artist: คำรณ สัมบุญณานนท์ (khamron sambunnanon)
album: คนบ้ากัญชา (khon ba kancha)
tracklist:
01. มนต์การเมือง (mon kan mueang)
02. คนแก่โลก (khon kae lok)
03. ชีวิตคำรณ (chiwit khamron)
04. ขวานทองของไทย (khwan thong khong thai)
05. ไอ้ทุยแถลงการณ์ (ai thui thalaeng kan)
06. คนบ้ากัญชา (khon ba kancha)
07. กระท่อมกัญชา (krathom kancha)
08. ชีวิตครู (chiwit khru)
09. หนุ่มเหนือแอ่วนาง (num nuea aeo nang)
10. น้ำตาเสือตก (nam ta suea tok)

this week's cassette is part of a generous bequest gifted to us by educator cliff sloane, a former professor of ethnomusicology and founder of asianclassicalmp3.org, a major influence behind this blog.

today, we'll hear from mr. khamron sambunnanon, singing songs of crooked politicians and ganja madmen! hailing from bangkok's chinatown, khamron sang what were called at the time phleng talat ("market songs"), as his lyrics were among the earliest examples of thai pop music to feature tales of common people; farmers, day laborers, and even more marginal figures like gamblers, vagrants, outlaws and drug addicts. because of this, khamron is considered by many to be the very first singer of luk thung, and many of the great luk thung stars of the 60s and 70s fondly recall singing along to khamron's songs during their formative years. this album, from the bangkok cassette co., ltd. (currently existing as maemaiplengthai), contains several songs that i've shared before on various collections over the years, but once again shouldn't hurt.. enjoy!

preview:

artist: คนด่านเกวียน (khon dan kwian)
album: ไอ้โข่ง (ai khong)
tracklist:
01. ล้างลิ้นคอยเลีย (lang lin khoi lia)
02. ไอ้โข่ง (ai khong)
03. มะหน่อ (mano)
04. นางแบบ (nang baep)
05. ถังแตก (thang taek)
06. ลอยลมบน (loi lom bon)
07. หำน้อย (ham noi)
08. ข่าวเก่า (khao kao)
09. คนขายไข่ (khon khai khai)
10. คนด่านเกวียน (khon dan kwian)

this week, some classic thai rock music, courtesy of the khon dan kwian band! fronted by "siphueak" isara anantathat, a native of bueng kan, khon dan kwian were among the first wave of prominent phuea chiwit groups. phuea chiwit or "songs for life" is a genre of (usually) politically engaged popular music, with roots in thailand's 70s protest movement and a musical grounding in anglo/american folk-rock from bob dylan to traffic. siphueak, a veteran of the 14 october 1973 popular uprising and the communist party of thailand, founded the band in 1983 and together with the legendary carabao helped bring phuea chiwit music to the mainstream, blending their international folk-rock origins with luk thung's latin dance rhythms and indigenous melodies. this cassette features their fourth album from 1987. enjoy!

preview: