Thievery Corporation's label finally, after weeks of being blown off and told"it's in the mail"-can you believe that little chestnut is still used?- sent the CD to the mailbox. I jus' don't get no respect...

I am just wild about Four Tet-Everything Ecstatic. Four Tet is Kieran Hebden and when he says his influences were broad before making this album, I am a true believer. I may be a neophyte to this whole Trip Techno (my term for it) stuff, but this album should be in every household.

Monolake sent me four CDs and his albums are complex experimental techno. I mean what the hell do you call this stuff? Dark Trip Techno? Robert Henke is Monolake and just maybe I can get an interview sometime. Seems like there's some samples from Apocalypse Now or maybe it's just late and those two Diet Cokes are really kicking in. It's just late. www.monolake.de

Paul Avgerinos sent me four of his CDs. This carefully walks a thin line between New Age (most of which is dreadfully dull and unimaginative) and Ambient. Paul comes from a classical background and it seems a degree from Peabody is part of that. I have been delaying listening to these and I need to get over my "teshophobia"-a fear of new age music.

Charleston musician Terry "Bug" Lilly sent me his "Songs From A Green Guitar." This kid has got an amazing voice. Normally singers with guitars make me leery, but I always give everything a shot. Half of Me is a good song.

Prime Time Sublime Community Orchestra, lead by Paul Minotto, has a new one appropriately called Songs That Will Never Win A Grammy. This in-your-face-we're-not-commercial wacky ensemble has not very subtle Zappa influences written all over it. This we're-so-creative-and-never-commercial attitude is written all over this group and while that's a concept I can easily swallow, my thought is this: groups who are creative don't have to so agressively advertize it. Medeski, Martin and Wood immediately come to mind in that regard. Still, anything this wacky has to be played if only to annoy people.

Patrick O'Hearn has Slow Time out now. I enjoyed 2003's Beautiful World. One of these guys with a gentle take on electronica that neither gets too ominous, far-out, dark or freaky, yet he makes it interesting. That's not easy.

new ECM discs in specific:
Marcin Wasilewski, Slawomir Kurkiewicz, Michal Miskiewicz-Trio
Savina Yannatou & Primavera en Salonico-Sumiglia
Trygve Seim- Sangam
Charles Lloyd- Jumping the Creek
Dino Saluzzi, Jon Christensen-Senderos
Giya Kancheli-In l'istesso tempo
Keith Jarrett-Radiance
Gianluigi Trovesi, Gianni Cosia- Round About Weill
Frances-Marie Uitti, Paul Griffiths-there is still time
Tord Gustavsen Trio- The Ground
Christian Wallumrod Ensemble- A Year From Easter

More stuff as it comes. Enjoy.

-eclectic guy

New ECM discs

I have been a huge fan of the European jazz-contemporary-classical label ECM for quite some time. Recently, prayers were answered when I finally got a hold of a decent rep. You see, we struggling radio programmers gots to go out and fish for A&R or Radio reps ourselves. I know that doesn't sound like hard work and I agree it's not chipping paint in 90 degree weather, but truly it's a pain in the lower regions. Some of these people just refuse to answer you (Yes I'm referring to you Asstralwerks!). I take this stuff personally sometimes. Sheesh.

ECM is not for the causal listener. Yes kids, listening comes in levels. Your uncle Tony might like Ol' Blue Eyes, but fire on some Ralph Towner and his eyes will glaze over or suddenly it's a good time to talk about Nascar. In short, we don't come to the table with the same level of knowledge and comittment. Not even close. This doesn't make anyone superior to anyone else, it just indicates how much salt you need to take with each person's opinion. Sometimes ya need a tablespoon, yes?

We even listen to music for different reasons. There is a guy who I know who wouldn't come near this because it's "that European classically derivative trash." The guy is well into his fifties and his idea of great music stops at Throbbing Gristle or any unknown punk teenage angst-filled band from the UK. While I enjoy punk in small doses, this cat is still trying to be a teenager. Sad, sad, sad. I am old. I accept it baby.

ECM even confounds American jazz fans because the music is often experimental and doesn't 'swing.' What? No swing? You call that jazz??? I'm outraged! Yes, my friends, people act like they own music and get really angry over this stuff-especially musicians who often act as if nothing outside of their narrow aesthetic could be taken seriously. Musicians: they do so much damage to the art sometimes.

For a while now, ECM has been off my radar partly because I shut myself off to new music after those classic mid-70's releases by Eberhard Weber, Terje Rypdal and Ralphy T. And partly because my tastes have been shifting so hard towards electronic music. ECM is primarliy known for presenting crystaline acoustic music or a delicate blend between acoustic and electronics-delicate being the operative word.

So, the 13 new ECM discs will slowly matriculate into the E-Tope soundscape. I hope you enjoy them.

-eclectic guy