Guilherme Coutinho E O Grupo Stalo

Guilherme Coutinho E O Grupo Stalo | Guilherme Coutinho E O Grupo Stalo | 3hive.com
Guilherme Coutinho E O Grupo Stalo | Guilherme Coutinho E O Grupo Stalo | 3hive.com

Guilherme Coutinho e o Grupo Stalo is the Brazilian album that you both never knew existed and never knew you needed. A true treasure of a find, the album incorporates elements of funk, fast-paced samba, tropicália, MPB (música popular brasileira, or Brazilian popular music), American-style jazz, and bossa nova. It’s lo-fi but highly technical, surprising, and interesting throughout.

Little is known about Guilherme Coutinho, who both plays keyboard and sings on the album. The record was pressed in 1978 at an obscure pressing plant in Belém, a city in northern Brazil seated at the mouth of the Amazon river. (The two major pressing plants, Polysom and Vinil Brasil, are located thousands of miles away in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, respectively.) 

Guilherme Coutinho e o Grupo Stalo opens with perhaps the album’s most beautiful track, Atalaia, which greets us with a bossa nova chord structure, Coutinho’s soft vocals, and a backing melody played on what seems to be a theremin. A soft wah-wah effect, which stands as a characterizing element throughout the album, pulses within each instrumental layer. The same effect intensifies in “As Feras”, a funky, space-age-sounding track that shows off Coutinho’s technical prowess. Other standout moments include the breakdown of “Macaréu”, where an upbeat samba guitar (resembling a cavaquinho) picks up tempo and leads into “Fuga” which similarly plays with alternating rhythms in an interesting way. 

The album closes on a high note with “Tema Pro Alvarito”, a 7-minute improvisational jazz track that more closely resembles the sound of an American jazz trio rather than a Brazilian bossa. Coutinho’s electric piano (not unlike a Rhodes–though it’s difficult to find information about the instruments used) stands alongside a pleasant, plucky upright bass melody and carries the track with impressive licks, fills, and runs. 

Ultimately, you won’t regret spending a quick 32 minutes delving into one of the most interesting albums that Brazil’s underground has to offer. 

Guilherme Coutinho e o Grupo Stalo is available now via MR BONGO’s Bandcamp page. Go and get it.

Fishbone

Fishbone | All We Have Is Now | 3hive.com
Fishbone | All We Have Is Now | 3hive.com

Fishbone the Red Hot almighty legends of ska & alternative rock music are back with a brand new single (the first with Cris Dowd in the band since 1994) “All We Have Is Now”, which comes off the new compilation Bottle Music For Broken People on Fat Mike’s new imprint (under Fat Wreck Chords) Bottles to the Ground.

“All We Have Is Now” was recorded and produced by Fat Mike and Norwood Fisher and is a teaser for a new EP to be released later this year. It implores us to live in the moment, “to take advantage of the gift of the ever present now”. It’s a bouncy track, packed with all the keys and horns you could want from a new Fishbone song, including a classic Angelo sax solo.

Check out the video and stream of the new single below and watch for Fishbone on tour, hopefully somewhere near you, with Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade starting in late March.

Rozi Plain

Rozi Plain | Prize | 3hive.com
Rozi Plain | Prize | 3hive.com

Rozi Plain’s newest album Prize is exactly that — a prize. It’s a chilled-out, hypnotic, pop album full of groove and these little jazzy trumpet and synth nuggets here and there, it’s like every track contains a different…. prize (sorry, I had to do it).

You can spin “Help” and “Blink” (below – it was hard to choose) for a taste.

Prize is out now on Memphis Industries. I know you’re going to love it. Enjoy.

CLAMM

CLAMM | Care | 3hive.com
CLAMM | Care | 3hive.com

Melbourne trio CLAMM, are taking no prisoners with their pummeling brand of heavy-ass punk rock on their new album Care. Just give “Scheme” and “Bit Much” a spin (below) to see what I mean.

From the album PR, CLAMM are “explore(ing) the confusion of what it is to be a young person trying to live an honourable life in this fucked up world. Their songs are about trying to navigate systems of power and oppression while retaining a healthy sense of self and mental health. Community, creativity, and catharsis are what they hope to achieve through their music.” Is there a better reason to make music in this stupid world than that?

Care is out now via Meat Machine (UK, Europe and Asia) and Chapter Music (everywhere else). Enjoy.

Nathan Womack

Nathan Womack | Past But The Dream | 3hive.com
Nathan Womack | Past But The Dream | 3hive.com

Nathan Womack is one half of the fabulous Paces Lift & Ben Bounce project, as well as the guy behind the Wax Thématique label. He also just released his debut single Past But The Dream. Taken from samples found while crate digging in Bangkok, Thailand and Guangzhou, China, Nathan has constructed two killer tracks full of funk, soul and groove. You can check out both tracks below, I highly suggest that you do.

Past But The Dream is available now on vinyl via Wax Thématique’s website and digitally via their Bandcamp page. Enjoy.

Magister Ludi

Magister Ludi | Deep Fakes | 3hive.com

We are pleased to bring you the world premier of “Polecat” the hell-raising new single (and video) from Harrisonburg, VA rockers, Magister Ludi. It’s a quick minute and forty-eight seconds of pounding drums, heavy-sludge guitar riffs and some harsh gravely vocals (I hope this dude’s throat is okay). Check it out below.

Magister Ludi’s debut album, Deep Fakes, is out later this month via Funny / Not Funny Records. It’s a pretty nutty release that continues to grow on me the more I listen to it. Enjoy.

Monster Rally

Monster Rally | Escape To The Cloud Forest | 3hive.com
Monster Rally | Escape To The Cloud Forest | 3hive.com

Take a trip through the tropical beats of South America and Japan with Monster Rally’s new two-part digital 45, Escape To The Cloud Forest. As usual, like everything MR releases, it’s really good.

Escape To The Cloud Forest is available now via MR’s Bandcamp page and you can sample its goodness below. Enjoy.

You can also pick up some other Monster Rally releases on vinyl at the 3hive Record Lounge. MR on vinyl is a treat, you won’t regret it.

Todd’s Favorites of 2019

2019 was another great year for music, below are my top ten favorite albums 2019:

  1. Business of Dreams – Ripe For Anarchy [Slumberland]
  2. Select Level – S/T [Wax Thématique]
  3. Pinch Points – Moving Parts [Roolette/Six Tonnes De Chair]
  4. Oh Sees – Face Stabber [Castle Face]
  5. Modern Nature – How To Live [Bella Union]
  6. Cherry Glazerr – Stuffed & Ready [Secretly Canadian]
  7. Trampoline Team – S/T [Hozac]
  8. Cold Showers – Motionless [Dais]
  9. Czarface – The Odd Czar Against Us! [Silver Age]
  10. Altin Gün – Gece [ATO]

Also for your aural pleasure (and my own), I have attached a handy-dandy playlist of some my favorite songs from 2019…

Modern Nature

Modern Nature | How To Live | 3hive.com
Modern Nature | How To Live | 3hive.com

I am a big Jack Cooper fan. Mazes, Ultimate Painting and of course, his incredible solo album. I was stoked to hear about Cooper’s new project, Modern Nature, with Will Young (Beak>), Aaron Neveu (Woods) and Jeff Tobias (Sunwatchers).

On their debut album, How To Live, they combine their vast musical abilities to create 10 tracks of jazz-tinged, psychedelic rock that’s packed with layers and full of depth, which is heard throughout the entire album Check out the killer groove of “Footsteps” (below) for an example.

How To Live is available now via Bella Union. I highly recommend it.

Sunwatchers

Sunwatchers | Illegal Moves | 3hive.com
Sunwatchers | Illegal Moves | 3hive.com

New York quartet Sunwatchers bring their A-game on their newest LP “Illegal Moves” (out now via Trouble In Mind). Their brand of jazz-psych meets noise-rock swirls and hypnotizes and just before you’re lost in their psychedelic haze they punch you right in the mouth. Give “Beautiful Crystals” and “Greeneyed Pigmen (Get The Blade)” a spin below to see what I mean.