PopTodd Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Not that most of you (any of you) care, but I am pretty damn psyched for this. Hope it will come out before the end of that year and that I can actually HEAR it before then, too. Paste Magazine review: LINKThe album doesn’t start all that differently from Animal Collective’s Centipede Hz actually—the electronic rhythm stabs that mark the opening “Apocalipsom A” are accompanied by cuts and growls and scrapes like any other collage-oriented indie-rock. Except this one’s by a 76-year-old Brazilian and no one quite knows where it came from. Tom Zé’s a brilliant musician, just your average everyday Tropicália artist, a vet from the enlightenment period of modern Brazilian music, their Sgt. Pepper moment, who didn’t get nearly as famous as Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil or even Os Mutantes, so that he’s currently in the closest thing he’ll get to a heyday. This is fine; Zé makes more sense in the present, having been rescued from obscurity by David Byrne, who releases most of his records on Luaka Bop. But this curious—and curiously accessible—item appeared out of nowhere this year credited to Lapa Records without a download circulating that cuts the ends off of many tracks, sometimes intentional-sounding and otherwise like an unreliable source. Nevertheless, even if the bootleg is all you can find, you want it. It’s one of Ze’s easiest-to-take albums, which doesn’t mean easy listening—it rocks way harder than the Byrne-approved Estudando a Bossa – Nordeste Plaza, which focused on lilting Bossa Nova duets including one with the label owner and ex-Talking Head himself. The metal-resembling, triangular guitar riffs of Ze’s Stateside debut Brazil Classics Vol. 4: The Best of Tom Zé return to mesh with elaborate arrangements like flutes and interrogative strings on “Tropicalea Jacta Est” and bouncy call-and-response tunes like “O Motobói e Maria Clara.” The folded-in textures are as good as those on any Dirty Projectors or tUnE-yArDs album released since the proggification of indie, and he smokes the even more similar Man Man and Deerhoof, who don’t invent their own little instruments and contraptions from leaves and blenders. The thing would be near-perfect if it wasn’t so top-heavy. The second half is much cheesier, from the Afro-Cuban moves of “Debaixo da Marquise do Banco Central” to the ukulele(-sounding) lullaby “Navegador de Canções.” Since Zé’s voice and melodies aren’t as attractive as his library stacks of billowing, spiky sonics and broken, invented instruments, you’ll nod off for a few cuts until track 14 comes roaring back with the sleaze-rocking “Aviso aos Passageiros” (dig that bassline and Santana guitar). There’s plenty to ponder here and some of the best playing of his career—see the acoustic whirlwind leads on “Capitais e Tais.” The album title means “Tropicalia Junk Logic.” Make them aware and old Beck fans will rejoice. It deserves to be discussed the way Animal Collective albums are discussed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted December 7, 2012 Author Share Posted December 7, 2012 Nobody? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted December 7, 2012 Author Share Posted December 7, 2012 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I would have been surprised had you expressed this enthusiasm about Scott Walker's new disk. Hey, Dave Brubeck died and only a handful of us gave a rats ass about that, so go figure. Not everyone can care about everything. I am amazed he is cranking out a new one actually. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted December 7, 2012 Author Share Posted December 7, 2012 Not everyone can care about everything.I am aware. I just know that there are a couple of fans on here and was bumping for their benefit, as well as the benefit of anyone else who may have missed it but might be curious.(Just as much as for myself.)Plus, I found the YouTube for the benefit of said folks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GtrPlyr Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I would have been surprised had you expressed this enthusiasm about Scott Walker's new disk. Hey, Dave Brubeck died and only a handful of us gave a rats ass about that, so go figure. Not everyone can care about everything. I am amazed he is cranking out a new one actually. LouieB I get where you're coming from Louie, but lack of comments doesn't necessarily mean people don't care. Some just might not feel like they have anything interesting to ad to the thread. I suppose I could have posted a r.i.p. comment in the Brubeck thread but I kinda feel lame doing so. And as far as Ze goes I haven't heard the record yet so I really have nothing of interest to say on the matter yet. Thanks for the heads up on the new one nonetheless Todd, much appreciated . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 You may be right. It just seems that the focus here on VC has gotten narrow that's all. I mean there was little interest in talking about Graham Parker too. And I am not just complaining about the treads I go to. That's why I posted. I was not even going to venture an opinion on Tom Ze until I realized no one had any comment. No biggie. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted April 23, 2013 Author Share Posted April 23, 2013 Today I just found out that he made a new EP available for free download at his site!http://tomze.com.brIt's right there at the top of the page. Click the banner. It's classic Tom Zé. Loving it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 ANOTHER NEW TOM ZÉ coming out -- 11/4/2014!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 You should feel good that you have Tom Ze as your own little music ghetto. I was going to post up about the 1920's sides from Isham Jones with the Rainbo Club Orchestra (from Chicago), but I know that no one is interested in that. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 You should feel good that you have Tom Ze as your own little music ghetto. I was going to post up about the 1920's sides from Isham Jones with the Rainbo Club Orchestra (from Chicago), but I know that no one is interested in that. LouieBWe all got our own.You know, if there is a Spotify link or something like that for your little musical pet, why don't you post the link. I think that most of us would be a lot more-likely to check it out that way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 My ability to do links is no longer working otherwise I would put up these sides in a heartbeat. Then again promoting 100 year old music is kind of silly even though this group worked the Uptown scene in the 20s. From that point of view it is interesting to me. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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