Random Album Effect - Modern

This set went on a little longer than usual. I started off with one of my favorite albums of the early 80's and 1983 in particular The Call's Modern Romans which was a very political record. I hadn't listened to this album all the way through in some time and enjoyed it very much. There were a lot of songs here I played regularly during my barroom DJ days. I used their song The Wall Came Down on a couple of mixes over the years.  This was their second albums and they actually had a big hit record a few years later in

It definitely felt like a random album effect when the next artist started playing. Nicola Conte's The Modern Sounds of Nicola Conte: Versions in Jazz-Dub from 2009 was drastically different from The Call but in an interesting and thoughtful way. I was immediately drawn into the music which was an Italian guitarist, producer, DJ and classically trained musician's take on acid jazz. It was actually a very enjoyable album as background music that would occasionally make it's presence known.

The next album was a nice segue into some large band soulful country music. Ray Charles' Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, 1962 was a two volume set that sounded great. It had been some time since I've listened to this album too. Every song was wonderful.

Next up was The Knitters and there album The Modern Sound of The Knitters released in 2005. Their name was a play on the Weavers and their music is a mix of country, folk and rockabilly which sounded fine after Ray Charles. The band members included three members of X and also Dave Alvin from The Blasters.

The album that followed was Bob Dylan's 2006 release Modern Times. It's hard to believe this was his 32nd studio album. Commercially it was a very successful album. The album didn't have a lot of stand out tracks but the whole thing holds together very well and sounded very appropriate after the Knitters.

This is the second album from the band Celebration. The Modern Tribe was released in 2007 and sort of flew by here without leaving much of an impression although it was pleasant with a very modern rock sound and an outstanding female vocalist 

The set ended with the Vampire Weekend's 2013 release Modern Vampires of the City. I enjoyed this very thoughtful third album of theirs very much.

Overall a very entertaining set.

 

• The Call - Modern Romans, 1983
• Nicola Conte - The Modern Sounds of Nicola Conte: Versions in Jazz-Dub, 2009
• Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Volumes 1 & 2, 1962
• The Knitters - The Modern Sounds of The Knitters, 2005
• Bob Dylan - Modern Times, 2006
• Celebration - The Modern Tribe, 2007
• Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City, 2013