phimchai phetphalanchai & dao bandon: 16 klon yot hit

artist: พิมพ์ใจ เพชรพลาญชัย + ดาว บ้านดอน (phimchai phetphalanchai & dao bandon)
album: 16 กลอนยอดฮิต (16 klon yot hit)
tracklist:
01. หนุ่มยาวสาวสั้น 1 (num yao sao san 1)
02. หนุ่มยาวสาวสั้น 2 (num yao sao san 2)
03. จีบสาวเลี้ยงเป็ด (chip sao liang pet)
04. จีบสาวขายไข่ (chip sai khai khai)
05. หนุ่มลำชีสาวลำโขง (num lam chi sao lam khong)
06. พาต้อยลอยกระทง (pha toi loi krathong)
07. เฮือนน้อยนางเมิน (huean noi nang moen)
08. คน ป. 4 (khon p. 4)
09. อีหวึ่งตายแน่ (i wueng tai nae)
10. น้ำตาสาวหวึ่ง (nam ta sao wueng)
11. รักจริงอย่าหลอก (rak ching ya lok)
12. เต็มใจให้หลอก (tem chai hai lok)
13. พาน้องล่องแหย่ง (pha nong long yaeng)
14. พาน้องดิสโก้ (pha nong disco)
15. คนบ่มีเก๋ง (khon bo mi keng)
16. ขอดังเบาๆ (kho dang bao bao)

this week, two major molam unite! legendary luk thung crossover star dao bandon and sam phalang sao leader phimchai phetphalanchai come together on this 1988 duets collection from ocean sound. dao himself handles the songwriting, and the late, great a. num phuthai leads the band. the music is classic late-80's isan-style, with prominent electric bass and live drums under the alternating phin, sax, and synth leads, plus an occasional extended khaen-backed kroen intro. extra flourishes adorn one themed number, "taking my girl to the disco" (track 14), where a hi-nrg beat and hard rock guitar solo added to the mix. excellent stuff.. enjoy!

kickapoo: mai rueang mak

artist: คิกคาปู้ (kickapoo)
album: ไม่เรื่องมาก (mai rueang mak)
tracklist:
01. หนูหนีเที่ยว (nu ni thiao)
02. ยังไม่ตาย (yang mai tai)
03. ลองกันไหม (long kan mai)
04. อกหัก 5 นาที (ok hak 5 nathi)
05. ซึม (suem)
06. หนูหนีเที่ยว (nu ni thiao)
07. เทใจ (the chai)
08. อีกครั้ง (ik krang)
09. ลุย (lui)
10. เพลงเต่า (phleng tao)
11. มันไม่เกี่ยว (man mai kiao)

happy 2023 and 2566! let's start the year off with a real obscurity: the only album (to my knowledge) from '90s bangkok rockers kickapoo. operating under the auspices of a purported indie label known as tham kan eng ["d.i.y."] music factory, and with a name presumably derived from an american soft drink once popular in thailand (the idea for which is attributed in the liners to "hia nok from khao kha mu kong phrap on chokchai soi 4"), there's little reference to the group on the internet. their line-up includes a list of unusual names (some of which, at least, are certainly pseudonyms) including maseda iochi and mustafa hummingbird on guitar, billy he-foot on bass, and detduang chimkamnoet on drums, as well as a number of different singers trading vocal duties, such as julie cheng, sharkie boy, nong kung & nong mai, banluesak, anurak, and bunthueng. released in 1997, this album features some songwriting and arrangement by akira wong, and was produced by (the only name i'm at all familiar with) sukit narin, who is mostly known as a film director. the music is a bit hard to classify, being a slightly erratic mix of blues-inflected classic rock (see: interpolation of badfinger, led zeppelin, and the electric light orchestra), synth-driven sentimental ballads (see: interpolation of mariko takahashi), and '80s-style hard rock (see: interpolation of pat benatar). they also include a shout-out in the dedications section to "the major tape labels, for their lack of interest".. here's hoping you don't feel the same. enjoy!