THERE’S A WORLD OUT THERE! Howard Male is your pilot, and this time we’re off to New Zealand, Colombia, Mali, Tanzania .. er … Hackney, so fasten your seatbelts!
A
s a live performer, New Zealand’s one-man man band Delaney Davidson comes across as a whisky-steeped, bar-room brawler with a broken heart. In reality he’s not had a drink for seven years and you can invite him round for beans on toast and a mug of tea (as I did, in fact, only the other week) without fearing he’ll wreck the place. However, he did once lead the life he describes in his roughedged country/blues songs, and it even put him in a jail cell on more than one occasion. Bad Luck Man (Voodoo Rhythm Records) is his superb second album and it’s full of songs that Nick Cave or Tom Waits would be proud of. There’s never been a more appropriate and simultaneously amusing name for a band than Bongo Hotheads. This Tanzanian crew of eight youngsters makes a fast and furious sound centred on a 25-quid Casio keyboard, bongos (in case you hadn’t guessed) and vocals. The end result is very in-your-face and almost absurdly energetic. Jagwa Music (Crammed Discs) is from the same producer that brought us the Congotronics series, but for me it’s not quite as compelling as previous releases by the likes of Konono No 1. The constant rattle and thump of the too-highin-the-mix congas wears a bit thin after the first couple of songs, as does the fact that the only
50
tribute (so there’s a hiphop element on a few of the tunes but it never feels less than natural).
other instrumentation is a toy keyboard. But if I got as drunk as Delaney Davidson used to get, maybe then it would work its magic. In recent years Colombian cumbia has been growing in popularity around the world, gradually becoming as compelling a groove as reggae or ska in its capacity to get people on the dance floor. But up until now, DJs have been reliant on vintage recordings from the 1960s and 1970s to put on the decks. Which brings us to Ondatropica (Soundways Records). The title is also the name of the band, and it’s a band consisting of an extensive line-up of great musicians old and new, intent on putting Colombia’s music back into a contemporary context. This it does with a vibrant, well-produced double album which perfectly balances a respect and feel for all the musical styles being paid
African music fans will be used to the notion that Afrobeat stems from Nigeria, and that Mali is more associated with loping blues and the elegant, intricate meanderings of its kora players. But Afrobeat has its roots in the 1970s funk of James Brown who whose guitar-led grooves were as familiar to Malians as it was to Nigerians. Which brings us to Ben Zabo and his self-titled debut album (Glitterhouse Records). The influence of Brown and of course Fela Kuti is immediately apparent, but occasionally you can also hear the more meditative, introspective elements one associates with Malian music. But largely this is full-on brassy Afrobeat, as assertively funky as anything Nigeria has produced. Talking of Africa, East London’s Tigercats incorporate African guitar into some of their songs. Whether the influence is direct or via Vampire Weekend is neither here no there, as they’re a lot more edgy and interesting than those
aforementioned New York college boys. Their debut album Isle of Dogs (Fika Recordings/ Acuarela) is refreshing because it actually sounds like a real band going through their paces (rather than an overproduced confection). Their poppy yet angular sound evokes a whole bunch of late 1970s punk/ new wave acts who were doing their thing before any of these youngsters were even born. In fact the lyrics of The Vapours name-checks a whole string of such acts (Jona Lewie, Jilted John, The Only Ones and of course The Vapours), all of which have clearly inspired their music, without ever turning it into mere pastiche. Sharp and witty lyrics too. Tigercats are the best new British rock band I’ve heard in ages.
Howard Male