free mp3 sample of what yer missing.

For you wet behind the years newbies, I'll just say that it's an old 1960's Tommy James and the Shondells bubblegum psychedelia cut that teen star Tiffany had to mess up a few years after Lene Lovich had her quirkier shot at it...

Lene Lovich - "I Think We're Alone Now" (mp3)


from "Stateless (...Plus)"
by Lene Lovich

available via

Oval Music


Next up is some new music from one of Brazil's most infamous musical mayhem makers. I had the joyous experience of catching him on his last US tour several years back and new music from this man is a treat indeed. The new album translates from Portugese to mean Dance of the Heirs of Sacrifice... However, paying a few pesos & grabbing a hold of these tracks is no sacrifice for lovers of unique sounds...

In fact I'll give ya a few freebies down below just in hopes you might seek out more from his outrageously fertile & funky history...

Amongst his 70's titles that feature perfectly percolating time signatures and perverse perspectives are Se O Caso É Chorar, Todos Os Olhos, Estudando O Samba, Correio Da Estação Do Brás. He's credited as one of the founding fathers of the tropicalia movement along with Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes, and many others in Brazil during the late sixties. After basically wallowing in obscurity for years, it was David Byrne's curiosity for world music that helped bring Ze' back to the fore of alternative music with a series of reissues on Luaka Bop.

Now in the new millennium, Ze's re-emerged as @ vibrant and critical force , even as 70+ years old artist and somehow, at least in my feeble mind is still creating mandatory musical journeys across the Americas, almost as entertaining as a Brazilian Borat with a beat...



The hype on the album he's created says it's based on an MTV marketing research, which showed that there is an unexpected trend for hedonism, consumerism and social irresponsibility in youth.

"
... soon anthropologists, journalists and filmmakers will mobilize themselves, and this will help youths to engage in the optimistic project of being the black person that we are, heirs of the sacrifice of various African nations, whose blood depurated art and religion in the 3 Americas - just consider samba, the Tropicalia movement or rock, Hip-hop and reggae."
- Tom Zé.


Tom Ze' - "Cara-cuá - Revolta Nagô-Oió 1830" (mp3)
from his latest "Danç-Êh-Sá"
by Tom Zé

available on the
Tratore label


Pssst....More Classic - Tom Ze'

this from his early years as a psychedelic troubadour

Tom Ze' - Gloria ( Z-share)

Here's one that appeared on the Com Defeito De Fabricacao CD issued stateside by Luaka Bop that saw him finally tour the US, where I saw him in 1998 with members of Tortoise as the band...

Tom Ze' - O Olcho Do Lago

next a track that Mr. Ze' put out in 2006, originally on Brazil's diverse and deep Trama label, then was reissued in the US via David Byrne's Luaka Bop imprint.

Tom Ze' - O Amor e Um Rock

a video from that 2006 Danç-Êh-Sá album



and a 2003 foray into post Iraq political commentary that is a musical attempt to describe our fine U.S President Bush, who believes he is brilliant, godly, widely admired, and respected worldwide in nearly every time zone and hemisphere...

Tom Ze' - Companheiro Bush (Max de Castro Remix)


Viva Ze'


pssst...

some key Ze' imports and other discs by him still in print you can buy


20 Preferidas BrazilCD$17.55
Danc-Eh-Sa BrazilCD$18.79
Estudando O Pagode UKCD$23.39
Jogos De Amar BrazilCD$20.39
Na Opereta Segregamulher E Amor (2006) Audio SamplesCD$15.69
Nave MariaCD$17.79
Brazil Classics 4: Best Of Tom Ze (Luaka Bop 1990) Audio SamplesCD$10.89
Fabrication Defect (Com Defeito De Fabricacao) (Luaka Bop 1998) Audio SamplesCD$10.99



oh and this 20 track compilation is about as sweet an overview of Tropicalia ya can get yer sticky hands on... excellent Soul Jazz label effort with extensive sleeve-notes and choice cuts... including not only Tom Ze' but contemporaries like Gal Costa, Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso and more. Click da cover art for more info...



see ya latahz alligators...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

bravo. sweet sweet ze'