Upon taking control military leaders began consolidating their oppressive powers by drafting a new constitution that “promoted democracy” and purging intellectuals and dissidents. Student groups, progressive members of the Catholic Church, politicians related to the previous government, and labor organizations were quickly disbanded. In the coming years members of these groups were often imprisoned and tortured for information. The grand and despicable practices of dictatorship had begun their stranglehold on the liberties of the people.

At this time, however, another movement was dawning. The bright and colorful music of Tropicalia was rising to popularity. Steeped in psychedelia and rock and roll influence, arguably the world’s most progressive music at the time was being recorded and performed in the midst of chaos.

The Tropicalia movement, also known as Tropicalismo, was led by internationally acclaimed artists like Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and the more experimental Tom Ze and Os Mutantes. The music and associated visual, literary, and cinematic aspects of Tropicalia were based on the ideas of Antropofagia, or the cannibalism of all culture in the effort to create something new and unique. The influence of African rhythms, samba, rock, reggae, ska, jazz, blues, etc… can be heard in these groundbreaking recordings.

In the midst of terrible oppression, the music of Tropicalia was at once joyful and deadly serious, a testament to the incredible perseverance of the Brazilian people. Often considered the genre’s manifesto the 1968 album Tropicalia: Ou Panis Et Circenses is a stunning work of collaboration amongst Tropicalia’s elite. The album’s strong political message ultimately led to the arrests and eventual exile of it’s masterminds, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Other artists in the movement were not so lucky. Many were arrested, tortured, and/or forced into psychiatric care.

While some artists continued to blossom and enjoy long and celebrated careers, the genre mostly faded from popularity in the early 1970s due in part to the Brazilian military government’s enactment of more and more extreme methods of oppression. This brief and bright musical movement, however, has had a long and lasting impression on the world’s music inspiring popular artists as diverse as Beck and Bjork.

Enquanto Seu Lobo Nao Vem – Caetano Veloso

Song by Caetano Veloso from the album Tropicalia: Ou Panis Et Circenses

The interesting thing to me is how these genres, while initially trying to imitate American & UK music–a kind of reverse orientalism, have created their own genres which, in turn, have influenced those same musical cultures; from Santana (who tried to imitate, among many, the psycho african beats of bands like The Psychedelic Aliens) to Paul Simon (who essentially copied, verbatim, the sounds of Township Jazz in South Africa from the likes of The Boyoyo Boys).

Music is thus a synecdoche of influence.  One genre influences another which influences another, which can, in turn, influence itself, and so on.

Many of the songs on the mix below have obvious influences, while, at the same time, are an obvious influence to others.  It includes some of the greats of Tropicalia, some of the unsung heroes of Mbaqanga, the roots of Afro-beat and a little bit of Reggae & Ska.  It’s the first of what I hope to be many mixes exploring the idea of “synecdochic orientalism”.

Afrozilicalia (DOWNLOAD)

1. Bat Macumba – Gilberto Gil
2. A minha menina – Os Mutantes
3. Khuzani – The Heroes
4. Mane Joao – Erasmo Carlos
5. Money That’s What I Want – The Lawrence Amavi Group
6. Finger Toe - Tabukha ‘X’
7. Procissão – Gilberto Gil
8. Samba de Minha Terra – João Gilberto
9. S’timela Sase-zola – Mbogeni Ngema
10. 007 (Shanty Town) – Desmond Dekker
11. My Conversation – The Uniques
12. In Concert – Ofege
13. Fefe Naa Efe – Fela Kuti

Click.

With Yeasayer and us and everyone else who’s really cool playing that night, you’re going to be so pumped up because you’re blitzed on jager-bombs and fireball, and, god, it’s so much fun that all your friends are all in the same place right now, and HOLY SHIT was that Kirsten Dunst at the WAVVES show? that when the final arpeggio bloops its last bloop you’re gonna feel like you’ve got 8,333% of your DV of vitamin B12 in your system, and there’s NOOOO way the night’s gonna be over yet.
So what are you gonna do?  You obviously feel like your chances of getting laid have exponentially increased throughout the night, and can only continue to increase if you keep following the party around.  But where is the party going?  Well, friend, I’ll tell you.  It’s going here: Next Nashville Party.  Open Bar. DJ sets. Dancing. Mopeds. And probably some famous people.

Here’s the details of that:
11pm ’till when the booze are gone.
The Zombie Shop, Moped Warehouse, LLC
504 6th Ave South
Downtown ACROSS from the Slaughterhouse.

So to review: 9PM – us. The rest of the night: all the other music. At the turn of the day: Next Nashville After Party.

bondmusicgroup.com

Panel 2: A small printer is spitting out another ticket. *bzzz* *shrrnkk*

Panel 3: The printer is spitting out another ticket attached to the previous. *bzzz* *shrrnkk*

Panel 4: The printer is spitting out another ticket attached to the previous two. They are starting to curl around each other. *bzzz* *shrrnkk*

Panel 5: He is hanging the newly printed tickets on the ticket rack behind the ones already there.

Panel 6: *sigh* He’s holding a ladle full of dark red tomato sauce. He is looking at the ground.

Panel 7: His face is terrified.

Panel 8: The row of tickets. Written on the tickets in red letters is the word “loser.” One letter for each ticket.

Panel 9: The printer. *bzzz* *shrrnkk*

Panel 10: A black panel with “*bzzz* *shrrnkk*” written as many times as can fit.

Panel 11: He is on his knees. The ladle is on the ground and the red sauce is  splattered about.

Panel 12: The walls are closing in around him.

Him: No!

Panel 13: Looking down on him the walls are closer.

Panel 14: Looking down on him the walls are closer.

Panel 15: Looking down on him the walls are closer.

Panel 16: The printer. *bzzz* *shrrnkk*

Caption: It’s the kind of day it feels like the walls are closing in on me.

“The Ostrich or the Lark”
August 17 on Other Electricities

We became a giant monster with 12 billion eyes.

And in turn came a ravenous hunger that could only be fed

With several miles of pipe jammed deep into the ground.

We will drink the black blood down filling our monstrous belly.

But all our shit and piss will be foul and vile,

And will leave disastrous dead-lands wherever it does fall.

And soon there air so thick with stench will blind 2 billion eyes.

With 10 billion eyes we can still see very far,

Though the view will be uglier and uglier until there is nothing worth seeing.

And the black blood we are drinking would be harder to find.

Our straw of lead can’t break the skin deep enough anymore.

The lumbering beast of us is losing eyes faster than before.

And now the starving monster is left with just one choice.

To eat the shit that’s blinding us, to choke it down.

The pain in our belly is a constant reminder.

Like every day’s increasing blindness.

Drinking blood is no way to feed a hunger.

thirsty nashville

download their album here: http://denovodahl.bandcamp.com/album/tigerlion

Once I saw a big buck deer in a clearing, alone. I don’t know where my father was. nearby, but not immediately beside me. There was a moment, me and the deer, then he spooked and ran into the thick brambles and other forest plants of which I don’t know the names.

At least, that’s what I told my dad.

Actually, I gave a little yell. That’s what spooked the deer. I was afraid my father would kill it.

I didn’t want it’s blood on my hands.