It’s been a while since I last posted pointers to music that got my attention, so here we go:

• Ruins – Stonehenge: harsh but entertaining prog rock from Japan.
• Roots Manuva – Run Come Save Me: excellent British hip hop.
• Carl Hancock Rux – Apothecary RX: I concur with the reference to Gil Scott-Heron; this is one of the best albums of 2004.
• The Streets – Original Pirate Material: who knew Garage could be interesting and fun?
• 
  Gogol Bordello – Multi Kontra Culti Vs. Irony: The Pogues from Eastern Europe. I dismissed the hype coming from friends in NYC – boy was I wrong!

I can’t recall much else making a striking impression those last couple of months, though admittedly I haven’t finished listening through the whole list of Best of 2004. I’ve tasted lots of good stuff mind you, such as Steve Coleman, Lou Donaldson or Lonnie Liston Smith in the jazz/funk realm, but I could use recommendations, especially in electronic music where nothing seems new or inspiring lately. Meanwhile let’s see what 2004 brought to country music, a neglected part of my collection. But I have to admit it’s going to become harder to discover things radically different from anything I’ve heard.