Tuesday, August 28, 2007

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs & LPs ))))) MIA, Liars, Madlib, and more

v/a HOME SCHOOLED: The ABCs Of Kid Soul CD
*** On NUMERO. "These are the homeschooled kids. The groups who didn't have access to publicists, stylists, dance instructors or crack songwriting teams. The formula was simple: marry bubblegum and soul to the absolute sincerity of an enthusiastic child, cross your fingers and pray for airplay."

AESOP ROCK None Shall Pass LP / CD
*** "New album featuring appearances by EL-P, CAGE, ROB SONIC, and John Darnielle of THE MOUNTAIN GOATS. Produced by BLOCKHEAD."

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI Places Like This CD
*** "Instantly lovable pop brilliance, fizzing with electrical currents, channeling calypso rhythms and tropicalia flavors with lashings of percussive a-go-go. Fresh."

CARIBOU Andorra CD
*** "Andorra marries the kaleidoscopic grandeur with which Caribou has become associated, with pop melodies and harmonies crammed so densely from beginning to end that they jump over each other in forcing their way out of the speakers. Vividly three-dimensional sound."

CIRCUS DEVILS Sgt. Disco CD
*** Robert Pollard strikes! Holy shit! How can the man put out SO MUCH music?! Perhaps more importantly, how does he remember all these tunes when he's hammered?

EARLIMART Mentor Tormentor CD
*** New!

JEREMY ENIGK The Missing Link CD
*** SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE frontman steps out for another round of well done proggy pop. The man hasn't made a bad album on his own.

GALACTIC From The Corner To The Block CD
*** "14 funk-loaded tracks that mix old school brass band grooves with bounce-style hip-hop. Featuring MR. LIF, LYRICS BORN, JUVENILE (!!!), GIFT OF GAB, and others."

BEN HARPER Lifeline CD / CD+DVD+BOOK
*** "11 gorgeous songs recorded in Paris over a 7-day period." Rolling Stone called it "an acoustic-soul stunner."

TALIB KWELI Eardrum CD
*** "New album featuring collabs with KANYE WEST, NORAH JONES, KRS ONE, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, JEAN GRAE, and UGK; production from WILL.I.AM, HI-TEK, JUST BLAZE, MADLIB, and PETE ROCK."

LIARS Liars CD
*** "For this new album, Liars have foregone theory for a more practical approach, one based on tradtional song structures and instrument usage. Liars is a set of songs only connected by the fact that no other band around could make music like this; an album that manages to balance the old, experimentally-minded Liars with an excitingly insidious new pop edge."

LYLE LOVETT & HIS LARGE BAND It's Not Big It's Large CD
*** Lyle's band really is more of a "big band." Seriously--between pensive country numbers, they play jazz! Real jazz!

MADLIB Beat Konducta Vol. 3 & 4: In India CD
*** 34 hip-hop instrumentals!

MIA Kala LP / CD
*** Perhaps you've heard of her! She's got a new jam and must be seen live!

MINUS THE BEAR Planet Of Ice CD
*** The first new album in a few years wherein the boys attempt to transcend the ol' Minus The Bear sound with a more organic feel (re: "raw riffage") and a cohesiveness not found on their other platters.

MODERN LOVERS The Modern Lovers CD
*** Yes! Finally available again, it's the Modern Lovers debut album with a whole slew of bonus tracks not found on the recently released import.

PRINZHORN DANCE SCHOOL Prinzhorn Dance School CD
*** "No dance music here -- more like The Fall jamming with The White Stripes after firing half the members. The debut bristles with buzzing one-riff guitars and kick-drum thuds playing bare bones, lo-fi funk with boy-girl shout-out vocals."

RILO KILEY Under The Blacklight CD
*** They didn't break up! They made a new album instead.

JOSH RITTER The Historical Conquests Of... CD
*** New!

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE Greatest Hits CD
*** REMASTERED! "One of the greatest party records ever made!"

SWAYZAK Some Other Country CD
*** "Swayzak return with their fifth album, and the new opus sounds mature and full. Swayzak have always loved their echo pedal, but now their dub-techno attains a new, compositional dimension. Darker and heaviier."

VOICE OF THE SEVEN WOODS Voice Of The Seven Woods CD
*** "Trading his own collectable limited 45s and self released CD-R's - which have been known to top the £100 mark on eBay - in record shops worldwide has part-funded Rick's collection of Krautrock, South American psych and Turkish acid rock LPs, which clearly play a large part in his inspired current output, as well as fuelling occasional DJ sets alongside long running friends from the Finders Keepers / B-Music collective. And the few weeks since Rick finished recording his debut 10 track LP have been spent in good company: he has played live with TWO members of seminal Krautrockers Can, built up a hefty daytime bar tab in Wales with the legendary Meic Stevens and has backed lost West Coast folk/pop luminaries Wendy and Bonnie."

ANDREW WK Close Calls With Brick Walls 2xLP
*** "Load Records is proud to present a U.S. domestic vinyl pressing of 2006's Asia-only release "Close Calls with Brick Walls" record. Be prepared for ultra-bombast, as this record holds a flame to the gas can of music as you know it."

Thursday, August 16, 2007

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: VINYL ))))) Goblin, non-U.S. Warp releases, & plenty of disco

v/a KOMPAKT TOTAL 8 3xLP
*** "Ten-track triple LP version, featuring a selection of the best tracks from the 2CD version. Artists on the LPs include: Schaeben & Voss, Justus Kohncke, Reinhard Voigt, Thomas/Mayer, Burger/Voigt, Jurgen Paape + Boy Schaufler, Superpitcher, Mikkel Metal, DJ Koze, Kaito. Two of the tracks (Mikkel Metal & Kaito) are entirely exclusive to this LP."

BROADCAST Extended Play 12"
*** Early hard-to-find Broadcast EP available again! Don't Sleep on it!

CAN Zhengzheng Rikang LP
*** "First release(?) of these studio demos, recorded 1968/69 at Schloß Nörvenich. Good sound quality with Malcolm Mooney on vocals, similar to Dlay '68."

CEEPHAX Volume Two 2xLP
*** "Third full-length from Andy Jenkinson, younger brother to Squarepusher. An old school acid sensibility crossed with the energy and innovation of the famous Universal Indicator acid series, plus a melodic and moody experimental side that is revealed in mellower moments. The style is basically all electronic/dance styles, i.e. braindance."

GOBLIN Profondo Rosso LP
*** BACK IN STOCK! "The original soundtrack recording for the 1975 cult masterpiece by horror director Dario Argento -- one of the most terrific and intense scores ever and sold millions of copies. Gatefold sleeve. 180 gram HQ vinyl."

GOBLIN Suspiria LP
*** One of their more terrifying and cohesive scores, Suspiria is Dario Argento's 1976 masterpiece that almost made me, Forest, barf while watching. "Transcendental symphonic rock (compound time signatures, ornate instrumentation, vainglorious tone, melodramatic structure, self-aggrandising solos, etc)."

GRIZZLY BEAR Knife 7"
*** The stand out dreamy track from Yellow House but with a completely different mix than the album version. The b-side is also an alternate mix, this time it's "Easier."

JUSTICE D.A.N.C.E. Remix 12"
*** Remixes by JACKSON, MSTRKRFT, ALAN BRAXE & FRED FALKE.

LINDSTROM & PRINS THOMAS Nummer Fire 12"
*** The fourth Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas 12" on Eskimo in their typical and highly-acclaimed Nordic disko style.

LOSOUL What Radio 12"
*** "Tune your ears to these two new epic Losoul tracks! Almost 23 minutes of 'oh so sweet' Losoul music including persuasive percussion and typical Losoul groove and dynamics. Sweet basslines and even sweeter, delayed keyboard motives."

PINEAPPLES Come Closer 12"
*** "A re-issue of one of most in-demand Italo-disco records -- a true party disco gem conceived with the minimal setup of a drum machine and a Korg synth -- a big track in the late '80s Chicago house scene, frequently played by the Hotmix 5 crew."

STUDIO West Coast Pt. I & II 7"
*** "A two-part reworking of one of the standout tracks from the album, West Coast. Studio 's music has a broad appeal, with influences like Can and Neu, The Cure and The Smiths and shades of old school house, dub and disco." Limited to 1000.

STUDIO West Coast 2xLP
*** "Finally given a full-fledged release after a limited release disappeared from the racks last year, Studio's debut is a collection of strung-out, dreamy electronic pop music that will appeal to fans of the new slo-mo Italo disco. Consider it the missing link between The Cure and Lindstrøm touching on Can, Neu, Happy Mondays and The Smiths in their creation of an Afrobeat-dub-disco-indie-pop adventure."

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs))))) ESG rarities, strange world music, White Noise & more!

v/a GUITARS OF THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE CD
*** "Never before presented outside a tiny minority of the Burmese community, this unbelievable collection of garage and psychedelic rock, raw folk-blues ballads, and country-western styled music are almost impossible to find in ANY form or quality."

v/a THAI POP SPECTACULAR CD
*** "This superb collection features modern Thai music styles combining with elements of surf, rock, funk, disco and comedy, revealing the use of clever instrumentation, brilliant vocals, great arrangements, twisted breaks, and resourceful production techniques. The Thai were a completely unique and powerful force during the 1960s, '70s & '80s global popular music explosion."

v/a THE TOMORROW PEOPLE CD
*** BACK IN STOCK! Top notch collection of previously unreleased BBC Radiophonic Workshop music.

AFX Analogue Bubblebath 3 CD
*** "Analogue Bubblebath 3 is a repress of a 'lost' album originally released in 1993. This 13 track CD is a great value for money featuring a broad spectrum of AFX magic. For any self respecting fan of Mister James this album is a must."

WILLIAM BASINSKI El Camino Real CD
*** "Hypnotic new electronic ambient recording using another recently discovered loop from the archive. Premiered at Bleeding Edge Festival, Montalvo Arts Center, August 2006."

BLOSSOM TOES We Are Ever CD
*** "Released at the height of flower power in 1967, We Are Ever So Clean is widely considered to be the finest pop-psych album ever recorded. Produced by Giorgio Gomelsky (discoverer of The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds ), it's a fascinating amalgam of whimsical pop, music hall humor and acid rock. It's presented with no fewer than ten bonus tracks, encompassing non-LP singles, demos, out-takes and live performances."

KEVIN DRUMM & DANIEL MENCHE Gauntlet CD
*** "One organ, one guitar, several fuzz boxes and two highly-regarded purveyors of American extreme sonics are the savory ingredients that created Gauntlet. Building on Menche's aural low end physicality and Drumm's exacting attention to high frequency detail -- the aptly titled Gauntlet is a sizzling, scorching slab of essential audio."

ESG Sound Bronx Story 2: Rarities CD
*** "ESG's place in history is legendary, placing them at the heart of post-punk, hip-hop and New York dance music. A South Bronx Story 2 gathers together rarities from the group's 25 year career, featuring alternate mixes of classic tracks as well as super-rare & out-of-print tracks."

FALSE 2007 CD
*** This is the second full-length release by DJ and producer False (aka Matthew Dear, Audion). Essentially a special one-off live set, 2007 defines Dear's relationship with M_nus. This collection of tracks strikes the perfect balance between abstract experimentation and full-on techno nirvana without ever breaking stride or losing focus."

FOTHERINGAY Fotheringay CD
*** "Fotheringay's beautiful debut album was recorded in 1970, and has long been regarded as one of the greatest achievements of British folk-rock. Sandy Denny, Trevor Lucas, Jerry Donahue, Pat Donaldson and Gerry Conway created a magical ensemble sound and one of the finest albums of Sandy's career. It has been out of print for sometime. For this carefully remastered edition Fledg'ling have restored all of the original artwork and added four bonus tracks -- performances recorded at the 1970 Rotterdam Festival. Remastering approved by original producer Joe Boyd."

GOBLIN The Fantastic Voyage Of... CD
*** Perhaps the best collection of Goblin's darkest soundtrack music, featuring tunes from Profondo Rosso, Suspiria, Dawn Of The Dead, Tenebre, and more. Their music recalls Can, Amon Duul II, Popul Vuh with a dose of Sabbath. They've been sampled the world over, including recent stabs from J.U.S.T.I.C.E.

ANGELO LAVAGNINO Gamma 1 Quadrilogy: 60s Italian Cinematic Science Fiction Classic Freaky Sounds CD
*** "The Gamma I Quadrilogy are four of the coolest, kitschiest, trashiest sci-fi films to come out of Italy in the 1960s with freaky space age soundtracks to match the groovy, otherworldly images on-screen. Set your theremins to stun!"

GERARD MANSET 1968 CD
*** "Gérard Manset's first recordings represent some of the best psychedelic chansons in existence and in league with such luminaries as Gainsbourg, Polnareff and Ferrer."

O TERCO O Terco CD
*** "Their second album (1972), a landmark of Brazilian progressive/psychedelic rock. Rocking at times like King Crimson, Led Zeppelin or even Black Sabbath, their music also contains beautiful pastoral passages that demonstrate the influence of Os Mutantes, the Moody Blues, and early Pink Floyd."

SCIENTIST & PRINCE JAMMY Dub Landing Volume 1 & 2 CD
*** Overton Brown was 16-year-old dub wunderkind that honed his skills under KING TUBBY and became the main engineer at Channel One Studios. With Henry "Junjo" Lawes, he cut some of the best-selling dub LPs of all time. This is the first time both original 1981 vinyl albums are released on one CD, and includes 20 tracks."

SQUAREPUSHER Feed Me Weird Things CD
*** "All-time classic debut album from 1996. Stunning, complex programming intertwined with fusion-flecked electric bass creating some of the most euphoric, havoc-wrecked sounds of the contemporary era. This is the album that put it all together (to be followed by a series of albums for Warp) and is, in simple terms, one of the cornerstones of mid-90s sound recordings."

TRENTMOLLER Last Resort CD
*** "Trentemøller took dancefloors by storm last year with funky minimal techno tracks. His debut is a beautifully crafted masterpiece of subtle melodic miniatures, dreamy ambiences, dusty beats, deep dub-tracks and driving groove-excursions. Considered an electronic album, it also incorporates live drums, guitars and other acoustic instruments like celesta, glockenspiel, & melodica."

WHITE NOISE Electric Storm CD
*** "Classic electron-psych LP from '68. Spearheaded by one David Vorhaus, a staff member at BBC studios and widely rumored as co-creator of the music to BBC television's cult classic Dr. Who series. 'Welcome to the world of the frequency shifter, signal generator and azimuth co-ordinator. A world that existed before the dawn of the synthesizer, when a 'sample' was a length of recording tape delicately and skillfully spliced in place. The 1968 White Noise: An Electric Storm LP became the holy grail amongst collectors of 'Science Dimension' music, a staple ingredient for lovers of cosmic electronic space-rock'. Features longtime Evan Parker cohort Paul Lytton on drums, some familiar Perrey/Kingsley-esque tape-sound juxtapositioned with concreté-styled jump cuts. An authentic must-have, a truly important record in the continuum of electronic rock. -- Hrvatski.

BETTY WRIGHT Hard To Stop CD
*** "Betty Wright, who co-produced 16 year old UK prodigy Joss Stone's Soul Sessions, was just 17 when her own 1972 Clarence Reid penned hit 'Clean Up Woman' hit #6 on the Billboard Pop chart. Her 1973 follow-up album Hard To Stop released on Florida's Alston label."

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: RESTOCKS ))))) CDs & LPs

v/a CAMBODIAN CASSETTE ARCHIVES CD
*** Primo collection of Cambodian disco, garage/psych rock, and pop that trumps the infamous Cambodian Rocks comp.

v/a SI, PARA USTED CD
*** A copy or two of this cuban funk compilation sells every time we play it in the store. Essential.

v/a SPEICHER 3 CD
*** Recent compilation of Kompakt Extra singles, mixed by Michael Mayer & Jorg Burger.

v/a TROPICALIA: A Brazilian Revolution In Sound 2xLP / CD
*** RECOMMENDED. Top notch collection of Tropicalia music with all the hitmakers: CAETANO VELOSO, TOM ZE, OS MUTANTES, GAL COSTA, GILBERTO GIL, & JORGE BEN.

AFX Analord 01 12"
AFX Analord 02 12"
AFX Analord 07 12"
*** BACK IN STOCK!

APHEX TWIN Come To Daddy 12"
APHEX TWIN Windowlicker 12"
*** BACK IN STOCK!

WILLIAM BASINSKI Disintegration Loops II CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW Dandelion Gum CD
*** Analog synth dreams and nightmares -- wicked.

GUI BORATTO Chromophobia RMX 12"
*** BACK IN STOCK!

COMETS ON FIRE Field Recordings From The Anti-Sun LP / CD
*** NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!

DJ KOZE Kosi Comes Around RMX 12"
*** BACK IN STOCK! Remixes by JAN JELINEK and MATTHEW DEAR.

JOHN FAHEY Sea Changes & Coelacinths 2xCD
*** Justing getting into Fahey? Here's the young person's guide to the man.

GILBERTO GIL Gilberto Gil CD
*** Finally available domestically.

GIRL TALK Night Ripper CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

KRAFTWERK Ralf & Florian CD
*** Long unavailable in the U.S. -- nab it while you can!

SVEN LIBAEK Inner Space CD
*** Very nice comp of Australian soundtrack composer's work--some featured in Wes Anderson's 'The Life Aquatic.'

LINDSTROM & PRINS THOMAS Reinterpretations CD
*** Reinterpretations of the current kings of space-disco.

LIQUID LIQUID Liquid Liquid 2xLP
*** Mo' Wax discography of this highly influential early-80s NYC group.

RUSS MEYER Lorna/Vixen/Faster Pussycat Kill Kill LP
*** Three soundtracks from the breast of Russ Meyer! Now out-of-print and very hard to find.

MINOR THREAT Minor Threat EP 12"
*** The original!

STARS OF THE LID Avec Laudenum CD
STARS OF THE LID The Tired Sounds Of... 2xCD
*** Two early Lids discs are back!

SUN KIL MOON Tiny Cities 2xLP
*** Mark Knopfler's Modest Mouse tribute with a bonus live EP tacked on.

TELEVISION Marquee Moon LP
*** The classic on heavy duty vinyl.

THE TUSS Confederation Trough 12"
THE TUSS Rushup Edge 3x12"
*** New APHEX alter ego!

CAETANO VELOSO Caetano Veloso (Tropicalia) LP / CD
*** The Brazilian Sgt. Peppers long unavailable in the U.S.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: DVDs ))))) Can, Paper Rad, Lightning Bolt

CAN Can DVD DVD
*** An entire Can concert, a documentary and more but without the CD (which makes it much cheaper!). A "must have."

LIGHTNING BOLT Power Of Salad & Milkshakes DVD
*** "LIGHTNING BOLT takes you on a trip across America with footage shot at nineteen performances with multiple, professional-grade cameras. Planet-flattening soundwaves, dancefloor-quaking rhythms, equipment breakdowns, weird-ass people, interviews, cops, bad weather--it's all here. Includes guest action from PINK & BROWN, two brain-melting animations, a poster gallery, and more."

PAPER RAD Taking Out The Trash/Faces In The Trash DVD
*** PAPER RAD is a Pittsburgh, PA/Northampton, MA collective that first started churning out cortex hemorrhaging lysergia comics and moved on to bands, videos, snack foods and installations. Past videos for the band for bands have included LIGHTNING BOLT and the PICK A WINNER video compilation. Think of this group showing up to the 80’s dance party with tazers and ketamine, and you waking up at the bottom of the ball tank at CHUCK E. CHEESE. This DVD includes lots of ephemera filling every color on the PANTONE wheel!

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: VINYL ))))) Cat Power, SUNN0))), Bjork & more

BATTLES Mirrored 2xLP / CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

BJORK Drawing Restraint 9 LP
*** The soundtrack to MATTHEW BARNEY's latest art film project on vinyl.

CAT POWER Moon Pix LP
CAT POWER What Would The Community Think LP
*** Remastered and repressed on heavy-weight vinyl with a coupon for a high-quality mp3 download of the album(s). Nice.

INTERPOL Turn On The Bright Lights LP
*** Remastered and repressed on heavy-weight vinyl with a coupon for a high-quality mp3 download of the album(s). Nice.

THE KNIFE Silent Shout 2xLP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

MF DOOM Mm...Food 2xLP+DVD / CD+DVD
*** NOW ON VINYL.

MICROPHONES The Glow Pt. 2 LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

JASON MOLINA Pyramid Electric Company LP+CD
*** BACK IN STOCK!

THE NATIONAL Boxer LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

PIXIES Surfer Rosa LP
PIXIES Doolittle LP
PIXIES Come On Pilgrim LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

SMASHING PUMPKINS Gish LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

SUNN0))) Oracle 12"
*** ""Belurol Pusztit" was created for the Jukebox Buddha comp. It features the Buddha Machine run through the sunn backline and recorded at maximum volume which of course yielded maximum results! Atsuo Mizuno (BORIS) plays drums and JOE PRESTON (Earth, Melvins, Thrones) on jackhammer! "Orakulum" was originally composed for a live performance collaboration with the New York sculptor Banks Violette at the Maureen Paley Gallery in London." Limited to 7,777 copies! Vinyl only!

JEAN-CLAUDE VANNIER L'enfant Assassin Des Mouches LP
*** BACK IN STOCK!

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM Diadem Of 12 Stars 2xLP
*** "Black metal up-and-comers WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM draws inspiration from the long dark winter and perpetual mist of the Pacific Northwest, singing a lament for a lost connection with nature, magic and the ways of their ancestors. They are not Satanists, nor do they subscribe to right wing ideologies, but do understand the anger and hopelessness that draws lost souls to philosophical dead ends. Their philosophies are anti-modern, romantic and antihuman, a musical expression of an emerging eco-black metal consciousness that has taken root in the Pacific North West."

((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Budos Band, Common, Oh No, Magnolia Electric Co.

v/a EXIT MUSIC: Songs With Radio Heads CD
*** BACK IN STOCK! "A collection of leftfield re-workings of Radiohead classics from MATTHEW HERBERT, CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA, RJD2, THE BAD PLUS and more."

v/a NOW-AGAIN RE:SOUNDS Vol. 1 CD
*** From Stones Throw funk reissue subsidiary comes a collection of remixes, re-edits, and revamps by CUT CHEMIST, KENNY DOPE, TODD JERRY, J.ROCC, PERCEE P, KOUSHIK, GUILTY SIMPSON, EDAN and more!

ABRUPTUM Evil Genius CD
*** "A comprehensive collection of early recordings from highly regarded and influential Swedish cult Satanists ABRUPTUM, including the band’s first two demos. The pure essence of aural evil."

THE BRUNETTES Structure & Cosmetics CD
*** "Born out of a garage-infused New Zealand scene, The Brunettes make breezy, effervescent, Shangri-Las-reminiscent pop. It's a sweetly charming, sunbeam-drenched sound evidenced by sha-la-la choruses but with a little darkness and drama thrown in."

THE BUDOS BAND The Budos Band II CD
*** "While their debut album was itself heralded as a groundbreaking exploration of funk, Afro-beat and soul music, few could predict that their second effort would not only match but surpass the realm of mind-expansion embodied on their first sessions. Ten exciting new instrumentals recorded live--resonant and ethereal over Herculean rhythms."

COMMON Finding Forever CD
*** Excutive producer: KANYE WEST. Featuring LILY ALLEN, KANYE WEST, and D'ANGELO.

ERIC COPELAND Hermaphrodite CD
*** "Eric Copeland of BLACK DICE has amassed and twisted a variety of music and sounds resulting in his first proper solo album. Hopscotching a free range of structures, sources, and styles, this album is unlike any other, crossing the wires of foreign radio, space transmissions, artificial vocal ensembles, electronic street conversations and lost pop music. Like a good mix tape, Hermaphrodite flips the listener with each new song, engaging them to keep up, make the connections, and, ultimately, enjoy."

DEATHSPELL OMEGA FAS CD
*** "A maelstrom, a deluge of frantic notes, of the bleakest atmospheres ever heard within extreme metal. The massive use of dissonances and microtonal composition techniques increase an almost unbearable feeling of illness: this is the burden of the will of God on your shoulders!"

FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS The Distant Future CD
*** The six-song teaser EP from the New Zealand duo hot on the heels of their HBO comedy series debut.

FLORATONE Floratone CD
*** MATT CHAMBERLAIN, BILL FRISELL, TUCKER MARTINE, LEE TOWNSEND.

ROBERT FORSTER & GRANT MCLENNAN Intermission 2xCD
*** Limited edition deluxe comp of the best 1990-1997 solo recordings from the songwriters and founders of THE GO-BETWEENS.

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. Sojourner 4xCD+DVD
*** "Four CDs from four distinct recording sessions that MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO. recorded following the release of their debut studio album What Comes After The Blues. Session were recorded by STEVE ALBINI, DAVID LOWERY, JASON MOLINA, and one at Sun Studios in Memphis. Also included is a DVD documentary that follows the band as they tour across the prairie provinces of Canada and shows the loneliness and isolation one can feel even when traveling in a pack."

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND Live At Radio City Music Hall CD
*** "26 songs! The entire 2.5 hour concert featuring all the hits plus some previously unreleased snacks."

JU SUK REET MEATE Solo 1978 + 1979 CD
*** A very early and rare solo joint from one of the founders of SMEGMA. It's a post-Zappa stoned blues / concrete melange of guitars, tapes, found sounds and voice. WOLF EYES' John Olson writes the liner notes.

ENNIO MORRICONE Morricone Kill: Spaghetti Western Music From The Maestro CD
*** IMPORT. A large collection of themes compiled by the brilliant folks over at El Records.

OH NO Dr. No's Oxperiment CD
*** "28 banging instrumental tracks! Oh No follows Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms with an audio tour of Turkish, Lebanese, Greek & Italian psych funk: chopped, flipped & ripped."

OKKERVIL RIVER The Stage Names CD / LP
*** "With their newest release, OKKERVIL RIVER dynamite the walls of Black Sheep Boy's gothic, moss-walled castle from the inside to let in the glaring sun. Where Black Sheep Boy presented a fairy tale of dark babbling streams and high distant towers, The Stage Names takes place in an unmistakably modern world, where snowy televisions blast into cheap hotels the spectral images of soap stars endlessly betraying each other, where losers in late-night bars languish to the beat of their favorite songs, where broken-down actresses place their final cell calls from lonely mansions high in the hills. Reverberant with echoes of Motown snap and girl-group pop, redolent with ripe whiffs of dirty rock'n'roll, shining with the shimmy of Bo Diddley, with the shimmer of the Velvets, with the swagger of the Faces, and with a glittery sprinkling of cheap perfume over the top of it all to disguise the stink, The Stage Names is a relentlessly-paced and ruthlessly thrilling journey."

EWAN PEARSON Fabric 35 CD
*** Another excellent Fabric mix, this time from Mr. Pearson. Read all about his picks over here: http://www.ewanpearson.com/enthusiasm/2007/07/14707-fabric-35.html

THE RENTALS Last Little Life: The EP CD
*** MATT WHATSHISNAM, ex-bass player for WEEZER, is back with a mini-album of classics Rentals fuzz+synths.

SLIGHTLY STOOPID Chronchitis CD
*** Brand new! It's brand new for you. These guys might smoke pot.

ST VINCENT Marry Me CD
*** Annie Clark is a sometimes-member of SUFJAN STEVENS band as well as THE POLYPHONIC SPREE and her heavy-on-the-keyboards (moog, synth, organ, piano, etc.) approach has gotten her rave reviews from Pitchfork among other places.

Monday, August 13, 2007

(( RECOMMENDED: NEW RELEASES )) Black Dice frontman gone solo

ERIC COPELAND Hermaphrodite CD
"Eric Copeland is a prominent member of New York’s Black Dice and Terrestrial Tones. For the past two years, he has amassed and twisted a variety of music and sounds, resulting in Hermaphrodite, his first proper solo album. Hopscotching a free range of structures, sources, and styles, this album is unlike any other, crossing the wires of foreign radio, space transmissions, artificial vocal ensembles, electronic street conversations and lost pop music. But these compositions don’t highlight the sound dynamics as much as they let each song shake and unfold into a very open world, continually broadening. Like a good mix tape, Hermaphrodite flips the listener with each new song, engaging them to keep up, make the connections, and, ultimately, enjoy."

Sounding quite at home on Animal Collective's Paw Tracks label, Eric Copeland made a beautiful, shimmering & strange album that feels a bit more organic than the forthcoming Black Dice album.

Eric Copeland - "Tree Aliens" [mp3]