Val Bennett
Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 by Paul Irishroots reggae // jazz standard cover
It’s been unseasonably warm in the Northeast and the dry air necessitates humidifiers which then inevitably lead me to mimicking some deep toking. All in all, the perfect ambiance to absorb some new new reggae and dub CDs my roommate Adam just acquired. I heard this tune snaking out of his room just an hour ago. Oddly enough, it’s not from his CDs, but rather playing from the theme of the 80′s series “The Secret Life Of Machines” (recommended!). This is basically a roots reggae cover of the Dave Brubek Quartet classic “Take Five”. While Brubek’s name is usually attached to the tune, it’s genius was actually conceived by writer Paul Desmond, who was one of my first posts on Aurgasm.Take it easy, take it slow, take five.
Val Bennett – The Russians Are Coming
buy this cd
I can’t say that you Aurgasm readers often tell me what music I should be hearing (lord knows I get an earful from promoters), but one name that’s been thrown my way many times is Fat Freddy’s Drop. And if the popularity of the last multi-reader suggestion, 
Nuzzle these together for me: the songwriting flavor of Jack Johnson, the character of Amadou & Miriam, and the sound of the islands with the roll of an ocean wave. The Frenchman Jehro (pronounced ZHE-ro) moved to London at 20 and was absorbed by the Jamaican and Spanish influences around his Hammersmith flat. You can expect light and acoustic arrangments alongside Jehro’s chansonnier voice delivering lyrical sensuality. As for me, I expect to see a lot more of this cat.
Now if you’re from Australia, you’re fully aware of this power squad of rockers. But if you’re not, don’t start thinking The Cat Empire is in the same aussie vein as Silverchair and Savage Garden. No no, TCE packs a hell of a punch – killer guitar riffs coupled with a nasty brass section. All the while, they feel like some neighborhood kids having a hell of a time, but you can’t not love the entirely fun grooves they produce. ‘Sly’ jumps loudly off their newest album, 
My commute home, like yours, is a time to unwind and forget your day’s stresses. Luckily, Boston’s