Tuesday, February 7, 2017

NOT A TERRORIST

It's been a couple weeks since the asshat in chief did his little ban thing. What a complete idiot. Sorry, I got nothn'. Know this our international friends, we're as astonished as you are that such an ill-minded impossibly bad bullshiter could end up fronting any country, let alone our own. I may only speak for one, but I will speak loudly and often. He is not my president.

When said asshat attempted to roll out his seven country travel ban, I headed to Radio Diffusion International to revisit music that they've posted from the Middle East. I'm not exactly sure what I was hoping to accomplish by doing that, but I am exactly sure that there's whacked out shit everywhere. Do you really think that the United States is the only country that can produce someone like Hasil Adkins? The Shaggs? Beefheart? There are musical outliers everywhere.

Not all of the music I sampled was whacked out. Some was derivative of Western music, some were quality ethnic jams, but it was pert' near all listenable, and it was refreshing, in some odd way, to get out of the box. So, here's a look at just a few of them. These aren't intended to be representative, they're totally random picks, except for Assa's Khoury. You'll see why when you get to him.

Libya: Nasser Mizdawi and his Guitar. "Two Months" is like a less dynamic "Goldfinger" with faint Middle Eastern overtones. Mizdawi is no Nokie Edwards, but I suppose he gets the job done. Nice brass, but this sucker could definitely use more oomph.

Iraq: Munir Bachir. "Alouspour Ettaïr" He's an old fashioned country picker, if the country is Iraq. Chet Atkins after doing a U-Roy on a hookah.

Iran: Black Cats. "Marcella" What the hell? Behind that murky production is a capable James Brown take. Well I'll be dipped in shit.

Syria: Assa’d Khoury with his Oriental Electronic Organ and Band. This is the big daddy today. You're already hooked with just the name of the band. Dig the name of the LP, Electronic Touch Belly Dance. I know. huh?. The sample delivers. "Al Ghaba" is pure whacked out gold. He's like Syria's version of our old friend Luie Luie (not the song, this guy). Musical crackpots, I guess, know no borders.

These are just four songs from four countries, Radio Diffusion has a shitload more, from all over the place not just the Middle East. What are you doing right now anyway? As long as you're online, you might as well sit on your ass and travel. Go there.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Nasser Mizdawi and his Guitar - Two Months mp3 at Radio Diffusion Libya
Munir Bachir - Alouspour Ettaïr mp3
at Radio Diffusion Iraq
Black Cats - Marcella mp3
at Radio Diffusion Iran
Assa’d Khoury with his Oriental Electronic Organ and Band - Al Ghaba mp3
at Radio Diffusion Syria

No comments: