Mr. Gnome: Tastes Like Magic EP (El Marko)
Following a well-received sophomore LP late in 2009 — recorded at Josh Homme's studio — dynamic Cleveland duo Mr. Gnome are issuing an addendum of sorts, a pair of B-sides from the same recording session.
The band's main instrumentation is just guitar and drums, but it attains a much fuller sound with keyboards, electronics, and the ghostly vocal presence of Nicole Barille that has elicited comparisons to Karen O.
The result is both hazy and powerful, and the band's success owes much to that dynamic. "Three Red Birds," the EP's "single," is a creepy example of Mr. Gnome at the heavier end of its spectrum, as the tune takes a simple but potent riff and plays with its surroundings.
Mr. Gnome: "Three Red Birds"
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Etran Finatawa: Tarkat Tajje / Let's Go! (Riverboat)
A group of Wodaabe and Tuareg people from Niger, Etran Finatawa is an exploration of tribal music as channeled through electric guitar and a blues sensibility.
The group draws distinct comparisons to Tinariwen, a band of Tuareg musicians whose origin is from northern Mali. And though the two have a kindred bond as well as origins from bordering nations, Etran Finatawa displays the colorful vocalizations and dress of its Wodaabe members, whose collaboration with the Tuareg members is something unique.
The band's instrumentation features a clean-channel guitar, the crux of the Ichumar style, and guitarist Alhousseini Mohamed Anivolla cites regional influences such as Ali Farka Touré and international influences such as Jimi Hendrix. The latter proves to be more of an inspiration than a direct sonic model, but nevertheless, Tarkat Tajje is a mesmerizing album that is helping to further the modernization of tribal African music.
Etran Finatawa: "Aitimani" (excerpt)
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Ralph Towner & Paolo Fresu: Chiaroscuro (ECM)
Acoustic guitar is a staple of classical and folk music and an assortment of Latin and South American styles, but it's something of a rarity in jazz. Ralph Towner has experience in many of these genres, utilizing both nylon- and steel-string guitars (6 and 12 strings) to create a catalog of rich diversity.
However, his instrument of choice is most interesting in his jazz forays, and that holds true on this disc of duets with Italian/Sardinian trumpeter Paolo Fresu. The interplay between the two is careful and effective, and the album's one cover — a piece by Bill Evans and Miles Davis — is representive of the duo's influences and ability.
Honorable Mentions
Dan Weiss Trio: Timshel (Sunnyside)
Flobots: Survival Story (Republic)
Sayyadina: The Great Northern Revisited (Relapse)
V/A: The Rough Guide to Arabic Lounge (World Music Network)
