_posted in new music wednesdays | 12 December 2007

here's a story. my friend buffi threw me a going away party right before i moved to l.a. and all the usual suspects were there including people i'd not seen in years. one group consisted of my computer science crew, all black chicks, who i spent many a night with in the computer lab programing. buffi has an old school jukebox and thousands of records. a few of said records were of ike and tina, as well as a few of ike turner's solo efforts. my friends were enraged and shocked that anyone would have ike turner records.

buffi overheard them venting their indignation and felt attacked and uncomfortable. i had to explain the whole black woman history with ike turner. the situation definitely confirmed my belief that you truly have to separate artist from asshole. to her ike turner was a great musician who knew how to rock ass on the guitar (which he was). to my friends ike was a wife beating bastard (which he was). for them there was no room for anything else.

let's be honest, ike turner was a down right bastard. flaws aside he was a damned good musician. i was always conflicted about separating the artist from the flawed individual. i love miles davis but again, another abusive asshole. there are so many artists who are questionable individuals. shit, there are so many books i'd never read, or music i'd never listen to, or films i'd never watch if i went on the merit of the person alone and not the work.

that's my spiel for this new music wednesday.... so on to the new music... enjoy.

annie lenox: songs of mass destruction
band of horses: cease to begin
manu chao: la radiolina
robert plant and alison krauss: raising sand
sigur ros: hvarf-heim
spoon: ga ga ga ga ga
the national: boxer
wynton marsalis: from the plantation to the penitentiary
youssou n'our: rokku mi rokka

_soundcheck: ike & tina turner: don't play me cheap/it's gonna work out fine