El Guincho - Folìas

Last year El Guincho released what was supposedly his "debut" album. Many people fell in love with his blend of tropicalia, dance influenced looping, and generally sunny melodies. It's certainly a good record, but many aren't aware of this self released album from 2006. I personally prefer it to Alegranza, as the songs seem a little more developed and less monotonous. This record is long out of print, as it was only a cdr release to begin with. His record label has apparently O.K.ed the free downloading of this record, so enjoy!





Download "Folìas"

Various things.

"Angel of Air - Angel of Water" - Alice Coltrane & Carlos Santana
"Angel of Sunlight" - Alice Coltrane & Carlos Santana

Recorded during Carlos Santana's jazz fusion period, Illuminations (1974) is sometimes regarded as the lesser counterpart to Love Devotion Surrender, his 1973 collaboration with John McLaughlin. That's a shame, though, because re-examination reveals Illuminations to be an unusual, intriguing, and occasionally excellent album. Alice Coltrane's string arrangements are particularly striking and function as a smooth complement to the ensemble's (occasionally free) soloing. Eastern motifs occur frequently, particularly on the noisy modal jam "Angel of Sunlight," while "Angel of Air - Angel of Water" embodies the blissful, contemplative tone of much of the record.

"Time" - The Tropics
"You Better Move" - The Tropics

In the mid to late 1960s, the Tropics were supposed to be the next-big-thing, at least according to other Floridians. My dad mentioned this band when I got into garage rock in high school and believe it or not, they're actually pretty good. They kinda devolved into a poor man's Vanilla Fudge by 1969, but their earlier recordings are enjoyable, particularly if you're a Nuggets obsessive like me. "Time" is a Zombies-style minor keyed pop number, while "You Better Move" is a harmonica-laden rave-up.

"Jaws" - Johnny Otis

The best part of this song is the totally unexpected vibraphone solo.