prasan wiangsima: lam phloen choi mak win

artist: ประสาน เวียงสิมา (prasan wiangsima)
album: ลำเพลินจ่อยมักวิน (lam phloen choi mak win)
tracklist:
01. จ่อยมักวิน (choi mak win)
02. วินเป็นประจำ (win pen pracham)
03. หนุ่มนาคอยรัก (num na khoi rak)
04. ประสานศิลป์มาแล้ว (prasansin ma laeo)
05. วงเวียนสวาท (wong wian sawat)
06. บ่ฮักบ่ออนซอน (bo hak bo onson)
07. เทอมพิฆาต (term phikhat)
08. ทาสดำมี่ (that dam mi)
09. อีสานยังจำได้ (isan yang cham dai)
10. สัญญาพาดับ (sanya pha dap)
11. กระต่ายหมายจันทร์ (kratai mai chan)
12. เกี้ยวสาวฟังลำ (kieow sao fang lam)

this week let's hear a great tape that alexandra found for me, featuring the wild isaan sounds of prasan wiangsima! although i've seen his stuff around quite often (sometimes under the name "prasansin wiangsima"), i haven't been able to find much information about mr. prasan online. his stage name would seem to indicate that he's from nakhon ratchasima... beyond that i don't have much to go on (although i do suspect this might be a "thongchan promotions" production). but really, all you need to know is that he's a top-form molam with a great band behind him. in addition to some awesome sax riffs, there's crazy stuff happening with the rhythm section on here, especially the interplay between bass & drums.. there might even be some phin hai (a set of jars with rubber bands stretched across the mouths) work going on. anyway, don't miss this one... thanks, alexandra!

khwanchit siprachan: isaew lila nak pleng

artist: ขวัญจิต ศรีประจันต์ (khwanchit siprachan)
album: อีแซวลีลานักเพลง (isaeo lila nak pleng)
tracklist:
01. อีแซวลีลานักเพลง ตอน 1 (isaeo lila nak pleng, pt. 1)
02. อีแซวลีลานักเพลง ตอน 2 (isaeo lila nak pleng, pt. 2)

a little while ago, we got a great collection of singles from ms. khwanchit's career as a luk thung singer. this time we'll get to hear her return to folksong, singing some fantastic pleng isaeo. isaeo, characterized by its swift rhythm and intense wordplay, is a local specialty of central thailand's rural suphan buri province. if you'll pardon the oversimplification, it's something like a thai folk rap battle; the contestants take lighthearted jabs at each other and vie for the most cunning lyrical improvisations over an insistent backbeat. khwanchit is joined here by her sister khwanchai and their colleagues suchin siprachan & bunchok chanachot. these 4 have trained together since their teens, and their repartee is outstanding... enjoy!

suchat thianthong: waen wiset

artist: สุชาติ เทียนทอง (suchat thianthong)
album: แว่นวิเศษ (waen wiset)
tracklist:
01. เหล้าจ๋า (lao cha)
02. ฮักกันบ่ได้ดอก (hak kan bo dai dok)
03. แว่นวิเศษ (waen wiset)
04. มองทำไม (mong thammai)
05. ด.จ.ป. (do. cho. po.)
06. ผัวแก่เมียสาว (phua kae mia sao)
07. ผัวเล็กผัวใหญ่ (phua lek phua yai)
08. กลัวเธอมีชู้ (klua thoe mi chu)
09. เข็มขัดกันชู้ (khem khat kan chu)
10. คิดถึงอุดร (khit thueng udon)
11. แม่ช่อกัญชา (mae cho kancha)
12. สงสัย (songsai)
featuring หฤทัย หิรัญญา (haruethai hiranya)

sorry for the long delay between posts; this holiday season caught me in the midst of yet another relocation! but better late than never, and i've got quite a classic to share this week. continuing with the theme of racy album art, we've got some great late-era work from mr. suchat thianthong! suchat was born and raised in ayutthaya province, and spent time working as a market seller & freelance boxer before joining the legendary chularat band. initially his specialty was slow, sweet love songs in the style of thun thongchai, but he lost his trademark high notes after a crippling case of tonsillitis. not willing to leave the stage, he applied his gritty new voice to comedic effect and proved a bigger hit than ever before. this is a collection of his "post-op" hits, featuring songs about liquor and ganja, along with a good amount of raunchy wordplay, and even a tale about a pair of "magic glasses" (vividly illustrated on the cover). enjoy!